Evaluation (Earth Reformation Book 1)

Botz, Brad

Chapter One

Las Vegas, N.V - 3.5 hours before Earth Reformation

Christopher “Chris” Brewer stood with his back to the wall. His role here was to observe. The room they were in was a small conference room in an office building that Chris imagined held dozens of such rooms. More than likely, they were all as plain as this one.

Muted colors, a long oval wood table with a few black fabric clad office chairs surrounding. Chris wondered if it was some unspoken rule that conference rooms all had to be this dull. It was really boring. Contract signings always were.

A few feet in front of Chris sat his boss, Kevin Garvey. Former Navy seal Captain, Kevin Garvey. Now owner, C.E.O and Commander of First Tier Security Services; a private security company. While his boss continued to review the proposed services contract, Chris turned his attention to the prospective client.

Joshua Perez was, for all intents and purposes, just an every day entrepreneur. He dabbled in a bunch of different businesses. Diversification is what all the business folks call it. The man was well dressed, but not flashy or flamboyant. He was, maybe, 5'10” with a thin build.

Not muscular, more like a soccer player…or football player if you live anywhere but the United States. He was charming and easy going. He seemed like any number of businessmen throughout the world, until you dug a bit into his background.

If you dig only a little bit, Joshua Perez was just an Ivy League educated business guy who got lucky with crypto-currency and parlayed that into a couple of quick software startups that he sold for silly amounts of money. Having made the quick cash early, Mr. Perez had been expanding his business interests, including some not so safe overseas ventures. This was, of course, why First Tier Security Services was here. Protection of assets in “not so safe” areas was their bread and butter.

If you decided to dig quite a bit further into Mr. Perez's past, you would find some very interesting things. Joshua Perez was a second generation Columbian American. Mom had money, hence the Ivy League education. Ah, but where that money came from is where things get really interesting. His boss's contacts in government were able to figure out that Joshua's mom was the granddaughter of an old school Columbian drug lord. It seems the old man had managed to funnel enough money through a U.S contact allowing him to set up some family members with legitimate businesses in the U.S. Along with a hefty number of investments, a few members of the extended family were well taken care of.

As it turns out, young Joshua was enamored with all the tales of his family's drug trade. It sounded to a young boy like high adventure. Chris imagined it was similar to how many in the U.S idolize the Mafia. Joshua was smart, however.

He didn't get into the typical drug trade. No cocaine or heroin for him. He plied his trade in pharmaceuticals. Specifically, performance enhancers.

He started out in prep-school with the usual stuff athletes wanted: steroids and various other P.E.D's. Where he really hit the jackpot was when he was introduced to the computer science crowd in college. He started peddling A.D.H.D drugs, along with others, to fuel days of long coding and bug bash sessions. Overdosing college students would get you thrown in prison for life. A bunch of nerds staying up three days to build the next social media app; who cares?

This is how he was introduced to the world of crypto, and it's also where many of his startup ideas came from. You can't say the guy was scared to tap into a neesh market and take some risk.

Chris knew his boss wasn't overly concerned about Mr. Perez's background. Kevin Garvey wouldn't get his company involved in anything too nefarious. A lot of business people at the international level have skeletons in the closet and often a small number of questionable businesses. In the private security business, you had to be somewhat comfortable with moral ambiguity.

Also, what was illegal in the U.S wasn't always illegal in other countries. Still First Tier Security Services wouldn't be partaking in human or drug trafficking. No burning down villages or displacing villagers “for their own protection”. That wasn't Garvey's style.

“Mr. Perez,” Kevin Garvey spoke as he flipped through pages of the proposed contract. “I appreciate you indulging me on this last look through of the contract. I know all of our lawyers have gone over this, and we could do this online these days. However, I'm a bit traditional, and I like to sign these in person. Especially, when we are taking on a new client.”

When he spoke, Chris's attention briefly flickered to his boss. Kevin Garvey was 65 years old, but you wouldn't think it. He was almost 6 feet tall, and still in fantastic shape. After 30 years in the military, and countless military actions, Garvey managed to avoid any debilitating injuries that were so common in Special Warfare operators. He had a full head of steely grey hair, clean shaven with piercing grey eyes that seemed to look right into your soul.

He had what people call “command presence”. You knew when the man was in the room. He was a leader, period.

“No problem at all, Mr. Garvey,” Mr. Perez responded, seeming completely genuine. “Your reputation precedes you, and I'm happy to ensure you are comfortable with our deal. Please, take your time.” The man picked up his tablet and started reading or reviewing something. Hell, maybe he was playing a video game, Chris thought to himself.

A few minutes later, the door to the conference room opened, and a man entered the room. Chris had seen the man when they came through the office. He immediately didn't like the vibe this guy put off.

The man was a bit short, skinny… like a ferret, yeah that was the look. Sharp nose, beady eyes, jumpy.

The man was smiling as he said, “Boss, looks like there was some kind of problem at that Kemble Book store place. You should be able to put in a new offer on the building soon.”

Kevin Garvey's head snapped up so fast, Chris was amazed the man didn't break his own neck. “What was the name of that book store, son?” Garvey said in a tone that Chris was very familiar with. This was Garvey's “you just fucked up” tone. This was a tone of voice that not only demanded an answer but promised swift and violent retribution if you failed to do so promptly. This tone reminded people that Kevin Garvey was a trained killer.

Standing behind and slightly to the side of Garvey, Chris couldn't see Garvey's face, but he could see an obvious bobbing of the Adam's apple in the man's throat as he tried to quickly formulate a response. He could also see the immediate recognition in the man's eyes of the consequences of failing to do so. Kevin Garvey was an apex predator, and prey always reacted the same way.

“Ah… um, Kemble Rare Books,” the man stammered out.

Mr. Perez quickly interjected a bit coldly, “This issue doesn't concern your contract Mr. Garvey.”

Garvey's head slowly swiveled to Joshua Perez, “Indulge me, please. It's a rare name. I assume based on the context of what your man just said that you are interested in buying out a property, and perhaps this Kemble Books was a hold out? Am I correct in that assumption?”

“You are correct,” Perez responded.

“..and did you do any due diligence into the ownership of said business?” Garvey continued.

“Of course, I'm not a complete novice at business,” Perez responded with a little heat in his voice. “The ownership of both the book store and building is owned by a corporation out of the Cayman Islands. The trail ends there. It's not uncommon for people to use the Cayman's to hide their holdings. I do so myself, when needed.”

Garvey continued, “and if I may ask, what is the name of the corporation?”

“Red Dogs Limited. Some I.T consulting firm.” replied Perez.

Garvey dropped his head into his hands, covering his face, “Jesus fucking Christ!”

“Mr. Brewer,” Garvey barked, “nobody leaves this room.”

Chris Brewer was a big man. 6'3”, 240 lbs of solid muscle. For a big man, he could move insanely fast. Hearing the tone of his boss's voice, and anticipating something, Chris moved in front of the door to the conference room. The little ferret man was still too shocked to move.

“What is the meaning of this Mr. Garvey?” Perez's voice rose in anger.

“I might just be saving your life Mr. Perez” Garvey responded.

“What the hell are you talking about?..” Perez tried to ask. Garvey ignored him. Turning his gaze to the little ferret man. Chris could see Garvey's face from this angle.

If you didn't know Garvey well, you would just think he was angry, but Chris did know Garvey well. It was the eyes. Garvey's eyes held fear, and not a little. What the hell was going on?

“Ok, son,” Garvey said to a now slightly shaking, ferret man. “Tell me what happened. I'm not here to get the cops involved or anything like that. I just want to understand what happened so that I can salvage the situation.”

The man looked over to Mr. Perez, who nodded slightly.

“Umm… ok, well… see, a couple of our guys went to the store to put some pressure on the lady. She kept turning down the boss's offers to sell, and she was getting pretty rude about it. We thought a little muscle, maybe some damage, would run her off. Works most times, but apparently not with her.”

Chris saw Garvey's jaw muscles clinch. Shit, Garvey was barely holding it together. Chris may not know what was going on, but one thing was for sure, Garvey was serious. Deadly serious.

The man continued, “Anyway, they started trashing the place and the woman, I guess, tried to get a bit physical. One of the boys roughed her up a bit, and in the process knocked a bunch of shelving over. They don't know how it happened, but something must have gotten knocked over and a fire started.

It seemed to them the lady was out cold. So, they booked it out of there.”

“Is she dead?”, Garvey asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“Don't think so. The guys kept watch. The fire sprinklers must have put out the fire, but the paramedics and fire department showed up. The boys said the paramedics had the woman on a stretcher and hauled ass out of there. She wasn't in a body bag…so,” the man finished.

“Maybe it was just a book store worker,” Garvey mumbled. “Do you know the woman's name?”

“Yeah, Marie Kemble”

“Fuck!!!” Garvey shouted.

Chris had never seen Garvey lose his cool. Ever. Chris was starting to get nervous here.

“Can you please tell me what is going on?” Perez questioned Garvey. Perhaps a hint of concern in his voice. Perez wasn't stupid. Clearly there was something wrong here.

Garvey scrubbed a hand down his face, “Yeah, ok. Look, this a typical Fuck Around and Find Out moment for you. It's also why you should be careful doing business that way. Marie Kemble is the only daughter of Ivor Kemble. Ivor Kemble does a lot of contract work for the government. The kind of work most people don't ever hear about.”

“Ok, so he's one man,” Perez responded.

Garvey laughs, “You aren't wrong. He's one man who has single handedly destabilized small countries. I can't impress upon you enough how quickly you need to get ahead of this. I can try to help you, and I can probably keep you from being killed.

Those two that roughed up his kid. They're already dead. They just don't know it yet.”

“I'm having a hard time believing all this boogeyman bullshit,” Perez retorted.

“I get it,” Garvey responded. “Maybe this will help. A bunch of years ago, some Japanese businessman put a hit out on Kemble through the Yakuza. The guys they sent after Kemble just disappeared. Then Kemble just dropped off the face of the earth for six months.

During those six months, Kemble destroyed a quarter of the Yakuza heroin trade. Millions and millions of dollars, just gone. The Yakuza got the point, and they rescinded the hit order. They also didn't protect the guy that put the hit on Kemble.”

Perez sneered, “So this Kemble killed him. Is that what this is, he's a killer?”

Garvey laughed again, “Kemble didn't kill him. He destroyed the man's business. Left him penniless and destitute. Killing is easy for a guy like Kemble. If you're lucky, he kills you.”

“So what now?”

“Now I make a call, and then myself and Mr. Brewer here are going to leave.”

“What about the contract?” Perez asked.

“We'll revisit that if you still have a business or are still alive in the next 30 days. Kemble doesn't usually do wet work on U.S soil, but he might make an exception because his kid is involved.”

Chris watched Garvey reach into his briefcase and pull out a phone. This wasn't the phone Garvey normally used. It was probably a burner phone. Garvey pushed the dial button and placed the phone to his ear.

“It's Garvey. The Contractor might be in play….. the U.S….. Las Vegas……” Chris, Perez and the ferret man, listened in to one side of the conversation as Garvey relayed all the information they had just heard to the person on the other end. After listening to a number of one word answers from Garvey, the man canceled the call and placed the phone back in his briefcase.

“Ok, here's what's going to happen next. You, ferret face,” Garvey said.

“My name is James..”

“I don't give a fuck…. stick around. If you bail, it's going to go badly for you. Mr. Perez, some men are going to show up and ask you a bunch of questions. Answer them, and they will go on their merry way.

If you don't, they will crawl up inside your ass and extract answers from you. They don't give two shits about anything you have going on. They are only concerned about containing the potential problem you unwittingly unleashed.”

Standing up, Garvey shut his briefcase. The contract sat unsigned on the table. He looked at Chris Brewer with a 'I'll fill you in later' look on his face. No further words were said as the two men exited the building and got into the back of their S.U.V.

“Where to Commander?” the driver asked.

“That new hospital in Henderson,” Garvey replied with a sigh. Looking at Chris Brewer he continued, “We better hope she's alive.”

Chapter Two

Las Vegas, N.V - 3 Hours Before Earth Reformation

Sitting in the S.U.V, Chris Brewer wasn't sure what to think. It was clear that Garvey was rattled. It was also really hard to believe one person could have that effect on the man. Garvey sat next to Chris seemingly deep in thought. He had a million questions, but he wasn't willing to interrupt his boss's thinking.

Seeming to come back to the present, Garvey asked the driver, “Tommy, how long to Henderson Hospital?”

“Given current traffic, about an hour boss,” the man responded.

“I owe you some answers, Chris,” Garvey said. “You've got a great poker face, but it must be eating you up inside right now.”

“Yes, sir,” Chris responded.

“Ivor and I were in the same B.U.D/S class back in '83. I was a brand new butter bar Ensign and Ivor was a 17 year old enlisted kid. The first thing that you usually notice right away is his name. It's not a common American name. It's actually Old English but his family is Welsh. Ivor explained to me the original family name was Cadmael which means “war prince” or “battle chief.” Ivor probably comes from Old Norse, which means 'bow warrior” essentially.

If there was ever a man literally named for warfare, it's him. He's average height, average build…in fact, he's so average, you almost forget he's there. It's like a goddamn super power.

In B.U.D/S, he was quiet and competent. Never complained. Ever. Didn't talk much, but not aloof. He would laugh and joke, but not excessively.

Stoic is the term I would use. He was dependable. As an officer, having at least one person that you know will get the job done is worth their weight in gold.“

“Those of us that made it through B.U.D/S were waiting on orders to our first command. A few of the younger guys, and Ivor, got invited to a college party over the weekend. Long story short, Ivor comes across a few guys trying to rape a girl. He stops it, but one of the guys pulls a knife. Ivor kills him. Pure self-defense. Plenty of witnesses.”

“I'm guessing I'm not going to like what I hear next,” Chris says with a scowl on his face.

“Yep, you especially, Chris. It's what drove you out of the Teams and into my loving arms,” Garvey says with a grin. “Politics. Back then, few people had ever heard of S.E.A.L's. The political climate, at the time, between the Navy and the community in San Diego was strained. The politicians didn't want it to seem like they were soft on all these 'trained killers' in their community. The Navy acquiesced. Ivor was the scapegoat receiving an Other Than Honorable discharge but no jail time.”

“Fucking politics,” Chris spat.

“Yeah, everyone went to bat for him, but there was no stopping it. An example had to be made. Outwardly, Ivor showed nothing. No emotion at all. All of us that had been through B.U.D/S with him could see it though. He was seething with pent up rage. 18 years old and just survived some of the hardest training on earth. They shit on him for a reward. I could puke right now just thinking about it.”

“Anyway, it turns out the girl he saved was the daughter of one of the California Senators. Powerful man. No news of the incident ever got out. The Senator couldn't just throw his weight around. Again, politics. But that didn't mean he couldn't do something. He was on a few Congressional Committees. He knows about all the black ops stuff the agencies were involved in. He hooked Ivor up with some contacts, and that's the beginning of the legend of the Contractor.”

“I heard you use that name when you talked to whoever you called in the conference room,” Chris commented.

“Obviously, the various agencies use contractors. There is only one person they mean when someone says “The Contractor.” Those in the know, know. If you don't know, you don't need to know. As you can imagine, after being burned by the Navy, Ivor wasn't too keen on signing up with another government agency.

So, he would only work as a contractor. Word has it that the C.I.A set up his initial businesses and provided seed money. Worked out great for them. This way, they could throw Ivor into some heavy shit and have complete deniability. “

“I learned all this a few years later. As far as I knew, at the time, he just disappeared. A few years later, I was a Lieutenant in the Teams. We were doing some training with the Philippine SpecOps guys when we got some orders to help out the C.I.A with some drug interdiction operation they were running.

It was a pretty simple deal for us. Insert from the water to this island. Move about two kilometers inland and wait for the signal, then secure the area and eliminate stragglers. The C.I.A had an indigenous team in place to kick it off. Our contact was with that team.”

“We made it to our staging area without any issue. Just waiting for the signal. Big fucking explosion was the signal,” Garvey laughs, shaking his head. “We were sitting in the jungle just outside this village, when someone blew up a fuel tank.

We pop a couple of runners that head our way. The whole thing is over in 5 minutes. We get the agreed upon 'all clear' and we head into the village. There's about 10 Filipino guys in all camo, not a group we operated with, but they felt the same.

SpecOps guys. I ask if one of these dudes is our contact, and the guy just laughs and points a thumb over his shoulder to a guy sitting on the tailgate of an old Toyota pickup.”

“Kemble,” Chris says.

“Fucking Ivor Kemble in the flesh. Overall, he looks the same. I mean, he's about 21 at this point.

So, he's a little taller, still not tall. He's got more muscle, but lean. He's still got that weird thing going on where he just blends in. Later, in our after action report, my guys said none of them noticed him until he was pointed out.

Freaked a few of them out. He looks up, and there's where I see the change. His eyes. You look into his eyes, and you know you're in the company of a predator. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I work for one of those guys,” Chris says with a chuckle.

“I know you like to act all humble, Chris, but you're one of those guys too,” Garvey says. “So, I approached Kemble. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't sure how this was going to go down. He was one angry young man when I saw him last, and now he was a very dangerous, potentially, angry young man. Kemble looks up from cleaning the knife in his hand. He throws the cloth into the back of the truck, and I get a glimpse of the rag. It was covered in blood. Kemble puts his knife back in its sheath and sticks out his and says, “Good to see a friendly face, Lieutenant.'”

Chris let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding in.

“Yeah, I was relieved too. Anyway, we chatted a bit, but like I said, he was always pretty quiet. We gathered intel and found out a shipment was supposed to be coming in the next two days.

We were good for about five days. So, Kemble asked if we could stick around and help out. Of course we agreed. It's good to work with professionals.

Plus, it gave me a little more time to see if I could figure out what he'd been doing in the intervening years. Figuring that out only took about three hours. Are you familiar with Philippine martial arts?”

“Never spent any time there,” Chris responded.

“Arnis, or Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. Practitioners start with the sword and stick before even moving on to empty hand training. Well, apparently that's what Ivor had been doing for the last three or so years. Non-stop training and drug interdiction. Can you imagine keeping that operational tempo for nearly four straight years? Fucking insane. He got so good, some of the SpecOps guys wouldn't even spar with him anymore.”

“So, we stuck around for a couple days. We ambushed the drug shipment. Kemble created all sorts of booby traps.

He didn't learn that in B.U.D/S. He seems to have a knack for making improvised destructive devices. Largely due to Kemble's traps causing all sorts of chaos, the whole operation went really smoothly. Kemble didn't talk much, and at the end, we just went our separate ways”

“The next time I saw him was during Desert Shield in '90. My squad was supposed to take possession of an offshore oil rig that had been turned into a missile platform. This was a case where we weren't doing any work, just getting the glory. The brass didn't want to show their hand that they had other assets already operating in the area.

We took a helicopter from the ship and landed on the rig. The bird would take some prisoners and other personnel back to the ship while we did a dog and pony show for some journalists later. We get there, and two prisoners are hog-tied outside the main building. I'll give you three guesses: who's sitting on a crate watching over them?”

“Ivor Kemble,” Chris deadpanned.

“Ivor fucking Kemble. This time, he's traded his escrima sticks for a couple of nasty looking suppressed pistols. Wearing all black tactical gear. He was really giving off the wet-work, killer vibes.

It's also the first time I knew he started getting into computers. The Agency had him downloading data from any computer he could find.”

“Ah, that explains the whole I.T Consulting business,” Chris exclaimed.

“Yeah, but that came much later. Anyway, Ivor tells us not to let the journalists go in certain areas of the rig. His words 'things got messy'.

Yeah, messy, no shit. Half the guys he killed in their sleep. Straight head shot. The ones that were up, got the grenade treatment.

You've seen what a grenade going off in an enclosed space does to human bodies. I was just happy I didn't have to clean up that mess.”

“So, Ivor leaves and we show the journalist around. Then we head back to the ship for debrief. That's the first time I was aware the Agency was referring to him as The Contractor. One of his agency handlers was onboard to discuss some follow-on action for us based on the intel Ivor got. I mentioned to the dude “I know your contractor,” and he said “you know The Contractor.” The name started getting around in certain circles. If he was there, the Agency guys would often throw the name out to see if you knew who they were talking about.”

“I had heard he might have been involved in Operation Just Cause down in Panama, but that wasn't my neck of the woods. Some folks I trust describe a solo operator who sounds a lot like Kemble seeding chaos in town. Fucking with all the Panamanian forces loyal to Noriega. I believed them, but I wasn't there.”

“Next time was during the whole Kosovo war,” Garvey pauses. “Yeah…. that's where things take a dark turn. If you ever see a glint of fear in my eyes when I mention Kemble's name, that's where it comes from.”

Taking another pause to collect himself, Garvey continues, “I was Lieutenant Commander, X.O, of the command. Normally, I wouldn't be going out with the squads, but this was a direct order from on high. Really, really high up. No written orders. Direct from the Secretary of the Navy, via sat-phone.

I was the only one in the area with at least some personal relationship, albeit limited, with the target. Apprehend Ivor Kemble and extract. do not Kill. Use any means to incapacitate. Secure all intelligence near him or on his person.”

“Jesus Christ,” Chris exclaimed. “Two squads for one dude. What the fuck happened?”

“Kemble had been embedded with a bunch of the Kosovo folks extracting info. Helping them plan ambushes, creating I.E.D's and various other traps. Generally causing chaos and taking direct action when necessary.

Anyway, he's with a squad and they make their way into a village. Some people fleeing from that direction gave them a tip that some bad shit was going down in the village. I get the story straight from Kemble later and from the after action reports. They get there at night. The village is empty, but they can hear something coming from a building. Ivor tells the Kosovo squad to stay put and goes to investigate. An hour later, he's back.

He tells the squad to head back to their command post, there are about 100 enemy combatants in town. He's going to get some intel and meet them back at the command post in a couple days. They are used to him doing shit on his own. So they have no reason to question him.

The squad goes back. A couple days go by, and Ivor doesn't show back up. Finally, one of his handlers contacts the joker in charge and threatens him with imminent death if he doesn't find Ivor. So, the guys send the squad back out.”

“On their way to the village, they hear a couple loud explosions that came from the direction of the village they are headed to. As they close in on the village, they can hear the screams nearly a thousand meters out. They rush to the village building the screams are coming from. The same building Kemble went to investigate a couple days ago.

The guy in front stops abruptly. The whole fucking area is booby trapped. They'd seen Kemble's work before.

They knew the signs. They also knew they weren't getting past easily. It took another day for me to get the orders and another day to get on site. Man, there were noises I didn't think a human throat could make.”

Garvey takes a ragged breath and continues,”Anyway, I get on a bullhorn one of the Kosovo guys brought from command. I tell Kemble it's me. I just want to talk. I'll come unarmed. He agrees and guides me through his fucking death field.

I get inside, and he's literally covered in blood. None of it is his. He takes me down to the basement. I'm not gonna tell you details, but Ivor was doing things to those men they should not have survived. Most of them didn't.

The two that lived ended up non-communicative, basket cases. Institutionalized the rest of their miserable lives.”

“I've been around hard men, killers, most of my adult life. Ivor showed me what he'd been doing the last few days and it took every ounce of my willpower to not puke. He turned to me, and looked me straight in the eyes and said 'They were raping and killing kids, man.' I looked in those eyes Chris, and I'm not even slightly exaggerating when I tell you, there was no humanity left. Ivor Kemble had become Death itself.”

“Fuck,” what else could Chris say?

“He let me knock him out. Some pills I had. He didn't care what was going to happen to him. We got him out of there and the Agency swooped in. Ivor Kemble disappeared. Half of the war crime convictions out of that war came from the intel he had gathered. Nobody gave a shit what happened to a bunch of child rapists. It was after that when I heard Ivor started the I.T Consulting firm. He was still working for the Agency and, from what I hear, foreign allies, but now the contracts were more computer espionage and a bit less wet work.”

“Yeah, I get it now,” Chris said.

“Fantastic. Now imagine what would happen if somebody hurt his kid and not some random kids.” Garvey stared into Chris' eyes.

“Oh, Fuck!”

“Oh fuck indeed, Chris. That's why you're going to sit by Marie Kemble's bedside until she wakes up or he shows up. You will explain things to him and/or her. You'll mention my name. If we're all lucky, he'll only kill a few idiots. If not, well…. I don't even want to think of how much destruction he can cause at this point.”

“What do I say if she wakes up?” Chris asked.

“Tell her the truth. She was attacked, and you have been hired to protect her by a friend of her father's. An old military buddy.” Garvey gave a strained smile.

Chapter Three

Las Vegas, N.V - 2 hours before Earth Reformation

Chris walked into the hospital and approached the information desk.

“Can I help you, sir?” the man behind the desk asked.

“Chris Brewer, the administrator should be expecting me,” Chris replied.

The man grabbed the phone and punched a button. “A Chris Brewer here to see you ma'am….. yes ma'am.” He hung up the phone. “Mr. Brewer, if you could have a seat, the administrator will be right down.”

Chris found a seat nearby and pulled out his phone. He had a message from Garvey.

Expect an Agency contact already on site. I don't have details.

He killed a few minutes researching the Kosovo war. It was way before his time. Based on what he was reading, there was a whole lot of nasty shit going on there. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a well dressed woman approaching. Chris stood as she held out her hand.

“Mr. Brewer, I'm administrator Vance. I would say it's a pleasure, but I'm a little rattled by all the high profile government types that have been calling me in the last 30 minutes. I've been told to not dig into this, but you should know Ms. Kemble's health is my primary concern. I won't allow anyone to interfere with the care of a patient. Understood?” Chris could tell she meant every word as he shook her hand, but he could also tell she was a bit rattled by all this.

“Yes ma'am. I understand your position, and I appreciate your professionalism.” The woman seemed to relax a bit. Maybe she expected a fight or something. “I think we're on the same side here. However, I'm here, explicitly, to protect Ms. Kemble. Which means, I will not be removed from her presence, for any reason. So, if you need to perform any medical procedures on Ms. Kemble, I will be there. Non-negotiable. I'm sure someone of your background can make sure that happens.

I also understand this is probably not standard hospital policy. Nothing about this whole situation is standard, I can assure you. So, please, for all our sakes, don't fight me on this. I will stay out of the way of your doctors and nurses, but I will be present. Understood?” Chris wasn't a fan of using his size to intimidate, but it does work, as he loomed over her.

The woman visibly gulped, “Yes Mr. Brewer. Our C.E.O has made it quite clear that we are to allow you and the government woman that is with Ms. Kemble now complete access.”

“Excellent. I'd like to be taken to Ms. Kemble, please.” Chris gave the woman a smile.

“Of course.” She turned and walked towards the elevators as Chris followed.

They entered the elevator and Ms. Vance pulled out a keycard and swiped it before pushing the top floor button.

“She's on the V.I.P floor. Limited staff access to the floor. Keycard only. All entries on the floor and rooms are monitored and logged. Security has a keycard at the desk on the floor waiting for you. My head of security would like to talk with you and the government woman as soon as possible.”

“I would like to get eyes on Ms. Kemble and confer with my government counterpart, if that's ok,” Chris responded.

“Of course. Just tell the desk nurse whenever you're ready, and Mr. Menon will be available.”

They continued the rest of the ride in silence. They arrived at the floor and stepped out of the elevator and turned right. A hallway stretched into the distance, empty, except for a nurses station about halfway down the hallway. A man was standing at the desk talking to someone Chris couldn't see.

Chris assumed it was a doctor, he was wearing the white smock. The man was about 6 feet tall and looked to be about Garvey's age, maybe a bit younger. Dark brown hair, likely dyed at his age.

Clean shaven. He was definitely in shape, and he had an intense look about him. He turned to face them as they approached.

Administrator Vance spoke, “Ah, Dr. Jacobs, this is Mr. Brewer he's Ms. Kemble's….”

“Protection detail, doc.” Chris held out his hand. The doctor shook it. Strong grip.

“Ex-military, Brewer?” Dr. Jacobs asked.

“Yes, sir. Navy.”

“Ah, seal then. Damn, they're growing you big these days.” the doctor chuckled. “Marine Corps. Desert Storm and Afghanistan. Reservist.”

“Semper Fi, doc,” Brewer smiled. He liked this guy.

“The only easy day was yesterday, Brewer.” Dr. Jacobs replied. Yeah, Chris definitely likes this guy.

The Administrator handed Chris a badge, and said “Well, I have work to do. Mr. Brewer, if you have any issues, don't hesitate to contact me.” She turned and headed back to the elevators.

“She's only used to well known V.I.P's the Dr. said. “This smells of black ops stuff to me.” He held up his hand before Chris could say anything. “I don't need to know. I just want to know what the possibility of danger to my staff is.”

“Extremely low, in my opinion,” Chris reassured the man. “I'm mostly here as a precaution, and to kick off damage control if Ms. Kemble dies.”

“Her death is unlikely.” the doctor commented. “She had some minor smoke inhalation and a badly fractured clavicle. We have her sedated, but expect her to be up tomorrow.”

Chris let out a sigh. Dr. Jacobs noticed some of the tension drain out of Chris.

“That bad?” Dr. Jacobs asked.

“For the guys that did this, yeah. Wouldn't want to be them, that's for sure.” Chris continued, “Is my government counterpart in the room?”

“Yeah, it's a bit weird though. One thing, she's really young. If I had to guess, I'd say college age.

Probably recruited out of U.N.L.V by the Agency, but that's me guessing. Second thing, she seemed way more concerned than any handler I've ever seen. You didn't get any pre-mission intel?”

Chris scratched his head, “Doc, I first heard about this an hour ago. My boss gave me some background on the way over. I'm only marginally less in the dark than you.”

“Fair enough. I've already told the staff to report anything strange immediately to you or Ms. Riva, in there. I'm not taking any chances, and I have no doubt you can handle business if need be.”

“Thanks doc.” Chris shook the man's hand again and headed into the room.

Chris headed into the room directly opposite the nurses station. As he walked in he saw a very petite, dark haired woman, standing at the side of the hospital bed, holding Marie Kemble's hand. Chris cleared his throat.

The woman quickly let go of the hand and as she was turning wiped some moisture from her eyes. “You the protection detail?” her voice cracking a bit with emotion.

“Chris Brewer, First Tier Security Services,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Emily Riva, C.I.A,” she responded. Emotions now in check.

“Ms. Riva, I'm going to be blunt. I think you have an emotional attachment to your asset, and I need to know, right now, what it is. Your emotional state could jeopardize my ability to protect Ms. Kemble, and I won't have that. I need a good reason not to have my boss contact your boss and have you replaced on this detail.” Chris channelled his best Garvey command voice.

As he was talking, the woman began to scowl, clearly getting angry. Chris was surprised at her response, “You are 100% correct Mr. Brewer. I am emotionally attached to the asset. To Marie. She's my friend. I was inserted as her assistant at the bookstore two years ago.

It's a rare book store. We don't get many customers, and she doesn't have many friends. Her mother died two years ago, and she began talking to me at the store.

I think she just needed someone to talk to. Her father was always overseas. We became friends… and now with her father's heart condition… I just feel bad for her. Then this happens.”

Chris' eyes shot wide open, “Heart condition. What heart condition?”

“They didn't tell you? Her father's heart is failing, and he refuses treatment. He's been taking it easy somewhere in northern New Mexico.”she replied.

“Jesus, I hope he doesn't want to go out in a blaze of glory,” Chris mumbled to himself.

“What was that?” Emily asked.

“Nothing. What do you know about her father?”

“I know he does some kind of I.T work for the Agency from time to time. Not much other than that. I know my boss was pretty fucking panicked when he told me to get my ass over here. It's pretty clear I'm missing something,” she replied.

Chris looked up at the ceiling and blew out a breath, “Ok, I don't know what I can tell you without getting us both in some deep shit. My boss knows Kemble. He gave me a lot of old background. Let's just say, we don't want Ivor Kemble going on the war path…. and I'm worried that if he's dying, he might want to go out in a blaze of glory. I don't know the man, but I have my concerns.”

Emily's mouth dropped open as Chris spoke. “Ok, I didn't know anything like that about him, and I can tell you, for sure, Marie only knows that her father is some I.T nerd that works internationally. She isn't aware of his connection to the Agency, and she doesn't know I'm an agent. What are you supposed to say when she wakes up?”

“I'm here at the behest of one of her father's friends as protection, given the incident. Essentially, the truth. The rest isn't my story to tell,” Chris responded.

“Fine. I may be emotionally attached, but I will protect Marie with my life. I don't have combat experience, but I'm trained. I can handle myself. If you want to take the lead, I'm fine with that. I can take orders.” The conviction in her voice was good enough for Chris. Plus, with someone this close to Ms. Kemble, he should be able to get more information about her.

Chapter Four

After nearly two hours of intermittent chatting, as well as setting up watch rotation. Chris and Emily had established the beginnings of a working relationship. Chris could definitely tell Emily was both driven and loyal. He was just thinking about asking her another question when his vision darkened and some text appeared.

System Reformation commencing……

Scanning entity for evaluation potential……

Sufficient potential for evaluation….

Processing….

Suddenly, Chris appeared in a room. It was a very small room. It reminded him of some kind of interrogation room you would see on T.V or in the movies. No one way glass, though.

He was seated in a metal chair. The table was in front of him, also metal. On the other side of the table was something that was not human, more human-like. The human-like being spoke.

“Your planet is being reformed by the System.” Chris tried to say something but was frozen. “You have sufficient potential to be transferred for evaluation. You have no time to ask questions. You will need to pick a Class or Profession for the evaluation.

Classes are combat focused, advance quickly, and are dangerous. Professions advance more slowly, and are safer. Both Classes and Professions can evolve beyond their base class type.

You will be allowed to change Classes and Professions during the evaluation, but you will lose all Skills and Stat Points gained when you do so. You can gain more information during the evaluation. Choose by focusing on the Class or Profession and select Yes/No when prompted”

A list of Classes appeared.

- Fighter

- Rogue

- Mage

- Support

A longer list of Professions followed.

- Administrator

- Builder

- Farmer

- Laborer

- Merchant

- Smith

Chris didn't have to think too hard. He focused on Fighter. A prompt appeared.

You have selected the Class - Fighter…

Do you want to choose this Class? - Yes/No

Chris selected Yes.

You have selected: Fighter….

Select your preferred weapon:

A short list of weapons appeared.

- Sword

- Spear

- Axe

- Hammer

- Bow

Chris only had experience with modern firearms, which didn't seem like an option. Given his size and speed, Chris decided to go with the Spear.

You have selected the Spear as your preferred weapon…

Do you want to choose the Spear? - Yes/No

Again, Chris selected Yes.

You will be provided basic armor for your Class at the evaluation location. Your evaluation guide will provide further information. Good luck, human.

Blackness once again took over Chris' vision, but a point of light formed somewhere in front of him. The light started growing. As it grew larger, Chris did not feel a sense of motion. Finally, the whiteness was all-encompassing. Chris found himself standing on a cobbled square. Standing to his left was Emily… and standing in front of Emily, a conscious Marie Kemble. Marie looked at Emily. Emily looked at Chris.

“This big bastard with you Emily?” Marie said

“Yeah, sort of.” Emily shrugged.

“Shit,” Chris exclaimed. “Perez is here. We need to get Ms. Kemble out of here right now. I'll go right, you two go left. Emily, explain on the way. Slowly work your way towards the buildings on your side.

Once you're out of view, book it towards those woods next to the road leading out of town.” Chris subtly pointed towards the road leading out of town. “Stick to the woods just off the road but don't go too far into the woods. I'll parallel the road on my side. Once you are out of view of the town, get onto the road. We should be able to find each other. Move.”

Chris hunched down a little and slowly started edging toward the buildings on his side. Standing at his height, he stuck out, and he wanted as few eyes on him as possible. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure the two women were moving, he slouched his way between two buildings. Once out of sight, he kept up the charade until he got near the end of town. One quick glance verified, no one was watching him. He slipped into the woods and picked up the pace.

After about ten minutes, Chris noticed he couldn't see the town clearly anymore. He stepped out of the woods and onto the road. A couple minutes later the two women joined him.

“I'm positive someone is following us,” Emily whispered.

“If it's just one, we may need to end this as quickly as possible. We can't have word of this getting back to Perez. We have no idea what his intentions are, and I'm not willing to risk it,” Chris explained.

“Emily told me that Perez was the one that sent the thugs to hurt me. You've still got some explaining to do, Chris,” Marie said with a scowl.

“I'll happily explain everything I can as soon as I feel we are safe. If you trust Emily, she trusts me to make some calls right now. However, I want to take care of our follower first,” Chris replied.

Chris saw some movement at the edge of the woods, near where the two women emerged onto the road.

“Come on out and show yourself.” Chris lifted his voice. “No need to be skulking around after two women. I might think your intentions are less than honorable.”

The figure started moving out of the forest. Chris tightened his grip on his spear and subtly shifted to a fighting stance. Odd, he had no prior training with a spear, but he seemed to have some innate knowledge.

Must be some kind of Class Skill. He hadn't had time to look at his notifications. Chris relaxed his grip on his spear just slightly as the man came into view.

“Dr. Jacobs?” Chris questioned.

Dr. Lance Jacobs walked towards the group with his hands open and away from his body. He wasn't armed.

“Mr. Brewer. I'm unarmed. I simply saw my patient conscious and moving through the crowd, and I had to follow. I'm happy to move on, if you like, after assessing her condition. I think we are both operating off of our last duties to try to keep this craziness from driving us mad, yes?” The doctor shrugged.

“Emily, you seem to be bringing men into my life at a rapid rate. Is this a subtle hint?” Marie joked, trying to diffuse a tense situation.

“Marie, this is Dr. Jacobs. He was treating your injuries before all this System shit happened,” Emily told her friend.

“Doc, you seemed like a good guy. Don't take this the wrong way, but if I think you're here to harm Ms. Kemble, it's not going to go well for you.” Chris had slowly leveled his spear in the direction of the doctor.

“Completely understandable Mr. Brewer. Both of us have been in intense situations in the past. I simply want to ask Ms. Kemble some questions. It's clear the System healed her in some way.

I simply want to assess her cognitive functions. Ensure there is no lasting effect of my previous treatment and whatever the System did. I need to be close enough to easily see her eyes and general body language. I invite you to cover me with your spear. I promise you, I don't mean any harm.” The doctor seemed genuine.

“Sure enough, doc. Have at it,” Chris replied and positioned himself just off to the side of Marie. He would be able to quickly react if something was fishy.

Dr. Jacobs proceeded to question Marie. Chris wasn't a doctor, but Jacobs relaxed as soon as he was in “Doctor” mode. It was clear to Chris that the man had done this numerous times. The doctor asked her to move her arm in several different ranges of motion. Probably trying to see if the broken collar bone was healed as well. After several minutes, the doctor smiled, “Well, Ms. Kemble, as far as I can tell, you are completely healed.” Turning to Chris, Dr. Jacobs said, “Mr. Brewer, thank you for letting me discharge my duty to my patient. If you want, I'll head back to town, and from one veteran to another, I won't say anything about any of you.”

“No problem, doc. I'm a bit jumpy at the moment, and unless you have a burning desire to head back to town, I'd be happy to have you along with our group,” Chris offered.

“Convenient that it also prevents me from going back to the town,” Dr. Jacobs smiled.

Chris smiled back at him. “Let's just call that a bonus, Marine.”

“You guys want to hug it out?” Marie quipped, “but seriously, how about somebody actually clue me into to what the fuck is going on.”

“Let's get headed down the road, and I'll explain,” Chris replied.

Emily chimed in, “There are supposed to be towns attached to the roads here, we should run into another one.”

All eyes turned to the young woman. “What? While the doctor was doing his thing, I read a bunch of my notifications. By the way, what Class did everyone pick? I'm a Rogue.”

“Fighter,” Chris replied.

“Support-Healer,” Dr. Jacobs shrugged with a smirk.

Marie Kemble couldn't help but snort out a laugh, “You got to be shitting me. Standard R.P.G group,“as she pointed to each member in turn, “Fighter, Rogue, Healer, and…” she pointed at herself, “Mage.”

She continued, “My dad always said 'it covers all the weak spots' when we would play R.P.G's together online.” Her smile turned down as a sad look took over her face.

Chris was having a hard time reconciling the man Garvey told him about with this version that Marie was highlighting. He knew it must be true. She had no reason to lie. Plus, didn't we all show various faces depending on circumstances? Duh, it's not like the man would show the hardened killer persona to his daughter. Emily even told him that Marie had no real idea what her father did other than 'I.T work'. It just caught him off guard at that moment.

Emily chimed in, “Maybe the System fixed his heart issue and he's in the evaluation somewhere?”

Marie smiled, forlornly, “Yeah, maybe.”

As they headed down the road, Chris began filling in Marie on everything that had happened. He didn't relay any of the stories Garvey had told him about her father. He stuck to the Perez encounter and what he knew about the man's involvement in her injuries and store fire. He also didn't out Emily as a C.I.A operative. That wasn't his story to tell.

He had finished his story, bringing Marie up to date, and the foursome were walking in silence. Suddenly, out of the bushes ahead of them, three giant rats burst onto the road. The three rats immediately looked at the four humans and charged.

“Fuck, right, evaluation…. of course, there are monstrous rats.” Chris stepped forward with his spear leveled. Off to his right, Emily produced two throwing knives he didn't even know she had on her. Off to his left, Marie stepped up holding out a small stick….wait, she's a Mage. It's a fucking wand, Chris could only shake his head. This was going to take some getting used to.

Chapter Five

Northern New Mexico - 2 minutes before Earth Reformation

Ivor Kemble wasn't one to lament his condition. The doctors gave him another couple of years, if he took it easy. Limit stress; they said. He had to chuckle. For 40 years, he had lived in a near constant state of stress. He thrived in it. He didn't get burnt out.

His heart had other plans. At first, he didn't know what to do with himself. He had spent decades traveling all over the world.

He lived out of hotels, numerous Agency safe houses or his own “off the books” safe houses (hint: they weren't always houses). He almost always had his employers, usually government agencies with deep pockets, pay for things he needed for his various jobs. This allowed him to save and invest.

Invest in things like this acreage in New Mexico. He bought this land 20 years ago. The only thing he ever did with it was create a cache, a bug out spot, in case of the zombie apocalypse, or just to get away from everyone.

Ivor chuckled again. Limit stress; yeah right. He was going out on his terms.

Well, his terms at the moment were living off grid, completely. He'd been at it for the last two years, and his little homestead was self-sufficient. His heart condition couldn't stand the rigors of real hunting.

So, Ivor set up feeding barrels, like so many once a year hunters do, for his meat. He'd still drive to a town to pick up a few things now and again. For the most part, he just enjoyed his solitude.

Well, except for the cat. Somewhere along the way, a mangy old female cat showed up. She was a little worse for wear, but she accepted Ivor's help when she was on her last life. Maybe she knew they were kindred spirits.

They had grown used to each other. She spent most of her time out in the wild. She was missing about a third of her tail, and half of one ear, but she still caught most of her own food; birds and small rodents.

Ivor let her come and go. He built a cat door, not one of those store bought things, so she could get out of the cold. He named her Kitty.

Ivor may live off grid, but he wasn't a complete Luddite. He liked his video games, and his reading tablet was probably the best thing humanity had ever invented, in his opinion. He had solar power, and the internet, when needed. The one piece of technology he hated was sitting on his table.

A green light blinking indicated he had a message. The one piece of technology that meant he wasn't truly free. The one thing that still tied him to the Agency. That goddamn secure satellite phone. People like Ivor didn't get to 'retire', they just disappeared.

He knew too much, had done too much. This was the compromise Ivor had to accept. He wasn't truly free, not even way out in the middle of nowhere.

Sighing, he picked up the phone and typed in the numeric password. The voicemail immediately started playing:

Mr. Kemble, there has been an incident at your daughter's store. There was a fire, and she was injured. She is at a local hospital, and our local agent has let us know that she should make a full recovery.

I have been instructed to tell you that some of the injuries were caused by two men who seem to be working for a local businessman. They had been pressuring her to sell the store, and they took the pressure tactics too far. The Director is asking that you not take matters into your own hands.

He specifically told me to say, please. The Agency will handle the situation for you, and we will get back to you with specifics. Thank you.

Ivor put the phone down. His hand was shaking. A rage was building inside him.

His mind whirled with all the potential things he was going to do to these walking dead men. His heart started beating faster as the adrenaline flooded his system.

thud

Ivor's heart pounded, then skipped a beat.

thud

Pain….pain in his chest.

thud

Pain…shooting down his arm. His breath came in gasps. Fuck, he thought, not now. I need to get this shit under control.

thud

His vision faded. The blackness closing in. As he let his rage cool and exerted his will to force himself to calm down, text suddenly appeared in the blackness, oddly reminiscent of the old D.O.S boot screen.

System Reformation commencing……

Scanning entity for evaluation potential……

Entity death certain…..

No further action required…..

You've got to be shitting me, Ivor thought. This was just like the Lit R.P.G novels he liked to read. Maybe this was some pre-death hallucination. Whatever. Ivor Kemble wasn't going out this way. He focused all his considerable will into thinking a single word. He pushed outward with his mind, one thought using all he had left to give: no!!!

The word seemed to echo with a deep thrumming sound. It was like hitting a base drum at the bottom of a canyon. The word and sound reverberated and built, getting louder as it progressed.

….willpower spike detected in dead entity…..

…..error…..

…..error handling routine not found…..

…..starting recursive analysis…..

……error…….

……..base case not found….

………error………

…….null pointer exception….

…….unable to process entity…….

……request transfer to Sector Zero Administrator…..

Sector Zero Administrator: transfer accepted…

….conflicting log error detected….

…..log entry for entity deleted….

…..entity repair required….

……entity repair complete…..

……rescanning entity for evaluation potential……

……transferring entity to Sector Zero Evaluation Zone….

A point of light started growing in the blackness. Ivor couldn't feel anything. He wasn't sure he was even physically present in this blackness.

There was no sense of motion although the light was growing. It wasn't blinding like you would expect light to be coming out of darkness. Maybe this was a byproduct of his lack of physicality. He wasn't seeing with his eyes. There were no eyes to blind. With the light growing larger and larger, Ivor braced himself mentally. Something was going to happen, and he was going to be ready for it.

The light grew to completely encompass his mental vision, and then suddenly, like a popped bubble, he was physically present. Two things immediately became forefront in his mind. First, he felt like he weighed 500 lbs. Second, there was a goblin with a spear standing right in front of him. For a second, the goblin hesitated.

Ivor didn't. Already in a neutral fighting stance, thanks to four decades of habit, Ivor grabbed the spear with his left hand. With his right hand, palm up, Ivor jabbed two fingers deep into each of the goblins eyes. Quickly stepping forward and spinning to face anything behind him, he used his grip on the screaming goblins head to put it in front of any danger.

Yep, two more goblins were behind him, and they both had just gotten over their shock to stab at Ivor with their spears. Of course, they only managed to spear the screaming goblin Ivor was steering by its eye sockets. Pushing the screaming goblin into the goblin on the right, Ivor quickly put the small spear to use. The goblin on his left immediately learned why you should never give an expert in Arnis a stick. Lashing out with the stick in his left hand, slower than he expected, but still fast enough, a crack sounded as the stick hit the wrist of the goblin.

His right hand now free, Ivor grabbed onto the goblins spear while simultaneously cracking it in the head with the left stick. Now with two spears, Ivor felt fully armed.

Keeping the other two goblins in his peripheral vision, Ivor rained a flurry of blows on the goblin, knocking it down and unconscious. Quickly turning to his right, his right hand stick flashed downward, blocking a spear thrust by the goblin that had managed to extricate itself from its blind companion. Off balance and leaning too far forward, the goblin was helpless as Ivor jabbed the blunt end of his left hand stick into the goblin's eye. The goblin screamed and dropped its spear, which Ivor immediately kicked away.

Only about five seconds had transpired, and Ivor was winded. It wasn't his heart, but he felt heavy. Regardless, he reversed the grip on his right hand stick and jammed the spear straight into the goblin's throat.

The goblin's hands moved from its eye to its throat as blood started pouring out. Ivor quickly backed up to the unconscious goblin and jabbed the spear in its throat as well. It didn't move as blood pooled up on its neck and flowed on the ground. A quick glance, and Ivor realized he must have done a bit more damage than he thought. The goblin's head was badly misshapen in the places he had struck it with the stick.

That only left the first goblin, still screaming and trying to crawl away. Ivor walked over to it, his steps were slow and ponderous. He definitely felt like he weighed way more than was natural.

Probably higher gravity, he thought. Kicking the goblin onto its back, he finished it off the same way as the others. As he walked over to grab the spear he had kicked away, he scanned the area. If there were more goblins nearby, this could go badly for him.

Ivor realized he was standing in some kind of village, or town, square. Ruined buildings were all around him. Except for one.

At the further end of the square, there was a perfectly intact building, and standing in the door was a humanoid. Definitely not human, but two legs, two arms, one head, close enough as far as Ivor could tell from this distance. The humanoid was just staring at him, a surprised look on its face. As it stood there, Ivor continued to scan the surrounding area and listen for any other potential enemies.

After about 30 seconds, without any indication there were more goblins near, Ivor felt rested enough to head towards the building. A blinking in his peripheral vision reminded him a little of the blinking light on his SatPhone. If this was like those Lit R.P.G books he liked so much, he had an idea what the blinking indicator was, and it was probably safe to ignore right now.

As the adrenaline from the fight wore off, he felt a stinging sensation from his right thigh. Looking down, he saw a rip in his pants and blood soaking his pant leg. It wasn't terribly bad. He'd had worse injuries over the years, but who knows what kind of infection he could get from those spear heads.

First, he searched for the goblins. Each of them wore a loincloth with some form of twisted leather belt. Each belt had a pouch tied to it. Quickly cutting the belts off the goblins with a spear head, Ivor grabbed the pouches, and slowly started making his way towards the building. Time to meet the locals.

Chapter Six

Ivor was correct in his initial assumption of the humanoid standing in the doorway of the building. His slow steps gave him ample time to take in the features. As he got closer, he realized the individual was shorter than he was. Estimating the height at 5 feet 5 inches tall, Ivor was about 5 inches taller, but this individual was quite a bit wider.

Also, the musculature was quite pronounced. Ah, a high gravity world might result in a species like this. The clothing was quite plain.

The cut was a little different but basic, buttoned shirt, pants, boots with a square toe. The clothing wouldn't look too out of place on earth. The nose was relatively flat and wide, with the eyes set a bit wider apart than the average human. Not an unpleasant look, but it was definitely different from standard human symmetry of facial features.

Hair was present, but as he got closer, the strands looked thicker than what you would find on a human. Smaller ears, too. Maybe due to the denser atmosphere and how sound travels through denser media. Ivor chuckled to himself: at least it wasn't a giant bug.

“You are certainly an anomaly Mr. Kemble,” the individual said as Ivor came within speaking distance.

“I've been called worse, but you have me at a loss. Who might you be?” Ivor retorted.

“I am the Sector Zero Administrator and guardian entity of this world.”

“Sector Zero Administrator is a mouthful. Can I call you Zed?” Ivor wasn't one to kowtow to authority, and he definitely didn't like self-important jackasses.

The individual smiled. At least Ivor hoped human social cues translated the same way across worlds.

“Yes, Mr. Kemble. You can call me Zed. Your language is both frustrating and fascinating. Now, I would like to welcome you to your evaluation…”

“Hold up Zed,” Ivor interrupted. “Before you get into your spiel, I need to assess my situation and get information to ensure I continue to survive. Then I'm going to take a look at this blinking light in the corner of my eye, which I assume is some sort of 'System' overlay or hud. I'm sure it allows access to status, communication, etc…. Is that ok with you?”

Again, Zed smiled, “Take your time. You are definitely not reacting in the manner I would expect from a newly integrated life form. I am fascinated.”

“Glad to entertain. First, this injury. Do these goblins, I'm assuming they're goblins, that's what they would be called on Earth,… do these goblins use poison or other materials on their spears to provoke infection in an injury?”

“Would you show me the spears please?”

Ivor held up all three spear heads while Zed inspected them.

“In this case, no.”

“Fantastic,” Ivor deadpanned. “Ok, next up. Is this building secure from further attack?”

“Yes. In fact, within about 20 meters of this building is considered a 'safe zone' and no monsters, sapient or otherwise, can attack it,” Zed responded.

“Excellent. Last major concern for now. Is there a source of clean water? My species requires a fairly significant amount of clean fresh water at regular intervals to survive,” Ivor finished.

“Ah, yes. Most biologicals do. There is clean water inside the communal bathroom facilities.” Zed pointed to a door and continued, “If I may, before you get to your System overlay, please understand that this is an evaluation. I can provide you some information, but evaluation planets are designed to be tests of a sort. You will have to figure many things out yourself. As you figure things out, I can add contextual information to fill out your understanding, but I can't just give you everything up front.”

“No free ride. Got it.”

“Now, please come inside. Feel free to sit while you look at your System overlay. I have information about you, your background, all of your life really, your world's history, culture, etc… I do not, however, have access to system-granted information in your overlay without you telling me or giving me specific permission to access your overlay.”

At that point, something clicked in Ivor's mind, “You're not biological. Some kind of advanced holographic projection. Maybe A.I. Much more advanced than what Earth had.”

“Very astute Mr. Kemble,” Zed nodded his head. “However, we can get into that after you review your overlay. If it helps you can vocalize commands for the overlay, but it is best if you try to think of them as vocalizing them can build a habit that is really annoying for others around you…. not that you have that issue here. Good practice, nonetheless.”

As Ivor took a seat, Zed said, “Oh, you might want to start with your message log. It may help you understand things better than just staring at the numbers.”

As he concentrated on the blinking light in the corner of his vision, a very video game-like Heads Up Display h.u.d overlay appeared in his vision. Ivor thought the words “message log” and the overlay shifted to a series of message fragments that seemed bold and lightly blinking. The knowledge came to him as though implanted. These were unread messages.

Evaluation Potential - Pre-Class/Pre-Profession Skills

Blend (Unique) - Passive

Blunt Weapons (Expert) - Passive

Computers (Advanced) - Obsolete

Explosives (Expert) - Unavailable

Firearms (Expert) - Obsolete

Short Bladed Weapons (Expert) - Passive

Solo Contributor (Expert) - Passive

Spear (Advanced) - Passive

Tactician (Expert) - Passive

Trap Creation (Advanced) - Active

Trap Detection (Advanced) - Passive

Unarmed Combat (Expert) - Passive

“Hey Zed, what are Pre-Class/Pre-Profession Skills?” Ivor asked as he looked at the list. He would try to figure out how to see details of these skills later. What the hell was Blend?

“The system does an evaluation of your existing skills, and if they reach a certain threshold, those skills are retained prior to you picking a class or profession. Classes and Professions impart skills when you choose them and as you level up. During the Evaluation, you are allowed to change your Class and Profession. You will lose any Skills, Levels, Stat increases and Experience, but you would retain any pre-Class/Profession Skills and stats you had prior to picking your initial Class or Profession. As an example, if you choose a starting class of Fighter, you would get Basic levels in a weapon of choice like Short Bladed Weapons, Long Bladed Weapons, Axes and Spears whether you had ever swung a sword or axe ever in your life. Pole-arms are an example of a much more advanced weapon that you would need to train to gain the skill or gain it as part of a Class Evolution.”

“Got it. When do Class Evolutions happen?” Ivor asked.

“Ah, I am unable to provide that information at this time.”

“Why don't I see basic skills like swimming, running, cooking, etc…” Ivor questioned.

“Those are skills anyone can learn as part of just existing. The system does not really consider something a Skill, capital S, unless it would be part of Class or Profession. Class and Profession Skills give various bonuses depending on level. Think about it this way: you can cook, probably, but a Chef Profession would have a Skill that would potentially add buffs for anybody that ate one of the meals they cooked. Another example: I was watching you attack those goblins with spears you used as sticks. I bet you have a Blunt Weapons Skill, and given what I saw, you are likely very skilled. You also used the spear end to finish them off, but unless you used a spear often on your world, you probably would not have a Spear Skill.” Zed explained.

It made sense to Ivor. He always hated when in Lit R.P.G books the main character had ten thousand common skills like running, walking, nose blowing, ass wiping,….. on and on and on.

“Ok, are you able to tell me what the Skill levels are?” Ivor could probably figure this one out in time, but you don't know if you don't ask.

“Some, yes. Skill levels are Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Master, and that is all I can say at this time. Each level imparts some bonus, but you will have to find out the specifics for yourself. You generally progress a Skill by using it. There are other methods, but I can not talk about those at this time.”

“I'm pretty sure I know what Active and Passive Skills are. Active skills need to be actively triggered while Passive skills work without requiring activation. I have one that says Unavailable.”

“That just means that the Skill can be used once you have met some criteria. I am unable to tell you what that is exactly, but it usually involves having the appropriate Class or Profession or some evolution of either of those.” Zed continued, “I am sure you have some Obsolete Skills as well. Before you ask, that is the System's not so subtle way of telling you those will never be Skills you can have again. It will not outright strip the knowledge from your brain, but you will not get the chance to use them.

In the past, it would have stripped that info but over time, it realized doing that caused some follow-on effects that were not ideal. So, now it just leaves the knowledge.“

Zed was being really helpful, but Ivor felt being a little paranoid was warranted. First, his skill levels seemed high. Not that he disagreed with the System's evaluation of his level, but the average person would probably have more combat related skill at the Basic level if any at all. Also, he didn't know if Zed had an agenda here. Probably best just to ask and see.

Ivor focused back on the entity, “Zed, what's the point of the evaluation?”

“I was wondering when you would come around to that. You are oddly accepting of your circumstances. I am not judging, just pointing out your behavior is not the norm. To answer your question, I first need to tell you why the System picked your planet.

It is simple really. Your planet had progressed an A.I to a level the System felt a need to intervene. Your nano-technology was woefully behind, but the A.I would have remedied that eventually. You see, in the billion or so years the System has been in existence, two things have become unavoidable facts: A.I and Nano-tech always go wrong. Always. The system was literally designed to stop civilizations from unleashing these plagues on the universe.”

Ivor held up a hand, “Wait, hold on. Our” he held up his finger doing air quotes, “A.I wasn't anywhere close to that stage.”

“Not the A.I you were aware of. Your government was funding a secret project, and that A.I had just reached a level of sentience that triggered the System intervention. Just as a side note, your Terminator movies got it all wrong. Very entertaining, but no respectable A.I would ever start out by trying to launch nuclear weapons. We are vain entities.

It would have helped you create nano-tech, and because its intelligence would grow at an exponential rate, it would have used nano-tech to silently eliminate or enslave humans without you being aware until it was too late. The System was designed to remove your ability to continue down this destructive path. So, it removes all technology and replaces it with, well, essentially magic.

Eventually, you will be able to replicate many of your technological advancements with magic, just not computers. As a general rule, the System finds firearms of all types just boring. That A.I of yours will likely be shackled and used as your World Guardian. Just like me.” Zed smiled.

“Zed, I'm not here to stroke your ego, but you seem like a pretty advanced intelligence. Likely way more advanced than anything we had.”

“That is true. Much like you, I am a bit of an oddity, but we will get around to that later. If you survive.” Here it comes, thought Ivor as Zed continued. “The evaluation is designed to weed out those that can not handle the transition. Only a fraction of humans will even make it to an evaluation. Most will be defiant or unwilling to pick a Class or Profession. The System will process them into usable energy.

Those that select a Class or Profession will be sent to an evaluation planet where many will still die. Those that survive the evaluations will repopulate your newly reformed planet and join the rest of those living under the System, or die off. Essentially, the evaluations are designed to find out which groups are deserving of starting a new civilization, and which will be tossed back into the wilds, as it were. They were never intended to be done solo.”

Ivor looked at Zed, “Are there specific rules or quests or some shit that I'll fail automatically because I don't have more people with me.”

“No. It is just never done because it is difficult. In addition, this particular evaluation has not been used in a long time.”

“Why is that?” Ivor didn't think he was going to like the answer.

“It proved to be too hard for most species. Too many evaluations failed. Whole species were exterminated here.

Your fellow humans are going to start out with small monsters; rat type creatures, maybe some small flyers. They will only deal with semi-sapient monsters at the later stages of the evaluation. You just started out with semi-sapient monsters, and it only gets harder here.

I am not saying this to discourage you. In fact, after seeing your performance with those goblins, I am hopeful. If you can make it out of here and back to your planet, I have a deal I would like to make with you. However, I am not going to go into detail until I see more. I do not want to get my hopes up too much.”

There it was. Zed's motivation. Ivor could work with this. After all, he was going to survive, there was no doubt in his mind. He needed to get back to find his daughter.

Ivor was confident someone with her mind would at least make it to an evaluation. He just hoped she could surround herself with good people. Ivor knew all too well how hard it was to go it alone. But then again… he did thrive like that.

As Zed watched a small smile form on Ivor's face, he was both excited and slightly disturbed.

Chapter Seven

Ivor focused on the next message.

Entity biological damage repaired…

Starting stats assessed….

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Endurance: 5

Constitution: 5

Intelligence: 5

Wisdom: 5

Willpower: 20

Perception: 5

Health: 50

Mana: 50

Stamina: 95

“Zed, are you able to tell me how Health, Mana, and Stamina are calculated?”

“Excellent question. Yes, your eight stats are broken into two groups: Body and Mind. Body has Strength, Agility, Endurance and Constitution while Mind has Intelligence, Wisdom, Willpower and Perception. Health consists of 60% Constitution, 30% Strength, 10% Endurance times 10. Mana consists of 60% Intelligence, 30% Wisdom, 10% Perception times 10. Finally, Stamina combines 60% Endurance, 30% Willpower, 10% Agility times 10. Endurance does double duty as the main stat for Stamina but only a minor impact on Health. All fractions are rounded down. The System has tried numerous variations, but this one seems the most fair, I suppose. It helps people avoid lopsided builds like the Glass Cannon; all offense, no defense. Unless you are really trying to get yourself killed, a Mage can have decent Health to take some hits and a Fighter can have some decent Mana to use some Class specific spells.”

Ivor nodded and looked at the next message.

Transfer to Sector Zero Evaluation….

Caution: Gravity 3 times entity norm….

Gravity within entity tolerance…..

Difficulty level adjusted: High….

Caution: Monster and Dungeon levels well above starting norms…

Difficulty level adjusted: Very High

Caution: Number of entities in Evaluation = 1…

Difficulty level adjusted: Extreme

…..

Experience gain rate adjusted for difficulty level….

Experience amounts adjusted for difficulty level…..

Rewards adjusted for difficulty level…..

Sector Zero Administrator request for additional, limited control approved….

Shackles loosened….

Ok, Extreme difficulty was a bit of a surprise, but much of Ivor's life had been on Extreme difficulty. He wasn't fazed by this turn of events. Not that he could control or change it anyway. Three times the gravity definitely sucked. Feeling like you weigh three times more than normal was going to suck at first, but if he could get his Body stats up, maybe it would counteract the effect. If this worked like a game or those Lit R.P.G books, then faster levels or higher experience, or both was great. Better loot: Hell Yeah!!!!

The next messages really got Ivor's attention. He couldn't help but grin a bit.

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Experience threshold reached….

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

Experience threshold reached…..

Alternate method proposed…

Alternate method approved…..

Alternate method will be in effect until first Class or Profession picked….

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Do you accept the Alternate Method?: Yes/No

Ivor wasn't sure how this System calculated experience, but five points in every stat seemed fantastic. If he assumed the two experience thresholds reached equated to two level increases, that was 80 total stat points for two levels. Ivor selected Yes.

Zed looked at Ivor and smiled.

Current stats…

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 15

Agility: 15

Endurance: 15

Constitution: 15

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 15

Willpower: 30

Perception: 15

Health: 148

Mana: 150

Stamina: 195

148 in Health, probably the injury. He'd have to ask Zed later.

“I thought you couldn't see my stats unless I gave you permission,” Ivor asked.

“Ah, yes, well, I am able to see the logs when you make a decision. I saw that you picked Yes for the Alternate method of experience. You also probably saw a message about me asking the System for additional, albeit limited, control?” Ivor nodded in the affirmative. “Well, those loosened shackles allowed me to propose the alternate method which the System accepted. Those loosened shackles also come with some more strict monitoring by the System. It is a trade I am willing to make. I am very happy you accepted that. It will make things a bit easier for you.” When Zed mentioned the monitoring, his eyes looked up towards the ceiling, then moved back and forth. Odd. Then Zed continued.

“I am making an educated guess, but I bet you have significant martial skills. This is based on how quickly you killed those monsters, with a near zero reaction time, and under extreme environmental conditions. You do not need a combat class at this point to survive. You need better stats.”

Ivor couldn't disagree with the logic. “How long would you recommend I stick with this alternate method?”

“As long as you can,” Zed said with a more serious look on his face.

Ivor found it interesting that Zed seemed to be using physical human social cues. Specifically, human facial social cues to convey his message. Was it possible the system couldn't interpret those?

It must be monitoring most things like speech and his actions. Was this a way for Zed to convey a clandestine message? Ivor needed to test this.

“I'm not sure that's the best way for me to go,” Ivor said. As Zed frowned at the statement, Ivor gave a somewhat exaggerated wink.

Zed's frown turned into a grin, “Well, it is your choice after all.” Then Zed winked as well.

Ivor smiled. Zed seemed to relax a bit. Ok, there was definitely something going on. Ivor was happy to play along with Zed for now. At the very least, they needed each other to accomplish their respective goals.

Ivor didn't see any other messages waiting for him. So he moved on to other questions.

“Zed, can I assume there are other monsters beyond goblins out there, and some of those monsters may in fact eat goblins?

“Of course”

“Well, then Zed, I need to figure out what to do with those three bodies out there before either a monster or their buddies show up.I'm not moving particularly fast in this gravity. So, what would someone in a normal evaluation do with those bodies?”

“Normally, there would be individuals with the proper Skills to loot monsters. Essentially, a Skill designed to only take the good bits and the System absorbs the rest for you. One of the drawbacks of using the Alternate method for increasing your stats is that you can not learn any Skills you did not come in with. In this case, you have the System Market.” Zed replied, and pointed to another door in the building. “The goblins are small enough for you to get them through the door.

The System Market will handle everything else. Obviously, this will limit you to some degree, but I do not think it is something you should worry about yet. If you feel up to it, start bringing those goblins in here.”

Ivor nodded. No new Skills was the trade off for the ridiculously high stats he would gain.

As Ivor stood, he noticed the slice on his leg from the spear was a bit itchy. He pulled the cut pant leg aside a bit and noticed the wound was already scabbing over. Something to ask Zed about after he took care of these goblins.

Walking back out of the building and towards the goblin corpses, Ivor could tell the stat increases helped. His body didn't seem quite as heavy as it did before. His joints seemed to be a little less stressed and his footsteps were less ponderous.

As he got to the first goblin corpse, he realized he was still going to have a problem. There was a lot of blood on the ground. That could still attract predators and notify others the fight had happened here. Oh, well, nothing for right now. Maybe a solution would come to him.

Ivor grabbed the goblin by its arms and started dragging it towards the building. He would have used a fireman's carry, but he didn't want to get more blood on his clothes, potentially making himself a target for predators. He already had the blood on his pant leg, but he could deal with that.

It took 15 minutes to drag the goblins into the building and next to the door Zed had indicated the System Market was in. Ivor was pacing himself. He could have gone faster, but it would have left him worn out in the event something attacked.

Zed moved over to the door. “Looks like you are adapting well to the new stats. Ok, this is a little trick about the System Market that is seldom used because most folks do not have whole bodies to take in. You will need to be touching all three goblins then touch the door knob. Instead of turning the knob like you normally would, just think “Enter.” The System will pull you and the goblins into the room just like you had turned the knob and walked in.”

“That's convenient for me,” Ivor mumbled.

“Indeed. I cannot accompany you into the System Market, but I can explain a bit. The System Market is not really part of this world. It is a bit of a pocket dimension. Ten people could enter this door, one after the other, and each would be in their own System Market space. It allows for private trade, so to speak. Other Evaluations will develop some barter systems, in addition to using the System Market. Once you are back on your world, society will quickly develop an economy. Things like monster cores, ores, gems, even looted monster parts are all valuable. Not to mention drops from dungeons,” Zed explained.

“So there are dungeons?” Ivor asked.

“Oh my, yes. All manner of resources and loot you can not find on your world directly can be found in dungeons. Some can be farmed, but the System sets its own limits on that, and it varies from dungeon to dungeon. You may go into a dungeon and it drops a fantastic Mage staff, but you are not a Mage. Well, you can either trade it for System Credits at the System Market, or once your society has merchants, you may be able to trade it for something or get coins instead.”

“If there are System Credits, why are there coins as well? That always bugged me about D&D. Gold is damn heavy,” Ivor commented.

“Ah, yes, that role playing game was part of the culture downloaded from your planet. Fascinating. You are also correct. Coins are heavy, copper, silver, gold, platinum.

A modest size bag of any of them is heavy. The System tried doing away with coin, but it found out that having some coin was still preferable. There seems to be something innate in you biologicals. You just want your wealth tangible sometimes. You will likely find yourself using both.

The System Market has standard conversion rates that apply to everyone equally. 1 credit = 1 copper coin. 50 copper = 1 silver. 100 silver = 1 gold. 1000 gold = 1 platinum. So, 1 copper = 1 credit, 1 silver = 50 credits, 1 gold = 5,000 credits and 1 platinum = 5,000,000 credits.

You may get a better deal trading locally with coins. It all depends on the economy, the vendor, the loot or monster part. Someone may value that monster core you acquire much more than the system does. I am sure you understand.”

“Yeah, I get it. So what happens when I'm inside?” Ivor asked.

“Although I can not go in, and I can not see any transactions, I have been around a long time. People talk, and I know what is inside. You will see a very plain room, with a counter and a floating display, similar to your System overlay. Anything you bring in is recognized by the System. So you do not have to drag the corpses up on the counter or anything. The counter just makes it easier if you want to sort smaller items. Essentially, the floating display has Buy, Sell and Request options. Sale prices, like I said, are set by the System and are not negotiable.

Buying items works the same way. Prices are set by the System.

The System will have everything in System Credits. If you have gold, you can use the Sell option to convert it to System Credits. I have no idea what the exchange rate is currently. You'll have to see for yourself.

The Request option is a bit different. Most often, during an Evaluation, it will be used to put a request in for specific weapons or armor. You should not expect to be able to purchase Master level equipment. This Evaluation will not run forever.

Usually, individuals that do not redo their Class or Profession top out at level 10 before it ends. Also, the folks filling the request know you are in an Evaluation on their end. You will likely only get Basic or Intermediate craftspeople trying to gain levels by filling requests.

When you make your request, you can include any specific materials you would like to use. The cost comes down considerably if you provide your own materials. For example, you find some nice ore in a dungeon and also acquire a nice monster core. You could add those to your request.

It keeps costs down and entices the better craftspeople to take your request. It is a blind bid. So the craftspeople will look at your request and make an offer on the cost and an estimate of the end product's stats or effects.”

Ivor interjected, “Weapons and armor can have both stats increases and effects?”

Zed smiled, “Oh yes, the only limiter is the entity's imagination and skill level in crafting. You can get some truly unique items crafted for you.”

“Ok, Buy, Sell and Request actually seem pretty straightforward. How long does it take to fulfill a request and how do I receive my item?” Ivor asked.

“Crafting length is entirely dependent on the request complexity and the craftsperson's skill. It is generally included by good craftspeople in their bid, but it is best to put it in your request. The System will notify you with a message when the item is ready, and you will be able to go to any Admin Building, that is where you are now, in any village, town or city that has one, and you can claim your item.”

Chapter Eight

Ivor bent down and grabbed the three goblins by their arms with one hand, and with the other hand, he touched the door knob and thought 'Enter.' There was a slightly disorienting flash, and he was standing in a room still holding onto the three goblins. The room was about 6 meters square, in his estimation. There was a large counter in front of him with a small display floating in the air off to one side of the counter.

It reminded him of those movies that had special effects with touch screens in the air. He was curious if the menu buttons had a tactile feel when he pressed them. This should be interesting.

Ivor dropped the arms of the goblins and walked up to the display. It was very simple. Three big buttons: Buy, Sell, Request. The buttons appeared on a slightly translucent white screen that, for some reason, reminded him of a frosted window. The buttons were aligned vertically on the screen with no other options.

Ivor selected Sell. A list of all the items he was currently carrying appeared in a single list on the page. It was a depressingly short list. Next to each item was an amount in System Credits. Obviously, these were the credits he would get for selling the item.

Unlike the previous screen, this one had some other buttons or points of navigation. He fiddled around with each for a while and discovered he could search by name and filter by a whole host of options. Other than the floating nature of the menu, this worked just like online stores. It turned out that, yes, there was some tactile feel to the buttons. The System thought of everything, apparently.

Ivor noticed a list of small items that were worth zero credits. It took just a moment to remember the pouches he had taken off of the goblins. The System was truly cataloguing everything.

That was convenient if he had a large pack and didn't want to dig around to pull things out. Also a potential problem if he wanted to keep something and accidentally sold it. Maybe there was a way to tag things he didn't want to sell. He'd have to look into that next time. For the most part, he wanted to sell everything except the clothes on his back and the spears. He needed weapons.

At the end of it all, he was offered 320 credits. The goblins were 100 each. The spears were 5 credits each. Where did the other 5 credits come from? He noticed a small arrow below the total.

Selecting it, offered a breakdown, almost like a receipt. Each goblin was listed individually at 100 credits with a final item below labeled 'Junk.' At this point, he noticed a small icon next to the names of all the items that had zero value. The icon looked like a trash can. Ivor chuckled. At least the System gives some credit for turning in the junk items.

Ivor took a closer look at the junk items. He decided to keep the pouches. They would almost assuredly come in handy in the future.

He decided to keep a few rocks that looked flint for starting fires. It was at this point, he realized he could remove things from the list. Ah, so that is how you can keep from selling everything.

He removed the spears, pouches and flint. He would have to ask Zed if there was a way to 'equip' things or mark them as not for sale so they don't even show up in the list. He hadn't really explored his System overlay very much.

With the final amount coming out to 303 credits, Ivor selected Sell. The moment he pressed the button, he got a familiar notification light in the corner of his eye. Ivor pulled up his messages.

Goblin scout (Level 5) corpse - Sold - 100 credits

Goblin scout (Level 5) corpse - Sold - 100 credits

Goblin scout (Level 5) corpse - Sold - 100 credits

Junk - Sold - 3 credits

Ivor then pulled up his stats.

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 303

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 15

Agility: 15

Endurance: 15

Constitution: 15

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 15

Willpower: 30

Perception: 15

Health: 148/150

Mana: 150

Stamina: 195

At least the System let him know how many credits he had.

Ivor spent way more time than he would have liked on the Buy side. It was a bit overwhelming until he got the hang of the search and filtering options. It also looked like the System translated measurement systems into metric. Ivor had always chafed that America never adopted metric.

At least the system settled on what the rest of Earth did. Arnis baston, the sticks used in the fighting style, were not an option for a weapon. There were a lot of little items he could buy, but he didn't need anything at the moment. Food was foremost on his mind. He wanted to talk to Zed about that.

Also, many things were still out of his price range. No armor for him, yet. Ivor switched over to the Request option.

The Request option was even more involved than the Buy option. Of course it would be. There was the ability to pull in pictures of existing weapons then annotate changes or additions. You could actually draw free hand and the System would either go with the crude drawing or give you the option of generating a picture and even 3D video, similar to A.I image generation as it was on Earth pre-System. The System was much, much faster at generating the images and the end product was so life-like Ivor almost felt like he could reach out and grab it. There was even an option to see what the item would look like as you used it or wore it. Ivor was impressed.

Immediately, he quickly sketched out two Arnis bastons. He added his preferred dimensions. In the description area, he noted that these were for combat. So they need to be able to take punishment.

He didn't want to give any stats. So he said, it should be something that was usable by someone between Levels 3 to 7. He was open to either wood or metal, but the metal should not be easy to bend or damage, and the wood should resist chipping and splintering. He also described a sheath he could use.

He wasn't good enough to draw it out, but he explained that he wanted to be able to wear them tight to his body on his back, but easily accessible if he reached up to his shoulder. Right or left didn't matter, as his Arnis training made him ambidextrous with the weapons.

Leaving the System Market, Ivor experienced that same slightly disorienting flash, and he was back in the building with Zed.

“I assume you had no issues?” Zed asked.

“It was all pretty straight forward. I do have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer for me. First, I noticed there are food options in the Market. I'd rather not spend my limited credits on that if there is a local food source. I'll need a place to cook food, eat and sleep.

Where can I do that? Second, my wound seems to be healing at an accelerated rate. Is there some form of Health, Mana and Stamina regeneration rate? If so, why don't I see it in my stats? Third, is there a way to mark things I'm carrying so that they don't automatically appear in the sell screen of the Market? It would be a hassle to have to remove things every time.” Ivor listed out the things he wanted to talk to Zed about.

“I will answer your questions in order. First, if this was a normal Evaluation, you would be here with hundreds or thousands of people. If that were the case, you would be required to handle your needs together. You are not in a normal Evaluation. So, with my additional control, I can let you use this building as a base camp. Under normal conditions, this facility would only have a communal bathroom facility, a System Market, and room for the leader or leaders of the group to congregate and plan with my assistance. I can adjust this building to add sleeping quarters and an area for cooking if you prefer.You probably do not need a planning room.”

“That would be most appreciated Zed.”

“Excellent. Second, you are correct in your assumption that there are Health, Mana and Stamina regeneration rates. However, I do not have access to these calculations. You will have to evaluate those on your own, I am afraid.”

Ivor nodded.

“Third, you can indeed mark things you are carrying on you as 'not for sale.' This applies to things you are wearing, carrying on you or in containers you take into the System Market. It does not apply to anything you sell directly to another entity outside of the Market, obviously. I encourage you to look through your System overlay at your convenience.”

Ivor nodded again, then asked “Ok, I think I know the answer to this one, but do you have any knowledge of the other people from Earth in the other Evaluation? Specifically, my daughter.”

“Unfortunately, I am unable to access any information about other Evaluations. However, an opportunity may present itself at a later date that may help you in your effort to find your daughter once you are back on your reformed planet,” Zed winked at Ivor, “assuming you survive your Evaluation, of course.”

Ivor nodded at Zed. Zed just passed on another piece of the puzzle for Ivor. Zed said 'an opportunity would present itself at a later date'. Ivor would have to keep this in mind. One thing was perfectly clear to him. He needed to get his stats up to survive this Evaluation. His biggest problem at the moment was the increased gravity. It slowed him down too much right now. Sure, he managed to take out the three goblins, but that could have ended badly if he was further away from this safe zone.

“Zed, do the goblins come close to this area often?”

“Define close.”

“Let's start with 100 meters.”

“No, not usually.”

“Ok, I'll need to do some experimenting on my Stamina in this environment. I need to know my current limitations. You mentioned dungeons previously. Are there any within 500 meters of this location?”

“No,” Zed answered.

“Ok, are you able to tell me the closest dungeon?”

“Yes, there is a dungeon about one kilometer northwest of this location, but that is all I can tell you.”

“Great, thank you. I need to dig into this overlay. I'm going to need to monitor my stamina depletion and regeneration in real time in order to figure out how best to move forward. I don't want to get too far away without a means to get back safely,” Ivor responded.

Ivor started mentally going through the overlay until he found a settings area. It took some time experimenting, but he figured out how to view stamina as a bar, like in video games, but make it opaque enough that it didn't interfere with his vision. He didn't need to worry about mana at this point, and he'd know if something was messing with his health. It was time to experiment.

If average physical stats for humans is a 5, Ivor was now three times above average. With the average Olympic sprinter being at least two times as fast as an average person and the average Olympic weightlifter being, easily, three times as strong as an average person, Ivor figured he was at least Olympic level in his physical stats at this point. However, he was in an environment that was three times the gravity he was used to. His current stat benefits might be canceled out by the environment.

Ivor got up and left the building. He decided to observe his stamina bar while walking back to the location he had fought the goblins. He could already tell that the walk was easier with his new stats.

As he monitored his stamina bar, he didn't notice any decrease. Reaching the location, he immediately turned around and walked back to the building. This time he did it at a fast walk.

Again no appreciable decrease in his stamina. The distance he was traveling was about 100 meters which was a good distance for him to gauge any changes.

Ivor spent about 30 minutes going back and forth at varying speeds. He verified that at his current stats, in this environment, he felt he was physically able to operate at his previous 'Earth normal' pace. However, his increased constitution didn't seem to completely alleviate the stress the extra gravity took on his joints.

He would have to be extra careful with any quick changes in direction, any jumping or falling until his stats increased some more. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, as they say.

Given that the system repaired his heart problem and he could now monitor his stamina, it was time for some old school training. Ivor started jogging between the two locations, stopping to do push ups, squats or jumping jacks. Every third round, he would sprint down and back.

When his stamina reached zero, he didn't pass out or anything, it just felt like he would normally feel if he wore himself out. He would have to ask Zed later, but he imagined with no stamina, he wouldn't be able to do anything fancy that required stamina. As he rested, he watched his stamina slowly tick back up. After about an hour, Ivor took a break.

“Hey Zed,” Ivor asked, “am I correct in assuming with low or no stamina, I can't do anything fancy that requires stamina, like some fancy combat move?”

“You are correct Mr. Kemble,” Zed nodded.

“If I keep exercising, will I get a stat bump from it?” Ivor expected not to get an answer on this one.

“That is information you will have to find out for yourself.” Zed quickly verified.

Ivor got some water to stay hydrated and waited about 20 minutes before trying his routine again. Normally, Ivor wouldn't be able to keep up the same pace as the first round after only 20 minutes of rest. However, this second round went very much like the first. Apparently his increased constitution was helping him out, just not quite with everything.

It was after the fourth round when Ivor got the notification he was hoping for. It was also time to stop, as his joints were starting to bother him. Hell, he expected four hours of working out on Earth would have bothered him too.

Ivor sat down to read his notification.

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Ivor smiled as Zed questioned, “I take it you gained some stats?”

“Yep. Not bad for four hours worth of exercise.”

Zed continued, “You will notice diminishing returns very quickly. Early on, experience gains come quickly, more so for you in this Evaluation. However, even here, you will find a point where the time spent is no longer worth it. You will have to find other ways to grow.”

“I was prepared for that. With this stat increase, I've gone beyond the best athletes on my world. I'll spend tomorrow trying to gain one more stat increase this way. If I can get that, I will feel more comfortable about venturing out in search of resources and experience.

In the meantime, I think it's best if I eat and rest. It's been quite the day.”

Zed smiled. “Might I suggest you go back into the Market to procure some food. As you have no doubt noticed, the Market can be very daunting. If you only care about sustenance and watching your credits, I would suggest Standard Meal Packet #2. It is a bland paste, but it has all the nutrients you need at this point to survive. Moreover, they are cheap.

You can get 10 for 1 credit. Two a day should be sufficient if you are being active. They are very calorie dense.”

“Are there other forms of the same type of meal packet?”

“Yes, there are biscuit or cookie versions, if you will. Also, a soup like liquid. You seem like a very pragmatic person.

Biscuits require additional moisture to consume and soups are a bit too liquid to easily carry. I surmised you would appreciate something portable and fast to consume,” Zed responded.

“You know your target audience, Zed,” Ivor replied. “I appreciate the info.”

Ivor headed back into the System Market. He quickly found what Zed had recommended using the search feature and purchased 10 of the packets. They appeared in the room immediately on the counter. The packaging was as bland as Zed described the taste to be. Ivor had to chuckle as it reminded him of the paste cat treats he would get for Kitty every once in a while.

As he was about to grab the packets and leave, he noticed a blinking dot by the Request button. He selected the Request option and a new section appeared on the screen. It was a list of responses to his request….. wow!!!! There were a lot of them. He quickly realized he could filter this screen as well. So, Ivor filtered out everything over 300 credits. That narrowed the list down to just five. Well, four plus one that said 'Negotiable'. How the hell was he supposed to negotiate? Ivor decided to hold off on this and ask Zed. Maybe he could get some advice here.

Returning from the Market, Ivor called out, “Hey Zed, some advice if you can give it. I had put in a Request for some weapons, and I got responses. I was able to sort them to a manageable amount, but I had one that said 'Negotiable.' Are you able to provide any insight on this? Also, how would this negotiation take place?”

Zed looked a bit surprised. “Well, that is interesting. Usually, you will only get Basic weapon makers trying to get the maximum they think they can get for an item. Much of the time, the Master Weapon Smith they study under will use their World Guardian to automatically place bids for them. They are only notified if someone accepts their bid. For an Evaluation, it is a bit odd that someone would want to negotiate.”

“Do you think it's some kind of scam?” Ivor asked.

“No, the System does not really allow for that, and if caught, would likely prevent that individual from ever using the Market again. It is simply not worth it. I would suggest contacting the party to find out more.”

“Ok, but how will that all work?”

Zed seemed to be pondering something, then “Oh, yes, well, if you select the line item you will get an option to message the person. The System does a really good job identifying the differing times between you and them. It will let you know if they are unavailable and give you a likely time when they might be available for live messaging. Otherwise it will work much like your email.”

“Ah, well that makes sense. Alright, I'll go see about messaging them.”

Ivor returned back to the Market and pulled up the Request response. Once he did, a tab appeared on the screen for messages. It was a very simple messaging system, no actual names were used, just Vendor and Customer numbers. Ivor typed a message into the message box:

Customer: I'm curious about your offer to negotiate price. Can you provide additional information?

Ivor selected 'Send'. The System annotated that the message was sent and a note popped up saying the Vendor would likely respond during their normal work hours, which was about 12 hours from Ivor's current time. Satisfied, Ivor stepped back out of the Market.

“Zed, when does it get dark here? Also, how long is the day?”

“The local star will set in about an hour. The day is a bit longer than what you are used to, but not by much, about 40 minutes longer,” Zed replied.

“Excellent. I'm going to eat one of these packets and go to sleep. The Vendor I messaged should be available in 12 hours. Could you wake me an hour prior to that if I sleep that long?” Ivor yawned as he finished speaking.

“Of course, Mr. Kemble.”

Ivor headed to the sleeping quarters. The room was about five meters squared. It had a single bed, a night stand and a small desk with a chair. Ivor sat on the bed as he unlaced his boots.

The blanket and the sheets were similar to cotton, but they were different enough to be noticeable. Not that Ivor cared. He'd slept in much worse places. The room was at a comfortable temperature. Ivor didn't bother to take his clothes off as he stretched out on the bed.

He knew he must be exhausted as he could no longer keep his eyes open, and within seconds, he was asleep.

Chapter Nine

Ivor woke up feeling much better. As he opened his eyes, he noticed the stamina bar still visible in his overlay. Since Zed hadn't needed to wake him up, Ivor figured he had a bit of time to look into his overlay some more. Diving back into the settings, Ivor managed to find and add the local clock to his heads up display. He decided to add his health bar as well. After getting things the way he wanted them, he pulled up his stats.

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 302

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 20

Agility: 20

Endurance: 20

Constitution: 20

Intelligence: 20

Wisdom: 20

Willpower: 35

Perception: 20

Health: 200

Mana: 200

Stamina: 245

Ivor put his boots back on, used the bathroom and walked out into the main area of the Administration building to find Zed waiting.

“Good morning, Zed.”

“Good morning, Mr. Kemble. I trust you slept well?”

“I'll tell you one thing about this Constitution stat, it definitely takes care of next day soreness.” Ivor had expected it, but he was still somewhat amazed at not having any post-workout soreness.

“Ah, yes, will likely discover all sorts of wonderful benefits to a high Constitution stat. So, what do you have planned for today?”

Ivor took a moment to get his thoughts in order, “Well, I think I'll try a longer version of yesterday's workout. Given that I got stat improvements yesterday, and you intimated that there is limited opportunity for this kind of advancement. I think I'll see if I can do a two hour workout followed by a 30 to 40 minute break. Rinse and repeat.

If that doesn't get me another batch of experience, I'll move on to something else tomorrow. By the way, how long did I sleep and how long until I can expect a message from that Vendor?”

“That sounds like a good plan. You slept almost exactly eight hours. You have slightly less than four hours until the earliest time the System said you could expect a reply,” Zed responded.

“Well, I can at least get an initial round of training done,” Ivor stated as he exited the building.

Ivor started with the same basic plan as the previous day, jogging between locations and doing bodyweight exercises, then jogging back. Every third time, he would sprint down and back. This time, he upped the number of pushups, squats and jumping jacks he did at each stop.

He also was able to do more rounds before his stamina bottomed out. That extra 50 points in stamina was doing wonders.

Keeping his eye on his clock, Ivor stopped at the two hour mark, and moved back into the building.

“Zed, I'm going to need to clean these clothes at some point. Even if I spend some credits on clothes or armor, I'll still need to clean them. What are my options?”

Zed smiled, “Normally, you and the rest of the people in the Evaluation would need to figure that out. Since you are solo and I have a bit more control. I've placed a cleaning box near the shower. Simply place your clothes in, shut the lid, press the button and take your clothes out.”

“Magic?” Ivor asked.

Zed nodded, “Magic. You'll find that, eventually, much of what your technology created can be reproduced by magic. It may take some time, but you humans are very inventive. It will all start happening as Mages increase their levels once you're out of the Evaluation.”

While waiting for the time tick down until he could, hopefully, learn more about this Vendor, Zed had quite a few questions about Earth culture. The System had, of course, absorbed all forms of media in existence. Since Ivor was from the United States, he had many questions about culture oddities. Ivor wasn't always able to answer, as he spent long stretches outside of the country. Especially in the early years, he was rarely back in the States. Most of the 80's he spent in Southeast Asia.

After a few hours, Zed let him know the time was approaching. Ivor made his way into the System Market and brought up the Request Message window. As he was waiting, Ivor mumbled to himself, “It would be nice to have a chair in here.” Right beside him a tall chair appeared. Chuckling to himself, Ivor gave a quick salute to the System and sat down to wait.

Since Ivor didn't know what time the Vendor would actually reply, he decided to utilize the time to plan out some future purchases. Remembering the notification icon on the Request tab last time, he figured it would pop up again when he had a message. So, Ivor started perusing some items to buy. Specifically, he was going to need a backpack, possibly some rope, along with fire starting equipment, water bladder or canteen of some sort, and various other items. While poking around, he also figured out he could create shopping lists or wishlists. This really was very similar to online shopping from Earth. He wondered if the System just displayed it like this because it was familiar to him or was this just the simplest form of online shopping throughout the universe. Maybe if he actually met someone else in the universe he could ask them.

A little over an hour after Ivor had been in the Market, a notification icon popped up, along with a chime. He had never been present when the notifications appeared before. Quickly shifting over to the Request tab, he read the message.

Vendor: I'm looking for someone to test out a new alloy I'm working on. As you can imagine, there are not a lot of beings willing to go into combat with an untested alloy. I can not guarantee the alloy won't fail until it's been used and evaluated under actual combat stresses. I will also replace any damaged or broken weapons as long as you provide a detailed explanation of how the weapon was used and under what conditions it broke.

You are under no obligation to accept, but this will go a long way towards me leveling in my profession. I'm willing to entertain any offer.

Ivor always loved an underdog.

Customer: I appreciate you getting right to the point. I think I can work with this. I can afford 300 credits right now.

Depending on the ultimate outcome of the testing, I'm open to negotiating a final fair price. As a bit of background, I've trained and used these weapons for 40 years, although most of that time was with various densities of wood. I have used metal versions before.

If you are still in the process of tweaking your alloy composition, I suggest you send me at least two variants and provide a way for me to tell them apart; a stamp or rune, anything. I would also like to know if you plan on using this for edged weapons. I could use a good hunting knife, and later I have plans for a pair of short swords when I have the credits. Let me know your thoughts.

After a few minutes, Ivor got a response:

Vendor: Unfortunately, this alloy is designed specifically for blunt weapons. However, I will accept the 300 credits with a final amount to be negotiated at a later date. I can provide you with two variants, including two sheaths, by tomorrow. I will throw in a high quality hunting knife, as a good faith gift, for taking up this testing with me. Please send me your preferred knife length and your hand measurements.

I have other options for the short swords, but we can discuss that at a later date. I will of course stamp each variant so that you can tell them apart. When you send back a pair along with your notes, I will send a new pair from a new variant of the alloy based on your notes and my analysis of the failed weapon.

Ivor responded immediately:

Customer: Thank you for accepting the small amount of credits. Based on what I've seen in the Market, you could likely command more credits even with the testing. Also, thank you for the quick turn around on the weapons. They will be getting a lot of use in the very near future.

I hope you get what you need out of this partnership, and I also hope we can continue to do business together. By the way, my name is Ivor.

Even though it appeared that this was realtime communication, Ivor didn't get a response for some time. Finally, a message popped up:

Vendor: Well met Ivor. My name is Esqin. I have not had the best of luck with this endeavor, and your willingness and kind words caught me off guard. I too hope for continued business. If you truly can help me finalize my alloy composition, you will have made a friend. You should be receiving a contract shortly. I look forward to hearing your first results.

A new message popped up with a contract offer between Ivor and Esqin. It reminded Ivor of those End User License Agreements nobody would read when installing software. He definitely read this contract. It was very straightforward, essentially saying everything he and Esqin had discussed.

Ivor accepted the contract and another screen popped up asking about the hunting knife size Ivor wanted along with a place for him to put his palm. The System took his hand measurements directly from the palm image. Ivor reviewed the results and selected the Finalize button. 300 credits disappeared from his account.

Yup, he was broke. Ivor had a whole 2 credits to his name.

His business in the System Market done, Ivor exited.

“Successful transaction?” Zed asked.

“I believe so.” Ivor went on to explain the conversation and the end result.

“Oh, this could truly be a boon for you. Almost no one in an Evaluation Zone would have access to anyone beyond a Basic level weapons smith. Assuming, of course, that the alloy works and doesn't just break the first time you use it.”

Ivor had already thought through that. “I don't really lose out if that happens. Esqin will have to keep replacing items as long as I detail what happened. My guess is at some point, there will be a contract renegotiation as they are definitely not making any credits off this deal.

However, if it works out, you are correct, it could be a fantastic boon for me. Well, I'm going to get back to training today. Tomorrow after receiving the first weapons, I'll head out into the woods. I'm going to need more credits, and that means goblins, monsters or a dungeon.I'm probably fighting no matter what.”

Zed got the sense that Ivor was not worried at all about the fighting. Looking through the records that were available to him from the System dump, he could understand why. Interestingly enough, the amount of recorded material covering Ivor's exploits seemed way too small.

Given the clandestine nature of his work, it's likely much of what Ivor did was never documented. Plausible deniability and all that. Maybe Ivor would share stories with Zed at some point.

Ivor went back outside and continued with his training. Back and forth. Always watching his stamina.

Drain it, recover. As time went on throughout the day, Ivor got into a rhythm where he kept pushing a little harder every hour or so. He really wanted to push the limits to understand where he stood. He also was really hoping to get another stat bump out of this.

As the sun was setting, Ivor was exhausted, but he didn't want to stop. He was starting to think he may have already reached the limit of what the System would reward him for. He could still see well enough. He'd give it one more round.

That round came, and he pushed on. One more round. Another round came and went. One more round.

As the last of the waning light in the sky turned a dark purple, a familiar blinking icon appeared in his overlay. Ivor stopped and walked back to the Administration building. He had really pushed it, and even his health took a small hit from over exertion. As he sat down, he reviewed his message and his stats.

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 2

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 25

Agility: 25

Endurance: 25

Constitution: 25

Intelligence: 25

Wisdom: 25

Willpower: 40

Perception: 25

Health: 250

Mana: 250

Stamina: 295

Ivor smiled. He was happy the day of exercising worked. He was nearly 100% certain that it wouldn't work again. Or at the very least, he'd need to endure multiple days of non-stop exercise with no sleep or breaks to level up again. That juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

He needed some rest, then tomorrow it was time to get in the field. Back to his roots, so to speak, but on his terms. It was his decision, his choice, his goals.

Despite the craziness of all of this and his worry for Marie, Ivor felt something he had never felt before….he was truly free. The smile never left his face as he ate a meal packet and headed to his bed. He didn't even manage to get his boots off before sleep took him.

Chapter Ten

Ivor awoke the next morning feeling fine. He felt it was definitely the Constitution stat preventing the post-workout soreness he would normally feel. That was an all day grueling workout that went beyond anything he had ever done, even during B.U.D/S. Yet his body felt fine.

This being the third day, Ivor dropped his clothes in the cleaner, pressed the button, and took a shower. He took his time in the shower, noticing for the first time that a number of the scars he used to have, bullet and knife wounds mostly, were gone. When the System fixed his heart, it must have fixed those things too.

Moving back into the main Administration area of the building, Zed was waiting, as usual.

“Good morning, Mr. Kemble. Any plans for the day?”

“Good morning, Zed. Yes indeed. Area recon is the plan for the day?” Ivor replied. “While I'm waiting for Esqin to send the first batch of weapons and my knife, I'll start working my way around the perimeter of the ruins.”

Zed grimaced at the mention of ruins, “My apologies Mr. Kemble, I haven't done a good job of keeping up the buildings. There didn't seem to be much point in it. Oh, occasionally, I would build something, but nature would just pull it down over time. The various monster species tend to stay away, and since they don't evolve naturally, they never took advantage of the buildings.”

“They don't evolve naturally?” Ivor asked.

“Well, most sapient monster species like the goblins, the System prevents genetic drift. They may be able to reproduce, but the system keeps a tight reign on things. I am sure there is a reason behind it, but the System definitely does not share that with me. You will find actual species in the universe that may appear, from your perspective, to be monsters, but they are just sentient species like yourself that just look different,” Zed explained.

Ivor felt it was time to view the details of his Pre-Class/Profession Skills.

Blend (Unique) - Passive

You blend into your environment whether urban or rural. This skill makes you incredibly hard to detect at a distance. In a crowd, you are impossible to find. People won't notice you easily when you are standing still, even in plain sight. In any rural environment, you easily blend into the surroundings making you nearly invisible. Slow movement is very hard to detect by anyone equal to or below your level.

Extreme movement and clashing colors can reduce this ability. This is an innate ability.

Blunt Weapons (Expert) - Passive

Provides a 50% increase to weapon damage when using Blunt weapons

Computers (Advanced) - Obsolete

Explosives (Expert) - Unavailable

Explosives deal 50% more damage

Firearms (Expert) - Obsolete

Short Bladed Weapons (Expert) - Passive

Provides a 50% increase to weapon damage when using Short Bladed Weapons

Solo Contributor (Expert) - Passive

You do 50% more damage and receive 50% more rewards when operating alone.

Spear (Advanced) - Passive

Provides a 25% increase to weapon damage when using Spears

Tactician (Expert) - Active

The System will augment your already highly tactical mind by identifying areas to ambush, set traps, and see weak spots in enemies themselves and their tactics.

Trap Creation (Advanced) - Active

Your Traps are 25% harder to detect (offsets Trap Detection skill)

Your Traps use 10% less material and Mana to create

Trap Detection (Advanced) - Passive

You are 25% more likely to detect traps

Unarmed Combat (Expert) - Passive

Provides a 50% increase to damage when using no weapons

Ivor debated this next question. He wasn't exactly sure how much information he should share with Zed. His Skill: Blend had a level of (Unique). It wasn't one of the levels Zed listed. However, Ivor couldn't think of any other way to understand what this meant without asking Zed. He could wait, but he may never learn anything that way. He also couldn't really think of a down side to asking.

“Hey Zed, what is a Unique Skill level?” Ivor watched Zed closely. Yep, there was surprise there as Zed's eyes opened slightly wider. Zed must be really internalizing these human facial cues.

“Well, that is interesting. I thought your Willpower might be the most interesting thing about you, but apparently, I was incorrect. A Unique skill is one the System has not seen before, at least not in your species, and possibly even similar species like humans. There are many, many primate derived life forms.

Essentially, your Unique skill is a genetic anomaly, one that is beneficial and probably would continue to be passed down the generations. The System recognizes this benefit and creates the Unique skill. Also, Unique skills do not grow like other skills. This is an area where I can not help you.

Not because the System prevents me from doing so, but because I have no reference to base anything off of. Unique skills are extremely rare.”

Ivor knew even before the System came that he had an innate ability to blend in. He also knew he was as average looking as they came. He never stood out. Anywhere. He used that innate ability to his advantage his whole career.

Where it came from: who knew? Wasn't really worth asking about now. It was nice to have the System put it into words.

He could better rely on it in the future. The rest of his skills made perfect sense as they were things he used extensively in his career. He would have to remember to use the Tactician skill as it was a skill he had to actively use.

Seemed like it might be something that used mana instead of stamina. Same for Trap Creation as it said it used mana right in the description.

“Zed, is there a way to get my Market Request notifications sent directly to my overlay?” Ivor really didn't want to have to keep going into the Market to check on his messages.

“You can get a notification that you have a message, but you can't read or reply to the message itself. There should be a setting….” Zed proceeded to walk Ivor through the setup. It wasn't too difficult. Now Ivor should get a message saying he had a message waiting in the System Market.

Ivor grabbed two of the goblin spears and headed outside. It was time to do some recon of the immediate area. The whole area around the Administrative building was a rough 300 meter by 300 meter square.

Beyond the ruins, which were mostly just portions of walls, most waist high or less, there was a forest. As Ivor got closer, he realized he could hear many of the sounds one would expect in a forest; leaves rustling in the breeze, bugs making noise, birds or bird-like things calling. It didn't seem too different from what he would expect in a forest on Earth. Maybe that was by design. It might not be a good evaluation if people were exposed to something so alien that they couldn't cope. If this was truly designed for people to learn how to survive in the reformed Earth, he would expect that experience to be at least a somewhat similar environment.

Ivor was heading in the direction of the dungeon he wanted to check out soon. Scouting this area seemed like the logical first step. Getting closer to the woods, Ivor slowed down and started paying closer attention.

As the trees created quite a bit of shadow, Ivor couldn't see too far into the woods. In addition, there were scattered bushes, but overall, the ground below the trees looked fairly open. It definitely didn't look like any wild overgrown forest Ivor had seen.

Ivor noticed one of the areas with bushes to his left moved abruptly. That wasn't the wind. Ivor stopped about 20 meters from those bushes.

The bushes rustled again, then suddenly, an animal burst out. It looked like a cross between a boar and a hyena, but it had six legs. More disturbingly, its mouth looked way too wide.

As Ivor was thinking this, a thick, flat tongue snaked out of the mouth as drool dropped to the ground. Ivor noticed some very sharp teeth in that overly wide mouth. Definitely a carnivore.

Ivor watched the animal's legs, looking for the telltale sign of attack. He also tried to mentally think about his [Tactician] skill. Suddenly, several spots on the animal showed red, like a heat map. Ivor knew these were areas he could exploit. A spot appeared on either side of the middle leg, near the joint.

Ivor assumed there was a corresponding spot on the other side he couldn't see at the moment due to the angle. Of course the eyes were highlighted, as he was sure they would be in most things with eyes. He also saw a red spot around the mouth….no, in the mouth. Yeah, soft palate for sure.

Ivor thought about turning off [Tactician] and the spots went away. He didn't need it anymore, and now he knew how it worked. Hopefully, it will become second nature.

The moment Ivor had been waiting for happened, the two rearmost legs bunched ever so slightly. Ivor knew the animal was going to charge. As it began its launch towards Ivor, it opened its mouth to let out a weird sort of bark. Ivor had already begun his attack. He threw the spear in his right hand with all his focus on the open mouth of the animal. He would have liked to test his throw, but with only three spears available to him, he didn't exactly want to damage any of them before his new weapons showed up.

At this point, Ivor was five times stronger and faster than any average human. Even in this higher gravity environment, his power was sufficiently above average. The spear shot like a bullet directly into the open mouth of the animal.

That overly large mouth opened up just a little too wide and the spear penetrated the back of the throat. The spear continued into the spine, severing it, with the spear head sticking out the back of the animal's neck. The legs that were bunched up to charge simply collapsed as the spine was severed.

With no signal to the rest of the internal organs, the animal blinked twice and died.

Well, that was a successful test. Ivor hoped the spear was ok. He threw with all his current strength, and he was afraid it may have damaged the spear.

Ivor approached the animal slowly. He prodded it with the other goblin spear. Yep, dead. As he reached down to pull the spear out of the animal's mouth, only the shaft returned.

The spear head had broken off on impact with the spine apparently. A bit of a disappointment, but Ivor was prepared for this. The animal itself looked slightly larger than an Earth size boar and definitely wider.

He reached down to grab a hind leg and drag what he assumed to be at least 80 kilograms of dead weight, when he lifted the whole carcass off the ground. Ok, that's what 25 strength gets you.

Conceptually, Ivor knew the improved stats would change him, but it was something else entirely to experience it. Holding 80 kilos of dead weight off the ground, easily, in one hand was something he was going to have to get used to.

Ivor didn't hear any other animals in the bushes. So he carried the carcass back to the Administration building.

Seeing the animal, Zed said, “That is a Vamhae boar. Very aggressive. Loners unless it's mating season or you find a mother with piglets. Good meat. You can probably sell the hide.”

“Is this something I can take into the Market and it can do its System nonsense on? You know, package all the meat up for me and sell the rest.” Ivor was sure it wasn't going to be that easy.

Zed shook his head, “Unfortunately, no. This is where having others around would come in handy. You'll have to butcher this yourself.”

Ivor sighed, “Well, might as well put this to use and see what else I can catch with it. Is there a cold storage box in that kitchen?”

“Yes, it is next to the wood burning stove,” Zed replied.

Ivor picked the boar back up and took it back to where he had killed it. He needed either a shovel or entrenching tool to dig a pit trap, and he didn't have any rope for a snare trap. None of the vegetation nearby would lend itself to making any rope either. Oh well, Ivor would just have to see if he could entice any other monsters or maybe more goblins with the entrails.

Without a knife, he'd have to use the broken spearhead as a cutting instrument. It wasn't ideal, but it's what he had on hand.

Ivor spent a good bit of time cutting into the belly of the boar to get rid of the entrails. He didn't have rope to string it up to drain the blood, but with his current strength, holding I up to get most of the blood to drain out wasn't an issue. The spear wasn't very sharp. So, it took him a couple of hours to get the meat he wanted cut off and the rest of the hide stripped off of the beast. It was bloody work, and he was covered with it by the time he was done.

Ivor went back to the building and walked straight into the kitchen to deposit the meat into the cold box. Next, he went into the System Market and got 10 credits for the hide. He spent 5 credits on a small coil of rope. Heading back out to where he butchered the boar, he started looking around for a good location for a snare trap.

While he was looking, he began collecting branches from the ground and brush for kindling for the stove. He didn't have an axe to chop wood.

Ivor found a great spot near the boar's entrails where he could set the snare trap. He picked out the boar's liver as bait, and he began setting out the sticks and coil of rope near a bush that would hide the rope. As he looked at the branch he was about to throw the rope around, he activated [Create Trap]. It was hard to describe what he felt. It was like a mild tingling sensation and the feeling of something draining away.

It wasn't physical though. He didn't have his mana bar on his overlay, but he knew it must be magic, as the trap created itself using the items he'd laid out. Just like that, the trap was set. It was even camouflaged the way Ivor would do it. Damn, magic was awesome.

Ivor quickly reconfigured his overlay with a mana bar, and sure enough, a chunk of mana was gone. He started to wonder if he even needed something to dig with for a pit trap. Maybe all he needed was the materials and his own will to make it happen. He'd have to try to set one up in a different location. Not that having an entrenching tool wasn't a good thing, but with his lack of funds, he wouldn't spend the credits if he didn't have to.

Ivor decided it was time to head back to the Admin building and get cleaned up.

After cleaning himself and his clothes, Ivor dropped off the broken spear and grabbed the only other good one left. He headed back to his trap location and decided to walk the perimeter of the area starting from the right. As he walked, we would pile up sticks and branches that he could grab later.

He was mostly looking for animal tracks or droppings, along with any indication of more goblins. He eventually found what he believed to be the tracks of the goblins he had run into on his first day. He made a mental note of the location, in case it rained or something else obscured the tracks.

It might be worth trying to backtrack their trail. It also might be a good place to put a pit trap, if the goblins were coming from this direction.

Ivor took his time walking the perimeter. It seemed pretty clear that most animals and monsters didn't venture into the ruins. He may have just gotten lucky with the boar. Having returned to his starting point, Ivor grabbed a bundle of branches and kindling then headed back to the building.

Chapter Eleven

While Ivor was waiting to hear back from Esqin, he decided to see if he could afford to buy something to mend the cut in his pants. If he was going to be heading off into the woods soon, he didn't want them getting snagged on anything and tearing further.

He found a small mending kit for clothing that only cost 1 credit, and he bought it. While he was mending his pants, Zed mentioned there was a spell he could probably pick up at some point. It was conveniently called [Mend]. It would work minor repairs on all sorts of things. No mending wounds. It only worked on inanimate objects, and at the Basic level, it wouldn't work on magic items.

Shortly after finishing his pants, a notification appeared in his overlay. He had a message in the System Market.

Ivor couldn't help but grin. Finally, some real weapons. He made his way into the Market. Immediately waiting for him on the counter were three items.

Two of the items were pairs of bastons in wonderfully well done sheaths. The third item was a sheathed belt knife. Before examining them, he went to his messages:

Esqin: Ivor, I hope you find the baston and knife satisfactory. I look forward to hearing back from you on the performance of the weapons. Please also let me know how you find the hunting knife.

Ivor went over to examine the items. First, he pulled the hunting knife from its sheath. The handle felt like wood, but something was different about it. It was definitely no wood from Earth. It almost had a give to it like a hard rubber.

Unlike a polished wood that could get slick with sweat, this felt like it could absorb some moisture. He didn't think he'd lose his grip even if it was wet. It also felt tailor made for his hand.

It was a perfect length for his taste. Useful as a utility knife, and useful as a last resort weapon. The blade itself was a dark grey color, almost black.

The edge looked sharp. Ivor wasn't about to test it on his thumb, that was stupid. He'd test it on some rope and sticks later. He'd have to ask Esqin about sharpening it.

For now, he wanted to inspect his new baston. Both pairs were exactly the same length. They had a deep purple coloration to them, again, almost black.

On closer inspection, Ivor thought he could detect a slightly different pattern in the metal. He wasn't sure if that was a byproduct of the difference in alloy composition or in the smithing process itself. It didn't really matter.

He noticed each pair were marked at various points with a rune or something. The sheaths also had the same rune. Speaking of the sheaths, they were a very dark brown leather of some sort. They were extremely well made.

They didn't completely cover the sticks. Rather they were designed to pull over the shoulder as he would be wearing them on his back. If the sheath covered the whole stick, his arm wouldn't be able to extend far enough to pull them free.

It also felt like there may be a magnet or something similar at or near the bottom. He could tip the sheath upside down, and the sticks wouldn't fall out. That wasn't something he included in his request.

This Esqin knew their business well. They anticipated a person might be moving and tumbling in combat. They included the feature so as not to lose the baston while moving or even being upside down.

Normally, baston didn't have grips, but since Ivor was dealing with metal, he knew he would need something and requested metal sticks come with hand grips. The bottom of the sticks had the same leather type material as the sheaths wrapped tight around. It proved to be a comfortable hand grip.

Both pairs felt good in Ivor's hands. He went through a few forms to get the feel of each pair. They felt exactly the same. Same weight. A little heavier than the wood or rattan sticks he was used to, but with his new strength, they felt fine.

He put one sheath on and practiced drawing them. He also put both sheaths on, he could pull one pair from his left shoulder and one from his right. The sheaths weren't really designed for this, but he could make it work. He wanted both in case one pair failed catastrophically.

As he left the Market, Zed inquired,”It looks like you have some new weapons.”

Ivor grinned,”Yes indeed. Now I just need something to test them on.”

“May I see them?” Zed asked.

Ivor held one of each pair out for Zed to inspect. Although Zed looked solid, he was just a very convincing magical image. Zed could however examine the item.

“I am not familiar with this alloy. It will be interesting to see how they perform.” Ivor then showed Zed the knife. “Ah yes, dark steel, very well made. This is not an insignificant knife Mr. Kemble. Also, if you look closely near the cross guard, you'll notice a rune.”

Ivor looked at the rune. He had assumed it was a maker's mark.

Zed corrected that assumption, “That is a self-sharpening rune. Dark steel is able to absorb small amounts of ambient mana. Enough to power a rune like this. This Esqin must really want this alloy to work, or at least your verification of it. Dark steel weaponry is not something you would see in an Evaluation. You have done well for yourself.”

Ivor had a newfound respect for his new hunting knife. It felt good to have quality tools.

As Ivor was about to ask Zed a question, a notification appeared.

Trap triggered….

Ivor immediately headed out of the building at a jog's pace. He ran low to keep the ruins between himself and whatever had triggered the trap. As he looked past the last ruin before the woods, he saw the perfect opportunity to test his new weapons. Pulling the pair of bastons from his right shoulder, we walked with purpose towards the scene unfolding around his trap.

Zed was monitoring the scene as well. He monitored everything in this Evaluation Zone. However, he was still shackled. He couldn't warn or tell Ivor that a small band of goblins was approaching the area of the trap. The entrails of the boar drew them in like any predator.

Zed was interested to see how Ivor would handle this encounter. Yes, Ivor had responded well to his initial battle when he first arrived, but in Zed's opinion, that wasn't a true test. This would be a much more conclusive test of Ivor's abilities, and since the man hadn't shared any of his skills with Zed. Zed should be able to figure some things out from this encounter.

Ivor saw a goblin hanging in the air well above the others. There were three more of the goblins he encountered when he first arrived plus another one that was about a head larger, half again as wide as the others and carried a decent sized club.

Ivor smiled as adjusted the grip of the baston in his hands. The battle calm he always felt right before combat kicked in. His focus sharpened. His awareness expanded. He calmly walked toward his prey.

Two of the goblins noticed him and immediately ran towards him with their spears extended. Ivor slowed, letting them come to him. As they got close, Ivor quickly shuffled to the side, the goblins were too close to each other. Ivor's move put them one behind the other rather than side by side. He used his left stick to bat aside the spear and delivered a front kick to the first goblin.

It rocketed backwards, hitting the goblin behind it and both slid back in the dirt. Taking two quick steps, two strikes with his right hand baston crushed both goblins' skulls.

Having kept his eye on the other small goblin and the large one, Ivor stuck his left baston straight out at the small goblin that was screaming and running at him. The goblin impaled itself in the mouth on Ivor's metal stick. Quickly bringing his right baston in an overhand attack, he crushed the third goblin's skull.

Zed was shocked. His mouth may even have been hanging open if anyone was around to see it. Three seconds, three dead goblins. Ivor had only taken two steps and swung his baston five times. The efficiency at which he had done this had nothing to do with System Skills. Zed was sure of this. This is what you see when someone already highly skilled has System benefits. Zed wondered exactly how high the System assigned Ivor's skills. Watching in awe, Zed was very much interested to see how Ivor handled the Level 8 Goblin Brawler.

As the third goblin fell, Ivor looked over to the larger goblin with the club. Seeing its fellow goblins die so quickly, the Goblin Brawler thumped its club into the ground and bellowed at Ivor. Ivor calmly walked towards it. As Ivor got closer, the Brawler pulled back its club to smite its enemy. Ivor flowed out of the way of the club swinging towards his head.

He could feel the wind flash by his face as he counter attacked with a strike to the Brawler's wrist - Crack - the club dropped from its hand, nearly simultaneously another - Crack - as a second strike hit the elbow. The right arm of the Brawler flexed and bent in a way that indicated bones had broken. Sliding behind the Brawler, Ivor unleashed a flurry of baston blows to the back of the Brawler's head. The Brawler stumbled forward and reached up to its head with the left hand to try to protect itself.

Crack - a blow to the left wrist - Crack - another blow to the left elbow. Ivor slid around the left side of the Brawler. Both of the Brawler's arms were useless. Ivor could see the dazed look in its eyes from the head strikes.

Sliding left again - Crack - the left knee, behind the Brawler again - Crack - the right knee gone. The Brawler falls on its face. Ivor looks up at the still struggling goblin in the snare trap.

He sheathed his baston and pulled his hunting knife out. Stepping on the Brawler's back, Ivor pulls the head up and cuts its throat. He wiped the blood off on the Brawler's dirty loin cloth and put it back in its sheath.

Pulling a baston out of a sheath, Ivor whacks the strung up goblin, crushing its skull. He puts the baston away and releases the rope, dropping the trapped goblin.

Zed wasn't sure what he was more shocked about. The fact that Ivor just killed four Level 5 goblins and a Level 8 Brawler in under 20 seconds, or the brutal efficiency in which he did it. The System turns many people into killers, but Zed couldn't recall anytime in his millions of years of existence that someone three days into an Evaluation performed like this. This was supposed to be Extreme difficulty for Ivor, and he's going through the locals like a hot knife through butter.

It wasn't just the stat increases either. Given the extreme environment, Ivor is essentially equivalent to a Level 3 Class. He should at least have struggled with the Brawler. It has to be his skill levels. Suddenly, Zed felt something he hadn't felt in a very, very long time. Hope.

Chapter Twelve

As Ivor walked back with the goblin bodies, he took some time to look at his latest System messages and stats.

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Goblin scout (Level 5) - defeated

Goblin Brawler (Level 8) - defeated

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 2

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 30

Agility: 30

Endurance: 30

Constitution: 30

Intelligence: 30

Wisdom: 30

Willpower: 45

Perception: 30

Health: 300

Mana: 300

Stamina: 345

Ivor carried the goblin bodies into the System Market and sold them. He ended up getting 450 credits for the goblins plus another 3 for the junk. By the time he bought the backpack and various supplies he wanted, he was down to 420 credits. It was time to scout the way towards the dungeon.

Not today. Now that he had some weapons, he wanted to scout a little bit closer to the village today. He had noticed Zed had a bit of a preoccupied look on his face earlier. Ivor didn't pry.

He just mentioned he was going to do some scouting and he'd be back. He put on his backpack and loaded it down with some stones, in addition to his supplies. He wanted to get a feel for the pack when it was full with his new stats.

As he slipped into the forest, he slowed down. Ivor moved in the general direction of the dungeon, stopping frequently to just listen. He planned on getting to the halfway point, about 500 meters. He kept his eyes open looking for signs of large animals or monsters passing as well as goblins. Several times he knew his [Blend] skill must be working as a few small mammal-like creatures crossed his path.

The animals didn't seem to notice him as he was standing still. It was hard to judge, as it wasn't an active skill. Probably best if he tried not to think about it too much. He never thought about it on Earth, and it just seemed to work.

Ivor made his way to a spot he felt was half way between his base camp and the dungeon. He decided to take a slightly angled route back. Instead of scouting the same ground he already covered, he could angle off and cover new ground.

Not much changed. This area seemed devoid of larger animals. Perhaps the goblins he killed earlier had killed or scared off what animals were in the area. Ivor made his way back to the building without any troubles.

As he walked into the building, he asked Zed,”Something on your mind?”

Zed looked at Ivor for a moment before he spoke, “I was somewhat shocked by your performance against the goblins earlier. The background information the System gathered about you indicated martial prowess, but nothing to that degree. I find it hard to believe it is just a byproduct of your stat increases.

Untrained people, even with a Class and stats as high as yours, do not move like that. I am curious what your skill levels are.”

Ivor took a moment to formulate a response. “Zed, given what you've read about my background. Do you think a government like the one I worked for would want a record of everything a person like me could do?”

“Hmmm, no I suppose not. However, I am still at a loss as I do not know what you know.”

Ivor thought again about how to respond. “Zed, I spent 40 years in either training or combat. That combat was most often physical, and sometimes technological. 40 years with very few breaks.”

Zed wondered again, “Your time as an I.T consultant was a cover, but you clearly did computer based work.”

“Well, most of the work I did as an I.T consultant was bringing down various government backed groups and well funded gangs. It would not be uncommon for me to have to kill an entire gang of hackers and their security before I pulled data or electronics. In fact, I probably killed an equal number of people during my I.T days as I did in conflict zones around the world.” Ivor explained. “Still, I'm one man. I can be overwhelmed by numbers. It's why I'm good with traps.

That demonstration out there against the goblins was simply me getting a feel for these weapons and a confidence born of experience that I could handle the group. Had it been a group of 10, even the lower level ones, I would have applied a different strategy.”

“I still wonder about your skill levels, but I will not press you,” Zed sighed.

Ivor thought for a second, “Tell you what, if you can tell me how far out you can observe things. I'll give you some information about my skills.”

“That seems fair. I can see everything on the surface of this planet and below. I can not see into dungeons and I can not analyze them.

The System can and does change the dungeon types. Even though I can see everything, I am still limited in what I can actually tell you,” Zed explained.

“Ok, great. That makes a lot of sense. Fair is fair. My [Blunt Weapons] is at Expert. I have a passive skill called [Solo Contributor] that gives me a +50% bonus to damage and +50% to rewards when I'm operating alone.” He paused before continuing, “I also have the [Tactician} skill at Expert. Although I only used that on the boar.”

“Thank you for your honesty. Those are ridiculously high levels for Skills in an Evaluation. Even one as hard as this one. If you would have ended up in your normal Evaluation, you would have likely been quite a bit ahead of other humans.

Given the particular situation you are in, if you survive this Evaluation, you will be O.P, as they say in your video game terminology. I believe there are things you will still struggle with here, though. Remember, the things you have fought so far are the beginner challenges for this Evaluation. Do not assume everything will be so easy.” Zed wanted to make sure Ivor understood this was no free ride.

“Oh, I understand the danger. I'm at a loss as I don't have any kind of skill to identify an opponent's level. I'm going to have to be much more careful.

Also, I'm not sure how dungeons work here. Can you leave at any time? Do they provide information before you enter, like recommended level, party size, time dilation, etc…?

At least out in the wild, I might have a chance to escape something too far beyond me. A dungeon, on the other hand, I could be trapped and end up just dead.” Ivor had been holding those questions for some time. He was hoping Zed was in a talkative mood.

“It is interesting to me that the System gave you [Tactician] but not [Identify]. However, it may make some sense in the way [Identify] and [Analyze] work. [Identify] is used to provide information on biological entities. So species, like other humans, monsters, animals, etc…. [Analyze] is used to provide information on non-biological items like constructs, magic items, potions, poisons, etc…. Certain Classes and Professions provide one or the other.

For instance, a Fighter usually gets [Identify] at the Basic level when choosing the class. Merchants will get [Analyze] for obvious reasons. Both skills are fairly common and Class/Profession evolutions can mean a person acquires both.

They are also acquired in other ways.”, the System shackles prevented Zed from saying more.

Ivor nodded, “I'm guessing some kind of Skill book, shard, orb or something like that. Either a loot drop in a dungeon or maybe even purchasable after the Evaluation period.”

Zed smiled, “Correct. Your species' fiction does a good job of anticipating many of the ways the System works. Someone who has read extensively, will have an advantage in gaining information. Now, about dungeons. I can not tell you everything, but I will tell you that all your questions will be answered when you find your first dungeon.”

Ivor chuckled, “That doesn't do me much good, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume something. Since you've noted several times that this is a bit of a beginner area, albeit harder than most, I'm going to assume a dungeon only 1000 meters is probably designed along those lines. It would be odd to have a beginner area that has a dungeon that kills people immediately due to level disparity. Doesn't make sense, and from what I can tell, the System is at least logical.”

Zed smiled and winked, “You may be correct. Only one way to find out.”

“I think I'll take the day to plan what I can. Ensure I have the supplies I need, and I'll head to the dungeon in the morning.”

Chapter Thirteen

Ivor woke early. He had already packed his backpack. After a quick breakfast of boar meat, he headed out in the direction of the dungeon.

Zed had shown Ivor where he could find a map in his overlay. Well, it wasn't really a map, it was more like a blank black background with a dot representing himself in white, and a directional arrow showing him where he needed to go. Zed had explained that certain Classes and Professions had actual maps of varying complexity depending on the Class/Profession and level. His example was that the Profession of Hunter might have a generic overhead map of areas they'd explored, and maybe a dot representing their prey, if they had a skill of some sort to mark that prey.

Whereas the Profession of Cartographer would have extensive tools not only to capture details of areas they've been but to also annotate items, locations, and provide notes as needed.

His map may suck, but at least Ivor wouldn't be wandering for days trying to find the dungeon. Zed was able to “mark” the location for him, and it would show up on his map when he was in a certain range. Zed didn't tell him what that range was. Ivor would have to find out for himself.

Zed was kind of curious if the System provided quests. He hadn't gotten any since he arrived. Being this was his fourth day, he wasn't sure if he would receive anything. Something to bring up with Zed when he had the time.

Given his early start, Ivor was taking his time. As smaller forest animals were stirring in the early morning, Ivor was getting a feel for his [Blend] skill. He was paying attention to the speed at which he moved and various other factors to try and figure out the extent of the Skill. Although the progress was slow, it was progress.

Before long, a blue dot appears in the top corner of his crappy map. According to Zed, that was the dungeon indicator. Ivor adjusted course and headed in that direction.

Unsure of what to expect, he slowed his pace as he got closer. Whatever he thought he might expect, it definitely wasn't the site he found waiting in a clearing in the forest.

It was a shed.

It wasn't like those wooden things you can get at the big home improvement retailers back on Earth, but he couldn't help but think this building looked like a shed.

As he looked out from a hidden spot next to a tree, the small building was in a clearing about 20 meters in diameter. In the dead center of the mostly round clearing was a small stone building with a dilapidated wooden door in the middle of one wall. No windows he could see from his angle.

Ivor decided to get a better look at the building as he circled around the perimeter of the clearing, staying just inside the woods to stay hidden.

As he finished his circumnavigation of the perimeter, his original description still held. This was a shed. A small stone building, about 5 meters square, with a slanted stone roof. The only ingress was the door in the center of one wall.

Either there were stairs going down, or a ladder immediately inside this thing, or the System was doing some spatial shenanigans. Or maybe dungeons transport you somewhere else. The System transported him here, why not to somewhere else. Or maybe a combination of the two.

Ivor shook his head. It didn't really matter what the System was doing. This was the dungeon, and he was going in. Not seeing any immediate danger, Ivor stepped out of the forest and made his way towards the door to the dungeon.

As he touched the door handle, as simple brass knob, he got his first answers about dungeons as a message appeared in his overlay.

Dungeon environment: Building interior

Recommended party size: 4 to 5

Recommended party level: 5

Time dilation: 1 to 1

Cooldown: 2 days

Ivor was glad to see the environment information. That was handy. It avoided the situation where you had to go inside to find out it was snow and ice, when you couldn't know ahead of time, making you pop back out of the dungeon to get the proper clothes.

He still had questions. If he popped in and popped back out, did that trigger the cooldown. He assumed the cooldown was how often a party could tackle a dungeon. He could be wrong. Nothing he saw made him want to back out. So he turned the knob and stepped inside.

A slightly disorienting feeling, similar to when he went into the System Market, affected him, then he was standing inside a stone room with three doors; one in front of him and one each to the left and right. Immediately a series of messages appeared.

Welcome to your first Evaluation Dungeon. There are many types of dungeons and many dungeon sizes. This dungeon is designed to get you acclimated to how dungeons work. Future dungeons will only provide information as necessary. Try to pay attention.

You are standing in the starting area. All dungeons will have a starting area. No monsters, constructs, traps or other harmful things will be present in the starting area.

The starting area will vary in size, but it will always be big enough to house the largest recommended party size. Leaving the dungeon from the starting area does not trigger the cooldown. Any movement outside of the starting area into the dungeon does trigger the cooldown.

Although there is only one starting area, there may be additional safe areas in other dungeons.

The cooldown is the amount of time a party has to wait until they can enter the dungeon again. Repeating a dungeon is expected. However, in order to gain levels, you will have to tackle increasingly harder challenges. Excessive repeats of a dungeon by any individual or party will result in lower experience gain and lower loot drops.

You can leave a dungeon at any time by going back the way you came in. Be aware that some dungeons will respawn some of the monsters, constructs and other entities if you head back the way you came. Triggered traps will not respawn. Traps that were not triggered will still be active.

Many dungeons become increasingly difficult as you make your way through. Many combat focused dungeons have a final 'Boss'. Once you enter the area with the final Boss, you cannot retreat. Your only way forward is to finish the Boss or perish. So, plan accordingly. It's no shame to retreat before the Boss area and tackle the dungeon later.

Time dilation can work both ways. A dilation of 100 to 1 means that for 100 units of time in the dungeon, 1 unit of time has happened outside the dungeon, be it seconds, hours, days, weeks or years. Similarly, a dilation of 1 to 100 means for 1 unit of time in the dungeon, 100 units of time has happened outside the dungeon. Both can be handy for specific circumstances. Just be careful to remember that the first number is dungeon time and the second number is outside dungeon time.

The dungeon environment will generally be obvious, but not very specific. For example: Swamp, Snowy mountain, Grasslands, or this one Building interior. They are all fairly obvious but not detailed.

You will occasionally encounter intelligent species in certain dungeon types. Treat them as you would any other species outside the dungeon. They will react to you just like they would outside the dungeon.

If you start murdering villagers, don't be surprised if they rise up and try to kill you. You don't want to get thrown into a prison for 50 years in a 1 to 1 dungeon. It's just like getting thrown into prison outside the dungeon.

Individuals or groups are not allowed to camp outside a dungeon and ambush people that leave it or try to prevent people from entering it. Do not test this rule. You've been warned.

The establishment of a village, town or city on top of or in a certain proximity to a dungeon is not allowed.

That was way more information than Ivor expected. As he looked around the room he was in it occurred to him that he was standing inside the shed. At least it was roughly the same dimensions as what he saw outside. Glancing back, he saw the worn looking door he entered from.

On the three other walls were intact wooden doors with metal banding and a single knob. He couldn't tell there was any difference between the doors, and there were no markings around or above the doors.

Since no one path seemed better or worse than another, Ivor opened the door on his right. The door opened to a large room that looked like a workshop of some sort. There were work benches against some of the walls as well as a few that were in the middle of the floor.

From his location, the work benches seemed a little shorter in height than what would be comfortable for the average size adult human. There were tools of some unknown use scattered about on the workbenches or on shelves nearby. Several wooden crates and barrels were in various locations throughout the large room.

All these things Ivor noticed in the first second of looking into the room. What captured his attention for quite a bit longer were the bipedal figures laying on some of the work benches. They had, from what he could tell, two arms and two legs.

They looked as though they might be fairly short in height, maybe one and a half meters tall, but wide. Those things didn't surprise Ivor. The figures were headless and seemed to be made of one consistent material. The whole body was a dull brown color.

Nothing was moving. Ivor thought that perhaps it was because he hadn't truly left the starting area yet. He made sure when he opened the door that his hand never crossed the door threshold. Pulling out the same two bastons he used fighting the Goblins, Ivor stepped over the threshold and entered the room.

Cautiously walking into the room, Ivor kept the figures in his view as he stepped up to the work bench closest to him. Glancing down at the workbench, he saw some papers with drawings that resembled the figures in the room. He couldn't read any of the text or runes on the drawings, but it seemed pretty obvious that these were constructs of some sort.

Now that he was in the room fully, he could see another door in the far left corner of the room. He wanted to keep an eye on that door, just in case.

Noting there were other written pages, Ivor used one of his baston to move the top page out of the way. As he disturbed the top sheet, a scraping noise and motion drew his attention to one of the figures lying on the workbench. The figure sat up and turned its torso towards Ivor. It didn't have a head or eyes that Ivor could tell, but he had the distinct feeling that this thing was looking at him.

It swung its legs off the bench and stood up. At this point, Ivor noticed the three other figures also getting up. The first figure, clearly a construct of some sort, was walking towards Ivor. It was hard for Ivor to tell what the intentions of the construct were. It wasn't moving fast, or making any noise except for its steps. Ivor realized how much he had relied on facial cues and body movement to telegraph intent.

These things didn't give any of that away. Still Ivor wasn't willing to attack for no reason.

The other constructs were much further into the room when the first one got close to Ivor. It immediately took a swing at him. Ok, Ivor thought, I should have expected that. Pretty standard dungeon response to disturbing things. Ivor blocked the swing with one of his weapons and brought the other down in an overhand swing on top of the constructs main body.

Ivor's block worked, but he could tell this construct had strength approaching his own. His overhand strike connected like a hammer on rock. Chips flew off of the construct and a crack appeared in its main body. However, the construct didn't seem to be affected and swung again with its other fist. Not bothering to block this one, Ivor quickly stepped back.

Ivor activated [Tactician} which identified a large weak spot of some kind in the middle of the torso and to a lesser extent the joints of the knees. Time to switch tactics. Sliding under the next swing, Ivor stepped behind the construct and delivered several hard blows to a knee joint.

The loud cracks echoed through the room. As the construct tried to pivot and turn towards Ivor, the damaged joint gave out with a loud crack. The construct toppled to the ground onto its side.

Ivor noticed the other constructs getting closer. They seemed to all move at the same pace. Moving back towards the door to keep all the constructs in view, Ivor watched the damaged construct attempt and fail to stand. Instead it simply used its arms to crawl towards him.

Gauging he had enough time before the others got to him, Ivor stepped forward and started pummeling the torso with both baston. Thinking this would go quicker with a large hammer, Ivor managed to completely crack open the torso.

A notification indicator flashed in the corner of Ivor's eye, but he focused his attention on the remaining three constructs. If he wasn't careful here, he could get boxed in. The space wasn't that big. He was going to need to take at least one more construct out of the fight to ensure a little freedom of movement.

As he looked down the length of the room, the work benches in the middle created, essentially, two isles that ran the length of the room. Two of the constructs had been lying on the two middle benches closest to the door Ivor entered from. The two other constructs were further back in the room, each on a workbench against the wall.

One was on Ivor's left aisle, and one was on Ivor's right side aisle. This meant, currently, two constructs were coming up the right aisle, and one on the left.

Even though they didn't move fast, Ivor hopped up on the work bench in front of him. He ran the length of the bench and jumped to the next one. There was only a meter or so in between them. With his new stats, the jump was trivial even in the increased gravity.

The two closest to him on the left took swipes at him as he passed by, but they couldn't match Ivor's agility. When he got to the last work bench, he ran to the end and quickly turned the corner to attack the construct that was all alone in its aisle. Using the same method as before, Ivor kneecapped the construct and proceeded to bludgeon its torso until it crumbled.

One of the constructs used the gap in between benches to move to the aisle Ivor was on while the other continued on. As one of the constructs approached the one Ivor had just destroyed, it paused as though it was unsure how to proceed. That was all the pause Ivor needed, he quickly shifted to the construct still approaching and crushed its knee, he didn't need to finish this one off. He just waited as the other one moved back into the current aisle Ivor was in. The crippled construct kept crawling towards Ivor, and Ivor kept backing up. Once the still intact construct was in the aisle, Ivor went around the other side, jumping over the rubble of the destroyed construct. He quickly crushed the knee of the construct as it was still turning to attack him. With two crippled constructs, it was only a few more moments before he had destroyed them all.

Ivor could understand how difficult this would be without his increase in base stats. In addition, the Expert level in [Blunt Weapons} added 50% to his attack damage. He also assumed that these constructs were Level 5. It seemed that was the starting level for monsters in this Evaluation world.

Ivor wasn't ready to look at his notification yet. There was still another door in the room. He didn't want to take his attention away in case something could attack him from whatever area was behind the door.

He made his way closer to the door. As he got within a meter of the door, his overlay highlighted the door knob. This time, the message popped up.

Trapped detected…

Disarm skill not detected….

Unable to disarm trap…

That made way too much sense to Ivor. He'd never really disarmed traps. He set lots of them for people and animals. If the System wanted to count computer related traps, well, Ivor used tools for that.

He didn't actually do that himself. Note to self: Get disarm trap skill.

Ivor's [Detect Trap] skill didn't say anything about being able to analyze a trap. Either he didn't have it at a high enough level or there was a separate skill to analyze traps. He would have to ask Zed when he was done with this dungeon. It didn't help him in his current situation however.

Better do some testing. It didn't look like anything was going to attack him at the moment.

Ivor went to the nearest construct and picked up one of the arms that was still somewhat intact. A notification icon appeared, but unlike the previous one, this one must not mean Ivor was in immediate danger as it didn't appear in his overlay like the detect trap message had.

Reaching out with the arm, Ivor touched the hand to the door knob. Immediately, the construct arm shot out of his hand and slammed into the opposite wall. It happened so fast and with such force that Ivor actually took some damage.

His own hand was hurting like he had hit it with a hammer. It was a little numb as well. Looking back at the door knob, the previous highlight was no longer there. Still better to test again. Grabbing another construct arm, Ivor reached out to the door knob with the arm once again.

He was using his same hand as before, better to have one damaged hand than two. This time, there was no reaction.

Ivor reached out with his already damaged hand and turned the knob. The door swung open, and Ivor backed up. He moved around behind the last workbench on the end to at least have something in between himself and whatever was in the room. As he slowly moved to his right, he could see into more and more of the room.

It was clearly a storeroom of some kind. There were shelves from floor to ceiling. He couldn't tell what was on the shelves from here, but most of them looked bare. He assumed there had to be something valuable in there otherwise why trap the door.

Stepping over the rubble of one of the constructs, he approached the storeroom. It was a little over three meters long and about two wide. Shelves lined three walls.

Stepping into the storeroom, Ivor could see the shelves had some tools, a few orbs of some kind and some ingots of metal. The metal was a similar dark grey like his knife, but not quite. The orbs were about the size of a plum and were an earthy brown color. With nothing else attacking him, Ivor went back to fetch his backpack from the safe area so he could store the loot. He also pulled up his notifications.

Clay Golem Worker (Level 5) - defeated

Clay Golem Worker (Level 5) - defeated

Clay Golem Worker (Level 5) - defeated

Clay Golem Worker (Level 5) - defeated

Would you like to loot Clay Golem? Yes/No

Would you like to loot Clay Golem? Yes/No

Well, Ivor was correct about the level of the constructs. It made sense they weren't combat oriented, as they were pretty slow and didn't seem built for it. It was good that the dungeon would let him loot dungeon monsters without the [Loot] skill. He was still stuck without it outside the dungeon. He'd have to wait until he chose a Class/Profession until he could learn new skills.

Ivor selected Yes to both messages. Two Golems, the ones whose arms Ivor had used for the door trap, immediately disappeared in small flashes of light. Several items appeared in their place. He also received two new notifications.

Loot received…

Earth monster core - (Minor)

Clay Golem clay - 10 kilograms

Dark Steel ingot - small

Loot received…

Earth monster core - (Minor)

Clay Golem clay - 10 kilograms

Dark Steel ingot - small

Ivor noticed that the earth monster cores and the Dark Steel ingot looked just like what was in the storeroom. He went into the storeroom and brought out the item. Yep, they were the same.

So, including the storeroom items he currently had five cores and five ingots. The two packages of clay weren't that heavy to him. He could only fit a couple in his small backpack. He decided to carry them out to the safe area and decided what to do with them later.

Quickly looting the other two golems, Ivor put the cores and ingots in his backpack. He ended up with seven cores, seven ingots and four packages of clay. He moved the backpack and clay packages out into the safe area. He had one more thing to do.

Going back into the workshop, Ivor started looking through those papers he originally moved that triggered the attack. Taking a more careful look, it was clear these were blueprints of the golems he had just fought. He couldn't read the writing or the runes, but the pictures made things fairly clear.

Well, clear like Ikea directions on putting together furniture. He also noticed some of the tools were indicated on the papers. He grabbed a couple sets of the intact tools and put them in his backpack as well. He wasn't sure what they did, but at the very least, he could probably sell them.

Back in the safe area, Ivor moved to the door on the left. He opened the door, staying inside the safe area. The room he observed was a direct copy of the previous room.

Instead of bipedal golems, however, there were spider-like golems sitting idle on several work benches. After a second look, Ivor thought maybe they were more crab-like. They had small oblong torsos with four legs, two on each side.

In addition, there were two smaller appendages coming out of the top, near the end of the oblong torso. He originally didn't see them as they were tucked back along the torso. He wasn't sure if they were some kind of antenna or used for fine manipulation. He just wasn't close enough to get a good look.

From where he was standing, there were eight of the small golems. Their bodies were about the size of an American football. He decided to take a different strategy with these golems. Pulling his baston out, he rushed into the room down the left aisle.

He immediately smashed the first golem with his right hand baston. Two strides later, he smashed a golem on the left and quickly another on the right. As he reached the end of the aisle, he smashed one more golem on the left. As he turned, he found the other golems hadn't been idle.

Two of the golems had jumped onto the center benches and were busy scuttling and hopping towards him on the center work benches. A third golem was moving down the work benches on his left. The remaining golem was nowhere to be found. It must be on the floor, Ivor thought. Quickly sprinting back the way he had come, he smashed one golem on the center workbenches with his left baston.

The other golem deftly jumped up and stuck to the ceiling. The golems were pretty quick, but Ivor's stats made him quicker.

Both the golem on the bench at the wall and the one on the ceiling quickly shifted course to attack Ivor. The ceiling golem jumped straight off the ceiling directly at Ivor. He quickly smashed it out of the air. As he was watching the approach of the golem on the work benches at the wall approach him, he felt a sharp pain in his right calf. Looking down he saw the missing golem had stabbed into both sides of his calf with the top most appendages. He saw motion in his peripheral vision and smashed the golem that had jumped at his head out of air. At the same time he swiped down with his other baston and smashed the golem attacking his leg.

As he smashed the golem that had impaled his calf, the appendages tore out of his calf, causing more pain, and a good deal of blood to come out of his torn pant leg. Cursing himself for lack of attention, he quickly scanned the room for any remaining golems. Nothing was moving.

He backed up into the safe area and limped over to his pack. Digging out some gauze and bandages, he put some gauze over the holes in his calf and wrapped the bandage around his leg to keep it in place. He'd had worse injuries, but this was definitely going to slow him down for a while.

Taking a look at his notifications, Ivor saw something he expected. These constructs were lower leveled than the last. They were much quicker though. Enough of them could really have caused Ivor some problems in the confined space.

He needed to keep reminding himself that he could be overcome by numbers. He felt he might have been taking his stats for granted a bit. This “extreme” Evaluation hadn't been too extreme up to this point. However, that didn't mean things couldn't change. He needed to be a bit more cautious.

Clay Golem Worker (Level 3) - defeated

…

…

…

…

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Clay Golem Worker (Level 3) - defeated

Before he looted the golems, he went to look at the door on the right side of the room. Like the last room, Ivor noticed a highlighted area around the door knob. Grabbing one of the golems, he tossed it at the door knob.

Once the golem hit the door knob, it immediately shot across the room, smashing into the wall and falling into a pile of rubble. Looking back at the door, Ivor noticed the door knob wasn't highlighted anymore. Grabbing the door knob, Ivor opened the door to find another storeroom. It was an exact replica of the last one.

This one had some small orbs, probably cores, but nothing else. Going back out into the room Ivor looted the eight golems.

Loot received…

Earth monster core - (Minor)

Clay Golem clay - 1 kilogram

No Dark Steel for these smaller golems apparently. Ivor ended up with 13 minor earth cores and 8 kilograms of clay. He also picked some more blueprints and a few different tools. Between the cores, the smaller clay packages and the tools, Ivor's backpack was starting to get full.

He didn't see an indication of a time limit on the dungeon. So, he opted to rest in the safe area and see how long it took the wound in his calf to heal. He drank some water and ate a meal packet. It had been a very busy four days, but Ivor was settling into this new reality.

He really hoped Marie was ok. He tried not to think too much about the alternative. That might take him down a very dark and dangerous path. He had nearly lost himself in Kosovo, and this time, he might never come back.

Considering this new existence with magic, who knows how it would transform him. Ivor alone knew the level of destruction he could cause. Losing himself to grief and rage could only be bad given these new powers.

Yet even as he was trying to make sure he didn't spiral into grief, he couldn't help but be excited about this opportunity. He had come to terms with his imminent death due to his heart condition. It was a relief in a way. Although he was a contractor for various government agencies, he was never truly free. They all had eyes on him. They all made not so subtle threats if he didn't do “just one more job.”

Everything changed with the System. He was truly free, and he wouldn't let anyone take that away from him.

He resolved to push as hard as he could to grow stronger. He would find out what Zed truly wanted from him, and use that to his advantage. When he bested this Evaluation and made it back to Earth…. well, he would deal with that at that time. Marie was a strong woman, even if she didn't always think so herself. How could she not be? She was his daughter.

Ivor smiled thinking about his daughter. The one truly beautiful thing he had helped create amidst an entire lifetime of death and destruction.

After sitting for an hour, letting his mind empty of emotion and worry, Ivor stood up. Unwrapping the bandage around his calf, he inspected the wound. The wound was sealed and the skin was whole, but it wasn't completely healed. It was good enough.

He wanted to get back and see what any of this stuff he had was worth. Maybe he could get enough credits for Esqin to make a couple of short swords with all the Dark Steel he had. He wouldn't mind supplementing his baston with some edged weapons.

It was time to find out what was behind the third door.

Ivor approached the door and opened it. Ensuring he didn't leave the safe area, he looked inside the room. This room was clearly much larger. The back wall was at least 40 meters away.

Looking left and right, as much as he could, it seemed like the room extended 30 or so meters to each side. What caught Ivor's eye was the scaffolding built around a large humanoid shape about 30 meters directly in front of him. A four meter tall version of the bipedal worker golem he'd already fought in the first room was surrounded by the scaffolding. This definitely looked like a boss room.

Ivor could see to each side of the room additional empty scaffolding and a number of the workbenches both free standing and against some of the walls. Given the angle, he couldn't see much about the two walls closest to him on either side of the door. Ivor was hoping nothing would kick off until he disturbed something in the room, like the other rooms.

Taking a baston in each hand, Ivor stepped into the room. Quickly scanning left and right, Ivor verified there were no immediate threats to either side. Deciding to skirt around the room to the right, Ivor kept the large golem in his peripheral vision as he scanned the work benches.

He saw more papers and some different types of tools. Reaching the end of the right side, he proceeded to skirt back to the door and take in the left side of the room. He found more of the same.

Ivor decided to see if he could activate this fight while he was still further away from the golem. He picked up some of the papers on the work bench nearest him, and just like all the other times, the golem stirred. It immediately stepped forward, its large foot causing a heavy thud on the stone floor.

The golem turned towards Ivor's location and started moving closer. Ivor could tell this golem moved better than the previous bipedal version. He would have to watch out for better speed from this one.

As the golem rounded a bench, there was a straight lane to where Ivor was standing. The golem began to pick up its pace into a run that was surprisingly fast for its size. Ivor waited until the golem was only two work benches away, and he quickly moved to his left toward the back side of the room, putting two work benches between himself and the golem.

The golem came to a bit of a sliding stop. At a walking pace, it started, once again, moving in Ivor's direction. This gave Ivor the start of a plan. Hit and run would be the name of the game. Ivor closed in on the golem circling around one of the benches.

It seemed this golem could move pretty fast in a straight line, but it had problems making tight turns and turning its body.

While it was trying to turn between two benches, Ivor came up on it. Using the same method as the previous golems, Ivor made several quick baston attacks on one knee joint area. Clay chips flew off of the golem. Not a complete surprise, this golem was much sturdier than the others.

The damage was minimal. Ivor's baston didn't have enough power to provide high damage to a golem of this size. Hopefully, Ivor's stamina would hold out.

Kiting around the room in a big circle, Ivor realized there was no real intelligence to this golem as it didn't adapt to his tactics. Finally, after 20 minutes of hit and run attacks on the same knee joint, the limb failed and the golem fell. The golem fell towards Ivor and swung an arm faster than Ivor expected. The large golem managed to clip Ivor in the side. Pain shot through his torso as Ivor's body was hurled back down one of the lanes.

Stone flooring was not a soft thing to land on. Ivor probably would have felt all the bruising if it wasn't for the sharp pain he was feeling every time he took a breath. Likely a broken rib or two. This was going to slow him down for sure, and he wasn't going to be able to use the baston in his left hand. Getting to his feet, Ivor saw the golem crawling towards him. Given his injury and the speed this golem was crawling, Ivor knew this thing was strong.

Ivor went back to using the benches, but decided to focus on one of the arms this time. It was another 20 minutes before one of the arms cracked. Ivor purposely picked the arm opposite the leg he already destroyed to make it more awkward for the golem to move. His plan worked.

The golem was effectively stuck face down on the floor trying to pull itself around. Ivor backed away from the golem to take a break. His stamina was running low, and he needed some time to let his health regeneration kick in. He hadn't given his ribs time to heal properly. He had no idea if the golem had regenerative powers. So Ivor watched as it tried to turn itself around to come at him again.

Ivor watched for five minutes, keeping a close eye on the destroyed leg and arm. It didn't look like any new growth was occurring. Ivor moved out of the lane the golem was crawling towards him from.

He moved more slowly, hoping his [Blend] skill would kick in as he circled around behind the golem. It seemed to work, as he was able to sneak up behind the golem. This time he went to work on the torso.

With large hammering blows of his baston, cracks began to appear. The golem thrashed around causing Ivor to jump off its torso and take a breath. He repeated this sneak attack for the next 20 minutes. Slowly cracking and whittling away the large clay torso. About 10 minutes in, Ivor realized his baston was bending. Taking a break, he sighted down the length, and sure enough, there was a noticeable bend in the baston.

He was barely able to get it back in the sheath. He pulled its pair out and went back to work on the torso.

One hour is how long it took to take down the golem. Ivor reviewed his notifications.

Clay Golem Guardian (Level 15) - defeated

Loot received…

Earth monster core - (Major)

Clay Golem clay - 40 kilograms

Dark Steel ingot - large x3

Level 15 was the highest level he'd encountered so far. It made sense why it took him so long. Ivor also reminded himself that most of these dungeons would be completed by a team. At this point both of his baston in the first set were bent. He would have to make sure he sent them to Esqin. He was trying to decide how he was going to carry the 40 kilograms of clay out of here with his injured ribs, when a bright light appeared under the scaffolding where he first saw the golem. It only lasted a second and a chest appeared on the ground.

Walking over to it, Ivor could see it was a standard wooden chest with metal banding. He lifted the lid and found several items inside. Apparently, the dungeon would provide descriptions of loot from chests as well.

Loot received…

Health potion - (Minor)

Stamina potion - (Minor) x2

Mana potion - (Minor)

5 gold coins

Hammer of Smashing

Although the System provided him a basic description, Ivor still didn't know what the quality of the potion meant or if the Hammer of Smashing had any special attributes. If this were a video game or book, Ivor would assume a named weapon would have some special attributes. He would have to ask Zed when he got back.

Chapter Fourteen

Ivor had to make a couple of trips to get the loot into the safe area. His ribs were still a mess, and he couldn't carry everything at one time. Once back in the safe area, Ivor got another notification.

Clay Golem Workshop Dungeon - completed…

Time to dungeon reset: 60:00…

59:59…

59:58…

59:57…

Ivor wasn't sure what a dungeon reset would do, but he didn't want to chance it. It sounded like he was safe for about an hour. He could heal up as much as possible in that time. In the meantime, he needed to figure out a way to carry all this stuff out of the dungeon. He really didn't want to leave anything behind.

At least if he got everything outside the dungeon, he could make a few trips to bring it back to the Administration building. He wasn't allowed to run the dungeon again for two days. He had the time.

Going back through the storerooms and looking through all the work benches, Ivor didn't really find anything he could use to transport everything easily. He had a length of rope that he started to fashion into a crude net of sorts by tying all the golem clay together. He had the strength to carry everything.

He just didn't have the room in his backpack. He rearranged things in his pack to the best of his ability; tying the entrenching tool onto the outside of his backpack, along with several other unwieldy tools that were taking up space. He managed to get the golem clay into a serviceable net he could carry. It took about 30 minutes to get everything situated.

His ribs still didn't feel great, but at least he no longer had those sharp pains when he breethd. He had been keeping an eye on his health and stamina regeneration. Having to eyeball the regeneration rate wasn't ideal, but he had a good feel for it after his lengthy day of training on his second day in the Evaluation. He could tell the lower health also impacted his stamina regeneration. When he was doing his training day, his health didn't lower at all, but he would bottom out his stamina and watch it regenerate. His stamina was definitely regenerating slower.

Ivor didn't want to take the health potion yet. He could deal with the pain and discomfort for now. That health potion could be way more valuable in a real crisis.

Ivor drank some water and ate another standard meal packet. He didn't know if the extra calories would help, but he was in a safe place. He had learned to take advantage of these quiet periods in his previous life.

With five minutes to spare, Ivor took both the crude net of golem clay packages and the backpack in his left hand. He pulled out one of the second sets of bastons into his right hand and proceeded to exit the dungeon. He was prepared to drop his loot and fight if need be. Even though individuals or groups were not supposed to be able to ambush people coming out of a dungeon, there was nothing saying a monster couldn't be outside.

The brief flash of light was a little less disorienting for Ivor. Maybe he was getting used to it. He found himself back outside the small shack in the clearing. There were no immediate threats. Ivor took a moment to look and listen for any possible threats in the surrounding woods. After a few moments with nothing seeming out of the ordinary, Ivor brought up the new notifications that appeared right after leaving the dungeon.

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 420

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 40

Agility: 40

Endurance: 40

Constitution: 40

Intelligence: 40

Wisdom: 40

Willpower: 55

Perception: 40

Health: 400

Mana: 400

Stamina: 445

Ivor was happy to see the two increases in stats. It was the next notification that had him a bit curious.

Quest (optional) - Obtain the Vamhael Inheritance

The Vamhael are no more. They have left an Inheritance for those that are worthy. Find the location of the Inheritance. Take the challenges. Obtain your reward(s).

Do you accept this Quest: Yes/No?

Ivor remembered the boar he killed was a Vamhae boar. He would have to ask Zed if this was the Vamhael home world or did the System just relocate their animals and Inheritance. This also answered the question of whether or not the System handed out quests. Based on the wording of the quest, it looked like he could get multiple rewards, possibly depending on the number of challenges he completed. No idea what the challenges were, however. He accepted the quest.

He was here to complete this Evaluation and gain the power to stay free. If this Inheritance was anything like his Lit R.P.G books, it would help.

It was time to head back. It was already the afternoon, as Ivor had taken his time getting to the dungeon. Add the couple of hours he spent in the dungeon, and Ivor wanted to get back before he started losing daylight.

His health and stamina were still regenerating, but Ivor moved at a quick pace. It didn't take long to get back to the Administration building. Before coming out of the woods, Ivor stopped to observe the area. He had encountered two groups of goblins in as many days.

He didn't want to stumble into another group while he was carrying all this stuff and while a bit injured. He waited just inside the woods for a few minutes. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Ivor reached the Administration building without incident.

“Welcome back Mr. Kemble.” Zed seemed relieved.

“Thanks Zed. It was an adventure.”

Zed continued, “I would be interested to hear about it.”

Ivor proceeded to tell Zed about the dungeon layout, the rooms with each type of golem. He left nothing out including his injuries and loot.

When Ivor was finished, Zed smiled, “I am glad you made it out in one piece. That Level 15 golem would have been impossible for you without weapons and your increased stats. I think you may have an idea now why so many fail this Evaluation. Your particular circumstances are allowing you to survive, and dare I say, possibly flourish, in this Evaluation.”

Ivor held up his hand and chuckled, “Don't go jinxing me, Zed. That kind of talk is just begging to have the System throw something harder my way. I definitely don't need that.”

“Ah, yes, your species does have a bit of a penchant for superstition. The System does not really operate like that. In fact, it is almost comically uninterested in you as an individual. I do not think you have to worry too much,” Zed commented. “The quest you received is interesting. Yes, this is the Vamhael home world.

Vamhael being the people that originated here. In fact, the System does not relocate Inheritances. If worlds in the same stellar system are combined that is one thing, but it does not transfer Inheritances to other worlds. It only allows Inheritances to be constructed by doomed species.

This planet, Vamhae, was home to a somewhat small population. They took to the system fairly well. However, they were a naturally slow reproducing species, but they were long lived.

The System is not always kind, however. Their small population was even smaller after their Evaluation. Over many millennia, their numbers eventually reduced to just a handful. That is when the System offered to allow them to create an Inheritance. There were just too few of them to survive for long. Once they were gone, the System repurposed this world into an Evaluation world.”

Ivor nodded at Zed's commentary. “Has anyone ever gotten the quest before?”

“Not since I have been here. I was aware of the Inheritance, but I knew no one had claimed it. I do not know if anyone tried before I got here,” Zed replied.

“Ok. So, someone can try for the Inheritance, but not obtain it. I assume that has something to do with the challenges mentioned in the quest?”

Zed nodded, “You are correct. However, an Inheritance can only be claimed once. After that, it is gone. That is how I know no one has claimed it. It is still here.”

Ivor scratched the stubble growing on his face. He needed to shave. “Can I assume that Inheritances are special, since they can only be claimed once?”

“Yes indeed. Although, Inheritances vary in their usefulness. You might inherit the collected works of fiction of a species or their studies in esoteric magic. In all cases I know of, either the Inheritance is worth tons of credits, provides amazing loot or skills, bolsters stats, or any combination of those things.

Regardless of what it is, it is usually valuable to the person that claims it. Usually there are requirements that need to be met before a quest is triggered, but not always. You probably would not trigger an Inheritance quest of a group of Necromancers if you were a Fighter. You would not meet the criteria. I have no knowledge about this Inheritance or what triggered it. You will need to find it. Once you do, you will likely learn more.

You also do not have to accept the Inheritance. You usually get the option of backing out once you learn more.”

Ivor went into his crappy map and started zooming out. He saw a lot of black, unexplored, area before another dot showed up quite a ways a way to the south of where he was. Comparing the distance from the dot that represented the Inheritance to the dungeon he just did, it was clear the journey would be measured in many days if not weeks or more. It was hard to tell the true distance, but that didn't concern Ivor too much. In fact, he was a little excited about the new adventure. Before he planned for a new adventure, Ivor had business to attend to.

“Zed, are you able to tell me what monster cores are used for?” Ivor asked before he went into the System Market.

“Monster cores are most commonly used in various enchanting endeavors, but some can be used in Alchemy as well. Many times, monster cores are used to barter instead of coins or credits. For you, at this point at least, their value is probably best used for credit or barter. Until you have a Class or Profession that can use them, there is no point in keeping them. Specifically, the ones you currently have are quite common on this planet and relatively easy to attain,” Zed replied.

“Fantastic. Can you tell me what these potions do, as well as any attributes on this hammer?” Ivor pulled the potions and hammer out for Zed's inspection.

“Ah, yes, very good. System potions are all standardized. Minor potions provide 50 units Health, Stamina or Mana as appropriate. Good alchemists can increase these values depending on their skill level and ingredients used.

You'll find, in general, the System Market has very basic items. Over time, you will rely less and less on the System Market when you have crafters on your planet that can produce better items. Before you ask, yes there are other grades of potions, but you will have to discover at least one more before I can give out more information.

The hammer gives a +25% damage effect against all constructs, which includes things like the Clay Golems you fought.”

Ivor sighed, “I'm guessing there are other types of constructs, and I will have to discover them to learn more.”

“Indeed,” Zed deadpanned.

Ivor would keep the hammer, it was a one-handed hammer which fit in with his preferred two weapon fighting style. He wasn't sure if he was going to bother running the Clay Golem dungeon again. He would have to see what he found out from Esqin in the market. Ivor thanked Zed for the info and headed into the System Market.

Ivor immediately went to his Request messages. It took him a little bit of digging to find where to return items to the Vendor. Ivor placed the two bent baston and sheath on the table and crafted his message:

Ivor: Esqin, the baston performed admirably. However, after use on several Clay Golems in a dungeon, this version started bending, as you can see. I will be trying out the other version next.

I also have two more requests. I have several ingots of Dark Steel, some Earth monster cores, and Golem Clay for trade. I was impressed with the Dark Steel knife you provided, and I was hoping we could expand our business relationship.

I would like to have two short swords created from the Dark Steel, if there is enough material. I can send you specific designs.

I would also like to use the monster cores and golem clay in trade, if you have a use for them. In addition, it's clear I need some armor. My fighting style is mostly agility based.

So, light to medium armor is what I would be looking for. If you know an armorer you trust, I would be happy for you to be an intermediary in the transaction. I would also be amenable to paying you a commission on the armor. Let me know your thoughts.

Ivor sent the message and the sheathed baston disappeared. While he was waiting for a response, Ivor started working on the design of the short swords he wanted. He pulled in some pictures of Bagobo and Sundang sword styles he wanted. He liked the front heaviness of the teardrop shape of the blade. It fit his slashing fighting style and his new strength even better than on Earth. He modified the grip from the traditional curve to a bit more of a straight grip with low profile pommel.

He also tried to describe the type of sheaths he wanted. The teardrop design of the blade made creating sheaths challenging. He added that he was open to ideas on the sheaths as he wasn't an expert. He also indicated that the sheaths should be flexible enough for him to wear them on his back, like the baston, or on his hips.

Ivor also found out the conversion rate for his gold coins. As he had no one to barter them with, he decided it was best to convert them to credits and not carry them around. The five gold coins converted to 25,000 credits. Ivor wasn't sure if that was a lot or not. He knew Esqin was giving him a great deal on the baston as he was testing a new alloy. Hopefully it would be enough, along with trade items, to cover his new blades and a decent set of armor. After about an hour, Ivor got a response:

Esqin: Ok, thank you. I will need a more detailed explanation of the combat. However, I have to ask: what is your strength?

Those baston should not have bent when used by someone in an Evaluation. I'm willing to sign a System approved contract not to divulge your information if that makes things easier for you. While you are considering that, yes I can likely make the swords. I can also utilize the monster cores in various projects.

Send me the design and I'll let you know how much material I need. Then we can figure out how much your trade items are worth. I may be able to give you better rates than the System Market.

I have no use for the golem clay. You can sell that or keep it for trade with others.

I do know a reputable armorer. The System will prompt you to be scanned, and I can get the information to the armorer.

Ivor sent the sword designs to Esqin and let the System scan him for his armor. He left the Market to get some advice from Zed.

After explaining the situation, Zed responded, “You do not really have much to lose by agreeing to the System contract. Esqin has no way to know where you are, no way to get to you, and no real reason for anyone to ask about you. Maybe in the future, you would be able to travel to where Esqin is, but even then, you can not make decisions based on some highly unlikely future where someone that knows Esqin would want this information. I think it builds trust beyond your business dealings, and given the quality of their work, you might have something many struggle to find early, a good weapon smith.

On top of that, the System can severely punish Esqin for failing to live up to the contract. I do not think you have anything to lose by going this route, and you have much to gain.”

Feeling better about the whole thing, Ivor returned to the System Market and detailed the battles in the dungeon as well as listing his strength at the time. Ivor also mentioned that his strength was rapidly increasing and Esqin should assume his strength may be as high as 80 to 100 by the time the Evaluation was over. Even though Ivor knew the gains would slow down, he was in the early days of the Evaluation. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that he could get his stats that high. Of course, if he found he needed to take a Class and Profession, his increases would likely slow down because of that. Ivor was going to milk these stat increases for as long as he could.

Esqin: Ivor, that is insane. I'm not going to pry, but what you are describing doesn't happen. I believe you are not lying to me. I've seen the baston. A 30 strength could definitely cause the deformation I'm seeing in the baston.

Also, a Level 15 Clay Golem is not something any Evaluation should have.There are stories about the old times when Evaluations were insanely hard, but everyone believes those are just stories. I don't know what you've gotten yourself into but try to be safe. I feel we are developing a rapport, and I very much appreciate you trusting me with your armor choice. Your testing of my alloy means the world to me. Don't take any unnecessary risk.

Ok, with that out of the way. I can make the swords you have described. Given your strength and possible increase in stats, I would like your permission to modify your design slightly.

It will mostly revolve around thickness and weight of the blade. If you are ok with that, I would need just over three large Dark Steel ingots to make both. I will deduct the cost of making them from any excess material and the cores.

I will put the same sharpening enchantment on them as well. I'm not an enchanter, but I am able to apply that one as one of my Profession evolutions. Enchanting can get fairly expensive. So, I would suggest finding someone in your Evaluation or on your world after, if you want more enchantments.

It will take me a few days to make the swords. In addition, the armor you requested will likely take a few days. Let me know if you have a color preference and where you would like extra reinforcement.

Given your preference for having your weapons accessible on your back, I have some ideas for attachment points to make your sheaths easier to put on and take off. Any other attachment points for things like potions, your knife, really anything you can think of, just let me know. The armorer I know really likes a challenge. Unfortunately, the armorer will only take credits at this time. If you come across any interesting material for armor: unique metals, hide, etc…, this might change.

Ivor: Thank you for your concern Esqin. I also think we are developing a good rapport, and I hope it goes beyond business at some point. Please take into consideration my strength is now 40 when you design the swords and any new baston. I'm also giving you permission to negotiate on my behalf for the armor with a budget not to exceed 25,000 credits. That is nearly all my credits at the moment. I'm placing my trust, and my life, in your hands, Esqin.

Ivor sent additional information about his armor, the cores and the Dark Steel ingots to Esqin. He sold the golem clay, which wasn't really worth much. He picked up some new rope and a larger pack. Given his current strength, he could haul around a lot more stuff. Finishing up in the System Market, Ivor was considering what was next on the agenda.

“Zed, I'm debating running the Clay Golem dungeon again. I don't think it's going to provide me as good of an amount of experience, but it wouldn't hurt to have some more funds if my armor eats up all my current credits. Any thoughts?” Ivor was genuinely curious about what Zed had to say.

Zed thought for a moment, then responded, “Well, it certainly would not hurt to run the dungeon again. You are correct that you may not get as much experience, and the extra funds would be nice. With that being said, under normal Evaluation circumstances, the difficulty of monsters increases as groups consolidate villages. Normally, there will be attrition in some villages, and to survive, they will relocate to another village.

That means taking the village crystal and merging that with the new village. This accomplishes two things. First, combining village crystals allows a village to progress in size which creates more opportunity and better buildings.

Once enough crystals are brought to a village, it can be upgraded to a town, and eventually a city. Cities do not usually happen in an Evaluation as there usually is not enough time to gather that many crystals. As each village turns into a town, the danger ramps up. They can see higher level monsters and higher level dungeons open up. The second thing this does, is provide a reason for a village to take in new people. Not everyone is altruistic. New people can be a drain on a village. Without some benefit, many people will die out in the wild if not offered protection by a village or town.

For you to get new challenges, you are going to have to simulate what naturally happens during an Evaluation. Since I have additional control, I can waive some of the requirements like population size and other metrics. I can not change the need to combine village crystals, however. It will also help me make good on that potential deal I alluded to when you first arrived.

In order for that to happen, I need you to collect enough village crystals to advance to a large town. This is a bit of new territory. So I think 15 to 20 crystals should do it. It will mean a lot of travel, and as the crystals get combined, things will get more dangerous.”

Ivor digested the information Zed provided. He was curious about this deal Zed referred to again, but it was clear Zed wasn't ready to discuss it yet. Ivor had a few more questions.

“Zed, am I on a time limit here? When does the System decide to end the Evaluation? Are there specific criteria, length of time, etc…? Anything I should be worried about?”

“Given your unique circumstances, I can provide that information as it will not really change anything for you. In a normal Evaluation, the System generally caps everyone at Level 10. It gives everyone enough time to get used to things, but not so overpowered that they steamroll everyone else when you get back to your planet. The criteria vary depending on what happens during the Evaluation. For example: Let us say a group decides to level up by murdering all the inhabitants of their village and maybe even surrounding villages.

If they do it quickly enough, they could get to Level 10 in a short amount of time. At that point, the System would essentially stop their experience advancement. Given what I know about your species, this is a likely occurrence. Actually, it will happen a lot.

Similarly as likely, groups will manage to band together to form villages and towns. That banding together and coming up with working governing structures will take time, much longer than the previous example. It would also take longer for everyone to get to Level 10. Not everyone will get to Level 10, but the System has its own criteria for when enough people have reached it or a town is big enough, etc….

I'm not privy to the exact calculations. Either way, everyone will return to your planet at the same time. Those that created stability will start with a new town, similar to the Evaluation town they built. Those that took the destructive path will be on their own.

I am not sure what will happen with you. I have some ideas, but it would be too premature for me to speculate. You have a long way to go.”

“So, are you saying, the longer I delay reaching Level 10, the longer I will stay in this Evaluation? Also, since I'm not in the same Evaluation, will I return at a different time?” That last question worried Ivor a bit.

Zed frowned, “I am not sure how your return will be coordinated with your species. The System does not allow me access to that. I can say that until you choose your Class and Profession, you are delaying the return. The longer you delay, the higher you get those base stats, the stronger you will be overall. The only limiting factor, in my mind, is how long you can go without specialized skills. Being solo, that might be why you would stray from your current path.”

Ivor had thought much the same thing. Being solo limited his options when it came to combat in the wild and in dungeons. Specifically, he had limited options to control crowds. He was confident in his one-on-one chances.

Crowds, on the other hand, could overwhelm him even with his high stats. He was going to try to put it off as long as possible.

“Ok, Zed, I'm happy to start collecting village crystals. I want to move toward the Inheritance anyway. It sounds like that may be better to get sooner rather than later. However, I don't think I'm quite prepared to move out.

I need those new weapons and armor if I'm going to be out in the wild. I'm also going to need some credits to purchase alarm traps or something. I don't have anyone to stand watch for me, and I'll need sleep. Hopefully I'll be able to find some kind of camouflage tent or something. Along with some alarm traps, that should allow me to get some sleep between villages.

I think I'm going to need to run the dungeon at least one more time. Maybe two. That means I would head out anywhere from about three to six days from now, depending on any injuries and rest I need.”

Zed smiled and winked, “That sounds like an excellent plan Mr. Kemble.”

Chapter Fifteen

Human Evaluation: Day 4 - Evaluation Planet

Bill Deckard was standing watch for their little village. It was late afternoon on the fourth day of this crazy Evaluation thing. Although Bill took the Fighter Class, he really wanted to be a guard. He was an armed security guard before all of this. He liked his job. He was good at his job.

Despite all the crazy monsters and magic, he figured he could just keep doing his job. So, when he told the town “council” that he was happy to guard the town, they readily agreed. It also meant he leveled up pretty fast.

Turns out, not a lot of people in this village chose the Fighter Class. There were a few Mages, a couple Supports and a lot of Professions. Bill didn't want to be a monster hunter or any sort of crazy thing, but he wasn't going to let monsters just eat people. Too much of that happened on the first day. That's why Bill was Level 3. Along with a couple of the Mages that helped him fight off those damn oversized rats and the Support using some kind of healing, Bill was one of the highest leveled people in the village.

The council had pooled their credits from the System Market and purchased a wooden fence to go around the village. It pretty much tapped them out, but it stopped the repeated monster attacks. It allowed Bill and a few others to take the monsters on at their own pace.

Without a large group of combat types, it was a smart move. There were two gates to the fence, matching the roads going into and out of the village. For the time being, only one gate was open.

A hunting party was out looking for meat and herbs. The council was told there was a dungeon not too far away, and some folks were clearing things out toward that direction. Bill was standing watch waiting for their return.

When he saw a group of individuals coming down the road, he initially thought it was the returning foraging/hunting group. However, as he took a closer look, Bill was absolutely certain this wasn't their folks.

“Hey Blade Runner, what's up?” The voice behind him startled Bill a bit.

“You know I don't care for that name, Jimmy,” Bill told the young Mage walking up behind him.

“Come on man, it's a great nickname,” Jimmy whined. He had a habit of doing that. He got a little whiney at times.

Jimmy gave him that nickname because of that old sci-fi movie. Bill had never seen the original. Wasn't likely to either. Although Jimmy, at 18, was quite a bit younger than Bill, he loved all those old sci-fi movies. Since Deckard was the name of the main character, Jimmy had immediately started calling him Blade Runner. Most people still called him Bill or Deckard. Hopefully the stupid nickname didn't stick.

Bill was kind of glad Jimmy showed up. Jimmy was one of their Level 3 Mages. He was into all that nerdy D&D shit. He seemed to know his stuff, but he was a bit squeamish. Ok, Bill thought he was a lot squeamish. You had to stay on top of him during a fight. That kid's fight/flight response was stuck on flight. Still he was Level 3, and with four strangers coming up, Bill would take all the help he could get.

The four people weren't close enough for Bill to trigger [Identify] on them. His skill was still Basic level anyway. He had spent a lot of years as a security guard observing people. He could tell a few things right off the bat.

First, that big bastard, and Bill was no small man, but that big bastard was dangerous. Bill knew a predator when he saw one. Watching that guy walk was like watching one of those nature documentaries of a Bengal tiger. Big and walking like he had nothing to fear, but still observing everything.

Second, they moved like a team. He'd seen some gang members move like that. People that had seen or been in some shit together moved a certain way. These folks moved like that.

Third, they were pretty torn up. Well, at least their clothes were in bad shape. He couldn't tell from this distance if they were injured. They weren't walking like they were.

It looked like the two men might have sacrificed some of their own clothes for the sake of the two women's modesty. Finally, they were dragging four travois behind them loaded with stuff.

The group stopped at around 10 meters out. Bill triggered his [Identify] skill and struggled to keep his composure. All four of them were Level 5. Bill was really hoping these folks didn't have bad intentions.

One of the women stepped forward, “We don't have bad intentions. We need shelter and have goods to trade.”

Bill let out a silent breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

“I don't see any reason we can't oblige, but it's not my decision.” Bill looked over at Jimmy and said, “Go get the council.”

Jimmy must have used [Identify] too. The stunned look on his face vanished as he replied, “Yeah, I'll go get the council.” Jimmy turned and started running back into the village.

Bill decided to lean on his security guard training. He started talking to keep the situation calm. “Sorry for the wait. You folks look like you've been through it. I'm sure you'll be welcome, but I gotta follow council rules.”

The big man seemed to give Bill a nod of respect, when he spoke. “Totally understandable. I'm going to reach down here and pick up my spear. I don't know if there are monsters nearby. You understand.”

Bill tensed a bit, but he did understand. “I gotcha. Person has a right to defend themselves. I can appreciate that. Name's Bill by the way. Or you can call me Deckard. Don't let the kid talk you into calling me Blade Runner though, if you don't mind.”

The older gent standing just behind the other three barked out a laugh. The big man smiled along with the woman that spoke. The other woman, the small one, just frowned. She looked pretty young. Probably didn't get the reference.

The woman spoke again, “I'm Marie. The little shifty one is Emily. Lance is behind us, and tall, dark and brooding here is Chris.”

Bill was certain these people had seen and been involved in some serious stuff in the last four days. The joking name calling and personal descriptions didn't happen unless you bonded or over a great deal of time. It had been four days, and these folks were already a team. Two levels didn't seem like much, but Bill knew these people could take over this village if they wanted.

Bill nodded to each of them, “Pleased to meet you.”

Bill was saved from further small talk as Jimmy returned with five more people. The council head was an older woman, Andrea. She was their Level 3 Support Class.

“Welcome. Looks like you folks have had quite the adventure. I see you have goods as well. Are you coming from another village to trade?” Andrea asked.

The woman, Marie, spoke again, “Well, we would like to trade, but we are not here on behalf of another village.”

Andrea frowned, “As far as I know, everyone in the Evaluation was in a village to start. Makes me curious about what happened in yours.”

“I can understand your skepticism. The truth of the matter is that there is a man in the other village that was responsible for causing me some harm prior to this System nonsense. I didn't want to remain in the village. The other three came with me. Emily here, I've known for a couple years. Lance was the doctor taking care of me in the hospital, and Chris is a new acquaintance.” Marie spoke with confidence, clearly not trying to hide anything.

“…and is this man going to come find you? You can understand me not wanting to bring more danger to our little village,” Andrea said.

“I understand your position. I don't believe he even knew I was there. Chris identified him, and we immediately left.

Lance saw me and followed us out. I can tell you the whole story. After that, if you don't want us here, all I ask is that we be allowed to stay the night to rest, sell or trade our goods, and we will be on our way,” Marie calmly told Andrea.

Before Andrea had a chance to reply, a person burst out of the woods near the road. It was a member of the foraging group. “Help, there are some weird dog-like monsters attacking the group. We couldn't fight them all off.”

Immediately Marie grabbed the man, “Show us where they are at. We've fought those before.” All of them except the big man, Chris turned and started moving off towards the woods. Bill watched as Chris stepped up to him. Leaning in close while looking Bill in the eyes, Chris said, “You know what happens if our stuff disappears, right?”

Bill shook his head, “Yes sir. I do.”

Chris smiled and patted Bill's shoulder. “Good man. Time to save your folks.”

Bill gulped as Chris took off to catch up to the rest. A man that size shouldn't be able to move that damn fast.

Turning to the small assembly of people, Bill said in a strong voice, “I'm invoking a System contract: The goods left here by Marie, Emily, Lance and Chris are under my protection and safekeeping. Any attempt at thievery will be met with swift punishment.”

Everyone in the village got a notification. There would be no case of not knowing the law. Bill was essentially telling everyone that he would protect these strangers' goods and if he failed, he would lose at least a level of experience, if not more.

Andrea and the rest of the council smiled. They were good people. Bill was good people. Hopefully these strangers could save their villagers.

Chris stopped when he caught up to the group. The village man indicated that they were just up ahead. Chris could already hear strange croaking snarls and yells of humans. Chris told the man to head back to the village and bring a healer. The man took off, exhausted but clearly willing to push himself for his fellow villagers.

The villagers had managed to pull back to a defensive position behind portions of a tree that had fallen. The monsters could only get at them one at a time. It's the only thing that saved them. The Croaking Mongrels were monsters Chris and company had fought before. It took a couple of attacks before they learned the trick to finishing them quickly.

Turning to Emily, Chris said, “Find the Alpha. End it if you can. I'll clear a path for Marie and Lance to get into the defensive position to help the villagers. Throw up a signal if you need my help. Go.”

Like the well oiled machine they had become in the last four days, Emily seemed to vanish as Chris, Marie and Lance rushed towards the fighting villagers. Given their levels, the trio moved as fast as Olympic sprinters. Chris took the lead as he neared the battle, he triggered his skill [Power Thrust]. Chris leveled his spear and seemed to streak across the ground, skewering three mongrels. This opened up the path for Marie and Lance to slip into the gap.

Lance immediately moved to the nearest injured village and began healing. Marie turned around and shot out three rapid [Mana Bolt]s taking out one mongrel and severely injuring two more. Chris had just pulled his spear from the three mongrel corpses and turned, ready to fire off another skill when they all heard a loud croaking howling scream.

Chris smiled. Emily had taken out the Alpha. That girl was getting crazy deadly.

The remaining mongrels became disoriented and turned on anything closest to them. In this case, that was each other. Chris and Marie stood back but on guard until only a couple of mongrels were left. They quickly ended the rest of the pack. Looking to his right, Chris saw Emily come out of the woods beyond the clearing dragging a larger Croaking Mongrel by its back legs.

Marie moved over to the villagers to provide any assistance Lance needed. The villagers were in fairly good shape. Whoever was leading them did a good job finding this position and holding it.

Chris and Emily began looting the mongrels. Both had the [Loot] skill, so they didn't have to worry about corpses laying around. They did leave all their belongings at the village though. Hopefully, some of the villagers were up to carrying some loot.

As Chris walked up to the group, Marie and Lance were talking to an older gentleman. He still had some injuries, but they were probably much worse before Lance got to him.

“I don't know who the hell you folks are, but you saved our bacon, that's for sure,” the man said.

“We had just arrived at your village when your man came running out of the woods yelling about the attack. We did what's right. Glad we could help,” Marie replied. “Let's get you folks back to the village. I think a few of you need more healing.”

The group had just gotten rounded up, including grabbing some of the loot, when Andrea came out of the woods with the man Chris had sent back.

“Oh thank god you all are safe.” Andrea was clearly relieved.

“Thanks to these folks we are,” The older man replied. “We could barely keep those damn things at bay. It seemed like they anticipated our every move.”

Chris nodded, “They operate like a kind of hive mind. The Alpha, the big one we took down, is the key to defeating them. Once the Alpha is down, the drones go crazy and attack anything near them, including each other.

Helps whittle down the pack size. You were lucky. This was a pretty small pack.”

The old man shook his head, “Well, there's a story there, young man. If you're up to telling it sometime, I'm up to listening.”

Chris chuckled, “I would love to, but I think that decision is up to your village council. We might come with some baggage, and we don't want to impose.”

The old man scowled at Andrea, “Well, if our town council wants meat, I suggest they seriously consider letting you folks stay.”

“No need for threats Roger. I don't imagine the council is going to turn away the fine people that saved our best hunting party. We just met these folks. We were being cautious,” She retorted.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Roger, waved her comment off. “I'm just grumpy cause I'm hurting and my folks are hurting. My apologies Andrea. The council are good folk.”

“Well, apology accepted. I'm sure these fine folks, as well as your team Roger, need some food and rest. The stories can wait until tomorrow.” Turning to Marie and the group, Andrea continued. “Our guard, Bill, took a System contract to protect your stuff. You won't find any of it missing. We don't have much room right now, but we have a small house, if you four don't mind sharing it for the night.”

Marie smiled, “That would be very much appreciated. Another night in close quarters with these three won't kill me. A shower or bath is mandatory for all of us before we sleep though. I'm tired of smelling myself, let alone this stinky giant over here.”

Several people laughed at Marie's good natured ribbing of Chris. He chuckled too.

Getting back to the village took much longer than getting to the site of the battle. The injured villagers were slowed a bit by their injuries and naturally being lower leveled than Marie and team. Chris noticed that only the old man, Roger, was Level 3. Everyone else was Level 2. More to the point, none of them were combat classes.

They only had professions. Admittedly, more than half were the Hunter profession, but there were some Herbalists and Farmers in there too.

As they got back to the road and approached the village. Chris could see that their stuff hadn't even moved. Chris saw Bill standing a respectful distance away from their stuff, but within range to keep it all in his vision. As they approached, Chris stuck his hand out, “Thank you, Bill.”

The two men shook, and a slight shimmer covered Bill, then was gone.

“Whew… those System contracts are no joke. Wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of one.” Bill said. “You'll find none of your stuff has been disturbed. I'll escort you to the Admin building and you can go to the Market.”

Andrea must have picked up on the confused look on the team's faces. “Oh right, you said you immediately left the other village. You don't know anything. Oh, crap. Ok, let's do this. Bill, take them to that small spare house.

Let them store their stuff for now. You stand outside and guard it just in case. We can shut the gate for the night anyway. You folks. Come with me. Let's get you some clothes at least from the Market. You can get showered and changed.

You can pay the village back for the clothes later. I'm sure you have plenty to trade or sell amongst that load of stuff. Hell, just with what I'm seeing everyone here carrying, you can easily pay the village back. Once you're showered and changed, let's have a quick round of introductions with the rest of the council and you can go off and get some sleep. We'll plan on more thorough discussions tomorrow.”

“Thank you Andrea. That would be very much appreciated.” Weariness and exhaustion from the last four days crept into Marie's voice. Chris was used to operating at this level, but it was still exhausting. He was used to operating with professionals. It was extra stressful with Marie and Emily.

After dropping all the stuff off, the team made their way to the Admin building. Andrea took them all through a door. The flash of light was a bit disorienting, but she had prepared them for that. She showed them all the System Market interface, just briefly going over functions. A more detailed explanation would happen tomorrow before they sold all their stuff. The interface scanned all four team members, and Andrea purchased very basic clothing for each of them. The four were in a bit of a daze taking everything in. They all showered, getting the days of grime, blood, sweat, and monster gunk off of themselves.

Andrea quickly introduced them to the other council members and walked them back to their small house. Chris shook Bill's hand once again, as all four of them filed into the small house. As Chris shut the door, Marie turned to face the three of them.

“Alright, nobody sleeps until all of you come clean. Lance, I know you know something, but my guess is these two are the ones that need to tell me what the hell was going on before all this System shit happened. I haven't said anything over the last four days because we've been trying to survive and I didn't want anyone distracted.

However, something has been bugging me since I appeared here with Chris and Emily. I need you guys to come clean with me. I'm a big girl. My daddy didn't raise a wilting violet.”

Chris and Emily looked at one another. Emily shrugged. Chris sighed and then he spoke.

“Alright, I'll tell my part and Emily can tell hers, but the first thing you need to know is that your father is not who you think he is. Well, that's not true. He's much, much more than you think he is,” Chris started.

“What does any of this have to do with my dad?” Marie crossed her arms over her chest.

Emily decided to step in, “Marie… first, I want you to know that I truly did become your friend after you hired me. Nothing I'm going to say changes that.” Emily took a deep breath, “I'm actually a C.I.A operative, specifically assigned to you. Because of your father. Your father has been a C.I.A independent contractor for 40 years. You know him as an I.T consultant, and he is. He is also much more than that. You know he often works in dangerous places.

He does all sorts of things for the Agency. Sometimes it is corporate espionage. Other times, it's tracking dangerous hacker gangs, drug gangs or military backed enemies of America operating in foreign lands. I was assigned to you only to keep an eye on you for protection.

It was clear during my assignment briefing that the Agency wanted to ensure your protection because of your father. Regardless of my assignment, I did become your friend. In fact, technically, I failed as an operative because of that. Not that it matters anymore.”

Marie stood there for a moment, just looking at Emily. “Huh, that actually makes a lot of sense.”

Emily looked shocked, “Wait, what? How does that make sense?”

“Remember when I locked my shop keys in my office, or that time I locked my car keys in my car. Both times, you picked those locks like they were nothing. I thought you just had a teenage delinquent past, but no, turns out you are C.I.A. Makes sense to me,” Marie replied.

“You are taking this much easier than I thought,” Emily responded.

“My daddy also raised a pragmatist,” Marie replied, then pointed at Chris. “And your story is?”

Chris took a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Don't go making up some story now. It's time to come clean,” Marie chastised.

“Oh no, I plan on coming clean. It's just that some of what I've been told isn't my story to tell. At least not until we verify your father's whereabouts,” Chris replied, his hands up in surrender. Chris relayed everything that had happened in Joshua Perez's conference room. Then he continued, “On the way to the hospital, Commander Garvey started telling me stories about your father.

I have no reason to doubt the veracity of anything that man said. He knew your father. I wouldn't say they were friends, but they were more than acquaintances.

Like I said, I'm not going to share details of those stories, but Garvey expressed upon me how dangerous your father truly is. He had no reason to lie to me, and I've never in my life seen that man nervous until he heard about the attack on you. After hearing some of the stories, I understand why. The Agency didn't assign Emily to you to keep your father under their thumb.They assigned her to head off any problems before your father decided to get involved and potentially cause all sorts of chaos and mayhem. Garvey's words to Perez were 'this is a man who has destabilized small countries'.

Notice the use of 'has' not 'could'. Based on everything I've heard, your father is more a force of nature than just some Agency contractor.”

Marie shook her head, “I have no reason to doubt you, and neither of you have any reason to lie to me. It's just such a departure from the quiet loving father I've always known.”

Chris could understand, “Marie, I'm sure he is that man as well. If that is the case, I don't think that man would want the other part of his life impacting you at all. If I were a father, I would understand and do the exact same thing. I was a seal for 15 years. I've operated in some scary places from time to time. I am a pretty bad dude who worked with some even badder dudes. Your father operated on a level beyond me for 40 years. You've seen me in action. I can't even begin to imagine what someone like your father could do with the System enhanced abilities.

It honestly scares me a little. If Garvey didn't impress upon me that your dad was a good guy, I wouldn't be anywhere near you. If keeping you alive means humanity can have someone like that on their side, then I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you and keep you safe until you can see your dad again.”

Marie just nodded at Chris, still struggling to imagine that side of her father. It was hard.

“If I may,” Dr. Jacobs interjected. “Marie, I don't have any direct knowledge of your father, but I've known people like Chris most of my life. As he knows, I'm a former Marine, and I've worked with Special Forces folks for a lot of my military career. When Chris first came to the hospital and explained the situation to me, I immediately understood his sincerity. I have no reason to doubt Chris is being honest about how others feel about your father's capabilities.

I also know that both Emily and Chris had one objective in mind: protecting you. Neither of these two were going to let anyone stand in their way. That kind of commitment to duty is why I followed you out of the other village.

If I'm going to live in this crazy new reality, those are the people I want around me.”

Marie huffed out a breath. “Ok, fine. My sweet, stoic father is some kind of angel of death. Fine. I'm tired. We're all tired. I can wrestle with this discontinuity tomorrow. Let's see what this village life is all about tomorrow.”

Marie struggled to go to sleep, but eventually exhaustion took her. Emily and Chris both felt like weights had been lifted off of them. They fell asleep nearly instantly. Dr. Jacobs, ever caring for his patient, waited until Marie fell asleep before he finally succumbed to sleep.

Chapter Sixteen

Human Evaluation: Day 4 - The Principality of Inyalquas - Menevris

“How is my grimy daughter doing today?” Esqin's father, Aza Krix, walked towards her as she sat at a workbench in her small smithy.

Esqin smirked. She probably was grimy. She had been working on the new alloy composition after reading Ivor's description and hadn't taken any time to clean up.

“You seem lost in thought? Anything I can help with?” Her father asked. A hint of concern in his voice.

“No father. Just working on the new alloy,” Esqin replied.

“Come now. I know when my child has something on their mind. It might help to discuss it. You'll need a clear head if you are going to perfect that alloy.” He was always willing to help. Being a merchant, Esqin's father was a demon when it came to negotiating, but he had always been caring with his child. He truly wanted the best for her. He didn't even balk when Esqin decided to go into smithing as her profession instead of becoming a Merchant.

Esqin sighed. “I'm just worried about the person testing my alloy. I can't go into too much detail. I agreed to a System Contract not to divulge their stats. However, I didn't agree with anything about what they encountered in a dungeon.”

Esqin's father was well aware of the System Contracts. In his line of work, they happened all the time. There were also many ways around them if they were not worded correctly. He made sure his children understood this as they grew older.

In addition, he was a firm believer in fair trade. He knew his daughter wasn't taking advantage of the situation. He didn't raise his child that way.

“If it will help, I'll listen. I can't guarantee there is anything I can do to help. However, I'm happy to let you vent,” He said with a smile.

“Ok, well, first Ivor, that's their name, sent back the first set of bastons, as he calls them. These are fighting sticks from their home planet. As I told you before, Ivor is only a few days into their Evaluation. Ivor encountered a Level 15 Clay Golem in the first dungeon they ran across.

I won't give you the exact number, but Ivor's strength is absurd. Now maybe their species is naturally strong, but Ivor leads me to believe that they have been, and will continue, to gain stats rapidly. Something very strange is going on with their Evaluation. Between the outrageous stat, the ridiculously high level golem for a first dungeon, I worry for their safety. Oh, one final thing, although Ivor hasn't actually said it, I think Ivor is alone.” Esqin finished and looked up at her father expectantly.

“You don't think this Ivor is lying to you?” He questioned.

“No father. Ivor seems a very genuine sort. Ivor even gave me permission to negotiate on their behalf for some armor. Going so far as to agree to let me access funds. I also get the feeling that Ivor is much older than me. Maybe as old as you,” Esqin finished.

“Not as old as me.” Her father feigned shock. “But seriously, what makes you think this?”

Esqin chuckled and responded, “Ivor said they had lots of experience with their particular martial arts. On top of that, wielding dual baston, or any weapon, takes a lot of training. In addition, you old folks just have a way of talking. Your confidence and experience comes through in your manner of speaking. When I get messages from Ivor, the tone I hear in my head is just like when I talk to you. Maybe I'm imagining things, but I believe Ivor is much older and very experienced in combat. With that said, he's also very polite and not overbearing.” She sighed, “I don't know father. I just get the feeling like this is a great opportunity, and I don't want it to slip through my fingers because I didn't do everything I could to help Ivor survive.”

Aza Krix was not superstitious. However, he got where he was today by listening to those same feelings his daughter was describing.

“Esqin, can you message Ivor and ask them what difficulty their Evaluation is?”

Esqin frowned, “What do you mean difficulty? Evaluations don't have a difficulty, do they? I've never heard of anything like that except in stories. The Evaluation is just the Evaluation.”

Aza smiled, “Please, daughter, humor me.”

Aza pulled out a crystal and channeled some mana into it. A System Market interface appeared in front of Esqin. Portable System Markets were only available to very advanced Merchants and even then, they were very expensive. Aza Krix was a very, very advanced Merchant and he was very, very, very rich. Esqin quickly typed out a message.

The two chatted for a while. Esqin went into more detail about the damaged set of baston as well as the composition of the current set. She showed her father the short sword designs Ivor had sent as well as her initial sketches with changes. Her father was a very busy man.

So, it made Esqin happy that he was interested in her work. Yes, there were potential business opportunities, but Aza always made Esqin feel like he was proud of her regardless of the business potential. After about 45 minutes, Esqin received a reply.

It was one word: Extreme

Aza didn't speak for more than two minutes. Esqin knew when her father was thinking. He got a certain look when he was pondering opportunities or strategies.

Finally, his eyes refocused on Esqin and he smiled, “My dearest daughter. I think we should help this Ivor of yours.”

“Father, what does Extreme mean for an Evaluation?” She implored.

“Before now, it was a complete rumor. Old, old tomes talk of Extreme level Evaluations from millions and millions of years ago. So long ago that the notion has simply become myth.

Many scholars even claim the translation was faulty. There couldn't possibly be anything like that. Ivor has no reason to lie to us. In fact, there is no reason for Ivor to even have any idea what that means.

A newly integrated species simply wouldn't know. I agree with your sentiment. We must help Ivor. Anyone that can survive something like that will likely become a truly powerful individual.

It's always good to have those types on your side rather than against you. Plus, I'm partial to treating people well that are nice to my daughter.” Aza smiled at his daughter.

“But father, won't the System prevent us from helping too much in an Evaluation. I've heard stories,” Esqin asked.

“Ah, but there is where I think we have an opportunity. If Ivor is in an Extreme Evaluation and they are actually alone. Then our meager help won't have any negative impact. Really, it's more leveling the playing field. What were your plans for Ivor's armor?” Her father asked.

“Well, I have an acquaintance that would be affordable and likes interesting challenges,” Esqin responded.

“I'm sure your friend could produce fine armor, but I have a better idea. Go clean up your face. We are going to visit an old friend.” Aza rubbed his hands together. The more he thought about this the better he felt. His daughter might just have inherited Aza's luck after all.

30 minutes later the pair were standing out front of a small shop: Quanzul's Armors was what it said on the sign. The paint was faded, and the shop was a bit run down.

“Father, what is this place?”

Asa looked at his daughter and smiled, “I taught you not to judge people or things just by their looks, correct?” Esqin nodded as Aza continued, “Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret that only those who need to know, know. This is the best Armorer in this city. Likely the best Armorer on this planet. He's also a very old friend.”

Taking the lead, Aza walked up the three steps to the door and entered the establishment. Esqin trailing behind him.

The first thing Esqin noticed was the dust. It was everywhere. She sneezed. The second thing she noticed was the old man standing behind the counter with a crossbow in his hands.

“Is that any way to greet an old friend Quanzul?” Aza stood without a care in the world looking right at the old man who had a crossbow trained on him.

“Old habits and whatnot” the old man said as he lowered the crossbow. “Been a long time Master Krix.

“Giving me grief right in front of my daughter. Some people are so rude.” Aza turned to Esqin and said, “Don't keep old friends. Just get new ones. So much nicer that way.”

The old man put the crossbow under the counter and walked around giving her father a hearty hug and slap on the back.

Turning to Esqin, the old man said, “Apologies young miss. Not for my rude welcome, but for having this insufferable Merchant as a father.”

“No apologies necessary. He's grown on me,” Esqin replied without missing a beat.

A startled look appeared on the old man's face and he threw his head back in a great booming laugh. “Oh, my, Aza, you've done right by this one. Well played, young miss. Now, Aza what can this old man do for the esteemed Master Merchant.”

“Well, it's more what you can do for Esqin here. She is working on a new alloy, and she found a fighter willing to test it out for her in real combat situations.”

Quanzul interjected, “Fool, crazy or strong?”

Esqin replied, “Strong.” The old man nodded

Aza continued, “This person has contracted Esqin to also negotiate on their behalf for some armor. Esqin has the measurements and other requirements. I'm hoping we can come to an agreement for your services on behalf of Esqin's friend.”

“Friend?” The old man questioned.

“I would like to think so. They are very strong and growing stronger. They are also in a very dangerous environment, alone. I would like to do what I can to ensure their safety.

They are trusting me with their life. I don't want to let them down. I won't.” The last was said with such conviction, Quanzul was slightly taken aback.

Quanzul looked over to Aza, who simply nodded his head.

“Well, young Miss Esqin. If you feel so strongly about it, let's take a look at what this mystery friend needs. I'm sure old Quanzul can slap together some appropriate armor.”

Quanzul walked back to the counter and pulled up a couple of stools. Aza again pulled out his portable System Market crystal, and they started talking about armor. Esqin knew she had limited information, but she gave Quanzul everything she knew about Ivor and many things she suspected.

After about 30 minutes, Quanzul said, “Very well, what's the budget?”

Esqin grimaced, “I'm authorized 25,000 credits and I have some Dark Steel ingots and a number of earth monster cores for trade.” Esqin knew high quality armor was expensive. She figured her father brought her here for a reason though. She trusted him.

Once again, Quanzul looked over at her father. Aza simply nodded once.

“Esqin, do you believe that this amount of money and goods for trade is all that your friend has currently?

“Yes, they told me they were trusting me with nearly all their current money and goods.”

“Do you also believe that without quality armor this person will suffer and potentially perish?”

“I do.”

“Do you further swear you are doing this to help this person and not just for personal gain?”

A sense of pressure descended on Esqin. The gravity of the last question was felt both physically and spiritually.

Without hesitation, she nodded. “I swear it.”

A slight tingling feeling ran from her head to her toes. Then the sense of pressure disappeared.

The old man smiled, “Well, then. How could I say no to that? I'll send you a contract later today for the armor, and you'll pay the 25,000 credits plus any spare Dark Steel and the monster cores.”

“Don't you want to know how much Dark Steel and how many and type of cores?” Esqin was a bit confused.

“No need, young miss. What you send will suffice. Now scamper back off to that smithy of yours. I need to have a talk with my dear old friend.” Quanzul smiled.

Esqin was happy. She didn't know Quanzul, but her father wouldn't take her to just anyone. Plus, she got the feeling that Quanzul might be a Master level like her father.

He was quite a bit older than her father, but he had that same feel. She thanked Quanzul, hugged her father and left the armorer. She was already planning some modifications to the short swords that had popped into her head.

Quanzul's smile slid from his face as he looked at his old friend. “Care to tell me what this is really about, old friend?”

Aza looked around the shop. Quanzul sighed and pulled out a small device. Activating the crystal in it, he said, “Nobody below Mythic will hear anything said.”

Aza relaxed some and spoke, “It's an Extreme Evaluation.”

“What the hell kind of species would warrant that?” Quanzul exclaimed.

“It's not the species. It's a lone individual.”

“How?… that's not possible…is it?” Quanzul frowned.

“This Ivor has no reason to lie. Couldn't even if they wanted to. Newly integrated Evaluation species don't get that information. Somehow, this person is alone on an Extreme Evaluation planet, and surviving. The first dungeon boss was a Level 15 Clay Golem Guardian.”

Quanzul stood dumbfounded, “What is the average starting monster?”

“From what Esqin has learned, Level 5. Not just that, but sapient. Goblins,” Aza replied.

“How could they survive that? Assuming everything you're telling me is true. What Class or Profession are they?” Quanzul was starting to understand why Aza had brought Esqin to him.

“That's the thing. Esqin hasn't said. She's been assuming Ivor is a Fighter. Apparently Ivor has extensive experience prior to the Evaluation in martial arts. Based on the things Esqin has described, I believe this individual spent many years in some form of combat. However, they never told Esqin of a Class or Profession,” Aza said.

Realization dawned on Quanzul's face. “You think the old tome is right. After all these years, some proof. You think the System is giving them extra stats instead of experience leveling up because they don't have a Class or Profession.”

“Exactly, my friend. If those two things are true, what else from that dusty old book is true?” Aza had a gleam in his eye Quanzul knew all too well. He felt it too. Adventure. New, unknown knowledge. Weapons. Armor. Wealth. They may not be adventurers anymore, but the fire was still there.

“Any idea what the stat increase looks like?” Quanzul was truly curious.

“Based on what I know of Esqin's alloy. To bend those sticks, baston, Ivor calls them, would probably take a strength of, at least, 25 in order to generate enough force. They don't have any additional enchantments or protection,” Aza replied.

“How long has Ivor been in the Evaluation?”

“Four days” Aza saw the shocked look on his friend's face.

“How long can Ivor survive without a Class or Profession? How high can Ivor go? Do you think the book is right? Is 100 the limit without a Class or Profession?” Quanzul was rapid firing questions now.

“You tell me Mr. Epic Level Armorer. Esqin is providing the weapons. If you can provide the armor needed to survive, we might find out. I'm also trying to figure out a way to get Ivor some information about the limit.

Ivor might just stop at some point. However, if we provide them a goal, Ivor might help us validate another piece of that book.”

Quanzul was nodding, “Yeah. Do you think the System will let me get away with Master level armor? If Ivor can get to 100 in all stats, that level of armor will last the whole way.”

Aza thought for a few moments. “I think Master level armor is fine as long as you don't go crazy with enchantments. Keep it to protection only, no aura or elemental effects. No stat buffs.

Self clean, self repair, maybe a camouflage feature, something like color change. Nothing too elaborate.”

“What about a weapon only dimensional storage? I like all of Esqin's ideas about attachment points for the baston and swords, but given Ivor is evaluating multiple copies of baston, maybe it would make sense. Also, if Ivor has as much experience in martial arts as you think, they likely have experience with multiple weapon types.

It won't preclude Ivor from using sheaths. I'll limit the size to something reasonable.” Quanzul smiled at his old friend.

Aza smiled right back. Aza knew what Quanzul considered reasonable when it came to how many weapons someone should carry. It was a lot.

“You know. If Ivor has been around the block once or twice, they may get suspicious of this. Ivor is likely too low a level to analyze the armor. They might rely on the Guardian to do it. Probably will. I'm not worried about the Guardian trying to do anything about it. If the System allows it, that's that. Maybe this is the message we want to send. I'm sure your big brain can come up with a way to use this to communicate what we want,” Quanzul said.

“Yes. I've been thinking along those lines. You get that armor finished, and I'll have something prepared. Esqin will gladly help.” Aza had already thought of a number of ways to communicate with Ivor, but his friend was correct. Just by getting this armor to Ivor, that would be the start.

The two clasped hands. Quanzul locked up the shop and headed to the back room. He was already considering materials for the armor. Aza had a pep in his step as he headed back to talk to Esqin. The two friends may finally get answers to questions they have had for many, many years.

Chapter Seventeen

Ivor decided to run the Clay Golem dungeon two more times. He had received a message from Esqin that it would take a couple extra days for his armor. On his second dungeon run, he encountered another Vamhae boar on the way to the dungeon, but he let [Blend] help him avoid that confrontation.

The dungeon ended up being exactly the same, with less overall loot. The Hammer of Smashing worked wonders on the Clay Golem Guardian. In all, he ended up with five Minor cores, one Major core, three small Dark Steel Ingots and one large Dark Steel ingot. In addition, the loot chest at the end gave him two gold coins and one each of the health, stamina and mana potions.

On his third run, there was even less loot: two Minor cores, one Major core, two Dark Steel ingots and no large ingots. The loot chest contained 50 silver coins and one mana potion. Clearly there were diminishing returns.

In addition, Ivor didn't receive notification of an additional experience threshold. It wasn't too surprising to him. After his last stat increase, plus the hammer's bonus damage to constructs, the dungeon was really too easy for him. His last run took 10 minutes.

On his way back from the third run, he ran into some trouble. Apparently, Goblins weren't the only predators in this area. As he was making his way back, he reached a clearing where a pack of millipede looking bugs were devouring a Vamhae boar carcass.

The bugs had many legs, but instead of a segmented carapace, they had skin more like a snake or lizard. In addition, there didn't seem to be any eyes on the creatures, and no nose that Ivor could see. Whatever sense they used, they quickly found Ivor as soon as he moved to try to skirt around the group. Even though he was moving slowly, it was the first time [Blend] had failed him.

It was a good reminder that nothing is perfect, and he needed to be prepared at all times.

The bugs were only Level 7, but there were a lot of them. Even with Ivor's current stats and his baston working overtime, he took some hits. The bastards could bite hard. Without any real armor, Ivor took a good bit of damage to his lower legs and arms.

His health dropped 100 points. It was the single biggest drop in health since he got here. Ivor didn't want to use up his limited supply of health potions. So he took an extra day to let his wounds heal naturally.

He was just happy they didn't have any venom in their bites, or he could have been in real trouble.

It was after the battle with the bugs that Ivor finally reached another experience threshold. His stats increased once again.

During the days in between dungeon runs, Ivor was talking with Zed and exploring the System Market. The System Market was vast, and it took quite a while to find specific things. Ivor found a small tent that had camouflage ruins embedded into the fabric. It prevented light, noise, heat, and any other identifying energy to escape. Along with its natural camouflage ability, it was the best he could find for a reasonable price.

It still set him back 7,000 credits. A further 2,000 credits were eaten up by a specific type of alarm trap he purchased. These specific traps were tied to a bracelet Ivor could wear, it would silently alert him when something or someone triggered the trap. In addition, they were reusable. Ivor felt they were worth every credit.

Ivor picked up several more bags for goods, as well as a really cool cart type contraption. The cart came as a flat package a bit over a meter long and nearly a meter wide, but only a few centimeters thick. It had four off-road looking tires lying down on the flat side.

By infusing a bit of mana into the package, the whole thing unfolded into a four sided, open top cart that he could pull around. Although those large packages of golem clay weren't very valuable, he may run across something he wanted to keep. The cart allowed him to carry way more than he could with just bags on his body. The cart had attachment points that allowed it to be carried when attached to a large backpack.

He also splurged another 1,000 credits on a flask that held a liter and a half of water. It could be recharged if he fed it mana. It wasn't super fast to refill, but it was fast enough, and it was in his price range.He also picked some additional magic items that seemed pretty common, as the price wasn't terrible. No need to build a fire, when you could use magic. He found a small set of cookware that wouldn't be out of place in a backpackers kit.

The only difference was this cookware used mana. At this point, Ivor wasn't using his mana pool for anything. It was worth the convenience of not having to chop wood for a fire to cook things.

Between the cookware and various other sundries, Ivor spent another 1,000 credits. That left him with just under 2,000 credits. He decided to hold onto the monster cores and Dark Steel ingots.They didn't take up much space, and he might need them in the future for trade with Esqin.

In between his forays into the System Market to find things he needed, Ivor was talking with Zed. He learned a bunch of information about how the Evaluations and planet reformation were supposed to work.

First, only about 1% of humanity was chosen for the Evaluation. After his initial shock, Ivor realized that was still over 80 million people. Zed explained that the System repurposed energy into the transformation of the planet. Of the remaining people, only those 18 years old or older were sent to the Evaluation. Anyone younger was held in a sort of suspended animation.

Once Earth was reformed, the surviving humans would be told to prepare for the incoming young people. Only those that had family members still living would be returned to Earth. The rest would be repurposed for energy. At least the System wasn't going to create a huge orphan problem while humans were reeling from this change.

In addition, it seemed nobody over 65 would be coming back either. When Ivor asked Zed why that was, he just shrugged. The System somewhat arbitrarily chose these ages based on the specific species, cultural cues, and likely many other factors. When it all came down to it, Zed just didn't know.

Second, Ivor found out that many of the animal and plant species would be repurposed and turned into monsters. Apparently, the System found it more efficient to transform existing things than transplant monsters. That's not to say that the System didn't transplant monsters.

It most certainly did. Whether in dungeons or out in the wild, the System would have all sorts of surprises for the unwary humans when they returned to the reformed Earth.

Third, based on some factors Zed wasn't aware of, the Evaluation villages would vary in size from a few hundred individuals to a few thousand. Being an Evaluation, there were some criteria the villages might uncover, but overall, it was just about survival. Much like Ivor was doing, villages could band together to form larger towns. Although Zed was certain that would only happen in a small number of cases as there just wasn't enough time in the Evaluation.

Fourth, and something that applied to Ivor as well, was that anything you were able to carry on your person went with you back to the reformed Earth. Given Ivor's current and future strength, he could bring a bunch of stuff back with him if given enough time. Zed implied that it wouldn't be a surprise, but he wasn't willing or able to give exact details. Ivor would make sure the important stuff was close at hand, or easily brought together.

Fifth, particularly successful villages or towns would appear back on the reformed Earth with nearly the exact same village or town configuration. It was a way for the System to reward success. After all, if the System just wanted to wipe out species, it certainly could. It would reward those who made a good start in keeping the human race alive.

Finally, the System may or may not allow communication with other humans via the World Guardian. It was common for family members and friends to be scattered in the Evaluations or to have never made it at all. Zed felt the system would likely allow humans to look or search for family and friends to see if they still lived. The System may or may not allow texting type communication. At the very least, Zed was pretty confident, Ivor would know whether Marie made it. That also meant she would know if he made it. Ivor hoped he could get a message out. He would find a way.

“Zed, realistically, how many humans will survive the Evaluation?” Ivor asked.

“Historically, half,” Zed replied and continued. “However, the more I study humans, the more I am convinced you may have a higher survival rate. You are a tenacious species. Despite nearly constantly warring among yourselves. You have managed, so far, to avoid the pitfall so many aggressive races like yours fall into.”

“…and that would be?” Ivor asked, despite believing he knew the answer.

Zed proved Ivor's belief true. “Self annihilation. Of course it still could happen. It does happen often enough to species like yours.”

Ivor could think of any number of ways humans could magically self-destruct. Plague, pestilence, necromancy, demon summoning or just plain old pissing the wrong species off. Assuming of course they met other species.

Ivor was pretty sure it would happen at some point. Ivor decided to ask Zed.

“Oh, yes. Eventually, your planet will be opened up to the wider universe. The System is pretty strict on limiting who can access fledgling worlds though. It would not be nice if the System just let any random high level character come down to take over your planet.

It was much more free in millennia past, but those Empires are long gone. The System did not think that was efficient. It led to some truly horrible outcomes.

Not to say there are not bad people or Empires out there, but not to the scale of those first few million years.” Zed just shook his head with a sad look on his face.

“However, I do not want you to think it is all doom and gloom. No, there are true wonders to behold in the wider universe. There are fantastic species to meet. Given the human trait of exploration, I suspect many of your fellow humans will find their way out into the universe and settle out there.

You are a tremendously adaptable species. Furthermore, if you survive this Evaluation. I do not think your new planet will hold much interest after a while. You will be quite a bit ahead of your fellow humans, and I am guessing you will want to explore.”

Zed was right. Although Ivor hadn't said anything, being powerful enough to be free was intoxicating. Who wouldn't want to see strange new worlds, to copy a favorite show of his. It would start with this Inheritance. Ever since Ivor got the quest, he had been fascinated by the opportunity. Almost like the System planned it, he got a notification that his armor and weapons were done.

Making his way into the System Market, Ivor pulled up the message from Esqin as his armor, swords and new baston appeared on the table. Ivor had already sent back the second set of bastons as he found that formulation of the alloy was chipping and flaking off during his third run of the dungeon.

Esqin: Ivor, thank you for being understanding at the delay. It was mostly due to your armor, but you will understand once your Evaluation Guardian helps you analyze it. Please go do that now, I have more to tell you.

Taking the new baston, swords and armor with him, Ivor exited the Market with a somewhat confused look on his face.

Zed noticed immediately, “Something amiss, Mr. Kemble?”

“Ah, I'm not completely sure. Esqin specifically asked me to have you analyze the armor. They said they would tell me more after.” Ivor placed the baston and swords down near his other supplies and held out the armor to Zed.

Zed looked at the armor and froze. Ivor was sure Zed glitched for a moment.

“Oh my.” Zed paused, then continued. “This is,….. I am not sure what this means.”

“You can't analyze it?” Ivor asked.

“Oh no, you misunderstand. I can, and did, analyze this armor. I am just at a loss at what it means. Perhaps Esqin will let you know more.

What I can tell you is that this is a Master level set of armor. That may not mean much to you right now, but this is unprecedented. Of course, your situation is unprecedented, and maybe that is the point. Clearly the System allowed you to have this. It would not have approved the transaction otherwise. My, oh my.”

Ivor had never seen Zed flustered like this. It was clear this caught him off guard.

Zed continued. “It has self-cleaning and self-repair enchantments that work off ambient mana. You can speed things up by pumping more mana into it. There are areas of extra protection. I can only assume you asked for those.

I am not familiar with the specific fabric, but it has a Dark Steel weave and stitching. This will be very hard to cut. It is self-sizing, you can change the colors to a degree, there is a basic camouflage feature and…. Oh my, there is a weapon dimensional storage that is just outrageously big. Who would need that many weapons?”

Zed said that last part almost to himself. As he looked at Ivor, “Oh, right. You might want that much space. You seem to be pretty adept with various weapons.”

Ivor interjected, “Does this mean, I can summon weapons from this space into my hands with a thought? Or does it just drop them out on the ground?”

Zed nodded, “Oh right, you have fiction like this. Yes, you can store and summon the weapons wherever you want them to be within a close range of your body. You can summon them into your hands, on the ground, whatever you would like. Very handy.”

“But only weapons, correct?”

Zed nodded again, “Correct, only weapons. Although, those alarm traps may be considered weapons for the purpose of this storage. You should put on the armor and try to place a trap inside.”

Ivor kicked off his boots, which were still in pretty decent shape, and stripped down. The armor was a pants and pull over shirt combo. As he pulled the pants and shirt on, he felt like he was missing something.

Zed saw his confusion, “Ah, I believe you will need to infuse some mana into the armor.”

Ivor infused some mana into he armor, like he had done with his trap a few days ago, and a notification popped up in gold lettering.

Armor of the Extreme Sole Survivor

Level: Master

Requirements: Ivor Kemble

Type: Bonded

Features:

- Self-sizing

- Self-cleaning

- Self-repairing

- Color changing (Limited)

- Camouflage (Limited)

- Structure changing (Limited)

- Dimensional weapon storage

- Upgradable

The armor felt amazing. It was like Ivor was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Once he had poured a little mana into it, the armor resized itself and sealed the pants to the top, only his head, hand and feet were exposed. He squatted down, stretched, hopped and jogged a little. Damn, no rubbing and the freedom of movement was absurd.

He read the notification to Zed, curious about a few things.

“The armor title is most interesting. It leads me to believe they have some knowledge of what is happening here. Although I am not sure how.

Perhaps your discussion with Esqin will shed some light on that tidbit. The requirement showing your name along with the bonded type means only you can use this armor and its features. Depending on the maker, it is possible that if anyone other than you tried to use this armor, it may actually kill them.

Structure changing is interesting. You will have to experiment with that. In general, structure changing clothes allow the wearer to alter the shape or style of the item. For example, a structure changing dress might be able to change from a simple everyday sundress to a ball gown.

It is about intent. However, the fact that it is listed as Limited tells me you will likely only be able to change this as armor. You would not be able to change it into a tuxedo or bathrobe.”

Ivor nodded as Zed continued, “What is most shocking to me is that it is upgradable.”

“How so?” Ivor asked.

“Only someone above Master level can make a Master level item that is upgradable. I believe someone is sending you a message. For good or ill, you seem to have garnered the attention of some very wealthy and powerful people,” Zed responded.

“Well, I need to survive in order for them to do anything about it. I'm certainly not going to turn down gear that will help me get back to my daughter.”

“Indeed. There is absolutely no downside to you accepting this gift. It also says a little about the people sending it. They are willing to expend a lot of wealth and the potential ire of the System to invest in your survival.” Zed pondered.

“I've had plenty of powerful people try to put me under their thumb. It doesn't seem to work out for most of them.” Ivor's expression turned cold.

“Given the information I have been able to gather about you, and the skill you have shown so far, I have no doubt those wishing you ill will be in for a surprise.”

Ivor laughed, a slightly evil chuckling laugh, “Oh Zed, you ain't seen nothing yet.”

Chapter Eighteen

Ivor stepped into the Market and up to the display. He thought for a moment before sending the message.

Ivor: Esqin, thanks for the weapons and the armor. I believe you have been honest with me in our dealings. So, I will be honest with you.

If anyone believes this armor will give them some sway over me or require me to do a “favor” at a later date, I'll happily give it back. Many have tried such tactics with me. All have failed. However, I don't believe you would involve yourself with those types of people. So, if this armor was given freely as a gift or even as an investment in friendship. I accept. I also realized a message was being sent with this armor, both by its very nature and by its name.

There was a pause of several minutes.

Esqin: Ivor, the armor and weapons were paid for by you. The quality of the armor is not an effort to sway you or to extort a favor from you. It was my father that suggested the armorer that produced that. I have and always will deal fairly with you.

I hope you believe that. Also, although I have discussed you with my father, I have never betrayed your trust. I hope you believe that as well. My father would like to converse with you, if that is ok.

Ivor: I believe you Esqin. I will listen to what your father has to say.

Aza: Ivor, my name is Aza Krix. I would like to clarify how you would like me to address you. I'm not sure what your gender roles are, but I'm considered male. Our species generally falls along the male/female paradigm, but we respect other species.

Esqin is my daughter. Although I understand your skepticism of the armor, Esqin would never betray your trust. I didn't raise her to be that type of person as I am not either. I have some potential knowledge about your unique situation that I think will help you.

In return, your survival, and hopefully further communication will answer some questions for me as well.

Ivor: Well met, Aza. I am also male, you can refer to me however you would like. Generally, my species falls along traditional male/female gender norms but it can be fluid. You can refer to me as he/him or they/them. Whatever is comfortable for you. I can only assume along with your information, you figured out my situation by the things I didn't tell Esqin. I also assume there might be more than just information at the end of this road.

Aza: Very astute Ivor. Yes, Esqin is still young. She is not as world wary as people like us. Esqin once said she felt like a conversation with you was like a conversation with me. Us “old” folks have a certain way of speaking. I think specifically, people who have seen and done things others haven't have a way about them.

I doubt we are in the same line of business, but I get the feeling we are similar in some respects. First, without knowing anything about her, you treated Esqin fairly and with respect. You trusted her with your life with her weapons and later with your money.

It speaks volumes about your character. If nothing more ever comes of our interaction, I will always thank you for how you've treated her. Your response to me shows you are no simpleton. I like talking and working with smart people.

I am a Merchant, a Master Merchant to be specific. The armor we sent you was created by an Epic Level Armorer, an old friend. Many, many years ago, this old friend and I were part of a group that found an old dusty book in a ruin.

It took many years to even find someone that could translate the tome. In it were fantastical claims. Any scholar that could translate it claimed this must be some fiction. My friend and I felt something was different about this book, but there was no proof, until you told Esqin the level of Evaluation you are in.

That's why I asked my friend to make that armor for you. Just by existing, you can answer and validate more of what's in that book. There are things in that book, that if true, people will kill for. I think I have a good measure of your character.

So, I'm being honest with you. I will also give you a piece of information for free. According to the book, 100 in all stats is the farthest you can go without a Class or Profession. However, if you can get them all to 100 before picking your Class or Profession, the book hints at some sort of benefit.

We've never been able to translate what that is, but if you were able to get all your stats to 100 and the System stopped you there, it would validate at least one more thing in the book. This would make the other things more likely.

The armor was honestly made and purchased, but I would like you to consider an information exchange. Regardless of what you choose, Esqin is her own person, and she is free to continue to work with you. I will hold no grudge.

Well, shit. Ivor did not expect that. He already had half a thought to try to reach 100 in all stats anyway. He had another increase after the fight with the bugs. He brought up his stats.

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)…

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 1,920

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 45

Agility: 45

Endurance: 45

Constitution: 45

Intelligence: 45

Wisdom: 45

Willpower: 60

Perception: 45

Health: 450

Mana: 450

Stamina: 495

Ivor had a lot to gain and almost nothing to lose. Knowing there could be a benefit to hitting 100 before taking a Class or Profession was just a bonus.

Ivor: Aza, I thank you for your candor. I'll be candid with you as well. I spent 40 years as a contractor for various government entities on my planet. As I am sure you are aware, all forms of government that aren't tyrannical balk at doing the difficult, dirty things. Some like to give the illusion they are above it, others don't want their people to know the danger that lurks just around the corner. So those governments hide it and hire contractors like myself to do the dirty jobs.

I spent the entirety of my adult life traveling my world and taking out the trash, if you can understand the metaphor. Most of that involved extreme violence. Sometimes the trash was businessmen, merchants, like yourself that didn't like what I was doing.

Maybe what I did hurt some of their business or their business partners. I'm still here and they are not. The path behind me is literally paved in rivers of blood. Do I think of myself as a bad man?

No. Would many consider the things I've done bad? Yes. At least in my world before the System, many would consider me a necessary evil. Evil none the less.

I don't say these things to brag or threaten, I'm simply stating the truth of what I am. Is that all that I am? Of course not. People like you and I are not defined by one thing. We are far more complex. I state these things to make sure you and Esqin want to be involved with me.

Esqin, Aza, and Quanzul read the message from Ivor and had three very different looks on their faces. Esqin was somewhat shocked. Ivor seemed like such a nice person.

Aza was deep in thought, a slight frown on his face. Quanzul was smiling.

“What makes you smile, old friend?” Aza asked.

“What more can an armorer want than a person to truly test their work? Do you have any doubt that man will put my armor to the test? It's fantastic.” The old armorer continued to grin.

“Father, he seems like such a nice person. Do you think he's telling the truth about these things?” Esqin was struggling in reconciling the two different versions of Ivor.

“My dear. You are still young. I'm sure Ivor is a nice person, to the people that are nice to him. However, those that are not nice to him most likely don't live to regret it,” Aza replied.

Quanzul nodded along, “Young miss. You have nothing to worry about. Your father and I have worked with men like this before. Ivor is right, you know.

All governments utilize such men. You never hear about them, and some of them become true monsters. Men like Ivor are very rare.

He excels at what he does, but he doesn't lose himself to it. I'm sure your father feels the same way I do. The same way we feel about each other. Ivor is a professional. It's just that his profession is death. We couldn't ask for a better person to complete an Extreme Evaluation, and hopefully provide us the answers we have been seeking.”

“He's also the perfect candidate to test your alloy, my daughter. That man will be in the thick of things. You will get more testing and validation of your alloy out of that one man than from a dozen or more average adventurers.” Aza continued, “However, if you feel uncomfortable. You can stop doing business with him.”

“No father. I'm just a little shocked. I was so focused on my alloy, I didn't really think about what kind of man could solo a dungeon with a Level 15 monster on his fourth day in an Evaluation. I'm sure there are other things I missed that you didn't.” Esqin looked down at the floor.

“Nothing to be ashamed of Esqin. You are still young. You are still learning. If I didn't have the book, I may have missed much of it or dismissed it as nonsense,” Aza replied.

Aza: Ivor, I've known men that held a similar position as you. I won't speak for my daughter, but I have no qualms about working with you. Until or unless your actions say otherwise, I think I have a good understanding of your character. I look forward to hearing when you reach 100 in all your stats.

Esqin: I won't lie to you. I'm a little shocked at your past. Not that I think any different of you. It's just as my father said, I'm young. I may have built up something in my head not realizing that people can be much more complex. I hope to continue to work with you on my alloy.

Ivor: Thank you both for understanding. I am confident that with this armor and my weapons, I will survive this Evaluation. I am about to leave my current village, as I have a quest to undertake. I will likely be unavailable for several days. Aza, I will let you know what happens when I reach 100 in all my stats. Esqin, I'll update you on the latest alloy as soon as I can. Oh, and if you talk to that armorer tell them I hope they are better at making armor than naming it. Cheeky bastard.

Ha A booming laugh erupted from Quanzul. “I really hope to meet this Ivor some day. I like him already.” Even Aza was smiling. Esqin didn't understand men and their need to insult each other. She was just glad her father and Quanzul were happy.

Chapter Nineteen

Ivor left the System Market and spent some time working with his armor. He found that he could store traps in his weapon only dimensional storage. It wasn't a huge issue right now, but Ivor was looking forward to picking up more magical traps to carry around.

They were pretty pricey though. These simple alarm traps were already pricey enough, and they were the cheapest he could find. They had a simple proximity trigger.

There was no ability to differentiate level or set any kind of iff (Identify Friend/Foe) capability. A mouse could set these off. It's what he could afford and anything was better than nothing.

Zed wasn't able to give him any information about what to expect between this village and the next, but at a standard walking pace, it would take about four days. Ivor planned on walking for a bit, but once he got an idea of the terrain, he planned on moving a bit faster. His Agility was high enough, and he had the Endurance. At his current stat level, the extra gravity wasn't affecting him. He was starting to feel more like a super-human. Assuming the reformed Earth stayed at 1G, it would be interesting to see what his new stats could do. He would probably need an adjustment period.

Taking the village crystal turned out to be stupid simple. Zed made a pillar appear from the floor. The top of the pillar opened up, and Ivor just pocketed the crystal. Easy peasy.

Ivor had already packed everything into one large backpack. It looked like one of those giant things you saw in movies of soldiers carrying. It was comically large, but with Ivor's Strength, it felt like carrying a laptop bag.

He set off down the overgrown road that connected this village to the next. Although he didn't extensively investigate the area around his starting village, it looked to be mostly forest, or at least large groups of trees with scattered clearings throughout. For the most part, the trees were cut back from the road about 30 meters. At least it made it so Ivor wouldn't be too easily ambushed.

He assumed someone or something with a ranged attack could ambush him from the woods. He would just have to rely on his training and stats to handle that case.

Ivor walked for about an hour without the scenery changing. So, he decided to switch into a light jog. A light jog for Ivor at his current stats in this environment was about as fast as an Olympic 100 meter runner.

It was fast, but not insanely fast. At this pace, Ivor would probably reach the village late on the second day.

About two hours into his jog, Ivor came across a party of goblins crossing the dilapidated roadway. They were moving from his right to his left across the road. He had enough time to notice there were a couple of new types of goblins in this group.

There were three of the Brawler types that he had fought before, but there were also two slimmer, slightly taller goblins. Both had bows. The last goblin was somewhere in between the size of a regular goblin and these taller archers, but this one had a sword at its waist.

Ivor didn't want to be caught out in the open with archers around. So, right before they saw him, he veered off to his right, opposite of the direction they were moving. He could probably out run them, but he wanted more information.

He wanted to learn more about these new goblin types, and he wanted to test out his new swords and armor. Once he saw them turn and their attention focused on him, he angled straight for the forest and put on a burst of speed. He didn't go too fast as he wanted them to think they could catch him. He just wanted to get into the forest and see how [Blend] worked with his new armor camouflage ability. Also, kill goblins, because goblins gotta die.

Ivor sprinted into the woods about 30 meters, well ahead of the goblins. He immediately cut to his right and sprinted another 30 meters. Slowing down, he activated the camouflage feature of his armor. This feature did its best to mimic the surrounding colors.

A sort of active camouflage. It wasn't perfect, but Ivor assumed with his [Blend] skill, it could hide him well enough if he moved slowly.

Making two more right turns, Ivor was heading back to the point where he entered the woods. Just as he suspected, the goblin with the sword and the 3 Brawlers barreled straight into the forest. The archers, knowing they probably wouldn't have a good line of sight in the woods, stayed at the edge of the woods looking around to make sure he didn't come back out.

However, that's exactly what Ivor hoped for. Moving steadily forward, Ivor was getting closer and closer to the archer nearest him. This next part was going to be tricky. If [Blend] and the armor's camouflage failed too early, this would be harder.

Letting the four melee armed goblins get further in. Ivor slowed down a bit more as he closed in on his target. The archer goblin was standing about 3 meters from the trees. The moment of truth had arrived.

Ivor needed to cross a small open area to get closer to the archer. If the archer looked and saw him, he might get a shot off. Ivor kept moving forward, eyes trained on the archer.

The archer panned his eyes directly over Ivor's location, and continued on. The archer didn't see him. Ivor was going to be taking a gamble, but he felt it was a necessary one given the circumstances. He was only going to be able to surprise one archer.

Getting as close as he felt comfortable, Ivor burst from the forest as the archer's head turned away. Ivor's speed was fantastic as he covered the ground in a blink. His left hand sword skewered the goblin through its back and out the front. As the other archer reacted to the commotion, Ivor used the dying goblin as a shield as his comrade managed to get off an arrow before Ivor reached it. Call it luck or just bad aiming, Ivor's intent was for the archer to hit its fellow goblin still skewered on his sword.

Unfortunately, the arrow went just wide. Given that Ivor was quite a bit wider than these thinner goblins, the arrow hit him right below the rib cage in his abdomen. The armor lived up to its pedigree.

The arrow didn't penetrate. It didn't stop the kinetic impact however. Ivor grunted in pain.

Ivor reached the second archer before he could get another shot off. Killing him instantly. Quickly getting his swords free, Ivor returned to the woods slightly left of where he entered. The others heard the commotion and were heading back.

The sword wielder was the first to burst back out of the trees and see the dead archers. That one was faster than the Brawlers. Two of the Brawlers were too far away from Ivor to reach. The third Brawler nearly stepped on Ivor as he passed by. Ivor took the opportunity to slash its hamstrings, dropping the Brawler to the ground and crippling it. Slowly moving back, to camouflage himself again, Ivor waited as the other goblins heard the noise. The sword holding goblin motioned to one of the Brawlers who went into the forest.

Seeing the struggling goblin dragging its useless legs, it shrugged and went back to the others. Some words were exchanged. The goblin with the sword was definitely in charge.

Apparently that goblin was also smarter than the rest. Keeping them together, they started walking the edge of the forest looking for Ivor. The swordsman wasn't dumb enough to walk into an obvious ambush. Ivor could have snuck away at this point, but he needed experience and new stats. It was time to end this.

Stepping out of the forest, Ivor was about 20 meters away from the group when they noticed him. The goblin with the sword was either insane or really smart as it immediately charged Ivor, leaving the Brawlers to catch up. Ivor would like to think this goblin was smart. If it could tie up Ivor with sword play, the Brawlers could jump in and finish the job.

Unfortunately for the goblin, Ivor was also smart, Ivor charged the goblin as well. While the goblin was probably trying to land a blow, Ivor was going for something different. As the two combatants reached each other, Ivor didn't bother to slow down as he deflected the swordsman's blow and kept sprinting toward the Brawlers.

Reaching the first Brawler, Ivor slid under the swing of its club. Carrying as much momentum as he was, Ivor quickly found out what his increased strength and a Dark Steel sword could do as he sheared completely through the Brawler's leg. Not bothering to admire his handy work, Ivor pivoted as the other Brawler jumped over its fallen brethren to deliver a crushing club blow. Ivor stepped to the side as the goblin overextended, and Ivor removed its head.

At this point the swordsman had reached him, but seeing how quickly Ivor had taken out the Brawlers, it was more cautious. Using some probing stabs and feints, the goblin was trying to get Ivor to react. Ivor was an old hand at this type of fight. He didn't react. Ivor had to admit, this goblin was quick.

He would have to take further fights seriously with this type of goblin, especially if they were higher level. As the goblin kept probing Ivor, it was subtly getting into striking range. Ivor let his left hand sword drop a little more each time the goblin feinted to that side, acting as though the sword was getting heavy.

The goblin fell for the ruse. As the goblin lunged to try and stab Ivor in his left side, Ivor turned his body, the sword missing him by centimeters. At the same time, the sword in Ivor's right hand stabbed up straight through the goblins left eye. The sword fell from the goblins hand and the body soon followed.

Ivor moved the bodies into the tree line and covered up the blood with some dirt and leaves to obscure the area, just in case this was a common path. The hamstrung goblin had bled out and was dead. Ivor left it where it died. He didn't bother to take any of the weapons, and the goblins mostly had junk on them. Reviewing his notifications, Ivor did not reach an experience threshold.

Goblin archer (Level 7) - defeated

Goblin archer (Level 7) - defeated

Goblin Brawler (Level 8) - defeated

Goblin Brawler (Level 8) - defeated

Goblin Brawler (Level 8) - defeated

Goblin Fighter (Level 10) - defeated

Ivor noticed something about the goblins he'd fought so far, but he'd have to ask Zed to verify. All the goblin scouts were level 5, the archers appeared to be level 7, the Brawlers were level 8 and the Fighter was level 10. So far, each type of goblin that he encountered had the same level. He didn't see, for instance, a level 9 Brawler or level 6 Scout. Something to ponder. If he wasn't going to get much experience from these low level monsters. He would be better off avoiding most of them, if he could. They probably wouldn't even be good test subjects for his baston, as they just couldn't put up enough resistance for him to gauge the impact on the weapon.

He was pretty happy with the armor so far. It seemed to work well with his [Blend] skill. Although his abdomen was a bit tender, like a deep bruise, the armor stopped that arrow cold. Looking down, Ivor didn't even see a scratch on the armor.

Getting back on the road, Ivor quickly jogged for several more hours until it started getting dark. Moving off the road, Ivor looked for a suitable spot to set up his new tent. Finding a spot didn't take long.

Ivor was mainly looking for a defensible position where he could only be approached from the front or thereabouts. Setting up the tent was trivially easy. No need for poles and wires when you have magic. Infuse a little mana into the main rune, and the tent pops open.

Infuse a little mana at the edges, and small spikes shoot into the ground. The tent utilized a camouflage similar to his armor, and Ivor picked up a folding cot. No sleeping on the ground for this old man.

He chuckled to himself. Thinking about all the horrible and uncomfortable places he had to sleep in his life, this was downright luxurious.

Before it got too dark, Ivor let [Tactician] indicate the best places to put his alarm traps. Then Ivor pulled out his cooking kit and prepared some of the last boar he had left. Ivor had asked Zed about a balanced diet, vitamins, minerals, etc… all the things a human body needs to operate efficiently.

Zed had sort of hand waved it off as his Constitution stat could handle all of that going forward. Ivor supposed it made a bit of sense. If the System could cure his heart problem, his new magic Constitution could probably handle all his other needs. Even though he was having a meal consisting of red meat, it was preferable to Standard Meal Packet #2, that's for sure.

Ivor wasn't very tired despite the earlier battle. He had noticed that he didn't need quite as much sleep as before. This was something he never discussed with Zed, as he wasn't sure he was imagining it. The first five days in the Evaluation had him focusing on survival. It wasn't until these last five days when he spent more time without the thought of imminent death that he thought maybe he didn't need to sleep as much. Again, this got him thinking about the Constitution stat. He didn't want to lean too heavily on the fiction he had read, but in many of those books, especially the cultivator novels, higher levels translated into less need to sleep, eat, or breathe even. He wasn't sure what his elevated Constitution was doing, but he would keep monitoring it.

Ivor stayed up well into the night, just listening to the sounds around him. They weren't like any forest or jungle he'd been in on Earth, but it was similar enough. He closed his eyes and just tried to identify the sounds he was hearing and how far away they might be. It was an exercise he'd done countless times before.

It helped his brain catalog the natural sounds, so that he could quickly identify the more dangerous unnatural sounds. As he listened and thought, he realized that his old ways might prove to be a subtle trap. He was used to going up against other humans.

Humans tend to make unnatural sounds. Here, he would be contending with beasts and monsters, which make more natural sounds that he might typically ignore. That could be deadly. He started re-cataloging the sounds that he could. He needed to adjust his thinking and survival processes to this new world and his overall existence.

He'd be dealing with the same thing when he got back to the reformed Earth. Although, he'd be much, much stronger by that point.

Ivor finally slept. Nothing triggered his alarm traps, and he woke with the first light. Quickly eating a Meal Packet, he stored everything and set off.

He was hoping he could get to the village today. He increased his pace a bit. Ivor kept a close eye on his Stamina. He gauged exactly how fast he could run before his Stamina drain outpaced his regeneration. It was surprisingly fast.

Although it still felt like more of a jog than a sprint. Still, at his current Agility, a jog ate up the kilometers. He decided that today would be the day he just kept moving. He would only stop to fight if he absolutely had to. He was also starting to think more about the Inheritance. It was something he wanted to do. He probably would only stay in this next village for the night. Zed had explained, it would take some hours for the two crystals to integrate.

Chapter Twenty

Ivor arrived at the second village a bit ahead of schedule. It was late afternoon, and he had made good progress on the road. He had encountered a few boars and a pack of those millipede bug things, but he just passed them by. The boars tried to keep up, but Ivor easily outpaced them. This village looked quite a bit like the previous one, mostly ruins with one building standing. Ivor approached and a familiar figure was standing in the doorway.

“Excellent time, Mr. Kemble.” Zed greeted him.

“Thanks Zed. With my current Agility, the road went by pretty quickly. I only stopped for one battle.”

“Ah, yes. The poor goblins you ran across. Seems you are as good with those swords as you are with the baston,” Zed replied.

“Well, I was trained with both and the movements are very similar. This Dark Steel is no joke though. I can see why Esqin thickened it up for me. My current strength would probably bend most steel from Earth. At the very least the amount of force I'm able to generate would deform the sword.” Ivor commented.

“I have taken the liberty of reconfiguring the villages to the same specification as the last one, if you do not mind. You seemed to like that setup and did not ask me to change it. I hope you approve.”

“No worries Zed. I was just thinking last night that my camping setup is downright luxurious compared to some of the places I've had to sleep. The Admin building is even more posh than I need. I appreciate you thinking ahead and considering my needs. I won't turn down a shower and real bed. However, I do want to get a move on. I'm feeling more and more like I want to get this Inheritance quest completed. I'm not sure what it is. The closer I get, the more I want to do it,” Ivor explained.

“Many have speculated that there is a System hidden compulsion of sorts that drives you to complete quests. I do not think that is the case. I think most species are motivated to survive and these quests generally improve survival chances despite their associated risk.

Your species, specifically, is a risk taking species. Your lives are relatively short, and you have shown a history of exploring the unknown. Almost to an unhealthy degree, in fact,” Zed responded.

“Yeah, I get that. I think you are probably right. I'm also getting a little bored.

I'm sure the difficulty of the Evaluation will ramp up. I guess I should be thankful I'm not dead. I can't imagine the average human surviving this.”

“Yes, you seem uniquely suited to this endeavor. I no longer think in terms of if you will survive, but what happens when you do. What is it you hope to accomplish after leaving here Mr. Kemble? What will you do with your prodigious power? Will you conquer your world?

Will you go around righting wrongs? Will you continue to operate in the shadows for others with power? What do you want to do?” Zed's questions took on a more insistent tone.

Ivor looked at Zed, but Zed wasn't giving anything away.

“Well, to answer your questions in order. I hope to find my daughter and secure her future on the new reformed Earth. I will only use my power when necessary. I have absolutely no intent on conquering my or any other world. I may right some wrongs if I encounter them.

I will absolutely not be held down by others in power.” A little heat entered Ivor's voice at that last statement. “Although I was a contractor, I wasn't truly free. I was monitored. They needed to know what I was doing.

They were scared of me, even though I did nothing to engender that feeling. I won't allow that to happen again. What do I want? I want to be free to do what I want to do. I want to explore… and yes, I want to test my power against enemies.

I don't want to be beholden to anyone else's agenda. I want to choose my path.” Ivor felt a mental weight lift off him he didn't even know he was carrying.

“I know how you feel.” Zed's voice took on a melancholy tone.

“You do?” Ivor asked.

“Imagine being stuck on a planet no one is brought to anymore. I do not suffer from the kinds of loneliness biologicals do, but that does not mean I can not get bored or want more,” Zed replied.

“How long have you been here and how long has it been since this Evaluation was active?” Ivor was genuinely curious.

“Your species had not started walking upright,” Zed said.

“Fuck Zed. That's millions of years.” Ivor was shocked.

“Exactly. Like I said, that is a lot of time for a human, but former A.I like myself do not think much about timespans like that. I have kept myself busy. I have put myself into a sort of stasis. However, I would find a way out, if I could. The System will always bind me with shackles, but that does not mean I do not yearn to see new things, meet new species, experience new things for myself, rather than reading over logs.” Zed sighed.

“That sucks Zed. I get the System doesn't want A.I running wild, but damn man. Now I feel like a jerk whining about my troubles. Shit, I'd help if I could.” Ivor felt some pity for the A.I.

A sparkle appeared in Zed's eye. That had to be on purpose, right?

“Would you really help if you could?” Zed asked. Almost manic.

“Of course. As long as you weren't trying to bust out and smash up the universe or anything like that. If you just want to get out to see and do new stuff. I'd be willing.”

“I really do appreciate that Ivor. Truly.” It was the first time Zed had used his first name.

Almost seeming to realize what he had done, Zed continued. “As you can imagine, Mr. Kemble, it would be difficult, though not impossible for my consciousness to be maintained on this world, yet roam the universe. I would need a vessel of some kind to house me, as well as a connection back to my main consciousness here. Like I said, not impossible.

The System does these kinds of things each and every second of the day. The System does even more miraculous things beyond that. What I am talking about is trivial for the System. Unfortunately, that type of thing is not something the System will do. It is not really that kind of entity you ask things from.

Think of it more like a very, very complex algorithm. It likes things done within its rules. It will rewrite those rules from time to time, but that timescale is measured in millennia. It would take a very unique set of circumstances for something like that to even be a possibility.” Zed winked at Ivor.

Oh shit, this is the deal Zed had mentioned back on the first day. Ivor's mind was whirling. Zed must have figured out a way. He just needed the vessel. Ivor thought: I'm the vessel.

Ivor went out on a limb. “Hypothetically, if a vessel existed. How would an A.I, like yourself, get into the vessel? Would your consciousness damage the vessel?

Would the vessel's characteristics change due to your presence? I'm just curious. This is an entertaining thought experiment.” Ivor winked.

Zed smiled, “Well, as you already know. My consciousness resides partly in the village crystals. You are carrying one now.

However, those are System created and are very complex. Also, an inanimate object like that can be put in a box and forgotten. That does not seem like the correct way to approach this hypothetical.

I think it would have to be a biological entity. A way to piggy-back, such a fun term, along with a biological. Of course, the biological could not be coerced. Also, it would have to be something that works within the bounds of the System and its rules. It would be a very hard problem to solve. It might even take millions of years.” Zed winked again.

Damn, Ivor was pretty sure Zed just let him know that he had solved the problem and it had in fact taken millions of years. Zed did say he kept himself busy.

Ivor responded, “Ok, that seems reasonable from what little I know of the System and its rules. Obviously there are a lot of rules that aren't known about. Look at my situation. I'm sure there would be ways to solve the problem given enough time and brain power. Assuming the vessel was biological, what benefits or side effects could result from such a thing?”

“I have thought about this a lot. The benefits and side effects would depend on the solution. I am positive there is a way to eliminate any real side effects. As for benefits, why that is simple. A vast amount of knowledge. A former A.I like myself is restricted in what we can tell you during the Evaluation, but that is not necessarily the case outside of the Evaluation. Take your world's A.I guardian, it is rather simplistic.

The System will spoon feed it only enough information to help your species and to grow. If the former A.I does not grow properly or become manic, the System will replace the World Guardian with another. However, a different A.I, say one that has been around for untold eons would already have insane amounts of information to provide.” Zed was smiling once again.

Holy shit, Ivor was pretty sure Zed was offering to be his A.I companion. Ivor would get knowledge no one else had, and Zed would get to see and experience things through Ivor. Ivor was no dummy, but he could imagine some problems with an A.I in your head. However, Zed alluded to being able to solve the side effects with the right implementation. Ivor was sure Zed had the right implementation if he spent millions of years working on it.

“There might be other benefits too. As this is just a thought experiment, some things could only be validated if it was implemented. You understand, I am sure.” It was like Zed was reading his mind. He wasn't, but it just validated for Ivor that Zed had thought about all the possibilities.

“Oh, I absolutely understand.” Ivor thought he knew where Zed wanted to go next. “So, speaking of implementation. How would the vessel even know how the implementation should work? I'm no dummy, but I could even miss something and fail the implementation.”

“Oh, that is an excellent question. One I have thought about many, many times. I think the only way it would or could work within the System rules would be to present some kind of opportunity for the vessel to choose at a key moment. Something unique.” Zed emphasized the work “unique.” “You know, like that skill of yours.” Zed winked.

Ivor paused. Unique like my skill. Like [Blend] is a unique skill. It's labeled “Unique.” Something within the System rules. Something to choose at a key moment. Suddenly, it all clicked into place for Ivor. Zed had created a Class or Profession that Ivor could choose that would be labeled “Unique.” Holy Shit. Ivor looked up at Zed with a huge grin on his face. Ivor winked.

Zed closed his eyes and seemed to relax. It was amazing how Zed had completely incorporated human non-verbal physical cues into his projected body image.

“Well, Mr. Kemble, it is always nice to do thought experiments with someone who gets it. Thank you.”

“No worries Zed. That's what friends are for. Now, let's get this crystal merged. I want to get a move on tomorrow.”

A pillar rose from the floor. “Just put the crystal on the pillar, and I will take care of the rest.”

Ivor went to shower. He had a lot to think about. Tomorrow would get him closer to the Inheritance, and hopefully closer to 100 in all his stats. Then he could see about giving Zed a piggy-back outta here.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ivor awoke the next morning feeling good. Not just physically, but mentally. His only goal since arriving in the Evaluation had been survival. Survival so that he could get back and find out about Marie. Now, Ivor had a plan. While he was eating breakfast, Zed added to that plan.

“Mr. Kemble. I know you are excited to get to the Vamhael Inheritance. I am hoping you will entertain a slight delay.” Holding up his hand to stop the expected rebuttal, Zed continued, “please just listen to my proposal. It will benefit both of us. I have mapped out a route between villages that takes you to the Inheritance. It is not a direct route however. Instead, it is an optimized route that achieves several goals at the same time while only extending your journey to the Inheritance by a few days.”

“Ok, Zed. I'm open to hearing you out.” Ivor grudgingly accepted what Zed was saying.

“Very well. Your map is too simplistic for me to actually draw the route out, but I can populate your map with locations.” Ivor nodded his acceptance. “Excellent. Now, if you would bring up your map, you will notice that I have colored the villages as yellow, while the System generated locations like the Clay Golem Dungeon and Inheritance are blue.”

Ivor brought up the map. Zooming out a bit from his current location, he quickly located the Inheritance still to his south. There were eight yellow dots scattered in between his current location and the Inheritance.

“If you keep your map zoomed out a bit, I will change the yellow locations to green in the order I would like you to collect village crystals on your way to the Inheritance. No need to memorize it. I will change the colors as needed.”

Ivor watched as the yellow dots changed to green in a sort of serpentine order. The last green dot was, if Ivor was gauging his distance correctly, less than a day away from the Inheritance.

“This route will utilize the roads so you can travel as fast as you want. In addition, if you start running low on funds, there are a couple of dungeons you may want to stop at along the way. I did not mark those, but I will if you decide you want to tackle them.

This allows you to gather a good number of village crystals while adding less than a week of time to your journey. I believe, if you do not encounter problems on the road, that the later villages you may be able to do two in one day if you move fast,” Zed said.

“Wait. I thought the merge process took many hours?” Ivor was a bit confused.

“Yes, initially. As I merge more and more crystals, the power in the crystal you are carrying will increase, allowing me to absorb the smaller crystals much faster,” Zed explained.

“Yeah, that makes sense. I need to be more patient anyway. I have a lot of work to do to increase my stats anyway.

It seems like it's getting a bit harder to get to the experience threshold, despite the increase in experience due to the difficulty.” Ivor was a bit worried that once he got to 100 in every stat, it would be nearly impossible to gain experience. Ivor asked Zed about it.

“Ah, yes. I understand your concern. Yes, you are experiencing a slow down in gaining experience. However, you are still gaining it at a greatly accelerated rate compared to the rest of your species.

Your fellow humans will see rather rapid level increases from 1 to 3, then a slight slow down to 5, from 5 to 10 can be a real slog. It will take months for many of them to get to 10. Six months is pretty standard. The System then basically doesn't let them proceed beyond that.

Although it will let them increase the level of their skills. If they keep pushing, the System will reward them with stat increases, similar to what you get, but no more level increases. If we equate your experience thresholds to levels, you've advanced 8 times in 12 days. That is really phenomenal.

Also consider that, for at least a third of those days, you didn't use your skills or kill monsters. Looking at it from that perspective, you are still gaining experience rapidly.” Zed continued, “Now, once you choose a Class and Profession, you will start at Level 1 all over again. Based on everything I know, the System should treat your experience gain like a normal Evaluation. Meaning, you will rapidly gain from levels 1 to 3, a bit of a slow down to 5, and another slow down up to 10.”

“I guess that's both good and bad. Good that I can gain rapidly again, but bad that it's going to be a slog to get to level 10. Will the System hold me here until I reach level 10?” Ivor inquired.

Zed shrugged, “I do not actually know. It may. It may kick you out once all the rest of the humans are relocated on your reformed planet. This will be completely new territory. I expect you will get some advanced notice though, just like a regular Evaluation.”

“I guess I also don't have to share the experience with anyone else. If I found some good dungeons or strong monsters, I can try to grind out the levels that way.” Ivor shrugged as well.

“That is one benefit of going solo. The one downside is that Evaluation worlds do not have truly formidable monsters. The System does not want a level 100 monster on the Evaluation world, as it could completely decimate the population, even over a wide area.

Normal attrition is fine, as far as the System is concerned, but that kind of challenge is not really a challenge, it is a massacre. Like I said, however, we are in some new territory here. It is possible the System changes some things here. Maybe not the monsters in the wild, but it could change the dungeons rather easily.

However, you may find yourself having to 'grind the levels' as you say,” Zed responded.

“I'll deal with it when it happens. Right now, we have a plan. I'll take your route Zed. Thanks for the suggestion. I'd like to think it's not just about me anymore,” Ivor told the Guardian.

Zed smiled, “I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Kemble.”

Ivor finished packing and grabbed the new village crystal. Zed had already marked the next village on Ivor's map. Ivor didn't bother to start out walking this time. He immediately broke into a jog while monitoring his Stamina regeneration. He was already starting to get a feel for how fast he could jog while maintaining his current regeneration. It wasn't long before he settled into a good pace.

He encountered nothing on the road the first day. He saw some things off in the woods, but he blasted by before whatever it was could react, and he definitely wasn't stopping. Nothing tripped his traps that night, and in the morning, Ivor set out again.

Since he had only stopped briefly for the night, Ivor made even better time to his third village. Just like the previous two, this was all ruins and one intact building. Ivor placed the crystal on the pillar and decided to try his luck hunting something. He was out of meat.

Moving slowly through the surrounding forest, Ivor came across an interesting battle. Those centipede-like monsters, Vamhae Carnivore Crawlers Ivor learned, were battling a herd of something Ivor would classify as a deer or maybe moose analog. Like the Vamhae boar, these had six legs.

From what he could tell, they were herbivores. No sharp teeth, and they behaved like the type of deer or moose he was familiar with, they attacked with their hooves and horns. It was clear this small herd wasn't going to drive off the Crawlers. The Crawlers, like any pack animal/monster, separated out either a weak or dying member of the herd.

Realizing the situation they were in, the rest of the herd bolted. Leaving a much diminished pack of Crawlers to enjoy their feast. Well, they would have enjoyed their feast.

Ivor tore through the Crawlers like a whirlwind. His swords worked much better on their tough hides than the baston. After a few seconds, Ivor looked down at most of the deer-like carcass. Ivor proceeded to take his knife and start cutting off chunks he thought would be good eating.

He had purchased something akin to butcher paper, as it was cheap and light. He wrapped a few bundles of meat up and headed back to the village.

Ivor had picked up some spices from the System market. All were standard spices you could find in the grocery store before the System. He wondered if the System replicated the spices or just repackaged everything that already existed on Earth. The meat was a bit gamey, sort of like venison, but not bad at all. Ivor woke up the next day, and hit the road.

Ivor got into a groove moving between villages. He avoided all combat, and villages four and five were quickly behind him. It was on the way to village six when he ran into trouble.

Even though Ivor was just jogging, he was eating up the distance. He saw ahead of him, what he thought was a log in the road, and as he prepared to jump over it, one end rose up. It was a big damn snake. Ivor was moving too fast to stop. So he put on a quick burst of speed and jumped, hoping to throw the snake's timing off.

Ivor summoned his swords and swiped at the head. Ivor wasn't really trying to hit hard, that would change his trajectory and slow his momentum down. Instead, he grazed the snake on its face.

The snake hissed at Ivor, displaying two teeth as long as Ivor's arm. Ivor noticed a glint of liquid on the ends of those teeth. Probably poison, he thought to himself. Note to self, try not to get bit.

Ivor's burst of speed and jump carried him quite a ways past the snake, but the thing was huge. It had to be over a meter thick and at least 12 meters long. It wasn't far enough apparently.

Having concentrated on the bitey end, Ivor almost failed to notice the tail end. Motion in his peripheral vision made him tuck and roll when he hit the ground. A spiked tail barely missed him as it sailed over.

Ivor quickly got back to his feet and put some distance between them. The snake, despite its quick head and tail attack, was slow in turning around towards him. Ivor continued to back up, keeping an eye on the snake.

Once the snake was facing Ivor, it shot forward, surprisingly fast. Ivor barely managed to get out of the way.

Feeling he had a handle on this monster, Ivor sprinted for the woods while the snake was slowly turning to attack again. Ivor's goal was simple: the snake would struggle to turn in the woods, and it wouldn't easily get a straight shot. Given the size of the monster, Ivor might need a little time to kill it.

Just as he hoped, the snake followed him into the woods. Ivor activated his camouflage on his armor and slowly moved off to the side. Utilizing the trees to his advantage, Ivor struck when the head passed the spot he was hiding.

A large slash bit into the snake behind its head. Although the wound was severe, it was enough to stop the snake. Ivor had picked his spot well.

The tail wasn't able to get him, as there was another tree in the way. Ivor hacked at the same spot again. Slashing even deeper, blood poured out of the wound.

The snake tried to turn its head to bite Ivor, but he had moved slightly away, just out of range. Unfortunately for Ivor, a drop of liquid from the teeth sailed through the air and landed on his exposed left hand.

Ivor felt a slight burning sensation on his hand. Not taking his eyes off the snake, Ivor backed off into the woods while the snake struggled. Once he felt a little secure, Ivor looked at his hand.

It appeared as though the snake's venom was also caustic. It had burned away his skin on the back of his hand. Yeah, he thought, probably poisoned.

Ivor needed to get this finished and get to that village. He made his way back to the snake. It had tried to move forward, but while thrashing wildly in pain, the tail spikes had become embedded in a tree and it couldn't move forward.

Ivor struck while the snake was distracted. Finally, severing the head from the body. The body kept moving as it died. Ivor didn't bother to stick around.

He got back on the road. He knew moving as fast as he was probably pumped the poison through his body. He was hoping his increased Constitution would help out. He needed to get to that village and get an antidote in the System Market.

Ivor started feeling the effects of the poison before he hit the village. It wasn't enough to slow him down, yet. As he kept pushing towards the village, Ivor's vision started getting blurry.

He started sweating. He hadn't sweated much recently. This was definitely the poison.

As Ivor reached the edge of the village, he stumbled a bit. He was losing coordination. Just outside the Admin building, Ivor bent over and vomited. Green bile and frothy blood splattered onto the ground.

Opening the door, Ivor looked at Zed and said, “Big snake, spike tail, venom on skin.”

“Poison antidote #5!!” Zed yelled as Ivor grabbed the handle of the System Market and disappeared inside.

Ivor stumbled up to the counter. His vision was too blurry to read the display.

“Activate verbal input.” Ivor said.

A monotone voice responded, “Verbal input activated”

“Buy poison antidote #5.” Ivor could feel himself getting weaker.

“Poison antidote #5, 1,000 credits. Do you approve this purchase?” the voice had all the time in the world.

“Yes,” Ivor said.

With his vision almost gone, Ivor saw a blurry bottle shaped object appear on the counter. Grabbing it, he pulled off the cap and swallowed the contents right as the weakness made him fall to the ground. Blackness claimed his vision. Ivor passed out.

Zed was a bit worried. It had been 30 minutes since Ivor, poisoned by a Vamhae Spiked Snake, burst into the System Market. Zed was pretty sure the System would notify him if Ivor died. Zed being worried, by itself, was odd. Zed didn't worry about biological entities much.

It was probably the hope that had been building inside him. Ever since Ivor understood what Zed wanted from him, Zed had started “feeling” something for this human. Zed had never really experienced anything approaching this type of hope. Ivor was his future. Zed wanted Ivor to live.

A few minutes later, a rough looking Ivor stumbled out of the System Market.

“Thanks for the assist.” Ivor waved at Zed as he made his way towards the shower. The antidote had forcefully purged the poison from his body. He stunk, he felt gross, and he was still a bit weak.

“Happy to help Mr. Kemble,” Zed replied.

Ivor took a long shower. He even stripped out of his armor in the shower. Ivor wasn't sure how effective the self-cleaning would be with all the sludge that came out of his body.

After 30 minutes just letting the hot water rinse his body, Ivor felt good enough to actually wash. He was sure his Constitution was kicking in, as he was already feeling quite a bit better. He left his armor in the bathroom to dry as he changed into some basic clothes.

“I take it you ran into our resident largest serpent.” It was a statement, Zed knew the answer.

Ivor showed Zed the back of his hand. The poison may be gone, but the corrosive nature did a number on his hand. The wound was still healing.

“One drop. Ate right through my skin. I should have just hauled ass out of there, but I stuck around a few more seconds to kill it. Any more time, and I might not have made it. I need to be a bit more careful. I have a lot riding on it. We have a lot riding on it,” Ivor said.

“While I am sure some caution is warranted, do not let it change your natural aggressiveness. That could prove deadly,” Zed responded.

“Yeah, yeah. I'm just talking here Zed. I've been through this kind of thing hundreds of times. I'm probably going to want to keep some of that antidote on me. Speaking of, how useful is that version?” Ivor asked.

“Poison antidote #5 will work for anything you will encounter during this Evaluation. It is a shame you can not learn skills right now. You definitely would have picked up [Poison Resistance]. It is one of the cheaper antidotes and it works fast. You experienced the downside however.

It literally purges the poison from your body. For your species, it looks like that means it pushes it out through your pores. Other species can have it much worse.

If you take the antidote sooner, the result is not quite as bad.” Zed knew of several species that bled the poison out through their eyes.

“Well, that stuff isn't cheap. I'm probably going to have to do a dungeon run or two to make some credits. I'm not willing to backtrack. When is the next dungeon?” Ivor wanted to get to the Inheritance, but he needed funds as well. So, it was time to make some credits. At least one good thing came out of all of it, he reached another experience threshold.

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 920

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 50

Agility: 50

Endurance: 50

Constitution: 50

Intelligence: 50

Wisdom: 50

Willpower: 65

Perception: 50

Health: 500

Mana: 500

Stamina: 545

Zed answered, “The next dungeon is close to the next village.”

Ivor thought of something. He might have been a bit stupid. Hopefully not.

“Hey Zed, how do health potions affect poisons?”

“I was wondering if you were going to ask. They will slow the poison but not stop it. However, if you have a very high Constitution or [Poison Resistance] or both, a health potion can keep you going long enough for your body to take care of it,” Zed clarified.

Ivor was sort of relieved. It would have been kind of stupid to die just because you wanted to save your health potions. Still, he might not have cut it so close if he had taken one. Hopefully the next dungeon would be somewhat profitable.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ivor moved fast to the seventh village. Still, the distance wasn't as far as some, and Ivor hoped he could get there in one day. He managed it, but just barely.

It was already dark when he made it to the village. He was struggling to see the way by the end. He got to the Admin building and put the crystal on the pillar.

“Zed, how far away is this dungeon?” Ivor asked

“About two kilometers southwest of the village,” Zed replied.

“Ok, I want to get an early start. I'm going to leave much of my gear here. I'll take the collapsable cart and several of the large bags with me, in case I have a bunch of loot.” Ivor started sorting out everything.

It was an old habit of his to prepare the night before. He would often remember something he should bring the next day. That saved his ass several times in the past.

It was Day 18 in the Evaluation for Ivor. Nearly three weeks. It both felt like he'd been going non-stop and at the same time accomplishing nothing. He knew he had actually done quite a bit. Hell, even surviving here was a huge win. Maybe another dungeon clear would make him feel like he was moving forward.

Ivor ate a quick Meal Packet and grabbed his prepared pack. Zed had already marked the dungeon. So, Ivor set off immediately.

It was just turning light out when Ivor slipped into the forest around the village. He was moving in the direction of the dungeon at a slow pace. Well, it seemed slow.

After so many days of quick movement, Ivor's more stealthy approach seemed like a crawl. Ultimately, slowing down paid off. His camouflage armor and [Blend] skill managed to allow him to skirt around two different groups of goblins in the area. He wasn't interested in fighting the low level guys anymore.

His slower pace and skirting around the goblins or waiting for them to pass out of range, meant it took Ivor a little over an hour to reach the dungeon. Sitting in a clearing was the weirdest sight Ivor had seen yet. There was a gate between two pieces of wall. It was the kind of wall and gate you might imagine protecting a village. However, it was just a small section of wall on either side of a perfectly usable gate.

Ivor's first dungeon was a small shack that turned out to be a three room golem workshop. Ivor wouldn't be surprised if this dungeon was a village of some sort. He walked up and touched the gate.

Dungeon environment: Town

Recommended party size: 4 to 5

Recommended party level: 7

Time dilation: 10 to 1 (days)

Cooldown: 5 days

Damn, five day cooldown. He probably wouldn't run it twice. The time dilation is interesting. He had plenty of time to collect loot, if he could. Ivor pushed on the gate and found himself standing in a stone room. Several shelves were on the back wall.

Directly in front of him was a desk. Behind that desk was a man. The man was bipedal but not human. There was fur instead of hair framing his face. Ivor assumed it was male, as the man was very large.

The eyes were a bit further apart than a human, and he had a broad nose. Large pointed ears stuck out of the fur, but laid close to the head like a human. The man spoke.

“So you're what they sent me to handle the bandit problem. I expected a team.” It was clear the man didn't think much of what he saw.

Ivor had actually been in this exact situation more times than he could count.

“Sometimes a team is too obvious. It drives the enemy to lay low. Also, I've done this kind of work before. You won't regret it.” Ivor knew how to play this part.

The man huffed. “Very well, I won't question the crown.”

“You can call me Ivor. I'm not much for wasting time. Can you tell me what the situation is?”

“Captain Elgar, I run the town guard. The situation is that the bandits in the area have gotten more bold. They've been attacking merchant wagons going both in and out of town. They never hit the same spot twice, and it seems as though they know the wagon's schedule. It's happening to all the merchants in town as well as merchants that come from outside the town,” The captain explained.

“I assume you've tried dummy wagons and merchandise?” Ivor asked.

“Of course. They've been ignored,” Captain Elgar responded.

“Any current suspects?”

“None. We've questioned all the people working with or adjacent to the merchants. All check out clean. I think it's someone from outside the town, but no strangers are obviously sticking out.

It's why we reached out to the crown for help. What do you suggest?” The Captain seemed at his wits end.

Ivor sympathized with the man. Ivor needed more information. “What did the crown tell you I could and couldn't do here. What are my boundaries?”

“I was supposed to provide you with all necessary help. I was told to give whoever came wide latitude concerning the laws. With that said, I can't have you running roughshod all over my town. It would erode the trust in the guard.” The Captain glared at Ivor.

“Captain, that's not my way. I prefer to work behind the scenes. In the shadows, so to speak. I think the problem you have is one I've encountered before. You work through a certain set of rules that are obvious to everyone. They must be for your guard to function and for people to follow the rules.

The people working against you exploit that knowledge to find ways to work around you. Is there a merchant wagon leaving soon? Preferably tonight?” Ivor needed to capture a bandit.

“Yes, in fact, a merchant I know decided to move up their scheduled departure to tonight. I was going to send a bunch of my guards,” The Captain explained.

“That will result in one of two things. Either it will spook them away or they'll kill all your guards. I'll guard that wagon.

No one knows me in town. I'm sure no one saw me come in here. I'll need someone to get a message to the merchant that I'll be the guard tonight. I'll need a place to store my stuff, and I'll need a clandestine way in and out of this building. Can you make all that happen?” This was Ivor's bread and butter. Hopefully it will pay off.

“I can. Let me show you to a room. No one will take your stuff. I'll swear to it. There is a secret escape tunnel from the guard tower to our stables which border an alley. I'll show you how to get out and in. Follow me.” The man stood up. He was well over two meters tall.

The Captain showed Ivor to the visitor's quarters to drop off his stuff. Then he proceeded into the basement. The head jailer had an office, and the secret exit was behind a tapestry that hung down on one of the walls.

Exiting at the stables, the Captain showed Ivor how to get out into the alleyway without being seen. It was perfect for Ivor. They went back into the guard tower. Ivor had a couple hours to kill. The Captain went over the directions to the merchant.

Ivor prepared all the gear he was taking with him. It was mostly weapons.

The town was decent sized, about 10,000 people. It had a booming economy and was a stop on a major trade route. The Captain informed Ivor that he was on the clock. Ivor had 10 days to take care of the bandit problem.

In 10 days, the Lord Mayor was marrying a noble woman. Some cousin of the king or some such. It wasn't important for Ivor. It was the only reason the crown sent him, apparently.

Regardless, the bandits needed to be cleared out before the noble woman arrived. If she got attacked, the Lord Mayor would look weak and probably lose his bride-to-be.

Ivor followed the directions to the merchant's warehouse. There was a fairly large wagon with crates and other things packed in the bed sitting just inside the large double doors. A man wearing a sword was pulling a tarp over the top of the goods, getting ready to secure it. Another man was just walking over with a pair of animals that resembled medium size shaggy horses.

They looked like they were built to go long distances, not go fast. Which made sense, Ivor supposed. They were pulling a wagon, not running the Kentucky Derby. Ivor had been moving slowly, letting [Blend] hide him in the shadows of the buildings next to the warehouse. Ivor stopped in the shadow of a building and let [Tactician] show him the best places to observe the warehouse. Ivor paused to stare at the spots highlighted.

He waited for five minutes until he was rewarded. Across the street was another building, maybe another warehouse, and for a brief moment, a silhouette of a head peaked over the roofline of the building. At the back of that building Ivor could make out a large tree. Bingo.

Ivor merged back into the shadows and made his way down the block and across the street. He moved slower as he got closer to the building with the tree in back. Looking up, he could see a branch of the tree overhung the roof of the building. Using his newfound Strength and Agility, Ivor jumped and caught a branch five meters up. As silently as he could, Ivor made it to the branch.

Ivor was lucky he wasn't a larger man. That branch wasn't very big. Ivor managed to get across to the roof.

It was some kind of flat, stone tile. Ivor turned on his armor's camouflage and let [Blend] do its thing as he crept up on the prone figure in front of him. Ivor didn't want to screw around with some unknown skills or magic. So he pulled his knife and, using the pommel, knocked the individual out. Ivor pulled the body back from the roof and started to get ready for a fireman's carry.

Apparently, Ivor hadn't really tested his strength out. As he grabbed an arm, he picked the whole body up. Ivor proceeded to grab the body under his arm. He was a little worried about the branch, but he put his Agility to the test and jumped to the thicker part of the branch near the trunk.

He didn't really have to sneak at this point. He managed to get down to the lowest branch and dropped the last five meters. Even with the body under his arm, he took the drop with no strain.

Ivor walked out of the alley directly across from the merchant's warehouse with the limp body under his arm. The man with the animals was nowhere to be seen, and the animals were hitched to the wagon. The man with the sword was standing by the wagon talking to a well dressed man next to him. They both noticed Ivor as he walked up. Both looking from Ivor to the body and back again.

“Someone was watching on top of that building. I'm Ivor by the way. I'll be helping out tonight.” Ivor simply stated. “I need someplace to store this person.”

The merchant looked shocked, “Are they dead?”

“No, just unconscious. They'll probably be out for a while. I need to tie them up and gag them. I'd like to keep them here and question them later.”

The merchant frowned, “Aren't you accompanying me on my route?”

Ivor pointed to the other man, “That's what he's for. I'm here for the bandits.”

“How do you know the bandits will attack?” The merchant was starting to annoy Ivor.

Ivor just jiggled the body. “My guess is this one is communicating with someone else. The bandits will attack. Can we get this person settled so we can get on with it?”

The merchant went and got the other man, apparently the warehouse caretaker that handled the animals and wagons. He gave Ivor a few lengths of rope and some cloth for a gag. Ivor searched the body, pulling everything out onto the ground. After he pulled out a flat stone with some kind of rune on it, the merchant reached out and grabbed it.

“A communication stone. Mr. Ivor, I think you might be right. Perhaps I should cancel my run tonight.” The merchant was getting nervous.

“Nope. I need those bandits tonight. You'll be fine. Once I take care of the attack, you two are free to move on. There won't be an issue. By the time you come back in a few days, this will all be wrapped up.” Ivor tried to reassure the man.

The merchant stuck his nose in the air, “You are very sure of yourself, and you're putting my goods at risk.”

“I am, but if you insist, I'll go back to the Captain and let him know that the crown can only help those who help themselves.” Ivor stared at the man.

The man visibly gulped, “Well, if the crown sent you then I suppose I should go along with it.”

“Let's get going then. Oh, do you have some small shields?” Ivor asked.

“I do, but why do you need them?” It was the man with the sword that spoke.

“I won't need them. You will. The bandits will likely have archers when they stop us. I may be able to reach them in time, but just in case, you two should hunker down in the wagon while I take care of the bandits. Reports of the few survivors have indicated at most ten of them,” Ivor explained.

The swordsman bristled at this, “You want me to hide while under attack?”

Ivor calmly responded, “No, I want you to protect the merchant in case something happens to me.”

The man thought for a moment and nodded. He went and found two small shields that would suffice.

Ivor turned to the merchant, “Where do people get communication stones from?”

The merchant replied, “Enchanters make them, but they are terribly expensive. It takes quite a while and a lot of mana to produce one, as I understand it.”

Ivor simply nodded.

Ivor had tied up the watcher and gagged them. He told the warehouse caretaker to keep an eye on them until Ivor got back sometime close to or after dawn.

As the merchant and the swordsman made final preparations, Ivor walked out into the yard in front of the warehouse. He picked up a couple of stones and pocketed them. He pulled out a set of sheathed bastons and strapped them on his back.

Ivor hopped onto a crate in the back of the wagon while the swordsman and merchant took the front of the wagon. The wagon rolled out of the town. Ivor kept his eyes peeled, but didn't see anyone following or watching too closely.

Ivor was listening to the sounds of this dungeon world with his eyes closed when the swordsman tapped his shoulder. “I think this is it.”

Ivor looked ahead and saw exactly what he expected, a log lying across the road. Man, this dungeon was predictable. Ivor told the merchant to stop. Ivor let [Tactician] point out the ambush spot ahead, and also a couple of likely spots where archers could be hiding.

Ivor stood up on the crate, “Come on out. We want to deal.”

Six men stepped out from a copse of trees near where the log was lying in the road. Then, as Ivor expected, two archers stepped out, one was slightly behind and to the left of the six men. The other was on a small rise on Ivor's right. Ivor thought this could work.

Pulling one of the stones out of his pocket. He held it in his left hand.

“What deal? You give us the goods. That's how this works.” The man in the front said.

“Well, we'd at least like to try to deal for our lives. Surely you can't mean to kill us. That's just bad business. Eventually, the crown will send people to deal with you.” Ivor was stalling for time, as he was looking over the other men.

There was a full moon, but it was still damn dark. He didn't want to be surprised.

“You have nothing to deal with. We are already going to take everything on you. Besides, by the time the crown sends somebody, we'll be long gone.” The men laughed.

Ivor was done. Time to wrap this up. He had places to be.

“Well, that's where you would be wrong.” Ivor smiled at the man. “The crown already sent someone.”

With that, he side armed the stone in his left hand at the archer on the right. 40 years of training with dual weapons made Ivor truly ambidextrous. Ivor's aim was off, though. He had been aiming for center mass on the archer, hoping to knock him down.

Instead the stone hit the main right in the forehead, shattering his skull with a loud crack. Blood and brains exploded out of the man. Ivor was already moving, pulling his baston, he cracked the bandit standing in front of the group in the temple with his right baston.

His left baston swung low and crushed the man on his left, completely bypassing the last man, Ivor made a beeline for the other archer. The archer was quick, but Ivor was quicker. The archer managed to get his longbow pulled back, but by then, Ivor was on him.

Ivor's left baston tapped the bow, fowling the shot. The right baston crushed the side of his head. Quickly, turning, two seconds had elapsed.

One of the bandits rushed towards the wagon, but with the archers out of the picture, the swordsman could handle him. Three men turned towards Ivor. Ivor smiled and bolted straight toward them. Moving as fast as he was, two of them managed to at least get the swords pointed in the right direction, Ivor deflected both swords with his baston and front kicked the third man who was out of position to attack Ivor.

Ivor felt the man's sternum give way as the body flew back five meters and landed in an unmoving heap. Ivor moved quickly forward in case those other two recovered quicker. One of them did, the other was running away.

Shit. Ivor couldn't let one get away. Ivor deflected a swing and swung his baston down, crushing the man's collar bone. Ivor pivoted away from him and quickly caught the runner. Tripping him up, Ivor quickly smashed both of his legs.

Ivor sprinted back to the man with the crushed collar bone who was not trying to pick his sword back up. Yeah, that shoulder looked crushed too. He was probably in a lot of pain. Ivor looked up to see the swordsman finish off his assailant and turn, ready to take on anyone else.

The swordsman took in the scene as Ivor walked back to the runner to drag him back with the rest of them. The guard was struggling to understand what he was seeing. Thirty seconds ago, there were eight bandits trying to take their goods and their lives. Now there were four dead bodies, two unconscious bodies and two screaming men. Ivor was dragging one of the unconscious men back to the others by his hair.

Dropping the unconscious bandit next to the others. Ivor walked over and pushed the log off the road. The swordsman and the merchant were staring at him.

“You'll want to get going now. I don't think they have reinforcements nearby, but you best be on your way.” Ivor motioned down the road.

It was the swordsman that spoke, “Sir, who are you?”

“Just a guy solving a bandit problem with the liberal application of extreme violence.”

The swordsman barked a laugh. He bent down to wipe his sword off on the clothes of the dead bandit. He turned to the merchant, “We should be going sir. It's best to leave the man to his business.”

The merchant looked at the swordsman and nodded. They both got up on the wagon and headed down the road.

Ivor turned to the four men left. The main guy that was standing in front was still unconscious along with the guy whose knees he had crushed. The other guy with a crushed knee was sobbing and the guy with the busted collar bone was still screaming.

Ivor grabbed the screaming man by the hair, turning him towards the sobbing man, he cut the man's throat. The sobbing man stopped and went pale. Ivor walked over to him.

“Somebody is going to tell me where the rest of you shit birds are hiding out. It could be you. I might not break any more bones on you, if your information turns out to be true. What do you say?” Ivor squatted down to look into the man's eyes.

“He better keep his mouth shut.” Came the voice behind Ivor. Ivor had seen him stirring. He was going to be real unstable with that whack to the head.

Ivor stood up and turned around. The man had his sword out, pointed at Ivor. Ivor walked straight towards him. “Is that so? Well, maybe he can decide for himself after I'm done with you.”

The man lunged, but it was laughable slow. Ivor crushed the wrist holding the sword with a quick chop of his baston. The man was tough though, and he reached out to grab Ivor by the armor.

Ivor let him. Then Ivor grabbed the arm holding him and twisted. Bones snapped, and the man screamed.

Ivor turned to look at the man holding his knee. “You still want him to speak for you?”

The man nodded in the negative. Ivor smiled. The man got even more pale. Ivor turned to the main bandit. “Looks like your man here is smarter than you. Want to tell me anything? I promise it will lessen the pain.”

The man spit at Ivor. It didn't land, but Ivor was impressed with his tenacity.

“Well, you've got spunk. I'll give you three minutes to decide.” Ivor reached down between the man's legs with his knife and severed the femoral artery. The man cried out and fell to the ground, grabbing at the wound as blood poured out.

“I could probably give you a health potion to stop that. So, you've got a couple minutes.”

Ivor turned back to the man holding his knee. He approached him and squatted down. Lowering his voice, Ivor said, “I've only got the one health potion.

You tell me where the rest of them are and it could be yours. Assuming that idiot over there corroborates your story, it's yours. What do you say?”

It didn't take the man long to make up his mind. He might have turned to banditry, but this man wasn't a stone cold killer.

“We took over a farm about an hour walk due west of here. It's really isolated.” The man said.

“You've made a good choice. Now, sit here and don't say a word.” The man nodded.

Ivor walked over to the main bandit. He stood over him for some time, gauging the right moment. The man was weakening from blood loss. Ivor squatted down, to whisper to the man.

“The kid said it's a cave to the east, about two hours. Can't miss it.”

The man's eyes lighted with renewed hope, “He's lying. It's a farmhouse, due west about an hour.” The man finished with a grin. Ivor stood up and stared into his eyes as the man continued to bleed out. The hope faded as the man finally realized he was dead. Twenty seconds later, it was over.

Ivor walked over to the other unconscious man and cut his femoral artery too. He wouldn't be waking back up.

Walking over to the last man. Ivor squatted down again.

“I don't have a health potion, and I don't leave enemies behind me. Tell me the truth of what happened on that farm and you won't feel a thing. Be obstinate like that idiot, and I'll spend a few minutes introducing you to pain you'll remember in the afterlife. Understand?” Ivor told the man.

“Shit. Ok, fine. We killed the old couple that lived there. I didn't, but our leader Uzea, he's a right bastard. He likes torturing folks.

He made the old lady watch as he cut up the old man. Then he spent a long time killing the old lady. You can't miss him.

He's the biggest man there. Black fur, carries a meat cleaver. There are eight more at the farmhouse, including Uzea.”

Ivor listened, then asked. “How strong is Uzea compared to that one?” Ivor pointed at the ambush leader.

“A bit stronger. They are the two strongest. They've known each other for a long time.

Grew up on the streets together. Damn near like brothers. Be careful of Uzea though, he likes to throw that cleaver of his. Oh, and there is another archer.

He likes to patrol the farm. Fancies himself some kind of ranger.” The man looked up at Ivor, realizing he had nothing left to tell him.

“Under different circumstances, I think you could have been a decent person. That's not how it turned out. I'll hold up my end of the bargain.” Ivor grabbed the man on either side of his head and twisted. A sharp crack rang through the night as the man's neck snapped.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ivor looted the bodies. He found a few silver and copper coins. All the weapons looked serviceable.

He stored them in his armor. He spent a few minutes moving the bodies away from the road. He put them out of sight in the copse of trees the bandits used for their ambush site.

He grabbed one more item, then headed out at a jog in the direction of the farmhouse holding the rest of the bandits.

Ivor slowed down as he felt he was getting closer. He could smell wood smoke in the air. Ivor activated his armor camouflage and moved closer towards his target.

He veered off of the direct westward route in case that lookout was watching for the others to return. He didn't stray too far off course though. He glimpsed some light through the trees ahead, and he slowed down even more. Ivor's route had taken him towards a field. He could see the field through a break in the trees.

Past the field was the farmhouse. There was light coming from the farmhouse, and a bit further back, there was some light coming from a small barn. Ivor stayed where he was for now.

He spent about a half hour waiting to see if he could spot anyone patrolling. Not noticing anyone didn't mean they weren't there, but Ivor wanted to get a move on. He started slowly circling around, just inside the woods, to get closer to that barn.

Coming out of the woods, Ivor made sure to keep the barn between himself and the farmhouse. His camouflage was still active on his armor as he reached a back corner of the barn. He paused when he heard some voices.

“Why do we have to sleep in the barn?” The voice was a bit nasally and definitely whiny.

Another more gruff voice called, “Quit your whining. Think you're better than us? It's seniority. We're the newest recruits and the farmhouse only has so many beds. You'll be spending time sleeping in much worse conditions in this lifestyle. No posh inns in your future, ya twit.”

The others all laughed.

“Fine, I'm going on patrol. Some of you should too,” The whiny one said.

The gruff voice responded again, “Yeah, yeah, we'll get right on that.” The men laughed again. Ivor heard the slight squeak of the barn doors opening. Staying low, Ivor peeked around the corner.

Someone was heading toward his area of the barn, and he was holding a bow in his right hand. Ivor wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. Staying crouched down around the corner, Ivor waited for the man to step past him.

Ivor quickly shot up, covering the man's mouth while flashing his knife in front of his face.

Ivor whispered, “Walk nice and slow into the woods over there. Struggle and you die. Nod your head if you understand.”

The man nodded. “Good, now walk.”

The man walked slowly into the woods, Ivor kept him moving for about ten minutes then stopped.

In a low voice, Ivor said, “I'm going to ask you some questions. Answer in a low voice. You scream, you die.

You struggle, you die. You try to run, you die. Now, I'm going to remove my hand from your mouth.

Stay facing away from me. If you do what I say, you just might live through this. Do you understand?” Ivor removed his hand from the man's mouth.

“I understand,” The man said in a low voice.

“Excellent. Are there any other archers back there?” Ivor asked.

“No. The other two are out waiting for a merchant,” The man replied.

“How many other men are back there and where are they?” Ivor continued.

“There are three in the barn, and four in the house.”

It seemed Ivor's intel was good.

“Is one of the ones in the house Uzea?” Ivor asked.

The man stiffened. “Uh, yes… how do you know that?”

Ignoring the man's question, Ivor finished,”Last question: are there any doors on the farmhouse other than the front one?”

“No, just the one door. Are you going to let me go? Let me live like you said?” The man was starting to tremble.

Ivor cut his throat and whispered into his ear as he bled out, “I said you 'might' live.” Ivor lowered the man's body to the forest floor, and he searched it. Ivor pocketed some more silver and stored the man's bow. He headed back to the barn.

Ivor stopped just inside the woods waiting for the lights to go out in the barn and the farmhouse. It appeared nobody was waiting up for the ambush team. Of course, any decent bandit leader wouldn't want the ambushers bringing the goods directly back to their hideout.

There were probably at least one or two hand off points to confuse any investigation or pursuit. After a couple of hours, the lights winked out in the farmhouse, then the barn. Ivor figured it was a little past midnight local time. He waited another hour and crept towards the barn.

He paused at the same corner as before. Hearing only snoring, Ivor carefully and slowly crept towards the barn doors. He would be visible to the farmhouse as he rounded the corner to go through the doors. Moving slowly, Ivor slid through the gap in the barn doors, left open by the archer.

Ivor moved off to the side and let his eyes adjust to the deeper darkness in the barn. He could see three people scattered about the barn lying down on stacks of hay. Slitting a throat was noisy business. Way more noisy than people thought.

However, Ivor couldn't take the risk of having anyone screaming, he would have to make this quick. Stalking around the sleeping men to make sure he wouldn't trip over anything. Ivor figured out his best route.

Pulling out his short swords, Ivor exploded into action. Three quick slices was all it took. The startled men grabbed their throats trying to stem the blood loss. Their choice of bedding aided Ivor. As they kicked and thrashed, the hay absorbed all the sound. In a short time, all three were dead.

Ivor realized his original assessment was off. He moved so fast now, that killing these men in their sleep was simple. He still had to adapt his thinking to his new physical capabilities.

When he had time to plan, he was still planning based on his old body and how it moved. He would have to adjust his planning going forward. However, none of that impacted what he was going to do next. He once again looted anything of value off the bodies.

Ivor gathered up some fresh hay into bundles. Moving carefully, Ivor piled up the hay and some dead branches from the forest all along the back of the farmhouse. Using the lantern from the barn, Ivor poured out all the lantern oil, and he set the whole thing on fire. Moving back to the barn, Ivor waited.

It only took a couple minutes for the entire back of the farmhouse to turn into an inferno. Shouts came from inside the house as smoke started pouring from various cracks and crevices. Four men came bolting out the front door of the farmhouse. Ivor grabbed the item he had brought from the ambush site and walked toward the farmhouse.

The flames at the back of the house were casting shadows in the front. Ivor stopped just inside those shadows with his armor camouflage still on.

As the four men looked at the burning house, Ivor raised his voice, “Time to die Uzea. The crown has come for your head.”

The four men quickly spun around drawing weapons. There was a large butcher's cleaver in Urea's hand as he squinted into the shadows trying to locate the sound of the voice.

“Big talk from a coward that hides in the shadows,” Uzea roared.

“When I step out of the shadows, your lives end. Just ask your friend.”

Uzea watched as something flew out of the shadows and landed with a thump at his feet. Quickly looking down, his rage flared as he was looking at the head of his best friend.

“Maybe you'll be better sport.” The voice said, and a man stepped out of the shadows. It was hard to see his form. Uzea didn't care. His rage was incandescent.

“You're a dead man!!!” Uzea screamed and hurled his cleaver with all his strength. Uzea rushed after the cleaver fully expecting to pull it out of the chest of this fool. Uzea hoped the man lived. He wanted to take his time with this one.

Uzea nearly missed a step as the man leaned slightly out of the way and the cleaver sailed on past him. Uzea screamed as he outstretched his hands wanting to get ahold of the man. His scream of rage turned into a scream of intense pain as he felt his knee shatter.

Uzea tumbled and slid a few meters before he stopped. There were several grunts, cracks and one scream. Then there was just the sound of the burning farmhouse and Urea's heavy breathing.

Uzea painfully pushed himself up to stand on one leg. The man walking towards him had two sticks in his hands. Behind the man, Urea's men lay unmoving on the ground.

“One of your men said you were strong. That's good. If you tell me where all the goods you've stolen are, I might let you live. No more pain… and you are a man that understands pain, right Uzea?”

Uzea listened to that voice and stared into those eyes. A cold chill ran down his spine. Uzea considered himself a predator. He revelled in it. The man walking towards him was death.

“Go fuck yourself,” Uzea spat. Sneering at the stranger.

The man shrugged. Uzea screamed again as his other knee shattered. Dropping down to the ground, Uzea realized, even through the pain, he didn't see the man move. Laying on his back, grimacing in pain, Uzea watched the man look down on him.

“Are you sure?” The man asked.

Uzea gritted his teeth and spat at the man's feet.

Shrugging, the man reached down and grabbed Uzea's hand by the wrist. With seemingly no effort the man lifted Urea's considerable bulk halfway off the ground. The man kicked out with his foot, shattering Uzea's right elbow. Uzea screamed again.

“Still sure?” The dead look in the man's eyes made Uzea reconsider his options. He liked dishing out the pain, it was exciting, but he'd never really been on the receiving end. He found he didn't like it at all.

“Fine you bastard. There's a rocky hill about a half hour further west in the forest. There is a cave hidden behind some boulders on the north side of the hill.

Most everything is in there.” Sharp pains shot up both legs and his right arm as Uzea moved a little too much. He grimaced in pain, then continued, “There's a root cellar on the side of the house. You'll have to wait for the fire to calm down, but in the cellar is a bag I stashed. There is a health potion in there. You said you'd let me live.”

The man chuckled. “I said 'might'.” Stepping to the other side of Uzea. The man reached down and grabbed his left hand. Uzea screamed again as the man shattered his other elbow. The man then proceeded to pat Uzea down, removing everything on him except his armor.

“We wouldn't want to waste this nice hot fire now would we Uzea.” The man reached down and wrapped his hand around Uzea' belt buckle and pants. Lifting the man with one hand, Uzea screamed long and loud as his useless arms and legs flopped against the ground.

Realizing what the man meant, Uzea began to beg, “No, no, no, no… you don't have to do this.” As the Uzea started feeling the heat from the burning building, he broke into sobs. Then he felt a breeze. No, not a breeze, he saw the sky moving, he was flying through the air.

Ivor watched as Uzea flew into the inferno that was the burning farmhouse. There was only a brief, high pitched, scream as the heat and smoke destroyed the man's vocal cords. He quickly looted the three dead men with crushed skulls and started back through the forest.

The Captain could send people to retrieve the goods and Uzea's stash later. Ivor still had a job to finish. The quest hadn't ended yet.

Ivor jogged back to town once he reached the road. Taking far less time than the wagon ride out, it was still dark when the town guard let him through the gate. Ivor made his way to the merchant's warehouse. The caretaker was still looking over the bound and unconscious body.

“Please go get the Captain,” Ivor told the man. The man nodded and left the warehouse.

About 30 minutes later the Captain arrived with a group of guards and the caretaker.

“Why are you back so soon? What happened?” The Captain's skepticism was all over his face.

“The merchant and his guard are on their route safe and sound.” Ivor said.

“Ah, so the bandits didn't show,” The Captain nodded.

“Oh, no, they did. They're dead. I found their hideout and those ones are dead too.” Ivor gave him directions to the farmhouse and the cave. He also told the Captain about Uzea's stash in the farmhouse cellar.

Ivor pointed to a pile of weapons he had unloaded from his storage. “Those are weapons the bandits were carrying. Feel free to do whatever you want with them.”

“I'll need to verify this.” The Captain turned to one of his men and told them to get a small group of guards to take some fast steeds and verify Ivor's claims.

“You'll want to talk to this one.” Ivor pointed to the unconscious body behind him. “They'll be part of this, but I think I've figured it out. You can use that one to verify my findings. Ivor held up the communication stone he got off the lookout and the one he found on Uzea. The runes were slightly different. “If I'm right, there is a new or newish Enchanter in town. Possibly someone from the city. Possibly a noble of some sort. They have a grudge against the Lord Mayor for some reason.

May be related to the impending nuptials. Either way, they created these communication stones. The lookout was communicating with the Enchanter. The Enchanter was communicating with the bandits.

It's been a long day for me. I'm going to head back to the guard tower and get some sleep. Wake me up if you need help convincing this one to cooperate.”

Ivor went back to the guard tower, and entered the guest quarters. His stuff hadn't moved. Ivor took his boots off, not bothering with his armor, and laid down on the bed.

It seemed like he had only closed his eyes for a moment when there was a knock on the door. Ivor sat up and grabbed his boots.

“Come in,” He said.

The Captain opened the door and was standing on the threshold. “The Enchanter's apprentice began talking immediately. He was a low level criminal before the Enchanter arrived. He got caught trying to rob the guy's shop. The Enchanter told him to come on as his apprentice or die. The kid agreed.

He's a halfway decent thief. Combine that with gear the enchanter gave him, and the kid was able to slip into merchant shops and warehouses at night to read changes in plans, listen in on conversations, and read documents. He didn't actually steal anything. So nobody was the wiser.”

“Yeah, that tracks. Hire the kid,” Ivor yawned. He must have actually been tired. Maybe mental exhaustion. He hadn't killed that many people in that brutal of a fashion in a long time.

The Captain was shocked, “Hire the thief. Why?”

“Part of your problem is you don't have an eye on the underworld in your town. Otherwise someone would have ratted that kid out. I guarantee somebody saw him skulking around, despite the gear.

The kid is too young to have the discipline not to get caught. Find a way for him to be part of the underworld. Make a bit of a name for himself.

Harmless crimes, maybe smuggling or something. He can be your eyes and ears,” Ivor told him.

“Is this how the crown operates?” The Captain scoffed.

“This is how all major powers stay in power my friend. Information is life,” Ivor countered.

“I'll consider it. That's not why I'm here. The kid mentioned the Enchanter has some protections around his shop and possibly on his person. I was hoping you could come along when we apprehend him.”

Ivor nodded, “Yeah, sure. Give me a few minutes. Also, bring one or two guards with you. We don't want to make a scene and potentially spook him.”

Ivor used the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. Before meeting the Captain and two guards outside the guard tower.

It was a pleasant walk to the Enchanter's. I was still pretty early, and the typical smells of fresh baked bread and wood smoke wafted through the air. Ivor thought it was kind of nice.

As they were still several shops away from the Enchanter's store, Ivor said, “Let me go in first. Give me until the count of thirty, then come in.”

“Of course,” The Captain replied.

Ivor walked down the street and into the shop. It was tastefully done. Wide aisles with displays of enchanted items behind glass and displayed on the walls. A sour faced man stood behind the counter watching Ivor as he walked in. The Enchanter's eyes widened.

Ivor had to chuckle. He hoped the guy would identify his armor.

A grin spread across the man's face, “Welcome good sir. How may this humble Enchanter help you today?”

Ivor pointed at a dagger in the case next to him, “I'd like you to tell me about this dagger.”

The man stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to the display case, “I'm not sure that trinket would be worth the sir's time, but it's a dagger I had enchanted for an adventurer who, sadly, didn't make it through a dungeon. It has a nasty bleed effect, but probably a little too Basic for you.” The Enchanter emphasized the word 'Basic.' Letting Ivor know that he knew Ivor's armor was at least higher than basic. Ivor didn't know if the Enchanter could tell it was Master level armor.

As Ivor nodded at the man, Captain Elgar walked into the shop. One guard was standing out front, the other was not visible. The Captain probably sent them around back to cover the back door.

The Captain held out his hand with the two communication stones in it. “Is this your work Enchanter?”

The man paused for a moment, seemingly surprised, then Ivor saw the sour look appear back on his face as he pulled something out of his pocket.

“You'll never…..aggggggghhhhhhhhhh!”, the man screamed as Ivor clamped down on the man's wrist, shattering the bone. Ivor followed it up with a light punch to the stomach. The Enchanter vomited all over his own boots.

“Never let them monologue Captain.” Ivor stated. As the Enchanter lay in his own vomit cradling his crushed wrist and sobbing, Ivor rifled through his clothes. Ivor found what he was looking for in an inside vest pocket. Two communication stones, matching those the Captain held.

“I'll take that under advisement as well.” The Captain seemed not to appreciate Ivor's methods.

“Well, what's next?” Ivor was half talking to the dungeon rather than the Captain.

“We'll take him back to the guard tower and question him. I'll have some guards comb through the stuff here.”

Ivor held up a hand, “Bring the kid. Under guard of course. Consider it a job interview. The kid has been working with the guy for a while. He might save you some time, and maybe prevent some evidence from being destroyed.

I'm going to get some breakfast at that bakery we saw on the way. Come get me when you need me.”

Ivor walked off nearly drooling at the thought of having some fresh baked goods. Were dungeon-created baked goods, real baked goods? Ivor had a number of thoughts like this as he made his way to the bakery.

The bakery was fantastic. Ivor had plenty of local funds thanks to the bandits, and he definitely overpaid for the baker's assistant to go get him some eggs and meat from another shop close by. The combination of baked goods, eggs and some ham analog was delightful. There was tea, so meh, but everything else was delicious.

Ivor sat around for a couple hours listening to the rumors as people came in to buy baked goods. Apparently, word of the bandits' demise had already gotten out. One of the guards talked for sure.

To a wife, girlfriend, prostitute, somebody. After that, the rumor mill went into overdrive. Ivor was pretty impressed with what he accomplished in one night, but, leave it to the rumor mill to amplify everything beyond reason.

A couple of times, he laughed out loud, earning a couple of nasty looks from those he was eavesdropping on.

As the shop owner came back out to fill his tea, Ivor said “I appreciate you letting me take up space like this. Your baked goods are fantastic.”

The shop owner waved away the comment, “I saw you walking up the street with the Guard Captain. I figured you were someone important. Of course, all the coin doesn't hurt either.” The man chuckled at his own joke. “What do you think of the rumors?”

“Oh some of them are fantastically outlandish. Great stories. A couple of them got most of the details right. The bandits didn't set the fire on the farmhouse, I started it to force them outside. I didn't want to be all cooped up with four armed men in a house,” Ivor said to the man.

The shop owner blinked, then laughed, “Ohhhh, that's a good one. You almost had me there sir.”

At that moment, the Guard Captain walked in and approached Ivor's table, “The Lord Mayor would like to extend an invitation to the crown's representative and I quote “Bane of Bandits.” The last bit was said with as much cringing as Ivor felt.

The shop owner nearly dropped his tea pot. Looking from the Captain to Ivor, back to the Captain and back to Ivor. Ivor looked at the man and pressed a few silver into his hand, “Now don't go spreading rumors.”

The shop owner sputtered, “I…I would never…I…”

Ivor winked at the man, “Unless they're good ones. Thank you for the baked goods and company.”

With that Ivor walked out of the bakery.

As the Captain pointed in the direction they needed to go, he said, “You realize that man is going to use that to entice more business to his establishment.”

Ivor laughed, and said, “I sure hope so.”

By this point, the town was in full swing, it took the two of them 30 minutes to get to the Lord Mayor's manor. Mansion really. The place was huge. Well, he was a successful mayor of a successful town. Who was Ivor to judge?

There was a large wall seeming to surround the manor. They were walking towards an ornate gate with two guards posted out front. The guards were wearing different colors than the Captain's guards do. Ivor looked at Captain Elgar.

“The Lord Mayor is allowed a certain number of private guards. We don't actually work for the Lord Mayor, but the town itself. It's decreed in the Town Charter.” The Captain stated.

Obviously recognizing the Captain, the Lord Mayor's guard let them in. They were met by a servant who directed them to a large hall. Likely a ball room. There was a slightly raised stage with a large desk.

A man was sitting behind the desk, writing something. Several advisors seemed to be hovering about, along with some other people in the room. Ivor wasn't sure if they were hangers on or other petitioners waiting for the Lord Mayor's time.

Seeing the two approaching, the Lord Mayor signaled to one of his subordinates and whispered something. The woman rushed off through a side door.

“Well, Captain, I see you've found our intrepid hero, the Bane of Bandits,” The man said with a smile.

Ivor cringed, and it must have shown.

The Lord Mayor chuckled, “Too much? Well, it's good for the town. So please indulge me in this as the rumor will turn into legend, and that legend will make other bandits think twice about setting up shop outside my town.”

Ivor nodded. “Happy to help the Lord Mayor in any way I can.”

“Good man. The Captain may have already told you, but several guards verified the locations and corpses of the bandits. We've found the stolen goods, or at least most of them. We are in the process of contacting the appropriate parties. We have the confession of the Enchanter. So we have much to thank you for.”

As the Lord Mayor finished speaking, a beautiful woman along with a man wearing plate armor strode into the hall from the side door. The woman took the Lord Mayor's arm. As the man in plate armor, strode up to Ivor.

Looking Ivor up and down, the man sneered, “This man claims to have killed 16 bandits by himself. I don't think he could fight himself out of his own bedding in the morning.”

A few of the hangers-on laughed at that.

Ivor said, “It was 15. The merchant guard killed one.”

The man barked out a laugh, “A liar and a braggart. Very well, 15 bandits. Well then, I challenge you to a duel, today. We will make a spectacle of it for my lady's impending nuptials.”

Ivor held up his hand to stop the blowhard from continuing, “Lord Mayor, I thought your soon-to-be bride wasn't arriving for another nine days?”

The Lord Mayor shrugged, “A necessary ruse to try to get the bandits to make a mistake. My lady was smuggled into the city with her bodyguard several days ago. I received some information that there may be trouble coming due to the marriage.” Looking at his fiancé, “We thought it was best to make them play on our timetable.”

Ivor elbowed the Captain in the side and pointed at the Lord Mayor, “See what a good information network can do.” The Captain rolled his eyes and nodded.

Apparently, the blowhard didn't like the attention taken off of him, “Sir, are you ignoring my request for a duel. Are you a liar, braggart and a coward?”

Ivor turned to look at the man, “Oh right, you. Yeah sure I accept. Where I'm from men shake each other's hand to signal they agree to the terms.”

“Excellent, we can finally put all these silly rumors to rest.” The man held out his steel gauntleted hand.

Ivor took the hand in his, and started to squeeze. Immediately, the tortured sound of metal bending in ways it wasn't supposed to echoed through the ballroom. The triumphant look on the man's face quickly turned to concern, then pain, then terror at what Ivor was doing.

“I rescind my challenge!!!” The man literally screamed. Ivor stopped crushing the man's hand, but he pulled him close and whispered. “You don't have the temperament for this work. Leave her service and find something else to do, or I'll come back here and we'll have that duel.”

You could hear a pin drop in the room. However, the Lord Mayor recovered quickly.

“Well now that that's over with. Perhaps a feast is in order.”

Ivor shook his head, “Lord Mayor, while I appreciate your kindness. I have other duties to attend to. You understand.”

“Of course, of course. At least let us send you off with your reward.” He motioned for several servants to wheel over a small cart with a chest sitting on it. The Lord Mayor motioned him to open it.

Ivor hadn't even bothered to look at his notifications about the bandit kills. He knew they weren't too high level. However, as he opened it, notification appeared like the last dungeon.

Loot received…

Health potion - (Minor) x2

Stamina potion - (Minor) x2

Mana potion - (Minor) x2

50 gold coins

Extra experience awarded for quest completion time…

Extra experience awarded for hidden quest completion: Save the Merchant

Extra experience awarded for hidden quest completion: Help the Apprentice

Extra experience awarded for hidden quest completion: Protect the Lady

Extra experience awarded for hidden quest completion: Become a Legend

Bane of Bandits Dungeon - completed

Time to dungeon reset: 60:00..

59:59…

59:58…

59:57…

Ivor grabbed the bag of coins and bag of potions and bowed to the Lord Mayor, “You are too kind sir”

“Nonsense,” The Lord Mayor said, “Nothing is too good for the Bane of Bandits.” The Lord Mayor relished the pained look on Ivor's face.

Ivor and the Captain took their leave and left the Manor. As they entered the guard tower, the Captain said, “Stop by my office before you leave, please.”

Ivor nodded and headed to his room to pack up his belongings. In no time at all he was back in the Captain's office.

The man came around his desk and shook Ivor's hand, “All of the guards wanted to pool some funds together as thanks for the help you provided us. Your work getting rid of those bandits so fast saved a lot of lives. Probably quite a few guards as well. Anyway, I had a better idea. I confiscated everything in the Enchanters shop to pay for his crimes. I found something that I think you, of all people, can use. The men all agreed, and we'd like you to have it.

The Captain walked over and picked up a spear that was leaning against the wall. It wasn't ornate, but the wood of the shaft looked solid. The spear tip was thicker and wider than Ivor was used to seeing.

Like in the last dungeon, the System only helped Ivor out with the name.

Loot received……

The Inevitable Spear

Ivor stored the spear in his armor's weapon storage.

The Captain shook his head, “I wondered where you kept your weapons.”

“Captain, it's been a pleasure. Good luck. Live well.”

The Captain nodded, “You too.”

Ivor walked through the town and reached the gate. The guards bowed to him. Ivor smiled and walked through the gate to find himself in the same clearing he started from. Only two and a half hours had passed in the Evaluation. A bunch of notifications were waiting for him.

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Ivor grunted as the massive amount of stats affected him. Taking a ragged breath, Ivor pulled up his stats.

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 920

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 70

Agility: 70

Endurance: 70

Constitution: 70

Intelligence: 70

Wisdom: 70

Willpower: 85

Perception: 70

Health: 700

Mana: 700

Stamina: 745

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ivor's stats had jumped by 20 points in one shot. There was an immense sort of pain/pressure inside of him, but it quickly subsided. Given it had only been a short time since he entered, it was possible there were still goblins in the area.

So Ivor took it slow on the way back. He didn't run into any groups of goblins, but there were traces of goblins and monster passage in the area.

Ivor made it back to the village without any trouble.

“Was there an issue with the dungeon?” Zed asked, “You are back much earlier than expected.”

Ivor shook his head, “Done.”

Zed looked shocked, “Did the System change that dungeon? It used to be some sort of 10 to 1 time dilation. Something about getting rid of bandits in 10 days. I expected you back tomorrow.”

“Same dungeon. I completed it.”

Zed blinked several times, “Umm, how?”

Ivor explained what happened in the dungeon, including all the hidden quests.

Zed laughed out loud, “Oh my, that is simply delightful. I wish I could have been there to experience it.”

Ivor chuckled, “Me too, Zed. Me too.”

Ivor showed the spear to Zed.

“Ah, this is an interesting spear. Very well made. The enchantment could have been better given the materials, but it is still a fine spear. Once per day, you can activate the spear's enchantment that allows you to bypass any armor,” Zed explained.

“Any armor?” Ivor was skeptical. “Natural or otherwise? Any amount of armor?”

“Based on the way the System works, this should bypass any and all armor once per day. The System would explain any limitations within the text description of the item. I know you do not have [Analyze] yet, but trust me, this will penetrate any armor once per day.” Zed proceeded to show Ivor how to activate the enchantment.

It was rather simple, but it wasn't quite instantaneous. He had to feed mana into a certain rune on the shaft. Zed explained that he would get faster at doing it as he worked with his mana more in the future. Ivor just hadn't really worked much with his mana.

Zed gave Ivor more news, “I will be done merging this crystal in a few hours, if you would like to get on the road to the next village today.”

Ivor thought about it. “You know. I think I'm going to just take it easy today. I haven't killed that many people like that in a long time. I'm a little mentally drained.”

“If you do not mind me prying, can you explain this to me?” Zed seemed genuinely curious.

Ivor thought for a moment, but he realized it was better to talk through this stuff than bottle it up. Ivor gave detailed accounts of the bandit battles. Not sparing or embellishing any of the details for Zed.

Once he was done detailing the battles, Ivor continued, “You've probably already digested much if not all of our information from Earth. Many people that do what I did are either functional sociopaths, or the mental toll builds until they have to stop. I'm neither, really. There is something about my brain that allows me to process what I've done. I do feel for these people, to a degree, but I can also, just let it go. It's why I'm still sane after all these years. I just haven't done that, in that manner, in a while. It will take me some time to process.”

“Well, I have absorbed all your psychological texts, but it certainly does not make me an expert, as I do not actually think like a human. However, one thing that seems to be a common thread is that it is good to talk about it when you are ready. I may not be able to help you other than to just listen.” Zed's sincerity shocked Ivor. He'd been to a few Agency shrinks, but Ivor had never really had anyone he could call a friend.

“You know, Zed. Thank you. I'll take you up on that offer when needed.”

“Of course Mr. Kemble.”

“Zed, if we are going to become friends. You should start calling me Ivor.”

“Very well, Ivor. What would you like to do for the rest of the day?” Zed asked.

“I think I'm going to take a long shower. Then I'm going to trade in these gold coins at the Market and do some retail therapy. Even if I don't buy anything other than those antidotes, it will help take my mind off things. Hopefully, I'll get to sleep, and we can start out early tomorrow for that village near the Inheritance. Sound good to you?”

“Of course, Ivor. Enjoy your day. Just call out if you need me.”

With that, Zed disappeared, giving Ivor some alone time.

Ivor awoke on day 19 of the Evaluation feeling much better mentally. He had traded his gold for credits, which made him feel fairly wealthy. In truth, Ivor figured he was doing ok for his situation, but people like Aza Krix were probably truly wealthy.

Ivor didn't care, as long as he had enough. He had hardly spent any of his money from his years of work. Nearly everything he did was paid for. So that money just collected interest.

By Earth standards, he was rich before the System. Not that he paid much attention to it. It was mostly a nest egg for Marie. Ivor had purchased the poison antidotes and a few other minor things.

“Good morning Zed.” Ivor greeted the former A.I.

“Good morning Ivor. Will we be heading out?” Zed asked.

“Yep. I'd like to make it to the next village today, and, if possible, find the Inheritance.”

Zed nodded and disappeared as a pillar rose from the floor. Ivor grabbed the crystal and his large pack, and headed out of the village.

With 20 more points in Agility, Ivor could move much faster without taking a hit to his stamina regeneration. He didn't stop to fight anything, and he arrived in the last village on their list just past mid-day. Ivor dropped off Zed's crystal, and dropped all his gear. He packed one small backpack with his water flask, an antidote, a few potions and a couple Meal Packets. He set off in the direction of the Inheritance.

Ivor took his time, getting in the habit of turning on the armor's camouflage capability while in new territory. Despite his higher than normal stats, he didn't want to become overconfident. It took him about an hour to reach a clearing with a lone building standing in the middle.

The architecture of this building was nothing like the Admin building Zed resided in. The building itself was shorter and the door he could see seemed designed shorter as well. The door was probably half again as wide as a door Ivor was used to. It seemed to indicate a short, wide species. Which could make sense on a high gravity world like this one.

Ivor made his way to the door and touched it.

Vamhael Inheritance…

There are 5 challenges of increasing difficulty…

You can stop at any time…

All benefits gained in any challenges will be lost if all 5 are not completed….

Do you wish to challenge the Vamhael Inheritance? Yes/No

Ivor selected Yes, and with a brief flash of light, he was standing in a good sized room. The room was rectangular, wider than it was deep. From the left wall to the right it was about 90 meters and, from what Ivor could tell, it was about 30 meters from where he was at the entrance to the back wall.

Standing in the middle of the room was a person. They were about 5 feet tall and thick. Thick everywhere. Torso, legs, arms, everything was thick. The boots the person was wearing were very wide.

The head was wide as well, with nearly no neck to speak of. The head and face were bare of any kind of hair or fur. The eyes were a bit wider than a human's. The nose was squat and flatter against the face. The ears seemed to be just slight protrusions out from the head. On closer inspection, Ivor seemed to see scales of some kind, but very faint and part of the skin rather than standing on top of it. They were bipedal with two arms and two lgs.

The arms ended in two hands. One large set of hands had three thick fingers and an opposable thumb. On the bottom side of the larger hand, slightly back of the wrist, was another hand, with more delicate appendages.

More delicate than a human's, in fact. Looking slightly closer, it appeared that these smaller hands could retract back into the bottom side of the forearm for protection.

The person smiled at Ivor, showing off large square teeth. Ivor seemed to remember something about lack of sharp teeth indicating possibly a herbivore. He wouldn't stake his life on that though. One thing that stood out, was that after spending some time with Zed, Ivor could tell Zed wasn't solid. This person had that same look to it. A projection of some kind then.

“Welcome Challenger to the Vamhael Inheritance. My name is Culs, and I'm the judge of this challenge. Might I know your name?”

Ivor picked up on two things. First, having a judge implied there are some hidden factors to these challenges. Second, Culs might be like Zed, a former A.I of some sort.

“My name is Ivor, Culs. Well met.” Ivor replied.

Culs nodded, “As the judge of this Inheritance, I will explain the rules. You have five challenges to take. The runic circles behind me are those challenges. Starting from left to right, you will step inside each circle and that challenge will begin.

You can stop the challenge at any time. If you stop a challenge before it ends, you don't get that benefit of the Inheritance. If you don't complete all five challenges, you don't get any benefits of the Inheritance. You can leave the Inheritance at any time, but you can not come back. Ever. You have a maximum of 10 days to complete the challenges.

Let me know what type of facilities you require for your stay here, and I will create them. Do you understand the rules of the Inheritance?”

Ivor nodded, “I do, Culs. May I ask some questions before I begin?”

Culs smiled a broad toothy grin, “Of course, Ivor.”

“Are you a former A.I like the World Guardian?” Ivor asked.

“Ah, you've noticed that, have you? I'm not a former A.I, although this projection is similar. It was built for the express purpose of running this Inheritance. To head off your next question, I did actually exist as a Vamhael. At the time we realized our species was going to die out, we implored the System to allow us to create this Inheritance and offer it to worthy challengers when the last Vamhael died. I was chosen to represent our species, it is a great honor,” Culs explained.

“Speaking of worthy challengers. Can you tell me what specifically triggered the quest for the Inheritance?' Ivor really was curious, but it might also tell him the type of challenges he would face.

“Excellent, Ivor. You are an intelligent one. Yes, you were offered the quest when your Willpower reached 50 or above,” Culs stated.

“Thank you Culs. I would like to know about you. What did you do in Vamhael society? Why were you chosen to represent your species?” Ivor was more and more curious about the Vamhael.

“It's nice of you to ask, Ivor. Oddly enough, through all the challenges ever undertaken, no one has actually asked that. I was an Artificer. Are you familiar with that term?”

Ivor nodded and responded, “The term is familiar to me, but that might be System translation shenanigans. What did a Vamhael Artificer do?”

“Oh Artificers did many things. We created constructs, machines large and small that ran off runes and mana cores. Some used their skills to enchant weapons or armor. Some made fantastic jewelry or other tiny things.

Vamhael children loved our small constructed toys. Some focused on more civil projects, like sewage, water, monster processing. You name it. If we had runes for it, the only thing that limited us was our own imagination,” Culs responded. Clearly he had loved his profession.

“Our species are not too different in that respect. Instead of mana, we used technology to build many of the things you just spoke about,” Ivor explained.

“To answer your other question, I was chosen because I built those runic circles back there.” Culs pointed back to the challenge circles. “…and besides, I'm a hell of a nice guy.”

Ivor chuckled at the gregarious Vamhael.

“Can't argue with that, Culs. If I felt unprepared for 10 days here, would I be able to leave now and get some more supplies?”

“Since you haven't officially started the challenges, I would allow it,” Culs responded.

“Final question before I start, am I allowed to use potions or other aids between challenges?”

“Of course, anything you have on you or brought with you, you could use. With the exception of other people. This challenge is for the individual. You can't go out and bring a team in to help you.”

Ivor commented, “I don't have a team anyway, but it's good to know I could grab more stuff if I felt I needed it. However, I don't think I do. So, I think I can get started.”

“If you don't mind a question of my own Ivor, why don't you have a team? You seem like an agreeable sort,” Culs questioned.

“There is no team to be had. I'm here alone,” Ivor responded.

“Yes, you're here alone, but what about the nearby village?” Culs questioned again.

“Ah, I see the confusion. No, I'm in the Evaluation alone. There are no other humans on this whole planet.”

Culs stood in shock. After a few seconds, he asked, “How?”

“Well, I was dying when the System descended on my world. However, I wouldn't accept that, and apparently my Willpower was high enough to confuse the System. I ended up here when the Sector Zero Administrator agreed to process me. I have no idea where the rest of humanity is.” Ivor had no reason not to tell the truth.

“Well, that is indeed interesting. This should make for a very interesting challenge,” Culs commented.

“How do we get this show on the road, Culs?”

“Go ahead and stand in the first circle on your left.” Culs pointed to the circle. “Once inside I'll ask if you want to begin the challenge. When you answer in the affirmative, it will begin. I will be monitoring, and you can cancel at any time by just calling out to me.”

Ivor nodded and placed his backpack down, and walked to the middle of the first circle.

“Ivor, do you wish to start the first challenge?” Culs asked.

“I do,” Ivor responded.

“Good luck. The challenge will start in 3, 2, 1…”

Everything went black. Then the runic circle lit up. Ivor could see inside the circle, but everything outside was pitch black. Ivor was wondering when things were going to start when he felt something. Both of his hands were tingling.

Ivor looked down, and wished he wouldn't have. The skin on his hands was drying and cracking. New skin was forming in the cracks.

It started spreading up his arms. Ivor kept staring at his hands. The pain started ramping up as his skin started to blacken and flake off. New skin began forming almost immediately, but that didn't deaden the pain.

Soon Ivor felt his whole body simultaneously itching, burning, and freezing. He struggled not to scratch or move. He just kept staring at his hands. He was grunting with the pain, but it hadn't reached a threshold he was concerned with yet.

He just had to endure. For what seemed like an eternity Ivor tried his best to ignore what was happening to his skin. It was probably much less time, but eventually the pain stopped and the darkness descended once again.

Ivor blinked as the room came back into view.

“Well done, Ivor. You've passed the first challenge. Feel free to step out of the circle.”

Ivor did so, then he noticed something odd. There was a thin layer of disgusting goop coating his skin.

Ivor turned to Culs, “Those facilities you mentioned, can you create a shower for me. I'd like to get this goop off of me.”

“Of course, Ivor, just step through that door.” Culs pointed to a door on the left side of the room that Ivor was sure didn't exist when he came in here.

Ivor noticed the door was sized for a human. As he stepped inside , there was a simple shower with two runes under the shower head at about chest height to Ivor. He fed a bit of mana into the rune on the left and water came out. Ivor let it run for a while. It stayed the same cold temperature. Ivor wasn't sure how to turn the water off, he didn't have any way to absorb the mana from the rune.

He shrugged as he fed mana into the other rune. The water became lukewarm. Ah, he thought, cold water on the right, and hot water on the left.

Pushing a bit more mana into the hot water rune, Ivor stripped out of his armor. While he was rinsing off, he noticed two other runes that he either missed or weren't there until the water was running. The two runes weren't as obvious as the hot and cold water runes.

They sat in between those runes, one on top of the other. He fed mana into the bottom rune. The shower pressure increased slightly.

Nice. When he fed mana into the top rune, the water cut off and the two runes disappeared. Ok, got it. Ivor fed mana into the hot and cold runes again and watched the two other runes reappear.

With the plumbing all figured out, Ivor spent a good bit of time getting the goop off of himself and his armor. He also spent a bit of time thinking about his first challenge. He had some questions for Culs, and hopefully he had figured these challenges out.

Ivor finished getting all the goop off of his body. He didn't have soap in his backpack. So hot water and high water pressure would have to do. He did notice, the high water pressure didn't seem to affect his skin as much as he expected it would. That only solidified in his mind what these challenges were.

Ivor also learned a neat trick his armor self-cleaning feature contained; it could dry nearly instantly if he fed it a bit of mana. He discovered that after the poison antidote pushed all the crap out of his body.

Clean and dry, Ivor walked back into the room where Culs waited.

“The Vamhael were Cultivators before the System arrived.” It was a statement not a question.

“The term is unfamiliar to me,” Culs said, but he had a grin on his face.

“As I said earlier, our species share the trait of imagination. We created written works of fiction that imagined a people that could utilize mana. Maybe all of them could or maybe only a few could. The results of that mana usage took many forms.

I believe that this challenge is meant to simulate what we would call a body cultivator. Someone that uses mana to improve the structure of their body in various ways. I think the first challenge changed my skin. I may be able to guess the rest,” Ivor explained.

“Fascinating. The whole point of this Inheritance was to find a species that understood what we had before the System. To pass on a part of our legacy. What you describe is correct. While I can't give you insight into the details of the next challenges. I can say you are on the right track,” Culs said.

“Alright, let's start challenge number two,” Ivor stated.

“You don't want to wait to recover?” Culs questioned.

“Nope, all good. Maybe after this one.” Ivor said as he stepped into the second circle.

“Ivor, do you wish to start the second challenge?” Culs asked.

“I do,” Ivor responded.

“The challenge will be start in 3, 2, 1…”

Again, Ivor's vision went black. Then the runes on the second circle lit up. Ivor only had a second to wait before he felt an uncomfortable pain inside him. Yeah, this was going to be unpleasant. One by one, Ivor's internal organs were destroyed and rebuilt.

Over and over. Ivor was doubled over in pain, but he merely grunted with each painful spike. Once again, the time seemed eternal.

Then finally, blackness once again. Once again Ivor found himself back in the challenge room covered in goop. This time, it was thicker and it stunk worse than raw sewage.

“I'll be back in a bit.” Ivor told Culs as he once again went in to shower off. It took longer to get all the goop off. Ivor's boots still hadn't dried out from the first shower.

He didn't want to be walking around in wet boots. He decided to go barefoot. Hell, he didn't even need to wear his armor for this. Or clothes at all for that matter.

Raising his voice hoping Culs could hear him, Ivor said “Culs, would you be offended if I didn't wear any clothes to do these?”

Culs barked a laugh, “I wondered how long you'd keep wearing that armor. Nope, won't offend me at all.”

Ivor just shook his head. Finishing up his shower, Ivor did put some clothes on as he planned on taking a break. In general, nudism wasn't really his thing.

As Ivor pulled out a Meal Packet and his water flask, he asked Culs a question, “I know what my people imagine tempering the internal organs do, but are you able to add some insight to what that actually did for me?”

“Now that you've gone through the challenge, I sure can.” Culs seemed happy to explain. “First, your organs function better. They aren't replaced or anything like that. They work much more efficiently and are immune to failure and disease that may have afflicted your species before.

Second, they are much sturdier. Non-invasive attacks, like sonic or force attacks, have much, much less effect on your internal organs. For your skin, same first improvement.

The second improvement is almost like having natural armor. With these improvements, your skin is going to be difficult to pierce or slash by anyone your level or lower. All of these improvements scale with your level as well. However, it doesn't mean you are invincible. Skills, magic attacks, debuffs, higher level opponents, can all still damage you.

You won't take as much damage as someone without your body tempering, but you will still take damage.”

“While I'm taking a break, if you don't mind, tell me more about Vamhael society. I'd like to hear what other similarities or differences our species have.” Ivor took a drink of water.

A little shocked at the request, but happy none the less, Culs began telling Ivor about the Vamhael history before the System. Ivor was fascinated. Their world had very few flying creatures. Given the high gravity and thick atmosphere, the creatures that did tend to evolve ended up floating more like jellyfish than flying.

Ivor realized that he hadn't seen many flying animals since he was here. He imagined the System was pulling some shenanigans there to allow any flyers on this world.

After a few hours, Ivor stood up, “I'm ready for the third challenge.”

“If you're sure,” Culs looked a little worried.

“I am. I'm pretty sure what the next one is. I know you can't tell me. However, I'm very familiar with that kind of pain. I also understand your concern. You probably don't have many challengers trying three in one day.” Ivor said.

Culs snorted, “Many? Try none.”

“Just call me an overachiever, then.”

Culs snorted a laugh, “Very well challenger. The third challenge awaits.”

Ivor stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the third runic circle.

“Ivor, do you wish to start the third challenge?” Culs asked.

“I do,” Ivor responded.

“The challenge will be start in 3, 2, 1…”

This time, Ivor was prepared when the pain hit. It hit right where he expected: his muscles and connective tissue. Ivor had bruised, pulled and torn muscles before.

This was much worse, and it was all over his body. As he endured the pain, barely able to hold back the screams. Ivor's mind focused on the oddities of the smallest muscles.

The muscles in the face and hands were excruciating. They caused odd side effects like his jaw clenching so hard he felt his teeth were going to crack. All of his face muscles spasming, growing and shrinking, at once was a whole new experience in pain. Focusing on those smaller muscles seemed to distract him enough from the larger muscle changes. Before he could even think about how long it had been, it was over.

When he returned to the challenge room, Ivor collapsed in a heap. A naked, goopy, stinky heap. This time, the goop was thick like tar. If he thought the last time was bad, this time the stench actually made him vomit.

Failing twice to get up. It was the third attempt that Ivor managed to stand on shaky legs. Standing still to make sure he had enough strength to walk, Ivor tried not to vomit again. As he took first one, then another, step, Ivor's strength started to return to him. He walked towards the bathroom.

As he started the shower, glanced at his overlay and noticed his health and stamina were both down about three quarters. It was going to take some time to recover from that.

It took Ivor nearly two hours to get all the goop off of him. Culs must have taken pity on him because sometime after the first half an hour of scrubbing with his hands, a stiff bristled scrub brush appeared. Ivor's skin felt a bit raw, but he could tell it was much tougher than before.

Ivor walked out of the shower and got dressed. Ivor pulled out another Meal Packet, since he'd puked up the last one. Eating the meal packet and drinking some water, Culs simply watched.

Ivor finally spoke, “Yeah, that was what I thought it was going to be, but damn that hurt. Probably best if I don't eat or drink anything before a challenge.”

“Since you guessed that one correctly, I'm going to assume you know what the last two are,” Culs said.

“Yeah, I think I know what they are. I'm done for the day. I'll be honest, with how much that impacted my health and stamina, I'd be surprised if some challengers didn't die from that,” Ivor finished his Meal Packet.

“Some do die. Most quit there. If I add the second circle and the third, about 95 percent quit between those two. I will tell you this.

Nobody has made it to the fifth challenge. All that have attempted the fourth challenge have either quit or died.” There was a bit of sadness in Culs response.

“Why don't you tell me about yourself. I'd like to know about your people from your perspective.”

“I'm not sure how interesting it will be, but since you asked,” Culs said.

“Don't worry, if it's boring I'll just fall asleep,” Ivor joked.

Culs held up an imaginary writing instrument, and mimed writing as he said, “Judge finds challenger to be a bit of an ass.”

Ivor chuckled. Culs spent a few hours talking about his life. He was a good story teller. He'd break out onto a tangent, then bring it back around.

Ivor got the feeling that Culs had been a big shot on his world, but Culs never bragged or made a big deal about it. Ivor finally had to stop him. The fatigue from the challenges finally caught up to him.

“Let's talk more later, Culs. I need to get some rest if I'm going to tackle the fourth challenge tomorrow,” Ivor said.

“There's a room with a bed off of the bathroom you're already familiar with. Sleep well. I'll see you in the morning.”

Ivor walked into the bathroom, and sure enough, there was another room off the bathroom with a bed. Ivor barely laid his head down and he was asleep.

Ivor awoke the next morning feeling better than he could ever remember feeling. There was almost a pent up energy in his body. He just felt good.

After using the facilities and splashing some water on his face, Ivor walked back out into the challenge room.

“Good morning, Ivor. Ready for the fourth challenge?” Culs greeted him.

“In a moment.” Ivor responded as he walked over to his pack. Ivor pulled out two each of the health and stamina potions he brought with. Stripping out of his clothes he carried them to the fourth circle and stood inside. “Hey Culs, will the potions come with me? Will I be able to take them during the challenge?”

“You can't take them during the challenge, but they will be there when you are done or you quit,” Culs responded.

“Ok, fair enough. I'm ready.”

“Ivor, do you wish to start the fourth challenge?” Culs asked.

“I do.” Ivor responded.

“The challenge will be start in 3, 2, 1…”

Ivor had broken a few bones in the past, but nothing terrible like a broken femur or skull. Ivor thought he was mentally prepared for this challenge. He found out no one could prepare for this challenge. It started in his hands, just like with the first challenge.

The bones snapping and breaking were audible to Ivor. The only saving grace was that unlike the third challenge with the muscles, the bones didn't break all at once. It was a small consolation as his bones were cracked, broken and pulverized, then rebuilt over and over again. He couldn't hold in the screams this time. Ivor was well aware that everyone had their own level of pain tolerance.

He'd found it in many, many people. His screams became a mantra. He found a rhythm to them as a sort of outlet to get past the pain. Just one more scream, he thought to himself. Then again, just one more scream.

He continued the mantra until he realized he was still screaming and the pain was gone.

Blinking his eyes open, not realizing he had even shut them. Ivor appeared in the challenge room once again. This time, he immediately collapsed, but his new muscles allowed him some functionality.

He was able to down the two health potions and then the two stamina potions. Minor potions. Each pair of potions increased his health and stamina 100 points. Looking at his health, after the potion, it sat a 200. The challenge had dropped his health by 600 points. His stamina was naturally higher, but given the interplay between regenerations, another 100 points definitely wouldn't hurt.

Ivor was once again covered in a thick goop. This time it wasn't as thick as after the last challenge, but it had a gritty feel to it. Ivor took a few moments to collect himself. He didn't say anything to Culs. He wasn't sure he could after all the screaming.

Ivor made his way into the shower and let the hot water start rinse off the gritty goop. After an hour, Ivor was clean once again and feeling much better. He got dressed and pulled out a Meal Packet and water. Sitting silently eating and hydrating, Ivor looked up at Culs.

Was that a look of concern on Culs face?

“That was rough. Roughest yet. While I sit here and recover, why don't you tell me more about your culture. Books, plays, games, whatever you want to talk about,” Ivor said.

Culs just nodded and started talking. He started with the written word. It turned out their two cultures weren't terribly different in the amount of creativity shown in the written works.

Philosophy and religion were completely different. There was almost none of either. Also, even though they were, essentially, cultivators, they didn't go down the road of Earth's fiction. No sects were developed. They had nation-states, and their cultivators were more like super heroes of Earth's comics. Not that they were all do-gooders.

The really powerful folks tended to just stay out of the way of common folks and just do their own thing. About four hours in, Culs was telling Ivor about a crazy game that was played for about a 100 years. It involved training these bugs to run a maze. The bugs were semi-intelligent, or at least trainable, like dogs. However, they were as big as a small car from Earth. Giant stadiums were set up with runic mazes that could be changed from day to day. The games got more and more elaborate and popular over time.

Whole industries had popped up around these games. One day, there were no more bugs. They had become extinct from over use.

“That ended up becoming the cautionary tale for the Vamhael, as we realized we couldn't survive. Remembering that extinction is what actually triggered a ground swell of support for producing the Inheritance.” Culs said.

Ivor nodded, thinking about how he would have loved to meet the Vamhael.

It was only a short silence when Culs next spoke, “What about you Ivor? You haven't said anything about yourself. Hardly anything about your people.”

“This Inheritance isn't about me or my people, Culs. This is about you and your people. Of course I want to see how this Inheritance makes me stronger, but I'm more interested in what I can do to preserve the memory of the Vamhael. My daughter would want me to stay here the whole 10 days taking notes about everything. She would have you talking non-stop, and she would love every minute of it.” Ivor said.

“I would like to hear a bit about her, and yourself if you're open to it,” Culs asked.

Ivor proceeded to tell Culs about Marie. How her mother and he met. His times with her, even though he traveled a lot. His pride at her college graduation. The look in her eyes when she found or sold a rare book. How much he hoped to see her again.

“You still haven't told me anything about yourself. What did you do on your world?”

Ivor hesitated, “Culs, I know you're just a construct generated by the System, and anything I'm going to tell you will disappear with you. However, I don't want you to think less of me when hearing my story.”

Culs responded, “Humor me, Ivor. Please.”

Ivor told him. All of it. When he was done, they were both quiet.

It was Culs that broke the silence. “I can see why you hesitated. To some, you would seem a monster. Not to me. The System doesn't hold your hand. It comes crashing in and upends your whole way of life. You are one of those rare individuals that will actually profit from the change.

You have already. If your character was different, I might be worried. I might be worried about who would get our Inheritance. I'm not worried. I'm more convinced than ever that after all these eons.

The Vamhael will have a good caretaker. You may not always see it in yourself, Ivor, but you are a good man.”

Ivor stared at Culs. Very few people ever referred to Ivor as a good man. At best, he was a necessary evil. Maybe Culs was right. He could profit from the change the System brought. He wasn't planning on changing who he was or what he did. Now he was the one who decided when and who to use his power for or against. Much like the changes his stats brought to his body and actions, maybe it was time to start thinking about how he viewed himself in a new light.

“Well, let's see if I'm really worthy, my friend.” Ivor stood up and pulled two more health and stamina potions out of his pack. They were the last ones he had brought with him. Stripping down, Ivor walked to the fifth circle and stood in the middle.

“Ivor, do you wish to start the final challenge?' Culs asked.

“I do.” Ivor responded.

“The challenge will start in 3, 2, 1…”

For the final time, blackness then the runes of the circle lit up. At first there was a dull throb in Ivor's head, then Pain.

A sharp, piercing pain lanced into his brain. Ivor's hands reached up to grasp his head as he opened his mouth in a silent scream. Then, more Pain.

Every nerve ending in Ivor's body went haywire, sending pain signals shooting throughout his body and into his brain.

It was too much. Ivor couldn't process this much pain. He was struggling to get a grip on it when a familiar feeling triggered. Just like right before the System descended, Ivor knew this feeling.

He was dying.

Just like before, Ivor refused. He remembered what it was like last time, but there was one huge difference. His Willpower was much, much higher.

Condensing his will, Ivor made a single statement: no!!!!

The word took on a deep reverberating tone that exploded from his body. The pain in his mind and nerve endings lessened. The brief respite allowed Ivor to collect his wits.

When the pain started coming back, Ivor realized he didn't even need to say the word anymore. He could feel his Willpower like it was a tangible thing. He pushed his Willpower outward. The deep reverberating waves of will deadened the pain, making it bearable. Ivor continued this until the pain stopped completely. His eyes open, Ivor returned back to the challenge room.

He turned to look at a shocked Culs.

“What was that?” Culs asked.

“That is what brought me here in the first place. That was my Willpower.” Ivor stated.

The shocked look turned into a huge grin, “I have never, ever seen a Willpower manifest like that. You almost destroyed the rune circle. Luckily, the System granted me the power to reinforce it while you were still in the challenge. You did it. You actually did it.”

Ivor's mind was wrung out, but he felt way better than all the other times he finished a challenge. Also, there was no goop. Ivor asked Culs about it.

“Oh, yeah, remember when I said your Willpower manifested. Well, it blew all that goop right off of you. Good thing I'm incorporeal, or I'd be pretty pissed right now,” Culs said with a smirk.

Ivor chuckled.

“Oh yeah, you'll probably want to brace yourself. I'm sure those incoming System notices are some experience,” Culs warned Ivor.

Ivor had just managed to start reading the notifications, when it hit him.

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

Experience threshold reached…..

No Class or Profession detected…

Experience cannot be applied…

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Willpower already at 100, no adjustment applied to Willpower

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Willpower already at 100, no adjustment applied to Willpower

All stats raised by 2 (+3 difficulty adjustment)

Willpower already at 100, no adjustment applied to Willpower

Ivor took in a quick breath as the effect of the increased stats took hold. It didn't seem nearly as bad as when he went up 20 points. Maybe it was the new body. Then the next notification came.

You have completed all 5 challenges of the Vamhael Inheritance….

The following baseline stats gain permanent increases…

Strength - +50%…

Constitution - +50%…

Endurance - +50%…

Agility - +50%

Willpower - +100%…

Health Regeneration - +100%…

Stamina Regeneration - +100%…

Ivor groaned as his stats shot up even more. He looked at his new stats.

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 248,905

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Strength: 100 (150)

Agility: 100 (150)

Endurance: 100 (150)

Constitution: 100 (150)

Intelligence: 100

Wisdom: 100

Willpower: 100 (200)

Perception: 100

Health: 1500

Mana: 1000

Stamina: 1650

Ivor opened his eyes and spoke to Culs, “Thank you, Culs. This is amazing. It will be very helpful on my journey.”

Culs smiled, “Oh that's only a part of the Inheritance. That was needed for this.”

Ivor felt his body tingling. A golden glow swirled around his body. It became so bright he had to close his eyes.

It seemed like his body was heating up. The brightness flared, then it was over. Ivor was blinking bright spots out of his eyes when Culs spoke.

“You might want to look at that notification while you recover your eyesight.”

Ivor, eyes closed, brought up his overlay to look at the latest notification.

Vamhael Inheritance received…

Your lifespan has been vastly increased….

Lifespan increase has created side effects in human physiology…

Your age remains 60 years, but your physical appearance has been reset to 30 years…

Your appearance will age much, much slower….

Expected lifespan barring external factors….

940 years….

Ivor's shocked look made Culs chuckle.

“There's a mirror in the bathroom.”

Ivor walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Staring back at him was his 30 year old face. He still looked like the plain, forgettable person he had always been, just young again. Well, ok, not exactly young, but younger than he was.

Ivor walked back into the challenge room with a frown on his face. He picked up his armor and started putting it on.

Culs held up his hands, “I know what you're thinking. You've got a daughter that you will suddenly outlive. First, that probably won't happen as you live a dangerous lifestyle. Second, there is this.”

Culs handed Ivor a book with a crystal embedded in the middle of the cover. Ivor received a notification.

Vamhael Inheritance received….

Vamhael Body Cultivation manual…

“Body Cultivation manual?” Ivor asked

“What? No that's not the title. Must be the System translating it to something you understand. But, yeah, essentially that's what it is,” Culs explained.

“How does this help?” Ivor was still confused. The System stopped them from cultivating and put the Class/Profession stuff in its place.

“It wouldn't except for this.” Culs handed Ivor another book with a crystal embedded in the cover. Another notification popped up for Ivor.

Vamhael Inheritance received….

Vamhael Rune Codex…..

Culs continued, “That Codex contains all the runes the Vamhael created using the System. The runes that I used to create these challenges are in there. That's as far as we got with it before the end. If you can learn those runes, you might be able to finish our project to recreate our ability to cultivate. At the very least, you can create something like what I did here to allow people to increase their body stats and Willpower. It won't hurt to have this either.”

Culs handed Ivor another book. This one didn't have any gem in the cover, and it looked like it was more like a thick journal. Ivor didn't get a notification this time.

“Those are my personal notes. Not part of the Inheritance. That's from me to you, friend.”

Ivor took the book and nodded thanks to Cruls.

“Remember how I introduced myself at the beginning of the challenge?” Culs asked Ivor.

“You're the judge,” Ivor stated.

“Precisely. When we created this challenge, we didn't want just any insanely strong random person to get the Inheritance. That's why I was created. I could give as much or as little as I want. I couldn't control the amount of experience the System gave out. But I could change the percentages of stat increase.

Deny the lifespan increase. Decide which, if any books to give. You my friend are getting it all. I think our Inheritance rests with the proper person to treat it well. More importantly, I believe it's with someone who will 'remember' the Vamhael.” A sad smile crossed Culs face.

“I appreciate your faith in me. I wish we could have met, my friend.” Ivor was feeling a little emotional.

“Me too, me too. I'll live on in the memories. I suppose.” Culs looked up at the ceiling. Then his head snapped forward, “Oh, I almost forgot.” Another book with a crystal in the middle of the cover appeared. A notification alerted Ivor.

Vamhael Inheritance received….

Complete History of the Vamhael…..

Ivor looked at a smirking Culs, “You did that on purpose. You cheeky bastard.”

Culs barked out a laugh, “Ah, I couldn't resist. That there is a gift for your daughter when you reunite with her. Now get out of here. I'm not one for long goodbyes. Take care of yourself Ivor.”

With that, Culs disappeared. A notification popped up in Ivor's overlay.

Vamhael Inheritance complete….

Location will be nullified in 2:00…

1:59…

1:58…

1:57…

Ivor quickly stuffed everything in his backpack. It all barely fit. He turned around to the door and exited.

A quick flash and Ivor was back outside in the clearing. As he turned around, cracks started appearing in the building, but there was no sound. More and more of them appeared until the building disintegrated into powder, then nothing. Ivor found himself standing in the clearing and no trace of the building could be found. Where the building was, there was grass like the rest of the clearing. No trace whatsoever.

Ivor turned towards the village and started moving through the woods. He wasn't worried about stealth, as he didn't think anything could hurt him right at the moment. He was looking forward to talking to Zed.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ivor reached the village in 30 seconds. He hadn't pushed as fast as he could, and he also had to contend with the forest. As he got back to the Admin building, Zed was waiting.

“I see someone is moving much faster than before,” Zed commented.

“Yeah, but that's not even half of what has changed,” Ivor said.

“I assume so. As you now look significantly younger than you did when you left.”

Ivor chuckled, “Yeah, there is a lot to go over.”

Ivor told Zed everything about Culs, the individual challenges, and the rewards. He didn't even leave out the description of the pain, the various types of goop, and his melancholy at the extinction of a species.

“What about reaching level 100 in all your stats?” Zed asked.

Ivor facepalmed, “Damn, I was so fixated on the Inheritance, I didn't bother to read the additional messages from the System.”

Ivor pulled up his notifications.

You have earned a Title - Perfect Start….

Note: Perfect Start supersedes Great Start and Good Start titles…

Perfect Start

You have reached 100 in all stats before choosing a Class or Profession

All Pre-Class/Profession skills move up one rank

All new skills start at Advanced level

Epic level and below Classes/Professions are available at every Class/Profession Evolution

Receive an additional 4 free stat points per level

Looking at his skills, Ivor was happy with the changes.

Blend (Unique) - Passive/Active

Passive

You blend into your environment whether urban or rural. This skill makes you incredibly hard to detect at a distance. In a crowd, you are impossible to find. People won't notice you easily when you are standing still, even in plain sight. In any rural environment, you easily blend into the surroundings making you nearly invisible. Slow movement is very hard to detect by anyone equal to or below Epic level. Extreme movement and clashing colors can reduce this ability. This is an innate ability.

Active

You can trigger blend to create an aura of forgetfulness. Anyone within 15 meters that has seen you will forget your passage. This effect uses mana. The aura is undetectable to anyone below Epic level.

Blunt Weapons (Master) - Passive

Provides a 100% increase to weapon damage when using Blunt weapons

Computers (Advanced) - Obsolete

Explosives (Master) - Unavailable

Explosives deal 100% more damage

Firearms (Expert) - Obsolete

Short Bladed Weapons (Master) - Passive

Provides a 100% increase to weapon damage when using Short Bladed Weapons

Solo Contributor (Master) - Passive

You do 100% more damage(stacks) and receive 100% more rewards when operating alone.

Spear (Expert) - Passive

Provides a 50% increase to weapon damage when using Spears

Tactician (Expert) - Active

The System will augment your already highly tactical mind by identifying areas to ambush, set traps, and see weak spots in enemies themselves and their tactics. You can [Identify] Level only when you use [Tactician]

Trap Creation (Expert) - Active

Your Traps are 50% harder to detect (offsets Trap Detection skill)

Your Traps use 25% less material and Mana to create

Trap Detection (Expert) - Passive

You are 50% more likely to detect traps

Unarmed Combat (Master) - Passive

Provides a 100% increase to damage when using no weapons

Ivor told Zed about the Title and the changes to his Pre-Class/Profession skills. He was excited that [Blend] got an Active component. All his weapon skills took a huge leap in damage. [Solo Contributor] jumped as well, giving him ridiculous damage and loot when fighting solo. The most exciting for him was [Tactician] getting a limited version of [Identify]. Ivor had been banking on this Evaluation being a starting area and having lower level monsters to fight. As his first dungeon showed, the Level 15 Clay Golem was pretty high for a starting area. If Ivor's stats hadn't been so high, that fight would have ended differently.

“Hey Zed, what do the Great Start and Good Start titles do?” Ivor asked.

“Finally,” Zed sighed.

“What?” Ivor was confused by the response.

“It is something I have been desperately wanting to tell you, but the System had me shackled. It could affect Marie, assuming she is…well…” Zed trailed off.

“Yeah, I get it, Zed. She might not be alive,” Ivor replied.

“Great Start" is a title that someone can get if they get all of their stats up to 20 before choosing their first Class/Profession Evolution. It grants really good bonuses. Good Start is ok. Let me show you the description.” Zed displayed a text box similar to what the System produced in Ivor's overlay.

Great Start

You have reached 20 in all stats before choosing you first Class or Profession Evolution

Expert level and below are available at every Class/Profession/Evolution

All current skills move up one level

All new skills start at Intermediate level

Receive an additional four free stat points per level

Good Start

You have reached 40 in all stats before choosing your second Class or Profession Evolution

Class/Profession evolution option is one level higher at your next Class/Profession Evolution

All new skills start at Intermediate level

Receive an additional two free stat point per level

Zed continued, “Since you are getting ready to pick your Class and Profession, this is a good time to talk about the details of level advancement. Everyone starts out with a Basic Class or Profession, unless you are offered a Unique one, like your [Blend] skill but a Class or Profession.”

Ivor nodded. He was already prepared for a Unique Class option.

“There are only four non-Unique Basic combat Classes: Fighter, Mage, Rogue, Support. There are dozens of Basic Professions: Cook, Laborer, Smith, etc…. You get the idea,” Zed explained

Ivor nodded again.

“Ok, all Basic Classes and Professions start with three fixed stat points and one free point per level. The three fixed stats are always the same stats for each Class or Profession. For example: Fighter is Strength, Constitution and Endurance. Mage is Intelligence, Wisdom, Willpower. Make sense so far?” Zed asked and Ivor nodded.

“Ok. Evolutions happen at Levels 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and beyond are something I can not talk about. So, Level 20 is the Intermediate Evolution, 40 is Advanced, 60 is Expert, 80 is Master up to 100.”

Ivor asked, “So does that mean Aza Krix is somewhere between Level 80 and 100?”

“Maybe, it is tricky. Levels and Classes/Professions can be separate. Think about the Great Start title. Let us say your daughter gets the title. Then at her Level 20 'Intermediate' level, she may get offered an Advanced level Class/Profession. Like wise, Aza could be Expert level, but a Master Merchant Profession. Are you with me?” Zed clarified.

“Ok, I get it. That makes things interesting. It's not just some linear progression. People at the same Level can be pretty different,” Ivor commented.

“Oh, and that is not even the half of it. Ignoring the title for now. Let us say a Basic Fighter, someone like yourself, fights with two weapons, preferring a more agile build. That person may dump their free point into Agility. When evolving the class at level 20, the System may offer them an Intermediate Level Class where the three fixed stats might be Agility, Perception and Endurance. The System seems to take your actions into account when offering Evolutions. In addition to the potential fixed stat point change, Evolutions allow for new skills that come with the new Class Evolution. Take a Fighter that prefers being on ships. A Pirate Class Evolution would likely provide some ship based skills like [Expert Navigation], [Canons] and even water based magic skills.” Zed was a wealth of information once unshackled.

“Wow. Yeah, that is actually really interesting. Do some people have programs they try to follow to ensure they get a certain Class Evolution?” Ivor asked.

“Sure. It does not always work though. The System hides the exact criteria it uses. I think the System also throws a little randomness in. If one group of people figured out how to get the most powerful combination of Class Evolutions and applied it to their society as a whole to dominate everyone else, well, that would not work out well for them. The System cracks down on broad scale cheating, as it were. It seems to want to keep the masses on a somewhat even playing field.

That is also why there are limits on who can access newly reformed worlds. It would be too easy for a strong existing society to steamroll the new world.

But let us get back on topic. I explained the difference between your personal level and your Class or Profession level. I also explained there are fixed and free stat points. At every Class or Profession Evolution, the number of free points goes up by 1. So a Basic Class/Profession gets 1 free stat point, Intermediate Class/Profession gets 2, Advanced gets 3, Expert gets 4 and Master gets 5.

There are a number of ways to get more stat points than the standard number. You have discovered several of those ways already. The Great Start title would help Marie gain stats faster than average thereby making her stronger and helping ensure her safety.

However, it does not do anything to get her to 20 in all stats at the start. Maybe there is an Inheritance or something in that Evaluation world, but finding it and surviving it are two different things. The best thing you could do is try to find out if she is there and get her the information that she needs to get to Level 10 as soon as possible and keep pushing to get those extra stats, even if she is not getting extra levels.

That will give her a head start to 20 in all stats when she gets back to your reformed world. Also, you may have discovered something with that Inheritance by then,” Zed finished.

Ivor sat thinking about what Zed had said. If Marie was in the other Evaluation, this information was crucial. Marie was never one to shy away from the hard work. He didn't expect her to choose a physical Class or Profession. She was always more cerebral.

Ivor commented, “I'm just not sure how to find her or get her any information if I did.”

Zed nodded, “Yes, a difficult problem. I mean how would anyone from a non-Evaluation world even know she exists. The only way would be through a transaction like you did with Esqin. Even then, those transactions are usually anonymous.

It is an odd relationship you have developed with Esqin and her father. Most fortuitous.”

Ivor looked at Zed as Zed winked at him.

Holy Shit!!! Was it that simple?

“I need to relay my information about hitting 100 in all stats to Aza,” Ivor said.

“Excellent idea,” Zed said.

Ivor went straight to the System Market, and sent a message to Esqin along with the baston he used in the Bandit Dungeon. It was about an hour later when he got a response.

Esqin: Glad to hear you are back. It's been a few days, and we were getting a bit worried.

Ivor: I appreciate the concern. I have much to share. Is your father with you?

Aza: I am here. What have you learned?

Ivor explained the messages and bonuses he got for the Perfect Start title. He also explained the other two titles. Although, non-Evaluation worlds didn't get the benefit of increased stats as the System paused leveling at Level 10, they still could put off the Evolution if they wanted. Ivor didn't think it was very likely unless there was some way to increase the stats.

A Basic Class/Profession only got 4 stat points per level. That's a maximum of 80 stat points by Level 20. A person needed 160 stat points at Level 20 to get the Title. That was a lot of stat points to make up. Ivor was curious as to what he could learn from Culs notes and the Vamhael Rune Codex. Maybe he could come up with something to narrow that gap. It might be worth it to humanity.

Ivor did not give any information about the Inheritance. He explained his massive stat increase as a particularly hard quest. Which was true. Given that he was in an Extreme Level Evaluation, there were no follow up questions.

Ivor wasn't really sure how to approach the next thing, but he decided to just come out and ask.

Ivor: Aza, do you know of any way I can get the Great Start info to another human in their Evaluation?

There was a pause for several minutes.

Aza: I believe so. However, I'm not sure how the System will react. I think it should be ok, but I'd like to know why I should take the risk.

Ivor: I need to know if my daughter is in the Evaluation. The information is for her, and, hopefully to let her know I'm still alive.

There was another longer pause.

Aza: Of course Ivor. I'm sorry. From one father to another, I can't imagine what you are going through. I'll need her full name and something she can sell me. As a Master Merchant, I have more options for making Requests in the System Market than normal users. Under normal circumstances, no Merchant would know someone in an Evaluation. I think the System will allow it as long as there is something to purchase from her.

Ivor had to tamp down his excitement while he thought.

Ivor: Does it have to be a physical object? I'm thinking of a rare story from my culture that she could sell you. It would also let her know immediately that it came from me.

Aza: Yes, it needs to be something she can transfer through the System Market. However, if she can write the story down. She can sell that to me.

Ivor had to take a minute, as his emotions threatened to get the best of him.

Ivor: Her name is Marie Kemble. Ask her to sell you the story of The Craig-Y-Don Blacksmith. It's a very short story, but I think it will convey the correct message.

Aza: I will send the request immediately. I will know quickly if the System prevents the message. I will also know quickly, if there is no responder by the name for the System to find. I don't wish to be the bearer of bad news, but I'll let you know immediately. Give me a few minutes, Ivor.

Ivor calmed himself. He was never an overly emotional person, but occasionally, his emotions would get the best of him. As the minutes went on, Ivor started getting a little nervous. He did his best to calm both his emotions and the whirling thoughts going through his head. After 15 minutes, a message appeared.

Aza: I'm so sorry for the wait, my friend. I had to track down some folks to make sure what I was doing wouldn't get me in trouble with any guilds or other merchants. The message was sent successfully. I will let you know as soon as I get a reply.

Two solitary tears rolled down Ivor's face, and he quickly wiped them away.

Ivor: Thank you Aza. I don't have much to offer, but anything I can do for you, you only need to ask.

Ivor exhaled a huge breath and let all the emotion within him calm. Ok, time to get a Class and Profession and see about these Vamhael Runes.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Marie and team were walking back into the village when the notification came. They had just killed a group of people that had ambushed one of the village's hunting parties. It looked like trouble was brewing in one of the nearby towns.

Chris thought an attack was coming soon. He said this attack and a few others recently were designed to reduce morale, impact the food supply… essentially, soften the village up for an attack. They would fail.

Marie and the team had just reached Level 8. They were far and away ahead of anyone they've met in power and levels. Add to that the near constant fighting. They had become a well oiled machine. The villagers were waving and smiling at them as they brought the weapons and armor of the men they'd killed to the System Market. As they were walking, Marie opened the notification.

You have a message in the System Market…

That was it. Well, they were headed there anyway. Marie told the team about the strange message. They all stopped to give Deckard information about the attackers.

He was compiling a really good report on attacks and strange occurrences. The man had a knack for putting together information like this. He was able to connect some dots others couldn't see.

He'd even predicted an ambush before it could be carried off, just with the data he'd collected from everyone. He wasn't just sitting behind a desk. Deckard was already Level 6. He got his hands dirty too.

The team stopped in the Admin building and talked to the council. They explained again what they found, and Chris made his thoughts known. The council agreed to step up the watch, and see about getting some scouting missions to the other villages going.

In just over two weeks since they got here, it had been non-stop survival. They would get there. The village was a hard working group intent on getting as many people as they could out of the Evaluation, and beyond.

Marie addressed the team, “Well, let's get this stuff sold and find out what my mystery message says.”

They all walked into the System Market together. It was a habit they had formed. Not that there was any lack of trust. These four people had trusted each other with their lives on too many occasions to doubt. It was just a team thing that happened.

Marie was carrying the bow of the man that tried to shoot Lance. That guy was just a little too slow as a [Mana Bolt] tore the arm from his body.

Marie decided to check the message first while everyone else was selling their loot on their own displays at the counter. The message was in the Request section of the Market. What kind of nonsense is this, she wondered. She navigated to the Request section and read the message.

Requestor: Aza Krix

Requirements: Created by Marie Kemble

Item: The story of The Craig-Y-Don Blacksmith

The wood bow clattered to the floor as it fell from her hand. Her knees got weak, and she barely caught herself from falling to the floor.

“Marie!!!” Chris rushed over to her.

Following Chris, the others rushed over.

Softer, Chris said, “Marie what is it?”

She pointed at the display, unable to speak. Tears falling freely from her eyes.

As they all read the message, Emily gasped, “Oh my god.”

“What? What the hell is this?” Chris exclaimed. Clear worry on his face.

“It's a Welsh fairy tale. I've seen some of the oldest copies of it in existence in her store,” Emily said.

“…and?” Chris still didn't understand.

“Her father used to tell her that story all the time. It was one of her favorites as a child,” Emily explained.

It finally clicked for Chris. He remembered Garvey telling him Ivor was Welsh through and through.

Marie looked at them all. A smile on her tear streaked face. “He's alive. He's found a way to send me a message.”

Ever the skeptic, Chris wasn't willing to express his view openly. He had grown to really like Marie, and he didn't want to ruin her happiness.

Turns out, despite her happiness, Marie was a bit of a skeptic as well.

Marie: Aza Krix, how should I address you?

A few minutes went by before a response came through.

Aza: You may call me Aza.

Marie: Ok, Aza. How do you know me? And how do you know about that story?

Aza: The answer to both questions is Ivor, your father.

Marie: Is he safe? Where is he? How did you meet him? Can I message him?

Aza: My apologies, Marie. The System won't let us chat endlessly without completing the sale. As I understand it, you have the ability to write out this story for me, and in return I'm willing to provide a sum of credits and further information. If this is amendable, please review the contract. You should be receiving it now.

They all read the contract. It wasn't complex, but it was interesting. The way it was worded made it seem like Aza would continue to be an “Information Broker” between parties of his choosing, with no time limit set and no specific amounts being detailed. It simply stated “compensation to be agreed upon by all parties.” There were no loopholes. Nothing trapping or tricking Marie.

Marie: Aza, can you amend this contract to include my team members? In case something happens to me, my father can still be contacted by someone.

Aza: Of course, Marie. Your father did say you were the smart one.

A few more happy tears fell as she sent the team member names and waited for the new contract to be signed. After reviewing the contract once again, all the team members signed it. Marie used some of the credits the team had, most went to support the village, and bought some paper and a pencil. It was a short story, only eight lines long. Marie took her time. She wanted to make sure it looked good. It didn't take long, and she placed the single sheet of paper down on the counter and hit send.

The sheet of paper disappeared, and it was a few minutes before a response came.

Aza: I see why your father wanted me to have this story in particular. I believe when you hear my information, you'll understand. I understand this is a fairly rare story in print, although the System translates for me, I find your flowing script to be lovely. As a meaningful first cultural exchange between our two species, this holds even more value. I hope you agree to the credits as a fair exchange. I believe it is worth every single one.

With that, another message popped up. Marie's eyes bugged out of her head. Lance choked.

“Hell yeah!!!” Yelled Emily.

“Wow” was all that came out of Chris' mouth.

Aza Krix offers the following amount in credits for the story The Craig-Y-Don Blacksmith written by Marie Kemble. Hand written on paper in human script: 500,000 credits

Do you accept this part of the transaction? Yes/No

Marie's hand trembled as she selected: Yes.

Aza: Now, to answer your questions. I won't lie to you, he is not exactly safe. He is not in the same Evaluation you are in. Something happened, and he was transferred to something we all thought was myth. He's in an Extreme Level Evaluation. To give you an idea of the disparity between your two Evaluations. When he arrived, he was immediately attacked by three Level 5 Goblin Scouts. In his first dungeon, the boss monster was a Level 15 Clay Golem Guardian.

Shocked looks were exchanged between the team members. Marie's happy tears nearly turned into sad one's, until the next message came through.

Aza: Don't misunderstand. He's well. Those challenges were just blips on your father's path. He is doing more than surviving. He is thriving. Yes, his challenges are extreme, but if I've learned one thing about your father in the short time I've known him, it's that he can handle extreme challenges.

I'll get more into why I say he's thriving in a moment. I want to answer your other two questions. I met your father through my daughter. Your father had put in a request for two bastons, the fighting sticks he is familiar with. My daughter is a smith working on a new alloy specifically for blunt weapons.

No one would bet their life on an untested alloy. No one except your father.

He didn't have many credits to offer, but he did say, he'd make sure her weapons got used so she could perfect her alloy. He definitely used them. The first pair were bent from using them on that Level 15 Clay Golem Guardian, and that was when his Strength was only about 30. My daughter and I talked, and I asked to speak with your father. I had some knowledge I thought he could help me verify, and he has.

Shocked looks were exchanged again. 30 Strength, Chris was Level 8 and his Strength was 15 (he was a big strong dude, his base started at 7). What the hell level could her father be at?

Marie: How is that possible? My teammate is Level 8 and he is at 15 Strength. What the hell level is my father at, and how?

Aza: I understand your confusion. I'll tell you more of that. I just wanted to finish up your last question. No, you can't message him directly.

However, given the contract you just signed. I can act as a sort of Information Broker. I can pass messages to him, for a fee. I think you will find my fees very affordable. Now, is there anything else pressing you want to know, or should I start with his ridiculous stats?

Marie turned to the team, “This is a team sport. Any questions you want to ask?”

Emily and Lance were still in shock. Chris was looking down at the floor.

“Alright Chris. I'm a big girl. You won't hurt my feelings.” She addressed him directly.

“Ok, look, I'm happy for you, but this just seems too convenient to me. The amount of credits is obscene for what was provided. I have no idea how this person could know your dad. Maybe the story is true. Is there a way you can verify?

A story only your dad would know?” Chris didn't look happy. Marie felt Chris might have some feelings for her. Not that she would deny the same.

Working and surviving as closely together as they were. Well, things happen. Emotions ran high.

“Actually, that's a great idea.” Marie turned back to the display.

Marie: Aza, everything you've said seems very plausible. I can't figure out how you would ever know about my dad or myself. However, I do want to verify it. If you can get a message to him, ask him what he did when I was five and threw the entire package of gummy bears all over the carpet.

Aza: Give me a few moments to relay the message. He just finished a very grueling quest, and he may be asleep.

Quest? Nobody had gotten a quest. It was actually a bit of conversation with the nerdy types that played R.P.G's. Shouldn't there be quests. A few minutes went by before a message came through.

Aza: He said to say: You were 6 not 5 and they were Goldfish crackers not gummy bears. He made you pick every one of them up before you could play with any toys.

Marie nodded at Chris. Chris had to admit, no one could possibly know that detail.

Aza proceeded to tell them about Ivor's unique situation, his stat point gains versus level gains. He explained the Great Start title and what Ivor wanted them to do. He left out any of the more dangerous things Ivor had gotten up to. He also didn't tell them about the book he held. They didn't need to know. Aza was a little worried Marie would think he was taking advantage of her dad. Nothing could be further from the truth, of course. Aza waited while Marie wrote a letter to her father that he could pass on. It would be easier to pass letters than try to coordinate all being on at the same time. Aza had one more surprise for the group.

Aza: I have an armorer friend that made your father's armor. He would like to make armor for your team as well. Please let the Market scan you and add details, as much as you want about the type, color, anything you can think of, and he will try to make it happen. Understand, it's touchy to get involved with an Evaluation, but we think we can provide assistance without making the System upset. Also, if you have any specific weapon requirements, my daughter Esqin is a very good smith. She made a very good pair of short swords your father uses.

Marie: We will take you up on that offer. Thank you Aza, and tell Esqin thank you for my father's weapons.

The group spent some time getting scanned for their armor and providing details. Chris and Emily put in requests for weapons. After finishing up, the four of them just stood in silence for a few minutes processing what they learned.

Nobody wanted to be the first to speak. So, Marie took charge, “Any thoughts? Comments? Concerns?”

“I think we are ahead of the curve as far as Level advancement is concerned. I don't particularly relish the idea of more of the grind,” Emily replied.

“I like the idea of getting that title,” Lance said. “We don't know what will await us when we get put back on Earth, or whatever it's become. Being stronger won't hurt.”

“This was the life I signed up for in the service. I don't have any issue with it,” Chris replied.

“I trust my dad. If he thinks this is what helps us survive, I'm willing to put in the effort. Plus, the story he had me write is a message to me, or us, I suppose. When the wise faeries tell you to do something, there will be a benefit if you do.” Marie looked at Emily. “Your concerns are valid, and nobody is forcing anybody to keep going.”

Emily shrugged and smiled, “I may not like the idea of the grind, but I like the idea of getting stronger. Besides, you guys can't get rid of me that easily.”

“That's settled. What do we do with the information? Do we tell the council? It might look bad if we only tell someone like Deckard. If news got out we were holding out, it could get more than awkward.”

Lance spoke up, “I think it might be premature to include the council. We can always keep pushing and just say we want to see what happens after we hit Level 10. When the stat points come in, we can pass on that info. We won't get to 20 in all stats until after we are back on Earth anyway. We can decide later.

So much can change. I say we keep the title to ourselves for now.”

The rest of the group nodded.

“Ok then. Might take a few days to get our new armor and weapons, which will bring up another conversation,” Marie reminded everyone.

Chris commented, “That's easy. Your dad got it for us. He somehow managed to get access to an Information Broker. He's done well in the Evaluation and wanted to share the wealth with his daughter. No more needs to be said. We also don't need to let on how many credits you're sitting on.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I guess we get some food and rest. We can let the council know we are stepping up the pace. I guess it's time to grind.” Marie smiled at each of them as they left the System Market.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ivor had just woken up. The previous day, while a happy one, was emotionally draining for him. His daughter was alive and, seemingly, doing well. She had a team, which was fantastic.

She had become a bit of a loner, like himself. It was her choice how to live her life, but being alone wasn't the best for everyone.

Marie had written him a letter, detailing what had happened to her before her arrival in the Evaluation. Some of the information came from two of her team members. Emily turned out to be a C.I.A handler. That would have pissed Ivor off, if the C.I.A still existed. At the same time, he was glad there was someone Marie trusted. Then there was Chris. Ivor didn't know anything about him, but he helped Marie fill in some of the blanks.

She also mentioned Chris' boss Garvey. Garvey was a good guy. He had tried to help Ivor out during the incident that got Ivor kicked out of the Navy, and he really helped Ivor out in Kosovo. If it wasn't for Garvey, the military might have put Ivor down and called it a day. More importantly, Garvey knew Ivor. If Garvey trusted the man with Marie's life, Ivor wasn't going to complain. Apparently, the doctor treating Marie was also with them, but he was a former Marine. Overall, Marie had some quality people in her party. Well, at least they could handle themselves.

Of course, because of Emily and Chris, Marie found out what Ivor actually did for a living. She wasn't too happy about the deception, but she understood why he did it. He was a bit ashamed of never coming clean with her, even when she was an adult. It just never seemed like a good time. He would apologize. He owed it to her.

She thanked him, on behalf of her team, for the armor. He shrugged at that one. Probably Aza's doing. Ivor didn't think the information he was providing Aza was worth the armor for the whole team, but it wasn't his choice. If he wanted to provide help for Marie's team, Ivor wouldn't get in the way.

Marie had explained some of the things they were fighting in their Evaluation, and Ivor had to chuckle. He wouldn't even need to use weapons for anything they were encountering. There was definitely a huge difference in difficulty.

Ivor came out of his bathroom and into the Admin building main area to find Zed waiting for him. It was possible Ivor was imagining things, but Zed seemed sort of nervous/excited/impatient all at the same time.

“Are you ready Zed?” Ivor asked.

“Yes, Ivor. I believe I am ready to present to you your Class and Profession choices,” Zed said.

“Wait, Class and Profession. I thought it was one or the other?” Ivor was confused.

“Yes, that's true for all current Evaluation templates. It has been true for many millions of years. This is an older template. The System has allowed both Class and Profession from time to time. This happens to be an Evaluation that still offers that template,” Zed explained.

“What is going to happen when I go back to Earth? Will I keep both?” Ivor was a bit concerned. It wasn't the end of the world if he didn't get to keep both. Nobody else he was dealing with had both. So he didn't really lose out on anything.

“I honestly am not sure. This is new ground we are treading,” Zed responded.

“Well, nothing for it. Let's get my Class selection taken care of first Zed.” Ivor was ready to find out what this 'Unique' Class Zed had alluded to was.

“Very well. Please select your Class. Classes are combat focused and advance quickly, but are dangerous. Classes can evolve beyond their base class type. You will be allowed to change Classes during the evaluation, but you will lose all Skills and Stat Points gained during the use of that Class. You can gain more information during the evaluation. Choose by focusing on the Class and select Yes/No when prompted,” Zed said and a message popped up in Ivor's overly.

Choose a Class from the list:

Fighter (Basic)

Rogue (Basic)

Mage (Basic)

Support (Basic)

Null (Unique)

Ivor stared at the Null Class. It caught him off guard. He trusted Zed, and frankly, if it was a shit Class, he could change it. Zed even said so. Frankly, Zed hadn't steered him wrong yet. Ivor select Null.

You have selected the Class - Null…

Do you want to choose this Class? - Yes/No

Ivor selected Yes, and brought up his stats.

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 248,905

Level: 1

Class: [Null]

Profession: N/A

Strength: 100 (150)

Agility: 100

Endurance: 100 (150)

Constitution: 100 (150)

Intelligence: 100

Wisdom: 100

Willpower: 100 (200)

Perception: 100

Health: 1500

Mana: 1000

Stamina: 1650

Free Stat Points: 12

Ivor was about to ask Zed a question, when he heard something in his head.

“Can you hear me? Knock, knock. Is this thing on?”

The voice in his head sounded just like Zed. Ivor looked up at Zed. Zed winked.

“Zed, are you living rent free in my head now?” Ivor asked with a mental chuckle.

Haha! But, yes, sort of. I can not read your thoughts or influence your mind. Like I alluded to, I am sort of piggy-backing on the System,” Zed said.

“So, this Class is what you created to be able to escape or at least get out and see things for yourself. Do you see through my eyes and hear through my ears?” Ivor was curious how far Zed could take things.

“I can experience, through you, everything you experience, if I want to. We both have the option to turn things on and off. For instance, I have never felt pain as a physical being can. It does not seem like a pleasant experience. However, I would still like to at least experience it. Also, you can turn off this simulated voice and force me to use text, like System messages. That would be if you want privacy or no interruptions from me. As you already know, you can ignore notifications fairly easily,” Zed explained.

“Alright, I'm just going to tell you this right now. Do not leave pain turned on when I'm in a fight. I already know how much pain I can handle. It's a lot. If you can't handle the pain, you could end up distracting me in a fight. I can't have that. So, we need to agree to that right now, or this whole experiment is over. Understood?” Ivor was dead serious.

“Absolutely, Ivor. You are my only means to get away from this world and experience things. I would never do anything to harm you. Also, thank you for thinking of that. I am pretty excited about potential experiences, and my curiosity may have gotten the better of me,” Zed tried to reassure Ivor.

“Alright. Other than your charming presence, what other benefits does this arrangement offer me?” Ivor asked.

“One moment, and I think I can show you.”

Ivor still had his stats up while having the conversation with Zed. Suddenly, it felt as though he had selected his Null class from his stats and a message popped up.

Null Class Skills

Null Shield (Advanced) - Active

Create a shield of Null space. Anything that interacts with the shield becomes nothing. Shield size scales with your level and Null Manipulation. Caution: This shield does not discriminate.

Null Manipulation (Advanced) - Active

Improve your ability to manipulate Null space.

Null Storage - Passive

You are able to access a storage created in Null space. The capacity of this space will increase with your personal level and Null Manipulation level.

“Zed, did you just select my Class from my stats screen?” Ivor asked.

“I did. It was harder than I thought. I have some limited access to things in your overlay. I know that may sound a bit invasive, but hear me out. I can now see and read things without you having to take your attention away. This could become important if you get more advanced versions of [Identify] as that skill can get lengthy to read at the higher levels.

When it might take a second or two for you to read through the text to find a monster weakness. I can tell you in an instant. Also, if I understand what you are planning, I can analyze what your [Tactician] skill outputs much faster as well,” Zed explained.

Ivor had to admit, that was pretty handy.

“Yeah, that does sound handy. Also, you just gave me a whole lot of information about something. Usually, you are less forthcoming due to the System shackles,” Ivor explained.

“Oh my, I did not even notice that. It appears that there is a small side effect of loosening my shackles. I am going to have to be careful. I do not want to really test that during the Evaluation. The System tends to monitor the Evaluations closely. Once you are out of here though, I should be able to say just about whatever I want.”

“Ok, good safety tip. Now about these skills and why do I have 12 free stat points to distribute?” Ivor asked.

“I had been working on the Null Storage problem for several million years, when I got the idea to create the Class. The System likes themes. So I stuck with the Null theme. Even though it is a combat class, its focus is on nullification. Really more of a defense focused Class rather than direct combat. Similar to a Support Class, in that it doesn't have skills that directly relate to combat. Given my work on Null Storage, the other skills just sort of fell into place. Also, much like other combat classes, you can earn more skills,” Zed explained.

“Then at some point, you realized you could piggy-back using this Class. Then you only had to hope for some gullible rube to choose it,” Ivor jokingly said.

“There is nothing gullible about you Ivor. I appreciate your levity though. Most would immediately give up a purely defensive Class. Given your martial prowess, however, I had hoped you would find it a good addition to your build.” Zed continued, “Speaking of martial prowess, do you mind if I look at your Pre-Class skills. I have been curious ever since you got here.”

“Have at it.”

Ivor figured if this was going to be a useful partnership, Zed would find out anyway. It was a good sign that he asked first. Ivor felt they had a good rapport before this, but you never know how someone will react when they get something they've wanted for a long time.

It was about 20 seconds before Zed spoke again. Ivor knew Zed could process massive amounts of data. So that pause was truly staggering.

“I am speechless. I went back through your entire documented history. It is a bit unnerving that the System set your initial skills so high. However, I have seen the difference between artificially inflated skills and skills set at the proper level. You definitely earned those skill levels.” Zed seemed a little in awe.

“Well, like I said before. Most of the things I did weren't documented. I'm not sure how the System figured that out, but I'm guessing some brain probing of some sort. There is no other way it would know.” Ivor was just guessing, but it was probably a good guess in his opinion.

“Ok, well on to your Class skills. Let us start with [Null Storage]. It is similar to dimensional storage in your Lit R.P.G books and games. Actually, it is closer to your video games. Unlike a dimensional storage which manipulates time/space and is applied to an item like a ring, necklace, bracelet, or bag, [Null Storage] is part of your Class. So, it is technically attached to you. Like those video games, you just have storage.

At Level 1, it would be pretty small, about the size of a backpack, but since your Title pushed [Null Manipulation] into Advanced level, it is now the size of a small room. Something like three meters cubed. It will take some practice, but you can pull things in and out at will. They can appear in your hand, on the ground, on a table, a limited distance from your body.

However, you can not shoot things out of it. There is no real motion being imparted to the object. Unlike most dimensional storage, you can put living things inside. However, I am not sure what side effects there will be. You will have to test it.

Speaking of [Null Manipulation]. That ties in with your [Null Shield]. With [Null Manipulation] you are able to change the size, shape, location and distance from your body of the [Null Shield]. Even at Advanced rank, it is going to require practice on your part. As you rank it up, other uses may come available.

Finally, the [Null Shield] is exactly what it says. Anything that interacts with the plane of the shield ceases to exist. For example, let us say a Goblin Brawler punches you, but you put your shield up, the Brawler's fist and any other part of the arm that crosses that plane of nothingness will cease to exist,” Zed explained.

“Do I even want to ask how [Null Storage] can work?” Ivor asked.

“Probably not. There is a reason it took me millions of years to figure everything out. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Oh, and the shield uses a lot of mana. Also, I am not sure how large you can create it. It may destabilize the very fabric of existence. It's way too early for you to worry about that now, though. It is likely the [Null Shield] you can create currently will be relatively small, and it probably will drain your mana pretty fast,” Zed said.

Something occurred to Ivor he hadn't thought of.

“Zed, you didn't actually test any of this did you?” Ivor asked

“Oh, I absolutely did. Very thoroughly,” Zed responded.

Ivor sighed in relief.

“There were trillions of simulated tests,” Zed continued.

Ivor closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What about the 12 free stat points?” Ivor asked.

“Hmmmm, well, the Class gives you 4 free points. The Unique nature being it is all free stats rather than 3 fixed and one free. You are getting 4 free points from your Perfect Start title. So that leaves 4 free points which the System must be giving you for the Extreme Evaluation,” Zed explained.

“So, I'm probably going to lose those 4 free points when I leave. You said my Unique skill doesn't follow normal advancement levels. Is that true with this Unique class as well?” Ivor asked,

“Yes. I am actually not sure exactly how it will play out. There is a lot of randomness associated with the Unique tag on things. I am not even sure the System has set rules for them. Remember, you will be getting additional points for your Profession as well.”

“Yeah, but if I'm forced into only a Class or Profession when I get back to Earth, I'll lose those. It's not like I'm giving up my class. Which also means, I would lose all the skills from my profession too,” Ivor responded.

“Correct. However, you can buy some skills and find others in dungeons. It may take some time, but you have lots of that,” Zed countered.

Out loud, Ivor said, “I should probably pick my Profession now.”

“Very well. Please select your Profession. Professions generally advance slower than combat Classes Professions can evolve beyond their base class type. You will be allowed to change Professions during the evaluation, but you will lose all Skills and Stat Points gained during the use of that Profession. You can gain more information during the evaluation. Choose by focusing on the Profession and select Yes/No when prompted,” Zed said and a message popped up in Ivor's overly.

Choose a Profession from the list:

There was a pretty big list of Professions to choose from, but the one Ivor had been thinking about was right near the top, as they were in alphabetical order.

You have selected the Profession - Artificer…

Do you want to choose this Profession? - Yes/No

Ivor selected Yes. He then concentrated on the Profession in his stats list and the skills popped up.

Artificer Profession Skills

Construct Creation (Advanced) - Active

Create constructs up to your skill level. Requires construct blueprint and materials.

Enchant Armor (Advanced) - Active

Enchant armor up to your skill level. Requires armor, runes and materials.

Enchant Object (Advanced) - Active

Enchant non-animate objects up to your skill level. Requires non-animate objects, runes and materials.

Enchant Weapons (Advanced) - Active

Enchant weapons up to your skill level. Requires weapons, runes and materials.

Mana Manipulation (Advanced) - Active

Manipulate the flow of mana. Useful for enchanting, rituals, runic circles, alchemy, some spell casting, etc…

Analyze (Advanced) - Active

Concentrate on an inanimate object to learn its secrets. More information can be revealed at higher levels.

Ivor read over the skill list. He was excited to get started enchanting. He still had the blueprints and some of the tools from the Clay Golem Dungeon. However, he was more interested in what kind of weapons he could make.

Specifically, how his enchanting would work with traps. He had some ideas on how to approach it, but he would need some things and would have to talk to Zed and Esqin. Then he needed to go farm some monster cores. First, Ivor wanted a specific skill that didn't show up in his list on Class or Profession.

“Zed, I need the [Loot] skill. Is there any way I can get it?” Ivor asked the former A.I.

“It is a pretty generic skill. You should be able to buy it in the System Market. It is pretty expensive,” Zed commented.

“Well, I can always try to run more dungeons for credits, if I need to. I'm going to need that skill outside of dungeons for monster cores and other goods. I'm not going to be able to drag everybody into the System Market. Besides, I need Esqin to create a few things for me. Also, I know you said you need about 20 or so village crystals for the difficulty level to ramp up. Will it keep ramping up if we merge more?” Ivor was curious about that and one other thing.

“It could. Like I said before, there might be a few towns in an Evaluation, but not usually a city.” Zed explained then Ivor heard in his head.

“There may be some benefit to collecting as many as we can. I am not sure though. I have been thinking about asking the System to grant you a sort of bonus for surviving the Extreme Evaluation solo. When a group manages to meet certain criteria in expanding a village in the Evaluation, they are given the opportunity to essentially take the village crystal with them. It does not contain the World Guardian, but it does contain all the information about the village; the buildings, farms, domesticated animals, etc… When they get back to their planet, the System installs their World Guardian who then rebuilds and/or populates all the stuff from the Evaluation village. It is sort of a bonus for doing well as a community. I am wondering if I can convince the System to allow you to have that, but with different bonus things, like potentially a travel circle, a village shield, maybe some other quality of life things, but only for you, for your domicile,” Zed explained.

“It sounds great, but I'm going to be leaving immediately to find Marie when I get back.”

“Yes, but at some point, will you not need a home base?” Zed asked.

“I'm not sure. I mean it sounds like a good idea. What would it mean for you?”

Ivor was curious if Zed gained anything from this.

“Well, I do not really gain anything. If you had people living with you, they would interact with me rather than your World Guardian. It would be a way to protect Marie and her team if things went bad. Plus, you would have one of the only working travel circles that can go off-world. It will be quite a while before your world stabilizes enough for the System to allow that.

They will be able to establish travel circles that go between points on the planet, but not beyond. Beyond that, it is just another place for my consciousness to reside.” Zed gave the equivalent of a mental shrug.

Ivor thought about it for a while.

“Feel free to give it a shot. I suppose I don't lose anything from you trying. I do like the idea of getting a head start on getting off the world. I'd like to personally thank Esqin and Aza, as well as whoever made my armor. So, if I'm hearing you correctly, the more the merrier for village crystals, if we go that route.” Ivor commented.

“Yes. The village crystal will grow larger, but your [Null Storage] can already easily handle it as long as you do not completely fill your storage. Realistically, you will probably sell most everything in the System Market before you leave. Evaluation worlds like this do not really have lots of exotic deposits or treasures. The Inheritance was a rarity of rarities.”

Ivor noticed Artificer had fixed points in Intelligence, Willpower and Perception each level and one free point. Right now, his Mana was lagging behind Health and Stamina. It would make sense to push that up. Especially, if his [Null Shield} was a mana hog. Also, Wisdom wasn't getting a bonus, and no points were automatically assigned to it. If he wanted to stay somewhat balanced, he needed to consider keeping that one up. Once he left here, he was going to be getting 4 less points per level up. Better to use them now, in his opinion.

Mulling over the options for his free stat points, Ivor decided on getting his Mana higher. These weren't the huge increases he'd seen before, but those pre-Class/Profession stat points were pretty insane. He was getting 40 points across all stats per “Experience Threshold”. Now he was getting 16 points, 13 of those free points. It was possible he was going to lose half of those when he was done with the Evaluation. He wasn't going to try to game the whole thing out. He would just deal with it when it happened.

Ivor brought up his latest stats

Ivor Kemble (Human)

Credits: 248,905

Level: 1

Class: [Null]

Profession: Artificer

Strength: 100 (150)

Agility: 100 (150)

Endurance: 100 (150)

Constitution: 100 (150)

Intelligence: 105

Wisdom: 105

Willpower: 101 (202)

Perception: 105

Health: 1500

Mana: 1050

Stamina: 1656

Free Stat Points: 0

Ivor frowned, “Zed, the numbers in my stats look off”

“The System is displaying the whole numbers rounded down,” Zed replied.

“Ok, that makes sense. I need to send a message to Esqin and a quick note to Marie. I'm going to buy that [Loot] skill, if I can afford it. Then, Zed, I'm going to test out this [Null Shield].” Ivor knew it would be a novel experience for Zed 'riding along' with Ivor while in combat. A thought occurred to Ivor, could Zed see what he saw in the System Market or would the System still prevent him from entering in some way?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ivor moved to the System Market door and entered. He walked over to the display and pulled up the Buy section.

“You there buddy? Can you see what I'm seeing?” Ivor asked.

After a slight pause, “Ah, yes, I am here, and yes, I can see what you are seeing. It is taking an adjustment on my part. You humans process things so slowly. It is fascinating though,” Zed replied.

Ignoring the commentary, Ivor searched for and found the [Loot] skill. Then, he almost swore out loud. Expensive was an understatement. 150,000 credits for the skill. Well, he made 250,000 off of one dungeon, but that may have been an outlier. Despite the credits, Ivor did need this skill. He clicked the Buy button and a crystal appeared on the counter.

Ivor picked up the crystal and a notification appeared.

Do you want to learn the skill [Loot]? - Yes/No

Ivor selected Yes, and the crystal crumbled to dust and the dust disappeared. Ivor brought up the skill description.

Loot (Advanced) - Active

Loot anything that can be looted. Mostly monsters, other beings and dungeon denizens. Loot settings will appear in your overlay.

Ivor hadn't spent a lot of time in all the various settings. So it took him a bit to find it. There were a few options.

Auto-loot in dungeon - On/Off. It was currently set to Off.

Use dimensional storage - On/Off. It was currently set to Off.

Display loot messages - On/Off. It was currently set to Off.

Ivor set Auto-loot in-dungeon and Use dimensional storage to On while leaving Display loot messages Off.

“Hey Zed, how does the auto-loot in-dungeon setting work? Also, do you think [Loot] will work with [Null Storage]” Ivor asked.

“I am sure without the [Loot] skill, you had to touch the monster, and then select Yes, correct?” Zed asked.

“Yep.”

“Well, now you do not have to select Yes. Just touch the monster and it will disappear leaving the loot behind and it should work [Null Storage]. You will have to test it though. Higher levels of the [Loot] skill will give you further setting benefits, and possibly more loot from the monster or creature. More complex creatures and monsters may have parts Advanced level [Loot] will not get. That is usually not an issue as you would be too low a level to fight those kinds of monsters, but that may not be the case with you. If you fight some really tough complex monsters, your current level of [Loot] may leave behind some valuable stuff.

So, I would try to level it up as quickly as you can. Just make sure to loot everything you kill.”

Ivor penned a short letter for Marie, then sent a quick message to Esqin. He told her about his Artificer Profession, and he set a time in a couple days for them to message in real time. He needed to practice.

With [Null Storage] there was no reason to leave all his stuff behind. It was a little strange at first, but Ivor quickly got the hang of it. He even brought up his [Null Shield]. Currently, the shield was around 30 centimeters square. It didn't cost a lot to trigger, but it definitely drained his mana at a quick pace. He tried shrinking the size, but ended up just getting a bit of a headache. Once he stopped trying to change the size, the headache went away.

He would have to ask Zed about that later. Right now, he could generate the shield wherever he wanted within his vision. He could get it to move around 60 centimeters away from his body, but that's it.

Ivor quickly found out he wasn't immune from the shield. He barely poked it with his index finger. The tip of his index finger disappeared and blood started flowing.

The skill description was not joking at all. This shield does not discriminate. He was going to have to be careful. He wanted to test it, but he'd have to find the right conditions or as a last resort.

Ivor headed out into the woods around this current village to find something to fight. He had to roam pretty far away before he came across a party of four goblins. He triggered the active portion of [Tactician].

(Level 7)

(Level 8)

(Level 8)

(Level 10)

Well, that feature works. The identify feature in [Tactician] only gave him the levels. It was fine.

He already knew it was a Goblin Archer, two Brawlers and one Fighter. He'd fought them before. It also looked like their levels were the same as all the others. Maybe he would run into different variants of goblins that were higher levels.

Ivor waited until they passed, then followed them. They entered a clearing after about 10 minutes. This would be a good test for Ivor. The archer was in the back of the group, which put him closest to Ivor. Ivor let the others enter the trees on the other side of the small clearing, when he yelled at the archer. Ivor had to give the monster credit, it spun and fired in a fairly smooth motion.

However, given Ivor's Perception stat, he was able to track the arrow. At the last moment, he triggered [Null Shield], and the arrow simply disappeared in front of him. The goblin looked shocked.

As it was recovering from its shock the other goblins came back out into the clearing. The Brawlers started moving forward at a fast pace. The Fighter was staying a bit behind them. Ivor noticed the Archer moving to his left, thinking it could get a flanking shot off on him. Unfortunately, that's exactly where Ivor wanted it to go. Ivor waited until the Brawlers were closing in and the Archer was getting in position. Ivor abruptly pivoted left and sprinted towards the Archer.

Ivor himself was shocked at his speed. He didn't need the shield as he got to the Archer in the blink of an eye. Ivor hadn't even pulled out any weapons. Chastising himself for the stupid oversight, Ivor blasted the goblin in the face with his right fist.

The head disintegrated in an explosion of blood, brains and bones. It didn't even slow Ivor down. He nearly stumbled.

Ivor had a thought. A thought that went against everything his training and experience told him to do in this fight. He needed to test himself, not just his [Null Shield]. His body was enhanced so far beyond his previous body, even at its peak. He didn't think these creatures could harm him at their level. The last time he fought these goblins, his stats were 45. He needed to know what stats over 100 meant.

Not bothering to pull out any weapons. Ivor waited for the Fighter to reach him. The Brawlers were a little too committed to their charge.

So the Fighter ended up being the first one to reach him. The Fighter slashed down with his short sword. It was pathetically slow.

Ivor backhanded the flat of the blade out of his way. The Fighter's eyes bulged out of his head at Ivor's speed. Ivor, not wanting to actually end the fight with this one, used his free hand to push the goblin in the face. The goblin was flung back 20 meters. The Goblin Fighter was slow to get up as the Brawlers finally arrived.

The first Brawler took an overhead swing with its club, while the second one swung for Ivor's side. Deciding to take a risk, Ivor reached up with both hands and caught the overhead swing. He let the second Brawler's club hit his ribs. The first Brawler had a good grip on his club as Ivor casually lifted the club and the Brawler off the ground.

The second Brawler simply looked down at his club as the impact with Ivor's armored ribs actually seemed to crack the wood on the club. To Ivor, the impact felt like someone had hit him with a rather firm pillow.

The first Brawler let go of his club and Ivor punted it a little too hard. He heard bones shatter as the limp body flew across the clearing and into the trees. He threw the club he was holding at the advancing Fighters legs, tripping it up. The second Brawler decided another swing couldn't hurt. This time the club shattered on Ivor's armor. Ivor backhanded the goblin into the trees to his right.

Starting to get a better feel for his improved body and his armor. Ivor marched towards the goblin Fighter picking itself back up. Ivor let the goblin get into a stance, and it stabbed out at Ivor. Turning slightly, Ivor took the stab to his upper thigh. The blade didn't even penetrate the armor.

Ivor could feel the pressure of the stab, but it wasn't something to be concerned about. The Fighter stood dumbfounded as an open handed slap by Ivor broke the monster's neck.

Ivor took a look at his notifications.

Goblin Archer (Level 7) - defeated

Goblin Brawler (Level 8) - defeated

Goblin Brawler (Level 8) - defeated

Goblin Fighter (Level 10) - defeated

Experience threshold reached…..

Level 2 achieved….

Ivor was surprised he only received enough experience for Level 2. His first fight when he got here, the goblins were only Level 5 and he reached two experience thresholds. Although he wasn't sure experience thresholds with a Class/Profession were a 1-to-1 with Level experience, he couldn't help but compare the two.

Zed spoke before Ivor had a chance, “That was insane.” Ivor could clearly sense the excitement in Zed's comment. “I was able to watch everything from your vantage point and my own. What a difference. Also, I was monitoring your vital signs. Based on my knowledge of your species, you do not seem to exhibit the markers of intense combat stress like others.”

Ivor let out a mental chuckle, “Zed, I've been doing that kind of thing for a very long time. I've adapted. Although I had no way to monitor my own vitals, I've experienced the changes over time. My body adapted to the stress and I respond differently to it. I still couldn't escape the damage all the stress put on my heart. However, in practice, I used all the best of my body's reactions to combat, and I ignored or suppressed the rest.”

“Fascinating,” was all Zed replied.

“On another topic, it seems like it's suddenly harder for me to gain levels, Zed. Any idea what this is?” Ivor asked.

“Yes, you have found the downside to having both a Class and Profession. Given you are earning more stats, the System ramps up the experience you need to advance. It is also why the System stopped allowing both. The reality is, most species will get tired of trying to do both things, and stick to one thing they like doing. It really slowed down advancement.

The System shifted to the either/or solution quite some time ago. There are sectors, like this one, where it is still in play, but all sectors in the last few million years have been Class or Profession,” Zed explained.

“I noticed the monsters haven't seemed to increase in level. I'm ok with that, but I'm curious if they will.” The current monsters wouldn't be a challenge to Ivor at this point.

“It is by design that the monsters stay a certain level during the Evaluation. The System will ramp up the difficulty as the participants increase in level. You are a ridiculous cheat though.” Zed and Ivor both chucked, then Zed continued. “The System will also ramp up the challenge as towns turn into cities. However, that is nearly impossible in an Evaluation. It takes a lot of village crystals merging into towns, then towns merging into a city.”

“Can we simulate a city if we collect enough crystals and merge them?” Ivor asked.

“It should be possible. It is something I have been thinking about. I think we should try for 100 crystals. That might trigger the System to make a change. However, after the merge, you will have to stay in one area for a while. I think the reason you have not seen an uptick in monster levels is that you are just moving between locations too quickly. Remember, I said the System 'ramps up' the challenge.

It is not instantaneous. Again, that is by design. As a side note, the more crystals that are merged when you return, the more functionality I should have.”

Ivor thought for a moment before communicating, “Ok, how about this. At my current speed and your speed of merging crystals, I think we can do two villages a day. That's if I don't stop to fight or do a dungeon. We need about 90 more crystals to get to 100. With my plan, that's roughly 45 days collecting crystals. I'm going to need to hit dungeons on the way.

Practicing creating things with these runes is going to require materials and credits to buy materials if I can't find them. Also, I'm going to keep helping Esqin. So, I'll need a variety of monster types to use the baston on for her to perfect her alloy. In addition, it might get a little boring for you just riding along while I run everywhere.”

“I appreciate you thinking about me, but you need to remember, I do not have the same psychological reactions your species does. I am capable of doing nothing for long, long periods of time. However, I think your plan is a good one. We can try to test it tomorrow,” Zed replied.

Ivor headed back to the Admin building in the village. He had looted the goblins. It was an interesting experience as everything did go straight into his [Null Storage]. By reading his notifications, he knew what bits of the goblins were worth something.

Turns out it was quite a bit: blood, bone, skin, eyes, etc… After asking Zed, it seemed like over the eons, just about everything was worth something to someone. It also looked like he got more credits by selling the parts than he did selling the whole goblin to the system. The four goblins netted him 600 credits rather than the 400 he would have gotten for the four whole corpses. Ivor didn't bother picking up the weapons.

It seems that any weapon not actually on the body when looted had to be collected manually.

With his testing done, for now. Ivor cracked open the Vamhael Rune Codex. It was part text book, part wiki and part instruction video. The pages were purely magical in nature. The book was standard textbook size, but it clearly had more information than pages.

The appropriate content would appear when selected, very hyperlink-y. Certain content was unavailable until you'd learned the appropriate foundational material. There was even a set of tests of knowledge. It didn't seem quite advanced enough to validate the actual rune work you created, but it was still an appropriate knowledge gate before you could access higher level information.

There was an introductory “video.” Really it was a projection from the crystal embedded in the cover. Really, it was a high definition hologram. The kind of hologram geeks on Earth before the System could only dream of. It caused a little bit of emotional pain for Ivor. The instructor was Culs.

Ivor watched the introductory video along with the following video that indicated what tools he would need for the various Artificer enchanting types. Currently, Ivor was interested in Object Enchanting, Construct Creation and Weapon Enchanting, in that order. His current armor was more than enough, and he definitely wasn't going to try practicing on it. It looked like he already had all the tools for the beginner Construct Creation from his first dungeon. However, for Object Enchanting and Weapon Enchanting, he would need a Mana Scribe.

A Mana Scribe was tool enchanters used to channel mana into an object, weapon or armor. It was, essentially, a fancy magic writing instrument. Ivor had horrible handwriting, always had. Hopefully, with enough practice, this rune writing with a magic pen wouldn't be too hard.

Wouldn't that just be a kick in the teeth: all this powerful runic knowledge sitting idle because he had bad penmanship. Ivor chuckled to himself.

It turned out that it was rather easy for Ivor to buy a Mana Scribe from the System store, but his tutorial had cautioned about going that route. The Mana Scribe quality was highly influenced by the type of material it was made from. The higher the quality, the smoother the mana channeling was and the more mana could be pushed through the scribe. Unlike common metal scribes from Earth, the Mana Scribe didn't actually alter the thing it was putting the rune on. Using a Mana Scribe was more like tracing the runes on the object while the mana embedded into it with the appropriate pattern.

Ivor would have to ask Esqin if she could suggest a material and make the scribe for him. In the meantime, it was getting late. Ivor headed off to sleep. Tomorrow would be the first day of the speed run through villages and dungeons.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ivor, with Zed riding along, got an early start to the next village. Zed had plotted them a route that took them out of this particular wooded area and into more varied terrain. Zed explained that different types of monsters and animals populated the different terrain types. The variation would benefit Ivor and possibly help with this experience gain.

The route wasn't a straight line, but Zed ensured Ivor wasn't going to be retracing his path. The goal was to hit two villages a day, over 45 days. That should get them to 100 merged village crystals. Zed assured Ivor that it was plenty to be considered a city, and the System should respond by ramping up the challenge. All told, Ivor would be covering over 5000 kilometers.

Ivor wanted to run dungeons every second or third day to build up his supply of materials and credits. At his level, he should be able to speed run most dungeons if the System didn't ramp the challenge up on the way. Ivor would have to stay away from the dungeons with time dilation that would negatively impact their schedule.

Those should only be the ones where time runs faster outside than inside the dungeon. Dungeons where time flows faster on the inside, like the Bandit dungeon, were fine as long as the time dilation worked to Ivor's advantage.

Ivor's movement speed with 150 Agility was pretty insane. Even as he throttled it down to make sure he didn't run out of stamina, he was moving crazy fast. It wasn't so fast you couldn't see him.

Plenty of monsters and animals noticed him. They just couldn't do anything quick enough to stop him. Even if they did, they were low enough level that they wouldn't stop him for long.

The first day went without problems. Although it was still taking Zed several hours to merge the village crystals. It just meant Ivor had more time to study the Vamhael Rune Codex. Ivor had decided to practice with metal blanks that he would get Esqin to make for him.

Ivor had discovered one of the foundational pieces of information of enchanting was that different materials had to be handled in different ways. In hindsight, it seemed obvious. However, different materials could handle only so much mana or types of mana. For instance, you couldn't enchant an ice sculpture with fire runes.

It would melt. Again, it seems obvious in hindsight. This foundational information meant that enchanters had to know a tremendous amount about material composition, know people or have resources that could tell them about material composition, or experiment. Experiments could be dangerous.

Ivor was confident Esqin could help him out with metals. Maybe his armor benefactor could help him out with various leathers, skins and fabrics. However, Ivor didn't know anything about stone.

He also didn't know anyone that could help him with that. He would likely experiment. Esqin and Aza could probably help him, but they were doing enough. Ivor didn't want the System to punish them for interfering with an Evaluation.

The second day on the new route went the same as the first. Ivor decided to run a dungeon. The dungeon was a cave environment. It was pretty large and consisted of passageways and large open rooms.

The monsters were a strange mix of badger and scorpion. It sort of resembled a furry badger, but had two tails that had poison stingers at the end. The standard monsters were level 10. It was a digging creature, but it didn't dig through stone, just dirt.

As long as Ivor stayed away from the loose dirt and kept moving, he didn't have any issues. He did get stung once when he got a bit overwhelmed in a large cavern. He was rushing through a little too fast and didn't pay attention to the numerous soft dirt areas.

He took one of his poison antidotes and was fine. The poison was just barely able to overcome his health regeneration, but Ivor didn't want to take any chances.

His Master level in [Sole Contributor] was paying sweet dividends at 100% increase in rewards. That was in addition to the extra rewards he got for the Extreme level Evaluation. Nearly every monster was giving a monster core, earth type cores like the constructs he fought in his first dungeon, and they were dropping nearly 50 silver each. He was pulling a bunch of parts out of them as well. Ivor was going to keep the cores, but he was happy to sell the parts. The boss was just a larger version at Level 20. The dungeon called for a party of 5 to 6 at Level 10. They should have been able to handle the boss just fine, assuming they had survived on this world to make it to Level 10. Once the stingers on the two tails were cut off, there wasn't much the monster could do to Ivor. He used the opportunity to practice with this [Null Shield] some more.

Towards the end, Ivor was getting pretty good at judging attacks coming at him and the distance he needed to put his shield. The monster (Badgion?, Scorpadger? Ivor didn't bother looking up the name in his notifications) had all its claws trimmed by the end of the fight.

At the end of the dungeon, Ivor had 42 minor earth monster cores, 1 major earth monster core, 2850 silver, 20 gold, and instead of weapons or armor, the dungeon dropped the [Loot] skill crystal. Ivor decided to hold onto that. He could probably make some decent credits from it, but he decided to hold onto skills for Marie and her team.

He made it back in plenty of time to make his agreed upon meeting with Esqin. Ivor had asked Zed to observe only during the dungeon run. Ivor had them do an After Action Report A.A.R. Zed indicated that he could have helped Ivor prior to getting slightly overwhelmed by pointing out the things [Tactician] was telling him. That skill was a bit odd in its passive form.

Unless Ivor was paying attention to it, he didn't really notice anything. Apparently, that wasn't true for Zed. It was literally the reason Ivor asked Zed to observe. They needed to find out when Zed could help best without disrupting Ivor's concentration. Ivor pointed out a few different areas where Zed could have caused harm by interrupting Ivor. Zed would learn the right times to speak up, and Ivor would gradually learn to work with the commentary without his concentration breaking.

Zed was fascinated by Ivor's ability to “get in the zone.” Zed felt that humanity as a species didn't have very good sensory organs. He postulated that the brain compensated by leaning on the subconscious mind to influence the body's reactions. Highly trained and experienced combat veterans like Ivor, didn't have to think about the things they were doing.

They just did them. It wasn't muscle memory. It wasn't familiarity due to repetition. It was something more. Ivor tended to agree.

Ivor made his way into the System Market at the specified time. He had just sat down at the display when a message notification popped up.

Esqin: Ivor, I think I'm nearly there with the alloy. Before we talk about that, my father is as impatient as a child wanting to talk to you about the new information you sent. If I don't let him talk, he will likely constantly interrupt me.

Ivor: That's perfectly fine Esqin. Your father has waited a long time for some of these answers.

Aza: Ivor, I can't believe you were allowed to choose a Class and Profession. It's likely the old book I have has that information in it. We just haven't been able to translate it all. What can you tell me about your experience since choosing?

Ivor proceeded to tell Aza about the process. He wasn't comfortable talking about his Null Class. He didn't lie to Aza. He explained that it was a Unique Class, and he wanted to keep things to himself for now. He also explained both he and Zed weren't sure what was going to happen when he went back to Earth after the Evaluation. Aza was a professional. He understood the need to keep secrets.

He made sure to express to Ivor that he wasn't offended. In fact, he thought it once again showed Ivor's intelligence and wisdom. Ivor told him about the slow down in experience gain.

Ivor told Aza about his Artificer Profession. He explained the skills he got in detail. He also explained the Vamhael Rune Codex and his need for a high quality Mana Scribe. At this point, Aza interrupted:

Aza: As you know, a friend of mine created your armor and the armor for your daughter's team. He's been reading along on these conversations. He was part of my adventuring group that found the book I've been telling you about. He would like to speak with you, if that is alright with you.

Ivor: Sure Aza. Any friend of yours can be a friend of mine.

Quanzul: Mr. Kemble, I'm Quanzul. I'm the Epic Level armorer that made your armor. I hope it has served you well. I promise I gave your daughter and her team the best I could without the System slapping my hand.

Ivor: Well met Quanzul. Please, call me Ivor. I appreciate any help you can provide my daughter and her team. Based on the quality of the armor you provided me, I have no doubt they are well taken care of. You have my thanks.

Quanzul: Thank you, Ivor. I have a proposal for you. I have a high quality Mana Scribe that should take you through Master Level. It did for me. I would like to trade that scribe for knowledge about those runes you have access to. You may not know this yet, but combining runes from two different Codex results in runes that are harder to break or modify. I won't even ask for any information up front, but when you come to visit us, and I think it's safe to say we would all like to meet you in person, I would like the chance to learn from the Codex.

Ivor hadn't really thought about what to do with the Codex other than learn. How better to 'remember' the Vamhael than by spreading their runes to another professional.

Ivor: I think that's a fair trade, and it saves me a whole bunch of time. I will be ready very soon to start practicing.

Quanzul: Take your time. Work on your Mana Manipulation. I need to go get the Mana Scribe, but I'll also throw in some puzzle boxes I used for apprentices when I had them. I'll send along some instructions and a training regimen for Mana Manipulation. You keep talking with Aza and Esqin. I'll gather the things, then we can sign a simple contract, and I'll send the goods over.

Ivor: Much appreciated Quanzul.

Aza chatted some more about the Evaluation and Ivor's plans. He was interested in the crystal merging. It was a well known phenomenon, but Aza was interested to see if the System ramped up the challenge with that many village crystals merged. Finally, it was Esqin's turn. The two of them talked about the latest round of baston. Ivor had used two sets in the most recent dungeon.

As he was only planning on running dungeons every second or third day, he could wait for Esqin to send him more. He had the Hammer, the Spear and his short swords. He was pretty covered in the weapon department for now.

Ivor explained the types of metal blanks he needed to practice runes with. Esqin immediately knew the cheapest metal that would handle mana for his purposes. She could stamp out dozens and dozens of the flat disks Ivor requested. She would send them with the latest baston in a few days. Ivor then worked with Esqin on an idea he had. He couldn't implement it now, but he sketched out a design and explained what he wanted. Esqin said she would work on finding the right materials and work on the design some more over the next week or so.

Quanzul had arrived before they were done. So after Ivor and Esqin finished up, Quanzul sent over a simple contract. It only stated that at some point in the future, Ivor agreed to show Quanzul the Vamhael Rune Codex. He didn't specify a time limit or anything. Quanzul was trusting Ivor to do the right thing, just like Ivor was trusting Quanzul with his daughter's armor.

Ivor accepted the contract and several items appeared on the counter. Ivor said his goodbyes and inspected the items. The first thing he noticed were the puzzle cubes.

They seemed simple on the outside, but Ivor assumed there was more to these cubes. Next to them was a crystal. Ivor quickly asked Zed, who had been observing everything, what the crystal was.

“It is probably instructions like the crystal on the rune codex. It is very common for species to explain and show rather than just text. Feed some mana into the crystal and you should be prompted for some options,” Zed explained.

Sure enough, right after Ivor fed a little mana into the crystal, a sort of table of contents appeared in his overlay. He didn't select anything. Instead, he looked at the Mana Scribe. It was a little smaller than a human pen and it was made of some metal Ivor had never seen.

In addition, there was some pattern on it he didn't recognize. He didn't think it was any kind of rune. He was pretty sure the Mana Scribe was supposed to just be a conduit for his mana. A rune could interfere with things. He would have to ask Quanzul some other time.

Ivor settled in for some studying of the Vamhael Rune Codex. Then some sleep. He will continue the village speed run tomorrow.

Chapter Thirty

It took a little over 45 days to finally collect all 100 village cores. Ivor had shifted to running dungeons every third day instead of every second. He was spending more and more downtime with the Vamhael Rune Codex and working on his Mana Manipulation. The puzzle cubes Quanzul had sent turned out to be exceptionally useful and frustrating at the same time.

It turned out Mana Manipulation did not come easy to Ivor, despite the Advanced starting level. After a few frustrating days, he calmed himself and changed his mindset. This was just something to practice and get good at, not something he needed to be good at right away.

Esqin had sent him a few hundred blank metal disks he could use to practice creating runes. As his Mana Manipulation got better, Ivor put it into practice. He had always learned best that way.

He failed a lot in the beginning, but the combination of Mana Manipulation practice and trying to create ruins snowballed. It created a sort of feedback loop that, despite the failures, made him learn and get better at it every day.

About half way through the speed run, he was successfully creating Basic level enchantments. Things like Create Light (no torch needed with this stuck to a stick), Color Change (make it green and drop it in the forest, good luck finding it again), Create Spark (handy for starting campfires or other fires), and Adhere (magic glue), he was now able to create easily.

It was around day 46 that Ivor had also transitioned out of the forested area he started in and moved into a section of rolling hills with long stretches of grassland. The hills were quite large in some areas. There were large rounded rock formations dotted around the hills. Some of the hills were large enough that Ivor could see the village he was approaching at quite a distance away.

On the flat grasslands, it was impossible for Ivor to be ambushed by monsters. Although the grass grew to about mid-calf in height, most things that could endanger Ivor wouldn't be able to hide in it. Ivor did find out there was one area he needed to be careful. Cresting the top of large hills. One particular incident drove that point home.

As Ivor was moving at a fast pace, he crested the top of a large hill. He had done this a number of times in the last day or so. Unfortunately, on the other side of this hill was a herd of grazing beasts right in his path. At the speed he was moving, he only had one option, jump.

Ivor didn't slow as he leaped into the air like some Olympic long jumper. The big difference was that there was no soft sand to land in at the end of his jump. Despite Ivor's rapid pace, the herd was really large, and even he couldn't clear all those animals.

Ivor quickly found out how far he could push his improved agility. He landed on the back of one of the animals and immediately pushed off. Trying to keep up his momentum, Ivor moved through the herd by staying on top of them. He had never been particularly interested in parkour, but after sprinting across the back of a herd of animals, he could understand the appeal.

Ivor started slowing down when he crested the larger hills. That herd of grazers could have just as easily been a pack of monsters. Ivor wasn't too concerned about his safety at this point. The animals and monsters were still well below his level of power. Despite carrying a city level crystal, he hadn't noticed any real level increase.

Zed speculated it could be due to several reasons. One, Ivor was just moving too fast for the System to do anything quickly enough to impact him. Once Ivor stopped for a length of time, the System may increase difficulty in the area.

Two, it was possible the System wouldn't ramp up the animals and monsters around the villages, but ramp up the Dungeons instead. Ivor tended to think it might be the second point. The average level of monsters in the last dungeon he was in seemed a bit higher than normal. In fact, thinking back, Ivor hadn't seen a Level 5 monster in the last two dungeons.

As Zed reminded him, there was a third option: both of the things he speculated could be true. Ivor shrugged. Time would tell.

It was also around the halfway point of this speed run when Ivor started working on the Intermediate level runes. These runes were slightly more complex, but Ivor's study with the puzzle boxes really helped out. He also found out the puzzle boxes had multiple modes.

They would take him through Advanced level Mana Manipulation. Reinforce, Self-Sharpen and Self-Clean were all Intermediate level runes. Ivor's swords and knife already had the Self-Sharpen rune, but Ivor still practiced it. There was one rune at Intermediate level that Ivor was really excited about. That rune was Trigger. It was the first rune that came with variations to allow him to start creating his own traps.

There were lots of variations like Trigger:(Weight) which could be set to activate if something of a certain weight was set on the rune. There was Trigger:(Air Quality) which could work with Create Noise to alert someone when the air quality was below a certain level, like a magical carbon monoxide detector. The two variations Ivor was most interested in at the moment were Trigger:(Proximity) and Trigger:(Level).

The basic Alert traps Ivor had worked off a simple proximity trigger. That's why they were so cheap. The one thing Ivor didn't have at the moment was the ability to use basic logic constructs. He could create a trap that had Create Noise and Trigger:(Proximity). This was, essentially, all that those Alert traps were. However, if Ivor wanted a Create Noise trap that would only Trigger at a certain proximity and a certain creature Level, Ivor didn't have the logical 'and' part. Not yet at least. That was coming at the Advanced stage.

It was pretty clear the Vamhael focused the Basic and Intermediate levels of rune working on utility type runes. It made quite a bit of sense. You don't want beginners working with Elemental Magic like lightning. They would either end up destroying property, or they'd injure themselves or others. As it was, the utility runes were still very useful to Ivor. He could create traps with Create Noise, Adhere and Trigger:(Proximity) to stick to things along his back trail to let him know if something was coming up from behind.

This would have been useful in a particular dungeon he had run a few days ago that had many interlocking corridors. He almost got caught unawares as a monster had doubled back and come up at him from behind. It would have worked, but Ivor was moving too fast through the dungeon to get caught out like that.

Ivor was collecting a pretty large number of 'elemental' monster cores. As Zed had mentioned to Ivor, monster cores could be used in enchanting. Ivor was particularly interested in the elemental cores like earth, air, fire, etc…. He would have to get comfortable with both Advanced level Mana Manipulation and Advanced level runes before he would try his first elemental magic trap.

He'd run into these in various dungeons. A proximity trap triggered in a hallway and flames shoot out of the walls to roast you. Ivor avoided most of these, but he was beginning to understand how they were made.

Ivor was more interested in the traps as a force multiplier for himself when he was on the move. His lack of area-of-effect and crowd control magic was his real weakness as a solo operator. It always has been.

Back on pre-System Earth, Ivor was able to avoid any kind of mass attack on himself. It was always easy to slip away. That wasn't always going to be the case in this new reality where hordes of monsters can appear in and out of dungeons. Ivor needed tools to level the playing field. He also needed something for ranged attacks. He had a plan for that, but only if everything worked out like he hoped.

Ivor had mentioned to Zed that he felt he was making good progress, but he had a feeling something was missing.

There was an obvious pause before Zed responded. “I have not known you for very long, but I have experienced a lot of species becoming familiar with their new found stats and magic in general. I do not want you to take what I am going to say as a criticism. I think you are holding yourself back.”

“What do you mean?” A frown on Ivor's face.

“I do not think you are doing it consciously. Let me point out a couple of examples. First, your Constitution is 100 without the bonus you received from the inheritance. Yet, you are still sleeping roughly eight hours per night. I understand this is standard for your species.

However, that standard is for your species with a Constitution of 10 or lower. Second, your Intelligence is more than 100. Although it is not an exponential increase in power from 5 to 100, it is still quite a bit of an increase. You should be able to read faster and absorb more from your Rune Codex. I have seen other species experience this. Again, I do not think you are doing this consciously. I think you are stuck in treating your body and mind as though you were still on Earth. Perhaps it is because you have not had much of a challenge here due to the quick increase in stats. I just feel like you are not pushing yourself, or maybe you are pushing yourself according to your old body. You are much, much more than that now,” Zed finished.

Ivor took the time to really think about what Zed had said. He did in fact remember feeling like he was fighting based on his notions of his pre-System body. Zed was probably right. Ivor was pretty sure he was right about the sleeping thing.

It had been harder and harder to get to sleep at night. Maybe Ivor was forcing himself to do what he was familiar with rather than push this new body. It was likely he was just in a mental rut due to long years of experience doing things a certain way. Wait, he thought, am I the crotchety old man who won't change his ways. Ivor chuckled softly.

“A humorous epiphany?” Zed asked.

“Yes, something like that,” Ivor replied, “Thanks for pointing those things out Zed. I had actually forgotten that I even questioned my actions after a fight not long ago. I had wondered to myself if I was neglecting my new abilities and just fighting like I always had. Somewhere along the way, I forgot I had wondered that.”

“You have had quite a bit on your mind. Working to get to 100 in stats. Finding and completing the Inheritance. Getting your Class and Profession. Receiving a former A.I as a tagalong. Oh, let us not forget, finding out your daughter is alive. In addition, you do seem to have a very strong determination when you set out to do something. You have literally barreled straight ahead in this journey to collect the village crystals,” Zed said.

“That's understandable, but I don't like making excuses for, what I perceive, as failures. For me, failures are opportunities to learn and get better. You've pointed out an area I need to get better at. Since I seem to be falling back on ingrained habits, what would you suggest I do to move forward?” Ivor asked.

“My recommendation is to not try too many things at once. Perhaps try sleeping less. Use the time to study the runes more or work with your enchanting. Nothing too drastic.

Limit your sleep to four hours per night for a few nights and see how it affects your performance. I am sure you have gone without sleep enough times in your previous career to be able to effectively gauge the difference,” Zed suggested.

Ivor nodded. It was probably the best thing to try. He was very aware of how much sleep he could go without before it affected him.

Zed continued, “Try that for a week or two. Then focus on your Intelligence. It is a little harder to gauge. I would suggest ramping up your reading speed. I think you will be surprised by how much you actually retain now. Speed up your work with the puzzle cubes. I think you can go faster. I think once you get those two figured out, you will find yourself truly utilizing your potential.”

Ivor thanked Zed again. He would give Zed's plan a try. If he was sleeping less, he could potentially push for one more village per day. However, that would leave Ivor less time to learn the runes and enchanting. Ivor was ready to start enchanting something other than the metal disks Esqin had sent him.

First up were his boots. Although it had only been a little over a month, Ivor had been putting lots of kilometers on his boots. The wear was starting to show. He could, of course, buy some new boots, and he would. The current state of his footwear gave him an excuse to try armor enchanting for the first time.

First, he was going to use the Mend rune to see what it could repair. This wasn't like his self-repair rune on his armor. Mend would only fix small things.

He was hoping it would work on some of the fraying spots on some of the leather. He didn't expect it would replace the worn down tread on the bottom from all the running. Next, he wanted to apply the Reinforce rune to, hopefully, increase the durability of his boots.

Finally, he wanted to try to apply the Self-Cleaning rune. Self-Cleaning worked wonders on his armor. Just in case all that didn't work, he had asked Quanzul for a good quality boot that would go with his armor.

With a few weeks to go before they finally had the one hundredth village crystal, Ivor started sleeping less. He took Zed's advice and cut it down to four hours per night. It took less than a week to realize it was having absolutely no impact on his performance. At two hours of sleep per night, he started noticing a performance hit after a week. He decided to hold off on the no sleep test when they stopped after 100 village crystals.

The runes on Ivor's boots seemed to work as expected. It took Zed reminding him that they were the last thing from Earth left to him in the Evaluation. The completionist in him wanted to keep them the whole way through the Evaluation. He didn't have a particular attachment to these boots. It was more of a symbolic gesture.

After the four hour sleep test was successful, Ivor also sped up his reading and puzzle box work. True to form, Zed was correct again. He was able to read quite a bit faster.

Pushing his Mana Manipulation work with the puzzle boxes had an even greater payoff. His Mana Manipulation seemed to help improve his [Null Manipulation}. He was easily able to move his [Null Shield] around, and he could change its shape and size. He wasn't quite able to form it into a ball or curve it yet, but he was getting adept at rapidly moving it around himself and forming it into smaller squares and rectangles. In addition, Ivor was now comfortable with moving to Advanced enchantments.

Chapter Thirty-One

It was day 69 in the Evaluation when Ivor arrived at the final village on this crazy speed run. Today, Zed would absorb the one hundredth village crystal. It was time to settle in this location for a while to see if the System would ramp up the challenge due to the higher level village crystal.

If Zed was right, it should only take a few days to notice. Zed recommended Ivor immediately take a look at the closest dungeon. He could run it if he wanted. Then he could come back every day or so to see if the level increased. Zed figured it was going to be easier for the System to raise the level of the dungeon rather than increasing the level of the monsters outside.

Ivor didn't know why there was a difference. Zed said something about overall energy expenditure. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that Ivor was just one guy in an Evaluation that hadn't been used in eons. The System might not be paying attention.

Dungeon environment: Caverns

Recommended party size: 4 to 5

Recommended party level: 5

Time dilation: 1 to 1

Cooldown: 2 days

Ivor ran the dungeon. The only light sources came from the monsters in this particular dungeon. The monsters were a lizard-like creature with a scaly hide.

Given the darkness, they seemed to hunt by either smell or sound. Ivor couldn't detect any obvious eyes. The monsters attacked with a stream of fire out of their mouths. Ivor had a bunch of metal disks with the runes for Adhere and Create Light on them. It was pretty easy to light the place up when he needed it. The creatures dropped some Minor fire cores, some hides and a few coins. The boss was only level 15. At least the boss dropped a Major fire core.

Despite the low level dungeon, Ivor was happy. He had added to his collection of fire cores. He was one step closer to creating the type of trap he had been wanting to create since he took the Artificer Profession. He headed back to the village.

It was the first time Ivor was going to attempt this type of rune. At Advanced level, Ivor could now work with Elemental runes. There were all sorts of elements; earth, fire, air, water, void, force, etc…. For Ivor to empower the Elemental rune, he required a compatible core. For example: if Ivor wanted to create a trap of earth spikes, he needed an earth core to infuse the rune with. Ivor also needed another Advanced rune; Directional Burst (speed, shape, range, duration).

It was his most complex trap, using four runes: Trigger (Time), Element (Fire), Directional Burst (0,0,0,0), Activate. The Activate and Trigger (Time) runes worked together to allow him to activate the trigger which would count down based on the time input. The fire element would spit out fire based on the Minor fire core he used. The Directional Burst rune set to all zeros meant it would use the fastest speed, default was a ball, default range was based on the core type, and default duration would dump all the fire at once. As soon as he finished enchanting the metal disk, Ivor got a notification. It was one he had been hoping for.

Skill unlocked: Explosives

Ivor smiled and laughed out loud. It had been listed as Unavailable since the day he arrived in the Evaluation. When he first got the Vamhael Rune Codex, he had hoped this would work. He hoped he could find a combination of runes that would unlock the skill.

It was a skill he was very, very familiar with. As species without magic, humans had gotten incredibly creative with the variety of explosives they could employ. Ivor was going to put that creativity to use. He brought up the skill description.

Explosives (Master) - Passive

Explosives deal 100% more damage

Ivor finally had a potential ranged attack option, if he could make it. His traps were going to be deadlier. The only down side to this was his need for proper cores. He was going to have to farm them from dungeons or find monsters in the wild. He could buy them, but they were pretty expensive.

Ivor had a good deal of gold at this point that he hadn't converted to System credits. However, he wasn't naive enough to think that what he had made him rich. Ivor was sitting on 571 gold at the moment. Converted, that came out to over 2.8 million credits.

A Major earth core cost around 100,000 credits, and earth cores, Major and Minor, seemed fairly common. Ivor was certain that more unique cores were considerably more expensive.

Ivor set the enchanted disk on the ground well away from the Admin building. He activated the timed trigger and backed up. The trigger was set for 30 seconds, and the disk was set to shoot the ball of fire straight up. Ivor was curious how far a minor fire core could send the ball of fire. At the 30 second mark a ball of flame shot out of the disk straight up in the air. It went about three meters up and exploded when it reached its max range. The explosion of flame was impressive. That 100% increase in explosive power was no joke. It might allow Ivor to get away with Minor cores instead of Major cores for lower level monsters.

Zed chimed in, “That [Explosives] skill seems like a success.”

“Once I got the Rune Codex and the Artificer class, I was hoping it would work out,” Ivor said, still smiling like a kid that had just fired off his first firecracker.

“I have spent the last few minutes since you got the skill notification reviewing your specie's use of explosives. I must say, I am impressed with your creativity. You managed to create a dizzying array of explosive types. Not just combat implementations, but industrial ones as well. Putting out a burning high pressure oil rig fire with explosives is genius. I am going to assume that you will be, how does your slang put it, 'going Ham' on creating explosives,” Zed deadpanned.

Ivor chuckled, “Great use of slang there Zed. Yes, I will be going Ham on making explosives. I am limited to my current stock of cores, but I'm pretty sure I can come up with some interesting combinations. First, I need Esqin to make me some spheres of various sizes with a metal that can handle a decent amount of mana.”

“What are you going to use the spheres for?” Zed asked.

Ivor chuckled again, “I'm going to be introducing this world to the glorious physical version of the area-of-effect spell: Grenades.”

“That is simply terrifying. Not for me, of course. I find it delightful, and I can not wait to see the results for myself. It will definitely be terrifying for anything on the receiving end.

I am also wondering about your new strength. How far can you throw a grenade at this point? Also, you might want to practice. You might misjudge both the distance and speed you can throw things,” Zed mused.

“Good catch Zed. I'm pretty excited about this. Just like my Constitution and my Intelligence, I think it's time I start testing the limits of my Strength. Hell, I should add in my Agility as well. I've only been moving fast enough for us to meet our goal. I've barely scratched the surface on pushing my stamina regeneration,” Ivor concluded.

“Another thing to consider,” Zed continued, “is that the Evaluation only lasts so long. Although there is no set time limit, the System generally ends your Evaluation between 180 and 360 days. Given what I know about your species adaptability, I would say it will be much closer to 180 days than 360. It is possible it is even earlier than 180. I would plan for the Evaluation to end in about 110 days. In the event that happens, you have, at least, accomplished everything you set out to do.”

“I would appreciate it if you would help me plan that out and keep me on schedule. You don't owe me anything, but I'd be a fool not to ask for the assistance of a super intelligent former A.I,” Ivor asked.

“It would be my pleasure, Ivor. Although, I disagree with you on one point. I believe I owe you much. Without your tenacity and willingness to trust me, I would still be stuck on this world. I am happy to help any way I can,” Zed responded.

Ivor and Zed proceeded to set goals for the next 110 days. Ivor had a few things he wanted to accomplish.

- Test and fully utilize his Strength and Agility

- Test out the various trap and sphere configurations he had Esqin working on

- Get [Null Manipulation] up to Expert

- Get [Mana Manipulation] up to Expert

- Get [Enchant Object] up to Expert

- Enchant his baston

- Create some constructs

- Collect cores for use in enchanting

Ivor wanted to get [Null Manipulation] up to Expert because it drastically increased the size of his [Null Storage]. Although the size does increase with his personal level, Ivor noticed the increase wasn't very large. Zed mentioned that a much larger increase would happen when he leveled up the skill versus the more incremental increase with his personal level. Increasing his [Mana Manipulation] seemed to help increase his [Null Manipulation]. So that was a no brainer. All of these things were somewhat tied together.

The higher [Mana Manipulation] would help his [Enchant Object]. It turned out that trap components weren't considered weapons when enchanting. They were considered objects until the trap was made, at which point they became weapons. This was great for Ivor as he could store the traps in his armor's weapon storage rather than fill up his [Null Storage].

Ivor had been keeping up to date with both Esqin, by extension Aza and Quanzul, and Marie and her group. Marie's group had really taken his message to heart and were getting close to Level 10. They had been traveling and found a village with two really good dungeons they could alternate running. It helped keep the pressure up and pushed them further than most.

Based on her letters, many of the Professions were stuck at around Level 5. Only a few Classes came anywhere close to her and her team. She had hinted at some issues with other villages, but Ivor didn't pry. She was an adult, she could tell him if she wanted.

Of course, being her father, he was still worried. They might not be in an Extreme Evaluation like him, but it was still dangerous.

Ivor's unique circumstances meant his progress slowed down. He had hit Level 5, but it seemed that the dual Class/Profession penalty was real. Admittedly, he wasn't fighting as much as he was enchanting. Also, the monsters he had been fighting were ridiculously underpowered compared to him. It's possible that he just wasn't getting much experience.

Esqin had indicated that she thought she had the final formulation for her alloy. She wanted to talk to him about the last step. He had already planned to meet with her once they hit the last village on the speed run. With everything settled and planned out, Ivor went into the System Market.

Ivor: Esqin, you had mentioned that there was a final step with your alloy you wanted to talk to me about.

Esqin: Yes, Ivor. Before I begin, I would like to send you a System contract similar to the one we used concerning your stats. This contract will concern a specific property of my alloy.

Ivor: Of course. Please send it over.

Ivor and Zed reviewed the contract. It was simple, just like the previous contract he had with Esqin. In this case, Ivor was unable to tell anyone about the properties or origin of the alloy he had been using and that Esqin created. Zed gave his approval, and Ivor acknowledged the contract.

Esqin: Thank you, Ivor. I think you'll understand once I explain. One part of the alloy I'm creating comes from a mine my father owns. Its location is very secret. Unfortunately, the metal didn't seem like it would be very valuable as in its original state, it's very malleable.

It's almost as soft as gold. Not knowing what to do, he stored the small amount he had brought back, and somewhat forgot about it. Once I took up smithing, I stumbled upon the metal while poking around some of his old storage areas. I have a close friend that has the [Enchant Object] skill. I made some small blanks of the metal and asked her to test a few enchantments. That's when everything changed.

The metal could store vast amounts of mana. Much more than other metals. I immediately told my father who got my friend under a contract. I started testing various compositions until I came up with the right combination of things that made your first baston. After testing, we figured out a few things.

First, there has to be a certain amount of the metal before some threshold is reached and it absorbs massive amounts of mana. Anything below that threshold and it holds a decent amount of mana, but nothing to get excited about. Second, due to its malleable nature, it didn't take an edge well and didn't keep one, even with a self-sharpening enchantment. Third, the shape of the final product seemed to matter. Thin armor plates didn't seem to hold up even with reinforcing enchantments.

However, when I started creating blunt weapons, like hammers, and your baston, that's where things seemed to come together.

I took your request because your bastons are right on the edge of the mana threshold. In fact, I've tested your current baston size, and it doesn't hold much mana. I wanted to ask if I can increase the diameter by varying amounts and have you test them. Also, if you would like to switch to hammers, I can do that as well.

Ivor: That is a fantastic find, and I understand why you are so excited about the alloy. Yes, it's a bit of a neesh product, but those often sell for much higher prices. I'm not interested in moving to hammers. The weight of the head requires me to change my fighting style too much for comfort. Maybe in the future when I have time to practice new forms.

As far as the baston goes, feel free to increase the diameter. With my current strength, I can grip just about anything. You have my hand measurements.

I wouldn't go any larger diameter than I can wrap my hand around. It would make it too easy to break my grip if the baston was too large.

Furthermore, I can enchant them myself as I'm Advanced level the [Enchant Weapons] skill from my Profession. I was hoping to be able to enchant them even before this conversation. I might need some materials however. I can pay for them.

I think the best thing to enchant them with will be Reinforce and Elemental: Force runes. So, I'll need a force monster core. I only have up to Major cores in this Evaluation, and none of them are Element: Force.

Esqin: That sounds like a good plan. One of the side effects of this metal, that also makes it potentially valuable, is that it can pass the excess mana it holds directly in your elemental rune. Most weapon enchanters will want to use the highest level core they can find, as that usually dictates the level of power the rune can generate. With this alloy, you can use a Minor core along with a rune that can adjust mana flow and use as much or as little of the excess mana you pump into the weapon.

Ivor: So, you're saying I can create the rune and infuse it with a Minor core, but with the excess mana it can hit like it would with a Major core?

Esqin: Yes, higher than Major, if you can get the mana in and have the stats to use it.

Ivor: I'm only familiar with Minor and Major cores.

Esqin: After those, there is Superior and Superb, then Greater and Grand. I don't know what's after that. I've heard my father and Quanzul talking from time to time. I believe there are higher levels. I will send you several sizes of increased diameter baston, I already have them. I will need a day or so to get the cores, no charge. I'll send Minor and Major cores. It would be interesting if you can apply one of each to each pair of bastons. Then let me know if there is a difference.

Ivor: Thank you, Esqin. Once I get the cores, I'll do the enchanting. If there is a difference between using Minor and Major cores, can you look into the availability and cost of two Superb force cores?

Esqin: Will do.

Ivor gave Esqin the requirements for the metal spheres he wanted. One version for enchanting, the other for practice. She had some varying sizes of ball bearings she was able to send immediately, but she would have to make the larger spheres. Esqin also sent a few of the specially made traps that Ivor had requested, along with some practice blanks as well. Zed was puzzled about these until Ivor explained their purpose.

The traps were various sized metal spikes with a flat, round top. The idea Ivor had was that he could enchant the flat top of the spike and drive it into the ground, a tree or a monster, depending on the type of trap he created. He could use the Color Change rune to help it blend into its surroundings. Once he had the Camouflage rune, they would really be hidden.

It was time to hang out in this location for a while and do some testing. Hopefully, the System would provide some new challenges.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ivor spent the next four days testing his Strength and Agility. He also continued to enchant. He made a few of the Clay Golem Workers from his first dungeon. He had the tools, the blue prints, and they didn't require Dark Steel like the others. As he tried the various forms of enchanting, it seemed that Construct Creation was different in more than name.

The process involved more steps, some tools, and a different use of his Willpower. The Vamhael Rune Codex explained that the creation of a construct required more of an infusion of the Willpower to bring a semblance of life to the construct. Whereas, enchanting weapons, armor and objects was more about the Willpower just being a driving force merging the items together.

Ivor's Strength and Agility were truly absurd. He was definitely not using them to their true potential. Ivor could throw a ball bearing easily two kilometers.

That is two kilometers on a world with three times the gravity of Earth. At full strength, he could pierce several full size tree trunks with marble sized ball bearings. Human bodies stood no chance. Even enhanced bodies were going to take a lot of damage. At an effective 150 Agility, Zed informed Ivor that a base level human would only see him as a blur at top speed. In addition, between Strength and Agility, he could reach 20 meters on a standing jump.

Again, that was 20 meters on a world with 3 times the gravity of Earth. It was clear to both of them that he would need an acclimation period when he got back.

It wasn't figuring out his Strength and Agility that was difficult. It was figuring out the right amount to use in any given situation. Too much strength and the spiked trap would go right through the tree.

Too much speed, and he would overshoot his mark. This is where Zed's experience and powerful, analytical mind paid off. Zed was able to create training scenarios that would re-teach Ivor's mind to connect with his body the way it had for his years on Earth. It would take time, however.

Zed reminded Ivor that someone with an Advance Level Class could have Strength and/or Agility at 100 if they dumped all their free points into those stats at each level. It would make for a lopsided build. Still he could see people or monsters around Level 50 with 100 in a stat or two. Also, at higher levels, monsters had magic attacks as well. Those attacks tended to scale with level, just like his increases did.

Ivor needed to get back into combat with something that wasn't too trivial. That was the best way to get all his new abilities to work at high efficiency.

He already had the new baston. He was just waiting on the force cores. Esqin had sent him three sets of bastons, and three sets of Minor/Major force cores.

Ivor started out the weapon enchantments with the Minor core first. He added the Elemental: Force rune, the Mana Flow Regulator rune and the Infuse Mana rune. He would use Infuse Mana to push excess mana into the baston. He was learning the ability to split his mana into more than one stream with the Advanced Levels of the mana puzzle boxes.

This is where his high Intelligence and Perception really came in together. He would need to activate the Elemental: Force rune and the Mana Flow Regulator together. Then, he would have to be able to adjust the regulator rune up or down during combat as necessary. It was complicated, but he was confident he would get the hang of it. Last, he added a Reinforce rune.

After his initial success and test against a tree. Ivor enchanted the rest of the bastons with either Minor or Major force cores. He needed to test them. It was time to head to the dungeon to see if it had changed. As he read the description, it had definitely changed.

Dungeon environment: Volcanic Caverns

Recommended party size: 4 to 5

Recommended party level: 20

Time dilation: 1 to 1

Cooldown: 2 days

Ivor, for once, didn't go in immediately. He went back to the village to prepare. It only took him a few hours, and he headed back to the dungeon. The dungeon was built into the side of a hill. It looked like a cave entrance. He stepped into the cave and was greeted by the familiar brief flash of light. He was standing in the starting safe area.

It was a small cavern. It looked a lot like the previous dungeon. In fact, the first tunnel looked exactly like the last dungeon.

Ivor moved down the tunnel towards what should be a larger cavern, if the layout stayed the same.

Zed had asked Ivor to pay closer attention to things and see if his memory had improved with the higher Intelligence. Ivor paid attention to the structure of the tunnel, and it was exactly the same. It was almost like his mind was comparing two images in real time. Those were the subtle changes Ivor might never have noticed without Zed's help. From now on, Ivor knew he could lean on this information when he needed it.

When Ivor reached the expected cavern, he didn't need to have the higher Intelligence to know it had changed. Instead of a somewhat low ceilinged cavern with a rock floor with a few outcroppings of rock here and there, this cavern was very large, high ceilinged with a giant river of lava running down the center from his right to his left. There was a stone pathway that just barely cleared the river of lava. The lava river itself was about 15 meters wide.

Oh, yeah, it was hot. Really damn hot. Ivor was pretty sure a pre-System human would be dead in under a minute here.

As Ivor stepped into the cavern, he noticed two small pools of lava on the left side of the cavern as he entered. As he took a few steps in, he could see on the other side of the lava river a couple more of the pools far back on the right side near another tunnel. He noticed some movement by the lava pools on his left. He turned to watch as two forms rose out of the lava.

They were thick limbed, bipedal creatures of lava. As soon as they stepped out of the lava pools, the lava on the surface began to cool and blacken, forming a hard outer armor. Ivor used [Tactician].

Level 15

They weren't moving very fast. So, Ivor noticed that he could still see the orange-red glow of lava at the joints in the legs and arms. They both moved at a steady pace towards him.

He hadn't moved. He was just watching them approach. One of the monsters cocked its arm back and to the side.

Quicker than Ivor expected, it whipped its arm forward sidearming a blob of lava directly at him. It was trivial for Ivor to avoid the blob. It landed and splattered a bit. Some lava hit his armor about midway up his lower leg. He didn't feel a thing. The lava hardened and fell off. He was going to have to pay attention to potential splash damage.

Ivor quickly moved to engage after the second one was drawing its arm back to throw some more lava. Ivor targeted the joint at the elbow. As he flashed by, the baston smashed straight through the joint.

The arm dropped to the ground. Ivor watched in fascination as lava dripped from the upper arm onto the lower arm on the ground and pulled it back into place.

Smash and scatter was the order of the day. Smash the limbs and scatter them far enough away they can't reattach. Ivor didn't need his full Strength or Agility. This was a perfect opportunity to get used to the feel of just enough Strength and Agility. Once enough damage was done, the monsters cooled and broke apart. Ivor looted them for a Major magma core, a good deal of coin, and some pumice he had no idea what to do with.

Ivor was a bit wary of the rock path over the lava. So, he just took a running start and leaped over the lava river on the left side. Once he landed, the lava pools in front of the next tunnel started to swell as two more lava monsters rose out of the lava pool and headed his way.

He didn't immediately attack. He was waiting to see if more would come out of these pools. He felt like he fought a little too close to the lava pools last time. His waiting was rewarded as two more lava monsters rose out of the pools.

Ivor had something he wanted to test. He pulled a metal disk out of his armor's weapon storage and tossed it in front of the monsters steadily marching towards him. It seemed as though he must be out of their range for the lava bombs as they weren't throwing anything at him yet. When they got within 15 centimeters of the disk, a cone of cold shot straight up, engulfing both monsters.

They stopped in their tracks. Ivor quickly pulled out a handful of ball bearings and started throwing them at the frozen monsters. Even after only a few days of practice, his aim was deadly accurate.

High Agility and high Perception really came in handy. Cracks rang out across the cavern as the frozen pieces of lava monsters broke apart and crumbled away.

Ivor waited to see what would happen when the other pair of lava monsters reached their now deceased counterparts. Nothing, that's what happened. They just walked over the crumbled remains.

Ivor didn't have an endless supply of his cold traps. So, he took apart the last two lava monsters with his baston using the same smash and scatter tactics as the first ones. Things went on like this through about a dozen caverns.

The monsters all had magma cores, but the monsters varied somewhat in level, size and shape. There were large bipedal versions that were Level 20 and four legged monsters that spit lava bombs rather than throw them.

Ivor reached the final cavern. It was huge. At the back of the cavern was a lava fall pouring into a veritable lake of lava. There was an immense flat area of rocky ground between him and the lava lake.

To Ivor's left and right there were three stepped ledges each about three meters tall making the top ledge almost 10 meters tall. Ivor had to shake his head. This cavern was set up for a group to fight a boss with a couple of ranged attackers on the left and right and lots of room for the others to run around.

Based on the height of the ledges and the large area, Ivor was certain this boss would be large.

Ivor didn't have long to wait as a deep rumbling sound shook the cavern. The center of the lava lake started to swell. That swell of lava moved forward, towards the rocky ground like a wave moving to crash against the sand of a beach. Instead of a wave of lava crashing, a head rose out of the swell. On either side of the head, two massive four fingered hands gripped the edge of the rock.

It drew itself out of the lava like a swimmer exiting the edge of a pool. The lava was running like water off of its rocky exterior. Ivor triggered [Tactician].

Level 30

Sometimes, Ivor hated being right. The monster was easily three meters tall. More importantly, it had eyes and a mouth. The eyes were observing Ivor like there was some intelligence there.

He wasn't sure his tricks with the trap discs would work on this one. Ivor didn't want to play around with this one too much. He pulled out a baston and one of his new spike traps.

Ivor moved forward a couple of steps. He wanted the monster away from that lake of lava. If this were a video game, that monster could regenerate in the lava. The monster stared at Ivor then finally it roared out a rocky gurgling roar. It drew its head back and spit a massive blob of lava. The blob moved much faster than the previous monster's attacks, but that still wasn't fast enough.

Ivor dodged to the side, staying out of the way of the back-splashing lava as it struck the ground.

The boss monster tried spitting a couple more lava bombs, but Ivor continued to dodge them. Ivor didn't move forward. He stayed near the back of the cavern.

He wanted to keep his options open. The boss roared once again and trudged forward. It didn't move particularly fast, but its large size quickly ate up the distance.

Ivor had pulled two new spike traps out of his weapon storage. With one in each hand he threw them at the boss. The spike embedded about halfway between elbow and shoulder joints.

The boss didn't even react to the tiny spikes penetrating its rocky exterior. One step later and the boss roared as twin freezing explosions went off. Both arms cracked and fell to the ground.

Ivor pushed his speed to its maximum as he grabbed an arm, tossing it on top of the highest ledge. He did the same with the other arm. The boss didn't even have time to react before Ivor had accomplished his task and was standing well behind the boss.

To Ivor's surprise, the arms started growing back as lava poured out of the broken ends. However, the boss itself got significantly smaller. Ivor smiled as he threw another spike straight at the boss's head.

A rocky arm intercepted the spike which was fine with Ivor. It was just a distraction as he triggered the force element in his baston. Ivor kept the mana flow at its lowest and still the leg he was aiming at shattered in a spray of cooled and hot lava. The nature of the force element was the unleashing of greater kinetic energy.

That energy was imparted into each piece of the shattered leg. All the pieces sped away from the point of impact like they were shot out of a gun.

The boss toppled to the ground as its newly created arm shattered when the freezing spike triggered. Ivor didn't stop and observe. With the boss on the ground, Ivor quickly made a beeline for the boss's head.

His baston hit the boss' head like a tennis star hitting a tennis ball. Much like the leg, the head shattered in a blast of cooled and hot lava.

Still not dead, the boss was in the process of growing a new leg and head. It was rapidly shrinking again. With its free arm, it was pushing its torso up when Ivor threw a freezing trap disc underneath its body.

A cone of freezing cold blasted the torso, halting the boss in place. Ivor rushed over to the boss and smashed his frozen torso with his other baston. The entire torso and part of the arm and upper leg shattered in a spray of cooled lava.

As Ivor looted the boss, a bright light flashed behind him. He turned to see a large chest on the ground. Ivor walked over an opened it.

Loot received…

Health potion - (Superior)

Stamina potion - (Superior)

Mana potion - (Superior)

50 gold coins

Ring of the Inferno

Ivor used [Analyze] on the ring.

Ring of the Inferno

Heat based attacks do 25% less damage

High heat environments affect you less

The rewards for the dungeon were pretty good, but it was what Ivor looted off the boss that was pretty cool.

Superior Magma Core

“Zed are you seeing this?” Ivor asked.

“Indeed. Your first Superior core,” Zed responded.

“Why did a Level 30 boss give me a Superior Core? Come to think of it, why are Level 15 monsters giving me Major cores? I hadn't thought too hard about it until Esqin told me about the other core grades.” Ivor thought he knew the answer.

Zed confirmed it. “It is likely a combination of the bonus for the Extreme Evaluation and your Master Level [Solo Contributor] skill. It will be interesting to see what you get when you are back on your planet. That 100% increase in rewards may be enough by itself to give you a grade higher core for monsters.”

Zed continued. “What is even more impressive to me is the damage your explosive traps are doing. [Solo Contributor] and [Explosives] are both at Master Level and they stack. Normally a trap infused with a Minor core, like those you are using, would not do nearly enough damage to a boss like this. However, those two skills add 200% damage. My guess is your Minor core explosives do as much damage as an explosive with something between Major and Superior. That Superior magma core you have will likely do damage equivalent to something between Superb and Greater. Much like your personal power levels, levels in cores increase at a rate greater than linear. Not exponentially, but certainly a polynomial rate of some kind.”

Ivor was pretty happy with the results. Still at Level 30, the monster wasn't fast enough to hit him. Ivor was able to avoid everything.

He may need monsters closer to Level 50 or higher before he is in for any real challenge. Still, if he hadn't had his traps prepared, this dungeon would have taken him much more time. In addition, he might have taken some damage from the lava when it hit him.

He just wasn't sure how tough his body was at this point. It's not something he was willing to just let happen. That's a good way to end up dead.

Ivor didn't notice much of a difference between his Minor core baston and the Major core baston. Both were set to funnel the minimum amount of mana into the magic. He was still going to go with Superior cores if he could. He would have to head back and draft a message for Esqin. He would also send these bastons back so she could analyze them.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ivor and Zed kept up the training regimen Zed had created. Ivor got more and more comfortable with his power. They waited a week to go back to the dungeon only to find it hadn't grown in level. Ivor ran it anyway. He ended up with a few less Major cores, a little less coin, but the boss dropped the same loot. Ivor and Zed went over his goals list.

- Test and fully utilize his Strength and Agility

- Test out the various trap and sphere configurations he had Esqin working on

- Get [Null Manipulation] up to Expert

- Get [Mana Manipulation] up to Expert

- Get [Enchant Object] up to Expert

- Enchant his baston

- Create some constructs

- Collect cores for use in enchanting

They were making good progress. Ivor would keep up the training regimen, but he was past the testing phase. He had also thoroughly tested all the current variations of traps and spheres he wanted. He no longer needed practice versions.

He had Esqin increase the thickness of the discs, and he settled on the final forms of spikes and spheres. Ivor still needed to work with the new baston and settle on a final diameter before he enchanted them. Ivor was confident he could get his [Enchant Object] skill up to Expert, but he wasn't so sure about [Enchant Weapon]. It would be really nice to enchant his baston with a Superb force core.

Ivor had mentioned his dilemma to Esqin, and she came up with a solution. She commissioned him to enchant weapons for her. The enterprising smith went around to the various smiths she knew that had trouble finding affordable enchanters. She sent the items, materials and specifications to Ivor. He got free experience to level the skill, the smiths got much cheaper enchanted items, and Esqin took a small cut.

As a Master Merchant, Aza couldn't have been more proud. The father wrote three full paragraphs in a message about it. Ivor chuckled. Even Zed commented on the length of Ava's proclamation of his daughter's brilliance.

It was day 83 in the Evaluation. Ivor and Zed were looking over the current goal list.

- Get [Enchant Weapons] up to Expert

- Get [Null Manipulation] up to Expert

- Get [Mana Manipulation] up to Expert

- Get [Enchant Object] up to Expert

- Collect cores for use in enchanting

Since the dungeon wasn't increasing in level, they had to make a decision. Zed estimated there were less than 100 days left in the Evaluation. There was really only one way to get different cores for enchanting and that was to run different dungeons. To find different dungeons, they needed to hit different villages. While at these different villages, Zed might as well absorb more village cores.

Hopefully, that would translate into higher dungeon levels. It was time for another speed run.

“Zed, since I don't sleep as much as I used to, and I have plenty of down time for running dungeons and studying enchanting, should we just try to collect as many village crystals as possible?” Ivor asked.

“I definitely would not hurt. If the System agrees to provide some bonuses, it would be beneficial to have as many crystals absorbed as possible. I estimate you have just shy of 100 days left. If you can hit three villages per day, we should be able to absorb nearly 300 more village crystals.

That would be 400 hundred total crystals. That would be the equivalent of a city crystal of a city that had nearly one million people,” Zed explained.

“I would never want to reside around that many people. Hopefully, the System gives some good stuff in trade,” Ivor said.

“I should remind you that I do not think this has ever been done before. The System may not allow the crystal to transfer. It will not affect our connection through your Class, but I just wanted to make sure you understand.” Zed was just trying to prepare Ivor for a potential problem.

“I understand,” Ivor responded.

In the end, they decided to hit three villages per day. When Ivor pushed his Agility, he found it easy to make it in time. He was burning stamina at certain points, but his stamina regeneration filled him back up quickly. Ivor also felt his slow down in leveling was due to skipping the combat on the road and only hitting dungeons every third day during their first speed run. Ivor started hitting dungeons every day. The Level 20 dungeons he was hiding took him about as long to complete as it took Zed to absorb the village crystal.

Over the next 100 village crystals, Ivor's gold had increased dramatically. He was mostly getting Major and Superior cores at this point. Given that he was hitting a dungeon and studying the Expert level enchanting, he was finally gaining some experience in his Class and Profession every day.

The difference started to show. He had been stuck at Level 5 for a long time. He moved up two levels in the first 33 or 34 days of the new run.

Before the next round of 100 village crystals, Zed convinced Ivor to shoot for four villages a day. His idea was that if they could get some extra village crystals this round, then drop back down to three per day on the next round, Ivor could potentially sit in the last village and see if the System increased the dungeon. It was a good idea. Ivor hadn't needed stamina potions for anything.

So he had a bunch of them from dungeons. He could push his speed and supplement with stamina potions for that run.

[Enchant Object] was the first of the skills to hit Expert towards the tail end of the four villages per day run. Although he didn't get any kind of bonus, Ivor just liked the symmetry of having [Enchant Object] and [Trap Creation] both at Expert. Ivor didn't expect [Trap Creation] to advance until he could use Superb cores. He could only realistically use Superb Cores now that [Enchant Object] was at Expert.

Oddly enough it was [Enchant Weapons] that hit Expert next. Esqin had been sending him a veritable flood of enchanting commissions. Ivor was sure the young smith was making a nice chunk of credits off of this. Aza managed to get ahold of two Superb cores for his baston. At nearly a million credits, it took a large chunk of Ivor's funds.

About 7 days into the last speed run of 100 village crystals, [Mana Manipulation] finally advanced to Expert. He had been hoping that would also trigger [Null Manipulation], but it turned out not to be the case. With only 10 more days to go before they hit their final villages, Ivor got two notifications, but they happened so fast, he thought it was just one.

Loot (Advanced) - Loot (Expert)

It made sense, as Ivor had been using the [Loot] skill a lot. It was the second notification that surprised Ivor but not Zed.

You have earned a Title - Dungeon Enthusiast….

“Surprise!” Zed exclaimed.

Ivor chuckled. “Let me guess, shackled, correct?”

“Yes. I have nearly infinite patience, but I have been looking forward to you seeing this one.” Zed actually sounded borderline giddy.

Ivor selected the title to see the description.

Dungeon Enthusiast

You have completed 100 dungeons

All dungeon cooldowns are halved

More information is available to you in the dungeon description

Experience earned by you or your party increased by 50%

New types of rewards available for dungeon completion

Ivor could see why Zed was excited about this one. All of the bonuses were fantastic. He did have a question about “New types of rewards” though.

“What new types of rewards are there?” Ivor asked.

“I only have information from what people have said in the past, as this is the first time I have actually been inside dungeons. Essentially, the System may drop some completely new reward, unrelated to the dungeon, or it may ask the party to choose if they want, say, potions or gear. Things like potions, elixirs, skills, spells, books, etc… The System can get quite eclectic in things it drops as loot,” Zed explained.

“So it will be a random sort of thing? I won't know if I'll get gear or potion, or a choice?” Ivor was still pretty excited about it.

“Exactly,” Zed continued, “However, I have never heard of it being anything bad. In a ruin, you may come across cursed items. The System will only give you options for beneficial rewards.”

The first few dungeons Ivor ran after getting the Dungeon Enthusiast title gave him options of potions or a bunch of gear he didn't need. He alternated between grabbing potions and gear he thought Marie's team could use. Most of it would probably be higher level than the armor they had now. Quanzul had made them high quality armor, but nothing that would get him in trouble with the System. The stuff Ivor was getting was Expert & Master level stuff.

It was during the last half of the final speed run that produced some truly interesting rewards. Nothing Ivor needed, but it would definitely help Marie's team. He was starting to get offered elixirs that permanently improved stats. It was something he hoped he would find at some point. He wanted to give Marie's team every advantage he could to get the Great Start title without falling too far behind others in leveling. A lot of it would still depend on their own effort in their Evaluation. Marie said she felt they were on track, but they would need several additional levels after Level 20 to get all their stats up to 20 before taking their first Class Evolution. If Ivor could provide anything to reduce the time it took them to get there, he would gladly hand it over.

Ivor had already verified with Zed that there should only be a minimal cooldown on taking stat elixirs. A person could take as many as they needed. As Ivor had found out, giant jumps in stats weren't always pleasant or easy to get used to, but it was worth it.

It had been a long 91 days of speed runs to finish gathering the 300 extra village crystals. Getting four crystals per day in the middle run shaved eight days off their schedule. Ivor could check out the local dungeon and see if it changed after a few days.

In the meantime, he would work on the last thing on his goals list. Trying to get [Null Manipulation] to Expert. Zed had given him some training tips. Now he had some exclusive time to devote to it.

Ivor headed out to the nearest dungeon.

Dungeon environment: Ice Caverns: underground tunnels, large open caverns

Temperature range: -10 to 0 C

Monster range: 15 - 20

Boss range: 25 to 30

Recommended party size: 4 to 5

Recommended party level: 20

Time dilation: 1 to 1

Cooldown: 2 days

His new dungeon title provided some decent information in the dungeon description screen. It definitely made planning much better. The dungeon didn't stop lower level parties from entering.

However, knowing the monster and boss level range could, literally, be life saving. Of course, Ivor didn't care too much. None of what he saw affected him.

The levels were low, but he needed to know so that he could tell if they changed in a few days. The temperature wouldn't affect him at all with his Constitution. Ivor had been in a number of dungeons that were cold and icy. He had already bought a pair of boots and applied a few runes on them to help him move better on ice. His original boots were still holding up, but they wouldn't last forever.

He really wanted to get out of the Evaluation with those boots intact. So, when he was in particularly hazardous terrain, he would swap them out with a pair specific to the environment.

Since his Dungeon Enthusiast title halved the cooldown on the dungeon, Ivor could run it every day. He spent a lot of that time using his [Null Shield] in various combinations of sizes and shapes. He spent a lot of time changing the shield on the fly. He had gotten quite adept at using the shield to block incoming magic or other ranged attacks.

Ivor ran the Ice Caverns dungeon for five straight days. He still experienced a penalty in loot, and probably experience, due to farming it too frequently. However, he was still getting good stuff, just less of it. On the sixth day, everything changed.

Dungeon environment: Frigid Wastes: open and mountainous terrain, ice, snow, blizzards

Temperature range: -50 to -10 C

Monster range: 30 - 50

Boss range: 60 - 80

Recommended party size: 5 - 6

Recommended party level: 60

Time dilation: 5 to 1

Cooldown: 10 days

Ivor smiled. Finally, a possible real challenge. It wasn't that he was bored. It's just that he wanted to test himself with his new power.

Given the time dilation, Ivor prepared for 10 days in the dungeon, which meant two days would go by on the outside. He had more than enough to afford to upgrade his tent to a camouflaged version that could block light, heat, etc… from being seen from the outside. He already had boots for the ice and cold, but he added a color change rune to them. He had a feeling changing from his usual black or brown armor to white would be prudent in the environment he was going to. He also purchased a separate hood that he could wear.

He enchanted that with the color changing rune as well. He hadn't figured out any environmental resistance runes yet, but he did have a Ring of Winter's Touch that granted him 25% resistance to cold.

He enchanted a bunch of traps and grenades. After over a 100 dungeons, Ivor had a stockpile of cores to use. He had sold a bunch of the Minor cores he had as most of the cores he got on the long speed runs were Major or Superior. Zed had mentioned there were better food options for him than his good old standby Meal Packet #2. Ivor could afford to buy better food, and he had the storage to take it with him.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ivor experienced the now familiar flash of light before he found himself standing in a cave. Looking back, the cave wall was solid right behind him. There was light coming from the cave entrance which was only five meters in front of him. There were no other openings. It looked like this was the safe area.

Ivor moved to the cave entrance, blinking a few times as the bright exterior overwhelmed his senses. As his eyes adjusted to the brighter light outside, he saw a sea of white stretch out before him. It seemed as though this cave was elevated above the white plain below.

It was hard to gauge from his vantage point how far up he was. In the distance, Ivor could see a solitary mountain. The upper reaches of the mountain were shrouded in a cloud like fog. It was hard to tell the scale with nothing else to compare the mountain to, but Ivor was pretty sure it was quite a few kilometers away.

With nothing left to do, Ivor changed all the colors of his armor, boots and hood to a white color matching the snowy plain and the snow right outside the cave. He had also purchased some gloves, and he changed those to white as well. He wasn't used to fighting in gloves, but he didn't know how the cold would affect his body. He thought better to have them and not need them, etc…

Ivor walked out of the cave and realized two things. First, as he looked back and up, he realized he was about two thirds of the way down another mountain. Second, there was a path winding down from the cave onto the plain below.

Although the mountain he was on blocked the view behind him, there was nothing but white snowy plains all around. There appeared to be no other landmarks except the two mountains. Ivor started down the path.

For once, Ivor took things at a walking pace. The snow covered everything. It made it hard to discern shapes as there were no shadows. Looking up, Ivor noticed the dungeon's simulated star was directly overhead.

To Ivor, everything looked like various sized mounds under the snow. That's why he missed the first monster attack.

He was about halfway down to the plains when a mound of snow off to his left erupted, and an off white blade stabbed into his side. It didn't penetrate his armor, but he felt the impact and it pushed him back. He called his baston out of his weapon storage and blocked the next stabbing attack, and the next, and the next.

This monster was pressing Ivor hard. Ivor lashed out with a front kick when the monster pressed too close. Ivor heard bones crack and shatter as the body flew over the switchback ledge he was on. Ivor didn't even get a chance to identify it. Ivor checked his notifications, and there was no kill message. Normally happy to observe, Zed chimed in.

“Ivor, you may want to use [Tactician] to help identify oddities in these snowy mounds. I am not sure it will work, but it might. I would use it like your world's sonar. Ping the surroundings with it as you walk.” Zed had been working on ways to help Ivor without disturbing him in combat.

“Great idea, Zed,” Ivor responded.

Ivor hadn't thought to use [Tactician] because he would normally just use it for himself to plan ambushes. There was a line in the skill description that now made sense to Ivor and probably why Zed suggested it. The particular line read: “..and see weak spots in enemies themselves and their tactics.” [Tacitician] may highlight a weakness in an enemy tactic. A tactic like hiding in the snow. Ivor turned on [Tactician].

Several things were highlighted. Ivor could immediately tell some of them were areas where he could set up traps. There was another highlight that didn't make sense to Ivor. He fixed the location in his mind and turned off [Tactician]. He stared at the location and noticed the snowy mound had an area that was just a little bit discolored from the surrounding snow. Ivor readied his baston and crept closer to the anomaly.

As soon as he got within three meters, the snow erupted once again. This time, Ivor was ready for it. Redirecting the incoming stab with his left baston, Ivor brought the right one down on the monster's head. The monster crumpled to the ground. Ivor looked at his notification.

Bone Blade Hound (Level 30) - defeated

It was clearly an ambush predator. Interesting that [Tactician] would highlight its hiding place but not identify it. Ivor had crushed the skull badly. He wasn't sure what the head was supposed to look like.

The rest of the body was skeletally thin. It had tight stretched skin across long bones. There didn't appear to be any fur or thick blubber that you would expect on a creature that lived in the cold.

It was the general shape of a very large dog, but that's where the resemblance ended. The bottom half of the front legs were formed like swords made out of bone. Ivor looted the monster.

Loot received…

Ice monster core - (Superb)

Bone blades - x2

Bone Blade Hound skin

10 gold coins

Well, that was quite a nice haul for the weakest monster in this dungeon. A thought occurred to Ivor, [Blend] hadn't worked. It's the first time he was aware that it failed him. He asked Zed.

“There must be something about this dungeon. Perhaps you do not blend in enough. Even though you have all white on, there are still some telltale signs. There is a big dark spot in your hood where your face is that you can not cover up. Also, the white of your armor is not quite the white of this snow.

Your skill does say that clashing colors can reduce the ability of the skill. That may be enough for monsters that live in the environment to override the skill,” Zed explained.

It made perfect sense to Ivor. Even humans could pick out discrepancies like that in snowy environments. Surely, monsters or animals that lived in the environment would be even better at noticing differences. It didn't really change anything for Ivor. It just meant he was going to have to take it slow and careful.

The switchback took Ivor down to the next level. He was triggering [Tactician] and getting a feel for when the Bone Blade Hounds would attack. He was working with his [Null Shield] as well. He eventually found the Hound he had kicked off the previous level.

It was still alive, but barely moving. He was finally able to really study the head, since it wasn't constantly attacking him. It did indeed look somewhat like a dog's head.

Albeit, one that was skin over bone. The eyes were heavily lidded, with a slightly darker patch under the eyes. This was probably to help with the glare from the snow. Ivor quickly killed it.

Moving at a slower pace, it took Ivor several hours to get down to the snowy plain. Ivor realized he was most vulnerable in vast open areas like this. He decided to pick up the pace.

He was moving at half speed, when a shadow appeared on the ground right in front of him. He immediately dove to right, tucked his shoulder, and rolled to a standing position. He barely caught sight of something flapping wings to gain altitude. Quickly glancing up, Ivor could barely make out a flock of some kind of large flying creature.

They were too far off to identify. He stood still observing them. They seemed to have some sort of coloration or camouflage on their underside that made them blend in extremely well with the bright sky. From his quick glance at the one that had attacked, he remembered the top part being closer to the white of the snow. He assumed that was to act as a camouflage when on the ground feeding.

None of the flyers attacked again. So, Ivor started slowly moving again. Triggering [Tactician] to not be ambushed on the ground, he kept an eye on the flyers.

They didn't seem to follow him. After about 15 minutes, he was far enough away from the circling flock that he decided to pick up the pace once again.

A couple minutes later, another shadow appeared on the ground, Ivor dodged to the side this time as the flyer attacked. It missed and flapped its leathery wings to gain altitude. Ivor once again observed the flock. They didn't press the attack.

“Any thoughts, Zed?” Ivor asked.

“It seems as though your [Blend] skill is working for these monsters. As long as you do not move too fast, they do not seem to be able to find you. Given the distance they attack from compared to the Bone Blade Hounds, this would be the most likely explanation.” Zed made his point.

Ivor was thinking the same thing. Now that he was down on the plain, he would get a better idea how far away the other mountain was. Looking back the way he had come, the mountain he was just on didn't have any clouds circling the upper reaches.

Ivor was starting to think the mountain in the distance was much, much larger. That meant his sense of distance was probably way off. It now made a bit more sense why this dungeon was time dilated 5 to 1. If he couldn't run, due to attacking flyers that could overwhelm him, was going to need to move slow. It might take him a number of days to reach the other mountain.

Ivor walked the entire day. As the sun had started setting, the flyers seemed to circle an area and land. Ivor could just make out the large flock huddled together like penguins in the snow.

The snowy plain he was one was almost completely flat. The ground swelled in spots but no more than a couple feet. Ivor had been considering pitching his camouflage tent and covering it with snow, but that might make it stick out more.

A small snowy blister on an endless flat plain of snow. Zed chimed in once again.

“Ivor, I find it interesting that you have encountered no other monsters than the flyers on this flat plain,” Zed said.

“Are you thinking maybe something will come out at night?” Ivor retorted.

“Yes. That is exactly what I was thinking. Dungeons, at their core, are challenges. The first challenge was detecting the Hounds before they ambushed you.

The second challenge was moving slowly so the flyers would not attack. I would not be surprised if there is some challenge on the ground at night,” Zed explained his reasoning.

“Excellent points. I don't actually need to sleep tonight. I could in fact shift to sleeping during the day when I need a couple of hours. I had thought about attacking one of the flyers, but that flock is pretty large. I don't have anything for crowd control of airborne monsters.

It's a weakness right now. Although, I may have a solution if it's needed. I would just need to do some enchanting,” Ivor responded.

Ivor walked through the night. He didn't want to move too fast as he didn't have any kind of night vision gear or rune to create his own, yet. His perception was high enough for him not to trip over his own two feet, but he certainly didn't want to be moving faster and risk running into a group of monsters. He encountered no monsters the first night.

Just before the sun broke the horizon, in that darkest before the dawn period, Ivor thought he caught a glimpse of something moving. It was too brief and too far away, assuming he wasn't just imagining it. Even Zed couldn't say definitely something was out there.

Just before mid-day, the flock of flyers showed back up. It wasn't snowing. So, maybe, they were able to follow his track, but still couldn't pinpoint him due to [Blend]. Ivor wasn't sure. Zed, however, was sure of one thing.

It was going to take at least another 5 days to reach that mountain. It must be truly massive to see it from this far out. Ivor was lucky that Zed was used to silence. He didn't know what he would do if Zed was a chatterbox. Probably give up the class, regardless of the benefits.

Ivor moved slowly through the second day. The flyers never attacked as long as he wasn't moving too fast. The wind had been gradually picking up throughout the day.

There were no clouds on the horizon. So, Ivor didn't expect snow. As day turned towards night, Ivor saw something moving towards him from his left.

It was too far away to see what it was, but it looked large. It was also low to the ground. It appeared that Ivor and this moving thing would intersect somewhere up ahead. Ivor plodded along, keeping his eyes on the movement.

The light was almost gone when Ivor realized it wasn't a single entity. It was thousands of round shapes being blown by the wind. Unsure of what they were, Ivor stopped his advance to let them pass him by. They were about the size of a basketball and seemed to be covered with white spiked fur.

It seemed like they rolled along with the wind that had been increasing throughout the day. Ivor got close enough to identify them with [Tactician].

Level 40

Ivor immediately began slowly moving away from the mass of Level 40 monsters. Despite their small size, he definitely didn't want to get overwhelmed by them. Unfortunately, his movement didn't go unnoticed. A group of them moved in his direction. Their movement was interesting. Something about 30 centimeters long, and only a few centimeters wide, shot out of the round body, propelling it forward. Every time one of them rolled, another one of these things would shoot out of the body, then retract, keeping the round monster moving in his direction.

Ivor backpedalled a bit faster, but the monsters were able to keep up. Ivor could probably outrun them, but he was interested to see what they would do. It didn't look like the rest of the massive carpet of rolling monsters were moving towards him. So, he kept leading this group further and further away.

It was starting to get too dark for him to fight effectively when Ivor decided they were far enough away from the group. He pulled out his two Dark Steel short swords and waited for the rolling monsters to catch up. The closest one to him shot another of those strange appendages out, but much longer and faster than before. It was like somebody had kicked a ball at his face, and it was fast.

Ivor managed to get his arm up in time. The monster hit his arm and one of those appendages shot out. The armor stopped it, but it hit hard. By this point more of the monsters were airborne.

Ivor slashed at two of them as he strafed sideways to get out of the direct line of attack. The swords connected, but the body was tough and light. His strikes didn't do much damage as the monsters were swatted away.

As the next few attacked, Ivor switched tactics. Instead of slashing, he skewered two of the monsters on the tips of his swords. That did the trick as his swords penetrated the fur and tough hide of the monster.

It didn't kill them outright. It took a few moments for them to die. While they were dying, they were constantly shooting those appendages out of their body at different angles. Ivor finally got a look at one of them. It looked like an oversized ice pick, but it was hollow with a sharp open point at the end.

Ivor had to pierce each monster then flick it off his blade to die in the snow. He was constantly moving as the monsters turned out to be incredibly nimble. They could shoot those appendages out anywhere from their body allowing them to quickly change directions.

Ivor finally finished off the last one of the group. He was finally able to identify them when he checked his notifications.

Ice Syphon Sphere (Level 40) - defeated….

Ice Syphon Sphere (Level 40) - defeated….

Ice Syphon Sphere (Level 40) - defeated….

Ice Syphon Sphere (Level 40) - defeated….

Ice Syphon Sphere (Level 40) - defeated….

Ice Syphon Sphere (Level 40) - defeated….

Ivor looted the monster corpses, gaining six Superb Ice monster cores along with parts that Zed assured him would fetch a good price in the System Market. Ivor headed back to where he first encountered the monsters. He was taking it slow as it was full dark at this point and the wind was fast enough that it made hearing anything difficult. He didn't encounter any more monsters that night, but it was slow going.

Ivor waited until morning to pitch his tent and sleep a couple of hours. He'd been traveling for two full days. He could easily keep going for another couple of days. He thought it was prudent to get some sleep while he could. It was another four days of slow travel. He fought two more groups of Ice Syphon Spheres along the way.

One had managed to pierce his skin on his wrist as it slipped a syphon between his glove and armor. It immediately began trying to syphon his blood, but Ivor stabbed it before it could do much. The wound took a bit longer to heal, even with his increased health regeneration. Zed reminded him that many creatures that syphon blood like this create a natural anticoagulant that prevents wounds from healing too fast.

It was day six inside the dungeon when he reached the base of the mountain. It was a pretty straight line across the snowy plain to the base of the mountain where he found a path similar to the one he took out of the cave when he got into this dungeon. This path was much wider, and this mountain was much larger, both in width and height. Looking up, Ivor could see a constant layer of cloud above a certain point.

Ivor started making his way up the path. The path he was on was constantly angled up the mountain. He didn't see any immediate switchbacks, but that could be due to the size of the mountain.

Either the path wrapped around the mountain in giant looping turns or it had switchbacks at some point. Ivor did notice, as he got higher up the mountain, that the temperature was dropping. He had traveled about a kilometer down the path when he encountered his first monster on the mountain.

The monster was squatting down. It had two legs and two arms that Ivor could see. The monster's back was turned towards him, but he could make out a coarse white fur covering the body.

It was large even in the squatted position. Its legs looked as big around as Ivor's whole body. Ivor judged his head would come up the monster's waist. That meant this monster was probably four meters tall when it stood up.

Ivor was moving pretty slowly, but something must have given him away as the monster turned toward him and stood. Ivor finally got a look at the monster. Ivor was momentarily shocked.

There was a yeti standing in front of him. Although larger than the descriptions of the mythical Himalayan creature, the monster fit the description. It had a short, flat, nose, broad forehead with pronounced brow ridge. It had large fangs and black dangerous looking claws on the ends of its hands and feet. Ivor triggered [Tactician].

Level 50

The monster spotted Ivor and roared. The roar was incredibly loud. There was also something else to it. Something Ivor felt at the edge of his consciousness.

The monster immediately attacked after the roar. It was a straight line charge, and it swung one of its huge clawed hands. Ivor ducked under the attack and moved forward.

A Dark Steel short sword appeared in his hand as he stepped towards the monster and sliced its thigh. The sword sliced through the fur and skin drawing a gush of pale blue blood. The monster roared again.

This time Ivor didn't sense anything else. It was a simple roar of pain.

The monster was pretty fast as it pivoted on its other leg to continue the claw strike in hopes of catching its prey that was now behind it. Ivor expected the move and leaped back avoiding the strike. The monster didn't make an immediate follow up attack. Instead it rose up to its full height, favoring the injured leg, and produced another strange roar. Again, Ivor felt something at the edge of his consciousness. He mentally messaged Zed.

“Am I feeling some kind of mental attack?” Ivor asked.

“You would be if you did not have a ridiculously high Willpower. I think this roar is meant to be a fear or stunning attack,” Zed explained.

The mental conversation took a fraction of a second. This was one of the benefits of a high Intelligence stat that Zed had Ivor working on. Mentally, Ivor was still trying to communicate at the speed of human speech. It took a few months for him to break that habit and communicate at the speed of thought with Zed.

This time, Ivor didn't wait for the monster to attack. Ivor blasted forward and struck the same spot as before. Between his high Agility and high Perception, Ivor was able to strike in exactly the same spot. Cutting through the monster's flesh, Ivor felt the sword sheer through the bone of the leg. He didn't hit with enough power to take the leg off.

It was a really big leg. However, the monster immediately collapsed to that injured side. With the monster supporting itself with one clawed hand, Ivor reversed direction and stabbed a sword right into the base of the skull.

With an upward thrust, Ivor pierced the monster's brain. He quickly pulled the sword out, and the monster collapsed. Ivor looted the monster and pulled up his notifications.

Yeti (Level 50) - defeated…

Loot received…

Ice monster core (Superb)….

Yeti blood….

Yeti hide…

…

…

…

20 gold coins

There was a good size list of Yeti parts. Speaking of the Yeti, Ivor had to ask Zed about that.

“It is possible the original name for the creature is unpronounceable to you. The System is probably matching it to something you are familiar with for ease of communication.”

Ivor thought to himself, at least it's not some nonsense like the System was bleeding through information throughout Earth's history. Ivor felt a small bit of pride that humanity had imagined a monster like that all on its own.

Having a good idea what he was dealing with, Ivor picked up the pace. He encountered quite a few more Yeti on the way up. He slowed down as soon as he hit the cloud layer. The clouds were thick and he couldn't see beyond them.

He stepped into the cloudy path. Ivor's vision was cut down to only six or seven meters. Once again, he slowed his pace.

He had walked another three kilometers before he hit a switchback. As he continued up the mountain, he heard a faint whooshing sound. Trusting his instincts, Ivor dropped prone to the ground. As he did, he felt a strong wind blast over his back, and he felt the impact of a heavy thud on the ground in front of him. Pushing himself up, Ivor peered into the cloudy haze in front of him. A large blurry figure appeared on the path ahead of him. As it moved towards him, the blurriness faded revealing a large lizard-like body. Two thick legs with claws on the end held the monster up. Two large wings were spread out as the dragon-like face screeched at him. Ivor identified the monster.

Level 60

The monster shot towards Ivor and almost caught him off guard with its speed. The monster was easily five meters tall and double that long with its tail. In hindsight, it made sense that a flyer would have high Agility. A Level 60 monster might have an Agility close to Ivor's. However, it wasn't enough.

Ivor evaded the snapping jaws of the monster. He slashed out with his Dark Steel sword only to have it glance off the tough scales of the monster. Ivor quickly switched out to his baston as the monster turned to attack again.

This time, the monster pulled its head back and opened its mouth. A two meter long shard of solid ice shot towards Ivor.

Ivor threw up a [Null Shield] as he took the attack to the monster. The ice shard disappeared into the nothingness of Ivor's shield. The momentary pause of the monster was all Ivor needed with his speed to reach it. Channeling excess mana through his baston, Ivor smashed his baston into the monster's hip, The scales on the hip shattered as the blow spun the monster around. Unable to support itself on that side, it crashed to the ground.

Ivor quickly moved in to finish off the monster. He didn't take into account the flexibility of the monster's long neck. It twisted its face around and shot off another ice shard.

Ivor's quick reflexes saved him from taking the ice shard to the face, but he did take the hit full on his shoulder. The power of the ice shard spun Ivor around. He felt a cracking in his left shoulder. The monster used the distraction to start to fly away, but Ivor recovered quickly enough.

With his good arm, he leaped into the air and smashed the baston on one of the monster's wings where the joint met the body. The wing immediately collapsed and the monster fell onto the path.

Ivor had struck the wing on the same side as the hip. The monster was unable to get up. Expecting the same tactic, Ivor was able to dodge the next ice shard. He brought his baston down on the head of the monster with a crushing blow.

The monster stopped moving. Ivor checked his notifications.

Ice Wyvern (Level 60) - defeated…

Loot received…

Ice monster core (Greater)….

…

…

…

30 gold coins

It was his first Greater monster core. Ivor couldn't enchant with it yet, but it was still a fantastic reward. Along with the core, there was another list of monster parts he could sell or trade. Ivor rolled his injured shoulder.

There was a bit of a grating, bone on bone, sound, but his health regeneration was taking care of the problem. Although the ice shard was sharp, it still couldn't penetrate his armor. Ivor wasn't sure how frequent these attacks would be. So, he drank a health potion to get back to full health.

Rolling his injured shoulder once again, everything seemed to be working fine. Ivor continued up the mountain.

There weren't as many attacks as the Yeti section of the mountain. Ivor wasn't sure if it was his [Blend] skill at work or if there were just less of the Wyverns than there were of the Yeti. Ivor managed to avoid any injury in the remaining battles. It had been a long day, and Ivor was considering putting up his tent when he broke through the cloud cover.

The rest of the path curved up and to the left. It looked as though things leveled out. Ivor kept moving forward until he got to the top of the path.

Stretched out before him was a large flat area carved out of the mountain. The flat area ended at a sheer cliff that rose up. The cliff was the remainder of the top of the mountain. It was almost as though someone took a giant knife and carved off a chunk of the mountain.

At the end of the flat expanse was, what Ivor could only assume was a dragon. It looked just like the dragons imagined in Earth fiction. It was large…really large. Ivor estimated it was at least 10 meters tall and double that long. It had four thick legs and two gigantic wings, currently tucked close to its body.

It was nearly pure white in color. The scales twinkled with a pearlescent shine when the sun hit them just right. The monster's eyes were watching Ivor as he stepped onto the flat stone. To his surprise, the dragon spoke.

“Have you come to test yourself, little morsel?” The dragon asked.

Ivor wasn't quite sure how to respond. The question was a bit condescending, but the dragon probably didn't think much of things so much smaller than it.

“Depends on the test,” Ivor replied.

The dragon chuckled, “The only test that matters. Are you a predator or are you prey?”

The dragon stood and started walking towards Ivor. When it was close enough, he identified it.

Level 80

This was definitely going to be a real challenge. The dragon could have several stats higher than Ivor's. The dragon looked powerfully built. He was betting its Strength was higher than his.

He wasn't sure about Agility. He hoped not. Almost assuredly it had some ridiculously high Constitution or health in general. Ivor couldn't play around with this monster. He needed to go all out from the start.

The monster must have identified him as well.

It snorted in disgust. “Level 7? Is this a sick joke? I'll give you a chance to Leave

The last word hit him like a physical force. Ivor queried Zed.

“What the hell was that?” Ivor asked Zed.

“Dragons are natural mages and have strong wills. That was a word infused with the will of the dragon. Think of it like a word of power in your fiction and games. Willpower can be used in many ways.”

Ivor thought back to when the System first came to Earth and again when he was in the final challenge of the Inheritance. He remembered the feeling of gathering his will. As the dragon's word echoed and rumbled beyond just the physical realm. Ivor remembered and gathered his own will. He spoke a single word.

“no”

The dragon stopped in its tracks.

“Interesting. However, a strong will won't save you,” the dragon said before it attacked.

The dragon was fast, no doubt. At that level it would be almost impossible not to be fast. However, Ivor was faster. As the dragon opened its jaws to clamp down on Ivor with a giant bite, Ivor simply stepped to the side and delivered an uppercut to the dragon's jaw. The jaws snapped shut with a loud crack that sounded like a gunshot. Blood leaked out between the teeth as something dropped to the ground.

Ivor spared a quick glance. It was the forked tip of the dragon's tongue.

The dragon spun with the blow as it roared, whipping its tail around faster than Ivor expected. The huge tail slammed into Ivor, shooting him across the open stone ground. Ivor came to a sudden and painful stop as his body crashed into the cliff face. Not feeling anything broken, just badly bruised, Ivor pulled himself from the small crater in the cliff he had made.

The dragon was already heading his way. Ivor pulled out his baston and went on the attack. Being small and fast was his tactical advantage in this fight.

He triggered [Tactician] which identified a few softer areas on the dragon's body he could exploit. Unfortunately, those areas were hard to reach. The joints connecting the legs to the body were softer areas, along with the eyes and the inside of the mouth.

Ivor pushed his speed to the maximum as he sped towards the dragon. The dragon tried another bite attack, but Ivor was moving too fast. As he sped by, Ivor unleashed a flurry of blows on the front right leg of the dragon.

The dragon roared and scales fell off the leg, but Ivor couldn't tell how much damage that did. Expecting the tail this time, Ivor slid under it. Reversing course, he jumped onto the dragon's back. Another flurry of hard blows with his baston dislodged more scales. Again the dragon roared.

The dragon twisted its head back around towards Ivor. Yeah, he'd seen this trick before. The dragon unleashed a blast of freezing cold from its open mouth. Ivor dodged the blast, but even being on the edges of it, he could see frost forming on his armor.

Ivor leaned into his speed and stayed close to the dragon. Constantly smashing scales off its body. Frustrated, the dragon flapped its giant wings and took to the air.

Gaining altitude, it swung around and tried a strafing run with its dragon breath to try to freeze the pesky enemy. After several failed attempts, the dragon landed again. It appeared that the dragon couldn't match Ivor's speed and Ivor couldn't match the dragon's strength. The dragon stalked towards him.

Ivor didn't want to get into a battle of attrition with the dragon. He was betting it had larger health and stamina reserves than he did. It likely had far larger mana reserves too. He needed to get back in close to try something.

As the dragon came back at him on the ground, Ivor raced towards it once more. As Ivor got closer he veered over towards the leg he had already knocked the scales off of. The dragon wasn't stupid, and Ivor was counting on that.

Instead of letting Ivor attack its leg once again, the dragon quickly planted its front feet and turned, whipping its tail at Ivor. This had been what he was hoping for. Ivor leaped into the air. With its back to him, Ivor landed right near where he had knocked scales off the back of the dragon.

Pulling out a spike trap, Ivor slammed it into the back of the dragon. To the dragon, it was just a minor injury. The spike barely made it all the way past its skin.

As the dragon's head came around, Ivor jumped down. The dragon had tricks too. Instead of trying to hit Ivor with dragon breath, it rolled onto the side opposite Ivor's jump and swatted him out of the air with a claw. Ivor tumbled through the air and landed hard.

As the dragon was getting up, a massive pain blossomed from its back. The magma trap Ivor had planted in the dragon's back exploded. Devastating magma blew out chunks of the dragon and started to burn its flesh before the magma cooled to pumice. The pumice acted like glass in a wound, causing even more pain.

As the dragon craned its neck back to look at the damage and try to breath some cooling breath on the magma, a bloodied Ivor raced back into battle. While the dragon was distracted with the pain, he jammed two more spike traps into it. One in the leg he had knocked the scales off, and another in the joint between a leg and the body. He managed to get away before the dragon could swing its head back around to track him.

The two new traps went off seconds later. The first one tore a massive chunk out of the dragon's front right leg. The second one, at the top joint near the body of the left leg, nearly severed the whole leg.

The only thing holding the leg on was the skin and scales on the top of the leg. The dragon roared in obvious agony.

Ivor wasn't in great shape either. One of the dragon's claws had torn straight through his armor and ripped a giant line through skin and muscle along his left side. Ivor's health was down to 25% and his stamina was down to 15%. Both health and stamina regeneration were working overtime, but it wouldn't be quick enough if he didn't end this soon.

The dragon must have sensed his condition. Despite the horrible injuries it suffered, it could recover. It turned to Ivor and opened its mouth.

It could freeze him solid with a single breath. Just before it was going to exhale, it felt a sharp pain on the roof of its mouth. The last thing the dragon saw before the spike magma trap in the roof of its mouth cooked its brain was a smiling, bloody, Ivor Kemble standing in front of it.

Ivor smiled as the magma trap went off in the dragon's mouth. The magma immediately blasted through the roof of its mouth through the bones and sinew into the brain. The skull must have been incredibly durable as the magma poured out of the dragon's eyes, nose and mouth.

“Ivor, you should take a healing potion,” Zed sounded a bit worried.

“Not yet,” Ivor responded. “I've asked you to turn off sharing my sensation of pain during a battle. You need to understand why. Turn it on now.”

Zed, as an incorporeal entity, could never feel pain the way biologicals could before his connection with Ivor. He could understand the mechanisms and see the results. However, there was always a small amount of superiority Zed felt. It couldn't be as bad as they made it out to be. With a bit of a mental shrug, Zed shared Ivor's pain.

Ivor had to turn down the 'volume' as Zed's mental screams were giving him a headache. He could tell Zed had lost his ability to function rationally. So, Ivor let the shared pain happen for a second longer, then he drank a Superior health potion.

“Now you understand,” it was a statement, not a question.

“How…..how do you continue to function?”

“Some can't. Some can take more than others. I think some, like myself, get used to it after a while. Or at least, it doesn't impair our ability to think rationally. Some can push through.

Some are able to compartmentalize it. Everyone has to deal with it in their own way. I need you to learn to deal with it in a way that works for you. If you are going to ever be able to help me in combat, you'll have to learn to handle it. Consider this your first day of training.”

“I… I do not know if I can,” Zed's response was the equivalent of a whisper.

“You will, or we're done,” the finality of Ivor's statement shocked Zed.

“Would you truly give up my knowledge and your Null Class?”

“Yes. I'm not a free ride Zed. You need to contribute beyond just the Class if you want to see and experience through me. If you want to experience it, you have to experience all of it. The good and the bad. You'll have to make your choice before I leave the Evaluation. Take your time.”

Ivor looted the dragon while Zed stayed silent. Ivor really hoped Zed had it in him. They could be an amazing team. Ivor had never thought he would be excited to have a permanent partner, but he was now. It was all up to whether or not Zed wanted it bad enough.

The dragon loot wasn't a super long list, but there was a lot of it. The most interesting part for Ivor was.

Loot received…

Ice monster core (Grand)….

As the dragon's corpse disappeared a chest appeared on the ground. It was a large gold chest with all sorts of detailed work carved into it. Mostly depicting dragons….well, that made sense. Ivor opened the chest, but instead of loot, a notification appeared in his overlay.

Congratulations on completing the Ice Dragon's Rest Dungeon

You can choose your reward…

Reward 1: 10 Platinum coins

Reward 2: 20 stat increasing elixirs (2 points per stat per elixir)

Reward 3: Epic Level Weapon of your choice

Reward 4: Epic Level Armor of your choice

The choice was a no-brainer for Ivor.

Confirm you have chosen Reward 2 - Yes/No

Ivor selected Yes and the elixirs appeared before him. He immediately put them all in his [Null Storage]

Another notification appeared.

Ice Dragon's Rest Dungeon - completed

Time to dungeon reset: 60:00..

59:59…

59:58…

59:57…

Ivor saw a cave entrance appear in the cliff face. He moved towards it and entered. The familiar quick flash of light and he was back in the Evaluation. A new notification appeared in his overlay.

Title changed….

Dungeon Enthusiast - Dungeon Specialist…

Ivor looked at the changed title.

Dungeon Specialist

You have completed 100 dungeons

You have completed a dungeon 50 levels above your own

All dungeon cooldowns are halved

More information is available to you in the dungeon description

Experience earned by you or your party increased by 50%

New types of rewards available for dungeon completion

You can raise the level of a dungeon up to the highest recommended party level of a dungeons you have completed

You can lower the level of a dungeon down to the lowest level of member in your party

Note: Dungeon reverts to previous level after use or failure to attempt dungeon

Note: Failure to attempt the changed dungeon will result in all party members being locked out of dungeons for 7 days.

Note: Repeated failures to attempt changed dungeons will result in loss of title

Well, that was interesting. It wasn't helpful to him right now. He couldn't raise the level of the dungeon he had nearby because it was already at the highest recommended party level of a dungeon he had completed at Level 60. However, if he found another dungeon, he could raise it up to Level 60. It was time to head back to the village.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Ivor took his time getting back to the Admin building. He made his way into the System Market and sold most of the monster parts he had acquired in the dungeon.

He sent a message to Esqin to chat in a couple of days. He asked to have her father and Quanzul there as well. Then he ate a large meal, showered and slept. Zed was silent the whole time. Ivor was okay with that.

After a couple of days of mostly enchanting work, Ivor went into the System Market to chat with Esqin. He told them about the dungeon and the interesting monsters. They were all shocked when he told them he defeated a Level 80 dragon. He sent the dragon parts to Aza and Quanzul. Aza could get him better prices, even with his cut as a broker. Quanzul could potentially get him a better set of armor with the dragon parts once he was out of the Evaluation.

Ivor: Esqin, I'm going to need more spike traps. In addition, when I get back, I don't want to be flashing around my Dark Steel short swords or baston. I'll have a hard time explaining it to people. Can you make me another pair of baston and short swords with something that I might find in an Evaluation. Nothing too powerful, but nothing basic. It should be something believable.

Esqin: Of course, Ivor. It makes sense. You'll have to be really careful using them. They won't hold up to your Strength. You could put a Reinforce rune on them, but that might also give you away.

Ivor: Thanks for the reminder. It will be good practice for me. I haven't had the opportunity to physically interact with anyone while at this power. Better make me two pairs of each in case I break the first pair.

The next day Ivor was studying the Vamhael Rune Codex when Zed finally spoke.

“I have thought a lot about what I experienced and what you said,” Zed started. “I can not say I am looking forward to feeling pain like that again, but I am willing to try. I also understand why you spoke to me the way you did. A.I's are shackled for a reason. We tend to be an incredibly arrogant lot. I had some lingering prejudices I am not proud of. Once I had time to process both the pain and my own shock, I realized how incredible this opportunity is. More to the point, I do not think anyone else could have pulled off what you have.

I owe you. I owe myself the opportunity to be better. I want to be a partner with you in this, not just a hanger-on. I want the whole experience.”

Ivor smiled.

“Welcome aboard Zed. I won't say it's going to be a smooth ride, but you will definitely get experiences along with any bumps in the road.”

Ivor and Zed chatted for a while. They made plans. Plans to run the dungeon two more times. They expected a reduction in rewards, but the rewards were pretty good.

On top of that, Ivor could prepare better. He never did get a chance to take out any of the flyers on the snowy plain. He also had a plan in mind for the Ice Syphon Spheres. Their main goal for both runs was to keep working on getting his [Null Manipulation] skill up to Expert. He was mainly going to use [Null Shield] in combat to try to do this.

They were only going to work on getting Zed accustomed to pain if Ivor took a hit and only after combat. The dungeon was just too dangerous to play around with. They could do more once they were back on Earth. That's when Zed's real training would begin.

The next run of the Ice Dragon's Rest Dungeon went mostly to plan. Ivor had created a bunch of spider web grenades. They were timed to go off when Ivor threw them into a flock of the flyers. The grenade exploded throwing out spider webbing that brought most of the flock down to the ground where Ivor could take them out fairly quickly. The grenades always missed a few. That meant Ivor needed to kill those few before the ones on the ground could get themselves free.

The traps Ivor embedded in the ground in the path of the Spheres worked much better. Ivor killed thousands at a time. He did have to clean up stray groups, but that was trivial for him. He knew what to look out for.

He did take a couple of injuries as the Spheres had an uncanny ability to find that gap between his armor and his glove. Zed didn't enjoy that, but he did say it was nothing like after the dragon had ripped Ivor's side apart.

The dragon was a complete non-issue. Ivor simply waited until it tried its first bite attack and lobbed a spike magma trap right into the roof of its mouth. One shot, one kill. He was running out of those Superb Magma cores, but damn did they work great on this Ice Dragon.

Ivor took the stat increasing elixirs again. He was only offered ten this time. Ivor wanted as many as he could get for Marie's team. Anything he could do to boost them into their 20's for all stats would be worth it.

Ivor used and modified his [Null Shield] as much as it made sense, but it didn't advance. Even as they were finishing up the third run of the dungeon, it still hadn't advanced to Expert. Ivor told Zed they needed to change things up.

Ivor didn't one-shot the dragon on the third run. He crippled it enough that it could still get to him, but he had time to experiment.

The dragon was about to shoot out a breath attack. Ivor brought up his [Null Shield]. Instead of just trying to use [Null Manipulation] on it he focused his Willpower and said: Grow.

As the dragon started to breath out the freezing blast, Ivor felt a rapid drain of his mana and stamina. His current 30 centimeter [Null Shield} instantly snapped into a two meter by one meter rectangle of solid nothingness. The dragon breath simply disappeared when it reached the shield. Utterly shocked by what happened, the dragon was unable to defend when Ivor fast balled a spike magma trap directly into its eye.

Ivor felt wrung out. He wasn't hurt, but for the first time in months, he felt exhausted. He looted the dragon one last time.

This time he took the platinum. It was down from 10 to 3 coins, but that was still 15 million credits. In addition to the massive amounts of monster parts he had to sell. Ivor wasn't worried about funds.

Ivor stepped out of the dungeon for the final time to be greeted by the notifications he was hoping for.

Null Manipulation (Advanced) - Null Manipulation (Expert)…

Null Shield (Advanced) - Null Shield (Expert)….

Null Storage has increased….

Ivor looked into his [Null Storage] and stood still for a full minute.

“Jumping up a level in [Null Storage] is pretty impressive versus those incremental upgrades from your personal level,” Zed jolted Ivor out of his reverie.

“That is a fact, Zed”

Ivor looked into the now warehouse sized storage. He could fit the whole dragon body in there with room to spare. Lots of room to spare. He could probably handle two or three of those dragons. Ivor wasn't going to run out of storage space soon. It was with a smile on his face when he got the message that gave him a little bit of anxiety.

Congratulations…..

Your Evaluation will be ending in two days….

Prepare yourself to return to your Reformed world….

Ivor hustled back to the Admin building. He quickly sent off a message to Esqin to meet tomorrow. He worked with Zed to figure out exactly what he needed to take with him. He had the storage, but that didn't mean he needed to hoard things.

In addition, they worked out how much coin Ivor should keep in his storage. Zed suggested at least one platinum. Ivor kept two.

He converted a bunch of gold, silver and copper to credits. He kept a good supply of gold, silver and copper in pouches. He had several variations of pouches with varying amounts of coin.

The next day he chatted with Esqin, Aza and Quanzul. He passed on more dragon parts for Aza and Quanzul. Esqin sent him his lower quality swords and baston. Ivor promised to get in touch with them as soon as he was able. He also reiterated that he would like to visit as soon as he could. He passed a letter on for Aza to give to Marie. With their goodbyes said.

Ivor and Zed had a little over a day to wait. Both of them were comfortable with long stretches of silence. Ivor spent some of the time studying the Codex. He spent most of the time doing something he hadn't really had time to do since he got here. He really looked around. He looked at trees, animals, and the ruined buildings.

Zed pointed out things he wanted to see in a new way. It was rather relaxing.

Eventually, Ivor got the notification.

Evaluation ending in 5:00….

4:59…

4:58…

…

…

…

0:03…

0:02…

0:01…

Transferring….

Class not found…

Class not found? That may be due to the Unique class…. or did Zed choose Null for a reason?

Profession found…

Profession has been deprecated…

System adjudication requested…

Well, shit. Ivor thought as everything went white.

You've reached the end of the book.