by Tao Wong
“Uh huh,” Ali says, leaning back in mid-air as he floats beside me.
“Nothing futile about these books,” an older man says as he walks around the corner. Scraggly hair down to his collar, he’s dressed in a dress shirt and a pair of jeans, a pile of books waiting to be reshelved in his hands.
“Eric,” I greet the Librarian.
One of the first people to accost me once things had settled, he literally demanded to be allowed the run of the library again. As a former employee—admittedly from the Marpole branch—he was intent on collecting and returning all the books he could find. I’m not entirely sure if it’s a matter of Leveling or a complex, but rather than argue, I agreed to his request with some stipulations. No approaching my City Core for one.
“What is contained within might not be useful now, but knowledge, any knowledge, is precious. And while your System might provide fast and easy gains in knowledge, have you not noticed that the learning process itself has certain advantages?” Eric says as he shelves a book.
“Uhh…”
“Your training with Mikito?” Ali points out helpfully.
“Right…” The difference between knowing something and understanding it.
“What is contained here might be of use in the future as well. In fact, there are certain skills that may be gained and Titles for those who choose to proceed the hard way,” Eric says, looking at me. “It is why I strongly recommend that we re-open the library. And of course, begin the process of updating our inventory.”
I raise my hand, cutting off any further pitch. Eric’s lips thin, but he inclines his head in acknowledgement before walking away to continue his task. For a moment, I stare at his retreating back.
“He’s creepy.”
“Really? He doesn’t seem any stranger than most humans to me.”
Sometimes, I’m not entirely sure whether Ali is kidding or not when he says things like that. With a sigh, I continue to walk, shifting my thoughts to something more productive.
Maybe a half hour later, Lana finds me, Roland accompanying her while Howard and Shadow chase one another outside.
“John,” Lana greets me after kissing me, leaning backward to stare into my eyes. “What are you thinking about?”
“Government. Or a corporation. I’ve been thinking about how I’m the sole owner of these settlements and it’s not a good idea,” I say.
“And you don’t intend to relinquish control,” Lana states, knowing my reasons for keeping control.
“Exactly. So I need an organization of sorts that both keeps me in control when necessary but also allows people like Ken or the city council to run things and that is flexible enough to keep expanding,” I say. “And, of course, has a decent backup to ensure we don’t actually lose the city if I die.”
A flicker of something crosses Lana’s face. “Where were you thinking?”
“Closest thing I can think of is a constitutional monarchy of sorts. But that brings its own problems,” I say with a grimace.
“Lines of succession, intrigue, and backstabbing?”
“Exactly.”
Lana turns to the floating Spirit. “Ali, aren’t there more Galactic options?”
“Tons. But I’m not exactly an expert on this. The Erethrans use a stratocracy, with citizenship varying based on Levels and time served with the armed forces. Their Emperor is actually just the most powerful Erethran citizen who is then guarded by the Honor Guard. He and his family, along with their advisors, make up both the Erethrans’ reserves and their ruling body. Of course, the fact that the Emperor is able to buy Skills and equipment for his children and put them out for safe training tilts things in his favor, but it’s still technically a stratocracy.
“The Truinnar and the Xylarghs are both monarchies. The Truinnar use what you’d call a pure monarchy, with their Emperor ruling over all and having direct oaths of servitude from his subjects. He even has the Class. The Xylarghs are closer to a constitutional monarchy, with the monarchy and the Dragon Knights making up one bloc of power and the Artisans another. Democracy is a lot less common. The closest examples I can think of that you’d be familiar with are the Kapre. But they’re weird—while they don’t exactly have a hive mind, they’ve got an empathic mind backed by racial Skills in empathy.”
I grunt, recalling our conversations about the tree-like creatures that make up the Kapre. Talking and dealing with them always felt strange due to the long pauses and the feeling that you’re talking to more than one at a time. Which, in a way, you are.
“Well, we’re not interested in a democracy,” Lana says, eyes dancing with humor. “I doubt John wants to hear the ‘will of the people.’”
“People are stupid,” I grumble then amend my note. “But they should have a voice. Just not direct to me.”
“Well, if you’re keeping final say, you should probably be a monarchy of some sort,” Ali says.
“Nope. Not going to get called King John,” I say sternly. I can see Lana’s eyes dancing with humor as I state that. “Anyway, that’d make you the fool.”
“Yeah well, I’d pity the fool who called me one,” Ali says. “We could potentially call it a dictatorship of some form…”
I grunt in annoyance, drawing another shrug from Ali.
“Perhaps a corporation?” Lana says.
“Like a Guild?”
“Can’t be a Guild, remember? No land ownership.” Ali corrects me.
“I never did understand that. What’s the difference between a Sect and a Guild? And how do corporations fit in there?” I growl.
“Right…” Ali says. “Well, corporations can be Guilds and vice versa. A Guild is basically a co-operative of Adventurers. The main difference between a Guild or a Sect is that a Guild can’t hold land. Because they can’t hold land—specifically, they can’t hold settlements—they are allowed to have their Guild branches in numerous cities. Which gives them a significant amount of power.
“Sects, on the other hand, can’t—or well, generally don’t—hold land in cities they don’t control. If they do, that land is considered part of their territory. It’s why other groups won’t let them own land in their cities.”
“Part of their territory?” I say with a frown.
“Think of it like an embassy.” At my puzzled frown, Lana shakes her head. “Embassies are considered the land of their countries. So a Canadian embassy in Saudi Arabia is part of Canada and people within the embassy aren’t required to follow Saudi law.”
“Ah…” I exclaim, realizing what she means. I recall that movie. The one with Ben Affleck. It had something to do with that entire rule of law. I have to admit, I fell asleep while watching it.
“Sects also don’t let their people join Guilds, and their people have to renounce their ties with other kingdoms. Guilds, on the other hand, don’t care—so long as you serve the guild and do their work, you’re welcome to have diverging interests.”
“So how do corporations work in all this?’ I ask, figuring I’ve got a rough handle between Sects and Guilds.
“Corporations can’t be Sects, because Sects require oaths of loyalty. They’re more loosely formed, with stakeholders who own and sometimes run the organization and employees. They can own land too, but unlike Sects, whatever they purchase outside of settlements doesn’t come under their own laws. Like Guilds, they often have widespread interests, but unlike Guilds, they can own land. But… there’s a lot of unhappiness about them in the Galactic core. In fact, many corporations are barred from some of the largest empires and blocked entirely from owning land or operations in certain kingdoms.”
“So my options are a soulless corporation or being called King for the rest of my life,” I mutter. “Not acceptable.”
“I’m sure we can figure out something better. Now that we’ve got an idea what you’re looking for,” Lana says when she realizes I’m not really joking.
“Let’s.” I stare at Ali, who sighs and nods. Grateful to have given the Spirit a ta
sk he can deal with, I send him off while I turn to Lana. The redhead raises an eyebrow, and I shake my head. “No more work.”
She smiles and takes my hand, guiding me to walk along the stacks once again. For a few hours at least, I’m going to take a break. Especially considering what I’ve got on the agenda tomorrow morning.
Morning. Early morning. Even in the summer, the sun has barely risen as we stand at the foot of the mountain, staring at the rolling mist ahead of us. Wisps of it exit the barrier, its presence significantly denser a few feet ahead. It’s Lana, her pets, and me. Ingrid isn’t back from the US, Mikito is still in Kamloops, and this isn’t Sam’s scene. Mostly.
“Should we have invited Sam?” I mutter, staring at the foreboding mist. If mist can look treacherous and dangerous, this mist would definitely qualify.
“You barely invited me,” Lana says grumpily, a travel mug of coffee in her hands.
“Didn’t want to share the experience,” I say teasingly before sobering. “Truthfully, didn’t know you’d be here. And I figured I should know what the dungeon is like. Maybe even clear it before the delvers actually get it done.”
“What is it anyway?” Lana says, tilting her head as she stares inside.
“Yurks,” Ali says, grimacing. “Semi-sentient, reptilian-frog hybrid creatures in your parlance. They’re mildly humanoid.”
Lana frowns at the mist, which doesn’t seem to be intent on leaving. “Is the mist part of the dungeon?”
“Yes.”
Outside of the dungeon bounds, my minimap cuts out completely, giving me no further information. Frustrating. I turn my head, staring at the two roads that lead farther up the mountain and toward the university that stretches out ahead and to the right of us. Even without the mist, I wouldn’t expect to see much beyond the untamed forests and roads, but I could always hope.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Lana says before downing the last of her coffee and making the mug disappear.
Without an audible cue, the puppies spread out ahead of us, Roland joining the group while Anna stays by our side as we walk ahead.
The moment we enter the mists, we get a notification.
Dungeon Located!
You have entered a Level 50+ Dungeon.
Warning! The current dungeon has not been fully cleared. Successful completion of the dungeon by a System-registered individual will generate increased rewards.
As expected. It’s one of the reasons why it’s yet to be cleared by the delvers. None of the teams are at the point where they can comfortably deal with the problem. This might be a touch much for just the two of us as well—even if I over-Level it. Sort of. Never having had a Basic Class always makes these estimations tricky.
Once again, I note that the double experience reward, as well as the System limitation notification, is gone. Ever since the System fully integrated, we no longer get those, since the System can at least provide the basics of a warning about any dungeons we enter. Annoying, but at least the first clear bonus is still around.
Even if we can’t clear it today, I should be able to open a Portal and pop out. Maybe we can pull Mikito in the next time and deal with it then. But I have to admit, I’m kind of looking forward to the challenge today.
“Don’t forget, you have meetings this afternoon. So no going crazy in there,” Lana warns as we walk up the road.
The mist wraps around us, reducing visibility and muffling her voice. In answer, I grunt, my sword held idly. No point using a rifle if I can’t see what I’m shooting. Indicators on the helmet HUD show that the external atmosphere isn’t poisoned, so the mist itself is benign.
Ting
What the heck? I tilt my head to the side, catching a glimpse of something white falling as it deflects off my Soul Shield. Lana beats me to it, bending and picking up the needle-thin, plastic-looking item with purple liquid dripping from its tip.
As she begins to speak, she slaps a hand to her arm, growling in pain. “Poison!”
I flick my hand quickly, placing Soul Shield on Lana. For good measure, I add Two is One. Lana’s rubbing her hand now, eyes slightly unfocused.
“How bad?” I ask.
“Not too bad. It’s reducing my Mana regeneration a bit for the next few hours.”
Even as she speaks, another plink signifies another attack failing to penetrate. The attacks themselves are so weak they barely even move the health gauge of the Soul Shield. I debate throwing the rest of my buffs on us but decide against it. Better to keep my Mana for now.
“Attacks like these are stackable,” Ali says. Perhaps because he feels like taunting them, he’s fully visible, their shots passing through his body.
“Still nothing on the minimap?” I debate throwing a Blade Strike along the line of where the attacks originate. I hold back for the moment since striking out randomly isn’t likely to do anything but damage fauna. Though if we don’t get results soon, I might just use an area effect attack and see if I get lucky.
“The boys are on it,” Lana says softly, her shotgun held casually now.
A moment later, I see a notification pop up that I’ve gained a small smattering of experience. “Who was that?”
“Roland. And that’s Shadow.” As she speaks, another notification flashes, the experience gain the only information clue that anything is happening. “Howard’s having a little harder time.” Lana shakes her head. “Might call him back actually. He doesn’t have the other two’s advantages. In fact…”
A few minutes later, Howard trots out of the undergrowth, a limp corpse held in his mouth. The creature he deposits at our feet is, as advertised, a green, reptilian-frog hybrid on two floppy feet wearing a leather sash from which a series of needles hang. In addition, a small bottle swings on a string from the belt, unstoppered and slowly dripping out its poisonous contents.
“Good boy.” Lana rubs the puppy’s giant head as the husky shifts to stand guard over us. A low growl is drawn from it a second later when a fast-moving projectile strikes its paw. “John…?”
“On it.” I cast the Soul Shield over the puppy and make a mental note to refresh the protection when it runs out. That’s a significant negative I’ve noticed—in higher Mana zones like a dungeon, the Skill drains away faster. Once that’s cast, I eye the body.
Yurk Scout (Level 20)
HP: 0/224
MP: 0/130
Condition: Dead
“Scouts?” I frown. The attack didn’t seem to do much damage to either Howard or Lana. Harassing and annoying, but not dangerous.
“Probably meant to wear you down,” Ali says. “The scouts will poison you, reduce your regeneration now. When you’re in the thick of it, you’ll find the Mana regeneration debuff a crucial issue.”
“Ah…” I nod. One of those dungeons.
We keep walking, letting Lana’s pets deal with the Scouts. Since they can’t really hurt us through the Soul Shield, it’s good experience for her. That being said, I keep an eye out. This is the first trip through.
“Think they’re edible?” Lana says, eyeing a fleeing Yurk Warrior and the burnt corpses strewn around us.
Once we actually enter the campus grounds, we are met by a group of Yurk Warriors. A large group of them, each Level 30 plus. Unfortunately for them, they decide to group up. The moment my Fireball impacts, Lana throws on her Aura of the Red Queen, forcing them to run.
“Maybe. Probably tastes like fishy chicken,” I say.
Lana tilts her head toward me.
“I’m Chinese. My dad introduced me to some different culinary experiences,” I say. “Frog legs are okay. Taste like slightly slimy chicken.”
“Oh. Wow…” Lana says, staring at the corpses around us.
It’s weird eating sentients. Or semi-sentients. Not something we’ve done much of even with the System. On the other hand, they do smell kind of nice.
“Go ahead. I won’t tell,” I say.
She flashes me a look but still steps forward. A few seconds later
, she’s wiping her fingers on her one-piece. “You’re right.”
A quick wave of my hand pulls the bodies into my Altered Space, dumping them away for later sale. A part of me wonders how casually eating the meat of our fallen enemies is even a thing. How callous could we have gotten? Considering how sharp their teeth are, I’m pretty sure that’s what they were going to do to us though.
“You never told me how you learnt to cook.”
“Oh? Not much of a story to tell,” I say, sweeping my gaze around the buildings again.
Taking the right roadway, we swing into what used to be the International College building, a stand-alone faculty that is a short distance from the main campus. The red brick building with grey concrete appears and disappears as the mist obscures our vision. I nod toward the entrance, and we saunter over and stop at the opaque entrance.
“Grenades?” I ask.
“Just one.”
A minute of hard work later, we’re walking down the next hallway, slightly charred and with refreshed Soul Shields.
“You know I grew up without my mom, right? Well, my dad wasn’t much for cooking. So I had to learn to do it myself. After I grew tired of instant noodles—and a few complaints from my dad—I started watching cooking shows.”
“Cooking shows?”
“Ramsay, Iron Chef, Ray, some road shows too,” I say, shrugging. “Picked up a few tips here and there while watching and read a few books. It was just one of those things I had to learn, and later on, I found it comforting. Something I could control.”
Before Lana can continue the conversation, I hold up my hand. My map is showing that each of the classrooms ahead of us is filled, and this time, it looks as though we’ll have to get serious. Howard hunkers down while Anna burns more brightly. Roland slides into place next to the first door, waiting quietly in gathered shadows.
“Ali?” I frown, staring at the semi-circular series of dots ahead of us. It looks almost like a trap…
“Can’t go through,” Ali says, floating up to tap the walls. “They’re Mana-imbued to prevent me from floating in. I’d have to go through an open door.”