by Tao Wong
I grunt, making a mental note. Those two factions are on my shit list.
“The last major faction is the Artisans. They’re the second largest, with numbers close to the Irvina, though their individual power is somewhat limited by their lack of Combat Class Masters and higher. The Artisans do receive significant support from various corporations, so it would be foolish to underestimate their strength,” Roxley warns me. “As for the two minor factions, the Technocrats seek to explore the limits of pre-System technology—your ‘normal’ physics and chemistry—within and outside the bounds of the System. They’re a small group but have a pair of members on the Inner Council, giving them a greater level of prestige than they would have otherwise. And lastly, the Systemers are not an official faction, but their religious belief in the System is widespread among the Galactic System.”
I nod slightly. The Technocrats are a known group for me—many of the writers I read in my continuous quest for knowledge about the System come from the group. It seems the Venn diagram of Technocrats and Questors has significant overlap. They’re also known to be one of the few groups who would voluntarily leave the radius of the System, venturing into the deep unknown to explore, learn about non-System technology from before the System took over, and test older technology. Overall, they’re considered kooks of the highest order—but dangerous and useful kooks.
“As you can see, the Artisans have little presence on Earth. Of those here, they’re not truly organized, their presence more based on individual desires rather than a group effort. Of course, the Fist has significant presence, with Ares and a few other Corporations and the Hakarta Legion owning the major cores,” Roxley says, gesturing to the hanging notification.
“This makes a lot more sense.” I tap my lips, doing the math in my head. “But we need eighty percent of the vote, and that means we’ll need the vast majority of the people on the board to vote for us. Including getting the majority of those you labeled independents, assuming I’m missing out on either the Truinnar or the Movana.”
“Yes. It is possible, I believe, for you to gain either of the pair’s backing for your endeavor, but not both.”
“Figures,” I mutter, shaking my head. The way the numbers read, I’m not even sure there’s a way to make this work. Getting so many independents would mean speaking with a large number of disparate organizations. “Why are they indies anyway? Doesn’t it make sense to join together with the factions?”
“While there are four major factions, there are numerous other, smaller groups. Some are allied with the major factions on major topics, but not on others. Others have too-contrasting beliefs or just are not interested in joining the larger factional politics on a regular basis,” Roxley says, smiling slightly. “Some prefer to be independent, no matter the cost.”
“Ali, make a note to have Kim filter for objectionable moral and cultural practices, will you? If we’re going to have to stomp on some ankles to get our votes, might as well make it count.”
“You know, boy-o, Kim’s upgraded enough for you to tell him yourself. At least up here,” Ali sends back.
I grunt, sending the note directly to the AI. I get a confirmation, though I send a reminder for Ali to double-check the list. While Kim’s smart, he is still a program and I’m not entirely sure his views on morality line up with mine. For that matter, neither do Ali’s at times, but he’s been with me long enough to understand my intentions.
“Knowing all this, you still intend to continue your quest?” Roxley says, leaning forward as he places his hands on the armchair rests.
I find myself nodding even as I twirl my now-empty glass. Roxley shuts his mouth as the drone servant comes in to pour refreshments for both of us. Afterward, it leaves, gliding away silently on its anti-gravity jets.
“And you wish for our help?”
“If your Duchess will offer it. I’m assuming there are others I’ll need to speak to within your kingdom?” I say. While they might all be the same race and kingdom, the Truinnar are rivals to some extent, peers fighting one another.
“May I make a suggestion?” At my nod, Roxley continues. “If my liege agrees to your request, it might be best to allow her—or specifically, myself as her representative—to speak with the others on Earth. Your time is limited and your understanding of the politics limited.”
And of course, it also means we’ll end up owing a much larger boon to the Duchess. But the offer is tempting. Roxley’s right. We are short on time here, if I want to meet the deadline of the next vote.
“Very well. If she’ll agree to help us,” I say.
“Good.” Roxley taps his lips. “You will find it hard to gain support from most without some concessions. I won’t ask what you are willing to give up, but it is something you must consider. The Fist, for example, would be raring to have you in their camp. It is not an all-too-disagreeable notion for the Edge, as we vote together quite often.”
“But doing so will put us at odds with the Artisans,” I say, running my fingers along the edge of the wine glass. “And they’re the second most powerful group who might be willing to work with us. Certainly one of the most economically beneficial for humans.”
“Yes,” Roxley says. “Though the Edge has some additional benefits. For example, have you considered the benefits of colonization?”
I blink at Roxley. I’m about to protest about the sheer number of hurdles involved in a proper colonization effort before I realize the System wipes out so many of these problems. Hell, given enough Credits and Mana, it’s possible to terraform a planet in days instead of decades. Never mind the fact that our bodies can handle a much, much wider variety of environments with minor issues under the System.
“Touché,” I say.
“One last matter, John,” Roxley says. “Have you even confirmed your support among your race?”
“No. I needed a better understanding of the situation first,” I say before shrugging. “They’re next on my list.”
“Then you’ll understand why a minimum prerequisite for us to take any action officially would be for you to gain their agreement?” Roxley says, and I find myself nodding. Roxley smiles before he waves his hand toward the notifications, pulling up the independent list. “Then in the meantime, there are a few groups I feel you might be able to work on.”
I glance at Roxley’s list, making mental notes of the names as the Truinnar speaks. Still, while he talks, I make note of how he says what he says. Because while I know he is unlikely to lie, where and at whom he points us is suspect. For all the friendliness he and I might share, the Truinnar always has more than one goal.
Even so, I listen. Because any information is better than nothing. And I’ve got about four years’ worth of local and thousands of years of Galactic history to learn.
Chapter 9
When I walk out of the building later that evening—much later—I find the city still humming with activity. Between tech, Skills, and spells, there’s little to stop an ambitious adventuring team from working through the night. In fact, most nighttime quests pay significantly better than daytime quests, no matter the type. Part of the reason is that nocturnal monsters are generally tougher, but it’s the loss and inconvenience which probably keeps nocturnal-based quests better paying.
As I stare at the scurrying adventurers, I touch my lips absently. Sometimes, I really wish I was like these others. Able to focus on simple tasks, simple quests. Go out, collect a dozen claws. Kill a few monsters, clear a couple of dungeons. Escort a bioorganic researcher who wants to check out how the Mana overflow has affected our ecosystem. Simple. Easy. Uncomplicated.
Not like planet-wide politics. Not like running a settlement. Or a handsome dark elf kissing you on the lips as you leave, then shutting the door on you.
Simple.
“So, Paladin, are you done?” Ayuri says.
I blink, tilting my head to see the champion standing beside me. I frown, prodding my memory and realizing she’s been there for minutes
now. A slight shiver runs through me at the thought that I’d let someone this dangerous so close to me. But there are no indications of danger from her, none of the subtle signals one learns to pick up on to indicate killing intent. In the end, she was just standing there.
“For now.” I sigh and drop my hand. “Why are you here?”
“It was pointed out to me I was a little hasty,” Ayuri says, glaring backward at Unilo. The female Guard waves at me in greeting, slitted purple eyes dancing with ill-concealed humor. “Just because you have the Class means little.”
“I see,” I say, shifting slightly as I eye our surroundings.
Just over a score of people are out and about on the streets, most of them adventurers thankfully. Any collateral damage from Skill use is probably survivable. Blink Step down the road to the other side of the river will pull them out of danger too. So long as I head left after the Blink Step, away from the hospital, I should be able to pull the resulting battle away from most civilians. Of course, the Kapre live there, but they’ve got their own protections.
“Come.” Ayuri points at a gaping black Portal which offers no information about where we’re going next.
“You know, it’s been a long day already…”
Ayuri drops a hand on my shoulder and guides me to the Portal. Her strength is significantly higher than mine and continuous, as inexorable as tectonic plates shoving me forward. The Portal widens even further, allowing the two of us to walk through side-by-side. We’re followed by Unilo and Mayaya, who is looking as bored as ever.
“Plenty of use you were,” I send to Ali as he pops into existence over my shoulder just before I step into the Portal.
I could fight this, but my gut says that whatever their intentions, it doesn’t include putting a bullet in my head in front of a self-dug grave. The mental shrug I get back from Ali is insouciant enough to put my teeth on edge as the darkness takes me.
The other end of the Portal is in a small settlement, somewhere on the North American continent as we’re still on Earth and the sun still hasn’t risen. I look at the buildings, dismissing those with Galactic architecture and spending time staring at the 1960s brick-and-wood construction for clues. All of it is written in English, so Canada or North America. The air conditioning units makes me guess somewhere down south. Well, that and the lingering heat from the day. Of particular note though is the population striding around the town, many still dressed in their uniforms.
“Yours?” I ask Ayuri as she releases me. The happy nod she gives me makes me grunt, but I follow her passively down the street, heading for a newer Galactic building. “Don’t recall seeing the Erethran Empire on the list of settlement owners.”
“It’s because it’s not. It’s owned by Unilo directly,” Ayuri says.
When I look at Unilo, she smiles sunnily.
“We’re still waiting for the requisitioned Credits for the space,” Ayuri adds. “Since Unilo’s a d’Cha, she’s got the Credits to spend on this till my requisition comes through.”
Ali chuckles, floating alongside us in his pint-sized form. “Galactic bureaucracy. The same wherever you go.”
“Except the M453-Xs the Gnumma, the Vassalee, the—”
“Okay, okay, fine. Not universal,” Ali says grumpily and glares at Mayaya, who continues to ignore the Spirit.
I chuckle softly, letting the pair distract me as we walk into the building. Within, it’s surprisingly spacious and empty, hosting but four shimmering blue cells. Within one of those cells, a pair of Erethran grunts spar, one wielding a knife and the other what looks like brass knuckles. The pair are Basic Classes and not particularly skilled from what I can see.
“You going to put me in there to fight a bunch of your men?” I say, taking a guess at her intentions. I’m hoping it’s this option, because the other one is much more painful.
“Of course not. What would the challenge be there?” Ayuri says with a snort. “No, I’m going to fight you.”
Standing across from Ayuri in the middle of the reinforced fight ring, I feel my heartbeat slowly speeding up. All four shield walls have been allocated to our single cell, providing the ever-growing audience greater protection. Crouched slightly with my hands by my sides, I watch the purple-haired Erethran casually stretch across the ring.
“Rules?” I say to break the silence as Ayuri continues to ready herself.
“No leaving the cell,” Ayuri says. “Five taps, audible indication, or five percent remaining of your health is a loss. The building is tracking our health. There’ll be an auditory and visual cue to stop fighting.”
“Okay.”
I could protest, but truth be told, a part of me is looking forward to this. It’s been four years and a lot of experience since we met. Now, I’m curious to see what the gap is. Ayuri isn’t like me, having skipped an entire Class. She has over eighty Levels’ worth of attributes and Skills as an advantage and countless years of experience. In a straight duel like this, I have no realistic chance of winning. But still, I find myself grinning in anticipation even as I activate Mana Sight. Because this is going to be fun.
“On your signal, Unilo,” Ayuri says.
There’s a tense silence as Unilo stares between the two of us, a silence which grows as the seconds tick by without a signal. “Now.”
Ayuri reacts first, appearing behind me, but it’s a move I’ve anticipated. I’m already dropping and kicking backward even as I conjure a Soul Shield around my body. My attack connects as Ayuri refuses to dodge, bouncing off her Soul Shield. It’s only when I’m rolling away that I catch a glimpse of Ayuri’s soulbound weapon. The short, flame-bladed sword flicks downward, sending a Blade Strike that I barely dodge by continuing to roll. The shorter blade allows Ayuri to swing the blade back, sending another successful Blade Strike at me even as I recover. The single strike drains nearly half of my Soul Shield, making my eyes narrow. Christ, she’s put a ton of points into the attack Skill.
She blurs, charging me as I watch the streams of Mana collect and swirl around her body. Haste. A Basic Class Skill that speeds up her movement at the cost of a tremendous amount of Mana and Stamina while active. She crosses the distance between us in seconds and I find myself blocking the flurry of thrusts and cuts with my own sword.
Even as I fall back, I call forth my Thousand Swords Skill, adding the floating blades and complicating the space between us. Now, not only does she have to work around my initial attack, she also has to move around the flowing follow-up blades. Each block cuts off an area of attack, each additional blade reducing her angles of attack. Rather than avoid the angles though, Ayuri blocks and beats aside my floating weapons, forcefully opening up angles. The ring of blades, the shuffle of our steps, and the harsh grunts of exertion fill the room as we clash. Within seconds of our clash, I’ve been hit a half dozen times, leaving my Soul Shield with a sliver of health. It’s only when I have up the Haste spell that things begin to stabilize.
The champion twists her hand as we clash again, triggering a Skill and breaking my grip on my sword, disarming me. I block the next thrust with my left forearm, the last of my Soul Shield dying in a flare as the blade opens up my forearm. But the sacrifice pushes the blade away from my chest and gives me time to point and fire my beam pistol at her face. The attack flares as it impacts against her Soul Shield, but more importantly, it blinds her for a second to allow me to scramble backward.
“Your sword skills have improved,” Ayuri praises me with a grin. She tosses the wavy short blade from hand to hand as she stalks me around the ring, giving me time to replace my Soul Shield.
“You ready to get serious?” I say.
“You noticed?”
“Obviously.”
“Good. I’m coming then,” Ayuri says, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Even before her words end, she’s on me, Blink Stepping to cover the short distance.
I throw a reverse lunge, dropping to one knee with my back leg extended and catching her directly in her chest. Her
Shield bursts, the momentum of her charge and Blink added to my own Skills and attack shattering her protection. But it doesn’t stop her. The champion uses the momentum of my attack to spin around, a hand trailing along the edge of my blade as her other hand conjures another sword. I retrieve my sword into my left hand to block her attack, but she twitches her original hand and tosses her short sword at me directly. Behind the attack comes another and another.
Within seconds, she’s pulling copies of her soulbound blade and throwing them at me, cutting through my blocks by sheer volume, each blade unerring. Under repeated assault, my Soul Shield fails again, the newly conjured blades breaking past my hasty defenses. Even as the first blade plunges into my shoulder, I trigger my Skill.
Blink Step.
Beneath me, Ayuri spins around then looks up, spotting my falling form. She smirks, already throwing knives to intercept me and the grenades I’ve thrown. Falling as I am, I can see when recognition catches up with instinct, just before her first blade pierces the first grenade.
A chaos grenade.
Fish explode from the grenade—barbed, slimy fish that rain down around us. Another grenade detonates, consuming her conjured blade and leaving a small hole in space. A third grenade lands by her feet and a horde of sizzling, molten fire elementals manifest. Ayuri lets out an involuntary yelp as she sinks, pushed deeper into the swarm as she blocks my falling attack. Already, I can see her Soul Shield flaring as the elementals eat into it.
“Chaos grenades?” Ayuri snarls, gripping my arm as I recover from the fall and blocked attack.
She twists and tosses me away, dodging my follow-up blades at the same time, her movements barely hindered by the elementals. I spin through the air and slam into the side of the cage. By the time I recover, she’s cast an Ice Storm, slaying the newly formed elementals and catching me in the back blast.
Even as I stagger, the Soul Shield reforming with a thought, Ayuri is stalking forward. With a thought, I trigger the mines I laid when I dropped, the expanding Tier II foam surprise only barely catching the fast-moving champion at the edges. Long enough for me to cast a Freezing Blade on my sword.
