Now that the battle was over, Bob finally had time to look at his notifications. The other four all shared the same distracted look.

“Awesome! Level 10! And Multi-classing? I don’t know what that’s about, but it sounds awesome!” Shadow was quite excited to level up.

Chunk sighed. “Chunk not level 10 yet.”

“You should be about 3% away, just like me. I bet we’ll get it as soon as we turn in the request,” said Buzz.

“Right, well, let’s loot this place, and get out to get you two to level 10. Then we can go see what Multi-classing entails,” said Bob as he dropped his skill point into Engineering, along with the one he’d gotten from level 9 but forgotten to allocate.

Bob was rather disappointed in the loot, once he reviewed it. He was hoping to get another rail cannon, so he could build two custom turrets. Or maybe parts for a power reactor. However, everything tagged as parts of the power system or rail cannon emplacements were marked as Scrap, useful only for recycling. Maybe they went a little overboard with the explosives? Well, at least he wouldn’t be short on tech components.

Maybe he should contact Vince, and make use of his Grey Market Contacts skill to get some schematics?

After checking out Multi-classing, he would send a message, he decided.

Their return to the surface was relatively smooth, and as Buzz had predicted, the request bumped them over the threshold to level 10. Together they headed to the PA building, to speak with the quest NPC about Multi-classing.

“Greetings, Traveler! Congratulations on reaching level 10! You have now gained access to Multi-classing! What is Multi-classing? Well, as the name implies, it allows you to hold more than one class! For every 10 overall character levels, you gain an additional class slot. This means you now have an open class slot which can be filled by speaking with a class trainer. However, there are limitations to the Multi-classing system. You can only have one class active at any given time, and that class will be the recipient of all experience gained while it is active. Abilities from each class only apply while their parent class is active, although you will still benefit from any and all skills acquired via other classes. Likewise, class specific items can only be used while a compatible class is active, but non-specific items gained through another class are fair game.

“Your first two class slots are referred to as Primary Class Slots. You can switch between these two classes at any time you are not actively engaged in combat, which will instantly switch out any class specific gear. You can only change which classes are in these slots when in a Player Arrival Area, a Player Creation Center, or a Player Fast Action Hub.

“If you have any further questions about Multi-classing, check out the article in the Ciro Weave of Interrelated Knowledge for more information. Good luck, Traveler!”

After escaping the lengthy NPC monologue, Bob and the other sat around for a while and discussed options for their other classes, thinking of all kinds of unique and interesting combinations. After a while, the siblings pardoned themselves, stating that they needed to eat since they’d been logged in all day. When they logged out, Bob dismissed the other two, suggesting that they carefully consider their options for their second class. Bob logged off to do the same.

Randell Leaflight stalked his way through the corridors of the Virmo headquarters. Even if he hadn’t been extremely well known around the company, everyone still would have avoided him in passing, given the snarl etched in his face and his squinting eyes darting about as if seeking a target upon which to unleash his pent-up rage.

“Fucker calling me Randy, he knows I hate that,” the half-elf angrily grumbled to himself as he slipped into an empty office in the Account Administration wing. “Hah, I’ll show him, the smug bastard. Show them all that they’re getting worked up for nothing.”

As was common, the last person to use the console had left it powered on and logged in. It was even at the account administration page. Randell and Wizzlefidget had been the two to vote for funding stricter security measures for the consoles, and Kenji had ultimately been swayed by Stefano’s and Talon’s financial arguments at that point. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.

Randell slid into the seat and brought up the account management system. With just a few taps of a sigil, he brought up the account details for the three crystals that had been causing them so much trouble and revoked their login rights. Why didn’t they just do this in the first place? What a bunch of gullible buffoons.

The position of Chief Minister should have been his. It was his strategies that got people talking about their products — his hand-picked employees that spread the rumors. He was even Kenji’s first friend in this world, and ultimately the first to recognize the brilliance of the bumbling young man who had struggled to learn the speech of this land. This company would be nothing without him being there to guide and mentor Kenji in the ways of this world. Stefano was a joke, nothing more than an over-glorified project manager.

But now, they would see for sure. Stefano’s blatant waste of resources on some frivolous fantasy would reveal him for the incompetent fool that Randell had seen in him all along, and he would once more be Kenji’s most trusted confidant.

A smile spread across his fair features and failed to reach his green eyes. Victory was at hand, and it smelled sweet.

“Virmo, Log In.”

Nothing happened. Kragathor tried again.

“Virmo, Log In.”

Again, there was no reaction. Kragathor Analyzed the crystal and confirmed that the enchantments had not deteriorated. He could still sense its connection to the server as well.

He activated the account management function of the Virmo crystal. “Virmo, Account.”

Account Access Invalid

Login rights for your account have been revoked by a system administrator.

Reason: Counterfeiting

Notes: Related to three counterfeit devices -RL

Kragathor was stumped. Counterfeit? Did they mean to imply that his work was in any way of lesser quality than their own? Not possible, they were exactly identical in every way, even down to the infinitesimal attachments of mana to the crystalline lattice of the quartz. Perhaps they were taking umbrage with the fact that their work had been copied at all. But why would they do that? The simple fact that he copied it was a testament to the quality of the device, a ringing endorsement to its potential value. After all, proliferation of a good idea has always been a testament to the original craftsman’s own abilities. Kragathor simply could not reason out why they would revoke his ability to play the game over anything like that.

Were he not utterly baffled by the nonsensical actions, he might have become truly annoyed and irrationally lashed out at them for what they had done. He recognized this and focused his mind on how to remedy the situation. He’d much rather own the servers than destroy them in a fit of totally justifiable irritation. Really, his anger was actually very reasonable. Far more so than that flimsy counterfeiting excuse.

No, that was not an excuse, it was an insult. A proverbial wattle of spit to the face as they snatched away his newfound treasure.

As the confusion faded from the forefront of his mind, it was replaced with an ocean of churning rage.

They dare to take his things?

Were their lives not short enough? Were they truly so eager for death that they would dare to steal from him?

Have they forgotten the lessons he burned into the land again and again before he retired to his underground retreat?

Must he once more venture forth and leave naught but ash and memories of terror in his wake?

Did they not remember the misery of their ancestors who choked on ash laden air as he laid waste to their homes for lusting after that which was his?

Why should he not scour the lands to the bedrock with the flames of his wrath and eliminate the nuisances once and for all?

Ah, but if I destroy everything, I won’t be able to play the game anymore. I need the servers intact. I still haven’t decided on my next class either, and I’m still a long way from seeing the other cities, and it would be a nuisance to replace the siblings…

Only temperance brought on by eons of experience, the thought of yesterday’s fun, and the promise of more to see kept him from any rash actions such as teleporting into the sky above the Virmo Company’s headquarters. Still seething with anger, he forced himself to calm down and bade his mind to be still.

No, he would not destroy the very thing that had been taken from him. Really, he also did not want to harm the creator, as this was the first time he had actually found himself in admiration of a mortal’s creative genius. Really, the only person he needed to harm was the one who tried to steal… He cut off that line of thought abruptly, avoiding going down the path of inevitable eruption. He did not need to be thinking those kinds of thoughts. No, what Kragathor needed was a plan, and to make some preparations.

Unnoticed by Kragathor, the air in the room had grown uncomfortably warm as his temper flared, and rivulets of molten gold had started to flow down the surface of the glimmering pile upon which he rested as the flames in his belly kindled themselves once more at the thought of being unleashed.