I did eventually find the small house Aella had mentioned – it sat above the entrance to the arena, a small door hidden back behind the series of barrels filled with blunted swords and oil.

There was a small bed and even a shower, which I used gratefully, even going so far as to try clean my sweat soaked and overlarge robe. After I scrubbed the drying sweat from my newly muscular body and hair, I stood under the flowing water, just enjoying the cool feel of it.

Once finished, I squeezed the worst of the water from my hair and beard, hanging my wrung out robe over the sill of the inner window, admiring the view of the wide sand circle and then - despite the fact that I had only been awake for about 12 hours, I staggered over to the small bed and all but fell into it, seamlessly fading into unconsciousness.

I did not remember what I dreamed of that night – only that I did dream. I awoke once more with the dawn, oddly disturbed and anxious with my head filled with ungraspable phantom memories. It made me eager to begin my day, and to distract myself with the completion of my first quest – hopefully.

Speaking Xiournal’s name, I brought up the phantom tablet:

Assignment Received... Difficulty E-… Time Limit: 12 days, 4 hours, 2 minutes.

Make your way into Everwood City, locate the creator of the Grand Harvest Body Refining Pill and ensure another cannot be created.

Good Luck, Alex. Make me look good.

Bonus Reward: Do Not Kill the creator, or allow his death within the Time Limit.

It looked like I had not failed my bonus mission while sleeping, which was my only really risk at the moment. I doubted it would take more than 12 days to convince Ben Won Ro to stop making the pill, especially standing beside Walker, the city’s apparent saviour. Unless he got kidnapped.

“Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen...”

Talking to myself, I walked over to the window to collect my robe. Once I had it hitched up once more, I re-tied the belt and went downstairs to wait for the return of Walker and Aella, my two teachers.

Not knowing how punctual either were, or even the state of timekeeping in this world, I began to go through some of the exercises I had been given the day before, somewhat amazed by the lack of aches and pains from Aella’s hands – and feet – on approach.

I started with a basic series of defensive steps and deflections, fighting the slow-moving phantoms conjured by my own imagination. Strong I may not have been – yet – but it would be a cold day in hell before I let my own mind kick my ass. At least the second time around.

Once I had moved through the defensive sets, I sat on the cold sand and turned my mental gaze inwards towards my energy centre, and the slowly rotating sea of energy within.

Within my centre was the beginning of my Focus – a ghostly image of myself surrounded in a crackling nimbus of arcing blue-white and violet lightning. The golden ocean which stretched out in every direction was slowly draining into the image, filling it with colour and clarity, but at a pace that spoke more of glaciers than any whirlpool.

Breathing in, I strained to feel everything around me – the cool of the dawn air and the cold sand beneath me. The heat of my body and its pulse, interposed with my own breathing. With every breath, I pulled in the Experience and watched as it topped up my soul’s sea, gentle silver ripples admidst the gold, flowing inwards from the distant edges.

Readying my will, I stretched out to grasp the that vast pool and began to pull it inwards, filling my Focus faster than it had any hope of doing naturally. The lethargic spiral began to accelerate and a feeling like liquid joy surged through me and it occurred to me that it was no wonder kids reached this level as soon as possible. Cultivating probably beat out masturbation as the number 1 teenage pastime on this world.

*

***

*

I spent what felt like hours within my centre, but must have been much less, given the light when I came back to myself. Sat in front of me, my dark mentor sat, his own legs folded, his head tilted to one side and his blindfolded gaze locked on me.

“I failed to realise it this last evening, but it would seem you have begun the formation of your Focus. While I commend your enthusiasm, it is good that we will be concluding your business today, as by this time tomorrow, you will likely be paralysed with pain.” His tone was matter of fact, and for a moment, I did not even realise what he had said, but it did eventually hit me.

“Wait, what? Nobody said anything about pain. Why will there be pain?”

“I thought you knew.” I could feel the shrug in her tone of voice as Aella spoke from behind me.

Twisting around I looked up at her – she was wearing a similar outfit to the day before – tight pants and a short kimono jacket, made of something like silk, but this time in a pale daffodil yellow, rather than blue.

“How would I know if nobody tells me?” I held up my hands to either side, my voice incredulous.

“Oh well! You were going to need to form your energy channels at some point. It’s best to get these things out of the way!”

I looked back at Walker, annoyed for the first time at her sing-song tone.

“Energy channels?”

“Once your Focus begins to form, the energy converted by it will seek to circulate throughout your body. While Experience can exist within you, and even flow about your body in its raw form, once refined it requires special channels so as to not burn your vascular system to ash.”

“Great. That's awesome – I'll just grow a new circulatory system. No big deal. Maybe we should go see the alchemist now? Maybe he has some magic opium or something...”

“Ben Won Ro will not be ready to see customers for a number of hours. And you will not be consuming anything to dull your senses, unless you wish to permanently destroy your cultivation? The process of burning the energy channels must be actively guided.”

“The news just keeps getting better. Okay, so no knocking myself out. Is there anything I can do to make the process less paralytic?”

“I’m afraid not. This is something - almost – every person in existence must deal with. You should be fine. In the meantime, I brought you food. I know you are yet unable to do without.”

He held his hand out and a paper bowl filled with rice and vegetables appeared, steaming in the early morning.

“Walker, you are literally the best. As soon as I can pay you back for all your help, I’m all over it.”

I took the paper bowl from him and did not even wait for chopsticks, I just started shovelling the hot food into my mouth, moaning in pleasure. My body had had a single meal since its rebirth, and in that time, I had spent hours training and I was starving. The rice was fluffy and seasoned to perfection, and the vegetables were crisp and light.

“Wow, it didn’t even occur to me he’d need to eat! But it makes sense, I guess. It’s just strange to see somebody his age with those sorts of... needs.”

I did not care that I was being compared – once again – to a child, I was too happy to be filling my stomach.

“Whoever sent him here has a lot to answer for. To hold him back from cultivation so... but the past cannot be changed. Come, Hunter – finish and we will continue your instruction before Aella’s other students arrive.”

I had already finished my meal and was on my way to dispose of the paper bowl when his words finished registering. I hope – really, really hoped – that I would not be fighting them both.

*

***

*

I half-stepped around Walker’s jab and turned slightly to keep both of my opponents in view before ducking down to avoid Aella’s kick, the wind of its passing scattering my hair.

I did, in fact, end up fighting them both. They were moving considerably slower than Aella had been by the time we finished the day before, but there being two of them more than made up for it – and like the day before, they were getting faster, forcing me closer and closer to the edge of my performance. Of course, I was relying heavily on Danger Sense – always reacting just ahead of the blows coming my way, which was good, as they were hitting hard.

Thinking back on my choices of abilities, I had to admit that Danger Sense was proving its worth so far, and I suspected that my Lesser Regeneration had played a role in my ability to sit up that morning, but I had to wonder – if I had taken Flawless Coordination, would I have already mastered this? Would technique have made up for the gap in speed?

A fist cracked into my jaw and I stumbled, having allowed myself to become unfocused. Unwilling to take another I moved with the momentum of the blow and used it to meet the lightning fast roundhouse coming in from Walker. Meeting the blow, it turned out, was a mistake.

As Walker’s fist connected with my raised arm, the power in the blow smashed my own hand back in to my face, almost breaking my nose, at least by the feel of it. Stunned for a second I did not have, I was unable to avoid Aella’s follow up jab on my other side and before I knew it, I was once again laid out on the sand.

“You let yourself get distracted and failed to play to your strengths – your reflexes are your best hope in a fight, you should use them to avoid blows, not to block them. You are neither strong or tough enough to simply absorb blows.” My mentor’s words mirrored those of my teacher from the previous day, and I know they were both right, but it was still tough to internalise my own weakness.

“However, there will be times you are not able to dodge or deflect, when a blow will land regardless of your efforts – for those times, you must learn to fight through the pain. In a real battle, you cannot afford to flinch. Tomorrow will help with that, but we will need to add it to your training from now on.”

Pain training sounded, well, painful and while that seemed like the point, I was not eager to add getting hit on purpose to my repertoire. I supposed it was probably better than getting distracted and killed though.

“The alchemist will be opening his doors, soon, Walker. You should go – the sooner you are done, the sooner you can come back! I’ll charge a premium for having my students overseen by the Apex of Infinite Blades!” Aella’s lilting voice was coloured by the grin stretching wide across her beautiful face, and she sounded genuinely happy, the words tinged with gleeful greed.

“She is right. Come, Hunter. Let us get both of our business done.”

“I don’t suppose I can shower first? I’m kind of sweaty again.”

With a shake of his head, Walker flung up a hand and a small bead appeared from whichever infinite pocket he pulled things from, flew across the short distance and hit me in the chest. The bead burst into powder on impact and the resulting cloud rapidly whipped about me before vanishing, leaving me cleaner than I had been after my shower the night before.

“That was awesome! Way quicker than a shower. I’ll just... add it to my tab. Thanks again, Walker.”

“Think nothing of it, I purchase them by the thousands – though I my stock is low after assisting with the clean-up of the army the other day. Another fortuitous dividend of visiting Ro today is I will be able to restock.”

“Sounds good. Aella, Teacher – thank you for your training. I really appreciate it! I’ll see you later.”

“I hope to take you for another drink, Aella. Later?”

“I’ll look forward to it, Walker! And you, I suppose, Hunter. Try not to die before then, I hate having my time wasted.”

*

***

*

After leaving The Steel Splinter, Walker and I made our way deeper into Evergreen city – it was a marvel to me that a seemingly medieval city, even one with access to magic, could exist on such a massive scale, although the near elimination of the need for food probably helped.

Passing through a number of markets, I avidly explored the stalls and covered benches with my eyes, taking in wares of a thousand types and varying quality. It did seem like the items for sale improved as we moved deeper into the city, and I wondered how wealth was distributed – I had seen Walker spend a small glowing coin the day before, but I had no idea as to the denomination or relative value. He had indicated that money could be made hunting, and I pondered on the worth of a flaming wolf’s pelt.

The two of us walked for an hour, drawing ever closer to that colossal tower I had noted shorty after my arrival on this world. From this angle, it looked like some sort of space elevator, stretching endlessly into the sky.

By the time Walker’s pace slowed, the building around us had begun to take on a richer mien, the doors spaced further and further apart, with small gardens and walls. I caught glimpses of large windows through open doorways and small round opening set into the walls, as well as balconies rising story after story, pagoda style – or as close as you could come on the dense city streets.

At the top of one street, taking up a large corner lot was a huge building seemingly walled on all 4 sides, and surrounded by artfully manicured grass and trees. We came to a stop at one round door, unsigned and with a winding jade-green gravel path leading towards to the building. The building looked to be constructed of wood, like most of the buildings I had seen in the city - It looked like light oak, glossed to a rich sheen and accented with crimson paint or lacquer.

“This is the workplace and home of Ben Won Ro, the alchemist responsible for the creation of the Grand Harvest Body Refining Pill. You must show him deference, if you expect him to heed you. He is widely considered to be the most skilled Alchemist in Everwood City, and thus – potentially – the world. You would be well served to follow my lead.”

“I’ll be on my best behaviour – it's hard to explain, but I need to make every effort. My life – sort of - depends on it.” Walker raised on arched eyebrow at me, his wolf-like ears twitching.

“You had not told me that – come, let us get this done then.”

“Is him being the best the reason there’s no sign? People just know who he is?”

“That is correct. Especially now, with the creation of the Pill, everyone in this city will know of him, and where he may be found.”

Nodding I followed my mentor’s tall frame along the winding path and into the tall building via a sliding door that was almost perfeclty blended in to the wall.

The inside of the building was well lit and on the cool side, bottles of some softly glowing fluid were held upon the walls with wooden sconces, as well as hanging from the high ceiling by red and gold cords.

The floor was lined with chest height shelves and display cases – some shelves held boxes, others bottles, with the cases containing single balls, bags and bottles – clearly the more special of the stock on open offer.

“... turn enquiries away!” Across the room, standing behind a wooden counter along with a whole wall of square metal draws - like safety deposit boxes - stood two men. One was clearly old and dressed entirely in white, clean shaven but with eyebrows that fell down the sides of his face his chin. The younger of the two has short cropped black hair and was dressed in a deep blue robe.

We caught the tail end of a conversation, but it ended on our entrance – the two men turning to us. The expressions each formed were markedly different – the man in white broke into a wide grin, his eyes alighting on my dark companion. The younger of the two drew his hands together and tilted his body in a light bow, his face a mostly neutral mask.

“Ah! The Infinite Blades! I heard you drove off those Living Flame mongrels on my behalf! Come, come!”

We stepped through the maze of alchemical concoctions, making our way to the counter.

“Greetings Honoured Master Alchemist, it is my pleasure to see you once more. My companion and I have come for to purchase a number of Cleansing Pills, as well as to discuss the disposition of your most recent masterpiece.”

“Companion? He must be a man great power to walk beside – oh, a cripple. Charity always reflects well on those with power, I suppose. The Cleansing Pills are a minor thing, but the Grand Harvest Body Refining Pill... useless for you, of course, but I assume you wish to purchase it on behalf of your cri-ompanion? It could, I suppose, assist in fixing whatever malady he suffers” I struggled with myself for a moment at being called a cripple again – while it was apparently a justifiable assumption, it was still aggravating and I came close to snapping a reply at him.

“I do wish to purchase it from you, but more, I’d like to request you do not make any more, Honoured Master Alchemist.” The alchemist looked taken aback, his incredibly long eyebrows bobbing about as his raised them.

“No more? I have ingredients enough for several more, it would be throwing away a fortune! The captain of Everwood City’s own army has already enquired as to the purchase of as many as I can produce”

“I will not always be nearby, Ben Won Ro – one sect has already sent an army to take your creation from you – at the cost of your city. How many more when word gets out you can make multiple pills? Even with Everwood’s army to defend you, how long will they last when half the world comes calling?”

“You raise a valid point...” His tone was begrudging, at best – it seemed to me that giving up on that money was physically hurting the old man.

“I suspect I will need to be convinced, however. But for a man who destroyed an army for me, a chance should be given! Come, we will have drinks. Your... companion can stay here with Tang. Tang! Prepare 10,000 Cleansing Pills while I’m gone.”

“Yes, Master Ro.”

For his part, my mentor shrugged his huge shoulders, his head tilted towards me as if to say, “What am I gonna do?”

“Hunter you should... stay here with Tang. Perhaps spend some time on your Focus?”

“On his Focus! Ha! Come! Come!” The old alchemist slapped my mentor on the shoulder and walked out with him, great peals of roaring laughter following him out.

Turning to look at Tang, I raised one eyebrow and introduced myself.

“Tang, right? I’m Hunter. Not a cripple, just from far away.” Not knowing whether shaking hands was a thing on this worked, my introductions being limited somewhat, I instead just gave him, “the nod”.

Returning my small head bow, Tang spoke.

“I am – sorry about my master, he can be a bit of a dick. He doesn’t mean anything by it, he just says what’s on his mind.”

“It’s fine, he’s not the first to call me a cripple since I got here. Where I’m from, nobody really cultivates. Walker has been helping me out since I got here, but it’s going to take me a while to catch up to what is considered normal here.”

“Lucky indeed to gain the assistance of an Apex! What brought you here, from such a strange land? And how did you survive the journey? The wild can be dangerous for even the most accomplished cultivators.”

“I was actually sent to try to convince your master not to make any more of those pills. Sent directly via some sort of teleportation.”

Tang’s eyes opened wide for a moment, but then chuckled under his breath, a wry look taking over his face.

“You had me for a moment! Teleportation, indeed. An impossibility, and even more so if what you say about the lack of cultivation is true.”

“Hey, I don’t blame you for doubting me, I still doubt me. But it happened just like I said – One moment I’m at home – sort of, relatively – the next I’m with some dragon lady and then, just like that, I was outside of the city.” It was the first time I had mentioned Xiournal to anybody – Walker had taken the being “sent” bit in stride and we had just moved on from there.

“A dragon? Long and slender or stocky with wings?” I blinked at the mention of multiple types of dragons – this world really did seem to be a fantasy hodgepodge.

“Yeah, a dragon - long and slender.”

“They are capable of cultivation – true cultivation rather than that of beasts, but they cannot teleport.”

“Can the ones with wings?”

“No, of course not. They are terrifying beasts, but they do not possess that power.”

“Then why the need to differentiate?”

“Pitfall of the profession – precision is king.”

“I guess that makes sense – I don’t know much about alchemy, but I assume that if it’s anything like plain old chemistry I have to assume imprecision is bad?” Chemistry had never been my thing, but I knew that much.

“Bad, yes. The difference between a healing potion and a potion to dissolve you from the inside out is one tenth of a second in spiritual flame.”

“Good to know! No cheaping out on healing potions, got it.” Not that had I any money with which to buy them, and I could not picture walker going bargain shopping.

“Provided you make your purchases from alchemists registered with the Association, you should be fine regardless of the price. They would be hunted down and exterminated if they were to sully the Association’s name with faulty products.”

“That’s some serious quality control! But I can see where you’re coming from.” I looked down at the counter, considering my new world and everything I’d learned about it so far. It seemed awesome and of course all the magic was incredible, but it was also... brutal. An armed invasion over a pill? Not to mention the local equivalent of Big Pharma killing people over shoddily made potions. I knew I could have to watch my step moving forward and do my best to avoid making enemies.

“Hey, what’s this?” My eyes had caught on a number of bags, jars and other oddities waiting to one side of the long counter, and a glass jar filled with bright orange goo in particular. I pointed at it and looked at Tang. “It looks tasty.”

“That’s Heaven’s Foundation Glue. It’d taste good, I’m sure - but your mouth would be permanently sealed shut.”

“You guys really like your ostentatious names. Permanent glue, huh? How strong is it?”

“The name’s appropriate – this permanently join anything it touches – after energy is applied to it directly, it will feed on any further force, growing ever stronger. It is – without the solvent – indestructible. You could – literally – pin up the heavens with this small jar.”

“Application takes some more of that precision you mentioned, I guess...” I had been about to pick it up to remove the lid and take a whiff, but decided discretion was the better part of valour and moved on. “What about this stuff?”

I pointed at another jar, this one filled with some green-white fluid. It looked vaguely like puss and I found myself scrunching my face up subconsciously.

“Flesh Annihilation Serum – it's an acid that will eat through anything living in seconds – it's mostly just for removing stubborn mold.”

“Anything living? Seconds? I’m getting the impression I shouldn’t mess with alchemists...”

“Yes, it ignores anything not suffused with energy. Very dangerous.”

Tang seemed to enjoy telling me what all this was – in a world filled with magic, it probably took real passion to go into crafting.

“And this?” There was a stack of cloth bags with a faintly minty odour coming off them.

Tang smiled and tossed me one of the bags.

“Free samples. These are another creation of my master – the Ever Quenched Pill. Consuming one will hydrate you for an entire day. Once word gets out, these will make us a hundred fortunes. So, tell your friends.”

Opening the bag, I pulled out one of the small round pills inside – it was almost perfectly clear, and still smelled strongly of mint. I Popped the translucent pill into my mouth, and quickly swallowed – it had been a few hours now since I had anything to drink, and had been sparring so I’d built a considerable thirst. Upon swallowing I instantly felt better – the nagging thirst fading until it was gone completely, and even my dry, bare feet felt a little better.

“Wow, that’s amazing! Way more convenient than carrying water around, and easier to do without a flask... Thank you! Free sample or not, I really appreciate it. I’ll tell everyone I know.” Which I knew wouldn’t be hard – I would be able to tell all 2 of them before the day ended.

I tied the bag shut and went to put it in my pocket, still used to wearing a jack despite my current lack. Realising I did not even know if I had pockets, I began patting my robe and eventually located one, hitched up under the belt where I had raised the hem. Slipping my hand and the bag inside awkwardly, I felt something already there – sand. I had apparently, and inadvertently, filled my pockets with sand while sparring, my new strength making it difficult to notice the additional weight.

I pulled my hand out of the pocket and began slapping my hands together to get rid of the clinging grains – I had always hated the feel of sand on my skin. Looking back at the wooden surface of the service counter- and hoping for more samples – I cast my eye over the other gathered objects. There was one item that stood out from the others on the counter – a blood-red metal container the size of both my fists laid side-by-side and hinged like a chest.

“What about this? Mini-nuke?”

“What’s a mini-nuke? This is the container for the Grand Harvest Body Refining Pill. Unlike the other products waiting to be sold – or given out – this one needs putting away. Master retrieved it from the bank’s vault earlier this morning.”

“You just have it here on the counter? After an army tried to inv-”

“I’ll be taking that – very convenient, I thought I was going to need to bleed you to get my hands on it.” I turned as a person faded into view next to me, dressed all in black. Their voice was strangely neutral and distorted, perhaps a product of the mask they were wearing, or they just had a weird voic - it was impossible to be certain on this world.

Tang had grabbed the metal box as soon as the figure appeared and I reflexively stepped between them, mentally kicking myself, knowing there was likely little I could do but unable to stop myself. My new body’s natural instincts and a lifetime of hero idolisation forced me into it.

“Let’s just calm down! I'm the disciple of The Apex of Infinite Blades – sort of - and this is the apprentice of Ben Won R-”

“Shut up – I know who your masters are. That’s why I’m here while they are not. Now – the pill. Give it to me, or I’ll take it from your corpses.”

Tang seemed reluctant – understandably - and he was inching back towards a door to one side of the counter.

“I see you trying to leave, idiot. Now - “The black figure took a threatening step around me, his gaze locked on Tang’s retreating form, and a plan rapidly formed in my mind. It was not a good plan, but it was the only one I had.

I reached into my pocket and grabbed a fist full of sand, praying whatever gods this world had that this would work.

“Hey, dickbutt, look at me!” The would-be burglar turned to me, eyes looking angry through their cloth mask. As his head turned, I whipped my arm around, tossing sand directly into his eyes as they locked on me.

“Pocket sand, dipshit!”

“You...!” They grabbed at their face, shouting and bending slightly at the waist in an effort to shake the sand free, and I felt my instinct scream at me, knowing it would not last. Turning, I grabbed a jar from the counter and fastballed it directly into their face as they finally straightened to murder me.

There was a satisfying crack as the orange goo covered their face, pouring in to the eye holes of the mask, shards of glass sticking out at random angles.

“I’m going to bleed you slow, boy!” Raising their hands once more to wipe away the goo now obstructing their vision, the thief stuck their fingers into their eyes to scoop it out, which is when I executed the last step in my plan – I waved at him.

My hands held up in front of me by the time fingers found good, I tried to push energy out of my hand and into the glue. I felt the energy inside me slosh towards my arm – it was disconcerting but it did not work. Luckily, Tang had picked up on what I was trying to do and a fleck of gold and silver light flicked passed me and into the orange slime, turning it perfectly clear in an instant and sealing the black clothed criminal’s hands to their face.

“I swear by all the gods, I will kill everyone you have ever known for this you rancid, stinking –" They stumbled to one side, elbows flailing about as they ranted, still in that oddly dead tone.

“We have to get him out of here! He’s going to break all the stock!”

“Your priorities are way off, Tang! He’s going to break us unless we do something!”

“What do I do with the pill? What if there are more?” Tang’s voice quavered with panic, and I was close to joining him as I stepped to one side to avoid the want-to-be-killer's blind flailing.

I looked around and grabbed the box containing the Grand Harvest Body Refining Pill, opening it and pulling out a purple ball half the size of my fist. I could not understand why we were worried about the thing – nobody would be able to fit it in their mouths, let alone swallow it.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I reached for the jar of Annihilating Serum, unscrewing the top hurriedly, before dropping the pill inside and pushing it as far down as I dared. Not being a living thing, it should be safe, I hoped.

I hurriedly screwed the lid back on and grabbed the belt of the ranting thief, as well wrapping one hand in the fabric at the base of their neck, before lifting them into the air and flipping them upside-down, legs up and hopefully too far away from me to manage a kick. As strong as the locals I might not have been, but I was plenty strong enough to lift somebody off the ground and keep them there.

“What are you doing?” Tang’s voice was loud and disbelieving, staring at the now wildly swinging legs above my head.

“Let me go! Let me go you son of a shit-slime! I’m going to burn you alive!”

“It’s a rare fighting style where I’m from called Slapstick! And, I guess we wait?”

“We can’t wait! What if there are more coming!”

“There are thousands of us you soon to be dead, turtle slime eating anus-dwellers!”

“Shit, you’re right, Tang.” I only knew two people in town, and I knew that one was out drinking somewhere. The only chance I had was to get to Aella, which was a terrible idea, but I my options were limited – I would have to make a run for it. Through the streets. Carrying a kicking and screaming insult savant.

“Okay, I’m going to run now! You should get somewhere safe!” With that, I turned and ran out of the door. Upon exiting the building, I whipped to my right, spurred by instint and interposing the mad crook between myself and a dart of some kind. I managed to catch another 3 before they started getting through – too many at once for me to do anything about.

As the darts penetrated my skin, I felt a numbness creeping into me, and once again – as was becoming my habit – I fell in to darkness. I am pretty sure, however, that I managed to fall on the asshole I was carrying.