The next morning, the time had finally come for the newly formed teams to introduce themselves. One by one, a team would stand together before everyone, explaining their reasoning for grouping up and talking briefly about their strengths and weaknesses.

Alex was happy to see that Byron, Cho and Eken had decided to stay together, along with the Shapeshifting Shaman, Luis and another magic caster by the name of Lilly. Their unique abilities went well with each other and several Founders gave their nods of approval at the teams make up.

In fact, the training had gone so well that all of the teams looked like they were a good, if not perfect, fit. It looked like they took the previous day of random pairings to see who meshed with whom. The thought put into their teams gave everyone a sense of peace, knowing that these men and women were ready for what the System would throw at them.

After the newly formed teams introduced themselves, each team was gifted with orbs that had been saved up by their predecessors. Most were of Rare or Exquisite quality, but a few had given out Legendary orbs as well. The gifts were a wonderful surprise and many teared up in thanks for the concern the Founders were showing them.

Alex could only hope it would be enough.

Today, the Founders would play security while the new teams were led into the city to take down one of the Worn Wooden Doors by themselves. Alex and his teammates would run the first shift, along with a few other teams, and then lead the group back to the Bellevue for lunch. Then the next shift would take over for the afternoon.

Getting the teams situated, they headed east and the teams spread out to create a decent sized perimeter. Alex and Ty were a full two blocks east of the new teams while Danny, Silvia, Toby and Rishi hung back at the nearest intersection, watching the roads. The others on security did the same and the teams kept an eye out on their maps incase the Monster Stampede showed up.

Alex was genuinely nervous. Not for the Monster Stampede, but for the teams diving into the buildings. The new players had all gained two levels yesterday and their attributes were raised as sufficiently as could be, but there was always a chance that shit could go sideways. They had given out hundreds of Minor Healing and Mana pills and the orbs that acted like enchantments would also give them an added boost, but none of them had been given the bonus 10,000xp on arrival that Alex and the others had received. Even with all of their training, they weren’t on the same level as the Founders when they were at their level. Alex couldn’t help but worry.

It was a stressful four hours of waiting in an eerily quiet city that only gave Alex’s mind time to wander. By the time a runner was sent up to announce that all teams were accounted for and heading back, Alex was wound up so tight, he wanted to fight a few monsters just so he could blow off some steam.

They were two blocks away from the Bellevue when the sounds of battle erupted from the south and Alex and Ty sprinted off to investigate. Toby and the others followed behind while Silvia ran to the next team’s position to tell them what was happening.

Alex was almost relieved that something had happened. The quiet and serene city streets made him uneasy, like the calm before the storm. When he and Ty came to where the sounds of fighting were coming from, Alex’s heart sank.

Hosmunt and his team were fighting for their lives. They were surrounded by large, bipedal lizards that held tridents and shields. There armor was simple leather that only covered their chest and legs but the green scales that covered their bodies looked thick and durable. Ty tapped Alex’s shoulder and pointed farther down the road.

Far into the distance there were at least fifty more Lizardmen, all heading their way. They were still at least eight or nine blocks away but Alex and Ty both realized that Hosmunt and his team must have run into a scouting party. Alex turned to see Ty’s face was still staring wide eyed at the oncoming horde.

“Ty!” Alex whispered harshly, snapping the Red Panda out of it. “Spread the word to the others. Get the new teams back to the Bellevue and bring everyone to southern Event area where we killed the Infant Drake.”

Ty stared at him in confusion for a second before it snapped into his head what Alex was planning. Without another word, Ty was racing down the street to spread the word. Danny, Toby and Rishi came running up as Ty left. Alex quickly explained what he had planned. Taking another look at Hosmunt’s team, they were still keeping the Lizardmen at bay, but there was little time.

They couldn’t afford to let these Lizardmen find the Bellevue, but if he could make them chase him, he might be able to set up an ambush while leading them in the wrong direction at the same time. First, however, they had to save Hosmunt’s team and get the Lizardmen’s attention.

Alex, Toby and Danny ran over to the surrounded team and jumped into the fight. The Lizardmen were taken unaware as Toby used his charge to slam into a Lizardman’s back, knocking him to the ground. Danny started rooting the Lizardmen up and her little companion, Willow, was cheering from the red head’s shoulder. Alex got as close as possible before unleashing his Soul Bullets. He needed to take out as many as possible, as quickly as possible, without hitting Hosmunt’s team.

The first blue bullets slammed into the back of a lizardman’s head, just as he was about to thrust his trident into Hosmunt’s exposed side. The impact of the bullets spun the lizardman around, obviously disorientating it, but sadly, not killing it. Alex gritted his teeth and kept firing along the line. Soon, three lizardmen were down, but they were slowly getting back up and they were all looking towards Alex. Not one of his Soul bullets had fully penetrated their thick scales, but they had still taken damage.

The three Lizardmen stood at their full height, just around five feet tall and each of them let out a menacing hiss before rushing him, their wickedly shaped tridents aimed at Alex’s chest. They were fast, almost as fast as Alex, but he had enough warning as the tried to turn him into a shish kebab. He dove to the side, the tridents passing harmlessly by and he rolled up to his feet and continue his assault. With the change of position, he didn’t have to worry about hitting any of his allies. However, he wasn’t expecting the thick tail of the nearest Lizardman to slam into his chest.

The extra appendage was hard to account for. When the nearest lizardman missed its target, he had enough sense to whip his body around, slamming its tail into Alex’s chest. The hit was enough to knock him back several feet and the snap, followed by immense pain told Alex that something had broken. Still, he had enough presence of mind to activate his Peeping Tom Modifier before he crashed into the street.

Lizardman

Level 8

Vitality

54

Strength

48

Agility

89

Dexterity

34

Intellect

8

Wisdom

12

Alex slammed into the pavement and as his bodies Modified Agility kicked in, he was able to flip up and land back onto his feet. The sudden pain of trying to take in a breath alerted him that his lung was most likely punctured. Gritting through the pain, he had no time to take a Healing Pill as the Lizardmen had already turned themselves around and were rushing for him again.

The Lizardman he had scanned was only level eight, yet it’s Vitality and Strength were almost double that of Alex’s own. If the Lizardmen had no access to Modifiers, then they truly outclassed Humans in every physical attribute. The low Intellect and Wisdom was Alex’s only hope.

Toby and Danny were handling things well and Hosmunt’s team started fighting back with renewed vigor at the sight of reinforcements. The three other Lizardmen would go down soon enough, but Alex still had three opponents of his own to worry about.

Gun shots rang out as Alex added his Onomatopoeia Modifier into the mix.

“Thud! Thud! Thud!”

New agonizing pain rushed through his body with each shout and Alex coughed up a small amount of blood. Yet, the Modifier did its job perfectly.

The impact sound effect added power to his attacks and several scales were broken free from his pursuers, exposing the weak flesh underneath. Alex continued to fire while using the Modifier. The pain was hard to bear but his bullets hit the exposed flesh or surrounding scales with efficiency. The Lizardmen were shocked when their hardened scales were broken, but as the first Lizardman fell dead, the remaining two continued to attack Alex relentlessly.

Alex used his Agility for all it was worth, diving and dodging around his two opponents while firing at them with every pass. It was getting a little too dicey for his own comfort and he wasn’t able to breath easily which was starting to slow him down. He had never had to fight so close against such strong and fast opponents. He picked them apart one bullet at a time and as his last opponent finally fell dead on the pavement, he gasped as a healing wave hit him.

He could feel his rib and lung fixing themselves under the healing magic of Danny’s spell and the difficulty in breathing soon eased as he coughed up the remaining blood in his lung. Turning around and not bothering to loot since his Loot Goblin Modifier would automatically loot anything in his general vicinity, he helped the others take out the last of the scout Lizardmen.

The army of Lizardmen had watched the fight from afar and they started screaming as the last of their scouts were taken out. Though they were still four blocks away, they would reach the team soon enough since the whole of the army had started running towards them. Alex led his and Hosmunt’s team back around the corner where Rishi was still working on his Golem.

This golem was made of rock and iron ore, its body dusted with red powder from the oxidized iron. Rishi was giving the golem a few instructions and then joined the fleeing group heading south.

Golems were not free-thinking creatures and according to Rishi’s new spell, he had to explain everything he wanted it to do in specific detail if he expected the Golem to follow his orders. Rishi had mentioned before that it would take time if Alex wanted the Golem to do what he had planned, but it was a risk they needed to take. Fifty or more of those Lizardmen were too many to take, even if they were leading them into an ambush.

They were two blocks away when the golem exploded, the loud boom echoing through the empty city. Rishi had ordered the golem to stand completely still while the group ran away. When the army of Lizardmen started passing by, the golem was ordered to run into the center of the army and blow itself up. The iron ore golem made a spectacular claymore mine.

The rest of the group headed towards the ambush point while Alex waited behind to make sure the Lizardmen followed. The group didn’t like it but Alex had the highest Agility of anyone there so he had the best chance to escape the oncoming army.

He watched as the several Lizardmen came out of the smoke of the improvised golem mine. The golem had done a fantastic job and it looked as if several orbs could be seen floating in the distance. Still, there were a good number of Lizardmen left and though they all seemed slightly bloodier than before, they were no less enraged. When they spotted Alex, they roared in the air sending shivers running down Alex’s spine.

I might have just peed a little.

There was no more cohesion to the group. The Lizardmen were overcome with rage and instead of moving together like an organized unit, they looked more like a crazed mob out for blood. To Alex’s complete surprise, their enraged state made them far faster than they were before. Alex turned down the street and started running as fast as his own Agility would allow.

The Lizardmen were starting to gain on him. He had four more blocks to go when a trident sailed over his left shoulder, landing just far enough away that he could dodge it without losing speed. The entire time he ran, the army at his back never stopped their screams and hissing. Whatever ability or skill was that kept them going was truly frightening. Alex did all he could to keep his fear tamped down as he ran.

One block away and the army was on Alex’s heels. He was pushing himself and attempting to dodge but he could only do so much. The tine of a trident sliced open his bicep while another grazed the outside of his thigh. Alex activated his Leather Boots of Hopping and flew forward at amazing speed, gaining just a few more feet of distance. He turned in midair and fired his guns as fast as he could.

“THUD! THUD! THUD!”

His desperate plan worked, tripping up several of the forerunners and causing those behind them to fall over their comrades. Alex’s Soul Points were starting to dip dangerously close to zero. As he completed his twist, he landed while still sprinting all out.

As he turned down the last street, he finally saw his destination. The lot where they had fought in a burned-out building was bare, obviously still on cool down until it respawned again. Alex almost choked when he saw Danny casting in the middle of the street, alone.

Alex wanted to scream in protest. Where were the others? Why did Danny stay behind? His mind became filled with horrifying thoughts and he had no idea of how to react, so he kept running.

Danny pointed her staff at the oncoming army that had rounded the corner and a green light flew past Alex. The ground rumbled, followed by shouts and screams. Alex chanced a look to find the largest wall of vines he had ever seen.

The vines were laid out across the whole street and the lizardmen had ran straight into them. The thorn tipped vines were growing rapidly and Alex watch in amazement as the thorns grew to foot long daggers, slicing into the Lizardmen.

A shout went up and the other players leapt out of the buildings, just as they did with the Gnomes. Alex sagged in relief as he watched ninety players rushing out to overwhelm the Lizardmen. It wasn’t a fight, so much as a slaughter, but even being outnumbered and trapped, some of the Lizardmen did serious damage.

A particularly large lizardman was so enraged, it took twelve people to take it down. The Lizardman continued fighting even when it had been burned, impaled and its leg cut off. It had come close to biting off Toby’s arm, but the Panzer knew enough to move in and out of its range, not taking a straight up fight.

Danny smiled sadly at Alex as she pulled him into her arms. Alex was spent and couldn’t fight with how low his Soul Points were.

“That look you gave me when you saw me standing alone. That’s what I feel when you do something stupid like being the bait for an army of overgrown iguanas.” She said into his chest.

“For just a moment there, I thought you were going to die.” Alex whispered into her hair. “I saw you alone and every worst thought I could imagine popped into my head.”

She pushed away just enough to look up into his eyes.

“Think how I felt when you turned the corner with that damn mob right on your ass. I almost lost my concentration on the spell.”

“Speaking of.” he said, turning them around to look at the wall of thorns. “What the hell did you do?”

“I Modified my root and growth spell into one while channeling it at the same time. It sucked my Mana Points dry, so I think this is an emergency only approach.”

“It was definitely an emergency.” Alex spoke.

The wall of thorns disappeared showing several orbs in place of where the army used to be. Toby, Channy and Hosmunt headed Alex’s way and Alex could feel the influx of Soul Points from the kills. Apparently, being chased by an enraged mob allowed him a share in the loot.

“Why are you always in the middle of every shit situation?” Channy asked.

Alex pointed to Hosmunt. “It’s his fault.”

Hosmunt laughed and surprised Alex by wrapping him in a hug.

“You and your team saved our lives! Those Lizardmen were just too strong to handle alone.”

Toby looked at his dented shield. “Too strong is lightly put. They hit like a damn truck and then some. Those Tahloh didn’t even hit that hard.”

Alex explained what his Peeping Tom Modifier showed him.

“Shit!” Danny exclaimed. “Are we at the bottom of the frickin barrel here? Those stats are ridiculous!”

Alex couldn’t deny it. If he didn’t have so many Legendary and Epic enchantments, not to mention his Crane’s Grace, he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. They had lost three people against other Races, but they had always come out on top. This last fight was sobering and helped them all realize how much they still had to learn and grow.

As they started gathering their loot, Alex was about to look at his Interface when he realized he had a notification waiting for him. Pulling it up the notification, he felt his stomach suddenly drop.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 10! You have +3 available Attribute Points! You have 24 hours before you are teleported to the next zone! You may also see Jeffrey at any point before your 24-hour time period is up and be transported immediately! Live! Fight! Ascend!

Alex looked up to see everyone looking a little lost at the news. They had all been pushed over their limit and had leveled. Whether they wanted to or not, they would be leaving the City Zone for good.

The walk back to the Bellevue was quiet as everyone processed what had happened. They had been planning to leave after a few more days of training the new arrivals but now they would be on their own. Alex looked over his stats as he considered what to tell everyone when they returned.

Name: Alex Donner

Age: 24

Race: Human

Level: 10

EXP: 600/20,000

Class: Soul Survivor: Enforcer

Soul Tier 3: 96,645

HP: 480

MP: 370

Vitality: 33

Strength: 30

Agility: 40(120)

Dexterity: 41(123)

Wisdom: 22

Intelligence: 26

Modifiers

Upgrades

Regeneration

Blood Transfusion

Armor Tier 2

HP: 5.8 per Min

Crane’s Grace Tier 2

Weapon Tier 2

MP: 4.1 per Min

Loot Goblin

SP: 24.3(x3) per Min

Onomatopoeia

Peeping Tom

Sextant Nauticalier

Soul Journeyman

Soul Sight

He threw his three attribute points into Agility. His speed had saved his life today and even still, it had been a close thing. He wouldn’t ignore his other skills but so far, everything pointed to him being able to maintain an advantage. He had received a decent number of Soul Points but he was still far from comfortable with what he had.

As they came into view of the Bellevue, Alex saw Byron and Cho waiting underneath the black awning. They both rushed inside, probably to tell the others that they were returning. When the Founders entered the dining room, cheers erupted and Alex tried to put on a smile for the crowd. Byron came running up to him, a wide smile on his face.

“Did everything go alright?” He asked. “Cho made a count when you all arrived and she confirmed to everyone that no one died.”

Alex looked at Cho who stood beside the big man.

“You counted Ninety-two people from a block away?”

She shrugged. “My sniper scope is really good. We didn’t think you would want us cheering if we lost someone.”

Alex nodded. “It’s a good call but not everything is happy news. Have a seat and I’ll explain.”

Alex stood at the head of the room and everyone settled down quickly. Seeing he had their attention, he let out a long breath.

“As you have heard, we were able to successfully lure the Lizardmen into an ambush.”

The crowd cheered again but he held up his hands, calling for silence.

“They were strong. Very strong. Stronger than many of us. We needed everything to fall perfectly into place to come out as well as we did. It took planning, resourcefulness, trust and no small amount of luck for it to turn out in our favor.”

“And a huge set of balls!” Ty shouted, getting a loud laugh from the group.

Alex shook his head and waited for them to calm down again.

“Along with the successful ambush, however, we all leveled up.”

The room went still as Alex looked over them.

“We have a little under twenty-three hours before we will be teleported to the next zone. We weren’t planning on leaving for at least a few more days, but it seems that wasn’t in the cards for us. We will take you out again for the afternoon run, but after tomorrow morning, you will be on your own.

“Remember what we have taught you and make sure to check your Player’s Guides for new entries. Hosmunt will be updating it frequently and what we find from the next zone, you will learn here and have a better chance to prepare.

“Don’t forget to pass on your knowledge to those that follow you. Take the time to train them as we have trained you. Keep an eye out for each other and don’t take risks that you can avoid. We expect to see each of you in the next zone a month from now.”

Alex stepped down and headed for his own table where his teammates waited. Lunch was quiet and as the next group headed out to watch over the newer teams, Alex found himself waiting in the lobby for their return.

“Excuse me, Sir?”

Alex was pulled out of his thoughts to see Jeffrey standing behind a leather chair. Looking around, he noticed that the lobby was otherwise empty.

“Where did the everyone go?” Alex asked.

“I believe most are in the training rooms, Sir.” Jeffrey answered. “Your team in particular are studying in the library.”

Alex nodded. “What can I do for you, Jeffrey?”

“You have been thinking for a good while and I was curious as to your thoughts.”

Alex smirked. “Are you admitting that the System can’t read my mind?”

“Sir, while the System is observant, it doesn’t have the capability or desire to read your thoughts. There are many things in which the System is still learning about humanity, but it seems there isn’t much difference between Races. However different you might seem to be physically; each Race has their own concerns. While you might not see eye to eye with every Race, there is the possibility to understand each other.”

“Was there a question somewhere in there?”

Jeffrey smiled, shaking his head. “My question pertains not to humanity so much as to you individually, Sir. You share a likeminded approach with several others from the other Races. To put it simply, you want to be here and that makes you feel guilty. Why?”

Alex breathed in deep, trying to settle the chaos that erupted in his own mind. Was that true? Did he really want to be here? At first, he wanted to reject the statement out of hand. Why would anyone want to be here, pulled away from everything they knew?

The trouble was, he couldn’t reject Jeffrey’s statement. He had never felt so alive before. The longer he spent in the System, the more purpose he felt. This was so much more important than getting some random degree and working the nine to five job for the rest of his life.

And yet, every time someone died, he regretted the joy in which he felt at being here. As if he had somehow betrayed them with his secret desire to see how far he could climb. He wanted to grow stronger, faster and he wanted more than anything to stop the System.

Were there others like him? Others that didn’t care about Ascension, but rather, wanted to end whatever the System was doing? There had to be.

“Jeffrey, you mentioned the System’s desire to remember those Races who have failed to Ascend. Is it fair to suggest that the System doesn’t want to commit thousands of acts of genocide?”

“Even though I am part of the System, I do not know. There is a reasonable logic to your question. If I had to guess, I would say yes.”

Alex nodded. “Then why does the System do it?”

“I’m afraid I do not know, Sir. It might well be that the System doesn’t know as well. I have no records of when the System was created but I do know that it was created. Whether the System wants to take life or not, it is not within the bounds of the System’s authority to question its directives.”

“That explains a lot and very little.” Alex sighed. “The System sounds like a sentient computer program more than anything else. To answer your question, I feel more purpose now than I ever have before. Fighting for the very world I come from seems like an honor more than anything. But not everyone feels that way. Some people are scared, Jeffrey. Some of these people want nothing more than to go home. That’s why I feel guilty. If there was a way to send them back, then maybe I could live with myself but how am I supposed to feel when one moment I am having the time of my life when someone, somewhere in this place, is living their last moments in pain and fear? How is that right?”

Jeffrey tilted his head, just slightly. “How do you know they don’t feel as you do, Sir? It is true that many people here are scared, but it seems presumptuous to considered that they do not feel the same as you do. To paraphrase your own words, it is an honor to fight for something more than yourself. I believe that is something that all Humans can understand.”

“Can you be sure that that is how they feel?” Alex ground out. “Can you say for certain that Franco, Juan and Charlotte were happy to die far from their homes, from everyone and everything they knew and loved?!”

“Can you say they did not?” Jeffrey asked, nonplussed. “I doubt anyone would be happy to die but I do not believe for a moment that they were separated from everyone who loved them. It is easy to see from their teammates faces that those people were cared for.”

Alex felt like he had been punched in the gut. Jeffrey didn’t stop, however.

“While any living being fears death, I feel it is wrong for you to think that their deaths were in vain. They fought for their friends, their family and for all the things they knew they might not ever see again. Is it not the right of every being to fight for what they believe in?”

“They should have had a choice.”

“They did, Sir. Their choice was made the moment they stepped out of those doors. They chose to fight and while it might seem crass, they seemed to enjoy their journey. Will you deny them those rights?”

Is that what Alex was doing? The simple answer was yes. Who was he to say what people felt or wanted? There was a reason they trained themselves so hard. A reason to leave each day to become stronger. He had seen these people laugh together, fight together. Each and every one of them was fighting the same fight he was.

Sitting up a little straighter, Alex looked to Jeffrey.

“Jeffrey, what is Ascension?”

Jeffrey’s smile seemed a little more genuine, as if Alex had finally asked the correct question.

“Ascension cannot be explained. It must be learned. There is a poem from your world by a Mr. Robert Frost. It goes; ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.’ It is quite beautiful in its simplicity.

“To walk along one’s path in life according to one’s desires. What you may desire may be anathema to others, as their desires might be anathema to yours. That is what Ascension is. It is different for each and every person and Race. So, Mr. Donner, if you wish to learn what Ascension truly is you must understand what is it that you desire?”

Before Alex could consider the question, Jeffrey left the room, disappearing through a door behind the concierge desk. Looking around the empty lobby, Alex moved over to the large memorial on the wall. The names of Franco, Juan and Charlotte were carved deeply in the stone. Considering Jeffrey’s question, Alex touched each of the names, activating the small hologram that introduced each of them.

They didn’t look afraid. A little nervous maybe but each of them smiled and joked as they introduced themselves. He watched them over and over again, replaying them so that he could understand a question he didn’t yet know. It was hours until the new players and the security teams returned to the Bellevue.

“Alex.”

Alex turned to find Byron running up to him, the big man looked a little out of sorts as he jogged up to Alex.

“Hey, Byron. What’s up?”

Byron looked down at his feet a moment, weighing his words.

“You know, you haven’t asked me about your parents yet. I figured you were just busy training everyone but now that your leaving tomorrow, I figured you would want to know.”

Alex had indeed been planning on asking how his parents were doing. And Michael’s parents for that matter. Deciding not to wonder if he had been avoiding this topic or not, he waved the man to follow him down to the training room.

When they entered the blank white space, the room shifted into an old-style dojo, complete with mats and walls filled with training weapons. Their futuristic work out clothing turned into the traditional heavy gis more suited to Judo.

“Well, that’s cool.” Byron said, looking over his gi.

“Let’s talk while we train.” Alex said, standing opposite the big man. Normally, fighting a person far bigger and heavier than him would put him at a disadvantage, but with his higher stats, this wouldn’t be a problem.

While Byron had been a wrestler in high school, Alex had been taught grappling by Michael’s dad. It had been a long while since he had trained but this would provide him some distraction while they talked.

They started out slow, working on holds and trying to gain advantage. Byron looked as if his first instinct was to shoot for Alex’s knees but he stayed standing, grabbing hold of Alex’s gi and tried to keep his feet planted as Alex was. Alex, in turn, tried to hold back his own strength, letting the movements settle into his mind as his muscles tried to remember when to pull and push.

“When’s the last time you saw them?” Alex asked.

“I think it was a week before I was brought here. Farmer’s Market. My mom was selling honey from the beekeepers down in San Mateo. Had me carting everything around. Your mom and dad were there, looking a little haggard.

“Apparently, your school called them up. Said you missed a week of classes. They were spreading the word all over town that you had disappeared.”

Alex lost his concentration and almost slipped when Byron tried to use his elbow as leverage. Bending his knee, he twisted his hips and pulled back up.

“I think that has been the hardest part so far.” Alex said once he had regained his footing. “I know they will worry and there isn’t a damn thing I can do.”

Byron nodded. “Yep. My mom is probably going off the deep end as we speak. At least my sister can help her out a little.”

“My parents didn’t quit their jobs to search for me, did they?”

“No, your dad is still running his law firm and your mom is still teaching. They took some time off and if it wasn’t for Mr. and Mrs. Willabee, they just might have.”

Alex did slip at the mention of the Willabees. Byron winced as Alex fell to the ground and he stepped back.

“I’m sorry Alex. I shouldn’t have mentioned them. Everyone from school knows you took Michael’s passing harder than anyone.”

Alex sat on the floor a moment before jumping back to his feet. He motioned for Byron to step forward and they continued their training.

“How have they been? That’s something I have been holding in for a long time. Probably my biggest regret was that I cut them off when Michael died.”

Byron grunted and Alex slowly pushed him off balance. The big man regained his footing quickly.

“They have been good. Mr. Willabee bought the local gun range. Started teaching safety classes. My mom was worried it would break the man but it seems he took it upon himself to make sure that what had happened to his kid didn’t happen to anyone else’s. Mrs. Willabee still teaches along with your mom. Those two are always organizing some type of event or another.”

That was good to hear. Alex hadn’t visited home for a good while, deciding to stay at school over the summer for extra classes. He usually only visited during the holidays. He was regretting that now.

Byron suddenly pushed back and shot for Alex’s knees. Alex wanted to laugh. Once a wrestler, always a wrestler. He had been expecting this and while he wasn’t exactly a shining example of grappling perfection, his Agility made it easy to move aside from the take down. As Byron passed by, Alex wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and placed the big man in a rear naked choke. Byron didn’t bother fighting it, tapping immediately.

“I forgot about Mr. Willabee and his training sessions with you and Michael.” Byron laughed.

“Dumb wrestlers always shooting in like a damn bull.” Alex joked, helping the big man up.

“Yeah, yeah. But we had cheerleaders while you trained in a garage.”

“Point.” Alex said. “Speaking of, how are things going with you and Cho? She is pretty short with everyone but has taken a shine to you.”

Byron actually blushed, getting a laugh from Alex.

“Shut up. She is a beautiful and dangerous woman. She kicked my ass in these training rooms the first night we met.”

Alex eyebrows shot up. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” Byron nodded. “Swept the floor with me. I was so impressed, I asked her if she would be willing to teach me. I think that earned me some points. So, we started talking and one thing led to another, you know. Thing is, it feels nice to know someone has your back. I was always the biggest around. I had to be the guy backing up others. Feels nice to know what that feels like.”

Alex nodded. “Just make sure to take care of yourself and your team. And watch out for anyone who starts acting odd. Some people are cut from a whole different cloth.”

“So, the story with the five guys kidnapping and raping was real?”

“Yeah, man. I’m not saying to judge people unfairly. Just keep an eye out. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what my teammates went through. The System uses some magic type stuff to help people through traumatic events, but still.”

“You know, it’s funny you mention that. Everyone who showed up here is oddly calm about it. Even I should be freaking out a little more than I have.”

Alex smiled. “Don’t put all that on the System, though I’m sure it’s helping people cope. I think the System picks people it knows will handle the stress better.”

“Good to know.”

Dinner was held as a celebration but it turned into more of a cram study session. Everyone new was asking last minute advice and the Founders were doing their best to answer. Hosmunt was definitely the most popular person of the night as several people sat at his table with their books open.

Ty had gained a bit of a following. There were several people who liked the idea of the Lycanthropic Curse Modifier. Ty regaled them with his heroics but Danny and Silvia were they to shut him down every once in a while.

Alex was stuck in a meeting with the other team leaders for most of the night. They went over scenario after scenario and at this point, Alex was sure they had covered everything from underwater planets to floating castles. He understood the value of being prepared but it was starting to border on the ridiculous.

Danny had finally saved him, dragging him up to their room. Apparently, there were several others that had thought the same. Alex and Danny didn’t sleep well that night, even with their extracurricular activities. It seemed they were both more anxious than afraid and they spent the night discussing why that was. It was only in the early hours of the morning that they finally drifted to sleep.

As everyone entered the dining room, Jeffrey was waiting. The older looking man stood still, watching over the room and hadn’t said a word until the last of the Founders had arrived.

“Ladies and Gentlemen.” Jeffrey announced. “Would the newly arrived please head out into the lobby for a moment.”

Everyone looked around to see what was happening but the new players headed out as asked. As the last person left, the doors magically shut on their own.

“Since you are all leaving today.” Jeffrey continued. “I am allowed to share a little information with you all. Though I am sure Mr. Hosmunt will write this down in his book, sharing it with everyone, I am still bound by the rules of the System.

“There are many zones that you will pass through. Each of these zones becomes progressively more challenging as you move forward and you must each take your time to grow in your abilities. The time you have spent here with those that followed is a step that many Races fail to take. Those that do, however, are stronger for it.

“In the next zone, you will have until level thirty before you are transferred to the next zone. This is where many Races find their failings. As such, you will find the zone filled with enemies that have lost the will to move forward. Do not discount the danger that they represent. Some of these enemies abhor newcomers and will do anything to stop you from moving on. You will be met with prejudice and violence at every turn.

“In the next zone, every Race is given a city to watch over. This city will be your base but unlike the Bellevue, you will not be safe from violence. You will be given a period of time to strengthen your cities defenses and as your population grows, so too will the city. If your city is taken over, the Humans who follow will be brought to the next zone in the wilds, where they have little chance of survival. Protect your city for once word gets out, your enemies will come.”

The room was a buzz with the news and many of the gamers were already discussing new strategies. Alex was sure the team leaders would want another meeting before they left the zone. Jeffrey vanished as the doors to the lobby opened. The new players headed in quickly, asking what had happened. Hosmunt promised to write it all down in the book so they could read all about it.

The next hour was a breakfast filled with last minute advice and goodbyes. Byron, Cho and several others had come by Alex’s table, wishing the team luck. Alex tried to think of a few parting words of wisdom.

“Don’t die from stupid shit.”

They all looked at him somewhat awkwardly and he rolled his eyes and explained.

“You all are going to get superhuman like powers. Don’t let it go to your head. There are other Races out there that will be stronger, faster and smarter than you. Don’t try and fight those Lizardmen that we ran into heads up. If you see them and I am sure you will, lead them into ambushes. Choose your battlegrounds. Be clever and be prepared to adapt. And never lead them here to the Bellevue. If a group of aliens finds the Bellevue, you hunt them down and kill every last one of them.”

Byron, who had been standing at the front of the group nodded but Alex could see his hesitation.

“Byron, I know you have a big heart but remember, only one Race can Ascend. There are no teams or alliances. If we allow one of the other Races to know where we live and they successfully kill off every one of you, then that’s it. No more Humans in this race. It will cut us all off from reinforcements we will need later on.”

Cho stepped up beside Byron, grabbing the large man’s hand.

“We got this. You just worry about going to a whole new place that’s trying to kill us all.”

The team laughed at that. It was strangely freeing to talk about the dangers out loud. They gave a few more goodbyes and as Jeffrey came back into the room, Alex checked with the team leaders to assure that everyone was ready.

“Alright, Jeffrey.” Alex said. “Please teleport us to the next zone.”

Jeffrey bowed to the group. “Fight well, Founders.”

A flash of light blinded Alex and the others as the System teleported them. Before they arrived to whatever new destination was in store for them, a notification appeared before him.

Congratulations! You have successfully reached Level 10! You have left the City Zone and will be arriving in the Renaissance Zone momentarily!

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Tutorial! For this Accomplishment, your Race has been awarded one standard sized Keep! To grow the Keep into a City, you must build your defenses, secure land for farming, clean water and other valuable resources! Make haste! You will only go unnoticed for so long!

Alex found himself standing outside a large wooden door set in a stone keep that towered above him. Looking behind him, he saw the others quickly scanning the area, looking for any threats nearby. The twelve-foot wall behind them gave them a little room to breathe and the group relaxed just a touch.

Opening the door leading into the keep, the wooden monstrosity opened far too smoothly for its size. Alex stepped inside slowly and noticed a large hall with two large fire places at each end and several chairs, couches and rugs placed at both. Stepping in further, there was a suspicious looking desk near the stair case. As if on que, Jeffrey stepped into view and bowed to the group.

“Welcome to the Renaissance Zone. This is the Bellevue Keep and I am Jeffrey, the Keep’s Steward.”

Alex felt his eye start to twitch.

“Great.” Ty grumbled. “Another old man to give me shit.”

“It’s the same guy, Ty.” Toby said.

“Jeffrey, what the hell did our notification mean by Tutorial?” Alex asked, still feeling the System’s fuckery at work.

Jeffrey smiled. “It’s funny you should mention that. Sir…”

To be continued...