Author's Note: Made some slight tweaks to the windows to denote which character had their abilities increased, etc.

-----------------------------------------

Chapter 13: Two Birds, One Stone

Tom and Reia reappeared inside his kitchen. At this point, Tom realized that Fast Travelling wasn't dependent on what location he called out. If he concentrated, he could make any of his jumps more precise.

Reia still had her arms wrapped tightly around Tom's chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and deeply breathed in through her nose. It tickled Tom's neck.

"You don't have to keep holding me," Tom said through a chuckle. Her ticklish breathing was making his neck twitch a little.

"I like staying like this," she cooed. "And you smell good."

'That explains the sniffing,' he thought. 'I didn't want to use this tactic but...'

Tom reached behind himself and started tickling Reia's sides. Her eyes widen as she started to break out into laughter.

"St-Stop it!" she laughed out in between breaths. "Stop!"

Reia's arms loosened around Tom allowing him to spin around in place and continue the tickling. She slowly took steps backwards as Tom continued his relentless assault. Soon she found her back to the wall at his mercy. Reia tried to swat away his hands, but it provided her with little reprieve.

With her defence down, Tom grabbed her wrists and lightly pinned them against the wall above her head. The suddenness of his action caused Reia to gasp, even with her shortness of breath. She saw him staring at her with an intensity in his eyes. Like a predator that has caught its prey.

Tom leaned forward and kissed her. The passion of the kiss made Reia feel weak in the knees. As their lips separated, she let out a shudder, "Tom..."

Tom smiled and leaned forward so that their cheeks touched and his lips were next to her left ear. Reia was breathing heavily at this point.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow," Tom whispered, "and it's starting to get very late. I want you to be well rested."

"O-Okay," she whispered back. Reia stared at him, slightly pouting.

Tom released her wrists and allowed them to rest on top of his wrist at waist level.

"Good night, Reia," he said.

"Good night, Tom."

The two went in separate directions. Tom had a slight grin on his face.

'You're not the only one who knows how to tease people,' he thought.

It, however, surprise Tom at how accepting Reia was to the position he put her in. Even the face she showed, when he didn't push things further, was one of disappointment. He wondered if she was ready to move forward in their relationship. Tom realized he probably should not tease her to this level again to avoid possibly hurting her feelings.

'Hopefully, the date tomorrow will help me save face,' Tom thought.

On the other side of the house, Reia quickly walked into her washroom to prepare for bed. Her heart had a hard time slowing down. She rested her left hand on the sink counter and her right hand clutched at her chest over her heart. Reia started to slow her breathing and felt her heart beats slow down.

"What the hell just happened?" she muttered.

Reia felt confused by what happened. She was not used to such an act of aggressive affection by Tom. Furthermore, she was surprised at herself for really enjoying it and wanting more.

VVVVVV

Laura and her team finished their last lap at ten percent power. They had spent hours doing laps in order to increase their adaptation to the HERCs. It was tedious, but they could feel the progress in their movement. Their movements were less awkward and they were completing their laps faster and faster.

"That's enough for today," Wu declared. "We'll start up again tomorrow. Let's try to reach twenty percent power."

Wu deactivated the HERC system returning the Marines back to base strength. He soon left the room leaving the four Marines to remove the suit by themselves. The four returned to their bench and started to remove the exosuit.

"That guy is too 'down to business' for my taste," David groaned as he freed his right arm.

"His only concern is making sure we don't break our bodies in half," Laura chided him. "Give him a break concerning his manners."

Sam stared at the torso section of the exosuit she removed. "What are these things made of? And how are they powered?"

"I asked Wu that very question," Chris replied. "Apparently the plates and even the battery are graphene based."

"Graphene?" Sam repeated.

"Graphene is a crystalline allotrope of carbon."

"And in English?"

"Carbon atoms are tightly packed together in a hexgonal pattern."

Chris saw Sam just staring at him.

"Super carbon material that is stronger than steel."

"Okay," Sam said while shrugging.

"The graphene will provide us with better protection than kevlar at only a fraction of the weight. With the power structure also using graphene, we're looking at an extremely long battery life for these suits."

"How much would all that cost?" David asked.

"I don't exactly keep up to date on the latest graphene developments. I'd imagine these suits cost a fortune."

Laura removed the last of the exosuit and placed it into a neat pile on top of the bench.

"What's everyone's take on this Thunder guy?" Laura asked.

"Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?" Chris asked.

"Granted."

"I don't trust the guy. He hides his face from public and doesn't try to explain what's happening to our world. At this point, it's obvious he knows. He's also teamed up with... uh... an alien?"

"Alien?" Sam sputtered. "That's ridiculous."

"And fantasy monsters isn't?" David countered. "We don't know where these monsters come from. Extraterrestrial origin is a very real possibility. You all watch that footage when we were doing our laps. The woman that fights with him has intelligence and even speaks a certain language. Not one I've heard, but a language nonetheless."

"Further supporting alien origin," Chris said. "At this point I wonder if Thunder is even human. We've never seen his face or any bit of skin. Look at what he is capable of doing. The guy is extremely fast and strong. More so than anyone on Earth. Not to mention his supernatural abilities. Shooting lightning and fireballs out of his hands. Can't be human."

"Why the hell would an alien use a sword?" Sam argued. "If they're able to travel many light years to reach us then I would assume they would have laser guns. This guy doesn't seem to use guns."

"There is another thought to ponder if Chris' theory proves true," Laura interjected. "If Thunder is an alien, why would he help humanity? In every recorded attack since Monster Day, Thunder appeared and killed the monsters that were attacking civilians. He has yet to ask for a reward for his actions."

"Assuming that the Chatter and Funder accounts are false," Chris reminded her.

"Regardless, he has not proven himself an enemy of humanity," Sam argued. "He has been doing more to save humanity than most."

"It would be even more helpful if he told everyone what the hell is going on."

The Marines finished removing their exosuits and placing them back on the bench.

"He won't stay silent for too long though," David said. "According to the reports, almost every Intelligence agency in the world is looking for him. He'll be found out eventually."

VVVVVV

Next Day...

The date went as well as Tom had hoped. The morning was spent on their usually training regimen that they practised daily. Some of their magic and weapons abilities went up by a level or two. Their skill levels were almost high enough for them to do their quest to unlock their own class potential. The reasoning for their rapid level increase that morning was due in part to Reia's demands to know what Tom had in store for her surprise. She attacked him relentlessly every time she asked.

Once morning had passed and went into the early afternoon, Tom revealed his surprise. A date. Not a regular date. One that took place in Honolulu. With the help of his Nonchalant skill, Tom was able to teleport to there without anyone noticing the presence. Like blending into the crowd. Tom took several days to make the arrangements. Everything from making reservations at a nice beach-side restaurant for breakfast to getting American money for spending that day.

Tom didn't want to try to use any of his cards in Honolulu for fear it would immediately raise warning bells and questions like how his card was used in Honolulu. That's where the cash came in. He withdrew a thousand for the day for the restaurants and even shopping. Tom didn't plan to spend it all that day, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.

The first thing they did was eat breakfast at a restaurant. This was followed up with checking out different stores from souvenirs to clothing. It was when Reia was shopping for swim wear, she could get revenge for Tom's actions the previous day.

"What do you think of this swim suit?" she asked as she left the changing room.

Reia watched as Tom's mouth became agape and eyes widen. To push it further, she posed in a sexy manner. Back home, the swim wear they had were very basic. They wore slightly tight black shorts and, what Tom's people called, a black tank top. Here in his world, they had a vast variety of swim wear that usually fell into the category of either one-piece or two-piece bikinis.

The suit Reia was wearing was a light green two-piece bikini. The top was similar to her bra in that it was two triangle-shaped cloths that covered her breasts. The piece had two straps that went over her shoulders and two that went under her arms and connected on her back. Her bottom had the right side connected to the back with three strings. The left side was just a full section from the front-side to the back.

The bikini left Reia feeling exposed and embarrassed, but seeing the look on Tom's face made it worth it. It looked like he was ready to explode.

"Tom?" she called out with a smile. Reia pushed it further by bending forward with her arms crossed under her breasts.

"S-Sorry?"

To Tom, he only lightly disguised Reia with his magic. He changed her skin, claws, ears, wings and tail, but other than that, she looked the exact same as she usually does. Seeing her wearing the bikini, Tom could easily imagine her wearing it in her true form.

"I asked what did you think of this swim suit?"

"O-Oh, uh, it's great..."

"Great?" Reia repeated for clarification.

"Okay," he sighed, giving up. "It's the best one. It looks amazing on you. Very sexy."

"S-Sexy?" she gasped.

'And now I've turned the table on you,' Tom thought as he saw Reia's confidence break away.

"Would you like it? We can buy it and some towels here and go for a swim."

Reia shoved a fist in the air while cheering, "Yea!"

Tom made the purchase.

They stopped by an ABC store on the way to the beach to pick up several bento boxes for a beach picnic. It was a beautiful day with only a few small clouds in the sky.

Reia was excited to visit the beach and went directly into the warm sea water for a swim. Her cane was left by their towels and the items they bought. Tom made sure to cover their purchases with a towel and place a small cooler next to them to make them stand out less to avoid being taken by thieves.

Tom joined Reia is the water for swimming and playful wrestling. When they grew a little tired, they went back to their towels to relax and enjoy the sun. Tom wore a pair of sunglasses as he laid on his back and stretched out over his towel. Reia was on her stomach on her towel and rested her head on her crossed arms.

"Thank you for today, Tom," she said.

"No problem," Tom replied. "We're dating but we haven't been on a date."

"I'd considering our training and quests together, dates," she chuckled.

"I mean an actual date. One that doesn't involve risking our lives."

"Mmmm," she hummed. "That does sound nice. If it means more days like this, I'm all for it."

Tom sat up and gazed upon Reia's lovely form.

"Liking the sun?" he asked.

"Oh yeah..." she moaned. "My race loves the sun. Every chance we get, we bask in warm sunlight. To me, this beach is paradise."

Despite telling her to get a good night of sleep last night, he found himself unable to get much sleep. The image of that man he killed kept flashing through his head. Tom rationalized his action as necessary. The man was a monster who was more than prepared to kill Tom and sell off Reia had they been weaker than they were. The fact that he hasn't felt this trauma from killing monsters means that he was troubled by killing a human. Technically speaking, what he did to that enforcer could be considered a war crime. Torture. Desecrating his dead body by allowing it to be eaten by animals.

When he was young, Tom would read and watch many stories with hero characters. Everything from sci-fi to fantasy to horror. He used idolize these hero characters who would go around saving lives and capturing villains so they could be punished for their crimes. Being older now, he could see how naive a lot of it was. Week after week these heroes would show mercy for their villains only for it to come back and bite them in the ass. It was a constant cycle.

After fifteen years seeing this trend, Tom became frustrated at the heroes he once idolized. He was frustrated by their methods and their rationality. Now that Tom found himself in the same position as those fictional heroes, he didn't plan to follow their example. He knew that he was going to have to kill more people in the future. All of it being necessary to save lives. For the sake of his people, his world and for Reia, he was more than willing to follow this path.

Quest:Reptilian FireDifficultyCGiverKaraTime Limit6 hoursA pair of Fire Salamanders have appeared in Xining, China. Sorry about interrupting your date, but you know the drill.Reward400 EXP

20 Silver

Random accessory

200 fameConsequence For FailureHundreds will die

Xining will suffer some damage

"Oh my god, are you kidding me?" Tom blurted out.

"Wh-What?" Reia said as she lifted herself up.

Tom rubbed his temple in frustration. "We just got a mission. A couple of Fire Salamanders."

"Oh!" she cried out in a pout. "We were having so much fun too."

Tom sighed and said, "Well... We signed up for this."

Tom got to his feet and offered his hand to Reia. She grabbed it and he pulled her up to her feet.

"We'll do this again," he assured her. "Let's get these things home and head out."

VVVVVV

Xining, China

Tom and Reia appeared on the rooftops of Xining. The city sat next to a large mountain range. While usually a beautiful scene, it was ruined by the multiple fires that have broken out.

"Why is it, it seems like the cities that we go to for missions are always on fire?" Reia asked Tom.

"People make mistakes while in a panic," Tom explained. "They crash their cars, try to fight back with improvised explosives, etcetera. In this case it makes sense. Fire Salamanders, right?"

"Right."

"Come on, let's find them."

The two ran across the rooftops towards where the largest fire was located. Down on the streets below, it was choked with traffic. Most simply gave up trying to escape by car and tried running across the tops of the cars.

"Seems like we're going the right direction," Reia said.

"Always go towards where people are running from," Tom observed.

Soon they were able to hear another noise over the fire and screams. It sounded like guttural crocodile growls. Tom and Reia came to a stop on top of an apartment building and down below saw the two creatures.

"There they are," Reia said.

Fire SalamanderLevel15RankCHealth982/1000TypeUncommonGiant reptiles that are able to breath fire. They usually live in mountain caves only to come out to hunt or mate. These creatures like to create bonfires to sleep in.ResistancesPhysical10%Disease/Toxin45%Fire100%Plant0%Ice60%Earth0%Lightning20%Water-70%Wind-10%Spirit0%Light0%Darkness0%

Fire Salamander[/tr]Level15RankCHealth993/1000TypeUncommonGiant reptiles that are able to breath fire. They usually live in mountain caves only to come out to hunt or mate. These creatures like to create bonfires to sleep in.ResistancesPhysical10%Disease/Toxin45%Fire100%Plant0%Ice60%Earth0%Lightning20%Water-70%Wind-10%Spirit0%Light0%Darkness0%

The two creatures looked similar to Earth's salamanders. The creatures below were twenty feet long and had sectional plate armour along its back. Their head look unremarkable, unthreatening and flat. However, when they opened their mouths, it revealed several rows of steak knife length fangs. On occasion these creatures spewed flames towards any Human unlucky enough to still be in the area.

Notice (Tom)Identify has reached Master Level 2.

Notice (Reia)Identify has reached Intermediate Level 7.

"It seems like they have receive some damage from the locals," Tom said.

"Not much though," Reia commented. "They appear to be weak against wind, my specialty. How do you want to handle this?"

Tom observed the Salamanders for a moment. He saw one of their tails swing knocking a car right into the side of a nearby building. Suddenly a thought went through his head and then a wide grin came to his face.

"Thunder?"

"I have an idea," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Among Humans we have a phrase. Killing two birds with one stone."

"Birds? Stone?"

"It means doing to things at the same time. Remember yesterday, when we Fast Travelled with that cartel member? And remember the heavy security that El Muerto has?"

"Oh!" Reia immediate understood what he was getting at.

"I'll grab onto the one on the left. You get the right."

The two jumped off of the building. The two Salamanders hasn't noticed them yet. Tom and Reia ran towards their targets as quietly as they could. With the roars of the fire and screams from the civilians, it wasn't hard. They jumped and landed right at the base of the Salamanders' necks.

The creatures immediately reacted to the unknown presence on their neck. They started bucking like a bull to get them off of their bodies.

"Thunder, I got it. Do it! Do it now!"

"Fast Travel to El Muerto's estate!" he yelled.

In an instance, they went from the bright sunny morning of Xining to the dark night of the Columbia. The sudden change in light forced Tom to readjust his eyes. The Salamander he was riding was not going to grant him the time. It gave one mighty buck and knocked him off. Reia was also knocked off her mount.

The two Salamanders were upset with Tom and Reia. They turned to face the two and growled.

"What the hell are those?" someone in the distance yelled.

"It a monster!" another yelled. "Kill it!"

The mercenary guards fired upon the Salamanders. The Salamanders turned their attention away from Tom and Reia and towards the small army that guarded El Muerto's estate.

"Just as planned," Tom muttered as he watched the two giant creatures charge towards the mercenaries.

Notice (Tom)Tactician has reached Intermediate Level 3.

Notice (Tom)Trap Master has reached Beginner Level 7.

Bullets ricocheted off of the Fire Salamanders as they opened their mouths readying to attack. The insides of their mouths lit up and fire burst forth. The guards screamed as the Salamanders' attacks blanketed their battle line engulfing them in flames.

Some of the soldiers who were covered in flames tried to make a run for the nearby river only to be snatched up by the Salamanders and swallowed whole. The gunners of the turrets of the two armoured vehicles fired upon the creatures. Despite the increased damage, it only served to anger the Salamanders. The gunners, to their credit, still held down the trigger as the Salamanders charged at them with opened mouths.

One of the Salamanders bit onto the hood of the left armoured humvees and started shaking it. Its whole body shook in its attack, like an alligator trying to tear its prey to shreds. The humvees bounced around, dizzying the occupants.

The other Salamander slammed its head into the side of the other humvee flipping it over. The gunner of the turret was crushed underneath the weight of the vehicle and the Salamander. It immediately tried to bite its way into the vehicle.

The previous Fire Salamander gave up trying to tear the humvee apart and let go. It stared through the windshield and saw the driver. It opened its mouth and vomited flames. The fire melted the glass of the windshield and filled the vehicle.

The driver inside the vehicle was instantly killed but the gunner was not so lucky. The flames only impacted the area below his waist. He crawled out of his vehicle and fell onto the ground. His lower half was burnt to a crisp. He twitched as his life left him.

The other Salamander, frustrated by its lack of progress in getting through the humvee's underside, blew fire. The intense heat of the fire set off the gas tank causing a small explosion. The creature jumped back from the sudden damage.

An alarm went off at the compound. The front gate opened and the soldiers inside the compound ran out ready to fight whatever threatened their employer. The Salamanders unleashed flames through the opening gate, killing the reinforcements before they could get through the gate. The Salamanders then tried to shove their way through the slowly opening barred gate.

"I think we can step in," Tom stated. "We can't have them burn down the estate."

Reia summoned her spear, and Tom, his sword. They ran forward and jumped.

"Power Strike," she yelled as she stabbed her spear through the head of one of the Salamanders.

Critical damage to Fire Salamander

Reia inflicted 561 damage

Overkill

Notice (Reia)Power Strike has reached Beginner Level 9.

NoticeBy committing more than double the damage needed to kill your enemy, you gained 20% more experience from your kill.

Party has gained 240 EXP

Fire Salamander has dropped 1 Patch of Fire Salamander Skin.

The last Salamander turned its head and saw its mate dead by its side.

[table=#800000]WarningYou have enraged the Fire Salamander by killing its mate. It has gone into a rage state.[/table]

Tom's sword entered the side of the Salamanders neck.

"You can join it, Power Strike," he said as he pushed his sword through its neck, cutting it halfway through.

Tom inflicted 369 damage

Notice (Tom)Power Strike has reached Beginner Level 10.

NoticeYou have inflicted the status effect "Bleeding" upon the Fire Salamander.

The Salamander went into a seizure from the partially decapitation. Blood flung everywhere forcing Tom and Reia to quickly move to avoid having it spray them. The creature made muffled gasps as it struggled before falling to the ground dead.

Fire Salamander has dropped 1 Patch of Fire Salamander Skin.

Party has gained 200 EXP

CongratulationsYou have completed the quest Reptilian Fire.

Party has gained 400 EXP

"What did we get for an accessory?" Reia asked.

"Inventory," Tom said to open his screen.

InventoryCapacity3/60PackWanderer's Pack (+30)Health Potion X7Mana Potion X7Banshee Emerald Ring--------------------------------------------------------

Tom reached in and pulled out the ring. It was a rather simple silver ring with a emerald sphere set in place with small silver prongs to hold it in place.

"Identify."

Banshee Emerald RingRankBDurability40/40Magic Damage+5% WindElement Resistance+5% WindA lovely ring made from silver with an enchanted emerald used as the head stone.

"It's beautiful," Reia said.

"It's yours," he said as he held up the ring. Tom nodded to the ring and then to Reia.

Reia held out her hand and Tom held it. He slid the ring onto her right ring finger. Tom then noticed Reia blushing purple and then realized what the situation looked like.

"Uh, we should get the guy," he muttered as he pointed his thumb towards the estate.

Reia clasped her hands and smiled. "Right, Thunder."

They climbed over the Salamander body that was stuck between the gate doors. The guards' bodies were all in different positions when they we burnt into charcoal figures. Some were on the ground in fetal positions. Others were still standing. The flickering flames in the courtyard cast shadows of the standing bodies creating a horrifying shadow show on the walls.

The two stepped carefully around the bodies and flames as they approached the large mansion. Tom approached the front door and tried the door handle. It was locked. He signalled for Reia to take cover on the other side of the door. Tom stood in front of the door and slammed the bottom of his foot into its frame next to the door knob. The strength of the kick was enough to cause the door to explode into shards of wood.

Tom puckered his lips and hummed, "hmm."

"Way to make an entrance," Reia whispered in an amused tone.

"Too bad no one saw it."

They walked inside the mansion. The interior was decorated with fancy rugs, paintings and sculptures.

"Now if I was a drug lord, where would I be?" Tom asked out loud.

"I don't care that there's monsters outside!" an unknown voice yelled out. "I pay you people to protect me."

"Bingo," Tom said.

In the master bedroom, El Muerto was yelling at his two bodyguards. The usually imposing soldiers were now timid in their stance and sweating.

"How much do I pay your private army per month?" El Muerto asked rhetorically.

"El Muerto, we were hired to fight against humans," the mercenary commander argued. "Monsters are out of my men's pay grade."

Bang! The military commander fell to the ground with a bullet hole in his head. El Muerto held a 9mm pistol with smoke that wafted out of the barrel. The other mercenary stood there in shock. El Muerto holstered his gun and looked to the other soldier.

"Congratulations," he said. "You have now been promoted to the head of your group. Now get out there and deal with the problem. I, then, want those monster bodies recovered. I want the skeletons displayed in my home. The rest of the remains will make a fortune on the black market."

The soldier nodded and quickly ran out of room. Immediately, El Muerto heard the man scream and saw blood spray the wall across from his bedroom door. He heard footsteps approach his room.

"I've got some good news and some bad news," a voice announced. "The good news is that I took care of the monsters. The bad news is..."

Tom and Reia walked out in front of the doorway.

"...now you have to deal with us."

El Muerto pulled out his pistol and fired it at Tom.

[table=#800000]

[tr]12 Damage (Tom)[/table]

[table=#800000]

[tr]10 Damage (Tom)[/table]

[table=#800000]

[tr]11 Damage (Tom)[/table]

[table=#800000]

[tr]9 Damage (Tom)[/table]

Tom rushed El Muerto and slapped the pistol out of the man's hand. El Muerto screamed from the slap and fell to his knees while holding the hand that Tom hit. Despite the strength Tom displayed, he reminded himself to avoid being shot in the future. Those four shots were enough to bring his health down several percent. Being one person it's not much, but a group of people with guns would be able to kill him without much trouble.

"You broke my hand!" the drug lord screamed.

"I sometimes lose control of my strength," Tom said to him.

"It's you," he muttered as he realized who it was standing in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"I need information," Tom said. "You currently make arms deals with Phoenix. I need every bit of information you have on them."

"Maybe we can work something out," he suggested. "Yeah, I have information."

"Hand it over."

"Show some respect, boy," he spat out. "You put on a cape and suddenly you think think you're some kind of super hero. I am El Muerto!" He stabbed his finger towards his chest. "This continent fears me."

Irritated by the man's arrogance, Tom briskly walked up to him and grabbed the back of his neck.

"Hey what are you doing?" El Muerto yelled.

Tom dragged him to the bedroom window and opened it. He then shoved the drug lord out the window and held him there to show him the destruction at the front gate. El Muerto cried out in shock after seeing the countless bodies at the front gate.

"You may be feared by men," Tom stated. "But I am feared by monsters. You will share your information with me."

Tom pulled El Muerto back into the room and dropped him to the ground.

"Alright, alright," he yelled.

Notice (Tom)Persuasion has reached Intermediate Level 1.

El Muerto struggled to his feet. "Follow me," he grumbled.

The injured drug lord lead Tom and Reia down the hallway to a room at the end of the hallway. Next to the door handle was an RFID reader. El Muerto awkwardly moved his left hand around his waist and reached into his right pocket to pull out a white card. He swiped it against the reader and a small click noise was heard. The drug lord opened the door to reveal a server room. He walked inside and Tom and Reia followed him.

"All information on our clients is stored here," he explained.

El Muerto approached a terminal with a screen and typed in a few commands. A small black box was ejected from the terminal and El Muerto pulled it out. He turned to face Tom.

"This hard drive contains all information we have on Phoenix," El Muerto said. "Those freaks are secretive so there's not much there."

"It's enough for a first step," Tom said.

"We done here?" El Muerto demanded. "If we are, I'd rather get back to business-"

Tom pulled out his sword and sliced open the man's neck. El Muerto fell backwards to the ground. The man struggled holding his neck wound while choking.

NoticeYou have inflicted the status effect "Bleeding" upon El Muerto.

He stared at Tom who stood over him. Tom held his sword downwards with both hands and stabbed into the man's heart. The drug lord went limp as he finally died.

Party gained 2 EXP

"We're done here," Tom said. He looked towards Reia. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. "What about these servers? I'm sure they contain more information that could be useful to the authorities."

"Good point," Tom said. He stood there thinking how to give this information to the right people. Tom looked at the terminal that El Muerto used. "Maybe there's some information. If this guy took notes on his clients, maybe he did on his enemies."

Tom typed in a few commands into the terminal. "This guy doesn't even have a password on this computer."

"He probably assumed no one would have been able to make it this far. I mean with the small army, the security systems and such."

"Still, even if you're one hundred percent sure, you still take precautions." Tom started mumbling as he went through the computer. "Ah-ha!"

"You found something?"

"There is a nearby US Marine base," he stated. "Apparently their job was to fight against the cartel in this country. They're not far away. If we Fast Travel now, they can get here before anyone can. You ready?"

Reia nodded.

"Okay, I see the location and layout of their base so we can be quick about this. Fast Travel to Marine Echelon Base Commander's Tent."

The two teleported from the server room and were sent into a small tent. Inside the tent was a board with a map of the region, a table with various files spread across it, and a portable folding bed with the base Commander sleeping on it.

Tom walked over to the sleeping Commander and gave his shoulder a soft shove. The Commander's eyes burst open in alertness. He saw Tom and immediately reached for his gun. Tom covered his mouth and grabbed the arm reaching for the gun.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Tom assured him. "Just listen. Due to an investigation I'm conducting, El Muerto happened to cross my path. The man, along with his small army at his estate, are all dead. His server room is on the second floor and is open access to all. I'd just thought your people would like to get in there before anyone else. Now do you know where his estate is?"

The Commander shook his head under Tom's hand.

"Good. Then my business is done." Tom released the Commander and jumped back a few steps, placing him next to Reia. "Fast Travel Home."

Tom and Reia teleported from the tent. The Commander jumped out of his bed and yelled out, "Sergeant White!"

A soldier ran into the tent, stood at attention and then saluted. "Yes, sir?"

"I want several teams assembled for combat. I also want a drone sent ahead to recon Gomez's estate."

VVVVVV

It was early morning, the day after the El Muerto mission. Reia happened to be awakened by Tom's foot steps in the house. She got out of bed, got dressed and saw that the sun was barely peaking over the horizon. At first she wanted to greet Tom, but she noticed a solemn look on his face. He was dressing up to leave somewhere. Tom left the house and got into his car.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked herself.

While she was more than willing to give Tom his space and privacy, she had noticed Tom was distraught from killing those humans. He could hide it as best as he could, but Reia wasn't fooled. It was risky, but she was going to follow him. She got a pair of binoculars so she could follow him at a great height.

Reia quickly ran outside and took to the air. She flew up high enough to the point where she could easily be mistaken for a bird or bat. Reia used her binoculars to spot Tom's car as it drove down the back roads of the country. Dust flew up behind his car making it easier to spot. Reia flew through the warm sky as she was easily able to keep up with Tom's car.

The car luckily never got close to any major population center. It continued along the back roads for about ten minutes before it arrived at a field surrounded by a metal fence and filled with stones. Reia flew down nearby to sneak up to the area where Tom arrived. Being so early in the morning, there was no one else nearby. She sneaked into the bushes to get a better look of the area.

Reia realized where exactly she was: A graveyard. The grave sites for deceased Humans was remarkably similar to the resting sites back on Xoth. On her world, a burial site is marked by a stone plate with a carving of the person's name, a message and how long they lived. At this site, every person's grave was marked with different styles of tomb stones. Some stones were plates on the ground and others stood up straight by a couple to a few feet in height.

Tom walked down a row of tombstones and came to a stop at two three foot tall obelisks. He bent over and picked out a few weeds out of the ground around the tombstones. Tom stood straight up and then said, "Hey, Mom, Dad. It's... been a while."

An unusual side effect of Tom's Language Comprehension skill and being partied up, Reia is able to understand what Tom is saying regardless of language. The two never broke up their party and Reia never bothered telling Tom about this side effect. She first discovered this ability back on their first mission together in South Africa. While she was unable to understand what the other humans said, she could perfectly understand Tom.

"It's been about a year now since I last visited," Tom said. "A lot has happened since then. About a month ago, I found out that the apocalypse is coming." Tom chuckled. "Crazy right? At the same time I have been tasked with protecting my world against creatures that used to exist in fairy tale and eventually help fight a demon lord. It's almost too much to bear."

Tom took a brief pause before saying, "but it isn't all bad. I... met someone. Her name is Reia Zyer. She's is different than what you would expect, but she's wonderful nonetheless. I've fallen in love with her."

Reia felt her heart jump with joy hearing him say those words. It brought tears to her eyes.

"That is what has been going on," Tom continued. "It's a lot but I'm confident that I can fulfil this role. I will not fail."

Tom stopped in his thought. His hands balled into fists and tears formed in his eyes.

"I'm... sorry." Tom started breathing heavily and choked on every other breath. "I'm so sorry that I was such a useless son."

Tom collapsed to his knees. Instinctively, Reia wanted to run over and comfort him, but at this moment she knew to stay back.

"You both did so much for me and what did I do? Become a glorified data clerk at a distribution center where I was treated as nothing more than a goddamn machine. I'm sorry I never made anything of myself after all the love and care you gave me. But don't worry. It all changes now." Tom pushed himself back up to his feet. He wiped away his tears with his right forearm. "I'm not going to squander this opportunity. I don't care if this world ever knows what I'm doing for it. So long as I'm able to save lives, that's all that matters. Don't worry. I'll finally become a son you both can be proud of."

Tom left the two graves with a look of determination on his face. Reia waited until she was sure that he was out of eyesight. She got out of the bushes and walked other to the graves timidly.

"Uh, hello, sir, ma'am," she greeted. "I-I am Reia Zyer. It's an honour to meet you both. I'm sorry for my boldness in introducing myself without Tom, but I felt like it was necessary. Tom is not a useless son. For the month that I have known him, I could never believe he could be anything else but a great man. Someone you can be proud of. I was a different person before I came to this world. I was impulsive. Impatient. Tom has taught me so much and I'm a better person for it. I feel like an idiot, though, for not realizing just how much pressure he was feeling from the task he has been given. I promise you both that I will do everything I can to support him in the future. Please leave your son in my care, because I love him."

-----------------------------------------

Character Stats:

Spoiler :

StatusNameThomas "Tom" EverettLevel22Experience13024/13850ClassMagic BladeRaceHumanAlignmentGoodCurrencyCanadian$10,688,241.11Xoth0 platinum 4 gold 66 silver 30 copperTitleClever One, Determined, Giant Slayer, Vaccinated, One Of The First, Sole Survivor, Generous Healer, InterpreterBuffsAgent of Kara2x experienceBestiary of Xoth+10% damage towards the creatures of XothBrief History of Xoth+10% persuasion chance and friendliness towards the inhabitants of XothDebuffs--Health1150Health Regeneration/min30.9Mana1090Mana Regeneration/min37.2Stamina1090Stamina Regeneration/min8.2Fame3900Infamy0Strength115Intelligence109Wisdom120Perception58Endurance109Vitality103Agility82Luck90Unallocated Points0

ResistancesPhysical39%Disease/Toxin86%Fire39%Plant39%Ice39%Earth39%Lightning39%Water39%Wind39%Spirit39%Light39%Darkness39%

SkillsIdentifyMaster Level 2PersuasionIntermediate Level 1Language ComprehensionMaster Level 10Book LearningMaster Level 10TeacherBeginner Level 4NonchalantMaster Level 10Lightning StrikeIntermediate Level 6Lightning EnchantIntermediate Level 6Lightning ShieldIntermediate Level 3HealIntermediate Level 4PurifyIntermediate Level 5Sword SkillIntermediate Level 6DisguiseIntermediate Level 8PrayerMaster Level 10Hero's CallMaster Level 10Fast TravelMaster Level 10Loot CollectorIntermediate Level 3Magical RepairMaster Level 1TacticianIntermediate Level 3CookIntermediate Level 4Mixed Martial ArtistBeginner Level 8Club SkillBeginner Level 2Trap MasterBeginner Level 7UnbreakableBeginner Level 2FireballIntermediate Level 1Fire EnchantBeginner Level 9Bow SkillBeginner Level 9Power StrikeBeginner Level 10Enhanced BodyBeginner Level 10Enhanced MindIntermediate Level 1Chain LightningBeginner Level 3Group HealBeginner Level 4Enhanced SpellsBeginner Level 8Enhanced ResistanceBeginner Level 9SM TransferMaster Level 10Computer SkillBeginner Level 6

StatusNameReia ZyerLevel20Experience8539/8865ClassLancerRaceNagaAlignmentGoodCurrencyCanadian$0.00Xoth0 platinum 4 gold 45 silver 14 copperTitleUnknown, Giant Slayer, DeterminedBuffs--Debuffs--Health1400Health Regeneration/min7.7Mana450Mana Regeneration/min4.5Stamina1010Stamina Regeneration/min8.6Fame3100Infamy0Strength140Intelligence45Wisdom45Perception53Endurance101Vitality77Agility86Luck89Unallocated Points0

ResistancesPhysical24%Disease/Toxin100%Fire24%Plant24%Ice24%Earth24%Lightning24%Water24%Wind24%Spirit24%Light24%Darkness59%

SkillsIdentifyIntermediate Level 7Weapon RepairIntermediate Level 6Armour RepairIntermediate Level 3Weapon CraftingBeginner Level 9Armour CraftingBeginner Level 10Accessory CraftingIntermediate Level 1Spear SkillIntermediate Level 7Clothing ReformMaster Level 3Ice SpikeBeginner Level 6Wind ShieldIntermediate Level 3Wind BladeIntermediate Level 6HealIntermediate Level 2Club SkillBeginner Level 1Sword SkillBeginner Level 9PersuasionBeginner Level 9Power StrikeBeginner Level 9Enhanced ResistanceBeginner Level 8FlurryBeginner Level 1