Chapter 40: Birthday Gift

Excerpts from Brief History of Xoth:

Worship of Kara

The largest religion on Xoth is the worship of the goddess known as Kara. According to scriptures, Priestesses and Oracles, Kara is the god that watches over Xoth while encouraging compassion, love, kindness and the pursuit of knowledge. Her temples can be found in almost every city on Xoth. The largest cathedral can be found in Skysign. People go to these temples to find guidance from Kara and her priests, pray to her, or seek healing.

Earth History:

UNDF

This organization was founded after the passing of the Unity Accord on June 4 2020. This organization's objective is the protection of Humanity and Earth against extraordinary threats that normal militaries cannot handle. The military has a mandate to acquire the most advance equipment any country has available.

UNDF ranks

Non-Commissioned Officer

Private

Private Second Class

Private First Class

Corporal

Lance Corporal

Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Petty Officer

Gunnery Officer

Warrant Officer

Chief Officer

Commissioned Officer

Cadet

Second Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Captain

Major

Commander

Colonel

Major General

Brigadier General

Marshal

Supreme Commander

Special Rank

Specialist (reports directly to Supreme Commander and UN Secretary General)

Excerpts from Thunder's Recommendations Report

->Encourage Peaceful Assimilation of Xothican Towns, Cities and Countries into Existing Human Countries

Reason: The majority of the Xoth population lies within villages, towns and cities that exist outside any kingdom or country. Many of these population centres are often the victims of war, slavers, marauders and monsters. We have an opportunity to help many people while stabilizing the regions around our cities. I must emphasize the importance of peaceful and voluntary assimilation of Xothican centres. We do not want to create more wars to fight while fighting Hastur.

While it is morally right to provide protection to these places, I know that this cannot be the only motivation to assimilate them. We will be able to learn more about the world, the wildlife, magic and politics of Xoth from these people. This knowledge will be essential in preparing our soldiers for the war with Hastur and to ensure the safety and future of our own species.

->Legalize Polygamy

Reason: According to the information I have been provided, polygamy is commonplace on Xoth. This is mostly due to the high-rate of female births (7 to 1). Right now, our laws only allow the marriage between two individuals (some countries restrict this to just between opposite genders).

As controversial as this recommendation may be, our world is going to have to legalize polygamy. The majority of marriages on Xoth are between three or more people. If we don't recognize their marriages, it will alienate the entire Xoth population and we will never be able to integrate them into our society.

VVVVVV

Tom sat in the seating area of of a V-17 Shikra [1] alongside several UNDF soldiers who were engaged in a energetic conversation filled with laughter. Tom could hear some of the things the men were saying, but the engine noises drowned a lot out.

The Shikra took off from the USS George H.W. Bush and flew over the Pacific Ocean towards the site of a monster appearance. Tom stared outside a nearby window while he talked to Kara with his mind.

'Couldn't get a simpler monster?'

I don't get to choose which monster appears. I just let you know when the dangerous ones do appear.

'That was a rhetorical question.'

Ah. You Humans sure like sarcasm and idioms. It makes it hard to understand what you all are talking about sometimes.

'It keeps us interesting.'

Heh, heh. Very true. You especially. Watching you is very entertaining.

'Wait, how much do you watch?'

It's... mostly all I do...

'Perverted god.'

I'm not a pervert!

'Then you don't watch when Reia and I are intimate?'

...

'Knew it.'

I'm not a pervert...

'Sure, you're not.'

Is this a way to treat a goddess?

'I'm only teasing.'

Keep that up and I'll send a powerful monster your way.

'You can't control what crosses over. Remember? I'll just continue teasing you at my leisure.'

Sigh...

Tom felt one of the soldiers lightly kick his foot to get his attention. He looked up and saw one of the soldiers point towards the headset next to him and then to his own ear. Tom picked up the wireless headset and leaned forward to put it on without raising his hood.

"Yeah?" he said.

"You've been quiet for this entire trip," the soldier said. "I was a little concerned."

"Oh, sorry. Just really deep in thought."

"Ah. We were worried that you just didn't want to talk to us," he joked. "Anyway, you got any good stories? We're all having a laugh here. Join in."

In the past month, news of Tom's and his companion's abilities to heal and cure diseases spread across the world like wildfire. People all over made demands of them to come cure their illnesses. The world governments had a different idea of what to do with their abilities. The UNDF needed soldiers. A lot of soldiers. Volunteers from militaries around the world were not enough to fill the required quotas needed for a prepared world-wide military force.

The world governments enacted the Asclepius Program. The program was named after the Greek god of medicine. The program allowed soldiers, who were discharged from the army due to either injury or disease, to be given healing in exchange for joining the UNDF.

Some have criticized the program for taking advantage of desperate individuals. Those who supported the UNDF argued that Thunder's group does not have the time to heal everyone while working with the UNDF and fighting monsters, so they have to prioritize their abilities. Regardless of the debate, through Tom's group's efforts, they became very popular among UNDF soldiers for their work on healing their wounded and diseased.

"A story, huh? Hmm. Alright, alright. An old friend of mine from high school used to have this attitude problem. Didn't help that despite his large stature and muscular frame, he was self-conscious. So one day, during his hockey practice he took a puck to the face fracturing his cheek bone. I was there to help take him to the hospital to get his head CT. By the time I took him to the hospital, half of his face swelled up to immense size. While in the waiting room, he would catch people looking at him and every time he did, he would say to them, 'Hey! You got a staring problem?' His large size was enough to intimidate the person into quickly looking away. So after about a half an hour wait, my friend spots this guy sitting across from him. This guy was looking at him with these big, bug eyes. Unblinking. My friend glared at him but the guy kept staring. He then got up and walked over to the guy and said, 'Hey, buddy! You got a staring problem?' The guy, still unblinking, replied, 'Yes. That's why I'm here.'"

The soldiers laughed at the punch-line.

"You're alright, Thunder. You're alright."

The soldiers went back to talking to each other.

They seem to like you.

'I cured the soldier-on-the-left's paralysis that affected him from the waist down. The one sitting across from me was cured of his early stages of MS by Vivian. We have healed hundreds of soldiers. These actions have solidified the UNDF's soldiers' trust in us. That trust certainly makes me more comfortable in helping the UNDF develop anti-SEVI tactics.'

To help prepare for the merger Tom assisted the UNDF to find out what kind of tactics would be needed to subdue or even kill someone who is SYSTEM-enhanced. Considering the durability Tom displayed, the scientists concluded that at lower levels, a SEVI could be taken down by standard weapons such as pistols and assault rifles. At higher levels, a SEVI would need to be taken down at a distance by multiple teams equipped with high-caliber rifles or rocket launchers.

Through testing non-lethal measures, the UNDF scientists discovered a method to temporarily paralyze SEVIs. A relatively new weapon called the PHASR rifle, or Personnel Halting And Stimulation Response Rifle [2], was able to shoot a laser that will temporarily blind an opponent. Despite Tom's Resistances, the laser attack is considered something else entirely since it is not an actual damaging attack and it also uses a target's Perception stat against them.

The laser is capable of blinding Tom for several minutes. This breakthrough discovery has fast-tracked the development of the PHASR rifle so they can become standardized in the future.

While Tom was comfortable working with the UNDF, that didn't mean he completely trusted the organization. He made sure to not tell them all of his skills and future investments. A little over a week ago, during a mission to capture some Snakidiles, Tom discovered a small 3D printer house company that could build a small house within twenty-four hours. Tom managed to convince the small company to take cash payment for the construction of two safe houses in two different locations.

Tom made sure to pay them hush money on top of the house cost and teleported them to the two separate locations so they didn't know where the houses were built as additional security. In the end, the venture cost Tom over a hundred thousand dollars.

SEVI?

'An acronym Garza came up with. Means "SYSTEM Enhanced and Violent Individual". It has become a part of UNDF language. Easy to say and simply describes the threat.'

I see. I haven't heard about Gaza and her squad in a bit.

'They still join us on missions. They have been promoted recently. Garza is now a Petty Officer. I've heard some rumours that her squad is going to be split up and each of her squadmates are going to be given command of their own teams so those teams can be trained for future missions. Speaking of which... Can you modify the quests you give my team?'

Modify them how?

'Since the Phoenix terrorist attack, the UNDF has mandated the capture of Xoth specimens. I haven't killed anything in the past month. One week we captured a Drake using Vivian's magic to create a pit. The following week, we found and corralled Unicorns in North Wales. I actually had a good laugh when there was that Gorgon attack in Athens and it was one-shot killed by a twelve-year-old with a pocket mirror. That Gorgon literally didn't see that coming. Anyway, what I'm saying is your quests are somewhat broken and are not completable unless the quest creatures die. I just need a slight modification that gives me the option of kill or capture.'

I think I can do that in the future.

'Thanks, I appreciate it. My team hasn't been able to level up lately because of this. Add on with the UNDF confiscating a lot of the drops I've gathered, it has been a frustrating month. I had to hide Amber and a bunch of my Lightning Spheres just to stop the UNDF from taking them. You know they even took the swords I got from the goblins. Something about analyzing the metal composition.'

Through the window Tom could see their destination.

'I'm afraid, I'm going to have to cut this conversation short. We are just arriving at the site.'

Very well. Be sure to call me.

'I will. Good bye, Kara.'

"Thunder, we are approaching the site," the pilot announced over the radio. "We are getting a transmission from Command. Putting it through."

"Thunder," a familiar voice said.

"Marshal Steele," Tom greeted over the radio. "It's good to hear from you again, sir."

"It's Supreme Commander Steele now. The UN finalized the leadership structure."

"Oh, then congratulations on your promotion."

"Thank you. Now, I believe at this time you should be arriving at the site."

"We're here," the pilot announced. "I'm putting us in hover mode."

"Can you go check it out and report to me on its information?" Steele asked.

"Yes, sir."

Tom got out of his seat and went over to the exit door. The door consisted of two sections. The top section could be opened inwards to allow an occupant to look outside or use as a defensive position to fire from. The bottom section of the door fold downwards into stairs.

Tom pulled the top half of the door back into the vehicle. Wind rushed inwards through the hole and roared. Tom leaned out of the hole and looked down below. The Shikra hovered about a hundred feet over a giant mouth in the Pacific Ocean.

The fleshy maw was over two kilometers in diameter and filled with rows of giant serrated teeth. Water in every direction poured into the mouth and towards the throat at the center. Occasionally, a geyser of water explodes upwards from the throat hole.

"What the hell is that thing?" one of the soldiers muttered over the radio as he looked over Tom's shoulder.

"Do you have visual?" Steele asked.

Charybdis Level 55 Rank S Health 10000000/10000000 Type Ultra Rare A massive creature that plants itself on the ocean floor. This creature feeds by consuming everything that falls into its maw while it remains passive. The Charybdis is considered one of the greatest fears of sailors and fishers as once the creature is spotted, the pull of the water from the whirlpool it creates becomes too great for any vessel to escape. Resistances Physical 35% Disease 100% Fire 85% Plant 0% Ice 10% Earth 0% Lightning 35% Water 100% Wind 20% Spirit 0% Light 0% Darkness 0%

"It's like I said before I came here," Tom replied. "It's a Charybdis. In Greek mythology, this creature is responsible for creating whirlpools that swallowed ships whole. According to its status screen, it is an S-rank level fifty-five monster. It is completely immune to water magic, toxins and disease. It also has high resistance to fire and some resistance to ice, lightning and wind."

"And it's health?"

"It has ten million HP."

"How does it have so much HP at level fifty-five?"

"Getting an HP boost after each level isn't universal for all. People develop differently than monsters and animals. In this case, the creature has this much HP due to its enormous size. Killing this thing will take a lot of fire power..." Tom briefly paused. "We're not going to kill it, are we?"

"I'm afraid not."

Tom sighed. "At level fifty-five, I would be able to get a giant boost in levels."

"I know, but after an initial survey by some of our scientists has resulted in some interesting discoveries. The creature is currently the largest creature on Earth. As far as we can tell, it reaches all the way to the ocean floor. This makes the creature at least several kilometers in height. What really makes this situation really interesting is the current location of the creature."

"How so?"

"You may not be able to see it, but you are currently hovering over the center of the Great Pacific garbage patch. Due to ocean currents, any garbage that falls into the Pacific converges in this location. It is estimated that it's at least twice the size of Texas. Right now, all that garbage is pouring right into that monster's mouth. Now according to you, this monster is immune to toxins and disease."

Tom let out an involuntary laugh. Despite the man's age, Steele had a healthy enthusiasm for knowledge and science. Tom really appreciated his interest in the work the UNDF was doing and his interest in knowing everything he can about Xoth. Along with his service record and friendly demeanor, Tom wasn't too surprised that he was chosen to become the military head of the UNDF.

"Yeah," Tom replied. "So this creature is eating all our garbage."

"Here's where it gets really interesting. This creature is covered with orifices and its only bodily waste seems to be pure salt water. This creature is not only removing the garbage from our ocean, but it is restoring the pH level by lowering the water's acidity. Comparably to the size of our oceans, its efforts are small, but when our worlds merge, these creatures can be marked so all our ships can avoid them in the future while they purify our oceans."

"Okay, now I get why no one wants this creature gone. How are we quarantining this creature?"

"With your warning, we managed to redirect several cargo ships and one cruise ship out of the way of this creature, saving thousands of lives. From this point onwards, we will have this site classified as off-limits as a ship route. We will maintain a patrol around the creature and maintain a distance of a minimum of two kilometers to ensure they don't get sucked in. We probably won't have to worry too much about ships getting through. Not many are going to risk getting sucked in."

"And aircrafts?"

"A couple helicopters should suffice. During this time, biologists will be researching this creature using subs and drones."

"Interesting. So... Am I done here?"

"I've recorded the data you provided; however, I need you to return back to HQ. We have someone for you to meet. It won't take long."

"Yes, sir. I'll head over right now." Tom looked over to the other soldiers in the transport and said, "Been a pleasure." He tooked off his headset, waved and then vanished.

Tom reappeared inside Commander Steele's office. The office was moderate size, allowing room for his desk, two chairs for guests and a bookcase that was filled with textbooks and manuals. Steele's desk faced away from a window that overlooked a fleet of military vehicles.

"That ability of yours is always convenient," Steele said.

"You said there was someone for me to meet?"

"Of course, but first thing's first. As of right now, your companions and you have been officially recognized as members of the UNDF and have been given the rank of Specialist and be given the salary deserving of that rank."

"Specialist?" Tom repeated.

"It's a unique rank reserved for individuals who require more... freedom in their actions. You all will reported directly to me or the UN Secretary General. While you do not answer to the lower ranks, you do not hold any authority to give out orders to them."

"Understood, sir."

"Good. So here's the situation. Right now we do not have enough available government scientists to research everything we have been gathering from Xoth. Many countries are contributing as many as they can to the UNDF, but the need is going faster than we can recruit. The UN has negotiated a deal with a corporation to help us in this endeavour."

"Which one?"

"The Draig Corporation," a man with a Welsh accent announced as he entered the office through the opened doorway.

Tom turned to the man. He was slightly taller than him and looked to be in his early thirties. The man wore a black business suit and a dark blue tie. He had dark blonde hair and a short-length goatee. The man held out his hand and said, "Lucas Draig. CEO of the Draig Corporation. Pleased to meet you."

Tom noticed Lucas had an interesting ring on his middle finger. It was silver with a gold band that ran down the middle around the ring. Tom grabbed his hand and shook, "Thunder. Pleased to meet you, Mister Draig. I'm sorry about the recent passing of your father."

Their handshake lasted three shakes before they let go. Lucas sadly sighed and said, "Thank you for your sympathy. He lived a good long life and accomplished much."

"He did. Now I couldn't help but notice your ring. It's an interesting design."

"Oh, this?" Lucas said while holding his hand up. "It's a family heirloom. Been in the family for who knows how long. Now down to brass tacks. As the Supreme Commander has stated, my corporation will be assisting the UNDF in research. We are quite optimistic about what we can learn from the creatures of Xoth."

While Tom was not one to keep up-to-date on the corporate world, he knew of the Draig Corporation. They are involved in pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, computers, energy research and development, entertainment technology, biology and chemical research and development, and much more. There were few companies that could come close to the company's capabilities.

"And what we can create from that knowledge is another thing entirely," Lucas continued. "While we hope to use that knowledge to help create more effective weaponry for the UNDF; non-military applications could be limitless."

While Lucas rambled on about what his company planned to do while assisting the UNDF, Tom used his Identify skill. At this point, it has become a force of habit to look into everyone's stats.

Status Name Lucas Draig Race Human Alignment Good Currency Euro 30,872,934.23 American 55,745,111.01 Yuan 100,728,183,283 Title None Buffs - - Debuffs - - Class - Level 0 Experience -/- Health 60/60 Health Regeneration/min 0.00001 Mana 0 Mana Regeneration/min 0 Stamina 55/55 Stamina Regeneration/min 0.00001 Fame 0 Infamy 0 Strength 9 Intelligence 15 Wisdom 12 Perception 10 Endurance 8 Vitality 6 Agility 7 Luck 11 Unallocated Points -

Tom couldn't help but admire the man's stats. They were excellent for a non-SYSTEM person.

"Though I heard that you are assisting in research as well," Lucas said.

"I have helped the UNDF develop some anti-SEVI tactics that they can use against Phoenix and any future SEVIs," Tom admitted.

"Well, not just that. I have heard some rumours that NASA and the ESA have contacted you for some interesting projects."

"I've had a couple meetings but how do you know about that already?"

"I have contracts with both organizations."

"Of course," Tom said.

"I look forward to what you may accomplish in the future." Lucas pulled out his phone and quickly looked at the screen. "Ah. I have an appointment. Well, thank you for taking the time to meet with me."

"Likewise, Mister Draig."

VVVVVV

"I. Am. Exhausted!" Vivian groaned as she walked alongside her friends towards their home.

The four friends were coated in sweat after a whole day was dedicated to training their abilities.

"We have been training since morning," Tala said. She took out a towel to wipe her face.

"The picnic lunch Tom left us was nice," Reia said.

"Did his note say when he was coming back?" Sylmae asked.

"He should be back in time for dinner."

They entered the house and smelt many delicious smells in the air.

"Is that you, Tom?" Reia called out.

"Yeah," Tom yelled back. "I got back here over an hour ago. Uh, don't come into the kitchen. Not yet."

"Oh, okay. We'll just take a shower then."

"Perfect."

"Mind if we share a shower, Reia?" Vivian asked.

"Will you keep your hands to yourself?"

"No promises."

Reia sighed. "Fine."

"Yes!"

After their showers, the four came to the kitchen. When they entered, they saw the table was set up with dishes covered in food with wine glasses alongside each plate.

Tom stood in front of the table and, with a smile on his face, said "Happy Birthday!"

Reia, Tala, Vivian and Sylmae stood there dumbfounded.

"Birthday...?" Tala repeated.

"Well, today, July twenty-fifth, was the date we all agreed was closest to matching the time of the year you were all born. It almost seems like fate that you were all born on the same day on Xoth. Maybe that helped bring you all together as great friends. I wanted to do something special for your birthday to show my appreciation for everything you all have done for me and my world."

"Oh, Tom," Reia cooed before hugging Tom. "This was so nice of you. What did you make us?"

"I made each of your favourites. Reia, I made homemade hamburgers with proper seasoning, served with thinly sliced, pan-fried potatoes. For Tala, I cooked up salmon with cream of mushroom on a bed of sushi rice with asparagus on the side. Vivian, I cook you a medium-rare steak served with parisian potatoes and mac and cheese with bacon pieces. Finally, for Sylmae, I made you creamy garlic shrimp pasta with two slices of garlic bread."

The description and smell of the food almost had each of the girls drooling.

"Please sit down. Enjoy."

The four hurried to their respective seats to feast upon the meal presented to them.

"What about your meal?" Vivian asked before shoving a piece of steak into her mouth. "Mmm. So good. Maybe some ketchup will make it better."

"Don't make me cry," Tom said.

"Just kidding."

"Making jokes like that about steak is not funny," Tom feigned offense. "As for my meal, I get a bit of everything I made for you all from what is left over from cooking. Now eat up. I have something for all of you after this meal."

They ate their food while the girls asked Tom about what happened to him today. Tom told them about the Charybdis creature out in the Pacific and his meeting with Lucas Draig. Their future seemed very busy.

Eventually, they all finished their meals. Tom excused himself from the kitchen to grab something from the other room.

"What do you think he's getting?" Tala asked Reia.

"I don't know," she replied. "It'll be hard to one-up that dinner."

"I like to be full of surprises," Tom announced to the room.

Tom entered the kitchen with a tray with personal-size cakes in one hand and a pile of gifts in the other. Each small cake had a single lit candle on top of it.

"Personal birthday cakes and presents."

"Why are there lit candles on the cakes?" Sylmae asked.

"Oh, right, Human thing," Tom muttered. "It's a Human birthday tradition where you make a wish and then blow out the candle or candles on your cake. You can't tell someone else your wish until it comes true and you have to blow out the candle in one try."

Tom placed a cake in front of each of them.

"Make your wish and blow out your candle," he encouraged.

The four took in a breath and blew out each of their candles at the same time. Tom placed each of their gifts next to their cakes.

"From me to all of you. It's the least I can do for everything you all have done for my world and for me."

Tala opened her gift first. Under the wrapping paper was a box that contained an electronic tablet.

"That is an e-reader," Tom explained. "You'll be able to store thousands upon thousands of books on it. I've already set up an account with it so you can purchase any book you want on it."

"Thank you," Tala said with as much sincerity as she could.

Vivian the opened her gift and found a pair of high-grade military goggles and bracers that were made of a flexible but tough material.

"I pulled some strings with the UNDF," Tom said. "These are prototype goggles and bracers that will be used by UNDF special forces."

"These are great!" Vivian said as she put on the goggles.

Reia was confused by her gift. It was just an envelope. She opened it and found a photo inside. Reia looked at the photo and saw it was of a smithy.

"It's yours," Tom said. "It was difficult getting the construction guys in without you knowing, but I think it was worth it. It's located just beyond the forest-line. I will show you later."

Reia jumped from her seat and hugged and kissed him. "It's perfect!"

Finally, Sylmae was left with her gift. She unwrapped it and found a silver necklace. The necklace pendant consisted of a circle of emerald gems with a five centimeter wide sapphire gem in the middle. Sylmae's mouth dropped.

"H-How?" Sylmae muttered.

"Well, Reia talks a lot about the life you all had before coming to Earth. She once made mentioned how you would stand in front of the jewelry shop and looked at the merchandise almost every day. In particular, you would look at a necklace with a pendant that was adorned with gems. Based on her description, I looked for the closest necklace."

"I-I don't know what to say." Sylmae could think of any words that could possibly express the gratitude she had towards Tom and his thoughtful gift.

"Happy birthday," he cooed.

"Best birthday ever!" Reia cheered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

VVVVVV

Iowa, United States of America

The night sky was dark due to the moon shining a small crescent of light. Rika stood on top of a tower of a suspension bridge. The tall bridge stretched across a wide river. The roadway hung roughly fifty feet over the water below. Rika looked through her binoculars and saw Hawke's campaign bus with one vehicle in the front and one behind it. She had spent weeks researching a way to isolate Hawke so she could quietly assassinate him. Through feeding Intel agencies false information, she was able to create this trap.

"Right on time," she muttered to herself.

As the vehicles drove across the bridge, Rika pulled out a small device and pressed down on the trigger. The lights of the bridge went out, casting the area in darkness. Rika heard the vehicles below suddenly revved their engines. She pulled out her Magic Stone and jumped off of the bridge tower. As she fell, Rika held up her stone and chanted, "Lightning Strike!"

Lightning erupted from the stone and struck the engine of the car in front. The car's front exploded making it do a backflip while it flew forward. The bus slammed into the car and was forced to stop.

Rika created a large dent in the bus' roof when she landed. She quickly used Lighting Strike twice on the car behind the bus making it exploded into a ball of flames The bus quickly back up a few feet before driving forward around the car wreck. Its headlights were smashed from the crash.

Rika quickly used her Shadow Manipulation skill to create a tilted ramp. The bus went over the ramp, flipped on its side and slid through the side railing. Half the bus went over the side of the bridge before it stopped.

Rika casually walked towards the bus. One of the windows opened and Hawke popped out. He was cut up and bruised. Hawke looked towards Rika and gasped.

"Please!" he begged with tears in his eyes. "D-Don't kill me. Please! I'll give you what ever you want! M-My wife and son are on this bus. D-Don't kill them. At least let them go-"

Rika held her hand up and fired a Lightning Strike at the man. The attack instantly killed the man and blackened his remains. Rika immediately followed up with more lighting attacks on the bus itself. Each attack pushed the bus further over the bridge until a small explosion gave it the last needed push to send it over the edge.

Rika looked over the edge of the bridge and watched as the bus plummeted to the water below. It landed in the water with a big splash before it quickly sank. Rika turned towards the bridge and fired off several more lightning attacks to create burn marks in the bridge.

VVVVVV

"Look this is the best time to do this," Vivian argued with Tala.

Vivian and Tala were in the rec room on the couch talking to each other in private.

"What if he say no?" Tala countered. "Do we want to associate our birthday with the day we had our hearts broken?"

Reia could hear their bickering from the other room and walked over to investigate.

"What are you two talking about?" Reia asked.

"Uh, uh," Tala sputtered out.

"We were talking about confessing our feelings to Tom," Vivian answered.

A wide smile came to Reia's face and she quickly hugged her friends.

"I'm so glad!"

"You're squeezing too hard," Vivian choked out.

"Oh, sorry, sorry. Have you both talked to Sylmae about it?"

"We tried, but Syl would either change the subject or pretend to be busy with something."

"Oh..." Reia mumbled in disappointment. "I'll get through to her yet."

"Any way, Tala is worried about his response. You know... Humans and the whole monogamy thing. I know he definitely thinks we're attractive. I have noticed him making glances."

Reia turned to Tala and said, "You don't need to worry, Tala." Reia caressed Tala's cheek. "Just leave it to me. I have my ways. Wait here."

Reia walked out of the room and hurried her way towards Tom's bedroom. The door to their bedroom was half open and Reia saw him putting away the laundry. She took a deep breath and then quietly walked in. Reia closed the door behind her. The sound of the door closing shut caught Tom's attention and he turned around.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey," she said back. Reia walked towards Tom while slightly exaggerating her hip sway. "I was wondering if I could be a little selfish today and ask for another gift." She lightly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, it is your birthday," he flirted back. "What do you have in mind?"

Reia closed in the distance between them with a kiss. Tom wrapped his arms around her lower back. Reia took charge and eased Tom towards their bed. She broke her kiss with Tom and playfully pushed him onto their bed.

Tom crawled a little back as Reia crawled on the bed and then on top of him. She gave him a predator's smile and resumed her kiss with Tom. Their intimate exchange grew more heated.

"Do you love me?" she asked in a shuddered breath.

"Yes," Tom said as he trailed towards her neck.

Reia moaned in pleasure.

"Would you do anything for me?"

"Yes," he mumbled into her neck. "Anything."

With his defenses down, Reia decided to strike.

"Then... For my gift... Do you think... You could... Share your heart with my friends?"

Tom immediately froze in place. Any sexual passion he felt suddenly left him and was only replaced with anxiety.

"A-Are you serious?" he muttered. His tone wasn't angry or happy. It was just surprise and disbelief.

With innocent eyes, Reia nodded in the affirmative.

Tom was about to say something but quickly caught his tongue and rethought what he was going to say.

"This... is a conversation," he concluded.

Tom grabbed Reia by her shoulders and slowly pushed her up. He got her into a sitting position and he sat facing her.

"You want me to love your friends like I love you?" Tom asked for clarification.

"Yes."

Tom's right hand rubbed over his mouth before returning to his side.

"I... Reia... Why you want me to be with other women? I mean, I would be devastated if I found out you were with another man behind my back."

"Just to be sure that I'm clear," Reia said with a hint of a threatening tone. "I'm not talking about giving you a free pass to screw any woman behind my back or otherwise. I'm talking about a relationship between you, me, and people we both care for. I'll be honest, Tom. I love you, but I also love my friends. After the time you've spent with them, don't you have similar kind of feelings towards my friends as you do with me?"

"Y-Yes..." Those words escaped Tom's lips which only fueled his anxiety.

"I knew it!"

"I-I... Did you just used Persuasion on me?"

"It's a passive skill, so I can't help it," Reia said and ended with a small chuckle. "Tom, I'm glad you feel that way towards my friends, but why do you still sound afraid of the situation? Why do you still resist the idea?"

"You do know that polygamy is illegal in my country, right? In most countries."

"To which you have been working towards legalizing so hundreds of thousands of marriages aren't delegitimized as soon as our worlds merge. Regardless, your world's laws can't stop us from loving each other? What are you truly afraid of?"

Tom released a sigh. "What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of losing you. I don't want to hurt you or your friends, and I'm afraid that could happen if we go about this... relationship. I'm afraid of screwing up."

Reia wrapped her arms around Tom and brought him close so that his head rested against her chest.

"You have so much heart. You're always concerned for other people's happiness, even above your own. You have been nothing but kind and hospitable towards my friends and me since we arrived. You have nothing to fear. I want this. They want this. And you want this." Reia turned Tom's face to hers and then kissed his lips. "Just say yes."

Again, against his own will, words left Tom's lips. "Yes."

Tom knew that Reia's persuasion was making him talk, but he knew that nothing that left his mouth was a lie. He had developed feelings towards Reia's friends in the weeks they have been together. Tom held back because of his commitment towards Reia, but with her urging, those feelings were released.

"So is Sylmae, Tala and Vi waiting outside our door?"

"Well..." Reia tapped her fingers together. "Tala and Vi are completely on-board."

"But..."

"Every time we try to talk to Syl about it, she dodges the conversation or runs away."

"Look, before we progress any further, we need to talk with Sylmae."

"I know. Believe me, I know. I will do it as soon as possible, but Tala and Vivian are currently waiting for your answer."

"I'm just afraid of a situation where Sylmae will feel left behind if we don't talk to her soon."

"And it will be right after we talk to Tala and Vi," Reia assured him. "I promise."

"Alright. Go get them."

Reia jumped to her feet in a giddy mood. She rushed out of the room leaving Tom sitting on the edge of the bed wondering what to say to Tala and Vivian.

Reia ran through the house with a bounce in her step. She entered the living room where Vivian and Tala sat patiently. Upon hearing Reia enter the room, they stared with anticipation.

"He said yes," Reia announced.

"He said yes?" Tala repeated in a higher tone of voice.

"He said yes!"

Vivian and Tala jumped off of their chairs and embraced Reia in a tight hug.

"You work fast," Vivian said with a relieved chuckle.

"I have my ways." Reia glanced around. "Where is Sylmae?"

"She's still out gathering her targets," Vivian replied. "It looks like it's going to be a nasty storm tonight."

"We'll need to talk to her as soon as possible. For now, Tom is waiting for us. Come on."

Reia practically dragged both Vivian and Tala by their hands. All of them felt a mixture of happiness and nervousness. They entered Tom's room. Tom sat on his bed and leaned forward with both of his hands clasped together. He looked up at the three and gave them a nervous smile.

"Hey..." he managed to get out. Tom stood up and approached Vivian and Tala. "Uh... Reia told me everything. I-I'll admit that my... Human sensibilities makes me cautious towards this kind of relationship, but I can't deny how I feel about you all." Tom placed his right hand on Tala's left shoulder and his left hand on Vivian's right shoulder. "I don't know what will come our way, or what obstacles we may have to overcome. What I do know is that I want to be there by your side through it all."

Touched by Tom's words, Vivian grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down to kiss him. She held him in place and she thoroughly enjoyed him. After enjoying the moment, Vivian slowly released her grip on his shirt as she reluctantly ended their kiss.

"Sometimes it's better to just act instead of talk," Vivian said coyly.

"Wow..." Tom muttered.

"Wow, indeed. Now I believe Tala needs some attention."

Tala looked down towards the floor due to a mixture of shyness and wanting to grant Vivian some privacy for her kiss. Tom turned towards Tala and cupped her right cheek with his hand. Tala sighed upon feeling the heat of his hand on her cheek. It felt good and she sighed happily as she nuzzled against his hand.

Tala opened her eyes and saw Tom leaning forward. She closed her eyes again and soon felt his lips upon hers. The shyness she felt before left her and soon she felt a passion she had never known before.

Tala wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought him in closer as her passions took over. As Tom embraced Tala, her heard something separate from Tala, Reia and Vivian. He opened his right eye to look over Tala's shoulder and saw Sylmae standing in the doorway with a horrified look on her face.

Tom quickly broke the kiss and gasped, "Sylmae!"

The others looked over to the door with a deer-in-headlights expression. Sylmae ran away from them and they heard the front door open and slam shut.

"Shit!" Tom growled.

"We need to go after her!" Reia cried.

Tom dashed out of the room after Sylmae. He didn't look back to see if the others were following. As soon as he ran out the front door, lightning flashed across the sky which was followed by a loud roar of thunder. Rain droplets began to fall from the sky and increased in volume by the second.

VVVVVV

Sylmae ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't know where she was running, all she knew was she needed to run. When she saw Tom kissing Tala, her only reaction was to panic. It was already hard enough on her that Reia broke the pact, but to see Tala also going behind her back made things worse.

Rain started to come down hard so Sylmae needed to find shelter to think about what she needed to do next. Not far ahead, Sylmae saw the array of solar panels and wind turbines. She ran over and went under one of tilted solar panels. As soon as she went under the solar panel, the rain started to come down in sheets.

Syl hugged her knees to her chest while she tried to go over what had just happened. Her heart rapidly beat in her chest. She didn't have much time to think before Tom burst out of the wall of rain and sat down across from her.

Sylmae felt like running again, but the look in Tom's eyes seem to stop her. She couldn't quite place what the look in his eyes were. Sorrow? Empathy? Love?

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Tom finally said. "The last thing I wanted was to hurt any of you."

"Behind my back..."

"I know. I'm so sorry. We were going to talk to you right after, I swear. Reia and I had this whole conversation about the pact you all had. We were all at an emotional high and it happened."

Sylmae looked to the ground which made Tom worry.

"Did Reia tell you why we made the pact?" Sylmae asked.

"No, she didn't," Tom answered.

"I'm sure you've noticed my eyes are different colours."

"I have... Green and brown."

"On Xoth having two different eye colours is considered a bad omen. I was treated as an outcast at the first orphanage I lived at. They eventually sold me to another orphanage who also saw me in the same light. I was alone until I met Reia and Tala. They immediately befriended me. They were some of the only ones who were friendly to me despite my eyes, until you..." Those last two words were said under her breath. "After a while, I saw how Reia and Tala were passed over for adoption because of their association with me. I practically begged them to abandon me just so they could find families of their own. They refused. They even went as far as as to create this pact so we would go from friends to family. I don't want to lose my family."

"I'm not taking your family, Syl."

"I know..." Sylmae admitted. "When I saw you kissing Tala, I just panicked."

"Did you panic because Tala also broke the pact? Or did you panic because you were worried about how I felt about you?"

"Ah!" Sylmae gapsed. "I-I... I don't know. I just..."

Tom moved forward a little. "Syl. I want you to be happy. So please, be honest with me. What do you want?"

"I-I want us to be a family," she finally admitted. So those words made the tightness in Sylmae's chest loosen. She felt at peace now that she had finally said the truth. Sylmae feared being rejected by the man that her sisters and she fancied after being rejected by society for so long.

Tom smiled lovingly. He leaned forward and surprised Syl with a kiss. Despite originally being cold from the rain, Sylmae felt herself warming up from the kiss. She felt disappointed when Tom broke the kiss and accidentally whimpered.

"I don't want you to feel wanting," he said before kissing her again.

Sylmae leaned into the kiss in order to get closer to Tom and feel his warmth. Tom ended up losing his balance and fell backwards with Sylmae on top. He sat back up and embraced her. Tom was surprised at Sylmae's aggression but allowed her to indulge herself.

Sylmae found herself unable to control herself. The more she tried to end the kiss, the more aggressive she became towards Tom. Her fingers ran down Tom's sides and grabbed the bottom of his shirt and quickly yanked it up. Tom was caught off guard as his shirt came off.

As Sylmae's exploration of Tom became more daring, Tom further pushed where his hands went. His hands grabbed underneath Sylmae's butt and he lifted her up as he stood up out from underneath the solar panel. Tom carried Sylmae to a solar panel that was tilted towards them. He rested her against the panel as they kissed. Lightning danced across the skies above them as they allowed their passions to take over.

VVVVVV

"Syl!" Reia yelled into the storm.

Reia, Tala and Vivian stood outside of the house with umbrellas and struggled to keep them open with the torrential downpour. They attempted to search the immediate area but the rainfall restricted their search.

"Syl, please come back!" Vivian called out.

"Did either of you see where they went?" Tala asked.

"No, I didn't," Reia replied. "Tom and she ran off so fast I didn't see which direction they went."

"We've been out here for close to an hour, where did they go?" Vivian thought out loud.

"Wait, I see something," Tala said while pointing.

Reia and Vivian looked in the direction Tala pointed and saw a figure walking towards them in the rain. As the figure came closer, the three could see more clearly who it was.

"It's Tom!" Vivian cheered. "And I think he's carrying Sylmae. What?"

Tom emerged from the rain. He was shirtless and soaked. Tom held an unconscious Sylmae in his arms. She was completely naked save for a t-shirt that was draped over her chest.

"We are soaked to our bones," Tom said matter-of-factly. "I would very much like to dry off."

Tom walked by the three as casually as he could but knew they were going to have to talk about this. He only wished to delay it. They walked back into the warm house. Tom grabbed several towels from the bathroom and walked towards his room.

"Tom..." Reia said.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Why is Sylmae naked?" Vivian asked.

"Because I didn't see where I threw her clothes," he answered.

"And why were her clothes removed in the first place?" Reia followed up.

Tom rested Sylmae on a towel on his bed. He then started to dry her off with another towel.

"Well, I caught up with her. We talked. We made up. We kissed... And then... Stuff happened."

"Stuff happened?" Tala repeated.

"Stuff happened."

"Is 'stuff happened' a euphemism for fucked her senseless?" Vivian asked while wearing the largest smile Tom has ever seen her with.

"...Stuff happened."

"Oh my... You wasted no time."

"Well..." Reia grabbed the shirt that covered Sylmae's front. She tossed it to the ground with a flop. "You really should get rid of this wet shirt if you wish to dry her off completely."

While Tom dried Sylmae, Tala stood close behind him and kept smelling him. As soon as Tom finished drying Sylmae, he placed her under the covers so she could warm up. He turned away and found Tala standing there. Her eyes were completely dilated.

"Uh, hey, Tala," he muttered. "You okay?"

Tala grabbed his hand and led him to the foot of the bed.

"Tala?"

Tala's breathing became heavily as she briefly nuzzled against his chest.

"Is she okay?" Tom asked Reia and Vivian.

"Well, she's fine but... she's clearly overwhelmed by your smell," Reia replied. "You strongly smell of sex."

"Even after the rain?" Tom asked.

"Beastkin and Naga both have strong sense of smell. Beastkin more so. The rain washed some of it away, but it's still there."

Tala looked up at Tom and forced a kiss on him. She then pushed him onto his bed. Tala then straddled him.

"Tala!"

Tom was immediately muffled by Tala's lips.

"Oh, that poor thing," Reia said in fake pity. "She is now completely overwhelmed."

Tom grabbed Tala by the shoulders and held her back.

"Tala, you're not in your right mind," Tom tried to reason. "You need to-"

"Paralyze," Tala whispered under her breath.

Tom froze in place. Tala had just used a new spell she developed after studying anatomy. The spell overwhelms the nervous system and prevents motor signals from the brain from reaching the muscle. This meant that Tom is unable to move his limbs until its time limit was reached or his Unbreakable skill activated.

Tala slowly backed away from Tom as her right hand slid down his chest. Her hand finally reached his belt and she started to undo his belt.

"Tala, wait!" Tom pleaded. He looked up to Reia and Vivian who watched with amusement. "A little help here?"

Reia and Vivian looked to each other and nodded. They grabbed the bottom of their shirts and pulled them off.

"That's not what I meant... Yeah, this is happening." Tom sighed in resignation.

VVVVVV

A fire burned on the bridge above while the bus, that crashed into the water, vertically stood one-third out of the water. Bubbles came up from the water near the bus. These bubbles moved away from the bus and towards the shore. Soon a figure emerged from the water. The light from the fires revealed the man to be Samuel Hawke.

Hawke dragged three bodies behind him. His left hand dragged a boy, no older than twelve, by the collar of his shirt. Hawke's right hand dragged his wife and a burnt corpse. He tossed the bodies on the muddy ground and grunted in frustration. Hawke looked up and saw the eight-foot tall frame of a shadowy creature.

"You finally found their bodies, Wendigo," Mordiggian said.

"All were fairly easy to find," Wendigo answered after morphing his face back to its original shape. "All three were dead by the time I got to them. Saves us the time."

Mordiggian grabbed the burnt body of the original Hawke and absorbed his body into his own.

"Can't turn the other bodies," Wendigo stated. "Can get rid of the real Hawke but too many will ask where his wife and son are."

"True. But I can still take their souls before they have the chance to pass on." Mordiggian held his hand over the bodies. Light purple light came off of the bodies of the bodies and collected underneath his hand. The light condensed until it formed a gem. Mordiggian tossed the gem over to Wendigo. "To keep you going until I can meet with you again."

"Will you be meeting with that Human again? What was his name?"

"Artorius?"

Wendigo nodded.

"I will. As much as I hate to admit it, he has provided excellent information concerning the politics of this world. I still don't trust him. He still refused to tell me the identity of Thunder or anyone who does know that information."

"Why?"

"He wants Thunder dealt with 'his way.' This operation was a first step in his plan. I do sense a great amount of animosity and murderous intent towards Thunder. For now, I'll allow him to continue his plan. If he fails, I'll kill Thunder and his companions myself when my full power returns. Artorius as well."

"Best you regain your powers fast. We cannot allow the Dragon Prophecy be fulfilled."

"Indeed. Now, did you study Hawke's personal information properly?"

"I know the man, his family and friends. This isn't the first person I have imitated someone."

Sirens went off in the distance.

"The emergency response is coming," Wendigo said. His face changed back into Hawke's. "I'll take over from here. Continue collecting bodies elsewhere."

Mordiggian melted into the ground. Red and blue lights appeared over the hill. An ambulance and several police cars parked on the side of the road. A police officer got out of his car.

"Help!" Wendigo called out. "Help! My wife and son! You have to help them!"

VVVVVV

Sylmae dreamt of the warmth of being embraced by an unseen person. Hugging the person filled her with happiness. As the person rubbed her back, Sylmae looked up to see who she embraced. The person who stood before her was Tom. The dream faded to black and Sylmae woke up.

Sylmae found herself in bed, on her side and under a comforter sheet. When her eyes fully adjusted, she realized the position she was in. She was completely naked with her arms wrapped around Tom's left arm. With them was an equally naked Tala, Reia and Vivian. Tala slept on Tom's chest. Reia was to Tom's right and had one of her wings draped over Tala and her. Vivian was spooning her from behind and had her arm wrapped around her waist.

"I see you're awake," Tom whispered.

Sylmae stiffled a gasped. "How long have you been awake?"

"About an hour. It'll probably be another hour before any of the others wake up."

"And you're waiting that whole time?"

"I'm currently trapped."

Sylmae looked at her body and then Tom's. "Wh-What happened...?"

"After we made love?"

"Yeah..."

"I took you back home, dried you and put you to bed. I talked with the others and one thing led to another and stuff happened."

"It seems like a lot of stuff happened when I was asleep."

Tom chuckled.

"It seems like Vivian finally got her wish of getting in bed with me," Sylmae giggled.

"Well, we didn't do anything to you while you were sleep."

"But were more than willing to do things right next to me," she sassed him.

They struggled to keep their giggles quiet.

"Syl, I hope you know that I did mean everything I said last night about what you all mean to me."

Sylmae grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. "I do. Any feeling of doubt is gone. I love you."

Sylmae leaned forward and kissed him.

"You need to brush your teeth," she said.

"Well, I love you too," he joked.

VVVVVV

Footnotes:

1. The Boeing V-17 Shikra is a aerial vehicle similar to the Boeing V-22 Osprey except, instead of propellers on each side of the wings, the Shikra had VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) jet engines and one jet engine between the tail deices. This makes the Shikra many times faster than the Osprey.

2. https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personnel_halting_and_stimulation_response_rifle

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Character Stats:

Spoiler: Spoiler

Status Name Thomas "Tom" Everett Level 25 Experience 23854/24890 Class Magic Blade Race Human Alignment Good Currency Canadian $10,469,148.21 Xoth 0 platinum 5 gold 71 silver 30 copper Title Clever One, Determined, Giant Slayer, Vaccinated, One Of The First, Sole Survivor, Agent of Kara, Generous Healer, Interpreter, Selfless Lover, Human Anatomy, Survivalist, Lobbyist, Voice of Humanity Buffs Agent of Kara 2x experience Bestiary of Xoth +10% damage towards the creatures of Xoth Human Anatomy +10% damage towards Humans, 50% increase to experience gained for Heal and Purify Lobbyist +10% increase chance of persuading a politician Voice of Humanity Positive aura towards anyone (with a moral alignment of neutral or good) you first meet Debuffs Voice of Humanity Positive aura will irritate individuals with an evil alignment that you first meet Health 1380 Health Regeneration/min 11.5(3.7x) Mana 1310 Mana Regeneration/min 14.2(3.5x) Stamina 1320 Stamina Regeneration/min 10.0 Fame 4550 Infamy 0 Strength 138 Intelligence 131 Wisdom 142 Perception 77 Endurance 132 Vitality 115 Agility 100 Luck 104 Unallocated Points 0

Resistances Physical 52% Disease/Toxin 95% Fire 52% Plant 52% Ice 52% Earth 52% Lightning 52% Water 52% Wind 52% Spirit 52% Light 52% Darkness 52%

Skills Identify Master Level 2 Persuasion Master Level 3 Language Comprehension Master Level 10 Book Learning Master Level 10 Teacher Beginner Level 6 Nonchalant Master Level 10 Lightning Strike Master Level 1 Lightning Enchant Intermediate Level 9 Lightning Shield Intermediate Level 6 Heal Master Level 4 Purify Master Level 3 Melee Weapon Specialist Intermediate Level 6 Disguise Master Level 1 Prayer Master Level 10 Hero's Call Master Level 10 Fast Travel Master Level 10 Loot Collector Intermediate Level 4 Magical Repair Master Level 2 Tactician Master Level 1 Cook Master Level 3 Trap Master Intermediate Level 5 Unbreakable Intermediate Level 6 Fireball Intermediate Level 7 Fire Enchant Intermediate Level 2 Bow Skill Beginner Level 10 Surge Strike Intermediate Level 10 Enhanced Body Intermediate Level 7 Enhanced Mind Intermediate Level 7 Chain Lightning Beginner Level 6 Group Heal Intermediate Level 6 Enhanced Spells Intermediate Level 7 Enhanced Resistance Intermediate Level 8 SM Transfer Master Level 10 Computer Skill Master Level 1 Massage Intermediate Level 9 Lover Intermediate Level 9 Mixed Martial Artist Intermediate Level 7 Small Arms Specialist Intermediate Level 3 Light Weapons Specialist Intermediate Level 5 Stealth Intermediate Level 2 Lottery Beginner Level 6 Enhanced Dodge Intermediate Level 2

Status Name Reia Zyer Level 24 Experience 19769/21640 Class Lancer Race Naga Alignment Good Currency Canadian $0.00 Xoth 0 platinum 5 gold 49 silver 14 copper Title Unknown, Giant Slayer, Determined, Life Saver Buffs - - Debuffs - - Health 1640 Health Regeneration/min 10.7(2.0x) Mana 500 Mana Regeneration/min 4.9 Stamina 1100 Stamina Regeneration/min 11.5 Fame 4550 Infamy 0 Strength 164 Intelligence 50 Wisdom 49 Perception 57 Endurance 110 Vitality 107 Agility 115 Luck 96 Unallocated Points 0

Resistances Physical 28% Disease/Toxin 100% Fire 30% Plant 30% Ice 30% Earth 30% Lightning 30% Water 30% Wind 30% Spirit 30% Light 30% Darkness 65%

Skills Identify Intermediate Level 9 Weapon Repair Intermediate Level 6 Armour Repair Intermediate Level 3 Weapon Crafting Beginner Level 9 Armour Crafting Beginner Level 10 Accessory Crafting Intermediate Level 1 Spear Skill Master Level 1 Clothing Reform Master Level 3 Ice Spike Intermediate Level 3 Wind Shield Intermediate Level 6 Wind Blade Master Level 1 Heal Master Level 1 Club Skill Beginner Level 6 Sword Skill Beginner Level 10 Persuasion Intermediate Level 7 Power Strike Intermediate Level 6 Enhanced Resistance Intermediate Level 3 Group Heal Intermediate Level 2 Flurry Intermediate Level 1 Spiral Thrust Beginner Level 9 Enhanced Dodge Intermediate Level 4 Language Comprehension Master Level 10 Purify Intermediate Level 4 Enhanced Regeneration Beginner Level 9

Status Name Sylmae "Syl" Lyvan Level 21 Experience 10534/11460 Class Archer Race Elf Alignment Good Currency Canadian $0.00 Xoth 0 platinum 4 gold 29 silver 71 copper Title Unknown, Determined Buffs - - Debuffs - - Health 550 Health Regeneration/min 4.4 Mana 550 Mana Regeneration/min 5.0 Stamina 1000 Stamina Regeneration/min 11.9 Fame 650 Infamy 0 Strength 55 Intelligence 55 Wisdom 50 Perception 120 Endurance 100 Vitality 44 Agility 119 Luck 109 Unallocated Points 0

Resistances Physical 21% Disease/Toxin 100% Fire 21% Plant 21% Ice 21% Earth 21% Lightning 21% Water 21% Wind 21% Spirit 21% Light 21% Darkness 56%

Skills Identify Intermediate Level 7 Language Comprehension Master Level 10 Bow Skill Intermediate Level 5 Ice Spike Intermediate Level 3 Ice Enchant Intermediate Level 3 Ice Shield Beginner Level 6 Heal Intermediate Level 8 Slow Master Level 1 Group Slow Beginner Level 9 Purify Beginner Level 10 Enhanced Dodge Intermediate Level 1 Roulette Beginner Level 5 Enhanced Vision Beginner Level 6 Enhanced Resistance Beginner Level 6 Focus Beginner Level 4

Status Name Tala Mau Level 21 Experience 10534/11460 Class Elementalist Race Beastkin (Feline) Alignment Good Currency Canadian $0.00 Xoth 0 platinum 3 gold 12 silver 87 copper Title Unknown, Book Enthusiast, Determined Buffs - - Debuffs - - Health 450 Health Regeneration/min 6.0 Mana 1750 Mana Regeneration/min 15.2 (3.0x) Stamina 400 Stamina Regeneration/min 4.1 Fame 650 Infamy 0 Strength 45 Intelligence 175 Wisdom 152 Perception 54 Endurance 40 Vitality 60 Agility 41 Luck 100 Unallocated Points 0

Resistances Physical 15% Disease/Toxin 100% Fire 15% Plant 15% Ice 15% Earth 15% Lightning 15% Water 15% Wind 15% Spirit 15% Light 15% Darkness 50%

Skills Identify Intermediate Level 6 Language Comprehension Master Level 10 Fireball Intermediate Level 8 Fire Barrier Beginner Level 6 Fire Enchant Intermediate Level 1 Fire Shield Intermediate Level 4 Flamethrower Beginner Level 8 Heal Intermediate Level 10 Group Heal Intermediate Level 5 Purify Intermediate Level 5 Ice Spike Beginner Level 10 Wind Blade Beginner Level 6 Lightning Strike Beginner Level 5 Water Blast Intermediate Level 1 Rock Throw Beginner Level 6 Enchantment Intermediate Level 2 Alchemy Beginner Level 6 Invisible Intermediate Level 4 Bubble Shield Beginner Level 8 Dispel Intermediate Level 2 Enhanced Spells Intermediate Level 2 Enhanced Mind Intermediate Level 1 Roulette Beginner Level 5 Dual Cast Beginner Level 5 Paralyze Beginner Level 3

Status Name Vivian "Vi" Terrabane Level 22 Experience 12879/13850 Class Barbarian Race Dwarf Alignment Good Currency Canadian $0.00 Xoth 0 platinum 29 gold 18 silver 93 copper Title Unknown, Determined, Giant Slayer, Explorer, Lone Adventurer Adventurer Guild Rank 6 Buffs - - Debuffs - - Health 1290 Health Regeneration/min 10.0 (1.7x) Mana 430 Mana Regeneration/min 3.6 Stamina 1060 Stamina Regeneration/min 5.1 Fame 900 Infamy 0 Strength 129 Intelligence 43 Wisdom 36 Perception 58 Endurance 106 Vitality 100 Agility 51 Luck 78 Unallocated Points 0

Resistances Physical 22% Disease/Toxin 100% Fire 25% Plant 25% Ice 25% Earth 25% Lightning 25% Water 25% Wind 25% Spirit 25% Light 25% Darkness 60%

Skills Identify Master Level 1 Language Comprehension Master Level 10 Hammer Skill Master Level 1 Rock Throw Intermediate Level 8 Earth Enchant Intermediate Level 7 Earth Shield Intermediate Level 4 Earth Manipulation Intermediate Level 3 Heal Intermediate Level 7 Purify Intermediate Level 1 Club Skill Beginner Level 5 Sword Skill Beginner Level 3 Erupt Beginner Level 6 Power Strike Beginner Level 9 War Cry Beginner Level 6 Enhanced Resistance Beginner Level 8 Enhanced Regeneration Beginner Level 7 Persuasion Beginner Level 5