We backtrack through the mines and sprint back to Brookrun as fast as we can. Once there I call another emergency meeting and assemble everyone in the great hall. It feels like we were here only moments ago but the mood is totally different now. A lot has changed in the space of just a few hours. It’s towards early evening and Wilbur whips us up a meal of stewed bison and while we eat Aiko and I fill everyone in on what we witnessed down in the mines.

“Damn,” Maxis says. “That guy was right then.”

“Yes, unfortunately,” Diana says throwing a napkin on the table after wiping her mouth. She lets out a sigh. “Perhaps I could have done more.”

“No way,” I tell her. “The only way we were even able to get in there is because we’re both Ninjas. You trying would have been suicide just like you thought. An assault on that place is going to be a serious endeavor.”

“I agree with him,” Blacktop says as he eases back from the table with a mug of ale in his hand. “You did your best. There was no sense throwing more lives away.”

“So how do we rescue them?” Gilly asks looking around the table.

I’ve been mulling the same question over in my mind since leaving the Goblin Queen’s lair. “I think advancing our attack on the mines is going to be the only way.”

“But How?” Val Helena says. “We’re nowhere near strong enough for that yet.”

“And we’ll have Braxus to deal with too eventually,” Maxis added. “Whenever he decides to show back up. And you can bet it’s going to be with his whole damn army this time.”

I nod. “Yeah, I’m counting on that.”

“What about Rem and Becky?” Gilly asks. “They should be bringing help.”

Aiko shrugged. “Could still be days away though.”

“We can’t wait days,” Gilly says. “Those people are being executed down there. We need to do something. Now.”

I release a sigh. “I hear you, Gilly. We all hate it. The Goblin Queen is using the souls of those people to make these golems. But if we try to save them right now, we’d fail and any hope they have would be lost. If we prepare enough, though we might be able to save some of them.”

“How do we do that?” Blacktop says. “We’re still talking days right?”

“We’ll have to adjust our strategy when it comes to leveling,” I say and visualize a plan in my head. “We’ll need as much Holy magic as possible. Especially AOE’s. Gilly your Holy Burst spell did massive damage to those things. If we can keep using that we can rack up XP quickly. Especially if we chain.”

“It costs a ton of mana though,” she said. “And I need to coordinate with Becky’s Magic Burst spell to do it.”

“I have Elemental Mage leveled,” Aiko says. “I think Magic burst is level 30 something. I could slot it and combo attack with you Gilly.”

“Good,” I say. “That’s getting us somewhere.” I then look to Lady Diana. “Diana, I remember you using an ability that gave your attacks holy magic effect. What was it?”

“Blessed Blade?” she says.

“Yes, what level is it?”

“18.”

“Can you train me to become a knight?”

She squinted at me with her cop eyes. “I suppose.”

“You really going to waste time leveling subs, bro?” Maxis asks. “We need to get you up to max level ASAP. Then you can do that God mode thing longer right?”

I eye the stats of my Murakumo Blade. He’s right. If I could wield it before transforming, my Kono Zemsu form would be much increased. And with the new Exceedence mechanic I just discovered, I could prolong it near indefinitely—so long as there were enough trash mobs to kill. Still, I have other priorities before I can get to all that.

“I have to level my subs,” I say. “You and Val already have attacks that can naturally do Holy Damage. I’ll need that Knight ability to do my own. I won’t be getting much XP without it.”

“Or you could just join me roasting those suckers with my flamethrower,” Blacktop says with a laugh.

“Trust me it will be worth it,” I say. “Besides I need to level another subjob anyway. And with the XP from these trolls I should hit the levels I need in no time. Don’t worry guys, I’ll be helping with my share of earning the XP.”

“What about gear?” Blacktop asks. “Even if you level to 99, you’d still be under geared compared to that LM in there. And by what you described that’s going to be one hell of a fight. Necromancers are usually no joke.”

“It’s not just that either,” I say and then tell them about the odd shadow of saw behind the Goblin Queen. “I think the Others have infected her as well. Just like the Shadow King and Zulia and Zenji.”

“So she actually looked like one of the skull demons to you?” Gilly asks.

I ponder that a moment. That was an anomaly of sorts. “No, not really. She looked like herself. But I sensed a strange aura about her. And it was definitely linked to the Others….”

“I still have a hard time imagining these giant demons you keep speaking of,” Lady Diana says. “But even if it is, does it change our plan any?”

“No not really,” I say with a shake of my head. “Just means we need to prepare for the worst.”

“Then we begin in earnest tomorrow,” Lady Diana says. “I shall speak with Keith and let him know about his people.”

“No…it’s my responsibility,” I say and my stomach sinks at the task I have ahead. “He won’t like that we aren’t acting right away. And I need to be the one to take the brunt of that.”

“So don’t tell him,” Aiko says casually. “Ignorance can be a mercy sometimes.”

I sigh and stare down at my empty bowl. Perhaps she’s right. “I’ll think about that some more. But for now. Let’s try and get some rest. We have a lot of trolls to kill tomorrow.”

* * *

Bruce stiffened as he approached the private clinic of Doctor Evelyn Munroe.

The facility was on level 137 and nestled within a residential HUB. The clinic itself was a converted Hab taking up three lots all to itself. Two of Flores’ security guards were posted outside as normal, but what broke his stride was the red-haired man standing just within the clinic doors.

Dennis…

What the hell was he doing here?

Since his clandestine sessions with Cedric, Bruce had kept his distance from the software engineer, but now it seemed Dennis had found his way here as well. As he approached, Bruce saw the reason as to why. Standing with him was Dr. Munroe herself, who gave Bruce a wave as he drew closer. She’d called Bruce for this urgent meeting with her…but had failed to mention that she’d invited Dennis as well.

Flores’ men gave him nods as he approached. They were from the same team that had accompanied him down into the old infrastructure of the city about a week ago; the place where they had found Cedric and discovered that abomination he had somehow managed to pull out of the game world of Crystal Shards and into the real one. They didn’t know the danger Cedric or Dennis truly presented, but Bruce had told them to be wary of anyone who tried to gain access unauthorized.

Unfortunately in this case, Dennis’s didn’t fall into that category…at least not today.

“Dennis,” Bruce greeted the man cordially as he stepped through the automatic doors of the clinic. He forced himself to behalf naturally as he looked to Evelyn and feinted surprise. “What’s all this about?”

“I figured I’d better call you both for this,” Evelyn said. “It’s about the refugee you found in the lower levels.”

“Don’t you mean prisoner?” Dennis said with a grin.

Bruce’s stomach soured as he looked at the man—the traitor responsible for all of this. Dennis could communicate with those things the same as Cedric, but as for how and why, he still hadn’t quite discovered yet.

“Whatever you want to call him,” Evelyn said dismissively. “Fact remains, I think the situation is bordering on critical right now.”

“What do you mean?” Bruce asked.

“Follow me.”

She led them into the interior of the clinic to where a medi-bed was housed. Hanging next to it was a stasis pod containing Cedric. The man looked gaunt and pale compared to how he did in virtual space, his face overgrown with a stubbly beard despite the pod’s ability to slow down one’s metabolism to a cryogenic like state. The sight made him think of Mark Roberts, Gina’s husband and Mike and Ryan’s father. The man had been on ice for over a decade. He probably looked like a caveman by now.

“I don’t think this isolation therapy is working,” Evelyn said, pulling up a hologram of Cedric’s vitals along the side of the pod. “His brain patterns are constantly shifting. Periods when he should be resting I’m sensing a lot of brainwave activity.”

Bruce swallowed involuntary at that one. Those were from his visits more than likely. In the few days that had passed, Bruce had managed to visit Cedric regularly between Evelyn’s normal therapy sessions. The stories had become stranger and stranger. Ancient gods and the impending doom to come.

Bruce had been busy translating that into their true meanings. Gods were the Builders, of that he was certain. But what he truly needed was knowledge of whatever deal Dennis had now made with them.

Bruce eyed the man warily for any signs of a reaction, but Dennis either wasn’t concerned or was playing his own poker face at the news.

“So what’s this all mean?” Bruce asked, trying to speed the conversation along.

“It means he’s not getting better. Every time I think I’m making progress he goes back to his delusional state.”

“I see.” Bruce nodded, even though he knew that he was likely the cause of that. “And why did you need us both here?”

“I’m wondering if this isolation could be causing this,” Evelyn said. “Perhaps he’d be better off connected to the main servers within the Crystal Shards. The environments I have here are extremely limited and I’m the only contact he has. This is solitary confinement. It’s bordering on unethical in my opinion.”

“Well we can’t have that,” Dennis said quickly and then turned to him. “Right, Bruce?”

Bruce harrumphed. Dennis would know the secrets Cedric held and Bruce wouldn’t put it past him to try and snuff Cedric out somehow once he got him within the main shard servers.

“Let’s not forget what this guy has done,” Bruce said. “He was able to manipulate the system and others to create weapons. If we tie him into the main system, let him interact with other people, there’s no telling what he could do. We can’t risk that again.”

“Yes I know,” Evelyn said. “Which is why I was hoping Dennis could perhaps create some kind of solution for us. Code wise.”

Dennis arched his brow. “What do you have in mind?”

“He needs interactions,” she said. “People. But they don’t have to be real people. Can you load him into an isolated shard? Perhaps with just AI NPCs?”

A link to the Shards? Thoughts of that monster he had spawned flashed back into Bruce’s mind. He couldn’t allow that outcome.

“That’s still a risk,” Bruce said. “Remember what he is capable of.”

“Not if we limit the contact,” Dennis said. “We can do it just like beam transmission to the surface. He’ll still be bound within this infrastructure. It’d be like a VR trip. A few hours at a time connecting to an isolated shard separated from the main hub. That’s something I could create. Perhaps you could even use it as a reward for his progress, Evelyn.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking.” Evelyn smiled and then looked to Bruce. “So what do you think? Surely with those kinds of controls it should be okay.”

Bruce sighed inwardly. The logic made sense and under the circumstances he had no legitimate reason to say no. And by refusing further, he could raise suspicions. “How long would it take you to set this up?”

Dennis shrugged. “Not long. A few days tops. Can you send me the protocols, Evelyn?”

“Certainly.”

Damn…a few days.

“Okay go ahead.” Bruce nodded. “But I’d like to see exactly where you’re sending him. And he still needs to be isolated from the live servers.”

“Of course.”

Dennis grinned, and the way the man looked back at him caused a chill to run up Bruce’s spine. Did he suspect already? Probably. A dangerous game of cat and mouse was at play here.

“Well, get to it then.”

Bruce exchanged a few more pleasantries with both of them before ending the meeting and leaving the clinic. He reached the elevated and signaled for it to go down instead of up. His sessions with Cedric had just become finite. He had to take advantage of the time he had left before Dennis enacted whatever scheme he would use to take advantage of the situation.

Bruce had to stay one step ahead of him.

He called Carl as he descended to the lowest floor in Citadel.

“Prep the rig,” Bruce said, once he answered. “I’ve got some serious deep diving to do.”