Alarm screamed in my mind. In a tiny corner of my awareness, tucked away from the endless information that was overwhelming my brain, the memory of Goddess’s people turning into Blood Mists popped up. I didn’t want to become a ghost. It was stupid of me to want all the power at once. Stupid and greedy. Now I was paying for it. I should have been patient. I’d spent years being patient, I should have just waited a little longer.

The pain in my body and mind intensified sharply. As I watched, my fingers faded even more, until I could barely see my fingertips.

No! No! No! I wanted to yell, but I was immobilized, completely frozen in place, unable to do anything to accept the mist that was washing away my being.

It’s okay, Goddess whispered softly in my ear. I couldn’t see her, but her warm voice broke through the hysteria that was setting in. As soon as you lose focus, you will lose yourself. What are you fighting for?

What was I fighting for? In an unoccupied corner of my mind, Aliya’s face came into view. She smiled at me, her face bright with excitement as she cradled the red Fanged Snapper bracelet against her chest. Then Aunt Mina and Uncle Mark, as the four of us happily sat together and played games on the dinky, rundown table. Then my mother from my childhood memories, as she engulfed me in a loving hug. And finally Kesstel. Proud, noble Kesstel, so strong and gentle.

As I thought of them, my frenzied emotions began to settle. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on them.

I was fighting for them. Every single day, everything I did was for them. Even Kesstel. I wasn’t just desperate to keep my family safe on Earth. I also wanted to give Kesstel a home on Earth too. With me.

Pain didn’t go away, neither did the flood of information, but as long as I focused on my important people, I could handle it.

I couldn’t tell how much time passed. It felt like a long time, though I never got hungry or fell asleep. All I knew was absorbing the mist and allowing the information to cram into my mind. Finally, I felt the flood start to slow down.

Yet again, my eyes peeked open. The first thing I saw were my fingers, normal and whole, as if they’d never turned transparent to begin with. Then I looked, ready to finally see Goddess’s palace. Instead I received a shock.

It wasn’t just the mist that was thinning as I absorbed it — the actual palace was fading away with it. Even now, with mere wisps of mist left, the columns of beautiful marble were barely more than pale shadows that slightly distorted the light. The flowers were nothing more than faint hues of colorful gas, like a rainbow caught in place and fading away.

The last of the mist absorbed into my chest and the palace completely disappeared, like a popped bubble. I was left sitting in the dirt. Behind me was a short mountain, just as bare as the ground I was sitting on.

Finally, finally, the pain that was wracking my body faded away. The hustle and bustle in my brain quieted down and stopped. I never knew how wonderful it was to have a blank mind. Usually my mind failed me when I needed it the most, and that sucked. But right now, the quiet was just what I needed.

In relief, I flopped back onto the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. A slight breeze brushed across me, chilling my sweaty body, but it felt great to me. Anything that wasn’t painful felt great.

But most noticeable was how much I could sense. I was distinctly aware that my senses had drastically improved. I could hear the dry blades of grass brushing against each other hundreds of feet away, where the dirt became a field where the mist barrier used to be. I could sense the movement of monsters in that field, timidly approaching the space where the barrier had been, but skittering away when they got too close. I could smell the scent of the dirt and the grass, the stink of the monsters, the freshness of the immediate air around me that slowly changed as the air circulated, bringing in the outside smells.

I was just as aware of my own body. I could feel the strength hibernating in my limbs, ready to explode out at any time, the steady beating of my heart, and the blood coursing through my veins. Even the ends of my hair, spread out on the dirt under my head, seemed to have a bit of awareness in them.

I had gotten used to the Hunter’s enhanced senses, but the sudden sharp intensity was a little disorienting. After all, there was a huge difference between the bottom B and high A. I felt physically empowered and mentally drained at the same time. All I wanted was just a second to stare up at the cloudy sky and regroup myself. I didn’t get that chance.

A System notice popped up in my vision. [You have Leveled Up!] That wasn’t the only screen that appeared.

[Mist upgraded to True Mist.]

[Regen (Limited) upgraded to Regen.]

[Stealth (Limited) upgraded to Stealth.]

[Mist Blade upgraded to Mist Blade (Enhanced).]

[Gained ability Merge.]

[Gained ability Warp.]

[Gained ability Telekinesis.]

[Mirror skill upgraded to Mirror (Improved).]

[Gained skill Float.]

I gaped at the System screens that just kept coming. When they finally stopped, I still stared up, expecting more to come. The abilities didn’t surprise me, after all the information that was crammed into my head, I knew what they were and what they did. No, there was something else that confused me.

“All the pain and I only gained one level?” I muttered to myself. “I thought I got the rest of the seventy percent of energy that was held back.”

Feeling a little cheated, I opened my Stats menu … and gasped.

I jumped from level 54 all the way up to 87. I was an A, a high A, if I was guessing right.

Technically, Goddess’s voice whispered in my ear, you don’t need the System anymore. All of the energy that you collect will go directly into your body now, since I’m with you. But it is convenient for you to have a visual, and the System is already set up.

“True,” I said. “I guess this means we won’t be communicating through the System any more, huh?”

The System is a semi-independent program, Goddess supplied. I am the System, but there are some things that are auto-programmed, such as notifying you when you level up. Conversational prompts are mostly me, outside of reminding you to not talk about the System. So, when it comes to talking with each other, it will be done this way.

I frowned, looking up at the cloudy sky. “So, can I tell Kesstel about what’s going on yet?”

My question was met with silence. Just when I figured she wasn’t going to say anything, Goddess finally spoke up. I am conflicted about that monster.

A jolt went through me and I sat up quickly. “He’s not a monster!”

Yes, technically he is. Just because he looks human, it doesn’t change the fact that there is an energy crystal in him. Even if the cleanse effect that you get through me enables him to fully break free of the control and act like a normal human. However, he is a very powerful monster. Powerful enough to hunt down the remains of my people through several remnant worlds. An act that I haven’t forgiven him for. In a way, I’m grateful that he was able to put them to rest, but I’m also bitter about it.

There was very little I could argue about her logic. I sighed, completely understanding what she was talking about. After all, I saw with my own eyes how much she loved her people.

“I trust him,” I said softly. “He’s one of the few people I trust.”

I know. I can understand how you feel about him, although I don’t think it’s a good idea. Not as long as there is an energy crystal in him.

My head tilted to the side as a thought came to me. “Is there a way to take out his energy crystal?”

Kill him. There was no pity in her tone. His life force is infused with the energy crystal. It’s what’s kept him alive all these years and gave power to his body. If you separate one, the other will collapse.

A chill went through my body that had nothing to do with the breeze racing over the dirt. “I can’t do that.” Even if I had the power to, I couldn’t. Not when he meant so much to me. As for how much, I wasn’t ready to fully examine it. There were too many things I had to deal with before I could consider romance.

Starting with clearing out the Orcs.

I took a breath and rolled to my feet. It was light and easy, as if there was a trampoline under my feet. I stopped and did a couple warm up exercises, getting the feel of my ‘new body.’ Then I turned to the east, where the ruins of Vapria’s capital city was.

*****

Mist, thick as mud, spread out and flooded down the yellow dirt road. It washed up against the crumbling buildings and climbed higher until it covered the walls and spilled over into the surrounding streets. On and on, the fog spread, swallowing one building at a time, then five buildings at a time, then ten. As the mist reached the center of the city where the Red Orc’s palace stood, loud roars and monster cries of alarm filled the air.

Unlike the last time I was in this city, when Emma and I were scrambling to flee from murderous monsters, I was completely relaxed as I walked through the streets. Now that I was going slower, I could finally see the exquisite architecture this place used to have. Appreciate the cloud designs on the keystone of Roman-like arches and triangle spaces above the columns. Pause and look at the designs of the ruined fountain plazas, imagining what it used to look like in its heyday. Try and picture how the city was when it was full of people walking, talking, laughing, and playing with each other.

The image in my head was drastically different from what my eyes were seeing, with all the broken rubble everywhere. What my ears were hearing, with the Red Orc’s howling in the wind.

It was important that I dealt with the Orcs, but if this world was going to crumble when I left it, then I should take a second and remember what it looked like first. Especially since I was going to be the last one to see it. And I should give Goddess one last time to reminisce about what was left of her people. The only things I would take with me out of the Portal were Goddess, the kindjal, and my armor. Everything else that had to do with Vapria would vanish.

Thank you for being considerate, Goddess whispered. I’m okay. No matter how similar it looks, this place, this capital, isn’t mine.

Okay, I thought back, I stopped and admired the detailed decoration around a raised garden box. The intricate flower design was all carved into off-white marble and must have taken a lot of effort when it was originally made.

As I did, I felt ten beings move through my mist that filled every inch of the entire city. The ten Red Orcs closed in on me, two in the building on my left and right, and three on the road ahead and behind me. It was obviously a sneak attack in the making. Too bad for them, I could see everything they were trying to do.

I just stood there, waiting for them.

*****