What a day. Enoch sat on the cold obsidian of his moon. He knew what he wanted. A pause. The chat dismissed, he laid down on his back. Enjoyed the fresh air. Even Choo seemed calmed. Mere instants and the player blacked out.

Came back to his senses too fast. These VR rigs drained so much vital force. His bones were melting. Barely halfway to the end. If he made it. He rose. Living the dream and all that. It came with a price. Glad to pay it.

He picked Double Jump 1, the node unlocked by his latest achievement. Unconnected to the rest of the Skill Three, it led to Double Jump 2, followed by an empty node, connected to the unexplored Willpower path.

Because he needed either Intellect or Willpower to activate his new sword, Enoch activated Willpower. Already had Intellect 1 on one ring, but he didn’t want to be dependent on an item. Some Resist, which came with Willpower, wouldn’t hurt either.

Agility for his last point. A good Attribute to wield his sword. Enoch nodded to Choo, went to the core’s moon. Happy, his own build finally falling into place.

He chose an Intellect point found in a dead end of the Telekinesis' tree. The little guy needed more Mana.

Character | Enoch

Level | 12

Class | Scout 2

Attributes | Strength 3* | Agility 3 | Endurance 4 | Perception 5 | Willpower 4* | Intellect 3* | Luck 1 | Mobility 5 | Martial 2 | Speed 9 | Jump 6 | Climb 5 | Swim 5

Resist 9 | Dodge 5 | Reroll 6% | Loot 10% | Sphere vision 2 |

Health 175* | Stamina 200 | Mana 180

Skills | Dash 2 | Sprint 2 | Persistence 1 | Parkour 1 | Parry 1 | Stance 1 | Blitz 1 | Analyse 1 | Night Vision 1 | Survey 1

Aura | Justice 11

Factions

Edele village 5065 | Ally

Quon Kingdom 4850 | Ally

Back Scales Mutant Convergence -12 530 | Archenemy

Bonded Artifact | Choo

Level | 12

Attributes | Intellect 3 | Crafts 2 | Willpower 1 | Luck 1

Skills | Animate Object 3 | Telekinesis 2 | Totem Golem 3

Personality | Jolly

Blink Sword | Artifact | Rarity 11

Damage 8 | Ethereal 11

Casts Blink 7 | Caster instantly appeared at desired location

Refresh 15 seconds

Cost 50 Mana | Range 5

***

Enoch rematerialized in a dark hole. He coughed. Raised his hands to push the rock protecting his hideout. A wiggle to get out, followed by a hard freeze as he noticed a bundle of metal the size of a dog hovering in his face. Was it waiting for him?

It lit up. The spirit inside the machine activated complex mechanisms and the drone bowed, flexing its four front legs.

No spoken words for these sentients. Not even clear telepathy. Just a hint. A feeling in the corner of their interlocutor’s mind. In Enoch’s case, it felt as if the drone wanted to be followed. The sentiment spiced with a hint a concern.

Enoch said out loud, they could hear, “Thank you, drone. Great offer but I already know my way to the Hive.”

The drone stayed silent, circled by an excited Choo.

Enoch continued, “Could you, instead, lead me to the higher level? I kind of fell down a bit too deep.”

The drone’s eye lit up, bright pink. The hint of acknowledgement manifested, followed by a muted buzz as the creature hobbled away, radiating determination.

***

The caravan was still at the hairless lemurs’ fortress, waiting for Enoch’s map. The drone had left him long ago. Narrow tunnels, completely empty, and clean, had brought them back to the bridge’s level in good time. Desire for good luck washed over Enoch, then the drone went back to its depths.

No sign of the player killers.

There was, however, signs of a fight. The Blink Sword’s Spell easily breached the defensive perimeter of the caravan. Worth it just to see the face of the major as Enoch and his Golem Core materialized by her side in a cloud of pink pixels.

She smashed the wooden table in front of her in frustration, but managed, blessedly, to give a contrived smile to the useful Outsider.

“Interesting entrance,” said the major.

“Beats trying to talk to the sentry without getting shot.”

“Just send your core as a decoy like you always do,” said the major.

“It’s true. You always send me first,” said Choo.

“Thanks major,” said Enoch, “I think I’ll go talk to your soldiers about all your wonderful tactics. If that’s ok with you.”

“No time, Outsider.” We’re getting pummeled by the mutants. I think we’ll have to get out of here as soon as possible.”

She pointed at a weird assemblage of broken pottery, forming an outline in front of her, “they came from the same tunnel that we used to attack. Thankfully, they don’t seem to have any of these wonderful commando dolls. They’ve opted for a less subtle approach, waves after waves of heavies.”

On cue, something oversized hit something somewhere in the fortress. The whole structure shook.

Enoch dashed to the outer wall, pushed a startled Andrej out of the way and looked out of the arrowslit.

Rhinos, bulls, elephants. All deformed by mutations, barely fitting in the cavern. A lot of them dead, pulverized to the side by their comrades. Those still alive taking turns pummeling the wall. As Enoch watched, a centaur ogre hit the fortress with his shoulder, collapsing a decent part of the wall.

“It’s time for the scroll Andrej.”

“No, it could be worst.”

Enoch looked at the retired adventurer with a sceptical look. Andrej deflated. Extended a hand. Two dolls brought him a leather scroll case.

Andrej said, “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Do you know what it’s worth?”

“Less than our lives.”

“You would have made a terrible adventurer, Outsider.”

Chain of animated flames came out of the scroll. They flailed about, looped around legs, seared the nearby wall. Lost in his trance, Andrej rose above the floor, lifted by the magical appendages. The rhino appeared outside the fortress, directly in the enemies’ ranks, terrifyingly large, red, solid, burning. The old mayor screamed in pain. Then rest of the defenders joined him, cooked by the intense heat coming through the arrowslits.

Outside, organic matter cremated, inorganic matter melted. The loud cries of the Magma Rhino drowned the mutant’s bellows.