Frederick hissed in annoyance, the situation in the town called Biluxi had shifted rapidly. A large group of enchantment guild members had stepped out from the portal. Before Frederick could stop his men one group had attacked the envoy. That had not ended well for the local group. He had been forced to gather up his men and evacuate the town as quickly as possible. The guilds were far worse than the kingdom when it came to protecting their assets.

That left him with a problem. He could try and find a temporary place to hold up until he was sure he knew all of this Paul's skills or just attack. Having forty remaining men he decided on the latter.

***

I stood at the top of the wall, watching the large group of men approach in the distance. A few of the town guards left to report to Constable Jenning. The secret was out and worried townsfolk had gathered. Some had weapons but most did not. It was like they thought it was a normal day from before the System.

I could only shake my head in frustration. I knew from what Martin told me that most of the people that had helped oust the cartels were now dead. The Banshee had gone after people with higher levels first. Few of them had been able to get to safety in time. Honestly, the town was in desperate need of defenders.

"Paul!" he heard the Constable yell shrilly.

He turned to see the woman stomping toward him and sighed, not bothering to hide his irritation. "What can I help you with Jenning?"

"Wha-," she started to say, her face turning an unhealthy shade of red, "you know what." She pointed angrily toward the hostile force approaching. "This is your problem, get out there and deal with it, or don't bother coming back."

I snorted, I couldn't help it. It only made her angrier and I could see the vein pulse angrily on her head. She reached for her sword and my face became a mask of rage.

"Pull that weapon and I will not hold back... I put up with your bullshit because I admire your brother."

"Come on you two, do we need to do this now," Martin added.

"Yes, Martin, it does. Your sister has a stick so far up her ass that she can't see the truth of the situation. If I have to beat it into her I will."

I never took my eyes off his sister, watching her take a step back. Despite her unadulterated hatred for outsiders, she wasn't stupid.

"Now... you have a choice here Sally," I said flatly, dropping her title, "You can hide behind your wall and hope that they leave once they finish with me or you can gather the townsfolk and assist."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say. The woman ground her teeth.

"No... you can deal with your own problem. Either way, my problem will go away."

The woman turned and stormed off, ordering nobody to attack the outsiders.

I turned to Martin, "Sorry I put you in that situation."

"Nah man, I'm sorry. I thought she would get better, but she is only getting more stubborn since she became the Constable. I may leave, assuming we survive the fight."

"I know you want to help me but you should remain here to protect the civilians."

I had to hold my hand up to stop his argument. "One more person isn't going to make a difference. Plus, if I know the city has you defending it I have one less thing to worry about."

I got him to reluctantly agree. I hadn't lied to him, one man no matter how strong wouldn't help against forty armed men. I sighed and jumped from the wall, using my wings to slow my descent.

"Show off," I heard Martin call.

I started walking toward the group. They had stopped well clear of the city, waiting. I took my time, letting my skill recharge. I swept my gaze across each man. I was still too far away to use Identify on them but that was fine. I saw more than a few swords, axes, and maces. A few even had shields or spears.

I saw the man I was looking for in the back center, of course. He was surrounded by four individuals, one I recognized.

"That's far enough," the man in the center said.

I stopped, not because he asked but because I needed another minute to finish recharging my skill.

"I must admit, I didn't expect you to come out here."

The Psion glanced about as if looking for the others that should be with me.

"Hmm, it seems that you're friends have abandoned you. How about you just return my property and join me. I could use another capable man like you."

"I don't work with people that treat others like property."

"I thought as much from your previous actions. It's a pity and a waste."

"Where is my other friend?" I asked.

"Your little ghost girl, she's here but she won't be an issue."

"If you harmed her..."

"Oh please, spare me your threats. I didn't harm your precious friend, I only trapped her. Not that it will do you any good to know," he said, holding up a little gem and giving it a shake.

"Release her."

The man laughed, "and why would I do that? As fun as bantering with you is, I have business to complete. Bow!"

With that last word, I felt my mind go numb. It felt like a ton of weight had been stacked on my thoughts. The effect was significantly more pronounced than it had been against the doppelganger. I struggled against the man's mental manipulations but I could barely function.

"It would be so much easier if you just submit."

I felt the words pound against my will, I grit my teeth and took a step forward. I could hear the man tsk and send some of his men over to deal with me.

With the man imposing his mental powers on me I could barely function. Blood was dripping from my palms as I dug my fingernails into them to try and resist.

I collapsed to my knees as three sets of feet entered my vision.

"Well, well, well... I'm going to enjoy this immensely," the familiar voice of the guard said as he booted me in the chest.

My shield flared, catching the man off-guard. I couldn't respond as my teeth were clenched tight, trying to resist the mental pressure. This left most of my spells unavailable as I couldn't even silently mouth the words.

"Hooo boy, that's some fancy armor. I think I'll ask the boss for it after you're dead."

The other three laughed and I could hear other laughs as the rest of the enemy formed a circle to watch my beating.

"Submit and your pain will end," the Psion said, a fresh wave of pressure pressed down on my conscience.

If the man knew what I had gone through he would have simply killed me instead of trying to force me to join him. I would rather die than be a slave ever again.

The four men kicking me figured out the trick to my shield and started kicking me below the armor and in the head. I endured, blood dripping from my nose.

This had not been my first choice of a plan, my first plan had been to use my AOD shield and go to town on the Psion's men. But I figured that he would be able to bypass the shield with his mind powers. I also wasn't so sure I trusted my safety to the spell anymore. It had been broken or bypassed more than once. That left the only other option I could think of, while not a skill I initially wanted, it might prove to be my most useful skill in this situation.

As another kick came in, aimed at my family jewels, my vision went red. I felt the skill activate, a pulse of rage shot out, hitting all forty-one people near me. Time seemed to stop and the mental pressure that had felt like a mountain, now only felt like a tiny buzz in the back of my skull.

I rose slowly to my feet and looked around. Everything was frozen as if time had stopped. No, that wasn't true I realized, everything had just slowed to a crawl. I flicked my eyes over my stats.

Paul Fuller | Mantra Enchanter | Level 15

Strength: 13(+43) modifier x16

Endurance: 18(+41) modifier x34

Agility: 15(+43) modifier x16

Perception: 16(41) modifier x16

Intelligence: 20(+41) modifier x34

Wisdom: 14(+41) modifier x16

Charisma: 11(+41) modifier x16

Luck: 14(+41) modifier x16

HP: 612(2207)

Mana: 680(2074)

Mana Regen(M): 224(880)

I stared numbly at the stats, I guess I had figured there was a limit to what the aura could add. I guess I was wrong. It wasn't all great news, I felt awkward in the body and my head was starting to hurt from the strain of such a large boost.

I turned my head, seeing the guard who had tried to break into my room, he was still in mid-kick. I casually backhanded him across the face. His head jerked violently to the side as his body corkscrewed through the air and vanished deep into the swamp, dropping one bonus point from my stats.

I didn't waste any more time pondering my abilities. I pulled out my staff and fixed my gaze on the ringleader.

***

Frederick felt the wave of anger pass over him. He knew it was an ill omen, only once before had he felt an aura similar to it, and that had come from his father. By the time he realized this, the man was already on his feet, his second in command was dead and the man had turned to face him, weapon in hand and glowing with a crackling blue-white of lightning.

Frederick only had time to engage his telekinetic shield as a massive blow landed across the top. All of his psychic power went into maintaining the defense, he would have to rely on his men to subdue this lunatic.

***

I could hear nothing, blood dripped from my mouth as I gave a manic smile. My blow had caused a shockwave, leaving a vacuum in its wake. The air was sucked back in as the zone collapsed with me at the center. My Area of Denial shield prevented any harm, it was more than I could say for the enemy's men. They had all been laid out flat by the wave of displaced air. Three had died and I felt my stats slip some more.

The small decline in my ability actually helped. While it still felt like my body would explode at any moment, it didn't quite feel as imminent. I was surprised that the Psion's shield held. As I looked him in the eyes, I could see only fear. Blood now dripped from his nose as I pressed down. Cracks began to form as he struggled to hold the shield in place.

"I offered you a choice," I said through gritted teeth, "this is what you chose," I added with finality.

A few of his men tried attacking me, their attacks were ineffective against my barrier.

***

Frederick fought against the inevitable, watching his men struggle feebly against this monster of a man.

'This shouldn't be possible,' his mind feebly protested. This man had far too many powerful skills for his level. He had planned so carefully, recruited more than enough men to kill three people and capture a town. Had he not been forced to accelerate his plan perhaps he would have learned about this ability and planned around it. But still, just what kind of monsters did this planet birth?

Just as he was contemplating his inevitable defeat the man just disappeared. Frederick looked around frantically while gulping down a healing potion and a mana potion.

***

I lept into the air, using all of the enhanced strength and speed afforded to me by my rage spell. I flew so fast that I left the zone of the spell. A timer started ticking down, telling me the effects would wear off after ten seconds. That was plenty of time. I rose to well over a thousand feet, then I turned, activating Blink Step. My already tortured body groaned in protest, I felt ligaments and muscles snap under the strain as I hurtled toward the group of confused men, the wind compressed against my barrier as I streaked toward the ground. I healed the damage, smashing into the Psion just as he looked up in abject horror.

***

Martin had to avert his eyes as a lightning bolt of pure white smashed into the ground, sending bolts tearing across all of the gathered men. When his vision finally returned, he spotted Paul standing there, looking down on one lone survivor.

***

I'll be honest, I thought the attack would have instantly killed the leader, it had been enough to reduce his henchmen into scorched carbon. But he had somehow survived. Well, survival was relative. Half his body had been badly burned by my lightning, the other half was driven into the ground by the force of my attack. Already I could feel my enhanced strength leaving me as everyone that had given the boost had died. I used the toe of my boot to push the man over. He groaned in protest but he had given his all to save himself.

Before my strength left me and I suffered the consequences of my enhanced skills, I stabbed the man in the chest. Lightning coursed through his body as smoke poured out of his mouth.

I reached over and removed the little swirling grey gem from the man's wrist.

"Welcome back Fiona, don't worry, I'll figure out how to get you out," I said, turning toward the village.

I managed two steps before my body gave out and I collapsed to the ground. A smile spread across my lips as my consciousness faded, but not before I saw a message.

You have reached level 16, modifiers increased by 1, 2 free skill slots available

I woke up six hours later, my body was a mess.

At least Martin had been nice enough to bring me to my home and place me in the bed. It felt like every bone in my body was shattered, I realized that could very well be the case. I couldn't move my jaw or form coherent words, so healing myself was not an option. I had healing injectors in my ring but it wasn't on my hand. In fact, I wasn't wearing any clothing other than my boxers.

I tried turning my head but the pain was so intense I stopped.

I heard a rustle from the side, "Oh thank heavens you're awake. Try not to move man, your body is in rough shape."

I tried to mumble out the words for 'healing potion' to Martin.

"Sorry man, we tried using a healing potion, more than one in fact. But you're already at full health according to the system."

I groaned at this news, would I be a cripple the rest of my life?

"Relax, Paul, despite how bad it looks, your body is in much better shape than it was six hours ago. I think you just need some rest and time. How much, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure what you did to cause this damage. Don't worry about my sister either. She watched your little display and she realizes that antagonizing you would be a very bad thing. Don't expect her to be all warm and fuzzy though," he said with a chuckle.

"Anyway, the town can't thank you enough, that's two times you saved us, despite the hostility. I also recovered all of the dead men's gear, it's piled up in another room. Oh... and this," he said, bringing Fiona's cage close enough for me to see.

"I'm going to take it to the Bazaar and see if we can free her. While I'm gone a few of my new recruits will take care of you and keep my idiot sister away. Not that I expect her to try anything but best not to tempt fate. I'll be back in a few days, get better, man," he added, giving me a light shoulder tap, that unfortunately felt more like being punched by a professional boxer.

I sucked down the pained grunt until he left the room. After the door closed the pain and emotions I had bottled up for the past five months, boiled out. Unbidden tears slid down the sides of my face and into the pillow. Once the emotional dam, that I had set up during my stint as a slave broke, there was no stopping it. Even when Fiona had returned, during my time in the desert, I had been able to quash those emotions. At the time it was a reflex more than anything.

I let the tears fall, it felt good to finally feel something deeper than the shallow emotions I had been falling back on.

With nothing but time on my hands the dark thoughts came. I knew I failed my friends again. What did it matter if I saved some town in the middle of nowhere? I couldn't care less for the people of this town, Martin excluded. Perhaps if they had helped or even lifted a finger. No, even then, they were weak and pathetic, content to live out their lives with the bare minimum of effort. Perhaps before I had become a slave I would have thought differently but no more.

With the System, everyone was given a choice. I had seen too many choose the path of least resistance, looking for someone else to save or protect them. I know part of the town blamed me for their troubles. I also know that Sally fueled these feelings. She was the weakest one of all, despite her higher level. She could have turned this town into something great but instead, she squandered the opportunity, in exchange for perceived personal power.

I wouldn't even fault her for that except she squandered that as well, content to play her petty games of power and push everyone away while she was at it.

I had helped the people of this town as far as I was willing to, going as far as to give them enchanted weapons and locations to dungeons. Only a handful had accepted the offer and most of those had decided to move on from the town after.

I think once Fiona was free again it was time to leave Arman for greener pastures.

Martin was a good man and I knew he would go above and beyond to try and find a way to get Fiona free. But if he couldn't find a way to free Fiona... I'm not sure what I would do. I already failed her once I don't think I could stomach it a second time.

I needed to become stronger, make it so others would fear even thinking of harming those I cared for. First, I needed to get to level twenty and breakthrough this barrier to my ability points.