Oh yes. After that was my second trip to the Martial Tribe of Besti.

I’m not sure I would ever be able to forget it, especially when I saw her there.

Excerpt from my Journal

------

It was easier than I expected to make our way out of Vir. Sam packed up a few things from her house, grabbed David Junior, and notified the adventurer’s guild that she was going off exploring with her “grandson.”

However, the difficulties came once we actually started traveling.

She’s so slooooooow. I mentally griped.

Not that she would be slow compared to any hiker back on Earth, of course. I was just used to running around everywhere, not sleeping, and avoiding any distractions.

Meanwhile, Sam flatly refused to run unless we got into combat.

“When you get to my age, you’ll understand,” she said one day as we were walking. Then after a moment’s hesitation, she continued. “Actually, I guess you won’t. I forgot that you don’t have that problem.” She chuckled. “That must be nice.”

“It is,” I nodded. “Until you stay the same age while all your friends get old and die around you.”

She froze, and I walked two more steps before turning and facing her.

“Yeesh. I never thought of it like that,” Sam said with a frown. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t reply for a few seconds.

“Yeah, never better,” I finally lied. “Let’s just keep moving.”

I turned to keep walking, but she grabbed my hand. “BS,” she said. “I don’t buy it. I would be a mess if I was in your shoes.”

“Gee, thanks,” I muttered.

She frowned. “Well, you mentioned that you’re trying to learn magic, so why don’t we practice a bit to take your mind off it?”

I only thought it over for a moment. “Sure, why not.”

So, we practiced magic as we went. Sam could only use elemental magic because of her class, but there were enough oddities that it was a worthwhile use of our time.

“Let me see it again,” I asked.

“Okay,” she paused for a moment. “[Fire Bolt].”

As the fire spell flew off into the distance, I had only a few moments to observe its structure.

It seems like her magic’s packed way tighter than mine. Is that just because she has levels in [Ignis]? However, that wasn’t the only thing I noticed. “Wait. Could you try casting it long-form?”

“Long-form?” she asked quizzically. “Oh, you mean without [Quick Cast]? I guess I wouldn’t mind… if I can even remember the words.”

I stared at her straight-faced delivery for a moment before she broke up laughing.

“You didn’t seriously think I forgot the words to that spell, did you?” she finally asked.

“Well,” I replied. “You are really old.”

“Fire strike my foes. [Fire Bolt],” she cast directly into my face. “I prefer the term experienced,” she said with another chuckle as I sputtered at the flames.

However, that up-close look at the spell may have been just what I needed.

[Quick Cast] changes the spell’s structure. I realized. “Show me again, both ways.”

So, through a lot of perseverance, a medium amount of pestering Sam to waste her mana bar, and a bit of luck, I eventually managed to do it.

“[Fire Bolt],” I cast. No chant, and yet the bolt of fire flew off.

“Yes!” I shouted and hi-fived Sam.

“Nice!” she replied. “How much did it cost to do that?”

And that’s when we learned the drawback of attempting [Quick Cast] without the skill… the mana cost was approximately quintupled.

25 mana for me to cast a dinky [Fire Bolt] that only did 10 points worth of fire damage.

That was a pretty big downer. However, Sam was willing to help me learn how to do the same for the other bolt spells because we both figured it would be pretty good practice.

Other than that, we didn’t do too much on our long trek. We blew through monster encounters, talked a lot, and I tried to tamp down on my irritation that we had to stop for her stupid basic human needs like food and sleep.

Crossing the river into the deathlands was also a lot easier than I expected. With the [Necromancer] and most of the undead obelisks taken care of, there was a lot less hesitancy to go back over there and explore. So, with a flash of Sam’s guild card, we hired a boat and were ferried across.

I could have just swam across like I had done multiple times before, but I didn’t see much purpose in needlessly splitting our two-person party.

So, for a rare change, I was dry when we reached that shore.

The deathlands were even more of a joke when it came to encounters than Vir was. We scarcely ran into anything even with my [Monster Magnet] boosted rates. And the few zombies that we did run into turned into games of target practice for our spells.

I also got to doff my disguise and return to my natural hairstyle with no contacts. After being stuck pretending to be someone else for so long, it was kind of a relief. So, the deathlands were nice for me in more ways than one.

However, I can’t help but think that the deathlands took their toll on Sam. She seemed more sluggish day by day, and one cold winter morning, I even had problems waking her up.

Despite her protests that she was fine, I tried [Restore] on her anyway. It didn’t do a thing, and that’s when it finally clicked.

Old age. She’s dying too. I didn’t want to think about it, but you can only ignore the reality staring in your face for so long.

“Maybe we should head to Dryadal first,” I finally said one day. “I could drop you off with your grandkids and make the rest of my way there alone.”

“We’re more than halfway there,” she said resolutely. “I want to meet what’s left of the Besti people.” She gave me a lopsided grin. “I never did get to visit them before the fall.”

Through sheer stubbornness, we made it out of the deathlands and crossed the river. However, I did have to do all the work to swim us across.

From there, Sam started improving again, so I wondered if it was just some latent death magic in that area that was affecting her.

I was sure that we would make it with no problems from there.

I forgot how harsh the desert could be for someone who doesn’t have [Fire Immunity].

Sam once again seemed to fade before my eyes. Until…

“Come on, Sam,” I nudged her awake one morning. “It’s just a bit farther.”

“I’m sorry, Titus,” she said with a cough. “I don’t know how much farther I can go.”

I debated what to do for all of a second before I scooped her up and put her on my back.

“I’ll get you there no matter what,” I said. “It’s my fault for dragging you out here.”

“Not your fault.” She coughed again. “My time’s just getting close. It would have happened whether you were here or not.”

I carried Sam and David Junior across the desert. Meanwhile, I also sent [Messages] to Lily Besti to figure out where they were.

Fortunately, she trusted me enough to tell me the tribe’s location. Even more fortunately, the entire tribe was staying at the Oasis for the foreseeable future, so I knew exactly where to go.

The only downside of that was that I wouldn’t get to use an obelisk. However, given my worries that I would see yet another friend die in front of me, getting help for Sam was more important anyway.

“It’s just over these dunes, Sam,” I said.

She didn’t reply.

However, as I trudged up, we heard a clear female voice.

“4th kata!”

Sam’s cat ears perked up for a moment as the woman was answered with hundreds of people shouting in unison.

We crested the top of the dune, and it looked like the entire tribe was out and exercising. They were all in uniform rows, performing punches and kicks in unison while facing a woman who had her back to us.

“Look at this, Sam!” I nudged her.

She groaned but didn’t even lift her head from where it was resting on my back… until the voice came again.

“5th kata!”

Sam’s head shot up.

“No way,” she said.

She immediately zeroed in on the woman standing in front.

Then, before I even realized it, she slipped out of my piggy-back carry and was sprinting down the hill.

I was so stunned that it took me a few moments to begin chasing after her.

Meanwhile, our not-so-subtle entrance attracted a few stares from the martial artists. Several of them stopped mid-form with confused looks on their faces.

“What are you all looking at?” the woman asked furiously as she turned in our direction.

“Lindsey!” Sam shouted as she leaped at the woman to hug her.

Which is how she ended up flipped over midair and then slammed into the ground with Lindsey’s fist cocked and ready to hit her in the face.

Sam coughed. “I forgot… you don’t like hugs in public.”

“Sam!?” Lindsey replied as she helped the [Sorcerer] to her feet. “I thought I would never see you again!” She shook her and almost looked like she was going to go in for a hug herself.

Then, as if Lindsey remembered where she was, she coughed and immediately seemed 100% professional. “[Martial Elder] Reed, take over today’s training. We have some important guests, and I will personally receive them in my tent.”

“Understood, [Grand Martial Elder]!” a man shouted.

“You two, please follow me,” Lindsey said as she strode briskly away.

Sam and I looked at each other, shrugged, and then followed.

Lindsey’s tent turned out to be pretty easy to spot. Just look for the largest one and one of the few that had two guards stationed outside the doors.

“[Grand Martial Elder]!” one of the guards said as they both put their fists together and gave a deep bow.

Lindsey returned the gesture with only a slight nod of her head. “You are relieved,” she said.

We walked into her tent, and Lindsey waited a few moments. Then, once the sounds of the guards had faded away, she immediately put Sam in a bone-crushing hug.

“I missed you so much!” Lindsey exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Sam was unable to retaliate. She could only put one shaky hand up into the air in surrender. “Can’t… breathe. Taking… damage,” she sputtered out.

“Oh, sorry!” Lindsey said as she let go. Then, as if she finally noticed me, she turned and gave me a slight Besti bow. “And you must be the new [Demon Lord]. My granddaughter informed me of your help defending our Oasis from the [Necromancer]. You have our people’s gratitude.”

“Wait,” I replied. “Lilly Besti is your granddaughter?”

Lindsey gave a brief nod. “Indeed.” She sat down on the floor and poured some tea. “Please, join me.”

We both sat down across from her.

Meanwhile, Sam was muttering to herself. “Besti. Besti?” Sam asked. “But wait… That means…” Sam gasped. “Lindsey, you married a [Prince]!?”

Lindsey smiled. “Indeed I did. [Prince] Joel Besti and I were both among the beastborn who escaped eastward from the undead.” She lowered her voice secretly. “I must admit, I found myself smitten by him immediately. It is a good thing my fighting made me noticeable, or I would never have gotten his attention, mute as I was.”

I nodded along. “That does explain why I couldn’t send you a [Message] then,” I said. “I guess changing last names is all it takes to stop that spell.”

“Yeah, and give me a load of grief!” Sam said as she smacked me. “Making me think my best friend had died off on me!”

Lindsey raised an eyebrow. “I have never met you before today. How would you send me a [Message]?”

Sam gave her a quizzical look in return.

Meanwhile, I processed what she said a bit faster.

Wait. The reason why I got such a warm reception…

“Why wouldn’t he be able to?” Sam asked.

“Wait, Sam-“ I tried to interrupt.

“He’s still the same Titus after all,” she finished.

Lindsey’s cup splattered to the floor as we both quickly got to our feet.

“You are responsible for the death and suffering of countless of my people,” Lindsey snarled. “Give me one good reason why I should let you walk out of here alive.”

Sam also got up to her feet with a worried look. “Please don’t fight! He’s trying to-“

“I can give you several reasons,” I stated as I held up my hands placatingly. “First, you wouldn’t like the cost of taking me down. Second, I’m trying my best to fix what I’ve done with time magic. Third…” I paused for a moment. “I think I could be helpful for your people. You’re basically all [Monks] or [Martial Artists], right?”

“That is correct,” she eyed me suspiciously. “What could you possibly offer us?”

“Well, as a fellow fist-fighter, I am well aware of the disadvantages of not using a weapon. What if I could offer you ranged attacks? And… something to deal with scorpions?”

Lindsey scoffed. “If there were ranged attacks available to any of our classes, I would have already found them.”

I shook my head. “Nope. You wouldn’t have. You would need someone to teach you.” I held out a hand to the ground. “[Air Bolt]!” I cast the chantless version, winced a bit at the increased mana cost, and then followed it up with another spell. “[Summon Dave]!”

As the slime blob flopped to the ground, I continued. “Fortunately, I’m a [Spell Tutor].”

System: Spell Tutor subclass has been set

Lindsey’s stance softened a bit. “Very well. Teach [Air Bolt] to me, then.”

I was glad that she was no longer planning on immediately pounding my face into the dirt, but I did have one small problem.

How the frick do I use this subclass? I thought frantically as I flipped open my status and looked to see if it gave me a new skill or spell. Ah! There it is, [Teach Spell]! Pretty on the nose, but I was grateful for that. Once again, cursing [Memory Protection] for not letting my conscious mind know how it was activated, I tried to just do what felt right.

“Air, blast my foes. [Air Bolt],” I cast into the ground at my feet. Lindsey and I looked at each other. “Did… it work?”

“I do not seem to know the spell,” Lindsey stated dryly.

“That’s because you need to go to the obelisk,” Sam piped up. “Remember, like when Tim picked up [Message] way back in the day?”

Lindsey scowled. “I am not letting Titus leave my sight.”

“Then, how am I supposed to prove that it worked?” I asked.

“I could go grab someone, and you could teach them instead?” Sam offered.

“Do it,” Lindsey and I said in unison as we continued our stare down.

Sam hurried off, which almost made me wonder if she had been faking her infirmity just so I would carry her around instead.

Fortunately, she made it back with someone soon. I gave a repeat performance of the skill and spell, and the [Monk] ran to the obelisk and back.

I was relieved when we got the good news.

“Air, blast my foes. [Air Bolt]!” the [Monk] cast. The bolt of air drilled into the sand near my feet.

“Very good. That is all,” Lindsey said with a slight nod. The man gave a bow and then backed out of the tent. She turned back to me. “I suppose I would be willing to forgive you if you taught my people that spell.”

I nodded. “Sure. So, how many people do I need to teach?”

She grinned. “All of them.”

I couldn’t help my mouth dropping open.

“Isn’t that a bit much, Lindsey?” Sam asked.

She shrugged. “If you think so, then I suppose you are free to help him.”

“Hmm,” Sam replied. “I guess I never did pick a subclass… Alright! I’ll help teach too!”

I had my first set of students within a few minutes.

----

Even with Sam’s help, project “teach all of Besti spells” was quite an undertaking. However, it was definitely in the realm of doable, unlike if I had been given the same mandate for the entire population of Vir.

I didn’t get to do much beyond cast [Air Bolt] for the first week or so. Whenever I ran out of mana, I was handcuffed and led back to a tent where I was kept under guard.

I debated escaping, which honestly wouldn’t have been too difficult. However, the real thing that bound me there wasn’t the shoddy irons they clapped onto me. It was the feeling of guilt.

Just a week, and I have taught about a tenth of them [Air Bolt]. Despite being a prisoner, I heard them talking. They lost so many people…

I also wasn’t sure why Lindsey was so frantic to get everyone taught that spell. She had people taking lessons from me even at all hours of the night.

I learned the reason on the 8th night.

A horn blew, and I heard a shout. “Monsters incoming!”

“Finally,” I grumbled. “Something to break up the boredom.”

I looked back and forth between my set of 8 guards.

“Well?” I asked. “Aren’t we going to help?”

One of them shook his head. “Our orders are to watch you, even under threat of attack.”

I shrugged. “Well, in that case…”

I snapped the restraints, [Flash Stepped] past the stunned guards, and sprinted towards the alarm.

“The [Demon Lord] has escaped!” one of the guards shouted.

I spared a brief look behind me, but there was, of course, no way they were catching me.

I caught sight of the incoming monster attack when I made it to the top of the hill.

The number of monsters was staggering.

I was also appalled by the lack of order in the defenders. They were spread out and looked like they were getting ready for a free-for-all.

They can never use [Air Bolt] in that mess without hitting friendlies.

“[Form Army]!” I shouted.

System: Choose army name

“Anyone with [Air Bolt], on me!” I shouted.

System: Anyone with Air Bolt army has been created for the Demon Lord Faction

I gave a slight shake of my head. I… guess that works.

I must have sounded commanding enough because I had a few people join before they realized who exactly had given the order.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Lindsey strode over to me.

“Cleaning up your mess of a battle line,” I snarled back. “You’ve got ranged attacks now, so you’ve got to use them.”

I would have had no chance if an out of breath Sam hadn’t shown up right then.

“Give him… a shot!” Sam said. “He’s a [General]. He… can… do it.”

Lindsey debated for half a second before shouting. “Everyone with [Air Bolt], you’re under Titus’ command!” She turned back to me. “Any of their deaths are on your head, do you hear me?”

I didn’t hear her. I was busy sprinting over to my army and looking at the approaching horde of sand wolves and giant scorpions.

If I had been back on Earth, I would have never had time to apply my plan. Fortunately for me, skills exist.

“[Rapid Formation Change]!” I shouted.

I caught a few looks of surprise as my newly recruited soldiers suddenly moved simultaneously. They all maneuvered to the left side of Lindsey’s mass of troops into the exact setup I wanted… 4 simple rows with a bit of extra space in between each person.

“First rank, ready [Air Bolt]!” I commanded. I waited a few seconds as I watched the approaching horde. “Fire!”

Given that Placeholder hadn’t exactly had firearms, I’m lucky that they were able to piece that together from context clues. Despite the ambiguity of my command, a barrage of bolts flew towards the enemy.

It didn’t exactly go how I wanted, either. I saw more than a few bolts hitting each other in midair and rendering each other useless. To make matters worse, there were almost no casualties. As one, the wolves dodged the attack by melding into the sand. The scorpions also burrowed down and vanished.

“First rank, drop to a knee!” I shouted. “Second rank, ready [Air Bolt], and aim directly in front of you, dang it!”

Every ability in this world has limitations. If the wolves could travel the entire time as sand, they would have. So…

The wolves began popping back up.

“Second rank, fire!” I shouted.

That time, it was a massacre. Wolf after wolf exploded, but I didn’t stop there.

“Drop to a knee! Third rank, fire!”

I quickly found there was a brief cooldown window where the wolves couldn’t reuse their ability. I was able to get salvos from 3 full ranks before they would dive back into the sand.

So, I kept up the fire with my magical version of a musketeer army until the wolves were nearly upon us.

“Hold!” I shouted. I judged the distance and then called it. “Fire!” That forced the wolves back into the sand once more. “[Rapid Formation Change]!” I yelled as I spread my troops out more and sprinted to their front. “Charge!”

The wolves popped back out and into the waiting fists of our [Monk] charge.

“Second rank, watch the first rank’s backs! Fourth rank, same for third!” I shouted as I dusted another sand wolf with an [Air Strike] punch.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t only my portion of the gathered army that was doing work. I spared a glance over and watched Sam obliterate two swathes of wolves with a [Dual Casted] [Air Cutter]. I also got to see Lindsey smash through the wave like a one-woman tornado.

Wait. Was that a [Flash Step]? I asked myself as I saw her use the familiar blink skill. I shook my head and killed another enemy. Focus. You can ask her later.

Things were going too well, which turned to a feeling of foreboding moments before the next part of the attack struck.

“Scorpions!” came the cry as the giant monsters finally surfaced inside our battle lines.

Guess those were able to tunnel the entire way. Fortunately, the sand wolves had been devastated, and we now outnumbered them.

“Low-level fighters fall back and support at range!” I shouted. I didn’t have much hope for them if they couldn’t hit something that size without friendly fire. “High-level fighters, stay and draw their attacks!”

For the scorpion that had the misfortune of unburrowing near me, I simply summoned a dave and tossed it on its face. I had regenerated enough mana during my waiting to be able to do that much.

However, the retreat was not going as well as I had hoped.

“Help! I can’t move!” came a cry near me.

I sprinted in that direction and [Flash Stepped] just in time to bat the stinger away from piercing the [Monk] a second time. I then [Air Strike] kicked the scorpion to get some space.

I need to get him out of here… A part of me immediately went to [Air Striking] him as well, but I had no idea what amount of HP I was working with. So, I went with the alternative. I grabbed the man by the arms, spun around in a circle, and hammer tossed him.

Even I was stunned by the distance he covered, but I recovered quickly and shouted after, “Get him out of here!”

From there, I laid the beatdown on the scorpion with [Earth Strikes] until it was dead.

After that, it seemed like one crisis after another.

A stunned fighter here, a downed [Monk] there (which I fixed by gritting my teeth and casting [Heal]), and I eventually called off the [Air Bolt] support as the panicked shots from the lowbies[1] seemed to be hitting more friendlies than enemies (lowering my valuation of them more than I thought possible).

However, we eventually did it.

I collapsed to the ground, mentally exhausted more than physically. Did we lose anyone? I don’t think so, but it’s so hard to tell in this clusterfrick. I snorted. Clusterfrick. Gee. Thanks, System. Couldn’t give me even one swear?

“Laying down on the job?” Lindsey asked as she loomed over me.

Oh, frick! I shot up. “No, uhh. Just taking a break. Getting some mana back. You know, in case anyone needs some healing or something.”

Lindsey held up a hand to stop me. “If there was ever a time for you to betray me again, that was it,” Lindsey said. “So, I suppose you have earned back a portion of my trust, Titus.” She turned to address the people. “Given his valiant efforts for the defense of our people, the [Demon Lord’s] status as prisoner shall be revoked. He shall be free to come and go as he wishes.”

She gave me a slight bow, and everyone gathered gave a deep one.

I stood there awkwardly for a moment before deciding to return the gesture.

“I do hope that you will stay for a while, Titus,” Lindsey said. “The spells that you’ve helped teach turned the tide today, and I wish to offer you what repayment we can.”

“Uhh, sure?” I said. “I guess I’m not in too big of a hurry.”

“Good,” she said with a wide grin.

There was a part of me that already regretted my answer.

-----

“Your footwork is like that of a baby giraffe that was given gin instead of mother’s milk,” Lindsey stated flatly.

“Hey! It’s not that bad!” I said defensively.

Then, I thought I saw an opening, so I went for a straight jab.

She grabbed my arm, and I was slammed into the ground before I knew what had happened.

“And your strikes are as slow as a tortoise with training weights.” She paused as if she was weighing her thoughts. “Actually, a tortoise would not telegraph its moves as much as you.”

“I think I liked you better when you didn’t talk,” I grumbled under my breath.

“Well, it is fortunate for you that I have found my voice since we last met,” she replied with a hint of humor. “Otherwise, you would not be in the position to receive such fantastic, personalized instruction.”

She let me up, and soon we were circling each other again.

“It’s not my fault that basically all I’ve fought are monsters,” I complained. “The only PvP I’ve done is against… well… you and the rest of the party.”

“And I do not understand how someone so poorly trained nearly beat us,” she said as we continued circling.

“Daves mostly,” I replied as I went for a kick.

Her arm lashed out with a forearm block, and then she hit me in the stomach with a palm strike that sent me back onto the ground.

“You do not seem to be learning much, so let’s mix things up a bit,” she said as she helped me to my feet. “So, I will attack, and you will defend.”

I blocked the following punches she sent my way with my forearms. I even managed not to fall for her feints as she prepared a kick.

However, crossing my arms in front of my chest to block her kick met with an unwelcome surprise.

“Frick,” I grunted as I took damage and slid back a bit in the sand.

“Wrong,” she stated flatly.

“And how is that block wrong?” I asked.

“I will show you. Strike at me the same way.”

“Okay,” I grunted as I began to do just that.

“Every. Block. Must be. A strike,” she stated as she punctuated each sentence with a forearm block of my jabs.

I performed the same kick that she damaged me with, and she met it with a punch of all things.

However, she didn’t take damage, and instead, I nearly stumbled and fell over.

“Force must be met with force.,” she continued her lecture. “That was true back on Earth, but it is doubly so in Placeholder. If you wish to be safe from an attack, the surest way to do that is to meet it with your own.”

“Thanks for the tip,” I grumbled. “But why are you wasting time teaching me?”

She began circling me, and I warily responded in kind. “If you are truly going to try to master time magic, and the entire world calls it taboo, you are going to need to be able to defend yourself. You cannot save my people if you are dead.” She grinned. “Which is also why we are going to step our training up a notch.”

She [Flash Stepped] behind me and swept my legs out from under me.

I looked up at the fist that was cocked and ready to hit my face.

“If you have time to gawk like that, you have time to [Flash Step] out of the way,” she stated. “Again.”

I stood back up warily. “How did you get [Flash Step] and [Elemental Strike] anyway?” I asked. “Weren’t you a [Knight] and then a [Defender] or something?”

“When the circumstances are dire enough, and an individual is motivated enough, the System allows for class changes,” she said as she threw some light blows my way. “I could not defend the remnants of Besti as I was. So, I threw the skills I had developed for those years away and became what I should have been all along.”

However, her [Flash Step] was back up, and I was too slow yet again. I found myself staring up at the sky a second time.

Wait a second... “That [Flash Step]… that wasn’t 30 seconds. And that was farther than I can go!” I staggered back up to my feet.

She laughed. “Titus, I have been a martial artist for decades.”

Impossibly, she reappeared right in front of me again. She gave me an [Air Strike] uppercut, and I was as shocked by losing about a fifth of my health as I was that I was launched dozens of feet into the air.

I splatted into the ground facedown.

She walked over to me and whispered into my ear. “Let’s just say there is a reason I no longer do training along with the others.”

As she walked away, I couldn’t help but guess at the meaning of that.

She doesn’t need to train anymore… because she’s maxed all of the skills. [Martial Arts], level 10. [Elemental Strike], level 10. Even [Flash Step]. I shuddered. I’m just glad I don’t have to fight her for real.

I realized there was a growing list of people I didn’t want to have to fight. Lindsey, Gertrude, Jake, if I hadn’t killed him. Sarah with her heals. Heck, even Sam could probably get me pretty good with her [Elemental Echo]. I frowned as I realized a certain commonality with all the living members of that list. “Why are all the women I know so scary?”

-----

I stayed almost an entire year with the Martial Tribe of Besti. Much of it went pretty much the same. Teach people spells, get my butt kicked by Lindsey, and learn a bit about how their tribe was set up.

As for those spells, I eventually got to teach something besides [Air Bolt]. Once everyone had it, [Monks] with unused spell points clamored to learn more.

[Summon Dave], [Heal], and [Message] were all big hits. [Restore], [Ice Bolt], and [Earth Bolt] were all decently sought after too.

For some reason, no one in that scorching desert was interested in [Fire Bolt] or [Hell Blaze]. Weird.

Even Lindsey and her family wanted to learn [Message], which led to something unexpected.

It was one evening while Sam, Lindsey, and all her extended family were eating dinner (which included her son, the [King] of Besti, his wife, the [Queen] of Besti, and all her grandchildren who were [Princes] and [Princesses]. Lindsey’s husband had passed away some years ago). Oh, and I was invited too. To… watch them eat?

Either way, we were seated on the floor to eat (Lindsey may have inadvertently leaked a bit of Japanese culture from anime into her people’s daily lives) when I had the shock of my life.

------

“[Message] Titus,” Lilly cast. “Hello, Titus.”

“I’ve told you. It won’t work,” I replied.

“There must be a way. [Message] Titus None,” Lilly tried again. “Hello.”

“My apologies for my grandchild,” Lindsey said. “She can be pretty stubborn when she wants to be.”

I just sighed.

“[Message] Titus Blank, greetings,” Lilly tried again. “[Message] Titus Nothing. Salutations.”

“Have you tried Null[2]?” I snarked.

“[Message] Titus Null. Thank you for joining us for dinner,” she gasped as the words appeared in my vision.

Lilly Besti: Thank you for joining us for dinner

“It worked!” she exclaimed.

Meanwhile, I was in shock. After a second, I shot up to my feet.

“All of you, swear to me you will keep this a secret,” I stated urgently.

“What’s the big deal?” Sam asked. “So people can [Message] you. So what?”

I shook my head emphatically. “No. You don’t understand. [Scry], and who knows what else, also use someone’s name. If people can find me that easily, I’ll never be safe again. It’s like… Knowing my True Name[3] or some BS,” I finished urgently.

“Very well, Titus,” Lindsey said as she rose. “We shall keep this a secret. However, I have one stipulation.”

“Name it,” I said. I probably shouldn’t have felt so distraught, but I felt like I was standing there naked before the universe.

“We shall pass your name down among the Royalty of Besti,” she said. “And if we call for your aid for whatever reason, you shall answer us.”

“Deal,” I replied instantly. I went to shake her hand, but apparently, she wanted to do a bit more than that.

“I solemnly swear by the System that your true name shall be kept secret only to those present here and to the royalty of Besti,” Lindsey said solemnly.

She gave me an expectant look.

“Oh… Uhh… I solemnly swear by the System that I will come to the aid of Besti should they… ever ask for it,” I finished somewhat lamely.

“Do all here agree to be bound by these oaths?” Lindsey asked.

“We agree,” everyone else said in unison.

“I… uhh.. agree,” I stated a second after.

“Then may the System bind us to our word,” Lindsey stated.

System: System-Bound oath set. Your oath: “I will come to the aid of Besti should they… ever ask for it”

System: Make sure to check out the Oaths tab!

Lovely a new tab of my status- I blinked in confusion for a moment as it flipped open. Right. Can’t think that word.

I opened the tab, and sure enough, my wonderfully worded oath stared back at me.

I sat back down, a bit concerned but also a bit relieved.

Everyone soon got back to eating, but I had another random thought that crossed my mind.

“Hey, Lindsey,” I started.

“Yes, Titus Null?” she asked.

I frowned but continued. “Is it okay if I claim the obelisk for a bit? I kinda forgot about it in all the chaos, but I’m sitting on a ton of perk points that I need to spend.”

Her eyes flashed momentarily, and the entire room stiffened. Then she sighed. “You have never claimed a town zone personally, have you?”

“Uh… No,” I replied. “I take it something bad happens?”

“When the [Demon Lord] claims a town zone, all the structures of the old faction are razed,” she stated. “Then, a group of monsters is spawned one time throughout the zone.” She took a deep breath. “Your monsters claiming this zone from us was a source of many casualties and was deeply traumatic for our people… I trust that you will never ask for that again?”

She didn’t need to tell me twice.

“No, of course not.” I paused. “Sorry.”

I had accidentally brought the mood down a lot, so I excused myself and headed out to the desert for a bit. I figured killing a few monsters would help clear my head.

----

When I made my way back to the Oasis early the following day, I was shocked to see the entire tribe gathered.

“What’s going on?” I asked a random guy at the back of the crowd.

“What’s going on? The coming of age ceremony, of course!” he responded. He gave me a weird look that quickly turned to panic and a deep bow. “My apologies, [Demon Lord] Titus! I didn’t realize it was you!”

“Uh, don’t worry about it,” I replied as I gave him a slight bow back. “So… coming of age ceremony?”

“Anyone who has reached 15 years of age and is going down the path of the [Monk] may take part,” he explained. “The [Martial Elder] who was in charge of their training swears them in, and they take on the class of [Martial Artist].”

Oh. So, this is their version of becoming an adventurer.

I was surprised by how many young people I could make out up in front of the ceremony.

“Does every 15-year-old do it?” I muttered.

He must have taken it as a question for him because he answered. “Well… most do. The few who don’t are usually expert craftsmen or otherwise gifted in non-combat classes.”

“Oh, huh,” I replied. “But why 15? Doesn’t that mean they get rapidly aged to 18?”

The man nodded sadly. “Yes, but it’s a harsh land we live in. 15 years is as long as we could let them be.” His smile reappeared. “But who knows? That might change now that we’ve reclaimed the Oasis!”

We stood and watched the ceremony for a bit as youth after youth was sworn in. I eventually had another question.

“What’s a [Martial Elder] anyway?” I asked. “What kind of class is it?”

The man frowned. “I don’t know much, but it is a special one. We have only 7, including the [Grand Martial Elder] herself.” He thought for a moment. “It seems to be focused on not just fighting, but also teaching how to fight. I also do not know of any [Martial Elder] that has another class.”

Hmm. So it’s a dual-slot class, kinda like Gertrude’s [Berserk Queen].

I watched as Lindsey began speaking to one of the soon-to-be [Martial Artists].

I watched for a bit, but I didn’t have the same emotional investment the others did. I eventually got bored and headed back out into the desert to do more hunting.

------

Despite the occasional large-scale monster attack, my time in the Oasis was a peaceful one.

It was also productive for my martial skills as I leveled [Martial Arts] to 8 and [Elemental Strike] to 7.

I didn’t get exact damage numbers, but I could tell the difference immediately. Namely that I could one-shot my poor daves with the initial hit from an [Air Strike] now instead of them surviving the initial impact and then dying to the landing.

Speaking of daves, they grew somewhat widespread in that tribe, and I was glad that other people realized their utility.

The funniest use of them was in sports, however.

Seeing a group of screaming kids kicking a dave around like a soccer ball was enough to make my week.

It also gave me the idea to introduce dodgedave. Similar to dodgeball, but with pacifistic slime monsters. You know, standard fantasy world stuff.

I was enjoying my time there. And who knows how long I would have stayed if not for a revelation I had on New Year’s Eve.

-----

“My people!” Lindsey shouted to a gathered crowd. “Tomorrow will begin the 73rd year since I was brought to this world-“

And I didn’t hear a single other word from her as my thoughts turned inward.

It’s already been that long? I thought as I looked around at the celebrating people but no longer really saw them.

My heart sank to my stomach, and I staggered a bit like I had been struck.

What am I doing? I’m on a time limit! And if I succeed, none of this will ever have happened. I pulled Megan’s necklace out of my shirt, where I had almost forgotten its weight. And I must succeed.

I was no longer in the mood to stick around the New Year’s celebration. I entered [Sneak] and headed back to my tent.

I grabbed the very few things I had left out and then paused.

I still had a bit of paper and ink, so I wrote Sam a note. It took a while to find exactly what to say, but once I had it settled, I sealed it, left it in her tent, and then opened the flap and prepared to leave for good.

“I thought this is where I’d find you,” Lindsey stood there, waiting for me. “Leaving without a word?”

“I left a note,” I said quietly.

“I do not believe you have paid off your debt,” Lindsey said. “We could still use your assistance fending off the monster attacks.” She tried to sound stern, but I could tell her heart wasn’t in it.

I shook my head softly. “You and I both know that’s not true. I barely had to lift a finger the past three attacks.” I looked her in the eye. “And the longer I stay here, the more likely some explorer comes along and learns you’ve been aiding and abetting the [Demon Lord]. The last thing your people need is for all the other nations to turn against them.”

“You are right,” she conceded. “But I do not wish for you to go. My people… and I… have grown fond of your presence.”

“You all had to know I was leaving eventually,” I replied.

“Yes,” Lindsey deflated slightly. However, it was quickly replaced with a sly look. “Very well, if a student of mine wishes to leave, they must first prove they are ready for the task before them.”

She sent me a duel request with the conditions being the first one to land a clean hit would win.

If she won, I would stay another year.

If I won, I would be able to leave with her blessing… and an unspecified prize.

I didn’t like my odds very much. We’d had similar duels in the past, and I had won, but only about 25% of the time.

“All right, bring it,” I stated as I accepted the duel.

[1] Lowbie – Similar term to “newbie” (AKA someone new at a game), but referencing their “low” level

[2] Null – In computer science, null is the value given when a variable has no value. To give an example from SQL, a true/false field actually has three different possible values. TRUE, FALSE, and NULL.

[3] True name – In several fantasy works, knowing of the true name of something (or someone) grants some type of power over it.