The pain from his wound hurt, but the threat of failure hurt more, forcing Alistair to move on. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around the gash in his side in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He was no medic by any means, but it was worth a shot.

He was heaving air after the fight with Kalak, and every muscle in his body screamed in exhaustion. Alistair was almost positive that Endurance would help with his stamina and help his wound recovery, but he wanted more of every stat, except Charisma and Wisdom, the purpose of which was uncertain to him.

Gunshots still rung out in the distance and alarms still blazed, but it seemed quieter than before. Maybe people were running out of bullets, or maybe they had discovered that in this new world, guns weren’t the apex anymore. Alistair shrugged as he walked toward the source of the noises a couple of blocks north. He might find more orcs there.

As he walked to the sound of the gunshots, the houses in the area loomed over him like specters of the dead. There were so many who perished, probably all over the world. If monsters like the orcs that had invaded his college town popped up all over the planet, there must have been billions dead. Likely more than the amount that was killed by the fire alien. It was a sober reminder that while the Pathfinder AI had given him power, it was a ruthless machine that caused the death of billions, perhaps even his own family or friends.

He stopped that idea as soon as it came. There was no time for extraneous thoughts. Still, he solemnly promised the deceased in those ransacked houses all around him he would try to stop any more bloodshed.

Alistair stopped for a second as he realized what lay ahead of him. He had walked further into the city than ever before, and the sight would have made him throw up just a day ago.

There were hundreds of dead bodies strewn about, both orc and human. They littered the street, which had cracked open just like the one near his house. For a second he wondered why so many people had left the shelter of their homes, but then he came to a sobering conclusion. They were probably just like him, not willing to kill their families just for a Quest, and tried their luck at the orcs, unsuccessfully.

He spotted two surviving grunt orcs on the road, each ravenously biting into a human body on the ground. Alistair had lost most of his squeamishness, but even he could barely look at them. Checking that the coast was clear, he dashed after them with superhuman speed. The two grunts didn’t stand a chance.

Alistair jumped into a side kick at the first orc, but he made sure to pull his blow, sending the orc flying, but still alive. With the other, he dashed around it and jumped on its back, applying a rear-naked choke as he had seen in fighting videos. After a few seconds, the orc dropped to the ground, unconscious.

The other orc got up and seemed furious its brethren were put down and came charging at Alistair, but he was ready, and as the orc tried to grab him with its meaty arms, he jumped over its head and applied the same maneuver he used before. He was far away from a martial arts expert, but with his far superior physical stats, fighting the grunt orcs was like toying with elementary schoolers.

Considering his 15 Constitution paled in comparison to his 22 Strength and 20 Agility, he probably should have been more careful, but who could blame him for having a bit of fun?

Alistair bent down and hoisted one of the orcs onto his back and shoulders and then knelt down carefully and tried picking up the other. He quickly realized the impossibility of getting the other one on his back holding the heft of the first. He had the capacity to carry both of them with his improved Strength, but there was just no way he could actually pick up the second orc. Sighing in defeat, he would just have to take two trips.

“What do you think you’re doing with those bodies?” a voice called out. Alistair turned around to see two people eyeing him suspiciously. One was a man who looked around forty years old with a long beard and beanie cap, and the other was a short, petite woman with glasses. Both were covered in blood, just like Alistair.

Name: Robert Oakland

Species: Human (Unevolved)

Level: 9

Name: Jules Verdant

Species: Human (Unevolved)

Level: 10

His [Inspect] gave him information on their names and levels. They were below him in level but combined they would be a threat. He stopped himself there. Was he already so cynical he imagined everyone as a potential enemy?

“I’m taking this unconscious orc back to some friends of mine to complete [The First Step],” he said, keeping his voice even and calm.

“That’s all?” Jules said. Alistair felt some hostility from her, but he didn’t understand why. Had these people had a bad interaction with strangers before?

“Yes, that’s all,” Alistair replied.

“It’s just you look similar to the guy we saw before, taking some bodies,” Robert said.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t been to this area before. You have the wrong guy. Shouldn’t you see that my name is different from that man with [Inspect]?”

“That would be fine if there wasn’t a necromancer who has a way of fooling [Inspect]. All we know about him is that he has black hair and has an average build and was caught stealing the bodies of the dead to make zombies. He’s killed at least twenty people in this area over the past two hours,” Jules said as she shot daggers at him.

“I’m very sorry to hear that.” Alistair honestly felt sympathy for these people. A guy going around killing people and raising their bodies as undead right out of a TV show sounded repulsive. “But I’m telling the truth. I’m not this necromancer you think I am. You can look at the orcs, they’re just unconscious. I’m trying to help some people complete the Quest without killing others.”

A lightbulb went off in Alistair’s brain as he realized he had a way to bolster his claims of innocence. It wasn’t like he wanted to do it, as it felt manipulative, but if it abated their concerns, he would do it.

A window popped up in front of Alistair, facing his two accusers. He concentrated to make it visible to them.

Badges:

“Premium Initiate” (Untiered Mythical Badge): The Final Frontier Empire welcomes your planet at the highest level of hospitality. All Stats +10%.

“Good Samaritan” (Tier 1 Uncommon Badge): Put your life on the line for a complete stranger against all odds. All Stats +3. Upgradeable (1/10).

Alistair was banking on them seeing his “Good Samaritan” Badge and trusting that he was a good person. When he perused the screen himself, he was a bit confused at the 1/10 for “Good Samaritan”. The more he thought about it, the more he started to understand how the upgrading system worked. Since he had most likely saved a family’s life by the orc he killed a few minutes earlier, he received points towards the Badge’s upgrade. It was similar to his [Inspect] Skill in the more he used it, the better it got. However, for his Untiered Badge, there was no room for upgrades.

“Look, you see my Badges? I have the “Good Samaritan” Badge right there. I doubt the guy you're after has that Badge. And if I really was a necromancer, I probably would have some Badge relating to killing people or raising them from the dead, I think that’s how Badges work.” Alistair hoped it would be enough and that he wouldn’t have to fight them.

They both examined his Badges and whispered among themselves for a minute. Robert turned to face him after they finished.

“Seeing as I can detect no illusion surrounding your screen, it looks like you’re telling the truth. We’re sorry for holding you up,” he said contritely, though he didn’t look it.

“It’s not a problem,” Alistair said, and he partially meant it. While he was annoyed that people now seemed to inherently distrust everyone, it wasn’t as if there was no reason for that. “After I finish helping my friends complete the Quest, I wouldn’t mind helping you guys hunt for the necromancer. Us non-murdery folks have to stick together, you know what I mean?”

“I can see some merit in that,” Jules said, and Alistair thought he might have spotted a hint of a smile on her mouth.

“Do you guys mind picking up the other orc and putting it on my back? I can’t get it up on my own,” he said. His back had started to ache from staying still with the orc’s weight on his back, but he couldn’t let that affect him.

Robert grunted in affirmation and walked over to the unconscious orc splayed out on the ground, attempting to cradle it. “What’s your Strength, boy? I can barely pick this monster up.”

“It’s pretty high,” Alistair admitted, but he didn’t want to give them any more information. He felt he could trust them not to slit his throat at the moment, but he didn’t consider them allies.

Jules bent down as well, helping Robert pick up the orc. Alistair noted that she seemed to do most of the carrying, making him question how much Strength she had. He had noted she looked in shape with her toned arms standing out in her t-shirt, but her strength completely belied her appearance. It was similar to his own, his physical strength had grown exponentially past his physical appearance, though that also had improved. It made Alistair wonder how exactly the Pathfinder AI was improving their bodies and where that energy came from.

After they had picked up the knocked-out orc, he knelt down and allowed them to carefully hoist it on top of the other orc already present on his back. Alistair paid careful attention to balance out both orcs on top of his back and his arms strained as he stretched to hold the two of them in fireman’s carry style. It took a few seconds of maneuvering, but eventually, he felt like he could hold them solidly. He wouldn’t be able to move like a cheetah with the bulk, but with his 19 Agility, he felt he could outrun some orcs.

“I can’t believe you just turned your back to two people who just threatened to kill you,” Jules said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I had no reason to believe you’d hurt me after I revealed by Badges. I have a feeling we are going to be able to count on each other in the future,” Alistair replied smoothly. He hoped his natural Charisma might help, whatever that attribute did. In truth, he had been on edge when he was vulnerable to the two strangers, but he judged that he would be able to at least eliminate one of them with [Mana Punch] if they attacked, and in the end, he took the gamble. The probability of them attacking him when he had been open and truthful was low in his estimation anyway.

“Hopefully we see you again, Alistair.” Jules waved back at him as she walked away with Robert.

Alistair spared a thought wondering about their relation to each other. They didn’t seem close enough to be lovers but they clearly knew each other well enough to have a solid foundation of trust. Close friends or colleagues perhaps? He shook his head as he started back to his house, which he had traveled several blocks away from at that point. He pulled out his phone. The internet had gone down but his house luckily still had power and his phone was at nearly full battery.

He had gathered the bodies with just over three hours left to spare in the Quest. Alistair couldn’t believe how well everything was going. Sure, he had lost more than half his health and sported a nasty wound on his side and his bare chest was covered in sweat and the nasty odor of two unconscious orcs, but he was level 11! He had met two potential allies and completed his goal, and with the remaining time, he could continue to level up. He was looking forward to trying to meet up with other survivors, but the looming thought of how many of those people were murderers kept gnawing at him.

Imagining the internecine bloodshed that had taken place all over the globe made Alistair lose his smile and grow solemn. He had been given an opportunity to grow beyond human comprehension, but many others had been snuffed out, some even by those that they called family or friend. The world had grown harsh, Alistair knew, and so would he. It was like a gargantuan tsunami had blown past the shore. He just hoped he wouldn’t get lost in the wake.