Looking at the new information that had been revealed on my status, the first thing I noticed was that all my basic stats had gone up by four. That means that I’ve gained 4% of a human’s maximum capacity in every area… that’s… pretty big I guess?

Of course, until I’d run some tests I couldn’t be sure just how much it would benefit me, but the golden rule of role-playing games was that stats and skills were king, so it definitely would help. What was more interesting were the three intangible statistics that had appeared. The numbers were low, just as my guide had predicted, but even so, I was very curious, as the names were… potent.

Fortune- The power of one’s luck made manifest. Unlike tangible statistics these are not based upon base human possibilities, but are effects of a non-material nature. The higher the number the greater the effect it has. Fortune will add positive effects to any action where there is random chance involved.

Majesty- The force of one’s personality unleashed. Majesty will increase the chances of people submitting to your will, and will view orders you give more favourably.

Charm- The ability to attract others revealed. Charm will increase the attraction others feel towards you, people will view you in a more favourable light, and are more likely to offer you affection.

Now those were… amazing. Even if the effect was small, anyone would want them. I had already gained beyond what I could imagine in just this one trip to this strange world. Even if I was to quit now I’d still have benefitted hugely, but why would I, when my cloaked guide was still assisting me?

There was no change in my Self-Examination, likely it was still too low level to have changed. As for Self-Examination, Territory…

Self-Examination, Territory- The ability to assess the level of a Territory in comparison to known multiversal scales. Since the skill has increased in level it can provide additional information about the availability, cost and abilities of available upgrades, yet due to its current low level, many upgrades remain unavailable, or with unknown abilities and costs.

Now this was another winner. As I concentrated on this ability I could feel a faint trickle of heat leave me, aether expended, and then a list of glowing silver words scrolled down my vision.

Ether Spire Rank 1: Cost 1500 not available to construct

Barracks Rank 1: Cost 2500 not available to construct

Spawning Spire Rank 1: Cost 1000 not available to construct

Throne of…

… Cost 50000 not available to construct

A dizzying array of options were presented, to think that they were only a fraction of what could be done! Concentrating upon one of them at random I brought up further details.

Spawning Spire Rank 1- This building allows you to summon up to ten degraded standard troops. Degraded troops are fixed at level 0 and cannot grow. They can follow simple orders but do not have intelligence of their own. This costs 1000 ether. You cannot construct this facility. (Requires Territory Rank 1-Territory Anchor)

“Wow, just like an RTS. Combining an RTS with an RPG, I guess this is a bit like Warcraft 3?”

I’d played a fair few retro RTS’ such as Command and Conquer, Warcraft 3, Total War and so on, and I liked to think I was pretty good at them. My excitement is really reaching maximum levels now. After all, with the benefits I’ve already gained, and the possibility of more… I had to see this through to at least when my guide left, to get the maximum gain. Only then would I make my final decision whether to participate in this struggle to be an Astral Emperor.

The other things on my status such as the White Cord hadn’t really changed in terms of description; I guess I needed to level them more to see any effect. The last thing was Territory – Rank 0

Territory- Rank 0- This territory is fragile and offers little benefit. It can easily be retaken by any sentient creature. Once secured by a Territory Anchor it will become Rank 1, and will have basic defences and the ability to gather ether. Facilities can then be constructed. Any secured areas within 100 metres of the spire will then become part of your Territory.

“I see why you suggested I set up an Anchor. Otherwise I would have to start again each time I come to the Astral, and I can’t build anything else.”

“Of course. I have come before you to provide the maximum level of assistance that can be offered without breaching the Covenant that binds us all. All knowledge I impart to you will be a great strength for you in the future, and should you seek the power of an Astral Emperor to protect your world, these foundations are of the utmost importance.”

“I appreciate it, Exposition-san.” I had to laugh. My cloaked guide REALLY liked to talk about things, especially when it got to explain something. Still, right now I found that kind of endearing.

“Exposition…. san…?” the cloaked figure seemed at a loss, which brought another chuckle from me.

“Well, I have to call you something, and you haven’t given me a name, so I thought that since you like explaining things so much, this would be a perfect nickname for you. You could always tell me your real name and I’d call you that though?”

There was a long moment of silence that stretched into awkwardness. I was about to speak first when Exposition-san shrugged, black cloak moving a little. “I suppose it matters not. Address me how it pleases you. However, you have a task to complete before you spend valuable time considering such trivial matters, do you not?”

Consider me chastised! Still, Exposition-san was right, I still hadn’t gathered enough ether to make my Territory Anchor. The first thing I needed was a better weapon. My club was smashed, and I could probably reform it with aether, but there was no point in spending my ether to make aether to make more ether. I had to find something I could use that wouldn’t be a drain on me if I was to reach my goal of a thousand ether.

Looking around I found a set of iron fencing that was dark with corrosion and covered in weeds. Muttering a brief prayer to the dead resting in the graveyard, I wrenched on it until one of the metal slats came free. I did have to channel a little aether to boost my strength, but I figured a minor loss would be better in the long term for a durable, easy to use weapon.

The mental fencepost was about two and a half feet long and as thick as a finger, tapering to a decorative point at one end. It was pretty heavy, but I felt I could handle it. Having a weapon that I could bash with, as well as having something to stab with, seemed the best plan, as I had no skill, as my experience with the aether sword before had proved.

“All right, a thousand ether is the target, let’s go!” I said, hyping myself up. Moving through the dark graveyard I absorbed the few lesser spirits I came across, noticing a small boost in the speed I could tear the ether from them, perhaps due to my level-up. It wasn’t long before I found another zombie shambling down the path towards me, rotting mouth agape and arms stretched towards me, grasping the air as though it was trying to strangle me at a distance.

“Here we go, time to test out my new level and the new me!” I said, racing forwards. The railing was heavy in my hands, but I could manage it. My first swing slammed into an outstretched arm, and unlike with my branch club, there was a much more violent impact, fetid arm snapping like kindling. The impact also jolted my arms and stung my palms, but I didn’t let it stop me, striking again and again, batting aside the zombie’s increasingly ruined limbs until I could strike the head. It fell and I thrust down with the sharp end, the weight and my strength driving it deep. The zombie let out one last cry and vanished, only ether remaining.

“That went better.” I muttered. I was pretty tired after that burst of exertion, but cold iron was definitely better than wood when it came to doing damage. “I’ll just have a quick few minutes to rest my arms, and then I’ll carry on…”

********

What felt like another hour or so had passed, and I had dispatched another couple of zombies, as well as finding a red Etherite. My supply of ether was building up nicely, and hopefully it wouldn’t be too much longer until I could afford the Anchor. I had moved off the main paths of the cemetery, moving between the graves, muttering apologies and prayers under my breath. The place seemed larger than I remembered, with extra rows of graves as opposed to what I could recall from my time passing through it on Earth.

What had caught my eye was a faint orange glow in the distance, shining in the dark. If it was what I thought it was, it would pretty much solve all my ether issues in one go. Getting closer, the orange glow intensified, until I could see a pale orange crystal glowing on top of a family grave, casting deep shadows.

“Jackpot! Just like I thought, an orange Etherite ore. If it has at least twice as much as a red one that should take me to what I need.” I rushed towards it, not willing to let it get away, when a sudden hiss from Exposition-san behind me brought me to a sudden halt. I staggered to a stop, skidding to my knees which slammed painfully into the base of the grave.

It was at that moment a flash of silvery-orange light passed over my head, where my throat would have been a mere moment before.

Shit, that was close. If Exposition-san hadn’t said anything, that would have hit me in a vital spot. I wonder if that would count as instant death… I shivered, the confidence I had built up with my zombie-hunting withering.

Rolling to my feet I took a good look at the foe before me, holding up my iron club in trembling arms. It was a zombie, so that shouldn’t have been a great threat to me, however, this one… the aura it gave off was very different, I could almost see wisps of aether rising from it as it moved. It was a zombie, that was for sure, with pale dead flesh with a green sheen of grave-mould, pale long tangled hair reaching down to her feet, for it was indeed a female, preserved in death. It wore a ragged white kimono, the hem soiled with grave dirt. One hand clutched a shining steel kitchen knife, the bright metal spotless, reflecting the orange light of the Etherite, its other hand empty, yet tipped with long jagged nails, yellow with crusted filth. The eyes were the most terrifying thing though. Unlike the other zombies, this one almost seemed to have intelligence, a faint glimmer of something lurking in her black eyes.

“You must be very cautious.” Exposition-san said behind me, its tone far more urgent than normal. “This is either an elite zombie, a far cry from the weak ones you have destroyed earlier, or it is a different species altogether. It seems this area has a far higher density of ether than your Territory, which gives rise to both Etherite ores, and also more powerful Astral predators. Should it strike you in a fatal area, I will be unable to safeguard you!”

I knew that. The chill I felt when looking into the eyes of this zombie was the chill of death. I wasn’t a hero, and I definitely didn’t want to die. I had too much to live for. My family, Eri-chan… However, I wasn’t dead yet. I’d long since stopped believing this was a dream, it was too long, too consistent and too detailed, but since it wasn’t it was a chance to really better myself, to experience the life I’d always dreamed of, since I was a small child.

One gamble, that is all it would take. If I don’t get killed instantly, I can always be saved…

Knuckles whitening around my club as I gripped it tightly, I surged to my feet with a roar. The zombie woman rushed to meet me, knife flashing. I ducked under her first thrust, and swung my club, smashing her in the ribs, knocking her to the side. She retaliated by sweeping out one leg in a flutter of dirt-stained burial clothes, catching me a glancing blow. Even that hurt, but I could bear it. My club lashed out again, catching her arm once more, bending it at an unnatural angle with the snapping of bone. Her other arm swung down, but I managed to dodge the knife once more.

She let loose a horrible rattling breath from between her teeth, the stench of mould and rot causing me to gag, but I ignored it, pushing forwards, club striking her in the ribs once more, then coming down on the shoulder of her injured arm, pointed end digging in savagely, shattering rotted bone, sending dirty brown blood splashing into the air.

I can do this! I can beat her! My arms were trembling with the strain, but I had disabled one of her limbs and dealt her damage, my experience of combating the other zombies before standing me in good stead… I swung my iron bar once more after digging it free and struck her ribs, cracking bone.

Suddenly a cold lance pierced through me, a freezing chill swallowing the warmth of my aether. I turned, strength leaving me, to see that the zombie had somehow unhinged its elbow, the arm holding the knife twisting behind me and driving it into my shoulder.

If that was a few inches higher or lower, either my neck or my heart… I shuddered as the shadow of death loomed over me. I wasn’t sure of just how fragile the Astral body was compared to the Material one, but I doubted taking a knife in any of those areas would be anything less than fatal.

“I shall remove you to safety back to the Material wor…” Exposition-san began, but I interrupted with a rasping “Stop.”

I am going to win this fight. My blood was up, adrenaline surging, and despite the fierce flare of pain I felt I could still do it. Flipping the spiked end of my railing towards the zombie, I concentrated, cycling aether. “Weight. Make it heavy!”

With a gasping roar I thrust down with the spike, letting go of it as aether flooded it, growing its weight dramatically. As I did so I turned, grappling the arm that had stabbed me, ignoring the freezing pain of the blade gouging my back and shoulder. The railing plunged down, hammering through the zombie’s hip and embedding through her leg and into the ground, ripping through dead flesh and bone, pinning her in place in a welter of brackish gore.

The zombie roared again, spitting out a mouthful more of clotted blood. I used all my strength to lever at her broken elbow, forcing her to release her grip on the knife. As soon as she did so, I leapt backwards, reaching up to pull the knife free from my shoulder with a grunt of pain. The blade was still unmarked and pristine, the handle a carved ivory.

I looked at the zombie woman, who was clawing frantically at her pinned leg with her broken arms, and I felt a brief moment of pity. Still, if she was a zombie then granting her rest and the chance to move on would be the best thing to do. I couldn’t know for sure if she really was the soul of someone who had died unhappily on Earth, or if she was just a mass of ether this world had agglomerated, but either way, this would be a mercy.

Channelling some aether into my wounded shoulder to drive away the chill, I clenched my fist around the haft of the knife and stepped forwards, dodging her frantic kicks with her free leg. She snapped her head forwards, trying to bite me, but with her restricted reach all she could do was bite the air in front of me, wailing and howling.

“Go to your rest.” I said, quiet as a sigh, and I thrust the blade forwards, piercing her eye and jabbing up into the brain, dirty gore spraying from the wound. With one final howling wail she disintegrated into a bright cloud of ether, shining like stars in the shadows of the graveyard.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from one to two.