The chill of mana fatigue rested over Max and Emi’s shoulders like sitting under an air vent. They both breathed in and out, content that the next few hours of their lives would be with agonizing headaches – and in Max’s case, bubbling stomach pain.

But they were safe, the enemy had been defeated, and they had saved the city. Saving the city was rather subjective, especially to the duo. If they hadn’t interfered with Nix, it would have just come to the city and eventually leave. Whether or not the Doppelganger killed anyone was up to the monster, who is to say it would have killed anyone?

No, no, no. Max knew that line of thinking was only a spiral of guilt. Dozens of people would have been assassinated by Nix if he let the monster thrive. A confrontation was the best course of action, that way the damage would be housed to outside the city.

Still, more than a couple guards and mages died. Hells, he and Emi almost died. There were so many close calls, so many almost fatal wounds. Max had his own barrage of ice needles get blown back into his skin. He could still feel the acupuncture. Not to mention having his arm removed again. That, even in the safety of the Zulin’s guard captain’s office, still brought an unknown phantom pain to the Lost Lord.

But as Max sat there and flexed his limb of water, he idly wondered if he even needed a real arm. Having two arms of water would look pretty cool…

No, that was dumb and he was just ignoring the real issue at hand. Death was common on Nava, but being in life or death situations, even when he could run, caused Max anxiety. He thought he had gotten used to fighting, but evidently not. Without Emi, he would have died – frozen-up after past memories of losing an arm resurfaced.

He even knew he was going to be injured fighting the swordswoman puppet. How could I freeze up at the first injury even though I knew I was going to be injured? He chided himself.

“Thank you, Emi.” Max whispered to his bond who was sleeping across his lap.

Slowly, as the headache began to fade, he felt strong enough to going over the rest of his notifications from the battle.

Name:

Max Fowler

Race:

Lost One (Human Earth)

Class 1:

Abyss Walker

Class 2:

Lost Astral Lord

Level:

59

Exp:

3075/8840

Health: 696/696

Mana: 564/564

Stats:

Strength:

Dexterity:

Stamina:

Intellect:

Wisdom:

10

10

10

185

170

Congratulations, you have learned the spell Water Chain (Common): Your water mimics a steel chain, holding down even the toughest of monsters.

Strength increases with mana used.

Minimum 8 mana.

Congratulations, you have learned the spell Mist Bomb (Rare): Collect mist within an exploding construct.

Mist increases with mana cost and size of the housing construct.

Minimum 14 mana.

Congratulations, you have learned the spell Splinter Shower (Uncommon): Create a shower of needle like splinters of ice.

4 damage per splinter.

Amount of splinters scales directly with mana used.

Minimum 1 mana.

Congratulations, you have learned the spell Ice Cube (Common): A [Water Mage] basic! Freeze water into a cube.

Mana cost related to amount of water.

The spell notifications were kind of whatever to Max. He didn’t see himself using any of the System spells over pure manipulation. Case and point being Mist Bomb. Mist was increased with the water construct… which would be fine, except that mist can be compressed, meaning that the housing didn’t matter much.

Water Chain’s increased strength was interesting. The more mana he used the stronger the links would be. That might come in handy, but now that Max knew how to imbue aura, it again, didn’t matter much.

Frankly, the best thing to come out of the battle with Nix was an excuse to figure out how to harden his spells. Aura imbuing acted exactly as [Head Priestess] Burk said, like mana. It was much more intuitive than Max would have ever imagined, and he now questioned why he had never tried previously.

Testing would still need to occur, but for all intents and purposes, Max learned a new technique. How much practical usage the technique would give him was still up in the air, but at this moment, the Lost Lord figured it was a necessary skill to have… At least, until he figured out how to make water as hard as stone.

Only five notifications filled Max’s periphery, including the kill box for Nix. He had hoped there to be one more, but he wasn’t surprised there wasn’t.

In the moments after Nix escaped its Dragon puppet, the Doppelganger tried to run. Max, having not enough mana to teleport, and Emi not being within range of attack spells, didn’t want to have to chase the monster into the forest. So, he tried something.

He had tested the concept a few times after meeting Goddess Sahhgen but was never able to achieve the results he wanted. Albeit he wasn’t really trying. But in those moments after pinning the Dragon, Max felt his concentration was higher than it had ever been before.

He had to chalk that up to Emi, however. Without her guiding light, Max would have been decapitated after losing his water arm.

Without the mana to form a spell, the Lost Lord stretched space. It didn’t quite work, resulting in Nix traveling a few dozen slimy paces away, when the outcome should have been the monster running in place.

Well, that wasn’t quite true. Nix would have moved forward, but only a fraction of a fraction of a step. But he knew that level of space manipulation was still above him. In fact, he was surprised his quick thinking actually worked. It saved him potentially hours searching through the forest.

And who knew what the Doppelganger could have done in that amount of time.

Max cleared his notification, making sure to save the kill box. He felt sure he would have to prove to someone sometime in the future that Vast Empire’s resident Doppelganger was dead.

For a moment he felt out with his Spatial Awareness Racial Trait and just looked around. He, and the sleeping Emi, were waiting for the guard captain to return from organizing the cleanup. Feeling through the barracks made Max realize just how much foot traffic traveled past and through the guards’ territory. It seemed that every citizen was checking up on the city’s wellbeing. Who better to ask than its protectors.

Max eventually had to cancel the effects of the Trait, a shooting pain blasting through his head. With a sigh, he materialized an item in his hand.

The impossibly black inventory ring of a Vast Empire member. It scared him if he was being honest. The cool smooth metal, the history behind its own, and the countless body parts Max just knew were residing within, creeped him out.

He wanted to put it on, to take inventory so to speak. But he didn’t. What happened if it cursed him? What happened if it had some sort of embedded security? The kind that would destroy the contents within, or worse, the area around the ring.

At the same time, how many secrets did the ring hold? Not just secrets about Vast Empire, but about inventory rings in general. He could feel the anchored pocket within – he couldn’t see what was inside, but he knew the pocket was large. Very large.

Who had created such an item? Who had given it to Nix? Did the Doppelganger steal it? Did it take it off the original owner’s cold dead body?

The ring caused Max’s mind to wander, but the other item now in his collection simply confused him. He materialized a small hand-held bell. It was about the size of a child’s shoe and made of pure white porcelain. Blue painted decals twisted and crossed, forming from the flare to the handle.

What was interesting about this particular bell was that it was a monster drop. Items being taken from the corpses of monsters was nothing uncommon. Usually they were claws, teeth, hides, maybe even a few internal organs for alchemy. But Max had never heard of an actual item dropping from a monster.

What was even stranger was the Inspect description.

Doppelgangers’ Bell (UNKNOWN):

A bell created from the last breath of a Doppelganger. It forever shall ring silent as its true owner continues to exhale.

Use (Silent): If shaken with the intent of a Host, the Original’s voice shall be summoned.

Use (Non-Silent): If shaken with the intent of a Host, the Others shall be summoned.

Use (Upon Destruction): If broken with the intent of a Host, the Original shall be summoned.

Max and Emi both didn’t know what to think of the item. But the description gave them both the idea that they should not ring the bell. Whatever the Original, or the Others for that matter, were, they decided it best to tuck the bell away until they talked with someone more knowledgeable. For all they knew, the Original was a monster and summoning it could kill them.

But that also raised the question, who could they speak to about Doppelganger lore? The obvious answer was Bishop or maybe Domic could set them up with a Mage Guild researcher. But in all honesty, Max didn’t think knowledge about true Doppelgangers was very common. If it was, Vel would have known that Nix’s class wasn’t [Doppelganger] but rather it itself was a monster.

A shift behind Max keyed him into feeling outside the office. Someone was reaching for the door knob – a man, guard’s uniform, slight limp, slouched shoulders.

Finally, Max thought. He wanted to get out of here and go to bed himself.

The door opened revealing the captain. He looked even more haggard than when he last saw him, a testament to his men and city.

Subtly, the [Water Mage] misted the air with a small dosage of healing magic. It wasn’t enough to heal the captain outright, but it was enough to make him perk up. Max could heal the man’s leg fully, but he didn’t know how this meeting was going to go. He was still a fugitive, one that the captain recognized.

“Evening.”

“It’s almost dawn.” The captain muttered as he rounded the office and plopped into his desk chair. Fatigue hit him like a truck, almost pulling him to sleep in that moment, “Why are you still here?”

Max was almost taken back by the question, “You’ve got any paper? Ink?”

The captain grumbled as he took out a few sheets of parchment and a well of ink. He started to hand over a quill, but Max beat him to the punch.

Water was pulled from the air, drying the small office to a degree only a [Water Mage] would notice. The water conjoined with the ink, and splathered across the page. As the black water receded back into the ink well or dispersed into the air, three written letters had been cast and dried.

A moment later the three letters disappeared, much to the surprise of the captain, “What was…”

“I’ve sent three letters. The first to my friends. The second to some city leader friends of mine. The third to Salae castle. I would have sent it to the King himself, but I suspect there are space locks in place around the throne room.”

“The King of…?”

“Salae.”

“The people who are hunting you.”

“The very same.”

The captain scrunched his eyes and leaned back, “Why?”

Max sighed, smacked his lips for a moment, then spoke, “Because even if Eden, the King, wants me dead, wants me defamed, and wants me hunted like a dog, Salae needs to know that Nix, the Doppelganger of Vast Empire, is dead. Eden won’t believe it, not until his [Knights] return from this city with evidence, but by then, I’ll be long gone.”

The captain smiled to himself, “You think you can just walk out of here?”

Max mimicked the smile. It wasn’t sinister or complacent, but rather an acknowledgment of the power differential between the two men, “Yes I do.”

“People died tonight, you know?”

The city’s wall had been targeted a few times by Nix within the mage puppet and the Dragon puppet. The sheer destruction magic and monsters could cause always astounded the young Lost Lord, but in the end, it was those people’s choice to defend the city. To defend their home, their loved ones.

“I know.” Max whispered, “And I’ll make sure they all passed on before I leave.”

“What does that-“ The captain cut himself off, knowing he wasn’t going to get a clear answer. So, instead he chose a different path of conversation, “Why us? Why Zulin?”

Max didn’t really know, but he answered anyways, “You were just within the warpath. I’m not sure why Vast Empire does anything they do, but they are not above indiscriminate killing. But that raises the question, why didn’t they announce themselves at the villages and Lullin. I find it hard to believe that Nix acted on these killings by itself. I find it harder to believe that the Empire wouldn’t take responsibility for the deaths.”

“Mmm.” The captain didn’t speak, instead he leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn’t fall asleep but he wanted to.

“I’m going to make a rounds along the wall and healer clinics with the wounded. I’ll also ask some Church of Healing friends of mine to send an emergency unit this way. I don’t know how to clean up Doppelganger gunk, but I don’t think you should touch any of it.”

“Connected, aren’t you?”

“You know who I am.” Max didn’t like playing the arrogant very important person card, but frankly he didn’t care in this moment. He was tired, the captain was tired, the city as well.

The captain opened his eyes and looked at a single sheet of magically copied paper. He scanned the words a few times before speaking, “You’re a Lost Lord.”

Max nodded, “Now, I think I’ve dragged this on enough. If I’m not going to meet any resistance, I’ll get to healing and stuff, then move on.”

“That’s fine, as long as you answer one question of mine.” The captain took the silence as a go ahead, “Did you really kill the former King?”

Max snorted, “Do I look powerful enough to have killed Tobyn? No, only a monster could have killed him.”

The captain opened his mouth to speak, but the Lost Lord had already teleported away. The captain spoke anyways, “Could have fooled me… Only a monster can fight a monster…”

The next hour filled Max’s attention by aiding the local healers and [Apothecaries] in taking care of the wounded. He got a few snide stares, but for the most part people avoided him best they could. He didn’t take offence to that, however. He could understand people being hesitant around him after the battle that just commenced.

Emi had long ventured into the Pocket World, annoyed with the movement her partner was forcing her to do. All she wanted to do was sleep! But even after reaching her bed within the grassy sphere, Celenia, Alia, and Isaac had stormed her with questions. Eventually she was able to doze off, feigning absolute fatigue to hurry the question askers up.

In the meantime, Max spoke to a few ghosts, including the ghost that had followed Nix from Lullin. The consensus from the dead defenders was general fear. They didn’t know what was happening, other than that they died fighting.

It turned out that adventurers and guards don’t really think about death even though it’s an occupational hazard. The I’m not going to die, I’m invincible mentality was present in all of the ghosts. Max made sure they all had wills set up, which they all did. He also wrote down their last words for their loved ones and teleported the stack of papers into the guard captain’s office for later distribution.

The ghost who followed Nix was much easier to help pass. She only wanted to thank Max for getting revenge for her, and then… simply passed. There was no last requests, no letters to be delivered, no anything really. Not even a name.

It was somewhat strange to Max. He should be thanking her for following the monster and for trying to warn the very people who couldn’t see her.

Again, Peneil’s words echoed, curse or gift.

After finishing up with the city of Zulin, Max teleported to New Mundo to return the Healer pendant. In the end he and Emi didn’t end up needing them, but the extra security was always appreciated. It had only been a… day? since last visiting the Healer city, one very fruitful day.

Max didn’t take in the sights, he didn’t stop to ask for directions. He teleported directly to the administration tent and asked for [Head Priestess] Lusia. It took a few minutes, but eventually the Halfling appeared.

“Back so soon?” She asked with a strained smile, one that said more than intended.

Max saw this and paused, “Something wrong?”

“No, no, but let’s go inside.” Lusia quickly stepped into the admin tent and strolled into what was considered her ‘office’. It was simply a large sectioned off part of the tent walled with protectively treated cloth.

“In the end, we didn’t need the pendants.” Max said removing the one from his neck while summoning Emi’s from his inventory, “There was no plague or illness. The culprit was Nix of Vast Empire.”

The [Head Priestess] recognized the name, “Nix… the [Doppelganger], correct?”

“Doppelganger as in the monster, not the class. Know anything about them?”

Lusia thought for a moment, “The monster Doppelganger is very elusive. Almost to the point where most don’t believe they exist… I can say that in my life time as a Head of the Church of Healing, I’ve only heard of two sightings – which were believed to be the same one.”

Max nodded, “Let me guess. Killing in the name of Ikzag?”

She nodded, “I guess that makes three sightings.”

“Well, Nix is dead now. So we don’t have to worry about tracing those sightings.” Max saw the look of alarm, he pushed over the notification kill box.

“Oh my… well.. I-I… Where?” Lusia stammered out.

“Small city called Zulin. I was going to ask for you to send an emergency team to deal with the body. I don’t know if Doppelgangers’ absorption still works even though they are dead.”

A new presence spiraled through the room like opening a hot oven, “Consider it done, Max. But for now, you need to prepare yourself.”

God of Healing, Subuntu, spoke with pride and certainty. He seemed proud of Nix’s demise and even more so for the monster’s killer. But the God disappeared just as soon as he appeared, like an after image of a bright flash.

[Head Priestess] Lusia looked spooked. She had fallen to one knee but didn’t think quick enough to ponder her Lord’s words.

Max, on the other hand, did. Water sprouted from a spatial source, quickly filling the room as a waterfall erupted. It flew through the air as the Lost Lord’s tired mana circulated. A barrier of spinning rapids quickly formed around the [Priestess] and [Water Mage].

The outer layer of water had just started to freeze over as an explosion of burning flame catastrophized the tent, the protective fabric doing little in the way of helping.

Flames fought against water and ice as the power struggle forced the two mages to bear teeth. Max pushed as the surprise attack failed, adding drops of Divine aura to bolster his impromptu fortifications. He felt out with his Racial Trait, finding the origin of the attacks.

With a sudden burst of mana, he created another set of protective layers before teleporting to his assailant. A sword of ice, sharp and aura imbued, sprouted from his artificial arm. Before the enemy could react, Max removed their head from their shoulders.

He scanned the onlookers, most were Healers wearing their traditional white robes. But a few caught his eye. He Inspected them.

Human, [Royal Knight]

Human, [Royal Knight]

Elf, [Royal Knight]

Drake, [Tracker]

The last, a man wearing an obscuring hood and all black, rebounded the Inspection attempt. Some sort of anti-scrying equipment, maybe a ring or necklace. But the identity of the man was rather apparent, an [Assassin], just like the mage Max had just killed.

With a shake of his head, Max teleported into the ice dome, forced Lusia into his Pocket World, then teleported way.

“Talk.” Max said to the [Head Priestess] once they were safely away.

The others began to run up the stairs leading towards the pocket’s entrance exit, but Max held up a single hand ushering them to stop.

“They arrived last night. They forced their way through the tents and interrogated me. Said they could ‘feel you on me’, whatever that means. They were pushy and were the reason why I wanted to hurry to my office.”

Celenia shouted, “Max! What’s going on?”

“Salae was in New Mundo. A-“ Max checked his notification.

Congratulations, you have killed Wisfel Kindlebreath, a level 38 [Conflagration Mage], [Assassin Mage].

You have gained 1,899 experience!

“- Fire [Assassin Mage] along with a group of [Knights], [Tracker], and another [Assassin] tried to kill me, and put the [Head Priestess] in a deadly spot.”

Alia gasped, “They just attacked? Both of you?”

Max nodded, “Attack me, but Lusia was in the cross fire, yes. If Subuntu didn’t warn me, we both would be dead, at least Lusia.”

The name of her Lord roused the follower’s attention, “God Subuntu appeared before us… My God… My…”

Isaac the Immortal spoke up, “That was actually really smart of him, Subuntu, I mean. He protected you and his [Head Priestess] at the same time. Not to mention that Salae attacking the Church of Healing’s [Head Priestess] will cause plenty of outrage.”

Alia’s eyes lit up, “And a daring Lost Lord protected her!”

Isaac smiled, “Two birds with one stone.”

Max saw their point, he really did. But at the same time, Subuntu had a history of using him for his own Divine gain. Was the God really just returning a favor and protecting his follower? Or was he playing a game of Heavenly chess?

If Max was really cynical, and he really read into Subuntu’s action, he would say that Salae is aligning themselves with something the God does not like. Helping a Lost Lord get his renown back was a surface level play, being able to retort a kingdom? That was something else.

For now, Max would play ball since his goals aligned with this cynical idea he thought Subuntu was making. Eden, if he was dancing with dark forces, making an enemy of the Church of Healing was a bad decision.

“Lusia, go through this exit whenever you are ready. Make sure you spread what happened to your underlings. If Isaac is right about Subuntu denouncing Salae, then your testament is going to be critical.”

The [Head Priestess] stared blankly at Max, but eventually nodded.