Maybe recording this is not a bad idea after all. He glanced back at his pursuers just a few feet away from attacking him.

Alan jumped, carried Clara over his shoulder, and escaped with Bella following him closely.

“What are you doing, you creep?!” Clara cried, hitting him in the back. “Wait no, this is perfect! Cam-bot, make sure to capture this!” She cleared her throat. “See? This is what I was talking about! This selfless hero is always thinking about the safety of others--!”

“Clara, can you pause the stream?”

“I have a better idea. There, I muted it.”

“Can anyone stream?”

“You need to be at least level 50 and buy one of these. Why?"

“Are you level 50?!”

“52! Hey, watch it, you almost dropped me! And don’t say it like it’s hard to believe! I used to be in a Guild, remember?! My Sister’s. But...”

“You didn’t like it?”

“That I suck at fighting could be more accurate… Not everyone can be a glorious warrior and reach level 100 like your girlfriend. My Sister for instance, even though she has kept going at it, she’s not even level 80 yet...” She wept. “I’m a failure, that’s why I returned to Unus Town, the only place where I could feel important…”

Is this why you have a fascination for Battle Streams?

“Thanks, Clara,” he said. “I bet our enemy never thought there would be a person capable of capturing this on video. Maybe an Administrator will see it and help us.”

“So… was I helpful?”

“Yes!” He landed and put her down carefully. “Keep up the good work, Mayor!”

Clara smirked. “You have seen nothing yet. Fabio?”

Her good-looking NPC jumped down, carrying Sloochie in his arms.

“At your service, Miss Clara.”

“A punchable face appeared…” Alan said, squinting.

“Is it done?”

“It is done.” Fabio snapped his fingers, and a group of NPCs came out of the still-standing buildings and kneeled in front of him.

“How can we be of service?”

Clara put both hands on her hips and laughed out loud. “Muahaha! That’s the power of Unu’s Mayor!”

Alan looked at the group, astounded, and noticed that Bella was not kneeling. That means that only the NPCs not categorized as ‘Blank’ are the ones that responded to the call. He turned to Clara, grimacing. “Why do you talk like it’s your power?”

“What are you talking about? I’m the Mayor.”

Alan glanced at Fabio, who was ordering them to equip themselves. Amelia was right, as long as an NPC works in the Townhall, they become the Mayor.

“Listen, everyone!” Clara shouted. “Listen to our current commander, here,” she grabbed Alan’s left shoulder. “He’ll tell you what to do!”

“Loud and clear, Miss Clara,” Fabio said, snapping his fingers again, and the ten NPCs turned their gaze to Alan.

“I thought you would enjoy giving orders,” Alan whispered.

“Huh? I can’t give commands and record at the same time, dummy.”

“Fine…” Alan swallowed hard and smirked. “Guys, listen! There are currently five Users still in this town affected by an enemy spell! They have been brainwashed, so they’ll attack you as soon as they see you. So please, help me restrain them all without killing them!”

“Can I recommend starting a Party Team?” Fabio said, stepping forward and smiling brightly. He looked like a gentle version of Marco Souza.

“Y-yes,” Alan said, looking away disgusted. “Just don’t get too close to me, alright?” He bit his lower lip. “And how do I initiate one?”

I have to send a quick message to Ricardo too about what’s happening.

Clara jumped to a rooftop to have a broader view and grabbed her drone camera after unmuting the stream. “Now, armed with reinforcements, our Hero will do everything in his power to capture and eventually break the curse tormenting his neighbors, those he consideres his long-life friends, and… even family!” She covered her face and pretended to cry.

“Hey, don’t dramatize it too much! After we’re done with this, we’re going to have a long conversation about the way you use my public image!”

“Here they come!” Bella cried as Richard and the others affected charged against them.

“We are one. We act as a unit,” they said in unison.

Party Team initiated. Have fun!

“It is done, commander,” Fabio said, handing Sloochie to him. “Now you can buff us.” He made a neck bow and dashed towards the group.

“Yeah, a buff… right…” Alan whispered while Sloochie squeaked at him.

The real Marco thought of me as garbage, and this one overestimates me… Or does he know something I don’t?

Alan jumped towards Clara, from where he could see the battle, and opened his User Interface. Sometimes Anastasia knew about my Passive Skills without me telling her.

Minion Master Lvl 2 -- Passive Skill

Grants a 5% increase status to your minions.

Puppet Master Lvl 1 -- Active Skill

Gives you the ability to control a single minion and see through their eyes.

He opened a secondary window and opened the Guild’s tab, from where he could check Bella’s stats.

Active Buff: Rally & Destroy

3 minutes 21 seconds remaining

They’re considered ‘bots’ by the system, just like Anastasia, but neither of them is my ‘minion’, and I gave Bella to Amelia. My skills are useless on them...

He looked down, examining the User’s movements. On closer inspection, they did not fight like savages, instead... They fight exactly like the NPCs… A calculated, emotionless fighting style…

Serenity’s words still bothered him.

She mentioned something about her partner’s human side being her downfall… Right after telling me that her goal was to ‘help’ humanity reach a new evolutionary…

He gasped, getting Clara’s attention. “Are you okay?”

The Singular entered The Novus through a Cryopod… But its situation is not the same as Ashely’s.

“They were still conscious…” he muttered without realizing it, making Clara frown.

The person inside the Cryopod was still conscious when The Singular entered through it... If the real Serenity is being controlled by the Singular or if she accepted it willingly is irrelevant right now, what matters is that a human mind has… oh, god, help me…

He sat after feeling that his legs faltered.

They have fused by now!

Serenity, or the Singular, or whatever she is now, has learned how to copy herself inside the System! She will spread through other Users!

“This is clearly a glitch, Ricardo! Where the hell are you?!”

“What is wrong, Alan?” Clara asked, grabbing his shoulder, but he was too absorbed in his thoughts.

Argh! For the first time in my life, I hate being this analytical! He pulled his hair and gritted his teeth. Alanytical… That’s how my mentor used to call me… Oh, Abigail, Isabella First, Ashley… Amelia… Astrid… This situation is worse than I thought…

Although my NPCs allies outnumber these Users, their level is lower. We’ll eventually lose the battle.

“What can I do?”

“What would you like to do?”

“I want to be of help… but I’m too weak...”

“Even the weakest can be helpful.”

“If I don’t do something, the people under Serenity’s control will remain like this…”

“Do you want to save everyone?” Is that the power you desire?”

“Wait… Who am I talking to?”

He opened his eyes and turned to Clara. It’s not her voice. He looked down to where Sloochie rested between his legs. Was that you?

“No, Alan. I am your Unique Skill!”

Time slowed down like when an Administrator was nearby. But the voice comes from within me.

“My what now?”

“I'm your Unique Skill, Alan! You have surely read the Novus’ Guide to Combat everyone gets when starting their adventure!”

“Nop."

"Oh. Would you like me to start the tutorial?"

"I don't have time for that! You said you could help me save everyone. Do something then!”

“I can’t do that yet. I’m still just an idea. A desire. Your wish to become strong.”

“You said that even the weakest can be helpful.”

“There are many ways of becoming strong, Alan. Like having the ability to be a leader, and guide others to victory.”

“I remember now. Amelia’s clone mentioned something about her Unique Skill, Pyrokinetic Something, the ability to transform fire into steel. Are you something like that?”

"There are different kinds of Unique Skills. We are born thanks to the Users desire to grow."

"You're just a Novus’ AI assistant...”

"I’m your personal AI assistant!” the disembodied voice said cheerfully. It sounded like a young boy. “Listen, Alan, you can't technically choose what your Unique Skill would be like from a list. It must be born out of your psyche. The best version of yourself. How are you, Alan Warden? What are you best at?”

"I’m... Always been good at fixing things. I spent so much time working as Abigail’s assistant to make friends outside the Kintech Labs... I never understood people, but I understood robots. Abigail, my mentor, warned me that if I didn’t find a balance between human communication and working with machines, I would end up like Dad… And maybe she was right. When the Singular thing started, it fascinated me to an extent.”

“Others could consider you selfish for opting to buff machines instead of your human allies.”

“I love machines, but at the same time I know that they have been created to serve us. They do not feel pain, but I’ll rush to fix them as quickly as possible. I don’t like seeing them in a bad state, so I’ll upgrade them even if they have already become obsolete. I’m not afraid to send them to the front lines if that means saving a single human life, because I know that at the end, I’ll patch them. We’ve been living in a codependency for the last 100 years, but AIs like the Singular have ruined the balance.”

“Do you really love machines, Alan?”

“Well, they’re a flawed mirror of ourselves after all.”

Congratulations!

You have unlocked your Unique Skill!

"It is done, Alan. I just need a name!"

"Aaron."

"Is that the name you have chosen for your Unique Skill?"

"Huh? No, you're Aaron. The Skill will be called…"