I teleported back to the Cafeteria level at my estate and found Clarence watching the monitors while he ate a steak dinner with all the fixings, “I see you figured out how to ask for food,” I said.

Clarence finished chewing, took a drink of his Jack and Coke then said, “Yeah, this is a pretty nice setup. I heard what you said, no choice, guess that’s fair. Better than being at the center of the bomb with you when it went off. That said, what do you need me for?” he asked.

“I needed someone to make sure this place is ship shape and someone to fill in for a no-show when Desirae’s adventuring party heads out. That would be you,” I said.

“The sane bus left me a little bit back so when I say I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, I ‘m being completely honest,” Clarence said.

I laughed, “Fair enough. When someone else who tried to kill me once before gets back from a task she’s working on she will be working with my parents and two other women, Abi and Amanda. It’s going to be your job to work and train with them. Desirae and you should get along splendidly. Fair warning, Desirae is much more powerful than any other person on Earth, save me at the moment. Not as powerful as me but I’m kind of special, to be honest,” I said.

“Special isn’t a word I’d use,” he said.

“Alrighty then, I see you understand. I need to get going. Thor will see to your needs. Explore the facility, Thor will get you anything you ask for, including things from your home, vehicle, or storage areas. Anything else that is simply equipment, Thor can make for you. I need to head to the Moon to check on something and send those Generals and technicians back to the Pentagon. Damn, think I should dress up as Superman, that would totally freak them out wouldn’t it?”

“Dress up as Superman?” Clarence asked.

“I know right, would be so cool, but copyright infringement could be a problem. Yeah, let’s leave copyrighted material out of this. Hey Clarence, good call there, enjoy your meal, I’m out,” I said as I teleported to the landing pad above us and flew up into orbit and then toward the moon. I kept my speed reasonable until I was out of the atmosphere then accelerated so I’d reach the moon in only 5 minutes.

As I came into sight of the crater I found all eight people huddling together. One of them pointed and then everyone looked at me as I landed on the Moon without a space suit. No atmosphere meant no speaking, so I formed an iPad in my hand and displayed the words; “One sec, time to send you all home.”

I used my chaos to create an airlock that could hold all eight of them and ushered them all inside. Once they were in, I stabilized the pressure to Earth norm, cleaned them up, and then evaporated their space suits. I opened a portal inside the airlock to the main foyer of the Pentagon. Once the portal opened they didn’t even hesitate, all of them rushed through to the other side. People looked up in shock. Some security guards started to react until they saw the ranks involved then, saw the portal, and realized something wasn’t right. When the eight dropped to their knees and started sobbing the security guards called for medical personnel. I closed the portal. Note to self: ejecting people from the planet might be a little more traumatizing than I’d first considered. I thought it would have been pretty cool for them to have a bouncy time on the moon, guess I was wrong.

After I closed the portal I broke down the airlock and all the chairs that were littered on the moon’s surface and converted everything into nanites that I absorbed back into my soul space. I’d also detected the flying silver disc and it had flown to a spot on the opposite side of the moon and disappeared 100 feet from the surface. I had the nanites in the rocks double-check the area. They found nothing. I cast invisibility and True Sight on myself and flew around to the other side of the moon.

As I came to the area where the flying disc had disappeared I encountered a rectangular energy plane. The energy plane was 100 feet across, 50 feet high, and had no width that I could detect. A portal of some kind then. I opened up my Universal Interface and queried the energy portal in front of me.

Xerexi Transit Portal

WARNING: This portal leads to another Realm. Target Quantum State may not be compatible with all entities from this Quantum State.

Xerexi? Who, or what the fuck where the Xerexi?

The Xerexi are not indigenous to this Realm. You have no skill concerning the knowledge of this creature type.

Nice to know My Pansophical Ability was Realm-based and Realm specific. I wonder if that meant I’d run into issues in other realms. Maybe it was just concerning knowledge skills that were considered Unique to a realm. Traveling through an unknown portal to an unknown realm? Yeah, hard pass. There was something I could do though. I teleported to the Mediterranean Sea and lowered myself into the ocean until I floated right above where the disc had exited the nanite dead zone from.

I moved right up to the nanite dead zone edge and then analyzed what I was looking at. Within seconds I had it figured out. This discovery might just help me out in other areas as well. My nanites were being destroyed by miniature elementals that resembled my nanites. The elementals seemed to be a combination of Earth and Air. Tiny Elementals? Wow, that Idea had some merit. I focused on one of the Elementals and used Analyze

Congratulations! You have Analyzed a MAT (Microscopic Amorphous Terror-Former).

A MAT is a level 1 synthetically created air and earth elemental that mimics many of the properties of microscopic machines known as Nanites. These elementals were created for use in high-magic areas that were impenetrable to electronic nanites.

MATs are created from one central creature and must stay near the Terror-Former Intelligence which controls all properties of MATs.

Unlike nanites, MATs are not programmed. They are controlled by the Terror-Former Intelligence.

MATs can do everything normal nanites can do. So long as there is material to convert the Terror-Former Intelligence can direct the MATs to create any natural element, shape, or normal device.

The Terror-Former Intelligence is created by summoning an Earth and Air Elemental then forcefully combing both into a specific configuration. If the summoner ever dies or the elemental abomination is destroyed, Should the Elementals survive they will immediately attack their summoner? Without the Terror-Former Intelligence, the MATs will break down into air and earth mana within moments.

Maybe I wouldn’t be bastardizing elementals to circumvent my limitations with Chaos. Besides just feeling wrong. Yeah, no. Time to end this bull shit right now. I surrounded myself with Chaos and made my way into the base. Immediately the MATs attacked me trying to break me down, only to find that they were attacking things that reached in and released the bonds holding them together. The structure of a MAT was elegant and beautiful. Air-based magic had been combined with Earth-based magic and each of the microscopic elementals could morph and change as the driving intelligence wanted. As the MATs came into contact with my chaotic nanites, my chaos, they evaporated as the energy they were made up of was absorbed.

As I made my way to the center of the underwater base the MATs also attacked me by trying to obscure my vision. They would build structures to prevent me from moving forward which would melt before me. On the periphery of my vision, I noticed small spider-like creatures. They kind of looked like the description of a Drider, Half-dark elf, and half-spider, except these creatures were only four feet tall and the upper body resembled that of a gnome more than a dark elf. I tried to utilize Analyze on them but the area was flooded with MATs. The only thing my Analyze picked up was the MATs

As I came to the center of the base I found the Terror-Former Intelligence and looked it over. As I scanned it I realized that two entities were locked in tremendous pain. I spread my chaos so I could get a good reading on the progenitor of the MATS and Analyzed it. I quickly read over the information which was a copy of what I’d already seen. Using my Chaos I poked and prodded the amalgamation to see if there was anything I could do to separate the two elementals, my efforts were useless. Magic it was then

I focused my will and my intent and wished for the entities be reverted to their true forms as I also brought a magical barrier into being around it. When I was satisfied I activated the spell. As I did my chaos felt the wall that they were against start to shrink as the MATS started evaporating. This didn’t happen before a particularly nasty order was given by the intelligence. I heard screams throughout the facility as the last act of the MATs was to kill every living thing in the base. They did not affect me but everything else died as they were systematically erased from existence.

When the room was finally cleared, I stood before a bubble of force that held an Air Elemental and an Earth Elemental that was looking at me intently. As my technological nanites flooded in from all directions and started infiltrating the base I looked at the Elementals and removed the bubble. Through my True Sight, I noted their intent to attack and willed my Chaos Blade into my hand for both to see. When both relaxed I willed the blade away and said, “Do you understand me?”

“Yes Human, we understand you,” The Earth Elemental said gruffly

“Good, do you know what race imprisoned you and how many others like you there are?

“The Race that violated us was the Xerexi. As for the number of us, More than myself is all I can say.”

“What will you do now?”

“We will do what elementals do, we will live and grow. Why do you ask?”

“I am Adamantadine, I released you from your torment and I now release you from any true or assumed obligation you feel for that act. You are free to go. I am going to destroy this base shortly,” I said.

“It is good to meet you Adamantadine. My friend is Zeph and I am Mot. Should our paths ever meet again I will remember the kindness you have shown us,” A look of horror crossed the Mots’ rocky face.

“What is it Mot?”

“The summoner returns. I am still linked. I have been ordered to stay where I am.”

I directed my attention to the back side of the Moon and sure enough, the flying disc had returned and was even now heading towards Earth. I looked at Zeph and Mot and said, “You two stay in this room. The rest of the base will be destroyed,” then teleported to the Moons surface and started chasing the saucer. I reached out with a hand and dug my fingers into the metal as I surrounded both the disc and myself in a bubble of force and stopped both of our movements.

Without hesitation, whoever was controlling the flying saucer reversed the direction of the flying saucer and turned it, and whoever the idiot was, into a particle storm as it reversed direction and activated something that caused the ship to try to go faster-than-light. There was a bright flash that didn’t immediately die down so I diverted my attention to the flashing red prompts that had just appeared.

Warning You have been struck for 3.47E+14 damage by an object traveling at the speed of light.

Warning the secondary explosion has been confined and amplified. You have been struck for an additional 3.47E+16 and will take an additional 3.47E+14 damage per second that you remain trapped in this bubble.

I won’t say that didn’t hurt because it did, but my hit points were 2.27E+35 and my regeneration rate was even higher than that, so while it hurt, it was manageable. Also, I could stay in his bubble until the energy finally dissipated which would probably take years. I wasn’t waiting that long. I modified the bubble of force to keep all gravity effects internal then opened a portal inside the bubble that opened under the event horizon of the Unicorn Black Hole. Immediately I felt the pull of its gravity but was able to maintain my position relative to the portal while all the energy inside the bubble of force was drawn into the black hole. Once I could see again and the energy had been removed from the sphere I closed my portal and then dropped my bubble.

Next, I turned my attention to the Realm Portal the Flying Saucer had emerged from. I focused my will to close it. I spent more than 50% of my total mana trying to close it down, which I knew was flooding this area with even more ambient magic, but I had to try. This gate had either been made by one of the Gods Merlin had mentioned or it was created through the Realm Interface and was being maintained at that level. I was ruling out technology because I should be able to shut down tech. I could not shut it down with magic or chaos.

Every scenario I thought of had this ending badly if I didn’t do something about this. The creatures on the other side of that portal were mutating elementals to their whim. I wasn’t worried that I couldn’t handle it. What I was worried about was that I might not be able to get back for a while if I went through dealing with them or I’d finally come to a point where things were settling down and I didn’t need to rush off to save the world again…hopefully.

For now, I focused my will and opened a sustainable portal over the Xerexi transit portal. I made sure it hovered right up against the side the flying saucer had entered and exited. My portal was parallel and less than 1 millimeter above their portal. The other end of my portal opened into intergalactic space on the other side of the Andromeda Galaxy. If the Xerexi tried to come through this portal again they’d find themselves in the deep space between galaxies. Of course, they could move their portal, but I was betting that either the magical or technological cost was a little higher than they wanted to pay again. I had to pay almost 1% of my mana just to maintain the spell that was maintaining this portal.

My work near the Moon was done for now. I teleported back to Zeph and Mot, “You two are now free to go?” I asked.

“Yes, the summoner died shortly after you left. We are free.” Mot said.

“Good, after you leave the rest of this base will be destroyed,” I said as teleported to my Base of Operation and checked on everyone. Mom, Dad, Abi, Amanda, and Clarence were all sleeping in their rooms. Desirae still wasn’t back. I checked in on the seven Chinese Leaders, who were having back-channel talks with their two primary subordinates in the United States. It seemed they were talking about me

“You’d like us to do what?” President Bennet said.

` “We would like you to take care of the problem that has arisen. You know where he resides, handle it Tang Muyang said.

“Yes, handle him,” My doppelganger of Sun Mingze piped in.

Vice President Billingsgate wasn’t saying a word and none of the female Chinese leaders were agreeing or disagreeing. I guess an example needs to be made. I conjured a Walther PPK with a silencer. I opened a portal directly behind my Sun Mingze’s head, making sure everyone could see the gun poke through the hand-sized portal, and blew the front of Sun Mingze’s head into the camera with a single shot.

While Sun Mingze’s head repaired itself, and he sat back up to look back into the camera I spoke through the nanites to everyone talking on this conference call, “You all have enough other bullshit to worry about. Last warning! Come after me, my family, or my interests, and next time I do not repair the person I put a bullet threw. I might just let you go meet that threat that contacted the Chinese some years back. By the way, they launched the Nuke at Cairo that I took care of, Your welcome. Last warning, get back to doing real work and stop thinking about doing something about me. Ask the Vice President about what I’m capable of. If I need to repeat that demonstration. I can do what I showed her every 10 minutes for 24 hours. The 8 minutes I get to relax while the blast wave rolls over me. I might even see if I can bring the witnesses closer, maybe even into the eye of the storm,” I said, as the Vice President visibly paled and started quivering.”

“You don’t get to talk…” The President of the United States started to say until the nanites surrounding him muffled every sound leaving his mouth.

“What’s that President Bennet? You can’t talk,” I said as everyone watching the feed watched him look on in alarm as he tried to talk, then shout. No sound left his mouth. While he flailed I said, “Last warning, I can hear and see everything on planet Earth now. I couldn’t yesterday but I can now. Either get your shit together or I’m just going to do what I did before and take over the world myself. I don’t want to but if you force me to I will.”

“I challenge you to Honorable combat!” Li Muchen stated

“Truly? Okay As the challenger you may pick the weapon, I pick the venue and time. What Weapon

“By the Sword!” Li Muchen stated.

I focused my will and cast a spell that would affect Li Muchen, and everyone else on this call when I activated it, then said, “Li Muchen, I accept your challenge to Honorable combat. I chose the venue as Tiananmen Square and I chose now,” I said as I teleported everyone on the call to the center of the square. I also erected a transparent and soundproof bubble of force around us. Li Muchen and I stood opposite each other in a dueling circle while everyone else stood off to one side or another while I left two other sides open for easy viewing from those outside the bubble.

“Li Muchen looked around and said how?”

“I have repeatedly told all of you that you do not have a chance. I’m going to drive that point home. What weapon do you choose?” I said directing the question to Li Muchen.

“I would choose the dao, a Chinese sword, that has been in my family for over 200 years. It is in a case behind my desk but it would seem…”

Li Muchen shut up as I opened a portal to the case his dao was in. My nanites unlocked it before I opened it and withdrew the dao. I telekinetically floated it over to him while I conjured a katana into my right hand.

Li Muchen reached for his dao, and inspected it. After a few practice swings, he formally bowed to his peers, gave a slight bow to me, and then without a word Li Muchen attacked. The katana I’d conjured into my hands stayed tip down as I did not move. Master Li Muchen, as both his form and technique indicated that he was a master, moved to the attack with a speed and precision predicated on years of painstaking practice. I didn’t block a single blow, though I did have my nanites repair my clothes instantly and my health regeneration healed me faster than he could do damage so to anyone looking on it looked as if he was striking a statue. As he finished he spun for a decapitation blow which my neck would have stopped cold. Instead, I allowed a seam to be created and close through my neck so the dao could pass through my neck without resistance. To anyone watching it would have looked as if he cut my head off. To me, it was nothing.

When his attack was done and he stood there surprised, I winked, then moved. I played two of my tricks. I speed up time for myself which slowed everyone else down in my frame of reference and I moved with the full precision and efficiency that I was capable of. When I was done I returned to the spot I started and resumed the exact pose I’d been in before I’d started the attack. To everyone watching it looked as if I might have shifted because no one can ever return to the exact position, they were in. Even I, with my perfect memory, could only count on 99.9% accuracy when trying to accomplish such a feat. Li Muchen started to move as he saw the shift then all of his clothes fell away from him shredded. I’d been so precise that I’d only destroyed every piece of clothing on him save his royal blue silk underwear with cute little different-colored balloons on them. Also, not a single blade had blemished his skin.

Li Muchen felt his clothes fall away from him. He looked down and noted that each piece of clothing had been shredded by a blade. Roaring in anger Li Muchen attacked with all his might. This time I didn’t stand there. As the sword came toward me, I moved faster than anyone could see and struck the blade with my left pointer finger at the base of the sword with the intent to shatter it. I may have cheated a bit by making the blade fracture and splinter as I struck it with my finger. Even so, the effect was still devastating and precise. Li Muchen’s sword from the hilt to the tip of the blade disappeared. Next, he tried to throw himself on my blade which I was having none of. Every time he would try to move in such a way as to draw my weapon into play I would counter. Finally, I dismissed the blade and stopped playing. I used Identify on Li Muchen and found him to be Level 10 with only 5 hit points. I did exactly 5 points of damage with a palm strike to his sternum with such force that he stumbled back and collapsed before passing out. He’d be fine after he was healed, though the palm-shaped bruise was going to be with him for a while. I looked at the others as he fell unconscious, “No Chance,” I said.