Steven woke up feeling like he’d been on the worst bender of his life. His body ached all over, his mouth felt like someone had poured sand in it, and his head pounded like a drum.

Which was fantastic, really. He hadn’t expected to wake up at all.

A dream brushed at the edge of his mind, no not a dream. A memory.

“Sometimes, son, you rest after the job is done.”

He shoved the memory back, casting about for something else to focus on.

A prompt filled the corner of his vision, and he opened it. Alert! The Old Timers Incorporated have slain Bullwinkle the Moose King!

For defeating a Beast of the North, you have been rewarded!

Level up! Level up!

Skill gained. Augment gained.

The Crown of the Moose King

Skill: passive

Epic

Effect: Gain the ability to duplicate your shields like the many antlers of the Lord of Moose. The smaller the shield, the more copies will be created. The larger the shield, the fewer copies, but the copies will be closer to the original shield's strength.

Minimum copy strength: 25%

Maximum copy strength: 50%

Range: none

Energy cost: medium

Cooldown: 1 minute per Skill

Form With Force

Augment

Rare

Effect: Shield can form through more resistance and will push back gaseous substances when forming.

Range: none

Energy cost: none

Cooldown: none

Well shit, another epic. Beating a boss brings perks.

He groaned and slowly sat up. His arm throbbed, a dull pain worse than the rest of him.

He looked down at it and blinked. It was wrapped in a cast. Where had they found a cast?

He climbed to his feet. His body felt weak, and his legs cramped halfway through, but he managed.

He was dressed in loose pajamas, and he looked thin. Something tugged at his other arm, and he stared down at it dumbly.

An IV.

Did they raid a hospital?

Steven pulled the IV out, wincing at the sensation. He hated needles.

He opened the bedroom door and hobbled into the hallway. He had to lean against the wall halfway through.

He took a deep breath. Aside from his arm, he didn’t feel too injured, but he was so tired. While his mind was awake, it felt like his body hadn’t slept in a week.

He made it past the hallway as the kitchen came into view.

Del stood next to the sink, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

She stared at Steven and nearly dropped the puck.

“He’s awake!“ She shouted over her shoulder before rushing to Steven as he hobbled towards the kitchen.

She grabbed his good arm, and he accepted her help as she hauled over a chair.

Footsteps pounded from upstairs and around the corner.

Buford ran in, smashing a chair aside in his rush. He skidded to a stop, his paws scrambling on the hardwood. He barely managed to avoid bowling into Steven ’s chair as he let out deep, resounding barks.

Steven laughed and buried his good hand in the dog's fur. Noodle came in next, throwing his head back and letting out a deep howl. He left, clearing Buford and landing in Steven ‘s lap.

Markus, Margie, and Micheal charged in, barreling down the hall at a run.

Margie wrapped Steven in a hug, and then Micheal did the same.

Markus beamed at him like a proud grandfather.

Steven coughed. “Judging by your reactions, I’ve been out for longer than a day.“

Micheal nodded. His voice cracked slightly. “Two weeks. You were out for two weeks. If the System hasn’t told us you’d recover…” He trailed off.

Two weeks. Steven sucked in a breath. No wonder he felt like shit.

“What happened?”

Margie pulled out the seat next to him and spoke. “You stopped the attack, and it about killed you.” She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

“Bullwinkle put everything into it, he didn’t even try to defend himself, but he shattered all of your shields.”

Her eyes darkened. “Combined with whatever you did to stop the attack, that put you into a coma.”

“Overtaxed was the System’s term,“ Del said.

Steven rubbed at his face. “What did I miss while I was out? Have the other Beasts been dealt with?”

Del waggled her hand. “Yes and no. Tyler’s group took out the bear, but no one messed with the orca. Which is fine, actually.”

“Yeah, it’s fine 'cause you guys fucking suck! No one in this stupid city’s gone to fight the orca, and it’s the only Beast that can’t roam!” The System spat.

“If it were a planned strategy on the city’s part, it would be one thing, but I can read y’all’s minds! You didn't plan shit! No one wanted to fight the orca. It’s bullshit!”

“Get fucked.”

Steven turned his focus back to the others as the System sent him the impression of a middle finger.

“What else?”

Micheal waved his hand. “Pull up the Scenario map.”

Steven did, and a prompt filled his view.

“The Beasts are either dead or free, so I’ll unveil the next event.”

The map of the city pulsed, the different regions outlined in gold.

“The restriction on area claims is being lifted. You can now claim medium-sized territories, and in 2 months, this will be lifted further, allowing groups to claim entire regions. With all the responsibilities and benefits that come with it.”

It laughed, the sound bubbling with dark amusement. “I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”