It was only a matter of time before they found me. They were one of the reasons I was trying to speed my way through the transactions with Aaron. At least I had a good chat with my friends before they showed up.

I remembered someone recognizing us just before we came inside the shop. They pointed us out. Were they streaming and encouraged people to show up?

“I guess this means my Grizzly Bear shopping experience is over,” I said with a snicker.

Aaron patted my back. “I’m just happy you’re okay. Even if you rob me every time you come in here.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Jules said she's going to make a character,” I said.

He stepped back. “What? I've been trying to convince her to make one for a while now. And when did you even talk to her?”

“She was at the entrance to the game. I don't know what it's called,” I failed to explain.

“What, like the new login screen?” he asked.

Molly descended. “We call it, “The Divide”.

“It's a kind of lobby people in the comatose ward use to enter the game,” I said.

The shambler standing in front of the door knocked again. He then cupped his hands on the window. His eyes darted around passing by me as if I didn't exist. It was obvious he couldn't see me.

“What do I tell them?” I asked.

Molly's face twisted as she tapped her chin. “You could make a guild, or start a stream.”

“Are those going to hurt?” Raccoon asked.

I'd joined guilds in other games and it didn’t hurt but none of them were in Augmented Reality. My implant was more sensitive to AR than VR elements so who knew? “Not sure.”

He sighed. “Give me a bit before you do anything like that.”

I pulled down my hood and put my mask away.

“Wow, okay. So you've changed a lot,” Aaron said.

“E-vo-lu-tion.” Molly bobbed in the air with every syllable.

When I opened my cloak and tucked the fabric behind my shoulders Aaron stopped me.

“You’re going to go out like that?” he asked.

Gazing down I checked my attire. I was still wearing the old tattered newbie clothes underneath. The devs had given me the dress and other equipment so I quickly swapped.

Aaron shook his head. “We can do better than that.” And walked to the clothing section in his store.

He apparently didn't like my new green dress and leggings.

Molly ran her hand through Raccoon and he clawed at it nearly falling in the process.

Then a sudden spark of inspiration hit me. “Aaron, do you have anything I can wear that can get me fifteen concentration?”

“Yeah this one here—”

I cut him off. “Molly, Raccoon, I need both of you—”

“I’m in,” Raccoon said.

He knew what I was thinking.

Molly swapped her focus to me. “What do you need?”

This was going to be fun. I smiled and wracked my brain trying to remember the stupid catchphrase the Devs had me say.

Then it came to be.

“Princeps Mortuorum Sum,” I mumbled and a familiar feeling festered in my chest.

***

I pulled open the door and pushed past the shambler who had been banging on the door. We'd made them wait even longer and his incessant rapping pulled on my nerves.

The undead parted as I walked. My back was purposely bent and my disguise readministered. After ten or so meters I took an abrupt left. Dead ahead I could see my destination, a trader's wagon.

Once I arrived I used my foot to pull down a folded step. As I climbed I watched my brethren stare at me.

Molly flew out of the Grizzled Beard above the undead horde until she was by my side. She muttered a few words of power and gestured at me.

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Before I accepted her spell I focused on my Undead Domination skill and released its power. An explosion of freezing wind spread from my center as I connected with every Hexed in the area.

I hoped this would work, my quick experiment with Molly and Raccoon was successful but the size of the crowd was greater than I anticipated. Amongst the dead were also races of every sort.

A tingle in my throat told me that Molly's enhancement was ready to use.

In a booming voice that filled the area I spoke, "Fellow Hexed, I know many of you don't know me.”

My eyes closed as I focused on the memory of Kumo's Fang slamming into Koffer’s head. Blood seeped from the sockets of his eyes and slowly crept down the corners of his mouth.

When I opened my eyes an audible gasp came from the crowd.

“A great number of you are newly awakened and have faced many hard truths to get here. You had to circumvent the self-proclaimed "Enlightened". I congratulate you on passing this test of strength and resilience.”

I brought the memory of kicking one of Koffer’s elite guards into the massive horde to the forefront of my mind. Then I focused on the passion I felt during that encounter.

The Hexed cheered, pumping their hands into the air.

It took a moment but after I raised a hand they quieted. “You may have noticed how hard it is to buy equipment in town. We are forced to disguise ourselves and lurk in the dark corners of the city to do something as simple as sell our goods.”

They didn't need a memory from me to boo and curse the names of the Enlightened.

Many of the humans and elves in the crowd backed away as the army of the dead turned their attention to them.

“I say,” I said, pausing till their gazes turned back to me. “We no longer let them dictate our lives!”

I straightened my stature, pulled down my hood, tore off my mask, and let my cloak fall to my feet.

The crowd stared in stunned silence.

Aaron had found the most regal gown I'd ever seen. It was gold in color and draped down to my ankles. However, once I put it on, it took on permanent creases and looked as if it had been made ages ago. The bottom frayed, and one of its straps broke off. We had to tie it so I didn't have a wardrobe malfunction.

“The human-led campaign against us has gone on for far too long! If you didn't know, this territory belongs to the Hexed. These Enlightened have invaded our lands and created a stronghold.”

While we were able to broadcast my emotions and memories Raccoon was still working out the kinks to allow me to experience theirs. It was much harder to judge their reactions than last time.

“The very town you're standing in was used to house our kind until they cleared us out. Three times a day our fellow Hexed come to fight against the invading scum and what do we do? We allow them to kill us! Some of us even fight against our brethren. The Enlightened only get stronger the longer we allow them to do this!"

I thought about a time when I bit off more than I could chew. There were too many Enlightened and they didn't hesitate to behead me. Then I focused on the long trek back into the Fields of Woe where our graveyard spawn was located.

When I raised my voice it boomed outward. "We have the numbers to take back what is ours!”

The crowd, mostly consisting of new players, was apprehensive. Some people cheered, but I was hoping for a different level of participation.

Then I decided to take the speech from just a talk to a demonstration. Careful not to go into overhead command mode I took a step off of the wagon off of the meter and a half drop.

I plunged and fell forward into the crowd. They gasped, their murmurs speaking of the uncertainty of what had just happened. Then I slowly rose from above their heads in a chair formed from shamblers.

The ones nearest to me climbed onto the cart and gathered behind making a makeshift wall of the dead.

More and more of us gathered until we had hoisted the shambler that was me into the air a full three meters off the ground.

I crossed my legs. With my help, we can do anything, I thought to them.

Various tactics I'd used flashed to the forefront of my thoughts. The grid collapse in the grasslands, a surprise attack in the forest, us dodging a fireball from a mage, and then the pure overwhelming numbers I'd used to kill the Elven sing-swords.

The ones not forced to become my makeshift throne had their mouths open wide.

I've been gone and I'm sorry. Generally, I don't like to break character in this game but I've been having a hard time.

I shared quick flashes of the real me in the hospital getting my neural implant inspected over the years. Then as a final thought, I left them with a memory of me screaming in the void. The fear I felt emanated from me.

“The so-called, “Enlightened” have gone too far but together, we can win.”

While I should have been excited and try to bolster their morale, I could only feel tired.

The shamblers holding me guided me to the ground as I disassembled the throne. Amongst you I stand and together we are one.

A roar of gurgles and weapons banging against shields filled the streets. Even a few banshees wailed.

While the living races present couldn't hear or feel the whole experience, I had no doubt that after they watched one of the many VRV’s being created, some would change sides. Once a new technology has been found everyone wants it, especially if it's as useful and groundbreaking as thoughts and emotion sharing.

The old world called it FOMO or fear of missing out and I fully intended to use it to my advantage.

I disabled my Undead Domination skill and relaxed. People swarmed me.

The devs had done what I asked and removed the dumb catchphrase for my skill. Which I found out during my tests with Molly in the shop.

Thank you guys, you did great! I said in the group chat.

Every person around me wanted to lay hands on me and I let them touch my hands as I walked.

Molly flew down next to me with a distraught Raccoon struggling in her arms. That was awesome!

It was okay, Raccoon said while finally finding purchase in Molly's small arms.

I had locked my interface in place so I could watch my money and to my surprise, not a single copper was missing.

Some of the new shamblers kneeled as I passed, similar to how the ones outside the town did.

Were they still recovering from being pushed from their bodies?

A large skeleton suddenly blocked my path. The spikes and ominous armor seemed familiar. This was who Molly had introduced to us back when I'd met Lily and Koffer. Well, she almost introduced us.

“Raziel!” Molly screeched.

Raziel ignored her and stared me down. “You left me to die.”

Ah, shit, I thought. Just what I needed, a bad-ass skeleton angry at me.

***