(Zack)

I rap my knuckles on the metal door. It bears Big Fountain's symbol, so I'm assuming it leads to the waterways beneath the city. I've seen a few of them, and there are several I've noticed in Maelnor. I've never paid much attention to them before.

But the strong monsters really went underground when I began my killing spree a week and a half ago, and I realized that they might have literally gone underground. After assessing my options, I realized that these doors probably led to the waterways and were where the monsters were hiding.

It's possible that whatever's down there could be an answer to why the water here's bad. I'm sure they've investigated it in the past, so it's probably not something I can actually handle.

And thinking about things I can handle, Fallen Adventurers might not be, especially if any are grouped up underground.

Deciding against heading underground, I roam the streets, hoping to find a crowd of goblins to try out something on. I could do it without them, either on just a lone one or without anything around, but I'd rather do it for the first time on a group.

Unfortunately, I think Alexander's taking a personal interest in this little hunt of mine, because there are so fucking few monsters around. And when I do find some, there's generally only one or two. Doesn't matter if it's rat, slime, spider, or goblin, there's just one or two.

When dusk begins, I return to my temporary home and eat dinner, then sit on the ground and focus on my power of sight as I turn on my Demon Form. I have two minutes to do this.

Pushing with my power, I force myself to look out of the Boundary and into the place where the Shadow of Life lives.

Alexander's pacing around his prison, though he stops moments after I force myself into viewing it with my sight. He looks around, eventually fixing his gaze on where I'm looking at him from.

"Who are you?" He asks. "How are you looking into here?"

"Hello, Alexander."

"Zack?" Shock fills his face.

"Yes," I reach forward. "Zack. And you're hindering me, so I want to try something."

"Nothing you do will stop me from preventing my monsters from evading you."

"Not even revenge?" I ask.

"What can you do to me?" He laughs. "You're strong, but you're nowhere near powerful enough to scratch me!"

"Are you sure about that?" I ask, quickly shifting myself around, drawing upon my inner power. "Blood Scar!"

I claw forward with my hands, visualizing my hand – my claws – scratching at Alexander's back. I doubt it'll kill him, but if it works, then I'll at least have some peace for awhile, I'm sure.

A ghostly version of my hand forms, shimmering with violet energy, crimson light at the tips of the claws on my fingers. The hand moves with mine, scratching at Alexander's back, and he lets out a scream as he moves away. He's much faster than me, but I got him.

"A gift for you," I tell him. "And a reminder that one day, I will kill you, even if I can't right now. You killed my brother, and I will never forgive you for that. When I'm powerful enough, I'm going to enter your prison myself and rip you apart like the monster you are."

My energy's almost out, so I cancel my sight, collapsing to the ground as everything goes black. The next thing I know, Nik's slapping my face, and I open my eyes to stare into his worry-filled ones, a message in my vision.

"You're okay," he lets out a heavy sigh of relief. "I showed up and you were… like that. Lord-Big Flame said that you'd done something stupid and amusing, but you weren't waking, and-"

"I'm fine," I sit up, then groan, clutching my head. "Fucking hell, that hurts."

It's not just my head that hurts – it's every part of me. My body, my power, my Crystal.

"I pushed myself too hard for that."

"What did you do?" He asks. "Big Flame said you've been like this since the day after my last visit."

"Huh," I say. "I would've expected to have been out for longer. Guess that's why I'm still here, isn't it?"

Nik pulls me against him, squeezing me tightly. He's really been worried that I wasn't okay, despite Big Flame's words to him.

"Sorry, Nik," I say. "I guess I should've waited for you, but I was getting pissed at Alexander, so-"

"The Shadow of Life?" He loosens his grip and moves back a bit to look into my eyes. "What did you do?"

"Erm," I say. "I'm not really sure? I drew upon my inner power – the same power and energy I used to contact Big Flame when he was silent for the extended period. Then I used it to push my sight into the place where Alexander's physically at. That was exhausting. I told him to stop having the monsters avoid me so I can actually get some more Levels. He decided to personally interfere to ensure I didn't continue Leveling."

"And what did he say?" Nik asks.

"Erm… that he wasn't going to yield."

But I still think I got him. He's at least got to be suffering a little, because of my new Skill, the one whose description is in my vision.

New Skill! Blood Scar Active Lay a powerful curse upon your enemy that ensures their death, even if not immediately, though you have only one second to unleash it, and you can only use it once a month. Cost: 5,000 Mana

"Oh," I say. "I guess I went into the thingy for using more Mana than you have? I used Blood Scar on him while in my Demon Form to ensure it was stronger. Not sure what it did, though. Shame it only works once a month."

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If it was without that restriction, it would cost 50,000 Mana, Big Flame tells us.

"Damn," I whistle. "That's a lot of power."

It's only through the balance of its restrictions can it be used for less, he says. And… did you really do what you said?

"Yeah, why?"

Because… I mean, Blood Scar isn't really effective on people who know Crystal Magic, and due to where he's at, he's able to use it without it being drawn away. So his Crystal's been shielded.

"Damn," I slam a fist into the ground, standing and stomping around the yard in frustration. I know it's childish of me, but I'm thirteen, so I have an excuse! "All that for nothing!"

I wouldn't say that, Big Flame says. Alexander's… still been affected by it. You really did a number on him. He's placed himself into a sort of stasis to heal from that. You may have bought some extra time before the big battle for the valley. Not much, but it'll be there. That said, I do not recommend doing that again. The only reason you even woke this soon was because I sent you some of my energy.

The way he said that… he used one of his four storage crystals, didn't he?

"Thanks, Big Flame," I say. "How's Big S doing? Is he still out?"

Yes, he responds, then giggles. Intellect and I are having fun.

"You're riding on him, aren't you?"

Nope!

"Right," I say. "You can't ride on something that's not moving. You're sitting on him, aren't you?"

He doesn't respond, so I know I hit the mark, and Nik gives me a confused look.

"Big S fell asleep while his avatar was manifested."

"Ah."

"So, Big Flame," I say. "I have a question for you."

No, you cannot join us.

"I wasn't going to ask that," I say. "Though the idea's tempting. Actually, it's about the war. How did Alexander get the armies into the valley before, when he took out Praevar and Talorn? Doesn't the City Barrier at Kaelmar prevent monsters from entering and exiting it?"

Usually, yes, he responds. But the Shadow of Life exerts an immense amount of energy into disabling the barrier temporarily in Kaelmar to allow non-Dungeon-type monsters to pass through. So anything not of them can pass through until the barrier fixes itself.

"Okay," I say. "That makes sense. Second, why's there still a barrier if it's destroyed when the City is?"

It's technically a different barrier, he explains. It's a Dungeon Barrier, in actuality, not a City Barrier. Restoring the City Altars will override it and restore the City Barrier while killing all of the monsters in the City.

"Really?" I ask in shock.

No, that last part was a joke, he giggles. Stop poking me.

"I'm not?" I give Nik a quizzical look, but he just shrugs.

No, Intellect is, Big Flame says. He says to stop talking with you so we can go back to what we were doing before Wisdom starts yelling at us again. Oh, he says 'hi', too. Anyway, it'll override the Dungeon Barrier and restore the City Barrier. At the same time, the City Wall, the City Gates, and the Enchanted Hall will restore. Monsters will no longer be able to advance themselves or spawn there, either, and they won't be able to be born, either. Alright, alright! I have to stop talking with you so we can finish trying to put this on System. Bye!

"What were they trying to put on Big S?" I ask as Big Flame's presence fades from my mind.

"You're the one on familiar terms with them," Nik says. "I'd expect you to know."

"Yeah," I scratch the back of my head. "I dunno. That's useful information, though. Just have to figure out how to restore it. There are half a dozen Fallen Adventurers surrounding the altar at any given point in time, and no way in hell for me to get close enough to it to figure it out."

"Pravar's altar is free," he tells me. "You could use that one."

"Oh, right," I say. "But I doubt I'd be able to figure it out, if you guys haven't. You said people have been studying it, right?"

"Yes," he nods. "Scholars have, though they aren't making any progress. It's been centuries since we began analyzing them, though this is our first time actually having it happen constantly, rather than on short trips."

Since they're already set up in Praevar, they don't need to 'brave' a Fallen City.

"Alright," I shrug. "Thanks for checking on me, Nik."

And thank you, Big Flame, for your sacrifice.

I'll recover faster than System will, he tells me. But please, try not to do that again.

I won't.

His presence fades again, and I look at Nik.

"You hungry?" I ask. "Because I'm starving."

Nik laughs, then ruffles my hair.

"Stop that!" I pull away from him, making him laugh again.

I fix us dinner using a turkey I obtained from a Turkey Slime, and we eat as Nik catches me up on what's going on with the people. Apparently, Big S's fit really did get sent to everyone in the Boundary, and the peoples' leadership isn't sure what to do.

He essentially told everyone that the royal family and politics don't matter in many ways they have influence, yet at the same time, they still retain much of their power over the non-adventurers. According to Nik, a lot of people decided they wanted to become adventurers to 'free themselves from the rule'.

Some of the less-pleasant adventurers apparently tried committing crimes claiming they were protected because they were adventurers fighting for the cause and needed to do blah blah blah to advance.

Apparently, the Crystals did not take that well and are actively engaging with people on a higher level than they used to. Well, other than Big Flame, who's kind of always been active with his people, who have been fighting the true fight all along.

So there's some semblance of order, while also some semblance of chaos. And apparently, Big S was serious when he said they'd put Bounties on anyone who attempted to abuse being an adventurer fighting the fight and serving the Crystals to do what they want.

More than twenty thousand Bounties appeared in the first week, and I'm reminded of just how vast the Boundaries are. Ours has hundreds of billions of people in it, it's that vast. I haven't voiced my suspicions yet, but I'm pretty sure Earth isn't the only world with humans on it.

That it's not the only world where people come to the Boundaries from. Big S's wording during the Ascension Trial suggests it, too. He specified Earth to me, but also referenced reality. Why protect worlds without life?

It also explains how they're able to pull so many people into the Boundaries in addition to those being born here. It's the only way that makes sense, and I should've realized it sooner. We're not fighting to protect Earth, we're fighting to protect all of the worlds with life. How many worlds don't have humans? And how did humans spread on all of them that have them? I doubt all of the worlds naturally evolved humankind.

Nik leaves after filling me in on information, and I clean up, then go to bed, drifting into another dream, as usual.

Luca stares up at Big C, his eyes wide as the giant Crystal makes the offer. He's scared, unable to remember the past but still his quiet, easily-frightened self. Big C finishes his speech, and Luca looks around for a few moments, before looking back at the giant Crystal, giving a light nod.

A moment later, he fades out of the temple.

I wake, and when I do, I immediately want to go back home. Luca's coming. When I received the vision for Bryce in the temple, it was ten days before he appeared. I'm sure that the vision for Luca's arrival is my sight forewarning me he's coming soon, too. In the next couple of weeks.

Is it today? Tomorrow? Ten days from now? Two weeks from now?

Whatever it is, I want to go home now so I can be ready for him.

Pulling out my firecracker, I set it on the ground, then run as far as I can throw a Fireball, before throwing one at the firecracker and covering my ears.