POV Main

I booked room in pub in city center. We all would meet at Saturday evening. There would be present three people from my group, two additional people recommended by them and Matthew. We all would use aliases from that time on. My alias Nameless was little too long, so I shortened it to N or En, depending what is your pronunciation in language.

I paid some money to make my guests comfortable, when they would come. I paid for food, drinks and private room in pub. We had control over music and furniture in room. From time to time waiter would come and ask for orders. And most important, room had doors, which could be locked, and card, saying do not disturb - closed meeting.

Dee was put to backpack with frame. I was ready. I was waiting for my guests with glass of tomato juice in hand. To avoid confusion, I tell you aliases. I was En. Lynx was Lynx. Anna was Huntress, shortened to Hunt. Mike was Bear. Friend of Anna Lily, was Lily. Mike’s friend was Sith. And Mathew was Coal.

Huntress and Lily came first. I talked with them a little, but explained that important details should be moved with everybody present. Lynx was few minutes after them. They started to eat warm meal. They could see, that I used some money for their sake. Coal was next, and he was surprise to others, so they asked him lot of things. Bear with Sith were last. I proposed toast for our meeting and let them eat and drink.

There was some free talks and they could feel that Dee was level three, and my aura was Dee’s aura.

Dee showed me their stats, ones he could feel.

Name

Huntress

Stone growth level

2

Compared MAX worth

Muscle

(11)

Body integrity

(12)

Nervous system

(14)

Name

Lily

Stone growth level

2

Compared MAX worth

Muscle

(12)

Body integrity

(12)

Nervous system

(14)

Name

Lynx

Stone growth level

2

Compared MAX worth

Muscle

(13)

Body integrity

(13)

Nervous system

(14)

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Name

Coal

Stone growth level

2

Compared MAX worth

Muscle

(13)

Body integrity

(11)

Nervous system

(13)

Name

Bear

Stone growth level

2

Compared MAX worth

Muscle

(12)

Body integrity

(11)

Nervous system

(13)

Name

Sith

Stone growth level

2

Compared MAX worth

Muscle

(11)

Body integrity

(10)

Nervous system

(14)

It was surface stats page, he could show. Perhaps their stones blocked the rest. I was wondering how much Diana could see at the meeting. Dee claimed, that Vivaldi should be able to see more than Diana, as Diana’s stone perception was limited by her flesh. But even Vivaldi should be under some suppression effect of Diana’s presence.

I thought that their stats were extraordinary. They had much less time than me, to work on themselves and still got results. Perhaps sleep deprivation somehow enhanced [Nervous system] stat, which was only visible after it was healed.

When I looked at them, there was no trace of sleep deprivation. They all looked healthy, even Coal. Sith was trying to build dark aura sitting in hood in quite warm room. Bear was big one, but his stat didn’t show, that he worked to his advantage there. Lynx was someone I wanted befriend more, because he was one that choose to be in my group originally and he worked on his stats. Lily was big surprise to me. I didn’t know her story, but she achieved much without help. Huntress had good overall stats with obvious [Muscle] weakness.

I thought more about Sith. It was almost impossible for him to be so weak. It hinted, that he perhaps didn’t choose circulatory medicine mixture. I had some enhancement of [Muscle] and [Body integrity] after use of mixture. Did he choose sudden death poison? It would be interesting.

After some time there was voices to talk about main topic. I waited a little, because I liked to be theatrical.

-= I’m happy, we’re all here today. – I started. – You’re here because of different main reasons. Maybe you care about money, strength, safety or friendship. Maybe you don’t want to feel lost and out. I’m here because of my fears and loneliness.

Some of them smiled, as if I was lying to them. They were not afraid and not lonely as me, so they couldn’t understand me.

-= My first question is, if you got circulatory medicine or something similar. Please raise a hand.

All except Sith raised their hands.

-= So you chose sudden death poison? – I asked Sith.

-= Yes. – Some people started to watch him carefully.

-= I have way to make lot of money from circulatory medicine. I can also exchange my one circulatory medicine for one poison with Sith. Perhaps I could even exchange more with time. – I wanted to make clear that even Sith was needed here.

-= Why would you do it? – Asked Lily. – Circulatory medicine should be able to protect against poison.

-= For self-defense and to give Sith reason to stay with us.

-= I don’t understand. Say more.

-= I’m very worried about cult Ahriman’s Order. I’m afraid, there will be conflict with them in time. I want to build some defense. And having offense is sometimes best defense.

-= My poison works only for month, then it will lose its poisonous ability. It’s it shelf time.

-= I’ll still trade. – I said.

-= How much we can get for circulatory medicine? – Bear asked.

-= 1.000.000, for third batch. I want some cut to myself from first batch, and part of second batch should go to our new organization.

-= Wow, you’re kidding?

-= No, I’m not.

They were listening. Even if they came here for different reasons, that much money wasn’t something to scoff of.

-= What do you want in exchange? – Asked Lynx.

-= I want to create with you organization, that would stand against Ahriman’s Order. We will work together to level up.

-= Can’t you level up alone with such amount of money?

-= I can’t do it faster than Ahriman’s Order without breaking a low. And I’m not intending to break a law.

-= You can feed stone without breaking a law? – Sith said, making impression that his crimes was not light.

-= Yes, I can.

-= But why? – Sith was confused. – It must be inefficient and self-degrading.

-= Because the moment that humanity, not humans, but humanity, will treat us as enemies, we will have no chance to grow. I’m afraid of humanity more than Ahriman’s Order. I want to integrate into humanity, so I will try to be useful to humans.

-= Humanity is weak. – Sith said. – I despise it.

-= You think like that, because daily you are shown warm and carrying side of humanity. There is also merciless, ruthless side.

-= Where? In Russia or in China?

-= No. Everywhere. It’s part of the system.

-= Give me example.

-= Do you know about cobalt batteries used in electric cars?

-= What about them?

-= To mine enough cobalt for one such battery two African children work in miasma in mines in Africa. They die after two years because metal ore is poisonous. If you think clearly, this electric car owner paid for murdering two African children, don’t you agree?

-= So what? – Sith was impassive. – After you told me that I won’t buy electric car, even when I will have money.

-= Smartphone’s batteries are using the same cobalt. Just less.

-= Ok. I didn’t know. But you knew and you are still using your smartphone. – He pointed at me.

-= I’m using it. I accepted this darkness. I acknowledged it. – After moment of silence. – There is darkness in humanity. It’s part of the system. I don’t want to become as these African children because of resource which is my stone.

-= Humanity is dark, because you are dark.

-= Said one calling himself Sith.

POV Andy, Ahriman’s Order

Voice of Ahriman called us. There was very important task before us. Ahriman’s voice said, that there was a stone in Poland which wasn’t linked to unpossessed in time. That person lost grace of Ahriman. We were send to find bereft stone and move it into Order. Unfaithful unpossessed should be sacrificed if possible, but delivery of stone was more important than wasting time on revenge.

It meant that brothers would go into Poland and drive it through and through, as we could sense stone from some distance. We would also sense others who didn’t join us. But we shouldn’t antagonize, just mark these places.

Voice of Ahriman was staying in headquarters and I was staying in War-Saw to coordinate and work on daily matters of Order.

I knew of hidden reasons, why this crusade was called. Rich acolyte enlisted two of his rich friends. We had additional cash-cows then, but heart medicine could be used only once on person to provide benefits. Diana needed new carrot. She told me, that there would be more to offer, when any of stones would reach next growth level. For now, she wanted to chain one of the rich guys with strongest of chains. To make him one of us.

That weekend of crusade wasn’t looking so bad for me. I got lot of money for shopping. I was sure I could use unspent cash to my pleasure. So I opted to buy cheaper versions of wares.