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What the hell? Jace felt the air blast around him, and it was so mighty, so forceful, that it would have pushed him off of his feet if not for the claws on them. The winds curled in and formed a sphere around him. It was not harming him – but the air around him vanished and was even sucked from his lungs.

Ollie floated up and out of his spot around Jace’s neck. “Three of them! Hold on-” Ollie was silenced as a floating, buzzing, vibrating starry-rock slammed into him. “Oh, why you!” the two began a heated fight – otter wrestling with rock as they kept each other from interfacing with The Cosmic System.

Jace slashed at the wind barrier – and it carved through but sealed immediately after. Damnit! Ok. Stay calm. I can get out of thi-

He barely had any time to think as an enormous, rock-man charged toward him. The person hulked a good two feet over Jace’s own height, and he was wielding a large shield along with a short, stabbing sword blazing with the same whitish-grey wind as the sphere surrounding Jace. The sphere expanded, the rock-man entered the area, and Jace instinctively raised his blade to parry the blow.

The man grinned and unleashed a series of slashes at Jace which the Dark Matter Aspirant easily deflected. Really? This one guy thinks he can take me on? He’s pathet - He felt something grab his foot, and sparing a rapid glance down, he spotted vines and plants spiraling up to hold him in place. Damnit, he’s got backup.

The rock-man kept the assault up, and without his footwork Jace was unable to strike effectively. He could feel his head getting lighter. I have to get out of here. Starfire Stride! The flames engulfed his legs despite the lack of heat and the air immediately grew hotter, burning away the plants.

With his legs freed, Jace was able to unleash a dizzying flurry of attacks that the rock-man had to fully concentrate on defending against. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 1) [Rending]. Jace focused the effect on his foot-claws and planted one leg on the ground, spinning on the omni-directional joint to deliver a punishing kick from an unexpected angle. There was a brief flash of yellowish light, and then it shattered as the claws tore into the man’s armor and sent him tumbling out of the sphere of air.

More importantly, it activated the [Rending] bleed on the man – starting in his midsection. It was not accompanied by the purple nebula and micro-singularities, since Jace had used the lowest Rank possible to conserve energy. Now – Dark Matter Mending (Rank 4) [Vampiric]. He could feel his mind clearing. As he was constantly being healed by the near-regenerative effect of the mending fed by the bleed damage from [Rending]. If I don’t get out, I’ll suffocate, but this buys me some time.

A cascading torrent of vines filled with rocky rubble blasted out towards him, and Jace dodged to the left – having to squeeze right up against the barrier to avoid it. He was pushed into the wind-prison by the shockwave and would have screamed in agony if he could. His left shoulder was being sheared, and despite being a magic prosthetic – the CIF was showing its negative side effect. Jace felt the pain even though there was little damage being done to the limb itself. It felt like someone was ripping his flesh apart with tiny hooks, just like the time he got caught up some fishing line underwater when he was river-diving the polluted waterways as a teen.

The suffocation was just like the near-drowning when that happened, and immediately his mantra echoed through his head as it had done so many times before. Survive for her.

The rockslide filled with plants shifted course and moved toward him. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). Detonate. The invisible pulse went off, and Jace saw to his satisfaction that the debris floated upward as well.

That satisfaction turned to fear as the plants and rocks reoriented themselves – rushing towards him and pummeling him into the barrier. He could feel himself pushed deeper into the air-sphere, the ripping pain coursing over his body…and pushed out the other side.

He popped out and was sent flying by the rotational force of the wind, floating off into the sky. Ollie was ripped away by the 10-foot tether, and he was focusing intently on those below. “Accessing with priority override from Xera. Planet War Mage, Pulsar Priest, and Nebula Bulwark. A group of non-Signed Aspirants.”

Jace sucked in air. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3). He vanished completely and fired off his Ghostlight Grapnel Arm to pull himself back down to the surface. “What do we do? Run or fight?”

Ollie frowned, “Hmm…They have a Quest to take you alive. Sent by the Conclave.”

Jace quickly replayed the brief swordfight. All his blows were aimed at non-vital areas. “Right. So, what’s the plan?”

“You nicked the Bulwark, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Then he will eventually expire. Circle around and deal with the War Mage. She is their only other source of damage. The Priest has no offensive capabilities from what I can tell.”

“How can you do all that information so quickly?”

“Xera has backdoors that she lets me access. I can only do it sporadically or else another Wayfinder might pick up on it.”

Jace crept back towards the site of the combat. The air sphere had vanished, and he could make out the three figures.

The plant-lady was scanning the area in a jarring fashion, as if she was unsure of where to look. “Where did he go?!”

“Damnit! Heal me!” the rock-man growled out.

“I’m trying! It won’t mend!” a blue-furred, very damp rabbit-man with the floppy hat replied.

Jace walked up and used the very tip of his sword to nick the plant-lady on the abdomen – watching as the yellow-gold barrier surrounding her was also shattered.

“Ouch! He’s here somewhere!”

Jace retreated a few feet as the ground exploded around the trio, accompanied by the grunt of frustration from the plant-lady.

“Your mid-section! It’s some type of…persistent damage effect. I don’t get it? These barriers haven’t been broken before!”

Jace crept up behind the floppy-hat mage, winding his way between the spires of rock, and nicked him on the center of his back – shattering another barrier.

“Gah! He got me too!”

The rock-man on the ground growled, “Alright! We give up! Don’t kill us!”

Jace backed away a good fifty feet, “Ollie…thoughts?”

“It is up to you. You could kill them if you choose. They did attack you unprovoked.”

If they were trying to kill me, then the guy with the sword wouldn’t have tried to strike non-vital points. And I’m sure that plant-lady could have used some type of poisonous plant when she grabbed my legs – for all I know, she did but it just didn’t affect me because of that super soldier serum from Velenar Prime.

“Please! I don’t want to die!” Jace heard the floppy-hat mage yell out. He sounded panicked; extremely so, and it threw Jace back through one of his memories.

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He was on a simple smash-and-grab job with a few other street folk to try and get some medical supplies from a small corpo-run clinic. Jace looked sideways to his best friend; Verve. A young man with a dashing smile from a gene-tailoring program he escaped. The two had been brought up by the streets, and now at the young age of thirteen and fifteen, respectively, they were given a chance to group up with other street folk for a real chance at making a difference.

The two were given the same tutelage by the same mentor, and both were quite skilled at sneaking about, acting like part of the background, blending into places, and underhanded tactics.

“It’s clear,” Verve whispered. He was at the front as they crept outside the back entrance of the closed pharmacy.

“Good,” a larger street folk dressed in a large cloak muttered. “Jace, pick it.”

Jace got up front and began working on the lock with a small set of picks that his mentor had given him, “There’s a security system also. Verve?”

“On it,” his friend replied, standing up and wedging a slip of plastic to block a sensor higher up on the door frame. It was reflective, so the beam wouldn’t break. Chewing some gum rapidly, he stuck it in place.

The guy with the trenchcoat chuckled, “Damn, gramps was right about you two. Too bad his fingers don’t work well no more.”

“Got it!” Jace whispered with excitement as his heart raced. The door was unlocked, and he slipped a small spike of metal into the locking mechanism to keep it from auto-locking.

The bigger man pulled him back – gently, but with force enough that Jace was almost put off balance – and opened the door. “Jackpot! Come on, get those duffels filled up.”

Jace nodded to Verve, and his friend went inside with the man. Jace went into the alley and blended into the environment, curling up in a ball as he kept an eye on the only entrance to the alleyway. To an outside observer, he would appear as a bag of garbage.

An alarm went off. Damnit, they had internal sensors. I mean, we figured as much. But still – that cuts down our time.

Jace heard a whirring and, to his shock and horror, a hovercar flew overhead and landed on the street. They must have been close by already on another call. Corpo-sponsored police. He stayed perfectly still, knowing that just being in this close proximity, he would be guilty by association. Stay still. Damnit! I didn’t even have enough time to warn the-

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Verve ran out of the building, “Let’s go Ja-” he froze as a loud crack echoed out. Blood began to spread from his midsection, and Jace had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out. The larger man with the trench coat rounded the corner – duffel bag full of meds – and was also shot. He went down and was groaning in pain.

Verve was coughing and looked at Jace. The two made eye contact, and Jace felt tears running down his eyes as he saw his friend bleeding out. I…I can’t…I can’t help.

“Please! I don’t want to die!” Verve begged, whimpering, as one of the corpo-police walked over.

“Street folk? More like paint for the pavement.” The corpo pulled the trigger on his weapon – and Verve’s head vanished in a fountain of crimson.

The first time in his life Jace had seen someone die.

The trench coat street folk met the same grisly fate, and the corpos didn’t even bother with the bodies. They just went past Jace – not seeing him amidst the trash and refuse – and he heard the sound of them inside the building before they locked it up and left.

I let them die. I didn’t warn them… Jace wept for his friend who lay only a few feet away. I’m sorry, Verve…

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Damnit, Jace thought as he shook his head after reliving the memory in an instant. Uncloaking, he shouted back to the trio. “If you swear that you will not try to harm me, capture me, whatever it is you’re trying – I’ll stop the effect.”

“Fine!”

“Yes please!”

“What are you waiting for?”

Jace looked over at Ollie who was floating still and had his paw on his chin. “Hmm…interesting choice here,” the otter companion muttered. “Spare them or let them bleed out.”

“I’ll give them a chance,” Jace stated. But only because of that floppy-hat guy reminds me of Verve. Jace focused on dismissing the [Rending] effect, and he felt the healing effect that was restoring him fade away.

“Thank you!” he heard the floppy-hat mage say. It was quickly echoed by the other two voices, and the earthen pillars receded into the ground.

Ollie quickly flew into Jace’s jacket and curled around his neck, and Jace pulled his hood and mask up to keep the Wayfinder hidden. “I am Flicker. Who are you?”

The floppy-hat mage looked over at Jace and waved politely, “I’m Priam. Pulsar Priest. This is Rory, Planet War Mage, and Giordo, Nebula Bulwark.”

Giordo stood up and brushed himself off. He looked mightily pissed off. “I…thank you for sparing us,” he grumbled.

“Tell me why,” Jace stated. “I want to know why you were attacking me.”

“A quest from the Black Hole Conclave,” the plant-woman Rory replied. “Legendary rewards to capture you.”

Capture me? Why would they want to do that? “Any idea why?” he whispered to Ollie.

“I have an idea – but I do not want to say it out here,” Ollie whispered back. He had curled up behind Jace’s head so that his head was right atop Jace’s. “That rock Wayfinder. That is Jeremy. The Wayfinder that bullied me when I was first made.”

Jace frowned, “Can I interact with other Wayfinders?”

Ollie frowned, “Maybe? I don’t know, honestly.”

“You said that you and other Wayfinders couldn’t hurt me. Could I hurt them?”

Ollie grinned, “Oooh. Maybe. You cannot kill them, but you could send them back to the Starlit Sea and they would have to recover before manifesting again.”

Noted. Jace spoke aloud again, “Abandon the Quest.”

The trio of Aspirants murmured amongst themselves, and Jace prepared to use his Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) just in case. But it wasn’t needed. The Pulsar Priest began to slowly – very slowly – approach with his hands raised. “I give you my word we won’t harm you. I don’t know how to dismiss a Quest.”

A small, floating, cascade-of-shapes looking Wayfinder floated just behind Priam, and rotated, shifting shapes and colors rapidly. The Pulsar Priest grinned, “It’s that easy? Okay.” He looked at Jace, “Quest dropped.”

“Did he drop it?” Jace whispered.

“Yup,” Ollie replied.

Jace saw the other two Aspirants standing further back – and the woman had tightly gripped her staff. Her eyes narrowed, and Jace could make out her mouth moving. The rock-man had begun to switch grips on his weapon as well. They’re getting ready to attack. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3). Jace vanished utterly.

Priam looked confused and glanced back at his allies – but Jace had already sprinted past the mage, got behind his two allies, and struck them with his blade once more, applying the [Rending] effect. He quickly hopped away as the two began wildly flailing about with Skills, cursing and shouting.

“Priam! Help us!”

“Bu-but I gave my word!” Priam replied.

“Who do you care about more? Some random Aspirant or the person who kept you alive during the Trial?!” Rory shouted.

Jace put his hand on the Priest’s shoulder and yanked him to the ground. He dismissed the Cloak as the two were behind a rocky outcropping. “They were preparing to attack. You kept your word. You get to live.”

Priam gulped and nodded, “I owe Rory my life though,” he whispered in fear. “She kept me alive during the Aspirant Trial and told me that if I became a support-focused Class, she would keep me safe.”

Jace grimaced, “I gave them a chance.” They’re going to suffer the consequences of their actions.

“If they die then…I’m going to be vulnerable!” Priam replied. “I can heal and protect, and that’s about it!” The rabbit-man was breathing very, very rapidly and was panicking.

Gah. That’s stupid! Why choose a Class with no offensive capabilities? It was about then that Jace noticed the tears streaming down Priam’s face. He’s terrified. Jace felt his protective nature begin to kick in, but he pushed it back. No. He’s not family, he’s not my friend, he’s not street folk. I don’t owe him anything. Hell, if anything, he owes me something.

Jace sighed, “Tell you what. You go and get their weapons, their gear – everything stripped from them – and bring it back here. Then, they leave this world. You do that, and they do their part? I’ll let them live. Deal?” I may not be able to use their gear if it vanishes, Jace thought, but if they don't have armor or weapons, and no dungeon cores, they shouldn't be hurt except by the most vindictive of Aspirants.

Priam nodded, “Deal,” he replied softly. “Thanks for being merciful.” He scampered over the rocky outcropping and shouted the good news to his former allies.

Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Jace thought as he went to the trio and stood next to them. He listened intently to their conversation. He felt the energy loss begin to hit him as he felt tired, but the adrenaline coursing through him was more than compensating. That, and the Energy Cost Reduction (Rank 5) reducing the deficit he felt as sleep tugged on him.

“He wants us to do what?!” Giordo shouted.

“Just give him everything you have! If you don’t then he won’t remove the effect. You’ll die!” Priam replied, his tone a pleading one.

“You ungrateful, weak, useless excuse for an Aspirant!” Rory shouted. “You should have killed him while you had the chance!” She looked to Giordo, “If we kill the Aspirant, his Skill goes away.”

“But I gave my word,” Priam replied as his voice dropped to a whimper. “I promised…and my dad said you never, ever break a prom-” The rabbit-man was punched and went sprawling back as Giordo slammed into him.

Jace slashed at the man’s Wayfinder, and Ollie cheered, “Take that Jeremy!” The rock-ball Wayfinder was carved in two and vanished with a duller pop .

Jace quickly stabbed this Giordo through the back of the neck, and he collapsed. The plant lady began to turn and raise her staff – and Jace stabbed her through as well. He turned off Dark Matter Cloak as the plant-lady’s Wayfinder vanished with the telltale pop. “You okay?” Jace asked as he walked over to Priam.

The bunny-man was knocked out cold. “He is very weak,” Ollie commented.

“Why choose a Class that has no offensive capability?” Jace asked.

“His species is called Oslia. Based on my System query, this one is about the equivalent of a fourteen-year-old human.”

Jace felt that protective nature swell up in him once more. He’s just a fucking kid . Why the hell would he choose Aspirant? But Jace stopped himself in that line of thought. He must have been desperate. Just like I was. But why didn’t he get sent to The Eternal City’s youth-thing? “Ollie, how is he so young but an Aspirant?”

“Ah, that is because his age is considered adult for his species. But they live a short lifespan of fifty years. I would gather that he was found mid-Trial by this Rory woman, and the two teamed up to survive. She probably protected him in some way, and so he returned the favor by becoming a Class dedicated to helping his allies.”

“Dust them,” Jace said as he gestured to the two corpses.

<<<<<>>>>>

[Stardust Acquired: 30]

<<<<<>>>>>

As their bodies vanished along with their gear, the golden dungeon core rolled out and Jace quickly grabbed it with his foot. Pulling it up, he weighed it in his hand. “Maybe…6?”

Ollie shook his head, “It’s an 8 size,” he replied.

“So that puts me at 50 total,” Jace said as he opened his pack and put it with the other one. The two orbs merged, and a singular, golden orb took up a good amount of his backpack’s space.

“That is correct,” Ollie replied. “What about this one?”

Jace looked down at the rabbit-man. “A dedicated support Class? And he’s got no offensive options? If I leave him here, he’s a goner.” Jace could smell the slight scent of burnt fur and scooped up the light man. “The least I can do is keep him alive until he wakes up. He did try to fill his part of the deal.”

But I don’t owe him anything…but maybe this can be redemption in a way. He sighed. This is for you, Verve.