Sally kicked up dirt as they followed along behind the rest of the Outsiders. They held back to continue the conversation, but didn’t want to let them get too far ahead. She knew they’d get lost somehow, and it’d be like chasing headless chickens around.

“We’ll call it Corrupted STAR for now, okay?” She linked her arm around Theo’s, as concern covered her face.

“Sure.” Theo ran his tongue across his fangs. “Someone or something must be able to create them… or whatever it is doing.”

“Why would people even want to?” Sally sighed. As if the world didn’t have enough problems to overcome, people were trying to break the System—and for what?

“It explains the poison, I suppose. Although not why they were targeting you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean the poison?”

“Forty-seven hours, twenty-three minutes. Until I die.” He looked down at her impassively.

Sally wasn’t too sure what to make of that. Was he still doing a bit? It wasn’t exactly like him to continue on past the point of being funny. Not with something like this. “You’re being for real?”

He nodded.

“Ass! Take an antidote, or whatever we have that gets rid of that sort of thing.”

“Already tried.” He looked away from her and into the mess of deep green vegetation they were passing. “Nothing worked.”

Nerves worked up inside her, and she let go of his arm. “This is serious, then? You don’t seem worried? I’m worried.”

They continued on in silence for a moment, but the vampire finally responded. “I’ve lived a good life here. Well, not really good, and I’m no longer alive…” He stopped, and she turned to pause with him. “I’m not saying I want to leave the System… to leave you… but there’s some calm to having a timer on my mortality.”

Sally pouted and tried to read his face. “I honestly don’t know how to process that, Theo.”

“It’s a lot, I know. My stats are completely broken and I feel like a pup that has caught the van it was chasing. What now? I’m mostly just here for you.” He put his cold hand up to the dead flesh of her cheek.

“Aw, bud.” She smiled as she looked into his eyes. “Are you just working through the dialogue choices to find the romance option?”

“Yeah,” he grinned, exposing his sharp fangs.

She rolled her eyes and adjusted the collar of his suit jacket. “I’m an uncaring monster, but you’ve had my heart since we met by Hillan.” With a sigh, she gave him a glum smile. “Honestly, I’d feel a lot more lost without you here—but if you’re ready to go…”

“Not yet. I just need some time to process things.”

“Well, you have less than two days, dummy.” She gave him a brief hug and then punched him on the arm. “We’ll find you a cure and rule the world together, okay?”

Theo grinned. “Only time will tell.”

“Ass!” She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him toward the Party, who had stopped ahead. “We’ll continue this later. The conversation, I mean.” She glared at him.

Humphrey stood grinning as he watched them approach. Norah was discussing something with Lucius, emojis appearing beside his head. The Death Knight tilted his head. “Everything okay?”

“Other than Theo is actually going to die in two days? Yeah, just peachy.” She let go of the vampire and gave him a half-hearted scowl.

“Troublseome.” Humphrey said, as he nodded. “It was nice knowing you.”

“Can you two just kiss and get it over with?” she growled and pushed Theo across the ground toward the Death Knight.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The vampire bumped up against Humphrey’s crossed arms. “It’s just that we are your sword and shield. We are bound to clash.”

“Until we duel, of course,” the Death Knight said with a wide grin.

Sally deflated and caught the gaze of Norah, the Mummy rolling her eyes at their antics. Lucius looked to have gotten his hands stuck to some manner of wild plant, and was struggling to remove it from his glove without it getting stuck to the other. Perhaps she was being too hard on them. Despite no longer feeling like they were melting, the exhaustion had already done enough damage, and she was being a grouch. New Area blues.

“Alright, Outsiders.” She stood up tall and waved her hands to get their attention. “I’m calling for a time out. Let’s get somewhere safe and chill and recover.” She exhaled through her nose before continuing. “If we cure Theo, then you two can have your duel. But! Not to the death.” She held a finger up and glared at them.

Humphrey grinned. “Acceptable.”

“Sure, sounds good.” Theo pushed his glasses up to hide his excitement.

Sometimes you had to use the carrot rather than the stick. The result of the duel might have Party dynamic drama in the future, but if she could herd the cats along the right path for a while longer then future Sally could deal with that aftermath. After all, what was the worst they could do? Other than accidentally die, perhaps.

“Norah, you’re an absolute icon. Lucius… here, let me help.” She stepped over and pulled the sticky flower from his gloves and threw it off to the side.

They needed her more than she cared to admit. Why she had settled into a leadership position, she wasn’t exactly sure. Ambition was part of it. She had the big goals to push them forward… but she didn’t exactly feel qualified for the position. Well, perhaps that was a valid excuse back in the Forest, but now she had the experience of dragging the empty-headed undead through all the barriers the System had set up.

Something wasn’t sitting right with her, though. She looked around, as if there could be more enemies lying in wait. There probably were, but that- Oh, that was it.

“Theo?” She grabbed and pulled him back over as the group started walking once more. “What was the ranger like?”

“Aside from the…” he raised an eyebrow in not wanting to repeat in front of everyone. “Uh, dark skin, curly brown hair. Her clothing was a mix of deep greens and dark grays.” He shrugged. “Tasted a little odd, but I figured that was just because of the…”

“Okay.” She tilted her head and frowned. That didn’t really tell her too much… not without jumping to conclusions—and her legs were tired. She doubted she could pull that off. Her clothes either, with how the sweat had glued them to her dead flesh. Too distracted.

“We are here,” Humphrey announced from the front.

She assumed he meant the outpost, rather than just a general statement about existence. Although, with how she was feeling, she wasn’t too sure.

A miniature fortress loomed out just ahead of them at the end of the path, which now split off into two other directions into the deeper jungle. Made of dark wooden trunks, the arched open gate was flanked by two watchtowers. Two guards in each, and two flanking the gate. All System-created and dressed in the same dull gray plate armor, bright yellow detailing and white tabards. A brave choice for such a mucky environment.

“Welcome adventurers. Arberg needs your assistance, should you be able?” The line from the closest guard as they approached seemed stilted and lacking context.

“Anyone read the lore?” Sally wrinkled up her face.

“It’s the area to the north of us,” Humphrey filled in the exposition. “Researchers and Monster, the usual.”

“Neat.”

They passed through the gate and into the outpost proper. It was muddy and drab. Not exactly a great break from the rest of the jungle, but at least they should be able to avoid most danger and annoyance for the rest of the day. Perhaps if she hadn’t tempted fate by thinking that.

The insides of the wooden walls had a gathering of buildings, short and stocky, made of the same dark wood. A forge, tavern, dorms, and a couple of houses for the System-created to live. Or pretend to. With a click, a small dial turned a notch in her head, and intrusive thoughts wanted to destroy and consume this little slice of civilisation. The elation she had felt when she had caused the zombie apocalypse in the previous area rose up before she shook it away. She must be tired.

“Are we going to find some proper Quests?” Theo narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

There was a noticeboard over on the side that looked as though it had a number of pages stuck. Offering rewards for services, perhaps. Hopefully, none of them were Wanted posters for the Outsiders—it had been a year, surely they’d have gotten bored with chasing shadows by now?

Sally rubbed her face. “I think first we should look for-“

“Outsiders,” a voice came from behind them.

They spun to look back at the road. A group of five figures stood, all wearing blue tabards. This one was led by a woman in a long purple robe, flanked by a man and woman in fighter gear with shields at the ready. What looked to be two rangers stood at both ends of the group, and were dressed identically—a mirror image of each other, their faces obscured by dark green hoods.

Sally took a deep breath, not entirely mentally. “You’re the other faction, and you’ve heard there is a new Party in town and want to delight our ears with your stance on the whole fight in hopes that we will join your side and not eat you?”

The pale woman with long black hair stepped forward and gave them a brief bow. Their blue tabards had a white arrow facing upward, and silver detailing along the edges. They really did make this easy.

“Correct, Sally. It is a pleasure to finally meet you all. My name is Rachel.”

Sally raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected. “You know us already?”

“Of course,” the woman smiled warmly. “Our leader has been telling so much about you, we have been awaiting the return of the Dragon slayers.”