Sally chewed on the end of a pencil, her brow furrowed as she flicked over a few pieces of paper. Exhaling through her nose, she looked up at the figure sitting across the table from her. The first of her potential interviewees.

With their large suit of plate armor made out of midnight-black metal, it was hard to not recognize the Death Knight. Not only because he was her adoptive father, and had been a core part of her Party for a lot of their adventures—nor even because behind his crown-laden skull of white was constantly waving crimson flame—but there was just nobody else who fit that silhouette.

“Your mother wondered if you had time for a brunch meet-up before the mission,” he said, his voice deep.

Sally rolled her eyes. “This is a professional meeting, pops. Please treat it as such.”

Humphrey leaned forward. “Is that why you’re reading a recipe list for banoffee pancakes?”

“I can’t think of anything more important than breakfast foods.” She closed the folder and narrowed her eyes at him. “Alright, Mr. Head of Security, send me your basic information list, since nobody bothered to prep me.”

The Death Knight shrugged and sent his screen across.

[Humphrey Danger - Level 45 Death Knight]

[Classes]

[Death Knight 5]

[Bulkwark 2]

[Master Duelist 3]

[Key Skills]

[Greatsword Mastery 9]

[Gravewarden Aura 4]

[Challenge 7]

The zombie clucked her tongue. “You know, I was kinda annoyed at the change where we could only have one aura each. I suppose it makes sense, but I liked being overpowered, you know?”

“Of course, ha-ha.” Humphrey grinned. He drummed his metal fingers on the desk. “They are difficult to level, however.”

“Only because you spend so much time working your day job. I’m sure you have people to you pass it on to now.” Sally crossed her arms. Although she was a big fan of their lives being much easier since they took over the System, sometimes she missed the comaraderie of the group of them adventuring together.

He shrugged. “Yes, and no. My connection to the Observers helps run things smoothly, but actual security threats since the Collector attacked have been pretty low. That’s why I’m sitting here, of course.”

“I don’t need this ingredient list to tell me that you’re the priority ask when it comes to the frontline tank position.” Sally tapped a finger on the closed folder for effect. “Our relationship notwithstanding, I trust you in that role and know that you’ll be the cornerstone for all our future fighting.”

Humphrey nodded, a spark of red light at the back of his empty eye-sockets. “I will always do my best to protect you and the others chosen for this Party. The opportunity to learn more about our future foe and put a few of them in the ground along the way is one I cannot pass up.”

She puckered her lips and thought on this for a moment. “Plus, you’ll probably get to duel their most powerful roach, and rub it in with Theo that you were there to help when he wasn’t.”

The flame behind the Death Knight’s helmet flickered and died down slightly. “No, neither thing crossed my mind.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve got the job, pops.” Sally sighed and sunk down in her chair a little further. “That was the easy win, however. I’m not sure about the rest of the group. No time for brunch with Norah, I’m afraid, and I guess that means she won’t want to join in?”

Humphrey shook his head. “Unfortunately, your mother is quite engaged with the council’s work in the Wasteland. You know how she feels about the new System.”

While it was tempting to roll her eyes, she knew exactly how the Mummy felt. Not everyone had been too eager about the new rules and way of skill acquisition. It wasn’t exactly worse, but just different. Having to start from scratch put some people off, and while most had eventually come around to it—even begrudgingly accepting that it was better—some had given up on adventuring entirely.

Norah was only level 23 the last she had checked, and while the numbers weren’t always the most important thing, dragging her along just for nostalgia wouldn’t be fair.

Same for Lucius. It was a shame, as his new skill-set was even better than from the old System, but he had settled into his role as being a therapist and overall helper for those in Sanctuary.

“We should try to get a more well-rounded team for a change,” she eventually decided. “A lot of the Outsiders are Power leaning classes, and we need… a Guile and Knowledge focused person to make us more well-rounded.”

While they were both Power, Sally had Morale as her secondary stat, and Humphrey had Health as his. It made sense for their roles, mostly due to her Zombie class allowing a lot of her skills to scale of Power instead of Knowledge. Theo filled an empty space there as a Guile and Stamina character, leaning more into his attack speed and stealth in the new System, but the Outsiders were short on Knowledge-based individuals.

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Humphrey leaned back in his chair, the small piece of furniture squealing under his weight. “We are looking for a ranged damage dealer, a healer, and then perhaps a utility class? Something rogue-ish?”

“A healer,” Sally repeated with a groan. Something like gold dust in her group. While she had filled that role for a short while, she only had something to help regenerate her minions at the moment.

“I believe Edward is Guile and Morale,” Humphrey offered. “Probably has itchy enough feet and a grudge against the cockroaches that he’d join up.”

“He’s on my list,” she admitted. “He’ll probably be tolerable enough since Theo isn’t along for the ride… which… did you know about that?”

Humphrey shook his head. “I’m not sure why, but Chuck kept that mission very close to his chest. I assume for good reason, it could be that the people Theo is meeting are important or powerful enough that Chuck didn’t want any boat-rocking to get in the way.”

“I do not rock boats,” Sally complained. “But now I’m tempted to. At least when we’re all back home safe.”

The Death Knight nodded. “I’m sure things will be fine. Did you want me to leave so you can conduct the rest of the interviews?”

She let this question roll around her head a little. There was a part of her that wanted to invite Humphrey to sit in with her, but given that they’d be going off on a mission… having a space where it was just one on one meant fewer voices driving her crazy. The Outsiders could yap with the best of them, and she was saving her mania for later.

“Hmm. Yes, please. Stay available though, in case I need to contact you for advice.” She gave him a smile. “Thanks, pops. It will be fun fighting together again.”

“Yes.” He gave her a wide grin and stood up from the chair. “I cannot wait.”

Sally watched him leave before sighing. Things were a lot more straightforward when it was the five of them against the world. Now it was too simple. Even dropping onto the random worlds and having to start from scratch felt mundane after the first handful. In truth, they had all expected the new System to take years to get off the ground, and she and Theo would need to slowly make permanent new skills from the worlds they were saving and acquiring.

Something about their ascension into Aspects of Life and Death, and Chuck becoming the intangible spirit of the System had turned that process into a few months of hard slog. There was a danger in doing it before the space cockroaches arrived from across the Sea… but they had come to the agreement to push it through. Now they could keep their progress no matter where they went in the Sea, with the help of the spaceship they had built.

It was all so bizarre. The days of struggling against a handful of basic monsters had long passed. Perhaps that was one of the reasons she liked going back to the Forest so much, to harass all the low levels while they started their struggle.

She sighed once more and picked the chewed pencil back up. Eyes up to her STAR menus, she sent a message to Edward.

It was barely two seconds before there was a flash of light, and the demon appeared before her. Already a coy grin across his sharp teeth, hair slicked back between two horns. He dusted down his lavender suit and gave her a brief bow.

“It always amazes me how you forget the normal conventions surrounding doors,” she said, gesturing to the chair with a dull expression on her face.

“You wanted me here, and I am here,” he replied, a wider grin on his face. The demon pulled out the chair and sat down. “Before you even ask, I’m in.”

Sally rolled her eyes. “Alright, we’re supposed to have some banter first. Threaten to betray us and destroy the ship. Something about stabbing us in the back, yada yada. The usual.”

Edward pulled a face and sunk back into the chair. “It’s no fun if you preempt it.”

“If you’re only signing up for revenge, then I don’t need to hear it. I need cool heads on deck, and I know you’re proficient when you’re not being sinister.”

He grunted. “Poppy says that I shouldn’t hold grudges, and I’ll hold that against her until I die. I want to kill all the roaches to prove that I don’t have to.”

“Ignoring for a moment that doesn’t make any sense, how is Poppy doing? It’s been a while. I feel so bad I can’t meet up with all of my pals as often as I’d like.”

Edward smiled, his eyes drifting off to the ceiling as he thought. “She’s great. After the Great Reset, she decided that she didn’t want to be a knight anymore. Now she’s running an orphanage.”

“Really? For cats, right?” Sally gave him a smile in return.

“Correct. Beats me why, but it keeps her happy.” The demon’s eyes turned back to the zombie, some of the fire in the petered out. “I want to help repel our foes so that I can keep things like that safe.”

“I knew you were a softie.” She clicked her fingers. “Revenge is fine too. I was just busting your balls. Send me your basic information sheet so I can add to my records.”

[Edward - Level 38 Demon Diplomat]

[Classes]

[Backstabber 2]

[Betrayer 2]

[Diplomat 1]

[Grand Manipulator 3]

[Key Skills]

[Rapier Mastery 8]

[Delude 7]

[Poison Mastery 6]

“Reading your skill list is always a trip.” Sally shook her head. “Why the System has those kinds of Classes is beyond me. I’m surprised you don’t have something called ‘Sinister Motherfucker’.”

The demon put his hands behind his head and tilted the chair back. “I’m hoping to get that at level 40. Most of my skills are just good for deception, or seeing through various tricks.”

“Not to mention Morale lowering skills.” The zombie opened up her folder, the recipe staring straight back at her. “Alright, you’re in. Although we are potentially going into a battlefield scenario, your soft skills might also be helpful in dealing with the local populace.”

“How much do we know about them?”

Sally blinked, the sketch of the tasty-looking pancakes unable to distract her from the question. “Not… much at all, really. I’m just making the team with the vision of fighting off roaches. The rest of the world briefing will come later. I assume smarter minds than mine have that handled.”

He managed to bite back a snappy retort to that statement.

“Any advice for who might also be good for the group?” she asked.

Edward shrugged. “I would have said Theo, but apparently he has gone off-world, which is unfair. They didn’t even warn me.” He ignored the glare Sally was giving him. “Assuming you have already picked Humphrey, then you are looking for ranged and healing support. Have you thought about Jackie?”

“As far as I know, she is still happy enough running the tavern.” Sally pulled a face. She hadn’t met up with the former mobster in a while, and when they had, they didn’t really discuss levels or anything.

“Might be worth a… shot.” The demon winked before vanishing with a flash of blue.

Sally rolled her eyes again, unsure whether that was meant to be a double or triple pun. Still, there was nothing that said she had to do the interviews in this room. A little liquid lunch might smooth over this process.

And she could always eat some newbies while there. It would be rude not to.