We need to go back to Bastion. We are being chased by five A-rankers, judging by their tokens, and no amount of creative use of Power will ever even the odds if we come to blows again. They know me and my strategy now.

Agreed. However, you might want to perform the experiment now before you return to the city.

Fine.

Albert prepared himself and breathed in. Beside him, Scrappy was quietly snoring, no doubt exhausted by the long day of running away from their pursuers. He had no idea how the situation might impact on a young teen like her, what the consequences of being chased and on the run would be.

He couldn’t help it, though, no matter how guilty he felt. She really did not have a better choice. For a moment, Albert’s mind was cast into the future, to the choice he would eventually have to make should he survive to even get there. Then he sighed.

He didn’t want to think about it now. In order not to, he seized control of his Power and stared at the log provided by Jeff. Then he flexed his Power, carefully dosing it so that his Focus would not drop below where it was safe.

The log hovered in the air like a notification.

Focus: 100% -> 20%

Self-preservation routines active

Focus stabilized.

Guiding Power… mixing with user input.

Bending…

Intent added…

Mana recruited…

Operation finalized.

Self-preservation routines disabled.

Evaluating results…

Results: used Power to prevent negative muscle decay due to natural adaptation when not used. Used Power to stimulate protein synthesis.

Results are within expectations. Adding data points.

Efficiency: low.

Calculating Physical Power change.

Physical Power 2 -> 3

Albert breathed out in relief, only now realizing he had been holding his breath all this time. The low efficiency was to be expected, and everything else went according to plan. Next time, perhaps without having to do it in a cave without having to worry about waking a sleeping girl next to him, he would try to raise the efficiency of the working of his Power by adding some sort of ritual to it. It seemed to help, and Jeff agreed it would be a good thing to try out.

“Okay Jeff. Condense the log and only show me the important stuff.”

Then he paused. “Also hide the Focus counter, please.”

I should remind you that the Focus counter was your idea.

“I know.”

Are you sure about that?

“Yes. I don’t like seeing the number all the time. It doesn’t help at all either. It’s better if I trust my instincts and do it by feeling it.

As you wish. Do you also want me to get rid of the other numbers? Power and Physical Power?

“No. Perhaps one day, but for now they are still useful. Keep them.”

***

Scrappy awoke with a start, but immediately Sir Albert’s presence soothed her, and she felt herself calm down. Her breathing returned to normal, and her heart no longer thumped in her chest.

Beside her, Sir Albert heaved a weary sigh.

“I hate that my Power makes me always tired… Well, we have a conundrum here…” He began, and although she did not really understand what he meant she felt that he was not happy with something. “I found a way to get stronger. For both of us to grow stronger. Perhaps even a way for you to have some actual magic.”

Scrappy’s heart thumped in her chest again. Did Sir Albert know?

“I—Sir Albert, Sir. That would be—”

“Don’t worry.” He said. “It’s still in the future for now. I don’t have enough Power to deal with it now.”

Scrappy nodded, forcing herself to calm down. Evidently Sir Albert suspected things, and by now he must know that she was a liar yet again. She wondered, but he kept talking.

“If it were up to me, we would find a safe place and bunker down until we were stronger. With my Power growing by the hour, it would only be a function of time for both of us. But it’s not up to me, and the clock’s ticking… We will need to do many things at the same time. The first order of business is to go back to Bastion: there are a few crucial pieces of information I need to learn if we want to continue in relative safety. Very relative, by the way. Which is why I will ask you one last time: do you want to go with me? Follow me to the end?”

Scrappy saw a blue window appear in front of her eyes, just like it did when she got her class. Once again, the text was something she shouldn’t have been able to read but somehow she could understand it. It was about forming a party with Sir Albert. Yes! Yes! She immediately confirmed, before telling Sir Albert how happy she was to follow him on his adventures.

She also tried to come clean about her lie, about having a class. It was yet another lie she had told him, she realized, and she felt horrible about it but it seemed like it wasn’t a big deal to him. She didn’t understand. He didn’t even ask her about it, telling her he would be happy to wait until she was comfortable telling him. Then, she tried to tell him that she indeed was comfortable now, but he wouldn’t listen!

“You are doing it because of guilt! Not trust.” He said, shaking his head but smiling. Scrappy was very worried. “Do it on your time, okay? Let’s get through this whole deal first.”

Stolen novel; please report.

***

Bastion was big enough that the simple fact there was an adult and a teenager walking together did not necessarily mean they were the two criminals the guild was looking for. Especially after Jeff was done carefully crafting a credible illusion that was then projected with a copy of the old Solid-State Manifestation skill.

It irritated Albert to no end that he could not do it without having to copy an old skill, but it worked, and practicality won over his stubbornness when push came to shove. The good thing about the disguise was that it was almost as good as the real thing. It was solid, not a simple illusion, and it was almost impossible to break. Surely, the guild master and his obscenely broken karmic mana could see past it if he knew what he was looking for, but Albert had no intention to even make the man think they were back in town.

There was an inn close to the Guild. A place where both adventurers who couldn’t afford the expensive rooms the guild offered and the clerks who worked there went to sleep the night. It was shabby, dirty and ran down, but the price was low and it wasn’t like there was a much better choice to go around. With the war brewing, and the battle growing near, people tried to grab whatever sleep they could before things became too hectic.

A quick scan confirmed that they weren’t being followed. It was the dead of night, but the city was bustling with activity, both making what Albert was about to do easier and harder to achieve. It was no matter, though. By now, he could use his Power well enough that breaking into an inn was no big deal, especially if he worked together with his AI to do it.

He did, and found himself in the same room as a sleeping young man. He appeared without making any sound, Scrappy silently following him through the small portal he had created. Even though he swayed for a moment at the effort, he still had enough Focus to wake the man up and bind him before he could scream. He was not particularly strong, which made him a good target for what he wanted to do.

“W-who are you? What do you want?” The man whimpered as soon as Albert removed the binding from his mouth.

“I need a little Q&A session.” Albert said, plopping a small pouch full of money on the unsteady table next to him. It landed with the telltale jingle of coins.

The clerk’s eyes widened. “You could have—”

“I ask the questions.” Albert said. The guild clerk’s eyes narrowed but he nodded. Albert saw the man’s gaze wander for a moment, eyes studying the diminutive form of the girl standing behind Albert to the side. “And you look at me.”

The man nodded. A dangerous glint remained in his eyes, however.

“First question,” Albert cocked his head. “Why is the guild in complete upheaval? What the hell is going on?”

Even now, the sound of shouting and stomping feet could be heard through the window. The clerk looked out for a moment and chuckled, showing a grin of crooked yellowing teeth that set Albert more on edge than anything else he could see about the unassuming youth. Perhaps the boy was rotten on the inside, despite his average exterior.

“You don’t know? They are drafting anyone they can find above D-rank for the battle. And you, my friend, will be among them.” He sneered. The grin widened, eyes mad with glee regarded Albert from the floor. “I will feel such a pleasure knowing you will die in that battle. Then, with your dying breath, you will realize that us clerks you so much look down upon will be the ones to breed your women, to raise children and make humanity continue onwards while you rot underground. Forgotten.”

The man’s eyes landed on Scrappy yet again. Albert felt a surge of anger, like a tide that could not be stopped and was swept away in it. He lifted him up with his right hand, using Power, until the two were at looking at each other in the eye. Albert kept eye contact as the man whimpered, the air driven out of his lungs by forces he could not understand nor resist. His face began to turn yellow. Then white. His eyes were red and bulging.

After a few, long moments, Albert released him and he slumped back on the floor.

Behind him he thought he heard a hiss, and he turned around to see Scrappy baring her teeth at the man. He, in turn, simply looked at her like she was food.

“Fuck you.” Albert said, grabbing the man’s head and bashing it against the wall. Blood dribbled down. “Look at me.” He said. “Look at me!” He crouched, lowering himself until he was once again level with the man’s eyes.

Then he lifted his hand, and plunged it into the man’s head. Immediately the clerk’s eyes became vacant, and his mouth slackened. Albert fought the mounting headache.

Reality Bending Power: 52 -> 53

Then, as the working of the Power took hold, another few messages appeared in the log.

Mind control active.

Creative approach unlocks better yield. Cataloguing ritualistic components. Updating Power score to match.

Reality Bending Power: 53 -> 55

“Don’t worry.” He told Scrappy. “I’m being merciful here.” Then he turned back to the clerk, who was looking at him with a blank expression. “Answer my questions by only stating the facts,” he paused, spitting some blood. That was new, although he knew it was due to overstrain. “Don’t add your personal opinions or comments. Clear?”

“Clear.” The clerk said mechanically.

“Now. Do you know what happens when a magical individual dies?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s not true. Is the guild preparing contingencies for after the battle?”

“They are moving all the low ranked individuals to shelters.”

“See? They know something is up. Elaborate.”

The clerk shook his head. “That is standard practice. What they are doing differently is that they are putting all the non-mages they can find around the field where the battle will be.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Non-mages are useless.”

“I didn’t ask for comments.” Albert said, wondering whether his mind control was already waning.

“It was not a comment. I was stating a fact.”

“What do you mean?”

“Non-mages are subhuman. They don’t have any magic to protect them from the world and from other mages. This makes them stupid and simple, but they are also obedient and they are used to farm the fields and to work the mines where nobody wants to go. In a battle they would be utterly useless, as they are unable to even react to danger.”

Albert hummed. “Did you know this?” He asked Scrappy.

“I heard people talking about non-mages, that I did…” she paused. “They are treated like slaves, yes. He is not lying. I thought you would know, though.”

“I didn’t. That’s why we are here.” He shook his head. “That’s enough. I know enough. This place is irredeemable. Let’s go.”

They left as quickly as they came, going through the inside of the inn rather than a portal to save energy, which Albert suspected he would need quite soon.

The hand method wasn’t too bad. Gross, but it was worth it, am I right?

It increased efficiency by 55%. I recalculated your Power so it would match the potential of what you showed there.

Good. That was the best I could do in a pinch.

I will reluctantly admit that the path shows promise, and perhaps one day soon ritualistic use of Power might overshadow mechanical use of mana.

A small smile crawled on Albert’s face. Even though by being ritualistic it meant that the Power was constrained, he was the one who made the rituals, and he would be the one deciding what they would be about. He would be in total control, the limit being his own creativity.

They made for the walls yet again and by the time they arrived, Albert was wearing a grim expression on his face.

“What will happen to that man now?” Scrappy asked.

“The rapist asshole?” She nodded. “His brain will either turn to mush, or he will wake up like it was all a dream. To be fair, I didn’t even set boundary conditions so it’s just as likely that he will remain there until he dies of thirst and hunger. Not like he deserves to live, to be fair.”

Scrappy nodded. “Thank you, kind Sir. Not many people would defend a young girl like me, that I know. It makes me happy.”

For a moment, Albert’s grim expression melted into a smile.

“Of course. Listen now: we need to get out of this hellhole, and fast. These walls will turn Bastion into a prison as soon as the battle outside begins.”

Scrappy nodded. “I think the armies are here, Sir Albert. That’s when they sound the horns for the battle, isn’t it? That I remember, from a book they read to me, that I do…”

She looked down. “Aww. I’ll read you a book, okay? And yes, you are right. Gimme a moment.”

Jeff?

On it.

Focus was used. How much, now that there was no longer a percentage counter, it was hard to tell, but Albert got the impression it wasn’t a lot. Using his Power was, thanks to Jeff, becoming quite efficient.

They are gathered in the open field outside the walls. They are not fighting yet, but there is tension. The A-ranker team is also there, patrolling.

“Yeah.” Albert said, making Scrappy look up. Perhaps he took too long to examine the image Jeff had shown him. “We’ll need to get creative with our escape. Entering was easy, but now the whole place is in lockdown. Nothing too bad. We have illusions, and we can teleport a short distance. Do you still have Evasive?”

Scrappy shook her head. “No, that I don’t. I used it earlier.”

Albert nodded. “Then we’ll need to be careful. Quick now, to the walls. Before the first deaths fill the air with even more mana and I can’t properly use my Power anymore.”

They ran, and Albert tried his best to come up with a ritual to save as much Focus as he could, while at the same time not making a fool out of himself to Scrappy’s eyes.