Sunlight trickles past a veil of pale clouds. 11 lifts her head to the summer wind, letting it run warm fingers through her hair. She stretches, reaching up to the vast open skies above, and sighs in content. She will never tire of the smells of these distant lands and faraway oceans.

And yet... it is I who is the distant one.

11 steps closer to the edge of the cliff face, and peers down at the little village within the overgrown valley.

“Village Leader Varnon is dead!” she can almost hear them crying out. “The wraith has been vanquished!”

“Give her space, people! The hero is being healed by Doctor Lawheim!”

It is a hotpot of emotions bubbling through Oakroot, and 11 imagines what it might taste like; the elation of being freed, the shock at the sacrifices involved, and the grief of losing someone important.

But what she really wants to know, is how Aralyn will feel.

Will she hate me for leaving her, or for failing to save her friends?

Because I do. For both those reasons.

11 moves away from the cliff’s edge, and takes out the animal-skin map from her backpack.

The entire continent of Gandolia spreads out before her. 11 sees Oakroot village first, surrounded by the Whispering Woods, which is many times its size. Then, using her own GPS as a guide, 11 locates her current position at the top of the eastern mountain ranges, where the wraith once made its home. She finds Kesrock City next, where Aralyn and her party wants to go, when it was still Aralyn and her party.

There is one marking that stands out from the rest. In the northern-most corner of the map, buried in the midst of snowy mountains and canyons, is a small circle, penned in red.

"Why, hello. Might you be the doctor's hidden treasure?" 11 traces a finger from her position to the circle. If she hikes across the land the same way she did to get to Gargoloth, she’ll get there in just under five weeks.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

But spending thirty-five days with no one but Mother for company sounds… not fun.

Scanning the map, 11 notes the different places she can go first, and comes to a decision.

“I guess it won’t hurt to check out what a city in this world looks like.”

Mother's voice chimes in,

> What about the Protocol, Gier 11?

>

> The nearest Demonic Entity of Level 70 is not in that direction.

“I’m carrying out the secondary objective I gave to myself, Mother.” 11 rolls the map up and slips it into her backpack. “I’m going to find out what happened to Gier 10 and the rest of my comrades. If they’d been killed, then I want to know why.”

> And how do you propose to do that? Unarmed as you are.

“I have a plan.” 11 fingers the hilt of her mageblades, feeling powerful with them by her side. “First, I'll need to gather more intel. If I'm to face an enemy capable of killing God Giers, I need to be prepared. Knowledge cuts deeper than swords, after all.”

> That is not illogical. But what will you do once you find that information? What if the enemy, or enemies, come for you first?

"Then, I'll just have to kill them."

11 casts one last longing look at the village, at the ant-sized humans bustling within its fence of matchsticks. She closes her eyes and whispers a silent prayer for Aralyn, and for the demons they will each carry on their backs for the rest of their days.

Then the God Gier turns away, in the direction of the distant Kesrock City.

“And then after that, I'll find the Gate and knock it down, so no one I care about ever gets hurt again.”

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"Gier 11's log, number 2:

  Date: May 5th, 4099.

To Gier 12,

  There is much I do not understand about this world, but I find it is my own heart that confounds me the most.

I have exterminated the Demonic Entity without suffering any harm to myself, and yet it feels like I have lost so much, more than a limb, or another weapon.

I wonder if I should be leaving Aralyn behind, but it is not logical for me to stay and take care of her.

Besides, I don't think God Giers are supposed to feel like how I do when I'm around her. I don’t believe in any prophecies or tales, but hopefully, I won't meet any more people who can make my heart race like that.

I wonder when you might wake up, Gier 12. But I want to be there to welcome you. I have a feeling you might like to have someone showing you the ropes.

This is Reaper-type God-Gier, Mark II, Unit 11 of the Soteria Battalion, signing off.

For the hope of humanity."

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End of Part I