The dimensional fracture we were going to raid had been discovered shortly after I finished clearing the pond of those bothersome Koler Crabs. After inspecting the area, Jamie wanted to be certain that the infestation wouldn’t return, so she had the pond drained of its water to have the bed scoured for any unhatched eggs.

What they instead found was a glowing gateway. Realizing the importance of their discovery, Jamie’s workers reported it to her at once. By using her appraisal ability, Jamie quickly ascertained that it was not only a stable gate, but it also possessed C-ranked difficulty.

This presented a tempting opportunity for her.

While it was true that the monsters in a C-ranked dungeon were incredibly dangerous, the rewards the system gave in exchange for their destruction would be beyond what the residents of the Narrows ordinarily had access to. Weaponry of such power was reserved exclusively for state-affiliated hunters, only. In fact, there was a legal requirement that newly discovered dungeons of this level were to be reported at once to Gardenia.

The people of the Narrows were naturally against this. Following the law would have meant inviting agents of the government into their community; an unbearable proposition for those who treasured their freedom and had risked the dangers of the outside world to escape the reach of their authority.

What’s more, they felt a strong sense of ownership over the fracture. Hadn’t it appeared in their town? Didn’t that make it their property? Why should anything be surrendered to those arrogant nobles? It was swiftly decided that if anyone was going to profit from this, it would be the Narrows alone. Jamie quickly recruited Pankratz and her daughter to the team; they were two potential B-ranked hunters with professional training, home for their summer break. They only needed one more participant to meet the fracture’s minimum requirements for participation.

This was where Rachel and I would come in. Well, us and the dog.

“Your armor rating is terrible,” Pankratz said untactfully after he inspected my clothing. “How have you been getting by in gear this low quality?”

“I haven’t had an opportunity to improve it yet,” I said. “Haven’t you heard? Life comes at you fast.”

“There’s no way you’d be accepted in my squad if this were an official run,” Pankratz grumbled. “You’d be laughed out of any group you applied for.”

“Then how fortunate for us all that this run is anything but official,” I said. “Besides, Jamie seems to believe I’ll make a decent contribution.”

“Jamie’s clutching at straws,” Pankratz replied. “So, take what she says with a grain of salt.”

“Nick!” Cassie said with a frown. “Mom knows what she’s doing.”

“Yeah, well, she’s never tried anything this far-fetched before, okay?” Pankratz replied. “The odds of this succeeding are not in our favor. The instant things get out of hand, we’re pulling out.”

“You could at least try showing a little bit of faith in us, Nicky,” I said. “You might be pleasantly surprised when you see what we’re capable of.”

“Be serious, Evans,” Pankratz said as he adjusted his own impressive looking armor. “The moment we breach the gate, there’ll be no more time for your silliness, do you understand? Every moment in a fracture of this level is more dangerous than you realize.”

“I have some vague notions of what’s expected of me,” I replied.

“You’re a complete amateur,” he said.

“Hey, I did clear a Goblin’s lair on my own,” I pointed out. “Remember?”

“Still sticking to that fantasy, huh?” Pankratz asked skeptically as he strapped on his helmet.

“Kyler, just do as Nick says, please,” Cassie urged. She looked almost saintly in her white robes, with the staff she carried. Like a gentle shepherdess of the faith here to provide comfort and peace to her congregation. “He’s the most accomplished of everyone here. He has the experience to back up his advice.”

“Damn straight I do,” Pankratz agreed. He then turned toward me and jabbed me hard in the shoulder with his finger. “You’re unproven, Evans. An unknown variable. I’m not letting you put me or my sister in danger, do you understand? Follow my orders or else.”

“Or else…what?” I asked.

Instead of answering my question, he slapped me.

“Soldier up, goddamn it,” he said. “The arrogant are always the first to die. Remember that.”

Then he walked away, with Cassie glancing briefly at me before following him, leaving me to stand there and idly rub my stinging cheek.

“Well, if you say so,” I said to no one in particular.

When we were ready to begin, Jamie appeared to wish us luck. She hugged the others, Rachel included to her surprise, patted Schulz on the head, which he enjoyed, and gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Bring them back safe,” she whispered into my ear.

“I’ll do my best, Jamie,” I assured her.

“I’m counting on you,” she said.

Isn’t that nice? She was counting on me.

How could I possibly fail to meet her expectations?

__

The fracture had taken the appearance of a ruined seaside castle. In earlier years, it must have once made for a majestic sight on the coastline, but the long passage of time with its decades of disrepair and decay had worn away its glamour, leaving it an ominous, hulking ruin.

Within its darkened halls, the shadows moved…and waited.

I immediately felt at home.

As soon as we stepped past its gates, the first action I took was backhanding Pankratz hard enough to send him flying into a nearby wall. He soared briefly before slamming helplessly into the stone structure with enough force to leave a visible crack in it.

Then he collapsed to the ground in a broken heap.

It was very satisfying to see him lying there like that. He’d had it coming for a while. Once again, delayed gratification had proven its merits. Retaliating instantly when someone wrongs you is certainly pleasurable. But quietly nursing a grudge and waiting for just the right moment to avenge yourself? My friends, that is exquisite.

Revenge isn’t just a dish best served cold.

It’s a bowl of French vanilla ice cream.

“Wow,” I said, impressed by Pankratz’s resilience despite my disdain for him. “Look at that, Rachel. He didn’t die on impact! I guess tanks really are durable.”

“Nick!” Cassie screamed as she ran to the side of her prone brother. “Nick! Nick! Oh god, hold on. Please hold on, I’m here!”

“Ouch,” said Rachel as she observed Cassie desperately administering aid to Pankratz’s unconscious body. “You know, I had a feeling that something like that was coming, but it still made me wince. I thought you said you weren’t going to pay him back?”

“I wasn’t planning to,” I replied. “But then he gave me another slap just a short while ago. I believe that was the fifth time he’d struck me. How much am I expected to take?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Didn’t you recently tell me to sheath my strength in weakness?” she asked.

“Hide your strength within reason,” I said. “Once people get accustomed to bullying others, they’ll behave as though they have a God-given right to do it. If he survives, young Nicholas will now know otherwise.”

“All of that just to teach him a lesson he might not live long enough to learn?” asked Rachel.

“Daughter,” I said loftily. “Basic dignity is the inalienable right of all who live, and it must be vigorously defended. If I fail to impart that lesson to this poor boy, then I’ve failed all people everywhere.”

“So noted,” she said. “Are you going to let him die?”

“Flip a coin, Rachel,” I said. “Let’s see how fate feels about him.”

She did. “Heads,” she announced. “So, what now?”

“Darn,” I sighed. “Go heal him, I guess.”

“What? I don’t know how to do that,” she protested.

“That’s why you’re here to learn,” I said. “A few drops of blood down his throat should do it. Remember to focus mentally on the concept of renewal while you’re feeding it to him.”

“I thought our blood was poisonous?” asked Rachel.

“Think of it as a programable matter,” I said. “It’ll do what you want, but you must stay focused. Keep a clear mental image of it restoring him and that’s what it’ll do. Otherwise, poor Pankratz is a goner.”

“That’s so unfair!” Rachel complained. “You’re the one who mashed him up, but I’ll be the one who gets the blame if he croaks!”

“Oh Lord, oh no. How can this be happening?” I asked forlornly.

“I really hate this pressure!” Rachel continued. “It’s not fun at all.”

“Well, get over it,” I said. “Honestly, I don’t care what you choose to do. But you might score some points with Cassie if you save that oaf. That could be fun later.”

“Ohhh,” Rachel said thoughtfully. “I think she’s more into you, though. Or at least she was before you maimed Nick.”

“Really?” I asked. “That’s news to me.”

“It’s her body language,” Rachel said. “A woman can always tell.”

“I’m not interested,” I said dismissively. “Too young.”

“She’s eighteen, isn’t she? Isn’t that the current legal standard?” asked Rachel. “It’s better than the one I grew up under. My older cousin got married off when she was fourteen.”

“Well, these days if you’re required to meet a legal standard to pursue someone romantically, then one of you should probably be on a watchlist,” I replied. “Are you going to revive that idiot or not? Cassie hasn’t got the power to heal all his injuries.”

“Fiiine,” Rachel said grumpily as she trudged over to the two of them. She then bit into her wrist to open a wound from which to feed him. “But it’s still on you if this doesn’t work!”

“I believe in you,” I said encouragingly. “You can do anything you set your mind to. I’m so proud to have you as my child.”

A few moments later, I said, “I can’t believe you. You can’t do anything right, can you? I feel so ashamed to be your father.”

“I told you this would happen!” Rachel yelled as she desperately pushed Pankratz away while Cassie stared at them both and screamed. “I told you!”

“I said to give him a few drops of blood, you hopeless lackwit!” I yelled in reply. “You fed him directly from your vein! What did you think would happen?”

“I just wanted to be certain,” she whined as Pankratz clung desperately to her leg. “Better too much than too little, right?”

“Is that so?” I asked. “Well, I’m glad that’s settled then. Except for the matter of your new pet, everything’s been perfectly resolved! Great job as always, Rachel.”

“Stop being sarcastic and start telling me what’s going on!” she yelled with clenched eyes and teeth, before suddenly rounding on Pankratz and knocking him unconscious in a fit of temper.

“Well, my dearest daughter, what’s going on is that you’ve accidentally created your very first lesser kin,” I informed her. “Congratulations on taking that first important step into maturity. Your timing sure sucked, though.”

“I turned Pankratz into a vampire?” Rachel asked in a stunned voice.

“That idiot? Not a chance!” I said with a visible shudder. “You think I’d accept a nimrod like him as my grandson? Never! Seek quality above all else when creating your children, daughter. Whether you’re bringing a human into the shadows or selecting a romantic partner for traditional procreation, always make certain you make the best possible choice.”

“I can bear children?” Rachel asked in surprise.

“Well, you do need a uterus. I assume you have one?” I asked.

“Um, I haven’t thought about it, but I assume I do,” said Rachel with some embarrassment. “But I’m undead.”

“Rachel, we don’t need to breathe but we’re using our lungs anyway,” I said. “You can use any part of your body for its intended function, whenever you like. Don’t forget you can also convert to your human form at will. Hell, if you did that, I bet you could even have…”

I paused as a completely unexpected thought suddenly struck me like a thunderbolt.

“…you could even have perfectly human children,” I said. “I could have perfectly human children.”

“Kyler, we could be parents,” said Rachel once the realization hit her as well. “We could have normal kids.”

“Wow,” I said as the enormity of it really sank in.

“I mean, not together, obviously, because that would be quasi-incestuous, and you know, hearing what Cassie and Nick were up to was already stomach turning enough once you told me about it, but I could totally meet some normal boy one day and then we could have normal boy babies!” she said enthusiastically.

“Who ARE you freaks?” Cassie suddenly yelled. “What are you?!”

“Oh, right, she’s still here,” Rachel said. “Uh, what do you want to do with her?”

“Just put her to sleep,” I said absentmindedly.

“If you say so,” Rachel shrugged. Then, in a burst of speed, she raced toward Cassie with her fingers extended and swiped at the other girl’s throat with a blow intended to separate her head from her neck.

Rachel was very fast. I barely managed to catch her wrist in time.

“Mesmerize her into falling asleep, dummy,” I said with exasperation before delivering a painful but well-deserved finger flick above her brow. “Honestly, daughter. Stop behaving like such a brute!”

“You didn’t specify!” Rachel pouted as she tenderly rubbed her forehead. “I need specificity!”

“You need your head examined,” I retorted as Rachel carried out my instructions and lay the now peacefully resting Cassie beside Pankratz. “How would we explain to Jamie the loss of both of her children?”

“We could tell her that vampires got ‘em,” she replied with a sly grin. “That’s pretty clever, right?”

“Rachel, promise me you’ll never again try to be clever,” I said.

“Mean!” she said as she stuck her tongue at me. Then she gave a little cough and asked, “But, um, getting back to what we were discussing before, what’s the difference between lesser kin and a true vampire?”

“Lesser kin are the opposite of ghouls,” I replied. “The act of creating each mirrors one another. When we feed from a corpse, a mindless ghoul arises. When we give too much blood to a living human, they become an intelligent thrall. More politely referred to as our lesser kin.”

“Is there a reference you can make that’ll make this easier for me to understand?” asked Rachel.

I thought about it for a moment. Then I said, “Renfield?”

“Oh!” she exclaimed with an excited clap of her hands. “I understand perfectly. Oh, wow, I really messed Pankratz up then, huh? How long until he starts eating bugs?”

“He won’t, as long as he isn’t neglected,” I said. “If you develop a strong enough bond, he might gradually develop into a useful tool for you. If you fail to maintain him, however, he’ll eventually decline into a gibbering madman.”

“Ha! You make him sound like Schulz,” Rachel tittered. “Like I have to look after him like a pet.”

“He is your Schulz,” I informed her. “Animals become familiars; humans become thralls. Congrats on acquiring your first minion.”

“DAMN IT,” Rachel swore. “Kyler, this could have been avoided if you’d taken the time to let me know about this kind of stuff beforehand! Now thanks to you, I’m stuck with a Velcro human!”

“A teacher’s job is to instruct,” I replied sagely. “A student’s job is to ask questions.”

“An attitude like that is precisely why Pankratz kept hitting you!” she said sullenly.

“Indeed, and look how well that worked out for him,” I said with a smirk. “Forget about him for now. Let’s go beat up this dungeon, already.”

__

We left Schulz behind to keep watch over our unconscious companions, as we made our way into the receiving hall of the castle. Once inside, we were greeted by knights wearing armor that had been corroded badly by the damp, salt-filled air. They came to us, dragging their rusting halberds behind them, ignorant of their surroundings and focused solely on us.

Before I engaged them, I drew Spiteful from its scabbard and gripped its edge with my left hand so that my blood ran down the length of its steel.

“Why’d you do that?” asked Rachel.

“I’m taking a little inspiration from the day I unleashed you on those bandits,” I said. “Observe.”

With my sword now coated with my blood, I used my power of hemokinesis to levitate it into the air. With its movements guided by my mind, I sent it flying towards our opponents. The sharpness of the sword was undeniable: it easily sliced through the armor of the knights while destroying their weapons, hewing limbs and rending blades which offered as much resistance as melting wax.

Norey was quite the bladesmith. I hope I never face an opponent wielding dwarven-wrought steel. It would be quite a painful experience for me.

“Impressive, yes?” I asked Rachel as I nudged her side.

“Where did you get that sword?” she asked with widened eyes.

“It was a gift from Uncle Norey,” I said. “If you’re nice, maybe I’ll ask him to make you one.”

“DO IT!” she shouted enthusiastically as the last of the corroding knights was bifurcated. Spiteful swiftly returned to my scabbard after that final opponent had been dealt with. The blade hummed with malevolent delight at the bloody work it had just completed. I nodded in appreciation and fondly patted its side.

It seemed as though the two of us were going to get along just fine.

[You have gained 4,000 experience points], the status screen politely informed me after I made an inquiry. Eight dead opponents. Five hundred experience points apiece? How nice. I was pleased to see that Rachel had made the same amount.

Jamie had been right. Conquering this place was going to be worth my time and effort.

“Bag up the rewards so we can proceed,” I ordered Rachel.

“What? Why me?” she asked.

“You’re still the porter, silly,” I reminded her. “Daddy doesn’t carry the luggage.”

“You were being serious about that?” she whined.

“Deadly serious,” I said. “Now speed it up! I want to see all that this place has to offer me.”

“You mean us, right?” asked Rachel.

I said nothing as I waited for her to finish looting.

“Right?” she repeated.

Welcome to lower management, Rachel.