‘Val,’ I thought to her as Prajio and I hurried down the street, quest item in hand. ‘Is anyone coming after us?’

“The two men who had fallen on their backs are now up. I believe they are rendering aid to the other two. I surmise that those on the ground remain unconscious or unable to stand as their location is unmoving.”

That was good, and I was confident those other two would get up eventually. I saw Prajio hit them, and he appeared to use restraint. It was highly likely my drugged-out friend upstairs was now taking a peaceful nap. The drugs would wear off, but I hoped the powder didn’t do any permanent damage to his eyes.

We kept up a steady pace, but I felt like we were in the clear. We’d be long gone before help arrived if any alarms were raised.

“That was impressive work back there, Prajio. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“How much do you know of my people?” he asked me.

“Not much, to be honest.” All I knew was what the System implanted in my brain and from my short experience in their army.

“That is fortunate, for there will be fewer prejudices for me to correct. To answer your question, I learned to fight when I was a child, as do nearly all my kind, male and female.”

“So, can all Kurskins fight like you?”

He trumpeted a laugh. “No. Not like me. Although many of my people are quite formidable in a fight.” He spread out his palm before him, showing his rough skin and hard claws. “We are a warrior race, born for battle. However, not all of us relish the fight.”

I looked at him, expecting more. He looked pensive…or the lizard equivalent.

“The greatest fighters I know tend to be the gentlest of men,” I said.

He looked at me quizzically as we walked to Delen’s house. “Those are wise words for one so young.”

“I’m thirty-three.”

“And I am seventy-four. To me, you are young.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. How long does the average Kurskin live?” I flinched at a minor shock of pain from inside my head. That question must have pissed Val off.

“So, you do not believe we are immortal beings?

I shrugged. “Some say you are, and some say you aren’t.”

“And what do you say?”

Val seemed to think this was a dangerous conversation to be having, but my instincts said otherwise. “If you can die, you’re not immortal.”

Prajio tssked. “The Immortality in question does not mean one cannot die. It simply means that one can live forever if given the opportunity.”

I looked at his bare forearm. “You are made of flesh. It may be hard, but it’s still flesh. Some flesh may live longer than others, but all flesh eventually decays and returns itself to the world.”

“Most men east of the mountains do not believe the Kurskin to be divine,” Prajio said. “Yet still, it is rare to find a human who has seen through the propaganda as clearly as you have. Most impressive.” He slapped me on the back.

It hurt.

We walked for some time after taking a few odd turns just in case we had any tails, and I was growing anxious about the next part.

‘Val, should I ditch Prajio before turning in this quest? Will he see me turning in a quest?’

“You should have ditched him before breakfast, you brainless buffoon! But no… you decided to throw a tantrum. I know this is your way of rebelling against me.”

‘You tried to kill me, you psychotic piece of scrap metal! Before she could wind up into a full rant, I thought, ‘Please just tell me what I need to know. We’re almost there. You can yell at me later, and I promise I’ll pay attention the whole time.’

“Not a stray thought, Mr. McClane! Here is what I suspect will happen: Prajio will see you hand Delen the device and then watch Delen hand you money and whatever other rewards. You will level up with the experience you gained from your heist hijinks and the experience gained from completing the quest. You mustn't initiate the Level Up until you are alone. If you’re near him, he will see you glow.”

‘Thank you, Val, that was very helpful.’

“However, there still may be complications. I cannot confidently predict how the System will react to the presence of another Player who is not in an active Party with you. Prajio assisted with the quest, and I would expect the system to recognize that. We shall see what happens because you stand no chance of shutting Prajio out at the end of this quest. I promise you he thinks this is some secret quest generated by the System. I expect he will try to recruit you to his banner by the end of it. If you accept, I’ll scramble your brain and use my remaining power to transfer to whoever is stupid enough to put their face close to your corpse.”

‘Okay, okay. I have no plans to join under anyone’s banner. If anything, it will be mine he joins under.’

“You would reveal yourself as a Player?”

‘No.’ I almost waved my hand in negation but remembered I was in public, and Prajio was walking cheerfully right next to me. ‘Not anytime soon. But if I could find out what type of person he is and build his trust. I don’t know. It seems possible.'

“It seems stupid. You are stupid. Eventually, he will bump into your hand, or you’ll let yourself get recruited into his Influence, and he’ll see your idiotic action-hero name.”

‘So what? What are the odds he’s even seen the movie? And if he has, John McClane is a pretty normal name if you ask me. I don’t see any reason the AI would ban it or why the Kurskins would find the name odd in this world.'

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Grrr. Regarding your disgrace of a name, let me say this. You know nothing of their culture. They enjoy things, and they enjoy telling others about what they enjoy. They loved Earth’s action movies, and Die Hard was voted number two in a galaxy-wide poll!”

‘Well, what was number one.’

She sighed. “Terminator Two.”

‘Well, at least I didn’t name myself John Conner.’

“Are you making a joke?”

‘Watch Terminator Two tonight.’

“I know it now to be true without any doubt. The universe is punishing me.”

I ignored her. We were getting close. The roads were busy today, and we had to make way for multiple buggies and horse-drawn carriages. Luckily, the road was wide. We passed by a bakery, and the scent of the fresh bread made my stomach rumble. I’d be swinging back by once I collected my quest rewards.

We found the house a few minutes later, and I knocked on the door with Prajio at my side. I heard something rattle to the floor inside, followed by muffled cursing. A few moments later, the door cracked open, and Delen peeked out. His eyes first landed on Prajio and went wide in shock. He almost shut the door but thought better than disrespecting a Kurskin. He slowly widened it and was about to speak when he finally noticed me. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he glanced at what I was carrying. The door swung open.

“You found it,” he said. “I can’t believe it. I had thought it an impossible task, but here you are.” He looked Prajio up and down. “You found help too, I presume?”

“I did. Delen, this is Prajio. He was vital in retrieving your device.”

Delen bowed. “You have my eternal thanks, my lord. Your aid is a true blessing.”

Prajio didn’t respond right away, so I glanced at him. His eyes were distant and unfocused—no, they were focused - focused on his personal interface. His lips formed a thin smile.

It seemed that Prajio was now officially a part of this quest.

“So, Delen,” I said. “Unfortunately, we were forced to rough up some guild members. None of them are seriously injured, but I wanted to let you know if they come knocking.”

To my surprise, Delen laughed.

“If those fools try to steal from me again, they will regret it, of that I can assure you.”

“How will they regret it?” Prajio asked.

Delen rubbed his hands together and had a weird grin on his face. “Let’s just say it will be a shocking surprise.”

“Ethan, my friend, you did not tell me Delen was so interesting. Tell me, clever Delen, what new magics have you engineered.”

Delen smiled. “I have created a device that can store electric power.” He gestured to a table where I had set the device down. “It can absorb the electrics generated with the device you just restored to me. It can absorb, hold, and release the power.”

Holy cow. This guy just created a battery. I didn’t know what type or how he did it, but Delen was incredibly intelligent, which probably meant he was incredibly intelligent in his previous life too.

A man like Delen could prove to be a useful ally.

“So,” Prajio purred. “In what way will you use this new device?”

“There are two copper wires at the end of the device, which, when activated, will create an arc of electrics. If someone were to touch that arc, it would be highly unpleasant.”

Wow. A taser! I needed one.

“Delen,” I said. “What would you require to build one of these… uh, electric storage gizmos for me?”

“I, too, am interested in this weapon,” Prajio echoed.

Delen held his hands up. “It is not a weapon. Well, that is not its intended purpose, but it is a fortuitous side effect. Anyway, after what you have done for me today, I would happily create one for both of you. All I would need is for you to cover the cost of materials.”

My pockets were light, and there was no guarantee I could sell Delen’s watch for 70 gold. “How much would that be?”

Delen’s turned upward, and I knew his sharp mind was calculating the exact costs. “I’d say right about nine gold each.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have that much on me,” I said. “Perhaps if I could sell your watch, I could return later.”

“Do not trouble yourself,” Prajio said. “I can cover the both of us.”

I looked at him, surprised. Was this who he truly was? Or was he just roleplaying as a friendly bounty hunter? “That’s very kind of you. Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“If one can help a friend out, they should do so. It is only right.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“I do not need your money, Ethan. However, I do wish to discuss something with you, but let’s finish our engagement with this gentleman first.”

I nodded.

Delen handed me the watch and told Prajio he had another stashed away somewhere. Strangely, it was in the exact location he originally pulled mine from. I wondered if the system just generated an extra watch there or if Delen really had a spare. He handed it over to Prajio, who thanked him.

“Good Sirs,” Delen said. “I cannot thank you enough for acting on my behalf. Unfortunately, my body is not nearly as strong as my mind, and I’m no good in a fight. Come back in two days, and I’ll have your devices ready. And remember, while I cannot aid you in combat if you ever require an inventive mind, don’t hesitate to knock on my door.”

I received a notification that my quest was complete, but I ignored it for now. “Thanks for the watch, Delen. It seems I’ll be seeing you soon. Stay safe until then, okay.” I knocked on some wood.

“Prajio reached out to shake Delen’s hand. Delen took it hesitantly.

“It has been an honor to meet you, Mr. Brim,” Prajio said. “Seek me out if ever you are in need.”

We left the shop, and I began to feel anxious. Prajio would try to recruit me to follow him now. Val and I hadn’t dived into the topic much, but essentially, Players could build influence by gaining ‘followers,’ sort of like with social media.

It was different than Player Parties, which involved groups of Players interacting together, sometimes in a hierarchy. Influence was a combination of commendations from other Players and NPC supporters.

Once a Player sufficiently befriended an NPC, they could ask for their formal pledge of support, and the Player gained a little bit of Influence. As far as I knew, Influence was pretty much just bragging rights for Players, but Val hadn’t told me much about it.

The only real problem with this was that I wasn’t an NPC, so I couldn’t accept his request if he asked. It would be awkward…

Once we were back in the open, semi-stinky air, Prajio turned to me, and I knew it was coming.

“You carry yourself well, Ethan. I am most impressed with you. Your skills are special, but your mind seems much more enlightened than all the ravel in this waterlogged town. I could use someone like you in my company. I can assure you it pays well to travel with me.”

I feigned disappointment. “I haven’t met many of your kind, but I can tell you’re among the best of them. I would, of course, join if I were able. But I’m sorry, Prajio, I have other obligations.”

His tongue flitted out and tasted the air. He cocked his head. “May I ask what those other obligations are? Perhaps I could be of assistance.”

“Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot!” Val shouted inside my head.

Val’s outburst didn’t help as my mind scrambled for something to say. I tried to think fast but was coming up short. I needed something that I wouldn’t need his help with.

“I’m looking for my wife,” I said.

“I hate you,” Val said mournfully.

Prajio looked dangerously intrigued. Perhaps I just made a mistake, but I felt I could still talk my way out.

He stepped forward. “You’ve lost your wife? My heart breaks for you, my friend. I’ve wondered about that well of loss in your eyes, and now I know the source. You must tell me, is there anything I can do to aid in this most personal and profound quest?”

I shrugged. "There’s nothing you can do. Truthfully, there’s nothing much I can do either.”

“Whatever do you mean, Ethan?”

“I don’t know where she is. I don’t even know if she is alive. Hope is all I have.”

Prajio put his hand on my shoulder. “There is a saying among my people – hope is the death of action. The Kurskin do not hope for anything. Hope does not affect the world. Your hope is but a puff of smoke. Too many people, yours and mine alike waste their time hoping for something to happen instead of doing what it takes to make it happen. You follow?”

I nodded. “I follow. But I won’t let hope get in the way. I will let it lead the way.”

He made a satisfied purr sound, which I interpreted as a contemplative ‘hmm.’ “What say you and I go grab a drink, Ethan? I could use some downtime and would relish more conversation with you.”

“Say no!” Val said.

I shrugged. “Why not?”