“Are you certain?” asked Cabbot, using the same imperious tone he’d heard from his father on so many occasions. The effect, in his opinion, was ruined by a lack of a throne room. Or perhaps by the presence of his disgustingly common office, with its mismatched, oversized furniture, bare walls, and the stubborn draft that kept the space annoyingly cool. Still, he sat in his dwarf-sized chair, back straight and chin held high – just like he’d been taught.

Nirea shook her head. “I’m sorry, but there’s no certainty to be had in a situation like this,” she said. “We caught only a trace, and it is unclear how old it is.”

He leaned forward. “But you’re sure of the trail’s origin, right?” he said, a little eagerness peeking through.

“The trackers are,” she answered.

Cabbot’s heartbeat sped up at the confirmation. A dragon? A real one, and not some lowly drake? On a freshly-integrated backwater like Earth? It didn’t seem possible. In fact, it was so improbable that, despite Nirea’s insistence, his skepticism persisted. Still, even the possibility of something like that was enough to excite him in ways he didn’t want to acknowledge.

If it was a real dragon’s trail, then it presented a unique opportunity. Dragons were an Elder race, and as such, even the weakest among them were nearly unassailable for someone like Cabbot. He’d heard of whole continents being decimated after a dragon’s descent. But Earth, being newly integrated, couldn’t support power like that. If a true dragon fell upon the baby planet with its full might intact, the entire world would know about it.

Right before their death.

They probably wouldn’t even recognize the surge of Ethera for the danger it would represent. Newly integrated planets were slowly introduced to Ethera for a reason. It was why each world was transformed the moment they were touched by the World Tree, but that was just setting the table for a slow and steady rise of Ethera levels.

If a fully developed member of one of the elder races descended upon Earth so soon after its initial transformation, the planet would be destroyed by the flood of potent Ethera that came with the creature’s aura. That was why the planet represented such a unique opportunity for someone like Cabbot.

On his own planet of Norat, he was still a weakling. But on Earth? He was already near the peak. The natives would quickly catch up, though. The environment was carefully cultivated to drive them to progress. So, Cabbot could feel his lead dwindling by the day – which was why he needed to seize every opportunity that presented itself.

There was the island across the narrow strait, but he was still wary of whatever Guardian called it home. He’d contemplated sending more explorers to check it out, but a combination of caution, fear, and the necessity of fulfilling his duties to Ironshore had kept him from committing even one team to such an endeavor. After all, Guardians were normally tethered to their natural treasures, but it wasn’t completely unheard-of for one to go on the offensive if it felt threatened.

Cabbot had no intention of prompting such a reaction. He still intended to take the island – and whatever treasure it housed – but he would only do so once he’d had the chance to progress a little more.

And the potential dragon represented just such an opportunity.

Because if one was here, that meant it was young and inexperienced. Vulnerable – at least as much as any dragon ever was.

“What do you want to do?” asked Nirea.

Cabbot shifted in his overly large chair as he thought about her question. His people had a long history of hunting powerful beasts. It was one of the reasons they’d risen to such prominence. He knew what he needed to do, but he also knew it would take almost every coin of ethereum he’d earned since coming to Earth. It wasn’t a huge sum, but a combination of his pay, the profits from the Slow Dwarf tavern, and the proceeds from selling a few minor treasures had left him far richer than when he’d arrived. He had intended to use that money to commission some new equipment – like some Simple-Grade armor or a piece of jewelry that might grant him an attribute point or two.

But if he could capture a dragon and drain its essence, the gains would far outstrip anything he could gain from mere equipment. After that, all it would take was commissioning a decent Alchemist to create an appropriate potion, and his cultivation would see marked progression. He might even develop a proper core – something that would, even in optimal conditions – take months. Realistically, he didn’t expect to reach the first stage of core development for years.

If he could accelerate that process with a potion created from a real dragon’s essence, he would put himself on a path that would eventually take him to the peak of the new world.

So, there really was no choice to make. Only one option was viable.

“Do nothing. Not yet,” he said. “I need to go to the Branch. When I return, we will act.”

With that, he pushed himself from the chair, dropping a few extra inches to the office floor. Normally, that would have annoyed him something fierce, but he was too excited to let his ill-fitting office get to him. He didn’t even bother flirting with Nirea or asking her out. He knew she was hesitant to acquiesce to his advances – probably because she didn’t want to seem like she was getting special treatment – but he knew she would give in eventually.

Right now, though, he couldn’t be bothered to care about issues of the heart. He had a lot to do, and not much time to accomplish his goals. After all, there was no guarantee that the dragon wouldn’t move on, and quickly.

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So, he pushed past Nirea, then left the office behind. Nimbly, he leaped over the mud puddle in front of his office, then trekked across town to the budding town’s central building. The broad, low-slung building was a combination of warehouse and administrative hub, but more importantly than that, it housed the imported Branch of the World Tree, which made it the settlement’s most important location.

Cabbot strode through the front doors, taking a well-trod path through the building until he was forced to a stop at the end of the line leading to the Branch. Sighing, he considered using his position as the leader of the security forces to bully his way to the front of the line, but, like everyone else, he knew that would be counterproductive. Before the World Tree, everyone was equal. To the being that connected their universe, a king was no different than a beggar.

That attitude had affected its Attendants and Envoys, and even the elder races would think twice before offending A World Tree Ambassador. So, Cabbot impatiently waited in line as a parade of brutish dwarves, cunning goblins, and gnomes moved into the room housing the Branch. And after forty-five minutes, he reached the front of the line, where he met one of the Envoys.

The lowest-ranked members of the Cult of the World Tree were still afforded a significant degree of authority. At the dwarven woman’s word, he could be barred from access. So, Cabbot put on his most winning smile, pushed his innate – and well-earned – prejudice against dwarves aside, and said, “Good afternoon! I trust your day’s going well, honored Envoy.”

The dwarven woman barely even looked at him before saying, “I’m fine. You understand the rules?”

Cabbot did. He’d been introduced to his family’s Branch of the World Tree as a child, and he’d visited it – or others like it – on numerous occasions. So, he knew the rules as well as anyone.

So, after confirming that he knew how to conduct himself, Cabbot retrieved a handful of copper etherium from his purse and handed them over. The woman took the offering with equanimity, then waved him forward. He suppressed his annoyance, then stepped into the room.

Even though he’d seen many Branches over the course of his life, he still found the sight breathtaking. A crystalline tree sprouted from the center of the room. It wasn’t large – barely the size of a sapling – but it was still awe-inspiring, largely because of the Ethera swirling through its branches.

He strode forward confidently, ignoring the pair of Envoys standing guard. So close to the Branch, they wielded enviable power, but even if they hadn’t, it would not have mattered. With a flick of thought, they could bar him from accessing the Branch, which would be absolutely disastrous. Not only would it cut him off from ever leaving Earth, but it would also prevent him from ever earning etherium through hunting. He could still get by – after all, people could still pay him via their own coins – but it would still be incredibly inconvenient. Besides, losing access to the World Tree carried with it a certain stigma, and most people shied away from anyone so tarnished.

So, Cabbot remained on his best behavior as he approached the Branch and laid his hand on the trunk. Instantly, he saw his ethereum totals:

Copper

Silver

Gold

Platinum

212

44

3

0

Upon seeing his amassed wealth, Cabbot felt a mingled sense of satisfaction and disappointment. The first was due to the fact that, aside from a single gold etherium, he’d earned it all himself. However, the latter emotion came from the reality that, no matter how he looked at it, he was poor. His parents – even his siblings – had multiple platinum etherium available to them. And here he was, after months of effort, with only a few measly gold coins to his name.

Of course, that still put him head and shoulders over most combatants his level, but to him, it wasn’t enough to simply be better than the unwashed masses. He was meant for much greater things, and he knew it. The world just needed to catch up and recognize that he was better than everyone else.

The System knew. That was why it had given him such a powerful class. Now, he just needed to prove that he was worth it.

To do that, he needed to contact a few old acquaintances back on Norat. So, he navigated past the Knowledge Base, through the Market – where everything was overpriced anyway – and to the Communications Apparatus. From there, he cycled through his contacts and settled on the person he thought could help him. He initiated the messaging function, detailing what he needed.

Fortunately, Erlych didn’t take long to respond, and when he saw the payment on offer, he was quick to acquiesce to Cabbot’s requirements. Soon enough, the transfer went through, and Cabbot headed to the Transfer Portal to await his goods.

A few minutes later, a few boxes arrived, accompanied by a foursome of robed figures. They were all Ritualists, though due to the planetary restrictions, they were even lower-leveled than Cabbot. He hoped they would be powerful enough to accomplish his goals.

“Where may we set up?” asked one of the male gnomes. He was obviously the leader.

Cabbot answered, “I will show you to the barracks where you can wait until we track the creature down.”

“How will you capture the beast?”

Cabbot hadn’t told them what sort of creature it was, but they had to have guessed. Otherwise, their presence wouldn’t be necessary. He said, “I’m an Eason.”

“Oh. Very well, then.”

It was telling that the simple mention of his house was enough to allay any worries. Telling, but unsurprising. The Eason reputation was well-earned, and even a black sheep like Cabbot had all the expertise he needed to capture any beast – even one so powerful as a dragon.

Still, after showing the Ritualists to the barracks and getting them set up in one of the attached apartments meant for officers, he took the time to lay out his plans. The idea wasn’t terribly complicated. He simply needed to lure the dragon into a trap. To do so, he’d need a reasonably powerful natural treasure – young dragons were notoriously curious, and they would be attracted to any fluctuation in Ethera, which meant manipulating it into position was the easy part.

More difficult was the method meant to capture it. The Entrapment Ritual was a family secret, and one Cabbot had learned as a child. He’d since put it into use on multiple occasions, which meant that, with the materials he’d gotten from Erlych, it would be easy enough for him to empower the ritual.

Cabbot hoped that would be the case, at least, because he’d just used every ethereum coin at his disposal. Even the coppers. So, if it didn’t work, he would be back to square one.

With that in mind, he gathered the scouts who’d found the dragon’s trail and set off into the surrounding wilderness, hopeful that he’d taken the first steps toward realizing his vast potential.