That night, once arriving at the inn, we gathered around a small, private booth in the corner and ordered some drinks. I was dog tired, but I needed to know about Asmodeus’ new power.

“So,” I said, looking at him expectantly as the rest of the group followed my lead, gazing at him eagerly. Sally was the only one who didn’t seem excited, even so, she hadn’t turned in for the night just yet.

“So?” He replied.

“It looks like you got that new power,” I said, trying to hide the smile that was forcing its way to my lips.

“It isn’t new,” he muttered, “it’s ancient, and it is no where near as powerful as it should be. It’s quite the disappointment really.”

“It seemed pretty powerful to me,” Bell grinned, “you made my eyes bleed when you sucked off that captain.”

Panda snorted and I shook my head, talk about poor phrasing. Unable to take the suspense any more, I delved into my HUD and found the familiar tab. Under it was Asmodeus’ section and under that, a brief explanation of his new power.

Leech Life – Adsorb another creature’s power and use it as your own by draining their life force. Only one skill can be stored at a time. Excess power will be used as nourishment to enhance the overall stats of the wielder.

“Ok that sounds super OP,” I said aloud as I read through the unlocked power. “He can copy people’s skills and enhance his stats by sucking out their life force.”

“So you are a vampire!” Bell proclaimed. Sally’s eyes went wide with horror as the prospect of what I’d said began to sink in.

“I am not a vampire!” Asmodeus protested, “besides, this weak rendition of my power is just that. In my full form I could steal an unlimited amount of skills and keep them indefinitely. Now I can only keep one at a time. It’s utterly useless.”

“I’m sure it’ll get better as you get stronger,” Panda said, placing a comforting paw on the little dragon’s wing which he shoved away.

“It will get better as he gets stronger,” he said, glaring at me, “and who knows how many centuries it could take for him to reach my former level.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence there,” I replied dryly, “in the meantime why don’t you tell us what skill you stole from the wanky captain?”

“It was nothing special,” the dragon huffed, “merely a basic bubble shield. Hardly worth the effort. His life energy was rather tasty though,” he grinned showing us his little fangs.

Sally grimaced.

***

I felt groggy the next morning as we wandered hazily through the streets towards the Adventure Society building.

Bell’s groaning and Panda’s plodding reflected my own feelings as my head swayed like a balloon filled with clouds. Sally had left a message in the group chat a few hours earlier saying she was going to meet with Freja early.

It seemed that despite my stats allowing my body to heal and recover in a superhuman manner, my mind was still subject to fatigue.

Of course, I didn’t need as much sleep as I did back on Earth, but it seemed my abilities hadn’t eliminated the need entirely.

Though I was happy with the results I’d achieved the previous day, navigating the world of politics wasn’t really my thing and my brain power could only stretch so far. They say fake it until you make it but I doubted I’d ever become a politician, no matter how much our current quest needed me to pretend I was one.

Asmodeus sat animatedly on my shoulder, gazing at the sights like a puppy fresh from the tit. He seemed to have perked up again. Freja’s scolding and his disappointment at his new unlocked power had put him in a foul mood the previous night, I was thankful that some rest had sorted him out. His stomach bloating had shrunken considerably overnight but he still looked like an overweight chihuahua.

“Human,” he shouted in my ear, “those little people are making fluffy pink clouds on sticks. We must obtain one for ourselves!”

“They’re called dwarfs and the pink clouds are called candy floss,” I replied monotonously, “It’s literally just sugar.”

“Human, look!” he called once more as we passed a group of street performers, “that dirty elf is attempting to swallow fire. Ha! Foolish elf, you can’t hope to match the power of dragons, for only we can… oh, she did it. Most impressive.”

“They’re called svartalfs,” I replied, “and I think the director would snap your neck if she heard you calling her people dirty elves.”

He shrunk back slightly at the mention of Freja, even one as overly proud as he, was frightened by her – especially after last night. At least there was some sense in his noggin.

It continued like that for the thirty minutes or so of walking we had to endure to meet up with Sally and the director at the society building.

We were up at the crack of dawn, the golden rays of the sun had barely begun to sneak through the clouds and the sky was still lit with the orange glow of sunrise, yet we were awake, and ready to endure these ridiculous political talks.

The things I do for questing.

As we approached the sliding glass doors that marked the entrance to the society foyer, Sally and Freja walked out to greet us. They were chatting like old friends.

Sally’s wound seemed to have healed nicely. She was dressed for battle, that is to say she was dressed how she always did, with her oversized sword slung over her back and her piercing dark blue eyes shining like sapphires in her eye sockets.

Director Freja’s attire didn’t leave much to the imagination, her dark purple skin wrapping tightly around her exposed and toned core as her signature trench coat hung loosely over her shoulders like a cape.

She was honestly one of the most beautiful women I’d ever laid eyes on, her tight corset helped with that of course. Though, sadly, as a married man I had to abstain from her charms. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself, I knew deep down that I wouldn’t have stood a chance with her even if I was single.

“You’re late,” Sally huffed as our group huddled together.

“I am always on time,” Asmodeus said haughtily, “it is you that are early.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Yeah, what he said,” Bell added with a grin.

“I want to make sure that we arrive before the discussions start so I’m going to open a portal,” Freja said, forgoing all pleasantries.

“Where exactly are we going?” Panda asked.

“To the city’s central circle,” she explained, “the noble district is well fortified and it is not easy to get far into it. They have guard patrols, high walls and magic barriers. As it is, I can only penetrate far enough through their enchantments to get us in front of the tower, we’ll have to walk from there.”

“The tower?” I asked, raising a single eyebrow.

“You set up the meeting without even knowing where it would be held?” She asked incredulously, “The Ivory Tower is our destination. It is home to the council that governs Cali Port and is the most well protected place in the entire city.”

“It’s called the Ivory Tower?” Bell asked with an amused expression on her face.

“Of course it is,” I sighed sarcastically, “why wouldn’t it be?”

Without answering, Freja lifted her hands and made a show of straining her face as she swirled them like an actor before the CGI was added in the postproduction edits.

It looked ridiculous, or at least it did until an impressive, purple rimmed portal opened up in the centre of our group huddle.

It looked like a watery surface that reflected a golden building that shimmered as the portal jiggled like a spilled jelly shot.

“Let’s be off then,” Freja began, “I can’t hold this for long so hurry.”

I stepped through the portal and once again found myself overwhelmed with nausea, this time however, I at least managed to remain on my feet.

Looking up as I gasped for air, a tower made of gold stood before me reflecting with a magnificently overstated orange glow from the sunrise.

“What happened to ivory?” Panda sneered as he stepped out behind me.

“They should have called it the golden tower,” Bell chirped, though she bent over, placing her hands on her knees and looked as if she was going to vomit. Thankfully she didn’t.

“It’s a little small,” Asmodeus remarked.

“Yes, yes it’s quite marvellous,” Freja said impatiently as she barged through our group, Sally trotting awkwardly at her heel. “Now follow me, and don’t go wandering off. I have limited influence in this part of the city so I won’t be able to bail you out if you go challenging guard captains to duels.” She glanced meaningfully at Sally who looked away, refusing to engage with her superior.

We followed the director through the front door which was at least four times the height of a lycanid and thrice as wide.

Well-dressed guardsmen blocked the entrance, though they doubled as door openers once Freja spoke to them.

“She sure has a way with people,” Bell muttered happily as Freja berated the guards until they succumbed to her whims.

Inside, the foyer was extravagant. There was marble flooring, roman columns, a masterpiece painted on the ceiling and beautiful human women, painted golden and carrying glasses of bubbling wine serving all who entered.

“I’m starting to understand why the gnome was so upset with these guys,” Panda said, shaking his head.

“Nonsense,” Asmodeus replied, “this poorhouse has nothing on my underworld palace, why, the women don’t even have tails.”

“Are there people starving in the streets where you’re from?” Panda bit back.

“Almost exclusively,” he said evenly, “why do you ask?”

Panda shook his head and Bell bit her lip to suppress a laugh.

We continued to follow Freja through the extravagant entry way to a glass elevator which took pride of place in the centre of the room. Small waterways surrounded it like a miniature moat and we had to cross a tiny bridge to get to the entrance. Water shot up from the mini moat as we crossed, spelling out the words Cali Port, before tumbling back down into the moat with a splash.

“I need one of these in my front room,” Bell gushed.

“You don’t have a front room,” I replied with a smile, tapping her shoulder lightly with my own.

“I will one day,” she said, gesticulating by tapping the air in front of her eyes and punctuating her words, “and when I do it’ll have a water feature that shoots up into the air and spells out the words no cold callers. It’ll be magical.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that as we followed Freja into the glass elevator. Sally seemed oddly nervous, and quiet. As I thought about it I realised that she had been acting a little strange ever since we’d arrived in Cali Port.

“I think those two have a… history,” Bell said in a loud whisper she attempted to hide behind her hand.

Both Sally and Freja shot daggers at her and I honestly wondered for a minute if one of them might actually have the power to kill with a glance.

“Have you only just noticed?” Asmodeus said pompously from my shoulder, “can you not smell the sexual tension of human pheromones and shame in here? I’ve frequented underworld brothels with less-”

He stopped suddenly as Freja barred her teeth at him. Sally went bright red but the dragon, at least, stopped talking.

Well, that makes sense. I thought, thinking back on how oddly the catonid had acted since we’d arrived here.

The director turned around promptly and brushed the control panel with her slender fingers, it slowly rose into the air, turning as it went and giving us a full 360 view of the foyer before we disappeared into blackness.

Standing in awkward and tense silence, we waited for the doors to open and release us from the thick quiet that clung to the interior of the elevator.

Bell began humming elevator music. It did nothing to alleviate the tension.

Finally the doors opened and I stepped out into a large room with a long conference table taking pride of place in the middle, and floor to ceiling windows covering three of the four walls.

“Who has an elevator come out in the middle of a conference room?” Bell scoffed, shaking her head as she followed behind me. “It’s so… tacky.”

“Ah, you’ve made it,” Fredrick Millicent said, walking towards me and offering out his hand.

I did not take it.

“Well,” he continued as if nothing had happened, “allow me to extend my most sincere gratitude for your attendance of this negotiation. Let me introduce you to my colleagues… oh, director, I wasn’t aware you would also be in attendance?”

Dropping the fake politeness immediately, Fredrick walked around me and straight up to Freja who gave him the same expression one might give a persistent fly in their living room.

Ignoring them, Bell grabbed my arm and led me to the table.

“Networking is the most important part of any event,” she said in a deep voice, “or at least that’s what my father used to say. Not that I was ever healthy enough to attend events… still, let’s say hi.”

I made a mental note to ask Bell about her life back on Earth sometime. I knew next to nothing about her childhood, but it sounded… interesting.

She walked towards a slender, middle eastern-looking man in a robe adorned with thick golden pieces. He was dressed much more like how I’d expected people of a fantasy world to dress. Though, that made him the odd one out in a room full of suit wearing aristocrats.

“Look Kaleb, it’s Gandalf,” Bell said in a loud whisper.

The man did look like a wizard in those robes, I was just glad that there was no way that he knew who or what Bell was referring to.

“Ah, you must be the young adventurer who forced us to be here today,” he said, offering out his hand, “Callum Govetchkz, at your service… though I’m sure you already know who I am.”

“Kaleb Akabane,” I said, taking his hand firmly, “and actually, I’ve never heard of you.”

“Really?” Callum smiled, seemingly amused by the prospect, “well then let me educate you, young adventurer. My family owns the largest fishing conglomerate on the east coast. Every single fish you’ve eaten in Cali Port came from my company.”

“We haven’t eaten any fish in Cali Port,” Bell began but was promptly interrupted.

“Oh give it a rest, you old trout,” a dark skinned man with a thick black beard said, “I doubt the boy has any interest in your fish. He’s an adventurer, his entire team are only here to complete their quest and get paid. Am I right?”

“Pretty much,” I said, looking up at the tall man, “we’re just here to make sure this whole thing goes off without a hitch. We’ll leave the politicking up to you.”

“Excellent, just as I thought,” he replied jovially, holding out his hand which I took, “Ernest Regina, at your service.”

“Regina?” Bell and I both said at the same time.

He raised an eyebrow and I began to explain.

“We’re good friends of Lucas Regina, the director of the Havarian Adventure Society,” I said. “Are you his brother? We’re actually on the continent helping him with a quest.”

I chose not to say anymore. Lucas had mentioned that he believed his father was going to be assassinated, but surely if this Regina could have been of any help he would have sought his aid already.

“Well, I guess it truly is a small world,” he replied dryly, all of his previous charm disappearing suddenly. “How audacious of my brother, sending low ranked adventurers to fulfil a continental quest. I guess he truly has gone native if he can’t handle his own affairs anymore… Not that he was ever any use to family on this side of the pond anyway.”

“I like this human,” Asmodeus said from my shoulder, “can I devour his soul?”

“Talk about pulling a 180,” Bell said with shock in her voice.

“Definitely,” I agreed, then hurriedly placed a hand on my shoulder dragon who beat his wings excitedly. “Not you!” I said to him before turning back to the confused looking aristocrat. “You do know he’s the strongest person in Havar right?”

“That’s like saying the hobgoblin is the strongest subspecies, it’s still no dragon is it?” Ernest spat on the floor and looked as if he was about to continue with his derivative drivel when he was interrupted by the clinking of glasses.

We turned towards the noise to see the communists had arrived and Rex had already grabbed Fredrick by the scruff of the neck.