Chapter 106

Doubling Down

  We had won. Within an hour both Jesses were back up, awake, and responsive. We were saved, supposedly for a few millenniums. Granted our universe would at one time be threatened again, but that was so far in the future that we should just take our victory while we could.

  Still, I had a nagging sense of loss.

  I could almost feel a phantom pain telling me that I was not done yet. That I still had karmic ties to another universe.

  “Don’t worry about that father. That is your Guardian Guilt kicking in. The four trees, my siblings that you promised to protect and guard in the fourteenth universe are now engaged in the battle for their lives. The only problem is, is that their Jess, their way to win. She is still unconscious.” Prime, my annoyingly downer tree states.

  Oh, also Prime is now a hundred meters tall and huge. Did I skip over that part?

  “Yes, that was thanks to you and your recently gained levels.” Prime stated.

  “What? You got that from my eighty or so levels I managed to gain before I killed the Behemoth?” I asked.

  I knew his power level was roughly based on my leveling, but this was a bit much.

  “You haven’t checked your levels recently, have you?” Prime asked.

  “I was kind of busy, with the whole saving the universe thing and all.” I admitted, with only a smidge, a tiny bit of snark. But I did as the annoying tree suggested and was surprised to see what was there.

Name: Kyle Goldman Age: 18 Race: Half-Human* Mage Class Type: Prime Support (Omega)

Level: 166

Certs Remaining: 0 (of 167)

Mental Class Type: Psionic Prime (Omega)

Level: 166

Certs Remaining: 0 (of 167)

Spirit Class Type: Spiritual Augmentationist (Omega)

Level: 163

Certs Remaining: 0 (of 164)

Free Attributes: 114

  I was stunned by the levels I had gained. I even closed out of my mental interface and then logged back in, wondering if it had all been a mistake. But no. There was no mistake, I gained over a hundred levels in all my classes, but how?

  “That is the final blessing for saving the universe. All of those who were involved in the final attack have gained 100 levels.” Prime noted.

  This was, well this was sort of expected. This was the last time we could theoretically gain levels. All certs in circulation currently, will eventually run out. Leaving a defined power gap between those who were already integrated into the system and those that weren’t.

  I looked down to the Jess at my feet and wondered if she was denied the gift of levels.

  “She did get half of the levels. Due to her involvement, she was given half the levels someone that was fully integrated would have gained.” Prime states.

  She is still doing that annoying thing where she reads my mind, but in this case, it isn’t that bad. Or at least I don’t mind as much.

  “So, what should I do?” I ask, looking at the two women before me. Both are beautiful in their own way. I have healed them, but there is something that I can’t quite seem to fix in both. It is an odd feeling. It feels like they almost have broken glass within their very bodies. But the glass isn’t there, at least I can’t find out where that is.

  “Oh, that is odd. You can feel that?” Prime states.

  “Yes, but I don’t know why?”

  Silence.

  I can almost feel Prime thinking. She has gotten a lot smarter recently. I wonder if it is something to do with the recent power fluctuation she has witnessed.

  “Yes, that makes sense now. Have you tried using your Free Attribute points to increase your Spirit Attribute?” Prime asks.

  “No.” I think. Then I immediately go about trying to cram all 114 Free Attribute points into my 27 in Spirit.

  There is of course, only one problem. I am stopped. Well, to be more accurate, I am stopped when my base spirit reaches 118. Leaving me with 23 Free Attribute points. What the hell?

  Then I realize the attribute level caps. Even with my levels being so high, there is still an absolute maximum to what I can get my attributes to. I realize that I will now and forever be stuck at this bottleneck of power. That I will always be limited by the fact that my base spirit attribute will always be capped out at my level maximums. However, with my spirit Attribute as it is now, I have an effective 200 in spirit, after my titles are applied.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  With my newly increased Spirit Attribute I go back to the Jesses and see that the damage they are suffering isn’t to their bodies, but to their very souls?

  “That is what I think as well, father.” Prime notes.

  “So, they are killing themselves to destroy the Behemoths?” I ask.

  “They already have killed themselves. Their souls are fractured, and barring any healing abilities to the soul, they are going to die.” Prime states.

  Badump. Badump. Badump.

  My heart feels like it is getting squeezed tightly. Suddenly it makes sense, that stupid random shop. The way my eyes kept getting drawn to the spirit class and attribute. There had been a Power in there, Spirit Healing. It had been right there, right there, but I scoffed at it. I figured it was nearly useless with my current healing abilities. I also didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a healer. Gods, I had been so stupid, that was my role. That was the one thing I was good at, and I scoffed at it.

  “FUCKK!” I scream.

  “Fuck is right, father.” Prime states, again having read my mind. But that makes it a little easier, as I don’t have to state what I am thinking. Thinking is tough right now.

  I try to think to myself how I can go back to that pocket dimension, but I only got there by killing a particular type of Prolaxian herald. The only problem is, all the Prolaxian heralds for this universe and even those in the fourteenth universe are dead, permanently. My mind flashes to the possible Prolaxian Heralds that exist in Sexy Alien Jess’ fifteenth universe, but they are all dead as well. She has already begun battling the Behemoth of her universe.

  No, this is so fucked. I saved the universe only to be stuck without Jess?

  Then almost as if summoned by that thought, I felt the two Jesses beginning to squirm with their heads in my lap.

  “What? Oh…” My Jess states, as she looks up at me.

  “How do you feel?” I ask.

  She stops to pause. Then after a brief hesitation where her eyes scan right, “I feel. Well, I feel amazing!” She explains. “I gained levels. Both of my classes are now level 51!” She shouts with excitement.

  Hearing that, I let out a light smile at her enthusiasm. Then I take a breath, before I hit her with the next part.

  “How do you really feel?” I ask.

  She pauses, and then looks up at me, a little bit flustered. “Wha, what do you mean?”

  I don’t need my ever-increasing Empathy skill to let me know she is lying. This is the same look of shame she had in all our past lives, when she didn’t want to admit she was cheating on me with my brother. Fuck, memories that never happened. Memories that I have been judging her by all this time. Gods I have been so stupid. Stop, focus.

  “You know about your soul being shattered, don’t you?” I ask.

  With that her eyes drop down. Clearly embarrassed, or maybe not embarrassed, but sad that she was caught in a lie.

  “Yes, I told her.” Alien Jess admits. “I figured it was only right to tell her.”

  “So, you two knew, this whole time, and you what? Weren’t going to tell me?” I ask.

  “We knew you would have likely objected and done something stupid.” Alien Jess states.

  I am about to protest, but I see my own Jess nodding in agreement.

  “Okay, fine. Maybe I would have.” I admit.

  “Prime also told us about your master plan.” Alien Jess continues.

  “Prime!”

  “No, for stupid things to do, it might just work. At least it will give you something to do when you spend the rest of eternity by yourself.” Alien Jess states.

  “Wow, you suck.” I state, at hearing Alien Jess’ attempt at humor.

  “Yeah, sorry. That likely came out way worse than I originally intended. Sorry, it is just that, well I am rather stressed by this whole ordeal.” Alien Jess admitted.

  “So, what do you want to do?” I ask.

  “What do I want to do? I want to lay down and rest in a hot sauna filled with nubile young men fanning me with palm leaves until I die.” Alien Jess admitted. My Jess just nodded along in agreement, more than content to let the elder of them speak on her behalf as well.

  Gods, even when she was annoying, she was still amazing. No wonder my past lives chose her, it’s like we are damaged kindred spirits.

  “But that’s not what we are going to do.” My Jess stated.

  “Right, that is not what we are going to do.” Alien Jess says, as that whimsical look on her face drops and suddenly she is back to her serious form. “If we are going to die. Then we will die well. There is the other dimension you just came from. The one with an unconscious Jess and four world trees?” Alien Jess states.

  I nod, while answering. “Yes.”

  “Good, we want to go there next.” Alien Jess states.

  I pause, wondering why she would wish to go there first, before even attempting to save her own universe.

  “Stop, I am a Guardian first and foremost.” She says as she flaps her metallic wings.

  Oh right, same. I think as I look to see that my wings are still out as well. When did those get there? Then I realize I left them out this time intentionally so I could be protected from shots to the back. Then I realize they didn’t make a sound when I went through my inner strife earlier. Hmm, I might just be getting used to these annoying things.

  Shaking my head, I realize that both Jesses are now standing up and looking down at me.

  Seeing their expectant gazes and that my Jess is holding out her hand. I take it and am immediately pulled to my feet. It seems that my Jess has put a few of her Free Attributes into Strength.

  “So, we go to the Fourteenth universe, then to Alien Jess’ fifteenth universe?” I ask, as these were basically my plan as well.

  “Fourteenth? No, this is the second, or maybe the third universe at most. Where the hell are you getting fourteenth from?” Jess demands.

  Suddenly I feel rather stupid, as she is right. My twelve lives before this were all a lie. Gods I hate time travel. No wait, I think to myself, as I realize time travel isn’t the real problem. The real problem is Celestials always fucking things up.

  I am so lost in my thoughts, that I must be shaken by Jess. In this case, she just wiggles her hand that is still in mine. I look at her, and her expectant look she has. I am about to say what, but then I realize.

  “Oh right, the fourteen…I mean second point three universe?” I ask.

  The two just stare at me for a second, then turn to each other and share a look that almost screams, it’s a good thing he’s cute.

  “I think that would be the nicest way to interpret their looks. I can share what Older Sexier Jess is thinking if that would help.” Prime states.

  No.

  I pause, then look at Alien Jess, who is just looking at me with well contempt again would likely be the best way to state her opinion.

  “That is probably more accurate.”

  Again, not helpful.

  “So, are we ready?” I ask, as I hold out my empty left hand towards Alien Jess.

  After a moment’s hesitation, she takes the hand. Then with that, I focus on my psychic resonance that still exists in the alternate universe. Unfortunately, there is only one spot that shines clearly for me.

  Focusing on the one pillar of resonance, I focus. Then with a surprisingly easier application of Total Recall. We leave our universe and appear next to a third world tree guardian.

  There she is my ex, well maybe not true ex. But ex-pair bonded, Rayquel.

  Poof.

  We appear, and this time there was a poof, if only because our sudden appearance causes Rayquel to drop the box of field rations, she was carrying.

  “Who the fuck are you!” Rayquel asks, as she sees the three of us. Two of us with Guardian wings just like her, and the third. Well, the third looked like she could be the younger sister of the other Guardian. That’s when I come up with my amazing attempt at subterfuge.

  “We are the Guardians of the Universes. We have come to assist you.”

  Rayquel just pulls out her blaster from her hip and aims it at us.

  Fortunately, I am saved from this awkward situation, but four annoying children that suddenly light up at seeing me.

  “Father!”

  “Father’s back.”

  “Mommy, please stop fighting with father.”

  “Yeah, he might leave and never come back again.”

  “You know he has a child in another universe that he favors over us.”

  “Wow, that was awkward.” I admit. “Thank you Hunger, Nothing, Deca, and Omen.” I state, hoping that I remembered all of their stupid names.

  “Yeah, he remembered our names this time!”

  “That’s only because he didn’t know them before. Be a little nicer to him.”

  I like that last one, at least I did before they continued.

  “Now that he knows us if he leaves us again. Then we can give him a hard time.”

  Hearing the voices in her head, Rayquel slowly lowered her blaster.

  “So, you are the legendary father?” Rayquel asks.

  “In the flesh.” I admit.

  “So why are you here now of all times?” Rayquel states with an annoyed huff.

  “Why to save the universe…”

  GRR!

  At that Alien Jess got angry, and darted forward, pushing me back.

  “Sorry for that.” Alien Jess cuts in and cuts me off mid-sentence. “Time for the big girls to talk.”

  Then with that Alien Jess took charge and started talking to Rayquel.

  I don’t know what was said, most of it was in that hushed snarl whisper that women get. The one that screams, if you so much as understand a word of this you are in trouble. I of course tried, only to realize that they were using some form of Telepathy to speak, while stating random gibberish with their lips. Honestly, I was impressed, as that had to be something they practiced a lot to get that good at it.

  Finally, after a few intense moments, the two broke away from each other. Then Rayquel turned to look at the two of us who remained behind.

  “Okay, come with me.” Rayquel said, as she turned around not even seeing if we would follow.

  That was it, no conniving our way into my amnesiatic ex’s good graces. No using my bond with the world trees. It was sort of anti-climactic. But we followed her anyways.

  I was about to comment on the field rations that were still on the floor, but eventually realized that would likely cause more trouble. Shrugging as I walked past the box of supplies, I followed Rayquel down the corridor and into parts unknown.