“Did you take on Novice yet?” Michael asks.

“Not yet,” I answer. “I wanted to boost Archwizard a few Levels, first.”

“Ah,” he says.

“How come you haven’t taken on a second Class yet?”

“Many magical species,” he says. “Can shut off gaining Experience for Classes. Since it isn’t normal to be immediately launched into the Advancement Quest and locked out of gaining Experience, I was planning on waiting until I reached Level 25 Squire, then take on Martial Artist or Novice, and bring that up to Level 25. Depending on which one I take, I’ll have access to either Gladiator or Mystic Knight, to advance Squire. Once I advance that, I’ll take on the other, then bring it up to Mastered and advance the second to the other one. I’ll work on shadow-based spells while also working on the required Skills for Mystic Knight, so once I take on the Tier II I missed, I should then be capable of advancing the other secondary Class to either Mystic Pugilist or – hopefully – Shadow Pugilist.

“After that,” he continues. “When my first Primary Class reaches max, I’ll take on whatever advanced magic Class I have and bring that up to the second Tier. My ultimate goal is to complete the near-impossible Tier III Quest, and hopefully, eventually the Tier IV Class. I’ve heard that an option that’s been seen – but never gained – is Dragon Knight. It requires a heavy mix of melee and magical Classes to obtain, and only the power Levelers of one continent I’ve been on have rumors of it.”

“You can shut of Experience gains for a Class?” I ask, and he nods. I look at Warren, who nods as well. “How?”

“We just pull up our status screens,” Michael says. “And pull up the Class Interface through it. We can tell it to stop assigning Experience to it. Once we do that, it stops flowing Experience to it and instead distributes that to whatever other Classes we have. It’s useful for Leveling a single Class at a time.”

“Status,” I pull up my status screen. “Class Interface,” it switches over to just showing me the active Classes and available Classes. Archer Experience.”

Archer Experience is currently Active

Would you like to disable Archer Experience?

Doing so will assign earned Experience to other available Classes

Disable: Y/N?

“Has anyone ever told humans about this before?” I ask.

“I don’t see why not,” he shrugs. “Humans have tortured our kind for that information before. Why?”

“Because it would’ve been nice to know this before we left the northern continent. I can do it, too. Had I known that, we wouldn’t have have traveled so far away from that town after I killed the wyvern, but returned. Imagine just how powerful I’d be, if we worked that Dungeon for another six months. I could probably have Archwizard to Level 25.”

“I’ve been in a dozen Dungeons similar to that one,” Michael says. “There’s actually a Dungeon near where you grew up whose other end is one. Then there’s also the Tower Dungeon, which is an excellent place to grind the hell out of shit.”

“The Tower Dungeon?”

“Yeah!” His tail starts swishing from side to side again. “It’s more like a reverse tower, in that it goes underground. So you go in there – any number of parties can be in it, all at the same time, and can even help each other out and stuff – and each floor is, essentially, just a series of caverns and tunnels filled with monsters. The first four floors have mostly kobolds. Every sixth floor is a rest area, and the floor before it is a boss room. First boss is a giant kobold. After every boss, the monsters get tougher and tougher. I made it all the way to Floor ten, but stopped there because my party wasn’t sure if we could handle the boss. We didn’t think we could – we could barely handle a group of monsters as it was, and the bosses are much tougher.”

Michael’s eyes have lit up, his ears perked up perfectly, and there’s a smile on his face that isn’t normally there. He loves the Tower Dungeon. I’ve never heard of a Dungeon like this before…

But if it exists, and he enjoys it as much as he shows, then I have no doubt it’s a part of why his Levels were where they were when we reunited.

“Let’s check in on my village, first,” I say. “Then, we can head to wherever this Tower Dungeon is.”

“That’s easy!” Michael exclaims in his excitement, practically jumping forward. “The Dungeon near your village takes us to a two-day journey from it! It’s one of four on that continent! By the way – your village was mostly intact when I showed up. Resistant, but other than occasionally being harassed by guards, there wasn’t much change. The kids can’t go exploring as much as you could, though.”

His tail droops.

“So how long were you fighting in the Tower Dungeon?”

“Four months!”

I snort and shake my head, then keep on walking. After a few hours, we near my village, and I see a group of a hundred soldiers led by three larger men in powerful armor walking toward it.

Executioners. I wave Michael and Warren down, telling them I’m going to use Natural as Nature to sneak forward and see if I can find what they’re doing. This is way too early to be a reaction to my presence, since the capital is a couple of days’ travel away for a small group.

Skill Gained!

Natural as Nature 10/10: A special technique of those of the village of Kar to pass oneself off as nature, so long as one isn’t aware of your presence before hand, you will be thought of as nothing more than simply nature.

Tier I, and mastered, too. I gained 10 Scout Experience.

Moving swiftly and quietly, I draw near, neither the guards nor the Executioners noticing me.

“It’s about damn time we got the orders,” the Executioner in the lead says. “We should have wiped this village out a long time ago.”

“The preparations for the fort are nearly complete,” another Executioner says. “Once we burn this down, we can get them to work on building it. Those we let live, that is. Once they’re done, they’re dead, that’s the Council’s orders.”

“I know,” the one in lead states. “They had us stationed nearby in case the one they call Chief returned, but he hasn’t.”

“Do why know why they told us to destroy the village?”

“That wizard brat Gavin has returned,” the one in lead says. “They think he’s on his way here. He has another couple of hours before he should make it, giving us enough time to wipe them out, then pull back.”

Not if they have word you’re coming. They’ll scatter into the woods and become untouchable. No one knows them better than we do, and we can walk right up to you like this.

“Why is there a deer standing right beside us?” One of the Executioners asks. “No animal would draw this close…”

He draws his sword and swings it at me, and I jump back, releasing Natural as Nature and firing a trio of Firebolts. They dent three different spots on his armor, sending him staggering back.

“Gavin,” the lead Executioner says, all three of them having their swords drawn and at the ready, as do the nearby soldiers, who are beginning to spread out around me. “You moved faster than we expected. Welcome home. Are you ready to die?”

“Did you really think I came alone?” I ask. “I am here on behalf of King Wesley’s son, King Tyler, to pave the way for his return. I may be the sole Wizard of this world, but I am not the only one here.”

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“Yes, yes,” he smiles at me. “Your two little friends, the beastborn and a fairy. Was that Michael? I’ll take great delight in killing him, and the fairy? Oh, the things we could do with one of them.”

He chuckles, but the fact that they haven’t tried to attack me yet says they’re weary. The know about my attack that killed the guards before. They probably think a spell like that is too costly for me, but they have no idea that I can cast over twenty of those with my current Mana.

No idea just how powerful a Wizard is, especially one like me.

“Do you really think those are my only allies here?” I laugh. “If I focus on the three of you, the others will kill the rest.”

“I have granted them all,” he says. “Soldier’s Might. Their strength and defenses are heightened – double what they were before! You couldn’t hope to hurt us, and that’s before their armor is factored in. You think you could handle one of us when we aren’t unprepared for your surprise attacks? Ha! You make me laugh, child.”

Yet you’re still talking, and talking, and talking. Blah-blah-blah.

A howl pierces the air, and while the Executioners look unaffected, the soldiers all tremble. That didn’t paralyze them, but it did shake them a little.

“He was delaying for the beast!” The lead Executioner looks to the source of the howl. “Kill him!”

With a snap, I cast Firebolt Chain, but not aimed at the Executioner.

Damn guards aren’t wearing helmets. Their heads are easy to aim at. Fifteen die as the Executioner nearest to it moves to the side.

“Oops,” I wave a hand, summoning more Firebolts and firing them at the Executioners.

The Executioners yell for the soldiers to take care of my allies, which frees up my ability to back up a little bit, giving me more space to dodge their blades. They’re fast, almost as fast as me, but…

Gift of Speed!

Warren’s chanting could be heard to those soft of hearing, and the spirit was looking right at me.

I become twice as fast, and with my increased speed, so too does my magic’s speed. It hits harder, and punches right through the Executioner’s armor. It doesn’t kill him, but it does piss him off.

I just spent six months training in a fucking Dungeon, I can cast magic as I move, and this is a spell I don’t need to chant for. Michael and Warren are struggling with the guards, but they won’t be a problem much longer. I just need to draw out this fight…

A hail of arrows begins to rain upon the soldiers, each one expertly aimed and missing me and my party.

“What the-?” An Executioner asks, looking to the side.

Distracted for but a moment is all I needed to hit him in the face with a Firebolt. It would have been the back of his head, but he turned and looked at me. Unfortunately for him, it was too close for him to defend against or block.

+5 Human Experience!

Shut up! I’m in a battle!

The other two Executioners buff themselves again and focus on me, but the arrows don’t let up, and minutes later, warriors enter the fray, aiding my allies. Not one arrow touches the warriors of Kar as they fight, and it only takes a few more minutes for them to take out the rest of the soldiers, surrounding the two remaining Executioners.

One of the Executioners manages to grab me, but not before Gift of Tough Skin appears in my vision. He pulls me against him and jams his knife into my throat. It shatters.

“What?” He asks. “That should be the equivalent of 60 STR hitting you! You’re a fucking mage!”

“I’m not any ordinary mage,” I say. “I’m an Archwizard, and within a year, I will be a true Mage. The thing about magicians, is we train to have tough bodies specifically for shit like this.”

“Your Mana is, no doubt, low or gone,” he growls, looking around. “You can’t fight back anymore, child. The Inquisitors will have delight in drawing out the secrets of your Class and the whereabouts of the fallen prince.”

“King Tyler?” I laugh. “You seriously think you can reach him? He’s safe, waiting until we tell him it’s safe for him to return. The Order isn’t going to risk him getting killed, as much as he’d love to return to Jozan and personally assist in its revival. And I’m not with just any old beastborn or fairy, you know.”

“The order?” The executioner asks.

“Yes,” I smile. “The Order. The Order of the Violet Flame. If you think I’m absurdly powerful, wait until I don’t return – then the Order will bring in its might.”

I sense a shift in magic nearby, and then a man in red and violet robes appears in front of us, his blue eyes infuriated.

“Take your hands off of my son,” Christopher growls, lightning crackling around him. “Right. This. Moment.”

“Huh,” I say. “The Order didn’t wait to send in reinforcements, it seems.”

I mean, it’s a completely different order, but still. I have to wonder why Christopher only now showed up. The time difference is nonexistent.

It takes me a moment to notice he’s got a scar on his right cheek and some weird magic in him that wasn’t there before. And the red on his robes is blood…

Magicians don’t normally get soaked in blood when they kill people, Christopher. Even I don’t get covered in blood when I kill people. It’s not natural.

“You really think you can defy an Executioner of-”

The Executioner’s words are cut off as lightning strikes his head, chaining into the other one’s.

Christopher looks around, the warriors of Kar stunned and intimidated.

“Allies,” I say. “Not enemies.”

“They better be,” he says. “Congratulations on advancing to Archwizard, though I’m curious to know how you managed to advance the Level so fast, if you’re only fourteen now.”

“It’s my Bloodline,” I say in English. “Which causes time to pass at the same rate when my twin and I are in separate realms, planes, or worlds. It’s been more than six months since the Rift Wolf threw me back here.”

“My apologies,” he says. “Something came up on Earth. An unknown force began killing off the order’s members, starting with the Wizards. There are only a few of us left. I’m not here as reinforcements from the order, but-”

“Oh, that?” I say. “The order’s clearly abandoned me, since you wouldn’t come to the aid of someone you call your son, and I know you’re higher in it than you revealed. So I made my own. I just had to bluff. Appearances are important, here.”

“How many languages do you know?” Michael asks me in Jozan.

“Five, plus a runic.”

“Who are you?” Warren asks Christopher in Velusan, who looks at him.

“You bear the blood of Oberon in your veins,” Christopher says. “You’ve likely heard of me from your father – I am the magician Christopher, whom your father has attempted to kill on multiple occasions.”

“Oh, you,” Warren says, then looks at me. “Don’t trust him.”

“You never told us the fairy king was your father,” I say.

“You knew we were related,” he says. “That’s all that matters. This magician cannot be trusted. He’s attempted to steal Tristan’s Grimoire on a number of occasions.”

“I didn’t attempt to steal the Grimoire,” Christopher sighs. “I was trying to look at it. It’s the only one I knew the location of, and I wanted to know if he’d revealed information in it that I’d shared with him. And your father tried killing me before I ever asked to see it.”

“He said your magic stinks,” Warren says. “And it does.”

“That’s probably the curse that’s eating me alive,” Christopher holds out his hand, tree rings resting on his palm, along with his own spatial ring. “I got hit with it a few months ago, when I first attempted to get here. I haven’t much longer before it finally kills me. Gavin – I’m going to die soon, and when I do, the Ancient Order will officially be dead. These are the Founding Rings, the spatial rings owned by the four leaders of the Ancient Order. Within them are all of our resources, wealth, and power. As the final head left, I am giving them to you, if you’ll take them. If not, I’m sealing them away across the universe. I believe that whatever is killing the order wants them.”

“Take them,” I say. “I don’t want them, or anything to do with the order.”

“I told you-” he begins.

“I’ve made my own Order,” I say. “Now unless you’re going to be useful, get the fuck out of here. I have shit to do and a kingdom to restore to power.”

Christopher moves his hand to his side, then nods. There’s a flux of power, and he vanishes.

“You two didn’t sound like you’re on good terms,” Michael says.

“He’s had eight months to find me,” I say. “But hasn’t. He can screw himself,” I look at the warriors of Kar, then switch to Jozan. “Hello.”

“Hello, Gavin,” one of them walks forward, putting his sword away. “You’ve returned.”

“Temporarily,” I nod. “I came to check in on the village, to see how things were, before leaving again. I’ll be back in six months to a year, and when I do, I’ll likely be at the third Tier of my first Class.”

“Will you stay a little while?” He asks. “We’ll be disappearing into the mountains after this, as they clearly intended on destroying us.”

“Did you like the advance warning?” I ask.

“They could have killed you,” Warren approaches me. “You were foolish, Gavin.”

“I knew you’d give me Gift of Thick Skin in time,” I grin at him. “Warren, Michael, these are my people, a fair number of whom have access to the System.”

Like… all of them. Every last one of them.

“Indeed,” Garret, the one who spoke to me, say. “After the coup, we all found ourselves with access. Most of us took on Scout, though many took on Squire instead. We’re working on both, and will take the other at Level 15.”

“That’s good,” I nod. “How long before reinforcements arrive, do you think?”

“A couple of days, at the earliest,” he shakes his head. “They’ll be wary when the Executioners don’t return. To think there’s someone who could kill them – even if struggling to – will be quite worrying to them. Are the rumors true, that King Wesley had a son?”

“Indeed,” I nod. “He’s safe, learning the ways of nobility in other nations. When it’s safe enough for him to return, I’ll allow him to. Let us return to the village, we’ve been traveling a little while, and fought a fair bit. It’ll be good to be home again.”

“Before we move,” Garret says. “You should know that Chief is gone. We don’t know if he’s alive or dead, but he’s vanished.”

“Michael told me,” I gesture to him. “He’s the son of a beastborn chieftain. The other member of my party is Warren, the son of the fairy king. The Order of the Violet Flame has powerful allies in powerful places, and once the nation is ready, our allies will aid in the final battle to reclaim Jozan.”

“That’s not exactly what’s going on,” Michael says in Velusan. “My father’s pledged his troops to aid in restoring Jozan, but the fairies… hate people. All people. And you haven’t spoken with the fairy king – what will you do when the time comes, and he doesn’t assist?”

“Wait, what?” Warren asks. “You said what? I said I might be able to help you get an audience with him – there’s no way he’s going to allow troops to assist you! He’ll probably force me to stay at the palace, once we’re there!”

“We’ll sort it out when we come to it.”

“You’re doing it again,” Michael says.

“Doing what again?”

“Digging a deeper hole for yourself.”