Eight hours later, I was at the rebirth well. Waiting.

I didn’t search the village. I didn’t explore the valley beyond. I didn’t do anything except sit and stew. Over what I had to do next. What I needed to do next.

And Wolf forgive me, what I couldn’t do next.

Around and around my thoughts circled, going over all the permutations, possibilities, false trails, ploys, and potential treacheries in store for me. Sadly, too much was uncertain, too much was unknown. And as much as I wanted to rush things, I knew I couldn’t.

I would have to move carefully, with each step measured and thought out, else Loken and his envoy would get the better of me. And that would not only be to my detriment but that of all the Forerunners.

First, though, there was the matter of Shael to deal with.

Which was why I was sitting where I was. Waiting.

Exactly on the eight-hour mark, the rebirth well came to life. It was the first confirmation I needed. The second was seeing minstrel’s face as he surged out of the water. Shael looked exactly how I remembered him. But the bard’s eyes remained glazed over, his mind still foggy after his gruesome death.

Reaching out with my will, I inspected him.

The target is Shael, a level 121 half-elf red minstrel. He bears a Mark of Moderate Shadow.

It was the final confirmation I needed. Shael was who he said he was. Saying nothing, I waited patiently for him to recover.

A minute later, the bard’s face cleared. “You killed me!”

“Technically the Adjudicator did,” I murmured.

“But you could’ve stopped him!” he accused as he exited the well in a pair of white newbie shorts and shirt.

“I could have,” I agreed.

“So, why didn’t you?” he demanded.

“No spell survives death,” I replied softly.

Shael blinked furiously as he processed that. “You didn’t think I was me?” he asked at last.

I shook my head. “Not quite. I worried that you weren’t. If the envoy could impersonate me, she can do the same with you, and who was to say, you weren’t part of whatever elaborate plot she cooked up?”

“That’s…. dastardly.”

I shrugged. “It’s the Game. Especially the way Loken and his people play it. And if you are truly going to utilize your own deception skills, it’s the way you’re going to have to learn to play it too.”

“But did you have to kill me?”

“I did,” I said unapologetically. “I needed to see your face free of any misleading spells and witness how long you took to resurrect.”

Shael crossed his arms over his chest. “And what if I hadn’t thrown that bottle at you earlier?”

“Then I would have taken you outside the safe zone and killed you all the same,” I said implacably.

“Hells,” Shael muttered.

“It was necessary.”

The bard shrugged. “I’ll forgive you for killing me this time, but don’t you dare do it again.”

“I’ll try not to,” I replied solemnly.

“So, now that I’ve passed your test, will you tell me what’s going on?”

“You haven’t.”

Shael frowned. “What?”

“You haven’t passed my tests, not all of them anyway, just the first one.”

The bard’s eyes widened.

A small smile stole onto my face. “Don’t worry, the second one won’t require any dying.”

He scowled. “Then what will it require?”

“A visit to Nexus,” I said, rising to my feet and putting the package I held in his hands.

“What’s this?” Shael asked, looking down.

“Clothes,” I replied. “I doubt most of the stuff on your corpse is salvageable.” I looked at him questioningly. “Unless you have something else to wear?”

He shook his head, looking lost.

“Then these will have to do until we reach Nexus.”

“Nexus,” Shael repeated, still baffled. “Why would we go there? Loken’s envoy is here.”

“The second test is there.”

“Which is what exactly?”

“You’ll see,” I said, not elaborating further. “Come on, let’s head back to the tavern and get what remains of your stuff.”

“But what about Saya?” he asked, hurrying to catch up after he shrugged on the blue mage’s robes I’d given him. “The note said—”

“Soon,” I finished for him. “I know. But by your own admission, you received the note a month ago. It is already too late for ‘soon.’ At this stage, waiting a few more days won’t matter.” My lips thinned into a grim line. “In fact, if we don’t want to fall prey to the trap the envoy no doubt has waiting, we damned well better do this carefully.”

Shael had no response to that.

Marching through the still open doors of the tavern, I seated myself at a table free of gore. “There’s something else you need to do before we leave for Nexus.”

“Oh, what’s that?” Shael asked, seating himself across from me.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I leaned forward. “Finish your tale. Start from when you last saw me and leave nothing out. I want to know everything that has happened in the sector since.”

✵ ✵ ✵

Shael’s tale was not a short one. He kept talking well into the night.

It turned out that Loken’s envoy had kept her word, at least initially. The marauders that had been troubling Wyvern’s Roost up to that point vanished, leaving the tavern to prosper in their absence.

Then, a month ago, something happened. What, Shael didn’t know, but whatever it was, it was enough to cause the simmering tensions between the Light, Shadow, and Dark armies in the valley to boil over into a full-scale war.

So intense had the fighting been that the safe zone had been claimed thrice already. No one, though, had managed to hold onto it.

This was when the merchants had begun leaving. Most feared what would happen once the sector became finally owned, and rightfully so. There would be no place for non-aligned merchants then, and rather than stay and risk suffering further losses, most had moved on to other ventures.

The factions’ barracks had also emptied during this time. Despite the security and convenience offered by the safe zone, it was too risky for the factions to house their soldiers in the area where the fighting was the hottest.

This had led to the current status quo: a deserted safe zone and a valley ripped asunder by war.

“Tell me again,” I said. “How did the envoy manage to lure Saya out?”

“I told you, she was wearing your face. She went on—or rather you did—about some rare wyvern you’d found and killed, and how you trusted only Saya to harvest the ingredients.”

I frowned. It was a plausible lie, if not one that accounted for my prolonged disappearance. “Did neither of you think to ask where I’d been?”

“Of course we did,” Shael scoffed, “but Saya was not surprised when you held off explaining.” He looked down his nose at me. “It seems keeping secrets is something you do often.”

I winced. The jibe was all too accurate.

“That’s all of it,” Shael said, stifling a yawn. “Now, you know everything that I do.”

I nodded slowly. I had a lot to think about and even more to do. “Use one of the rooms upstairs and get some rest,” I instructed.

“We’re not going to Nexus?” he asked in surprise.

“We are,” I said, rising to my feet myself. “But not tonight. We can both do with some sleep. We’ll leave at first light tomorrow.”

✵ ✵ ✵

I met Shael in the common room the next morning.

I had slept fitfully and had contemplated ducking back to the tundra to report to the others several times over the course of the night. But in the end, I decided the wiser course was to wait.

If I was careful, I would be in no danger in the Nexus safe zone, and it was imperative I didn’t do anything to jeopardize the secret of the nether-infested sector nor that of the Forerunners’ existence. Which returning prematurely to the tundra might just do.

“Sleep well?” I asked Shael.

“Better than I have in weeks,” the bard admitted, which I could tell just by looking at him. Some of the shadows beneath his eyes had disappeared, and his face was no longer as guilt-ridden.

“That’s good to hear,” I said, removing an item from my backpack. “Shall we go?”

“What’s that?” he asked, eyeing the parchment in my hand.

“A portal scroll,” I replied.

“Huh. I was wondering how you planned on getting us to Nexus.” He tugged at the robe I’d given him. “This almost made me think you’d become a mage.”

I smiled. “Not quite.”

“What about your face?” he asked.

I touched my cheek. “What about it?”

“You’re going to go to Nexus looking like that?” He gestured at my false visage. “Who are you supposed to be anyway?”

“Actus,” I replied. “Someone of no consequences. And yes, I do intend on wearing this face while in Nexus.”

He tilted his head to the side. “You won’t get past the Triumvirate knights at the gates of the safe zone looking like that,” he predicted. “There is some strong magic woven into Nexus’ walls. They’ll stripe you of your enchantments in seconds and alert every guard around.”

I nodded. “I’m aware, but I don’t intend on leaving the safe zone.” This time. “Nor will it take us long to conclude our business in Nexus before we depart the sector.”

He sighed. “You’re still not going to tell me what this second test of yours is?”

“I’m not,” I said. Cracking open the portal scroll, I drew on my magic and released its enchantment.

Item consumed.

You have opened a greater portal to sector 1.

The scroll vanished from my hands, and a moment later, a luminous white doorway appeared before me. “Let’s go,” I said and ducked through without hesitation.

Transfer through portal commencing…

…

…

Leaving sector 12,560. Entering Nexus!

✵ ✵ ✵

You have entered the safe zone of sector 1.

A shield generator is in place around the city, preventing portals from opening anywhere except in the designated teleportation zones.

My re-entry into Nexus was almost a replica of my first foray into the giant city. Emerging in a world of noise on the raised stone dais that served the city as its primary teleportation point, I wasted no time in shoving my way past other travelers and getting off the platform. This time, given the alacrity of my movements, none of the watching Triumvirate knights paid me any heed.

Shael, appearing behind me, quickly followed suit, and we were soon lost in the surging crowd at the platform’s base.

“Where to?” the bard yelled in my ear, having to shout to make himself heard.

Not responding, I cut a path toward our destination.

The bard fell back, muttering under his breath about secretive fools when he realized I wasn’t going to answer him. We traveled that way for the next few minutes. While we did, I scanned the passing buildings.

Nexus looked no different than it did during my first visit, unchanged and perhaps unchanging.

Uncaring mansions lined the streets, and rich players hurried to and fro. I was glad for it. In Nexus’ multitudes, Shael and I were just two more insignificant specks, anonymous players and unworthy of attention. Finally, the south gate to the plague quarter came into view and I slowed my steps.

“I thought you said we’re not leaving the safe zone?” Shael asked, finally breaking his silence.

“We’re not,” I replied, as I veered left and towards the water-logged building sitting there.

Shael stopped short. “We’re going to a bank?”

“Yes. The Albion Bank specifically.” I would have preferred using another bank, but the Bank owned by the Power Viviane was the only one whose layout I was familiar with and now was not the time to slip up by crossing paths with unexpected wards or spells.

“Come on,” I said, waving Shael forward. “Let’s get this over with.” Not waiting for his response, I strode across the thin stone bridge leading to the Bank’s entrance.

You have entered a dampening field. Your mana, psi, and stamina abilities have been inhibited.

The Game alert did not give me pause.

I had not forgotten the dampening field from my previous visit. I also knew it wouldn’t strip away my existing spells. And with my true face concealed by mimic, there was little danger of anyone inside recognizing me.

Strolling confidently into the bank’s interior, I came to a stop in the middle of the marble foyer, and while I waited for Shael to catch up, I took a slow, long look around. Everything was exactly as I remembered.

“What are we doing here?” the bard hissed as he drew to a stop beside me.

“We are not doing anything,” I replied in a low voice. “You on the other hand…” I pointed out the rune-inscribed rectangular frames at the far end of the rooms. “You see those?”

Shael looked where I gestured. “The Watchers, what about them?”

“Walk through one,” I instructed.

He waited for me to go on, and when I didn’t, he threw me an incredulous look. “That’s it? That’s your test?”

I nodded. “I’ll explain in a bit. Now, go.”

Looking perplexed, but complying nonetheless, Shael strode through the nearest watcher under my watchful gaze.

No alarms triggered. No hidden doors opened.

Nothing at all happened except for one of the tellers behind the counter glancing curiously in Shael’s direction. The tension in my shoulders eased further.

Looping back to me, Shael drew to a stop before me. “Now what?”

I spun on my heel. “Now, we leave.”