I was only mildly surprised that my target sensed my analyze.

Given its size and stature, I had expected the stygian to be powerful. However, that was not to say my inspection results did not disturb me.

The tree was only a mature one.

It was this fact that bothered me more than anything else and left me wondering how much more powerful a void father was going to be.

Void fathers, if recollection served, were the nether’s rulers—the malign intelligence behind the void—and from what Adriel had intimated, they were as far above the void trees as the trees themselves were above lesser stygians.

The void fathers were obviously a challenge I was not ready to face. Hells, at this point, I wasn’t even certain if killing the void tree in sector 18,240 was something I could accomplish. That wouldn’t stop me from trying, though. Banishing my doubts, I turned back to the nest.

The stygians within were aflutter, hissing and cawing. The three harbingers had snapped alert and, patrolling around the tree, were scanning the surrounding dunes suspiciously.

I was unconcerned, though.

I was over a mile away from the nest and too far away for even the tree—or its spores—to reach me, much less for any of them to uncover my stealth. Letting my gaze rove idly over the stygians, I contemplated my next move.

It was time to leave.

Of that I had no doubt. I had accomplished what I’d come here to do and had a firm grasp of the enemy’s numbers and disposition. Now, the only thing to decide was where to launch the second prong of our assault.

It will have to be at the rift, I decided after musing over the options. The distance between the rift and the nest in front of me made any other choice impractical.

Still, I hesitated.

The choice was a big one and had implications beyond the battle itself and hinged largely on the workings of the netherstone—because, of course, we’d be using my netherstone to launch the second prong of our assault. Indeed, it was only the black stone that made such an attack possible.

Netherstones were like aetherstones, but while they served the same purpose as those brighter stones, their operation was fundamentally different. A location imprint on an aetherstone was fleeting and usable only once. Thereafter, the stone forgot the etched coordinates and could be reimprinted with a new location.

Not so with a netherstone.

Once etched a netherstone could not be reimprinted. The coordinates I scribed onto the black stone would stay there for eternity—to be reused as many times as I desired, but it would always, always, take me back to the same location.

This was the main reason for my reluctance.

The terrain surrounding the rift was flat and barren, and while from the perspective of the upcoming battle, it made sense for our forces to make entry as close to the rift as feasible, beyond the battle itself there was nothing to recommend the sandy dunes as a teleportation point.

Because, of course, once we banished the stygians from sector 18,240, it was to this sector that we would turn our attention. Sector 30,199 would make for a rich hunting ground. Unfortunately for my future intentions—and admittedly, they were somewhat grandiose—once the forerunners claimed sector 18,240, the rift would close, making the netherstone the only means of entering this sector.

And ordinary portals did not operate in the Nethersphere.

This was as true of dungeons as it was of anywhere else in the nether. The only way to travel to and from a sector fallen to the void was by means of a netherstone.

Of which I had only the one.

Still, I was getting ahead of myself. There was no point dreaming up plans for sector 30,199 until after we claimed sector 18,240. If we failed to win the battle, my future ambitions for the new sector was a moot point anyway.

And in the end, that was what decided me. Our upcoming assault on the rift was all important. And if we wasted the netherstone in the process, so be it.

My course set, I slunk away from the nest.

✵ ✵ ✵

Your channeling and nether absorption have reached rank 23.

Your chi has reached rank 20.

It was early evening when I reached my destination—a shallow dip less than half a mile from the rift and out of the immediate line of sight of the stygians arrayed around it.

This’ll do, I thought.

Flopping flat onto my lupine belly, I took a second to rescan the surroundings. What I was about to attempt next was dangerous—but necessary. The nether creatures around the rift had quietened down again. The lesser stygians were asleep, the nagas were curled up tightly, and most importantly, the mammoth-harbinger had abandoned her patrols and was sitting at ease in front of the rift.

It was about as safe as it was going to get.

Closing my eyes, I began to shift.

To portal out of the sector, I had to be in human form. Only then, could I use the netherstone and other items stored in my backpack. There was simply no way around the restriction—unless I wanted to brave the rift again, and even I was not so foolish to attempt such. My first venture through had caught the void by surprise, but I doubted they would be as complacent the second time around.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

No, the best way out of the sector was using the netherstone, and for that I had to shift, regardless of the risks of doing so.

Despite my concerns, though, I completed my transformation undisturbed and undetected.

You have taken the form of a level 259 human.

Warning: you have cast shapeshift twice in one day and cannot recast it again today.

Excellent, I murmured as I unwrapped my limbs from the contorted position I found them in. Feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable—I’d grown used to being a big bad wolf—I set about my remaining tasks swiftly.

Reaching into my bag of holding, I withdrew the netherstone and placed it on the ground. The black stone was already brimming with mana and ready to be etched. I’d made sure to charge it before setting out this morning. Touching a single finger to the item, I willed my intention to the Adjudicator.

You have permanently etched a netherstone with the coordinates of an arbitrary location within sector 30,199. This location will henceforth be designated: Rift-X.

An involuntary sigh escaped me. It had worked, and with less fuss than I’d anticipated.

Right, time to get out of here.

Returning the netherstone to my pocket, I pulled out a portal scroll and began feeding mana into it. What ordinarily stopped portals from working in the nether was the lack of anchor points. The way Ceruvax and Adriel had explained it, nether sectors were shrouded, their coordinates hidden in a similar if more complete fashion than a Kingdom sector protected by a shield generator.

I had an anchor, though—namely, the netherstone in my pocket.

As long as I was at the location designated Rift-X, the stone would anchor any ley line I created—effectively allowing me to open a portal to the world beyond.

Portal scroll consumed.

You have opened a greater portal to sector 18,240.

Despite wanting to, I didn’t immediately dive through the waiting gateway.

A second passed, then another. But there was no reaction from the stygians encamped by the rift. My shoulders sagged in relief. They’d not sensed the portal. Now I could go.

Striding forward, I entered the luminous doorway. It was time to rejoin my companions.

Transfer commencing…

…

…

Passage completed!

✵ ✵ ✵

You have entered sector 18,240.

An Aether Cloaking Device is in place around this sector. Only designated entities may open portals into this sector and only at allowed locations. Note, all coordinates in this sector will be masked from anyone entering the region after the shield generator was emplaced.

Once more, I found a surprise waiting for me in the cave. This time, though, it was a decidedly pleasant one.

Safyre was back.

And she’d brought the Aether Cloaking Device with her. Grinning in pleasure, I marched forward. “Saf,” I called out, “when did you—”

“Halt!”

Checking my stride, I glanced down at the sharpened tip of the poleaxe pressing against my chest.

“Identify yourself!” the same voice snapped again.

More than a little bemused, I raised my head to stare at the player before me. In my preoccupation, I’d not noticed him earlier. But now that I had, his analyze data flooded my awareness.

The target is Keros, a level 205 human windknight and a member of the Forerunners faction. He is a Lightsworn and forsworn and bears a Mark of Greater Light and a Mark of Safyre. Note, only a faction’s leaders can identify its members through the analyze ability.

My brows rose. Keros was both a forerunner and a follower already.

Saf’s been busy, I see.

“I said identify yourself,” Keros growled, prodding me again with his weapon.

Before I could respond, Safyre herself intervened. “Stand down, Ker. This is Michael, the one I told you about.”

The scarred warrior glanced over his shoulder at the approaching aetherist, but he still didn’t lower his blade, I noted.

“You’re sure?” he demanded harshly.

The aetherist rolled her eyes, undaunted by his tone. “Of course, I am,” she said, striding closer.

Keros’ gaze swapped back to me, and I did not miss the baleful look in his eyes. For whatever reason, it seemed like I’d already earned the man’s dislike. “Sorry,” he bit off, sounding not the least bit.

I pushed down on the poleaxe still pressing into my chest with one finger. “You mind lowering this now?”

Grudgingly, Keros did as I bade.

“Thank you,” I murmured, and took a moment to study the newcomer.

He was obviously one of the forsworn Safyre had gone to meet, and from his new Mark, a loyal adherent of hers too. Everything else about the man defied my expectations, though.

His gaze was fierce, his hands rough and workmanlike, and his face was split by a long diagonal scar. About my own height, Keros’ shoulders were broader than mine—much broader—and his legs and arms were thick and stout. In fact, everything about the windknight screamed ‘hardened warrior.’

How in hells did he pass for a merchant all these years?

But despite my curiosity, I didn’t voice the question aloud. Somehow, I got the feeling it would only make the warrior dislike me even more.

Safyre drew to a stop between us. “So, you’re finally back.” She looked me up and down, an amused glint in her eyes. “And in one piece too.”

I smiled. “I told you I wouldn’t do anything foolish.”

She snorted. “Now, that’s a lie and you know it.” A pause. “Ghost told me everything.”

I sighed. “I imagine I have some explaining to do, then.”

“That you do,” she said emphatically.

Turning my head from left to right, I searched the cave, but I already knew my familiar wasn’t nearby. “Where is she by the way?”

“Ghost, you mean?” Safyre asked.

I nodded.

“At the forward base with Lucius and the others. They’re still scouting the nest.”

“Ah.” Projecting my thoughts into the farspeaker bracelet on my wrist, I reached out to my familiar across the distance. “Ghost, I’m back.”

Stark silence was my only response.

I winced. I knew Ghost had heard me, but she was deliberately choosing not to reply. I guess she’s still mad.

“No answer?” Safyre asked, correctly interpreting my look.

I shook my head glumly. “She’s still angry, I expect.”

Keros chuckled. “Boy, it seems like you have the knack. You’re even more talented at angering those of the female persuasion than me!”

I glared at him.

Unfortunately, that only increased the warrior’s amusement. “Since I’ve gotten here,” he went on, “I’ve heard no less than three of them rail at your stupidity. That takes real talent, you know.”

My brows drew down. Three?

I knew Ghost was mad at me, but who were the other two? Glancing at Safyre, I saw that her cheeks had reddened.

“Guilty as charged,” she said apologetically. “I’ll admit to expressing a certain measure of frustration when I learned where you went.”

Keros laughed uproariously. “A measure she says!”

Ignoring the warrior’s inexplicable happiness, I kept my gaze fixed on Safyre. She made two. Who was the third?

“Adriel wasn’t happy either,” she informed me. “After all, you left without telling her what you intended.”

My shoulders slumped. Right, now I really was in for it. Striding forward, I marched deeper into the cave. “Let’s get this over with,” I muttered.