I end up using Omnipresent to take Carter, Logan, and I back to the Calgary MIS Hub. Things with Taiwo and Dhromea aren’t strained, I think they get where I’m coming from, but they’re definitely disappointed. We step outside and I take a deep breath then glance at my brother and nephew. I feel certain I’ve made the right call, even though a small part of me likes the thought of discovering a new world in a new situation rather than getting stuck into what’s going on here.

“Thanks Uncle Bronwic, that was cool,” says Logan. ‘And thanks for staying, but… if you do end up going somewhere like what Taiwo was talking about, maybe I could come?” he says with the grin he reserves for when he knows the answer’s going to be no.

“No chance,” Carter says instinctively. I don’t join in because I’m not totally against the idea, which gets me a scowl from my brother. The fact he might become stranded somewhere in the Universe with no way to get home is clearly a concern, but the danger? Depends what it is and how it’s managed. After all, we’ve just spent the day throwing him into a Dungeon that would kill most people that he handled like a Champion and gained a whole lot of Levels from.

The air is cold enough in Calgary today to be invigorating, especially compared to the perfectly climate controlled environment of the space station. Which sets me to wondering why that is… surely aliens have a wide variety of temperatures they prefer? Or maybe Taiwo picked one that was Earth-like in atmosphere and temperature? Seemingly infinite possibilities to explore.

I refocus though and trigger Omnipresent to look at what’s going on and the world opens up in my mind’s eye, hotspots of conflict everywhere. Carter’s used to seeing me get that look and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Thanks, Bronwic. I know you’ve got to go, but come back soon?”

“Definitely,” I say and give Logan the option of a quick fist bump. He curls up his nose at the uncool idea but does it anyway.

“Race you home!” Carter exclaims to his son and triggers his Flame form then takes off at high speed, Logan following and falling behind despite the boosted Attributes from his armor and his own enhanced Skills. I grin at Carter who maybe just wants to show that he isn’t completely left behind by his oldest son - yet.

It’s been really rewarding to spend some time with Logan and Carter, but when I take a look at what’s happening around the globe it’s clear that I need to spend some time helping out and I’m ready to get stuck in. Logan’s also not the only one who needs to Levels.

I alter the thresholds on my Foresight Skill and then the filters on Omnipresent to focus on Monsters of Level 250 or above and located near a human population of over a million. There are still way too many locations for comfort so I pick Madrid. Unlike most cities which are smaller than before the Influx, Madrid has actually grown by collecting all the people from the surrounding areas and due to sheer luck of not being targeted by any huge threats or Oblivion Shroud.

I open a Portal and step through with my Elemental Aegis and Acceleration triggered to the top of a narrow, sloped cobblestone street near the Museo Nacional del Prado, right near the center of the city. A huge, undulating worm-like creature with a diameter higher than the surrounding buildings is flowing rapidly through the street, smashing the brick two and three storey houses and businesses on both sides apart into rubble. Dust flies up into the air in billowing clouds amongst the screaming and chaos. People are running everywhere past me and down side streets as dozens of Adventurers and non-combat Classers fire weapons and spells from rooftops all around, to no effect.

All along its hundred meter or more length, tentacles that look like huge purple tongues shoot out of openings resembling a whale’s blowhole at all angles including ones that penetrate right through the surrounding structures. Some miss, but it’s moving very fast and most of them pull a person into the creature causing a rapid beat of wet thumps. It takes me only a couple of seconds to assess the situation and the Monster, clearly a Teleport that reminds me of the creature that trapped me on Holgaad.

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I don’t know if it’s coincidence or convergent biology or something else that means creatures like this keep popping up, but it does give me a chance to build on what’s worked before instead of figuring out what to do from scratch.

Colossal Diikon Hunting Worm (Level 301)

Health: 14890/16700

Mana: 2010/3000

Conditions: Total Awareness, Tough Skin, Kinetic Reflection, Unstoppable, more…

I rush forward with my Swords extended and trigger Fury of the Clan five times quickly to see if the Worm will be affected, but as expected it brushes off most of the damage. Nothing reaches Level 300 without some serious Resistances. Another reason to Level; I need access to some Legendary Skills that do damage from a distance on more powerful opponents. For now it will need to be my Swords up close, I can’t imagine anything else I have in my arsenal having much of an effect.

At least a dozen tentacles fly out of the creature from behind its mouth, which could easily swallow a school bus whole. I sweep my Swords back and forth in front of me to slice them up and trigger Wraithstrike to close in on the Monster. Somehow it still senses me and surges in an accelerated turn to my left. The buildings it hits explode instantly from the impact as the Worm exposes its side to me. I sweep my Swords down vertically to bisect it, but the Worm rolls toward me and half a dozen tentacles all shoot out at me from close range, bypassing my Swords. I’m blasted off my feet despite my Strength and rapidly catapult through two blocks of buildings without any control until I trigger Greatest Need and appear back near where I started next to a small Adventuring group still trying to damage the Worm with rocket launchers.

The Worm is moving fast and it’s only the tail end of it I see as it smashes through row after row of buildings. Tentacles shoot out even as it blasts through the chaos and grab people whether they run or hide and pull them into its body directly or straight down into its massive mouth, lined with teeth. Weapons fire, Skills and spells fill the air from dozens of people but nothing slows the Worm or even makes it flinch.

I trigger Omnipresent and set the Portal right above the Worm, tracking it, then manifest the Portal below me and fall straight onto it, Swords extended. This time there is no chance for the Worm to do anything about it and both my Swords plunge into its super tough body as I lengthen them both to the maximum 30 feet with a push of my will. Even with the unique nature of my Swords I can feel the Worm’s Mana-infused body trying to resist before being overpowered. Using my Strength, I flex my wrists and arms to bring them up crossed over and I slice the Worm apart about a third of the way down.

Both segments spasm and lose all their momentum, rolling in a way that flattens more buildings and crushes fleeing and hiding people alike. On high alert for the Worm’s potential ability to recover quickly or even split into two equally powerful creatures, I rapidly place some Edges around the front segment to try to keep it in place and hack and slash at it until there are only car-sized pieces left, then I turn my attention to the back two thirds. It’s not until I’m halfway through that job that I get the notification for the Worm’s death and an influx of XP. I Loot the body and look around at the grim scene. A lot of dead people, especially unsuspecting non-combat Classers who were probably just going about their lives in their houses. Settlement Zones are usually safe places to be, although nowhere is truly safe post Influx.

My anger and frustration rise again while I look around. We were just getting to the point where humanity could gain the upper hand and then… this. I’m full of conflict between bouncing to another situation where people need me and the knowledge that for every time I do that there are a hundred or a thousand more situations I won’t get to. In those moments and in dealing with this Influx, more humans will Level up and be able to take on bigger threats. It’s just a race to see if that happens fast enough to tilt the balance in our favor.

Within a day or two this part of the Settlement will no doubt be rebuilt using the high ambient Mana levels and a big chunk of their Credits, but the constant loss of life in areas I show up in like this does grind me down. No new high Level Adventurers emerged in Madrid to defeat a massive Monster. Just me and my progress most of the way to a new Level, from one kill.

I remind myself again that I can’t save everyone and then trigger Omnipresent again to find the next big problem.