“Naran,” I greeted the shaved man. I noted there was no stubble growing out of his skin that was tainted with a silver color.

“Michael. You are off today?” he asked me already knowing the answer.

“Yes. Going to grind some level 4 monsters and upgrade Acid Shot. Going to be quite an adventure,” I replied.

“Thanks for not pushing me,” Naran said while he picked at his breakfast food. I nodded slowly at that.

“You are a trusted friend. I would trust you with my life. All of Purgatory and myself owe you a debt for defeating the super worm,” I replied.

“Throwing swords like that, it was clever,” Naran said.

“Thanks, but you were the only one who could beat it. Get better, and then get back out there when you are ready,” I replied.

“I turned down Clarissa’s offer to help manage certain things. You don’t mind?” Naran asked me.

“You have earned the right. Just be aware the city, might not always be peaceful,” I replied.

“I know and will fight if it comes down to it. But I want to avoid drama and fighting for right now. I…I just feel off. Like this face isn’t even mine.” He rubbed it slightly.

“Like my arms. It will go away in time. Your sight?” I asked.

“I see bright lights, and possibly slight movement. Doctor Katz is hopeful I will regain use of my eye within 100 days, with a restoration once every ten days,” Naran explained.

“Why every ten days?” I asked.

“About allowing my body to heal and not be static, while preventing the tissue from deteriorating,” Naran said, and I nodded at that. It made sense with what the Astrologer had said. Naran’s successful surgery and the insight the Astrologer had given was a big reason why I was willing to extend some measure of trust for now.

I really needed to start thinking of the man as a projection or not real. But that would lead me to underestimating him. Well, I would just have to mentally note he was a projection each and every time I met him. Or more than a projection, since he clearly had no range limitations.

Unless he was playing a super long con by having his real body run about. It was exhausting thinking about all these possibilities. I would leave that to Clarissa to keep an eye on things. I would deal with him when he showed up.

Getting more stats was already part of my plan and he was just speeding things up considerably if I could grind the level 4 monster. I would get fairly close to 10,000 stat points before I returned for the city upgrade. More than enough to fulfill the Astrologer’s request of having 5,000 stat points in Spirit and spreading the rest out.

After that I could focus on Absorption or choose my own path. Having a high Spirit stat would allow me to fight in player versus player, PvP, combat for much longer. I would have more staying power. A lot of problems could be solved by shoving an excessive amount of energy at the problem all at once.

It might not be pretty, but I had been thinking very hard how to fight an individual with a Body stat off the charts. The answer was an overwhelming alpha strike once they moved in. I would need to upgrade Acid Shot with 10 upgrades to be silent and gestureless again, and a high Spirit played into that.

Then I could unleash a tidal wave. Even if the cost jumped up to 80 energy. I wasn’t too concerned. I needed to adjust my focus from grinding to fighting other people. The Astrologer had shown I wasn’t the biggest fish anymore.

The real trick would be grinding for as long as possible before upgrading my skill. These next 120 days or so would be for that purpose. I was at least going to focus on Regeneration quite a bit after Spirit to not be completely useless at grinding. After that, I would upgrade the skill to be capable of PvP again and my grind rate would slow, but I wouldn’t be completely useless hopefully.

A high Mind stat was needed as well to react in time. I needed a lot of stats. Frankly, 5,000 Spirit sounded excessive, but I was sure the Astrologer had a good reason for the request. The fact it was something the Almighty System handled, meant it probably wasn’t a bad thing. But it would completely unbalance my generalist build in a way I didn’t want.

“I am sorry Michael,” Naran said quietly. I looked at him and he just was sagging in his chair.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Just focus on getting back on your feet,” I lied. I knew Naran was done and not getting back on his feet. He was defeated in his mind. Once that happened, it would be very hard to bounce back.

His mind had well and truly cracked. This wasn’t something that could be overcome with grit and determination. It was something that had cracked down to his foundation. It was always unstable after his stint ruling in Truth.

Now there was just too much. Whatever the mental effects were they had just but a wedge into that crack and made it wider. That was the insidious nature of mental attacks, if you didn’t realize what was happening, they could overtake you much more easily. Even if you did realize, with a persistent effect like this, it was not simple.

“You are welcome to stay as long as you want. Keep Clarissa honest for me,” I said as I finished up my buttered toast. Naran gave me a weak smile.

“Sure, I will do that Michael,” Naran replied. He tried to smile but it looked weird with the silver discoloration of his face and his whitish left eye. I got up and left the table without a look back. Naran was moving on with his life just like I was moving on with mine.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It was a shame, but there was nothing more I could do for him. Clarissa would keep him comfortable and offer him a list of things he could do, to try and get him engaged. I thought helping out new people as a guide would be the best, but she wasn’t so sure. She suspected that he would want to take a research position.

Either way, he was done being a front-line combatant and part of my team. He had my trust and was my friend, but he was no longer combat capable in my mind. I would not be able to count on him in future fights and battles to have my back. I rubbed my left arm as set a quick pace out of Purgatory to the West.

I would be on my own once again. Or not. The Astrologer appeared in the air and floated downwards. I came to a stop. “Neat trick, you will have to explain it to me some time,” I said.

“Perhaps Michael. Finally leaving I see,” the Astrologer said.

“You are remarkably well informed for floating about everywhere. Listening in?” I asked.

“Perhaps, I need to keep my secrets. But no, it was a matter of sensing, and I was in the area.” I believed the Astrologer like I believed a used car salesman.

“Well, you already explained the level 4 monster and upgrading a skill. What else is there?” I asked.

“Your friend Naran. I know you are probably upset with me not helping him. Don’t deny it. I would be the same way. Do you wish to see the real me and why doing something like that isn’t possible?” the Astrologer asked. I didn’t know why he was being so forthcoming now. What was his angle?

“Why just appear and tell me this?” I asked.

“Consideration. Consideration of our partnership. I know you don’t trust me. I am just flying around, knowing things, hiding my face, and being quite sketchy.” I nodded at this. “You must make an effort. Our time is short and growing shorter by the day. Ask what you want.”

“I don’t get why you need someone to free you? Why has it taken so long?” I asked.

“Do you think I am a good person? A kind person?”

“No,” I answered the Astrologer.

“No, you say. No is an understatement. I will only say that I was not cruel for cruelties sake. Much like yourself, I always chose the pragmatic option, and that stepped on toes. It cost me allies, friends, and in my moment of crisis there was no one left alive to turn to. What else?”

“How did you know to meet me here?” I asked and the Astrologer let out a sigh.

“I merely change outfits,” the stars on his robe spun about.

“Or appearances Ajani?” I asked.

“Yes. I chose to stop hiding and use the truth as my blade against you. I can tell it cuts deep,” the Astrologer said, and I winced at that metaphor. He was correct. “Let us step to the side off this main street.”

I followed him to a side street. There his outer shell disappeared. What was left was a sickly thing that barely looked human. Its bulging eyes, its lipless mouth, and its skeletal limbs made the thing look like a monster. I stared at it for a few seconds before the illusion came back again. Showing a hooded man in a black robe with silver stars.

“That is the real me. A fake body. A will imposed. A life created. Now you know Michael. Ask what you need to ask. For let there be no lingering doubt in your heart,” the Astrologer said.

“You aren’t the real Astrologer. Why would he not crush us when freed? Or that you are not a monster playing a game?” I asked.

“I am him, in the sense I have his memories up to the moment he created me. My existence is tied to his future. As for the monster bit, that I cannot easily prove, and you lack the ability to sense me. Even then, I would come across as odd.”

“But what you really want to know, is my end game. I have not lied, nor will I lie Michael. You doubt my words about the Divine Empress. You doubt my words about meta-points. That is fine. Doubt as much as you want but know that I have no need to lie.”

“But you color the truth the way you want. I am not an idiot. A compromise must be possible with this Divine Empress and you are just afraid?” I challenged him.

“Then go. Beg and scrap for non-existent mercy at her feet. It will both amuse and sadden me when you scream eternally as one of the people flesh melded into her city or throne.”

“Why not fly in an airship?” I asked.

“An airship is a risk and expensive. To use one is to invite trouble and is expensive. Let me speak plainer, it would call monsters from the sky upon you. It is a bastion of energy. Don’t you feel it in the air?” I looked around as the Astrologer gestured.

“The higher level monsters don’t roam to the cities, since they require energy to live. But just like a shark can leap out of the water, so can something much more dangerous. Or perhaps a sky shark or two. The airships are a trap, a death trap if you do not have the strength to fly them and you do not. What else?”

“If this Divine Empress moves East, what will you do?” I asked.

“That is the billion-point question. I will be the person to hunt down and kill. For only with me would she find my true body in any reasonable amount of time. She would not hesitate to do this. I would use an option of last resort to free myself. One that will most likely fail, but only an option I can do.”

“And that is?” I asked.

“To trigger a trap and go fishing for just the right sky shark.” He would try to lure a powerful monster to free his main body. “But that is something I hope to avoid. Now you depart. Listen carefully Michael, for this information is necessary if you step into a level 4 zone.” I paid close attention to what he was about to say.

“A level 4 zone contains no dungeons and only one monster per area type per zone. So only two to three monster types per zone. The skill points do not reside in the dungeons, but on a roaming boss. A level 5 monster.” That did not sound good.

“They will not stray near the edges of a zone, but if you venture too deep, you will be confronted with one regardless. A level 5 is only a small jump compared to the jump from level 3 to level 4. But it is beyond you and will impede your grinding. Its basic stats are too high.”

“That was what you wanted me to face to earn a meta-point?” I asked.

“Indeed. But it won’t work now. You cannot have this explained to you and have it work. The System knows and rewards recklessness. That is why my Valkyries were never able to earn meta-points. You cannot copy a worn path or be told how to earn one. You must seize the impossible yourself,” the Astrologer answered. I frowned at that.

“What about a level 5 zone?” I asked.

“You would die instantly. The inherent disparity in base ability is too great. Even if you upgrade your skill and get 10,000 stat points, you would not be able to enter a level 5 zone. Even now, only the darklands will not kill you instantly, even if it will pressure you. Not even myself or the Divine Empress at the height of her power, would take a level 5 zone lightly.”

“So how can I avoid this boss?” I asked.

“Pay attention and do not venture deep into the zone. Do not cross into other level 4 zones beyond the one I tell you. To the West is the Bloated Man. A monster that consumes all in its wake to empower itself. Only powerful physical attacks at oblique angles are useful against it. To the East is the Ringed Hand. Each hand has five different colored rings used to generate different energy type effects and combine them. Each battle would be a massive struggle to win. The Bulwark Shield charges forward to crush you and has immense physical power and resistance, which your Acid Shot will counter once upgraded.”

I inclined my head in respect. This was the kind of information that was incredibly valuable and worth its weight in points. Knowing the right monster to grind, which I could easily defeat was a huge advantage and the benefit of knowledge.

“Unless there is an emergency, you won’t see me again until you return here to upgrade your city. I would advise you when you make the attempt. Allies?” The Astrologer asked and held out a hand. I took it and shook.

“Allies,” I said and shook his hand. He was still suspicious as hell, and nothing would change my mind about that.