~~~Stanley~~~

Empathic Link (Rare)

You feel. I feel.

User may create a link with one or more targets and, through it, share feelings and sensations.

Link may be created omni-directional or one way.

Number of links dependent on intelligence and skill level.

...

That explained the ant king... and it sounded like a nightmare of a skill. Maybe if he wanted to torture people? Though it could be useful for a healer... maybe? It still sounded like a miserable skill either way.

But... maybe he'd ask around anyway.

Daryl didn't complain about the ant along for the trip. He was too busy crying and fussing over Adrian. It was annoying.

Stanley said nothing. He couldn't. Not when he'd made a similar fuss over Caffeine so many times. Not that it was the same... Obviously, Caffeine was way better than any human.

Also, it wasn't the same because Daryl was kissing Adrian when they flew out of the lair into daylight.

Sure, Caffeine wasn't afraid to dole out kisses. In fact, the pug was rather free spirited when it came to kissing people. Pretty much anyone who would feed him was fair game.

Stanley checked the core, which had been lying at the lair entrance.

Spitfire (Rare)

I spit. You burn.

User may launch a ball of acidic fire from their mouth...

He guessed the core must have come from the queens, since he'd gained another from the ant king, and none of the previous queens he'd killed after surrender ever dropped a core. A nice little loophole to get extra cores. Though it was possible that he got shorted if each of the multiple queens would have dropped a core...

It was also gross. So he probably wouldn't be learning that one even if he used mana. Maybe Caffeine? Though he had seen Cheesesteak and Princess both breathing fire. Maybe it would...

"Could you not do that right in everyone's face?" said a voice, and Stanley looked over at the man whose soul radiated disgust while he glared at Daryl and Adrian.

Seriously? Stanley thought, eyeing the speaker. Someone who had likely been healed by at least one of the two men he was now criticizing.

"Look," Stanley said. "I get that Adrian's good looking, but you can't flip out just because someone else got there first."

"What, no?! I'm not gay!" Everyone was staring at him now. Instead of letting it go, he doubled down. "It's not natural."

"You know it's the twenty-first century, right?" Stanley asked. After the first reaction, there was no way he could resist messing with him further. "You know whites are allowed to marry blacks now, right?"

"What? I never said... Don't put words in my mouth!"

That got a few chuckles, and Stanley smiled. See? He was definitely a delight to be around. A pure ray of sunshine. He definitely didn't want to murder the ungrateful fuck...

Mr Mood Killer really couldn't take the hint, though, and he muttered, "So you just shove it down our throats until we agree with you. Is that it?"

"You know what's natural?" Stanley growled, his good mood finally evaporating. "Gravity." He dropped the guy, who screamed hilariously on his way...

"Stanley!" Adrian wheezed out.

"Ugh, fine." Stanley caught the guy right before he reached the ground and set him gently on his feet, whereupon he fell down. Right next to the ant, which Stanley was dragging gently through the dirt. It was probably getting lonely down there, anyway.

The ant was the only reason they weren't back yet. He didn't want the poor little guy to get lost on the way home with his snack.

Adrian had twisted to look down, so he saw the man scramble to his feet and take off ahead of the zombies that were already chasing the ant... The poor thing was never going to make it back to the nest. "Please pick him up, Stanley. I don't care what he says about us."

"I don't mind if you make him run," Daryl said, also watching the man, only with a grin on his face. "Can't believe he would talk shit after you saved his life, Adrian! That fucker deserves to..."

"Daryl," Adrian said, cutting the other man off mid tirade, his hand coming up to cradle Daryl's face. "I don't care what anyone says. All I need is you."

"Aw, damn it!" Daryl folded like a bitch. "Fine, you can save him, Stanley. I mean... if you want to?"

Stanley watched the man trip and go down right in front of the zombies. He picked him up... and set him back on his feet further ahead. "Adrian, I don't think your plan's going to work with all these undead out here... but I could bring a nice horde back to the tower with us."

Adrian sighed and closed his eyes, his head back in Daryl's lap. "I see that now... not sure what I was thinking."

"Me neither," Daryl said with a noticeable edge to his voice. "Using your heart fire..."

"I had the chance to save someone who would otherwise have died," Adrian whispered. "How could I not do what I did?"

"Because if you died..."

"I didn't die."

"You almost fucking..."

"What's heart fire?" Stanley asked.

Daryl's shouting tirade sputtered to a halt. "It's..."

"It's a much more concentrated form of my phoenix fire," Adrian said. "Lets me heal more serious..."

"I think you mean to say you burned up a chunk of your fucking soul to stick Herman's head back on!"

Stanley discovered who Herman was when the man in question's soul went into a panic as he blurted out, "That was real!? Oh, god... Oh, my god! I thought it was a dream!"

"It's not burning up my soul," Adrian protested. "Just some of my life force... and it'll recover. A little down time is worth it to save a life."

"Damn right, you're going to have down time! I'm not letting you set foot outside the tower again!" Daryl exclaimed, and Adrian didn't protest aloud, but his soul said otherwise.

Stanley helped the runner along below and resisted the urge to demand Princess or Cheesesteak talk to Caffeine for him. The fox dozed lightly with her head nuzzled in and vying for space in Daryl's lap, and Cheesesteak was still completely knocked out.

Plus, there was another thing bothering him... "Stop fucking staring at me!"

Stanley had tried his best to ignore Kira. She always looked away if he glanced over, but he could feel her eyes boring into him almost constantly. The feeling in her soul when she did so was... disturbing.

She looked away quickly. "Yes, sir."

"I'm not going to take away the spear... so fucking chill out."

"Yes, sir." She was hopeless.

Walter was waiting when they arrived, standing in the doorway behind a small group of humans who were hunting zombies outside the tower. The humans fled past Walter when they saw the zombie horde coming—the idiots. He was bringing them a nice pile of cores, and they just ran away.

Stanley cut down the zombies right before they caught up to the wheezing, panting runner, and the man, to his credit, made it inside the tower before collapsing. Weakling. Though he might have earned some attributes for the run...

"Found your kids, Walter. Safe and mostly sound," Stanley said as he came in.

"You have my eternal gratitude, sir!" Walter's soul soared with relief, but his voice wavered as he gazed upon the rather beleaguered state of the returning group. His magic suits were good, but even their armored properties had limits. As evidenced by the holes and missing pieces.

"Also, if you want to give this guy some food?" Stanley held up the only slightly bruised ant. It was worth a shot, despite the zombies... Maybe it would make it through? He had somewhat cleared a path on the way here.

Walter pulled a fish from nowhere, and the ant was happy to latch onto the offered food. Stanley set it down, and the ant took off back the way they'd come. Slightly faster than he'd expected...

"Welcome home to all of you," Walter said. "If you'll allow me?"

Stanley felt something pulling at him but pushed back against the sensation as the wounded people vanished along with Walter.

The butler came right back. Alone. "I have prepared a room for you, sir. If you would like to refresh yourself or sit down for a..."

"Maybe later," Stanley said, watching the ant run away with its fish. "I think I'll hunt some more today." He could make sure the ant made it home, and it wasn't an issue since he'd left a lot of cores back in the ant lair that he needed to collect.

"Of course, sir. I am at your service. You have but to ask, and I shall do all in my power to provide."

"See if Princess wants this," Stanley said, tossing the spitfire skill shard over. Then he left before Walter tried to hug him. He didn't think the butler would actually go that far, but from the emotions in his soul, it wasn't impossible.

The ant got home safely, and Stanley followed it down into the dark, firing up soul sight as he did so. From the number of souls down there, it looked like they finished hatching the eggs he hadn't smashed.

All the roaming ants shared the same dull souls as the worker he'd taken on a journey, so that was good. They were also still down near the bottom, probably dragging corpses back to feed the queens.

They were probably stealing his cores, too.

He started from the top and worked his way down, mindful of the fact that there might still be some of the ninja ants in here. Stanley expected the queens would want that single batch to remain close for protection, so it shouldn't be an issue.

It wasn't.

Unfortunately, the time spent wandering through the maze of tunnels didn't feel worth the number of cores he collected. Perhaps he should find another team to collect cores for him? There were plenty of weaklings in the tower... He could go from lair to lair and leave the gathering to them. If he could trust them.

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One good outcome was when he spotted a group of ants heading for the tower after he finished collecting. Stanley wanted to follow them and talk to Caffeine... but he could wait. Maybe tomorrow. Once they'd recovered from the events of the day. Assuming they didn't turn into cowards, which he didn't think would happen.

Adrian had still shown the same drive to keep going, despite everything. Daryl might have issues, but Stanley suspected he'd keep hunting if only to protect his... boyfriend? He'd never actually asked what they were to each other... Whatever.

He put those thoughts out of his mind and focused back on what he needed now. To murder the shit out of as many lairs as he could.

It turned out he could murder a lot.

Once again, the only thing slowing him down was collecting the cores. Stanley found a solution for that. Sort of.

He would fly into the lair, pick a fight with whatever weird creatures lived inside, then wait until a decent mob gathered to drive him out. He killed the monsters right in front of him, took their cores, and flew to another lair.

It paid out fewer cores per lair, but he made up for it by not having to waste time flying around each lair. Unlike the countryside where Nate lived, the city was thick with lairs. Enough that he hadn't made a dent when the sun crept below the horizon.

Stanley didn't stop with the dying of the light. It was just a luxury at this point. It was not something he needed for hunting.

Not having light did make finding his house more difficult later on... He could pick out the souls inside lairs and in Nate's base, but it didn't help him find an empty house with only starlight.

So he headed to the tower. Sure, he could have just picked any random house, but he still wanted to talk to Caffeine... This could be a good excuse to check in. Walter had said he had a room for him.

Walter must have felt him coming, because the butler was waiting with the balcony doors open when Stanley arrived. Which reminded Stanley that his soul would bombard everyone in the tower if he slept here...

"A pleasure to see you, sir. Please, come in," Walter said, stepping aside and ushering him through the double doors with a small bow. "Your quarters are prepared, but might you or your companion wish for a repast before retiring?"

By the feel of things, Adrian and Daryl were both already asleep. "It's late, Walter. You don't need..."

"I assure you, it is no trouble. It would be my pleasure to prepare for you whatever you might desire." He hesitated. "Though I must admit, the menu is primarily seafood based these days."

"Sure." Stanley had eaten in the lairs that weren't yet corrupted, but Walter really wanted to feed him... Plus, Caffeine was always hungry. "Whatever is easiest. But I can't stay after that, my soul..."

"I believe I have a solution, sir." Walter smiled and walked to the room Stanley had woken up in over a week ago. "Please tell me if this will be satisfactory. If not, I will make adjustments."

Stanley walked into the room and felt something odd... all the souls he could hear in their constant echoing against his soul... they all now echoed only through the doorway... and then went silent when Walter shut the door. "How?"

"Please consider this humble suite as your home away from home, sir. You shall be welcome here day or night. Any time. In perpetuity. It is an effort of no consequence for myself, and the very least I could do to repay all that you have done for me."

You have gained resident status in the Sapient Lair [The Tower]

Buff Gained: [The Tower]

"Thanks, Walter," Stanley said while looking at his new buff. "I like it."

[The Tower]

Effects:

+200% All Effective Attributes

+200% All Regeneration

100% Conception Rate

Reduced Offspring Incubation Duration(Dependent on Mana Density)

Accelerated Offspring Growth Rate(Dependent on Mana Density)

It was better than Nate's sapient lair buff, and Stanley tried not to think about the rest of it. Women really got screwed by the system if they ever wanted to get... well, screwed. It was good to be a man... Maybe Daryl and Adrian were the lucky ones who'd found a loophole?

"If sir would like to freshen up," Walter said, interrupting Stanley's thoughts as he strode to the bathroom. "I have made some additional upgrades."

Walter snapped his fingers, and the shower turned on. A ridiculously fancy thing with multiple shower heads shooting water from every direction and even a waterfall at the back...

Of course, Caffeine bounded from his lap and shot back out into the bedroom the moment Stanley flew toward the shower.

"I assure you, there is no shortage of hot water," Walter said after turning it off with another snap. "So please take your time, sir. Dinner shall be ready at your convenience." He bowed and strode from the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Stanley chuckled at Caffeine peeking around the door frame. But mostly, he just luxuriated in the absolute silence that came from his soul. It was so quiet. Even when he flew high above the city, it couldn't compare to this... peace. He'd forgotten what it felt like to not hear every soul, and it was wonderful.

The shower was even better. Or close to it. He couldn't decide.

Scalding water pounded him from every direction while steam filled the room with thick fog. He wasn't even sure how long he stayed there...

When he finally emerged, his clothes were gone from the bathroom floor... and folded on the bed in the other room. Walter had not only snuck his clothes out without Stanley noticing, but he'd also repaired the damage in the suit, mainly the cut from those blades... Probably cleaned it too.

Which was good since Stanley had been wearing it for at least a week straight.

Walter knocked on the door the moment Stanley finished dressing, and he entered with two silver trays, both heaped with something steaming... Whatever it was, Caffeine got really excited and did his best to trip Walter on the way to the table as he pawed at the man's legs.

The... seafood, whatever it was, was delicious. Stanley didn't question it. He didn't need to know what weird creature the food came from. The real problem ruining his meal turned out to be Walter, when the guy just hovered behind him while he ate. His soul was full of eagerness to satisfy—too much eagerness as he brought more dishes, poured wine, and just... hovered.

Stanley tried to put up with it but finally snapped. "Would you sit the fuck down already!?" The man didn't jump in surprise at the sudden outburst, but his soul did. "You're making me twitchy by just standing there."

"Of course, s..."

"Stop calling me sir!" Stanley demanded.

"Of course..." Walter seemed to struggle but managed not to say it as he hesitantly and stiffly sat across the table from him.

"Sorry, Walter." Stanley immediately felt shitty for the outburst and dropped his eyes to his plate of fish. "I'm sure you're just doing what makes you comfortable, but can you just relax?" Stanley handed a small piece of fish to Caffeine in the chair next to him, the pug having once again swallowed his own dinner in one massive bite.

"Of... Yes." Walter pulled another plate from out of nowhere, complete with another steaming fish. Caffeine immediately vanished from the chair, and Stanley felt him stop on the floor next to Walter.

"You can feed him," Stanley reassured the other man. "Just give him small bites, or he'll eat it all and beg for more regardless."

"Yes..." Walter cut off what he'd been about to say. "I have noticed that," he said instead, a small smile on his lips.

Stanley waited for the butler to take his first bite, then asked, "So, Walter, how are things here?"

Walter's face didn't show it, but Stanley felt the flash of irritation in his soul. So he wasn't above a little teasing, and the guy was just too... prim. He was practically asking for it.

Of course, Walter didn't rise to the provocation. He took his time chewing, swallowed, then took a sip of something bubbly that appeared in his hand before he finally sighed. "Things are... less than ideal."

He stared thoughtfully at his plate. "I fear I may have made this place too comfortable, and now far too many do not wish to venture outside, an attitude that I am sure will not allow for their or our long-term survival."

"Have you tried just shoving them out the front door?" Stanley gestured with his fork. "Maybe give them a stick or something? Plenty of zombies to fight."

Walter smiled—just a little one. "I aspire to achieve results without resorting to such... tactics. For the moment at least." His smile widened. "Many amenities are in such short supply, after all."

Stanley took a bite and said, with his mouth full, "You've got fish at least."

Walter once again hid his disapproval at the bad table manners from showing on his face. "Indeed, and the catch has improved ever since someone discovered that a bit of bloody meat in the water makes a most excellent bait."

Stanley suppressed a shiver at the flash of... something in the other man's soul.

"I bet it does..." He didn't worry about what meat was being used. Maybe the cowards could still be useful? Plus, Adrian could regrow limbs... I wonder if that would be mana efficient? He didn't think they were doing that—at least Adrian wasn't. Walter though...

"I know you can teleport." He pointed his fork at Walter. "But you can't leave the building?"

"I paid a price by choosing as I have." Walter nodded stiffly.

"I'd say it's worth it," Stanley said. "As long as you're not planning to travel, at least. Yeah, you can't go out and fight alongside the others, but don't underestimate the value of having a safe place to rest. Especially now..." Plus, he really liked his new room.

Walter nodded but said nothing else.

"I suspect you can see and likely hear everything in the building... or at least a lot of it?"

Walter took a bite of fish and didn't confirm or deny the question. Stanley chuckled but said nothing when Walter's soul betrayed him.

The rest of the meal was pleasant as they talked, and Stanley tried to guess the limits of Walter's power.

In the end, Stanley accepted the offer to stay and sleep in a safe place. Unfortunately, despite the quiet and despite having Walter on guard duty, Stanley did not sleep well.

Formless and faceless things haunted his dreams. All gleaming teeth and flashing claws. He woke up screaming and sweating more than once.

At one point, after waking up plastered to the ceiling with his bed thrown against one wall, someone knocked on the door.

Stanley moved the bed back into place and settled into a chair. The sky outside was faintly lit by the coming dawn, and Stanley stared into it as he struggled to stop the trembling in his hands long enough to pet the pug, who was resting a sad face on his knee.

"Come in," he finally called when he felt up to speaking.

Walter stepped inside. He didn't open the door to do it; he simply appeared.

"Sir... Mister..." Stanley felt the flash of irritation and almost smiled at the butler. Almost smiled.

"Stanley. I heard... Would you like some refreshments?"

"Sure." Stanley ran his trembling hand over Caffeine's head while the pug tried to lick his fingers.

Walter set a silver tray on the small table next to him and started pouring tea into porcelain cups. Stanley sat quietly and listened to the clinking of the dishes while Walter worked.

When he finished, the man set a cup and saucer down for Stanley and sat in the other chair with his own cup.

Stanley added a handful of sugar cubes to his cup from the bowl on the tray, and they both sipped quietly for a while.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Walter asked after Stanley pushed a sugar cube over the edge of the table for Caffeine.

"No."

"Of course... Stanley." They sat in silence and drank tea.

When Stanley drained his cup, Walter poured another. He then added one sugar cube and poured in some milk. He slid it back to Stanley. "Try this."

Milk in tea? Stanley shrugged and then had another thought. "How do you have milk?" Was it something weird? Like fish milk? Did fish make milk? Maybe magic fish?

"While I can preserve some fresh supplies, I am afraid milk is a dwindling resource."

Stanley nodded and took a sip. It tasted like tea. With milk in it. He offered it to Caffeine, and the pug slurped it up happily. Stanley felt only the barest hint of disapproval from Walter.

"I understand," Stanley whispered.

Walter remained quiet as Stanley ran his hands over Caffeine's head and looked into his big brown eyes.

Finally, Stanley spoke again, in a bare whisper, "I understand why people don't want to go out there." He switched to scratching the pug's ears. "It sneaks up on me sometimes... It shouldn't. I fucking killed them!" His voice rose into a shout. "I fucking won!" Then it trailed off into a whisper. "I killed so many of them... So why?"

Walter didn't speak for a while. "I have not faced these creatures as you have. Only watched from afar. I have only felt the pain secondhand."

Stanley wanted to scream at Walter that it wasn't even close to the same... because it wasn't. It was worse.

He could feel the man's soul; he could feel the pain and fear that rose from his memories. A different pain. It was a pain that Stanley knew all too well. It was the pain of seeing someone you love suffering, dying... and knowing there's nothing you can do to save them. It didn't get much worse than that.

"There is a woman within the tower," Walter said hesitantly. "I do not know exactly what she did before this, but now she helps many here. She listens to them, talks to them, and they depart her company, feeling better, I believe."

"A shrink?" Stanley laughed bitterly. "What is she going to tell me? I'm overreacting? They aren't out to get me?" He pulled Caffeine into his lap and wrapped his arms around him.

"I do not know," Walter responded quietly. "I do not know the way through this. All any of us can do is our best."

They sat in silence and drank their tea as the sun rose outside. Until Walter finally stood. "Thank you, Stanley, for keeping this old man company. If you will excuse me, I must attend to my duties."

He bowed. "I have said this before, but allow me to repeat myself. You are welcome anytime, day or night, for so long as you desire, in perpetuity. Not merely this room, either. You need not hide away for fear of disturbing a few souls."

"Thanks..."

"You are a warrior, Stanley. Wounded, yes, but a warrior all the same. I would count you among the finest men and women I have had the honor of serving beside. Know that I stand ready, so should you ever find yourself burdened with another of those creatures and are able, please invite it into my tower, and I shall do my utmost to relieve you of that burden."

Stanley smiled, despite himself. There was just something comforting about Walter's soul. A kind of strength. "I'll definitely keep that in mind, Walter. Thanks."

"Very good. Now, should you desire anything during your stay, simply ask, and I shall do my utmost to provide."

"I... think I'm going to meditate."