~~~Lee~~~

Don't do anything, Three, Lee thought and dropped a time bubble over himself as a truck-sized crocodile charged straight for him down the ramp.

He nailed it. Yes! The world outside his bubble stopped—or nearly stopped—and he used the extra time to examine the creature more closely.

He could see Mar and Bradley in his Mana Mind, both chasing after the monster. Mar was upset, but Bradley seemed rather calm about the whole thing. That, combined with the fact that he could definitely feel Mar's soul in the... Stakshiak! He'd thought it looked familiar. Which meant Mar had probably soul-bonded with one of those beasts.

There was just one minor problem coming from the sensation of its soul. It really felt like the Stakshiak wanted to eat him...

It wasn't a serious problem. In fact, it was a great opportunity to test his new skill.

Lee lifted a hand while he channeled extra mana into Temporal Shift. Not only did it keep the bubble going longer, but it helped drain his mana down to a more manageable level.

Then he pointed at the creature's churning legs and prepared to unleash a Mana Beam.

He didn't want to kill it. Especially if it was bound to Mar. But a warning shot might be in order.

The bubble broke, the Stakshiak resumed charging, and Lee held off another second before...

He locked gazes with the yellow reptilian eyes, and its hunger vanished.

Terror rose in its place as the creature skidded to a stop only a couple of feet away.

…

Lee actually felt a little bad about how scared it was as he watched the creature flee with Mar in pursuit. He hadn't been planning to kill it, and the pointing finger was just a precaution.

"Why am I even here?" Jeremy said from behind him, drawn sword shaking in his hand. "First you tell me not to use my power—the one power I have and the only reason I'm here—then you run right out to play with the giant lizard!"

"Relax," Lee said. "We're not only inside Three, but I was pretty sure it was Mar's beast. Besides, the worst case was that it would eat me and I'd kill it from the inside..." Lee trailed off, thinking about his Liquid Mana Inferno skill and, more specifically, what would happen if he used it inside a monster's stomach. "Wait, could you swap me out of its stomach if that happened?"

"That's the worst..." Jeremy put away his sword with a defeated air. "No, I can't see the space inside living things."

"Could you have swapped that monster back outside?"

"I... No, it was too big."

"Bah! Just means you need to level the skill more. Speaking of which..." Lee had a bunch of new ideas to test with the man, as well as some new tactics to discuss. "Tell you what, Jeremy. If we're ever in a similar situation to this and I put my bubble on you, then that means... Well, it means I want you to take the extra time to evaluate everything."

"You've seen my Mana Beams, but you should know that I can't turn those off until my mana drains to empty. Which means it's too dangerous to have you swapping me when I'm about to fire one of those."

"Is there even a point for me to be here?" Jeremy reiterated, sounding... not upset, but like he was truly questioning his role.

"Absolutely," Lee said, then waved him back toward the elevator room. "I know Alejandro says that you guys are my bodyguards, but you should think of yourself as support instead. I'm no delicate flower that needs to be protected... though I may have a tendency to get myself... almost killed. A lot."

"Yeah... That was the main gist of Alejandro's concerns."

"I'm tough, Jeremy. I can take hits that other people can't. You need to let me do that." Lee shut the door and met the other man's eyes. "If you are ever in trouble with a monster in your face, I absolutely want you to prioritize sending it away. Hell, stick it in my face! I'd rather get wrecked and even swallowed by a giant creature than to watch any of you die for me. Especially since I probably won't die."

"Probably?"

"Is your range high enough to see Saira? Can you see her tree?"

Jeremy shook his head. "I can feel a bit of the tree, but I can't actually tell people apart..."

"She's sitting under her tree right now," Lee said, easily spotting her in his Mana Mind. "Saira is a miracle worker, and she's saved my life before..." Lee clenched a fist and pushed away the memories. "Let me take the hits and then send me to her or bring her to me."

Lee thought about her vines and about how she hadn't wanted the Arcane Veil. He knew she didn't have to remain connected at all times, but he didn't know the parameters. "In fact, we should probably include her in the skill testing, and since I can't go out there..."

Jeremy stood up, only a little irritated. "Will you still be here when I get back?"

"I know I use you as an errand boy a lot, but just think how much worse it would be if I were running around outside?"

"Oh, god," Jeremy said, his eyes widening, then sighed. "I'll go get her."

"Appreciate it!" Lee shouted after the man.

Saira didn't show up right away, but that was fine because Bradley came back and resumed dumping his mana into the charged runes. He also shared the story of how Mar ended up bonding with the Stakshiak... which she'd named Meathead.

He also told Lee about his new trait, one that apparently everyone in the soul-link had received. Well, at least all those who'd accepted it on the first day. Since Jeremy hadn't gotten it...

The current guess was that it was a duration thing. Which, if they were right, meant Jeremy would also get the trait in a few days.

Best of all. Every child got the trait. Including the additional point of soul. It was the absolute best news Lee could have hoped for, and he actually teared up slightly as a massive weight lifted from his shoulders.

Yeah, he knew Stanley was doing something to fix the wound... but this... this was... perfect! Not only was it helping to repay the sacrifice they'd all made for him, but it would make every one of them stronger going forward!

Now he just had to do whatever it took to ensure they would all survive and get the chance to enjoy their reward.

Later on, Lee saw Saira finally leave her tree. She stopped at the edge of its drooping branches, though, and then waved her arms.

Jeremy perked up, his head turning that way, and an instant later, Saira was inside the elevator room.

She blinked in surprise, then lit up the small room with her smile. "Lee. Bradley. And thank you, Jeremy; that was... fascinating."

Bradley didn't last much longer after that. He left, as he said, to go work on the wall. Lee knew he was actually fleeing from Saira but said nothing. He didn't blame the guy. Saira had a... commanding presence. It had been there since the first day they met but had changed since then.

Whereas before she'd been... imperious, perhaps a bit stuffy, now she was something more. Something raw. Primal.

She was the howl of a wolf in a dark night, but also the laughter that drowned out the fear. She was the hungry eyes gleaming from beyond the firelight, but also the flame that pushed back the lurking darkness. She was the unforgiving frost of winter, but also the warmth of the summer sun against your skin.

A force of nature personified. Life and death. Rebirth and decay. The gentle rain and the untamed storm that lay waste to...

Lee blinked at the two pairs of eyes staring back into his own and abruptly remembered his broadcasting soul. "Um..." His face felt hot. "Sorry... I got distracted by... something. Where were we?"

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Saira laughed, and the sound tickled his ears like a playful breeze through his hair. Or the hot breath of a predator on his neck...

Good luck, Bradley, Lee thought. If that girl grows up to be anything like her mother...

He dropped a speed bubble on himself. Just for practice. It wasn't to give him time to escape. Not at all.

Then they figured out a new strategy for random surprise attacks that involved Jeremy and his overpowered ability to move stuff around.

Saira was as vehemently onboard with making herself a target as Lee was. More so if it involved protecting others. She even created a new patch of garden outside—a murder garden—and a place for Jeremy to drop monsters that needed to die.

For the actual invasions, Saira was actively covering the entire outside of Three with a thick carpet of her red vines. It was a slower process, but one that would put her in a better position to respond to something like that shadow creature...

Lee was all for it, and given his new search for healing runes, he also got her to volunteer for the same process as Bradley. But later. He was already tying up a small portion of his rune capacity on Bradley, even if it was inside his soul storage.

Plus, her... mana? There was definitely mana in there, but also something else. Something much harder for Lee to manipulate.

Life.

A few experiments confirmed that he could collect it, albeit with more trouble, but he still couldn't use it. Even if he wounded himself first, the life energy wouldn't heal him when he dumped it into the wound.

Saira could use the same energy to heal him in a heartbeat, but in his hands, it did nothing... For now.

Martin showed up later, having presumably finished the group training outside. Now he came to teach Lee alone.

Well, not entirely alone.

It turned out that by getting the kids involved, he could pump a few extra attributes into them as well. Which was fantastic.

Sure, they were all a long way off from E-grade still, but every bit helped.

Some of the older kids would probably age out of their child trait before getting to E-grade, but the younger ones wouldn't. And while some kids had gotten apprenticeships, it still didn't let them use cores. Plus, there weren't a lot of apprenticeships up for grabs... Combat classes like Alejandro's were being prioritized for adults who wanted a change from something useless. Or close to it.

The more dedicated crafters were getting up there, but once again, someone like May wouldn't get much use from a little kid helping at the forge. Older kids, maybe, but the little ones weren't in demand and needed every advantage they could get.

If pelting him with plates was what it took, then so be it.

Dinner that night turned into something akin to a party. Dozens of families gathered in the courtyard, along with all the children. Bradley made tables and benches enough for everyone, and Lee, plus a handful of other crafters, contributed their magic to make it as happy an occasion as they could.

Unfortunately, no amount of flashy or fun magic could solve everything. Some children had lost more than others. Too many of them. Hell, even one was too many.

Those few often ended up apart and alone. Hiding away from reality and even some of the other children at times. Because kids could be really cruel...

Yeah, yeah, they were just kids, but some of them were little brats. Lee didn't hesitate to call out the worst offenders, including taking away their toys. So what if they threw a tantrum? Slipping a silence rune plate into their pockets was a great and hilarious solution for that...

Fortunately, there were some truly good kids among the throngs, Anita being one of them. She especially liked to seek out the quieter kids around her age and drag them into whatever game she was currently inventing. Usually something boisterous that involved a lot of high pitched screaming...

The screaming really kicked off when a giant crocodile-looking lizard scrambled onto the roof and looked down at the gathered humans with a mouth full of teeth.

"Don't you dare jump down here!" Mar leapt up, hollering at it, and Meathead slumped dejectedly.

Lee was immensely relieved to see it stop at her command. Not that he worried it was aggressive; rather, he knew it only wanted to join the party... Of course, as massive as it was, it would fill nearly half of the courtyard and for a moment there, he thought it would jump down atop everyone... So maybe Mar had picked a good name?

More than a few people hadn't heard about her new pet, though. So that was exciting...

Then Saira appeared beside the creature on the roof. "Meathead, are you scaring the children?"

The reptile ducked its head and looked away like a dog caught in the trash.

"Why don't you show them how friendly you are instead?"

Meathead lifted his head and let loose a deafening, trumpeting roar.

It echoed and rumbled through the air in a disturbingly familiar way, and for the first time, Lee truly understood what it would be like if dinosaurs were real... Only now did he realize that they were indeed very real. He was looking at one.

Saira swatted the dinosaur. "Don't make me drag you off this roof!"

"Do what she says, Meathead!" Mar shouted. "Or I'll sic Lee on you!"

What? Lee thought in confusion. Why am I the bad guy?

"I don't care if you can't understand her! Sit!"

The building shook as the rear of the monster dropped a few feet onto the roof. It didn't change much, seeing as how long and low to the ground it already stood...

"Roll over!"

The building shook even more when the reptile, which was far wider than it was tall, struggled and ultimately failed to roll over. For all that it looked like a croc, this thing wouldn't be doing any death rolls... at least not atop Three. It might be a different story if it was on the ground.

Surprisingly, Lee felt amusement rising among the children as they watched the giant reptile flail at the air repeatedly. Unlike their parents, some kids were adapting to their new reality a little faster, and the sight of a giant lizard wasn't quite as bizarre as it should have been.

Anita was among the most fearless when she said, "Go rawr again!" Then followed it up with a much quieter but much more adorable roar of her own.

Lee smiled to see her so bold. But it hurt a little when he remembered how shy she still was with him. He must have terrified her more than he'd thought... probably from when he used the source to create Three. Though she had been getting better, and if she was this bold here, then maybe she'd be okay?

Mar didn't speak, but Meathead roared again. Then he trailed off into a horrifying hiss. Only this time to cheering instead of screaming. Mostly. Though some of those screaming children seemed to be... enjoying the fear?

Kids.

Then Mar did speak. "Now get off the roof before you break something!"

So, of course, Meathead started crawling into the courtyard.

"Not in here, you meathead! Outside!"

To his credit, Meathead tried to obey, but he was in too deep. He scrambled at the edge of the roof with multiple legs, trying to crawl backwards, even as Saira's vines latched onto him and tried to help. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in rolling head over heels into the courtyard.

Lee saw Three take action as sections of the floor rippled and carried people out from beneath the behemoth. Then Maria zipped in and out with a couple more, and Jeremy swapped the last person away. Right before a giant crocodile-looking dinosaur landed flat on his back in the courtyard.

It would have looked hilarious, were it not so big—and terrifyingly so.

So, of course, Alejandro started laughing. Loudly. "Hah, he looks so silly!"

He wasn't as amused as he sounded. In fact, Lee was pretty sure the man was furious with Mar... but his fake laughter got a few more chuckles started, mostly among the kids, and that snowballed into more until the mood shifted away from that brief moment of terror.

It helped that Meathead flailed and ultimately gave up on trying to roll off his back with a defeated whine.

Lee was still trying to figure out how the hell they would get the thing out of here when Mar abruptly surged with mana, while Meathead's own faded...

She pushed her way under one side of the beast and practically threw him into the air while flipping him back over with a building-shaking crash.

The sight of it was so incongruous that Lee wasn't the only one stunned into silence. Though he figured out what must have happened a moment later. The skill! She took his attributes for herself!

Her feat of overwhelming strength was so impressive that he actually felt a little jealous about not getting to learn that skill himself... "That was awesome, Mar!"

She beamed, flexing her arms, then blushed and vanished in a state of panic.

Saira descended from the roof with a flying leap and landed beside the much subdued Meathead. "My apologies. He was far heavier than I expected, and I failed to restrain him."

Alejandro still had a weak spot regarding Saira, and her words took most of the wind out of his tirade before it could even start. He still growled in a low voice, "That was... If you can't control him, Mar..."

"It's okay," Lee said. "No one was in any danger. Three was watching."

He knew those little ground shifts were the least of what Three could do, if it came down to it. That was the entire point of having the kids in here. To keep them safe. Which was probably the only thing bothering Alejandro.

Then Maria approached with their kids before Alejandro could say anything else, and Anita wanted nothing more than to put her hands on the giant lizard.

"Don't move, Meathead, or I'll get Lee to... oh look, here he comes."

"Why do you keep using me as a threat?" Lee asked while not quite touching the creature himself. It really was a magnificent specimen...

"He's afraid of... Caffeine?" Mar wouldn't meet his gaze. "I thought you just made that up to get one of us to take the skill..."

Lee chuckled. "I made up a story about a pug being the beast lord? Who would believe that!?"

"I'll admit I was skeptical," Saira said. "But I have also learned not to underestimate anything about you."

"I..." Lee wasn't sure what to make of her statement, so he moved on. "Caffeine doesn't let me borrow his attributes..." He just gives them away.

"No offense, Meathead," Lee said. "But Caffeine is the best dog in the world. Even the system agrees with me."

Lee touched the reptile for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the hard scales felt under his hand. "Don't worry, though. He's a teddy bear that loves everyone."

He smiled wistfully. "I bet he'd love to play with you."