“And then I was like that’s not my wife, that’s a cerulean pit viper,” Karl said with his mouthful of pancakes and grinning.

“Sorry, I don’t get it,” Walter said looking down at his plate.

“Oh don’t worry about it then. In a few years and a few multiverses, you will get it. Just remind me to take you to an Andromeda world when it's ending. They have the weirdest interactions with The Darkness causing everybody to party to death. It’s a blast if your open-minded” Karl said while shoveling the last bites of syrup-soaked pancakes into his mouth.

“Now down to business,” Karl said grabbing the plates and cups and then disappearing them. He immediately replaced those cups with smaller cups with a steaming dark liquid that smelled woody and earthy.

“It is hot and called coffee but watch out it packs a punch,” Karl said taking a sip from his cup.

Walter copied him not wanting to be rude and immediately took a larger sip. This drink was heavenly, and most importantly not sweet.

Putting his cup down Walter had to ask “Why have you helped me so much? I know you know that I come from Valhalla but I’m an exile, so why?”

Karl sat there across from him. Slowly pulling on his fur beneath his mouth like he was stroking his beard. An oddly human quirk of his.

“I am part of a guild, that has many different types of jobs. Some trained soldiers like you to fight The Darkness on worlds trying to save its citizens. Other adventurers traveling to the most exotic of dimensions in the multiverse attempting to discover the source of The System and The Darkness. Then there are the ones not one of these two and we are just called scavengers. The weakest of the guild we perform more support roles in general. Me personally, I’m a cook and always on the lookout for different styles of food and cooking. The type of world we are on right now is the mecca of cuisine in my humble opinion. I’m only on this world to find more supplies to feed the guild with. Other than that this world has little to offer me in experience or quests, I’m just too powerful,” Karl said pride evident in the last sentence.

“That still doesn’t explain why you are helping me” Walter replied.

“I’m not helping you really but just making sure we are on a positive foot. I want you to join the guild I’m in and tell them I sent you,” Karl said flatly.

“I was considered the worst of my class and exiled, why would you want me?” Walter asked.

“You were the last in a class from a clan that produces monsters that save worlds single handedly and on a regular basis. The average adult in your clan could easily destroy my guild and we are not considered a slouch in the multiverse,” Karl told Walter.

Walter looked down at his cup trying to come up with an intelligent rebuttal to Karl. Negative thoughts racing through his mind as he thought about every time, he came in last in every class he was in. He thought about the Doctor that his actions caused the death of.

“Hey Walter, you Ok?” Karl asked a little worry in his voice.

“Yes, just thinking,” he took a deep breath and looked Karl in the eye. “What do you want from me and don’t wax on about it,” he said in a zero-nonsense voice.

“I want to sign a contract with you through The System, making me your supporter” Karl stated.

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“I don’t understand” Walter replied a confused look on his face.

“After you catch up to my level, I want to travel the multiverse with you as you battle The Darkness. I want you to protect me and in turn, I will help you as much as I can until you surpass me. I’m also hoping that I can ride your coattails into the higher realms that are magnitudes more dangerous. And I want to be able to save worlds,” Karl said a fervent passion in his voice.

Taking a deep breath Karl then went on, "That world tab reward will help with saving a world. Specifically this one. After we leave this world its almost impossible to return to a world without having it tabbed by the system. The way most people return to worlds is finding someone with the tab, portaling you to it with them, for usually exuberant fees."

Walter was taken aback by this.

“I’m tired of being stuck only going through low-level incursions and still being useless. These worlds are ignored by anyone who can actually do anything for them but folks like me still come to them stripping them of their valuables while people are dying, and I'm tired of just doing that,” Karl said his voice sounding defeated.

“I’m helping you to help me and the people in worlds like this,” Karl finished with.

Walter sat there taking it all in silence, taken aback by Karl’s passion.

“I will agree to do this as long as you can do one thing for me,” Walter replied.

“If I can do it I will,” Karl replied back his voice sounding a little more normal.

“You help me hide my title and tell no one about it,” Walter demanded.

At that Karl leaned back in his chair closing his eyes. He sat there leaning back further in his chair as he thought about it. Taking a long deep breath he let it out in an exasperated sigh.

“I agree but getting into my guild may have gotten harder then. You will need to survive three apocalypses and then apply with us,” Karl said.

He reached out and pulled a token out of thin air and tossed it to Walter.

“Nothing may be guaranteed when traveling the multiverse at random. Chances are that you won’t survive but if you do toss this into the third portal that The System will open for you and it will bring you to wherever I am. We will figure out things from there,” Karl said.

“I will do that but how does that help if people can just read my status like you did” Walter responded.

“That’s easy when you finish your quests you can gain titles and just change it then. You can only have one title showing on your status at the time, some of them even will give you bonuses. Exile of Valhalla though not giving you a bonus, let me know that you have potential. If you survive,” Karl said matter of factly.

“As for helping you survive this world, I can’t give you anything I use. All my items are too powerful for you to wield but I did make you this with some scrap metal I had laying around while you were sleeping,” Karl said.

He reached out into thin air and a spear appeared in his hand then tossed it to Walter. Snatching it out of the air, Walter stood from the table twirling it around him. The weight of it was perfectly balanced in his hands as he performed a simple martial arts form.

Karl stood and clapped as Walter ended his form. The chairs and tables, magically gone along with everything else from the impromptu camp.

“So do we have a deal? I have a system contract pulled up and ready” Karl asked putting his hand out to shake.

“We can make a deal but no System contract, if we do this and you screw me, I will kill you,” Walter said shaking Karl’s hand.

“Alright but maybe veil your threats or don’t say them to higher ranked people,” said moving faster than Walter could react. A blade pressed against his neck, Karl looking him dead in the eye.

“This deal is beneficial for both of us. I will help you navigate the niceties of the denizen of the multiverse and help hide who you are and in turn, you will protect me on World’s we explore in the future” Karl spoke in a low voice. Stepping back from Walter, the dagger gone in the blink of an eye.

“Now I heard this city has a twinkie factory and I’m dying to see how they are made,” Karl said in a jovial way as he started walking away. Stopping just he left the building he turned around.

“Oh and one last thing. I can’t help you on any quests until we are in the same guild so whatever you do don’t GO North. There are NO people in that direction,” Karl said winking at him before stepping out.

Walter didn’t know how to take that last comment should he go or stay? Karl oddly emphasized the words go and no. Like he was telling him something without saying it. Walter was never that great with social skill. He decided to think about it as he explored more of the building.