Chương 27: From Russia with Love

It took Joe another twelve hours to escape the maze of tunnels and finally reach the surface.

"Oh my god, I hate tunnels!" Joe yelled as the sun greeted him at last.

"You were gone for a while," Désira remarked from where she sat.

"The party screen even flashed that you were off-planet for a few hours."

"It did?" Joe frowned. Was that cave off planet? The memories were a blur, disjointed fragments that refused to piece together.

"I found a weird place, but that's neither here nor there. Let's head back," Joe said, pushing the thought aside. Désira nodded and led the way towards her camp. As they walked, Joe took the time to check the new skill he had received when he hit level forty in his profession.

Nature's Harmony - Your mind is most at ease when you are surrounded by nature, so much so that your natural defence against all psychic and mind attacks increases to the point that it is near impossible to influence you when you are around nature. You are also now adept at soothing those around you. You can activate this skill, creating a bubble around your position that will defend anyone within from mental harm. This was a defensive skill, and an incredible one at that.

Joe had relied entirely on Mana-Coating for protection, but having an alternative would be invaluable. He could already think of countless situations where this would come in handy. As Joe sat down in the camp, an hour north of Owando in central Congo, he regretted not making his usual overly dramatic teleportation exit. Now, he was stuck listening to a group of people drone on and on about how he should stay, what he could do for them, and what they'd offer in return. Blah, blah, blah. Joe liked helping people.

He practically power-levelled random strangers in every country he visited. He was travelling the world to wipe out the most dangerous Beasts and ensure humanity returned to the top of the food chain. He created safe areas for people to use. Provided food and water sources, never asking for anything in return. And yet, people always wanted more. They wanted to bleed him dry. That's exactly how he felt now, sitting here, enduring their pleas. He hated it. But a small part of him understood.

What would he have done if he were just an average person, stuck with a basic, common class and low stats, struggling to survive in a world trying to kill him? His life could have turned out so differently. So, no, he didn't entirely blame these people. Just like sixty per cent of the blame. Maybe seventy.

"Okay, stop," Joe interrupted, standing up. Everyone fell silent.

"I'm leaving now." He turned to Désira, the guide who had shown him around.

"Don't let these fools push you around. You're in charge now. You are stronger than everyone here, by far." Joe turned back to the group just as they were about to protest. One look from him froze them in place.

"She tells you something, you listen. She gives an order; you do it. If you don't, when I return, I will remove you all from this country. I hope I'm understood." Judging by their shocked, fearful faces, Joe figured he had made himself clear. He also wasn't stupid; he knew they'd try to order Désira around the moment he left, thinking he wouldn't return. But that was her battle to fight. He had enough on his plate. Joe activated Random Teleportation and left Congo behind, never to return.

Joe appeared on a snow-covered hill in the middle of nowhere. He took in his surroundings. A town lay to the south, while a cluster of Beasts roamed not far to the north. He decided to deal with the Beasts first. After that, he'd head to the town and figure out what country he had landed in this time. As he moved, he pulled up his quest panel. Quest - Kill all 100 Gate bosses to restart Integration into the multiverse. Quest progress - 24/100 The mole had been Joe's twentieth boss kill. The other four weren't his.

He hoped Hakeem had gotten at least one or two of them. Had he hit fifty yet? Joe wondered. As for himself, he had reached level thirty-eight in his Class and forty-one in his Profession. He couldn't remember when his Profession had overtaken his Class, but he understood why. He was travelling so much that his mini-map now felt more like a world map. Still, the penalty on his Class made levelling an agonizingly slow process. That was his fault. He had failed the most important task he'd been given.

He also had no idea where those other kills had happened. He hadn't visited anywhere with a proper information network so far, so tracking them down was impossible. Joe arrived at the pack of Beasts and took a look. Identify: Voso, Level 40 They resembled small camels, except they had twelve humps running down their backs and long, reptilian tails. The moment they spotted him, they charged.

"Damn, it's good to be on the surface again," Joe said with a smile. He swiftly dealt with the Beasts and continued south, soon arriving at the town of Mokrushinskoe. Joe discovered that he was somewhere in Russia. He knew this primarily because, the moment he entered the town, he was greeted at gunpoint by about twenty Russian soldiers. He was always surprised by how many people still carried guns. Did they even work on any beast over level twenty? He wondered.

He'd never actually seen anyone use a gun against a Beast. Ignoring the weapons as if they weren't there, he strode into town, heading straight for the man who looked to be in charge. A small part of him wanted one of the soldiers to shoot to see what would happen. Could he dodge a bullet? Would it even hurt him? Was he bulletproof? He chuckled at the thought but decided against asking one of the soldiers to shoot him.

Identify: Rustik Kuznetsov, Human, Commander level 43"Hi, comrade," Joe said, trying to sound jovial.

"This is Russia, correct? This is my first time here, and I was hoping you gentlemen could guide me to the nearest city." The soldiers exchanged wary glances.

"Don't move!" one of them barked.

"Now, now, lower your guns. I just want directions. I'm not here to hurt anyone," Joe said.

"You speak Russian like a child," Rustik remarked, addressing him for the first time.

"Translation skill, I'm English," Joe explained.

"You saw my title?"

"Yes," Rustik responded.

"So you know who I am?" Joe added.

"How do I know that title is real?" Rustik asked. After travelling the world, Joe discovered that his arrival usually triggered one of two reactions. The first, and surprisingly common, was being treated like an important delegate. People bent over backwards to accommodate him, offering guidance and assistance. The second was this: suspicion and hostility. A month ago, he had decided there was only one way to handle this reaction, complete, overwhelming force.

Joe adjusted his breathing using the technique he had learned from Drishti; his aura surged around him. The effect was instantaneous. He had gained many levels in the past two or more months, and his aura was nothing like it had been before Drishti taught him control. Now, it was overwhelming and oppressive to an almost absurd degree. Every soldier dropped their weapons and collapsed to their knees, except Rustik, who only fell to one knee, still clutching his weapon. A couple of soldiers even passed out.

"Need more proof?" Joe asked, his tone shifting from pleasant to impatient.

"No… please. My apologies, comrade." Rustik sputtered, struggling to speak. Joe pulled his aura back, watching relief flood the man's face.

"No disrespect taken. Just, no questions. Guide me to the nearest city, and I'll be on my way. You have maps here?" Joe asked.

"Of course, please. Follow me," Rustik said, nearly stumbling as he hurried to where they stored their maps. Joe followed, quickly scanning the maps he was shown before setting out south toward the city of Krasnoyarsk in central Russia. He soon found that he was north of Mongolia and western China on the eastern side of Russia, far from Europe. He sighed as he studied the terrain. Rustik had confirmed the presence of a Boss Beast in Moscow, nearly four thousand kilometres away.

That would be the furthest he had ever travelled in a single direction. Random Teleportation had never failed him before. It always brought him within a few hundred kilometres of a Boss Beast. But if Rustik didn't know of any nearby, that was unusual. So when in doubt, there was only one option: head to the nearest city and ask. It took only one hour to reach the city at a run. Joe was again met at gunpoint. These Russians sure did love their guns. Once again, he released his aura.

As expected, the soldiers quickly became far more cooperative, eagerly guiding him into the city. Standing in the city's centre, Joe watched the soldiers and civilians go about their daily routines. He had met with the people in charge, two divers named Vasily and Artur. Both were level fifty; both were Generals. It seemed to be a theme that many Divers in Russia had classes that reflected military ranks. Joe found that very weird. Imagine getting cosmic magical powers and being stuck as a Commander or a General.

Thought the farmer… As he observed the passing crowds, a tallish blonde woman with a military escort caught his eye. Something about her seemed familiar. She noticed his gaze and rolled her eyes, about to look away, until a guard whispered something in her ear. Then she looked back. He saw the moment she used Identify on him. Her eyes sparkled. A smile spread across her face. That's when it clicked as she walked in his direction.

"Hi. Anna Klitchnova," she said with a small curtsy. Joe blinked. He knew that name. She was an actress in a horror movie he had watched only a year prior to the system arriving, one of his favourites.

"I'm Joe. Huge fan," he said with a grin.

"So you recognized me. Is that why you were staring so much?" Anna asked, her thick Russian accent making the words sound effortlessly smooth. Joe suddenly remembered why he liked that movie so much.

"I did. Night of the Blood Queen was my favourite movie of last year," he admitted. Anna smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Last year?" Anna asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. Joe winced, realizing his mistake. It had been much longer than a year since the system arrived.

"Sorry, two years ago, I guess, or more? Hard to keep track of days and months," he corrected himself. Anna nodded in understanding.

"I am so glad you liked it. That was one of my better performances," Anna said, her tone warm with genuine appreciation.

"There was talk of a sequel in the works. But I guess that doesn't look likely anymore." She sighed. Her expression shifted, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"So what brings you to Russia, Progenitor Joe?" The way she pronounced his name sent a slight shiver down his spine. Oh god, Joe, you are swooning. Stop it! He scolded himself.

"Just out fighting the good fight. Here to gather information on the location of a Boss Beast nearby," Joe stated, keeping his voice steady.

"Near here?" she tilted her head slightly.

"I didn't think there was any Beast around here that would interest you." Before he could respond, her arm slipped around his, and she gently tugged him along.

"Come with me, Joe. Can I call you Joe?" He nodded.

"Perfect. I'd like to show you something." Without much resistance, Joe let himself be led off into the city at the behest of Actress Anna. Joe had seen a lot during his Random Teleportation jumps around the world, South American jungles, African deserts, and the Lesser Sunda Islands just south of Indonesia. But this was his first time in a densely populated country since India. Being among so many people again felt strange. Additionally, he was arm-in-arm with a famous A-list movie star.

To say Joe was out of his element would be an understatement. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"So tell me, Joe," Anna said, holding his arm as they strode through the Russian city.

"How did you get that Progenitor title?" Joe almost missed his step at how casually she asked. So fearless.

"That's a long story I'd rather not get into right now," he replied. Did she expect him to give her an answer?

"Oh, how mysterious," Anna teased.

"But I agree, we can discuss that later." Later? Joe thought.

"I've never met anyone with a title before. This is truly a thrilling day," she continued.

"I was told you entered the city from the north. How did you get up there? I'm still quite bemused by your being in the middle of Russia and your fluency in the language. You look American?" She asked.

"British," Joe corrected.

"Oh yes, sorry, I couldn't pinpoint your accent. The way you speak Russian is… interesting."

"I get that a lot. I have a translation skill. I don't actually speak Russian." Anna suddenly stopped, dragging Joe to a halt.

"There are translation skills?" She stared in surprise.

"Well, you learn something new every day." She resumed walking.

"I was surprised myself. But it's proven very handy," Joe admitted.

"I bet. That's one skill I would love to have," Anna mused.

"I remember seeing skill books in the tutorial, but I haven't come across any since."

"You were in a Tutorial Gate?" Joe asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, towards the end, though, I wasn't one of the first people to enter. I went in with a group of Russian military men to guard me, and, luckily, we survived."

"You have ties to the Russian military?"

"Family. My uncles are all high-ranking officers," Anna explained.

"Which is partially why I'm here in this city. I was born not too far from here."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Joe didn't know much about her private life; he never perused the gossip magazines and generally showed no interest in that side of public life. But he was surprised at how open she was, though.

"It was never public knowledge," Anna said casually.

"Ah, we are almost there. Would you mind a quick detour first? Are you hungry?" She gestured toward a nearby park where more military personnel were gathered, along with tents set up for cooking.

"I'm actually not very hungry. Where are we going, by the way?" Joe asked.

"I wanted to show you where I am staying. But I'm hungry, so let's stop by here for a bit before we continue." Not so subtly, she guided him towards the tents. Joe felt… strange. His head was fuzzy, his thoughts slightly sluggish. But he didn't resist as Anna led him along, her voice filling the space between them as she talked about her career before the system. Joe simply nodded, listening but not fully processing. Something felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Then, as they stepped into the park, his foot pressing down onto the dry, worn dirt, his mind suddenly cleared. There were trees here. His skill, Nature's Harmony, activated. A brief notification flashed across his vision. Mind-affecting skill dispelled. As his mind cleared, he kept his expression neutral, pretending nothing had changed, allowing Anna to keep leading him as if he were still under the effects of her skill. She had used a skill on him… She hadn't noticed his change yet.

Now that his mind was clear, he subtly activated Identify. Identify: Anna Klitchnova, Human, Aspiring Succubus level 40 Joe shook his head. He checked the Identification again. The result was the same. He stopped walking. Anna, caught off guard by his sudden halt, turned to face him.

"Joe? Are you okay?" She asked. Joe just stared at her. She had a goddamn Succubus Class? And she had used a skill to alter his mind? His thoughts raced, but before he could speak, he saw something click in her expression.

"Wait, it's not what you think; I don't mean you any harm," Anna blurted out.

"Then why did you use a skill on me?" Joe asked, his voice sharp.

"It wasn't on purpose! It's a passive; I can't turn it off. It just makes people… more willing to talk to me," Anna stumbled over her words as she stepped away from Joe in fear.

"You expect me to believe that?" His anger flared, but he took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay level-headed. Relax, Joe, you're not in any danger. Or am I?

"I promise you, I am not lying. I only want to talk," Anna pleaded, a hint of panic in her voice. Her two escorts had moved to her side, both staring at Joe with thinly veiled fear. Joe exhaled slowly, steadying himself. She sounded sincere. But that didn't mean he trusted her.

"Okay, I'm calm," he said.

"But I no longer want to go wherever you planned to take me. So explain what you want, right here, right now. Or I leave." Anna hesitated, glancing at her escorts before looking back at Joe.

"I work with the Russian military for peacekeeping and recruitment. That's all. My skill makes it easy to resolve disputes without bloodshed. I promise nothing I've told you so far has been a lie." Joe studied her carefully. She met his gaze, even though she couldn't see his eyes through his sunglasses. He sighed.

"I believe you. So… were you asked to recruit me?"

"Yes," she admitted.

"But not to join us. If possible, we'd just like your assistance."

"That makes sense. Sorry, the whole skill thing threw me off a bit. And your class surprised me," Joe admitted.

"You can see my class?" Anna asked, her eyes darting.

"Yes," Joe responded.

"That's amazing," she said, relaxing as the tension between them seemed to ease. She spotted a nearby bench and gestured toward it.

"Can we sit and talk for a bit?" Joe shook his head.

"I have a better idea. Follow me." Without further explanation, he walked toward a clearing, leaving a slightly confused Anna trailing behind. He disliked being on the back foot and decided it was time to take control of the situation, the best way he knew how. Joe knelt and activated Nature's Flourish. Grass burst from the dry ground, spreading in waves of vibrant green. Fruit trees sprouted and grew rapidly, their branches heavy with ripe produce. The entire park fell silent.

Every person stopped what they were doing, staring in shock and confusion at the sudden transformation forming around them. Anna placed a hand over her mouth, eyes wide in awe. After five minutes, Joe stopped, a large fruit tree now towering beside him.

"Let's sit here," he said, gesturing to the tree's base before settling down himself. He glanced at Anna's escorts.

"The fruit is edible and delicious. Help yourselves." Anna looked at them and nodded before sitting beside Joe.

"So… does anyone know what your class is?" Joe asked.

"No. And I'd like to keep it that way," Anna replied.

"Some people know what I can do, but no one knows everything." Joe nodded.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone." He accessed his storage ring and pulled out his portable oven and some meat.

"I'm going to cook you something, Anna," he said.

"It'll be much more filling than whatever they're cooking over there." Anna watched, wide-eyed, as Joe began preparing a Cocodine Steak.

"This is amazing," Anna said after swallowing a mouthful of steak.

"How? Just how?" Joe chuckled.

"I like to cook," he said simply. Then, shifting the conversation, he added, "To be honest, I'm lacking a lot of information about the state of the world. How are things in Russia as a whole?"

"Terrible," Anna said, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the juices from her hands. Nearby, her two escorts sat eating fruit, their eyes sparkling with delight.

"Assume I know nothing about what has happened since the Tutorial Gates broke," Joe continued.

"How terrible are we talking?" Anna gave him a puzzled look before answering.

"After the tutorial Gates broke, Russia suffered immensely, mainly from two Beasts in particular. It's estimated that eighty per cent of the population was wiped out in the first three months. As you probably know, the internet and all communication systems collapsed the moment the system arrived. We were completely shut off from the world, just like everyone else. It was a horrible time." Joe vaguely remembered someone mentioning in passing that the internet had disappeared overnight.

But he hadn't given it much thought since the Gates had appeared.

"What about weapons? Nukes? Did no one try bombing the Beasts?" he asked.

"They all disappeared when the system arrived. All missiles, nukes, tanks, aircraft, all gone," Anna said.

"Oh," Joe replied, genuinely surprised. That explained why he had not seen a single aircraft anywhere. Could a beast even survive a nuclear strike? He wondered.

"We have some helicopters," Anna continued, "but fuel is hard to get hold of. We only use them to travel in emergencies."

"Has any contact been made with other countries?" Joe asked.

"Yes, the Americans have recently set up a communication network. They have people capable of communicating over long distances." Go, America, Joe thought.

"That is great. Do you have any info on what they have been up to?"

"Not much," Anna admitted, glancing at her escorts. They were busy chatting and eating fruit. She leaned in closer. Joe caught a sweet scent from her, something subtle but intoxicating. His pulse quickened before he forced himself to focus.

"I shouldn't be telling you this," she murmured.

"But the Americans recently claimed they had killed two of the Gate Beasts in their country. They also mentioned a quest to kill the rest." Joe's eyebrows rose.

"So they know about the Hundred Beasts quest?" Anna studied him momentarily before shaking her head with a knowing look.

"Of course, a Progenitor would know, " she muttered.

"Yes, I think they said just over twenty had been killed so far." She watched him expectantly.

"Twenty-four," Joe corrected. Anna nodded.

"And do you know who killed them? Does your quest tell you that?"

"I do, and it doesn't," Joe said simply. Anna gave him a questioning look. He just smiled.

"But seriously," he continued, "that information is useful. I didn't know anyone besides me, and the other Progenitors knew about that quest. I had my suspicions, though." A weight lifted from his shoulders. Maybe this wasn't all on him. Maybe he would have more help going forward.

"Are you in contact with the other Progenitors? Are they here in Russia?" Anna asked.

"They are both in the UK," Joe said.

"Unfortunately, I don't have any way to contact them." Before they could continue, two more military men approached. Anna immediately stood. Joe followed, recognizing one of them, someone he had spoken to briefly earlier.

"Anna, Progenitor," the officer greeted, offering a crisp salute. Joe wasn't sure about the Russian military ranks, but officer seemed close enough.

"Colonel," Anna responded, returning the salute. The Colonel turned to address Joe.

"Is there anything you need, Progenitor? I hope your conversation is going well," the Colonel asked.

"It is going great. And I have no need for anything, thank you," Joe replied.

"Good. May I borrow Anna for a moment?" Joe nodded. Anna flashed him a wink before heading off with the Colonel. Joe's pulse quickened. I mean… she was a famous actress. He resisted the temptation to eavesdrop using his heightened E-grade senses. Whatever they were discussing didn't seem to involve him, so he turned his attention elsewhere. Deciding to make use of the time, his mind turned to Alchemy.

As he sat concentrating as pills appeared in his palm, he noticed a small group of children watching him from a distance, their curious eyes peeking from behind tents and trees.

"It's safe to eat. Help yourselves," Joe said. The children hesitated, whispering among themselves until one brave young boy stepped forward and grabbed a fruit. He took a cautious bite. The instant look of delight was all it took. The others quickly rushed forward, picking fruit from the low-hanging branches. Joe chuckled, shifting his focus back to his Alchemy, calmly preparing some more pills while he waited. Anna returned about thirty minutes later.

"What are those?" she asked, eyeing the small pills in his hands.

"Healing and mana pills, here," Joe said, tossing her the one he had just finished making. Anna caught it and examined it with a quiet gasp.

"I'll leave some here before I go. You can keep that one," he added. She smiled as the pill disappeared into her purse.

"You are full of surprises," She said.

"Was there anything else you wanted to ask about?" Joe took a moment to think.

"Is there any way to contact the Americans?" Joe asked.

"No," Anna replied.

"Their communication network works through a skill, and they have to initiate contact. They also need a person's exact location to establish first contact. It's pretty complicated, from what I've been told. I'm sorry, I don't know more."

"Not to worry, I'll visit there eventually," Joe said. A rare moment of peace settled over him as he glanced around the park. Civilians and military personnel moved about, going through their daily routine. For the past two months, his entire focus had been on killing Beasts. Having some downtime felt… nice. He was even starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he hadn't been teleported here to fight a Beast. He turned to Anna, who was watching him with a soft smile.

"I have to ask," she said, tilting her head.

"Why the funny sunglasses?" Joe laughed. Joe spent the next three days discussing what was happening in the world and all he knew about Beasts with Anna and the top-ranking military officials in the city. On the third day, he stood in a cleared-out parking lot facing Anna and three Colonels. He was guiding them through the steps of Basic footwork. Anna had noticed Joe practicing his footwork every evening and finally asked why he was so diligent about it.

"I have a feeling that footwork is important, " Joe said.

"I was taught basic footwork by… a guide of sorts. And once I learned it, I felt an immediate improvement in my fighting capabilities."

"A guide?" Anna started to ask, but the way Joe's expression shifted made her quickly backtrack.

"Never mind, that's not important. So it was like this?" She attempted to mimic his movements.

"Almost," Joe said, adjusting her stance.

"Relax your knee more, yeah, like that. But keep your ankle tense there." They continued the lesson for a few hours. Then, suddenly, Anna stopped and threw her hands in the air.

"It worked! I learned the skill!" she exclaimed, pure joy on her face. The three Colonels immediately crowded around to congratulate her. They had been very sceptical about the idea of learning a skill this way. But as Anna gave a flawless demonstration of the steps Joe had shown them, all doubts vanished. With newfound enthusiasm, she took over teaching the Colonels. By the time evening fell, everyone had received the new skill notification. He needed to remember to teach more people the steps.

It had not even occurred to him to do so. This might actually be more useful than his power levelling routine. Another day passed, and Joe decided he had gathered enough information. That familiar itch was starting to creep in, the urge to keep moving. He thanked the Colonels for sharing what they could. Of course, he knew they hadn't told him everything. He wasn't foolish enough to think they'd just lay all their secrets at his feet. What they had given him was likely just common knowledge.

Now, he stood outside the building where Anna was staying, ready to bid her farewell before vanishing. The moment she stepped down the stairs, his brain short-circuited. She was wearing a flowing purple dress, the kind that belonged on a red carpet, not in a military outpost. Joe had never been more aware that she was a movie star. She greeted him with a hug, and he barely registered it, still trying to process what he was seeing.

"Sorry to make you come all this way," she said, twirling slightly as if to show off the dress.

"I was just in a meeting." Joe wondered what kind of meeting required such a dazzling dress.

"No problem," he mumbled, struggling to form words.

"I can set off from anywhere."

"Great," she said with a slow, knowing smile." But I was hoping you'd at least share a drink with me before you left." Her gaze locked onto his, sultry and unshakable. Joe swallowed hard. She stepped closer, placing a hand on his chest, then slowly slid his sunglasses off. She leaned in, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered.

"I have a skill I'd like to show you." Joe felt it. A gentle tug at his mind. He knew exactly what was happening. He should walk away. But then again… How many chances would I get to spend time alone with a movie star? Anna held out her hand, an expectant smile on her lips. Joe shoved aside every logical thought he had ever had. He took her hand. With matching smiles, they disappeared up the stairs, heading to Anna's room.

Six hours later, after the sun had set, a lone figure emerged from a building in the City of Krasnoyarsk. The man had a skip to his step as he walked a few feet and vanished.