Chương 60: Drugs and Wine

Ju Eun-Ae sat, like she did every day, in a park in western Heliopolis. She had been living in the city for about six months now, since before the world changed. So she was quite well known in her neighbourhood. All the children called her the Go lady. That, she had learned, was the Western name for the game she loved, Baduk. She sat before a Baduk table that had been crafted just for her by her neighbour, a nice young man named Pete. She assumed he was American or Australian; she could never tell them apart.

She didn't have one of those translation machines the kids talked about, so she didn't know more than his name. But he was kind enough to make her a Baduk board to play on, and that was all that mattered. At 65 years of age, she had thought she'd seen it all. Then that weird voice changed everything. Thankfully, some nice young people had protected her, and now she lived in a nice city surrounded by nice people. Well, most of them were nice. Some of them were… odd.

As she sat breathing in the fresh air, a familiar, odd person arrived and sat down opposite her. Normally, she greeted anyone kind enough to play a game with a smile. But not this strange youngish man. This was only their second meeting. The first had been before the world changed. She tilted her gaze and gave him a look of disdain.

"Didn't think I'd see you here again," she scoffed. She spoke in Korean, the only language she knew. The man with the wide white glasses smiled at her. That smile was annoying. His face was annoying. She folded her arms. They sat there in silence for about two minutes before he pulled out a small bag from somewhere. She didn't know where it came from; it just appeared. She hated magicians. She was about to tell him how much she hated magicians when he pulled out another bag of sweets. Her mouth twitched.

He surely didn't have another bag of her favourite sweets… She watched as he placed a small plate next to her, just beside the Baduk board. Then, with exaggerated care, he pulled out some of the best-smelling Dasik sweets she'd ever encountered and neatly piled them on the plate before her. She couldn't hide the smile that crept across her face as she picked one up and popped it into her mouth, savouring the sweet flavour with a satisfied grin. But as soon as she finished the first one, she grimaced.

The man across from her wore a smug smile, clearly enjoying his first small victory of the day. She swore at him in Korean, earning only a wider grin, then began setting up the board. The true game began. The young man was simply terrible at Baduk. Which was part of what made him so annoying. She beat him easily in the first game, and they soon moved into the second. No words passed between them as they played. The young man focused intently on the board, and Eun-Ae watched him closely.

She saw him make a horrendous move and sighed, already knowing another easy win was on its way. Still, he brought her such delightful sweets, so she forgave the poor gameplay and tolerated the strange young man. Popping another Dasik into her mouth, she settled into the rhythm of the game. As time passed, she began to notice something strange happening around them. People had started stopping, pausing in their daily routines to watch them play.

The small gathering had grown steadily, and soon nearly a hundred people were standing around them, watching with quiet murmurs. She was so surprised by the attention that, in game four, she made her first mistake. Grimacing at the board, she spotted the obvious weak point she had left exposed and tried to formulate a quick counter. To her utter dismay, the young man didn't even notice the mistake. Instead, he made an amateur move on the opposite side of the board. She laughed, unable to suppress her amusement.

When her turn came, she casually corrected her error. Only then did the young man notice what had happened. He slapped his forehead and spoke for the first time.

"Shit, how did I miss that?" he said, in perfect Korean. Eun-Ae stared at him in open shock. Her annoyance with him tripled. He spoke Korean? Why hadn't he said a single word until now? Was he making fun of her? Her patience wore thin; she had had enough of this young man's antics.

"It is rude to play with your sunglasses on," she tsked, making her next move. To her surprise, he looked genuinely apologetic as he removed them without protest. The rest of the game continued in silence. Once again, Eun-Ae won with ease. The young man stood and only now seemed to notice the crowd gathered around them. He gave her a small bow, hand over his heart.

"Thank you for the game. I hope we can play again one day." He placed another bag on Dasik on the table in front of her before turning and walking away. The crowd parted to let him pass. Eun-Ae shook her head. What an annoying young man. She hoped he would return for another game soon. __ Sarah arrived home after a long day of work. Normally, she would've been exhausted, kicking off her shoes and bra the second she stepped through the door. A hot bath, overflowing with bubbles and calming scents, would've followed.

But now? She barely felt the need. Being level one hundred and five had its perks. She could go days without sleep, a week without much food, and only needed the occasional drink. Which was great for productivity, but frustrating when managing a city of several million people. Everyone wanted a piece of her time. For the sake of her own sanity, she kept a hard line between work and rest. Rounding a corner, she stepped into the room where she knew Joe would be… and froze.

Corel lay stretched across the couch, legs draped comfortably over Joe's lap, flipping through a book. Sarah's eyes widened. The Voldura's leg was fully healed. Her gaze shifted and locked with Joe's.

"Hey Sarah. How's work?" Joe asked casually. Corel looked up and offered a warm smile, but Sarah remained frozen. This was a scene she never thought she'd see. Without a word, she teleported to her room, rummaged through a drawer, and pulled out her camera. A moment later, she reappeared downstairs, raised it, and began snapping pictures.

"Really? Is that necessary?" Joe asked, exasperation lacing his every word. Sarah vanished again, reappearing beside Kai, who jumped in surprise.

"Shit, do you have to do that so close, and without any warning?" Kai exclaimed, clutching his chest.

"Look at this," Sarah said, shoving the camera into his hands. Kai stared at the screen and burst out laughing.

"They look comfy. I wonder what his…" He trailed off, coughing awkwardly. Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"What were you about to say?" Kai started to sweat.

"Kai… is there something you haven't told me?" she asked, hand on her hip, leaning forward with exaggerated suspicion. The scene would've looked ridiculous to any onlooker, Sarah, small and fierce, looming over the much larger Greek man.

"Shit," Kai stammered.

"Hakeem made me promise a long time ago not to tell anyone. Something about an Elven princess, he's bonded to." Sarah gave him a long, pointed look that promised this conversation was far from over. Then she vanished again, reappearing back at the house. Joe didn't even flinch at her sudden return, which threw her off a little.

"Sorry," she said, recovering quickly.

"I didn't know you two were… a couple. When were you going to tell me?" she added with a thick layer of sarcasm. Corel blinked, clearly puzzled.

"Couple? What do you mean?"

"A Couple, dating. Lovers," Sarah clarified.

"We are not lovers," Corel replied matter-of-factly. Joe chuckled.

"It's a cultural thing, Sarah. Apparently, it's normal for Voldura to be comfortable with this kind of contact. We are not in that kind of relationship. I assure you." Sarah stared between them. This was normal? She rubbed her temples. She should've known. As handsome as Joe had become, only a crazy woman would manage to catch his attention.

"So you're not dating?" Sarah asked one last time, just to be sure.

"Nope," Joe replied. That's when Sarah noticed the book in Corel's hand. A children's book. No, she wasn't even reading it, just looking at the pictures. Sarah shook her head, officially done trying to understand anything anymore. With a resigned sigh, she pulled a bottle of wine from her storage ring and walked over to the table. She set down three small glasses, poured the wine, handed one to Joe and another to Corel, then slumped into the chair beside them.

"I will never understand you," Sarah said, taking a sip. The wine was excellent. She exhaled in pleasure and leaned back in her chair.

"Wow, what is this drink?" Corel asked, clearly impressed.

"It's a Bravante wine," Sarah replied.

"We have a couple of brewers in the city, and they make a special batch just for me."

"Remind me to stay on your good side. It seems you have the best connections," Joe said, sipping from his glass.

"Kai mentioned something about you having a wife," Sarah said casually. She'd expected a reaction from Joe. What she hadn't expected was for him to literally spit out a mouthful of wine. Before it could splash all over her pristine furniture, he waved a hand and gathered it back up with a stream of mana. She was deeply thankful; those stains would've been a nightmare to clean.

"It's a bond. That son of a bitch. I'm going to kill him," Joe growled. Sarah straightened, setting her glass down with a slosh. Her eyes widened with anticipation.

"Are you telling me you have a secret wife? Who is she?" she asked, practically vibrating with excitement. She couldn't believe it. How had these idiots kept this from her? She was definitely going to have words with Kai.

"Okay, okay," Joe said, raising his hands in defeat.

"It's quite a story, so buckle up and get ready to be blown away." Sarah leaned in eagerly as Joe began recounting the tale of a man with ridiculous glasses… and the pink-skinned Mortifi princess he'd somehow managed to bond with. __ Joe leaned back as he wrapped up the tale of how he met Rose. Corel had moved to sit beside Sarah, who simply shook her head in disbelief. With a flick of her hands, she reached forward, downed another glass of wine, and finally spoke.

"I don't know how you always manage to surprise me. I thought I'd be used to it by now, but apparently, you still have a dozen more secrets tucked away."

"Speaking of untold secrets…" Joe said, removing the previously invisible crown from his head. Sarah gawked at the gleaming silver crown.

"Corel, can you identify me. I want to test something." He watched as both women activated their Identify skills. Their expressions shifted, mild interest gave way to shock, then disbelief. Sarah pulled out two more bottles of wine, poured herself three full glasses, and downed them one after another. Corel, meanwhile, continued staring at him, as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of what she'd just seen.

"You are a High Human?" she asked.

"Yeah. Though I don't actually know what that is. I had a race change when I gained my bloodline, but there was no explanation." Corel nodded slowly.

"I still don't understand this bloodline you keep mentioning. Is it some kind of heritage or class?"

"I have a book about bloodlines, which gives a pretty good summation of what they are. I'll have to check the pillar if maybe we can get you some kind of reading skill." Corel looked at him like he'd just said the most ridiculous thing ever. Joe chuckled, but decided to change the subject from bloodlines for now.

"I also wanted to check if you can see what my space class is?" he asked.

"Space Farmer?" Corel said. Joe smiled.

"Farmer? It said space mage when I checked," Sarah added, her words slightly slurred now.

"Corel and I share a bond, so apparently she can see the actual class," Joe explained.

"Bond? Since when did you two become so close?" Sarah asked, throwing an arm around Corel in an exaggerated hug.

"Be careful with him, Corel. He might be handsome, but he's also completely mad." Joe chuckled, then paused. He realized he hadn't really talked much about his bonds of fate, except with Veda. Or had he told Esha, too? He vaguely recalled Veda letting that secret slip. He shook his head. That reminded him… while he was still in the city, he really should try to contact Kunlun. Maybe Gao would know what had happened to the Indian Pillar.

"Sarah, have you heard of a bond of fate?" Joe asked. Sarah gave him a puzzled look, still clinging loosely to Corel.

"Bond of what? What are you talking about?" she asked, squinting at him. He was beginning to realize Sarah wasn't very good at holding her liquor.

"I'll show you," he said, tapping his chest. His shirt and waistcoat vanished, leaving him topless before the two women. Both of their gazes drifted toward the tattoos on his chest. He pointed to the thorny vine bush first.

"This one represents Corel." Then he motioned to the glowing petal on the other side.

"And this one represents Rose." Sarah stood up and promptly pitched forward. Corel caught her just in time, preventing a faceplant.

"Thank you," Sarah drawled as Corel steadied her, guiding her over to Joe. They leaned in, inspecting the tattoos more closely.

"Wow, it's glowing slightly. And is that steam? Is it hot?" Sarah asked, poking the petal with her finger.

"Wow, it is hot. And wow, you have a lot more muscle than I thought."

"Easy, girl. You're a married woman," Joe said with a laugh.

"True," Sarah replied cheerfully, before slumping again. Corel gently lowered her back into her chair. How strong is that wine? Joe wondered.

"Do you have a tattoo, Corel?" Sarah asked, eyes still hazy.

"I do," Corel replied. Joe watched them with an amused smile.

"Here, look," Corel raised her arms and removed all of her clothing. She stood before them, completely naked. Joe sighed before turning his eyes away. He did catch a glimpse of her bond tattoo, though. I mean, how could he not glimpse?

"Wow, so your bond is a flame, or a ball of flames. It's warm, mmmm… is it moving? And oh my god. You have amazing breasts."

"Okay! Corel, please put your clothes back on," Joe said quickly, still facing away.

"You humans are so weird," Corel mumbled as she got dressed again. Joe sighed. This Voldura really needs to learn some modesty. He only turned back once he heard Corel settle into the chair beside Sarah.

"You two and your perfect bodies. Pah!" Sarah said in mock disgust, slumping dramatically. Corel smiled and gave her a few soothing head pats. Joe pondered for a moment. He wondered if Rose's tattoo was the same as Corel's? As that thought slid through his mind, he decided that he'd have to ask Rose to show him hers next time he saw her. A devilish smile crept across his face. There was no way she'd actually show him… right? He chuckled to himself.

He attempted to send out a questioning pulse through the bond, if that was even the right word for it. How exactly did one convey a question through emotion? Corel looked up at him, then she pulsed back a wave of curiosity. A heartbeat later, he received the same curious pulse from Rose. He wasn't sure if was reading them right. These emotional pulses were still tricky to interpret. Clearly, he needed more practice. Joe smiled at Corel as she huffed and turned her attention back to the rapidly more drunken Sarah.

He sat back and poured himself another glass of wine. It really was good stuff. __ Kai jumped down from his jeep as he pulled up in front of his home. It was late now, the sky already dark, and it had been another long day of wall reinforcement. The defensive upgrades were coming along nicely. If that bastard Pathfinder ever attacked again, he'd have a hell of a time getting through. Kai stepped through the front door and heard music playing, along with Sarah's lovely voice singing a song. Except… he winced.

She was butchering every note. She's definitely drunk. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He followed the noise toward the rear living room and stopped cold in the doorway, staring at the absolute chaos unfolding before him. Joe and Corel were both topless, wrestling on the floor, while Sarah stood over them, cheering and belting out off-key lyrics. She was wearing what looked like half a toga, and nothing else.

Kai's eyes widened as he realized she had a bottle of wine in one hand and was very much topless.

"What the hell is going on?" he sputtered, then shouted, "Sarah, cover up!" He rushed in, scooping her into his arms and frantically pulling out some spare cloth to wrap around her.

"Kai, you're finally back!" Sarah giggled as she threw her arms around his neck, planting a passionate kiss on him. Kai froze, face turning crimson. He just waited until she was done, then gently tried to pry her off.

"Sarah, you're drunk. Let me put you down. What is going on here?" He asked, still trying to make sense of the scene. He flipped one of the upturned couches upright with his foot and carefully set her down.

"Corel's been teaching us some Volduran customs," Sarah announced brightly, hopping back onto him. He'd never seen her this energetic before. Something was definitely off.

"Here, eat this and join us," she added, shoving what looked like a blue cookie into his mouth. Before he could react, he'd already swallowed half of it. It was good, but… tasted strange.

"What is this?" Kai asked as he absentmindedly finished the rest. It really was tasty, but now everything felt cloudy. His limbs felt light, almost wobbly. He glanced toward the wrestling match nearby. Corel had Joe pinned, straddling him with both arms raised in triumph.

"Hah, I told you I've never lost a bout," Corel said smugly.

"You cheated! Putting your fingers in my ears is completely unfair!"

"You humans and your obsession with 'fair play.' That's not how you win a fight. Now, another round!" Kai stared in a daze as the two of them, still half-naked, launched into another match. Why was there a floating cloud in the house? He waved his hand at it, trying to swat it away. Something settled onto his shoulder. He turned and saw Sarah perched there, cheering wildly.

"You show him, Corel! Twist his balls!" Kai flinched at her vulgarity. As he looked up, he noticed a small red blob lounging atop the bookcase, its long tail dangling down. The blob blinked at him. He could've sworn it smiled. He shook his head and accidentally knocked Sarah off his shoulder. Twisting quickly, he caught her mid-fall and let her land on top of him.

"Oh! There you are. Eat this," Sarah said cheerfully, shoving something else into his mouth, a handful of purple-grey leaves. They were surprisingly sweet.

"I like these… but I feel weird. What are you feeding me?" Kai asked, hoisting Sarah back onto his shoulder and standing up.

"It's something called Vellaspo Convirtaar. A very potent hallucinogen." Hallucinogen? Kai blinked, then shrugged off the concern as he watched Corel win again.

"Cheater!" Joe roared, scrambling to his feet.

"This time, we play by human rules. No fingers in the ears, and no touching privates!"

"Fine, I will still win!" Coral shouted, stuffing a handful of leaves into her mouth and chewing with gusto.

"Hey, where's mine?" Joe demanded indignantly. Corel pounced on him and shoved a massive handful of the leaves into his mouth. So that's why Sarah had force-fed him those crazy leaves? These two were a terrible influence.

"Yeah! Shove it in there, Corel!" Sarah cheered, fist pumping the air. Kai glanced up as the red blob burst into raucous laughter. These people are all insane. He'd had enough. Shuffling back to the couch, he slumped down with a sigh, pulling Sarah off his shoulder and into his lap.

"Oh, hi, Kai! When did you get here? Eat this," she said brightly, stuffing more leaves into his mouth. He coughed and sputtered, choking as she kept pushing more in until he had no choice but to start swallowing.

"Good boy. Now, let's wrestle. Volduran rules!" Kai yelped as one of her hands darted between his legs while the other jabbed into his ear. __ Veda had been annoyed the day Joe told her he now had two mana bars. So, she went for a walk, a walk that lasted two full days. She roamed the city, scaring small children, terrorizing vendors, and generally causing mayhem wherever she slithered. The blonde woman, Sarah, always showed up to fix the mess she left behind. Veda felt a little bad… but not really.

If things got too out of hand, she'd just blame Joe, as always. Eventually, she grew bored of the city and began making her way back to the house. It was absolutely not because she missed the boy. Or his warmth. Definitely not. She was a cold-blooded serpent, after all. It wasn't her fault that she craved warm places. And it just so happened that Joe was… conveniently warm. Wrapping around him fulfilled a completely natural, totally instinctive biological need for heat. That was all. Nothing more.

As she slithered quietly into the house just before nightfall, she caught the sound of pleasant music drifting through the air. She crept forward with care, staying low and out of sight, and perched atop the bookcase, cloaked in shadows. Below, she spotted Joe, Corel, and Sarah gathered around a table, eating mana-infused leaves and various dishes that Joe had clearly cooked himself. She could tell by the smell that only his cooking ever made her mouth water like that.

Still, she held back, determined to remain hidden. She watched as the trio sipped what they called red, smelly wine and continued eating far more food and leaves than seemed necessary. Eventually, the wine kicked in. Joe and Corel started wrestling, shirtless, of course, while Sarah cheered them on from the side, laughing and shouting encouragement. Veda, unable to resist, sneakily pilfered a glass of wine for herself and snatched up a few of the cookies Joe had made. One glass turned into five.

One cookie turned into ten. Before long, she was no longer hidden, her tail dangling lazily over the edge of the bookcase as she laughed freely at the chaos below. Corel had won again. Joe was such a silly boy, always losing to the horned devil. Another glass of wine mysteriously appeared beside her. She had no idea who placed it there, but she didn't care. As long as it kept coming, life was good. Veda cheered again as Corel celebrated another victory. Why was she cheering for the enemy? Was Corel even an enemy?

For tonight, it didn't matter. All prior transgressions were temporarily forgiven. Her gaze shifted to the other pair now wrestling on the floor. The big, hairy man, Kai, had returned. Sarah had him pinned and was grinning mischievously as Kai yelped in protest. Veda burst out laughing when she saw where Sarah's hand had disappeared to. Silly men. Such an obvious weak spot. Moments like this made her once again very grateful to be female.

For over an hour, Veda watched the four of them drink, wrestle, and laugh until exhaustion finally claimed them. Sarah picked Kai up with ease, slung him over her shoulder, mumbling something about being "horny" as she carried him upstairs. Veda didn't know what that meant, but she assumed it was something private. She looked at the two passed-out forms left behind, Joe and Corel, lying arm in arm on the floor. With a tsk, she gently wrapped her tail around them both and hoisted them up.

She carried them to Corel's room and tucked them into bed together. Joe would probably be annoyed. He rarely liked sleeping in beds. It reminded her of a certain god she'd once known. She sighed and pulled the blanket up over them. She quickly returned to the main room, giving it a quick tidy. It would be rude to leave a mess. They'd be terrible guests if they did.

Returning to the bedroom for one last peek, Veda noticed Corel had unconsciously wrapped herself around Joe in her sleep, her drool slowly dripping onto his face. Veda chuckled. She turned to leave, but then had a flash of genius. With expert care, she quietly stripped Corel of all her clothes. She moved to do the same to Joe, only to discover that his clothing was all system loot.

Unfazed, she employed a little trick from her youth; she picked up Joe's hand and repeatedly slapped it against his clothes until they vanished, turned invisible. Now, with both of them naked and tucked under the blanket, Veda left the room, chuckling all the way down the hall. __ Joe awoke slowly, groggy and disoriented, unsure where he was, what day it was, or even what year. What in the world happened yesterday? He wondered. He vaguely remembered cooking something with leaves in it.

Glancing toward the window, he saw the early morning sun creeping over the horizon. As he stretched, his arm bumped into something. Turning, he spotted Corel's naked form sleeping beside him. He blinked, slow and uncertain, then gently pulled the blanket up over her. Carefully, he slipped out of bed and only then noticed that he, too, was completely naked. Patting his chest and legs, he summoned his clothes back onto his body. He crept out of the room, pretending he'd seen nothing at all.

Joe sat beneath one of the massive trees surrounding the house, meditating. The sun was already high in the sky. Earlier, he'd seen Kai heading off, looking worse for wear. He had climbed into a jeep with a nod before disappearing into the city. Eyes closed, Joe focused on his surroundings. Ever since he'd left the bedroom, he'd been tailed by a small, sneaky shadow. Every time he turned to catch it, it vanished. So now, he waited, still and calm, letting it come to him. A breeze rustled through the air.

A bird swooped low and landed on his shoulder. Five more minutes passed. Then, he sensed it, just a flicker. Joe Space-Jumped in an instant, his hand snapping out to catch the red tail wriggling through the air. A second later, Veda was draped across his shoulder, and just like that, Joe felt whole again.

"Next time you get moody. Try to be back within a day," he said, scratching the base of her back. She purred in response, offering no complaints. So he kept scratching and began to walk. He didn't have a destination in mind, so he strolled leisurely, heading toward the city. Sarah had mentioned a nearby building where the upcoming meet-and-greet would be held. Figuring it wouldn't hurt to scout it out early, he made his way in that direction. Joe stretched and let out the biggest yawn of the day so far.

He got to his feet as a small, nerdy-looking man escorted him to the break room. Finally, a moment of peace before the next wave of handshakes, bows, and endless thank-yous. A cup of coffee was handed to him as he entered, and he flung himself into a seat just as Corel stepped through the same door, grabbing the coffee offered to her. She had arrived a few hours after him, Sarah having teleported her straight into the room. Joe really needed to ask how Sarah was pulling that off.

What kind of teleport skill allowed her to move like that? She was zipping in and out of rooms packed with people like it was nothing.

"You look terrible," Joe said. Corel gave him a weary look before diving into a nearby chair.

"I can't do this anymore. Where is that blonde lady?" she said, rubbing her temples. As if summoned by magic, Sarah appeared in the room. Corel flinched, nearly spilling her coffee.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Sarah asked, grinning as she eyed the two of them.

"I think Corel's about tapped out. I don't mind finishing without her," Joe offered, still riding a high from all the mana food and adrenaline. Sarah glanced at the exhausted Voldura and winced.

"Next time, let's not do a crazy amount of drugs just before a busy day," Sarah said dryly. Both Joe and Corel nodded in agreement.

"I'll take you back now. You sure you'll be okay, Joe?" Sarah asked.

"I got this," Joe replied with a smile. The two women vanished, leaving Joe and his silent escort alone.

"Shall we return, sir?" the small man asked.

"Sure, Jeeves. Let's go," Joe said, strutting back toward the desk where more smiling faces and thank-yous awaited. The small man sighed as he followed. __ Malcolm Alstrong sighed as he ushered the last visitor out of the building and locked the doors behind them. It had been a very, very long day. He pulled a small packet from his pocket and popped a headache-relief pill into his mouth. He had dealt with plenty in his life.

Before the system arrived, he'd been a high-flying lawyer, arguing in court against some of the most prestigious attorneys in all of New York. He'd stood toe-to-toe with hard-nosed judges and won more cases than he cared to count. He thought he was prepared for anything. Until today. Today, Malcolm had learned that no amount of courtroom experience could prepare a man for the arrival of the Third Progenitor.

He'd never met the man before today, but he'd heard the rumours, whispers, each more fantastical than the last. Some colleagues swore they'd seen the Progenitor battling giant sea monsters out in the ocean. One report even described him fighting a flying Boss Beast the size of a small town, hundreds of miles above the ground. He'd heard stories of the Progenitor sprinting across the entirety of India, chased by hellspawn, slaying Boss Beasts as he went.

One particularly absurd rumour claimed he had single-handedly held off waves of thousands of monstrosities. But none of the rumours had ever prepared him for reality. After spending eight hours at the man's side, listening to him talk, watching him entertain hundreds of visitors, Malcolm had come to one undeniable conclusion. The Progenitor was a machine. He didn't tire. He didn't slow down. He never stopped smiling. From the first handshake to the last farewell, his cheerful attitude never slipped.

And somehow, despite everything, Malcolm almost wanted to forgive the man for insisting on calling him Jeeves. He made his way back over to where the Progenitor now stood, casually chatting with five of his colleagues. Two of the younger women, whose names he could never quite remember, were openly gushing over every word the man spoke. He didn't blame them. The man was ridiculously good-looking. Even Malcolm had to admit that.

With those strange white glasses and his annoyingly effortless charisma, he looked like a walking version of Michelangelo's David. It was, frankly, quite irritating. The man had everything. Malcolm joined the small group, and the Progenitor turned to greet him the moment he approached.

"Ah, there you are, Malcolm. Thanks for today. A small gift for putting up with me for eight hours," Joe said. Malcolm blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone, and by hearing the man use his actual name for the first time. He stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the ring that had just been placed in his hand.

"Er…" Malcolm stammered.

"I thoroughly enjoyed today. Thank you all, but it is time for me to leave. Toodles." And just like that, the Progenitor vanished, leaving six stunned people standing alone in the room. Eventually, the others began exchanging quiet goodbyes, but Malcolm barely noticed. His attention was locked on the ring in his hand. It was a storage ring, and it was full. Strange clothing, a pile of cooked meats and vegetables, what looked like fifty healing and mana pills… and ten thousand credits.

Malcolm shook his head, lips twitching into a smile. Maybe he'd misjudged the man. __ Joe shifted into full-on vacation mode for the next two days. He spent his time wandering the city, doing practically nothing. Veda hadn't left his side since returning from her moody sojourn. As he'd expected, she acted like nothing had happened, which suited him just fine. She tolerated his quirks; he tolerated hers. It was the perfect friendship.

Joe also noticed that Veda had grown noticeably more tolerant of Corel since their drug-fueled night. They had even reached the point of greeting each other in the mornings, which, for now, seemed to be the extent of their interaction, unless he stepped in to push things further. When Joe checked in on Corel to see how she was doing, Veda usually just observed in silence, only commenting if something piqued her interest. Corel rarely addressed Veda directly, either.

Any time she wasn't resting, she was completely absorbed in her alchemy, experimenting constantly with her new cauldron. She had already begun levelling her profession, and Joe was slightly surprised to discover it was now higher than his. He was content to let her focus. She didn't need his help anymore, not to get around, and not to hide her presence. That left Joe free to roam the city and interact with whoever caught his attention.

It had been so long since he'd done this that he'd completely forgotten one of the main reasons he'd started avoiding crowded places within Heliopolis. The reaction of certain young, single women whenever he appeared. Being around people who didn't care about his appearance had been a blessing, but it had also made him forget that, to much of the public, he was now considered a very eligible bachelor.

So now, as he strolled casually through the city, he did so with a crowd of fifty women surrounding him, each one vying for his attention. [Veda, do something.] - Joe pleaded on the party chat. [Why? This is your fault. I told you to change your route. But you didn't listen.] - Veda. Veda was right, Joe realized. She had warned him, but he'd brushed off her concerns and assumed everything would be fine.

Oh, how he regretted that now, as yet another woman pushed her way through the growing crowd and tried to get his attention.

"Ladies, please. I appreciate you coming to see me. But I have no idea who is talking right now," Joe exclaimed over the cacophony of voices. He tried to get them to leave, promising he'd organize some kind of public event in the future. Which he would one hundred per cent not do. But none of them budged. The situation was spiralling out of control fast. [This won't end, you need to either pick some to focus on or jump away somewhere.] - Veda. [Shit.] - Joe.

He looked around for an escape route as two women grabbed his arms, trying to pull him in opposite directions.

"Ladies. This isn't working," Joe said, more firmly this time. The crowd was starting to get restless. He was nearly out of options and time. With a frustrated sigh, he let some of his aura slip out. The effect was immediate. The chatter stopped. Silence rippled outward as the women around him froze, suddenly feeling the weight of Joe's overwhelming presence. It gave him just enough time to glance upward and focus on a spot above the nearby building. Space Jump.

Joe vanished from the street and reappeared on the rooftop. He leaned over the edge, peering down at the stunned crowd below. A few of them spotted him and began walking toward the building.

"I guess I won't be able to walk around so casually for a while," Joe mused. He was about to jump away when Sarah appeared at his shoulder. She paused, as if waiting for some kind of reaction. Joe just blinked at her.

"Ugh, how is it that you are the only person I cannot surprise?" She complained. Joe shrugged.

"Whatever, now that you are done causing chaos in the city. There is someone on the pillar who wants to talk to you. It's Gao YuanYuan," Sarah said. Joe's eyes widened. Before he could even say anything more, Sarah grabbed his arm and tried to teleport him. Joe felt a tug, mana shifting, the air vibrating around him, but nothing happened. Sarah blinked in surprise, then huffed.

"I can't teleport you. Your stats are too high. What kind of monster are you?" she complained. Joe shrugged apologetically.

"I remember an area just south of the pillar. Can you check if it's clear? I can jump there." Sarah's eyes glazed over for a second." It's clear." Joe nodded and focused. He jumped, reappearing a metre off the ground at the location, where he landed gently. That was pretty accurate for a jump made from memory, he thought. Joe had learned that Sarah's teleportation skill was, in fact, a perk tied to her mayoral status.

After reaching level one hundred in her profession, she'd gained access to a city-wide map showing the location and condition of every resident. She could teleport anywhere in the city instantly, without cooldowns or mana cost. The implications were staggering. Inside Heliopolis, Sarah was virtually untouchable. She could be anywhere, anytime. Joe quickly made his way to the city pillar, where the hologram of Gao, Song and Luo of Kunlun awaited him.

"Greetings, Joe," Gao said with a bow. Joe returned the bow.

"It's good to see you, Gao. I'm glad you are all okay." He desperately wanted to ask about Esha and the others, but didn't want to seem like that was all he cared about. Thankfully, Gao seemed to pick up on his tension and skipped the small talk.

"We are well in Kunlun. I assume you requested this chat to ask about the Nagpur city pillar?"

"Yes," Joe replied.

"I am sorry, I don't have any good news for you," Gao said, her voice sombre.

"Our scout team managed to locate the pillar. It's currently sixty thousand kilometres from our location. After monitoring the area for a week, we discovered that about half of the residents remain alive, held captive. There has been no sign of Esha, Samira, or any of the highest-level people in the city. The Voldura have full control of the area." Her voice faltered at the mention of Esha's name. Joe stood in silence, taking in the news. His earlier lightheartedness vanished in an instant.

Hearing confirmation of the fallen pillar from Gao herself left no room for doubt. If there had been even a sliver of hope, she would've mentioned it. The absence of any mention of infiltration or resistance spoke volumes. Still, Joe felt he had to ask.

"I'm sorry, Gao. I wish I had arrived sooner. Do you think Esha, or… anyone close to her, is alive?" Gao stared at the ground for a long moment before finally meeting his gaze.

"I do not," she said quietly.

"From all reports we've received about the Voldura attacks… This Pathfinder kills everyone over level one hundred." The rest of the conversation blurred for Joe. Gao departed shortly after delivering the news. Luo stayed on to report on Kunlun's efforts and ongoing struggles since the world fusion. Joe did pick up a few key pieces of information. He learned that this new world was at least ten times the size of Earth. Its estimated circumference was over four hundred thousand kilometers.

None of the City Pillars seemed to be within sixty thousand kilometres of each other. The Nagpur pillar was the only one Kunlun had managed to locate so far; travel beyond their city was treacherous. Only a handful of their people could move through Voldura-controlled zones without being caught or enslaved. There were simply far too many of them. They outnumbered the human race by an incalculable amount.

Kunlun also had a few earth-class specialists who'd confirmed that this new world's geography was entirely different now, all our continents were gone, and about seventy per cent was land, only thirty per cent being ocean. All their maps were now useless. Eventually, Joe thanked Luo and Song, then stepped away from the pillar. A fire blazed behind his eyes as he made his way back to the house.