Maximilian cracked his knuckles as he made his way to Farrell and Meredith. He found the duo just outside the bounds of the settlement. The two had found a small rodent with thicker teeth. The creature was weak compared to him, but it wasn't too bad for them. If he had to guess, he would put it around level 2 or 3. He watched their epic battle until it ended and had to admit they weren't very good. Intellectually, he knew he was just like that at the beginning but it was hard to compare them to himself. Or maybe it was just hard for him to do the comparing. He imagined some ancient monster would consider him an idiot. The whole thing was amusing. When the two noticed him, he jumped down and strode over.

  "Greetings. I see the two of you have succeeded in your battle."

  "We won!" Farrell exclaimed as he spun and then dropped his Polearm.

  Maximilian shook his head and laughed. He had to admit the kid had heart if nothing else. He tossed him the weapon and then turned to look at Meredith. One look was all he needed to know that things weren't going as well for her. She looked tired, though not from the exhaustion of survival. The same tired he remembered from before the end of everything. "Thank you for not helping out. We need the practice, and well, you could probably have handled that easily."

  Maximilian waved the comment off and handed the pair a bottle of pills each. "Just in case you need them. I admit you two aren't bad. You should decide if that's how you want to fight. I do a lot of my stuff alone, which needs a certain mindset. You two could do it as a duo." Now that he thought about it he wasn't sure what either of them wanted in the long term. He was going to aim for the peak regardless, but he was curious to see what they wanted. Especially Farrell.

  "Maybe for now, my goal is to make sure he stays safe. I admit I have slacked off a bit since we arrived. It's hard to not hope for someone else to keep us safe. Every time I think that I remember Maxwell and we come out here to hunt some of the weaker monsters." She continued.

  Maximilian felt a pang of pain and anger before he relaxed. He hated himself for the thoughts that had surged into his mind. Logically, he hadn't blamed them for what happened. His father was no idiot. He made his own choices and likely knew what would happen when he made his choices. Let a darker part of him dislike it. If she had been stronger. If Farrell had been, he would've survived. He shook the thoughts off and gestured for the pair to follow. "Its fine. I am building a safe place here. I won't lie and tell you that getting stronger. That your personal strength doesn't matter. The world isn't safe, and I can't be everywhere. Still its your choice. Fighting also isn't the only path forward. You can do other things. If you have experience with medicine or anything else, it could be valuable."

  Maximilian stopped himself from listing everything they could do. Nubia was small and thus needed everything, but he wasn't going to pressure anyone. He liked the contribution system. Everyone gets to decide how they earn points and then buy things with the points. It wasn't perfect. He could manipulate the point system at anytime and likely would have to as Nubia grew. He imagined someone with low affinities and talent wouldn't be able to earn many points.

  "Are you going to keep helping with his training?" Meredith asked.

  Maximilian paused as he returned to the conversation. He missed the first thing she said, but he could piece together an assumption. He looked at Farrell, who had been quiet for the last few minutes. He considered it briefly and then shrugged. "I intend to, but admittedly I don't know how to teach what I do." He glanced at Farrell and smiled. "You need to continue meditation. Once you awaken a dao, I could help you with that part, but weapon combat isn't my strong suit."

  Farrell grinned and spun his weapon through the air. Maximilian was pretty sure that it was too long for him. He figured it should be half a foot to a full foot shorter, though they were a bit limited on weapon so they had to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Another thing that he would have to deal with later. "I think I am doing just fine," Farrell replied. "I have gotten better at fighting and I can fight most low-level monsters on my own."

  Maximilian nodded, though he was pretty sure that "low level" in this context referred to level 1 monsters, or if there was anything weaker than that. His comment did make him think of something else. "Keep an eye on your killing intent. Both of you. I doubt it will be too bad for you right now, but as you get stronger, it could be an issue. Controlling it is a bit like a muscle. Or more accurately its like holding your breath all the time. It doesn't feel as bad as it sounds. I don't notice most of the time."

  Meredith nodded and looked like she wanted to say something, but she stayed quiet. From there, the conversation shifted into their day-to-day lives. His week away hadn't been all that special for them. They woke up, did a bit of fighting, and then found ways to entertain themselves. He wouldn't call it "normal" but any standard, but it was simple. He could tell that they weren't the only ones. Nubia was in an in-between state. One where the desire to advance was restrained by the desire for peace and safety. Not that he minded. This was what he wanted, although he hadn't quite planned it this way. He wanted a safe place, and he got it. He would get stronger regardless, but he didn't want people like Meredith to be forced to fight. Not if they didn't want.

  "Alright, I would suggest you both keep working on meditation. I am not sure, but you should gain daos related to things besides combat. My water-based dao can do some healing, so there should be a pure healing one out there. Maybe purity or purification. Or perhaps safety and protection. Either way, I suggest you keep your options open. You will have to specialize eventually, but no need to rush. You might even want to gain more knowledge. I imagine that doctors exist unless they are all considered alchemist but if you could get a class like that, you would be helpful. Might even get wealthy."

  Maximilian was about to continue when a guard he didn't recognize jogged up to him. The man was white with blonde hair and a scar over his right cheek. He was maybe a head shorter than Maximilian and looked young. Probably no older than nineteen or twenty. "Excuse me. Lord Croft. I was asked to let you know that someone has appeared at the teleportation room. Ms. Ashanti is waiting for you along with several other guards. They said it was important and you should hurry over."

  Maximilian cocked his head at him, but when the man did not attempt to explain further, he nodded. "I will meet up with the two of you later. Be careful and make sure to stick together." He had wanted to say more, but he was needed elsewhere. He turned toward the guard and the two sprinted off. Though to be more accurate, the man sprinted, and Maximilian just walked quickly. He was pretty sure he knew where to go already, but it was wiser to be patient. He could lose more time by being impatient than he'd gain by doing so. A few minutes later, he entered the teleportation headquarters, where he found his mother in a room with Elsie Henderson. Outside the room, two sets of guards stared at each other. One looked like a swat team equipped with body armor and long guns. While the other looked like fantasy cosplayers. Yet he wasn't sure which would win in a fight. His people weren't strong enough to ignore bullets, not by a long shot, but if they had defensive skills? He had no interest in the skills one could buy, at least not until he had his class. He knew skills had to fit the channels, and his current abilities were more than enough to win most battles. He checked in with his people and then entered the room.

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  Both women turned toward him. He gave them a curt nod and then took a seat at the head of the table. A table that was a square chunk of stone carved out of the mountain. Despite its simplicity, the thing was functional. It gave the room a rustic feel. One that was amplified by the lack of proper lights. After he took his seat, he turned his attention to his mother just to make sure she was fine. Joshua hadn't been inside, which worried him, but she seemed fine. That didn't mean things were good. The tension between the two was almost palpable.

  "It is good that you've finally joined us." Elsie began before Maximilian cut her off.

  "Yes, you will forgive me for having a prior engagement, and you didn't notify me you were visiting us. I hope your stay has been comfortable."

  He saw a blood vessel in the woman's forehead bulge for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, though I would've liked the chance to see more of your wonderful settlement. Perhaps we can have this conversation somewhere else?"

  "Afraid not. Nubia isn't open for visitors right now. At least those that aren't either refugees or pre-approved visitors. I don't mean to be rude, but would you explain the reason for your visit?"

  She paused for a moment and then nodded her head. "I am sure you recall the terrorist attack during the gala. We have done an accounting, and there are several people missing. We have accounted for the possibility that some died without leaving a body, but the numbers don't add up. Or rather, they hadn't."

  Maximilian leaned back as she passed him a folder. He opened it and then showed its contents to his mother. It was a list of people who were M.I.A. There were five in total, and none were strong enough to be on the leaderboards. With the strongest being level 3. From what he could tell, they were all government employees. Though from different governments in the old world. "I assume you know who the 'Terrorists' are?"

  She nodded and passed over another file. "They call themselves the 'Sons of Retribution'". They are a group that believes the new order gives them a chance to right the wrongs of the old world. They can punish the evil people for what they have done."

  Maximilian had to admit he could see the goal there. He wasn't sure he could call it "Wise" though. He hadn't been directly hurt by the government, so his opinion was likely not the same as theirs, but he would need to do something. He had already decided that crimes from the old world were gone. At least most of them. There were some he couldn't stomach, no matter the excuse. "You don't have the crimes they are accused of listed here?" He asked, though it didn't confuse him. He figured the new government wouldn't agree with any of it.

  "We don't recognize any of that. The old world is gone. That is difficult for many to accept, but it must be done. We would get nothing done if we spent months debating that. By then, the monsters would've wiped us out."

  Maximilian closed the folder and handed it to his mother. "Very well. What is it you want me to do about it? I am not an arm of your government, nor am I interested in fighting a terrorist group." He had expected to see something in her eyes. Fear, worry, or anxiety, yet there was nothing. Only a certainty that disturbed him if only slightly.

  "Our initial analysis tells us you have a strong sense of justice. Can you allow those people to remain captive? Everyone is someone's angel and another's devil. There is no doubt in my mind that those people either are suffering or will suffer. If no one interferes. I don't have the power to save them."

  Maximilian cocked his head at her and resisted the urge to release his killing intent. He was confident he could keep it from hurting her, but he didn't want to risk his mother. He glanced at her when she placed the two folders on the table. She shook her head and placed a hand on Maximilian's shoulder. "Lord Croft would be more than willing to help you, but things are not as simple as they appear. We would not want people to misunderstand and think the government is in a subservient position. Therefore, I must insist on payment for his services. Keeping in mind that he is considered the most powerful man on Earth."

  Maximilian resisted the urge to laugh as Elsie looked like she had been forced to eat a lemon. He considered letting the two of them haggle over the price, but that sounded dull. He wasn't the greatest with money, and most of the time, he preferred to just pay what was asked and get it done. "Give me everything you have on the sons, and I will set out."

  Elsie nodded and handed over another folder. This one had a list of confirmed sightings and potential locations for their base. He went over and was heading out when he realized something. There was no way these people could make these journeys on their own. He was strong enough to do it, but people under level 5? He doubted it. Not unless they had some way to avoid the journey. If he assumed they had infiltrated the UWG, it could explain how they got in, but they shouldn't have access to the teleporters. He considered asking Elise for more details but decided against it. He wasn't sure she would tell the truth, and he also doubted she knew. He could tell the power plays were still in effect. A short walk later, he was back outside and debating what to do. He was no doubt leaving on a trip. One that would take him away for a few weeks, if not a couple of months. Which meant his settlement would be unprotected. He did a quick trip to make sure all the array flags were in place. He hated to think it, but this could be an excuse to get him out of Nubia.

  He had other reasons for leaving, of course. The opportunity to face new and powerful monsters was something he couldn't pass up. If each of the locations listed held something new for him, it might be enough to push him to level 27. Even if it wasn't, it would be enough for a long cultivation session to push him to the final step. When he finished checking the arrays, he instructed Nezha to keep them going at full power. He left most of his spirit stones with the assistant and then dumped the rest of his ring. The meat he had stored was useless by now, and he had no interest in keeping it with him. With that finished, he decided to stock up on everything he could. He bought several sets of healing pills. He was somewhat certain he would have to deal with injured people while he was gone. Next, he purchased several sets of "rations," which were barbecued mystery meat. He wasn't sure whether it was mysterious because no one knew the creature's name. Or because everyone wanted to pretend that they weren't eating some monster. Either way, he decided not to ask any more questions than was necessary.

  With his preparations handled, he decided to leave secretly. His mother and Nezha already knew, so he didn't think he needed to tell anyone else. Well, he did warn Meredith and Farrell, though that was more out of his personal desire than any sense of responsibility. With that handled, he decided to wait until Elise and her people were gone before he set out. Almost two hours after they arrived, they left, and Maximilian set off. He entered the teleporter and made three jumps to reach the edges of the civilized area. The informer zone was what the UWG considered safe enough for travel. Personally, he wouldn't say most of that space was safe, but it wasn't his choice. It also marked the point where the forest gave way to a rolling grassland. A great grass sea that made him equal parts excited and curious. It was time to start a Mini adventure.