It is, in fact, the same gathering place we were almost not let out of yesterday. The guards are different, though, and don’t recognize us, so we don’t get any trouble. It’s still a lot of humans, but they seem to have expanded to a few nearby buildings, and more tents have been set up.

  Organized. It’s organized, there is food, there is water. So what’s the trouble? I know something is off.

  The safe zone doesn’t envelop the entire place, but I do eventually feel it take hold. It’s half an enforced rule, half an agreement. Anyone who breaks it will be punished, and retribution against them is acceptable, or so my intuition says.

  It makes the air smell faintly of plastic. An artificial, chemical sorta smell. Like wearing a too-tight shirt.

  But I bear with it. I don’t fight it, don’t suppress it. I just solidify more mana within my pocket. Out of sight of anyone else, I make a handful of needles, keeping my mana just below full at all times.

  I’m a little curious. I’ve been able to determine the level and species of other things before. Like when I looked at the wolf, or the first dreadarmor. But it’s not worked on other humans yet. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough? Something to consider.

  Then, a second effect slithers alongside the safe zone.

  It’s a smaller area, and much less noticeable. In fact, I can barely tell it’s active… but I have myself, Inu and Thatch selected. And so, I notice the change.

  A tiny, insidious little bit of mana. A domain in a domain, a spell hidden beneath the safe zone. It’s a minor thing, just enough to instill a feeling of safety, and belonging. Loyalty, maybe?

  Fucking disgusting.

  Norman doesn’t notice, simply walking forward with a smile. “This is lovely,” he says. “Can we weather the entire apocalypse here?”

  Our guide nods. “That’s the plan, as far as I know. Most people end up volunteering to find others, though. Indomitable human spirit and all that, right?” he grins.

  Inu’s dad nods conspiratorially. “Of course. Gotta stick together.”

  “We fend off goblins every now and then, so don’t worry too much if you hear gunshots,” the guide notifies us. “Let me show you around.”

  - - -

  I [Suppress] the insidious nature of the safe zone on me, Inu, and Thatch. Opal and Sylves are too far behind. I know they’re out there, that much I’m sure of, but I don’t know where. That’s fine, though. They are strong.

  But still. Things are annoying. We’re shown where we can sleep, where we can get food and water, where we can get taken care of if we’re hurt. And finally, he wants to introduce us to the mayor.

  So, we head to the largest house around. Two police officers stand in front, decked out in bulletproof vests and larger guns. I don’t pay them much mind, even as they eye us suspiciously. We get waved through.

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  There’s a secretary, too, telling us that the mayor has time right now. She has a polite smile. Inu flinches from the effects of [Empathy]. Norman doesn’t notice, but Jess does. Her face falls a bit more with each passing second.

  Ornate double doors open into an opulent office. It’s got a name plaque, but I don’t care. The mayor is just the mayor. I don’t think he deserves a name.

  He stands at the window, hands clasped behind his back. His suit is pristine, without any blood marring it. And yet, when my senses brush up against him, I get that instinctual kind of window. The one that tells me what someone is about.

  [Mayor, lv. 18]

  There is a distinct difference to it. I don’t know how to identify humans like that yet. It didn’t even work on Richard or Dar. Yet, on this guy, it works.

  “Oh, more members of our little zone,” he says, turning to greet us. He is clean shaven, hair slicked back, smelling of strong deodorant. “Welcome. I do hope you haven’t suffered too much out there.”

  I can hear the clicks of his tongue in his mouth. The way he talks disgusts me, and yet, I don’t mind him talking. Gently, I twist my mana, [Suppressing] that affection. I want to know how he got his levels. Should I [Deconstruct] him?

  “Not too much,” Norman says. “We spent some time gathering everyone we cared for.”

  “Then I hope you’ve brought them all here!” the mayor says, laughing a little. “Don’t worry. Everything is under control. All we need to do is bring more people to safety here. Humans ought to stick together, yes?” he asks, chuckling again.

  Slowly, his eyes pass over our group, lasting just a little too long on each member. When he looks away from me, I [Select] him. For a brief moment he stops. I wait, keeping the connection from my skill faint. It’s weak, a tiny touch of mana, the tendril hidden away. I use my skill with mana to hide it as best as I can.

  A moment passes.

  The mayor moves on, smiling all the while.

  “I won’t take up too much of your time,” he says. “I simply wish to welcome you into our little community. Let me know if anything troubles you, and we’ll see it taken care of.”

  “Of course,” Norman nods. “Thank you.”

  “Good lad,” the mayor laughs, patting Norman’s shoulder. “Now, you go and get settled in, yes?”

  Norman nods again. “Yessir.”

  And with that, we’re off.

  All that remains is a tiny tether, upheld by a faint part of my mind, connecting me to the mayor.

  - - -

  We get a room assigned to us. A handful of rooms that we sit in. Thatch, Inu, and me in one. We don’t talk. But we do communicate. [Empathy] lets us share emotions and impressions, and with [Piercing Gaze], Thatch can catch more glimpses of what Inu and I are thinking of.

  And yeah. There’s no doubt. This stinks to high heaven. The mayor is too high-level. Inu felt grossed out by him, and her [Empathy] had been acting funny. Thatch was keeping [Rage] running at low intensity, burning the insidious affection for the mayor to fuel his skill.

  Norman, though, seems entirely unbothered. He’s not stupid, per se, but he has never had any run-ins with authority, clearly. Inu feels apologetic for her dad, but no one is mad at her.

  What made the mayor’s level so high? Part of it is definitely experience from a class. Did he unlock one before level 10? Is his class sponsored? It identified him as mayor, so does identifying someone reveal their class instead of species when strong enough?

  So many questions, so few answers. Inu decides to head out and see about getting a few answers. I, meanwhile, use my tether to the mayor to investigate. It’s faint and distant, but I have him selected. As long as he can’t cut the tether, he can’t stop me from using it on him.

  Maybe what I’m about to do he will notice, but I don’t care. As Inu gets up and heads out to ask some questions, I activate [Deconstruction]. I reach into that magical toolbox, and pick out tweezers, for now. Just a tiny instrument to grab bits of info.

  I smile. Let’s see just how much I can learn before I get in trouble.