Cecelia briskly walked from the building, glancing around as she searched for Ron. It wasn’t in her nature to have caused such a social fumble. She prided herself on control—knowing exactly what to say and when.

  Yet she had made a mistake.

  Sure, she didn’t actually feel as if she had said anything wrong, however, simply poor timing.

  So she would find Ron, and see if she could sort this situation out before it festered.

  After quickly asking for assistance and politely brushing off any questions from people approaching her, she located Ron within the crumbled building. He was shooting arrows into a wall that had a target drawn onto it. His shots were varying in aim, some hitting the bullseye and others veering off slightly.

  “Those are some nice shots,” Cecelia complimented as she walked towards him.

  He briefly glanced her way before going back to shooting again.

  Alright, you knew this wouldn’t be easy. Take it slow now, she told herself.

  “I’d like to clear up the earlier situation. I stand by what I said. But my timing was off. For that, I’d like to apologise.” She patted a rock nearby. “Can we sit and discuss it further?”

  “It’s fine,” Ron replied bluntly, not looking her way. The arrow in his fingers creaked as he drew it a fraction too far.

  Something was bothering her. Curiosity had reared its head, and once it did she would not stop until it was satiated.

  “Whilst I will admit that you and I have never really spoken, nor interacted much, I have kept my eye on you.” She had sat down, her head on her fist as she continued. “Your quiet nature may seem like simply a disinterest in speaking but that’s not quite right, is it?”

  Ron’s expression changed as he looked at her, eyes showing vulnerability.

  Smiling slightly, she continued, “Bjorn has worked with you for years, his wife probably knows all about you. Yet they don’t know the real you, do they?”

  “What do you want?” he asked, in a low confrontational tone, not yet approaching.

  Continuing to smile without faltering, she sat upright. “I simply wish to know more about you. Why do you feel it necessary to be silent when you seem to want to say more? The only time you speak is when something must be said. Which, by the way, is a feeling I used to abide by when I first entered here.”

  “Only speak when the Lord needs to know,” he said solemnly, as if reciting a mantra.

  Slightly confused, she enquired further, “I somewhat grasp what you are saying, but I’d appreciate an explanation.”

  He seemed to deliberate the thought for a moment, his face twisting in emotions as he clenched and unclenched his jaw and fists.

  Ron hesitated, his eyes distant for a moment as memories surfaced unbidden. He exhaled slowly, lowering his bow.

  “I was raised in a household that believed speaking without purpose was sinful. My father always said, ‘Only speak when the Lord needs to know,’ and he decided what the Lord wanted to hear.”

  His voice became quieter, burdened by bitterness and old pain. “Words had consequences, especially idle ones.” His fingers tightened around the bowstring until his knuckles blanched. “Silence was my shield. It was safer.”

  Cecelia felt the weight behind his words at last, the careful quiet he carried suddenly making sense. She nodded once, slow and deliberate.

  “Thank you for trusting me with that,” she said, her voice genuine. “Truly.”

  She paused, choosing her words with care this time.

  “Whether the Lord you were raised to believe in is real or not isn’t for me to decide. And I won’t try to take that from you.”

  Her gaze sharpened slightly as she stood tall.

  “But I will say this. Words should be chosen with intent, yes.”

  She stepped closer.

  “But silence born of fear is still a shackle.”

  She gripped his shoulders firmly, forcing him to meet her eyes. He flinched. Just barely.

  “This world stripped away the rules that bound you before. Whatever watched you then is not the one deciding your worth now.”

  Her grip tightened, not unkindly.

  “Forge your own path, Ron. Speak when you choose to speak. Act when you decide to act. That power is yours now, no one else’s.”

  She released him gently, smoothing the fabric of his sleeve as if grounding him back in the moment.

  “Leo will likely come to me soon, eager to fight something dangerous,” she added with a quiet chuckle. “Come find me when you decide what your next step is.”

  She walked away, curiosity satisfied.

  Ron stood still, arms dangling at his side as her words settled in.

  He wasn’t ready to break every chain.

  But perhaps… he could loosen one.

  “I will,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

  ~

  Leo burst from the building, energy thrumming through his limbs as he dashed, spotting Cecelia just ahead leaving Building A—the one that housed the Goliath corpse.

  “Hey, Cece!” he called out over the crowd. Heads turned but he paid them no mind.

  Leo was next to her in moments, crossing the last bit of distance with his new windstep. Wind tugged at her hair, snapping it across her cheek.

  The sudden burst of speed made her rock back a step, but she recovered almost instantly, composure snapping back into place.

  “I assume you wish to go fight something?” she asked, almost rhetorically.

  Leo’s mouth partly open, he nodded. “How did you know?”

  Her look was all the confirmation he needed.

  “I have not had the chance to assemble the optimal groups yet for scouting the surrounding area,” Cecelia said with a sigh. “I have plans, but they require us to be more organised. Plus, people need some rest after last night.”

  “Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” Leo agreed, scratching the back of his head. “See, I wasn’t really looking for a group, more just a heads up that I’d like to go out and fi– scout the area! And maybe test a few things.”

  “While I would try to deny anyone else under the guise of saving their life, I believe that you will have no issues. Just-” She sighed again, long and tired.

  “Just try not to bring back a Goliath. I meant it—these people need a break.” She righted a stray hair that fell onto her face. “Report back to me what you find out there. Be safe, and be smart. I meant what I said earlier, if perhaps for the moment. You are our strongest combatant.”

  She really did have a way with words, somehow managing to compliment him and insult his intelligence at the same time. Leo decided to not dwell on the possible meaning behind her insinuations, nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.

  “I’ll be careful!” he said, already leaving. “I’ve left most of the potions and supplies with Ash. If something terrible happens, get someone with a flashy skill to shoot into the sky!”

  Finally free, he dashed down the alleyway between the buildings. He ran swiftly through the winding, narrow corridors with the grace of an alley cat and the speed of an olympic sprinter.

  Spotting a building with some solid, potential footholds, he leapt up, grasping an outcropping and pulling himself up higher.

  As he was midair he tried using his boots’ dash to go higher. The ability responded, shooting him up two metres and onto the final outcrop.

  Pulling himself up, he landed in a crouch, grin spreading across his face like a kid on a sugar rush.

  That felt so damn cool. I take back anything bad I thought about these boots.

  Walking with purpose, he strolled to the edge of the building and looked out over what he could see of the city, taking a deep breath of air to relax him.

  Behind him, he could see the current basecamp, the structures being incredibly obvious. Slightly further over he spotted what looked to be ‘the pitch’ as he had internally dubbed it. He briefly had the faces of Reggie and crew flash through his mind but quickly doused them.

  They deserved what they got.

  What interested him more was the Tower and area around it. From this distance, maybe a few miles out, the Tower looked to be so magnanimous. Reaching high above the height of the dome with its shimmering crystal. Its partner tower was parallel to it, peeking over on the other side of the dome. It would take a long time to make his way round to that one.

  He was curious what was behind the dome. The System spoke of the Queen during the blood moon event, which implied that there was some sort of leader to these ants. It made sense if she was protected behind a shield.

  The first step on getting through that dome was the Tower, so it was time to start making his way there—if only to scout it out for now. He wouldn’t do anything stupid like attract a Goliath… probably. At least not on purpose.

  “Now that I see this place with different eyes, it sure is beautiful.”

  He summoned the egg from his soul-space, holding it gently in his hands.

  “I hope you hatch and get to see this place, then I’ll show you Earth—or whatever it’s become. Until then I’ll make sure you’re safe.” He almost swore he felt some kind of emotion come from it, barely a whisper. Something soft and warm that made him smile.

  The egg vanished once again, safely stored within him. He tried not to think about the fact he was basically a mother goose sitting on an egg. But if the thought crossed his mind, it definitely had crossed Ashley’s.

  As he was looking dramatically into the distance, as if posing for an album cover, he spotted a group of antlings roaming a nearby street below him. Identifying them, he saw they were no higher than level 9, with a level 11 soldier with them.

  “Not exactly a Goliath, but enough to test this new skill on.”

  Leaping from the building, he slid down the wall of an opposite building. His momentum slowed as his boots and hand took a bit of a scraping. It was barely enough to leave a scratch thanks to his Stoneskin.

  When he was about three metres from the ground he let go, hitting the ground and landing on one knee, fist impacting the stone.

  Superhero landing, check.

  Standing slowly, he looked upon the ants that had entered the street with a predatory gaze.

  They screeched upon seeing him, instantly charging him in their pack of three, with the Soldier sitting back as if commanding.

  Leo lunged at the center antling, fist already cocked, and drove it forward with brutal force. As he swung, his fist started to glow with a dull red before quickly brightening and being engulfed in a small flame. Heat crawled up from his knuckles to his shoulder, prickling under his skin.

  A fiery explosion blasted out as it connected, causing the walls to shudder slightly under the power. It caught both the other ants in the vicinity, singeing them as they staggered back. The ant that suffered his full Crimson Impact was not as lucky.

  Its head was completely incinerated.

  While it didn’t have the largest physical impact, the fire damage was incredible. It was like the ant had been cooked by a flamethrower until charcoal. It shortly collapsed under its own weight.

  You have slain: Lesser Antling - Level 9

  Experience Gained

  +10 Store Credits

  Damn, if that didn’t feel amazing.

  It was a very welcomed skill to his repertoire. He could tell it had even given him a stack of damage from his Iron Repetition before fading as the ant perished.

  Burn marks spread across the other antlings, worsening by the second.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Is that some kind of burning damage? he wondered briefly.

  With no way of finding out, he quickly dispatched the two remaining antlings. One with a Powerful Haymaker and the other a Frost Lance combined with a well timed kick.

  Time for the main dish.

  Leo moved as soon as the Soldier Antling did, meeting its charge head on. His Agility stat was by far his highest so it wasn’t even a competition when it came to speed. The ant may as well have been taking a casual stroll.

  Unsure on how to exactly make his new skill—Echoing Talon—work, but with a basic intrinsic feeling, he attempted to use it.

  He ducked sharply beneath the snapping mandibles, feeling their serrated edges whistle past his face. Twisting smoothly, he drove his foot deep into the ant’s side, feeling the crunch of its chitinous armor beneath his boot.

  Striking hard and causing the ant to stagger back, Leo continued the chain, his stance shifted fluidly, carrying the momentum as his second strike struck low, sweeping two of the legs out as they crumbled. The thud echoed off the walls.

  With the enemy off-balance, he didn't wait.

  His body coiled and released, his heel striking out in a soaring arc as he felt all the contained power within his skill be unleashed in the final strike. It came like lightning, a blur that shattered the enemy's chitin, fully destroying the ant’s head.

  The notification came before the body fully hit the ground.

  You have slain: Soldier Antling - Level 11

  Experience Gained

  +22 Store Credits

  “Hell yeah. That felt amazing,” Leo said, wiping some green ichor from his face.

  With the other three antlings and this soldier, he’d gained another 52 SC. He now had enough to purchase another Essence Crystal and would definitely do so after seeing his Fire skill work.

  He was a bit apprehensive about immediately using it, however. The idea of having too many skills to learn and master at once could be a bad thing, ultimately making him weaker.

  In the end, he figured that it would be best to just learn what he could and practice them over time. Just because he had more skills, didn’t mean he had to use all of them every fight.

  Purchasing an Essence crystal with his newly acquired credits, he willed it to activate.

  A notification appeared before him. With the intensified experience coming along with it.

  You have unlocked the Ice Essence skill: Cryo Shatter (Common)

  Cryo shatter (Common)

  You have learned to detonate the frost with precision.

  When triggered, it causes all nearby Frozen or Chilled zones, even those on enemies, to violently rupture outwards into shards, dealing bonus Ice damage in a small radius and staggering affected targets.

  Requires a Frost-afflicted target or area in range.

  Scales with Intelligence

  Cooldown : 30 seconds

  Ice Essence unlocked 2 / 2

  Your bond with the Ice Essence has deepened

  Ice mana now flows through you with greater ease and intensity

  His breath misted in the afternoon sun as he slowly exhaled, relieved as the biting frost faded from his bones. He’d almost broken his teeth with how hard they were chattering.

  He shivered at the thought of unlocking his remaining two Essences.

  The Lightning one will probably fry me…

  Leo’s worry faded quickly, replaced by excitement as his new skill promised countless possibilities. If he had it during the Goliath fight he could have easily detonated the frost patches left by his Frost Lance for increased damage.

  It also didn’t specify that he had to be the one to cause the freezing effect. Unlocking potential synergies if he could find a mage with an Ice Essence. While he could have waited to try the skill on the next ant he encountered, there was no time like the present.

  A Frost Lance shot from his hand, impacting the wall nearby. After leaving a sizable dent in the stone, the patch of frost that came with the skill started to spread. The feeling of his new skill itched in his mind as he looked upon the patch of ice.

  He tried to mentally force the ice to explode, but it seemed to need some kind of trigger or catalyst. The most natural—and also coolest—way he could think of was to snap his fingers.

  So he did.

  *Snap*

  The frost coating suddenly burst into little shards that flew in all directions, some that went his way bounced harmlessly off him as if impacting a bubble shield. The corpses of the ants weren’t so lucky, looking as if they had been the victim of a shotgun blast.

  Leo winced, noticing the damage. “I was meant to store them first," he muttered, hoping at least some remained intact enough to use.

  Finished storing what was left of the ants into his ring, he briefly appreciated that while the chitin and flesh might be a bit unsuitable for crafting, his skill dealt enough penetrative damage to pierce it. A great new weapon for his ever expanding arsenal.

  Leo continued his jog through the streets. The city appeared to be getting far less suburban as he approached the Tower and subsequent dome area. Streets were becoming more open and looked to be more like boulevards that one would see a hosted festival parade or bustling market stalls.

  The architecture changed from the copy and pasted houses to more intricate stone that invited the eyes. Admittedly, it was rather distracting, causing the self-appointed scouting mission to be a bit more of a tourist venture. He felt free. Truly enjoying this new world and his day so far.

  A man’s scream of pain echoed out as he was casually walking through the strangely empty streets.

  “There’s always something to ruin it.”

  Leo immediately tried to pinpoint the location. Judging it to be either down one alley or another—but definitely on his right—he went full speed into action.

  The sounds of fighting grew louder as he approached, he begged to make it in time.

  A brutal and bloody battleground lay before his eyes. He quickly spotted a group of four individuals—in varying class attire and levels of injury—battling a swarm of around six antlings, led by a soldier with a variation he hadn’t spotted before. He quickly identified the whole crowd as he made his entrance.

  Human - Level 11

  Human - Level 10

  Human - Level 12

  Human - Level 10

  Lesser Antling - Level 9

  Lesser Antling - Level 10

  Lesser Antling - Level 10

  Lesser Antling - Level 11

  Antling Soldier - Level 14

  Antling Spitter - Level 10

  He was initially taken aback by all of their levels, being level 12 meant that they had been fighting for quite a while. The antlings were also a higher level than he was used to. The Soldier was almost the same level as the Mawroot alpha!

  Trying not to show his excitement and instead focusing on assisting, Leo only licked his bottom lip slightly.

  “Coming in!” Leo called, instantly targeting the Antling spitter.

  One should always focus the ranged enemies first if possible, second only after the healer.

  Leo activated the dash from his boots, using the burst of momentum to throw his conjured Frost Lance with added force. The spear of ice roared through the air as the Soldier and Spitter turned to face him.

  Leo kept moving as the Lance completely impaled the Spitter, its body being flung back by the force of it. The ice that was starting to spread exploded as he snapped his fingers, launching shards of ice into both of his opponents.

  As the Soldier screeched in pain, Leo was already upon it.

  His fist glowed with heat, whilst his body burned with energy, steam rising from his skin.

  The impact detonated with a resounding bang, causing a flaming explosion that tore the chitin apart with the strength of the flames.

  It staggered back as some ichor splattered him. It snapped out angrily in response.

  Its strike was coming up short from where it was trying to impale Leo, but the fight Cecelia had with the Soldier flashed through his mind, the glowing, extending mandibles that impaled her.

  Leo was wary but didn’t let up his aggression. Preparing himself for the extended mandible attack, he tried to make more room to dodge. His Voltaic Reflex went absolutely haywire all of a sudden as its mandibles opened.

  But they did not extend.

  A torrent of fire spewed out.

  Flames engulfed him. His vision shimmered as the world warped orange.

  They seared his flesh—even through the Stoneskin. He grit his teeth against the agony, skin blistering as his protective layer began cracking under the intense heat.

  Leo rolled away with all the speed he could, blocking his face from the flames. Once free, he looked at the soldier with new eyes. Not literally, as thankfully they hadn’t burned from his skull. That would have been a tricky one to explain to Ashley as she tried to heal him.

  He glanced over at the four fighters, assessing their battle. It seemed to be going fairly well now that Leo had taken the aggro of the other ants and main threat.

  Another scream told him it was the archer of the group who had screamed previously. He had a burning wound, dripping a sickly green while it was being healed. Defending them was a knight and warrior.

  The torrent of flames finally let up. Leo looked at the wound he’d given the ant and noticed it hadn’t hit as hard as he’d expected.

  Fire resistance maybe? Makes sense I suppose. About as much sense as the thing randomly breathing fire.

  A prickle of frustration started to bubble up inside his chest. Not his bloodline, he realised, just his own feelings. The realisation gave him an idea, one that would hopefully turn out well.

  Leo focused on the idle storm within his core.

  A small portion of it started to flow to the surface under his control. It was like cracking open a pressure valve for the tiniest of moments.

  His muscles locked for half a heartbeat. His fingers trembled as he forced them open. Lightning crackled through his channels as he felt the power waiting to be unleashed.

  Pushing himself into a rush towards the soldier again, Leo called out, “Knock them back and take cover!”

  To the Knight’s credit, he didn’t hesitate.

  A surge of wind emanating from the Knight’s shield sent the attacking ants colliding backwards as they tumbled under the force of the blow.

  Leo smiled even brighter as he saw the ants being grouped. His smile faded as he felt the need to unleash his skill, something was building and it was more than he expected.

  Leaping as high as his Agility would take him, he held both his palms out as he unleashed his once a day skill.

  Call of the Storm.

  Static danced across his teeth as loose grit skittered across the stones at his feet. Lightning danced down his arms, carried by the wind that drew it to his fingertips. It fired.

  A blast of lightning and wind impacted the antlings as waves of power thrashed them in a small storm of the respective elements. The antlings twitched and screeched in pain as the attack overwhelmed them. Their carapaces shredded with the strength of the razor winds, with even Leo feeling the force of the blow from a good distance away.

  The knight took cover behind his shield, standing strong between the storm and his group.

  By the time the storm ended a few seconds later, Leo saw there was absolutely zero chance those lesser antlings survived.

  “Damn, no wonder it’s once a day,” he said quietly, transfixed by the devastation he caused. His arms trembled faintly as the power drained away, nothing he couldn’t shake off.

  Wrenched from his thoughts by a sparking tug, he realised the soldier was now basically upon him, free from the storm but damaged. He’d been aiming at the lesser antlings mostly.

  A spear wreathed in lightning struck from the side as the Warrior from this group had suddenly charged in. The antling recoiled in pain as it was brutally impaled by the flanking attack.

  Using this opportunity to launch a strike of his own, his haymaker, humming with power, sent its face rocking back, its chitin cracked where he struck.

  It wasn’t quite finished, opening its mandibles in one final attack. Flames began to form but Leo wasn’t going to let it finish. A lance of frost was fired straight through the budding flames, directly through the head and causing the fire to cease.

  It collapsed, quickly on its way to bleeding to death.

  It wasn’t quite quick enough.

  *Snap*

  Shards of ice burst from within its head's exoskeleton. Instantly finishing it.

  You have slain: Antling Spitter - Level 10

  Experience Gained

  +14 Store Credits

  You have slain: Lesser Antling - Level 12

  Experience Gained

  +8 Store Credits

  …

  You have slain: Antling Soldier - Level 14

  Experience Gained

  +35 Store Credits.

  Your Pugilist Class has reached Level 18

  Stat points distributed

  +1 Free Point

  “That went well,” Leo said, his skin tingling as it stitched itself back together over his burns. He shuddered.

  Leo cautiously, but confidently, walked towards the now regrouped fighters, noticing their condition with a glance.

  The knight stood tallest, sturdy and broad-shouldered beneath his dented, once-shining armor. He had short-cropped hair flecked with dirt and blood, and a strong jaw set firm even through exhaustion.

  Next to him was the warrior who had bravely charged the antling. Far younger than the Knight, he had wild dark hair and young, determined eyes that crackled slightly as his spear lost the lightning luster. His leather armor bore numerous fresh gashes, evidence of fierce combat.

  The archer was lean and wiry, clutching a bow tightly in one hand while the other trembled slightly as the healer tended the nasty acid wound on his arm. His sandy-blond hair was matted with sweat, his face pale and sickly.

  Expression calm despite the chaos, the healer gently passed glowing fingers over the archer's wound, her serene expression contrasting sharply with the dirt and grime smeared across her gentle features. Her dark hair was tied neatly back, highlighting eyes that radiated quiet confidence despite clear exhaustion.

  “You guys okay?” Leo asked, walking closer.

  The knight looked at him strangely for a moment, then spoke. “Yeah, thanks to you, mate.” He stepped forward and nodded gratefully. “I’m Nolan. The warrior over there is Gordon. Behind me are Jules, our archer, and Morgan, healer and lifeline.”

  Leo extended a hand, returning Nolan’s firm grip. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Leo.”