Chapter 151

  Alexander approached the first set of doors to the Queen’s office, his footsteps echoing softly across the quiet promenade. He pulled up his status with a thought, the familiar interface materializing in his vision. The quest reward notification continued to blink in the corner, insistent but patient.

  None of them had chosen yet, though he knew he should soon. The opportunity was too valuable to put off much longer.

  —

  [STATUS]

  Alexander Rooke

  | Alias: Machine God

  | Guild: Grimnir (Leader)

  | Alliances: The Royals

  | Designation: Supervillain

  | Bounty: 1,455,000 credits

  | Evaluation: Tier 2 (17% → 19%) — Class A

  ASCENSION POTENTIAL INDEX (API)

  Physical Attributes

  | Strength — 77% → 78%

  | Endurance ? 103 → 115

  | Constitution ? 115

  | Dexterity — 93%

  | Agility — 83%

  Cognitive Attributes

  | Intelligence ? 145

  | Processing Speed ? 134

  | Perception ? 136

  | Focus ? 122 → 125

  | Willpower (Ambition) ? 166 → 174 (+5)

  Power Manifestation

  Machine God (Technopathy) | Class S, Tier 1

  | Efficiency — 100%

  | Control — 100%

  | Output — 73%

  | Adaptation — 95%

  Electrokinesis | Class C → B, Tier 1

  | Efficiency — 84% → 88%

  | Control — 77% → 82%

  | Output — 79% → 86%

  | Adaptation — 75%

  Metallokinesis | Class B, Tier 1

  | Efficiency — 74%

  | Control — 67% → 69%

  | Output — 51% → 52%

  | Adaptation — 54%

  Animachina | Class S, Tier 2

  | Mastery ? 76% → 79%

  Cultivator’s Core | Class B, Tier 1

  | Refinement ? 55% → 59%

  Techniques

  | Blackout

  | Ensoulment

  | Soul Circuit

  Skills

  | Hyperawareness

  Achievements

  | Origin 0 Soul

  | Continue the Dream II

  —

  His efforts on the Sleipnir had not gone unrewarded. The System clearly recognized that they were in a combat situation, despite most of his work occurring before the fight began.

  Alexander glared at the single-point increase in his strength. Once again, he had no explanation for it.

  He sighed and dismissed the display, focusing on the doors ahead.

  Two guards flanked the entrance, their red lacquered armor gleaming under the lights. They held halberds with the easy readiness of soldiers who’d seen real combat. Alexander reached out with his senses as he approached, feeling the familiar pulse of bioelectrical signatures.

  The evaluation came automatically now. Both sat at what he considered roughly one percent into Tier 2, which meant at least one ascended attribute each, possibly more. Impressive, considering the Queen maintained an entire detachment of guards at this level working shifts around her office.

  He said nothing as he passed between them. The doors opened without even a whisper of sound.

  The chamber beyond matched his memory from their first visit. Marble tiles caught the warm golden light. The crescent desk of polished black stone dominated the center of the room. Behind it, Paul rose from his seat, his tailored suit immaculate as always.

  The tall man’s expression was calm and professional. “Welcome back, Sir.”

  Alexander felt the brush of power against his mind. That familiar, subtle pressure. The feather-light touch of the Truthseeker’s ability probing for hostile intent.

  He focused his Will and rebuffed it.

  Paul stiffened. His hands tensed at his sides. “Sir, I must—”

  “No.” Alexander didn’t slow his stride toward the far doors. “From now on, no member of Grimnir suffers your intrusion into their mind.”

  The crimson-armored guards at the inner doors shifted into combat stances. Their weapons came up, edges beginning to shimmer with energy.

  Alexander ignored them entirely.

  “All of this theater and the Queen herself couldn’t stop me from tearing this space station apart if I meant any harm.” He reached out with Technopathy, feeling the electromagnetic locks binding the doors shut. They obeyed his Will without hesitation, mechanisms disengaging with soft clicks. “And she knows it.”

  He gestured, and the doors swung open.

  The guards stepped forward in unison.

  “It’s fine.” The Queen’s voice carried from within, warm with amusement. “Alexander’s a dear friend.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  The guards froze mid-step. Paul remained standing behind his desk, jaw working silently.

  Alexander stepped through into the Queen’s office. The doors closed behind him with a gentle click.

  The space hadn’t changed. Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined the walls, filled with leather-bound tomes, alien artifacts, crystal decanters, and personal treasures that might just as well be trophies or sentimental knickknacks. The massive viewport dominated the far wall, Earth hanging in the void beyond like a sapphire caught in black velvet.

  Valerie stood at the window, her back to him. She turned as he entered and gestured to a chair positioned before her desk.

  Alexander crossed the room and settled into the seat, making himself comfortable. He crossed one leg over the other and took a moment to adjust his pants, smoothing the fabric along his shin.

  Valerie moved to her own chair. As she began to sit, a flicker of surprise crossed her face, barely noticeable. But he caught it. Her gaze had found his left hand.

  Alexander lifted it from where it rested on the armrest. He rotated his hand palm up, watching the light play across the blue-black mixture of metals. His fingers curled inward one by one, forming a fist. Then he relaxed them and lowered his hand back to the armrest.

  “It has been some time, Alexander,” Valerie said. “Have you been well?”

  He smiled, thinking of comfortable dinners and complicated truths. “I’ve had an interesting few weeks.”

  The Queen settled fully into her chair. Her expression had shifted to something more evaluating. “I can see that. Dare I ask what happened?”

  Alexander studied her for a moment. “I’m surprised Spencer hasn’t already informed you.”

  “Ah.” Her smile returned, warmth mixing with something sharper. “I see that our Ace has finally made his move and introduced himself. I’m glad that has been resolved.”

  She leaned back in her chair. “But I’ve had no communication from him since he departed for The Nexus. He’s on the hunt for powerful investors for our shared enterprise.”

  The disconnect registered immediately. She didn’t know Spencer had hitched a ride with them. That he’d joined them for the invasion defense. That he’d departed once they reached The Nexus.

  The information gap was interesting. He wondered if that was just Spencer being Spencer, or if it was intentional on his part.

  “Does he lead The Royals?” Alexander asked.

  She paused, then made a complicated face. “That is a simple question with a very tricky answer. Do you lead Grimnir?”

  “Yes. Even if it wasn’t my intention at first.” Alexander shook his head. “But I understand your point. I still need to know if I’m right in assuming that you can negotiate on behalf of your guild.”

  The Queen leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk. She interlocked her fingers and watched him across her clasped hands. “Yes. The only one who cannot make binding agreements is Jack. He’s a bit unreliable even at the best of times. His strengths lie elsewhere.” She paused. “Truthfully, Ace is just as bad, but he has vision and talents we cannot ignore.”

  Alexander nodded. “Several gateways opened on The Nexus during the sixth invasion. We captured two of them, but the first one belonged to a very powerful cultivator. He came close to killing the four of us that went in, honestly. Losing an arm was the price I paid for his death.”

  Her gaze fixed on the hand, then traveled up to meet his eyes. She smiled widely. “And thus Alexander Rooke becomes part machine! Leaving only part god left to be achieved.”

  Alexander said nothing.

  Her expression changed. The smile remained, but there was curiosity in her eyes. “I get the distinct impression that you came here prepared for a fight, darling. Not physically, but a fight nonetheless.” She tilted her head. “That’s why you were so rude to dear Paul, despite him just doing his job.”

  “No member of Grimnir is to be subjected to any mental influence moving forward.” Alexander kept his voice level. “Consider it the first demand in our formal negotiation of an alliance.”

  Valerie lifted a hand to her mouth. For a moment, genuine surprise flickered across her features. “My dear, you have surprised me. I considered many things possible as you stormed in here, but that was not on my list.”

  “I’m sure you knew we would need to negotiate eventually.”

  “Of course. Eventually.” She studied him with renewed interest. “It just seems so unexpected. I’m just wondering what it is that has so sharpened your edges.”

  “The Prophecy of Eights.”

  “Ah. Yes, I suppose that makes sense.” Valerie’s expression turned thoughtful. “It’s interesting how that particular bit of divination seems to drive some people into such a fervor. Why, poor King hasn’t been back to Earth in almost five years. He’s been working himself into an early grave ever since hearing it.”

  He didn’t take the bait. The Queen was skilled at leading discussions where she wanted them to go, and one of her favorite tactics involved dropping interesting tidbits to fuel curiosity. He’d learned to recognize the pattern.

  “In addition, I want a permanent private dock for my ship, and membership cards for every member of Grimnir with free access to Astra Omnia and reasonable hotel rates.”

  The corner of Valerie’s mouth twitched at the evasion, but she let it go. “I’m willing to forego the truth testing for you and your current members. But I draw the line at unknowns. If you don’t want them scanned, don’t send them to me.”

  Alexander nodded. The compromise was fair. He’d expected resistance on extending the protection to future recruits anyway.

  “Docking for your ship is acceptable as well. Truthfully, I would have assigned you one anyway, so it’s a minor ask.” Valerie paused. “The membership cards are another matter.”

  “I’m not asking for black cards and private concierge services for them. Just free transport and fair rates while they’re on station.”

  “Counter-offer.” She watched him carefully. “Membership cards with free transport, and I’ll sell you the entire wing where your private doorway to the island is housed. You can build your own hotel or boarding rooms or whatever you need.”

  Alexander considered the offer. Owning the space gave them more control and privacy. It also allowed them to secure the doorway to their island lair.

  “Alright, but you’ll have to take the payment out of our revenue earnings until it’s paid off.”

  “Done.” The Queen smiled. “What else?”

  Alexander took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I want all of your superhuman intelligence. Superheroes. Supervillains. Guilds. Prisoners. Vigilantes. All of it.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re recruiting.”

  Valerie laughed, amusement lighting her features. “Very well. Though I’ll need to exclude those who work directly for the Royals. Operational security, you understand.”

  “Of course,” Alexander said. “Also, I need to know if the serum works on humans. If it does, we need access to it.”

  The Queen’s smile faded. She shook her head. “It does, but the mortality rate is considerably higher. I don’t recommend it.”

  Alexander filed that away. The modified serum was out then. They’d need to find another source. “Understood. The last thing I need is a commitment to establish additional private doorways across Earth in the future.”

  “Whatever for?”

  Alexander shrugged. “War. Or whatever else gets thrown at us. The Throne of Scales are in the process of establishing their presence up and down the West Coast of America. You’re up here. King is on Mars.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to go out on a limb and assume there are a lot of other powers staking their claim as we head toward whatever calamity is coming.”

  The Queen rose from her chair. She moved to a cabinet along the wall and pulled out a crystal decanter filled with amber liquid. Two glasses followed. She poured generous measures into each without asking what he wanted.

  “You would be correct.” She returned to the desk and handed him one of the glasses before reclaiming her seat. “And you intend to use Astra Omnia and our doorways as a hub for your operations?”

  “Exactly.”

  The Queen sipped from her own glass. “And what is Grimnir offering in return for all of this?”

  Alexander took a drink. The liquor had a rich, complex aroma. Smooth and expensive. “First, we’ll agree to a mutual defense pact that covers all of our home territories. That includes Grimnir’s island and any established bases. Astra Omnia and your local space. Your holdings on Mars. Anything else reasonable, such as your most important operations on Earth.”

  He paused. “And no, that doesn’t include every nightclub, casino, and titty bar run by Jack.”

  The Queen laughed again. “You’re learning. Jack would absolutely try to leverage that clause for his more questionable ventures.”

  “We’ll also agree to share all superhuman intelligence and invasion information.” Alexander watched her carefully. “That includes System-related knowledge and anything that might pertain to becoming divine.”

  Her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around her glass. She said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

  “This ties into my earlier request. We need your intelligence now, but as things begin to change on Earth, and given that Grimnir will be down there dealing with it while you’re up here and on Mars, you’ll benefit just as much, if not more.” Alexander took another sip of his drink. “We’ve already learned things about the awakening process. The precise steps required and why some people fail after taking the serum.”

  The Queen went very still. “Elaborate.”

  “A quest reward laid it out explicitly. Part of what we gained from helping those aliens return home.”

  She absorbed that in silence. Her expression turned calculating. “Continue with your offer.”

  “We’ll also assist you in improving Astra Omnia’s defenses. Augustus’s runes, Talia’s enchantments, and anything I can do.” Alexander paused. “I’ll also provide you with advanced shield emitter technology obtained from the Nexus. It’s a couple of generations older than their best, but they still far outperform what the UEG has.”

  The Queen went absolutely still. Her playful demeanor vanished completely as she processed that. When she spoke again, her voice carried weight. “That is… quite the offer.”

  “Yes. But you’re not permitted to reverse-engineer or sell the technology.”

  “Still potentially the most valuable thing anyone has ever offered me.” She studied him with new intensity. “Timeline for the runes and enchantments?”

  “They’ll both be busy for the immediate future, so you’ll need to be flexible. And obviously, the process may take months, or even a year or more.”

  The Queen was quiet for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly. “That’s acceptable, with the caveat that should there be urgent circumstances, the work becomes a priority.”

  “Agreed.”

  She raised her glass and took a long drink. “You’ve thought this through.”

  “I’ve had time.”

  “And if our interests conflict?”

  “Then we negotiate in good faith. We find solutions that work for both parties.”

  The Queen was silent. She swirled the liquor in her glass, watching the patterns it made. Earth continued its slow rotation beyond the viewport, oblivious to the negotiation taking place above it.

  Finally, she looked up. “Alright. You have your alliance.”

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  Continue the Dream.