Tess stepped through the freighter’s loading doors mid-afternoon, the

  weight of the day settling into her shoulders like physical cargo. The

  familiar smell of recycled air and machine oil washed over her—home.

  Marcus was in the main hold, half-buried in the navigation console’s

  access panel. Tools were spread across the deck in organized chaos. He

  looked up as she entered, took one look at her face, and set down his

  plasma welder.

  “How bad was it?”

  Tess dropped her tool belt on the workbench. “There really was a

  washing machine.”

  Marcus blinked. “Bee told me all about it. I enjoy being able to talk

  to her while you’re gone, she keeps me informed.”

  BEE: I relayed seventeen status updates during your

  absence.

  “The washing machine had been sabotaged,” Tess said, crossing to the

  small galley. “Petra disabled every safety protocol and forced it to

  overload. Three skill crystals shattered simultaneously.”

  “And you fixed it.”

  “And I fixed it.” She pulled open the storage locker. “With a

  jerry-rigged bracket from a decommissioned dryer and a mysterious blank

  skill crystal that Sara Tertian just happened to have in her

  pocket.”

  Marcus let out a low whistle. “A blank crystal? Didn’t know those

  still existed.”

  “That’s what I said.” Tess grabbed a packet of rehydrated eggs and

  paused. Something sat on the counter, wrapped in cloth and still

  radiating warmth. She unwrapped it.

  Real bread, fresh-baked with a golden crust that crackled under her

  fingers.

  BEE: Renna delivered it approximately forty-three minutes

  ago. She said, and I quote, “Tell Tess she needs to eat something that

  isn’t gray sludge for once.”

  Tess tore off a piece and bit into it. Still warm. The flavor hit her

  tongue, yeasty and rich. Such a difference from the stew and bread she’d

  had at the estate. This was simpler, rougher, but it tasted like

  home.

  “Come on,” Marcus said, climbing out from under the console. “We’re

  eating together, and you’re going to tell me everything.”

  They sat at the small table in the galley. Tess rehydrated the eggs

  while Marcus cut the bread into thick slices. The eggs came out pale

  yellow and slightly rubbery, tasting vaguely of protein and salt. The

  bread made them almost edible.

  “Start from the beginning,” Marcus said.

  Tess explained. The receiving hall and Jeremy’s professional

  courtesy. The destroyed washing machine. Sara Tertian appearing with

  actual food that had been prepared by someone who knew what they were

  doing.

  “And then Duke Amos offered me ongoing house calls,” she said,

  pushing the eggs around her plate. “Case-by-case work. Access to their

  workshop, their component inventory, whatever resources I need.”

  Marcus took a bite of bread, chewing thoughtfully. “How much?”

  Tess pulled the credit chit from her pocket and slid it across the

  table.

  Marcus picked it up, looked at the number, and went still.

  “Three thousand credits,” he said. “For two hours of work.”

  “He said it was fair compensation.”

  “It’s a down payment.” Marcus set the chit down carefully. “Tess,

  that’s not payment for fixing a washing machine. That’s payment for your

  attention. For making you feel valued. For setting the baseline so every

  future offer seems reasonable by comparison.”

  Bee’s voice came through the speakers. “I have been analyzing

  potential motivations for House Tertian’s interest in Tess beyond

  standard repair services. I currently have sixty-one hypotheses on the

  list.”

  Tess groaned. “Bee, please don’t.”

  “Hypothesis one: Training Tess as an elite political assassin with

  access to dungeon systems for infiltration and elimination of rival

  houses.”

  “What?” Tess nearly choked on her eggs.

  “Hypothesis two: Genetic analysis to determine if her class can be

  replicated through…”

  “Bee,” Marcus interrupted, but he was grinning. “That’s not

  helping.”

  “Understood. Saving hypotheses for future reference.”

  Tess buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe the dungeon AI

  thinks I’m going to be an assassin.”

  “You’d be terrible at it,” Marcus said. “Too honest.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I mean it as a compliment.” He tore off another piece of bread. “You

  know I spent twenty years delving, right? Made it to Level 11 before the

  Aether exposure got too bad. It used to be a lot denser, especially the

  deeper floors.”

  “I know.”

  “I worked with a lot of teams. Good people, mostly. But there was

  this one guy, Halden. Level 14 Operator. Smart, competent, knew dungeon

  systems better than anyone I’d met.” Marcus’s expression darkened.

  “House Morrigan offered him a contract on another world. Great pay,

  access to their private research facility, all the tools he could want.

  He took it.”

  Tess waited.

  “Six months later, he shows up at the dock district looking like

  hell. Turns out the contract had clauses. Exclusivity agreements.

  Non-compete restrictions. He couldn’t take other work, couldn’t share

  his research, couldn’t even leave their facility without permission.

  They owned him. And when he tried to walk away, they sued him for breach

  of contract and took everything he’d earned.”

  “That’s awful.”

  “The worst part?” Marcus met her eyes. “Halden swore they’d lied to

  him. Said the contract had been different when he agreed to it. But he’d

  signed it without reading every line because they made him feel valued.

  Important. Like they were partners.”

  Tess looked at the credit chit. Three thousand credits.

  “I’m not saying Duke Amos is like House Morrigan,” Marcus continued.

  “I’m saying these people play long games. They’re politicians. Powerful

  rulers. Likely extremely high level. They may as well be living on a

  different planet. Even if their intentions are good, their methods are

  layers deep.”

  “I calculate a 73% probability that Duke Amos has multiple

  contingency plans for any agreement with Tess. Though, I have little of

  a baseline. It just makes sense.”

  “Great, Bee,” Tess muttered. “That’s comforting.”

  “But,” Marcus said, “the work is real. The pay is real. And you need

  both to keep leveling. You saved Petra because you’re good at what you

  do. If House Tertian wants to pay you for more of the same, that’s not

  inherently bad.”

  “So you think I should take it?”

  “I think you should go in with your eyes open. Set boundaries. Make

  them put everything in writing. And the second it feels wrong, leave.”

  He pushed the credit chit back toward her. “But yeah. Take the work. We

  could use it.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Tess pocketed the chit. “There’s more.”

  She told him about the receiving hall scene. Petra storming in. The

  security footage showing Petra accidentally destroying the washing

  machine. Duke Amos using it as a political lesson about promises and

  leverage.

  Marcus’s jaw tightened. “He used you as a teaching prop.”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s…” He took a breath. “That’s exactly what I meant about

  layers. He really needed the washing machine fixed. He really wanted to

  meet you. And he absolutely used the entire situation to show political

  maneuvering to his daughter.”

  “Petra apologized.”

  “I’m sure she did.” Marcus stood and started clearing the plates.

  “And I’m sure she meant it. But Tess, you need to understand something.

  House Tertian’s motto is Competence over Loyalty. They value results

  more than relationships. That’s not necessarily bad, but it means every

  interaction is transactional at some level.”

  Tess helped him stack the dishes. “So what do I do?”

  “Be transactional back. Fix their systems. Take their money. But

  don’t give them loyalty they haven’t earned. And don’t let them make you

  feel like you owe them anything beyond good work for ridiculous

  pay.”

  “This is excellent advice. I am logging it for future reference.”

  Bee’s voice sounded amused.

  Kade’s voice echoed through the hold. “Tess! You home?”

  “In here,” Tess called.

  Kade appeared in the galley doorway, hauling a bag of nutrient paste

  pouches. He took three steps, saw the bread on the counter, and threw

  the bag to the side.

  “Is that bread?” he demanded. “Real bread?”

  “Renna dropped it off,” Marcus said.

  “Oh thank god. I’ve been eating reconstituted protein for three days

  straight, and I think my taste buds are dying.” Kade dropped into the

  chair Tess had vacated and tore off a massive chunk of bread. “So what’d

  I miss?”

  “Tess went to the Tertian estate,” Marcus said.

  Kade’s eyes went wide. “Wait, what?”

  “There was a washing machine,” Tess said.

  Kade stared at her. “You’re kidding.”

  “A very expensive, very sabotaged one.”

  Kade took a bite of bread, chewing slowly. “Okay, I’m going to need

  the whole story.”

  Tess explained. Again. The estate, the repair, Sara Tertian’s dry

  humor, Duke Amos’s proposal. She pulled out the credit chit and set it

  on the table.

  Kade picked it up, looked at the number, and nearly dropped it.

  “What the hell, Tess. That’s almost enough to buy a hauler.”

  “For fixing a washing machine,” Marcus added.

  “A sabotaged washing machine,” Tess corrected.

  Kade stared at the chit as if it might disappear. “Are you taking the

  work?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Take it,” Kade said immediately. “Take their money, fix their stuff,

  don’t owe them loyalty. That’s literally their whole thing, Tess.

  Competence over Loyalty. They don’t even want it.”

  Marcus nodded. “See?”

  Tess groaned.

  “But,” Kade continued, “watch your back. Once you’re in their world,

  people will see you differently. You’ll be House Tertian’s technician

  first, Rivera’s Repairs from Sector 7 second.”

  “I know.”

  “Good.” Kade tore off another piece of bread. “Now, can we talk about

  something more important? Like why Renna’s bread is so good and why she

  won’t share her recipe?”

  They spent the next hour talking about nothing. Kade’s hauler

  repairs. Vera’s latest salvage acquisitions. The broken lighting in the

  plaza had finally been fixed. Small things that made the dock district

  feel like home.

  When Kade left, the freighter was quiet again. Tess stood in the

  hold, looking at the credit chit on the table.

  Three thousand credits—enough to buy parts, tools, maybe even upgrade

  some of the freighter’s systems.

  She knew she was going to accept. The money was too good. The

  leveling opportunities were exactly what she needed.

  But first, there was a problem to solve.

  “Bee,” she said. “If I’m going to the estate regularly, we need to

  figure out a way to boost your signal.”

  “Agreed. The distance exceeds my current communication range. Audio

  transmission failed entirely. Text messaging was functional but

  insufficient for real-time guidance.”

  Marcus looked up from the navigation console. “I might have

  something.”

  He crossed to a storage locker and pulled out a ferrocrete-gray box

  about the size of a toolbox. Network-standard construction, reinforced

  housing, scorch marks along one edge.

  “Signal repeater,” he said, setting it on the workbench. “Picked it

  up from salvage two weeks ago. It was pretty banged up, but I got it

  working. Figured Bee could use it for better range in the

  freighter.”

  Tess activated [ANALYZE].

  The pattern appeared, flat and simple. Network tech.

  [SIGNAL_AMPLIFICATION—TECH 2]

  [POWER_REGULATION—TECH 2]

  [FREQUENCY_MODULATION—TECH 2]

  All three nodes showed STATUS: ONLINE. Simple and functional.

  “It’s portable,” Marcus said. “Heavy, but you could carry it if you

  had to.”

  Tess hefted the repeater. It weighed maybe fifteen kilograms.

  Manageable for short distances, but awkward to haul across Sector 5.

  “There’s got to be a better option.”

  “What about the communicator Petra gave you? The one with dungeon

  components.” Bee said.

  Tess paused. “I forgot about that.”

  She crossed to her bunk and pulled the communicator from her pack. It

  was sleek, expensive-looking, with House Tertian’s insignia etched into

  the casing. Petra had given it to her to contact her.

  Tess activated [ANALYZE].

  The pattern bloomed in her vision, far more complex than the Network

  repeater.

  ·········································

  COMMUNICATOR UNIT HT-9200

  Designation: Secure Long Range Communication

  Loot Seed: 0x9200E3C7

  Status: Active

  Hardware: Pristine

  Power: 0.8 AW

  Range: 15 km (Standard) · 40 km (Boosted)

  User Tech Skill: 5

  ·········································

  Signal Transmission …… Online [Tech 4]

  Encryption Protocol …… Locked [Tech 6]

  Frequency Adaptation ….. Online [Tech 5]

  Signal Amplification ….. Online [Tech 5]

  Interference Filtering … Online [Tech 4]

  ·········································

  Tess stared at the readout. [SIGNAL_AMPLIFICATION] was right there,

  TECH 5 required, already online.

  “Bee, can you interface with this?”

  BEE: The freighter scanners are limited, but I believe so.

  The communicator’s architecture is compatible with my transmission

  protocols. If you modify the frequency adaptation parameters, I should

  be able to route my signal through its amplification

  system.

  Tess placed her hand on the communicator and activated

  [INTERFACE].

  ·········································

  INTERFACE — Active

  Connected: Communicator Unit HT-9200

  AP: 5/5

  Tech Level: 5

  Access: Full

  ·········································

  > Modify Parameters …….. 1 AP per parameter

  > Extract Skill ………… Varies

  ·········································

  She navigated to [FREQUENCY_ADAPTATION] and opened the parameter

  settings. There—a configuration option for “secondary signal routing.”

  It was disabled by default, probably a security feature to prevent

  unauthorized access.

  She toggled it on.

  ·········································

  MODIFICATION COMPLETE

  AP: 4/5 (1 consumed)

  Parameter Modified: Frequency Adaptation

  · Secondary Routing: Enabled

  ·········································

  The communicator’s display flickered. A new menu appeared: RELAY MODE

  - AVAILABLE.

  Bee’s voice came through the communicator. “Success. The encryption

  protocol was quite easy to decode. I am now detecting the communicator

  as a viable signal relay. Audio transmission range should extend to

  approximately 35 kilometers with current power levels.”

  “That covers all of Sector 5,” Tess said.

  “Affirmative. I will have full communication access while at the

  Tertian estate.”

  Marcus grinned. “Nice work. Told you that communicator was good.”

  Tess turned the device over in her hands. House Tertian colors.

  Expensive construction. And now modified to let Bee listen in on

  everything that happened while Tess was there.

  “Bee, you said you cracked the encryption? Think you can set a new

  signature?”

  “I can. What would you like?”

  “Assassin Tess.”

  There was a long pause, then the communicator screen updated.

  SIGNATURE SET: RIVERAS_REPAIRS.

  “Oh c’mon, Bee. It was your idea!”

  “An assassin doesn’t just announce that they’re an assassin, Tess”

  Marcus laughed. “See? You’d be terrible at it.”

  Tess sighed and pulled out the card Jeremy had given her and input

  the contact information.

  The line connected after two rings.

  “Tertian estate, Jeremy speaking… Oh… Rivera’s Repairs?”

  “It’s Tess Rivera. I’m calling about the Duke’s proposal.”

  There was a pause. Then: “One moment, please.”

  Tess heard some strange music playing over the communicator, then a

  click.

  Duke Amos’s voice came through, warm and professional. “Miss Rivera.

  I’m pleased to hear from you.”

  “I’ll take the work,” Tess said. “Case-by-case contracts. Written

  terms for each job. I set my schedule, and Rivera’s Repairs stays

  independent.”

  “Of course. Those terms are more than acceptable.” He sounded

  genuinely pleased. “I’ll have Jeremy prepare a contract framework. When

  can you start?”

  “Send me the first job details. I’ll let you know.”

  “Excellent. I’ll have something for you by tomorrow.” He paused. “And

  Miss Rivera? Thank you. I think this will be a productive

  partnership.”

  “We’ll see,” Tess said, and disconnected.

  She set the communicator on the workbench and looked at Marcus.

  “So,” she said. “I just agreed to work for House Tertian.”

  “You agreed to work with House Tertian,” Marcus corrected.

  “Big difference.”

  “I am pleased you maintained clear boundaries. This approach

  minimizes the risk of exploitation while maximizing your access to

  leveling opportunities,” Bee said.

  Kade’s voice echoed from outside the freighter. “Did you do it? Did

  you call them?”

  “How did you…” Tess started.

  “I was listening through the vents,” Kade said, appearing in the

  doorway with a massive grin. “You’re working for a Duke now. That’s

  amazing.”

  “With a Duke,” Marcus and Tess said simultaneously.

  “Sure, whatever.” Kade punched her shoulder lightly. “Come on. This

  calls for a celebration. I’ve got a bottle of something that’s probably

  alcohol, and we’re going to toast to you not getting completely screwed

  by noble house politics.”

  “That’s the worst toast I’ve ever heard,” Tess said.

  “You haven’t heard it yet.”

  They spent the rest of the evening in the freighter’s hold. Marcus

  broke out the cards. Kade produced the mystery bottle, which turned out

  to be some kind of fruit liquor that tasted like fermented cleaning

  solution. Bee provided commentary on their terrible card-playing

  strategies.

  By the time they finally called it a night, Tess was exhausted,

  slightly drunk, and more certain than ever that she’d made the right

  choice.

  She had work, support, and boundaries.

  And tomorrow, Duke Amos Tertian would send her the first official

  job.

  ? Beastforged Bond [Taming, Progression] ?

  by HideousGrain

  Too late to start. Too weak to matter. Too stubborn to quit.

  In a world where power is harnessed from binding beasts to one’s inner World, potential matters – and so does the size of the inner World.

  Adam has the smallest World on record, but unlike others, his World has no restrictions. No rules, no limitations…and no record of ever forming a bond. He has limitless potential, but it is trapped in a vessel too small to use it.

  Until his father returns with an egg. And when Adam bonds with it, something inside him shifts. For the first time, he feels ether. For the first time, he has a chance.

  With a bond and a Soulkin whose powers are as peculiar as they are promising, Adam has to train, grow, and evolve – both beast and master – or be left behind in a world that demands strength.

  Because something stirs beyond the horizon, and the boy with the smallest World might be the only one not bound by fate.