We spent several more minutes in bed chatting about this and that, aually I sent Alito the bathroom to do her m routihe moment she came out of the bathroom, we wasted no time and headed out a up with my parents and had a quick breakfast. My parents left soon thereafter, leaving Alid me to our own devices.

  Getting down to business, I called up Bob first, and once he picked up, I said. "Mornin Bob, it's Dom."

  "Good m, Dom. I'm surprised you're callihis early in the m. What's up?"

  "Well, I was seeing if you wao meet up. I have something to discuss with you and Big Tom."

  "Regarding?"

  "Why I haven't been able to spend as much time with you and Tom."

  "...so you're finally willing to let me in on that secret, aye?" Bob said seriously.

  "Yes, the time has e." I responded somewhat over dramatically to keep the versation on the lighter side.

  "Oh, ha, ha. So, what time are we meeting up at and where?"

  "I'll e pick you up. When do you think you'll be ready?"

  "I be ready in five."

  "Alright, I'll swing by and e pick you up first since your home is closer than Tom's."

  "Catch you in a bit, then."

  Hanging up the call there, I dialed Big Tom's number. "Mornin Tom, it's Dom."

  "Mornin, bro, how've you been doing? I haven't talked to you in a miom responded, happy to hear from me.

  "Pretty good, actually, you?"

  "You know, same old, same old. So we meeting up, or are you just cheg in, bro?"

  "Yeah, I was going to ask you whether you were good to meet up. I got something to tell you and Bob."

  "Oh, what time then? I be ready whenever."

  "Bob said he would be ready in five, so I'll go pick him up first and then you. I'll probably be at your house within ten minutes."

  "I'll be ready."

  "Okay, I'll catch you in a bit."

  "Alright, ter, bro."

  The moment the call ended, Alid I went to the garage, hopped in my SUV aed for Bob's home. We picked him up in a few minutes and did the same with Big Tom and not a momehe two of them asked about what I wao discuss. Si would be easier to have that versation at our destination, I told them as such. Hence, we just shot the shit and made small talk about menial things while I drove.

  Upon arriving at the Genesis Foundry, I parked in any old spaear the entrand exited the vehicle along with everyone else and proceeded inside.

  "So what's this pce, Dom?" Bob inquired seds after we entered.

  "I guess you could call this my base."

  "You really own this entire property?"

  "He does, and it's a lot bigger than it appears from the outside." Aliswered.

  "Wow, that's impressive, bro. How'd you mahat?" Big Tom inquired.

  "All will be expined in a minute here."

  From there, we walked to the pnning aion area and ohe four of us took our seats on the couches strewn around the rge space with Alid I seated together fag them; I opened my mouth. "So I called you guys up and brought you here to tell you about what I've been keeping a tight lip on for a while now."

  "And that is?" Bob said, already knowing I was hiding something fes at this point.

  "I want to leave the uy some day to pursue the nearly impossible goal I've set out for myself in the wastend and Alice will be ing with me."

  "Okay, but what does that have to do with you and Aliot being around as often as previously?"

  "Well, I have a lot to do to prepare for the challehat await me out there, meaning I've been dedig almost all of my time to preparing as best as I for them."

  "I see." Bob ented.

  "So that's why you and Alice haven't been around." Big Tom said simply.

  "You got me curious now. What's this goal you're trying to aplish out there? The uy has nearly everything one could desire when pared to wastend, so I don't see why you 't just aplish what you want here unless it's something that 't be aplished down here."

  "That's exactly the reason. I 't exactly quer the wastend by remaining here now, I?"

  "What do you mean by quering the wastend? Do you just want to be a wastend explorer?"

  "hat's exactly what Dom dreams of aplishing and the two of us, as well as our families, are now w towards that goal together." Alice chimed in, while Bob looked fbbergasted.

  "I don't mean to sound like a downer here, but that sounds absolutely impossible to achieve."

  "I know, but that's what I wish to pursue in life."

  The versation tinued on from there and as we talked about various things regarding the subject; we started getting off track. So I steered the dire of the discussion back to where I wa to head. "Now that I've revealed to you guys why the two of us have been missing in a, have either of you thought about what you want to do iure when you eventually finish school and bee adults?"

  "I think I'll go into the field of sce, sihat's what I excel at after all."

  "True, you are the smartest guy I know after Dom." Tom ented, which Bob was obviously happy to hear.

  "And you Tom?"

  Tom scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed, and answered. "I haven't really given it too much thought. But with me having a big body, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea signing up for the uy security force or being a wastend explorer."

  "Well, if you pn on going into that line of work, why not join me in achieving my dream? I would be more than happy to have you, brother."

  Big Tom was initially surprised by my sudden offer, but quickly stood up and said with a serious expression and his right hand out. "I love to bro."

  Standing up myself, I grasped his right hand strongly and replied. "Gd to have you, brother."

  "The offer is exteo you too, Bob."

  "If it was more based in the sces, I would take you up on it. However, it's too-"

  "There certainly is a lot of danger involved in what I'm trying to aplish, but it won't be all bat. And if I reach the point where I've quered even just a small territory, there will be plenty of need for brainiacs such as yourself to perform researd what not." I said, cutting him off.

  "Even so, there are still too many risks for me to justify it."

  "Oh, e on, Bob it'll-"

  Stopping Big Tom with a gesture, I said. "Uandable, but let's see if you still have the same opinion after seeing what I've aplished thus far."

  "I doubt you'll be able to ge my mind, but have at it."

  Getting up from the couch, I led the way aed the pnning aion area we were just sitting in and began giving my two buds a tour of the facility. As soon as we arrived at the first location, the armory, they were more thaed with what they saw and soon asked about shooting one of them sihey've never been lucky enough to fire a gun before.

  So after promising to let them have a go at it with some of the lower caliber oer on we moved to the followiination and then the and so on and so forth. And with eaew se, we visited the awe they expressed verbally and through their expressions tio increase with eaew area they visited.

  ...

  "So how about now, Bob?"

  "...Dom, I'm astou what you've mao aplish in such a short period."

  "Right, and I'm sure you see from what I've already established that I, at the very least, have a fighting ce at aplishing my goals if this is already what I'm capable of as a kid." I responded, which Bob nodded his head to in agreement.

  "Thus, I'll extend the offer to you again, Bob. Won't you take the challenge and join us in achieving my dream? It may seem like an insurmountable ght now, but iime, I'm fident we'll be able to one day bring about a new age for humanity, leaving our names in history as the rebuilder of human civilization."

  Bob looked flicted for a brief few moments. heless, his childish face hardened, and he said as seriously as he could for a 12-year-old boy. "Fine, I'll put my faith in you, Dom. Don't let me die too early."

  Grabbing his presented hand, I responded happily that I got to add my two young friends to the small but growing list of people I could rely on. "You won't regret this, Bob. I assure you the crazy adventure we'll be going on in this life will be well worth the effort."

  Following that, I began disclosing the rest of the secrets I had been holding back from them and ohey learned of my system and magic that Alice dispyed in the way of juring a mass of chaotic lightning, their jaws just about detached from their heads. Alid I had a good ugh at their expense and when they came out of their stupors, they quickly began hounding us about learning it.

  "Yeah, you guys learn it now. However, I would advise you to wait till you've built up your physiques so you bee even stres, especially you, Bob."

  *Sigh* "Okay, when do we start?" Bob said, ready to get right to work and not the least bit perturbed.

  "If you're that gung ho about it, we start today if you want."

  "Let's go then." He said impatiently, eager to begin right this very instant.

  "Yeah, let's go, bro."

  Looks like that childish excitement is getting ahead of them. They have no idea of the hurt that is in store for them.

  "Alright, we'll start yuys' training now, then."

  Adding another couple of people to the growing number who know of my secrets could be potentially problematic. But they're both tight-lipped and trustworthy boys, therefore they won't willingly give up what they know. The only way I see them disclosing that information is if they get captured and maybe not even then.

  I have no pns of putting anyone in any sort of positiohey could be captured, thus that should be pretty much a nonissue. And even if one of them disclosed informatiarding my system and it got to my enemies, all these two know is that I have a gamelike system and not the specifics. Hehere ain't a whole lot anyone do to harm me with just that, si doesn't tell you anything about what sort of abilities I possess.

  Alice's and my family, oher hand, still pose a risk. Although not a lot because anytime I undergo a mass level up, my strength and abilities improve massively in both power aility to the point I normally gain a whole new set of tools to use, along with the many I already possess. So good luck to anyone who even dares to try to use that knowledge to their advahey're going to .

  That said, the risk they pose won't remain the case for much longer since I have been able to allocate a bit of time before bed every night to eke out some magic circle design. The solution I developed from that short bit of time for the problem I made was to create a sort of oath magic that would seal off the memories of the bearer if the information I didn't want disclosed was ever in danger of being exposed or leaked.

  I have it almost pleted, so I'll finish the rest of the design today and implement it ter this same day when everyos off work. We also use this matter to have a get together too. I'm sure everyone will enjoy that. This method also be applied to Bob and Tom too, which will limit the risk of informatioing out substantially. It's not totally full proof, but it's a det enough band-aid until I e up with a perma solution when I get set up in the wastes.

  tinuing with Bob and Tom, should I give them my All Element Core Teique… On one hand, the teique will allow them to bee stronger and rise through the mage ranks faster as well as passively. Oher hand, I kind of want to keep it as a secret teique that only a select few are allowed the privilege to cultivate it like my family, for instance.

  Keeping it to a select few would also give me a reason to develop ic cultivation teiques which Bob and Tom choose from. I could also eventually dissemihose eiques amongst the popution of whatever try or entity I decide to establish one day…

  Making specialized teiques for each of the elements would also speed up magiovation and research, since people's focus would be tered around a single element instead of 18 of them. Not gonna lie, I like the sound of that pn and if I want to ter on, I use the All Element Core Teique as a reward for those who ear through merit.

  As I was finishing the magic circle design in my head via my sed thought process, the four of us got up from the couches for aime. From there, we quickly left that nice cushy room behind us and proceeded to the onsite gym so that my two buds could begin their journey in the pursuit of strength and power.

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