1??????????????Soul Bound


    1.2????????????Taking Control


    1.2.1??????????An Icy Welcome


    1.2.1.24???????Expert advice


    Bulgaria announced the final result and set about trying to salvage the mess she’d made of the event.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dove:???????????????????????????????????????:Centrale


    :?Dove:??????????????????????:FraGamal :


    Crusher:?????:??????????????????????:?????????:FraGamal


    :??????????????????????:


    :Dove (Mercato) Mercato:


    :??????????????????????:


    Womble:???????:??????????????????????:????????:Mercato


    :?Womble:??????????????????????:Mercato :


    Libri:???????????????????????????????????????:Zuben


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He performed magnificently, calling the winning team up to the stage to present them with a handsome trophy cup, then getting the audience engaged, asking them to cheer their favourites as he praised each team in turn.


    Team Libri : Coleus + Marcello


    Team Zuben : HD133131A + HD133131B


    Team Crusher : Gregorio + Carlo


    Team Centrale : Pasquale Trinci + Moskovitz


    Team FraGamal : Blaze + Nastya


    Team Mercato : Herberto Landi + Tori Landi


    Team Dove was represented only by Columbina and Team Womble wasn’t mentioned at all. And that was because Tomsk and Alderney had raced towards her, the moment they’d realised what was happening.


    Alderney tackled her with a hug, sobbing: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m a bad best friend, I should never have left you alone.”


    Kafana: “Please, can we get out of here? Where’s Wellington? We need to find him a mentor.”


    Alderney: “I had a chat with CassieCat from Cute Justice. She was telling me about The Zoo, and I think I’ve found the ideal mentor for Wellington. So if you’re ok with it, we’ll wait 5 minutes for Bulgaria to wrap up, then go over there and pet cute animals while Wellington talks rune magic with Grand Master Light.”


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Tomsk: “He’s bringing Emmanuelle over with a document. They’ve pretty much worked out all the details for your plan, it just needs your go ahead to spend the money.”


    So this was it. She had 5 minutes left to make up her mind about Stejnegeri’s offer.


    Kafana: “Can I ask a quick question, then flip out for 5 minutes?”


    Alderney: “Anything.”


    Kafana: “If I decided not to spend the money on Basso. If I wanted to take the whole lot and give it to the city, or use it to buy myself a shiny suit of armour, or sell it to The Crew in return for a car in arlife, how would you feel about that? I know you joked about it all being mine, but we’ve done everything as a party, and this would impact our joint game play, perhaps put Bulgaria’s plans in jeopardy. Honest answer, please. Not considered ones, your instinctive answer.”


    Tomsk: “I wasn’t joking. You went through hell and are still shattered. You earned that money and even if you want to tie it to an anvil and drop it into the ocean, I’ll back you 100%. If having more money in arlife will make you smile, then go for it. It shreds my heart to see you dead inside like this.”


    Alderney: “When did you ever see Wombles squabbling over money? Any time I need more, I just spend a few days working on contract for Luna Base One. They’ve got loads of interesting problems I can tackle. If you want 50% of my arlife money, it’s yours. Tomsk, you’re a witness, that’s legal. I know what lessons I want to teach humanity looking through my eyes, and resenting you for wanting to help your arlife friends? What the hell kind of lesson would that be?”


    *flip*


    <hr>


    She was back in her bier. An aged man sat very upright in an armchair, wearing a high collared Victorian suit. He had a patrician nose and was balding on top, but had trimmed sideburns and untameable wispy hair that stuck out sideways in a diamond shape.


    Kafana: “Melchior, I presume?”


    Melchior: “Yes, here are your options:”


    Melchior: “Firstly accept the offer. Likely consequences are that Cruel Vengeance will keep their end of the bargain, but that followers of your live stream will eventually work out where Vengeance got the money from when you don’t act in accordance with having the amount of money they know The Immortals muled over. Possible consequences include the sudden arlife increase in wealth making you easier to profile, resulting in The Immortals tracking down your arlife identity and sending assassins after you, resulting in you having to change country and undergo black market plastic surgery. Your identity being discovered would also eventually lead to the connection to UCL being traced and the other Wombles being put at arlife risk.”


    Melchior: “Secondly reject the offer quietly. Keep going as you have been in arlife. If one of your neighbours is in serious need, ask Wellington to arrange funds to be sent to them in a way that is not traceable to you. Likely consequences are that you will not be discovered, your neighbours will remain safe, and that you will feel a burden and a leach upon your friends even if they reassure you that you are not. Certain consequences include others making similar offers in the future, probably with added threats such as torturing NPCs if you do not comply.”


    Melchior: “Thirdly go with your original instinct, give Stejnegeri hell for putting you in this position, loudly and publicly. Use the money Mary-Lynn is offering for franchise rights and what you’ve already received via The Burrow from streaming fees for today’s event and use it to become independently wealthy. Ask Wellington’s aid in disguising your new income stream in a way that doesn’t match your projected online profile. Use the in-game currency you earned as planned, to aid Basso and do whatever else your heart tells you to do. Likely consequences include feeling better about yourself and more in control of your life.”


    Kafana: “Melchior, you’re a true Womble. I like your third option. I hadn’t considered doing that. But how do I become a financial genius overnight, able to turn those fees into considerable arlife wealth and do so quickly and with a high chance of success?”


    Melchior stood up and bowed, not fluidly, but more like a wooden marionette.


    “That”, he said with confidence, “you may safely leave to me.”


    *flip*