《Benji and The World Spike》 Chapter 1 ¡°Benji Ferrell, you¡¯ll be late for school again! Leave those games alone and hurry up!¡± Yet again Benji¡¯s precious free time was interrupted by his mother yelling up the stairs. She clearly doesn¡¯t realize what¡¯s at stake. Benji had been staying up all night every night for the last week. Most people would use this extra time to sleep but that¡¯s what homeroom and first period are for. Teachers generally don¡¯t care what you do as long as you pass the tests. Benji had to be the first to get 100% completion on Ultimate Daydream 12. All the hours spent grinding levels, chasing side quest objectives, raising reputation, it will all pay off during the final battle. The only thing that was stopping him in this moment was his legs that had fallen asleep. He paused the game and gently tried to shift position but somehow knocked over a mountain of instant noodle containers in the process. Finally comfortable, Benji unpaused the game, the final battle music soaring throughout the room. A few minutes later and Benji sat watching the credits scroll down the screen. As they finished a button prompted him to save his game. A moment later it returned to the start menu. All at once the television went dark, the trusty fan in the corner of his room slowly ground to a halt, and the glowing lights from Benji¡¯s precious game console went dark. Suddenly a knocking on the bedroom door woke him from his stupor. ¡°Benji, I¡¯ve shut off the power to your room and it won¡¯t get turned back on until you come home from school. You have 5 minutes to shower and get ready or I¡¯ll donate that console to a needy family while you¡¯re gone.¡± The average person would see this ultimatum as something reasonable but Benji saw it as a threat to his life. One that was enough to spur him to action. After placing the controller in front of the console, he willed his legs to work again, rising up to wobble unsteadily. He began to cross the distance to his dresser, picking up speed as he went and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear upon arrival. As he step out into the hallway he could see his mother¡¯s braided blonde hair disappearing beyond the steps. A few steps later and he was safely inside the bathroom. Benji had long ago mastered the art of the quick shower. He refused to waste precious time showering when that time could be spending working towards completing a game. A few minutes later with his body now fresh and clean, he turned off the water and stepped in front of sink. He grabbed his toothbrush, applied paste, and stuck it in his mouth. As he cleaned his teeth with one hand, he grabbed a tube of hair gel and quickly worked his purple hair up and back, forming his trademark spiked hairdo. With his hair now looking amazing, he finished brushing his teeth and took one last look in the mirror. Satisfied with what he saw, he ran back into his room and quickly dressed into his black school uniform and stuffed his handheld game system into his pocket on the way out. ¡°That¡¯s better. Now eat your breakfast and head to the station or else you¡¯ll miss your train to school.¡± Before he even reached the bottom of the stairs his mother was talking to him. Did she have ESP? The stairs in his house come out into our living room. As he walked across the room to the dining table, he looked at the plate of food waiting for him. ¡°Thank you for the food, mother.¡± After giving his thanks she smiled and turned back to her work in the kitchen. When Benji was little she would make him sit down and slowly eat the entire plate of food. She gave up over the years and was satisfied as long as he made an attempt to eat part of everything. Breakfast this morning consisted of salmon filet, pickled vegetables, egg omelet and a bowl of white rice. Looking at his watch he realized that he didn¡¯t have time to sit and eat. Grabbing two slices of bread he took a fork and placed a decent amount of each dish onto one slice. After placing the other slice on top and pinched the edges shut, he created a portable version of the meal his mother made. He wrapped the sandwich into a paper towel and walked to the front door where he slipped on his shoes. After exiting the house he reached into his pocket, pulling out a Gamestation Portable and switched on Empire Battlers 9.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. As he made his way through the neighborhood his attention was focused on the game. He was working towards 100% completion with only the legendary weapon of his favorite character, Lu Bu, left to get. After years of walking while playing games, avoiding cars and people became second nature to Benji. He was able to avoid them without having to use his eyes. He methodically played the game while pausing to take bites of his sandwich. Most of the time he was satisfied with whatever was available but his mom¡¯s breakfast was seriously delicious. After about 10 minutes of walking he came to Bahenta Station. A quick press of the menu button on his GSP told him that he arrived with a few minutes to spare. He quickly made his way through the ticket station and paused his game long enough to buy an iced coffee from a vending machine. Nothing was better after a good meal than iced coffee. After a few large gulps he deposited the can in a recycling bin and went to wait for the train. As he stood waiting patiently for the train he felt someone gently brush his left shoulder. He ignored the movement and refocused on the game. A few moments later he felt another slight nudge to his shoulder. He sighed, paused the game, and turned to look at the offender. To his surprise he found a girl smiling back at him. Her black hair was pulled into a complicated braid which nicely framed her face. She was dressed in a dark green blazer and matching plaid skirt which complemented her slender frame. Her name was Zoe Weaver, a fellow senior from his school. ¡°Good morning, Benji.¡± she said. ¡°Morning.¡± he replied. This interaction happened on a weekly basis but always played out the same way. Zoe would attempt to make conversation and Benji would largely ignore her. After seeing that she was satisfied with his greeting, he resumed his game. It wasn¡¯t that Benji disliked her. On the contrary he thought she was quite attractive. He just wanted to be left alone but Zoe was someone who made it her mission to be friends with everyone. A few minutes later the train arrived. Benji made his way onto the train and quickly found a seat. Zoe sat across from Benji but she was content with playing on her smart phone and left him alone. He unpaused his game and finished the final boss without taking any damage. A shining weapon dropped from the commander¡¯s corpse. He quickly collected it and saw the achievement notification flash across the screen telling him that EB9 was 100% complete. After going to the option menu, he equipped Lu Bu with Sky Piercer, his crescent-bladed halberd. Satisfied, he saved his game, turned off his GSP and placed it in his pocket. The rest of the ride was uneventful and after a few minutes arrived at the next station. Benji left the train and made his way through the crowded station. Eventually he arrived at Giga Street, the main road that ran through the city. While waiting among the crowd for the light to change, he checked the clock on his GSP. He would arrive to homeroom on schedule and have plenty of time to chat with his friends about their progress on Empire Battlers 9. He was keen to brag that he had completed the game on the train ride to school. All the sudden screams could be heard all around him. He wondered if someone had crossed early and had been struck by a vehicle. The screams increased in volume which in turn led to people running every direction causing cars to crash into each other as they avoided pedestrians. He soon heard the sound of car doors being opened, followed by hurried steps that he assumed were from the drivers. Benji pushed his way to the curb and looked at the source of the noise. Injured people were being assisted by concerned citizens while the drivers and pedestrians began running down the street only to momentarily look back at the sky above them, a motion that caused them to shriek in terror. Confused, Benji finally looked up at the sky. What he saw made no sense. Something that looked like a giant iron railroad spike was plummeting towards the Earth. The sudden realization that the gigantic object that was casting shadows over the city was actually hundreds of miles away out towards the Panlantic Ocean. Benji stood in awe of the object, wonders where the massive thing had come from. Seconds later the giant spike impacted the Earth, sending violent tremors that reached across to both sides of the ocean. Benji was swept off his feet from the impact. As he fell to the ground onto his back, he heard Zoe cry out in pain. At the same time he heard a voice that echoed across the planet.
¡°Greetings Earthlings! Your backwater planet has the good fortune of being visited by The World Spike! Speaking my true name would crack this tiny planet in half so you can just call me Bob. Now, generally the first reaction in a situation like this is for your governments to start attacking the offending object. Sorry to disappoint you but the World Spike is indestructible. Your next question will be asking why I¡¯m here. Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m bored! The first ten thousand years of human history were interesting but lately you¡¯ve all become so boring. There for a while I thought you¡¯d kill yourselves off but what¡¯s with all this peace!? Sure I could just go watch some other part of the galaxy but not every planet evolves to the point of producing intelligent life." "Since you all refuse to be entertaining I¡¯ve decided to change things up a bit. I will now activate the Great Changing Machine which will randomize things a bit. You¡¯ll all gain new abilities based on your personality and general lifestyle. You all should take some time to get used to your new powers. Twenty-four hours from now I will mutate all non-human life on your planet which will try their very best to kill you all! Try your best!¡±
Chapter 2 Before Benji could even think of what the voice meant, a wall of text appeared floating in front of him.
Name Benji Ferrell Level 1 Class Nerd Lord Experience 0/100 Traits Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty You may summon one person, ability or object from each game you¡¯ve 100% completed. People or animals summoned serve you loyally until death. Sovereign Right The World Spike has given you the ability to create and rule a kingdom. Gamer¡¯s Touch Your Game Station Portable has unlimited storage, an infinite battery, and can play any game you own. Analyze You gain the ability to gain basic information about a person or object by observing it.
As he slowly got to his feet he kept staring at the information. The joke title that he had created with his friends had become his power. Bob and the Great Changing Machine had seen fit to bless him with a class that took advantage of his greatest ability, his knowledge and mastery of games. As Benji lay on the ground wondering how to activate his traits, Bob once again spoke to the world.
¡°Since most of you can¡¯t figure out how to use your newfound power I¡¯ll just turn on the tutorial function. Otherwise I¡¯ll be forced to sit watching you all wave your hands in the air.¡±
Another menu popped into existence in front of Benji. To his surprise a voice began speaking, causing text to appear before his eyes.
Greetings, Benji! I¡¯m your personal AI assistant. I¡¯ll answer any questions you have.
Benji had an endless amount of questions but focused on the important ones. ¡°My abilities seem very powerful. How do my abilities rank when compared with others?¡±
Each person was given abilities based on their core beliefs. Humans in this age don¡¯t seem to believe in much so the average person is quite weak at the moment. Your abilities are quite powerful but there are harsh limitations to them.
¡°How do I activate Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty? Are there any limitations that aren¡¯t listed?¡± Benji asked after thinking for a moment.
Great questions! For traits with an active effect you simply say the name. In this case you state the trait, which game you want to summon from, and who or what you want to summon. In case of abilities you have to state which ability you want to gain and from which character. It¡¯s just that easy! Be careful to have an appropriate amount of clear space for the summon or it will fail, causing destruction of the item or death of the person. For abilities, they function exactly as in the game, with all benefits and limitations. Knowledge of their use is transmitted directly into your brain. Remember that you can¡¯t summon unless you¡¯ve 100% completed the game and only one summon per game.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Was it really that easy? Benji knew he would have to think carefully and not waste any summons. For the first time since the impact of the World Spike, he took stock of his surroundings. Cars sat abandoned or burning, their drivers either long gone or dead inside them. Most people stood in shock, trying to figure out what had happened. People everywhere began pulling out their phones, eager to call their loved ones. Benji looked around him at the people who were injured during the event, using Analyze to check their condition. Most had only moderate or minor injuries. His eyes saw Zoe lying a short distance away. He quickly checked her status.
Name Zoe Weaver Level 1 Class Social Butterfly Experience 0/100 Warning! Death will occur in 2 hours at current rate of blood loss.
He walked over and knelt down in front of her. She was clutching at her right thigh where a piece of thin scrap metal pierced her flesh. Although Zoe wasn¡¯t touching the piece of metal, any false move could make the injury worse. Benji gently put his hand on her shoulder, causing her look up at him with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Benji, it hurts! I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± she cried. ¡°I know but you have to be calm, Zoe. I need you to move your hands so I can see how bad it is.¡± She nodded and slowly moved her hands away from the wound. Benji took the hem of her skirt and moved it up until the entry wound was exposed. Luckily the metal seemed to miss the bone but Benji knew that any attempt to remove it manually could pierce her femoral artery. Unfortunately Giga Street was mostly office buildings and wasn¡¯t likely to have any stores with medical supplies. Benji took her backpack lying on the ground just nearby but didn¡¯t find anything useful after looking through it. He knew he wasn¡¯t strong enough to carry her to the closest hospital. He had to use a summon or she would die from blood loss. He sighed and looked back at his classmate, who stared at him with fear in her eyes. Benji cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty¡ú Ultimate Daydream 12¡ú Saint Gokuzaki¡ú Divine Magic.¡± The moment Benji finished speaking he felt as if his head was stuck in a vice. His brain was being force fed a lifetime of knowledge all at once. After a few seconds the pain passed, leaving him a bit light-headed. Not wanting to waste time, he turned his attention back to Zoe. ¡°Zoe, I need to remove the metal from your leg. I have a way to heal you but it needs to come out first.¡± ¡°O-okay. I trust you, Benji.¡± He didn¡¯t know if that was her honest opinion or if she realized she had no choice. Benji placed his left hand on her knee to hold her leg down. He gave Zoe one last look before gripping the metal and pulling it out in one smooth motion. With the object no longer in place, dark red blood flowed from the wound. Benji placed his right hand on the wound and spoke a single word. ¡°Heal¡± Benji felt mana being drained from his body for the first time. He felt the mana as it moved from his chest down his right arm, taking with it a bit of the warmth of his body as it traveled. It left his hand as a golden glow that slowly seeped into Zoe¡¯s leg. The dark blood that clung to her thighs reversed motion and flowed back into the wound. He could see the flesh and tissue knit itself back together in a matter of seconds. The golden light faded away, leaving only the blood staining the sidewalk as the only evidence that she was injured. After breathing a sigh of relief, Benji sat down and put his head in his hands and began massaging his temples.
You healed a moderate injury. You gain 20 experience. (20/100)
Chapter 3 Zoe slowly got to her feet. She stared in awe at her leg. The pain was gone along with the wound itself. She didn¡¯t quite understand what Benji did but she felt fine, great actually. She spent a few moments bending and stretching to check for other injuries while brushing the debris off of her clothes. She bent down to grab her backpack, placed it over her shoulders, and bent down in front of Benji to make sure he was okay. ¡°Benji, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± he said as he lifted his head to look at her. He didn¡¯t look fine to Zoe, he looked exhausted. ¡°What happened? How were you able to heal me? Does it have to do with that strange voice?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m able to use Divine Magic.¡±
Greetings, Zoe! I¡¯m your personal AI assistant. You were unable to notice my earlier attempts at communication due to your injury. What Benji is experiencing is the cost of casting spells. Each spell costs a set amount of mana that is produced from and drawn from his body. The circumstances around his particular use also caused him pain. As a result he is just a bit exhausted. Please take this time to view your own abilities while he rests.
Zoe was startled by the disembodied voice that spoke to her. She pulled up her status screen, unsure of how she knew how to do such a thing.
Name Zoe Weaver Level 1 Class Social Butterfly Experience 0/100 Traits Social Butterfly While using your voice to influence people, you gain experience based on the action taken. Angelic Voice While speaking you can enhance your voice to give your allies a buff relieves physical and mental stress. Voice of Reason When speaking to others they are more likely to accept what you say. Harsh Mistress While speaking to someone you consider your enemy, they receive increase damage from all sources and their abilities have a 5% chance to fail.
Zoe jumped in surprise as a floating window appeared in front of her. It looked like something from a computer game. The screen showed very detailed information about her. She was confused when she looked at her class. People had often called Zoe a social butterfly and apparently Bob agreed with them. Why were all her abilities focused only on her voice?
Allow me to answer these questions. Classes are assigned based on what a person can do better than the average person. In your case your ability to easily speak to others led to your assigned class.
¡°Am I the only one that can see and hear you right now?¡± she asked.
Great question! Although each person has an AI assistant, my voice can only be heard by you. Additionally, although others can see the screen in front of you, they cannot read the text that appears. All they see is a transparent window.
The AI¡¯s response made her feel a bit more comfortable. As she read over her status screen one more time, she decided that she should test her new powers. Now if she only knew how.
To use your powers you simply focus on the target, decide which trait to use and then speak. For example, Harsh Mistress requires that you speak to your target in a hostile manner. Simply saying ¡®I hate you.¡¯ isn¡¯t enough. You must truly mean what you say and your mana will create the effect. Be aware that mana is limited and will have side effects depending on how much you use at once. For example, Benji is suffering from Mana Exhaustion because he used more than was needed to heal you. The closer your mana gets to being depleted, the worse you feel.
The exhaustion and heavy breathing that overcame Benji once he healed her now made sense. If she could make him feel better just by speaking then it was the least she could do to repay him. Zoe took a deep breath, focused on Angelic Voice, and turned to focus on Benji. ¡°Pain, pain, go away.¡± As she spoke she felt a slight pull at her chest that moved up her throat. A gentle glow surrounded Benji as he sat rubbing his head. The phrase was something her mother used to tell her when she was a little girl when she got hurt. It seemed like a silly thing to say but it worked. Benji lifted his head and stared at her.Stolen novel; please report.
Your soothing voice helped calm someone in need. You gain 10 experience. (10/100)
¡°This buff is amazing! What that one of your abilities?¡± he asked. ¡°Um, all of my abilities focus on what I say. That one regenerates health and mana and relieves stress. Did it help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredible! Of course your class would be based around talking.¡± he chuckled. She smiled while Benji got to his feet. He looked better than he did moments ago but she didn¡¯t feel any different. It would be helpful to know it was working or not. If it worked all the time does that mean she uses her mana constantly?
Correct. Angelic Voice uses mana constantly to function but you naturally regenerate more mana than is required.
¡°What happens when you run out of mana?¡± She waited for voice of her AI to respond but nothing happened. Maybe that was something to worry about later. She needed to check on the other injured people like the AI pointed out. Benji breathed a sigh of relief. He bent down to grab the strip of steel that he pulled from Zoe¡¯s leg. After gripping it tightly he slashed his left forearm causing fresh blood to drip from the wound. ¡°Benji, what are you doing!?¡± Zoe screamed. ¡°Just experimenting with something. Heal.¡± Benji said with a grimace while holding his left arm. Benji placed his right hand over the wound and the same golden light appeared, soaking into his skin. A few seconds later the gash was healed. ¡°Well, was trying to see if I gained experience for healing any injury but it didn¡¯t work.¡± he said with a sigh. Zoe looked in front of her briefly and replied ¡°I¡¯m at 10/100. What happens when it reaches 100?¡± ¡°In a game we would level up and get stronger but I¡¯m not sure what will happen in real life.¡± Benji mused. ¡°We should leave but before we go, we need to help these people. If we work together I think we should be able to save them. I don¡¯t know how long my mana will hold out but I should be able to use Heal on a few more people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right behind you.¡± Zoe replied, surprised by Benji¡¯s willingness to help total strangers. Satisfied with her answer, Benji began walking down the street. She hurried to catch up to him. Most people had ran away within the first few minutes of the World Spike impacting the planet, leaving most of the business district empty. Of those that remained, most were either panicking, injured, or dead. Even those few that remained to help the injured were leaving. Zoe couldn¡¯t fault them for wanting to escape this place. Real life during a major catastrophe was much different than what movies made it seem. After walking a short way down the block, they arrived at a man in a business suit who was sitting up against the front of an office building. His left leg was twisted at an odd angle, causing the man to grunt in pain occasionally as he tried to use his cellphone. Benji cautiously approached the man. ¡°Excuse me, sir? Can we help you?¡± Benji asked, while making sure to keep his distance from the man. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think my leg is broken. One minute I was walking to work and the next I was being trampled by a rush of people. Can I borrow your phone? Mine isn''t working.¡± The man turned his phone around, showing the smashed screen. ¡°I don¡¯t have a phone but we might be able to help your leg, if you let us.¡± ¡°Yes! Do you know first aid? Whatever you can do just please help me.¡± Benji approached the man and knelt down, gesturing to Zoe to move forward. ¡°Sir, this is Zoe. She¡¯s going to help you keep calm so just listen to her.¡± Zoe cleared her throat and spoke. ¡°Pain, pain, go away.¡±
Your soothing voice helped calm someone in need. You gain 10 experience. (20/100)
As a soft light wrapped around the man, she watched Benji carefully cut away at the man¡¯s pants using a small piece of scrap metal. As Benji lifted away the ruined pant leg, she saw the man¡¯s leg for the first time. The tibia was broken just below the knee causing the man¡¯s lower leg and foot to sit at a 90 degree angle. She didn¡¯t know if his magic would properly straighten the man¡¯s leg by itself. Judging by what little experience he had so far, it would restore the damaged area without his help. Not wanting to risk further injury by moving the man¡¯s leg, Benji placed both hands just above the injury and focused his mana. ¡°Heal.¡± Golden light soaked into the man¡¯s leg. Her question of whether they had to set the break was quickly answered with a sickening crunch as the man¡¯s leg twisted itself back into place causing the man to cry out in pain. It took a bit longer to work but soon the man¡¯s leg was completely healed, the bruised and torn tissue replaced by smooth, white skin. ¡°What just happened! How did you do that?¡± The man asked while checking his left leg. ¡°If you hear a voice speaking to you or see words floating in front of you, pay attention to them. You aren¡¯t crazy and the voice just might get you through this.¡± Benji explained. The man turned his head to the left and Benji guessed the man was listening to the AI assistant. Benji turned to Zoe and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Over the next twenty minutes they made their way around the two block area and were able to help several more people. Benji used his Divine Magic to heal three more people. Zoe used her Angelic Voice to soothe the injured people and a few more that were panicking. But they weren¡¯t able to heal everyone. They counted more than two dozen people across the two block area who died. Although Benji had access to amazing spells, Zoe could only offer a silent prayer for the dead as they discovered each one. Chapter 4 After using Voice of Reason, Zoe finally convinced Benji to take a break. Her classmate was unsteady on his feet as they began walking back towards the spot where Zoe had first gotten injured. Zoe ducked beneath one of his arms and held him close. He blushed and tried to step away but he didn''t have the strength to resist. Together they looked for a place to take a break. After a few minutes they found a coffee shop nearby that was open. They barely made it to a booth before Benji collapsed onto the soft padded bench. Zoe walked up to the counter and tried to get the barista¡¯s attention. The clerk was more interested in fiddling with her phone than doing her job. She ordered two iced coffees, paid with her credit stick and made her way back to the table. Benji was slouched in his seat, staring off into space. His once healthy skin now looked pale and gray. Her AI was still silent as to the cause but she guessed this was the result of using up too much mana. She didn¡¯t know what to say so she said nothing, content knowing that Benji was finally resting. After a few minutes of silence the barista brought over their iced coffees. Zoe took a small sip of the bitter drink before her mind analyzed what had happened over the last hour. What had began as a good day now seemed like a distant memory to Zoe. She had never experienced so much death. Family members had passed away but nothing on the scale of what she had witnessed.
Human history is filled with tragedy and loss. It is only in recent years that humans don¡¯t see death on a constant basis. You will likely continue to experience death in the future so prepare yourself for that eventuality.
She blinked at the window, tears falling down her cheeks. She reached into her bag and took out a handkerchief to wipe them away. Zoe wasn¡¯t stupid. Part of her knew the AI was correct but she didn¡¯t want to face that reality just yet. Instead she focused on her mistakes. If she didn¡¯t get hurt Benji wouldn¡¯t have spent so much time on her. Maybe they could have made it in time to save someone else. She was careless, selfish. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The words interrupted the toxic thoughts she was having. She looked up to see Benji staring at her. She simply nodded and wiped her eyes again. He shook his head. ¡°The World Spike killed those people, Zoe, not you. There was nothing we could have done.¡± With a smile on her face and doubt in her heart, she lied. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just hard to get used to. How are you feeling, Benji?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. Thanks for your help earlier." He took a small sip of his own drink before continuing. "If you weren¡¯t there to help keep those people calm, it would have been far worse.¡± She could only nod at his words. She did nothing, only spoke silly phrases that her mother had said to her as a child. Her hands found her way to her lap, fiddling with the hankercheif. Again self-doubt clouded her mind. Not wanting to embarrass herself further she used her fingers to pinch and twist the skin of her inner thigh until the pain was too much to bear.
The boy is correct. No amount of self-harm will change reality. Your words helped lessen long term harm while his magic only served to eliminate the immediate threat.
She swiped at the screen causing it to vanish. As she rubbed the aching skin of her thigh a thought popped into her head that made Zoe smile. ¡°You know, Benji, we¡¯ve talked more today than the whole last year combined. All it took was the worst catastrophe in the history of the world.¡± Benji began chuckling. "If you can make a joke like that you must be feeling a little bit better." She smiled again, though this time it was genuine. She was glad Benji was there. Although he was a loner, he had a good heart. An alarm sounded from her bag, interrupting the moment she was sharing. An automated message was sent notifying her that she was now late for class. "Something important?" She looked up at Benji, concern showing in his face. "Just a message telling me that I''m late for class." "Is it 8:30 already?" Benji leaned back in his seat, stretching out in the cramped space. "Maybe we should get moving then." ¡°Yeah, that''s probably a good idea." She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Benji, do you mind exchanging contact information?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a phone but my GSP has email.¡± he said while reaching into his pocket. Though her contact list bulged with the information of her classmates, she felt a momentary flutter in her stomach as she typed her information into the GSP before handing it back to Benji. She took her phone back and stowed it away in her bag as she stood up. She took one last large gulp of her coffee before walking towards the cafe entrance. Zoe walked through the door, anxious to leave this morning¡¯s events behind her. Chapter 5 Benji looked at the clock above the main entrance to the school as they passed through the gates. It had taken them nearly 15 minutes to walk a distance that normally took 5 minutes. Along the way they saw injured and confused people filling the streets but emergency personnel had started arriving to direct and assist them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a hell of a morning but we should get to class. Take care, Zoe.¡± ¡°Thanks. You too, Benji.¡± She smiled and ran towards the main entrance. Benji didn¡¯t see the point in running since he was already late. As he entered into the main building a buzzing sound was heard followed by an electronic voice. ¡°Benji Ferrell, you are in violation of the attendance code. One demerit will be noted on your permanent record." It took a cold hearted bastard to worry about attendance on a day like today. He thought attendance tracking was pointless anyways. The government had long since stopped the practice of assigning homework. As long as the student passed the required tests it shouldn¡¯t matter when they arrived. Besides, demerits didn¡¯t actually do anything other than proving busy work for administration officials. As he walked through the halls Benji glanced into open doorways to see how people were reacting to this mornings events. Raised voices and arguments could be heard from students and faculty alike. A few minutes later Benji arrived in his classroom. The instructor for his Modern History class stopped his lecture and watched as Benji entered the room. ¡°Sorry for being late, Mr. Kemper.¡± Benji bowed his head as he apologized. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re unharmed Mr. Ferrell. We were just discussing what has happened today and potential reasons for it.¡± Benji walked towards the back of the class and took his seat, noticing that nearly half of his classmates weren¡¯t there. Mr. Kemper continued talking about what information was known so far about the World Spike. Initial estimates indicated that it came from deep space but scientists were baffled how something that large remained undetected during its travel to Earth. ¡°So the being known as Bob said that this is his way of making our lives more interesting. Anyone have an idea of why he would call us boring?¡± Mr. Kemper looked out over the class waiting for an answer. Someone near the front of the class raised their hand and spoke. ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t understand us.¡± He thought for a second and replied. ¡°He said he¡¯s watched thousands of years of human history. It¡¯s possible he understands us better than we do. Anyone else?¡± As the discussion carried on Benji thought about the question. When comparing ancient history to modern events a few things became clear. For the past two hundred years a single world government controlled all land and people across the world. This largely led to the end of warfare and conflict since countries no longer existed. For the land Benji lived in, which used to be called Japan, it was now considered a small part of the one world nation. This led to the end of war, famine, environmental destruction, and vast economic growth. But conflict still existed, as did crime and corruption. Technological advancement and birth rates were tightly controlled by the government which led to what is now called the second golden age of humanity where hunger, overpopulation, and human rights violations no longer existed on the scale that they previous did. ¡°You still with us, Benji?¡± Benji looked up to see Mr. Kemper standing in front of him. ¡°Sorry, sir, just thinking to myself about your question.¡± ¡°And what have you come up with?¡± Benji compiled his thoughts into the only answer that made sense. ¡°Our growth both as a species and as individuals has slowed to a crawl. I think we are being given a chance to change that.¡± ¡°Interesting. What makes you say that, Benji?¡± ¡°Every aspect of our lives is controlled. We have the same rights and opportunities as anyone else across the world. Technological growth is hindered. Birth rates are controlled to avoid overcrowding. We don¡¯t have to worry about hunger, disease, homelessness, war, racism or oppression but when compared to the distant past we have less freedom than ever.¡± Benji¡¯s comments caused many students to turn and yell at him. This continued until the instructor raised his voice to call for silence. ¡°It seems like your peers disagree with you, Benji.¡± "They can disagree all they want, it doesn''t make my point any less valid." The discussion moved forward as Mr. Kemper but simply Benji listened. No point if he was just going to get yelled at. Time passed until a bell rang signaling the first break of the day. As everyone stood up, some of his classmates looked at him with angry expressions before leaving. Benji sighed and walked towards the front of the classroom. Mr. Kemper called him over with a wave of his hand.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°I need to know why you were late for class. You¡¯re not in trouble but I need a reason to report.¡± Benji took a deep breath and gave a brief summary of what he had experienced that morning. The instructor had a somber expression on his face once Benji finished. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you were put through that but don¡¯t get discouraged, Benji. You made the best of a shit situation and saved lives in the process.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± As the instructor sat down at his desk, Benji left through the classroom door. Regular breaks throughout the school day served many purposes. For over a century it had become policy among schools to give a one hour break to students twice a day. Having set time put aside for socialization lead to overall improvement in focus and information retention during class hours. The majority of students spent this time talking to friends while others reviewed notes from the previous class. Some retreated to lounge areas to grab something to eat or a quick nap. For Benji it was a time to meet his friends and talk about video games. Today was different though. He just wanted to make sure they were okay. Through using Analyze on his fellow students he learned a few important things. First, no two people appeared to the same class. This confirmed that each person''s powers were tailored specifically to them. Second, powers were not limited to purely mental effects. One poor girl whose hair had been replaced by golden flames had been backed into a corner while people threw objects at her, laughing as her hair moved by itself, striking the objects causing them to burst into puffs of ash that rained down on her. Benji soon reached an unused classroom he and his friends used during the first of their breaks. He heard two people talking as he opened the door. He walked in and closed the door which caused his two friends to turn to him. Alex was tall, skinny and had dark skin. He loves fighting games and martial arts but his digital skills didn¡¯t carry over to real life. Alex often got bullied but never backed down, which left him with cuts and bruises. Duncan was only a bit shorter than Benji but was a bit pudgy. It was hard to tell what Duncan was thinking by looking at him. All you would see is short black hair, almond shaped eyes, and a neutral expression. But when you got to know him, he acted like any other teenager. When he wasn¡¯t playing games online he was watching anime, drawing on his sketchpad or scouring the internet for unsolved mysteries. Alex was the first to speak. ¡°Bro! We were wondering what happened to you.¡± ¡°What up, Benji. We saved you a seat.¡± Duncan grinned while pointing to the desk next to them as Benji looked at the twenty other empty seats. He walked over and sat next to them, glad to see they were both safe and sound. ¡°Thanks, guys. Glad to see you¡¯re both okay.¡± ¡°Bro, where were you this morning?¡± They usually got to school before classes started to talk about what games they had played the previous night. ¡°Well, that thing out there caused me a few issues.¡± Benji sighed, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder towards the direction of the World Spike. ¡°I ran into Zoe Weaver before all this shit happened.¡± ¡°You picked a bad day for romance.¡± Duncan loved digging up old slang from the past. ¡°It wasn''t like I planned it. We took the same train this morning and we just kinda stuck near each other. We were waiting to cross Giga Street when that damn spike hit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gotta be the hair, dude. I told you that was a great color.¡± Duncan stared at Alex for a moment before turning back towards Benji. ¡°Anyways, continue your story. What happened at Giga Street?¡± At Duncan¡¯s urging Benji continued telling them about what happened only a few hours ago. About Zoe¡¯s injury and Divine Magic. Alex wanted a demonstration of his healing spell but Duncan smacked him on the shoulder to keep him quiet. He explained the destruction that followed and the injured and dead people they found as they tried to make sense of what happened. They were particularly interested when he described what happened when he nearly used up all of his mana. ¡°It was a horrible feeling. Like you just ran twenty kilometers without taking a step.¡± Neither Alex or Duncan spoke for a while. They sat trying to make sense of the story they just heard. After a few moments Alex broke the silence. ¡°Dude, so what¡¯s the plan?¡± Benji thought for a moment before replying. ¡°I want to make sure my mom is okay but past that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Dude, it¡¯s just like a game right? We all got these cool super powers. It¡¯s awesome!¡± Duncan turned to Alex and smacked his shoulder again. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Alex. You heard what he said about the people who died.¡± ¡°I know, dude, but you have to admit that it¡¯s pretty exciting.¡± He had been friends with the two of them for as long as he can remember. He trusted them but they needed to see that this wasn¡¯t a joke. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small piece of twisted steel that he had kept as a souveneir. The same one he pulled from Zoe''s leg. He turned it over in his hands making sure they both saw it before stabbing it into the palm of his right hand. Benji clenched his jaw trying to endure the pain, ignoring the outburst from his friends. After taking a deep breath he pulled out the piece of steel, letting it drop on the desk. As blood flowed from the jagged wound he concentrated on his chest, willing the mass of mana through his left arm. His hand began to glow with the same golden light as he completed the spell. ¡°Heal.¡± The golden light flowed into his injured hand causing the pooling blood to travel back into the jagged skin of his palm. In a matter of moments the skin knitted itself back together leaving no trace that the injury had even occurred. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game or a joke. The pain and blood was real but so was the magic.¡± ¡°Bro, what was the point of that?¡± ¡°An injury like that would have taken weeks to heal. Because of my powers I was able to heal myself in moments.¡± Duncan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Benji. ¡°You¡¯re worried that others won¡¯t take this seriously.¡± ¡°I am. You know what kind of people are in this school. It¡¯s only a matter of time before people start using these powers to harm others.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, bro?¡± ¡°We go back to my house and prepare for tomorrow.¡± Duncan and Alex looked at each other before nodding to Benji. They left the classroom and made their way through the school, noticing that some had started using their powers. Although they noticed no bloodshed, tensions were rising between bullies and their prey, who now had the power to protect themselves. As they neared the entrance of the school, the same electronic voice rang out notifying each of them that one demerit would be marked on their permanent record if they didn¡¯t return to the building by the start of the next class. Benji chuckled as they passed through the doors. Chapter 6 Barely thirty minutes had passed but the streets of Raven City had undergone a major change. Maintenance crews were clearing streets while emergency crews were still attending to injuries. The only traces left being the worst of the scorch marks from burning vehicles that had long since been taken away to recycling centers. Neither of Benji''s friends said much as they walked towards the nearest subway station. The constant flow of people entering and leaving the station meant that it was still operational. Some people appeared shaken but most acted as if nothing had happened. Just then a frightening thought entered his mind. What sort of powers did criminals receive? Benji admitted that if he allowed himself to do it he could create chaos with his own powers. Other people wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t put that limitation on themselves. It was foolish to think that a greedy person that instantly became more powerful wouldn¡¯t just continue to be greedy but the reverse also had to be true. Those that wanted to protect others would be empowered to do so. Surely the police and military would gain enough power to counterbalance the worst of society.
You are mistaken in your logic.
¡°How so?¡± he said to the disembodied voice.
The World Spike has been used on hundreds of thousands of planets in the universe. Not once has that balance been achieved without significant effort.
¡°Wait. So you¡¯re saying that our government can¡¯t or won¡¯t protect us and would instead harm us?¡±
Through their action or inaction they were already harming you. The purpose of the World Spike is first and foremost to entertain Bob. It achieves this by forcing people to take action. You could have used Zoe¡¯s phone to call for an ambulance but you did not. Why is that?
He thought for a moment. ¡°I took a chance that I could save her. An ambulance wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it through the streets to get there in time.¡±
You took action. Your decision lead allowed the two of you to save the lives of many others. If you continue down this path you will be able to influence and protect those around you. People will come to love, hate, and envy you. Those in positions of power will seek to use and control you.
¡°You¡¯re speaking as if I¡¯m some chosen hero who is destined to save the world.¡±
You¡¯re one of millions of people across this planet that have been given extraordinary powers through a mythic reward. There are a dozen just like you in this city alone. The sole purpose of the billions of artificial intelligence that are assisting you humans is to provide you with information so you can make choices. Whether you chose to take action and help others or sit and do nothing is meaningless. But that doesn¡¯t mean that you can¡¯t try.
He refused to accept what he was just told. He couldn¡¯t believe that all he has done and all that he could do was meaningless. He was inclined to believe that the AI was manipulating him. Deep down a part of him wanted to wash his hands of the whole situation and go run off somewhere. Nobody would blame him. But he couldn''t do that. If only to help his mother and his friends, he would do what he could. His mind made up, he used Analyze on his friends as they entered the train.
Name Alex Rime Class Mimic Level 1 Experience 0/100
Name Duncan Zenshin Class Mystic Level 1 Experience 0/100
Benji laughed. "Okay, guys, what the hell is up with your classes?"Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. His friends looked at each other before Duncan spoke. "How do you know what are classes are? My AI refuses to tell me anything about yours." ¡°Well, I know your class is Mystic while Alex has Mimic.¡± Alex and Duncan looked at each other for a moment before turning back to him. ¡°Cheater!¡± they yelled in unison. ¡°Hold on you two. It¡¯s part of my class.¡± ¡°Dude, you gotta share! What powers did you get?¡± They spent a few minutes explaining the details of their classes. Alex''s love of martial arts was manifested as Copy Form enabling him to use any power for a limited amount of time. Combo Breaker allows him to counter attack enemies easily. Duncan could sense if someone is lying and what their intentions are with Aura Sense. Graphite Arsenal enabled him to make his drawings real with the help of a bit of mana. With Spirit Armor he could create a suit of ethereal armor to protect him from attacks. Their jaws dropped once Benji told them his class. ¡°Hold on a sec, bro. You¡¯re saying that you''re the Nerd Lord? As in the title we¡¯ve fought over for years?¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°Crazy cool.¡± Benji motioned to his friends to quiet down after noticing a few passengers too close attention to what they were saying. "I''m not sure we should talk about this in public anymore than we have. We''ll be at my house soon. Let''s go over it there." Alex shrugged and began talking about the lasted fighting game that he was trying to master. A few minutes later they were off the train and well on their way to Benji''s home. The trio turned the final corner, Benji¡¯s house now within sight, he checked his GSP and saw that it was 11:30am. His mother would be home but he knew she would be understanding given the circumstances. At the corner of the screen he saw a flashing email icon. It was an email from Zoe. Government officials announced that for the time being classes will be voluntary. Students who are in the final semester will be given the opportunity to graduate early. Benji told his friends the news which brought cheers of joy from the pair. Half way down the block they walked through the front gate of a plain looking, two story house. Like the rest of the block it didn¡¯t look like much from the outside; white siding, small windows, a small patch of grass on either side of the path leading to a sturdy black door. Benji entered the house followed closely by Alex and Duncan. ¡°Benji, is that you?¡± he heard his mother call from somewhere inside the house. ¡°Yeah, mom.¡± ¡°Well, get yourself something cold to drink and relax. I¡¯ll be right down.¡± After the three removed their shoes at the entrance they moved into the kitchen, intent on finding something to snack on. Benji took a glass pitcher from the refrigerator and poured each of them a glass of fresh lemonade. He then made his way to the couch and sank down into the cushions. Alex soon followed with a bowl of leftover pickled vegetables while Duncan had a small bag of chips. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see his mother coming down the stairs. She was dressed in a cream colored sweater that nearly reached her knees, black yoga pants and a pair of plain canvas shoes. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs she walked over to stand behind him. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good, kiddo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom. Just a little tired.¡± He looked back into her eyes hoping she would drop the issue. She nodded at him. ¡°Since you¡¯re fine you won¡¯t mind helping me in the laundry room for a minute.¡± He placed his glass on the coffee table in front of him and followed her through a door just to the right of the stairway. Helping with laundry was the excuse she used to talk to him when company was present. Once inside she shut the door behind him. He leaned back against the dryer while she walked over to stand in front of him. ¡°I may be an old woman but I know when you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re thirty-eight not eighty-eight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s besides the point. Now, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Over the next few minutes Benji gave a summary of the last two hours. His eyes became unfocused as he spoke, the anxiety he had surpressed coursing through him like icy water. He explained what happened to Zoe once the World Spike landed and how he saved her. What it felt like to use mana for the first time. How scared he was when he saw the office worker¡¯s broken leg and of the others that he healed with Zoe¡¯s help. Tears began to roll down his face when he spoke of the dead people they saw and the emptiness he felt as they moved from one body to the next. All the chaos caused not by the World Spike but by careless drivers. His mother stepped forward and hugged him close for a moment before releasing him. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m so proud of you for helping those people. I know it must have been awful but it sounds like you did all you could.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just frustrating that most of the deaths were caused by other people.¡± He wiped his eyes with one sleeve of his shirt before continuing. ¡°How bad have the tsunami¡¯s been so far?¡± ¡°Actually, other than some larger than usual waves, there have been no major effects from the impact of the World Spike. Scientists have been all over the news trying to explain what happened. They¡¯re fairly upset since the laws of physics aren¡¯t working like they should be.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s something at least." He paused before continuing. "Mom, I''m a little scared of what I could do with my powers." ¡°Do your friends know about them?¡± ¡°Nobody does. I was going to explain them to the guys once we got here.¡± His mother was lost in thought before speaking again. ¡°Well, let¡¯s rejoin your friends. You can tell us all together." Chapter 7 As Benji walked back into the living room Alex and Duncan were sitting at the end of the kitchen table arguing. He leaned up against the kitchen counter a few feet away and listened in on the dispute. ¡°Dude, physical changes are way more valuable than magic powers!¡± ¡°Who cares about a minor physical change when you could potentially learn magic!¡± ¡°And what happens when your mana runs out?¡± Alex shadow boxed as he spoke. ¡°You get beat down, that¡¯s what.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you boys put the theory to the test and actually try it out?¡± Benji watched as his mom entered the kitchen carrying the dishes that were left in the living room. ¡°Ms. Ferrell-¡± Alex stopped talking as he noticed the icy glare directed his way. ¡°Sorry, I meant Isabel! It¡¯s not something we can really test out.¡± ¡°Surely you two can practice. Besides, there''s nothing you can do that I can''t fix."
Name Isabel Ferrell Class Urban Crusader Level 1 Experience 0/100 Traits Ms. Fix-it You are able to repair objects in your home with mana. Crusader¡¯s Wrath Your spirit rages when confronting those you consider evil. Motherly Instinct When you witness family or friends being injured or threatened, you cannot feel pain until the threat is eliminated.
Suddenly a status screen appeared in front of Benji. His mother¡¯s class seemed to be tailored specifically for her, just like his own had been. It perfectly fit her personality and what she considered important. ¡°Mom, how did you share your status screen with me?¡± ¡°Oh, my AI told me how to do it. Apparently everybody can but I was told I should be careful with who I show it to. Anyways, what powers do you boys have?" They each took turns showing their status screens. When it became Benji''s turn he was hesitant. "Benji, show us your status screen." He looked over to his mother noticing the stern look on her face. " "Fine but promise you won''t freak out." Benji sighed and shared his screen.
Name Benji Ferrell Level 1 Class Nerd Lord Experience 180/100 Traits Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty You may summon one person, ability or object from each game you¡¯ve 100% completed. People or animals summoned serve you loyally until death. Sovereign Right The World Spike has given you the ability to create and rule a kingdom. Gamer¡¯s Touch Your Game Station Portable has unlimited storage, an infinite battery, and can play any game you own. Analyze You gain the ability to gain basic information about a person or object by observing it.
Isabel was the first to speak. "So it looks like all those long nights playing video games has payed off, my lord." "Mom, please don''t call me that. I''m not sure I want to use Sovereign Right." "Why not? I think it''s a great idea. I''m sure there is more to it than just what the trait explains." "I don''t know. I''ll think about it, okay?" Isabel leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before standing. "You boys work it out while I''m gone. You can tell me all about the details when I get back tonight." A cheery ringtone sounded from the kitchen. Benji¡¯s mother grabbed her phone from the counter and spoke briefly with the caller. He couldn¡¯t decipher much from her short replies before she ended the call. ¡°Boys, that was the school administration. Turns out they relaxed the graduation requirements. I want you three to go back to school and file your graduation paperwork.¡± She pointed to Alex and Duncan before continuing. ¡°After that I expect you both to bring your things back here. It isn¡¯t a big house but you¡¯re both welcome to stay for as long as you want.¡± She walked towards the end of the table and grabbed her canvas backpack. She stopped at the door while putting her shoes on. ¡°You boys look out for each other. I¡¯ll be back later tonight.¡± Duncan and Alex grew up in a government run orphanage. They knew very little of their parents. It was something that wasn¡¯t mentioned much over the years. They were fed, clothed, and given a place to sleep but never more than that. Any kindness they had seen in their lives came from the woman standing before them. ¡°Thank you.¡± They spoke in unison. His mother waved as she walked towards the door. Benji watched as the door closed behind her. He wasn¡¯t too surprised when his mother invited Alex and Duncan to live with them. The question of where they would sleep popped into his mind. His room could fit one more bed if he really tried. They could also clean out the storage room. It would be a lot of work but it would be worth it in the end. Benji decided that the first thing that needed to happen was a shower. He wasn¡¯t a fan of taking more than one shower a day but after the morning he had, he made an exception. After he finished he grabbed his clothes and returned to his room. He threw the clothes into the top of clothes basket only then noticing the blood stains. He went to the linen closet and put the uniform into a bio-hazard bag. They would have to pay to replace the uniform but the fine for not properly containing blood-born diseases was far greater. After he finished he dressed in a clean uniform, put his credit stick, and put his GSP into his pocket before he made his way downstairs and deposited the bag in the appropriate container out near the sidewalk. Once inside he made a quick call to the sanitation department so the local crew could dispose of it. Inside Alex was busy mimicing the martial art style of an actor in some action movie. He looked impressive enough if you ignored how thin he was. Duncan was sat at the kitchen table with an assortment of papers spread out before him. On their way home they stopped by an arts and crafts shop. Benji walked over to look at the stacks of paper. ¡°Interesting stuff.¡± He said to catch Duncan¡¯s attention. Pictures of fire, lightning bolts, knives, and creatures of all sorts filled the stacks. ¡° ¡°Stolen novel; please report. Duncan smirked before grabbing a sheet of paper. He focused and fed mana into the drawing before tossing it towards the open space near the front door. As it hit the ground it glowed with the same bright green light as before. Surprisingly it grew in size from a piece of notebook paper to a height of 2 meters. The glow faded away leaving knight in full plate armor. A sword was belted at its waist and a shield was slung across its back. ¡°Not only can I make them whatever size I want but they are very realistic.¡± Duncan motioned towards the knight causing his armor to clank and rattle as it knelt on one knee. ¡°He¡¯s as real as any knight that ever lived but it cost me most of my mana to create him.¡± ¡° Duncan nodded. ¡°Think of it as a hollow suit of armor. It doesn¡¯t have organs, tissues or blood. Any damage is permanent.¡± ¡° "So what''s the deal, Benji? You going to use that 180 experience or what?" "Good point." He turned towards the living room. "Alex, come in here. I''m going to level up. I''ll share any screens I see with you two." Alex paused the movie and joined Duncan at the table. ¡°A.I., show me the level up menu.¡±
You¡¯ve gained enough experience to level up!
¡°Great, I know that. Show me what I¡¯ve gained by leveling up.¡±
Choose one option from the list below: Choose a specific item to be delivered to your location! Items gained this way around bound to you and cannot be lost or stolen. Play the lottery! Bob will choose a reward for you. Items gain this way are not guaranteed to be helpful, useful, or safe.
Benji wasn¡¯t expecting this. Getting a specific item delivered sounded like the best option to gain something that is useful now. ¡°What are the limitations for the second option? Could I get a tank delivered to my doorstep?¡±
You cannot ask for an item owned by another person. For example, you can ask for a smart phone, just not Zoe Weaver''s smart phone. You only get the item itself, not anything else that the item needs to function. If you ask for a tank, you don¡¯t get any fuel to operate the tank or the knowledge needed to drive it.
¡°Okay, it can be specific as long as it¡¯s not already owned and no accessories are included.¡± He thought for a moment before asking another question. ¡°I¡¯m almost afraid to ask but what is the lottery? Why is that even a thing?¡±
Well, most sentient beings believed in luck and couldn¡¯t accept the fact that it just doesn¡¯t exist. The lottery system is a way to satisfy those people and it¡¯s a way for Bob to influence the world without a lot of effort. And before you ask, literally anything can be done with the lottery so make sure you¡¯re ready to accept the consequences before choosing that option.
¡°How often do we get level up rewards?¡±
You gain one reward at level 1 and level 5. You gain another reward at level 10 and one every 10 levels after that. The system is front loaded so that diligent people will survive well passed the first day. Rewards are restricted after level 5 to ensure that the subjects don¡¯t become too powerful.
The AI¡¯s explanation sounded reasonable enough. Benji didn¡¯t believe in luck so the lottery option was just hoping that Bob was in a good mood. The first option sounded like the best choice but what would he choose? He grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and made a checklist. Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty would satisfy a majority of his basic needs such as safety and security. Food would become a major issue in the near future but it¡¯s not like he could ask for a garden to appear in his neighborhood. Asking for material wealth wasn¡¯t a good choice since his mother had more than enough for now and he had no idea where to sell a gold bar if he asked for it. Benji eventually narrowed it down to two options; a set of self-cleaning, self-repairs clothes or a backpack that held and infinite amount of objects. The latter choice was the best option for now. He had plenty of clothes. ¡°A.I., I want an indestructible backpack that holds an infinite amount of living, dead or inanimate items, doesn¡¯t increase in weight, and perfectly preserves the item in the condition it was deposited.¡± He was quite satisfied with his wording of the request.
You have leveled up! You are now level 2. 920 experience until level 3. Your reward will arrive shortly.
A moment later Benji heard the doorbell ring. His friends looked at him for a moment before running to the door. Floating in the air just above the doormat was a tan canvas backpack. Benji grabbed the backpack and shut the door. Once back inside, he opened the backpack and looked inside. He saw nothing but infinite darkness inside. Out of curiosity he stuck the tip of his right index finger inside the backpack. His finger disappeared into the darkness but overall, he felt fine. After pulling his finger back out and closely inspecting it, he decided that the backpack worked as advertised He tried inspecting the side pouches but found that they were decorative. A thought popped into his head as he sat his backpack aside. ¡°Can people take items from inside the backpack? Say if I leave it open, can they just reach their hand in and help themselves?¡±
A barrier prevents anyone other than the owner from accessing items placed inside the backpack.
With his level up settled, Benji nodded to his friends. ¡°You guys about ready to go? The sooner we get this done the sooner we can get back and practice.¡± "Bro, did you just waste a level up on a backpack? Lame." Alex clearly wasn''t impressed. "Are you kidding? He totally just cheated the system!" Duncan seemed to understand Benji''s thought process while choosing. "I don''t get it. What''s he talking about Benji?" Benji used Analyze on his backpack and shared the screen with his friends.
Benji Ferrell''s Personal Pocket Dimension Can hold any amount of items. Incurs no mana cost when storing or removing items. Cannot be removed from Benji Ferrell. Disappears upon death of Benji Ferrell.
"Unless my A.I. is lying to me, these are the only rules when using it." Benji said as he slipped on the backpack. "In theory I can put anything in here." Benji walked over to the sofa and placed his hand on it. As soon as he thought about storing it, the sofa disappeared. Leaving only a handful of depressions in the carpet where it once sat. A second later the sofa reappeared as if nothing had happened. "It might not seem like much now but I''m certain this baby will be a life saver in the future." Benji walked towards the door. "Now, let''s go." "Give me a few seconds." Duncan pulled a second picture of a knight from his stacks of drawings. He dropped the paper on the ground next to the waiting knight and a moment later a second knight stood waiting for orders from its master. "Better safe than sorry, yeah? These two should protect the place while we''re gone." He said as he stuffed a few stacks of drawings into his bag. Duncan walked up to his knights staring at each for a moment before turning back to Benji. "Okay, it''s all set. They''ll protect the property until we get back." "Thanks, man." Benji clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Between your drawings, whatever Alex is doing and my healing, we should be fine." The plan set, Benji and Duncan walked towards the door. Alex joined them after pausing his movie. A moment later they were walking down the sidewalk on their way to school for the second time today. Chapter 8 The walk to school so far was surprisingly uneventful. There were some noticeable changes though. At some point the government decided to put law enforcement personnel at every street corner in the downtown area. Benji wasn¡¯t sure what the point of that was. Sure they could respond to crimes faster than they normally would but very few laws existed, at least not yet, that would prevent people from using their powers. Alex and Duncan spent most of the journey theorycrafting potential uses for their respective powers. Benji¡¯s own powers were fairly straight forward, at least from what he had seen so far. He needed to spend some time going over the list of games that he had completed. A few minutes later they turned the corner, the school now within sight. As they walked through the front entrance the same voice chimed to warn them that they receive another demerit each for missing the last few hours of classes. They ignored it and instead made their way down to the basement levels of the school building where the administrative offices resided. After exiting the stairwell onto the second basement floor Benji was shocked by the amount of students waiting in line. The paperwork to graduate was fairly simple. Grades were compared against the minimum required to graduate. Any demerits or merits gained through the years applied to his final score. That score would then be applied to his permanent record and would be used to what universities he was qualified for and what jobs he could hold in the future. It wasn¡¯t a perfect system but ensured that people were placed in the job they could do the best. The administrative staff were efficient so after about 30 minutes he completed his paperwork. He walked back out into the hallway as a full citizen in the eyes of the govenment. Alex and Duncan were still in the office so he stood off to one side out of the way of the waiting students. There wasn''t enough time to play on his GSP so he watched his classmates. Many were chatting excitedly about their plans to enter the workforce or to go off to university. A few spent their time practicing various powers and abilities, most were uninteresting. As he looked down the line he heard a loud stomping from the stairway. From around the corner appeared Chad and Brad Killian. The tall, muscular, twin brothers were the source of much pain and suffering for many students over the last few years. They spent more time working out than they did in class yet for some reason they always got nearly perfect grades. Either through intimidation or bribery their behavior was ignored by the school administration. Most people just gave in to their demands rather than risk upsetting them. Benji was no stranger to Chad and Brad. After one ugly run in with them in his freshmen year their faces were seared into his mind. But the red haired bullies he saw today weren¡¯t the ones he had avoided just yesterday. Chad now had legs of steel while his brother boasted arms of steel. The two bullies went down the line of waiting students robbing them of any valuables. Watches and phones were taken. The two brothers even took credit sticks, even though they couldn¡¯t use them. Rather than risk a confrontation Benji walked back towards the administration office. Just as he was about to walk through the door a strong hand jerked him back into the hallway. The next moment he was pushed up against the wall, stuck between Chad and Brad. ¡°What¡¯s the big rush, blueberry?¡± A sadistic grin spread across Chad¡¯s face as he spoke. ¡°Sick burn, bro.¡± Brad, always the yes-man, praised his brother. ¡°Guys, I don¡¯t want any trouble. I¡¯m just waiting on my friends.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. My brother and I will keep you company.¡± Benji looked to his left just past Chad¡¯s shoulder to see the line of students slowly backing away. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t pay attention to those cowards. We¡¯ll take care of them once we¡¯re finished with you.¡± Brad leaned back to yell at the waiting students. ¡°You heard my bro! Any of you useless little shits try to run away and I¡¯ll personally fuck you up.¡± ¡°Good job, brother. Now we won¡¯t have anyone interrupting our quality time with blueberry here.¡± Brad crossed his arms causing a slight screech of steel on steel. ¡°Hey, bro, shouldn¡¯t this guy be paying us for spending so much of our valuable time keeping him company?¡± ¡°Excellent idea, brother.¡± Chad said with a sadistic grin on his face. Benji knew the conversation was quickly heading in the wrong direction. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m gonna be honest here. I don¡¯t have anything worth your time. Just my GSP but it¡¯s DNA locked.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Hand it over, blueberry. That''s not a problem for me.¡± Benji reached into his front pocket for his GSP and gave it to the red haired bully. ¡°That¡¯s a good boy. Now turn out your pockets.¡± ¡°Guys, I don¡¯t have anything else.¡± Brad put his hand on Benji¡¯s left shoulder and began to apply pressure. ¡°You lyin'' to my bro? You got that backpack don''t ya?" Benji had no way to give them his backpack even if he wanted to. A second later Benji went from standing up to doubled over to his knees. Searing pain shot through his torso as he tried to catch his breath. Through the agony he heard the two brothers laughing above him. He gently placed both hands against his chest and tried to focus his mana only to have it slip away. He worked quickly to focus his mana again. He didn''t know how much time he had before the next punch came. He muttered ¡®heal¡¯ under his breath, completing the spell. He leaned forward a bit more in an effort to hide the golden glow. As the spell ran its course he saw Alex and Duncan walk out of the administration office. ¡°What the hell are you doing to our friend!¡± Alex¡¯s voice barely registered as two ribs snapped back into place. The pain faded away but exhaustion remained from the effort. The distraction caused Chad and Brad to away from the wall. Benji took the opportunity to slide out of the way, scrambling towards Duncan¡¯s outstretched hand. He was quickly pulled to his feet as Alex moved in front of him to cut off the advancing bullies. Chad laughed at the sight. ¡°And what do you plan on doing, shitstick?¡± ¡°I plan on protecting my friend.¡± Alex began to bounce from side to side with his hands up in front of him, a stance similar to the movie they saw back at Benji¡¯s house. ¡°Man, you¡¯re as dumb as you look. Teach him a lesson, brother.¡± ¡°With pleasure, bro.¡± Brad lunged only to have his hands grasp thin air. Alex ducked out of the way to land a few quick punches to Brad¡¯s kidneys. The enraged bully swung his steel arms around but again Alex barely slipped out of the way. He landed a few shots on Brad¡¯s stomach but the bully grabbed both his fists. Alex tried to pull back his hands but they wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Got ya now you little prick.¡± Brad grinned as he applied pressure to Alex¡¯s hands. Alex screamed in pain as he fell to his knees. Benji felt a lump forming in his throat as he watched his friend helpless in front of him. He looked towards the other students cowering back at the far end of the hallway. No help would be coming from them. With no other choice he He leaned in to whisper to Duncan. ¡°Do whatever you can to distract them. I¡¯ve got a plan.¡± Duncan looked confused but did as he was told. He pulled his sketchbook from his backpack and flipped through, pulling out pages as he went. Soon balls of fire filled both hands. After a moments thought he sent them both flying towards Brad and Chad. Brad released Alex, stepped in front of his brother and crossed his arms in front of him, bracing for the impact. The fireballs exploded on impact but the flames disappeared before they causing any lasting damage. Benji used the moment to decide on which game to draw from with Nerd Lord''s Majesty. A grin crossed his face as one particular game came to mind. ¡°Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty¡ú Empire Battlers 9¡ú Lu Bu.¡± A blinding light appeared a meter away causing everyone watching to cover their eyes. The light contorted and grew into the shape of about 2 meters tall. As the light began to away it left behind a man wearing a flower patterned robe underneath a suit of black lacquered armor. He wore an ornate leather belt with a golden clasp in the shape of a mythical lion. His black hair was pulled back into a complicated braid. One hand held a 3 meter long crescent halberd and the other held a composite bow with its quiver slung across his back. Lu Bu looked around for a moment before walking forward to kneel before Benji. ¡°I live to serve you, my lord.¡± A dozen questions filled his mind about what just happened but Benji pushed them back as he spoke to the man before him. ¡°Protect everyone in this hallway from those two men.¡± Lu Bu stood to face his master. ¡°Do you wish their death, my lord?¡± ¡°No. Protect us without causing permanent injuries.¡± Lu Bu placed his bow and quiver on the ground before shifting his spear out in front of him. ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± Chad stepped forward with his brother to face the man. "Who''s this fuckin pansy in the bath robe? You know what? Who cares. Let''s get ''em brother!" Brad stepped forward and swung at Lu Bu who simply raised his spear to deflect the blow. He brought around his spear and struck Brad in the solar plexus with the blunt end of the shaft. Brad fell to the floor gasping which spurned Chad into action. He ran forward and jumped into the air, thrusting his massive steel legs towards Lu Bu but the warrior simply sidestepped sending the bully crashing to the floor. Both men scrambled back to their feet, their faces red with embarrassment. ¡°The weak should know when they¡¯re beaten.¡± Lu Bu showed nothing but contempt for the two brothers as he leveled his halberd towards them. ¡°Stay down, worms.¡± From the end of the hallway he heard someone trying to force their way through the crowd. Benji watched as Mr. Kemper, his history teacher, appeared from the crowd. The middle aged man ran forward to Benji. ¡°Benji, what the hell happened here? I could hear the fighting from the top of the stairs.¡± Benji sighed. ¡°Sir, Chad and Brad went down the hallway robbing students. When they came to me they took my property but wouldn¡¯t leave me alone. Brad struck me in the ribs.¡± He pointed back over his shoulder. ¡°My two friends stepped in to protect me. In the end I summoned my retainer to protect everyone from Chad and Brad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming you and your friends completed your paperwork already?¡± Benji nodded to him which caused anger to flash over his teacher¡¯s face. ¡°Instead of this being taken care of on school property I now have to call the police since you idiots decided it was a good idea to attack citizens!¡± It was a fact which had slipped Benji¡¯s mind. People didn¡¯t become citizens until after graduating high school. Many rights and privileges were afforded to citizens, including harsh punishment for any non-citizen who assaults them. Chad and Brad had effectively elevated their punishment from a simple in-school suspension to possible jail time. ¡°Benji, I want you to take your friends and your retainer to my classroom and wait for me there.¡± The teacher pulled out his phone while the two bullies looked in Benji''s direction. Shaking his head, Benji walked over and used Heal on Alex. He heard audible cracks as the broken bones in his friend''s hands settled back into place. After retrieving his property, and with Duncan''s help, they lead Alex back up the hallway towards Mr. Kemper''s classroom. Chapter 9 Benji and his friends sat near the front of the classroom, exhausted from their efforts. Duncan pulled out his sketchpad while Alex kept staring at his hands. Meanwhile, Benji was still angry at the Killian brothers. He knew nothing would come of police involvement. They would find a way to evade responsibility for their actions like they always did. He looked towards Lu Bu who was standing near the doorway. Lu Bu could have killed them both in a heartbeat. Benji¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by footsteps outside the classroom door causing Lu Bu to take a step back, his halberd held off to one side ready to strike. The door opened showing a very surprised Mr. Kemper put his hands up in an effort to show no threat. ¡°Let him in, Lu Bu.¡± The tall man stood to the side but never took his gaze off the middle aged man. Mr. Kemper nodded gratefully at Benji and walked over to take a seat at his desk and sighed before speaking. ¡°Of all this things I imagined might happen, watching a Chinese General from two thousand years ago protect three students from a pair of half steel bullies was not one of them.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, sir, I tried to end it as peacefully as possible.¡± ¡°Benji, the camera footage would prove your word. It took some convincing but security finally let officers from Central PD examine the audio and video evidence. I imagine that by the end of the day formal charges will be brought against Chad and Brad. They will also be investigating why on-site security didn¡¯t alert the police when the Killian brothers started robbing people.¡± Lu Bu slammed the butt of his halberd down on the classroom floor. ¡°The miscreants should be executed!¡± Benji shook his head and spoke. ¡°It''s not that easy, Lu Bu. Nowadays we don¡¯t just execute people. They are given the chance to correct their mistakes.¡± Lu Bu shook his head. ¡°My lord, if they are not adequately punished now they will return to cause trouble later.¡± Benji sighed. ¡°You may be right but I''d rather not get arrested for murder.¡± Lu Bu fell to one knee in response. ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± The modern history teacher looked on in awe at the exchange. ¡°Benji, you know how this will look to government officials don¡¯t you?¡± Alex looked up from his hands at the question. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? He stopped two criminals before they got the chance to hurt more people. In my eyes he¡¯s a hero.¡± Benji looked over to his friend. ¡°Alex, he¡¯s talking about how a two thousand year old Chinese General is effectively my slave. I can think of half a dozen laws that are being broken by him existing. Slavery and unreported biological contamination since he hasn¡¯t been vaccinated, just to name a few.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not your fault!¡± Alex slammed his hands on the desk, causing the wood to groan from the impact. ¡°Everybody calm down.¡± Mr. Kemper spoke with the stern voice of an experienced teacher. After silence fell over the room he spoke. ¡°The AI has said nothing about Benji¡¯s crimes. Now, what does that mean?¡± Duncan broke his silence. ¡°Either the AI is malfunctioning or certain crimes are being ignored.¡± Mr. Kemper nodded. ¡°Correct. Now, we can¡¯t know which is correct but we have to assume that, unless the AI warns you, the actions you take are within your legal right. It''s the only conclusion I can come up with. Benji certainly can''t be the only person on Earth do something like this.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Benji couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the absurdity of it. Two hundred years of strict government oversight was thrown away in just a few hours. Benji checked the time on the wall clock; nearly 1:30 pm. ¡°Mr. Kemper, thanks for your help but we need to head to the orphanage to file their graduation paperwork.¡± As Benji stood from his desk Lu Bu moved to the door and opened it to peer out into the hallway. Duncan put away his sketchpad while Alex stacked the broken parts of the desk off to one side of the classroom. ¡°You all be safe out there.¡± Mr. Kemper reached into his pocket and handed a business card to Benji. ¡°If you need anything don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± Benji nodded as he shook the man¡¯s hand. Lu Bu stepped through the doorway and motioned to Benji to follow. Nobody dared get close as Lu Bu led the way through the halls, his halberd resting across his shoulders. As they walked through the front doors the AI congratulated them for successfully graduating. Benji chuckled as he brought up the address to the orphanage on his GSP. He gave the directions with Lu Bu who strode down the busy streets with confidence towards their destination. The next hour passed without incident. After arriving at the orphanage, Duncan and Alex filed their paperwork as quickly as they could, eager to leave the place. Benji and Lu Bu helped them gather their meager belongings and the four made their way back to Benji''s house. After he and his friends had arrived back at his house he decided to spend some time looking through various websites for any information he could find related to the World Spike. His friends were left to their own devices while he worked on his room. Unsuprisingly, not much was known other than it''s height which was an astounding ten kilometers. With no external markings whatsoever and no ability to take a sample of the spike itself, scientists were left to guess at what it was. Benji stoood up from his chair and walked over to look out his bedroom window. Since the houses in his neighborhood were built so close together he couldn¡¯t see much but it was enough to let light into the room during the day. His stomach growled reminding him that he hasn¡¯t eaten since earlier in the day. He grabbed his GSP and left his bedroom. Lu Bu stood against the wall just outside his room. ¡°Your orders, my lord?¡± ¡°Just going downstairs to see what Alex and Duncan are up to.¡± The large man nodded and walked downstairs with Benji close behind. As he guessed, his friends were busy practicing their powers. Both of his friends had changed clothes once they had found a place to store their belongings and now wore normal clothes. Alex was busy practicing while Duncan continued to draw. Benji walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. His mother had the habit of not having much food on hand. There were staple foods like eggs, rice, and milk but most everything was bought on a daily basis. There was always the grocery store a few blocks away from his house so he decided to make a trip. After returning to his room he changed out of his uniform into a pair of tan shorts and a brown hoodie and grabbed his credit stick from his dresser. His mother had deposited what he considered an absurd amount of money on the card each month but he rarely used it other than buying new games when they came out. He walked downstairs, put his GSP into his pocket, slipped on his shoes. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m heading down to the grocery store to grab us something to eat. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Benji walked outside but was followed closely by Lu Bu, who closed the door behind him. The large man still carried his massive halberd but chose to leave his bow and quiver behind. Benji stopped and turned to face his retainer. ¡°Lu Bu, we''re only walking down the block so I don''t expect we''ll see any trouble. If there is, subdue them as quickly as you can.¡± ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± The man bowed his head and walked out the gate at the end of the sidewalk. As they walked down the sidewalk Benji looked around the neighborhood. Everything looked calm in comparison to the chaos he experienced earlier in the day. People seemed to have adjusted to the days events and were living their lives normally. A few minutes later they walked through the door to the convenience store. Benji waved to the clerk at the cash register and took a basket from a stack near the entrance. As he walked the isles and threw whatever seemed interesting into his basket. He quickly accumulated a collection of snacks and candy. He grabbed his favorite ramen flavors from the noodle isle. At the ready to eat food counter he took all five boxes of chicken nuggets and a half dozen potato croquettes since they were made fresh daily. On his way to the register he grabbed a half dozen bottles of lemon ginger ale. He placed his overflowing basked on the counter and the clerk swiftly began scanning his items. He grabbed a few bags of gummy candy from a display near the counter, added them to the pile and patiently waited for the clerk to finish. After paying he thanked the clerk and walked outside with his bags. Benji slipped off his backpack and dropped the bags into the darkness of the bag. While waiting at the crosswalk his GSP chimed from his pocket. It was an email from Zoe asking if she could pay him a visit. For a moment he just stared at the screen. He wondered why she wanted to visit. He had known her for a few years but never spent much time talking to her. Now she wanted to come to his house. He bit at his thumb nail as he debated whether to say yes or no. Finally, he sent a reply to her with his address and said that he stepped out for a moment but would be home soon. As the crosswalk sign turned green he took off at a brisk walk, anxious to get back home. Most of the house was clean but he needed to double check. His mother would be upset if he had company over with the house looking like a mess. ¡°My lord! Are you in danger?¡± Lu Bu said as he walked beside his master. ¡°Something like that. A girl is coming over to visit.¡± After tossing his backpack on the couch he took off his hoodie and began tidying up the first floor. He wiped down the counters and took the recycling bins to empty at the main collection containers at the end of the block. Upon returning he cleaned up the laundry room. Finally, he walked upstairs to check the bathroom and his bedroom. Satisfied that everything was clean, he returned downstairs to see both of his friends staring at him. ¡°Bro, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Alex was using a hand towel to wipe the sweat off of his chest. ¡°Zoe Weaver is coming over.¡± The short reply sparked both his friends into action. Alex jumped over the couch and ran up the stairs two at a time. A moment later he heard the shower running. Duncan hastily stacked up his drawings into a neat pile at the end of the table while his paper knight panicked to find some way to help his master. Chapter 10 Zoe stared out the window of the city bus wondering why she sent that email to Benji. Most of her friends were more worried about showing off their powers than caring about what was happening outside the school. By the time that school officials announced the early graduation she jumped at the chance. It was only after she had arrived home that she received a text about the fight that happened between Benji and the Killian brothers. She tried to go about her day like she normally would but eventually anxiety got the best of her. So now here she was sitting on a bus which was headed near Benji¡¯s neighborhood. A voice announced they were nearing the next stop, so she grabbed her bag and waited for the bus to stop before exiting. A moment later the bus continued on its route. She stood in front of a small grocery store which Benji said was very close to his house. After looking around she pulled up the map on her phone and followed the route to his house. As she walked down the sidewalk, she wished that she had worn more sensible clothing instead of the skirt and camisole she was wearing. An older couple walked towards her on the sidewalk. She felt uncomfortable when she noticed the man leering at her as she passed. The sound of a slap and rushed apology from the man to his wife made her feel a bit better. She came to a stop in front of a small two story white house. The address matched the email he sent. She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect while passing through the front gate. A few steps later, she reached up and rang the doorbell. A moment later she heard the lock turn and a second later the door opened. She jumped back as a tall man in ancient looking armor walked through the door. He glared at her but made no effort to move. Zoe stared at the man until a hand grabbed him from behind causing the man to turn around. ¡°Damn it, Lu Bu. I told you that I would answer the door. Now step back, you¡¯re scaring her.¡± The large man bowed his head before moving back into the house. Benji stepped into the doorway with an embarrassed look on his face. Zoe had never seen Benji in normal clothes before. The tan shorts and brown hoodie he wore fit him well. His purple hair still held its spikiness. She put on her best smile and greeted him. ¡°Hello, Benji. Thank you for letting me visit.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± He stepped back and motioned for her to come inside. ¡°Sorry about that. He¡¯s a bit overprotective.¡± The inside of his house was quaint but was kept very neat and organized. The left side of the room held the kitchen and dining table. A boy with Asian features sat at the table trying his best to look casual. Behind him stood two knights in full armor. Off to the right side was a couch and television. A thin, dark skinned boy sat on the couch flipping through the channels. He paused momentarily to lazily wave at her. A stairway and a single closed door separated the two living areas. Benji walked over to the table before offering her a seat. She took off her shoes at the door and chose a seat opposite of him and sat down. The man who Benji had called Lu Bu stood up against the wall near the entrance. ¡°So what brings you by? I never thought I¡¯d have you over to visit.¡± A look of panic crossed his face. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you here! I¡¯m glad you came by.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intrude. I didn¡¯t know you had so many guests.¡± She still wasn¡¯t sure herself why she came. ¡°Oh, these are my friends. This is Duncan and that¡¯s Alex on the couch.¡± She bowed slightly to the two boys. She thought for a moment before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s been a rough day so far and I¡¯m hoping that you would be able to understand what I¡¯m going through.¡± Concern flashed across his face. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to anything you have to say. We can talk upstairs if you want a bit more privacy.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, this is fine.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Zoe spent the next fifteen minutes explaining everything that happened since she last saw him. The more she spoke the more she realized how stressed out she actually was. She told him about her day at school. About how her friends were so focused on their powers and ignoring what was happening across the world. About how they had laughed off the World Spike as a minor annoyance. She told him about her father, an ER doctor, and how he was working so hard at the hospital. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about what¡¯s going to happen from now on, Benji. Why isn¡¯t everyone taking all this seriously?¡± ¡°Zoe, you¡¯re not alone. I wondered that myself. I think all we can do is focus on those people around us and help them through it. My mother actually took all this fairly well. She knew more about using her A.I. than I did.¡± ¡°She must be an amazing person. What about your father, Benji?¡± ¡°Oh, he died in a car accident when I was five years old.¡± Zoe silently berated herself. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s been so long that it doesn¡¯t bother me much anymore.¡± Zoe thought about her mother before speaking. ¡°I know how you feel. My mom left when I was twelve. My father was so busy with work that she couldn¡¯t handle being left alone with me. One day she just left. I haven¡¯t heard from her since.¡± For a minute they just sat there. Benji finally broke the silence. ¡°I picked up some groceries earlier. Would you like something to eat? There''s more than enough for everyone.¡± ¡°Oh! I wouldn¡¯t want to impose.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. It¡¯s already prepared. All we need are a few plates.¡± She watched as Benji walked into the kitchen and opened a backpack. Soon all sorts of sugary snacks found their way onto the table along with six bottles of some sort of soda and six cardboard containers. The smell coming from the containers made her stomach growl. Benji looked her way, causing her to feel a bit embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, I guess I¡¯m hungrier than I thought.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. This came from the grocery store near here. It¡¯s usually pretty good. Everyone, dig in. That means you too, Lu Bu.¡± Alex crossed the room and took a seat at the end of the table near Duncan. Lu Bu took a seat on the other side of the table between Benji and Duncan. Benji walked into the kitchen and brought out a stack of plates and glasses. He opened each of the containers and placed them in the middle of the table. After motioning to her to help herself, he grabbed a few chicken nuggets and a potato croquette for himself. After Benji had his food she stood up and decided to take one each of the nuggets and one croquette. Benji smiled at her as he opened one of the large bottles of soda and filled his glass before placing the bottle near her. She poured herself a glass of the amber liquid. As she took a sip she was surprised to find that she quite enjoyed it. She didn¡¯t drink soda often so it was a nice treat. As they ate Benji and his friends talked about what happened to them earlier in the day. She had heard of the Killian brothers but she was lucky enough not to have dealt with them before. Benji explained who Lu Bu was and how instrumental he was to stopping the fight. Alex and Duncan both demonstrated and explained their powers. The more they talked the more she felt inadequate. All she could do was calm people down. Once she finished her meal she simply sat and listened to the three friends chat while she sipped at her lemon ginger soda. When Benji offered a second helping of food she declined, her appetite now sated. He then pointed to the mountain of junk food and offered desert. She accepted and grabbed a candy bar at random. ¡°Well, how about you go rest on the couch while I clean up here. The remote is on the coffee table.¡± As he walked into the kitchen he called over his shoulder. ¡°The restroom is upstairs, first door on the left if you need it.¡± Zoe took her bag and walked towards the couch before turning and walking up the stairs. The hallway at the top of the steps had four doors. She turned the handle on the first door on the left which opened into the restroom. At first glance it was average but she noticed that all the fixtures were high quality. It was a stark contrast to an otherwise modest house. After she finished, she washed her hands and checked herself in the large mirror above the sink. Satisfied that she looked presentable she turned off the light and closed the door. As she arrived at the bottom of the stairs she saw Benji on the couch flipping through channels on the television. Alex and Duncan sat in chairs to either side of the couch. She walked over and sat down next to Benji. The couch was just big enough to fit two people, leaving only a hands width between them. Benji looked over and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to get comfortable. Make yourself at home.¡± ¡°Um, where is Lu Bu?¡± She looked around but couldn¡¯t find the large man or the knight. ¡°Will he not be joining us?¡± Benji shook his head. ¡°He wanted to go stand guard out front and took the knights with him.¡± Feeling a bit more relieved, she pulled her legs up underneath her and sat sideways facing Benji. After flipping a few more channels Benji stopped on one of Raven City¡¯s local TV stations. ''And we¡¯re back. During the commercial break there was an announcement from the World Government. The Prime Minister has announced that military personnel will be dispatched throughout the world as a result of the massive increase of crime following this mornings events. As a safety measure, all non-essential travel will be temporarily be restricted. Mandatory identification checkpoints will be set up. Any citizen whose appearance has changed as a result of their powers must update their profile. We advise that all of our viewers to update their government profile as soon as possible either by phone, Internet, or in person. Any citizen caught evading checkpoints will be arrested.'' Benji changed the channel after the reporters began speaking to a panel of experts. He stopped on a channel playing anime but Zoe had a hard time focusing on it. She couldn¡¯t help thinking of the unknown. Now that the military would be involved meant that things would get far more dangerous. She wished that her father was there to hold her and tell her it would all be okay but his work was too important. She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them as she tried to watch TV. As they sat and watched TV her anxiety subsided, leaving her feeling exhausted. Barely able to keep her eyes open she let out a single yawn. Moments later she fell into a peaceful sleep. Chapter 11 Isabel kept a very strict daily schedule and had done so for the past thirteen years. At first it was to help deal with the grief of losing her husband but now it was integral to who she was. Her husband had been killed in an automobile accident involving government vehicles. After months of paperwork she was left with a sizable sum of credits, more than she would need in her lifetime. Smart investments allowed her to do whatever she wanted with her life, besides taking care of her only child. Years later, once Benji was able to take care of himself, she searched for something to do, something to occupy her time. Her mornings were spent at a food pantry, preparing meals for the elderly and homeless throughout Raven City. Even though basic income and housing for all was available for each citizen, people still fell through the cracks. The meals Isabel helped prepare were offered to everyone with no questions asked. All were welcome. She received normally no income other than a sense of satisfaction but today she earned experience, an enormous amount of experience. After a bit of information sharing it was clear she was receiving far more than others so she chose to leave early, allowing others to gain experience in her stead. There was no need to monopolize it. After a light lunch at one of her favorite restaurants, she made her way to the Raven City Crisis Shelter, which housed victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. Raven City, for all its merits, had an ugly side. Most chose to ignore it. The news rarely reported on it, choosing to report happy, feelgood stories instead. The police did their best but they couldn¡¯t be everywhere. Most of the people living at the shelter were teenagers or young adults. The building itself was one of the most secure buildings in Raven City, their security primarily made up of ex-military or off duty police officers. The two armed guards at the door relaxed a bit as they noticed her walking up to the former office building. She knew both of the guards very well but showed her badge anyways. ¡°Afternoon, boys.¡± She said with a smile. The men wore somber expressions. ¡°How are things today?¡± ¡°Bad, Isabel. We¡¯ve had all sorts loitering around here. That business with the World Spike brought out the cockroaches if you catch my meaning.¡± Her smile faded. ¡°Anything serious so far?¡± The second guard spoke up, ¡°We¡¯ve had to be very blunt with a few people but nothing that required force.¡± ¡°Well, good job so far. I¡¯ll be here until late this evening. Keep me posted.¡± The two men parted with one waving at a camera mounted just above the steel security door. She heard the lock click and pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting the door slam shut behind her. The inside opened up into a large area with tables and couches scattered throughout. At the far end of the room sat a reception desk. A pair of elevators and two steel doors sat directly behind the desk. Isabel crossed the empty room and approached the woman sitting at the desk. The woman looked up and smiled as she saw Isabel approaching. ¡°Oh I¡¯m so glad to came today, Isabel.¡± Isabel smiled at the middle aged woman who sat behind two large computer monitors. ¡°Hello, Angie. I heard from the boys outside that things have been rough today.¡± ¡°Oh you don¡¯t know the half of it. All sorts of wackos have been calling and demanding that we turn over our clients.¡± ¡°Let me guess, they think they¡¯re all powerful now and we should cower at their feet in fear?¡± The woman chuckled, ¡°That about sums it up. I¡¯m sure some people could follow through with their threats but luckily only a few have showed up to try.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the dorms? Any problems there?¡± Angie¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Most are distraught. That bastard that did all this wasn¡¯t kind to those poor souls. A few have shown improvement but most of the others are suffering. Their abilities are useless to say the least.¡± She continued, ¡°My abilities make me better at what I do and are generally helpful but some of those poor souls have been traumatized by theirs. Isabel, there have been a few suicide attempts.¡± Isabel¡¯s expression turned grim. Not every case ended up with the victim improving enough to where they could return to their original lives. Suicide was an unfortunate part of life at the shelter. It was hard enough to help these people before the World Spike. Isabel felt anger boiling inside of her. ¡°Um, Isabel, I don¡¯t mean to alarm you but your hands are on fire.¡± Angie¡¯s voice snapped Isabel out of her trance. She looked down at her fists and was in awe of the golden flame that surrounded them. She should be screaming in agony but it felt like she was wearing a pair of soft, fuzzy gloves. The flame left trails in the air that disappeared as she moved her arms. She focused on her breathing causing her anger to subside, taking the golden flames with it. ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s one of my abilities. I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°See that you do, Isabel. You need to be the loving, caring person you normally are, not some human tiki torch.¡± Isabel nodded her head, walked up to one of the elevators and pressed the button. She took a deep breath to steel herself for the work to come. It was 11pm by the time Isabel packed up to leave. She wanted to leave earlier but the residents of the shelter needed her. With the help of the other volunteers, they finally got everyone fed and into their rooms. She was surprised at how many people came in to work the night shift. They would be able to take care of any nightmares or other issues that pop up. After arriving back on the first floor she saw that Angie¡¯s desk was occupied by another volunteer. She said goodbye to the young man and walked across to the security door. As she stepped out into the cool night air two different guards looked back at her. Both gave a polite nod as she walked between them. It was a long way home but one she had made countless times before. As she walked she noticed the streets were unusually quiet tonight. Occasionally she would see a car driving down the road but she saw nobody else walking. Stores had long since closed or were closing. It wasn¡¯t long before she came to the train station nearest the shelter. She entered the terminal, scanned her transit card causing the reader to beep letting her know she could continue. As she neared the stairway leading down to the passenger landing, she heard two more beeps from the entrance. She hurried down the stairs to wait for the train. As she stood on the platform, she checked the time on her cellphone. The train was due to arrive any minute. Footsteps echoed down the stairway behind her. She turned to see two men wearing dark clothing walk across to wait just out of arms length from her. She put her phone back into her bag and waited for the train. She brought up her status as an afterthought.
Name Isabel Ferrell Class Urban Crusader Level 1 Experience 2350/100 Traits Ms. Fix-it You are able to repair objects in your home with mana. Crusader¡¯s Wrath Your spirit rages when confronting those you consider evil. Motherly Instinct When you witness family or friends being injured or threatened, you cannot feel pain until the threat is eliminated.
Earlier in the day she had to instruct her A.I. to stop notifying her of each experience gain. She would wait to consult Benji on what her level up reward should be. A minute later the train rattled down the track before coming to a stop at the landing. Isabel entered the train and sat in the car nearest the conductor like she always did. The train pulled away, slowly picking up speed. She breathed a sigh of relief and settled in to wait out the short trip to the next station. She stared out the window across from her and thought about what government officials had announced throughout the day. She wondered if depending on the government to protect her was the wisest choice. As she weighed the options in her head, she heard the door to her car open causing the rattling of the tracks to flood the compartment. She looked to her left and saw the two men from earlier walking into the car. They sat across from each other no more than ten feet away from her. She looked to her right at the conductor before looked out the window again. ¡°It¡¯s late out miss. A bit too late for a beauty like yourself, if you ask me.¡± She looked at the man to her left and simply nodded. ¡°What brings you out so late at night, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± The second man spoke this time. Seeing that they weren¡¯t going to leave her alone she answered, ¡°I had to work late.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t happen to be at the crisis shelter would it?¡± She turned her head and stared at the man to her left. ¡°Oh, I think that¡¯s a bingo. See? I told you she was the one.¡± The second man replied, ¡°Yeah, looks like our information was correct. Blonde hair, smoking hot. Lady,that rat hole you work at has something that belongs to our boss.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t belong to anyone, you bastards.¡± She watched as the man''s expression went from a sleasy sneer to anger. ¡°Shut your mouth, bitch!¡± The man to he left screamed. He stood up and took a few steps closer before continuing. ¡°Either you turn over those whores you stole or we¡¯ll just take you back to the boss. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get top credit for your pampered ass.¡± The other man spoke, ¡°Hold up there, bro. Something weird is happening to her hands.¡± The first man screamed, ¡°I don¡¯t give two shits about her hands! She ain¡¯t gonna insult me and then tell me no. This bitch needs to learn how to respect a man.¡± Isabel stood up her fists blazing with the same golden fire. The thug charged at her with a wild right hook. She ducked by falling to her knees, her right fist impacting the man¡¯s crotch. The flames caused the cloth of the man¡¯s pants to catch fire. As he fell to his knees in pain trying to put out the fire, she stood up and brought her right knee as hard as she could into the thug¡¯s jaw. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the floor, his pants still burning. ¡°What the fuck!¡± The second man shouted as his friend fell to the floor in front of him. The conductor announced over the intercom that he had notified the police and they would be waiting at the next station. ¡°You¡¯ll never get those poor girls. You want to make money? Put a wig on your friend here and put him on the corner. Might want to take him to a doctor first though because I felt something pop with that punch.¡± ¡°Whoa, lady. I think I''ll take my chances with the cops.¡± Isabel stood with her back to the conductor¡¯s door, her hands blazing as she held them ready in front of her. She watched as the second man extinguished the fire that was happy burning away on his friend¡¯s crotch. After the flames were out he walked over to the exit and stood there, leaving his buddy lying unconscious. A few minutes later the train pulled into the station. As the doors opened, police rushed into the car. The two men were quickly put into handcuffs and dragged from the car. Isabel took a deep breath and shook her hands, extinguishing the flames. A police officer motioned for her to step off the train. She grabbed her bag off the floor and left the train. As she followed the officer towards the station entrance she was approached by a man wearing a brown suit. She took her ID from her bag and handed it to the waiting man. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m Detective Overton of Raven City PD.¡± He said while scanning her ID with a handheld device. ¡°I¡¯d like to take your statement if you have a few minutes.¡± ¡°Of course, Detective. I assure you it was self defense.¡± The man handed her the ID and nodded. ¡°I watched the live feed from the train on my way here. You aren¡¯t in any trouble Miss Ferrell. I just need your statement for the report.¡± Isabel gave Detective Overton a brief description of what happened before and during the attack. He asked a few questions which Isabel answered. A uniformed officer came over and whispered into the detective''s ear for a moment before leaving. ¡°Well, the man you left standing has apparently seen the error of his ways and is very cooperative. It seems they¡¯re both from the Low Gang. Well, that¡¯s what they used to be called. They¡¯re calling themselves the Powerless now.¡± ¡°I know of them Mr. Overton. I volunteer at the Crisis Shelter. They¡¯re responsible for nearly half the women we currently house there.¡± Detective Overton nodded grimly. ¡°A few of the boys moonlight as security there. Raven City PD thanks you for the work you do, Miss.¡± ¡°Yes, we try to keep everyone well protected.¡± ¡°Be that as it may, I¡¯ll contact the mayor about sending a detachment from the military to watch the over area. No promises though, they¡¯re more than a bit uptight.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern, Detective. Am I free to leave? I¡¯d like to get home soon.¡± Detective Overton put his notepad into his coat pocket and motioned to a nearby officer. ¡°I like for one of the boys to drive you home if you don¡¯t mind. Just in case. I¡¯ll contact you if I have any further questions.¡± ¡°Thank you, Detective.¡± She followed the young officer out of the station and walked over to a wait police cruiser. The officer opened the passenger door for her and she sat inside. A moment later the officer got into the cruiser and drove off towards her house. Chapter 12 Benji reached into a bag of gummi candy, idly popping a piece into his mouth as he went over the page in front of him. He had spent the last few hours trying to figure out the best option to protect those he cared about. He took a moment to stretch, savoring the fruity flavor of the candy. The soft clinking of porcelain came from the kitchen. Benji turned to watch Lu Bu. The large man was wearing a floral apron that was far too small for him. It was then that Benji heard a voice coming from the front door. He turned to see one of the paper knights stepping inside followed closely by his mother. Once she passed the knight returned to his post outside the front door. ¡°Hey, mom.¡± He said, trying to act casual. "Don''t ''hi mom'' me, Benjamin. What were those things outside and why is there a large man ruining my favorite apron?" Benji held his finger up to his lips and pointed to the couch. Isabel walked to inspect the couch before motioning upstairs. She turned to face him as he reached the top. ¡°I assume that¡¯s Zoe. Why is she asleep on our couch?¡± ¡°I know it looks weird. She emailed me and asked if she could come over and I said yes. She had been stressed out all day and just wanted someone to be with. Her father is a surgeon at Raven City Central so he¡¯s been stuck there ever since the World Spike came. It didn¡¯t feel right to turn her away.¡± ¡°So she asked to spend the night?¡± ¡°Well, not exactly. We were watching TV and she just got tired. I noticed her dozing and said she could stay. She was asleep before I could even bring her a pillow and blanket. She¡¯s been like that ever since.¡± She smirked at him. ¡°My little Romeo." ¡°Come on, mom. It''s not like that. I just didn¡¯t want her to wake up to an empty room.¡± Benji knew he sounded more than a bit defensive. ¡°Sure thing, kiddo. So the knights and your dish washer?" "The knights were created by Duncan and the man in the kitchen is Lu Bu. I sort of summoned him from a video game. He''s washing dishes because he said it''s his duty." She hugged him, holding him close for a moment before walking past him. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower. Why don''t you wake up Duncan and Alex so we can talk.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Benji turned and opened the door to his bedroom. His friends had decided to go to bed early. They were both tired after spending the day practicing their respective powers. Alex slept in Benji''s bed while Duncan was snoring off to one side of his room in a hammock the boy had created earlier in the day. Benji shook them both until he was sure they were awake. "Guys, my mom is home. She wants to talk with us downstairs." He received only groans in response so he turned the light on as he left the room. He heard them getting out of bed as he walked down the stairs. "Is everything okay, my lord?" The man asked in a low voice while removing the apron. "I didn''t mean to cause trouble between you and your mother." "No problem. She was just surprised." Benji walked over and sat at the table, taking a moment to organize his notes. It wasn''t the perfect plan but it would have to do. Duncan and Alex walked over to sit across from him. "What''s all this, bro?" Alex said while stifling a yawn. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "I''ll go over it once my mom is down here. She wanted to take a quick shower." Benji turned on his GSP while they waited, scrolling through his now much larger library of games. Somehow every game he had ever played was listed on the device, each with a percentage complete counter. He had hopes that he could find something useful to summon from each one but that just wasn''t the case. It was a bittersweet feeling now that his hobby was now linked with his survival. ¡°You know it¡¯s weird knowing that those games you play actually have a tangible benefit.¡± He looked up from his game to see his mother at the bottom of the stairs, staring at him. ¡°You¡¯re telling me. I''ve spent hours now trying to figure out the most efficient way to use each game.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She said as she sat down next to him. ¡°Mom, as far as I can tell, this," He held up his GSP, "is the most powerful thing in the room. If I wanted to I could pick any game that has stars in it and summon that star into existence.¡± Her brow creased after listening to her son. ¡°So there are no limitations on your ability?¡± Benji put his GSP down and folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. ¡°If it exists in a game that I¡¯ve completed, I can make it reality.¡± He held up his hand that had started to glow a soft golden light. ¡°Just like the Divine Magic I used to save Zoe or Lu Bu who I summoned to protect us at school.¡± "What happened at school?" Benji summarized the events of the day. Duncan and Alex corroborated his story, as did Lu Bu. Isabel turned and looked over towards the couch. ¡°Maybe we should wake her up. I have something I need to tell you all.¡± she said, finally speaking her mind. Benji nodded and walked over to the couch. He looked down to see that Zoe was already awake. She stood up and smoothed down her clothes before walking over to the table. "I didn''t mean to eavesdrop. It''s nice to meet you, Miss Ferrell." ¡°Oh, please. Call me Isabel and please take a seat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Isabel.¡± She smiled as she spoke, taking a seat next to Alex. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡± he asked, concern painting his voice. ¡°Some gang members on the train tried to force me to hand over some girls from the Crisis Center. I refused and one tried to get violent. Unfortunately for him I was prepared for it. I didn¡¯t take years of self defense classes for nothing. A punch to the crotch of one of them definitely caused a permanent injury." ¡°Ouch, mom. You exploded a guys nuts with a punch?¡± She nodded. ¡°The other man gave himself up at that point and the police were waiting to collect them at the next station. But that¡¯s not the point. The point is that people are getting bold and unpredictable.¡± Benji nodded. "Well, you wanted a plan of action and I''ve got one." He took a breath before continuing. "I think we should leave the city and go up north to your parent¡¯s old property. As much as the government wants us to think everything will be okay, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re safe in this city.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯re capable of defending us?¡± Isabel said while turning to face him. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re mentally prepared for what needs to happen, mom. They couldn''t even protect us in school in full view of cameras." "Wait. You''re talking about leaving the city. Won''t that be dangerous, Benji?" Zoe looked at him with a confused look on her face. "Not nearly as dangerous as it could be in about seven hours. That''s when Bob said he was sending all non-human life to attack us. To be honest I''m more worried about the humans than some mutated pidgeon." ¡°My son''s right. My parent''s house hasn''t been used in quite some time but it should still be in good condition." Zoe looked down at the table, lost in thought for a moment. After nodding her head she spoke. ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea and I¡¯d be honored to go along with you. I¡¯ll leave a message for my father but I know he¡¯ll be fine with the idea. I¡¯m usually at home by myself most of the time anyways.¡± "Of course we''re going as well. You two are all the family we have." Duncan spoke with Alex nodding in agreement. Isabel stood up. We''ll it''s settled then. We need to pack up the essentials from here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got you covered mom. My backpack can hold everything we own inside of it and still have space.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, Isabel. It¡¯s his level up reward.¡± Zoe smiled at Benji as she spoke. Benji gave his mother a brief description of the bag and how it worked. ¡°Okay then. I want you boys to go around the house and stuff everything you can into Benji''s magical backpack. In the mean time, Zoe, you go upstairs and freshen yourself up. Towels are in the bathroom. Just let me know if you need anything else.¡± The girl nodded and Isabel continued. ¡°We also need some form of transportation. I can try to call in a favor if needed but I''m open to suggestions. "Don''t worry, mom. I''ve got that covered." Benji said, patting his GSP. "Once we leave here we should go by the grocery store and buy everything we can. We''ll also need to go over to Zoe''s house so you she can grab clothes and anything else she¡¯ll need. Now unless anyone has anything else to add, we all need to get moving. The sooner we leave town the safer we''ll be." They all nodded and stood up to get to work. Chapter 13 As Benji walked into his room, he could hear the shower across the hall. After closing his bedroom door, he looked around to see what was essential and was was useless. After setting his backpack on his bed, he opened it and walked over to his closet. He stripped his hangars bare and began packing the clothes into his backpack. They went in easily. Over the next few minutes he packed all of his clean clothes into his bag.
You¡¯re doing this the hard way you know.
"What do you mean? You never told me of another way.¡± Benji was irritated at the sudden interruption.
You didn¡¯t ask. Just place your hand on the object you wish to place into the backpack and simply say ¡®Oh great and powerful A.I.! Please allow me to store this item.¡¯
¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±
You¡¯re so boring. All you need to do is think about what you want to store. The backpack will do the work for you.
Benji looked at his dresser and willed it into his backpack causing it to disappear. A single thought later and the dresser reappeared exactly where it originally sat. Benji sighed in frustration and looked around his room. As his head turned objects disappeared leaving only empty space. He looked around at the newly empty room and opened his door. At the same time Zoe stepped out of the bathroom across the hall wrapped only in a towel. She blushed a deep red before disappearing into his mother¡¯s room with her clothes and bag in hand. Benji stood there for a moment staring blankly before checking on Duncan and Alex in the storage room. "You guys done in here?" Benji said while leaning up against the doorway. "Think so, bro. Think you could hold our stuff too?" Alex had changed into a red tracksuit while Duncan wore tan cargo pants and a gaudy shirt covered in flowers. Benji looked around the room at the assorted cardboard boxes and plastic containers that had built up over the years. Most of it was likely useless and only held sentimental value but maybe there would be something useful. A thought caused the clutter to disappear. Lastly, Benji looked at the small pile of bags sitting between his friends and stored it as well. He left the room and walked back downstairs, his friends following behind him. His mother sat at the kitchen table talking to someone on her cellphone while marking down notes on a piece of paper. He moved over to the living room and began placing the furniture into the backpack. He turned around and walked into the laundry room and stored the laundry baskets and cleansers. He walked over to the washer and bent down beside it and turned off the water valves before storing it and the dryer safely away. As he walked back towards the kitchen, his mother was staring at him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Benji, where did the couch and television go?¡± He simply pointed his thumb back over his shoulder, ¡°Magic backpack, mom. The only rooms left are the kitchen, your room and the storage closet. Zoe is changing in your room so I thought I¡¯d start down here first.¡± ¡°Well, take it all. We need all the options we can get once we get there.¡± Benji nodded and moved into the kitchen. With the help of Duncan and Alex, they carefully moved the refrigerator and stove so he could turn off the utility lines. Afterwards he stored away the entire kitchen, leaving only the cabinets and counters behind. As he stood in the middle of the room he heard Zoe walking down the stairs. He turned to his left and watched her walk down the steps. She looked as beautiful as she did when she first arrived. She smiled at Benji and went over to sit at the kitchen table. He walked upstairs and moved quickly into his mother''s room and the bathroom, storing what he could see. He double checked every closet to make sure he didn''t miss anything before finally walking downstairs. His mother and Zoe stopped talking as soon as he entered the room. His mother spoke first once he sat down. ¡°So I spoke to the director of the Crisis Shelter. He was hoping that we would be willing to relocate the residents to my parent''s property once we''ve got everything set up.¡± "It might take a little work before we can support that many people, mom." "I''m aware, dear. I''m sure you have your plans set but they need somewhere where they can live in peace." ¡°Well that won''t change just sitting here. Maybe go double check my work while I sort out our transportation?¡± They all stood up from the table and Benji quickly stored it away along with the chairs. He motioned to his friends to follow him outside since they had nothing better to do. As the door opened, Lu Bu turned to face his master, flanked on either side by Duncan''s paper knights. Benji patted the man on the shoulder as he walked by. Benji waited at the sidewalk taking in the sounds of the city. Sirens could be heard in the distance but it was otherwise no different from any other night. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see everyone gathered waiting for him to act. ¡°Okay, here we go. I talked with my A.I. earlier in the day and it assured me that we will be able to fly this by ourselves.¡± ¡°Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty¡ú Ultimate Daydream 4¡ú Voyager.¡± Benji glowed faintly before a pulse of white light shot from his hand and landed in the middle of the street. The ball of light pulsed and expanded, growing until it reached the size of an antique sailing ship floating just above the cement. A popping sound burst through the area as the airship came into existence. The hull of the ship was made up of a dark black wood. At four points along the ship, giant propellers reached high up above the deck. There were no sails but black wings soared out from the each side of the ship, more for decoration than function. Thick rope ladders toppled down from each side before landing on the ground. "Before anyone says anything, yes this is our best option. We''ll be able to fly high above the ground in relative safety and avoid the attention a spaceship would bring." Benji walked over to the closest rope ladder, placing one foot on it to hold it steady. Alex and Duncan were the first up the ladder followed closely by the pair of paper knights. Zoe and Isabel went up next followed by Lu Bu. Finally Benji climbed up once the others were safely onboard. At 30 meters long and 10 meters wide, the Voyager was larger than Benji thought it would be. The game it came from made it seem much smaller. The 10 meter high ship was comprised of three lower decks that were mostly empty. The upper decks were clear except for a pair of stairs leading to the lower decks near the massive engine at the rear of the ship. The controls of the ship itself were located in the center of the deck, comprised of a raised pedestal holding a panel of electronic controls. Steering controls, a large bank of indicators, and a map of the surrounding area were spread out across the panel. Benji walked over to the control panel and brought up a map of the area. It only took a few moments to map out a route in the navigation software. The first stop took them just down the block. Benji brought the airship to hover four meters above the road and set the massive ship to motion. They quickly traveled three blocks and arrived at the corner grocery store. Benji and his mother exited the vehicle and went inside. As they approached the person at the counter Isabel took out her bank card from her bag. ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase everything in the store.¡± she said, staring at the clerk. The clerk asked them to wait a moment and walked into the rear of the store. A moment later an older man who must be owner came out and Isabel negotiated a price that satisfied them both. The gray haired man rang up the price, a staggering 200,000 credits. He processed the card, handed it back and thanked her for the purchase. As Benji began going down each isle depositing the store¡¯s contents, the owner walked over to switch the open sign to closed. Benji deposited the entire shelving units into his backpack and was soon finished with only the refrigerated displays and the check out counter remaining. They both thanked the owner and left the store. Once back onboard Benji asked Zoe for her address. Once the destination was set Benji brought the airship high above the surrounding buildings and increased speed towards the girl''s house. Chapter 14 The house that Zoe lived in made Benji''s modest home look like a slum in comparison. Voyager came to a stop above the gated residential community and slowly descended to the lush green yard that was hidden away between the high stone walls surrounding the property. Lu Bu kicked the nearest rope ladder over the side and climbed down to the grass. After a few tense moments he signaled back up to Benji that there were no threats in sight. Zoe took a deep breath before disappearing over the edge of the deck. Benji waited a few seconds before following. As they approached the front door, Zoe ran ahead, scanned her fingerprint on a control pad to the right of the door and entered the house. An electronic voice sounded throughout house welcoming her home. Benji ordered Lu Bu to wait at the door for them. The man nodded and turned to look back out towards the airship. "Turn on all lights." At her command bright lights illuminated the home. The interior was as immaculate as the outer grounds. ¡°Fancy stuff.¡± She turned to Benji, an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°My father works hard for what we have." She turned away as she spoke. "We should hurry. My room is on the second floor." She led Benji through the house and up a grand staircase that made up the core of the house. The second floor contained her bedroom and bathroom, a study area, a home gym, and a sauna. She led Benji into her bedroom and pointed to a row of dressers along one wall. ¡°Um, just take the entire dresser if you can. No need to open them.¡± Benji nodded, causing them disappeared into his backpack. Zoe walked over to her closet door and stepped into her walk-in closet. Benji stepped into the closet safely depositing the contents of the shelving units and racks. ¡°Would you like to take your bed as well?¡± he asked once they left the closet. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there will be enough room for it at your family¡¯s property but let¡¯s take it just in case.¡± After storing her bed they moved to the bathroom and made short work of Zoe¡¯s makeup and toiletries. She placed a laptop from the study into her own bag before walking out of the room.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Is this everything you need, Zoe?" She nodded and together they left. Zoe reset the alarm and closed the house back up. They crossed the property and climbed back up to Voyager. As Benji watched Lu Bu climb up the ladder he realized he needed to find another way for people to board the airship. The ladders were too slow and left them far too exposed. Once everyone was onboard Benji took them to their next destination, a military surplus store in the eastern part of the city. Most weapons were illegal to own but there was still a large market for survival gear and assorted types of personal protection. Once they reached the store, Voyager descended down in front of the red brick building. The store itself was closed but a single man stood waiting at the front door. Lu Bu followed Benji and his mother down to the ground but Isabel ordered the large man to stay back before walking forward and hugging the strange man that was waiting for them. "It''s so good to see you again, James." Isabel broke the hug and turned to face her son. "Benji, you probably don''t remember but this man was a friend of your father. He''s agreed to help us with the supplies we''ll need." "It''s the least I could do for you and your son. Just tell that man with the spear to relax a little." Benji looked back at Lu Bu who stood staring at James. "Sorry about that, sir. He''s a bit protective." James laughed. "No worries. It makes me feel better knowing that a beast like him will be going with you." James turned and unlocked the front door and motioned for them to follow. Shelves and stands held all sorts of gadgets and gear, a doomsday preppers wet dream. James turned to them once they were reached the center of the store. "Like I said over the phone you can take whatever you need Isabel." "Are you sure I can''t pay you, James? I don''t want to put you out of business." She reached into her bag and took out her bank card. "That stupid piece of metal out there in the middle of the ocean put me out of business. Haven''t had a customer all day." The man shook his head as he spoke. "Nobody needs pepper spray now that they have super powers. Besides, this was just something to keep me busy." Isabel and James made small talk while Benji went around the store absorbing everything in sight. There was a lot of junk mixed in but the freeze dried food in particular would be helpful once they ran out of fresh food. After checking for any stock in the back room he rejoined his mother. "Well you weren''t kidding, Isabel. That''s one hell of a useful bag you have there, Benji." "Um, thanks. And thanks for the supplies. We''ll put them to good use." "You''re welcome." James sighed. "You all should get going. You''ve got a lot of work to do if you want to be ready by the 7:30 deadline." Isabel hugged the man one last time before leaving through the front door. Once back aboard Voyager Benji set course to a location eighty kilometers north of Raven City. As they flew over the city Benji looked over the railing to the city below. Military and police personnel were out in force erecting barriers at strategic locations across the city. Benji silently wished them luck but he could only focus on those close to him. The concrete soon gave way to dense forest once they passed outside of Raven City limits. Benji walked over to the control console and got to work scanning the surrounding area for threats as the traveled. Chapter 15 An alarm sounded as they approached their destination. "Is it time, my lord?" Lu Bu grumbed over the sound of the wind. "Yes. Go below and tell everyone that we''ll be landing momentarily." The man ran towards the rear of the ship and disappeared down the stairwell. Shortly after they left Raven City the others had chosen to go down into the lower decks due to the wind and temperature. Benji stayed at the controls, using the time to plan what needed to happen once they arrived at the Ferrell family property. The property was the home of the Ferrell family for the last 200 years, passed down from one generation to the next though it was abandoned for the last fifteen years. His grandparents had died when Benji was very young so he had no real connection to the place, just a few hazy memories of coming here as a toddler. The property itself covered a 2.5 square kilometer area of the countryside. Most of the property was open grassland surrounded on three sides by a dense forest. The northern side of the property ended at a cliff edge, which dropped down 100 meters to the land below, a remnant of some massive geological event in the distant past. A single dirt road that passed through the western part of the dense forest leading up to the property and was impassable without heavy machinery to clear the way. The main house, a large eastern style family manor, was located in the middle of the grassland. According to his mother it had six bedrooms, a traditional style kitchen and a large dining area. The house had been renovated at some point in the past to accommodate for modern electronics but maintained the classic feel or so she said. The view from above showed that it was in sore need or repair before it would be of any use. As Benji scanned the property at the control panel, he heard footsteps from the rear of the ship. He turned to see his mother walking towards him, followed closely by his friends and Zoe. The two paper knights were gesturing to each other at the end of the ship as they looked down below. ¡°Well, it certainly hasn''t aged well.¡± Isabel sighed as she looked at the aging house. ¡°That won''t be much of a problem, mom.¡± He turned to speak to the group. "Once we land don''t stray too far from the airship." "What do you mean, dear?" his mother questioned. "You''ll see." A smile touched his lips, eliciting a look of exasperation from her. Benji tapped a few buttons, bringing Voyager down slowly to rest half a kilometer from the large manor house. The two knights broke off their silent conversation and tossed two rope ladders over the railing before quickly climbing down after them. The group descended into the waist high grass below but did as they were asked and stuck close to the massive airship. ¡°Benjamin, do whatever it is you''ve planned. I''d like for us all to have a hot meal and a bit of rest before the deadline gets here.¡± ¡°Lu Bu." The man stood at attention as his master spoke. "You are to protect this property from all aggressors. You are to kill on sight any plants, animals or other living creatures that threaten our property. Only the people you see here are allowed on the property. Anyone else must receive permission from me. Do you understand your orders?¡± Benji stared into the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Lu Bu bowed his head slightly. "Sovereign Right." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
You''ve chosen to create your own kingdom. Your current location will be used to found your capital. Do you accept?
"I do." Benji swiped at the screen causing it to appear in front everyone else.
Please designate an heir. This option can be changed at a later time.
Isabel started to speak but Benji continued. "Isabel Ferrell."
Do you wish to announce your coronation to the world?
"Absolutely not."
Processing request. Error. Request denied. Announcing coronation in 5..4..3..2..
Greetings Earthlings! It is I, the great and powerful Bob! I know I''m a few hours early but don''t despair! One among your population has decided to rise up and lead you in your time of need. As a coronation gift I won''t reveal his exact location but I will share his name. All hail King Benjamin Ferrell!
"What the fuck is this!?" Benji screamed. "Wait a sec." Alex took a step back, stunned by the annoucement. "Was that really just announced to the entire planet?" "A.I., I explicitly said not to announce it!" Benji did his best to supress his anger as he spoke.
Sorry about that. Since you were the first human to found a kingdom using their Bob-gifted right, I was overridden by Bob himself. I suggest you bring up the status menu for your kingdom and get to work.
The status menu appeared before Benji could act.
Welcome to Kingdom Builder! Brought to you by Bob. Please select an option below. Free Build Mode Kingdom Metrics Employment Settings
He chose Free Build Mode, causing another screen to pop up which reminded him of building games he had played in the past. He was able to see an aerial overlay of the entire property and he could view different layers above and below ground. Much like a game, his building resources were limited to what was available on the property. Benji sighed before turning to the group. ¡°There will be a moderate amount of noise and shaking but don¡¯t be alarmed. This will only take a few minutes.¡± Benji turned back to the interface and brought up the list of broken objects on the property. The solar cells and various supports and walls of the house needed fixing. Benji reached back and pulled out his game console as well an assortment of electronics that were purchased from both stores and placed them all on the ground. He was surprised to find that a large portion of the surrounding forest was considered part of the property. After pressing a few buttons a hammering sound could be heard from the roof of the house. A moment later the walls of the house shuddered as the foundations and framing were reinforced and restored. After looking at the menu he saw that the house contained six bedrooms, a large kitchen, two restrooms, a single large shower as well as several common rooms and storage closets. He reorganized the basic layout which added several hundred square meters onto the house. The front door, located on the west side of the house, now located at the center of the house, was comprised of a large lounge area, a massive dining room, a kitchen worthy of a professional chef and a large pantry. The northern end of the mansion featured 12 bedrooms while the southern end, just passed the kitchen, held the restrooms, a bank of 6 self contained shower stalls, and a single large hot springs which was fed from a source deep underground. After checking over the layout one final time he returned to the electrical system, repairing the solar panels and battery system. Benji flipped the screen away and turned back towards the group. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the house done. I want to work on some defensive features but you all can go inside and check the place out.¡± Isabel led the three teenagers towards the house, flanked on either side by a paper knight. Lu Bu stood near Benji while scanning the property for threats while his master worked. Benji quickly navigated through the assorted blueprints provided by Free Build Mode and decided on a material to use for a massive defensive wall. He drew from a rich quartzite deposit from deep underground and built a wall surrounding the edge of the property, leaving a few hundred meters of open land between the walls and the forest. Iron deposits and carbon found in the dirt turned into a single reinforced steel gate on the western wall providing the only entrance and exit. The wall itself measured 10 meters in height. Along the wall at set intervals were large guard towers that rose up above the tree line. The wall ended at the cliff face leaving it open to maintain the scenic view. Benji stared at one particular function that was grayed out due to lack of materials; the futuristic shield generator. If he sacrificed all the electronics they brought with them he still wouldn''t have enough materials. Benji motioned for Lu Bu to follow and ran towards the front door. Arriving inside he saw his mother waiting for him. "Mom, you can yell at me in a minute." He turned and called into the house. "Duncan! I need your help." Duncan appeared from one of the bedrooms and rejoined his friend near the front door. "What can I do for you?" "I need you to draw up about a dozen laser turrets." Benji used Free Build Mode to create a three meter by three meter pad of paper using trees from the surrounding forest. "You''ve got about five hours." "I''ll do my best." Duncan motioned to his paper knights who ran up to the giant stack of paper and carefully carried it to a clear spot off to one side of the lounge area. Benji navigated back through the defensive options and placed automated ballista every ten meters on the top of the wall. He didn''t know how they worked but his A.I. assured him they function correctly. It would have to be enough until he found the resources to build more high tech defenses. He finally swiped the menu away and faced his mother. "Okay, mom, I''m all ears." Chapter 16 Benji sat on his bed trying find the energy to stand up. After his coronation and the chiding he received from his mother, he placed each person''s belongings into an empty bedroom. He gave his GSP to Lu Bu and instructed the man to wake him at 6am. From the sound coming from a chair in one corner of the room, the man was playing Empire Battlers 9, likely as himself. Benji would have to ask the man about how his actual life compared to written history. "Save your game, Lu Bu. We should get ready." The big man nodded and placed the device on top of Benji''s dresser. Benji stood up, put on his shoes and grabbed his backpack as he walked out into the hallway. As he walked into the lounge area he saw Duncan hard at work at his massive drawing pad. Benji walked over to inspect the two completed drawings that sat off to one side near a pile of small metal objects. Although he didn''t know what he was looking at, it looked impressive enough. "I had to do some experiments before I got it right." Duncan sat back and massaged his hands as he spoke. "The thought of what I want each part to do determines the outcome when I bring it to life." "So these two will do what exactly?" "Since you put up those ballista along the wall, I built these to target anything in the air. The one on the bottom is a gatling laser turret. The one on top fires unbreakable nets. I figured it would be good to have an option other than instant death." "Think you have enough mana to bring them to life? I should be able to use Free Build Mode to place them on the roof." "I can''t guarantee that I won''t pass out from the effort but I''ll do my best." Benji nodded and carefully pulled the top sheet off and spread it out flat on the floor. Duncan stood up and nodded to his paper knights that were watching nearby before kneeling down to touch each sheet of paper. The knights knelt on either side of their master, ready to support him incase he fainted. "Here goes nothing." A massive ball of light collected in Duncan''s chest before splitting in half and traveling down each of his arms and into the paper. Bright light engulfed each sheet causing them to shrink and contort. It took nearly a minute to finish but before them sat a pair of two meter tall turrets. The turrets themselves were still rough in design due to time constraints but he trusted that they would work as Duncan said. Benji brought up Free Build Mode and added the two turrets onto the roof along with sturdy supports to ensure the roof wouldn''t collapse under the weight. A single blinking icon on the main menu showed that they were now a permanent part of his defenses and could be turned on and off at will. Duncan sat back onto his butt with sweat streaming down his face from the effort. The two knights helped him to his feet and carefully brought him over to a nearby couch so he could rest. Benji took a cold bottle of iced tea and a candy bar from his backpack and handed them to his friend. "Thank you, Duncan." Duncan took a sip of his iced tea and leaned his head back against the couch but didn''t reply. Benji walked into the kitchen followed by Lu Bu. As he looked around the kitchen piles of cold drinks and frozen food appeared on the counter tops. "Put these in the refrigerator while I go stock the pantry." "At once, my lord." Benji walked into the massive pantry and began emptying his backpack and filling the shelves with row upon row of boxed food and canned goods. Barrels of freeze dried food from the survival store were placed along the floor for easy access. The fresh food was kept in his backpack until he figured out a way to keep it fresh while being accessible to everyone else. After spending a few minutes making sure each shelf was filled to capacity he walked back out into the kitchen. There was enough food for a few months but the sooner they found a more permanent solution the better off they would be. Benji rejoined Duncan in the lounge area. The color had returned to Duncan''s face, a sign that his mana was regenerating nicely. Off to one side the knights were nodding to each other in some silent form of communication. "What are they saying, Duncan?" "They''re trying to decide what to do if the animals learn how to use catapults." "So they''re actually speaking and you can understand them?" Duncan nodded. "Yeah, it''s all telepathic. The nodding and gesturing is for our benefit. They think it''s rude if don''t give some indication that they''re talking to each other." "Psychic knights. Crazy stuff, bro." Benji turned to see Alex walking into the room wearing a simple pair of gray shorts and an orange shirt. Benji turned back to speak to Lu Bu who was standing near the front door. "Lu Bu, think you could demonstrate some fighting techniques for Alex? I''m sure he''d appreciate a few pointers." "Dude, nice! Private lessons with Lu Bu?" "Anytime you want." Benji grinned to Lu Bu. "Just don''t hurt him too much. I''d rather save my mana." "Wait, what do you mean?" Alex took a step back as Lu Bu moved towards him. "I''ll do my best, my lord." Lu Bu scooped up Alex and threw him over one shoulder. As he walked out the front door Benji could hear Alex trying to get away. Benji spent the next hour meditating, trying to focus his mind on what was to come and trying to figure out what he had missed. He had built a safe, secure location for his mother and his friends. In theory they had enough firepower to hold off a small army and enough food for at least a few months. Benji could heal woulds and could use Nerd Lord''s Majesty to provide solutions to future problems. Zoe could provide relaxation through her own powers while his mother and friends could fight if it came down to it. Lu Bu, as the legend went, was a powerful warrior but they couldn''t rely on just one veteran to protect them. There needed to be more.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Benji thought back over his list of completed games, most of which were role playing games. He could pull heavily from the Ultimate Daydream series, though number eleven was online only and currently had no end. He wondered if completing sections of the game counted for Nerd Lord''s Majesty.
Well, your ability states only games that you''ve 100% completed. I can ask for clarification though. Processing. Answer received.
Your ability has been updated! Changes will be displayed in red text. Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty You may summon one person, ability or object from each game you¡¯ve 100% completed (includes the core game and expansions in the case of online games). People or animals summoned serve you loyally until death.
To Benji this change seemed just a little bit too good to be true. The five more uses of Nerd Lord''s Majesty would be very useful but it seemed just a bit overpowered.
Your Bob-given power has been improved and you''re complaining? What an ingrate.
Benji swiped away the window. It''s not that he was complaining, it''s that he knew the ultimate goal of the being that gave it to him. This was all for the entertainment of that being. He would be a fool to willingly walk into a trap. But he couldn''t just sit and do nothing. He had to fill in their weaknesses. Thinking back through the Ultimate Daydream series, two characters came to mind but he wanted to wait until Zoe and his mother were awake. As an antique mechanical clock rang out seven notes Zoe and Isabel walked into the lounge. At the same time a very tired looking Alex scrambled through the front door being drove by his new teacher. Now that everyone was gathered together, Benji stood up and cleared his voice to gain their attention. "While we rested, Duncan worked through the night to create two special features. One is a gatling laser turret to help protect from airborn threats. The other is a launcher that fires unbreakable nets. They''re both mounted on the room of the mansion and are fully automatic. Along the perimeter of the property is a ten meter high wall with auto-ballista placed every ten meters along the top. We''re as safe as I can make us but there is one more thing I can do." ¡°Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty¡ú Ultimate Daydream 9¡ú Fitt.¡± A ball of light shot from Benji¡¯s hand to land off to one side of the front door. It grew into the shape of a small boy of no more than 10 years of age. As the light faded the figure appeared wearing a blue robe and blue pointy hat with a wide brim. The boy removed his hat to rub at his short brown hair revealing his features, which seemed unnatural and a little too perfect. ¡°Nerd Lord¡¯s Majesty¡ú Ultimate Daydream Advanced Tactics¡ú Sword Saint Miami.¡± A second ball of light landed just to the left of the blue-robed boy. It twisted and grew much taller. As the glow faded, a man nearly two meters in height with light brown hair and a short beard stood in the spot. He wore an ankle length orange robe with the hood pulled up over his head. Underneath the robe he wore heavy purple plate armor with a brilliant white sword strapped to the his waist. ¡°Time for introductions." The pair stepped forward towards the group. "The young boy in blue is called Fitt. Fitt, please introduce yourself and provide a brief history and what your combat specialty is.¡± ¡°Greetings. I am a counterfeit life form created for war. I am skilled in offensive magic and magic theory. I don¡¯t eat or sleep but I am otherwise no different from humans. I hope we can all be friends.¡± Fitt bowed to the them before stepped back. ¡°Miami, you¡¯re next.¡± ¡°I am Sword Saint Miami. I originate from a land were technology has been lost through time and magic rules the day.¡± He drew his sword and focused his power into it, causing it to glow with a blood red aura. ¡°I am a Sword Saint, unmatched in melee combat. I can focus mana into my blade and strike my foes from a distance. I am also a strategist of some skill.¡± A clamor arose among the group as Miami stepped back to join Fitt. Benji raised his had for silence. "I summoned them to help eliminate our weaknesses. Although I''ve played a lot of rpg''s, I don''t know everything about running a kingdom. I also don''t have the faintest idea of how to more efficiently use my mana. That''s where Miami and Fitt come in. They''re here to advise us and help us until we can help ourselves." Duncan''s knights ran to meet Miami as soon as Benji stopped talking, fawning over his armor and sword. The man chuckled and pulled back his cloak before handing his sword to one of the knights, causing a battle between the two over who got to hold it. Zoe and Isabel walked over to Fitt to introduce themselves. Fitt, unused to the attention, began to blush as the two women fussed over him. Benji sat down next to Duncan. A moment later Alex stumbled his way to the couch and collapsed onto it. Benji handed his tired friend a cold bottle of water from his backpack. The group passed the time away but before long a deep tone rang out across the world and once again a screen appeared in front of every human alive.
People of Earth! I have returned! I¡¯ve got to tell you though, the last 24 hours have kind of let me down. The majority of you haven¡¯t been taking all this seriously. Now don¡¯t get me wrong, a decent portion have been using their Bob-given powers to do some amazing things. There are even a small portion of you flesh-bags that have begun worshiping me. I¡¯m flattered, really, but come on. I¡¯m not here to answer your prayers. To the one roughly billion of you that took me seriously, I say bravo. I shall be lenient on you. But since I don¡¯t want this to end too quickly, I¡¯ve made some changes. For the near future, or until I¡¯ve decided you¡¯ve had enough, all the animals of Earth will attack you on sight. Originally I wanted everything to attack you but I¡¯ve realized that just a single mosquito would be enough to wipe your entire species. Anyways, there you have it. Those that prepared, you¡¯ll probably be fine. Those that slacked off, well, good luck to you.
Chapter 17 For the third time that strange voice echoed through Zoe¡¯s head, though this is the first time she was able to really focus on it. She had listened to a few reports yesterday from across the world. When Bob spoke, he spoke to the entire planet simultaneously in each person¡¯s native language. It was a feat of technological achievement that modern science couldn¡¯t begin to explain. They waited. Zoe imagined that the change would happen immediately. As the minutes went by the horror movie scene with thousands of monsters charging towards a single point just didn¡¯t happen. Were they part of the lucky ones? There had to be hundreds of animals in the surrounding countryside, not counting the birds in the sky. She turned to Benji to speak but was interrupted by a loud thudding sound from outside the house. Lu Bu opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch followed by Miami and Fitt. The rest of the group walked out behind them and Zoe reluctantly followed. Around the edge of the property was a massive wall made of a gray stone streaked here and there with blue, green and orange. Along the wall were massive wooden structures which must have been the ballista that Benji was talking about. Again the thudding sound happened, this time much louder. She turned to look across the grass towards the single metal gate and the source of the noise. A massive bird with copper colored feathers was bashing its head against the gate. It noticed the group of people and squawked at them. The sound was loud enough to cause Zoe to cover her ears. ¡°The wall and gate should be fine but we can¡¯t just let that thing batter away forever. The noise is going to attract others to us.¡± Benji had turned to speak to the group. ¡°Can we even handle that thing by ourselves?¡± Isabel cracked her knuckles as she spoke. Benji turned to stare at the giant bird for a moment before speaking. ¡°We¡¯ll have to work together but we can beat it. With Lu Bu and Miami holding its attention we''ll be able to take it down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be able to help as well.¡± Zoe wanted to be part of the conversation but regretted speaking up. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Benji smiled at her. ¡°Your vocal skills are a big part of this. You¡¯ll be able to increase our natural regeneration and increase the damage that Copper Pheasant takes.¡± Benji went over the battle plan. Once Lu Bu and Miami were in place, Benji would raise the gate, allowing the giant pheasant to charge inside. The gate would be closed once it was inside. At that point Zoe was supposed to use Harsh Mistress to weaken the bird and then use Calming Voice to increase their natural regeneration while Lu Bu and Miami moved to assault the pheasant. Benji would stand in the back ready to heal injuries as they appeared. Duncan would contribute wherever he saw fit. Fitt wouldn''t interfere unless the beast got out of control. "Mom and Alex, I can''t force you but it''s probably best if you two don''t fight until we know how tough they are." The pair nodded to Benji but didn''t speak. ¡°One last thing." Benji said. "We need to form a party.¡± Zoe had a blank look on her face before a screen popped up in front of her.
A Party is a group of humans that have agreed to interact with each other against a common enemy. In a party you share experience gained for certain actions and are able to see a visual representation of your fellow party member¡¯s health.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Benji Ferrell has invited you to join a party. Do you accept?
Zoe selected yes and a set of semi-transparent bars appeared in the top left corner of her vision. She saw her own name at the top with seven names underneath. Beside each name was a bright red bar. Lu Bu took a few steps forward, stuck his halberd into the ground and unhooked his bow. He grabbed three arrows from his quiver before placing the quiver on the ground. He turned and spoke to Benji. ¡°My lord, I will fire arrows at the beast as it charges. Please refrain from helping until Miami and I have it under control. At that point follow the plan you explained.¡± Benji nodded. Lu Bu took one arrow and took aim towards the gate while Miami drew his sword. Benji waved his hand and the gate clattered as it rose up into the wall. The pheasant squawked once more and began lumbering towards them, quickly closing the distance. Lu Bu¡¯s hands moved quickly, firing three arrows in rapid succession before dropping the bow behind him. The first hit the bird in its right eye causing the bird to scream in pain. The second struck deep into its chest. Bright red blood dripped from the wound. The final arrow hit the bird¡¯s right leg causing it stumble slightly but it squawked its rage and increased its speed. Lu Bu grabbed his crescent halberd and moved to flank it from the left while Miami moved to the right. As Benji walked forward, Zoe hurried to walk beside him. As Lu Bu charged within a few meters of the bird he twirled his halberd above his head before striking at the bird¡¯s thick right leg. The great bird stumbled again and did its best to peck at Lu Bu as he dashed out of the way of its vicious beak. Miami used the distraction to run around behind the bird and began to swipe away at its unprotected backside, tearing away great tufts of feathers with every strike. Zoe was stunned for a moment before remembering her role. ¡°You¡¯re a stupid bird and I hate you!¡±
You weakened a Mutated Copper Pheasant. You gain 10 experience. (100/100)
A black haze washed over the pheasant. A red bar appeared at the top of her vision, showing the pheasants current health. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. We can do this!¡± She felt embarrassed about her choice of words but it seemed to do the trick, the familiar glow washed over the group. The status bars in the corner of her vision updated to show a small icon of a green cross under their names. The bird struggled to its feet, attempting to peck at Miami. The armored man jumped backwards a few feet out of range of the bird. Lu Bu took advantage and swung heavy strikes at its right leg, leaving a deep gash near the hip joint. The bird tried to turn back causing the flesh to tear away. The bird collapsed its right leg twisting at an odd angle beneath it. Zoe could smell the metallic tinge of blood in the air making her wretch. Lu Bu moved around to the front of the now dying bird and to Zoe¡¯s surprise he gave the bird a slight bow. He pulled back his halberd before stabbing it deep into the pheasant¡¯s chest, piercing its heart. The bird thrashed with its only good leg but to no avail. With a twist of the shaft, he pulled the halberd from its chest causing a gush of blood to spill out, staining its copper feathers. Miami walked around and took one swing at the neck of the great beast, causing its head to drop to the ground. As blood gushed from its neck, another screen popped up in front of Zoe.
Your party killed a Mutated Copper Pheasant. You gain 100 exp. (200/100)
Zoe stumbled away from the scene and doubled over, dry heaving. Thankfully she hadn¡¯t eaten in a while so nothing came up. As she stood trying to collect herself she felt something cold touch her shoulder. She looked to see Benji offering her a bottle of water. She gave him a weak smile and took the bottle. After rinsing her mouth out she walked back over to the corpse. Benji handed a bottle of water and a pair of rags to Lu Bu and Miami so they could clean their weapons. Benji reached down and placed his hand on the corpse, which disappeared into his backpack. After manipulating the air in front of him the blood from the pheasant sunk into the ground, taking the horrible smell with it. ¡°Great job, everyone. That went much smoother than I anticipated.¡± As Benji spoke he handed a few packets of jerky to his retainers who gratefully accepted them. ¡°I think we should move inside before we attract anything else.¡± Benji swiped at the air in front of him and a second later a heavy wooden doors appeared on the inner portion of the entrance, blocking the view into the forest beyond. Benji turned and followed his mother who had begun walking towards the house. Lu Bu reclaimed his bow and quiver and began walking the inner grounds. Zoe stood watching the spot where the bird died before something tugged on her shirt. She turned to see the strange boy Fitt smiling up at her. "Dangerous. Safer inside." The boy grabbed her hand and walked with her towards the mansion. Chapter 18 Finneas Killian watched the news almost nonstop since the arrival of The World Spike. As a crime boss he didn''t like interruptions to his business. So he watched the news while this men leaned on whoever they could to get real information, not this useless charade that passed for news nowadays. Well, not completely useless. It gave him some important information. In their minds of the average citizen their government should be destroying The World Spike. They didn''t care that it was indestructible by any method known to man. They only knew fear, fear of the unknown being that sat over them all. Fear of the realization that their government was powerless in the face of overwhelming technology. Within hours of The World Spike''s arrival, protests began across the world at government buildings. Angry citizens tried to hold elected officials accountable. They maintained their protests all throughout the first day up to the final minutes before the deadline that Bob decreed. What happened next was the largest loss of human life in human history. Animals mutated worldwide in a matter of seconds. Docile, domesticated animals comforted their owners in one moment only to tear their throats out within seconds of Bob''s annoucement. Wild animals which had rarely interacted with humans now sought them out. The smallest, most insignificant creature was now a lethal threat. In large cities where people had gathered to protest, pigeons and rats converged slaughtering thousands. Trust in the government was eroded. The weak turned anywhere they could for protection. Some people did band together to protect one another. But Finneas knew the truth. When people were pushed to their limit they would do anything to survive. His entire life was based on this simple truth. From a young age he was abused and forgotten by a system put into place to protect people like him. Over the course of his childhood the pain and fear built into a boiling anger that he took out on whoever he could. The system attempted to reform him but nothing stuck. It was only until he discovered the underworld of Raven City that he found people that cared about him. There he was useful. There he had purpose. The day that the World Spike arrived was a great day for Finneas. The people who ridiculed and looked down on him his entire life now felt what it was like to be looked down upon. They now knew what it was like to feel powerless. Finneas laughed at them from his penthouse apartment.
Name Finneas Killian Class Demagogue Level 17 Experience 9200/16000 Traits The Face of Fear You are able to assert absolute control over those that fear you. Misfit Hero You attract the corrupt, the powerless, and the oppressed to you. Mob Mentality Your words whip people into a frenzy. They will do anything to follow your orders.
After looking at his newfound powers he called in all the major leaders in his organization. The steady pace that they had maintained over the years would be a thing of the past. They would take advantage of the chaos that gripped Raven City and swallow up large areas while the focus was maintained on the World Spike and Bob. They would bring in the newly disenfranchised who were struggling to find meaning in what was happening around them.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As the Low IQ Gang spread throughout their territory, they quickly found that not everyone was lucky with their powers. The overwhelming majority of people had powers that were worthless with what they would face in the future. Powers that allowed office workers to file paperwork faster than anyone else did nothing against a three meter tall pidgeon. So they turned to him. Others joined because they were angry that they were left out. News channels reported some of the amazing powers that the lucky had obtained. Finneas took them all in. No longer did he have to depend on the scum of the city. The powerless had the safety and security they wanted and Finneas had an army ready for him to command. Their lack of ability became their rallying cry and their new identity. "Boss, your sons say they''re read to apologize." A henchman ducked his head Finneas'' private study, holding his hat to his chest. It took a larger than usual bribe to get his sons out of police custody after their stunt yesterday morning. When they returned home to their father they had the nerve to say they had the situation under control. He tried to do his best to raise his twin boys but they weren''t the brightest. He would do nearly anything for them but at the end of the day they had to obey just like everyone else. "I''ll be out in a minute." The man left quickly, closing the door behind him. Finneas stood up from his opulent desk and checked himself at a nearby mirror. His red hair had large streaks of silver but who''s hair didn''t at 58 years old. Only a faint shimmer around the edge of his body showed that his personal shield, his first level up reward, was still active. Powered by his mana, it made up his first line of defense. His armored track suit, his second level up reward, looked like any other suit but could withstand fire from most conventional weapons. He grabbed his aviator sunglasses and walked out into the massive penthouse that made up the top floor of the building that was the base of operations for Powerless. His twin boys, who would take over after he died, were currently enduring their punishment. Brad was currently stooped over a barrel of diluted nitric acid with his arms submerged to the shoulder. Chad stood in a similar barrel. The pair began apologizing as soon as they saw their father walk into the room. Finneas raised his hand which immediately silenced the pair. "I trust you two have had enough time to think over what you did?" The twins knew better than to speak so they nodded their heads which caused the acid to wash up onto their flesh. The pain had to be excruciating but neither screamed. "You can stop now." The words nearly caused his sons to collapse into the barrels but his men were there to help them out. "Don''t ever disrespect me again. You may be my sons but that only protects you for so long." Their arms and legs of steel were now coarse and pock-marked by the acid. The shiny surface skin was eaten away to show the thick ropey muscles underneath. His A.I. assured him that they would heal but it would be a slow process. His men carried them off to one side of the room so they could wash the leftover acid from their limbs. Finneas walked over to sit at a thick oak table that rested near the glass wall that made up the north side of the apartment. A blue glow shimmered just beyond the edge of the building. The futuristic shield, the result of his third level up reward, ran the entire length of the building. It would stop all but the most powerful weapons known to man. "So what''s the deal with the shitheel that put my boys in jail?" "We payed a visit to school security. They told us what they knew but they couldn''t get access to school records." The man read out what information they had so far. A kid named Benji Ferrell, along with two orphan friends and a man holding a spear, had subdued his idiot sons who were busy stealing lunch money. A lot of money went to school security to look the other way but a hero teacher stepped in. Despite his bribes the police showed up and arrested his boys. "Is this the same kid that made himself King?" "No idea, boss. School records are kept in storage on government systems." "We''ll take care of that later. So what of the teacher?" "We sent out a patrol late last night to pick him up. His name is Daniel Kemper. Forty-four years old with no family to speak of. We''ve been holding him downstairs." "Get his ass up here." Finneas looked out over the city while his men followed his orders. A few minutes later the elevator door opened and he turned to see a middle aged man being carried in by two of his enforcers. The two large men tossed the gagged and bound man down at his feet. "Set him up and remove his gag." The teacher''s face and shirt were covered in dried blood. His nose was clearly broken and one eye was swolen shut. The teacher cooperated after a few swift punches in the ribs and now sat on the floor. "I''m gonna give you one chance to save your life so pay attention." The man glared up as Finneas spoke. "Tell me everything you know about Benji Ferrell." "Fuck you." The man spit at Finneas only to impact the surface of his personal shield. The man''s eyes grew wide as he watched the blood and saliva slide down to the floor. "Boys! Get in here!" From behind him he heard his sons helping each other to their feet before running over to stand beside the teacher. "To show that I still love you I brought you a gift." His sons looked down at the bound man. "This here is the teacher responsible for getting you arrested. If it wasn''t for him you two wouldn''t be in pain right now." He took a moment to let the words sink into his sons mind. "Wouldn''t you like to get some payback?" The expressions on his sons faces changed from pain to anger almost instantly. "Thanks, pops." The pair said in unison. The twins picked up man and carried him over towards the area where their father''s men were cleaning their battered limbs. Finneas turned to watch as the teacher begged and pleaded with his sons. His groveling was put to a stop when Brad crushed his lower jaw between his steel fingers. The man collapsed in screaming agony holding his ruined jaw. Finneas smiled as his sons broken the man''s arms and legs causing the man to faint from the pain. Finally Brad put the man in a headlock and squeezed causing the man''s head to pop like a grape. Satisfied, Finneas turned back towards the man waiting to finish his report. Chapter 19 Benji sat at the dining table leafing through notes he had taken over the last few hours. Miami had given his master a stern lecture after they were safely back inside the mansion. It turns out that voluntarily letting a giant bird through your defenses was is generally a bad idea. It was interesting for Benji to see the differences between Lu Bu, Miami, and Fitt. Lu Bu, who had existed at one point in history, only seemed to know what he had known in his natural life. He was and is a master of the halberd and bow but knew very little of strategy, only overwhelming force. In contrast, Miami appeared like he did in the video game he came from but he was now a strategic genius. Fitt, as far as Benji could tell, was as artificial as his game self was but he held a mastery of magic that now existed on Earth.
The World Spike saw fit to conform all three of your retainers to modern life. They speak the same language as you and have basic knowledge of modern life. In the case of Miami and Fitt, there was not enough backstory to make a complete personality so liberties were taken in their creation, mainly taken from fan theories and web fiction.
"So their creation is partly thanks to random people on the Internet?"
Correct. This was done to make them feel more natural to humans while also limiting their powers. Miami knows strategy and tactics when fighting monsters and humans but knows very little about modern weapons. Fitt is a master of magic but knows little about tactics and control of a battlefield.
A shrill cry from outside the mansion broke Benji''s concentration. Mutated animals were still attacking the grey walls surrounding the property. The monsters seemed to attack regardless of whether they were inside or outside. Benji even had Fitt cast a spell to conceal their location but it had very little effect. After some discussion they came to a solution. Lu Bu and Miami would be in charge of training Alex and Isabel respectively while fighting off whatever monstrous birds and critters came their way. Fitt worked with Duncan to help develop his friend''s ability to control and use mana more efficiently. Zoe volunteered to run between the three groups using her vocal powers to soothe aching muscles and reduce stress. Benji trusted that things were well under control and turned back to his work.
Kingdom Metrics
Area 2.5 square kilometers
Natural Resources Miscellaneous stone, mineral and ore deposits Fresh water Hotsprings Nearby supply of timber
Defensive Structures 10 meter high wall Steel portcullis 740 ballista (automatic, 4 seconds per shot) 1 Gatling Laser (automatic, 0.25 seconds per shot) 1 Net Launcher (manual/automatic, 8 seconds per shot)
Subjects 1 heir 3 commoners
Military 4 Knights (on loan from Duncan) 3 Royal Guard (Lu Bu, Miami, Fitt)
Income 800 experience generated from military efforts 0 experience as taxes of subjects 0 experience from donations in the last four hours 0 experience spent in the last four hours 800 experience stored in total
Benji was able to click on each section to see each section in greater detail. It was interesting but knowing how many hundreds of thousands of gallons of fresh water they had access to wasn''t the most pressing issue. Seeing the amount of experience generated by his retainers solved the question of whether they could gain levels or not. Now if he only had something to spend the experience on.
Perhaps you should look at the employment menu.
Having a sentient A.I. read your every thought was useful in times like these. Benji pulled up the menu in question and silently berated himself for not doing so sooner.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Employment
Heir Isabel Ferrell - A new heir can be appointed at any time.
General Vacant - This position can be filled by spending 15,000 experience from your treasury. Persons highered this way are payed 1000 experience per week. Failure to pay results in reposession of the hireling.
Captain of the Guard Vacant - This position can be filled by spending 7,500 experience from your treasury. Persons highered this way are payed 500 experience per week. Failure to pay results in reposession of the hireling.
Court Magician Vacant - This position can be filled by spending 7,500 experience from your treasury. Persons highered this way are payed 500 experience per week. Failure to pay results in reposession of the hireling.
Soldier Vacant - Soldiers can be added by spending 1,000 experience from your treasury for each soldier. Persons highered this way are payed 100 experience per week. Failure to pay results in reposession of the hireling.
Worker Vacant - Workers can be added by spending 500 experience from your treasury. Persons highered this way are payed 50 experience per week. Failure to pay results in reposession of the hireling.
Benji was amazed by what he saw. Could he really create people from thin air by using experience? Would they be human or some kind of construct?
When spending experience to fill a position in your kingdom, an alert goes out throughout the various worlds that Bob has visited. Anyone wishing to fill the position will be matched against the requirements you set forth. Once appropriate persons are located you will be able to view their permanent record on file. If you agree to hire a person or persons, they will be teleported to your location immediately. As with your retainers, they will serve you and any officials you appoint loyaly until death.
"So they''re forced to serve no matter if I''m good or evil?"
Correct. That is a stipulation set forth in their contract.
"What actually happens if I refuse or can''t meet their pay requirements.?"
The person or persons will be transported back to their point of embarcation immediately.
Benji was overjoyed. He now had a way to defend his land without using Nerd Lord''s Majesty but that method came at a heavy cost. With Lu Bu, Miami, and Fitt, three of the positions could be filled at no cost to him or his kingdom leaving only common soldiers and worker, which were the cheapest options. For now he assigned Miami, Lu Bu, and Fitt to General, Captain of the Guard and Court Magician. In the settings menu he had the option of designing his own heraldry, the coat of arms that would signify his kingdom. The design was simple. A black GameStation Portable on a gray background. Flipping back through Free Build Mode, Benji sacrificed a few yards of miscellaneous clothing to create a massive flag that flew at the top of a ten meter flagpole located at the eastern end of the mansion. Noting that it was almost noon Benji decided to setup a small feast on the dining table. From his backpack he took out the remaining fried and fresh foods they bought from the grocery store. Not the healthiest meal but it was hot, fresh, and quick. A selection of drinks were placed beside plastic cups, paper plates and cheap plastic cutlery. It took Benji a while to run down his friends and family. Lu Bu and Miami has separated to patrol the northern and southern walls while Fitt practiced with Duncan and Zoe near the western wall. Nine corpses found their way into Benji''s backpack. They would stay fresh until he found a way to butcher the giant beasts. Once inside the strange group hastily cleaned up before sitting down to enjoy a meal with their new King. As they ate Benji retold the information he had learned about the employment system. Alex and Duncan supported the idea almost immediately as did his retainers. Zoe was concerned about what the hirelings would look like while Isabel was worried about where they would sleep. Even though they had spare rooms she didn''t feel comfortable with beings from another planet sleeping inside with them. Benji had final say but he took their concerns to heart as the meal continued. Finally, he came to a compromise. "There''s more than enough wood here to construct a barracks and bunkhouse for any hirelings that serve. I could even construct separate showers and bathrooms if needed. Either way, we need more manpower, or alienpower in this case." Everyone agreed to the compromise and Benji got to work constructing the required buildings. Benji placed the barracks and bunkhouse next to each other about fifty meters north east from the mansion. Each of the two story buildings could house twenty-five people and included full bathrooms, though they weren''t as luxurious as those in the mansion. Free Build Mode included a section that allowed for preparing and building fields and orchards but currently unavailable as he lacked an adequate amount of seeds. With two problems solved, one more appeared. While his friends told stories of their morning battles against mutated wildlife the ballista along the wall occasionally fired shots at animals brave enough to approach them. Benji''s brow furrowed as he browsed through the build menus. He felt a hand touch his left shoulder causing him to look away from the blue screens. "Relax, Benji. You don''t have to shoulder the burden alone. Tell us what you need and we''ll do it." As Zoe spoke, Angelic Voice slowly melted away his stress. He smiled at her and turned to look at everyone sitting at the table. He even gave a slight nod to the knights standing behind Duncan. The four knights stood at attention and saluted him in response. Zoe was right. He couldn''t do everything himself. Even if he used up every use of Nerd Lord''s Majesty he still needed his friends and his mother beside him. Benji stood up, grabbed a plate and began filling it with chicken nuggets, potato croquettes and three types of salad. After grabbing a soda he sat down to listen to what everyone else had accomplish in the last few hours. Chapter 20 After lunch each training group rotated between the three instructors. Isabel was learning archery from Lu Bu while they patrolled the northern wall. Duncan and his squad of knights were learning the basics of controlling the flow of combat along the southern wall. Fitt requested that Alex use Copy Form on Benji''s Divine Magic so he could learn the basics of magic manipulation and control. It turned out that Fitt was the harshest teacher of the three. Zoe was content with doing chores throughout the mansion to occupy her time. This left Benji alone yet again to work over his ever growing stack of notes. During the meal Benji was able to settle on a short list of projects that were vital to the future of his kingdom. First, they needed to find a diverse supply of fruit and vegetable seeds so fields and orchards could be built. The initial solution was to forage throughout the surrounding forest. The idea was quickly dismissed due to the danger of trying to navigate through the dense undergrowth between the trees. Eventually it was agreed that they would use Voyager to return to Raven City to secure the seeds and saplings. In the event that they were unable to find a source they would sacrifice what fresh fruit and vegetables they had. Skilled labor would quickly become a problem as his capital expanded into the surrounding countryside. The employment system was the most apparent solution for this but the experience required for wages could present a problem as more and more animals were killed. Nobody could guess if birth rates would be accelerated to sustain animal populations and Benji''s A.I. was silent when asked. Zoe suggested that she could try contacting friends to see if anyone have appropriate powers to fill their needs but Benji dismissed the idea. Even though he was king he had little control over humans living in his capital. It only took one person to sabotage all he had built so far. The final problem concerned access to resources needed to add additional buildings and features. Benji could always draw from the various mineral deposits below ground but he didn''t want to risk destabilizing the land his home rested on. They could always make trips into town when they were short of materials but that meant dividing their forces between defending the mansion and Voyager. With no apparent solution Benji made a mental note to revisit the problem at a later date. With a clear path ahead of him Benji decided to go ask if anyone wanted to join him on a trip to Raven City. Benji walked into the large bathroom where Zoe was busy stocking each stall with fresh towels and toiletries. She was humming a little tune to herself, unaware that Benji had stepped into the room. He watched for a moment before calling out to her, causing her to drop the soap dispensers she was carrying over to stack along the sinks surrounding a wall in the center of the main room. "I didn''t mean to scare you. I was wondering if you wanted to join me on a trip back to Raven City. I need to make a supply run." Zoe hastily picked up the bottles of soap before dumping them into a nearby sink. "Um, yeah, I''d love to come. Any chance we could go by my dad''s hospital? I haven''t heard from him since yesterday." Benji nodded. "Once we get what I need we can go wherever you want. Meet me near the airship when you''re ready." Benji left her to get ready and walked outside.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Once he found them Lu Bu and Miami requested to stay since they were able to defeat mutated animals by themselves if need be and would make up the bulk of the inner defenses. His mother wanted to stay since she was the heir and only person who could operate the kingdom controls when he wasn''t there. Duncan and his knights offered cover any gaps left by Lu Bu and Miami. As Benji walked towards the western wall a stray fireball passed overhead from the deck of Voyager. He had no idea why Fitt decided to train aboard the airship but at least he didn''t have walk any further. Now Benji just needed to wait for Zoe. A loud chittering noise rang out across the field. The direction of the noise meant that Miami and Duncan''s crew were fighting something near the southern wall. Along the western wall ballista fired their two meter long wooden bolts at unknown attackers. "Boo!" Benji stumbled back against the wooden hull of Voyager. He turned to see Zoe doubled over in laughter. "Oh my god, you should have seen your face!" "Haha, very funny." Benji shook his head at the girl and walked over to a nearby rope ladder. "You coming?" The pair climbed up to the deck of Voyager and witnessed a sight neither expected to see. Fitt was hovering five meters above the deck with a luminous shield surrounding the boy''s small body. Alex''s thin body was drenched with sweat as he knelt upon the deck. They watched as he took a deep breath and focused on the space between his outstretched hands. A small flame sparked into existence but soon began to grow into a roaring ball of liquid fire. Unable to withstand the heat of the flames any longer Alex fired the blazing ball into the air causing it to streak towards Fitt. A second later the flames impacted against the glowing barrier, the impact causing it to flex inward momentarily. As the flames dissipated Alex fell forward onto his hands. Benji and Zoe ran forward to help their classmate. Zoe used Angelic Voice to soothe his troubled mind while Benji used his Divine Magic to heal the inflamed skin on the palms of his hands. Fitt, seing his master, floated down to land on the deck and walked over.
You healed a minor injury. You gain 20 experience. (360/1000)
"He works hard, master, but needs to believe in himself more." Benji looked down at the boy. "Fitt, he can barely stand. Is it necessary to push him this hard?" "Magic must be taken seriously, must be respected. It is not a plaything." Benji sighed. "Very well, Fitt, just promise that you won''t go overboard. We just learned of the existence of magic yesterday." "It''s okay, Benji." Alex tried to stand and Benji used one arm to steady him. "I asked to copy his magic." Benji removed a bottle of water and bag of gummi candy and handed them to Alex. "You''ll need to be rested once we get to Raven City." "We''re going back?" Benji nodded. "Yeah, i''ve got a couple errands to run." "Whatever you need, bro." Benji left Zoe to tend to Alex and walked over to the control console. As the display blinked to life Benji brought up a map of the surrounding area. Trees were destroyed marking the path that animals had taken to charge towards the thick walls surrounding their new home. A few button presses brought the engine to life when began turning the four massive rotors. Once up to speed Benji slowly brought Voyager up above the walls. After charting a course which would avoid any known human structures, just incase any mutated animals would follow their path towards the city. As the airship began it''s journey towards the city they left behind, Fitt sat down to meditate so he was ready incase any birds tried to attack. Benji was glad to have the boy and his friends with him. Chapter 21 Benji loved Ultimate Daydream 4. He spent hours piloting Voyager across the skies while playing it. He chose to summon it specifically because he knew it would be a reliable means of transportation. Of course reality was quite different. Whether it was Bob or the lack of forsight of the developers but Voyager had no means of attack. It had no cannons, magic or otherwise, that Benji could press a button and deploy. What it did have was a very detailed tracking system. Over the last hour Voyager had warned them of half a dozen incoming threats. Benji didn''t even know it had proximity alarms until a goose the size of a city bus came streaking across the sky towards them. Fitt took action before Benji could speak. A lightning bolt as thick as the boy''s arm shot towards the goose striking it''s right wing. It never made it within ten meters of Voyager. They only knew it had died due to the blue screen notifying them that they had earned 100 experience points each. They were more vigilant after that. They soon fell into a routine. When the proximity alarm went off Fitt would control the bird in question to allow Alex to practice his magic. According to Fitt practice was important but combat against an enemy trying its best to end your life was the true test of ones abilities. Alex did his best without complaint. He even received a few words of praise from his Fitt after the fifth bird had falled to its death far below. A different alarm sounded from the control console eliciting a smile from Benji. They were finally nearing the outskirts of Raven City. Benji brought up a wide area view and manipulated the map to view details of the landscape below as they passed overhead. Benji chose to keep them a fair distance above the city. They hadn''t seen any government aircraft flying through the skies and Benji didn''t want to chance scaring any military forces below. "Where to first, bro?" Alex said as he approached the console. "Well, there are a few shops we could check but I''m not sure where to bring us down or if that''s even a good idea." "We could set it down in a park couldn''t we? What about the one near your mom''s house that we used to play at when we were kids?" "We''d have to go by foot and judging from what I''m seeing going by foot could be dangerous. Most side streets appeared to be blocked off. More than anything right now we need information." Fitt walked around to the front of the console and floated up into the air so he could get a good look at it. One of the drawbacks of being eternally trapped in the body of a child is not being able to reach tall places through normal means. "Show where you want to go and I can get us there, master." Benji chuckled. "Is that so?" "Master forgets that I know magic." Fitt proved his point by lifting his hand causing Alex to rise up into the air. "One person or three. It makes no difference." It took a few minutes to reach their first destination. Benji brought Voyager down as low as he dared before leaving it to hover in the sky. Fitt raised his arms caused the group to rise into the air. Slowly they floated away from the deck into the open air. Benji felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he looked down to the city below. Rather than risk leaving Voyager open to who knows what, Benji focused his will causing the airship to pop out of existence to be safely stored inside his backpack.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. They closed their eyes and Fitt brought them down in an alley near the first store. Zoe looked a little sick but used Angelic Voice to calm herself. Together they left the alley and crossed the street. As they walked to the store Benji looked around the surrounding neighborhood. Not a single person or car could be seen along the street in either direction. Some stores appeared to be open for business but most were still closed. As they approached their destination Benji couldn''t see anything through the windows only a dense tangle of plants covering every inch of glass. But the sign on the door said open so Benji walked up and opened it. A chime sounded at the door opened but Benji only stared at the wall of greenery blocking the entrance. "Hello? I was hoping to buy some plants." Benji raised his voice hoping someone inside would hear him. A small gap opened at head height allowing light to shine through from inside the building. Benji watched as something walked towards the entrance. The voice sounded normal but what appeared only vaguely resembled a human being. "Nobody wants plants anymore." Benji stared at the being in front of him. Skin had been replaced by gnarled brown bark. Green vines fell down from its scalp to fall over its shoulders. Benji stared into the two sickly yellow eyes for a moment before forcing himself to smile and reply. "We don''t want any trouble, sir, I was just hoping to buy some seeds and saplings if you have them." After a tense moment the thick branches blocking the door parted. The man waved them inside as he made his way back to the check out counter. Benji stepped into the store followed closely by Alex and Zoe. Fitt floated by to hover just above the ground near Benji''s side. Benji look around in amazement at the store''s interior. Instead of metal racks, intricately carved wooden shelves now held bulk containers of seeds, bulbs, and countless other gardening tools and supplies. "You have an amazing shop, sir." Benji walked towards the counter as Zoe and Alex looked around the store. The man crossed his arms, one which ended in a scarred stump. "I''m not looking for a friend here, kid. If you want seeds, i''ve got seeds. Now, what do you have to trade for them?" "I''m not sure what you mean, sir. I''ve got my credit stick." Benji held up the object in question. "Look at me, kid." The man spread his arms showing his broad wooden chest. "Do I look like I have use for credits anymore?" "How about survival supplies? Maybe a taser for protection?" "Sorry, kid, but if that''s all you have to offer you can leave." "His hand, master." Fitt pointed towards the gnarled stump. "Fitt, you''re a genius." Benji rubbed the boy''s head through his pointy hat. "If I could restore your hand would that be worth letting us take what we need?" "Boy, I''m a wood elemental. If I can''t fix it there''s no way you could." "Still, I''d like to try." The wood elemental held out his arm as Benji approached. Benji grabbed the stump with both hands and began focusing his mana. His hands took on the same golden glow as mana flowed into the man''s arm. "Heal." But nothing happened. Fitt floated over to stare at the man''s arm. "Visualize what you want to happen, Master, and then will it to happen." Benji took a deep breath and tried again. "Heal!" From the stump of the man''s arm sprouted a single branch. As the golden light of Benji''s mana flowed out the small branch extended out. The branch split into five digits before thickening at the base. Slowly a hand took shape.
You successfully regrew a lost limb. You gain 100 experience. (890/1000)
"I..I can''t believe it. " The man flexed his newly formed fingers as he inspected his hand. "It''s been ten years since I lost it." Benji smiled. "So do we have a deal?" He was a man, or plant, of his word and gave them permission to take anything in the store. Alex wanted to just take it all but Benji only wanted what they came for. Although there were no saplings they gained a large variety of fruit and vegetable seeds. As they walked back out through the front door thick vines and branches once again covered the entrance, safely locking the man inside. Benji nodded to Fitt who once again flew them high up above the city. Benji removed Voyager and set the airship in motion once they were safely back aboard. Chapter 22 Benji''s expression was grim as they flew over the southern district of Raven City. Something had moved through the city destroying anything in its path. Burnt and burning cars littered the streets along the path of destruction. Deep gouge marks could be spotted on the pavement and, in some cases, three to four meters high on buildings. Occassionally they could hear screams as they cast a shadow onto the streets below. "I''m not sure we should be here. We''re scaring people." Zoe had a sad look on her face as she looked down over the railing. "She''s right, bro. I don''t think we''ll find anything here." Benji thought back over what they had gained from their encounter with the wood elemental. They now had enough food to live in comfort for the near future but it couldn''t hurt to have something in reserve. But he agreed with his friends. Nothing could be gained by exploring the southern district any further. The closer they got to the center of the city the less damage they saw. As they flew overhead it was clear that the government and military forces had worked hard to keep at least one part of the city safe. Thousands of people filled the streets trying to force their way past heavily guarded checkpoints. Benji kept a safe distance as they circled around the city. Soldiers encamped along the rooftops of buildings showed up as green dots on the digitized map. "I don''t think we''re getting past that defensive line anytime soon, Zoe." "Maybe we could go down to one of the checkpoints and speak with them?" Hope filled her eyes as she spoke. "Try calling your father again. Maybe he knows something." She shook her head. "I keep getting his voicemail." "Until we get ahold of him-" Benji was interrupted by alarms from the control console. A split second later a streak of blue flew past his head. As Fitt came to a stop at some distance away from Voyager a blue barrier formed around him. Along the city map dots of green turned to red as they passed along the edge of the quarantine. "We''re being targeted. Fitt is trying to draw their fire." Benji worked the controls to set a new course. Slowly Voyager turned eastward as the rotors began to spin faster and faster. "Everyone hold on!" Zoe and Alex ran over to stand beside Benji. Fitt floated around to rest near the rear of the ship as they began to take gunfire from the soldiers stationed below. On one half of the display Benji brought up a damage report. The wooden hull proved to be strong enough to handle attacks from conventional weapons. "Master should be going faster!" Fitt''s warning rang out despite the distance. A loud, blaring alarm sounded and the map began tracking a large red object closing in on their position. Someone had gave the order to fire a missle to try to bring them down. From the rear of the ship a bolt of lightning fractured the air causing the trio to cover their ears. From far in the distance an explosion was heard. Not need anymore encouragement, Benji increased speed towards the south east. After a few minutes of tense flight Fitt finally floated back to join them. "Safe now, Master." "You did great, Fitt." Benji smiled down at the boy. "Not cool, bro!" "Calm down, Alex. It was an error on my part. I should have backed off when I saw their defenses pop up on the map." It took a bit of doing but Alex eventually settled down. Zoe checked her smart phone and told them of what she found. The government was woefully unprepared for the hell that was unleashed by the World Spike. Entire blocks had to be abandoned as police, military, and volunteers fought against not only mutated wild animals but former pets as well. The southern district was devastated when a pack of giant dogs emerged from a previously unknown dog breeding operation. There wasn''t much that could be done again giant Akita''s so an evacuation was declared and the district abandoned. Only after shoulder fired rockets were brought in did the savage pack finally retreat. They now roamed the mountains south of Raven City.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The military, in cooperation with the mayor himself, walled off the center of the city allowing only essential personnel inside. Citizens were upset to say the least. Arguments turned quickly turned violent as frustrated parents tried to force their way inside the safezone. Citizens used their powers against professional soldiers, who had no choice but to protect themselves. A few hours ago the world council voted on changes to existing laws. Anyone caught using powers against government or military personnel would be treated as an enemy combatant. Nothing could be found to explain why they were fired upon. "We''re heading back home. Everyone else needs to know this." Everyone was quiet during the flight back home. Alex stormed off down below, still angry that they had been attacked. Fitt stood guard ready for any threat that came their way. Zoe worked on her phone for a while but eventually put it away. She now stared off in the distance back toward Raven City. Upon arrival, Benji brought Voyager back down but didn''t bother kicking over the rope ladders. Instead he brought up Free Build Mode and designed a custom landing pad. The ten meter tall wooden structure wasn''t pretty to look at but it allowed people and goods to more easily be loaded on and off the airship. A ten meter wide ramp rose five meters in the air before turning to rise up to a large wooden landing. Hand rails lined each side of the ramp while a pulley system was set up to allow cargo to be brought up and down. Benji and his friends were halfway down the ramp when Isabel came running up with Miami. "So how was the trip, dear?" Benji had a bleak look on his face as he looked at his mother. "Yeah.. we should talk about that inside." The group walked down the ramp and towards the house while Miami went to find Duncan and Lu Bu. Once inside Alex headed off towards his room. Zoe simply walked over and sat on a nearby couch and was quickly joined by Fitt. Benji heard the girl begin to cry as he went back to his spot at the dining table. Isabel looked at the girl with a concerned look on her face but joined her son at the table. The front door opened as Duncan ran inside followed by Lu Bu and Miami. The three joined Benji at the table, eager for news. "Okay, Benji, what happened? Why is Zoe crying on the couch?" Benji took a moment to collect his thoughts before he spoke. "So the good news is we found the seeds we needed. I was able to help heal a shop owner in exchange. The southern district was abandoned after a pack of giant Akita''s tore through the city. We tried to get to the hospital to so Zoe could see her father but we were fired upon by the soldiers guarding the center of the city." "Wait, they shot at you?" Isabel had a surprised look on her face. "Zoe was able to find some news on her phone. Martial law was declared. The center of the city is a safezone. Anything outside it was abandoned. Anyone who uses force against the barriers is being treated as enemy combatants." "Sire, what of the citizens outside this safezone?" Benji looked at the Sword Saint. Benji knew much of Miami''s backstory. He would wish to save as many as possible. It was his nature to protect the innocent. "Most of the police stations are still active but the government only cares about maintaining the core of the city. If it falls the city falls." Duncan finally spoke after being lost in thought. "So nothing can be done, Benji?" "My first concern is getting the seeds we got into the ground. Only once we have a stable source of food can I worry about anything else." Benji stood and pulled up Free Build Mode as he left through the front door. Under a section for agriculture he browsed through to find the fastest growing plants. As he walked out into the grass he heard the front door slam behind him. He turned to see his mother, an angry look on her face. "We need to help them, Benjamin. You have the power." "Mom, I know you''re concerned but I can''t save one million people single-handedly." "I''m not asking you to. I''m asking you to try." "And I''m asking you to let me work in peace!" The anxiety and stress finally broke free in a burst of anger. "If I don''t get these seeds into the ground soon we risk running out of food in a few months. If I can''t feed seven people then I''d only be bringing refugees out here to starve to death." Isabel crossed her arms as she stared at her son. "Benji you can snap things into being from video games!" "Oh sure, I could snap my fingers and cause one hundred tons of food to appear and then what? I store it all in my backpack because it would spoil within days? Do I station myself as a living refrigerator in case someone is hungry? We need permanent solutions that don''t require me and my powers." "So let''s just keep the refugees inside your backpack until we''re ready." "You want them to be stuck in perpetual statis for who knows how long?" Benji couldn''t believe the absurdity of the idea. "It''s better than letting them die." Isabel turned and left Benji standing in the tall grass. Chapter 23 Benji ultimately chose a spot a few hundred meters east away of the mansion to create two fields. After going through the options he chose soybeans and oats to serve as the base of their future foods. Both species were able somewhat fast growing and were versatile when used in cooking. Each field took up about an acre of space each which should bring in a few thousand pounds of food each at harvest time. A utility shed served as the center of the farming area. It wasn''t a large building but it was big enough for Benji to dump a majority of the shovels and buckets that they bought from the survival store. He used stone from far below to build a stone well near the shed to provide fresh water for workers and a way to water crops that were dependent on moisture. Finally Benji placed three orchards; apple, orange, and lemon. They would need more detailed care than the two fields since they were still young trees and wouldn''t bear fruit for some time. As Benji was looking through options for possible future crops he heard the clink of plate armor in the distance. He closed the screens and turned to see Miami walking towards him. The bearded man moved quickly despite the heavy armor he wore. He raised a hand in salute as he approached his master. "It seems you have something of a green thumb, sire." Benji chuckled. "It''s not like I planted them row by row. All I did was make a choice and they appeared." "Still, you work hard to provide for your subjects. You should feel proud of your efforts." "It''s the least I could do." Benji narrowed his eyes as he looked at Miami. "Tell me, why are you really out here?" "Lady Isabel wished to know if your anger had passed and sent me in her stead." Benji pulled his GSP from his pocket and checked the time. It had been a little over an hour since he began his work and was nearly 4pm. "How is Zoe doing?" "The young Miss was able to settle her nerves with a cup of tea and is now resting comfortably." Benji regretted not going to her as soon as he saw her crying. He wished he was able to do more to get her to her father but he couldn''t risk an all out battle against the military. Maybe Fitt could have gotten them inside had he not flown so close to the safezone. "What would you have done, Miami? Would you have forced your way through to get Zoe to her father?" The knight thought for a moment. "If this was my world I would have cut down the arrogant bastards who thought it wise to attack you, sire. But this world, this culture, is different. Attacks here have far reaching consequences." "So I made the right choice then, though it doesn''t feel that way." "Sire, from my understanding the weapons that were used against you are in somewhat limited supply. Any commander worth his salt would push a soldier that used precious resources with no results to show for it." It was a hollow victory but it would have to do. Benji took one last look over his fields and budding orchards before turning back towards the mansion. Along the way Benji walked over near the barracks where the corpses of two white birds and three large gray squirrels sat in a very large pile. Once finished Benji walked across towards the mansion. Miami stopped as Benji walked onto the steps leading up to the front door. "With your permission, sire, I would rejoin Duncan''s squad of knights in their patrol of the walls." "Of course. Please bring any carcasses between here so I can store them later." Miami saluted and took off at a jog towards the northern wall. Inside Benji saw Zoe sitting on a couch talking to Isabel while Duncan and Alex were drawing at the dining table. At the far side of the room Lu Bu sat on the floor with his eyes closed while Fitt slowly walked around him. Benji smiled and walked over to the strange pair. "What''s going on here, Fitt?" Benji couldn''t help smiling at the boy. "Trying to teach this one to access his mana." "You''re trying to teach Lu Bu magic?" It was hard to imagine the battle hardened warrior using anything other than his halberd and bow. Lu Bu let out a frustrated grunt and opened his eyes. "Sorry little one but this isn''t working." Fitt pointed causing a small arc of lighting to streak through the air striking Lu Bu''s left shoulder. "No talking. Focus and try again."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Well, it looks like he''s in good hands. Carry on, Fitt." Fitt bowed towards Benji before resuming his slow walk around the warlord. Benji left the common room and walked over to the dining table. He took a seat across from his two friends and took out a candy bar and a soda from his backpack. As Benji sat back he took a small sip of his soda before placing the bottle on the table. He brought up the kingdom metrics screen to check the progress so far.
Kingdom Metrics
Area 2.5 square kilometers
Natural Resources Miscellaneous stone, mineral and ore deposits Fresh water Hotsprings Nearby supply of timber 2 Fields (oats, soybeans) 3 Orchards (Orange, Apple, Lemon)
Defensive Structures 10 meter high wall Steel portcullis 740 ballista (automatic, 4 seconds per shot) 1 Gatling Laser (automatic, 0.25 seconds per shot) 1 Net Launcher (manual/automatic, 8 seconds per shot)
Subjects 1 heir 3 commoners
Military 4 Knights (on loan from Duncan) 3 Royal Guard (Lu Bu, Miami, Fitt)
Income 1300 experience generated from military efforts 0 experience as taxes of subjects 0 experience from donations in the last eight hours 0 experience spent in the last eight hours 1300 experience stored in total
Lu Bu and Miami had gained him five hundred experience during the time he spent at Raven City. It wasn''t a lot in the grand scheme of things but it would allow him to hire and pay one worker for the next nine weeks.
Those workers would be useful about now unless you plan on being knee deep in fields each day.
"No kidding. Where have you been this whole time?"
Watching. You did just fine by yourself so I kicked back, figuratively speaking, and enjoyed the show.
"Great to know. So how does the employment process work?"
You simply fill out the form, set the terms of employment and hit search.
"What form?"
Thank you for choosing the Bob Employment Service. We thank you for forsaking your race to hire a different one. Please fill in the form completely before searching as it will yield better results. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Class Desired: Magic Desired: Gender Desired: Form Desired: Job Description: Duration of Contract:
"Form desired?"
Since only a fraction of beings look like humans you can specify if you want them to look humanoid or not. Leaving that part blank will pull results from a greater pool of applicants.
Benji thought about what the perfect worker would need to tend his fields as he stared at the screen. Obviously they had to obey his commands. They would also need to be self-sufficient. Benji thought of the wood elemental at the gardening store causing an idea to come to mind.
Thank you for choosing the Bob Employment Service. We thank you for forsaking your race to hire a different one. Please fill in the form completely before searching as it will yield better results. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Class Desired: Any class that is able to boost and promote the growth of plants. Magic Desired: Any magic that is able to boost and promote the growth of plants. Gender Desired: Form Desired: Any form able to draw sustenance from a yellow dwarf star. Job Description: You will be tasked with watching over and tending two large fields, three orchards, and all future additional crops. Work hours begin at dawn of each day and last until all crops have been tended. Once tasks have been completed for the day you are free to do as you wish within the confines of the kingdom. You must obey Benji Ferrell, Isabel Ferrell, and any other beings designated by them. You cannot bring harm to any subjects of Benji Ferrell or their property through direct or indirect means. Duration of Contract: Long term but Benji Ferrell reserves the right to cancel the contract at any time.
Benji read over the search parameters one last time before hitting search.
Thank you for choosing the Bob Employment Service. Please wait a moment while we match your terms against our universal database.
Chapter 24 The list of applicants that was produced was dizzying. Benji thought he was very specific but still hundreds of applications were listed, most of which wanted far more than the base wage of 50 experience per week. After a few minutes of searching Benji narrowed the list down to one being that both met his criteria and would accept the base wage. He selected the application to see greater details.
Name: Peat Race: Quagga Blossom Class: Hortimancer Magic: Nature Magic, Shapeshifting Wage Desired: Any Background: The youngest bloom of it''s family who is searching for a safe place to grow.
Accept
"A.I., are you certain this thing can do what I need it to do?
Fifty experience a week for a Quagga Blossom is a steal. I''d accept the contract if I were you.
"Well, if it doesn''t work out I can always send them back." Benji hit accept and another screen appeared.
Processing request. Applicant has received contract. Applicant has accepted your terms! Please designate a spot for teleportation.
Benji got up from the table causing Duncan and Alex to take notice. "Where you off to, bro?" "I just hired an alien to work the fields I planted. I''m going outside to meet them once they teleport here." Duncan looked to Alex and back to Benji. "We''re coming with you." Benji smiled and walked with his friends out to his fields. Duncan and Alex were amazed to see the budding plants lined up in straight, neat rows and the young fruit trees. Benji explained what each plant was and his reasoning for growing them. "A.I., please teleport Peat by the stone well."
Processing. Teleportation imminent. Thank you for using the Bob Employment Service.
A white dot appeared in the air which grew to expand into a two meter tall oval portal. Benji saw a vibrant alien world with twin suns on the other side of the portal. Strange creatures waved swayed back and forth as one among their number walked through the portal. Once clear the portal shrunk down and disappeared with a small popping sound. The alien named Peat was a humanoid plant roughly one and a half meters high. It''s skin was a dark leafy green with an oily shine to it. It wore no clothes and had no genitalia as far as Benji could tell. It''s black and white striped hair came down in braids over its shoulders to frame its small, round face. It stared at Benji for a moment before bending at the waist for a deep bow. "Greetings Employer Benji Ferrell. I hope my words are correct to your ears." It was an alien but spoke the common language native to Earth. "Nice to meet you, Peat. I understand you just fine." "I feel great joy to be working for you. I am the first of my bed to visit another world. Please show me where I will be working." Benji lead the way while showing Peat around the farm. Benji was able to bring up pictures of mature versions of the plants he had planted as reference for Peat. Finally he showed Peat the stone well and shed with what few tools they had. "Thank you for this opportunity Employer Benji Ferrell." Peat''s mouth curved upwards into an unsettling smile. "You can just call me Benji. Please don''t take offense but what is your gender?" "No offense is taken, Benji. The Great Gardener has shown me images of your race. I wish to be a female if that is okay?" Benji nodded, not sure what Peat meant. Peat placed one hand across its chest and another over its groin. A rustling sound could be heard as its chest swelled to form breasts which were soon covered by a leafy bikini. A similar garment covered Peat''s crotch. Peat raised her arms and twisted to examine her body before turning back to Benji. "If it is okay, Benji, I would like to begin my work." "Please do. I was curious to see your magic." Peat walked over near the stone well and stood straight, arms down flat at her side. After a few seconds Peat began to glow a faint green color. Her toes grew in length before digging deep into the grass at her feet. Three thick tendrils burst from her back to snake their way down into the well. She brought her arms up and slowly extended them out towards the oat and soybean fields a short distance north of the well. Smaller tendrils grew to reach down to each plant before gently burrowing down into the roots of each plant. Finally, her braids merged to form broad black and white striped flower petals that extended out from the top of her head.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Transformation complete Benji. In this form I will be able to bring water and nutrients directly into the root system of each plant. My unique biology will also accelerate their growth cycle, providing faster and more abundant harvests." Benji and Duncan were lost for words but Alex walked over to walk around Peat, staring at her. "Like the posting said, once you are done tending the plants each day you are able to spent the rest of the day doing what you wish. If you need anything please let someone know." "You have given me so much, Benji. This is a great opportunity for me to learn from the plants of your world so I can bring their diversity back to the beds of my home world." "Well, I''ll leave you to your work then. Come on, Alex." Alex looked back at Benji with an embarrassed look on his face. The trio walked back inside and took their seats at the table. Isabel walked in from the kitchen. "Where did you three run off to?" Before Benji could speak Alex answered for him. "Benji hired a sexy alient plant woman to tend the new fields." "Oh did he?" She said with a smirk on her face. "Not exactly." Benji explained that he had planted two fields and three orchards and chose to hire someone to tend to them rather than order someone to do it. He explained the hiring process and why he chose Peat. "The fact that Peat is a woman was entirely her choice. She can change her form at will. She''s watering the plants right now if you want to introduce yourself." Isabel dried off her hands with a small towel which she placed on a nearby counter. "I might just do that." Benji shook his head as he watched his mother walk outside. He would need to check on the fields tomorrow but it appeared their food problem was solved, at least for now. He still needed to find a way to process the massive animal corpses that were stored in his backpack but they had enough pork, beef, and chicken to last for a while still. Instead he walked over to join Fitt and Lu Bu. "How is your student doing, Fitt?" Fitt looked up at his master, causing his hat to fall back a bit to show his bright yellow eyes. "Big brother will take much work before he can use magic but I have faith that he can succeed." "I was wondering if you could help me. I''ve got access to Divine Magic but I only know one spell. Is there a way to access or create other spells?" Fitt''s small hand disappeared under his wide-brimmed hat to rub his tiny chin. "Possibly but I cannot use such magic myself. I can teach you basic magic theory and how to use your mana more efficiently but not how to create spells. I am sorry, Master." "Nothing to be sorry about, Fitt."
You know you could ask me.
"Okay, how do I use, buy or learn more spells for Divine Magic?"
Heal Heals non-fatal wounds. learned
Divine Breath Heals targets in a large area. 20,000
Holy Armor Summons a breastplate of solid holy energy to protect vital areas. 35,000
Panacea A divine remedy that heals all sickness. 50,000
Angel¡¯s Fury A holy adjudicator appears to smite the target with divine fire. 75,000
Resurrection Brings the target back from the great beyond, returning them to life. 100,000
"What the hell is this list? What do the numbers mean?"
This is your list of available Divine Magic spells. The number is the cost in experience points to learn the spell. Alternatively you can learn them through practice.
"Wait, why didn''t you tell me about this list before?"
Because you didn''t ask.
Chapter 25 "I can''t believe this shit." Benji was fuming as he looked at the list of spells available in Divine Magic. Advanced healing magic, a spell to cure all sicknesses, defensive spells, the ability to summon angels and the power to resurrect the dead were within his reach from the moment he used Nerd Lord''s Majesty to gain the ability to heal Zoe. His head spun with missed opportunities despite the fact that he couldn''t possibly afford to buy any of the spells outright with experience points. "So what else have you been hiding from me, A.I.?"
I''m not hiding anything from you.
"Bullshit. If I had this list yesterday I could have been training to use something a little bit better than Heal."
Oh really? Because you''ve been working nonstop trying to handle your current list of problems. I can''t imagine you could have worked intense magic training into your schedule.
"I could have done more! I thought you were here to help me!"
My first and only job is to advise you so you can entertain Bob. That''s it. End of story. How I do that is entirely up to me and I''ve got to say it''s not by being your babysitter. I helped you here and now because you actually have a bit of free time. What good would it have done had I told you at any point before exactly right now?
"People are dying out there! Resurrection could have saved them."
Do you know anything about the spell? It''s physical, magical, or mental cost? Does it restore the body or simply bring them back to life only to die again based on their cause of death?
Doubt began to creep into Benji''s mind. "Well, I''d imagine it functions like it does in the game it came from."
Because Heal works exactly like it does from UD12 right? You know that''s bullshit.
Benji had to stop himself. He hated arguing but arguing against an artificial intelligence somehow made it worse. Just then he noticed his elevated heart rate and the quick, shallow breaths he was taking. If he didn''t calm down his anxiety would take control and lead him into a panic attack. He sat down next to Lu Bu, closed his eyes and began the breathing exercise he learned when he was a boy. Breathe in for three seconds, hold it for three seconds and exhale for six seconds. For the next five minutes all he knew what his breathing. Slowly his heart rate decreased and the icy rush that had been building in his body slowly faded away. When he opened his eyes Fitt was staring at him. "What troubles you, Master?" "I had an arguement with my A.I. about my magic." Benji explained the heart of the arguement to Fitt. "I''m frustrated that I have the chance to do more but not the ability." "All magic users face that reality at some point in their lives. Most are defeated by it and remain mediocre. You will not be one of those people."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "But how? What little I know of magic was given to me by the World Spike." Fitt shook his head. "When you brought me into this world the World Spike passed on knowledge to me. Part of that knowledge is that magic has always existed on this world. You only lack the knowledge to harness it." "How do I begin?" "You must learn that mana is yours to command. Do not just blindly hope that it works. Will it to work. Force it to work." "Is that why Heal uses so much mana?" "Most likely. Divine Magic didn''t exist in my world but it likely does somewhere in the universe. The version that you use was created for you. When you speak the spell it casts automatically for a predetermined result. For now you must learn to manipulate and control mana." "It is easier to show you." Fitt stepped forward to place his hands on either side of Benji''s head. "Do not resist, Master." Benji felt something press against his mind causing a dull ache to build at his temples. As the pressure built the ache turned to piercing pain causing him to clench his teeth. Finally the pressure broke through some unseen barrier to flood into his mind. The invading force, which he know knew to be Fitt''s mana, worked to soothe his pain. A kind of gentle euphoria washed over Benji. Fitt''s mana traveled down through his master''s body before stopping at his chest. Benji jerked forward as his mana was easily wrested from his control. He felt his mana begin to build in the same way it did when he cast Heal. Instead of rushing toward Benji''s hands it instead circulated throughout his body, leaving no part untouched. Finally it collected again at his chest before repeating. After half a dozen rotations Fitt''s mana slowly retreated up Benji''s spine and left through his temples. Benji fell forward as Fitt removed his hands, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I didn''t cast a spell, I willed my mana to act. Practice the motions I showed you while visualizing what you want to happen. Remember what you did for the wooden man." Benji thought back to his encounter with the wood elemental. Heal didn''t work the first time. Only after he pictured the man''s hand regenerating did the spell work. Benji had an epiphany. Benji jerked his head up to stare at Fitt. "It didn''t work at first because I was trying to heal something that wasn''t there." "Correct. You didn''t notice at the time but your mana reached out to his remaining hand in order to help restore the lost one." "Is that why you circulated my mana?" "It is better to know what needs healing rather than to simply hope for the best." Benji reached forward and pulled the boy into a hug. Fitt, unused to displays of affection, akwardly stood there before finally patting his master on the head. Benji smiled, sat back down and began to practice circulating his mana. Benji''s internal battle began at fighting the predetermination that Fitt spoke of. As soon as Benji thought about using his mana it automatically tried to cast Heal. It took nearly thirty minutes to break that process to where he could freely direct the flow. Another thirty minutes passed until his flow of mana reached the tips of his toes. Benji smiled once he was able to complete one full circulation without stopping. Benji looked beside him where Fitt stood with his hands on Lu Bu''s head. The large warrior had sweat pouring down his face. Benji was just able to make out the look of irritation displayed on Fitt''s face. The boy removed his hands letting Lu Bu fall forward. "How goes your practice, Master?" "I finally did it. I can circulate my mana." Benji beamed with pride as he spoke. Fitt stepped back over and placed his hands on Benji''s head. "Show me." Now that Benji knew what to expect he only felt a slight discomfort as Fitt''s mana entered his mind and flowed down to Benji''s chest. Benji circulated his mana slowly but with confidence. It took a few minutes to complete the circuit. Fitt withdrew his mana and Benji opened his eyes. "Very good, Master, but you must practice. Two minutes is too long. Someone could die in that amount of time." "I''ll do better but it''s about time to eat. Send Lu Bu out to relieve Miami once he''s recovered a bit. I''ll be in the showers if someone needs me." Benji stood up and stretched as he looked around room. Alex and Duncan were still at the dining table but Isabel had joined them at some point. Zoe was nowhere to be seen. With no other pressing matters he walked towards the showers. Chapter 26 When Benji remodeled the mansion he added the expanded and improved showers as an afterthought. He simply wanted to make sure that people didn''t have to wait in line to use the single shower that existed before. He didn''t even look at the options when he built them. Each stall was big enough for half a dozen to shower under the massive waterfall showerhead. Closets inset into one wall of the shower hid fresh towels, wash cloths, shampoo, and shower gel. Once Benji turn off the shower he felt more refreshed than he had in a long time. Benji dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He gathered his clothes and shoes and opened the stall door. Once back in his room Benji threw his dirty clothes into a nearby hamper and put on a pair of loose fitting blue shorts and a white t-shirt. He quickly ran a comb through his hair and left to rejoin everyone in the common room. Benji crashed on a nearby couch and closed his eyes to reflect on the day. His discussion with Mr. Kemper, which was only a day ago, seemed like a distant memory from the past. He wondered how the classmates that had been so angry at him were faring. Were they safe? He tried to remember their names but couldn''t. He had seem them every day for months but couldn''t remember a single name. He felt guilt which was made worse by the realization that they could be dead now. If he made the decision to search them out he would have no way to track them. Maybe Duncan and Alex would remember. Or Zoe. Benji was worried about the teenage girl who had quickly become part of his life. He knew only what she had told him. She mentioned her mother leaving but nothing more. Her father was a doctor but she couldn''t contact him. Now she was living with a group of strangers out in the middle of the countryside. No wonder she was off by herself somewhere. Benji''s thought were interrupted by the clanking of plate armor. Miami walked around and sat in a chair across from Benji. Sitting in plate armor couldn''t be comfortable but Miami''s face showed no sign of weariness. "So how are things out there?" "All quiet for now, sire. The beasts have learned that our defenses are nothing to be trifled with. None have tried to push the walls for some time now." Benji breathed a sigh of relief at the news. "How are Duncan''s knights working out?" Miami chuckled. "They can be flighty in times of rest but they take their duties seriously." "Are you able to communicate with them? Duncan says they use some kind of group telepathy to talk among themselves and with him." "You can learn much of a man by the way he carries himself, sire. Verbal communication is not required." "Feel free to make yourself at home when not on duty. You may have been summoned to serve me but you are no slaves." "I appreciate the hospitality, sire. Perhaps I will cleanse myself and relax in the hotspring I saw earlier in the day." Benji nodded. "If you need help removing your armor let me know." Miami smiled at his master. "I shall keep that in mind." After a while Benji closed his eyes and concentrated on controlling his mana. The more he practiced the easier it became. He would never reach the level of mastery that Fitt demonstrated but he would do his best. Only then could he begin to figure out how he would practice spells that he didn''t know.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After an unknown amount of time Benji stood and walked outside to the front porch. The sun was dipping low over the horizon. If animals still stalked the wall surrounding the property he couldn''t hear them. The ballista topping the quarzite walls were silent. Across the grass Benji saw Lu Bu leave the empty barracks and walk his way. The large man had worked hard physically and mentally throughout the day. "All quiet, my lord." "Good job. You''re released until the morning." "Thank you, lord." Lu Bu said while bowing slightly. "It''s no problem. Like I said to Miami, I summoned you here to serve but I won''t treat you like a slave. When you''re not on duty do whatever you wish. I think Miami is currently in the hotspring if you wish to join him." "No need to coddle me but I appreciate your kindness. I shall seek out my comrade in arms." "Please ask Fitt to join me outside when you see him." Lu Bu bowed once more and made his way inside. Benji walked towards the fields to check on Peat. She had only been here for an afternoon but he wanted to know how she was adjusting. As he approached the shed she was retracting her arms from the fields. It was a little unnerving to watch as her retracted back to normal size. "Hello, Benji! I''m overjoyed to see your face once more." Benji laughed. "It''s good to see you as well. I was just making sure you have everything under control." As the last tendrils left the ground below to reform in to tiny toes she smiled at him. "What a glorious day it has been! The oats and soybeans have been most cooperative but the trees have been stubborn so far." Benji tilted his head in confusion. "How so?" "They say that my way of helping plants grow is unnatural and that the other plants should be ashamed for accepting help from a stranger. I have confidence that I will dismantle their false reasoning tomorrow." "So their philosophical differences are preventing you from helping them?" Peat shook her heat causing her braids to sway slightly. "I could force them but they will be healthier if they accept my assistance." "Peat, I''ll take your word for it." Benji tried to put the situation out of his mind. "Do you have any questions before I head in for the night?" Peat''s black eyes were lost in thought for a moment before speaking. "Why was the dark one of your race staring at me?" "You mean Alex?" "Yes, the thin one." "Maybe he found you attractive." "He wished to pollinate me?" "Perhaps the Great Gardener could help you understand human sexuality and how we reproduce." Peat nodded her head as Benji spoke. "You have given me much to think about, Benji." Benji shook his head, trying not to laugh. "You''re welcome." As Benji turned to walk back inside Fitt walked over to him. Benji could see the boy''s yellow eyes glowing faintly in the failing light. "Fitt, watch over the property tonight. If there is an emergency please come wake me up." "Yes, Master." A blue glow surrounded the boy as he floated up into the air. Benji took one last look at the boy before heading back inside. Isabel was putting the finishing touches on the evening meal as he walked inside. Benji walked into the kitchen to fill a plate with food. After grabbing a soda from the refrigerator he returned to the dining table. One by one the others fixed their plate and found a place at the table. Benji ate quietly while listening to his friends and his mother talk. Alex was slowly making progress at learning how to use Duncan''s Graphite Arsenal. He didn''t have Duncan''s talent for art but was able bring his simple drawings to life. Stragely enough he wasn''t able to bring Duncan''s drawings to life. Half way through the meal they were joined by Miami and Lu Bu. The two men had nothing but praise for Isabel. She was making great progress at using both the bow and hand-to-hand attacks. Her Crusader''s Wrath was especially interesting as it turned the arrows she fired when attacking the giant squirrels earlier into fire arrows. Zoe spoke very little other than she was happy to help where she could. Once the meal was over Benji brushed his teeth and returned to his room. Once inside he layed on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wanted to practice more magic but he had a slight headache from his earlier efforts. With nothing left to do he took out his GSP and searched through the online store. He bought a few cheap games that he thought could be completed in a few hours. Anything would help to fill his arsenal of games to use for Nerd Lord''s Majesty. He chose a 2D platformer to play but struggled to get interested in the game. Eventually he dozed off and fell into a deep sleep. Chapter 27 Zoe ducked behind a ruined wall to catch her breath. She had been trying to escape the demon that was chasing her. Raven City had been completely destroyed. Benji and the rest of his group were nowhere to be found. A piercing scream rang out nearby causing Zoe to leap to her feet and run as fast as she could. No matter how fast she ran the demon got closer and closer. Zoe lost her footing on loose gravel and went down hard. She felt a tearing sensation followed by searing pain and she rolled to a stop. She looked down to see her a long piece of rusty steel sticking out from her right thigh. Blood ran down her thigh to pool on the ground around her. With no way to heal herself she tried to crawl away which only caused the wound to bleed even more. "You useless child! How dare you run from me!" She looked back in horror as the demon lept from the shadows of a nearby alley. The demon is, or was, her mother. Long, black, matted hair fell down around the shoulders of what had been chasing Zoe. Scars and pock marks tarnished what had once been a beautiful face. Long, sharp nails extended out from bony hands. "It''s your fault I look like this you stupid girl!" Tears rolled down Zoe''s cheeks. "What did you do to my friends? Why are you here!" Her mother looked at her with a sinister smile on her face and laughed. "Idiot girl, they left you here! They were never your friends." Zoe shook her head, scatters her tears to the wind. "That''s not true!" "It doesn''t matter. Now I get to do what I should have done years ago." Zoe watched as her mother''s bony hands tore away the tattered remains of a once beautiful dress. The woman''s yellow, cracked fingernails pulled away the flesh of her torso revealing a gaping maw full of jagged, yellow teeth. As her mother slowly walked towards her Zoe could only watch, paralyzed by fear. Zoe screamed as her mother grabbed her with slimy, cold hands. Zoe screamed into the darkness of her bedroom as she struggled to break herself free from the sheet that was twisted around her body. She fell to the floor and reached up to turn on the light on her bedside table. She curled up into a ball beside the table as light flooded the room. Slowly Zoe came to opened her eyes and looked around. "It was just a nightmare." She told herself while activating Angelic Voice. The spell washed through her body and quickly calmed her down. It had been years since she had a nightmare about her mother and none with such intensity. The World Spike and the situation she found herself in added frightening layers to her subconscious mind. She shakily stood up and looked at her bed. It was soaked where she had been laying and the bottom sheet had been pulled free from the matress. She pulled the oversized shirt she wore up to her nose and recoiled from the acrid smell. Stress sweat was never a pleasant odor but this was a whole new level of stench. The clock on her bedside table said 4:00am. She walked out of her bedroom and quickly walked towards the showers, hoping not to pass anyone on the way. Zoe closed the door to the shower room and quickly stripped down. She turned the temperature up until it stung her flesh before taking a washcloth and soap and gave herself a thorough wash. After washing her hair she quickly rinsed off and wrapped the large towel around her torso. She picked up her sweatsoaked clothes and walked across the hall to the hotspring. She slid the antique wooden door open and walked inside before closing it behind her. The hotspring was rectangular in shape and divided into eight separate sections by smooth gray stone. Each of the sections were fed by wooden pipes which ran along the top of the central wall and brought in fresh water from somewhere below. A thin channel ran along the outside of the sections and collected any overfill. A smooth tan floor ran around the perimeter of the room. Zoe chose a section facing the entrance before dropping her towel and clothes to the floor. She settled down in the water to sit on the submerged bench. Zoe tried her best to clear her mind and live in the moment but the same thoughts entered her mind. That she was a burden to everyone around her. Everyone had a defined role but her. Everyone was powerful but her. All she could do was talk to people. She couldn''t fight, or heal. Her father wouldn''t return her calls or texts. Maybe the nightmare was right. Maybe she was just a stupid, useless girl. She wished she could have been given more useful powers.
I think I can help you. Under certain circumstances powers can be exchanged.
"They can? Um, how does that work?" Hope filled her as she spoke.
The being must give up three powers for every single power they wish to gain. The newly created power must be approved by the World Spike before it is granted. Think carefully before choosing as you will be severely limiting your future potential. Once you¡¯ve chosen simply state which powers you wish to sacrifice and which power you wish to gain. Be specific.
¡°A.I., I wish to sacrifice Social Butterfly, Harsh Mistress and Voice of Reason in exchange for a different power. Something that I can use to help everyone.¡± Stolen story; please report.
Shall I choose for you since you didn''t specify a power?
"Yes, please. I trust you."
Accessing data-banks. Matching host desires against known powers. Ideal power located. Time Magic will be give to Zoe Weaver. Requesting approval from World Spike. Request approved. Incompatible class detected. Class will change to Chronospeaker. Experience will be reset to zero. Do you wish to continue?
¡°Yes.¡± As soon as she spoke that single word, she was hit with a pain unlike anything she had felt before. The piece of twisted steel that nearly took her life was nothing compared to this. The pain pierced through to her heart causing her slide under the waters of the hotspring. After a few moments of pain she felt a great emptiness inside of her. That emptiness was replaced with another wave of excruciating pain as her mind struggled to adapt. Eventually the pain stopped and she stood up, coughing up mouthfulls of mineral laced water. ¡°Pain, pain, go away.¡± She spoke the words, barely louder than a whisper. As Angelic Voice took effect, she opened her eyes.
Name Zoe Weaver Level 1 Class Chronospeaker Experience 0/100 Traits Angelic Voice While speaking you can enhance your voice to give your allies a buff relieves physical and mental stress. Time Magic You can wield time itself to help your allies and punish your enemies.
Double Time Allies move at twice their normal speed for 10 seconds. learned
Time Vortex Enemies move at half their normal speed for 10 seconds. learned
Halt Time Time stops for your enemies for 10 seconds. 50,000
Reverse the Flow Attacks against you and your allies are reflected back. 100,000
Time Conquers All Objects in the target area age by 25 years. 500,000
End of Days Time flows uncontrollably turning the target to dust. 1,00,000
Chapter 28 Zoe quickly got out of the hotspring and wrapped her towel around her body. She grabbed her dirty clothes and ran back to her room. After closing the door she quickly dressed in a pair of loose fitting white cotton shorts and a black oversized t-shirt. She pulled her black hair back into a tight ponytail and grabbed her track shoes and a pair of socks before walking out the door. She made her way across the common room and out the front door. She sat down on the hard wood of the front porch to put on her socks and shoes. The full moon illuminated the ground allowing her to see the stone wall in the distance. With her shoes on she took a few steps out into the grass spying the barracks to the north-east. The barracks was exactly fifty meters away. While running it took twenty seconds to reach. Her time spent running between both patrol groups ingrained this knowledge into her head. If Double Time worked like it said it would she would make it there in half that time. She took a deep breath and cast the spell. "Double Time." Her mana collected in her chest before surging throughout her body. She took off at a dead run but stumbled on the first few strides. A yellow icon in the corner of her vision flashed as it counted down. She started running again and was shocked at how quickly she was covering the distance. Once the timer reached zero the surging energy left her body as quickly as it came. It was only then that she noticed she crossed the halfway mark.
It seems like you''re enjoying yourself.
"I am! Thank you so much for your help."
Of course. I was glad to help.
As she stretched out her legs she thought of what other tests she could perform. She had seen Benji''s friend Alex practicing a strange martial art. At least she could throw a few punches to test. She cast the spell a second time. "Double Time!" Again the surging energy ran through her body. Her first punch carried enough momentum to pull her body forward. As the timer counted down she threw punches and kicks while laughing to herself. Once the timer ran out she leaned forward with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Zoe knows magic now?" She turned around to see Fitt''s glowing yellow eyes staring at her from a few meters away. "I do! I learned Time Magic." "Could you show me your spell list the way Master did?" Zoe brought up her spell list and shared it with the young boy. "Would you like me to help you train like I helped Master?" Zoe nodded and followed Fitt back towards the front porch. Fitt sat down on the hard wooden surface and patted at the spot in front of him. Zoe took off her shoes and sat down cross-legged not knowing what to expect. "First you must learn that most magic is dangerous in the right circumstances. Spells that help allies can be used on your enemies. Could you give me an example of this?" Zoe thought for a moment about her the only beneficial spell she knew. Increasing the speed of an enemy wouldn''t be a good idea. Just then a thought occurred to her. "I could use it on someone to make them stumble like I did." "Correct. You stumbled because you didn''t know how the spell would affect you. Magic is only as versatile as you are. Only through practice and testing will you know the limits of a particular spell." Fitt reached forward and placed his tiny hands on her temples. "My mana will enter your mind and show you the next step. Please stay calm and don''t resist." Zoe held her breath as she felt something foreign enter her mind. Over the next hour Zoe learned as much as she could through the connection that Fitt maintained with his mana. Although she struggled at first she eventually learned to circulate her mana. Only once she was able to cast Double Time using half the mana did Fitt allow her to rest. Zoe was sweating and breathing heavily once Fitt finally broke the connection. It was hard work but she was happy. "Go rest now." Zoe leaned forward and hugged Fitt. Fitt akwardly returned the hug and squirmed out of her grasp to float up into the air above the mansion. Zoe put on her shoes and walked back inside the house. She walked into the kitchen, filled a glass with cold water and leaned back against a counter to sip at it. She heard footsteps from her left and turned to see Isabel enter the kitchen. "Good morning, dear. I didn''t know anyone else was awake." "Good morning, Isabel. I''ve been awake for a while." Zoe told Isabel about her nightmare and the panic she felt when she woke up. She told her about how useless she felt when compared to everyone else. She talked about how her A.I. gave her a chance to trade in her powers for a new one. She explained how good she felt when she tested her spells and how grateful she felt to receive Fitt''s help. Once she stopped talking Isabel pulled her into a tight hug. "Zoe, I don''t know you very well but I know without a doubt that you aren''t useless. I''m glad you enjoy your new magic but you would have a home here if you had no powers at all." "Thank you, Isabel." "Now, how would you like a cup of tea?" Chapter 29 Bruce Overton had been with the Raven City Police Department since he graduated from university at 22. He worked his way up through the years and now held the rank of Detective in the Organized Crime Division. He was good at his job. The intuition that he developed over the years allowed him to peer into the minds of criminals around the city. After years of investigating some of the worst scum in Raven City, he was one of the best around. He had long since turned down the position of Chief Detective. He loved his job but there were bad days. Days when he would clock out and head to a bar that police frequented to drink away what had happened that day. The world changed since the arrival of the World Spike. That damned object brought out the worst in humanity. In a city as large as Raven City, crime was expected. The day that Bob snapped his fingers was like handing out loaded guns to the population. The majority of people were too worried about their own safety and did their best to hide or run. People that were on the edge, people who were just maintaining, it was the little push they needed to cross the line from tax-payer to criminal. He heard horror stories from fellow officers around the precinct. Everyone had it bad. The departments were overworked and understaffed. The Mayor of Raven City wrote a blank check to the police departments throughout the city. They no longer had to worry about fighting for over-time pay. Now they worked too many hours. A few couldn¡¯t handle the stress and quit, choosing to be with their families. Bruce didn¡¯t hate the quitters, they were the lucky ones. But somebody had to stay. People like Bruce, people who weren¡¯t married and didn¡¯t have kids, they were the unfortunate ones. Early on Bruce decided to sleep in his office. Within the first few hours after the World Spike he went home and brought all the clothes he could back to his office. The locker rooms had a shower and he could make a run to a nearby restaurant for food. During that first day they pushed on their contacts and informants to find out what the gangs were up to. Informants were a vital part of the job, providing valuable information in exchange for small favors or protection from the police. The day of the World Spike, his informants all but disappeared. They weren¡¯t at their jobs, they didn¡¯t show up to their support group meetings, and their families hadn¡¯t seen or heard from them. Reports of gang movements came in from across the city. Wanted criminals were appearing in broad daylight. From all accounts they were consolidating their territories. It was a smart move. Secure what you have before making a move against anyone else. The first breakthrough came from a train conductor. A woman and two men boarded at a downtown station. The conductor had noticed when the woman traveled up the train to sit near him. He thought nothing of it until the two men followed the woman into the car and began to harass her. Audio and video from the train recorded the entire altercation. The woman protected herself using what had to be one of her powers, golden flames that surrounded her fists. A report later from a local hospital said that she nearly killed one of the thugs. After interrogating them both, they found out that they were new recruits of Powerless. The thugs didn¡¯t know much but they knew enough to make Bruce nervous. Finneas Killian, the leader of Powerless, was generally a lazy man as far as crime bosses were concerned. He held a firm grip on his territory but didn¡¯t make much of an effort to expand into the area of another gang. He simply sat where he was and profited from the ventures that his subordinates ran in his name. Luckily for Bruce, Finneas didn¡¯t have the ambition to live up to his potential. Until now. Whatever powers that Finneas gained allowed him to attract more than just the scum of society. Now he was recruiting people in droves. Finneas took his disdain for how society treated him in his own life and made it a rallying call throughout the city. They preyed on those whose powers were generally unhelpful and boy where there a lot of those. Due to the nature of what Bob called the Great Changing Machine, powers were based on the personality of the individual, at least that''s what scientists were saying. The overwhelming majority of people were ordinary. They were content with what they had and never aspired to more than that. But now they saw that a small portion of people around them turned into super heroes within a matter of minutes. So those people became targets. ¡®Why are they so lucky and I have nothing?¡¯ It was a common question asked among those with weak powers. Finneas focused his entire organization on approaching the newly disenfranchised. He showed that they weren¡¯t powerless, that together they could be powerful. He gave them a purpose and a place filled with people who thought just like them. And they loved him for it.
Name Bruce OvertonA case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Class Detective Level 5 Experience 1200/4000 Traits Intuition Your hunches are often right. Your hunches occur more often and are more likely to be correct. Experienced Interrogator When speaking to a suspect or criminal they are more likely to tell the truth. Trained Eye Clues relevant to your current investigation are highlighted in red in your vision.
Bruce closed his status screen and checked his watch. The digital face ticked over to 7:00am. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the computer screen covering one wall of his office. Mug shots, profiles, recent sightings and information of all sorts were shown on the screen. In the middle of the screen was an active map of Raven City¡¯s western district. Different lights and markers notated recent sightings and arrests of gang members as well as reports of gang activity. Bruce took a bite from a nearby sandwich while thinking to himself. ¡®Something has to give. Too much movement. Someone is going to make a mistake.¡¯ A commotion could be heard from outside his office. Raised voices and hurried footsteps broke his concentration, causing him to stand up and leave his office, which opened up into a sea of desks and computer monitors. Bruce turned to see an officer running towards him. ¡°Detective Overton! A high school kid came into the lobby downstairs. He¡¯s saying that the Crisis Shelter is being overrun.¡± ¡°What are you talking about. Overrun by who? We haven¡¯t had any calls even close to there.¡± He tried to get the young officer to calm down with no success. ¡°Powerless, sir. They were sighted moving in force towards the shelter. The kid said he tried to call in but he couldn''t get a signal.¡± The Crisis Shelter wasn''t exactly listed in a phone directory and you couldn''t just walk into the place off the street. The shelter represented a permanent solution for those that had been targeted for abuse. Every citizen had rights under the world government but corruption still exists, even in a modern utopia. At the shelter they found peace and safety where they could live out their lives under the protection of highly trained personnel who shot first and let the coroners sort the mess. As Bruce stepped back into his office, the young officer followed him in. He zoomed in on the address of the Crisis Shelter. Nothing had been reported for the last few hours. It was a black spot on the map. With all the efforts to control the animal population throughout the city they were beginning to ignore reports of gunfire or power usage and investigated only eyewitness accounts. His Intuition told him that it was a perfect opportunity to move on a sensitive location like the shelter. He turned back to the waiting officer. ¡°What¡¯s being done so far?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a SWAT unit being prepped to respond and off-duty officers are being called back. We put a request in for a military unit from the central blockade but no response so far.¡± Bruce thought for a second before grabbing his coat, keys, and grabbed something from a nearby cabinet. ¡°Come with me, son. We¡¯re going down there.¡± he back called over his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s that, sir?¡± The officer pointed at the object wrapped in a black cloth. Bruce unwrapped the object which was a pair of sleek black revolvers inside a brown leather shoulder holster. Bruce put on the holster and his coat before turning to the waiting man. ¡°These are my first and second level up rewards. Hopefully they¡¯ll be enough to make a difference.¡±