CONGRATULATIONS, PLAYER. YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP. YOU ARE NOW LEVEL FIVE.

  The warm glow of pleasure and power that rushed through me gave me goosebumps, and this time, I could swear that I felt my body growing stronger. Level Five. Sure, it wasn't much to those Players who had been playing the game for months, but for me, with my noob status, it felt like a grand achievement.

  ABILITY UPGRADE UNLOCKED: AFTER REACHING LEVEL FIVE, YOU MAY SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND ABILITIES OR ELECT TO ENHANCE ONE OF YOUR PREVIOUSLY CHOSEN SKILLS OR ABILITIES.

  That could be extremely useful. Some of the abilities I had been offered in the past weren't always the most appropriate for my needs. I wanted to focus on two aspects of my player build: Combat and Stealth. It would be preferable to kill all my (likely more powerful) opponents quickly and quietly. But if history meant anything, stealth wouldn't always pay off, and when it failed, I had to know how to fight.

  The new skills and abilities popped up on my interface as my personal AI read them out to me.

  CLOSE COMBAT SPECIALIST: You know how to take a man head-on, solo, mano a mano. You're not great at it, but you've got spunk. There's hope for you still. Every time you engage an opponent within five yards of yourself, you gain heightened combat awareness, which will occasionally empower you with the ability to anticipate your opponent's actions to a greater effect. Think of it as an upgrade to your inherent combat instincts. This is a passive ability.

  That seemed like an extraordinary ability, but I wanted to see what else was being offered.

  THE CALL OF THE WILD: You've been spending a lot of time in the woods, and to make matters worse, you've been hanging around with a warg. Gross. You're on the path to becoming a true mountain man. As a personal note, I'd recommend taking a break from camping. I don't have any olfactory senses, but even I can tell that you stink. You need a shower, friend. Anyway, THE CALL OF THE WILD ability allows you to call any normal wild animal to your side. The animal will fight with you for the course of a day. An animal must be within fifty yards of you for this ability to work. It can be used once a week.

  I was interested in that skill until I read 'once a week.' It would be awesome to have a giant bear as an ally, but first, I'd have to find one, and secondly, I could only do it once a week. I was sour about it.

  ENSHROWDEN: You seem to have a strange fixation with dark places. You're not secretly a vampire, are you? Ha! Anyway, since you love shadows so much, you could become one with ENSHROWDEN. That's right! Transform your body and everything on it to shadow. It's quite useful for those who like to sneak around in the dark. This skill can be cast twice a day and lasts thirty seconds.

  Wow. I almost accepted it immediately, but I wanted to weigh my options and maybe get Val's input.

  There was also the word ENHANCE at the bottom of my visual overlay, but I wasn't ready to enhance any of my skills yet. Both Enshrowden and Close Combat Specialist seemed too good to pass up.

  'What do you think, Val?'

  'I've never been a big fan of animals,’ she said. So Call of the Wild is a no for me.'

  “I wasn't planning on picking it. I'm stuck between Close Combat Specialist and Enshrowden.”

  'Your combat is severely lacking. Close Combat Specialist could help considerably. If you plan on sneaking around a lot, then pick Enshrowden. Both are good.'

  That was useless. Val told me nothing I didn't already know. It was stupid even to ask.

  In the end, I chose Close Combat Specialist. I still intended to be sneaky and hoped that similar stealth skills would reappear if I continued to prompt them with my actions. I'd have to find a good quest that would require me to be stealthy.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I couldn't wait to test out my new skill, but unfortunately, I wasn’t something that I could activate at will. I would have to get into another fight and hope it activates.

  Maybe I made a bad choice…time would tell.

  I wandered back to the group, and we set off to Danver. I stayed close to Kitz, hoping a familiar face would make him feel better about leaving the forest. I reassured him it was only for a few days, just until we sorted things out with the Hunters. After we figured out how to stop them from hunting him, he could return and live his happy life with his woodland creatures.

  When we finally exited the forest, we could see the expanse of the wooden city in the distance. From our higher vantage point, the sight was quite striking. There seemed to be a swarm of ants bustling through and around Danver, but it was only the innumerable masses that lived and worked there. A thin, oblong wall snaked along the perimeter, keeping the ants inside safe from the dangers of the outside world. If only they knew there were predators living amongst them.

  Ersabet approached me and asked if we could talk. She glanced down at Kitz, and I understood her meaning. I patted Kitz on the back. "Hey, I need to speak with Ersabet for a while. You alright hanging out with boring Tara over there?”

  "Excuse me," she spun to me, hands on her hips and a cheeky snarl on her face. "I am the exact opposite of boring. I am undoubtedly the most fun individual in this dreary traveling party."

  Now it was Ersabet’s turn to take mock offense. "Dreary? My dear, you are dangerously mistaken. I am a beacon of light and joy. Perhaps I shine too brightly for your depressed and dull eyes to see."

  I couldn't help but laugh. "If 'Bet here is a beacon of light, then we're both blind, Tara."

  That made Tara laugh, which made me laugh again. Ersabet crossed her arms unsmiling.

  Ersabet and I separated from the group and walked ahead of them.

  So, what's up?"

  Ersabet's brow furrowed. "Up? The sky is up."

  "It's an expression from Earth. It means 'what's going on' or 'what's happening?' In this case, it means 'What do you want to talk about?’ I assumed most of your kind were familiar with modern human lingo.”

  "Before we get to that," she said. "You called me 'Bet’ earlier. Did you forget my name?”

  I shrugged. "It’s just a friendly nickname."

  "Is that what we are?" She raised her brow. “Friends?”

  "Maybe not yet," I admitted. "In time, I hope."

  "The Dalari do not have friends, John. At least not in the same way as you humans. Dalari culture is one of individualism. We value our own strengths and aptitudes. A friend to us is the person who can best help us succeed in our individual endeavors. One helps the other not out of kindness but out of self-interest. It is expected that a kindness given will eventually be reciprocated in some way."

  "Wow, it must be tough knowing all your friendships are transactional." I smiled at her. "So, I surmised you don't want me to call you 'Bet."

  "I would prefer you to use my name in its entirety."

  "Fine, but I bet," I emphasized the last word. Her eyes sparked with annoyance, and her brow twitched. "I bet that after you spend enough time with me, your old ways will wear off.”

  She rolled her eyes and flicked her hand like she was throwing this conversation away. "Have you considered all the risks involved in going back to Danver?"

  "The risk of running into Prajio, you mean?"

  "That is one of many. What if Prajio has gone public about your anomalous nature? What if a contingent of Kurskins is waiting for us at the gate?

  I shook my head. "That's not how Prajio operates. I've been thinking about it, and I doubt Prajio will tell anyone about me. I think he wants me for himself. Plus, he's far too prideful to admit being bested. I doubt he'd ask anyone for help."

  "That is quite the gamble. Are you sure it's one you want to take?"

  I nodded. "Yes. And I've got you here to fight him off if we ever see him again."

  "Pray I never have to."

  "So, is that it?" I asked. "Or did you have more you wanted to talk about?"

  "Will you ditch the girl?"

  That caught me off guard. "Tara? Not if she wants to stay. But I will force her to go to her family's home first. After that, she can make her choice."

  "Tara will only burden us. You know this."

  I nodded once. "How long does this game last, Ersabet?"

  She cocked her head. "It lasts until all the leaders get together and sign a peace treaty and a proclamation that all grievances were resolved on the battlefield or forgiven through other means."

  "What if that doesn't happen?"

  She blew out a quick laugh. "It always happens. The longest game lasted fifty-two years. It's almost unbelievable. I came here expecting to stay for ten years, at most. After that, whoever has risen to the top better reconcile and end this horror show. The creation engine will not let anyone out or in until an end is agreed upon."

  "So, we could be here for decades,' I said, "The point is that Tara has potential and plenty of time to learn. If she trained using a bow, she would improve, just like anyone else. But she's also got magic in her, and if she stays, I’ll need you to help me out with that, Ersabet. With time and training, Tara could be a valuable team member."

  Ersabet waved the conversation away. "We shall see. We can talk more about this in Danver." She smiled and tilted her head to the side. "That is only if you are correct about Prajio, and we aren't immediately attacked by the first Kurskin we see."

  "Have faith, Ersabet. It can take you far if you let it."