Surach's death was worth two hundred experience points, but it wasn't quite enough to get me to level six.

  I was surprised by how easily I killed an unarmed prisoner. Back in the real world, I would have considered it a crime, but now, it felt justified, and my heart didn't skip a beat when I jabbed my dagger into Surach’s throat. He would have done the same to me.

  After he was dead, I looted him for all he was worth. Unfortunately, the items in his quantum inventory weren't lootable. Val had told me that everything in the quantum inventory was returned to the system upon death. Only those who survived until the end got to bring their wealth and quantized materials home.

  Surach had a beautiful longsword. The blade was dark steel and razor sharp on one side, featuring etchings along the edge that resembled the script of the Ancients. It was the first thing I took.

  Sword of the Razor Knight

  Thousands of years ago, when the Ancients still walked upon the earth, a fearsome warrior known as the Razor Knight wielded this sword. While the blade is sharp, an Ancient Inscription gives one side an edge over the other. (See what I did there, John. That pun was for you.) The enchanted side of the blade can cut through most objects, including lower-quality shields and swords.

  I let out a whistle, happy to finally get some powerful loot. This blade could be a game-changer for me, but before I got lost in all the scenarios it could save my butt in, I went back to looting.

  Surach's armor was similar to what I had stolen from the Kurskins who had trapped Kitz, but I sent it to my inventory anyway to be sold later.

  I wished that the Kurskins wore boots because mine were in poor shape. I'd have to do some shopping when I made it back to Danver.

  After I started an insurrection, of course, that was priority number one.

  We double-checked our bindings on Djadja before going about the business of digging him out of the ground. Harl and I located some sharp rocks, and we had the helpless lizard out in less than an hour.

  After he was freed, we added another shackle-like binding to his feet, allowing him to walk but not to run. He seemed displeased, but the gag prevented him from letting us know his real thoughts.

  'This better work,' I thought to Val.

  'I don't know why you are dragging me into this. It's your stupid plan,' she said.

  I tried again with someone more approachable.

  "I hope this works," I said to Ersabet.

  "If Minna and Harl's reactions are any indication, I believe it will. You will have to be careful, though. There are at least six other Kurskins at the guild who must be dealt with."

  "Once I get all the humans on my side, I imagine we can deal with them just fine."

  "Do not underestimate their power. I know not what level they are, but even at a low level, it would take five humans to bring down one Kurskin."

  "Okay, so what do you propose?"

  "We wait until night and kill them in their sleep."

  I held up my hands in protest. "Whoa, we can't do that."

  "And why not?"

  "I don't know… It's just wrong."

  Ersabet grabbed my shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye.

  "If you want to play this game, John, you must shed your human morality. It's holding you back, and someday, it will get you killed. You didn't hesitate to kill Surach. That is the type of man you need to be all the time."

  I chuckled.

  "What's so funny?"

  "Nothing," I said. "You just remind me of someone I know."

  The words had come from Ersabet, but they echoed what Val had already told me many times. If I wanted to win, I would have to compromise my personal morality. I understood the truth of it, but it was still hard to let that part of me, the good part, go. I had practically murdered Surach, but it felt different. I had given him an ultimatum, and he had made his choice. Killing someone in their sleep just felt different.

  I pictured my wife, Elena.

  If the cost of seeing her again was my soul, then so be it.

  Plus, was it really that much of a sin to kill a few lizards in their sleep? They'd done far worse to humans. In a way, killing them in their sleep could be seen as a kindness to the humans they would soon brutalize. That thought helped ease some of my anxiety over cold-blooded murder.

  I'd have to think about it a little longer, though. And I wanted to loop Minna and Harl into this plan. If I were going to create an uprising, I'd need more voices on my side.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  As the night grew dark, we had no choice but to camp. We laid out bedrolls and blankets, and I started a fire.

  For my efforts, I received another point in FIRESTARTER. I still had a few more to go to reach Tier 2. So far, Tier 1 has been pretty useless for me. I needed to ask Val about some of the better Competencies that I could learn.

  We all gathered around the fire to roast a rabbit that Minna had shot with an arrow. It was a clean kill and a difficult shot. Minna was good with a bow. I filed that tidbit of information away.

  "John, I have to ask," Minna said from across the fire, her dark eyes reflecting the flames. "How did you know the truth about the Kurskins?"

  "One of them told me the truth," I lied. "And Ersabet herself confirmed it. There's more to it, but you can be assured that I know these things firsthand. There is no doubt. The Kurskins and the Dalari have sold everyone on Erda a lie. They are not divine. They don't come from heaven or the abyss. They didn't travel across the seas to our lands. The first time they set foot on our planet was four months ago."

  I leaned forward. "Everything you've heard about them is a lie, and I mean everything. They are invaders, subjugators, and they intend to kill every last one of us. After their done having their fun, of course.”

  I turned to look at the tied-up Djadja, sitting on a nearby rock. "Am I telling the truth, Djadja?" He'd already made the truth clear, but I enjoyed making him squirm.

  He glared at me and tried to speak through his gag.

  "Harl, will you please remove Djadja's gag?"

  Harl, like a good follower, obeyed immediately.

  When the gag was off, Djadja took some time to flex his jaw and his mouth, or whatever that stunted snout of his was called.

  When he was finally comfortable, he said, "You speak truly, John. Now, if you allow me, I'd like to share some more truths with you."

  I nodded my assent.

  "All of you are going to die."

  "Lame," I said flatly.

  Djadja looked confused. "You might have the upper hand on me while I'm in chains, but I am a Kurskin, and I demand respect. Speak plainly and clearly when addressing me, or do not address me at all."

  "Whoa, no need to get your panties in a wad. I was simply saying that you were boring me. You're a bore, Djadja. Who's going to kill me? You?"

  He shrugged. "If the universe wills it so. Someone with your knowledge is too dangerous to be left alive. Even if you kill me, the rumors you are seeding will spread. And my people will eventually come to snuff them out. We will dig up the rot and exterminate every single human in the affected area. This is why you will die."

  A chill ran through me because I knew what he said was true. When word spread that the Kurskins and the Dalari were false gods and were here to subjugate mankind, the Triarchy could go to great lengths to shut it down before it ruined their game entirely. But what other choice was there? The alternative was to do nothing and level up for God knows how long while my people suffered. If every human knew the truth, they could fight back. If we ruined their game to such an extent, maybe the Triarchy would call the whole thing off. I knew it was wishful thinking, but my heart was set on freeing as many humans as I could.

  He started laughing that annoying honking cackle of the lizards.

  I walked over to him and bent down to his level. "If the Triarchy wants a fight, I'll give them a war. If this world burns, they will burn with it."

  His eyes went wide. Behind them, I could see his mind swimming at the revelation. I didn't just know their origin; I knew about the Triarchy.

  I poked him in the chest. "And you will be the match that starts the fire."

  "I will not help you, human. My death is assured even if I give you what you want."

  I leaned closer to him so only he could hear what I had to say. "I need you alive, Djadja. After I kill your scaly friends and you share the truth with the rest of our fellow Hunters, I am going to let you leave. But fear not, you won't be aimless. I have a task for you. I need you to find someone for me, and I want you to deliver them a message."

  He looked intrigued. "Who?"

  "Prajio Vrentris."

  Djadja's eyes lit in recognition.

  "Ah, you know him," I said. "Good. The last word is that he was heading west to the capital. I haven't a clue as to why, but I want you to chase him down and deliver my message. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want."

  "Was it Prajio that told you of our nature?" Djadja asked. "What else did he tell you?"

  I was surprised by those questions, but it made sense. Djadja would have been wondering who told me the truth, and now he had an answer. I might as well use it to spur his motivation to find Prajio.

  I nodded, "Prajio told me quite a lot. Although I suspect he wants me dead now." I stuck a finger out at Djadja, "As do you, of course. The good news is you both might get your chance to kill me later."

  "What is this message?"

  I leaned closer. "Tell Prajio that I know the truth, the real truth, and that I'm going to take my fucking world back. If he wants to stop me, he can come back to Danver and try."

  Djadja looked shaken, like I was some monster that popped out from under his bed.

  "How? You cannot hope to win."

  "It doesn't matter how I do it." I found the gag nearby and brought it to Djadja. "All that should matter to you is that you get to live."

  I reapplied the gag but looser this time. He didn't deserve that small mercy. I did it for myself to ease my conscience, knowing it would soon be plagued by untold horrors.

  When I returned to the fire, I saw Val sitting in my spot. She turned to me, radiating a powerful displeasure.

  'What do you think you're doing?'

  “Starting a war, hopefully.”

  'Are you insane? If you want to kick the Kurskins out of the Hunters, fine, but you aren't prepared for war. Luckily, you won't have to worry about that because Prajio will kill you before it gets out of control. What game are you playing here, Ethan? Do not keep your plans from me, not when the stakes are so high.'

  “I'm not an idiot, Val. I won't be here when Prajio arrives. I will start an insurrection in Danver and rid them of the Kurskins. Then, I'm going to another city, and I’ll create more chaos there. I'm going to disrupt the game to such an extent that eventually the Voxals will have no choice but to intercede. You told me to focus on the greater good. That's what I'm doing.”

  I knew that thousands could die if I did this, but every human was already marked for death. If I did nothing, they would still die. Perhaps not this year, but eventually, this game would end, and the remaining humans would be eradicated or fully enslaved. People were going to die because of me, but at least their deaths would mean something.

  Val stood and walked toward me; I took a few awkward steps back. I checked the fire, and everyone was focused on their meal, thankfully.

  'I explicitly told you that if you ever see a Voxal, you should run. You are not strong enough to face one, and it would be prudent to seek another way to restore some of my power before then. You will not triumph. It would be best if you killed Djadja now and focused on yourself.'

  “No”

  'No?'

  “I have a plan, Val, and I'll have plenty of time to grow stronger before the Voxals get involved. You said there may be another way to restore some of your power. Maybe we can find what you need in another city. If what happens in Danver gets Voxal's attention, I won't be there for them to catch me. This is how we win. Trust me.”

  She collapsed to the ground and pouted. 'I hate my life.'

  “Don't be so hard on yourself. It could be worse.”

  'How could my life possibly get any worse?'

  I shrugged. “You could be me.”