“As soon as I heard from Evan, I knew you’d show up sometime. I’m ready to go,” says Jeff with determination as soon as I step through the Portal.

  I’ve passed along everything I know about the invaders and it’s being disseminated through all available channels around the world. The ability for people to move instantly between MIS Hubs on Earth, limited only by how many people can move through the Portal at one time, is a huge advantage for getting the right Adventurers to where they need to be on short notice. It’s never going to be useful for mass migration and evacuation, there’s just not enough throughput for that to happen - but for making sure we can bring our strongest to the key battles, it’s perfect. I can only hope that the Mana Siphon defenses are sufficient to avoid being destroyed and that the Ravager Manta ignore them so we don’t have to find out. If those stations get taken out it would be a tough blow.

  “There’s probably about 15 minutes before they get to our atmosphere,” I tell Jeff. “I’m going to kill as many as I can and then come pick you up to get into the thick of it. Ok with you?”

  “Let me come with you,” he says. I can tell he desperately wants to make a difference, but I’ve thought about this.

  “Zero gravity and the void of space?” I ask him, and look him in the eye so he’s forced to really consider how his Skills and fighting techniques would be in that environment. I don’t have long so I only give him a couple of seconds, but that’s all he needs to come to the same conclusion I have.

  “Ok,” he says and nods. “I’ll gather a couple others we’ll want with us.

  “I’m going to the thick of it, Jeff - you know that. Everyone’s at their own risk.” I don’t want anyone to think it’s something it’s not.

  “Go,” he says. I trigger Omnipresent and focus on the stream of Monsters heading toward Earth through space. They’re close, very close, and aimed at the equator which is probably most like the surface of Venus and where they’ve Evolved. I can see where eddies slow parts of the stream exist, caused by the Ravager Manta I put a Geas on.

  Jeff’s already running off when I manifest a Portal and step through onto the back of the lead Ravager Manta and weightlessness, wrapped in my Dimensional Forge armor. I plunge a grappling hook into the massive creature for stability and close my eyes, reaching out with Omnipresent and my Affinity.

  I push and push, opening Edges to the closest dozen Ravager Manta and trigger Sentinel’s Fury again and again through all of the Edges, replicating what I did in the first round of the KCT to send destructive energy. I feel the connection and the damage flow through, but it’s not nearly enough to affect them with their massive Health pools and size. I hurt them, but can’t pile on the damage quickly enough with the Skill to cripple or stop them. Frustrated, I reach out with my Affinity and make a connection through all of the Edges and trigger ten Resonant Strikes simultaneously. The way the Skill works just doesn’t allow enough of the waves to make it through the Edges so I push to originate Resonant Strike on the other side of the Edge, but I can’t make it work and I’m nervous to push it with my ability to bolster Skills because of the warning about potentially disastrous effects using it on non-Evolved Skills.

  Unless I really want to take a risk, it looks like my best option is old fashioned Portaling around and ass kicking. I feel the pressure of closing in on Earth so I release the Edges and trigger Perfect Focus to maximize the time I have left, then wait a second for my Stamina to be fully topped up and chain trigger eight Resonant Strikes at the Ravager Manta I’m riding to tear it in half. The kill notification plus a few more from creatures who are stowed away roll in and I consider whether I should take care of them too, but decide against it. If the Ravager Manta doesn’t make it to Earth then hopefully they all die out here in the middle of space, stranded.

  I wait a second for my Stamina to rebuild again then trigger Omnipresent and jump to the next one. Ten minutes later I have it down to a rhythm and I’m killing one every five seconds. The pace is frantic to kill such massive Monsters, but twelve per minute and over a hundred in ten minutes is still only a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands.

  My rhythm is slightly disrupted when a group of lead Ravager Manta enter the highest layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, bypassing the Mana Siphons entirely. They bank at high speed to match the rotation of the Earth and I look down to see Africa from high orbit.

  All around me there’s a shift in the sky as we descend, from the deep black of space to a subtle blue glow from atmospheric scattering that intensifies as we continue. Slowed down with Perfect Focus and my enhanced Perception, it really is something to behold and I even pause for a few stretched out seconds.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Clouds become closer as we plunge into the thicker layers of air. On the underside of my next victim watching it all, I feel the air resistance build and it’s only my Strength that keeps me from being torn off the Monster as heat builds from the friction. I blast this one apart with Resonant Strike and tumble through the air as it spins madly when it loses its aerodynamic shape, then I reorient myself and trigger Omnipresent and fall through a Portal next to Jeff.

  Stones explode apart as I slam into the ground and leap to my feet a split second later. Jeff is looking up trying to find the invaders.

  “Not here,” I say. “Africa.”

  “Let’s go,” he says, and I look around to see Brodie, who looks ever more dark and threatening, and… Alana! The shock hits me for a second and I’m glad I have the helmet of my Dimensional Forge armor on.

  “Hi,” I say and I can’t keep the surprise out of my voice.

  “We saved your spot,” says Alana with a look at me that’s meaningful and full of iron. I’d know that tone anywhere on any Adventurer - she’s ready for combat. It’s clear this isn’t time to speak with her. I pull up their Status to see what they can handle.

  Brodie Smith, Soul Harvester, Shadow Warrior, Harbinger, Shadow Specter, Echo of Darkness (Level 10 Dread Phantom) (Enhanced Legendary)

  [Human] [Shadow of the Realm] [Elite Strike Force]

  Health: 6210/6210

  Mana: 3880/3880

  Conditions: Mark of Death, Reap What You Sow, Shadow Touched, Rend, Aura of Dread

  Brodie’s progressed faster than Jeff and has significantly upgraded, becoming more than capable of handling himself against high Level opponents. I suspect he can stay out of trouble if needed all by himself.

  Alana O’Driscoll, Flame Touched, Slayer of Leprechauns, Wolfhounds, Fir Bolg, Clurichaun, Caothannach, (Level 21 Infernal Sovereign) (Enhanced Legendary)

  [Human]

  HP: 3980/3980

  MP: 6390/6390

  Conditions: Hotter Than Hell, Excited Molecules, Elemental Absorption, Living Conflagration, Solar Overcharge, Flash Ignition, Hellfire Dominion, Entropic Burn

  For a long time Alana has been one of the highest Level humans and she hasn’t let that slip, even if she didn’t want to make what she perceived as a suicide run with me.

  “We know what we’re getting into Bronwic, and we know you’re always in the thick of it. Take us,” says Alana. I nod and accept it. This world is so fucked up.

  “Give me one second, I need to Level,” I say. My shock at seeing Alana is the only thing that’s stopped me from opening up the precious notification that comes along with 4 more Class Skill points.

  Level Up!

  You have reached Level 4 as a Dark Mana Knight

  +30 Aura, +20 Mana, +60 free Attribute points to assign

  You have 60 free Attribute points to assign

  Would you like to allocate them now?

  (Y/N)

  You have 4 unallocated Class Skill points

  Would you like to allocate them now?

  (Y/N)

  I can feel the increase in my connection to the churning Mana inside me as my Mana and Aura are boosted through my additional Level and I decide to take a chance and drop all 60 points into Aura, raising it by another 10%. As soon as I do I can feel the connection deepen and access to that powerful raging storm feels easier. More immediate. I take a few seconds to close my eyes and feel that connection then bring it to the surface where it swirls and pushes, ready to be directed, then I release it. Untold power is waiting there to be harnessed, I can feel the potential if I can boost my Aura and my Mana Affinity.

  I glance at Jeff, Alana, and Brodie who are waiting for me. Now that I have the 4 Class Skill points I’m not sure whether to Evolve Dimensional Armor or drop all 4 into Resonant Strike to take it to 9, just short of an Evolution. I close my eyes for a second and activate Perfect Focus then clear my mind and consider. It’s hard to slow down but once I do I realize there’s only one choice. Turning back these invaders will mean as much damage as possible as quickly as possible and that means Resonant Strike. I drop the 4 Class Skill points in it and my mind expands with my SMI. The new points help me to understand how to use the resonant waves more effectively, allowing me to hit more creatures at once or rip apart single targets like the Ravager Manta even more effectively.

  I open my eyes and realize nobody can see my face anyway. I release Perfect Focus so I can speak with them and then add Alana and Brodie to my Group Party Chat.

  “Moving in 3 seconds,” I send to test it and I can see them start triggering any remaining Skills to get ready for combat. Everyone knows I come in hot to the thick of the action.