My rest was fitful, a thousand things seemed to conspire to keep me right on the edge of consciousness. A twitch here, a breeze there. Nothing I did seemed to let my get comfortable enough to sleep. Hours went by with me just starting into the darkness of my room, my mind trying to chase itself into a cycle of blame and ridicule. I did my best to ignore it, but it is difficult to ignore yourself. Eventually, I simply passed out.

  I woke up feeling if not good, then at least a bit better. I'd been running myself hard for a while now. I barely napped while we were in the city and only for brief moments at that. Who even could have begun to guess what the events in the tower had done to my health. A quick check of my BTC showed no difference from the last time I looked at it. It's refusal to update was troubling. Had I broken something? Trying to revive Lumi had been a mistake. Not because it didn't have a chance to work, but because death isn't something I should be fighting. As hard as it was to accept, bringing someone back from death didn't seem very natural. I don't think that was my intended path. Then again I couldn't help but think that healing was kind of not very natural either, at least not the way we did it. Well no one said life itself wasn't a hypocritical mess.

  I kept trying to pick everything up and be a part of everything I thought was important. Maybe that wasn't the best idea. In fact, not one person, had ever said I was suppose to be a hero. I had thought it before, had thought to myself that I wasn't cut out for fighting, but I was having a hard time internalizing it. But there were folks called Heroes all around me.

  Raynor fit the term to a tee. There was something dark in his past that he had pushed through. At least on a small scale he was a natural leader, able to guide his people through all kind of trouble. He just needed to know he and his people were valued and that his leaders were worthy. John didn't really fit my ideas of a Hero, but he was heroic. He had all the skill, and all the will needed to achieve anything. If had lacked anything it was motivation. And he was no people person. Jaina may have been an Adjutant, but the system had said she was also a Hero. Brilliant and driven. She only lacked self confidence, which recent events had probably screwed with tremendously. Amanda didn't have a system granted title of Hero, but I couldn't help but see her as one. Her ability to face the shit that had just poured down on us, was nothing less than impressive. She was a leader and a fighter, plus she had the knowledge and experience I desperately lacked.

  I had to rely on them more, I had to help them more. I had to get the fuck out of the way so they could get their jobs done. I was here to fix the world, whatever the fuck that meant, and they were here to do everything else. I was the glue. I repeated that thought from earlier. I was here to bring the strong and competent folks together. Both the ones from other worlds and the ones that were already here.

  Support. I was the support. The majority of my abilities were there to help others or improve utility. Maybe I should figure out how to be supportive. I wasn't very good at it. I was the medic, and I knew nothing about being a good medic.

  Only the Voice of the Emperor Class seemed different. But that whole event seemed to be an anomaly. Some outside hand had been playing with the system. I couldn't begin to guess why, and I got caught in the crossfire. Even now that Class still seemed muted, I figured it had something to do with whatever smacked me when I tried to bring back Lumi. For all I knew, it was Lumi's soul, rejecting a return trip.

  For that matter what game had Lumi been playing? He was obviously up to something the whole time he was here. I supposed there was no way to find out now.

  I got up and went to the bathroom. A quick shower helped rinse the last of my brain fog away. I could have used Purify but this was more relaxing. The ritual of it was soothing. After getting dressed I went downstairs to my kitchen. Most of the appliances in here were of the more industrial kind, like you would find in a professional setting. I opened what I thought was a simple fridge to find it was actually a walk-in model. There were fresh veggies, eggs, cheese, butter and milk in here. There was even some sandwich sliced bread in the back. We had cheese! Damn that was a fast turn around. Were the farms' production cycles getting faster? I checked the next door and it was a walk-in freezer. Various meats, laid out in their different cuts, were vacuumed sealed in there.

  Who was stocking all of this? Probably the Probes, that made the most sense. this begged the question, just how many Probes where there now? I let my mind touch the Psifield and took count. I blanched. Hundreds almost to the point of a thousand, 976 Probes to be exact. When did this happen? About two dozen Sentries and almost twice that amount of Observers. Alina had build massive underground Pylon clusters to power and spark everything.

  They were doing such a good job. It was no wonder everything was operating so smoothly around here.

  Which reminded me I hadn't told Meadran the coast was clear. I felt for Meadran's connection to the tree network and informed him that the danger seemed to have past for now. He haruumed at me mentally, an oddly comforting vibration.

  "You need more rest Young One. I can feel your anguish clear as day." Huh? What anguish?

  Over being duped and betrayed? Why should I be in pain over that? Just because there was a tiny moment where I'd thought my luck with women had changed. Nah, I should have known. I shook it off, sarcasm had its place, but Meadran didn't deserve the fallout of my mistakes

  I think some scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon were in order. It took a while to dig everything I needed to cook out. But when I had, the act of cooking my own breakfast, for a change, felt good. Really cozy.

  "May I have some?" Came a voice from right behind me. I jumped about three feet. Spinning around fast, there was thankfully nothing was in my hands at that moment. It would have gone flying at an assassin.

  "Damn it, John! You got me good." I chuckled as my heart attack passed.

  "Yeah." That bucolic tone again, making it harder to get a read on him.

  "No worries I'll whip you up some too." I always did enjoy cooking for other people.

  "How about us?" Jim and Amanda walked in to the kitchen. They seemed better this morning.

  "Sure, it may take a while, but I don't mind." I really didn't. As I was expecting by that point, Jaina soon followed and sat at the table. Her smile was forced, but I'd take it. In short order, (heh) we were sitting around eating and chatting.

  Not a bad way to start the day.

  It might seem strange, but it wasn't as difficult to have simple conversation as I feared it would be. Good food can truly work wonders. The Feralassian chicken eggs were tasty to begin with, but with just a sprinkle of cheese made from Varagian milk, it because something more. Then add a dash of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and a touch of paprika. Excellent. The bacon was cut thick and took a deft hand to get crispy all the way through without burning the edges. I even toasted up a few slices of bread for each of us. That rich smell of homemade bread filled the air. As an added bonus, the butter, which I had added a little cinnamon and honey, spread like a dream. The meal was served with fruit infused Moon Well water, and it went over quite well.

  When it was done everyone helped with the dishes. Yes there was single a dishwasher, me, but I've always preferred to hand wash. They dried the and put everything away for me. Everything having been cleaned we settled back around the dining table while some coffee brewed.

  "Alright, you guys have let me run around like a chicken with it's head cut off long enough. We need a long term plan, and it should be obvious I don't have a much of a clue." I figured it would be best to lay out everything I was thinking.

  "Hoss, you are doing fine. Stop with all the disparaging yapping." Raynor really knew how to perk you up.

  "Could you have been more focused, sure, but no one's perfect." Really, Amanda. You were the last person I would have expect to blow smoke up my ass.

  "My Lord, perhaps it would be best to clearly define our goals. It might make planing for the future far simpler." Jaina's advice was solid. Had I even shared what the overall goal was here?

  "Keep striking the targets. Everything else will sort itself out." What kind of advice was that John? That would literally have me killing every other person I cam.. oh, right. John motherfucking Wick.

  "Before we get into all that. Sorry Amanda, I have to ask. Do you want to do anything about the agents and Militech? I figure you have more than earned the right to ask for help with dealing with those assholes." I really wanted to know what she wanted and I really didn't.

  "Yes. I want you to help get some pay back against those Corpo scopmunchers. But I think we should wait until we have some kind of upper hand. One day you'll have the preemest iron, the baddest threads and the most nova wheels. On that day, I'll ask for your help to get even." She grimaced. "Just don't take too long." It's hard to put off the desire for vengeance. I really admired her for her self control.

  "Fair enough. That's a plan and a promise right there." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jaina jotting down notes on a roll of parchment. With a quill. A magical self inking quill. Neat. I wanted one of my own.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "We need more human troops geared up and ready to deploy. More vehicles with heavy weaponry. Finally we really need air power." Raynor listed out his thoughts. Really he just wanted more things that went boom. Well, we can handle that.

  "Better iron and chrome." John added. Uh oh, somebody liked his cyberware. Let's not turn John Wick into a Borg beast.

  "Time to train mages and priests. They are invaluable in any conflict." Jaina added her desire to prove her mettle clear as day.

  "That reminds me. What do you think of Mauris?" I remembered the priest as when he stopped us what was it three days ago now?

  "He is the best of the clergy. Devoted without being self-righteous. He has made himself very helpful with his God's healing and blessings, my Lord." Jaina seemed to think about it, "However, he wouldn't be the first to seem helpful and then betray our trust." Her heart would take a long time to heal, and I couldn't fault her for it.

  "Hmm." A beep rang out. "Coffee's ready." I got up to fix everyone a cup. With that out of the way, we got back to our discussion.

  "Amanda, do you think Militech's going to retaliate for their agents?" Jaina asked what we were all really worried about right now.

  "No, at least not quickly, it's not their way. All agents are considered expendable. That's pretty universal with the Corpos. They'll pour over the data they've obtained, maybe try to insert more agents at some point. Direct confrontation over this is unlikely." She rocked her head back and forth, "They might try to tank any business we are conducting, but it is not a certainty. I've seen them wait years, even decades before striking."

  "Hmm we need more business then, more streams of income filtering in. If we can't fight then one way we can fight them another. We can ramp up food production and corner the fresh food market. Make sure the folks of Night City could get better healthier food cheaper." That's something that has been in my head for a long time now. I wanted no one to suffer the atrocity of Buck A Slice, or the mediocrity of most of the food available in NC. We must save their stomachs.

  "We have reached the point we should no longer need the subscription services to get by my Lord. However, we would need far more expansion before we could make a dent in the Night City food markets." Jaina tapped the tip of her quill on the parchment. "It would take one month perhaps two before we could really afford to enter the food industry. That is while accounting for the expansion of our own forces up to 400% of our current population. The Moon Wells are the greatest blessing anyone could have hoped for, as they allow for nearly endless expansion over time."

  "So we can round up, what, another 60 footmen?" Raynor asked not very impressed.

  "Also some mages and priests but yes, that's about the size of it." Jaina responded while obviously running the numbers in her head.

  "Not enough." John's cold voice cut through to what we were all thinking.

  "In two months, we'll have better arms and armor if I have to chain myself to the forges. I'll have the Probes start on a Stargate, which will solve our Air problems." I was sure of it.

  There was an urgent knock on the door. Who could it be? Everyone got up to answer the door. It was one of the farmers. He looked exhausted and terrified.

  "My Lord, something strange is forming in the corn field on my farm. It looks similar to what the Probes do when they summon buildings but the energy feels wrong." That got our attention.

  We all ran for our gear and met up near the farm in question not long after. A swirling vortex of dark purple energies hovered above the field.

  My BTC shook...

  [ Congratulations your ambient mana levels have reached the first threshold ]

  [ Woe betide you the first Mana Sink forms ]

  [ Explore the extra dimensional realm of the Mana Sink to gain great rewards ]

  [ Fail to tame the chaotic currents and be drowned in corrupt mana ]

  [ The realm in the Mana Sink will draw from your themes to present challenges ]

  [ Defeat all challenges to temporarily close the Mana Sink ]

  I read the description to everyone.

  "Fuck!" yelled Jaina, "It's a bloody Dungeon!" That sounded like panic.

  "What the hell is a Dungeon?" I asked, not sure if I wanted the answer.

  "They suck up aspected and pure mana and spew out corrupted energies. Also if you don't deal with them quickly enough they erupt and throw monsters everywhere."

  We all looked at each other. Then looked at the Vortex.

  "Fuck." We all said together.

  [ You have new Quests ]

  [ Quest Offered

  Complete the Challenges of the First Mana Sink

  Reward: 5000 Company Points, 2 Random Supply Tokens

  Accept: Y/N ]

  [ Quest Offered

  Complete the Challenges in under one hour

  Reward: 2000 Company Points, 1 Hero Token

  Accept: Y/N ]

  [ Quest Offered

  Slay the Optional Boss

  Reward: 5000 Company Points, 1 Building Upgrade Token

  Accept: Y/N ]

  As I continued stared at the Vortex, I felt no more dread, no more worry. Sure the idea of the Mana Sink sounded bad, but perhaps it was secretly a blessing in disguise. Actually, if anything, I had a good feeling about the whole thing. I felt an eagerness burning in my gut that I hadn't felt in a while. Excitement for the new possibilities. Why or how I was all of the sudden so gung ho about this I couldn't begin to say. I was simply ready for the worst.

  I quickly accepted the quests. I really wanted to find out what that Building Upgrade Token did. Hero Tokens were also a reward so good that I couldn't possibly pass them up. That also reminded me I had a Supply Token burning a hole in my pocket. I didn't really see a need to open it yet. Maybe if I hit a wall in development. Also there was a Merc Token but I had a feeling those were one time things, so it was best to save them. I wanted a few more of them before I started playing around.

  The system sure was adept at getting me to want to face danger. Which was suspicious, since facing danger wasn't part of the stated reason that I was here. It was almost like the system was designed for a different purpose than what I was sent here to do.

  [ Don't Worry About It ]

  [ This message was brought to you by your Friendly Neighborhood Case Worker ]

  Well that wasn't freaky. So the theory that they knew what I was thinking had been confirmed. I shrugged. What's one more problem now?

  "You alright, Hoss?" Raynor sometimes pays way too much attention to me.

  "I'm peachy, Jim, just got some quests." I grinned at him.

  "There it is. That crazy grin. He's excited about something." Raynor pointed at the Vortex, "We going in there?" He asked it like you would ask about going to the store.

  "Oh, absolutely. We are so going to wreck whatever is in there. But not yet. Let's got some of our plans started up and I'll work on cranking out some upgrades." My right hand cradled my chin, while I tried to plot our next steps. "Jaina do you think we have at least two weeks before this thing blows?"

  "I'm not certain. This was never my area of study. I've never seen a Dungeon in its formation stage before. If I had to offer a guess, we have maybe a month, before its first disgorgement of monsters." She shook her head while smacking her staff's butt cap against the ground a few times. Probably a nervous tick.

  My lip bunched up in a odd way, "Should be more than enough time to get some new shiny gear ready. I'll be in the forge working and testing until I think we are good to go. Jaina keep me informed of any important issues." I hated to pile the work on her shoulders right now, but time was a factor.

  "As you will, my Lord." She almost sounded grateful. Which made sense to me, anything not to think about the shit we'd just been through. Even more shit to wade into.

  "Jim and John get those new footmen and the ones we will be summoning in sorted and trained up. Now that you have a little more time on the equipment, make some suggestions for improvements. Send me the list." I'll work out all the bugs.

  "Sure thing, Hoss."

  John just nodded.

  "Amanda you are our connection to the outside world, keep your ear to the ground in case the Corpo scum make a move."

  "What about those invisible drones?" She pointed up.

  "The Observers are not infallible and they just collect raw data. While Alina does her best to parse all of it, she is not just a machine but an alien machine. She misses some of the context. I'll trust you to catch the clues she just can't grasp." I had Alina work Amanda into the permissions for the Observers' feeds.

  "Alright, we're in this for the long haul." She confirmed while glancing at Raynor. Oh. That was a great reason for her to help. I was still impressed with how she was holding up, after the shock of her daughter's likely fate. It spoke of how much death she had seen over the years. I could learn a lot from her. Some part of me was a wreck, and I was also about to push all of it aside with work. That never had any negative consequences. Nope, not a one.

  "Alright, I'll stay for a few minutes and get some Probes to set up a defensive perimeter here, just in case the Vortex pops early. You guys take care of yourselves, and call if you need me for anything."

  They said their "See you later(s)" and went off to get started on their projects. A few Robo-Buddies were already arriving, like they had anticipated my intentions. Hmm. For now, lets just surround it with a double ring of Photon Cannons and station a few of our Sentries. That should trip up any invaders until we could respond with more force.

  In a short amount of time, a ring of death took shape around the Vortex. I checked it over. It would have to do for now. Before I went to isolate myself in the Forge, I decide to get a Stargate started. The desire for getting into space was like a thorn in my mind, I couldn't let it go. I was dead set on getting the building that allowed me to break free of the ground. At first, I'd thought it was because I recognized the value of air power, and more pertinently, control of the planet's orbit. However, I had begun to suspect that deep down I just wanted a space ship to ride in. I only had a couple of real obsession's and the thought of being able to travel through the Solar System with impunity was one of them.

  It had to be done, so I was going to get the Probes moving on it. I walked northeast, well past any of the farms and the perimeter of the Pylons and defenses, looking for a space big enough for the massive structure. There was a gap between the mountains and hills that surrounded the Valley and another line of mountains running off to the northwest. This gap should be just wide enough for the building and with a few Pylons at key locations should be easily cloaked from prying eyes.

  Once I had marked out the area, the Probes evened up the ground and started the assembly of the Pylons. They couldn't warp this Stargate in. The one that had been in their unknown void storage system had been lost during the Arasaka incident. Any Probes not needed for the daily maintenance of the town would be involved and cycle their normal work routines as needed. With close to a thousand of the Robo-Buddies we shouldn't need to build more Probes simply for this project

  With that finally out of the way, I marched back to the Town and then into the Valley. I briefly pondered why the Mana Sink hadn't started in the Valley since the Mana was almost twice as dense in here as out in the town. It long since gotten to the point that regular folk without specialized armor couldn't survive the environment. The summons were somewhat better off, but even they would get loopy after a while. Mana Drunk, Jaina had called it. Me, I just felt a pleasant tingle on my skin.

  Which was why I was going to use the Valley's Forges instead of the ones in town, to keep from being interrupted. I'd also noticed that Wisps were now everywhere you could see. Meadran informed me that the Wisps were starting to naturally form on their own. Blue and silver Wisps by the Moon Wells and gold and green Wisps in the forest. I could hear their laughter now. Like small children full of joy. It brought a weak smile to my face. Life energy was so strong here. It lifted my mood and improved my already ridiculous health. They were also growing more intelligent and more aware. Normally I'd probably freak out about that but for right now it seemed like a good thing.

  Once I arrived at the Forges, I got to work.