It was, again, a red button, nothing less, nothing more. The alien pushed it, the door opened, and then she strode ahead with a gracious gait, her feline aspect displaying in full. She was of medium height, maybe an inch shorter than Grace. Her waist was extremely waspy, and the derriere was full, firm, and round. The type that makes you wish to bite it. And that dancing furry tail was quite enticing in itself. But all that, Rowan reasoned with a strange detachment. There was nothing erotic there, just constating facts. He inspected her.

  Name: Cora Shemeows. Age: 20. Species: Nekojin. Class: Engineer/Interfacer (Legendary), Level 100

  Before she stepped into the cleared Wing, he touched his shoulder. “Moment.” She looked at him, and he noticed her eyes had slits for pupils and the deepest blue color. “That thing… the Forcefield. Will I level a lot if I take it down?”

  Cora shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s not a proper fight, the System will not award levels for that. But that damage reflection is a killer.”

  “What’s the forcefield’s mechanics again?”

  “Multiplies the damage it receives by ten and throws it back, consuming its levels for that. It has to take energy from somewhere.”

  “So now it’s level forty-five.”

  “If you did five percent damage to its HP, yes.”

  “Great. Would it help if we kill it before we leave the ship?”

  “It will take too long to get you back to health every time you hit it, even with Health Potions.”

  “Just tell me, is it useful to kill it?”

  “Yes. The ship core is also a multidimensional storage unit. There are a lot of nice things inside.”

  “Then let’s do it and get two rabbits with the same stone.”

  “How?”

  “There are two more Wings intact, right? Twenty floors each, with residual monsters left behind?”

  “Y-yeah.”

  “I’ll open a few floors at a time, run back to the core, and dodge around until they accidentally hit it. The monsters get destroyed, the floors get cleared, and we gain APs.”

  “I gain Skill Points, APs don’t work for me anymore…” Cora paused and began to laugh, her head leaned back. Her bosom was quite shapely, somewhere at the higher C size. Again, those were plain facts. Rowan’s libido was detached from it. “It’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard… but it could work… Win-win. You get APs, and if we clear those last two wings, we can claim the ship for the County. The border will extend to include it and be transported into our Core’s storage.”

  “Then let’s go for it. You go outside and wait for me.”

  “I have a better solution. I’ll return to the Bridge and open the Dungeons Lairs on this side. You stay in that hole, make some noises, and they’ll hear and follow. Then you run and hide behind the core, and I project your image in front of the forcefield. That would do the trick.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Rowan pulled out his spear from the spatial inventory.

  “Be careful. On the remaining wings, the constructs are more complex. They’ll fight smarter.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Cora Shemeows has invited you to form a party.

  [Cora]: Party or team mean the same thing.

  [Rowan]: I just realized… The voice I heard in my head all this time was your real voice.

  [Cora]: Yes… Do you like it?

  [Rowan]: It’s… nice, yes.

  [Cora]: OK, go. I’ll open Wing 4 first. Boss Lair and a few more floors.

  [Rowan]: Silly question.

  [Cora]: Shoot.

  [Rowan]: These constructs are residues, right? And the rooms… well, they’re large, but not huge. What happened when a core was active. Did it create a holographic space, like in Startrek, and you just went around without realizing, or—

  [Cora]: No, the cores expanded layers of pocket universes over each room. Some were very big. Can we proceed?

  [Rowan]: Affirma—

  He stopped abruptly, realizing she was just in front of him, and they had used the chat for no reason. “Yeah, let’s do it.” They both giggled and went on separate ways. When Rowan reached his spot, he remembered something else he wanted to ask.

  [Rowan]: If there are six Wings, why only five dungeons?

  [Cora]: The sixth was for the crew quarters and a Hotel.

  [Rowan]: Makes sense.

  [Cora]: Here we go. Be prepared.

  Seconds afterward, there was a loud noise of incoming rushing steps and shades approaching.

  [Rowan]: Whoa… they’re fast!

  Entering the Engine room, he ran toward the core. He barely had time to turn around the forcefield. A lot of creaking noises and an awful smell of burnt flesh ensued.

  Your party has slain Dire Warg, Boss, Level 40, and Two Packs of Dire Wolves, Lvl. 40. Wing 4 Floors 20-18 cleared. You have received 2 free APs. No XP gained.

  [Cora]: Stay there; they’ll still smell your scent. I’m opening five floors now.

  He obliged, keeping his shotgun at the ready. Two minutes later, the creaking began again.

  Your party has slain Packs of Dire Wolves x5. Wing 4 Floors 17-13 are now clear. You have received 4 free APs. No XP gained.

  [Cora]: You’re a genius.

  [Rowan]: Nah, I learned from you. You’re the Queen of Exploits, after all.

  [Cora]: I’ll take it as a compliment.

  [Rowan]: It was a compliment.

  [Cora]: I’ll open all the remaining floors. Why waste APs?

  The incoming packs were so large that a few did feel the real Rowan, and he had to dodge, fight, run, and apply lots of cold and gravity to survive. In the end, the Forcefield was down to thirty-five percent Health, but he was not much better, with forty, and his Mana all but depleted.

  Fuck, I forgot I don’t have my armor anymore, he looked at his scratched upper torso. Or proper clothes, for that matter. At least I still have the pants.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  [Cora]: Let’s take a break until you regain health.

  [Rowan]: Sure. I’ll come up.

  When he arrived at the Bridge, she was munching on a ration bar and offered one to him too. “So, what’s the story, with the ship and all?” he asked, refusing the food with a gesture.

  Cora shrugged. “The Traipenent is… was one of the few spaceships able to deal with dungeons.”

  “I know, you told me. Training, Penitentiary, Entertainment. Why Entertainment? How does that go together with Penitentiary?”

  “Not all criminals are violent. Imagine Dungeons like Casinos, or…” Cora blushed and paused.

  “Brothels?”

  “Awful, isn’t it? But tell that to my parents. They’d sell their kids for a buck,” a short grimace of sadness went over her face. “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore… Anyway… A couple of months ago, a group booked us for an Entertainment Corporate event. They specifically requested the highest-level brothel. It was run by a notorious Vampire clan. Vampire sexual workers are considered the best because...” Cora’s face turned violet in color.

  “Let me guess. Vampires like to suck.”

  “Ew…” she squealed, covering her face. “No… I mean, I don’t know… They have a natural Seduction perk. But it was a plot. The guests were pirates. Once in flight, they infiltrated the Engine Room and shot at the Core with a Spaceship grade Mana phaser. I guess they wanted to make the Traipenent exit hyperspace and steal it. The core got damaged and activated its Protection Field, shooting back an energy beam.

  “It broke the brothel dungeon and another one, ricocheting. Monsters spawned everywhere. Realizing the ship was lost, my parents pushed me into the Bridge, with the mission to send a mayday signal, then sealed the door and activated the Emergency Protocol. That Warped everything on Earth: Cores, monsters, and… everybody… Warping out of a moving ship is even more dangerous than the Warp I used on those feds… Then, we crashed.”

  “If the Vampires survived, maybe your folks did too,” Rowan tried to encourage her, adding a pat on her arm. Cora picked up his hand and moved it so he could pat her head instead.

  “If so, they would have returned for me,” she said, her puckering lower lip reflecting her sadness.

  Rowan shivered. “So, you were trapped inside the bridge all this time?” He considered himself a bit claustrophobic, and just thinking of spending months in a small space gave him the chills.

  “I had you to keep me company,” the cat girl smiled. “I cherished every small conversation, even when you were mad at me. It helped me from going crazy… Thank you, Rowan.”

  “Hey, it’s OK. That’s what friends are for,” he patted her head again. “Listen… Can you use the Core to get back home? I mean… repair it and the ship, something? It’s only fair if you take it; you did so much to help us.”

  “My family’s gone. There is nothing left for me up there. And the Ship Core is done,” she said deadpanned, looking into Rowan’s eyes. “I’d rather stay and help you… If you let me.”

  “Of course. Consider yourself one of us,” Rowan nodded. “Let’s continue with our quest.”

  “Are you sure? How high is your health?”

  “Sixty percent. It will do.”

  “OK… I’ll open the floors in a sequence of two, three, four, five, six.”

  “So fifteen APs, right?”

  “Right. If you’re in trouble, I’ll come in.”

  Returning to the break in the wall, Rowan activated the chat.

  [Rowan]: Ready.

  Moments later, something moved in the corridor. Closer than last time because the Fifth Wing was nearer the passage. When he jumped back into the Engine Room, the Boss and two minions were already on him. They were a meaner version of the DireDeers. He ran around the Core. The ads got lured by the projection and were fried, but the boss was dead set on killing him. It was obviously behaving like a real beast.

  “I don’t think so, big guy.”

  Rowan turned toward the monster and thrust his spear at it, hitting an arm.

  Elemental Forces: Cold and Gravity activated.

  The Boss slowed down to a halt, frozen in place. Rowan retreated the spear to aim for the heart next, but the beast exploded, torn into pieces. Cora appeared behind the cloud of blue specks that had been the monster. She looked worried, and a cloud of buzzing debris floated around her.

  You and Cora have slain DireDeer Boss, Level 50. You have leveled x4. +1 free AP gained. Cora has gained 1 Skill Point.

  “Sorry I intervened, but I feared for you,” Cora said, letting the debris fall. “I should have told you the DireDeers are more aggressive. They were part of the Horror theme.”

  “It’s OK. I leveled. Is it bad?”

  “No. We still have room to work on your build. Stay here; we go with the plan,” she said, already on the move.

  Half an hour later, with the Wing cleared and the second Secondary objective completed, they stared together at the Forcefield. It was down to ten percent HP and ten levels but was still on.

  “It’s because we killed that Boss ourselves,” Cora said. “I can’t hit it; I’ll be obliterated. Maybe you and Isla, tomorrow?”

  “We’re close. Let’s hit it gently and gob some healing potions.”

  Cora scratched her head, grimacing. She continued scratching it for a few seconds, making Rowan wonder if she had fleas. “I dunno… my tech combat skills are not on the gentle side… and if I hit it physically, my DPS is like none.”

  “No problem, I’ll do it.”

  “Take it easy, remember, it multiplies the damage by—”

  “A factor of ten. I know.”

  Rowan considered strategies for a while. Investing in CON? He decided against it. One Perk randomly chosen in the heat of battle was enough for a day. He took a boxing stance and tried to imbue his fists with Cold. The first hit rewarded him with a flare of fire.

  You have inflicted 1% damage to Forcefield. Forcefield HP 9%, Lvl. 9. Your HP is at 43.5 percent.

  He took another two swings, then paused and drank a Healing potion.

  “H-how c-can you w-withstand that?” Cora stuttered. Rowan’s arms and torso were badly burnt.

  “Ignoring pain is something I’m used to,” Rowan said, sitting on the floor while the potion took full effect.

  “How so?” she asked, sitting in front of him, her eyes staring at Rowan like at the most surprising novelty in the Universe.

  “I told you my mom died when I was a kid, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “My biological father couldn’t cope with it. Drugs, stuff. We landed on the streets. Streets have lots of bad people. At first, I learned to ignore pain just to get over the beatings, but… I dunno… I felt it was unfair… My mom, the streets, everything. I realized that I could use my pain tolerance to hit back. I wasn’t the strongest, but I was stubborn and kept going... Once, somebody, an adult, tried to do bad stuff to me, and I picked a glass shard and gouged one of their eyes. I was seven. A few months later…”

  “You killed someone?” Cora widened her eyes even more.

  I wonder if they glow in the dark. “No,” Rowan shook his head. “Papa Allinder, my mother’s uncle, adopted me. My…” he choked momentarily, “Mother’s parents didn’t want to take me in. They hated my father, saw him in me… And his only living parent, his dad, was living in an old people’s home… Papa Allinder stepped in. He paid for my dad’s rehab and gave him some money to restart his life.”

  “Did the rehab succeed?” The cat girl’s eyes showed a befuddlement that didn’t need words to be spoken. Why didn’t Rowan’s father take him back if the rehab was successful? There was also a curiosity waiting for drama. Maybe it didn’t work, and his natural father was dead or back on the streets.

  “Yeah, but both decided I was better off with Papa Allinder. My biological father barely clung to jobs… Never remarried. I suppose he didn’t recover after my mother’s death. We’ve seen each other or talked a few times. We’re glad knowing the other’s OK, but don’t hang around… I sent him some money from my first Count salary… ”

  “I see,” Cora said, wiping off a tear. “Was your adoptive father a good person?”

  “He’s… sorry, he was—”

  “He died in his sleep, right,” the cat girl nodded. “You told Dmitri and I overheard it… Sorry… I was not trying to pry; it just happened.”

  “It’s fine. Yeah, Papa Allinder was nice but stubborn, always nagging me about school and all sorts of boring stuff. He accepted homeschooling me only after I saved his business.”

  “You—” Cora started a question, but Rowan spoke on.

  “The Feds investigated him a year after the adoption. Supposedly, he sold stolen art. Total bullshit, but that’s how the feds are. They asked me questions at a shrink’s cabinet. I managed to eavesdrop on their conversation and found out they would send me to some foster family the next day.

  “The shrink was out for a pee. I slammed my head on the table and screamed. When the shrink came back, the fed was restraining me, and there was blood all over. I made the shrink believe the fed beat me for information, and the charges against my father were dismissed.”

  “Whoaaaa!” Cora exclaimed, her eyes almost as wide as a ping-pong ball. “And—"

  “Hey, what do you know? How fast time passes… Let’s get it done,” Rowan rushed to say. Her enthusiasm for learning about his life was too much for that moment. He continued with the plan, hitting the forcefield while monitoring his health and taking breaks. An hour later, the notification they hoped for came.

  You have completed the Secondary Quest: Clear the Engine Room.

  Reward: 10 APs for you and 1 SkP for Cora.

  Conditions Met: Randolph County can now claim the ship and its storage as loot.

  For completing the Quest Chain in one go, uncovering a hidden condition for gaining APs, and discovering a Secret Quest, you earned a special reward: Information.

  Your Performance Overview:

  Cold, Fire & Gravity: You’ve shown a natural talent for using cold and gravity offensively and resisting fire. Your Mana is now fully attuned to Cold, Gravity, and Fire. You have a high chance of developing combat skills and perks related to Cold and Gravity and defensive skills related to Fire.

  Poison & Venom: Your performance with Poison and Venom was poor, and you've only applied them through external weapons. You have almost no chance of developing skills or perks related to Venoms, Poisons, or Corruptions, except resistances.

  Bleeds & Electricity: Your performance with Bleeds and Electricity is average. Use them as secondary damage types, but don’t focus on building around them.

  Ranged and Melee Combat: Promising. Advice: train at adding Elemental damage to both.

  “Yes!” Cora jumped up, clapping her hands blissfully, making his mind land back into reality.

  “You mean the notification?”

  “What? Sorry, no. I don’t see your notifications anymore. I meant my storage and my armor. They’re still in one piece. Behold!”

  She showed him a metallic bracelet on her right wrist. A metallic suit appeared out of thin air, embracing Cora’s shapes. In no time, she looked like a humanoid robot.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she bellowed through the costume’s speakers.