Xavier stared at the sleek form of the Spirit Golem standing in the middle of his quarters back in Collinsville. He’d finally opened the loot box the System had given him for completing the Elemental Dragon’s Hunt Quest.

  The description had been interesting. He could bind the golem to his soul, much as his new beast companion, Volkarin, had been bound. He could control it by infusing Spirit Energy into it…

  Or he could put a spirit directly into it.

  He’d spoken to many spirits when trying to ascertain how he could find a vessel for Volkarin, and not a single one of them had mentioned something like this.

  He paced around the golem, getting a good look at it. While he found it interesting, he was wondering why such a thing would have been in the loot box he’d just received. Guardian, the golem that protected Collinsville, grew in power as he did, advancing through the different grades.

  This golem didn’t say that it would do the same.

  It must be valuable, however, to have appeared inside the loot box given by the System as a reward for defeating the C Grade Elemental Dragon.

  The hundredth floor had been unusually stingy in its loot boxes, as well. He now recalled that following the completion of the floor, there hadn’t been a loot box waiting for him in the Staging Room. He supposed the floor gave a reward at the end of each Hunt Quest—perhaps the System thought that was enough.

  Xavier rested a hand on the Companion Cube that held the dragon within it. It didn’t take him long to think of why the System might have brought him something like this.

  Rhaalir, Xavier said, calling out with his mind. The elf spirit had been absent since the dragons’ den, but Xavier could feel that he was close. Their connection was stronger since he’d infused Soul Essence into the spirit from the Otherworld.

  Xavier? Rhaalir appeared almost instantly, standing not far from him. He did a double take when he saw the Spirit Golem. Is… Is that what I think it is? The spirit took a step toward the golem. How in the Greater Universe did you get your hands on a Spirit Golem?

  You know what that is?

  Of course I know what that is! The elf spirit puffed up his chest. I was a powerful summoner of the Otherworld line of classes. I know exactly what that is! Rhaalir cleared his throat. Though I must confess I’ve never seen one in the flesh… He looked down at his translucent body and frowned. Technically, I suppose I still haven’t.

  Xavier sighed and stepped toward the golem. I have a golem already. Is this really all that special?

  Rhaalir scoffed. It this special… He shook his head. Truly, Xavier Collins, you would be lost without my assistance.

  Xavier raised an eyebrow.

  Ahem. Well. Maybe lost is a bit of an overstatement. You have managed quite well for yourself, after all.

  So… What’s so special about it?

  It’s incredibly difficult to craft something like this. Only a few people in any universe have the ability. He looked at Xavier. Where did you get this?

  Xavier explained.

  The System gave it to you. He flicked his gaze to the ceiling. Strange indeed. Rhaalir started pacing around Xavier’s quarters. If you were to purchase something like this yourself… Well, you simply wouldn’t be able to. Not for a long, long time. It would bankrupt a small sector.

  What? Bankrupt a sector? Xavier tilted his head to the side as he looked at the golem. It’s only Level 1… How could something like this be so valuable?

  Rhaalir cleared his throat again—why a spirit needed to do that, Xavier didn’t know.

  This is valuable because when you house a spirit within it, the golem then can take on the spells and skills that spirit held in life. It is somewhat like your Summon Otherworldly Spirit spell, except the spirit can remain within the golem for as long as you wish. Really, it is remarkable. A device such as this… It is overpowered in the extreme.

  Xavier considered that for a moment. A golem that could take on the spells and skills of different spirits… It sounded incredibly versatile, assuming he was able to summon said spirits to him. He tapped a finger to his chin. This could be useful

  Rhaalir whirled, the elf spirit’s eye widening as he stared at Xavier. Could be? This item can be taken into the tower!

  Xavier raised his chin. Huh. That’s interesting.

  The elf spirit looked incredibly exasperated. Clearly, the spirit was more excited about the Spirit Golem than Xavier was. Xavier paced around the golem once more. How powerful a spirit can I summon into this?

  You can summon any spirit into this, if they are willing to obey your commands and you’re able to use the required ritual. Their level of power will be based on the level of the golem, but their skills and spells will be those they once had in life. It will need to gain a lot of Mastery Points before it can be truly useful to you, but once it is…

  Xavier nodded. He saw the utility. But he was also of a class that would allow him to take on any spell he wished… Not that he could gain every spell out there.

  This could gain me a lot. A healer. A tank. A support mage with buffs…

  His mind went a little wild with the number of different types of spirits he could summon into this. How often could he change the spirit that resided within the golem? Could he switch them out on a whim, or was there some sort of cooldown timer?

  Was the golem fragile? How did it gain attribute points? And how could it ever be near to his level of power?

  Xavier asked these same questions of Rhaalir, but the elf spirit had only ever heard legends about them being used. He didn’t have much specific information.

  The golem is soul bound. Can it gain Mastery Points like a soul bound weapon can?

  Rhaalir nodded emphatically. For all the time Xavier had known the elf spirit, he’d never thought of him to be excitable. Now, he was practically giddy.

  Good. That should make things go a little faster.

  Once more resting a hand on his Companion Cube, he thought of what Siobhan had said.

  “I suppose, in a way, I have just found my third party member,” he muttered.

  ~

  The morning after Xavier returned to Collinsville, he held court.

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  Or, at least, that was what it felt like.

  Collinsville didn’t have a throne room, or even any sort of proper meeting hall. And Xavier didn’t consider himself to be a king—that was a little arrogant even by his standards.

  But he was the ruler of this place. And, as the strongest person on Earth, in this new reality that was the Greater Universe, he did have a claim to rule.

  Xavier needed to know what was going on both in Collinsville, and around Earth, before he left it. It wasn’t a responsibility he’d asked for. He wanted to protect, but rule… That was something altogether different.

  I’ll need to find someone I trust to take care of these things, or create some sort of high council.

  Perhaps he was thinking a little far ahead, but when he’d been speaking to Alexic the night before, the man had said something to him. Something that Xavier had ignored at the time, yet it had made him think.

  Alexic had assumed that Xavier one day wished to rule the sector.

  Ruling had never been on his list of goals, yet it made a strange sort of sense. He didn’t wish to conquer, but could there be a way to unite the different worlds in the sector so that the next time a new world was integrated into the System, they didn’t suffer the same fate as Earth? Was there a way to prevent mass-spread invasions every time a new area opened up?

  He knew the value of new worlds like this one. The resources it brought could be incredibly valuable. But invading defenceless nations or worlds…

  Xavier sighed. He was getting ahead of himself. Ruling was a distraction, not a goal. How would ruling his sector, or neighbouring sectors, help him save the universe?

  He sat at the round table in the war room, on the high-backed chair. John Hammond was the main person he’d been talking to. He seemed to know the most about what had been going on around here, and he kept appraised of news of what was happening all around the world as best he could.

  “There have been very few sightings of invaders, but those that have been seen appear to be rogue parties or outlaws. They aren’t from any ruling organisation. They’ve been seen at dungeons or farming beasts. As far as I can tell they aren’t a threat.”

  “Sounds much like it was before I left.” Xavier inclined his head. “Still, we should be wary of them. Could be more spies, for all we know.” As he said these last few words, he glanced over at Alexic. The man had been observing the conversation from a seat in the corner. John had stared at him when he’d first walked into the war room. Xavier had explained to the man the manner of contract he’d made, and the loyalties that Alexic had sworn.

  “It’s a death contract, so you can trust him better than most,” Xavier had told John.

  The young man had swallowed. He’d stared at Alexic and, seemingly unmindful that the man could hear him, had said, “Doesn’t mean I have to like the bastard. And I’ll probably be the one most likely to deal with him.” He’d leant forward. “Can you imagine what will happen when Howard returns from the tower? That guy kidnapped his wife.”

  Xavier had considered that. “When the time comes, I’ll have a word with Howard,” Xavier had said, leaving it at that.

  “You need a better vetting process for this place,” Alexic now said, speaking up for the first time now that Xavier had mentioned spies. He sat perfectly still in his seat. “These people simply let me walk right in. They didn’t even make me sign a truth contract and interrogate my reasons for being here.” He wrapped a knuckle on the wall. “Infiltrating this place was child’s play. Guardian is strong, but if someone walked in here with, say, a Spirit Bomb, things could go very bad.”

  Xavier grunted. He didn’t know what a Spirit Bomb was, but he didn’t have to do know the man was right. He had wondered about these things himself. He had been too free with letting people into this place. He didn’t want to turn others away, but perhaps security could be heightened… Simply scanning people at the gates clearly wasn’t enough.

  “All right. Alexic, you’ll confer with John and Guardian about how to set something like that up.”

  Guardian stood behind Xavier’s chair, the golem looming tall. It had expressed a wish to be a part of the meeting. “Guardian would prefer to crush the vile man’s head, but Guardian will do what is best to protect Collinsville.”

  Xavier smiled. “Thank you, Guardian.”

  John simply nodded his assent.

  As the meeting continued, Xavier discovered that several different Portal Hubs had been established around the world. When Xavier had left, his Portal Hub at Collinsville had been the only one. He’d wondered when it would come time for others to have them.

  “Five have flicked onto open so far,” Justin said. “They all happened within a twenty-four-hour period, as though something had changed. Three of them already flicked back to private, however. We have someone monitoring the Portal Hub at all times.”

  “The leaders of the pack,” Alexic said, speaking up again. “Information about newly integrated planets states that the most advanced settlements tend to establish Portal Hubs around the same time, though it usually takes a little longer than this. Protecting this world has given your people a chance to advance more swiftly as they are no longer under threat of elimination or subjugation. There are likely a dozen more settlements around Earth who have established Portal Hubs but have them set to private.”

  Xavier nodded. As much as he didn’t like Alexic—and certainly didn’t like how he had met the man—his information was turning out to be a useful addition.

  “The settlements that have their Portal Hubs open are ripe for domination,” Alexic continued. “It shouldn’t take you more than a short appearance. You may have to kill whoever their leader currently is before they’ll believe how powerful you are, then it should be easier to get the settlement contracted. Expanding across the rest of the world should become easier the more areas you have access to with the Portal Hub. Usually, so close to integration, the only settlements to have their Portal Hubs open will be the strongest ones, or the most foolish. Either way, you know for a fact no one on Earth is more powerful than you, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Xavier raised an eyebrow. He turned to look at Alexic. Alexic stared back at him. His expression had been neutral until Xavier looked over at him. Now, his forehead became slightly lined.

  “Did I say something wrong, my lord?” Alexic asked.

  “My lord?” John said, staring at Xavier. “I don’t have to start calling you my lord now, do I? When did that start?”

  Xavier smirked. “No, you don’t have to. Though I have to say it has a nice ring to it…” He sighed, still looking at Alexic. “That isn’t how things are going to go, Alexic.”

  Alexic blinked, a small sign of confusion on his face. “You wish to dominate your world, don’t you? It is often one of the first steps a Progenitor makes.”

  “Are we turning to world domination?” John interjected. “I didn’t know we were turning to world domination.”

  “I don’t intend to take the world by force,” Xavier replied.

  “My apologies, but… How else do you intend to take it?” Alexic asked. “People are not going to simply offer it to you on a platter, no matter how powerful you are.” The man’s look of confusion increased. He was openly staring at Xavier now.

  “I don’t want to rule, I want to protect. If I have to rule to protect”—Xavier shrugged—“then so be it. But the people of Earth are my own, and unless they transgress against me or are committing atrocities… I’m not going to be killing my own people.”

  “Oh,” Alexic said. “Well. That’s… That’s different. Rather, um, enlightened, I suppose.” He looked up at the ceiling. “I’m not sure I’ve encountered that before. Newly integrated worlds aren’t typically, uh, known for having peace.”

  “Earth isn’t typically known for having peace, either,” John muttered.

  Xavier conceded the point. He was sure he was being na?ve, here. But he didn’t want to be some sort of tyrannical dictator, taking over the world just because he could, never thinking about whether or not he should.

  He shut his eyes for a moment.

  “Are there any problems for me to address?” Xavier asked John. He was pinching the bridge of his nose. The thought of ruling Earth, and then the entire sector… Was suddenly sounding like a very draining, time-consuming idea. This meeting had, if he were honest, bored him.

  There wasn’t enough stuff going on here that interested him, or really even needed him, as far as he could tell. Some of the most powerful people on the Earth besides himself were already here in Collinsville. The others—his old party members—were currently in the Tower of Champions. He had trouble imagining there were a great deal of E Grades—or perhaps even any E Grades—on Earth besides the ones he already knew.

  So what threats would he need to handle that they couldn’t?

  John hummed for a second, tapping a pen on the piece of paper he’d had all of this information written onto. Then he shrugged—even with Xavier’s eyes closed, he could see the man clearly with his Farscope ability. “No,” John finally said. “I suppose not. But a few of us were wondering… No one has used the Portal Hub yet to come here. I think they’re too afraid.” He leant forward in his seat. “Maybe Melissa and I can check out one of the settlements that has an open portal?”

  Xavier raised an eyebrow. “You and Melissa, huh?”

  John cleared his throat. “We often go on patrol together.”

  Xavier smiled. “I don’t see the harm. I doubt there’s anything the two of you can’t handle on the other side. Just try not to get stuck on the other side of the world. The two of you are needed here.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” John grinned.

  “I think that’s enough for today. Other than that little kidnapping incident…” Xavier glanced over at Alexic reproachfully. “Things seem quiet enough here.”

  John stood. “I’ll head back to my post on the wall.”

  Xavier waved him away. When John had left the room and the door at the top of the stairs closed, Alexic made a “hmm” sound.

  “What is it?” Xavier asked.

  “You’ve clearly already outgrown your world, and if you don’t intend to take it by force…” Alexic said. “Tell me, what do you intend to do before you’re back in the tower?”

  Xavier touched a hand to the Companion Cube hanging from his belt, then thought of the Spirit Golem in his inventory. He intended to get off Earth as soon as he knew everything here was okay—which, as far as he could tell, it seemed to be—but not before leveling up his new beast companion and Spirit Golem first.

  “Oh, I have plenty to do.”

  Accidental Champion!

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