I made my way back through the labyrinth of chambers and tunnels, and now that I wasn’t in full survival mode, I marveled at the ingenuity of the Drak’nir. They had managed to build an entire civilization from scarce resources, not only surviving but thriving in this harsh environment.

  At last, I reached the entrance. Two imposing Drak’nir guards stood watch, and they let me in, barring the heavy door behind me. The largest guard, a massive figure holding a spear and clad in a battered metal chest plate, turned to me.

  “Did you kill the matriarch?” he asked.

  I nodded, and a sad look darkened his features. “I come from a line of silk farmers,” he murmured, “It’s a damn shame that such a noble creature was turned into this monstrosity.”

  The other guard interjected, his tone laced with dry humor, “We’ll finally be able to eat something other than this moldy rations.”

  “Did the other make it back okay?” I pressed further.

  They chuckled in unison. “That Vaklira has been scouting for the town since she was a wee child, she has the heart of a dragon, that one.”

  Upstairs, I heard voices, and as I moved further in, the Drak’nir offered me nods and words of gratitude. Drakorr himself approached, leaning on his two aides. He stopped in front of me and began bowing; the aides tried to restrain him, but he pushed them aside. I felt awkward, part of me wished to dismiss all this pomp, yet I couldn’t ignore his heartfelt efforts.

  In a raspy, deep voice, he said, “All of us are used to loss, but I wasn’t ready to lose my children. It’s selfish, but I wish to die before they do, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

  I held his hands and gently lifted him. “Your children are brave warriors. They never once wavered in the face of danger. I merely used a few skills on someone as worthy as Korzath.”

  A crowd gathered around us, nodding silently. The elder then led me to the far end of the room, where Korzath lay on a cot surrounded by his sisters. He began to stand, but Thalviss pushed him back, and he winced. “Alex, I don’t even know where to start. Not only did you get rid of the matriarch, but you saved me and brought some measure of closure to us.”

  Vaklira cried softly as she gazed at the neatly wrapped bundle lying in a cot nearby. I longed to offer something profound, but deep down I knew that no words could delay the inevitable, that they’d eventually end up like the Tharrans, corrupted and driven mad with hunger.

  After speaking for a while, the scout lifted Zargrim and started making her way downstairs. All the Drak’nir that could stand followed her, humming a deep, haunting melody, a sound that carried the weight of their sorrow. We navigated through the abandoned town until we reached a massive doorway carved into the wall. Though covered in dust, the intricate patterns etched into the stone were still visible.

  The elder, with Thalviss’s help, pushed it open, and the three of them entered. The remaining Drak’nir formed two lines along the sides, humming and silently weeping. I found myself joining them, humming along as tears streamed down my face. Thalviss returned, took my hand, and led me into a cave.

  Inside, the natural cavern was supported by statues of dragons, eternal sentinels guarding the dead. Thousands of openings were carved into the walls. The scout laid Zargrim down, and the three Drak’nir offered silent prayers to the departed before we began our journey back. None of them cried aloud; they only hummed, never wavering.

  I was halfway back to the building when I suddenly found myself facing an endless desert. I staggered, falling hard onto my ass. “What the fuck!” I exclaimed.

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  A familiar voice rang out from behind me, “Let’s go.”

  Velarion loomed over me, the contrast between his goat like voice and regal bearing always jarring. A howling wind blew, kicking up a storm of dust and debris just a few feet away, and the stag was already walking toward the portal.

  “Wait a moment!” I shouted.

  He turned toward me with a bored expression. “Just leave your useless questions for another time. I neither have the time nor the desire to entertain you.”

  I didn’t miss his condescension, but I bit my tongue. If there was even the slightest chance to help the Drak’nir, I’d do whatever I could. “I’m not going to ask you any questions right now. Some crazy things happened, I’ll definitely need your input later but not now ” I explained, recounting what had occurred with the Drak’nir without mentioning my new, blocked skill. Then, with a hint of desperation, I asked, “So what do you think? Is there a way to help them?”

  Velarion fell silent, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. After a long moment, he said, “They held up longer than most unanchored civilizations do, but I’m afraid it’s not worth the energy reserves it would take to reverse the process.”

  “Come on!” I insisted. “Believe me, they’re worth it! They’ve been battling corruption without any help from the system for years. Imagine what kind of warriors they could become. They deserve it more than I do, I didn’t know shit.”

  Velarion snorted. “You’re definitely right about that last part.” He fixed me with an intense stare and continued, “I might be able to help a few of them.”

  I nodded eagerly, but before I could reply, he cut me off, “You have to think about this seriously. I won’t do it again just to ease your conscience. The Astral is an unforgiving place, you can’t save everyone.”

  His tone grew ominous. “Are they worth it? Because I won’t do it again if, for example, this happens to your home planet.” He glared at me. “So choose wisely.”

  What a dick! What kind of half assed villain speech was that?

  I took several calming breaths, there was no way I could make such a decision . It was essentially signing the Drak’nir’s death certificate or depriving humans of what might be their only chance at survival. I started pacing in the shielded area, anxiety flaring, each breath becoming a chore as I kicked random rocks in frustration.

  The stag pulled me back to reality. “So what will it be, human?” he asked.

  There was only one clear answer, though it could break me: I might regret it later, but there was still hope for Earth, they didn’t have that luxury here. After a few more steadying breaths, I said, “Do it… please.”

  His expression remained impassive for a moment before softening slightly. “I might not have the perspective of a mortal, but I’m glad you chose to help them, even if it wasn’t the right choice.”

  He walked up to me and continued, “I can only help around a hundred people. I’ll get them integrated into the system;, they’ll level up and eventually leave the planet.”

  My heart sank. “Just one hundred?” I protested.

  His condescending tone returned. “What did you expect? They get to continue their legacy, that’s better than most planets ever get. They get to die knowing they won’t be forgotten.”

  The universe is so unfair. I always thought life on Earth was rough, but compared to this, it was a paradise.

  “Now choose who gets integrated. You have thirty minutes.”

  Before I could reply, I was whisked back to where I’d been kidnapped. I staggered as the Drak’nir looked frantic, immediately drawing their weapons and pointing them at me. I raised my hands. “It’s fine, guys, it’s just me.”

  Vaklira ran toward me. “Where the hell did you go? You just disappeared!”

  “There was no time to explain, we have to gather everyone,” I replied, sprinting back toward the building with the others at my heels.

  I reached the top floor and urged everyone I encountered to join me. The crowd was thick, and I even climbed over a table to proclaim everything Velarion had told me. My anxiety vanished as the crowd listened, shocked and elated by my words. Then, Drakorr reached the front, tears in his eyes, and asked, “Can he really do that for us?”

  I nodded, and he immediately turned to the crowd and shouted in a commanding, steady voice, “Gather all the children, warriors, from the youngest until we reach one hundred!”

  I expected some infighting, some objections, but none came. They moved efficiently, and soon the gathered group stood before me.

  Korzath, leaning on his sister, asked, “What do we do now?”

  I was about to shout Velarion’s name when I found myself standing with the crowd back in the surface . All were staggering, but when they saw the stag, they fell to their knees, heads bowed in reverence. Velarion looked down at them dismissively, then flicked his horns as his eyes shone with a golden light.

  “Say your goodbyes, and let’s go,” he commanded.

  I nodded and hurried back to the siblings. They all wore distant expressions, probably checking their statuses. I shook them until they focused on me. “Look, I don’t have much time left, but you’ve just been integrated into the system. That’s where I get my powers from.” I quickly recounted the system’s workings, glancing at Velarion, who wore an impatient look.

  “I really need to go. Just focus on getting stronger, you’ll get used to the system,” he said.

  They all nodded and then stepped up, hugging me tightly. Korzath held my arm. “We will repay this debt. I don’t know how, but we will.”

  I shook my head. “There’s no debt between us, I just hope to see you guys again.”

  Thalviss gave me a warriors grip and

  Vaklira gave me another hug

  With a flick of his horns the crowd disappeared and then Velarion pushed me towards the portal