Surach’s death was worth two hundred experience points, but it wasn’t quite enough to get me to level six.

  I was surprised by how easily I killed an unarmed prisoner. Back in the real world, I would have considered it a crime, but now, it felt justified, and my heart didn’t skip a beat when I jabbed my dagger into his throat. He would have done the same to me.

  After he was dead, I looted him for all he was worth. Unfortunately, all the items in his quantum inventory weren’t lootable. Val had told me that everything in the quantum inventory was returned to the System upon death. Only those who survived until the end got to bring their loot and quantized materials beyond the sphere.

  Surach had a beautiful longsword. The blade was dark steel and razor sharp with one side hosting etchings of what looked like the script of the Ancients. It was the first thing I took.

  Sword of the Ancient Razor Knight

  Thousands of years ago, when the Ancients still walked upon the earth, a fearsome warrior known as the Razor Knight wielded this sword. While the blade is sharp, an Ancient Inscription gives one side an edge over the other. (See what I did there, John. That pun was for you.) The enchanted side of the blade can cut through most objects, including lower-quality shields and swords.

  I let out a whistle, happy to finally get some powerful loot. This blade could be a game-changer for me, but before I got lost in all the scenarios it could save my butt in, I went back to looting.

  Surach’s armor was similar to what I had stolen from the Kurskins, who had trapped Kitz, but I sent it to my inventory anyway. I was sure it was worth a pretty penny.

  I wished that the Kurskins wore boots because mine were in poor shape. I’d have to do some shopping when I made it back to Danver.

  After I started an insurrection, of course. That was priority number one.

  We double-checked our bindings on Djadja before going about the business of digging him out of his hole. Harl and I located some sharp rocks, and we had the poor guy out in less than an hour.

  After he was freed, we added another shackle-like binding to his feet, allowing him to walk but not to run. He seemed displeased, but the gag prevented him from letting us know his real thoughts.

  ‘This better work,’ I thought to Val.

  ‘I don’t know why you are dragging me into this. It’s your stupid plan,’ she said.

  I tried again with someone more approachable.

  “I hope this works,” I said to Ersabet.

  “If Minna and Harl’s reactions are any indication, I believe it will. You will have to be careful, though. There are at least six other Kurskins at the Hunter’s Lodge who must be dealt with.”

  “Once I get all the humans on my side, I imagine we can deal with them just fine.”

  “Do not underestimate their power. I know not what level they are, but even at a low level, it would take five humans to bring down one Kurskin.”

  “Okay, so what do you propose?”

  “We wait until night and kill them in their sleep.”

  I held up my hands in protest. “Whoa, we can’t do that.”

  “And why not?”

  “I don’t know…it’s just wrong.”

  Ersabet grabbed my shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye.

  “If you want to win this game, John, you must shed your human morality. It’s holding you back, and someday, it will get you killed. You didn’t hesitate to kill Surach. That is the type of man you need to be all the time.”

  I chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing,” I said. “You just remind me of someone else.”

  The words had come from Ersabet, but they echoed what Val had already told me many times. If I wanted to win, I would have to compromise my personal morality. I understood the truth of it, but it was still hard to let that part of me, the good part, go. I had practically murdered Surach, but it felt different. I had given him an ultimatum and he had made his choice. Killing someone in their sleep just felt different.

  I pictured my wife, Elena.

  If the cost of seeing her again was my soul, then so be it.

  Plus, was it really that much of a sin to kill a few Kurskins in their sleep? They’d done far worse to humans. In a way, killing them in their sleep could be seen as a kindness. That thought did help ease some of my anxiety regarding cold-blooded murder.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I’d have to think on it a little longer, though. And I wanted to loop Minna and Harl into this plan. If I were going to create an uprising, I’d need more voices on my side.

  It was growing dark, so we had no choice but to camp out for the night. We laid out bedrolls and blankets, and I started a fire.

  For my efforts, I received another point in FIRESTARTER. I still had a few more to go to reach Tier 2. So far, Tier 1 had been pretty useless for me. I needed to ask Val about some of the competencies that I could learn.

  We all gathered around the fire to roast a rabbit that Minna had shot with an arrow. I recognized that hitting a small target like a rabbit wasn’t easy. Minna could shoot. I filed that tidbit of information away.

  “John, I have to ask,” Minna said from across the fire, reflected flames dancing in her dark eyes. “How did you know the truth about the Kurskins?”

  “One of them told me the truth,” I lied. “And, Ersabet herself confirmed it. There’s more to it, but you can be sure that I know these things for a fact. There is no doubt. The Kurskins and the Dalari have sold everyone on Erda a lie. They are not divine. They don’t come from heaven or the abyss. They didn’t travel across the seas to our lands. The first time they set foot on our planet was four months ago.”

  I leaned forward. “Everything you’ve heard about them is a lie, and I mean everything. They are invaders, subjugators, and we mean nothing to them.”

  I turned to look at the tied-up Djadja sitting on a rock nearby. “Am I telling the truth, Djadja?” He’d already made the truth clear, but I enjoyed making him squirm.

  He glared at me and tried to speak through his gag.

  “Harl, will you please remove Djadja’s gag?”

  Harl, like a good follower, obeyed immediately.

  When the gag was off, Djadja took some time to flex his jaw and his mouth or whatever that stunted snout of his was called.

  When he was finally comfortable, he said, “You speak truly, John. Now, if you allow me, I’d like to share some more truths with you.”

  I nodded my assent.

  “You are going to die.”

  “Lame,” I said flatly.

  Djadja looked confused. “You might have the upper hand on me while I’m in chains, but I am a Kurskin, and I demand respect. Speak plainly and clearly when addressing me, or do not address me at all.”

  “Whoa, no need to get your panties in a wad. I was simply saying that you were boring me. You’re a bore. Who’s going to kill me? You?”

  He shrugged. “If the universe wills it so. I am telling you that someone with your knowledge is too dangerous to be left alive. Even if you kill me, the rumors you are seeding will spread. And my people will eventually come to snuff them out. We will dig up the rot and exterminate every single human in the affected area. This is why you will die.”

  A chill ran through me because I knew what he said was true. When word spread that the Kurskins and the Dalari were false gods and were here to subjugate mankind, the Triarchy would go to great lengths to shut it down before it ruined their game. But what other choice was there? We had to start fighting back.

  He started laughing that annoying honking cackle of the lizards.

  I walked over to him and bent down to his level. “If the Triarchy wants a fight, I’ll give them a war. If this world burns, they will burn with it.”

  His eyes went wide. Behind them, I could see his mind swimming at the revelation. I didn’t just know their origin; I knew about the Triarchy.

  I poked him in the chest. “And you will be the match that starts the fire.”

  “I will not help you, human. It is clear that my death is assured even if I give you what you want.”

  I leaned closer to him so only he could hear what I had to say. “I need you alive, Djadja. After I kill your scaly friends and you share the truth with the rest of our fellow Hunters, I am going to let you leave. But, fear not, you won’t be aimless. I need you to find someone for me, and I want you to deliver them a message.”

  He looked intrigued. “Who?”

  “Prajio Vrentris.”

  Djadja’s eyes lit in recognition.

  “Ah, you know him,” I said. “Good. Last word is he was heading west to the battlefields. I haven’t a clue why, but I want you to chase him down, and deliver my message. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want.”

  “Was it Prajio that told you of our nature?” Djadja asked. “What else did he tell you?”

  I was surprised by those questions, but it made sense after thinking about it for more than a second. Djadja would have been wondering who told me the truth, and now he had an answer. I might as well use it to spur his motivation to find Prajio.

  I nodded, “Prajio told me quite a lot. Although, I suspect he wants me dead now.” I stuck a finger out at Djadja, “As do you, of course. The good news is you both might get your chance to kill me later.”

  “What is this message?”

  I leaned closer. “Tell Prajio that I know the truth, the real truth and that I’m going to take my fucking world back. If he wants to stop me, he can come back to Danver and try.”

  Djadja looked shaken like I was some monster that popped out from under his bed.

  “How? You cannot hope to win.”

  “It doesn’t matter how I do it.” I found the gag nearby and brought it to Djadja. “All that should matter to you is that you get to live.”

  I reapplied the gag, but it was looser this time. He didn’t deserve that small mercy. I did it for myself, to ease my conscience, knowing it would soon be plagued by untold horrors.

  When I returned to the fire, I saw Val sitting in my spot. She turned to me, radiating a powerful displeasure.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

  ‘Starting a war, hopefully.’

  ‘Are you insane? If you want to kick the Kurskins out of the Hunters, fine, but you aren’t prepared for war. Luckily, you won’t have to worry about that because Prajio will kill you before it gets out of control. What game are you playing here, Ethan? Do not keep your plans from me, not when the stakes are so high.’

  ‘I’m not an idiot, Val. I won’t be here when Prajio arrives. I will start an insurrection in Danver and rid them of the Kurskins. Then, I’m going to head west and do the same in the capitol. I’m going to create chaos. I’m going to disrupt the game to such an extent that the Voxals will have no choice but to intercede. You told me to focus on the greater good. That’s what I’m doing.’

  I knew that thousands could die if I did this, but every human was already marked for death. If I did nothing, they would still die. Perhaps not this year, but eventually, this game would end, and the remaining humans would be eradicated or fully enslaved. People were going to die because of me, but I wouldn’t let their deaths be for nothing.

  Val stood and walked toward me; I took a few awkward steps back. I checked the fire, and everyone was focused on their meal, thankfully.

  ‘I explicitly told you that if you ever see a Voxal, you should run. You are not strong enough to face one, and it would be prudent to seek another way to restore some of my power before then. You will not triumph. It would be best if you killed Djadja now and focused on yourself.’

  ‘No’

  ‘No?’

  ‘I have a plan, Val, and I’ll have plenty of time to grow stronger before the Voxals get involved. You said there may be another way to restore some of your power. Maybe we can find what you need in the capital. If what happens in Danver gets the Voxal's attention, I won’t be there for them to catch me. This is how we win. Trust me.’

  She collapsed to the ground and pouted. ‘I hate my life.’

  ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. It could be worse.’

  ‘How could my life possibly get any worse?’

  I shrugged. ‘You could be me.’