"So, what about that new skill?" thought Aira.

  --- New Skill(s) Avaible ---1. Two is a Crowd - Allows to create a party. Party members unicate through the System. Quests are shared. Every party member gets XP for the shared Quests.Cost to add a new Skill: 961 SP + 3 SPAcquire this Skill [Y/N]?

  Aira agreed to the prompt.

  --- New Skill ---Two is a Crowd (Level 1 / 24 SP to upgrade to Level 2)- Invite 1 member to a party- Maximum distance of the party chat: [100 m x Level] = 10 km- Party members share quests- Party members get XP for fulfilled quests (depending on their participation)- Party members see each other's stats

  Upgrade further [Y/N]?

  --- Current Status ---Health: 555/555Mana: ???/???SP Used: 62,658SP Avaible: 4,800XP: 67,458,000 / 69,141,000 ( Level: 101, Legendary)

  However, leveling up the new skill wasn't something she wao dive intht away. She still had to test the limitations and meics of this world's System. The humans didn't know anything about it i general, except for some stupid superstitions and myths of the olden times.

  Still, it didn't mean they had to be excluded entirely from the System. Maybe it was only their ignorahat kept them away from obtaining the are knowledge. Aing that was worth spending some time and even skill points on, if need be.

  Luckily, she had exactly the right opportunity and a test subject.

  ***

  By the moment Aira finished her meditative exploration and read everything she could access on her System menu, the early m sun reparing to climb higher in the sky. It shed its light over the old shack, illuminating the ruined building through the cracks in the walls and holes in the roof. Somehow, its warmth and softness were f and prompted Aira to sider her previous quests and advehere robably nothing as bizarre as what she was experieng now. But the fact that a different world's star was bringihe same simple pleasures made her hope for this new day to improve her life.

  Aira stood up to stretch her legs. Finally, she wasn't feeling like a dead person, which was quite ical, sidering her current race. Still, she couldn't say she had already grown aced either to the unpleasant, sluggish version of the past weeks she spent in Mountain View or this newly empowered body with all the bells and whistles provided by the System.

  She moved around the dipidated building, cheg what remained after the owners left it, and suddenly knocked doile of wooden rubble.

  Yes, she still hadn't had the best trol of her body.

  Li woke up with a start. "Fox's whiskers! Who's attag? What's happening?" she excimed, reag for her dagger.

  Being uo answer and afraid that growling wouldn't help to make Li more fortable, Aira slowly moved to show herself in front of the other woman.

  "Ah, that's you..." Li said with a sigh. "Just a tinuation of my nightmare..."

  She stood up, stretg all her body. "Do you want some tea?" she asked.

  Aira gestured to show she'd be happy to have a cup, and Li began gathering some old wood for the fire. But before the ranger could use her firestarter, Aira stopped her. She promptly took out her journal and scribbled a message: "Let me try."

  She already khere were plenty of energy sources around them. Trees of the forest, smaller pnts, and even some minor creatures, rodents, and alike. However, this time, Aira decided to test her own reserves.

  Fog on the devi her wrist, she directed her inner power toward the heap of kindling, willing it to receive all that energy, overheat, and start burning. It was a slow process that took a while, but Aira pushed a bit more. And then, even more, tapping into her deep reserves.

  The fire burst out momentarily, bringing a happy glow to all dark ers of the forsaken house.

  "By the Elders' breath, Aira! You could have warned me first," excimed Li. "But I should have probably guessed you do something like that."

  However, for Aira, this effort was too much of aion. She either didn't sider how much power she o start a fire or poured too much of her internal energy into it. Her arms and legs shook, she made an uep and stumbled onto a stool. The a wooden piece of furniture cracked with a loud s legs giving out under Aira's weight, and she nded heavily on the floor.

  Li rushed towards her. "Are you alright? What has happened?"

  Aira put her hands in front of her and made uaiures with her palms.

  She grabbed her journal once again. "That's good. Don't worry. I o find the limits of my powers. They are o me."

  "So, they are not the same as they were before?" asked Li.

  "No, their nature is different," wrote Aira. "And the variety of my capabilities is much lower."

  With a deep sigh, Li put up a pan on the fire. She turo Aira and asked, smiling: "Do you remember that we found you only because you decided to make a fire in that other ? It feels like a whole life has passed sihen. So much has ged, and so many things went awry...!"

  Aira growled softly and smiled at these memories. She was baffled then. Who would have expected other worlds even to exist? "It would be fun t this information to some of my schorly friends. They'd think I gone mad," she thought.

  But now, while she still didn't know enough about this world and had no clue how to bee her old self again, she finally felt like she was on the right track. With the System avaible and even the quests sort of w. Aira was o a person who willingly helped her. Evee the tensioween them. But how far would she go? And how far would Aira want to take her?

  She took the journal and wrote: "I want to try something with you. My abilities have grown since Mountain View. But it should be safe."

  "Alrighty, let's give it a shot. If you say it's safe, I'll bite the bramble. N from ihough, right?" Li was still struggling to process everything that happened sihe previous m.

  The undead just killed several of her fellers and supposedly incapacitated a few more during their escape. That uneasy feeling battled in her with the desire to learn more about Aira arange powers. She touched a miracle and wouldn't back off because she was slightly scared. Well, maybe she retty appropriately frightened. But Elder's beard, that was exg!

  Aira wrote: "You don't have to do anything. Probably, you wouldn't even feel anything. But yes, it is reted to you and may affect with you."

  "Well, let's try it then. There's only one way to find out!" Li replied.

  Aira called out her System menu.

  --- Party Interface ---Maximum party members: 1Current party size: 0Invite a new party member [Y/N]?

  Aira prompted the System to invite Li.

  ...Li io join the party. Awaiting firmation...

  [...][...][...][...][...][...][...][...]

  System timed out.

  "Did you get anything?" wrote Aira. "Aions? Any messages in your mind?"

  Li was excited and surprised: "Messages?!? No, nothing happened since you told me to get ready. But what do you even mean by the 'messages in my mind'? Is this some telepathy magic or what?"

  "Let's call it telepathy and put it aside along with many other things I have to expin to you. This deserves a long talk and it is hard to do that in writing. We'll have to figure out an easier way of unication first."

  "Oh, well," Li said, "Let's just have our breakfast then. I guess I'll have to wait a bit more before I learn all of your strange secrets." She hugged her knees and focused on a dark smudge on the wall.

  Aira reached out to her and gave Li another note. "I uand that a lot has ged for you just in a few hours. I uand it more than you even imagine. And I try to put everything in fewer words. But I'm afraid you'll freak out."

  "I'm freaking out plenty already. But now I'm at least even more intrigued. I know that you are different in so many ways. And I probably guess that you are different from the other undead as well. Not that I had many opportuo learn anything about them," Li paused as if unsure if she should tihis knowledge is heavily restricted and limited to the Elders."

  "By the way," Li tinued. "Does that mean that whoever they choose as the new Elders in Mountain View would probably know even less about them than I do…? That's not a f thought…"

  Aira wrote: "Alright, I'll expin. But don't think that I'm crazy."

  "I don't think there's anything crazier than teaming up with an undead while betraying your own kin," replied Li a bit sharply. "But I'm all in for this adventure."

  Aira wrote: "Your people's lore obviously attributes some strange powers to the undead. I don't know anything about that but I know quite a bit about special powers. I e from a different world. We have magic. We also have something called the System. It gives us valuable information. Including quests: things we o fulfill tress in our journeys. Currently, I have several quests I o get through to get closer to my final goal. And in the end, I hope to return to my world and beyself again."

  Li's excitement increased with each sentence she read. A stream of revetions poured onto her. "You're really saying this 'System' talks to you in your head? That sounds torch-blind crazy, no offense. But after yesterday, maybe I'm not the best person to doubt it or question anyone's sanity. It isn't any more bizarre than killing people with energy bsts and without any on."

  She made a thoughtful pause. "Let's say I'll just follow you for now and we'll see how it goes. If it's true, it's a on a lifetime opportunity for me. And it seems you don't want to kill me for some reason. That's fine."

  "I was so frustrated with the hardliners in our vilge," she tinued. "People like Garrick were trying to stir the pot for quite a long time. Good riddance!"

  Moments ter, her mood shifted again. "But would I ever be able to return there and see my friends? I don't suppose they think very highly of me right now. Helping an uo escape. And attag rangers in the process. That's all out in the open now. It's pinly the definition of high treason...!"

  There was no stopping Li now, as she pursued her train of thought. She poured out emotions bottled up inside her for a very long time. "I'm in. Chasing shadows or not, there's no sense looking back. Besides, no one will believe me if I return to Mountain View. It's either return and hope for a fair trial that would never happen, stay alone and build a new life from scratch here in the forest, or stick with you and see what other mysteries are hidden around us. I ysteries. At least for now. I don't even know how they are going to survive now, with all the Elders killed… And Garrid his goons…"

  Aira wrote: "I know the type. Killed a few like him."

  "Killed?!? Who are you? Some kind of merary?" Li was surprised.

  "Hm... Let's say I'm a professional enforcer who uses magic."

  "Alrighty, there's obviously a lot to unpack here for both of us. Let's start with baby steps. We o figure out where to move o have some safety and time to think," Li said, dishing out some of the pe they made for breakfast. She handed one of the bowls to Aira. "But first, some breakfast might do us both good before we move on. I'll just pretend we're er's time."

  She made another pause and looked thoughtfully at Aira. "Do you eveo eat?"

  Aira returhe bowl to Li, shaking her head, and wrote: "It seems I need much less food than before. I o drink, though. And I appreciate the effort. Please eat. And if anything remains, I'll finish it. I still like the taste. But don't worry about me."

  "Well, root me sideways! So you're saying you don't need food?" Li said. "Guess I didn't o pauch provisions then. I'll keep that in miime we're low on rations." Aira looked at Li but smiled back as soon as she saw her panion's sarcastic grin.

  As the ranger finished her meal, she leaned back, her expression turning serious. "We o start moving soon," she said. "They are uaffed and disoriented now. But there still is a ce that patrols will be looking for us. They could have let it go after you disposed of Garrick. It sort of worked for everyone's good. But now it's a double attack. So, we 't stay in this for too long. Not that I'd like to stay here even without the pursuit looming behind us. It's a bones and bark ruin!"

  Aira nodded and looked questioningly in different dires.

  Li thought for a moment, then smiled. "I have a few ideas. I mentioo you that I thought about visiting that old tech facility not too far from here. Even if we don't find any loot there, it should be safe... -er. Safer. I guess."

  Aira's eyes lit up with i. Something cataclysmic happeo the local civilization many years ago. But were the humans and the undead really reted to each other? And if yes, in which way? She didn't have many opportuo learn the history of this world. So, what could be better than this?

  Also, after Aira had her share of iions with this world's humans, she wao learn more about the undead. There was definitely more to their story, and she o explore it before she could figure out her steps. Especially without any clear dires from the quest system.

  Li stood up, stretg. "Good, let's pack up a moving. We have a long day of walking ahead of us."