Ding! Congratulations.

  You have slain Vorrak Alpha - Rank F2

  This message repeated itself for several lines, then came the one that confirmed Max’s death.

  You have slain Max Jancovic - Human - Rank F2

  He was the same rank as me even with all the level ups I got, he must have killed a lot of creatures on his way to town, or maybe he found other ways to level up. I didn’t matter anymore. The man was gone.

  Then came the upgrades.

  Ding! Congratulations! Your soul core has been upgraded.

  Calculating…

  Strength upgraded.

  Constitution upgraded.

  New Stats:

  Subject: Zach Walker

  Race: Human (Earth)

  Class: Available for Unlocking.

  Merged Class: [Stormripper]

  General Rank: F2

  Constitution: E9

  Magic: F0

  Mana: F2

  Speed: F1

  Strength: F0

  I stared at the new information with a good measure of amazement and shock. I now had an E9 stat, and I could feel it on my skin.

  My body had been reconstructed slowly—my skin replaced, my teeth reborn—but I could sense my very being was more durable. I couldn’t catch a bullet with my bare skin, but piercing it would be much harder now.

  The text had already given away my new class, but the full description still waited for me.

  Your class is merged.

  [Stormripper] – Stormripper is a unique class, created to match your bold choices and actions.

  Stormripper blends both magic and stealth, making you the perfect assassin. Stormrippers have stealth always active, disappearing when under shadows. Your invisibility or camouflage skills no longer draw mana, and every attack from stealth deals one hundred percent more damage.

  You're now able to use a new variation of your lightning bolt. The magic can be summoned from anywhere within a ten-meter radius, allowing you to strike from surprising positions.

  Stormrippers calculate before battle but don’t hesitate when the time comes. You excel at one-on-one fights, gaining a permanent +5 buff in magic every time you enter combat against a single foe.

  Your basic stealth shard was replaced by:

  Upgraded Shadow Step.

  Your lightning affinity was replaced by:

  Shadow and Light Affinity: You can throw lightning bolts from different positions within a ten-foot radius, as long as you have a magical weapon in hand (wand or staff).

  That was a lot—and it was all great. It was an evolution of everything I was already doing, an upgrade that marked my affiliation with Lyrathos and the way I liked to fight. Calculated at first, close and personal in the end.

  Just as I was getting ready to turn and finally face my friends, new messages popped up.

  “There’s more?” I asked out loud, without thinking.

  Your patron god gave you a boon.

  Lyrathos Ceremonial Dagger was upgraded from Epic to Legendary.

  Passive – Slaughter: +1 Strength for every minute in battle.

  Passive – Merciful: +10 Constitution instantly when aiding an ally in need.

  God Passive: This blade can alternate between a sharp, clean edge or a serrated, painful one, depending on the user’s grip.

  [New] Lyrathos Scythe: Your blade can extend when you swing it, forming a scythe in the air that rips the flesh from your enemies. There are three sizes for the swipe; they consume more mana depending on the size you choose to extend your blade’s length and reach.

  Damn, that was great. I’d seen powers like that in action not long ago when I fought Max. Having something similar for myself was nothing to shy away from.

  “Hey, Zachary!” The hostess materialized at my side, stepping out of one of her magical portals. I caught a glimpse of Elk, Mary, and Tress really close by and noticed there were buildings around them—one- and two-story ones, small and large, like an old medieval village.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  However, the sight lasted only a second. The hostess snapped her fingers, and it all disappeared.

  We were in a completely different place. It reminded me of the arena where we fought the Goblin Abomination—a white room with no floor, walls, or ceiling. The opposite of what triggered my phobia. Pure infinity stretched before me, along with the hostess and her too-many arms and too-wide grin.

  “The producers of the game are impressed with the performance you delivered. We broke an audience record for a city stone dispute. Your rivalry with… Matt?”

  “Max.”

  “Yeah, Max… they think—and these are their words—‘was gripping, an experience viewers will remember for eons. Truly emotional and heartbreaking.’”

  “For me it was brutal and unnecessary,” I replied promptly. She kept smiling at me, never wavering.

  Something told me the woman was about to crack and turn me into jelly. Instead, she kept speaking as if nothing had happened.

  “So… we’ve decided to give you yet another gift. You can choose one of the ten people you selected to speak with now. It'll be short—just enough to be highly emotional. You understand, right?”

  “One person,” I muttered, thinking about everyone I’d brought to safety. Seeing one of the kids could be nice. I’d like to give Matt a hug and ask if he was doing his homework. Leo would probably be the best source to understand what was going on. The sisters and Leo’s fathers weren’t a good fit, and then there was Barry… and my mother.

  My heart sank at the possibility of talking to any of them, but the idea filled me with fear—a fear I hadn’t felt yet, even after fighting monsters for more than a week.

  “Is Barry okay? Like… he can speak?”

  “We checked on them. I have one version of myself there now, and everyone wants to speak with you—except your progenitor. She’s quite reserved. The man you mentioned, yes. He’s able.” She seemed thoughtful for a moment, then smiled again. “So? Can you please decide? I need this version of me in another part of the planet very soon.”

  “Bring Barry, please.”

  A portal opened before her, and she reached inside, pulling out a figure like a cartoon character yanked from another dimension. Then, she stepped aside awkwardly, as if waiting for something.

  Barry… the man who saved my life, who helped me so many years ago, whom I’d blamed myself for losing for years, stood right in front of me—and he looked… great.

  His teeth weren’t missing anymore. He wore a leather coat, a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and boots, like some kind of cowboy. He had a nice white beard, and his hair was trimmed close to the scalp in a modern style.

  I instantly remembered all the times I’d looked at him and thought he could’ve been handsome if he weren’t homeless like me—and now he was.

  “Is that really you? Is this a fucking prank? A clone or something?” I asked, looking around.

  The hostess shook her head violently as I glanced from her to Barry. He looked like a damn third-age model.

  “Hey, kiddo. Looks like you never learned language, huh?” he asked and walked toward me.

  Before I knew it, I was already hugging my old friend. The closest thing to a father I’d ever had. The fucking show wanted me to cry—and I didn’t fight it. My heart shook like a vessel in a storm as I buried my face in his jacket.

  “What happened to you? I looked for you everywhere,” I managed to say after a few seconds, pulling away and looking at him. His eyes were watery too.

  “They were… hard days, boy. The woman—her name was Nadia—she didn’t make it. I’m sorry. They took it out on me, and I thought I’d die. I don’t know exactly how long they had me, but eventually, beating me up got boring, and one night, when they were all drunk and high, I managed to escape.”

  “That doesn’t explain why you look so good!”

  “I met good people still in town. They gave me a place to stay and money to leave and start over. I quit drinking cold turkey and found a gig in Los Angeles. Worked at a gas station, shared a room with three college kids, but I was off the streets. One day I met a guy who introduced me to another guy, and my life changed,” he shrugged. “I’m surprised you never saw me on a billboard. I’ve been in a few.”

  “Bullshit!”

  “Language, for god’s sake! The world’s watching you right now—I don’t want you swearing on national television.”

  “More like universal, multiversal… this all… it’s still too much. Can you all watch it?”

  “We can. The first day, all we did was watch. Then we had to start working for them in the extraction places or just survive. It’s chaos down there, kiddo. Governments trying to hold things together with glue. The place didn’t explode only because the aliens somehow deactivated all weapons—from nukes to handguns. Can you imagine that? No one can fire a shot in America. Hah!”

  Yeah, that was hard to believe, but considering their powers… I didn’t doubt it at all.

  “There’s a show at night—we watch it. Your face shows up a lot. I was in a settlement before, and no one believed we were friends. See now, Carlos? Me and this kiddo go way back!” He turned to the side like he was talking to a hidden camera, and I chuckled. How had I missed this”

  “And now… are you already at the other place?”

  “Yeah…” He looked down, his eyes sad, knowing exactly where my mind was going. “Kid, she’s in a rough place. She hasn’t said a word. When she arrived, she was crying, her face a mess. They were streaming your fight for everyone to see on Earth.”

  “How does she look? I don’t remember her face,” I admitted, my face twisting as he grabbed my shoulder.

  “Just like you, but prettier. When your friend Elk said you were ugly, I laughed my ass off.”

  He chuckled.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, kiddo. Everyone’s got their favorites, but I’d say you’re like America’s sweetheart right now—what’s left of it anyway. Keep fighting, kid. You’re giving hope to a lot of people.” He had tears in his eyes again as he stared into mine.

  “Are you guys really holding up?”

  “It’s rough, but we’re human. We endure, right? You can do this. We can do this.” He hugged me again briefly as I heard the hostess’s footsteps getting closer in the empty space.

  “The time is over,” she muttered, and we didn’t argue.

  “Can you take care of her?” I asked him, surprised that I actually cared about my mother.

  “You didn’t need to ask, kiddo. I’ll do my best.” He smiled one last time before the hostess snapped her fingers, and the world changed again.

  Elk, Mary, and Tress were at my side, and a whole town stood beneath the moonlight.