The Nexus Knight [Chps 16-18]

Hey peeps!

This one is almost finished with writing/editing, so I'll be able to post more than a couple chapters at a time. I want it available to Patreons first, all the way through!

This one has an "escort quest" game, which makes me laugh, lol

—Chapter 16—

—The Perfect Build—

Kellan liked Nosferatu.

Sure, he looked like a leper, but that didn’t take away from his etiquette, nobility, and charismatic demeanor. Kellan appreciated that. Being an officer and gentleman was more than just appearance and power. It was a mentality—holding yourself to a higher standard, even when that meant hardship or struggle.

When Kellan left Team 5’s suite, he headed for the middle part of the AVU Palace. The sun had set, blanketing Nexus-Fayetteville in darkness, and filling the palace with feverish partying. The music played nonstop from every corner of every room. And most weren’t the same. Techno, classical, jazz—Kellan walked by several distinct musical eras.

Smoke, booze, and lust stunk up the place.

Kellan remembered his first night in the AVU Palace, and how the partying had been intense, even back then. This time seemed worse. Groups of people stumbled their way into the halls, each carrying drinks in their hands.

The TVs played clips of the games.

Unpleasant clips.

Kellan glanced at one briefly and locked up, surprised by the gore. A woman was torn apart by two alligator creatures. They had been hiding in a shallow puddle of mud, and when the woman tried to cross—it looked like to gather a bunny keychain—the monsters leapt from the mud and grabbed her before she knew what was happening.

Another clip…

It showed an older teenaged boy fighting with a rennic man. They had magical powers—the boy flung fire like an old-school wizard, and the werewolf had dark energy crackling across his claws. They fought atop a skyscraper. The teen tossed fire around, obviously trying to get the rennic to fall off the edge.

But the rennic powered through the flames, burning off most of his brown fur as he charged. When he caught the teen, he cut through his stomach and then threw him from the top of the building. It was a twenty-story drop.

Kellan glanced away before the screen could show the finale.

A smart man would watch, he reasoned with himself. To study the abilities of the competition. Especially since there are a wide variety of magics and powers… This would be the best way for me to learn.

Kellan slid his hands into the pockets of his sweats. He stared at the floor as he walked, mulling over his plans for the evening. The thump of dance music made it difficult.

I’ll head to my room and watch the clips from my bedroom. If I do that for a few hours, and take notes, I can study everything and learn on my own. Kellan also thought back to the rulebook for the games. I can cross reference everything.

He pulled one hand out of his pocket and stared at his palm, remembering the gold arcana.

I should spend all this arcana I have and improve my own magics. Everyone else seemed to have better health, stats, and abilities than I do. Even Robbie the Taco King commented that my rank was lower than others.

And now that he had meta magic, Kellan wanted to take the time to review the powers available to him.

Kellan glanced up just as a woman stumbled into his path.

She wore barely anything, just a half-opened shirt, skin-tight pants. Well, she also wore a single flipflop. The other was nowhere to be seen.

The woman had wings—raven black, feathers so large that they almost touched the floor—and her darker skin had a healthy sheen. She smiled, her lips shiny, her dark eyes alight with interest as she looked him up and down. Then she stared through her eyelashes, batting them playfully.

“I love that you ditched your shirt.” She leaned closer to him, her breath smelling of powerful whisky. “You’re cute for a human. Ever been with a niav?”

Kellan stared at her for a long moment.

Name:Nirah Enst

Race:Niav

Magics:Storm, Wyld

Rank:C, C

Armor Rating: ---

Health:10/10

Stats:Concealed

Abilities:Concealed

Although Kellan knew it was extremely simplistic, he thought of the niav as bird people. Every one he had met had some sort of feathered wings, though it seemed as though they had trouble moving around. The palace was built wide, but not in such a way as to accommodate birds.

The back of her left hand had a number. 76.

Kellan pushed Nirah to the side. “I’m busy. Maybe some other time.”

She clicked her tongue in disappointment and then frowned. “We might not have another time.”

“What does that mean?” Kellan asked, turning back to face her.

Nirah opened her wings slightly and fluttered them. “Look around, asshole. Half the people who were here a few days ago are dead. Might as well have fun now, while you still can.”

Ah. That’s why they’re partying like delta-bravos.

But partying the stress away wouldn’t help him prepare for the inevitable fight ahead.

Kellan resumed his path back to his suite. “I’ll take my chances.”

There were too many things Kellan had to do. He couldn’t waste his time partying with the lunatics in the AVU Palace. Nosferatu wasn’t partying. He had met with Alvo and Juan and…

Kellan rubbed at his jaw.

He hadn’t asked about the information. What had Alvo and Juan discovered in the Catacomb Maze that interested Nosferatu so much?

I’ll ask him next I see him.

The dim lighting fueled some of Kellan’s magic. He dwelled on the fact that when he first acquired powers, they hadn’t done much. Now he had several abilities and powers. They didn’t overlap, though. They were separate. Everyone seemed to criticize the decision to diversify, and from what Kellan could see, most other mages seemed to have one or two powerful tricks they relied on.

Best to focus. Have a niche. Be the best at it.

Which made sense. Operative teams were typically made of a few elite individuals. They all had common skills, but some were skilled at disarming explosives, or speaking a certain language, handling high-risk individuals. Kellan had gone through several sharpshooting courses.

I should focus. I have sixteen arcana now.

Kellan avoided most people as he continued through the halls. Most were drunk, or in a partial state of undress, and he didn’t want to find any more members of teams who hated him.

Once he went up a set of stairs, Kellan found himself in front of Team 101’s suite room. He opened the door, surprised to find the lights off. Was his team out partying? That didn’t seem like something Sen would do.

Maybe Husker and Mavis.

Kellan weighed the chances Xiang would be out and mingling, only to stop dead in his tracks. Their suite’s balcony was actually a spa that overlooked the palace’s courtyard gardens. The soothing pink waters regenerated mana for any mage bathing within.

Xiang was there.

Her flowing black hair swirled around the still waters. Her gaze was fixed on something in the distance, far from the suite. Her back was to Kellan, her slender—and bare—shoulders just barely out of the water. She rested her chin on her folded forearms.

The door to the balcony was wide open. A chill night breeze wafted into the suite.

Kellan coughed loudly, announcing his presence, since he was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing anything.

Xiang glanced over her shoulder, her smooth and beautiful face marked with curiosity, rather than shock or concern. Unbothered by Kellan’s presence, she returned her attention to the distance. “Welcome back.”

For a long moment, Kellan didn’t move. He wanted to speak with her, but Xiang made no move to get out of the spa, or even initiate further conversation. Her aloof and distant demeanor made it difficult to even tell what she was thinking.

“Do you have a moment?” Kellan asked from the middle of the room. He didn’t head for the door. “Once you’re done, I mean.”

Xiang ran her fingers through her wet hair, and then tossed it all over one shoulder. “We can speak now.”

“I spoke with Nosferatu, and I’ve been thinking about my magics. I wanted to know if you would help me decide on what I should do.”

“Nosferatu? That inbred resident?” Xiang glanced back at Kellan, her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“He proposed we make an alliance. I thought it was a good idea.”

Xiang smirked. “It’s a terrible idea.”

“Because he’s a Nexus local?”

“Because trusting mages from other teams is the fastest way to lose the Nexus Games. We don’t need his help. He’s simply hoping to leech from us.” Xiang lifted herself a bit out of the water, exposing more of her bare back. “His team is weak. He might be powerful, but once he’s gone, all of Team 5 will fall. He desperately needs allies, and there’s little he can offer in return.”

“I don’t think he’ll betray us.”

Xiang chuckled, though it was cold and short. “No. You don’t understand. Risking ourselves for him will never be worth it. And trust me—people may look trustworthy, but they’re not. If Nosferatu had the chance to throw us in a blender in order to win, he would.”

Kellan wasn’t a fan of a pessimistic speech, but he understood. So far, the Nexus Games had been filled with a lot of people out for themselves.

After rubbed his arms, Kellan stepped closer to the balcony door. “All right. Everyone is destined to betray us. Good talk.” He exhaled and then added, “So, how about we discuss magic?”

“Very well. Come, join me in the mana spring.”

Kellan hesitated.

Xiang sighed and then waved a hand through the air. A white swimsuit and robe appeared across her body. An illusion. But it was so real, the robes swirled around in the water, acting as any normal fabric, easily able to fool the most discerning eye.

“Better?” she asked.

Without answering, Kellan walked to the edge of the spring. He just had sweatpants—and dog tags—nothing else. That was fine. He stepped into the pink waters, the warm and soothing sensation spreading through his body in an instant. It recovered his mana. He hadn’t been out, but now he had his full reserves, just in case.

He walked into the spa until the water was up to his waist. Then he rested against the side, close to Xiang.

She remained on the edge of the spring, her arms on the side. “I’m impressed,” Xiang whispered. “You managed to get a Summoning Chime. And Sen praised your planning and reflexes.”

“I gathered ten arcana from the maze, and one gold arcana from one of the residents.”

“Hmm.” Xiang glanced over. “Have you developed any of your meta magic?”

“Not yet.”

“Then we should start with that. All of the ascendancy magics—meta, travel, fate—are typically restricted. They’re too powerful, and primordial dragons find mages with those magics to be a threat. It’s your secret weapon.”

Kellan nodded. “All right.”

“Fortunately, you have a rare trait—Descended from Zenith. It means someone who is related to you, no matter how distant, dwells in Zenith. It gives you a connection to the deep and endless springs of magic there.”

Kellan thought about his stats and abilities. He knew he had the Descended from Zenith trait, he just never understood why. Until now.

Personal—[Descended from Zenith]—The mage has the raw magic of Zenith in their blood and has no rank maximum. The mage can also develop one “unknowable” magic.

“How do people get these traits?”

“Every sentient being has a personal trait,” Xiang said. She scooted closer, until they were a mere foot apart. “Yours is the Blitzkrieg Analysis. Rare traits, like your bloodline, are innate abilities some are born with. And sometimes, through certain intense training, you can develop technical traits, like your sharpshooter ability.”

“So, you have a personal ability?”

“That’s right.” Xiang held out her hand. “Normally I conceal it. But I’ll show you.”

Kellan slowly touched his fingers to the palm of her hand. Then he received information—not her stats or ranks of magic, just her abilities.

Personal—[Descended from Zenith]—The mage has the raw magic of Zenith in their blood and has no rank maximum. The mage can also develop one “unknowable” magic.

Personal—[Master Manipulator]—The mage is a master of manipulation and trickery. Their illusions are always considered 5 ranks higher (even beyond maximums) in order to avoid detection and divination.

“I’ve seen this before,” he said as he dismissed the information from his sight. “You’re just a very talented illusionist. And someone related to you is in Zenith.”

“My mother.”

“Right,” Kellan muttered. “After she won the last Nexus Games.”

Xiang smiled. “Most people pick magical abilities that complement their personal trait.” She closed her fingers around Kellan’s hand, her skin soft, her grip gentle. “Since yours doesn’t synergize well, why don’t we look at your meta magic abilities? You should be able to see a list of some E-rank powers.”

Kellan thought about meta magic. He hadn’t yet looked at the E-rank powers.

Analyze Magic [2 arcana]

Meta magic is fundamentally the alteration of one magic into another, but to alter, you must first understand.

The mage spends a mana and for the next fifteen minutes, he can see through B-rank and lower concealing abilities on mages and magical items.

Lock Power, rank I [2 arcana]

Meta mages are the trolliest of mages, able to alter, distort, and shut down the effects of other mages, “taking away” their magic.

Whenever an enemy mage uses an E-rank or D-rank magical ability, the mage may spend an equal amount of mana to “lock” the ability from use. This lock happens instantly, negating magic before it can fully form.

If the opponent has 5 more wisdom than the mage, the opponent may spend double the mana to activate the locked power, ignoring the meta mage’s lock.

Shell, rank I [2 arcana]

Meta mages use raw magic itself to negate damage.

The mage develops +2 shielding, which reduces damage from all attacks (except for anti-magic or other meta magic attacks).

Empower, rank I [3 arcana]

Meta mages can empower another power.

By spending an additional mana when activating a power, the mage may add +10% damage to the attack or effect (if numerated, round up).

“Meta magic is the trolliest?” Kellan repeated. “What does that mean?”

“It means you mess with your opponents,” Xiang said with a slight chuckle.

“Right. Well, these are all interesting. Do you have a recommendation?”

“Yes.” Xiang tightened her grip on Kellan’s hand. “Empower and shell. You’re a warrior. You should act like it.”

Kellan stared at her hand, mulling over his options. “But you said we should take powers based on our personality ability. Analyze Magic would allow me to see people’s concealed abilities.”

“It’s a waste of arcana,” Xiang said, matter-of-factly. “You can guess at people’s abilities based on their magics. Body mages are fast and strong and can heal. Metal mages are great with technology. Mind mages create illusions, read minds, use telepathy—you get the picture. A body made can’t make illusions. A mind mage can’t heal. Why bother taking the time to analyze when a well-studied individual already knows?”

“Are personal traits standardized?” Kellan asked. “Obviously we both have the Zenith one.”

“There are almost as many personal traits as there are people. Some are powerful, but most are just an interesting spin on magics or skills.”

“Yours seems very powerful.” Kellan narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

Xiang pulled her hand out of his. Then she turned away, glaring at the far horizon. The sounds of partying carried up to the suite on the cold winds. Steam lifted off the mana spring waters.

She didn’t speak. Kellan decided to press the issue.

“Brenner and all of Team 42 were surprised by the strength of your illusions in the last game. But… why? Brenner and Other Me apparently knew you well before the games. You were lovers, or some shit. I’m not sure. But what I do know is that they would probably know your capabilities. They would’ve seen your personal trait—or you would’ve told them about it—right? So why were they surprised? My guess would be… You’ve changed it somehow.”

Kellan paused, allowing his words to sink in. The mana spring was comfortable, and he didn’t mind just waiting for her to answer.

With a smirk, Xiang said, “Oh, so you’re getting used to this world of magic, I see.”

“Slowly and painfully,” Kellan quipped.

“Well, pat yourself on the back, detective—you caught me. I did augment my personal trait. I needed to. I knew that if I joined the Nexus Games, I would require an advantage to win. So…” She glanced down at her hand. “I did what I had to.”

“How did you do that? Some sort of magical power?”

Xiang shivered. She slowly dunked herself into the water until she was fully submerged. Then she rose up and turned to face Kellan. Her swimsuit was some sort of bikini, and her robes were practically transparent.

“I took several hexes before I came to the Nexus Games,” Xiang said, curt and cold.

“Hexes? You mean… Those incurable curses that affect you forever? The ones that people warn you against?”

“Exactly. Hexes have benefits… but the costs are typically too high. And deadly.” Xiang held out her hand again. “Let me show you one of mine.”

Kellan touched her wet palm.

Hex—[Corrupted Personal Ability]—The mage increases the power of their personal trait. As punishment, the mage loses a single mana from her pool every day, though is can be restored. If the mage ever uses all their mana pool down to zero, they die.

“You die if you run out of mana?” Kellan balked.

He had run out of mana several times while playing in the Nexus Games. He couldn’t imagine taking this hex.

Xiang jerked her hand out of his and frowned. “That’s right. But my personal ability is beyond powerful now.”

“Wait. This is exactly what Brenner did to improve himself. He has four hexes that all give him bizarre abilities, but all them have weird instant-death side effects.”

“Once we get to Zenith, my hexes will be broken. I’ll be free.” Xiang combed her black hair with her fingers. “It’ll be a flawless victory, so long as we win.”

“You told me that you joined the Nexus Games because there was a hex you needed to break. A hex that affects your people and kingdom. Is that true? Or was that just a lie to get me to agree?”

Kellan was honestly questioning everything. Xiang hadn’t told him that she had multiple hexes, and she was obviously hiding most of her traits and powers.

“It’s true,” Xiang said. “But we don’t need to dwell on that. Just know that I must win the Nexus Games, and this hex will help me.”

“Right.”

Silence settled over them. The lap of the spa water against the edge of the balcony was soft and calming. The beat of high-tempo music added to Kellan’s growing frustration.

“So,” he said. “Empower and Shell—those are the meta abilities I should take. What about my other magics?”

“Your primary magic is eclipse, correct? Rank to C. You’ll get more mana—you get that every time you rank magic, even if it’s not your primary—but C-rank allows you to purchase some universal abilities. A few are crucial to survival. Then you should focus on lasers. Eclipse and metal magic both have the ability to use the light to their advantage.”

Light?

Kellan thought about that.

Laser, rank I [3 arcana]

Eclipse mages rely on light, or “laser,” energy in their attack. This power is, weirdly, shared by metal mages.

The mage gains “laser” as an energy type and may spend a mana to shoot a destructive beam from their hand. The damage dealt is equal to eclipse magic rank (E = 1, D = 2, C = 3, etc.) + half the mage’s dexterity score. This stacks at half rate (round up) when added to any other light power.

Spending a mana to shoot a beam? Since it was a numerical damaging ability, Empower would work to strengthen it.

Kellan thought about the second rank of the laser ability in metal magic.

Laser, rank II [3 arcana]

Metal mages rely on “laser” energy in their attacks. This power is, weirdly, shared by eclipse mages.

The metal mage gains “laser” as an energy type and may spend a mana to shoot a destructive beam from their hand. The damage dealt is equal to metal magic rank (E = 1, D = 2, C = 3, etc.) + the mage’s dexterity score. This stacks at half rate (round up) when added to any other light power.

“Ranking to C requires ten arcana,” Kellan muttered. “But if I pick up Laser, rank I from eclipse, then Laser, rank I and rank II, from metal, and then empower… I’ll have spent twelve arcana out of my sixteen. I’ll only have four left.”

Xiang lifted a perfect eyebrow. “That means you’ll spend a mana to shoot a beam of laser-typed magic. You’ll deal damage equal to your dexterity, plus your rank of metal… and then half of your eclipse rank and dexterity. Plus, the ten percent from Empower. You have four dexterity, don’t you? Ten damage isn’t amazing, but it’ll instantly kill a non-mage in most situations.”

“But my Void Knight ability gives me five more dexterity… Do you know what Laser, rank III does? I can’t seem to see the C-rank abilities.”

Xiang waved her hand through the air and created illusions of the information for him to view.

Laser, rank III [4 arcana]

Metal mages rely on “laser” energy in their attacks. This power is, weirdly, shared by eclipse mages.

The metal mage gains “laser” as an energy type and may spend a mana to shoot a destructive beam from their hand. The damage dealt is equal to double the metal magic rank (E = 2, D = 4, C = 6, etc.) + the mage’s dexterity score. This stacks at half rate (round up) when added to any other light power.

The first rank of Laser used half his dexterity, and his rank for damage.

The second level used his full dexterity, and his rank for damage.

The third level used his full dexterity, but also double his rank, as damage.

“That means if I have C-rank of eclipse, plus my Void Knight, plus the metal powers, I’ll… spend one mana to deal twenty-one damage. Much more than my rifle. Which seems like it’ll kill a lot of lower-ranked mages that aren’t defensive. Is that right?”

Xiang touched her lower lip with her finger. “Yes. And for a single mana, it’s quite effective.”

“I think I understand now.” Kellan exhaled. “This would’ve been much easier if I just leveled up or something. Skill trees are confusing.”

“You should be careful, though.” Xiang ignored his complaint and added, “Some mages and yami will be immune to laser damage.”

“But they won’t be immune to bullets—even if it’s weaker, I can still shoot them.”

“I suppose you should also be aware that certain people and monsters will take extra damage from your lasers. Everyone has a personal trait, and they also have a personal flaw. You would be surprised to know how many of those flaws basically equate to additional damage from certain sources.”

“Flaw?”

“You have one. Everyone does. You just can’t see other people’s flaw without stronger analysis magics.”

“Wait,” Kellan said, his thoughts drifting to his magics. “Body magic has an ability that increases my dexterity. And so does metal.”

The body power was cheaper.

Increased Dexterity, rank I [4 arcana]

As the body mage increases in rank, magic comes to permanently infuse their musculature, granting them increased speed and control.

This increases the mage’s dexterity by +1.

But the metal ability sounded more thorough.

Servos [Cyborg] [1 mana drawdown/5 arcana]

Metal mages who have taken “Cyborg” abilities gain multiple options, including servos, in which the mage generates a system throughout their body that instantly controls muscles with feedback to more closely mirror the mage’s intent, increasing precision of force applied, and increasing the rate at which they react to minute changes in the physical environment.

The mage gains +1 dexterity.

“What’s drawdown?” Kellan asked. “I have to pay that and arcana?”

“Your permanent mana pool will be reduced. The cyborg enhancements are typically worth it, though. If you managed to build up your dexterity, your beams will become devastating.”

“If I purchase all the lasers and empowering, and then the body magic for dexterity…” Kellan mulled over everything. “As long as the target isn’t immune to laser damage, I’ll be blasting a goddamn hole through their body every time.”

Xiang genuinely smiled. Then she turned her gaze down to the pinkish waters. “It amuses me how similar you are to your alternate-self. I had the exact same conversation with him at one point.”

“Were you both swimming around a spa?” Kellan quipped.

“Rolling around a bed, actually.” Xiang splashed a handful of water onto Kellan. “It was only after we were lovers that I started helping him with his magic. He, like you, favored eclipse magic. He didn’t take my advice to focus on lasers.”

“He also didn’t gather any gold arcana.”

Xiang stared at him for a moment. Then she waded through the warm waters, drawing closer. Kellan didn’t move. He just waited until she stopped an inch from him.

“Your gold arcana… Your Void Knight ability is special. I’ve never heard of it before. I assume they’re connected.”

“That’s right. Nosferatu said the gold arcana was strengthening my magic. I’m a prism. Or something. And the gold arcana allows my magic from the Sea of Chaos to shine bright.” He half-shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure what that all means, but that’s about what he said.”

She held a hand over her mouth and chuckled. Then her mirth disappeared as she said, “You really shouldn’t trust Nosferatu. It’ll be a mistake that will cost you.”

“You’re extremely distrusting. I think not having allies will hurt us more in the long run.”

“Forgive me,” Xiang said with a sneer. “But when your lover turns on you, who can you trust?” She splashed him again and then stormed out of the spa.

Kellan ran a hand down his face, clearing away the warm water. He found it frustrating that it was somehow hisfault that his alternate-self was a delta-bravo, but he didn’t comment. Clearly, he had to suffer in silence.

Before he went into the suite to finish his talk with Xiang—and maybe learn why she and Team 42 were enemies—Kellan decided to spend his arcana.

He purchased Laser, rank I in both metal and eclipse, and then purchased Laser, rank II, and then Improved Dexterity, rank I.

All sixteen arcana used.

Now he had zero.

Damn. I really need to get my hands on a lot more.

Kellan’s insides twisted for a moment. He grabbed at his dog tags. After a long exhale, the pain faded. He had increased his dexterity to human max—and he felt it. He moved a little quicker, even around the spa. It wasn’t as significant as his shadowy empowerment, but it was noticeable enough.

“And now I can shoot lasers from my hands,” he muttered to himself.

Kellan wanted to try it out, but when he attempted, the power of the Oasis stilled his ability. He couldn’t seem to fight against the influence. Activating the laser beam just wasn’t an option.

After a quick smirk, Kellan dragged himself out of the spa. He’d speak with Xiang, thank her for the advice, and—

But then he spotted someone in the suite. He caught his breath.

It was a teenager.

A mage.

Why were they here?

—Chapter 17—

—Why Are You Wet?—

Soaking wet, Kellan walked into the suite. If he could’ve attacked, he would’ve, but as things stood, he just strode forward, tense and ready to talk a punk down.

The lights switched on, and Kellan blinked for a moment.

The teen… was a boy.

He wore a simple hoodie and jeans, but it was long black hair, sandy-toned skin, and pinched look of irritation that gave away his identity.

“Sen?” Kellan asked. “Is that you?”

The teenager shoved his hands into the large pocket of his hoodie, his eyes narrowing into a genuine glare. “Of course it’s me, you buffoon. Who else would it be?”

His voice cracked a bit as he spoke.

Sen was taller now—five and half feet—with lean muscle and a slight slouch to his shoulders. And he wore facial hair like he had glued black sprinkles to his chin and called it a day. It was an odd combination.

Kellan snorted. “Oh, your testis finally swelled, huh? Congrats.”

“Get all your quips out now,” Sen said, his teeth gritted. “Because I won’t tolerate it later.”

“Don’t be that way. You’re a real boy now.”

Sen rolled his eyes so hard he almost hit his eyebrows. “Anything else?”

“One more, one more.” Kellan smirked as he said, “Is that a thread hanging from your shirt? Oh, wait. My bad. It’s just your left arm.”

“Really? A masturbation joke? You’re an infant.”

Kellan walked over and slapped Sen on the shoulder. “At least you’re not wearing Power Ranger pajamas anymore. You’re moving up in the world.”

With a deep frown, Sen glanced down at the damp spot on the sleeve of his hoodie. Then he dramatically brushed it off with the indignant huff of a debutant. “Would you mind tell me what you were doing with my sister out in the mana spring?” he asked, his voice strained. “Do you have something to tell me?”

He was watching that?

Kellan didn’t reply. He headed for his room, water dripping from his wet sweatpants. With a quick twist of the handle, he entered his portion of the suite. When he went to shut the door, Sen was already there, his arm posted against the frame.

“Well?” Sen demanded. “What were the two of you doing?”

Kellan slipped his hands into his wet pants. “Why did you bring me to the Nexus? I know you needed a warrior for your ragtag team. I mean—why me? If I’m some alternate-dimension version of your sister’s ex, why would you pick me of all people, to bring with you to the Nexus?”

“It was easy to find you.” Sen held up a single finger. “Your Zenith trait is useful.” He lifted a second finger. “I know your general capabilities.” He put up a third finger. “And if you died…”

Sen put all his fingers down. And didn’t answer. Kellan waited for a prolonged moment, hoping something would happen, but Sen just shrugged.

“Well?” Kellan asked.

“Well, I thought it would make my sister happy,” Sen finally stated. “I mean, she was rather upset when you left. Not you. The other you. And since one of the past games was Guillotine, I thought it would make everything easy for us.”

“Guillotine?”

Sen sighed. “In the last Nexus Games there was a game that required each team to kill someone from their ranks in order to acquire a key. It wasn’t used in the Nexus Games beforehand, so it might not be used this time, but just in case… We would have someone that my sister would love to see beheaded.”

There wasn’t much to say about any of that, so Kellan headed over to the TV mounted on his bedroom wall. He switched it on, and then turned down the volume. I need to find a notebook or a phone or something to take notes with. The rule book for the games was much too thick to just hold in his hands as he explored the next game arena.

Sen didn’t leave his room. He stood by the door, his arms folded.

“Is there something you need?” Kellan asked.

“You never answered my question.”

“What does it matter what I did with your sister? Are you her chastity belt?”

Sen clenched his jaw. He seemed to fumble with his words for a moment as he asked, “I-I just want to know. So that I’m not surprised by anything in the future. Your actions have surprised me a bit. You’re not exactly like your alternate-self.”

“Yeah, you never know what I might do.” Kellan walked over to Sen, grabbed his shoulder, and then shoved him toward the door of his room. Sen feebly fought back, but it was clear he was gangly and awkward, like he wasn’t used to his new teen body. “You never know. You’re handsome now, I might be after you.”

Sen’s face shifted to a bright red, his ears practically strawberries. Kellan shoved him out of the room before he could find any more words. Then he shut the door with a slam, hoping to make his point.

After waiting a few moments—to make sure Sen wouldn’t return—Kellan headed over to his bed. He glanced down at the sheets, hoping they were magical. Unfortunately, they weren’t. Just plain sheets. No strange sleep properties, no abilities he could exploit.

After a short exhale, Kellan sat down on the side of the mattress.

He felt… worked up, after having his conversation with Xiang. He didn’t like the way she conducted herself. It was as if she read the playbook for being a honeypot and decided to make that her entire personality.

Something about her was off.

Her abilities, her attitude, her distant demeanor.

Kellan glared at the far wall, his thoughts drifting.

There are apparently games that require someone to die. Sen just admitted that. And the games get more difficult as we go along, with even-numbered rounds being extra difficult for the hell of it.

He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward and exhaling.

Xiang’s mother was the sole victor for her team. Coincidence? Or is Xiang treating her whole team as though she expects we’re all going to die eventually? That would explain why she keeps herself at a distance and wants everyone else to do the dirty work. But Husker and Sen both seem to think highly of her—neither think they’re going to die.

Kellan glanced over at the TV.

The Nexus had other programming, but Kellan didn’t care. He watched as Bitso slammed his hand on his desk and reported on the games. The sound was still muted, but Kellan could see the other players fighting for their lives in the background.

Kellan positioned himself at the foot of the bed and decided to watch in silence.

He took note of individuals with numbers on the back of their hands.

Players from Team 16. And Team 90. And Team 62.

It seemed the majority of players were human. The second most common were rennic. Then rezrah—the lizard people with the scaled tails—and then niav, the bird people. Kellan paid special attention to the magics they used as they fought twisted monsters in the game.

Patterns…

He had been trained to spot patterns.

The human players didn’t seem to have a preference for a certain magic. They were as varied with their abilities as they were with their clothing choices. Kellan couldn’t get a beat on them.

But the rennic had a pattern. Most of them seemed to have abilities revolving around earth, fire, and plants. Some grew things. Others molded stone, or had armored skin, like Mavis. Which meant they tended to favor wyld and magma magics.

What did that mean?

Kellan rubbed at his chin as he watched the lizard people.

The rezrah were similar-looking to humans. They had the same human face, head, and chest, but their arms and legs were covered in scales. They had claws, both on their feet and hands. And then, of course, they had tails.

Kellan recognized a rezrah player on one of the screens.

Levvy.

From Team 89.

She had been with Kellan when he first met the Arbiter. She had destroyed a Pestbyter, and was set to be executed, but the Arbiter allowed Kellan to decide her fate. He spared her, and the rezrah girl seemed smitten with him ever since.

Kellan paid close attention as he watched her on the screen.

She was lithe, and short, and moved around with surprising agility. Her scales were copper, and shimmered under the light, similar to polished metal. Several times, she almost died—a monster caught her foot, the wall collapsed around her—but each time she narrowly avoided death, sometimes in comical manners. The monster was eaten by a larger monster. The wall collapsed all around Levvy, but not on top of her.

Lucky.

I can’t believe she’s still alive. Kellan observed her through the second round. I thought she probably wasn’t going to make it. Isn’t she Team 89’s Straggler?

All the rezrah observed, except for Levvy, seemed to have similar abilities. They rotted the things they touched, and molded metal, similar to Kellan. Most of them also had a laser blast ability, and a few jumped through the shadows.

It seemed the rezrah favored metal, eclipse, and entropy magics.

Kellan decided to turn up the volume. He walked to the TV, fumbled with the buttons on the side, and upped the sound until it was prominent throughout the room. Then he took a seat again.

He didn’t have a notebook, but that didn’t matter. He could remember the information he was observing, and if it were important, he could write it down later.

Some magical abilities were clearly better than others.

Kellan saw a rennic place his clawed hands on the ground and cause an earthquake that demolished a five-story building.

A magma magic ability?

A rezrah in one round exhaled a black cloud of rotting dust. It killed several people who appeared to choke on it, and it eroded part of a sewer system to the point the street above crumbled.

Entropy magic.

The more advanced the ability, the more devastation it could do.

Kellan’s gold arcana had allowed him to develop better magical abilities than most. If he gathered enough, would he have abilities like his enemies, just at lower ranks and lower costs to himself?

“And look at this chump,” Bitso said with a cruel laugh. “He tried to get greedy, but we all know what happens then.”

The TV flashed a scene from the Catacomb Maze. A man was running from coffin to coffin, gathering red arcana. He was in the main hallway when the timer was counting down at a rapid rate. Kenzo the chimp opened several coffins, spilling arcana everywhere. Once Kellan and Kenzo ran off, this third man stayed behind to gather up all the excess crystals…

He smiled as he scooped up the arcana.

Bitso smiled wide, pointing to the screen behind his desk. “Avarice is a hilarious thing.” He rested onto his desk, his arms stretched out. “If that sad sack had made it out of the maze, he would’ve walked away with seventy-four arcana. Too bad so sad.”

The maze collapsed on the man, killing him instantly.

Seventy-four arcana would help me a lot. Kellan rubbed at this chin. But unless I’m going to mow down an entire village of Nexus residents, I don’t see how I’m going to get that much.

An odd thought struck Kellan as he watched Bitso just lie on top of his desk.

Bitso had said he wanted to die. He had offered Kellan sixty arcana to do the deed.

Before Kellan could think out the plan any further, the door opened. He turned, ready to shout at Sen and tell him to leave, but he caught his breath when he realized it was Mavis. She smiled at him, and then half-laughed.

She’s sloshed.

Kellan knew immediately. Her unfocused gaze and slight wobble gave it away.

“Do you have fun?” he asked.

Mavis brushed back some of her dyed purple hair. Then she shrugged. “Husker said we should celebrate. I just went with him. To make sure he didn’t get into trouble.”

“You’ve been drinking?”

“Just a little bit. I only drank the things that, uh, I knew what they were.” She slowly made her way over to the bed. “There were so many drinks that I’d never heard of before. I had been a fucking bartender.”

Kellan ignored Bitso’s reporting to give Mavis his full attention. “I think we should talk. It seems some of the games in the future would require us to kill teammates. I know we haven’t talked about the games much, but I think we need to strategize between ourselves.”

Mavis took a seat on the mattress right next to him. “Okay. That sounds serious.”

“We should also talk about your magics. Xiang and I just went over synergizing abilities with our personal traits. We should look at what you have.”

Kellan already knew what she had. His eyes gave him all the information he needed.

Name:Mavis Cartwright

Race:Human

Magics:Magma, Metal

Rank: D, D

Armor Rating: ---

Health:7/7

Stats:

Strength—2

Dexterity—3 [Accurate]

Fortitude—2

Charisma—2

Manipulation—2

Intelligence—3

Perception—4 [Mystic]

Wisdom—2

Willpower—4 [Tough]

Abilities:

Personal—[Rebuilt]—The mage can develop their physical stats (strength, dexterity, fortitude) for half the arcana cost.

“You have metal magic, so all the cyborg enhancements should cost you less arcana,” Kellan said. “Which means we should—”

Mavis placed a finger on his lips. Kellan stopped speaking, a little baffled by her action.

“I’m not in the right mind space to talk life and death and magic,” she muttered. “My thoughts are a little fuzzy.” Mavis removed her finger. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

“Don’t you remember the last two games? They announce the new rounds in the morning. When we wake up, we’ll barely have any time to prep for whatever crazy game we’ll be assigned.”

Mavis rubbed at her face. Then she combed back her hair and gave Kellan an odd glance. “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

“It got blood on it.”

“Uh-huh. Why are you wet?”

He snorted and smirked, “That sounds like my line.”

It took Mavis a long moment to get the joke. When she finally grasped the punchline, she chuckled. “I forgot how corny you are sometimes.”

“I warned you. To quote my therapist… Kellan, these constant jokes are a metaphorical barrier that prevents you from forming meaningful relationships.”

That had Mavis laughing more. After a few moments, she calmed down, still smiling, her face slightly red. “I think… I’m going to vomit.”

Kellan blinked once. Then he motioned to the bathroom door. “You want me to hold your hair back for you?”

“No.” Mavis got off the bed, shaky at first, but then she steadied herself. “I’m a good soldier. I’ve done this rodeo before.” He wandered into the bathroom, closed the door, and then turned on the sink water. It didn’t cover the sound of her retching.

When Mavis was done, she exited the bathroom with a towel in one hand. She seemed paler than before, her eyes narrowed into a glare. “Fuckin’ worms,” she whispered.

Kellan lifted an eyebrow. Mavis showed the towel. It was stained with vomit, and several yellow Tyranny Worms writhed around the cloth.

“I’ll get rid of them,” Kellan stated. “One way or another.”

Mavis stumbled over to the bed. She threw the towel into the corner of the room before flopping down on the mattress. After a long exhale, she glanced at Kellan. “I met my ex one night after I had been drinking. I woke up in his bed the next morning, and we started dating after that.” She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t seem interested.”

Kellan scooted back on the mattress and lay down next to her. “You’re putting me in an awkward position. They forced me to watch Sexual Harassment and You: How NOT to Get Charged with Assault on fourteen different occasions, and I’m pretty sure there’s an entire section dedicated to girls who are slightly tipsy.”

Mavis giggled as she slid over and placed her face against his shoulder. She mumbled into his arm, “Oh, my God, you do use jokes as barriers.”

“Well, let’s be real—your ex left you because you were scarred and in the hospital for a while. Sounds like a delta-bravo if I ever heard one. It’s a safe bet to do everything the exact opposite of him.”

Mavis laughed some more as she wrapped her arms around Kellan’s chest. “Fine. Let’s… just take a nap for a little bit. And when we wake up… we can discuss the games.”

Although Kellan was awake and wanting to review the video footage of the previous games, he nodded. “All right.”

Mavis kissed his shoulder and closed her eyes. Kellan didn’t complain. He snuggled close to her, hating the fact that they hadn’t gotten under the blankets.

He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of celebration all throughout the AVU Palace. Just a quick nap wouldn’t hurt.

Would it?

—Chapter 18—

—The Third Game—

When Kellan opened his eyes, it was raining.

The beat of the water thumped across the windows and the roof of the palace. Mavis was tangled around his arm, so fast asleep, she didn’t even move when Kellan sat up. He ran a hand down his face and exhaled, unsure of what time it was.

The TV was still on.

Bitso was in his typical newsroom, but the TVs behind his desk flickered with silent static. He lay across his desk, his blindfold once against stained red with blood. His hair—which was its own dark shade of crimson—was matted and clumped to one side. He looked more drunk than an entire football team after the winning game.

With his head on the desk, Bitso spoke with little enthusiasm. “It’s 8am. Today’s forecast… will be rainy.”

The beating of water on the windows reminded Kellan that the weather in Nexus-Fayetteville was just bizarre as his home dimension. He scooted to the edge of the bed, sore from the awkward night’s sleep next to Mavis. She had refused to allow him to move around.

“Rain is just the death of the clouds,” Bitso muttered onto his desk. “Their blood cascading onto the world, only to be brought to the sky a second time, reborn as another nimbus, probably far weaker and more disgusting than before.”

Kellan had absolutely no idea what Bitso was going on about. The dark atmosphere outside obstructed his view of the sun. Was it morning? Or still the middle of the night?

The lack of music disturbed him.

Probably morning.

Kellan stood and headed to the bathroom. As quickly as he could, he washed and readied himself. Where were his clothes? His backpack? My bag has the Summoning Chime in it… Kellan gritted his teeth, frustrated he hadn’t been able to spend more time last night discussing strategies with the others. Why do I always do this?

He wondered if the AVU Palace had some sort of magical presence that made it easier to sleep. He wouldn’t be surprised if it were the case.

Once Kellan exited the bathroom, he noticed Bitso was still on his desk, no life in his movements. Corpses had more charisma.

“The third games are about to begin,” Bitso said, a pool of drool forming around the corner of his mouth. “Aren’t you all excited? The third round is special… During this game, teams can losetheir keys. What a shame.”

Kellan held his breath as he approached the television.

“There are three games to choose from. The first is Escort.”

Bitso didn’t move from his spot. He spoke into the metal desk as though he were just speaking to himself. The static TVs in the background flashed with images, however. Footage of the games played on a loop, displaying what Bitso discussed.

“Escort is a fan favorite. Not for the teams playing it—but for the people watching.” Bitso smiled, his squished cheek disturbing the drool puddle. “Each team will have to make their way to center of the play arena. There, they’ll find their doll. They must escort the doll out of the arena. Safely, mind you. Any doll that’s destroyed means the team automatically loses.”

Kellan didn’t like the sound of this game at all.

Bitso laughed. With each new breath he seemed to gain renewed interest and energy. He sat up, straightened his white tie, and then leaned back in his swivel chair. “Oh, yes. The dolls… So fragile. The real charm of this game is watching the teams try to smash each other’s precious, precious dolls. You see, if a team loses their doll, they lose a key. If a team fails to bring the doll to safety in the time limit, nothing happens. But—if they manage to safely transport their doll—the team gains a brand-new shiny key, and then they’re one step closer to winning the Nexus Games.”

The thought of escorting a fragile doll to any location had Kellan’s imagination running wild with all sorts of terrible scenarios. Escort sounded like one of the worst games to play.

“Escort is also a PvP game,” Bitso said, tapping the tips of his fingers together. “Which, for the slow ones in the audience, means that the players can fight each other without consequence.”

Kellan kept his attention on the TVs in the background of the news show. Teams were huddled around each other, forming circles as they rushed through an island setting. The many beaches and trees were an odd juxtaposition to the death in the background. Gunfire, magic use, and explosions were frequent enough to ruin the peaceful atmosphere of the island setting.

The dolls…

They weren’t dolls at all.

The teams were all carrying puppies. Actual, live, puppies. And they were defending them from an onslaught of attacks. The environment seemed out to get them. Yami seagulls, traps in the water—Kellan could already see the game was going to be a shitshow.

But Kellan agreed with Bitso. It would be hilarious to watch people running from one side of an island to another while protecting a small puppy from a horde of killer opponents. Great TV.

“The next option for round threewill be a simple game of Davie’s Gauntlet.” Bitso circled his chair around, smiling wider than before. “Everyone loves Davie’s Gauntlet. Each team who picks this option will have to run down five floors of deadly obstacles. This game of physical prowess demands focus. The teams will only have ten minutes to complete everything. And for every teammate they lose, they will lose a key. A thrilling and wild ten minutes that’ll be sure to give anyone gray hairs!”

Sweet Baby Jesus.

Kellan watched the TVs in the background play footage of obstacles courses straight out of a horror movie. Large rooms with rusty saws and blades. Machine spiders clung to the walls and ceiling, attacking teams who tried to make their way from one door to the next. They were the size of adult men, their needle-legs stabbing into people as they tried to avoid the traps.

It was a nightmare scenario.

But…

Kellan was confident he could make it through most of an obstacle course without much problem. His magics were suited for it. He could mold metal, dive into the shadows… He wouldn’t even need ten minutes.

But the others weren’t as lucky. Could Sen, the awkward, gangly teenager, run through a room of sawblades and monsters? Probably not.

Bitso shrugged. “At least it’s a PvE game, am I right? No one fights each other then—you’ll be too busy fighting the clock. What an intense game! Definitely one of my favorites.” Bitso turned to face the TV behind him. He rubbed at this blindfold as he watched someone’s arm get cut clean from their body. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be part of a team…”

Then he quickly swiveled back around.

Kellan flinched when Bitso slammed his hand on the desk.

“The last game offered this time around will be Spin and Win. You know the game. You spin the wheel, and whatever you land on, you win.”

Bitso snapped his fingers. The screens played short clips of individuals spinning a terrible wooden wheel. It was a rickety device that squeaked as it went round and round. The clicking of a little dial indicated the prize.

Click-click-click-click-click… click… click…

The prizes on the wheel weren’t written in English. The lettering was strange—similar to Chinese hanzi, but clearly more complex, and woven into each other. When the wheel stopped, and the player gasped, Kellan had no idea what they had won.

“Oh, what a shame,” Bitso said with a frown. “They won a key.”

The person on the screen screamed and flailed their arms as a Pestbyter floated into the camera’s range and handed them a key.

It appeared to be a USB device.

Kellan chuckled to himself.

That was an awful game of chance. No doubt several places on the wheel were things like Instant Death and Lose All Your Keys.

“That’s it,” Bitso said with a smirk. “Those three options. Remember that the team leaders will pick the game they want to participate in, and that you need to make your decision within the next hour.” He twirled around in his seat again. “The Stragglers will have to deal with Kuji no matter the game you play! Even Spin and Win. And trust me, the Kuji are very hungry. They can’t wait to be let lose into the game arenas.”

Kellan really didn’t like the Kuji. He had only seen them twice, and both had been horrifying experiences. They were the ultimate nightmare fuel—the monster that every child imagined when they pictured the thing under their bed.

But out of all the games listed as options…

The best one for them was likely the Escort game.

It’s such a terrible game. Kellan rubbed at his chin as he paced around the room. But Xiang’s illusions could help us. Then again, Ysa said that Team 42 had a way to deal with the illusions.

Kellan stopped walking and stared at the rain.

Maybe Team 42 will pick a different game.

A soft knock on the door caught Kellan’s attention. He jogged over, his heart beating faster than he liked. When he opened it, Husker stood on the other side, looming over Kellan with his considerable height. Husker’s fox ears twitched as he shoved Kellan his backpack, rifle, and a set of clothing.

“You humans sleep in too late,” Husker growled.

Kellan took his gear, and the new clothing, and held them close. With a smirk, he asked, “Rennic don’t sleep much?”

“We wake up when there’s work to be done.”

“I normally wake up just fine, but ever since I’ve gotten to this place… I don’t know how to describe it.” Kellan rubbed at his head. “Before, I would have nightmares, or wake at the sound of a spider moving across its web. Now there’s nothing.”

Husker relaxed a bit. He scratched at his canine snout with his claws. “It’s because you’re a new mage. Your magic is like a new muscle. You’re just getting used to it.” He snorted and motioned to the main room. “Come. We should discuss the games and our tactics. Wake Mavis.”

Once Husker left, Kellan shut the door. He threw the backpack down on the bed and examined his clothing. A new shirt, a jacket, cargo pants, and boots. No socks—Kellan wondered if the rennic had a dislike for socks—but he could make do.

As Mavis slept, Kellan stripped off his sweatpants and quickly dressed in his new attire. It fit, which was all he needed. Then he checked the backpack, pleased to find the Summoning Chime still within. He touched the curious little bell sphere, making sure it was real.

But who to summon?

Kellan knew he needed to discuss it with the others.

His backpack also contained some hane cigarettes, a pack of jerky, a KA-BAR knife, a lighter, the Nexus Games Rule Book, and some rope. Husker had clearly gone out of his way to make sure Kellan would have everything he needed for the next game.

I need to thank the man at some point.

Kellan then walked over to Mavis’s side of the bed and gently shook her shoulder. She was a new mage, too. Perhaps Husker was right. They just needed more rest to acclimate to their new magical powers.

Mavis fluttered her eyes open and then glanced up at Kellan. The soft patter of rain sounded through the room, occasionally interrupted by Bitso’s news report.

“Is it time already?” Mavis asked.

Kellan nodded. “On your feet, soldier.”

Without even a stretch, Mavis jumped out of bed. She got to her feet and stood straight, the years of active duty plain to see in her movements. Kellan smirked and gave an approving nod. Mavis replied with a quiet once-over, admiring his black jacket and cargo pants.

“You got dressed without me,” she said.

Kellan snorted. “I didn’t know it was a team activity.”

She stepped close, leaned onto his chest, and then got to her tiptoes. “Well, let me thank you for being a gentleman last night.”

“I don’t think we have time for—”

Mavis gently pressed her lips on the side of his neck, offering a brief kiss. He smiled, but she ended the show of affection as quickly as she started it.

“I understand,” she said as she jogged to the bathroom. “We have the games to get ready for.” Mavis stopped at the bathroom door. “I’ll be out in a second.”

Bitso slammed his hand on his desk, distracting Kellan for a moment.

“Remember that each game has the chance for great rewards.” He rubbed two of his fingers together. “Hidden rooms throughout the game arena have been placed to spice things up. The Arbiter loves a good surprise.”

Kellan headed out of his room. Bitso continued with his presentation to his empty newsroom.

“And remember, folks, you want to make sure you get your keys before the fifth game. After that, everything will become so much more difficult…”