Quest Failed: In the Trader’s Defense.

Ezzie said.

I broke off, all my anger dissipating at once, like it’d just sluiced from me.

The horror I’d felt, the uselessness, the revulsion? All gone. I didn’t feel hollow, not exactly, but I couldn’t think of a better word to describe it.

Ezzie said,

I wanted to hate her for what she’d just done, for what she’d stolen from me—I really did—but I couldn’t summon any anger. No, all that came to me was a cold kind of clarity, a mean little voice in the back of my head that said that Ezzie was right, that if I was going to survive here, I wasn’t going to be able to hold anything back. And in that way, this place was no different than the wild. I’d killed there, too, but only when it couldn’t be avoided.

The second part of that sentence rang hollow, as it always did.

Ezzie said.

One of the raiders stepped forward and nudged the dead trader with the toe of his boot. “Well, shit.” He met my gaze. “I did not see that coming. Pick your prize, kid—fuck it, take two items.” He spat on the corpse. “The look on the fat man’s face was worth at least that much. Especially when you twisted the knife.”

“Ha,” his partner said. “Squealed like a stuck pig. Go on then, you vicious little shit.” He gestured to the carriage.

New Quest: To the Victor.

Objective: Claim your share of the dead trader’s loot.

Reward: 100 Experience and two items from the carriage.

Failure Penalty: Hostile reputation with the Raiders.

Decline Penalty: Hostile reputation with the Raiders.

Accept?

Ezzie said.

I gripped my knife a little tighter.

Ezzie said.

I shook my head. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to take the deal the raiders had offered and run. I repeated, as I took the quest that Ezzie had told me to decline.

Ezzie said.

I headed over, still more than a little numb, still wondering what exactly Ezzie had just done to me as I poked my head through the open carriage door. The main compartment was empty, so I climbed up onto the roof and checked out the chest that the driver had been sitting on. I used my dagger to slice through a pair leather straps that held the chest in place, then threw it open, prompting a flood of blue text:

{Copper Coin} x20

{Silk Boots}

Grade: F

Item level: 2

Slot: Feet

Type: Cloth

Quality: Uncommon

Armor: 1

Durability: 15/15

Primaries: +1 Intelligence

{Chainmail Vest}

Grade: F

Item level: 1

Slot: Chest

Type: Plate

Quality: Common

Armor: 6

Durability: 30/30

{Serrated Dirk} (Dagger)

Grade: F

Item level: 1

Quality: Common

Damage type: Piercing

Physical Attack: 6

Magical Attack: 3

Speed: Very fast

Durability: 20/20

Effect: 10% chance on hit to inflict 5 bleed damage over 3 seconds. Max 3 stacks. Applications beyond the third will extend the duration.

Ezzie said.

I palmed the dagger with my left hand and pointed to the boots, owing to their higher quality—figured I might be able to trade those for something I could actually use. The little black sphere went to work, stripping the boots away and packing them up into my inventory. I hopped off the caravan and headed up the hill, giving the raiders a wide berth.

“Pleasure doing business with ya,” one of the raiders said.

I nodded as we passed each other. But to the raiders’ credit, neither of them turned their backs on me completely—they were being casual about it, but they were obviously keeping me in their peripheral.

Probably a good call, given that I’d just stabbed someone in the back with zero provocation.

The raiders smirked as they realized I was doing the exact same thing; the wild had taught me to never turn my back on someone. Granted, that was exactly what I’d done when it had mattered most.

I pushed the latter, intrusive thought away.

Ezzie said.

I wanted to curse her out—I knew that was what I should have been doing for what she’d just put me through—but I couldn’t blame her for any of it. And that was terrifying. I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t trust myself to speak, not even knowing what I had to say.

I jogged the first couple steps up the hill to put some distance between the raiders and I, then relaxed my gait as they hopped inside the carriage.

Quest Completed: To the Victor!

You earned 100 Experience.

Ding!

Congratulations, you reached level 2!

You have (2) stat points to distribute.

Reach level 5 to select a Class Modifier!

The resulting feeling was overwhelming; a rush of pleasure so strong that I almost lost my balance. I could only stand there and remind myself to breathe as waves of warmth crashed over me. The world was so bright and warm; the breeze on my face was the sweetest thing I’d ever felt.

Then it was over, and I wanted more. The next hit of whatever that had been was all I could think about.

Ezzie said, moaning the word,

Ezzie said.

I cocked my head to the side, then nodded. That was a pretty good description. I shook my head as if to clear it. Why was I talking to her like this? Why couldn’t I stop myself from feeling like she was my friend?

Ezzie said, excited now.

A shiver ran up my spine. Of course they’d turned the game into a drug. I’d always had an addictive personality, but that? That feeling had been something new, something that was both wonderful and horrifying at the same time.

It made me wonder if this was the way that androids trained their companion humans. And the scariest part was that I could completely understand why it worked.

I said.

The orb zoomed in front of me and fixed me with its red, singular glare.

Ezzie continued.

Ezzie said.

I said.

I felt Ezzie frown through the link, which was interesting.

I sighed. There was nothing for it, really. I trampled my way up the hill, kicking out at a few flowers along the way.

Ezzie said, laughing through the link.

I stopped in place, swallowing. Had I seriously just apologized?

Ezzie said.

I bit my lip. Did I want to know? More information seemed advantageous; maybe if I knew more, I’d be able to circumvent the system a little? Probably not, given that androids had the whole superior being thing going for them.

But at the very least I’d know why I was feeling the way that I was. Seemed better for my sanity.

I said, shuddering.

I said.

Ezzie said.

I repeated, speaking directly into the Constructor.

I said.

Ezzie shrugged through the link.