The stars were out in all their splendor before Joe made it back inside the house. At first, he waited until the mystery woman went back inside. He didn't want to spook her and honestly had no idea what to say to her in any case. She stayed out until well after sundown, and Joe spent the time gazing at the heavens. Without the constant light pollution cluttering the skies, the nights shone like diamond dust scattered across the world. Finally, his body let him know it was time for bed with a jaw creaking yawn.

Joe got up and wasn't as stiff as he should have been for the amount of time laying on hard shingles. The bed was calling his name, and he got down into his blanket with an actual pillow. After he fled Dublin, Joe didn't know when he could get these creature comforts back. Despite having no friends and fighting monsters every day, life was turning around for him. A small smile graced his face as he fell asleep.

_____________________________________________________________________________

It was still dark when Joe woke up. There wasn't a hint of predawn light on the horizon, so he estimated it had been about seven hours. Joe stretched before getting up and getting into some pants. He wasn't sure which stats governed the need for rest, but Vigor seemed a likely candidate. His need for sleep seemed to be diminished slightly except when he was healing. It wasn't anything drastic yet, but it could have interesting results, later on, depending on how that scaled.

Getting ready was easy when all you needed were boots, pants, and weapons. Joe remembered to grab his canteen and fill it with the treated water before grabbing the coins he'd set aside and left. He locked up and was a little surprised that he thought of this place as something of a home already. It felt like a betrayal of his family in a way. But Dublin had stopped being home the moment his family was gone. If staying was an option, Joe didn't know if he could bear to be surrounded by memories of what he'd lost every moment.

The jog around the block, so he came from the south, only took a few minutes and served as a good warmup. He couldn't see anything except the bobbing light of a lantern slowly circling the rift. The same voices carried over the night air, lamenting the work and lack of appreciation from the bosses. Joe chuckled to himself that even the end of the world wouldn't change human nature. He waited until they were approaching the opening in the fence before calling out.

"Evening, gentlemen. A fine night for a stroll isn't it."

A quiet startled yelp and a clatter of police batons being grabbed reached Joe before they replied a moment later.

"It's you again. When you didn't come out, we figured that you had died in there. We told the day shift to be safe. So do you have our bonus?"

"Of course I do. Nothing sours a good business relationship like breaking promises. Three coppers each, and it'll stay at that rate for all your help."

The men had drawn close enough to be seen. They looked the same as yesterday, though their gazes fixated on the copper gleam in Joe's hand. Carl unconsciously licked his lips before bringing his gaze up to Joe's eyes before he continued.

"You were right. Everything is moving to rift coins for pay and the store. They announced it today, along with the other bit of news."

There was a pregnant pause, and Joe sighed once he got the point. His human interaction was rusty, and he'd never had to deal with bribing people before.

"I'm sure I can bring out four coins each the next time we meet if the information is useful."

"It's useful. You're going to want to only run this rift at night from now on. The local council is putting people through it during the day. There's gonna be a fifty percent tax on all coins and an official on every run. No outsiders welcome."

Joe didn't say anything for a minute. He knew that if the council had even some of the planetary information, it was only a matter of time until they started running the rifts. This didn't change his plans as long as he was careful. Or, they might just be trying to get his bribes for just themselves. It wasn't a big deal to switch to only night runs.

"When you're right, you're right. That was some pretty useful information. I'll make sure I'm here just when you're working."

Joe made a show of leaving the coins on the ground before walking to the rift. The two men wasted no time picking them up and pocketing them. Joe hoped they survived their rift runs. It would be a crapshoot to bribe new guards. The world was bathed in green fire and the void before he entered the first meadow a moment later. Joe wasted no time and ran toward the path and its clearings.

Time was not on his side for today, and he probably only had a couple of hours at most before the parties started showing up. The best he could hope for was conscription if a group of council members caught him using a rift they claimed. Joe still slowed when he came to the clearing, taking a moment and centering himself before moving forward.

This time he didn't wait for the brownies to charge him. Joe stayed silent as he ran up behind and hit it over the head. The second one turned, and Joe heel kicked it in the face. His foot didn't even twinge, thanks to the lack of movement on the monster's part. A follow-up swing to both of the monsters left him collecting his loot and moving forward.

Joe repeated his attack for the second clearing and met minimal resistance. His attacks on the third and the fourth still relied on his tried and true distraction and charge method, but Joe felt that he'd be ready to try something new soon. His breathing was barely winded when he stopped clear of the fox. Joe sat down and popped a berry into his mouth. The energy felt clearer, and he felt it spread through his body, helping to wipe the weariness away.

"Bite."

The energy there felt more understandable every time Joe used it. This time he didn't just follow the energy. Once he felt it settle into his jaw, Joe tried to grab the energy and hold it there. He felt it with his mind, burning brightly, but he couldn't seem to grasp it, and the energy faded like usual. Joe triggered it once again and was met with similar results. He had considered trying to coax more energy into the skill as well but had discarded that as needlessly dangerous. The last thing he needed was to blow off a body part recklessly playing with magic.

Joe stood and shook himself off before walking back the way he came. It had taken hours and a lot of berries to raise his Glamour Attribute, even though it was pathetically low. It would take time and effort, but he would get there eventually. The monsters weren't back yet, so Joe backed up out of sight and triggered his skill one more time. He still wasn't even able to touch the energy.

The mana usage from the last skill left him at half full. Joe was starting to be more familiar with the mana levels in his body after all this practice. It wasn't a physical weakness when he ran out, but almost a spiritual one. There wouldn't be any more practice until he cleared the monsters again, though, as losing the option for his only skill would be a poor decision. He probably wouldn't need it, but that wasn't something worth betting his life on.

After another fifteen minutes of rest, Joe got up and headed back again. All the monsters were present this time, and Joe preceded to clear the rift back to the entrance. He wasted no time sitting down and popping a berry. The mana felt clear, and Joe watched it move through him. He tried to direct it away from his left arm on a whim. To Joe's surprise, it seemed to work at least a bit as half of the mana went to other parts of his body. Joe was too shocked at his sudden success to react and the power coursing through him a moment later drove everything home.

+1 Connection

Joe didn't hesitate and shot to his feet with a loud whoop. He knew it wouldn't always be this easy, but those Attributes were so low that raising them was over three times as easy as any of his others. Joe shook his head at the thought of how long it took him to raise his Glamour despite that fact. He probably was magically stupid. That was fine, though. He could get better and eventually only be magically slow.

Joe still had a big grin on his face as he left the rift in record time. Tomorrow he would go right after dark and have all night to get that last Attribute increase before he tried to level up again. Joe wasn't sure which he'd work towards, but any increase in his abilities would help. The rift entrance surrounded him, and soon he was back on Earth.

The barest hint of predawn light was turning night into twilight as Joe stepped away from the rift. His favorite morally flexible guards were still walking around, though they turned when Joe approached them.

"I figured it'd be best if I cut it short tonight. Will you two be here this evening?"

"We'll be here. As long as we work the night shift, we won't have to go into the murder hole."

Joe didn't say anything as he walked towards the exit. He sat the eight coins on the ground and went on his way, heading south. Joe didn't even bother to make the entire block loop, just waiting until the guards were facing away in the dark and ran to his street. Carl and company couldn't see him with the lantern ruining their night vision. Even if they could, Joe wasn't sure they'd do more than squeeze him for more coins. No one was completely harmless in this new world, but incompetence was the next best thing.

Motion at the far end of the street caught Joe's eye, and he froze. It was coming from the east and was near his house. The first rays of dawn broke at that moment and the figure of a young woman holding a large water dispenser bottle likely scavenged from an office somewhere. Joe noticed she was tall for a woman, almost his height. She had long jet-black hair that hung in a braid behind her head. Her face was statuesque with a strong nose and jaw, making her look fierce rather than imposing on her beauty. Joe cleared his throat, and she froze in place.

They stared at each other for only a moment before she dropped the jug and sprinted away from him. Joe started to follow for a moment but stopped himself. He was shirtless with ripped jeans and held a bat covered in monster blood. If Joe was going for trustworthy, this wasn't an ideal look.

He'd never convince her he had good intentions if he ran her down in the street. Instead, Joe walked to where she'd dropped the jug and tipped it upright. Only about a quarter of the water had spilled, still leaving gallons inside. He picked up the jug and walked it to the house closest to the rift.

Joe moved quickly. Now that the sun was coming up, even the wonder twins on guard would be able to make him out this close to the rift. He set the plastic water bottle in the shade to the side of the house and turned to leave. On a whim, he took five berries out of his pouch and left the remaining and the pouch next to the water bottle. Joe didn't know for sure that the woman lived here, but he thought it unlikely that a third person lived in the neighborhood, and he hadn't caught any sign of them yet.

With that done, Joe waited until the guards were facing away and sprinted through the backyards to his condo. He let himself inside and sat in the middle of the living room floor. His stomach was grumbling, and Joe didn't want to break into his dried food unless he had no other choice. The berries seemed to nourish and heal, so it was time to put his new celebrity diet to the test. Joe popped the berries one at a time and tried to focus on keeping the energy contained near his core. He wasn't wholly successful but overall was happy with his progress.

It wasn't the same as a meal. Joe's stomach still felt empty and would prefer to be filled, but his body felt satiated, as if he'd finished digesting food and was ready to go. Hunger sucked, but a steady food supply was nothing to sneeze at right now. Joe would need to keep his eyes open for food in the future, but that was nothing new.

Joe had too much energy to go back to sleep. He'd gotten a whole night's rest and barely spent two hours inside the rift. Given the energy output he'd gotten used to lately, Joe would be lucky if he got a cat nap in this afternoon. It was time to go scouting outside of town and see if anything was interesting.

He left his bat next to the back door but kept his knife strapped on his left side. His canteen stayed in place, still full since Joe didn't need it in the rift. Joe went upstairs and pocketed his brass knuckles and his last shirt before going towards the door. He'd gotten used to the bat, and it had performed well so far, but it was a terrible first impression if he met any people.

All his preparations were done, but Joe simply sat back down on the floor and waited. He knew the woman probably wanted to get back to her house before the sun was completely up, and he didn't want to spook her again. If she spotted him spying out the windows looking for her, there was no way he'd ever convince her he wasn't a creep.

After a half-hour of thinking, Joe stood up and stretched out the kinks. He still felt fresh and ready to go after just a moment of stretching. Without another thought, Joe checked the street and, seeing it was clear, quickly moved out of the neighborhood and to the south. He didn't immediately cut over to the main road but jogged around the small park instead. It didn't take much longer, and he reduced the risk of any council members spotting him significantly.

Once he was on the main road, Joe moved into a steady jog and did his best to keep the canteen from constantly slamming into his side. His pace was solid, and he ignored any side roads he came across for now. He would flesh out his mental map at some point, but right now, he needed to get a sense of what was going on around the area. Joe continued forward until he came to the burnt-out husk of a store on the edge of the Mennonite farms.

Joe was surprised when he stopped in the former store's parking lot. It used to sell meats, cheeses, and baked goods, so it wasn't surprising that it had been burnt in the last couple of years. It surprised him that it sat almost two miles south of town, and Joe had made it there in under fifteen minutes without feeling winded. He hadn't been able to keep up a pace like that in high school and certainly not in boots and jeans.

The road to the west used to lead to a farm market and was as good a destination as anywhere. Joe started walking west, taking a break from the jog. There were houses on this road, and Joe eyed each of them as he passed. He didn't see any movement, and the first two were missing front doors and was clearly abandoned.

Joe kept moving forward. He wasn't so desperate for supplies that he needed to dig through some wrecked houses just yet. The farm and its market sat at the top of a low rise. There was no movement at all, and Joe approached cautiously. There were crops in the fields but no sound of animals or people. The house and outbuildings were in good repair. Joe's instincts screamed at him that there should be people somewhere. He moved towards the open drive between the house and barnyard.

A smell hit Joe as the wind shifted. Sickly sweet and wretch-inducing, it could only be the smell of death. It was strong enough to make bile rise in his throat, and he paused. The smell seemed to be coming from the barn, so Joe stepped to the main doors and pushed them open despite his instincts screaming to get out of there. The lack of animal sounds suddenly made a lot more sense.

It was a massacre. Animals lay dead in their pens. Most of the bodies were clustered in the corners as if the sheep and goats had tried to get away from whatever had killed them. These weren't clean kills. The bodies were savaged with their chests ripped open and then left to rot. A side door flapped in the wind, and Joe jumped at the unexpected sound.

The smell was ten times worse in the barn, but Joe stayed and looked on in horror despite his stomach protesting the environment. He tried to come up with an idea of what could have done this, but he drew a blank. Southeastern Ohio might get the occasional bear and wildcat, but central Ohio hadn't seen anything larger than a coyote in a century.

Joe left and headed towards the house. He wanted to get away from here, but maybe there was someone in the house that could give him some answers. A moment later, Joe knocked on the door and called for someone to answer. There wasn't any motion or sound that Joe could make out, so he tried it again. There was still no answer, so he tried the doorknob, and he was surprised that it opened.

"Hello? Is there anyone here? I'm just trying to check on the people living here. I'm not a looter. Please don't shoot."

Guns were a giant question mark in Joe's world right now. He hadn't seen anyone shoot one since the system came to town, but they might still work. Joe knew he was tougher and healed faster, but that wouldn't mean anything if he had a .44 traveling through his brain. If anyone had guns besides the council, it would be farmers. That was the whole reason he avoided the farmhouses on the way to Plain City in the first place.

There were still no sounds coming from the house, and Joe's gut sank before his nose gave him the bad news. It wasn't as bad as the barn, but death still lingered in this house. Joe crept through the door and walked through the mudroom to the kitchen. The smell increased with every step he took. As he crossed the threshold to the living room, Joe didn't wonder about the people anymore. Over a dozen bodies, ranging from elderly to children, lay in a rough circle around the room. They looked like they had been holding hands and had just collapsed where they'd been sitting. They hadn't suffered the same mutilation as the animals, but they'd been dead for several days.

Joe didn't waste any time leaving the way he came into the house. Once he was in the barnyard, he lost control and started heaving. He'd only had whiteberries, so almost pure stomach acid burned its way out of him. A few minutes of heaving were followed by ten minutes of spitting and wiping watery eyes before Joe could focus again. Looking west, he now saw a trail of dried blood and goat body parts heading into the cornfield. Joe turned and got the fuck out of dodge, heading back towards town.