Max used to like breakfast. It was a time for him to relax and unwind while being able to listen to the others talk about nothing important. It was guilty pleasure, there were no crippling jobs to do, no dangerous monsters to slay, no important people to talk to. Breakfast was just a group of friends and mentors talking.

This breakfast, however, was all but calming. Max had woken alongside Emi after talking with Tiodepth. It was still early morning, but he had missed the primary slotted time to eat. So, his and Emi’s food was cold and crusty. If that wasn’t bad enough, Vel was explaining he had war declared against him courtesy of the King of Salae.

Celenia held Max’s hand tenderly. This news was already known to her, but only by a few hours. She and Belopi had come to terms with it and had thought through a few avenues of decisions Max could follow.

“You can run.” Belopi said lethargically, her tea not having the same caffeine potency as it usually did from the winter bite.

“You can fight.” Celenia growled, “Kill Clammy’s brother and be done with the situation.”

Vel rolled her eyes, “No one is killing anyone. Once Bishop and the others are back, this all should be settled.”

The usually curmudgeoned attitude was strangely gone from Vel’s voice. Hope and forethought was not something the old woman was known for. But, then again, a single-man war was not something most would encounter in their lives. She, however, did have such experience, after all she was married to a Lost Lord.

“Vacation.” Emi said flatly.

Max had already suggested taking a vacation with Celenia and his bonded partner - both of whom had already agreed. It was under guise of needing a proper refresh after the Flame Dimension Gate attack, which ultimately led to late King Tobyn’s death, but was more or less a clearly defined strategic move.

Max could teleport. Far. He hadn’t tested just how far, but after the huge mana boost he received after classing-up, he assumed he could reach other continents now. Maybe even further. Traveling the world for vacation was a great excuse to see new teleportation spots – since he needed to visit the location first.

His profile was slowly coming along rather nicely.

Name:

Max Fowler

Race:

Lost One (Human Earth)

Class 1:

Abyss Walker

Class 2:

Lost Astral Lord

Level

53

Exp:

6244/7145

Health: 624/624

Mana: 516/516

Stats:

Strength:

Dexterity:

Stamina:

Intellect:

Wisdom:

10

10

10

170

155

“Maybe.” Max said, scratching Emi’s scales.

He was surprised about how well the little monster was taking learning about her heritage. A unique creature outside the System, one only a few could relate to. And those beings were among the strongest Nava had to offer.

“Fried hen.” Emi stated, a bit more firmly, “You promised.”

“Hen? I thought Emi only ate fish.” Belopi added, getting a chuckle from Vel.

Max sliced a stale chunk of bread, “I did. We will go, but I want to hear what Clammy has to say beforehand.”

Battered and fried hen. It was a dish Max hadn’t really thought about - not since throwing it up on the floor of the Garden of Globes. But the meal would be one he would never forget. It marked the turn for the battle of Esmel as well as meeting and discussing medicine with the God of Healing, Subuntu.

Emi didn’t really want hen. She much preferred fish, that was true, but the sense of adventure called to her. The tavern the hen was served at was far away. On a different continent… which meant exotic kinds of fish.

A few hours and a harsh spar between Max and Vel later, Clammy and the others arrived back to the mansion. After the unconscious Reep was checked over by all three healer [Water Mages], an impromptu meeting was called.

Clammy began, “Eden won’t back down. He has imprisoned Alia, turned most of the royal cabinet against Max – and in turn Lesterwood, and has hired [Master Trackers] which only means-“

“[Master Assassins] are among the ranks.” Vel inhaled slowly, “That is worse than I thought. You are a target. A high-priority one.” She said to the Lost Lord.

Max shrugged, “I’ve delt with [Assassins] before. Red Mask and that Highlane goon, remember?”

“I don’t think you understand. The combination of tracker and executioner is a pair as old as politics and money. If [Masters] are involved… you need to start thinking about where you want to take your vacation.”

“I’m… not following.”

Bishop stepped in, “[Master Trackers] can, and will, find you. If they have any scent to go off of, they will eventually catch you. The Master category of a class is similar to Arch for mages. Meaning the people Salae hired to find you are pulling no punches. ”

Max slowly nodded, “Can they track teleports?”

“Most likely. Better to assume they can.” Vel said, “Magical tracking is a whole beast of a complicated art. One hair found in a sewer would be enough to go on.”

That was… interesting. Max didn’t know much about other magics besides his own – and even then he didn’t know much about his own. But one thing is for certain, tracking magic was something to worry about… However, at the same time…

“Can we hire a [Tracker] to find the [Druids]? Dreamstem specifically?”

Bishop and Vel shared a look, Celenia perked up.

“No… Not usually, at least.” Vel explained, “Something with their Druid Shifts spell effects the process.”

All eyes fell to the ex-[Druid]-in-training, “Me?” Celenia questioned, “I have no idea! I only have one shift; I don’t know what effects tracking magic!”

“Come now girly – the [Druids] are scum. No point in protecting their secrets.” Vel chided.

“Vel…” Max said with a warning tone.

Celenia placed her hand on his, “It’s okay. The Order is nothing in my eyes… now, at least. But still, I don’t know any secrets other than how to shift. And I don’t think that is going to help anyone here.”

Clammy scrunched her brows, “Why not?”

The young Elf sighed, “Only nature-based classes can learn the spell. Or, unless you have a blood-line tie or hereditary innate ability.”

Max and Emi shared a look, a mental and silent conversation forming between them, the Human spoke, “Like a Dragon’s.”

“Yeah, like a Dragon’s. Druid Shift is a copy of one of their Racial Traits – or so Dreamstem told me. But who knows if anything she ever said was the truth…”

This time, Max placed his hand on hers, “I’m sorry about your teacher… But… how would you feel about becoming one yourself! Emi is in need of one!”

All eyes flicked to the little monster, “What?” Celenia asked.

“So.” Max said slowly, choosing his words carefully, “We found out a bit of Emi’s background – what she is, sort of thing. And, well, I don’t want to go into it all, but part of that is Dragon.”

Smiles went around the table, “Bonded with a Dragon, huh? Not the oddest bond I’ve heard of, but still.” Vel said.

“She… is not a Dragon. At least, not fully.”

Belopi was confused, “Then what is she?”

Emi coward slightly, she wanted to tell everyone. She wanted to shout from the roof that she was a Leviathan’s kid, but she couldn’t. Tiodepth had specifically said that they shouldn’t. Who was she to disobey her… father’s one request.

“Something unique.” Emi said, “Don’t ask. Please.”

Silence filled the air until Celenia said, “Okay, I’ll teach her how to shift.”

Emi’s eyes lit up, sparkling green like an endless supernova, “Really! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

The little monster rushed from her seat and leaped from the table into Celenia’s lap, licking her face like a puppy. The Elf tried to combat the barrage, but ultimately accepted her fate. The room laughed at the sight.

Once everything calmed, Vel spoke, “Seriously, Max. I think you and Emi should leave Lesterwood for the time being. I know, I know, this city is your only home on this planet, but… I’m afraid. There has been too many close calls lately.”

Max truly thought about this. There had been close calls lately, some of which caused others to die. Could he really stay in a city knowing he was being hunted? Could he stay in any city at all? The obvious answer was no. Of course not. But the question remained for how long.

How long was Eden’s tyrannical revenge going to be kept in motion? How long was Max going to have to be on the run? Teleportation made things much easier, but much more difficult. He could theoretically run for ever, but how long until he goes mad from traveling.

Lesterwood was his home, his only home. Those he considered family and friends would be what he missed the most. He couldn’t ask them to leave with him, travel in his Pocket World like nomads. He couldn’t even ask Celenia that, and they were in a blooming relationship.

“Okay… I’ll leave in the morning. In the meantime I have some things to prepare.” Max turned to Celenia, “Are you sure you want to come? A vacation with potential [Assassins] doesn’t sound very relaxing.”

She smiled, leaned forward then kissed him on the lips, “Of course!”

Vel groaned while Bishop and Clammy smiled. Belopi fought back a tear – she was happy and sad. Happy for her daughter to find love, sad for her to be leaving so suddenly.

Max, Emi, and Celenia left the mansion to run a few errands for their travels. Besides food, supplies, and a million other potential items they could bring, Max had a few things he needed to take care of. One of which was communicating with his business partner for Leviathan Works, Elliot.

The young [Tinkerer] was easy to find – he seemed to always be in his uncle’s seal shop.

“Elliot!” Max said after entering the establishment, “We need to chat.”

“Oh good. I just finished inscripting your grass-cutting-blades and I have a warehouse location for a lot of dirt.”

Elliot went into the back and retrieved a small box, “The [Metal Smith] that made them said the commission was one of his simpler jobs. Turns out, thin, non-sword blades are rather easy to make. There’s no balancing, labor intensive tempering, or creative entry.”

Max held one out, spinning it in his palm, “The grass will never know what hit it.” He said with a smirk, “Thanks for this. But in seriousness, I have to leave Lesterwood for a while. The new King of Salae is mad at me and I don’t want it coming back on the city.”

“But-but the business! We were supposed to be partners!”

Max produced a small box of his own from his inventory, “We still will be. Take one of these. They are called Shaker-“

“Stones, yeah I know of them. I have a few ideas on how to improve them actually.” Elliot flipped through a large stack of uneven papers. Small drawings and paragraph length descriptions filled most of the pages, math filled the others. He eventually found the one he was looking for and presented it to Max.

“It could work… It’s going to need a larger power source.”

Elliot nodded, “A mage only version, yes, I know. It’s a work in progress.”

They spent the next few minutes discussing different solutions, but the conversation lulled without proper experimentation.

“Are you really leaving?”

“Yeah.” Max looked distant, “But, one of the great things about teleportation is that I can be here when ever needed. At least, I can drop off messages easy enough – I’m not sure how [Tracker] magic works.”

“But what about the shop… We were supposed to look for a building in the mage district next week!”

“Trust me, Elliot, I don’t want to leave. I really truly don’t. But I have to, at least for now.” A massive sack of coins crashed onto the counter, sending gold disks everywhere, “Here’s the capital for whatever you need. You have my blueprints as well as my blessing. Anything the store needs, you will get, I know you will.”

The [Tinkerer]’s eyes glimmered in the reflective coins, “This is going to be a lot of work by myself.”

“Hire some people then. A [Secretary], [Appraiser], [Shopkeeper]. Whatever you need. You may even be able to talk Bishop and Reep into helping get you started. Vel might actually be the best person you could ask for help buying a shop here. She’s lived in Lesterwood for as long as it has been around.”

“What about the inventory rings?”

Max thought for a moment. He still didn’t know how to make an inventory ring, but that was his next stop after Elliot, “Hopefully I won’t need any special equipment or a [Rune Crafter]’s forge. I’ll make them in batches, teleport them here along with anything else I make, and then you sell them.”

Elliot still looked downcast, but he was understanding in the need for Max to leave.

Before the Lost Lord left, he said, “I’ll still be around, just not as close as I usually am. If you need me, shake the stones. Otherwise good luck and I look forward to seeing Elliot and Leviathan Works at the top of Lesterwood’s markets when I get back. Also, make sure the mayor upholds the tax-free holdings he said I would have!”

Elliot thought about these words. It was the dream he had had since he was a young boy. He didn’t want to sit around in his uncle’s seal shop all day. He wanted to create things, to make his own money, to gain his own renown, and level-up his basic class. As Max left, Elliot decided he was going to make Leviathan Works amazing.

After meeting back up with Celenia and Emi, the trio – now including Max – perused the markets. Food, clothing, jewelry, handcrafted trinkets said to ward off evil spirits, the market was in full swing – something that hadn’t been true the last week. After the fall of the fungus, Lesterwood was, in essence, closed.

The markets and general shops got it the worst. No one wanted to go out, meaning there were simply no sales. [Smith], [Tailors], and other protective businesses made quite a-bit of cash, however. Guards needed new armor while mages needed new robes. The enchanting market was booming with the sudden influx of monster parts, allowing adventurers long desired magical features.

Altogether, Lesterwood was thriving after the fungus attack – an outcome most didn’t see possible. The lack of deaths, lack of destruction, and massive gain of experience and gold set the city into a new era. Expansion was coming, which was another reason Max saw it wise to leave. He didn’t want to mess it up.

The next errand was the Church. He had two Gods he wanted to speak with. One about space magic and hopefully rings, the other about cashing in a favor.

The Church was much the same, a circular building that was of increasing height every time Max visited. Each floor – unless expressly stated – was given to a unique God or Goddess. Their followers had free reign over their particular domain, often making the floor in question in image of their Lord.

In this particular case, Max was visiting Sahhgen, Goddess of Space and The Infinity. An offering was to be placed at her shrine for guidance – the result of impressing the Goddess with a self-created Pocket World.

The twenty-first floor housed Sahhgen’s shrine and a familiar notification appeared.

You have entered a place of the Divine.

Upon his entry, a [Priest] appeared seemingly from nowhere and ushered Max to the shrine proper – a statue of a snail. The snail was the size of a hippopotamus but stretched like a world snake. It wrapped around a physical representation of what was easily recognizable as a mana formation for a spatial anchor.

As Max traced the mana formation, he realized just how impressive the statue was. He had never thought of mana in a physical way like this, but who ever created the statue must have been seriously high-leveled.

Max made sure the [Priest] had left before removing his offering. It was a small memory globe, one of a movie scene from Earth. The activation of the Stargate, the original one - not the remakes. He made sure to only capture the gate’s activation in the globe, not the technology or the Humans in the film. Only the gate’s nineteen-ninety four computer generated effect and water splash composite.

In all honesty, Max didn’t have much to barter in the way of gifts, especially not to a Goddess that knows infinitely more about magic than a newborn Lost Lord. He had a few items that may be worthy, but a memory from another world was uniquely unique.

Max slowly placed the glass sphere on the ceremonial offering table – a velvet purple cushion at the base of the snail statue. He took a step back and waited… and waited.

“Oh, uhh… Goddess Sahhgen? This is Max Fowler, Lost Lord from Earth. I received your notification via the System, and I am here for guidance. My offering is a one of a kind memory from Earth.”

He didn’t say it aloud because he thought it poor taste, but he did think, One of a kind memory because Lester was taken before Stargate came out.

“The memory is of a Stargate. A powerful device used to travel across worlds.” Max waited for a response, but it never came, “It’s not real, if that is what you are wondering. The memory is real, but not the gate. It is an interpretation of what travel among the stars might be like. I find it interesting how close they actually got to it. I used some concepts from the memory in designing my spells, actually.”

This caused a stir. The room shifted, like space itself began to jog. Purples and deep blues shined through invisible cracks just before the lights flickered. When they returned, the [Priest] was running and yelling. But Max didn’t care about that. He only cared about the empty offering table and pending notification.

Sahhgen, Goddess of Space and The Infinite Pod, has invited you to her domain.

Accept? Y/N

Pod? Max asked just before selecting yes. He was quickly consumed by a white void with random streaks of color.