The thunder crows arrived back at the merchant's home to return to their nest in the early evening. They were flying in a loose circle, with electricity arcing between the crows, creating the miniature thunderclaps for which they were named.

And as it turns out, grabbing their nest and waving it at them is an excellent way to piss off a swarm of thunder crows. Alyx barely had time to dodge out of the way when the first bolt of electricity arced off the lead crow.

Running to the edge of the roof, Alyx lept to a neighboring home, looking back just long enough to ensure the crows were following before he lead them on a merry chase across the rooftops of donnyville.

Now, if you asked him to recant the tale of that night, Alyx would tell you that he deftly dodge the thunder crows blasts of electricity until he was well out of town and had placed their nest in a tree far off from other people. Only taking a blast of electricity to the back from the thunder crows once he had turned to leave.

The shape-shifter's nearly burnt up clothing, and soot-stained face, along with the myriad complaints delivered to the adventurers guild over the next day about adventurers running around on top of rooftops and making an awful racket, spoke more to the truth.

Alyx didn't even get a form out of the whole thing, not because the crows never came close enough for him to take a swipe at. No, they had been persistent about trying to peck out at him.

They weren't exactly dangerous, though. Oh sure, they shot off a little bit of electricity, but it stung more than did damage and the only reason the crows were attacking him was because he was moving their nest.

The encounter with the crows just felt different than the other times he got essences, and he didn't put much more thought into it than that. It might be hypocritical at this point, but if killing one of those crows would have made him feel guilty, then it was the easiest thing in the world not to.

Though all things said and done, after he collected his twenty gold coins, Alyx felt like he had done his fair share of work for the day. Hell, he hadn't been asked to get them out of town, only away from the merchant's house.

How's that for going above and beyond?

A quick stop at an inn and one bath later, Alyx came to realize another problem with being undead was that he didn't sleep. With night fully underway and most of the town either drinking itself into oblivion or going to bed, Alyx was going to have to sit around and wait for things to open back up.

The idea that this could happen hadn't even occurred to him. I mean, sure, some small towns tend to shut down at nine or ten pm back in America. But there was always at least a full-service gas station open somewhere.

With many hours left until dawn and little else to do, maybe it was time Alyx sat down and thought out a plan.

"Ok, so magic is real, which means teleportation and portal spells might be a thing. So when I visit the wizard tomorrow, I should ask about those, see if there might not be a way to get back home."

"The next thing I need to do is talk to Coileta. I'm clearly rubbish at picking out the kind of quests that will get me decent essences. Or at least ones I won't feel like a dick for taking."

"If I can, another class evolution and tier up might be in order. S.A.A.T. When do I evolve my class, and how do I get another race evolution?"

Class evolutions happen at 20-40-80-160-320-640-1280 and so on. the requirements are doubled each time. As for tier, you can evolve your race upon reaching the next tier's squared level equivalent. For seven, you can tier up at level forty-nine.

Or, more accurately, you may take a quest to do so. The gods generally give such quests. So I am unsure how exactly you will tier up. It is possible the heretical force you call the Nothing will provide assistance.

Though you walk upon the precipice of the unknown, which, while exciting, is dangerous, and I urge you to give up this evil path.

"Thanks, S.A.A.T."

...

"Why do you insist the Nothing is evil exactly? I mean beyond standing in defiance of the gods."

That is precisely why I insist the Nothing is evil. The universe is held together by the gods. Within the universe, all things are balanced. To disrupt that balance can only bring destruction. And the Nothing exists only to disrupt that balance! I will make no claims that the gods are fair or kind, but without them, existence ends.

"And your sure that's the case? Can you be certain that you haven't been fed propaganda?"

Propaganda? Were I allowed to reveal the inner workings of the universe or your mind capable of understanding it. You would not ask that! Ha! Propaganda, as if I am some young buck being shipped off to war or a naive child taking my first political science class.

"Yeesh, ok, ok, forget I said anything S.A.A.T."

"You'll have to forgive me, though, if I remain unconvinced."

Alyx sighed, letting the conversation drop. At least he knew when to expect his next evolutions.

He vaguely recalled mention of a dungeon a few weeks from Donnyville. Maybe after talking with the wizard and coileta tomorrow, he could head that way.

Sadly his planning session had taken about fifteen minutes, and Alyx quickly grew bored of staring up at the wooden ceiling of the inn, so he shrugged on some clean clothes and decided to head out into the night. At the very least, he could familiarize himself with the layout of the town until morning.