Dawnbreaker didn’t bat an eye at Liling’s bold claim to the World Capital. “I’m confident that Daybreak would be capable of defending the World Capital.”

“It sounds like we’ve dealt with as much as we can,” Evangeline said, smiling sadly. “I’m sure we all have a lot on our plate—except for you, Abelino.” Evangeline flashed Abelino a small smile. “I believe the New World Government has some hunting to do.”

The three representatives of the New World Government—Liling, Evangeline, and Absame—left the room. Liling and Evangeline didn’t even glance at me on the way out, but Absame flashed me a wink when the other two weren’t looking.

I gestured for Abelino and Dawnbreaker to stay seated. Dawnbreaker shot a glance at Abelino, who split into a clone and followed the three other Hell Mode Challengers out.

“Abelino knows this already. But I have something that will drastically speed up our search for a Zone Lord.”

I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch, and then took out the Aviaton that I had finished making the night before.

It took up most of the rest of the room, barely fitting between the wall and the conference table we had been sitting around. It was sleek metal, about ten feet in diameter, including the cockpit and the circular, flat-ish rim that stuck out from the cockpit like Saturn’s rings.

“This is called an Aviaton. It is peak D-rank, capable of launching D-rank attacks with its Mana Cannon, and it has a D-rank shield, D-rank propulsion and antigravity runes. As a side note, the invading forces will likely have similar technology. I am already working with Abelino to produce these en masse, and this is just the first that we have made so far. This will be a huge aid as we kill the Zone Lords.”

Dawnbreaker spread her hands. “Well, it looks like you hold all the cards. What’s your price? Hopefully not 10 million coins—I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t have that much.”

“I want the final kill,” I said.

Dawnbreaker immediately shook her head. “I’m not an idiot. I know you’ll get 20 Stat Points per kill, and a C-rank item. That’s too much. I would rather pay 10 million and join the New World Government’s search party, for a chance at my own C-rank item.”

“Hear me out,” I said. “I don’t have the manpower to claim and hold the Capital Cities that would drop. I have a skill, that will drastically increase the amount of loot that an opponent drops. You saw it when I killed the Gravity Leech. I deal the final blow, and the loot will be drastically increased.”

“It’s still not worth it,” Dawnbreaker said. “However great the loot is, it would be split in thirds between us.

“Then we rotate kills,” I said. “I get the first kill. And the loot gets split evenly. And the World Emperor kill goes to me, if possible.”

“No,” Dawnbreaker said. “I want the first kill. You have something of a reputation as a kill stealer. You get the second Zone Lord, and Abelino gets the third. If we get to a fourth, that can go to you.”

“Agreed,” Abelino said.

“Fine,” I shrugged. Thinking back to the Zone Lords I had fought already—the Shade, the Jaguar, the Gravity Leech, and the Sandman—there was a decent chance I wouldn’t be able to kill the next Zone Lords easily on my own. And the key was speed, now—we needed to build a World City ASAP.

We spent the next half-hour hashing out logistics. The Ocean Zones were broken into the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.

The New World Government had killed the South Atlantic Zone Lord, but the other Zones were fair game.

The New World Government had already killed Oceania’s Zone Lord, and so the only remaining continental Zone Lord was in Antarctica.

The race was on.

We decided to target the North Atlantic Zone first.

Our first stop was Boston.

We walked side by side through the streets of Boston. Abelino in the middle, with his C-rank leather armor. Dawnbreaker, in a shimmering, silver A-rank Unisuit, with her head uncovered.

And me, in my black form-fitting unisuit with two tentacles extending out of my spine, waving energetically at passers-by.

At Dawnbreaker’s command, they opened the gate to Boston City, and we quickly slipped through.

I finally had my first glimpse of the attacking sea creatures. Most of the monsters were salamanders, frogs, toads, and crabs, all unnaturally large and bloodthirsty. They rammed up against the walls of Boston City with ferocious energy, but the city walls held firm, and there were hundreds of soldiers at the top of the ramparts firing down at them.

Once again, I was reminded of the importance of Mana Shards and Mana Crystals. As long as the barrier held, the archers on the ramparts were essentially invincible, turning a potentially deadly scenario into free experience.

Dawnbreaker, for her part, made a show of clearing the nearby monsters, launching a swing of martial energy from her sword that wreaked havoc on the approaching swarm. Then, once the coast was clear, I took out my Aviaton.

In high school, my siblings and I never had access to a car. It was always a status symbol—which kids had cars, and which kids were allowed to ride in them. I popped the cabin of the Aviaton, hopped lithely in, and I saw the envious eyes of the guards on the ramparts, as they saw my Aviaton.

I glanced at Dawnbreaker and Abelino, who were casually holding back the swarm of monsters.

“Get in, losers. We’re going shopping.”