[Meditation] is now level 42. You have gained 1 Path point. Increases mana regeneration by 42% while the skill is active.

[Detect Presence] is now level 31. Actively sends a pulse of mana to check the user’s surroundings for living beings. Range 93 meters. Uses 7 mana per minute.

[Prey’s Flight] is now level 11. You have gained 1 Path point. Increases speed and decreases stamina use while running away from the enemy by 11%.

Garry, Jake and Warren left for the Capital a week ago, three days after we drank at the bar. Jake agreed to update me on important stuff by cell phone messages.

I decided not to join any team, nor to run solo hunts for now. Basically I took a free leave from the job. At least until I decided what I wished to achieve. It was like a question for a job interview, really. Where do I see myself in ten years? Alive, safe and worryless.

I don’t see myself using melee weapons or guns. Bows are fine, but they lack the means of destroying multiple targets at once or in quick succession. I still remember the fear I felt when the dog bit into my arm. Magic was the answer to that, with high speed I could ignore defensive spells and focus on the offense. I would be a glass cannon, high speed and high damage but no other means of defense. Did I want that?

No. I wanted to be safe and being a glass cannon was a bad idea, there was always a chance of getting hit no matter how fast I would be. But what other choice is there?

High Endurance and Dexterity with a lot of movement and defensive skills and without the means of attacking? That was stupid, but then again why would I need to attack? Fighting is not something that I like to do and there are other means of acquiring small cores. I got more cores from the military by providing information to the Army than from hunting dogs day after day.

There was also the fact that the Army is not the only one that needs information, not that I know anything about the other groups or individuals.

What do I want to achieve in my life? It was easy to answer really, I had a dream that I thought about every few days. Being able to live forever, it was idiotic but with the System there was a chance that it could be achieved.

There were already scientists looking into it with high hopes, even I noticed differences in my body. My hair grew much slower, so did nails. I didn’t poop as often as before so I freaked out a bit. Endurance was the cause of slowed aging, something that many biologists and doctors agreed on.

High defenses and high movement speed is something that suited me. Though I will need to level my [Pain Resistance] someday, ugh… Dexterity first then.

[Path of Greater Dexterity 5/50] It is only by prudence, wisdom and dexterity that great ends are attained and obstacles overcome. Dexterity increased by 1.

Wasn’t that some long dead guy’s quote? I don’t think that’s the kind of dexterity he meant.

[Path of Greater Dexterity 10/50] The destruction of humanity, all it takes is only one dexterous finger to press the red button. Dexterity increased by 1.

I wish there was a way to ignore those quotes…

[Path of Greater Dexterity 15/50] Dexterity Increased by 1.

Wait… What? Of course... The System is able to modify our bodies with attributes and skills, the way that I see it is only due to my expectations of how it should look even if mechanics are the same for everyone. Why were there quotes in the first place though?

[Path of Greater Dexterity 20/50] Dexterity Increased by 1.

-

The meeting for Association members was called a few hours later. It took place in one of the emptier warehouses.

"Times are changing, and with it change the rules of the world." Exclaimed the commander of our base, there were almost two hundred members present alongside some military personnel. "The new rule is simple, eternal war." The commander made a dramatic pause.

"The enemy is all around us and their target is us, humans. Our nation needs its citizens to protect it, much more than the Army currently has. The nation also needs highly efficient and well trained soldiers, that the Association failed to deliver.” It doesn’t sound good. Murmurs spread through the warehouse.

“The Association will be incorporated into the Army, forming proper ranks, receiving proper orders as well as much better equipment.” More murmurs spread. I stayed focused on what the commander said, but I was against it. I will not accept it, I prefer to be free.

The commander continued. “Those who are against joining the military, stand and leave your ID at the exit in the urn. Know that your help was welcome.”

I didn’t have to think for long, I was the first person that stood up. One minute later I was outside the warehouse where few soldiers were waiting. “Your gun, magazines, bow and arrows.” One of them declared. The Army couldn’t afford wasting good equipment, I unbuckled my belt, my gun and magazines strapped to it. My bow was hanging on my back alongside the arrows, I gave them away as well.

“My other gear?” I asked, wondering how much more they expect me to give back.

The same soldier replied. “Your tent as well, clear it off your stuff. Army commissioned clothes, bags, knives and other utility gear are not necessary. I nodded, almost a month of living on the Army cost has ended, I will need to take care of my food needs myself. Not to mention a place to live.

I was packed in less than an hour, my twenty three dexterity allowing me to do menial tasks quickly. Or perhaps it was the fact that I had only two medium sized bags worth of various equipment. I looked around the tent which was the size of a small room and remembered how long I spent in it meditating.

If I were to level [Sleep Resistance] to level 100 would I need to sleep at all? I left the tent and headed towards the centre of the city. Twenty small cores in my pocket as a parting gift from the commander.

There were independent groups of people that cared more about their own welfare and it’s members rather than helping humanity. Typical MMORPG guilds really, something that I wouldn’t mind joining. I needed more information. Pulling out my cellphone I started writing. ‘I quit the Association, they are incorporating it into the Army. Do you know if the military has any information on freelancer groups in Gavensburg?’ Once I was done I pressed the send button. Hopefully Jake won’t take long to respond.

-

The building looked like any other on the street, but I knew there was a gym in this place before. The group with over fifty members was based here, police noticed them as sometimes they ventured outside the city and kept an eye on their organisation expecting it to be a crime group. No reports of them in any criminal activity were recorded according to Jake. I knocked at the door and waited.

The doors opened soon after, a young man almost two meters tall was behind it. Bald and muscled, though not like a culturists body. “How may I help you?” He asked with a kind voice which made me raise an eyebrow.

“I heard that your group is recruiting members for monster hunting.” He lowered his gaze at my body which was clothed in military style, it was the best quality clothes that I owned and I got used to them. “There were rumors that the Association was disbanded.” He must have made connection with the rumors that were already circulating. I nodded, it wasn’t much of a secret with so many people leaving deciding not to join the military.

The man stepped aside and spoke. “Come, I will take you to Josh.” I followed. After we made it past the entrance hall we entered the main hall, there were at least two dozen people here. Some were training with weapons, stabbing, slashing and smashing at wooden dummies. Others were just chatting. We made it to the office’s door soon after.

“Come in.” It was more of a private gym than an office really, the leader was heavily packed with muscles, so much that I wondered if he had problems wiping his own ass.

“What do you want?” The rough voice spoke once more. “I am a potential employee looking for a safe place to stay where I can get paid for my work. I can act as a scout, you might need few of those.” I spoke, yet I felt that it wasn’t a place for me.

The leader looked me over and snorted. “I have no need for the likes of you.” He continued lifting weights. According to the army you couldn’t increase your base attributes by working out, it must have been a hobby of his.

Soon after I was on the street beside the gym. Why would I think that a gym based group wouldn’t be full of strength fanatics? All of them also practised with melee weapons… Idiots.

It was time to check out another group.

-

I was sitting at the roof of the fifteen story tall building taking in the sights when a familiar place approached me, how he I knew where I was I didn’t know.

“I have heard that you have been looking for a group to join, William.” Joah said, I met him almost two weeks ago on one of the outings with Garry and Warren, we spoke a bit back then as we were returning to the city. He was a member of the Association before but now was clothed in plain clothes. “No need to be wary, I mean no harm.” He added.

“You are working as a spy now, Joah?” I asked while looking slowly to the sides making sure that we are alone, one could never be too sure.

Joah chuckled. “I have followed you since you left the last group that you went to meet.“ A stalker then. I spoke nothing and merely looked at him waiting for him to continue, a minor psychological trick to make him feel uncomfortable.

“Our group has a need for a courier, a person capable of running fast for long distances.” The Army was cooperating with transport companies to enable movement of civilian packages in the nation so what was the point? Unless…

“Couriers for what? Guns? Drugs?” I asked, making Joah sigh before he answered.

“Mostly medium cores.” I raised an eyebrow at that. “The national park that spreads over two thousand square kilometers is the only inland place in this country where the spawn of bigger monsters is frequent. There are groups that hunt them for medium cores with most ending up exchanged for smaller cores and in merchants hands willing to sell it for more in other cities. Cities such as ours.” He finished and looked at me for a while expecting more questions.

“Are you working for those merchants or for the buyers?” I asked again.

“Buyers.” He answered quickly but started speaking as well. “I know that you have contact high up in the military and you know what will happen in one and a half week. Compulsory army conscription is something that many of us would like to avoid and our group has made a deal with a rich snob to make sure we avoid that.” It was true, I would like to avoid joining the Army.

“And the pay?” I asked the most important question of all, if it was miniscule there was no point in joining.

“The park is two hundred kilometers away, close to the border as you most likely know. Our group takes 10% of the cargo value and we transport only medium cores. Since couriers travel alone to avoid Army’s sight we limit the number of medium cores to twenty in each transport for new members. You get 7% of the total value with 3% going to the group.” Joah explained.

I didn’t know how much a medium core was worth at the moment, but it was surely more than two thousand dollars each making each run worth almost three thousand dollars, that’s at least fifty small cores for two days of running, and I was good at running.

“Count me in.” I was sick of meeting various groups in the past two days where most believed that they could win a world with a pointy stick just like the ones in the gym.

“Remember, if you are not with the Army you are against them.” Joah left me soon after saying that the group will contact me soon with necessary information. Was the Army trying to take over the nation? With so many people to join it would be easy to do so. Who would stop them?