1

Harper and Damon were pissed. Some of the other members were, too. Jordan had peeked into the hut he shared with Emma and nodded that she was still in there.

“What the fuck? I thought we were a team?” Sierra asked heatedly.

Zahra was incensed as well, which was a change from her usual calm and collected self. “There’s no way she could’ve slept through that last battle.”

While Harper tried to soothe the restless members, Damon pulled Jordan aside. “Go in and check on her,” he growled. “Then get her the hell out of there.”

Jordan appeared hesitant. “She didn’t listen to anything I said last night.” He paused, then sighed. “But you’re right. It should be me.” He started walking toward the hut.

The orc general followed him for part of the way. “And don’t be long. We don’t have all day.”

2

While Jordan tentatively stepped into the hut, Damon informed the members that he and Harper had decided to keep Lorenzo and Silo on the team. He saw Zack’s face turn red, but to his credit, the former Marine kept his mouth shut. Nonetheless, Damon knew that he’d have to explain his decision to him later. Yeah, and what am I going to tell him then? he lamented. That it was easier not having to deal with the matter? The orc general knew Zack would not be convinced. They’d had a similar determination to make just a few days earlier. Zack had made the call on that one, going easy on Brett, which blew up in their faces.

Harper caught the attention of the group as they waited for Jordan. “We’ve been through a few battles now. So, who’s leveled up? You’ll have attribute points that need to be allocated.” She glanced at Damon derisively. “We will follow the same strategies that I used with the other players. It will be a form of maxing, but based on a trifecta of stat categories.”

She paused, waiting to hear if anyone would dissent. Silo and Sierra appeared ready to speak, but they both thought better of it. Harper smirked slightly. That’s right, Silo, just be happy you’re not kicked off the team. She told them that the orcs and hunters would max on three of four stats: dexterity, endurance, and constitution or strength. For the mages and healers, she would select from intelligence, wisdom, and constitution or endurance. “So, let’s start with the bunyips…”

“The what?” Jackson asked.

Madison elbowed him. “Those sea monsters that attacked us in the lake.”

Understanding bloomed in Jackson’s hazel eyes. “Oh, oh, oh. Yeah, those guys.”

“As I was saying,” Harper continued, “let’s see a show of fingers for every bunyip you killed.”

Angie lifted one finger while Damon and Thao lifted two. The Vietnamese Grimalkin spoke up cautiously. “Um, I know that Emma got four.”

Harper had one kill as well and knew that the bunyips garnered a whooping 112 XP, a large sum for rookie players. Because of the more stringent leveling system after level 50, she, Angie, and Damon didn’t get a boost, but Emma jumped from level 59 to 61 based on her 448 XP. Thao jumped to level 9 with her 224 XP, benefiting from the generous leveling system Cloud Nine had installed for rookie players. Harper had the slight Grimalkin member disperse her 32 points as 11, 11, and 10 into dexterity, endurance, and constitution.

They had a show of hands for the goblin kills next.

Armando had nabbed four, securing 156 XP, which moved him to level 7. He dumped his 24 points evenly into dexterity, endurance, and strength. Vlad was next with three kills, which garnered him 117 XP, putting him at level 5. He invested his 16 attribute points as 5, 5, and 6 into intelligence, wisdom, and endurance. Jordan and Lorenzo followed with two kills each, securing 78 XP, but only Lorenzo got bumped. He ended up at level 4 and applied his 12 points evenly into dexterity, endurance, and strength.

The rest of Damon’s crew had scored one goblin each, which bumped them to level 2. Silo and Zahra dropped their 4 points into constitution, while Rachel and Keshon deposited theirs into endurance. Finally, Harper asked Hammer to drop his 12 points evenly into dexterity, endurance, and strength.

3

When Jordan entered the hut, Emma was lying on the grass bed, facing the wall. He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Emma?” She didn’t move or react to his touch. He shook her. “Emma, you have to get up.”

She leaned away from his hand. “I’m staying here,” she replied sullenly.

“What?” He laughed, then composed himself. “Emma, you can’t st—”

She turned to face him. Her eyes were black now, filled in by the glitch that had infected her. Jordan uttered a startled gasp, stumbled backward, and instinctively rubbed his own eyes. What are you doing? he panicked. The glitch could be transferring to you! He pulled his hands away from his face and saw Emma again.

Her green eyes stared back at him, unchanged. “What was that about?”

Jordan stammered, “I… I thought I saw something.”

“What was it?”

He looked at her. “Uh… uh… Emma, I can’t tell you what I sa—what I think I saw.”

Emma pressed him, but he refused to tell her. She scoffed and sat up. “And that is why I want to stay here.” She stared blankly into his eyes. Jordan was struck by the sheer lack of expression on her face. Even more, her skin looked pallid and shiny.

“I see the way you’re looking at me,” she continued. “You think I have it. Don’t try to deny it. And you think it’s contagious.” She paused, and for the first time that day, Emma’s eyes showed a small bit of vitality. “Do you really think I want to take the chance of infecting the rest of the team?”

Jordan stammered again. “Emma… the veterans won’t allow it. They… they care too much for you to just leave you here.”

Her eyes pierced through his. “Yeah? And how about you? Do you care?”

He shook his head and smiled. “Emma, you know how I feel.”

She grunted. “I’m staying.” She lay back down on the bed and turned away from him.

Jordan spent the next ten minutes desperately trying to find the words that would comfort her and convince her to stay with the team, but he was overwhelmed by the situation. He knew he loved Emma, but whatever had connected them before now seemed so distant. He thought about the glitch he had seen in her eyes. Was that my imagination? he wondered. It certainly was possible. He had his own reservations about Emma’s condition. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me? he speculated. But it had looked too real.

Finally, he placed his hand on her shoulder again. “Emma, I’ll be right back,” he said, unsure if he was telling the truth or a lie. What more could I say to convince her? As he stepped out of the hut, he wondered if he should stay behind with her, and that sent a chill down his spine.

4

Damon was incensed. “There’s no way she’s staying behind.” He began stomping toward the hut. Angie caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder. “Let me do it, Damo. You practically have steam coming out of your ears.”

Despite his anger, Damon chuckled, then shook his head. “She needs a heavy hand right now.” She stared into his eyes but said nothing. The orc general threw his arms up. “Oh, alright! Just get her out of that damn hut.”

Angie faced the team, who had gathered close. “This may take a few minutes, but I want you all to stay out.” Then she turned and stepped into the hut.

Minutes passed as the teammates stewed impatiently. Vlad, Sierra, and Silo complained that they were wasting time, but Damon made them wait. He glanced at Jordan, who was the only member not standing. He sat on a log on the edge of camp, staring at the ground.

Finally, after almost five minutes, Angie walked out of the hut with Emma. Some teammates gasped at the change in her. In the short time the rookies had known her, they had become accustomed to Emma’s vivacious nature and playful spirit. That seemed to be completely gone now. The blonde Grimalkin hunter looked apathetic, a shell of the person she once was, and she wouldn’t make eye contact with any of her teammates, including Jordan.