Later that same day, Fakasta came and found me sitting with Sania and cooking up another raspberry and mint compote of temporary speed. I confess to have gotten lazy with my cooking, such was the constant pull of a thousand other tasks. My hoodie now held compote’s of Strength, Agility and Speed.

“Lord Clive, Lady Sania,” he said as he came into the room. Sania snorted at the title as she always did.

“Grimstrom has just arrived from Nuinaer with a message and a delivery. If you don’t mind joining us in the barracks?”

“Sure. I’d like to hear his thoughts to be honest.”

“Aye, lad. The times may be a changing.”

We followed Fakasta down into to the tunnel to where the dwarves now called home. It was just far enough down the tunnel so that it could be argued it wasn’t part of Far Reach. I hadn’t been inside since we’d left almost two weeks ago. It looked like another part of Nuinaer now. Much larger than I expected it to be, and with all the bells and whistles of a well-settled home. Rugs, tables, chairs and couches filled a huge lounge area.

Fakasta and Stilbraker’s unit had built this entirely themselves, so I couldn’t fault them setting up in such comfort. Especially when they poured out of here so quickly on alert of Natom.

Grimstrom sat in one of the armchairs waiting for us, while Stilbraker was at the back of the room in a kitchen area. We moved to sit on the couches with Grimstrom exchanging greetings. Stilbraker came and joined us, expertly carrying five tankards of frothy ale. Slamming them down in typical dwarf fashion, between us, and took a seat himself.

“Woo,” he said as he scooped up a tankard. “I knew he’d be coming sooner or later, but I’d be a liar if I told you I didn’t nearly need a fresh pair or underclothes. He felt a lot more powerful that when we last saw him.

“You’ve met him before?”

“Aye border skirmish in the forsaken lands not long after Creation left. Twenty-five years ago or so. I’d have only been a level fifty or so back then. Gets real tough to level when you get up in levels, though the days ahead are gonna make it a lot easier with all the carnage coming our way.

I sighed. “It kind of makes everything we’re doing feel kind of pointless if he can just come in and trash the place whenever he wants. As soon as this seed awakens, I’m going to have to get on running, aren’t I?”

Grimstrom smiled sadly. “I wish I knew. Darkness hoped the deterrent of being in a treaty with him would be enough to keep him at bay. But from what these two have told me, Hilgresh didn’t seem to mind overly much.

If you have to run, then the only place for you is deep within Kalabri’s tunnels and caverns. Down there you can be protected by some of the strongest followers Darkness. However, he has communicated with me, and he believes he knows when the seed is likely to show itself.”

“Really?” I asked, leaning forward suddenly very fucking interested.

“I don’t know if you noticed but there are limits to what our bodies can achieve at each level of evolution?”

“I had. When we met you,” I agreed. “My intelligence wouldn’t go past thirty.”

“Exactly. Well, it stands to reason that this seed can’t grow in your human body either. Or it would have. Darkness believes your body won’t be strong enough to contain the blossoming power until your third level of evolution. So, either at your Baatazu evolution or possibly not until your Nephilim evolution. Either way, it’s unlikely either pit demon or Elman evolutions are going to be enough to strengthen your body to the level it needs. Don’t quote me on this either. We’ll have to keep a very close eye on you. As you evolve and your Elman is coming soon if I’m not mistaken?”

“It is,” I said grimly. “Hopefully, Darkness is right, and it doesn’t happen then. It would be nice to have a time line to work towards I suppose. I might not even make it to level 72. It could take a hundred years and I don’t even know if I can live that long.”

Grimstrom laughed. “Oh, you can live that long. And it’s not going to be a hundred years. You’ve already gone up thirty levels in a few months.”

“Maybe, but there can’t be many ultra-rare achievements left for me to stumble on.”

“I don’t know anything about that, but I do know while there are followers of Gods who can survive a battle with Natom there are none who can beat him.

If I, were you, I’d be focusing on a way to defeat Natom Hilgresh. It can only be you. You’re the only other one using Neuma to any level on this planet.”

“Surely there are others somewhere?”

“I’m afraid not. Plenty have tried to use their Neuma before, but it’s almost impossible. Most end up strung out on drugs no use to anyone. Only Creation's early tutelage with Natom allowed him to develop its use though now he’s completely insane. Creation’s presence in your life is most likely the reason you can use it, too.

“I can’t remember him ever teaching me to use Neuma,” I said lamely. “Do you think I’ll go insane?”

“Hopefully not, but what choice have you got but to try and develop. Only the gods can kill Hilgresh, and they’re not allowed to. So that means it’s down to you. I don’t know how you’re going to do it but unless you find a way, you're fucked and so are the rest of us, so between now and level 72, you need to come up with a plan, lad.”

“They’re right Clive,” Sania said. “Natom and our fates are linked now. We knew that before his appearance today. I say you need to step back from the building work and focus solely on getting stronger.”

“I’m sure Natom is like level 300 or something. This is impossible. He won’t even let me get past level 72 if Darkness is right.”

“That’s why you need to find a weakness and exploit it. If you can stay alive long enough when the seed awakens, you might even have other options. Unfortunately, you can’t wait on an unknown. It may be of no use for years even when it does appear.

A sapling is not born a mighty oak,” Fakasta offered completely unhelpfully.

“No,” Stilbraker added eagerly, but a sapling that grows in the crevice of a rock can split that rock long before it becomes a mighty oak.

“Knock it off you two,” Grimstrom said with a smile. The point is that if Clive, is Creation's protégé and he doesn’t want Natom to become the god of Creation. Then he’ll have to do something about it, because ultimately he is the only one who can.”

“Well, no pressure their guys.” I replied, before downing the tankard of ale. “Any chance of another one? It takes six just to get a buzz through this fucking Constitution, and today I need a buzz,” I laughed halfheartedly.

Stilbraker nodded, drained his own as did the others. Then hastily went to get us all a refill.

“So what about Malatia. You think he will have told them what we’re doing her?”

“I think we better prepare for a visit either way. Might be that you need to get your wall up as a matter of priority.”

I groaned and shook my head. “I can’t actually believe this is happening. With Natom, Justice, and Destruction all actively involved in the war and all against us, and the first enemy we’re going to have to worry about is Devotion of all things.”

“Aye. That’s the problems with expectations. They nearly always disappoint. There’s not much we can do about it what others do only what we can do ourselves. So like Sania says. Train and think of ways you can use your Neuma to deal with Natom. Everyone else can work on preparing the town to defend itself. Now we could talk all day about if’s and buts and get nothing of value achieved, so let’s have another drink and have a look at what Hegnessn the tailor has sent up for you.

“He’s made more clothes for me? I thought I was only getting the hoodie,” I replied. Remarkably, the news cheered me up a little.

“I thought that would straighten yer face. I know how you like new clobber.”

“That would explain why he measured your legs,” Sania added. “I just thought he wanted to get a closer look,” she laughed.

There was a small cart behind the chair that Fakasta wheeled around. Handing over a package from the top to me.

I smiled in thanks as I pulled out a black t shirt that could have been from home.

I held it up to check it out.

T-shirt of Darkness

Rarity: Unique Item.

Defence: + 10

Stealth: +15

Attributes: Shrouded in Darkness: Scrying and other detection spells will not work whilst T-shirt is equipped.

Warning: Effect does not apply to detection spells cast by a follower of Darkness.

“Ah, that’s awesome. I can change out of the hoodie on occasion,” I chuckled. That’ll come in during the summer. It doesn’t have the invisibility attribute, but hell, this is awesome.”

“There’s five more of those,” Grimstrom said, as Fakasta handed me another package. Which I tore open like a kid at Christmas.

Trousers of the Void.

Rarity: Unique Item.

Defence: + 10

Stealth: +15

Attributes: Trousers contain 2 Void pockets each containing ten inventory slots, with a maximum weight capacity of 30lbs in each slot. Merely placing an item next to the pocket will store item.

Place hand next to pocket and focus on the item you wish to remove.

There’s five of them too.” Grimstrom said. I could barely articulate my gratitude as I waited for him to hand me the next package to me. He surprised me by handing it to Sania.

I was still able to read the notification as she pulled out a black hoodie.

Rarity: Unique Item.

Defence: + 10

Stealth: +15

Attribute: Hoodie has twenty inventory slots, with a maximum weight capacity of 30lbs in each. Place the item inside of front fold to store.

Place hand inside the front fold, and focus on the item you wish to remove.

Bonus Attribute: Raising hood and standing shadow will make you invisible to all with a perception under thirty points.

You will be 90% less likely to be observed by those with Perception below 60.

You will be 70% less likely to be observed by those with Perception below 120.

No effect on those with Perception above 120.

Will adapt to changing physical appearance.

I couldn’t read Sania’s reaction, it seemed to be one of doubt. Does the last attribute mean that I can transform with this?”

“Sure it does,” Grimstrom said. Wouldn’t be much use otherwise and it means you can get those demon robes off. You’re one of the leaders of this settlement. You shouldn’t be wearing the robes of the enemy.

I felt pure joy bloom across the bond as she immediately began pulling the gear from her robes. In all honesty, she probably should have dumped all of the demon stuff much earlier. She handed me my Wusthof cleaver. Which prompted me to pull on the perfectly fitting trousers. Straight over the top of my shorts and store the cleaver in the pocket of holding immediately.

Grimstrom’s eyes slid over the cleaver as I did so, and he thrust his hand out.

I pulled it back out of the inventory and passed it over for him to inspect.

“This is a special weapon Clive. Is this from your home world?”

“It is. It was a gift on my eighteenth birthday, from Hakan, no less.”

“Hakan?” Grimstrom asked confused. “Oh, well, Creation, I suppose.”

“A very special gift indeed. Have you tried anything with it yet?”

“Uh, like what?”

“Imagine it in your hand and not mine.”

“I did as he asked and the Cleaver of Clive, materialized in my hand. I got such a shock that I dropped it. Except that it didn’t move. It seemed to be stuck to my palm.

“What the fuck!” I shouted.

“Give me it back,” Grimstrom said. I gripped the handle and handed it to him, expecting it not to leave my hand, but it did, just as easily as it should have.

He grinned at me. “You’re a lucky bastard having this. I’ve only heard of such weapons. This is gonna be crazy powerful when you get to higher levels. Honestly, it’s more powerful than an ascension weapon, because it has no time limit or reset, and you can’t lose it.”

“Can’t lose it?”

“Sure. Count to twenty and call your weapon back again,” Grimstrom said as he got up and quickly left the lounge.

I counted like he said, while watching Sania who looked back at me amused as she finished ripping the demon robes from her body. She still wore her fur vest and skirt underneath.

After a momentary loss of concentration, I remembered what I was supposed to be doing and focused on the cleaver. Again it appeared in my hand.

“That is amazing Clive,” Sania said before pulling on the hoodie. It didn’t surprise me that she looked amazing in it. With the new clothes for both of us, and discovering the new tricks my knife could do, I almost forgot about Natom for a moment.

“You look beautiful, Sania. It really suits you. I kinda feel bad for Joel. He’s still wearing the demon robes.”

“Did he not bring clothes back with him from Earth?”

“He did, but none of them are as durable, nor do they have a holding attribute. Not that I want him joining team Hoodie of Darkness, no way!”

“Bekta has arranged for more suitable clothing for Joel,” Grimstrom said walking back across the lounge. “I was going to let Bekta give them to him. But you can do it if you want?”

“Ah, no. Let Bekta do it, for sure.”

Grimstrom nodded and the conversation fell into a less, intense tempo as we sat and drank together for a while.