Mathew and the girls all returned to the base shortly after claiming his recent new friend. He had work to do for Payne anyways. He wouldn’t want to make the guy even more agitated than usual. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he was about to walk away when Jeffery caught his attention. The dog was laying down on the hard floor. It seemed to have been waiting on him.

“Huh, well I don’t want to really unsummon you. You cost way too much mana even with my ring and high stats.” He said in thought. Mathew could leave the thing in his room.

Yet, he didn’t trust it. He would rather waste mana than leave it to do whatever it wanted. It had free will. What if it got out and attacked people? How would people react if they saw it in his room, or worse out and about by it’self? He couldn’t risk such a thing, “I'll bring you back tomorrow, if you keep behaving, I’ll let you stay summoned more often.” Mathew said and with a single word, the wolf vanished into wisps of magic that faded away.

Walking toward the heavily guarded building, Mathew noticed odd shaped vehicles outside it in a grid like formation. Mathew assumed they were tanks of some kind, but none that he had ever seen. Firstly, they were too sleek, like a futuristic car or plane. They had a charcoal grey gradient paint job that made them easy to see against the green grass.

Soldiers and other people were around them, some sticking out of a hole in the top, others inspecting them and making marks on a clipboard. Some gave him a casual glance.

The turrent barrels ontop were short, and wide. If Mathew didn’t know better, he would have thought they were made to shoot cannon balls, or something slightly larger. “I thought the barrels would be smaller with modern tanks, where did these come from?”

Mathew walked up next to one of the guards, “How did the tanks from Area 51 get here so quickly? We live on the other side of the country.” He had no clue if they really came from Area 51, but that place was used to test military equipment all the time.

“Funny guy huh?” The guard said. Mathew couldn’t tell what his rank was, nor did he care. “These are newly bought weapons from the shop. General Payne is not pulling any stops to aid in our war against the Infernals. Unlike you Mathew. Running off to train and not do your job.”

Mathew had a slightly surprised face, “What do you mean not doing my job? What do you think I am doing here?”

“We all know about you Mat. A powerful selfish bastard. You might have some people fooled, but I know your kind. Henderson told me enough to figure you out. Head on inside, we wouldn’t want you to break a nail.”

Mathew was really confused now. “I’m sorry, you obviously have me confused with someone else. I’m the guy that cleared out the Wolf Den, and is out there training to get stronger like the rest of you. Did you not see me fight the Imps?”

“You mean the wolves who killed two great soldiers who were forced to protect your weak ass? The Imps that everyone else fought? You were expected to fight the Imps. Doing so isn’t worth a celebration. Now, if you excuse me, I have to finish getting my troops ready for war. One that you won’t be going to I am sure.”

The soldier walked away leaving Mathew feeling...really annoyed. “Sorry you guys are too simple minded to realize what I’m doing here, and you are too trusting of your General to realize he is using you as well.”

Mathew was never the kind of guy to think every member of the military was useful, or even needed. Modern weapons were made to have less men and women die. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder what that guy had seen to call Mathew out like that. “Guy’s a nut case.”

He walked inside the office and headed straight for his office space. He wanted to push out the last of the paperwork today. That way he had no excuse to not be able to fight in the Goblin Dungeon.

It took him a mere two hours, something that would have taken several before his ability to write magically. To top it off, the skill ranked up putting him at Novice 8. That lightened his mood a bit, almost already forgetting what the soldier mindlessly said to him.

“Not helping people my ass. What does he think I am doing! Here I am working to grow stronger to defend the base that is soon to be mine. There he is standing around following orders from Payne who is working to go to a war to what? Claim the rewards for himself? He isn’t doing it to help people.”

Mathew frowned. “No that’s not right...is it?” He looked down at the stacks of contracts he just finished filling out. “Payne is using these to control people. Just like I plan on doing. But he’s doing it for the military, probably for the President. But is it actually for other people, or is it for himself to some degree?”

He pursed his lips in thought. Would he be any different than Payne? Mathew wanted the Hearth Crystal at first for the fact he wanted it. He said he would do it, and thus refused to go against his word. But now?

Now, there was much more at stake. He glanced down at the rod that rested on the desk. His hand absentmindedly grabbed it. There was much more at stake, not even just his life. Sure he wanted to protect his own life more than any others, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that in saving his own, he is saving other’s lives.

Is Payne doing what he is for his own life? For the lives of everyone else? Or simply because he was told to for the greater good? Mathew didn’t care about the greater good, he only cared about his well being. Would he still send soldiers out to fight for him? Having a team of others to protect him while he sat back doing nothing but growing slowly?

“Well shit.” He would be doing that, at least would have before this world was forever changed. Now he wanted to do all the fighting himself. He enjoyed it. Not the act of killing, it was the feeling of winning. Growing stronger. Proving that he is actually someone worthy of power.

Mathew glanced down at the rod in his hands. “What would she do? What would that Dark King do? Why was he that strong? Was it greed? Was it to protect people? Was it because he was born into power?” He muttered aloud.

Why did he, Mathew, really want the Hearth Crystal? Obviously because it was a source of power, but was it blind greed, or something else?

Mathew’s mind wandered aimlessly for a moment. “Power is absolute, and absolute power wins all.”

He wanted power to be safe. He wants a safe place to grow stronger to expand his region of safety. He couldn’t do it alone, but The Dark King did it. He grew so strong that he was so respected and feared, that people never dared to bother him. His enemies, glad he was asleep or dead. Too afraid to check for fear of waking him up if he was simply resting, or hibernating, or whatever he was.

That’s what Mathew wanted. To be respected for his prowess, and feared by his enemies. With that, everything else would follow. Money, safety, perhaps even a family. Visions returned to him from when he acquired his class. “I could have it all, or lose it all.”

Mathew rubbed at his neck as the ghostly feeling of chains faded. “I’ve been focused on the short term too much. Not enough in the long term. Di talked about things in terms of hundreds of years, not a few months. Not even a couple of years.

“What has Payne been planning? Was he going for the short term, or the long term? Knowing the government, they were doing both. They have a whole council to think of things from multiple perspectives. Plus access to so many fantasy lovers that I imagine they have everything figured out.”

“And what do I have?” He asked himself. “Nothing but my own powers, and a few friends. I don’t even have a Dungeon Core or a Hearth Crystal yet. What am I going to do when I do have them?”

Mathew was still confident in his ability to acquire them, just worried if he could do it soon enough. He only had a single dose of poison left, and that’s if his plan would work. Contracts were fickle things, and he was afraid that The Council would disapprove of his plan.

“I can worry about all of that later, right now I have to get past tomorrow.” He said with purpose. Tomorrow was when the Goblin Dungeon would open, and he would attempt to clear it on his own.

A knock on his door brought Mathew back to reality. “Come in.” He said, looking at who walked in.

General Payne walked in. He looked exhausted, as if he recently finished working out. “Mathew, good I was told you were in here.” He glanced at the stack of papers and smiled. “Outstanding, you finished those. I’m just stopping by to thank you.”

Mathew raised an eyebrow, “Thank me? For what?”

“Training three new recruits, obviously.” Payne said with a smile. “I figured you would gather a few people to help you attack that Goblin Dungeon. Did you really think I would let you even step foot in there? What do you take me for, an idiot? I earned these stars for a reason.”

Mathew blinked, trying to form a sentence. Confusion flooded his brain. “No, but why? I thought I was doing this to get strong enough to help you?” He half lied.

“Help me? You don’t need levels to do that. You just need to sit there and pump out contracts like you have been.” Payne picked up the pile of papers and put them in a folder to protect them. “Official new orders Mathew. You are not allowed near any Dungeons. I refused to allow you to interfere with my plans. Additionally, you are not allowed to work with any one on this base to train or gain more levels or powers. Now, I am more than willing to renegotiate those terms after I claim that Goblin Dungeon, and wipe out that Infernal Dungeon. I don’t want you to be so weak that you get killed after all.”

Mathew stammered, “You- you can’t do that! What about my-” He stopped himself before he spoke too much out of turn.

“Please, of course I can. That contract allows me to give you orders, so long as they are in good conscience for your safety. Be glad I’m still allowing you to go out and fight outside the walls. I wouldn’t want you getting all rusty. You do have a decent set of skills. Those three girls you trained will be great additions to the war front. All level 10.”

Restraining the urge to speak out of turn Mathew took a breath. This wasn’t the end of his plans. “So what, you are going to tie me to this base? I can just leave whenever I want. Not even the contract we agreed upon can force that.”

“Sure, but where would you go Mathew? You said it yourself, you wanted the cushy desk job. Now you have it. Don’t worry about being the highest level here on the base. Soon, you won’t be anymore. Henderson just hit Level 15. As for myself, I acquired Level 14 this morning. Once I clear out the Goblins and Infernals, I’ll surpass you, and many others on that leaderboard.”

Mathew was left with nothing but his own thoughts. He couldn’t lash out, not now. Doing so would make Payne too cautious around him. He assumed Mathew was being played, and he somewhat was.

He grew too cocky, assuming he held all the cards and was going to win without working for it. Far into the future, Mathew would look back at this moment and be thankful for the lesson. Right now, he was furious. “It’s not over yet.”

He grabbed his Rod and left the building. “I don’t lose, I never lose! I’m fucking Mathew Valrix McGonald. A McGonald does not lose, damn it!”

Mathew ran through the gates, not caring for anyone or anything. He needed to blow off steam, and he had to get stronger. Refusing to lose to the General, Mathew got to work.

There were only five days till Payne went to war. That was his timeline to get to Level 20. He already doubted he could do it. Gain four levels in five days? Was it possible? Mathew knew there was only one true way to find out, and he got to work.

He quickly summoned his two wisps and continued his fast travel speed. It was too late to try and summon Jeffery. In the morning he would do that. That was his lowest ranked battle power, and he needed the beast to get stronger fast, just like him.