After CrimsonValkyrie finally calmed down, accepting that Chris wasn't going to destroy their world for the heck of it, they continued working on leveling Chris up and gathering loot to sell for credits. Chris didn't need much to level up on the lower levels, so it only took a few hours for the group to move up to the fifth level of the Maze, which is when Chris started to run into issues. [Would you just give in already?!?] He complained as he looked down at the broken, bleeding kobold, staring up at him defiantly. CrimsonValkyrie was off to the side, looking sick after watching Chris tear scale after scale off the kobold, while Matt just sighed, shaking his head in disappointment at Chris's amateurish methods.

[I'll never give in! You humans are a scourge upon Azza! You all deserve death!] The kobold screeched at him.

"I'm just going to assume this isn't going well." Matt sighed.

Chris grimaced as he turned towards Matt. "No, it is not." Chris turned back to the kobold letting out a sigh. "Guess I'll just have to kill him then."

"No!" Matt immediately protested. "Remember what I said earlier? Torture and intimidation are good for a few levels, but you need something more if you want to get higher level creatures! This is the perfect opportunity for you to find that something more!"

Chris frowned, raising an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

Matt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, there are many, many ways to go about convincing a monster to serve you. Torture is one, but if you only rely on torture, then anything with a modicum of intelligence will just become more defiant. People don't want to serve someone who only causes them pain. Some would rather die. You need something else. You have a stick, but where is your carrot? What benefit do they get from serving you? How could you make their life better? The entire point of all this is to make the monster believe that life with you is heaven, while life without you is hell. So far you can convince them that if they aren't with you, life will suck, but you've done nothing to convince them life with you will be any better. If anything, it'll just be longer. Why would they sign up for something like that?"

"I guess, but what do I have to offer a monster?" Chris asked, his frown deepening slightly. If this was real life, he'd have an answer. He could make them a part of the Immortal World, giving them strength and stability. But here? They just became his pet. What was he supposed to do with that?

Matt cocked his head. "You haven't really seen what you can do with the pet system yet, have you? Trust me, there is plenty you can do for them. Or, you could just lie. That's always an option too. The tricky part is figuring out what the monster wants."

Chris blinked, before turning back to the kobold. Didn't all kobolds want the same thing? To be stronger? [You do realize that if you don't submit to me, I will kill you, right?]

[Death is preferable to serving human scum!] The kobold spat.

Chris sighed. [That's such a pity. I really thought you could make a strong fighter. You kobolds get stronger as you age, so all I'd have to do would be to feed you and keep you healthy, and eventually you'd be the strongest pet ever! You could even turn into a Dragon!]

The kobold froze. [A- a Dragon!?! Me?!?]

Chris shrugged. [Why not? I can keep you alive long enough, so it shouldn't be a problem. But, because you're so damn stubborn, that's never going to happen.] Chris sighed in disappointment, taking out a dagger he'd gotten as a loot drop.

[W-wait!] The kobold protested. [If- if you can really make me a Dragon… I- I will submit to you.]

[Well, becoming a Dragon is on you, now isn't it? I will give you time and opportunity, but if you don't put in the effort, that's on you.] Chris retorted.

[I will do anything to be a Dragon.] The kobold stated firmly, a fire in his eyes.

[Then what are you waiting for?] Chris asked, raising an eyebrow.

The kobold hesitated for a moment longer, before his eyes hardened. [I will serve you.] He declared, before disappearing in a flash of white.

"Ha! I knew you could do it!" Matt exclaimed happily. "What'd you say?"

Chris shrugged. "I told him I could help him become a Dragon."

Matt laughed. "Well done! If you're still around in a couple hundred years, maybe you could even keep that promise!"

"Eh, I might be. Your game? Maybe not." Chris replied, grinning slightly.

Matt froze. "Huh… I completely forgot who you were for a moment there."

After that, they all decided to head back to the City to sell loot and pick up some more skills. Chris could handle kobolds because he knew kobolds, but for other monsters, he'd need skills to learn what made them tick, what he could use to persuade them to submit. Plus, they wouldn't be bad skills to pick up for when he needed to convince the creatures of his world either. He did have a pile of goblins sitting in his world, waiting to be subdued…

Additionally, Matt believed it was time for Chris to begin ingratiating himself with the Families. His total level was sixteen, five levels each in Physique, Awareness, and Appeal, with his Intellect being the only one at level one, which seemed just oh so wrong to Chris. One of the only features he took pride in was his intelligence. He wasn't strong, he wasn't charismatic, he didn't get people, but damn it he was smart! He'd need to work on that later. But first, the Families.

"Now, when you go to join a Family, they're going to test you." Matt began to explain. "The first test is usually to fight a high-tier with about ten levels in Physique, putting their ability strength somewhere between one and three hundred, depending on the family. You need to crush your opponent. If you struggle, even if you win, you'll just be another grunt. A more useful grunt, sure, but not someone to take seriously. You'd need to put in a lot more effort to work your way up the ranks and into the inner circle. However, if you prove their test isn't even a challenge to you? You'll immediately become a person of interest. They may even try to bring you into the Family, trying to set you up with one of their daughters. Don't take the first one thrown at you, though. The more they have to sacrifice to get you, the more they'll value you. Don't be too cold either. You need them to think you're interested in truly joining them, not just using them for benefits. So you'll need to find the right balance.

"When they attempt to set you up with a girl in public, wait until it's someone from the main branch. That's the minimum you should accept. Otherwise, show some polite interest, but ultimately reject them. Play it so that the relationship just isn't working out. Go on a date or two, and then break it off. Privately however, you'll need to be more open. A few one night stands, a fling or two, a secret relationship. Show you're looking for a connection, you just aren't willing to be tied down so easily." Matt finished.

Chris grimaced. "Is there any way I can do this without sleeping with anyone? I have a girlfriend and I'd really rather not cheat, even with an npc."

"We're talking about the Families here. Emphasis on Family. You don't get into the inner circle without a real connection." Matt replied in a serious tone. "If you want to know the secrets of the deal with the Elves, the true nature of the Purge of the Doppelgangers, you can't be a fence sitter. You're either in, or you're out."

Chris's grimace twisted even more, before he let out a groan. "Fuck! I- I can't alright? There's no way I could betray Beth like that, not even to save the City." He sighed. "I'll just have to find another way."

"Or you could just turn off any sensations while having sex." CrimsonValkyrie offered. "At that point, you'll just be going through the motions. With a computer program. There's no way any girl could think of that as cheating."

Chris blinked. "Do what now?"

"Turn off sexual sensations?" CrimsonValkyrie repeated hesitantly. "It's in settings, under realism? Most people turn the sensations up, to make things more… fun, but you can turn them down to zero too."

Chris blinked again, before pulling up the menu, going to the realism settings and finding the sexual sensations option. He quickly turned it down to zero, before turning to Matt. "Why didn't you think of that?"

"I don't think about the realism settings." Matt shrugged. "I don't like to think of this as a game, but another world, and the realism settings mess with that."

"Ugh, you're one of those people." CrimsonValkyrie scoffed.

"I'm the origin of those people!" Matt declared.

CrimsonValkyrie shook her head, before pausing. "Still, I feel you two are skipping an important point. How is WorldlyAlien supposed to crush a level ten high-tier at level five?!?" She asked incredulously. "I know you're pretty good in a fight, but this isn't something you just do. They're going to be at least expert level in their skills, and unless your base ability power is over sixty, you aren't going to have any advantages."

"His base ability power is one hundred." Matt interjected. "He'll be fine."

CrimsonValkyrie froze. "Oh…"

"Oh, right, that reminds me." Chris interjected. "How am I actually supposed to use this thing? There are no tutorials in this game."

"That's the beauty of it!" Matt exclaimed. "Everything you learn, you learn yourself! Exploration and discovery, the spice of life!" He then calmed down. "But yeah, for you, just touch someone with the intention to copy their ability. It really isn't that hard. You want mine? Lets you create and control force constructs." He held out his hand to offer his ability.

Chris shrugged, taking Matt's hand. He had seen Matt using his ability in the Maze to easily kill low-tier monsters by sending out blades of force that flew around under his command. It seemed pretty useful, so he wouldn't mind taking it. "Thanks." He nodded as he felt his ability work, aligning itself with Matt's ability. He paused slightly as the ability settled in, his eyes narrowing. The ability energy shifted to match Matt's. He considered the ability energy in the Immortal World as well, how it was tuned, how each core only accepted a specific resonance of energy. He'd been under the impression that the game mimicked abilities by just accepting that they worked. He didn't think it simulated ability energy as well! How had Gaia done that?

Chris glanced at Matt as a strange hunger welled up inside him, the desire to take and make Gaia his own, before he quickly pushed it down, taking a deep breath. What was that?!? He'd never felt anything like it before. Not for himself. He'd always felt… sufficient. As if whatever he had was enough. Sure, there were things he wanted, things he enjoyed, but if he was being truly honest, he could do without. If he completely disconnected from everything, even Beth, he didn't think he'd be happy, but he wouldn't exactly be sad either. He'd be… content, if a little bored. However, when he saw that Gaia had knowledge on how his world worked… he needed that. More than he'd needed anything else in his life. If he didn't have it, he would be… disappointed. That- that was new.

"You okay there?" Matt asked, eyeing Chris strangely as he noticed the fluctuations going on inside him. He'd been playing this game a long time and he had worked on his skills. He knew how to read people, even people as stoic as WorldlyAlien.

"I'm alright." Chris nodded. "I've simply realized how amazing your AI is, and I want her."

Matt felt something freeze inside himself for a moment. "You- you want Gaia?"

"More than I've ever wanted anything." Chris growled, a strange light flashing in his eyes, before returning to normal. "But don't worry, I'm patient. You can either help me figure out how to make my own, or we could make a copy, or something. I won't steal anything from you. I have principles." Chris explained, a slight grin spreading across his face as he patted Matt on the shoulder. "Now, come on, let's get this loot sold, buy me some skills, and deal with the Families."

Matt watched Chris walk away, his mouth dry as CrimsonValkyrie leaned in. "Gods aren't terrifying, until they're interested in you." She commented in a low voice, before walking off after Chris.

Matt had mostly recovered after Chris finished dealing with selling loot and picking up skills. "Okay, so, Families. Your best option would be the Monteiths. They were the first to contact the Elves, they lead the Vanguard, and the new Mayor is the head of their Family. They've essentially become the Royal Family of the City. If anyone knows what you want to know, it's them."

Chris frowned slightly as the name and the fact that they led the Vanguard made him think of the Monteros. He did not want them to end up in charge of the entire City. Then again, he didn't particularly want any Family in charge of the City… they were all elitist assholes. Chris's frown twisted into a grimace as he realized just what he was getting himself into. He was going to try to become a part of a Family. To become one of those people who believed they were better than everyone else, that the world existed to serve them. "This… is going to be rough." Chris sighed.

"Well, it isn't meant to be easy." Matt pointed out. "You're trying to get into the inner circle of the most powerful faction in the most powerful faction in the City… There has to be some sort of challenge in that. The only reason you even have a shot at this level is because your ability is omega-tier. For anyone else, they'd need to at least be level ten in Physique to even try, along with the necessary Intellect to develop their skills, and the Appeal to get the Families attention."

Chris shook his head, not correcting Matt's misunderstanding. He was prepared to put in some effort for this. He just hadn't completely processed how much he would have to sully himself to do so. "Let's just do this." He grumbled.

Matt led the way towards a recruitment office for the Monteith Family. It was, quite obviously, the nicest, most extravagant building on the street. Even in the midst of the devastation, it practically glowed. As they walked in, a beautiful woman greeted them politely, with barely hidden disdain in her eyes. "Sirs, madam. What business do you have with the Monteiths today?"

"I'm here to test myself against your strongest warrior, to prove my worth." Chris delivered the line Matt had given him with a slight sigh. He was already sick of their posturing, and he'd just walked in the door.

The woman paused slightly at Chris's tone, a frown tugging at her lips. What was with this guy's attitude? Did he want to join the Monteith Family or not?!? She eyed Chris for a moment, before turning, waving for him to follow. "This way." She'd let the examiner take care of him.

Chris followed with a bored look, barely even paying attention to the excess all around him. What was the point of it all? If you were powerful, then you were powerful. Why show it off? If you weren't, then why pretend to be something you aren't? He could almost understand it if the Families actually liked these decorations, but the way they were all so similar, as if they were all trying to one up each other in the same theme, made him feel that was unlikely. Unless the Families were truly that inbred, which… would not be all that surprising actually.

"Mr. Corsair! You have a challenger!" The woman announced as she walked into a large courtyard full of sand.

"Another young hopeful trying to prove they're worth a damn, eh?" A large, muscular brute of a man sneered, standing from a comfortable looking chair to stretch, before moving to the center of the courtyard. He eyed Chris up and down as he moved out to join him, a mocking grin tugging at his lips. "I hope your friends brought a bodybag, kid. I don't pull my punches." Corsair growled, punching his fists together, creating a small shockwave.

Chris paused. "Physical enhancement?" He asked tentatively.

"Right on the money, kid! Do you want to back out now, or do I need to toss you out?" Corsair asked mockingly.

Chris paused to consider something for a moment. Should he steal this guy's ability? Matt's ability wasn't bad, but the sheer durability that came from physical enhancement couldn't be beat. Even with Matt's ability, if Corsair got a good, clean hit on Chris, Chris would be done, while it'd take a few hits from Chris to put Corsair down. Though, Matt's ability could hit more… Chris frowned as he considered it all.

"Well? We doin' this or what?" Corsair asked, spreading his arms. "You need me to give you the first blow?"

Chris glanced at him. "That won't be necessary." He shook his head. He'd use both. Subdue Corsair with Matt's ability, then steal his own to finish him off. It'd be a perfect display of Chris's true power. "Come whenever you're ready." Chris declared, standing there in a relaxed position.

Corsair frowned. What was up with this kid? Facing down a high-tier physical enhancement ability user, and he just stands there? "You're going to regret looking down on me." Corsair growled under his breath, before launching himself forward, shooting at Chris like a bullet!

Chris waved his hand and a force wall popped into existence between them, angled towards Corsair. Corsair could barely react, only slowing down a fraction before his face slammed into the wall, the rest of his body continuing forward as he fell onto his back! Chris twirled his finger and the wall turned into four arcs, slamming into the sand to pin Corsair's arms and legs down. Chris watched as Corsair struggled against the restraints for a moment, before tightening them around his limbs and pulling him into the air. Corsair let out a frustrated roar as Chris brought him before him and poked his forehead with a single finger. Slowly the restraints dissolved as Chris's ability shifted, dropping Corsair in front of him.

"You shouldn't have released-!" Corsair began to yell, before Chris's fist slammed into the side of his head, knocking him out cold.

Chris paused for a moment, looking down at the unconscious Corsair, before turning to Matt. "Good enough?" He asked, raising a thumb at him.

Things quickly followed Matt's prediction after that. Instead of wasting time doing menial tasks in the Maze, Chris was immediately assigned as the bodyguard/assistant to Fernando Monteith, a young branch member who had quickly risen in the ranks of the Family as the liaison to a certain Elvish business man. He facilitated the import of Elvish potions, while exporting the City's ability tools. "What's so special about potions?" Chris asked with a slight frown as he examined the information packet that told him what his job would be and who his charge was.

"Potions are the Elves way of dealing with ability cores." Matt replied. "Using certain plants, they 'balance' the energy from a core, turning it into a potion that anyone could drink to gain minor effects related to the ability. For example, if they made one using my ability, then it'd probably create a shield around the person who drank it, enhancing their defense. Multiple potions can be made from the same ability core, potentially hundreds, depending on the skill of the alchemist, but the effects are always simple. Great for a quick power up, but not much else. That's why they are so interested in our ability tools."

"Gotcha." Chris nodded, looking over the packet again, before placing it in his inventory. "Well, it looks like I don't need to report in until tomorrow, so I'm going to spend the rest of the day working on leveling up my Intellect." Chris already had a plan to combine his Intellect leveling with his Coreforging practice, killing two goblins with one strike. For all intents and purposes, the game world was just like the real one, so any skills he picked up in Coreforging here should translate over to his world as well.

"Sounds good." Matt nodded. "It looks like you're all set up, so I'll start working through my own connections, see if I can dig out any more of the truth on that end. Message me if you have any questions, or find any leads." He then gave Chris a firm handshake. "It's been… a pleasure meeting you. I hope we can find a way to help your world in all this."

Chris smiled lightly. "Me too. Thanks for all your help." He thanked Matt, returning the handshake. Matt nodded, before turning and heading off.

CrimsonValkyrie hesitated for a bit, before speaking up. "Thank you. For- for letting me tag along today. I- I think… I think I can handle your- your situation now."

"Uh… whatever helps?" Chris offered, not quite getting what her issue had really been, beyond just being absolutely terrified of the implications of his very being, but he was glad spending time with him had made her feel better. Being able to help someone without actually doing anything was always nice. CrimsonValkyrie nodded, smiling slightly, before heading off to do her own thing, feeling a bit better about the world and the risk of it being utterly destroyed. Chris watched her go with a slightly confused expression, before shaking his head and heading off to find a place to practice Coreforging.

Carol stared incredulously at her husband as he filled out application after application. It looked like he'd gone around and gotten one from practically every business in town! "Anthony, what- who- who is that man?" She asked, wondering just who could create such a change in the man she married. She almost felt like they were teenagers again, when Anthony had been bright eyed and ambitious, ready to take on the world, with her by his side.

Anthony hesitated, not sure what to say. Not sure he could say. That the man was his boss? It was true, but it didn't explain anything. That he'd tried to rob a store, ended up shooting the man, then the man had come back to life and dragged him into a strange world before crushing his will and connecting him to that world? It'd explain a lot, but he didn't want Carol to think badly of his new boss. Boss had been very polite up until he shot him. "He's- he's a friend." Anthony began vaguely. "I- I owe him my life." He continued. "He figured out our situation, and decided to help. He needed a place to stay, so I figured this was the least I could do." He finished, proud of himself for not actually lying at all… well, except about the friend part.

Carol frowned. "You owe him and he decided to help you out?" She asked skeptically.

Anthony gulped. "He's a very good friend?"

Carol's eyes narrowed. "How long have you both known each other? How did you meet?"

Anthony froze, struggling to come up with a lie, when a voice sounded in his mind. *Just tell her the truth.* Chris had been monitoring Anthony to make sure he did as he was told and didn't cause any trouble for Carol. He really had no idea why the woman stayed with him.

Anthony stiffened, wondering why Boss was in his head, and how he knew what was going on, before letting out a sigh. The dude came back from a bullet to the head. It was best not to question him. "I met him today, when I tried to rob the game store."

Carol's eyes widened. "You did what?!? Anthony, how could you!?!"

"We needed the money! I was desperate! I- I know it was wrong, but…no one was supposed to get hurt! I just- I-I got caught up in the moment, in greed, and… I- I shot him." Anthony bowed his head in shame.

Carol covered her mouth in shock. "You- you shot someone!?!"

"I shot him!" Anthony replied, pointing towards the room Chris was in. "He didn't even care! He tossed me into this strange place and… I'm connected to it now. To him. He's- I have to do whatever he says. Don't blame him though! He could have- he should have killed me. But he didn't. He's given me a second chance. A chance to be better. And I'm going to do it." He declared firmly.

"I-I don't- what are you even saying?!?" Carol asked, not understanding Anthony's explanation. He shot that man? He was thrown somewhere? They were connected?!? What did that even mean!?! "You- you're connected to him? Like, through blackmail or something?"

"No, it's more… spiritual?" Anthony attempted to explain. "There's nothing forcing me to do what he says, I just… I have to. It's- it's like a law I can't disobey. Like… like gravity or something."

"Gravity isn't spiritual…" Carol replied dumbly, not having anything else to say. Had her husband gone insane?

Anthony shook his head. "I'm just trying to say it isn't something you can see. It's just something that is."

"But how?!? You haven't explained anything! You've just said you have to listen to him, like somehow that's supposed to make sense!" Carol exclaimed in frustration.

Anthony shrugged helplessly. "I don't know how to explain it. He just did it, and now, it just is."