“We’ve got some loot and achievements to check,” said Cris.

“I always forget,” I admitted, clicking on the tab.

“Call yourself a gamer?” she teased.

Bart’s people were finally beginning to ease off on the restrictions judging by the rewards. First up were two achievements.

Achievement Unlocked – School’s Out

Description – You were never very fond of your learning experience. Milley had the good grace to blow the hell out of the educational hellhole for you. School’s out, for summer. School’s out, forever.

Reward – Slight increase to XP gain for all party members

Achievement Unlocked – Can Opener

Description – Milley thought the Reaper Mark 3 made him invincible. You opened that incredible war machine with a well-positioned eruption of magical stakes and expert timing. Advanced technology had no chance against the barbaric, medieval pikes.

Reward – Increase power and diameter of Țepeș Stakes.

I jumped into my head. Bart, is this your doing?

Our doing, he corrected. We successfully lobbied to have the rules changed. The stupidity of making a difficult situation ever harder, almost impossible, was rightly tossed aside.

You’ve beaten the other faction?

No. They’re still plotting. They just won’t be able to influence the rewards and enemy level going forward. We hope.

Do you think we’ve heard the last of them?

I could feel the cosmic shake of his head. I wish I could say yes, but I fear not. If I find out anything is in the works that will prove detrimental to your efforts, I’ll let you know.

Thanks, mate. At least we can relax a little and start building ourselves up. Maybe even get overpowered?

There are no restrictions on how strong you can get as the worlds unfold. Take advantage of that.

Cris jumped into the conversation. We will, Bart. Thanks for always having our backs.

My pleasure, he replied, fading from our telepathic conference room.

“Thank god we’re not fighting with one hand tied behind our backs now,” I said.

“We did pretty well even with the loot nerf,” Cris replied. “And let’s see what goodies we have in our Milley drop, shall we?”

She cranked open the loot box lid and the stars burst forth.

“Holy fucking shitballs,” I blurted when I caught the tooltip on one of the items.

“It looks like they’re trying to make up for my lack of drops from Kherrash. I wonder if that led to a lot of people quitting?”

“What?”

“When they didn’t have your experiences. The wider quests and arcs that you went through and all the extras you received for doing them? I didn’t have a Sun to help guide me, and I expect a lot of people didn’t either.”

“It could’ve been,” I agreed. I was tempted to state that I wish my own path had been a little less fraught, but a lot of the gear I’d won was key to my ongoing survival, so I kept my mouth shut. Karma had just smiled on us, and I wasn’t about to spit in its face.

“Have you seen the crafting recipe?” she asked, filled with awe.

I pulled it up and almost punched the air. If they were what they claimed to be, our lives were about to get much easier.

“Shall I make four?”

“Do it,” I confirmed. “We’ll see if they work soon enough.”

The rest of the goods were top notch too, and we read the descriptions together as we followed a bemused O’Toole through the facility.

Item – Tattoo - Touch of the Cloudshine Coven (legendary)

Type – Body Modification

Description – A mark gifted by the gods of the fae. This arcane symbol allows the bearer to summon a familiar who will assist the spellcaster.

User Requirements – Having Skin

Intelligence 24

Effect – You may summon a familiar to accompany you on your quest

Misc – Familiars can’t be permanently killed

“It’s a shame you’re a few points away from using it.”

“It’s still active on the tab,” she replied. “I think I can use it, but not use it yet.”

“Familiars have always been awesome in games. It’s worth a shot.”

“You don’t get to pick where the tattoo goes, do you?” asked Cris, nervously.

“Nope. You could end up with a whole face full of tribal murals.”

“But you said you can think them away, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think of the whole alternative look? Would I still be attractive if my face was covered?” Pulling a model pout, she squared her fingers around her face to frame it.

I grimaced a little.

“Not a fan, huh? I think Sun looks awesome.”

“She does, but it’s how she’s always looked. If you end up with a face tattoo, you’d look like one of Tyson’s poor life decisions.”

“Iron Mike is a legend, except for the… well, you know. I’m really nervous to use it. You need to convince me.”

“It’s bound to help us,” I offered.

“That’s a given. I need more convincing.”

If it had been a permanent feature that she couldn’t remove, I’d have never been such an arsehole. I clicked on the tattoo and activated it.

“What did you do?” she demanded, spinning in a circle in a vain effort to see the tattoo’s position.

“You’ve still got clothes on,” I explained, before spying the location as she twirled. “Don’t worry, I can see it.”

“Where?” she asked, searching desperately.

I held her still and touched the tiny leaf just behind her right ear. “Just there. It’s about the size of my fingernail. It’s actually really cute.”

“So it’s not all over my face?”

I stared at her unblemished skin. “Nope. All clear, Iron Cris.”

“I do have a mean right hook,” she replied with a smile of relief. “You’re lucky I’m not throwing at you, buster.”

“Not to mention you could literally kill Mr Tyson if he was stood in front of you right now. He wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Cris pulled a pose and flexed her biceps. I gave them an obligatory squeeze and found them to be solid little balls of muscle. She saw my expression and said, “Yeah, you need to watch it. I’ll open a can of whoop-ass on you if you pull that shit again.”

“Save it for the dinosaurs,” I replied. “I want to see the ring.”

“Here it is,” she said, holding up the glittering item like a talisman. All we needed was a chorus of angels singing to herald its arrival.

Item – Band of Infinite Portals (legendary)

Type – Jewellery (Ring)

Description – Only one of these powerful items exist in each universe. Forged by the trickster gods to provide entertainment through the mundanity of eternity. The rings have led to the rise and fall of countless dynasties. Vast armies have been raised to secure the possession of the tiny, jewel encrusted prizes. Possession is often fleeting, with another always rising to seize the magical jewellery.

User Requirements – Intelligence 16 Wisdom 12

Effect – Teleportation (Level 1)

Misc – None

“That’s going to be a lifesaver,” I said as she slipped it on.

“Sure beats working my way up from a bronze ring of blandness by farming kobolds,” she replied. “The tooltip says it has a thirty minute cooldown. I can reduce that by frequent use. It doesn’t mention needing to be engaged in a fight to level up.”

“Best you start using it,” I replied.

“I will,” she said. “Soon.”

“What about the rest of the gear? Anything good?”

“Compared to that? Probably not, but let’s check it anyway.” Her mouth dropped open. “Ooh… hang on.”

Item – Diadem of Mistrea (epic)

Type – Jewellery (head)

Description – A golden circlet worn by the mages of Mistrea. Imbued within the reforged metal is the magical power of the blessed land. The spellswords are at war with the encroaching armies of the warlock Arnas, master of frost elementals. The blanket of ice and snow spawned from his glacial citadel expands ever outward, leeching the lifegiving heat from the dying world. Should the core freeze, all life will end.

User Requirements – Intelligence 26

Effect – Pyroclastic Flow (level 1)

Misc – Provides resistance to cold damage and effects

“That sounds awful,” said Cris, donning the headpiece. “I can almost feel the chill in the metal.”

The item descriptions had often spoken of worlds in just as much peril as the ones we had been offered. I wondered if they would be contained in the hidden options. Pushing that aside, I marvelled at the effect. “We need to give that spell a go,” I said. “It sounds awesome.”

“I think this is an outside spell. It sounds too dangerous to use in a building. I think I’ve got my first set piece too,” she said, showing me the final drop.

Item – Nya Footguards (epic)

Type – Mage armour (feet)

Description – A pair of elven boots worn by the warriors of Nya.

User Requirements – Intelligence 15

Effect – Increase to mana pool

Increased mana regeneration

Misc – None

Set – Unknown

She put them on and wiggled her feet. They were formed of an exquisite, pale-green mesh-type cloth that glittered as the light from the fluorescent bulbs overhead reflected on the material.

Cris knelt and ran a hand over the footwear. “It’s like a fine chainmail. Or those pillows with the pictures hidden by the sequins. You know the ones I mean?”

“Yeah. The ones you run your hands over?”

She nodded, continuing to rub at the drop.

“We just need to get you the rest of the set.”

“I’ll consider it an early birthday present,” she replied, standing back up.

We walked out into the daylight through a security door. O’Toole had taken us to an enormous open area that comprised a small airfield and hangars, ground vehicles and squat workshops, and the newly built pens for the dinosaurs. Without the herders controlling them, they just stood there like zombies. It was even freakier than when we’d first encountered them in the town.

“They look like the hypnotised people that volunteer for the stage shows,” said Cris, repressing a shudder.

“O’Toole, who’s in charge of the herders? Their training?”

“Smith. I’ll bring him to you if you want?”

I looked over the hundreds of soldiers all stood at attention near the vehicles. “After we’ve had a chat with everyone.”

“Yes, sir.”

The men regarded me with a mixture of fear and anger. I’d killed their colleagues and broken their boss in an impossible display of powers that shouldn’t exist. I wasn’t really cut out for motivational speeches, that was more Randulf’s department.

“Just go with your gut,” offered Cris, noticing my hesitation.

I was a failing business owner facing hundreds of hardened killers. The only thing my gut was doing was turning over and over.

“Remember what you are,” whispered Cris. “Stop thinking of what you were.”

She had a good point. I took a deep breath, picked out the most dangerous looking individual in the front row, and marched over. He looked like one of the mountain men I’d read about. Taller than me by inches, with a barrel chest and tree trunks for arms. A bushy black beard concealed much of his face. Lank hair hung down his back. This was not a branch of the military with regulations on wet shaving and haircuts.

I stopped about three feet away, holding his fearsome gaze. “Take out your gun,” I ordered, trying to keep the shrill of fear from my voice.

His glare faltered slightly and he looked over my shoulder at O’Toole.

“Take. Out. Your. Gun,” I growled, moving to block his view.

He reluctantly popped the clasp and slipped out the pistol. I darted forward, grabbing his arm. He tried to flinch back in shock at my display, but I held firm with my enhanced strength. Forcing his arm up, I pressed the barrel to my forehead. My arsehole was puckering something fierce, and it took me a couple of seconds to get enough control of myself to talk. “You want to kill me, then do it. When I come back, I’ll destroy you like I did Milley and your pets.”

I could feel the faint tremble in the gun under my grip. The metal was cold on my sweating skin. His dark brown eyes studied me. Seconds ticked by without my brains exploding.

“No?” I asked, trying to let out my breath slowly as he lowered the weapon. Turning to the others, I yelled, “Anyone? I’m right here! Take your shot! I won’t stop you!”

It was my turn to flinch as Cris suddenly appeared behind the man using her teleport spell. “That was the right choice,” she said into his ear.

Many of the onlookers reeled back in shock. My unwilling executioner almost jumped into my arms. Instead, he slipped past me to put distance between them and just gaped at her.

I cocked my head at Cris and led her back out to the front of the gathered soldiers. “Listen up! We’re not from your world. We’re not like you. We’re… more.” Low mumbles broke out amongst the men. “We’re here to stop what Milley and Lake are doing. They’ve already fucked up. They’ve fucked up badly. The dinosaurs you’ve already released are breeding. Fast. The chemical they were going to use to stop them hasn’t even been created yet.”

I wasn’t certain of my last sentence, but it had an effect on the crowd.

“Whatever you’ve been told, is lies. This world will fall. Your families will die. Your friends will die. Everything you’ve ever known will die. I need your help, people. We need your help,” I pleaded, trying to hide my disgust at their involvement.

“You’ve seen what we can do,” continued Cris. “The beings that sent us here want us to fight for you, but we can only do so much without you on our side. You’ll probably have to pay for the things you’ve done, but that’s out of my hands. I can’t imagine the people of the world will let this slaughter slide without a trial. The only question you need to answer is; what’s better? Prison or extinction?”

The crowd was reflective as they mumbled to one another.

“I’m with you!” yelled a familiar voice from the back of the crowd. Scott stepped into view, his fist raised. “This has gone too far! We never signed up for wiping out the world! I want my family to survive!” He gave us a sly wink.

Slowly, the crowd of mercenaries began to agree. At first it was just subtle nods to each other, but as the consensus took hold, they started to yell their own war cries.

It was difficult to appreciate the swift change of mood among the group who had only recently been hunting us for sport through an abandoned town.

Cris picked up on my doubt. “You’re still seeing us as us. These guys have watched us cast spells, kill monsters the likes of which the world has never seen, and create an impassable forcefield to destroy a tank. My only issue is that it took a few seconds for them to realise they were beaten.”

“I guess you’re right,” I replied.

O’Toole cautiously approached. “What now, sir? Ma’am?”

“Get me Smith,” I replied. “I want to try something.”