The cleanup was a bit more complicated with this group of visitors.

  They were all buried, but I had far more blood to clear up the normal in the church's crypt. This would take a few days, but I was confident. The horses, of course, were sent down to Herbert, and the Hunters split the loot up. This group of Challengers had quite a lot of alcohol and tobacco. I gained more weapons and money, along with several pieces of jewellery and the flask left by Johannson.

  I retained a portion for McGregor and Rodriguez so they would get a cut when he returned. I learned that Blackstone had retired for the night because of his injuries. The other Hunters were a bit disappointed not to have received any action.

  Rodriguez appeared first, not being dead and needing to be resurrected.

  "They go, Rodriguez, your cut of the loot."

  "Thank ya." Came the reply. It was getting harder for them to talk now that his face had changed, and this was just the beginning of what was coming. I had prepared everything that belonged to him and placed it into a bag for him to take.

  "You did well against the four Challengers. Killing one and wounding another was no easy feat."

  He didn't say anything in reply but nodded at my words. I got the sense that he wasn't too upset about the injuries he sustained; he was happy with the kill, which added to his total.

  He quickly wandered away. When he had visited, Blackstone was downstairs inspecting the damage to the lock and resetting the trap at the bottom of the chest. He was delighted with the results. I know this because I got more than five words out of him in one sentence!

  I would need Herbert to bring me another padlock to replace the damaged one, but Blackstone assured me the chest was sound and the trap had been reset. I told him I might be calling on his services and more shortly to build something additional, but I was still in the planning phases.

  Overall, my Hunters were happy, that was until McGregor reappeared.

  He stormed into the church, angry as soon as he was resurrected. He nearly ran down the central aisle towards the altar as I summoned my avatar.

  "I see you have…"

  "Dammit, Keeper! My progress has been lost!" He cut me off, yelling.

  "Yet you are now back alive."

  "Those bastards killed me! I never stood a chance against them!" He was walking back and forth, still agitated and yelling. As he did this, I reached down behind the altar and placed a bag onto it with his cut of the loot.

  "This is yours."

  He lashed out, knocking the bag away. He snarled as he said. "I want my kills back!"

  "Calm yourself."

  I say sternly, trying to get him to calm down. His actions, although understandable, were becoming increasingly out of hand. I had to remind him who was in charge.

  "Calm myself! Calm myself!" He kept yelling and then got up in my avatar's face. "How are you going to get my kills back!"

  Spit hit my avatar's face as he yelled. I needed to take action to rein him in. But I would give him one more chance.

  "Yes, calm yourself and let us talk in a civilised manner."

  He did not listen and continued his ranting. He was storming around, still yelling and cursing. His rage was now consuming him. I had to act.

  He was shocked as I triggered my ability to punish my Hunters. He froze, and he looked up to the rafters in agony as the black and red lightning arced around him. The ability and pain held in place, but I did not make it last long. I released it, and he slumped to the floor.

  "Do you wish to continue this?"

  I asked him. I watched him on the ground as he got onto his hands and knees, his head shaking. I had gotten through to him now.

  "I did not want this. But you force me into it. Yes, you died and lost your kills. However, remember that you get another chance. Use it wisely; you have rebuilt before. Do it again."

  As I spoke, he got to his feet. His rage was gone, and I could see the fear in his eyes as he remembered who I was and what I could do. This was something I did not want, but I had to remind him of who was in charge. I reached down, picked up the bag, and handed it to him.

  "Now. Take your share and return to your lair. Think about what has happened here."

  He nodded, took the bag, and left. As I watched them walk away, I wondered if this was going to give me trouble in future. He was at his core a coward, but they were often the most dangerous as they were more willing to strike when you least expect it. Add in the fact that he was a sadist, and you had a nasty combination.

  "Yes, I will have to watch you more closely for the next few years, I feel."

  I muttered to myself as he walked away from the doors of the church.

  Eleanor came to visit me the next day.

  She seemed very excited about something and eager to tell me about it. She almost bounced across the ground towards me as I stood just within the courtyard. She came to a sudden stop at the threshold of the gates.

  "Greetings, Keeper." She said, her face beaming with a smile.

  I could have sworn she was a dog until she was wagging without end right now, all to the point of danger of injury.

  "Eleanor, what has brought you to me today?"

  "Wondrous news, Keeper. My sisters have been thinking about what you have been telling us and have decided to create a single organisation to manage our affairs." She spoke with great pride, and I wondered what they were up to.

  "Really?"

  "Yes, it is a wondrous step forward for us. We have decided to call it the American Media Corporation. We will hide it behind other shell corporations and fronts, but it will be the central hub from which we will influence the media."

  This was actually a good idea. Centralising all of their different stakes in other media organisations would allow them greater influence and profits in the long run. I also realised this was very similar to what the Way of Athamos had done, creating the United American Oil Corporation. What Eleanor told me suggested that the Daughters of Medusa were seeking to maintain their influence by peddling it when needed until they had more money.

  I had seen the competition between the two organisations and their attempts to curry favour with me. It seemed that they were starting to reflect each other in many ways now. I do not know how this would influence the future, but having both of them in positions of power and willing to work with me could only benefit me.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "That is an excellent idea."

  She beamed at my praise, and I sensed something else was coming.

  "My sisters would like to know if there's anything else you can share with us?" She asked almost coyly.

  And then it was. Seeking an advantage again.

  "Not yet. We are at an early stage in many of the industries I mentioned to you. This is the time that you need to cement your influence with early investments."

  She nodded at my words, but I could sense her disappointment.

  "The motion picture industry you have spoken about is starting to appear in Los Angeles. It is not as organised or as large as you have told us about; it is just a few individuals and companies making experimental films. As for radios, the technology is still being developed. Our sisters within Britain are helping us there."

  "Good. Both of these will start to become more important over the next decade."

  She continued nodding as I spoke, her expression showing that she was taking everything I said on board with great importance. It was as if my words were a religious scripture being dictated to her.

  I believed none of it. Her attempts at manipulation were useless on me.

  We are assisting wherever possible. We are gathering our resources in Los Angeles to establish the first film studios. We will provide financial support to these new studios and become stakeholders in them. Regarding radios, we are also awaiting their arrival. We plan to adopt a similar approach with them.

  She was regurgitating my own plan to me. But I think she was doing it to show me that they understood what I told them and were following it.

  "That is excellent to hear. What of the Christian American Woman's Temperance and Morality League?"

  I asked the Daughters of Medusa to keep watch over this organisation. Something about them unsettled me in a way I can't quite explain. I'm aware it might be a memory or just an echo of one, but something felt wrong and dangerous about them. Her expression changed with my question.

  They are gaining increasing influence nationwide. Chapters are now located in every state except Cuba. You can find them in particularly religious or conservative areas of the nation. They are gaining more influence in all parts of society." She looked like she was sucking on a lemon when she explained what they knew about them.

  "Are they in Crossway?"

  "A small group, yes. One of my sisters is a member and is making sure that they keep their attention from you." She quickly provided the additional information, which I appreciated.

  "Thank you for that. Dealing with a large group of women whose passions are up is something I do not want right now."

  She smiles at my words. We passed a few more pleasantries before she departed. She promises to keep me informed of future developments, and when the time comes, I will furnish her sisters with more knowledge of what lies ahead.

  April continued to pass.

  The last embers of the Wild West are being stomped out across the former frontier. The last criminal gangs are being hunted, and it seems the final shootouts are underway as the United States Marshals Service brings law to the region.

  Out in the Pacific, the Philippines is still locked in a brutal three-way conflict. It is difficult to obtain information on the fighting, but it appears to be still raging. The Japanese and Germans are both deploying additional forces to the islands.

  The president announced in Washington that Cuba will be fully integrated as a state into the country and will have full voting rights to elect members of Congress and the Senate by the next elections.

  In Hong Kong, the newly established British colony witnessed the last Chinese forces withdraw, ceding full control to the British Empire. In China, reforms are gathering pace, with the country changing how it handles agriculture and expanding its industrial potential in cities.

  These are just a few of the significant points of interest I read about in the papers. There were others as the empires around the world grew by annexing territory.

  At the end of the month, two other events caught my attention. The first was an agreement between the British and Russian Empires on their spheres of influence in China. The British decided not to act beyond the Great Wall of China, allowing the Russians to control everything beyond it, with the understanding that the Russians would not cross it.

  The Japanese Empire, which had expanded its influence into Korea, was also seeking to control a region of northern China that the Russians were attempting to control. That was fast becoming another flashpoint in international relations, and I decided to keep a closer eye on the area as news came in.

  The second event happened on the last day of the month. Several hundred miners in Idaho armed themselves with guns and dynamite and sought to destroy the property of the local mining companies that employed non-union labourers. Someone within the organisation betrayed them, alerting the mining companies to the danger. They, in turn, brought in the US Marshals and the Army.

  They tried to disperse the angry miners, but someone opened fire, and it turned into a brutal engagement that left 30 miners dead, along with four soldiers, and hundreds were arrested. Democratic lawmakers condemned the violence, while Republicans called for a cessation of violence as well, but did not condemn the miners.

  Even from the biased report I was reading, it was clear that the split between the more radical socialist elements of the Republican Party and its more traditional base was becoming more pronounced.

  I did not know how this would affect the future political situation in America.

  May came with more rain.

  Several storms over the first week of the month swept through the area. Thankfully, I got no lightning-based light shows.

  I was at the top of my spatial bubble, thinking about a new story that I had been reading about. The British Prime Minister announced to the House of Commons that they had agreed with the German Empire to construct a Cape Town-to-Cairo railroad across Africa. Construction was scheduled to start the following year.

  I could remember that no such Railroad has been built in my time. The strategy games I played never had such a construction or transport route across Africa. Another change with consequences I cannot foresee.

  I was thinking about possible consequences when I noticed a group of riders approaching. Through the blooming trees, I can make out several riders and what looks to be a wagon of some sort.

  I shifted down to the gates to get a better look.

  Four riders appeared with a wagon, accompanied by a single driver. They were dressed for the weather and bundled up. It was spring, but the weather was far wetter than it usually was.

  I could see that they were all armed, but it was a wagon that gave me more of a sense of why they were here. I could see various boxes and barrels strapped to the side, as if the wagon itself were filled. Most of what I could see clearly indicated a mining crew.

  "Treasure seekers?"

  I asked myself.

  Eventually, they became close enough for me to hear their conversation, and it turned out they were, in fact, a mining crew. The forest I inhabited was an unexplored route leading into the mountains to the west of me. They were seeking a new route to explore for claim resources, or even to partake in some claim-jumping.

  What they were not expecting was New Midian.

  The five men quickly huddled to discuss what to do. They stood before the gates, now gazing into the graveyard beyond. The sudden appearance of the cemetery had unsettled them. Additionally, the men were accustomed to working outdoors, and the distances they were observing made no sense to them.

  Several wanted to explore, but the group leader insisted they turn back. I was now only paying half attention to them as they were beyond the gates. If they crossed the threshold, I would be more interested; I was unsure which way they would decide.

  Eventually, the group leader won out, and the men turned to leave. It was hard turning the wagon round, but they managed it, and the five men rode off back down the track to the road.

  "No kills for my Hunters today."

  I shifted back to the top spatial bubble, looking out across the little corner of the world I could see. I spotted the men riding towards Crossway and watched as they crossed the new bridge that spanned the river.

  To the west, the sun was starting its march towards the mountains. It was still early afternoon, but night would eventually arrive. I had nothing to read in the form of newspapers, but I had acquired another book from Harrington on occult matters. I was about halfway through when I looked forward to continuing.

  The day passed as it always did. As soon as the sun was almost behind the mountains, I returned to the church. I shifted down to the crypt and summoned my avatar forth. There was a chair now in the other room in the crypt where Harrington occasionally worked on the enchanted blade. I've been using it myself these days as a reading chair. Blackstone had made it, and it was surprisingly comfortable, Harrington said. I could sit on it for long periods without issue because my avatar was not my actual body.

  I did not need light to see, but I had a candle burning anyway, as I thought it added to the correct atmosphere. I opened up the book to the chapter I had stopped at and began reading about the believed practices of witches.

  I was secretly researching for any mention of the figures I had seen in the sky when Alexander Rochester ascended after completing the trials. So far, I have found nothing, but I knew that Harrington's library was quite limited in some respects. He was more focused on magical rituals and practices than on what powers lay beyond the world he knew.

  I found it quite amusing that he was, in some respects, very anti-Demon. I would have thought he would be seeking out packs or deals to gain knowledge or power, but he was very adamant that whatever passed for his soul was his and he would not share it with anyone else. A monster with principles is a strange thing indeed.

  When I asked him about his deal with me, he was quite frank: while he was in my service, he clearly understood his obligations and mine. I had repeatedly made it clear to him that I was not seeking anything more, and that as long as he met the required obligations, he would keep all the advantages. He appreciated my simple approach to our deal and that he wasn't pressured into anything else.

  I found that somewhat ironic.

  The book was written by someone who clearly did not understand Wiccan rights or rituals. I asked the last at quite a bit of what was described. A lot of it was hearsay or speculation. I was thinking about…

  [A Challenger has entered your Dungeon.]

  "What?"