With the wooden stage in the middle of the square behind him, Luke approached the building with the burning torch. Getting closer, he saw that the building was well lit inside. He stopped outside, wondering if he should knock or just barge in.

  "You might as well come in," a voice sounded from within.

  Inside, it was just one large room, cleared of any furniture except a large table at the back, a few chairs around it. Lanterns hung evenly spaced along the wall, giving ample light to see by. A man stood by the table, wearing a modern black suit and tie with a white shirt, which was more than a little strange. Considering the surroundings, Luke would have expected some medieval cut or perhaps robes. He was clean-shaven with neat dark hair, thick eyebrows, and a narrow nose that looked almost like a beak, with intense dark eyes watching Luke as he approached the table separating them.

  Inspected Integrated: Relian. Fallen Shepherd. Level ???

  "You are Integrated," Luke said. "What are you doing here, and why do I have a quest that says I have to kill you?"

  "I have fallen out of favor with The System, you could say," Relian replied, an air of amusement around him.

  "Who are you? Where are my friends? What is this?" Luke asked. The questions just kept on coming.

  "My name is Relian de Vasquez, and I have been here a long time, Luke. Your level tells me your system is newly Integrated, correct?"

  Luke got close enough to see what was on the table. It was a man, taken apart, piece by piece, like some macabre puzzle. He still lived, despite his head being separated from the rest of his body, and there was no blood to speak of, but he looked at Luke as if begging for help without uttering a single word.

  "Where are my friends?" Luke said.

  "They are safe for now," Relian said. "Your class is interesting. Similar to my own. You handled my little pets like someone far above your level. So I wanted to meet you. Perhaps, I thought, we could be friends."

  "Friends?" Luke asked. "Do you think I'd want to be friends with someone who could do this to a person? Where have all these people come from? Are they NPCs? Are you?"

  Relian tilted his head and made a face that said Luke's questions were the wrong ones. "It is a dungeon, yes. But not in the usual sense. It was a world once. But it's been barren for a long while, even before I arrived here."

  "So, where have you taken these people from?" Luke asked, forcing himself to look back down at the poor bastard on the table.

  Inspected Integrated. Calcain. Haramfor. Level 8.

  "They are Integrated," Luke breathed. "They were sent here to kill you."

  "Now you are starting to understand," Relian said, his eyes glittering with mirth. "Once in a while, when a new system is Integrated, some poor souls are sent here to end me, but they all end up as my playthings and the undead spill out into that system and wreak havoc until the portal closes on its own. Until today."

  "You're not from Earth," Luke said.

  "I am not from your home system," Relian agreed.

  "What about them?" Luke asked.

  "Like I explained, they are not from your home world, either. This joined me here a few years ago, I think. Time is a little strange around these parts. Now, though, they bore me. Thankfully, after what feels like eons of improvement on my skills, everything is in place for me to leave. With my research done, all the mysteries of The Greater System are laid bare before us," he said, gesturing to the man on the table. "All that is left is to stride out from here with my head held high."

  "You are not going anywhere," Luke said, bringing his quarterstaff out from his inventory. "Where are my friends?"

  "You will see them soon enough. All four are well enough, protected by my shining knights. I was hoping that you would show me what you are capable of," he said, again gesturing to the table. "Please. See if you can't piece this man back together. Do so without an unfortunate death, and I will be most impressed. Perhaps even impressed enough to bring your friends here to us."

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Or I could just smash your head in with this," Luke said.

  Relian chuckled. "Go ahead, see how well that works out for you."

  Luke slammed the staff into the side of Relian's head and it broke apart, turning into shredded wood and splinters. It was like he'd struck a thick steel rod, and pain shot up his arms as he winced, pulling back and dropping what was left of his quarterstaff.

  Relian's eyes darkened. "Now, you have had your fun, so perhaps you should tend to your patient, Lifeweaver. Or would you rather take his core and keep it for yourself? From what I remember, the shop is quite useful."

  Luke glanced down to the man on the table again, then up at Relian. "You'll get my friends here if I do this?"

  "If I am satisfied with your results," Relian agreed.

  "Fine," Luke said, stepping up to the table. How this man lived, he couldn't tell. His Weaver's Eye registered him as uninjured. Being divided into small pieces didn't count as an injury, apparently. Luke brought out a Thread of Mana from the palm of his hand, and spotted Relian's eyes widening.

  With the thread touching a piece of the patient's thigh, Luke found mana threads still active within that piece. Careful not to disturb the mana channel too much, he brought out another thread. He used that to push the next piece up to the one he was working on. Nothing happened despite the separated mana channels touching. Mana did not flow from one into the other. Stitching the flesh back together would do the patient no good if the mana channels didn't join, Luke figured.

  Holding the pieces together with two Threads of Mana, he brought forth a third, focusing to keep them all from slipping out of his control. Activating Needle of Life, Luke used some of his mana to bridge the gap between pieces. With that, they molded together and became one.

  "Interesting method," Relian said. "Precise, but needlessly complex."

  "Is that what happens when you cut the mana channel?" Luke asked, panting. "The piece just comes off?"

  "Oh no," Relian said, chuckling a little like he was talking to a child. "That is part of what I'm capable of. But to think someone capable of restoring what I've torn asunder has stepped into my domain, and just at this particular time. Fate, one might argue. It means something."

  "What?" Luke asked, connecting another piece of the patient's upper leg.

  "It means you and I will work together in the future. As friends."

  "I doubt that," Luke said.

  "Please continue," Relian said, gesturing over the table. "Many pieces remain."

  Luke worked for what felt like hours, standing over the table, taking severed mana channels and fusing them together, one by one, finding himself enjoying the process. This sort of practice was just what he needed. When he'd finished the legs, Luke looked up at the patient's face and saw tears trickling down the side of his face.

  "Can he hear us?" Luke asked.

  "Yes. Would you like me to make it so he cannot?"

  "I'm going to fix you," Luke said. "Then I'm going to help you get out of here."

  The patient's eyes swiveled to Relian and widened in fear.

  "Don't look at him," Luke said. "Look at me. You'll be fine. I promise."

  "Empty promises are the domain of all healers," Relian said to himself.

  "Shut up," Luke said, returning to his work.

  The arms came next. He was getting faster now with practice, putting the patient back together piece by piece. Sweat ran down his face and his chest, pooling at the small of his back where he leaned over. It required tremendous focus and willpower to keep the Threads of Mana going, using so many of them.

  Luke attached the patient's head last, hoping the mana channels wouldn't tear apart and that the patient's meta-heart wouldn't fail under the stress and burden. It didn't look twisted and wrong like the others. This was a real person. Not a monster.

  As soon as the patient was whole, the screaming began. A terrible wail, even as the man sat up on the table, then shoved Luke out of the way and ran out the door. Luke struck the wall and stayed there, panting, his hands feeling numb. Working like that drained little mana, but his mind, all that focus, it had taken so much focus.

  "This is the reward for saving a man's life. The healer's calling rarely yields gratitude. They'll scorn you for those you can't save and think those you did save count for little. You're a healer, after all. Of course, you should be able to heal everyone."

  "That bastard ran," Luke said in disbelief, shaking his head.

  "He won't get far," Relian said, gesturing for Luke to sit in a chair near the table.

  A bloodcurdling scream sounded from somewhere on the square outside. Then silence.

  Luke spoke through a clenched jaw. "Did you kill him?"

  "Not exactly," Relian said. "Tell me, how did you kill my flesh golem? It took me quite a while to build him."

  "I might want to use that same method to kill you," Luke said.

  "You'll find me a little more resilient than that. But fair enough," Relian said. "I am a man of my word, and your friends are being brought to us as we speak."

  "Those wolves are your creations as well," Luke said. "Why the knights? Why the theatrics?"

  "Those who know me, as few as that is by now, would tell you that I am a man who enjoys a bit of flair and fun," Relian said, a weak, tired smile on his lips. "You would have found your way here eventually, but this route was quicker. It allowed me to see some of what your capabilities are. The young girl in blue is interesting. But the other three," he made a face. "I found them dull."

  Shuffling steps sounded from just outside the door.

  Relian clapped his hands together. "Ah, they're here!"