It didn't work. Trying to sneak past the more intelligent Skeleton Archon was doomed from the start. While the massing skeletons and zombies didn't notice a thing, the Archon's attention shot to Luke the second he came within perhaps fifty feet. That made every other monster in the vicinity take note as well, and they turned to him as one.

  "Well, shit."

  Rather than fight them all head-on, Luke ran. Knowing your limit is important, after all. The undead were a quick bunch, but the Skeletal Archon didn't pursue him, which meant the other undead lost interest almost as soon as he got away from its line of sight.

  Just to test the robe out a little more, Luke lowered the hood. As he'd expected, that stopped the item's effect. The fighting that followed from that experiment netted Luke another four zombie cores and a single skeleton one.

  Boon of Potential grants you an attribute point (+1 Strength).

  Not bad. Soon, he'd be reaching that +50 bonus that several other boons would've granted him, and he wasn't even level 20 yet. Feeling even better about his choice of boon, Luke continued, heading deeper into the broken-down village, drawing ever closer to the keep.

  The people living in this place must've had ample warning before the undead scourge descended on them, at least, because there was a distinct lack of carnage. Hopefully, they were all doing OK behind those tall walls.

  Skulking around with the hood up, careful not to get too close to one of the spell-casting monsters, Luke searched the streets for some clue as to who might be directing the undead. There had to be a boss to beat somewhere. Every now and then, he got the opportunity to deal with a few zombies, skeletons, and the ever more common advanced counterparts, like undead knights in plate armor and two-handed swords, or flesh abominations reminiscent of the things Relian created, and strange, ghost-like women who attacked by screaming. Luke would have plenty of monster cores for Smudge to snack on after this. Come to think of it, he'd better check on the little critter after this.

  Congratulations! You have reached level 19!

  Boon of Potential grants you an attribute point (+1 Agility).

  Boon of Potential grants you an attribute point (+1 Strength).

  "Aw yeah..."

  The longer he moved around, attacking monsters where he found openings, the more sure of himself and his abilities Luke grew. While he'd known himself able to fight on his own, proving it was a wonderful thing, and the Tempered Staff just made everything click. There was something else, too. A sense or an instinct, maybe, difficult to pinpoint. It was almost as if Luke got glimpses, telling him how a monster would move before it did. Not with every attack or even every battle, but a twinge here and there. Strange, yes, but welcome.

  Keeping the skill points in store for what might become available at level 20, Luke added four attribute points to Strength and one to Agility, making them nice and rounded. The immediate boost to his physical stats thrummed through his body, and Luke felt better than ever. He wasn't sure if it was the recent attribute gains or the now more active lifestyle responsible for the physical changes in his body, but he couldn't deny he'd lost some of the puffiness he'd acquired working at the Burger Barn, and he even saw some definition to his upper body. Unable to help himself, despite the precariousness of his current situation, he checked over the stats in his interface.

  Name: Luke Quinn

  Class: Lifeweaver

  Level: 19

  Guild: Integrated Solutions Group

  Profession: Enchanter (Level 1)

  Attributes

  Strength: 20

  Agility: 15

  Endurance: 15 (+2 from items)

  Vitality: 20 (+2 from items)

  Intelligence: 23 (+2 from items)

  Wisdom: 23

  Willpower: 23

  Focus: 24

  Skills (2 points not allocated)

  Needle of Life (Rank 2) [Active - Mana Cost: ?]: Use a precise touch to assert your will upon the weave.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Threads of Mana (Rank 3) [Passive]: Mana is the weaver's primary tool. Your threads shape the weave.

  The Healer's Moment [Active. Mana Cost: Moderate]: A mere moment can cut through the chasm between life and death.

  Weaver's Grasp [Passive]: The Weaver's control extends beyond their touch.

  Weaver’s Mercy [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: On the brink of death, lend the weave one final stitch.

  Weaver’s Renewal [Active - Mana Cost: High]: The body forgets. The weave does not.

  The Healer's Staff [Active. Mana Cost: Low]: Turn your weapon indestructible for a brief moment.

  Weavestep [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: Pass a short distance through the weave.

  Weaver's Perception [Passive]: Your understanding of the weave has reached a higher concordance, allowing glimpses of the threads that create, destroy, and bind all things.

  Weaver’s Rupture [Active - Mana Cost: Moderate]: Shatter a Thread of Mana into a pulse of force.

  Not bad, not bad at all. Luke was about to set off again when he noticed movement in the corner of his eye and turned back toward the small village and the portal. Yep, there they were. Integrated. Streamed down the hill, moving in great big clumps before spreading out to deal with straggling monsters. At that distance, there was no telling how many had come, but it didn't matter. More would arrive by the moment now. Surprised at his own reaction to seeing them, not joy or relief, but irritation, Luke just stood there, unsure how to proceed. It felt like they were infringing on his domain, messing about somewhere they didn't belong.

  Thinking like that was stupid, of course, since he didn't have ownership of portals just because he happened to know where they'd open before everyone else. Also, there was no way he could do this on his own.

  Nash: "Hey, everyone! Bad news, I'm afraid. The suggested level for Luke's portal is 15, so Ms. Violin laughed at me when I asked if we could go. They're sending two other parties. Maybe next time, eh?"

  Tom: "Viola."

  Priyah: "Sorry, Luke. We'll get there in time."

  Luke glanced around at the many undead shuffling about around him, and the intense battle raging over by the wall.

  Luke: "Yeah. Next time."

  A guttural roar sounded somewhere far above. Up there in the sky, the wings of a dragon unfurled. No, not one. More shapes separated from the first as they flew. Luke counted five. One was almost five times as large as the others. Guess he didn't need to keep looking for the boss of this dungeon.

  Luke: "Gotta go. See you tomorrow."

  Nash: "Bye!"

  "I really need to find some way to fly," Luke grunted, wondering how the hell he'd be able to get up there. Then again, maybe attacking five dragons head-on wasn't the best idea, so Luke climbed to the roof of a somewhat untouched house and settled in to wait for the other Integrated while watching the skies.

  Hannah: "On my way."

  Luke: "Great! Wouldn't mind seeing a familiar face. Lots of monsters here. Undead things, dragons, all that good stuff."

  Hannah: "Dragons, as in multiple?"

  Luke: "Five of them. The undead are attacking a keep. Lots of Integrated on the way, but I'm by myself so far."

  Hannah: "Five? Maybe I'll sit this one out..."

  Luke: "Suit yourself, but I've got a present for you."

  Hannah: "I do like presents."

  Luke: "It's a staff, but the item is called Reaching Focus of Shadows. Supposed to help with shadow magic."

  Hannah: "Hmm. My skills aren't magic, but it's worth a try. You said you're by yourself? That doesn't sound like a good idea."

  Luke: "Guess you better come here, then."

  Hannah: "Guess I'd better."

  Several Integrated soared through the sky, heading toward Luke, the keep, and the dragons. One left a trail of blazing fire after them. Perhaps that was what made the dragons take note, because three of them banked left to intercept.

  Hannah: "OK, I'm here.

  Luke: "That was fast."

  Hannah: "I'm a Traveler, remember? You over by that big stone thing?"

  Luke: "The keep? Yeah. On a roof not far from the wall. Hold on, I'll wave."

  Said and done, Luke stood and waved his arms over his head, facing toward the village. It was quite far away, but perhaps she'd notice him once she got a little closer.

  "Hey."

  "Whoa!" Luke yelped, spinning around to find Hannah standing right next to him. Today, she wore a white T-shirt and a pair of black athletic pants with white stripes on the sides. She'd tied back her dark hair in a ponytail high up on her head. "Where did you come from?"

  She pointed at the shadow behind Luke. "From there."

  "Right," he said. "Nice seeing you again. Everything... under control?"

  Hannah's amused expression turned serious for a moment. "The struggle is over for the most part. You don't need to worry about me. What about you? Happy in your little guild? Also, what the hell are you wearing, and why do my eyes keep drifting away from your face?"

  "Right, sorry," Luke said, lowering the hood. "Better?"

  "Better."

  "I got it from something called a Skeleton Archon. Nasty assholes. They cast spells that make your flesh rot. Good loot, though, at least from the first one. Haven't found anything after that."

  He handed over the item, and Hannah took it, nodding to herself. "This might work."

  "The guild is a little strange, but it's been fine so far. Apparently, people are after me."

  "People?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "You know, gangs, politicians, foreign powers."

  "For healing?"

  He nodded. "Yeah."

  "Sounds serious."

  "Maybe," he allowed. "We'll see. The guild protects me, apparently, even if I didn't ask them to."

  Hannah gave him a thoughtful look and then turned toward the wall. "A lot happening with and around you. What about this place? We have to defend against the scourge."

  "My plan was to find the big, bad undead boss and kill it. Hopefully, that'll make everything else drop dead."

  "Sounds good. Any idea where we might find it?"

  Luke pointed to the sky. "I'm thinking it's the big one up there."

  "Crap."

  "Yeah," he agreed. "Crap."

  Far above their heads, a handful of flying Integrated battled dragons. So far, it looked like an even fight, or at least neither side had lost anyone yet. The largest of the dragons hadn't joined in. Instead, it still circled the town.

  "Ideas?" she asked.

  "Well..." he began, gesturing to Hannah's shadow. "Maybe there's something we can try."