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  “You give them no respect by mothering them, Gamielle.”

  The [Mage]’s rising aura shattered from his words. They both knew he was right on this one. Gamielle deflated, fury turned into misery as she backtracked and tried to defend herself.

  “If the Obsidian Sect had just a hundred more years–no, even fifty and Larix might be strong enough to maintain it on his own. But we don’t have that kind of time. I’m asking you to be a deterring force. Help give them that extra time when you become powerful enough.”

  It was a hilarious thought, asking a third realm to be a deterring force to anything. Only, Gamielle was dead serious. She truly believed that not only would he make it all the way, but when he did, he would reach beyond the levels of most other dragonslayers.

  As flattered as he was, Ryan couldn’t agree to this.

  “You’re still missing my point. You need to trust the people to take care of themselves.”

  Gamielle turned her head to the walls, the distant look was back on her face. Her expression softened, eyes following something outside that only she could see.

  “I’ve seen half the sect grow up here. The adults can’t help themselves but have children and the children can’t help but look up to them as role models. To me the Obsidian Sect is family. I don’t care that I’m insulting them as long as they’re safe. I don’t care that they worship the ground I walk on as long as they when I tell them to stop mutilating themselves for progress.”

  She turned to him for sympathy, for understanding. Ryan almost looked away, feeling guilty for rejecting the offer.

  She pushed.

  “Surely you can understand me. You who threatened my mother as a second realm. For his friends and family. Well, this sect is mine. I… ”

  Gamielle was showing more vulnerability than she ever had before. He expected this discussion to go in many different ways. Bribing, challenging even threats he was ready for. Begging wasn’t one of the scenarios he’d thought of.

  Ryan had done and said some crazy shit when he was worried about the lives of his friends. Gamielle had flipped his point around and he didn’t have an answer for her. If this sect was his family he’d probably do the exact same thing Gamielle was doing right now. Get as many people to agree to protect the sect as he could.

  She was getting to him. Despite that, it was an impossible ask. He couldn’t worry about an entire sect when he was out there risking his life. Ryan desperately tried to change the topic.

  “Are you really worried about your mother dying? I know there was no way she was actually injured in the assault.”

  Gamielle looked away. She looked hurt that he’d rejected her like that. Hurt but expected.

  This time Gamielle took out a different bottle, one that had magical engravings etched into the glass. A magical circle opened up right underneath the cork and cleanly cut the top off. Adventurer style. She poured them both a glass.

  Ryan blinked as he realized they’d finished an entire bottle already. A part of him wondered if she was using this whole thing as a sympathetic excuse to get around her mother’s ban.

  Probably not. No, definitely not.

  The [Mage] swirled the drink and sighed.

  “My mother’s not half as stable as you think she is. She’s caused more deaths in the past ten years than even the Passive Tyrant. It’s only going to get worse too.”

  He couldn’t help but get distracted by the mention of one of the least known Tyrants.

  “The Passive Tyrant? She doesn’t go around killing people, does she?”

  “Half the fleeing monster hordes in the higher Sectors are caused by her picking a fight with a top tier apex monster.”

  “Oh.”

  That was another reveal the world knew nothing about. Monsters crossing Sectors could be both nuisances and disasters. There were very obvious reasons why there wasn’t a real city higher than Sector Eight. It turned out that half of those reasons were the Passive Tyrant.

  Apparently the Witch Tyrant was somehow causing more deaths than half the higher Sector invasions. Ryan frowned.

  “But the interview. She clearly let the blacklisted dragonslayers go. I thought she was going to hold back.”

  “That was me pretending to be my mother. I’m sorry, but my mother only leaves my grave to further her power.” A chill went down his spine as the Gamielle casually mentioned her own grave, “There’s things she keeps hidden from me. Places I can’t enter, plots I can’t see. Before I died, she kept anything hidden from me. Now? I’m terrified that one day she’ll decide the best path is to wage war and burn everything down. The interview was just me Ryan, I was trying to make you feel like you could slow down. I should have realized you wouldn’t. I’m sorry.”

  The revelation froze Ryan in place. Gamielle smiled at him sadly and finished her drink. She poured herself another glass as she stared down at the magical drink.

  Ryan tried to think of the things he could do. One step at a time. It was the mantra he repeated when he felt overwhelmed. He just needed to take one step at a time. Except what even was the first step? Demand that she stop stalling him? Go rush the Trials and and hope the Trial System would mutate his body in the right way?

  The half elf [Mage] looked melancholic as she swirled the drink around. His first step was clear. Cheer up the silly dead girl who was depressed that her mother had turned into a monster.

  Ryan cleared his throat, making her look up. Then he gave the poor girl a grin, the one that he knew she hated. An unrelenting aura enveloped the room in complete and utter arrogance.

  “That’s why it’s important for me to get as strong as possible. I’m the final piece, right? If I get strong enough that nobody else can compare, then she won’t have any choice but to give up.”

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  Gamielle raised an annoyed eyebrow as Ryan gave her a wink. She rolled her eyes and scoffed. Then the half elf girl chuckled. Ryan couldn’t help but laugh himself.

  She raised a drink in toast.

  “, . You’re the great savior that will save us from the terrible Witch Tyrant. A third realm with a useless arm and terrible control over his Epic is going to inspire the Witch Tyrant and make her see the folly of her ways.”

  Ryan raised his own glass and toasted with the memory of a dead girl.

  “Hey, I basically stopped her blacklisted dragonslayers plot. I just need to keep doing that right?”

  Gamielle just laughed harder.

  “Here’s to your complete and utter naivete!”

  They clinked and downed the drink. The golden liquid burned and invigorated him as it poured into his stomach. The feeling spread throughout his body until it felt like his whole body was on fire.

  “Whoa.”

  “You idiot, do you know how strong each glass is? You should be savoring the taste of something as expensive as this.”

  “How expensive is it? Man, I really need to figure out how to get some money out someday. Who’s ever heard of a third realm with a negative bank balance? Hey, why is the room tilting?”

  Gamielle shook her head as Ryan tried to stand up. The room tilted around him as he tried to walk a straight line. The [Mage] watched in amusement.

  “Is this your first time getting drunk?”

  Ryan stopped tilting with the room, or at least he thought he did. He turned around and tried to be a little serious. The alcohol helping him to loosen his tongue.

  “Gamielle, I want you to stop stalling me. Let me continue.”

  The half elf grimaced, “I wasn’t really stalling.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “Hey! That’s my thing. Stick to your lane.”

  “Mhmm. What can I say I’m a [Rogue]--Whoaaa”

  Then the room actually did tilt. A telekinetic force picked him up and twisted him in the air and threw him towards the sliding door. His back made contact with the thin door and splintered it outwards, exploding and surprising an eavesdropping Sect Leader.

  Ryan, crumpled on the ground, then waved at Larix who was leaning against the wall to the room Ryan had just exploded outwards from. The startled man had a flask of his own, one that he quickly hid in his robe.

  “Hey Larix, it’s not healthy to drink alone. You should join us.”

  It probably would have been a better invitation if Ryan hadn't just been thrown outside the room and was lying on the ground. Larix coughed and didn’t look at Ryan’s form.

  “I don’t think it would have been appropriate.”

  A voice called out from inside the room.

  “Nonsense! Come drink with your big sis Gammy. And you two! Get over here too.”

  No choice was given to the sect leader as he was grabbed by an invisible force himself. Two other figures in dark robes flew down from the ceiling as they fell into the room. Ryan hadn’t noticed either of them and, looking at Larix’s face, neither had he.

  Lindred and Gudriel had been eavesdropping too. The Obsidian Sect was full of dirty old eavesdroppers.

  Ryan stood up, dusted himself off and walked back in.

  –

  “You should have seen it Ryan! Little Larry only wee high,” Gamielle indicated to a height that would come up to his waist, “Said that he’d seal the Trial System and make sure that no more Trialists could terrorize The Realm again! When I told him how terrible the Manager was he promised he would seal the Manager too!”

  Poor not-so-little Larry covered his face with his hands as Ryan and Lindred laughed their heads off. Gudriel suppressed a smile and shook her head. The cultivator elf still glared at him from time to time, but it was less of a ‘I’m going to stab you in your sleep’ look and more of a ‘you are far too young and disrespectful’ look.

  Ryan thought the look wasn’t hostile enough.

  “Hey is it speciest to tell an elf that you’re a dirty eavesdropper?”

  The elf went back to a ‘I’m going to stab you in your sleep’ look. Gudriel scoffed.

  “Don’t take this moment to think I approve of you. I’ve seen plenty of Trialists do the worst things under the best of intentions.”

  Gamielle hugged the older elf by the shoulders.

  “Gudriel, Gudriel! you haven’t heard Ryan’s story. Listen in, everyone, here’s the tale of the great and terrible Artigan!”

  Ryan froze as everyone on the table leaned closer.

  –

  “And then he threatened my mother with his own life. He told her, and I quote, ‘mutually assured destruction’. Like his life meant the world to my mother.”

  “.”

  “”

  This time it was Ryan’s turn to have his face buried in his hands. There was nothing he could do. He’d tried leaping at Gamielle mid story, even attempted a table flip, all futile. The table had simply floated and gave him a bonk on the head.

  So he sat there slowly slouching into a puddle as she kept going.

  “You should’ve seen it, he had his arms out wide in the middle of a forest like this. Like he was presenting to an audience!”

  Ryan screamed internally, then externally over Gamielle until she shut him up by speaking louder than he could, to the point where he started to worry the volume would be loud enough for the entire sect to hear. Ryan glared helplessly. Then he narrowed his eyes.

  . He just had to wait for the right opportunity.

  Ryan just had to act like he’d given up.

  Gamielle continued.

  “Then the three stooges started sparring, in the middle of the ruined town! Among a bunch of monster corpses! Ryan had completely forgotten about the Emerald Snake!”

  …She continued.

  “Then the cerulean crow shit on both Zedart and Valee! Oh Gudriel you would love Zedart! Actually you should meet Valee, she gave up being an elf and changed to an orc!”

  “”

  Gamielle giggled. “Maybe I’ll stage an introduction to both of them.”

  …And continued.

  “Ryan almost got blown up, the idiot tried to prove a point and -”

  That was when Ryan struck.

  “And I remember someone telling me I shouldn’t be worrying about others,” Ryan interrupted, making Gamielle frown, “You should have heard her. They’re just mediocre adventurers!”

  The [Mage]’s eye twitched.

  “Watch it bub.”

  Ryan gave her a grin and then spread his arms out wide. He opened his mouth and then promptly had them closed with prejudicial telekinetic force. Now that wasn’t fair.

  “Mmm! MMMM!”

  Lindred coughed, eager amusement dancing on his face.

  “ , isn’t it fitting for all of us to listen to stories of your own failings and foibles when you so readily share the flaws in others? Or perhaps I should part with some of my own stories?”

  The elven [Mage]’s ears went red as looked at Lindred then back to Ryan. Larix’s head raised, more eager than ever for storytime. Gamielle looked at her drink, then at the empty bottles strewn by her side. She blinked a few times then coughed.

  “Looks like I’ve had a few too many to drink. Oh dear me. Let’s adjourn and meet in the morning with clearer heads shall we?”

  Even drunk Gamielle knew it was futile. Lindred gave ‘little Gamgam’ a serene smile, promising nothing but suffering if she interrupted Ryan’s story. Gudriel’s smile looked wicked. Like a hunter eyeing her prey. Gamielle’s finger twitched, like she was debating whether or not to telekinetically knock everyone out.

  Larix coughed.

  “Well as the first person that was disparaged. I would like to hear what Ryan has to say.”

  –

  “Then she stared at me stabbing the bullipede over and over again. She thought I’d lost my mind and turned into a crazy maniac and didn’t know how to handle it. That was when I found out she was a huge softie.”

  …

  “Have you seen the video where I made fun of Latarro? Well the truth was it wasn’t just a plan for him. The plan was actually targeting Gamielle. And I even got her to record it herself! I was so surprised she even posted it! Here’s what actually happened…”

  …

  “And then, Gamielle said she’s turning into her mom! You all should have seen her face! It was like the world was ending! Worse!”

  Was Ryan telling her story the way she told his? Why yes, yes he was. Even Larix joined in.

  “I do remember her saying after your fall with the cerulean crow that she wished she picked food and drink instead. I believe Lady Gamielle is quite regretting her decision right now.”

  “Oh that’s why she was so mad when I asked her what was wrong at Lazhen!

  By the end of the day it was Gamielle that had her head in her hands.

  –

  Ryan was in his bed buzzed, an odd feeling considering he didn’t remember the last time he had gotten drunk. It had been pleasant, exaggerating Gamielle’s story to people that knew her both when she was younger and older. Unfortunately, now was time to pay the piper. So to speak.

  “Gamielle, you know it’s rude to just enter my room and glare at me right?”

  She sat on a plush chair that had materialized itself in his room. Gamielle held no pretenses as to what she was now. Her body was ethereal, see-through, like a ghost from a horror movie.

  Except she really was a ghost.

  Her dead eyes stared at him, unblinking. Ryan threw his bedsheets at her. Instead of it covering her body, they just went through her, landing in a pile on the chair. Ryan looked out the window and wondered if he should go find Larix. Surely Gamielle wouldn’t play this prank on little Larry.

  Gamielle was getting better at telling when Ryan was plotting a trap for her. She scoffed.

  “Everything will be ready by tomorrow. I haven’t actually been stalling you. The longer you practice, the higher the chance of success. But if you’ve made up your mind I won’t stop you.”

  “Thanks Gamielle.”

  “I don’t know what visualization technique you plan on using but my advice? Make sure you choose one that fits your Epic.”

  She kept haunting him as he used [Return to Earth].

  When his consciousness returned back into his Earth body he hadn’t been expecting to wake up to the inside of a black bag.

  It had been a while since Ryan was ambushed–and by ‘a while’, he meant ten days. His definition of ‘a while’ clearly needed work. Ten days had been just enough time for him to let his guard down for another prank from Seffara. Ryan pulled hard against his rope bindings. Then he shook his head.

  “Really round two?”

  “ How’d you know it was me?”

  The voice was not Seffara nor Milock, it was Pinkie.

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