I walked out of the Dungeon portal, back into the hub of the Infinite Tower. I felt some eyes on me. They were evaluating, with the Skill and without, judging me. At that moment I didn’t care what they were thinking. I was tired and battered.

  And I was happy.

  My progress was pretty good.

  Multiversal Points: 13,130

  Tower Points (First Floor): 13,130/200,000

  QUESTS:

  FIND 120 CLUMPS OF WHITEMOSS 0/120

  FIND 300 OAKEN ACORNS 205/300

  GATHER 100 BUSHELS OF PONDTAILS 0/100

  GATHER 120 STACKS OF BIRCHEN LOGS 20/120

  GATHER 75 WHITEMOSS WOLF HIDE 20/75

  GATHER 100 HORRISLEAF ELK ANTLERS 40/100

  PERMITS:

  HUNT ALPHA HORRISLEAF ELK 0/1

  HUNT ALPHA WHITEMOSS WOLF 0/1

  HUNT ALPHA URSASPINE 0/1

  HUNT ALPHA WHITEHILLS WYVERN 0/1

  SLAY 50 WHITEMOSS WOLVES 20/50

  SLAY 50 URSASPINES 21/50

  SLAY 30 WHITEHILLS WYVERN 0/30

  Not bad for one day. Looking at my gains though, it looked like I’d be in the Tower’s first floor for at least nineteen more days, unless did something to get more points daily, but probably more than the nineteen. There was other stuff I had to do in Crossroads. I wondered what the record for clearing a Floor was.

  I used the Force Essence but held onto the Level Up. The first few Floors, I wanted to spend as much time on them as I could before hitting the Thresholds. Before I moved on too far, I wanted to make sure Solace had at least one team of people in the lower Levels of the Tower.

  Walking through the hub, I headed for the Portals to Crossroads. I wondered what the local time was. When I’d walked through the Market District, it had been day, and appearing at the obelisk where the four streets met, it was now night. The sky was more gray than black with no stars. Just looked strange.

  I looked around, trying to figure out what shops would be the best. I wasn’t really looking for anything, but needed to start getting an idea of what the going rate for Essences and Resources were. And armor and weapons.

  “Nick!,” a deep voice with a heavy Texas accent shouted out.

  I groaned, turning to my right to see Fred Douglas walking over. He was a tall man that had been in his fifties when the System had arrived. Now seventy-five, he looked like a very fit fifty year old and as stereotypical Texan as a person could get. White hair that he kept close croppsed, muttonchops to a mustache with his chin shaved. He wore an old cowboy hat that he’d had enchanted like my hat. He’d been so excited when he’d found out about the ability to add self-repair, that he’d gotten a dozen cowboy hats he’d scavenged infused with the enchantment. The same had been done to his leather duster he wore over his leather armor. The long coat was pulled back on his right, showing off one of his six-shooters.

  The gun still worked, firing special Arcanum bullets, powered by his Essences.

  I liked Fred, even though we were competing for the same future territory, and enjoyed beers and bbq with him down at his ranch house in the United American Alliance territory. But I could only take so much of his Texas attitude at a time. Looking at him, he was clean, not looking like he’d entered the Infinite Tower yet.

  Which made sense. Fred could fight with the best of them, but he was more of a political animal. Before the System, he’d been a hot shot CEO for a large company. Very rich, but also very hands on in the running and taking care of the people that worked for him.

  Looked like he’d made some contacts already.

  Walking next to Fred was a person just as tall as he was, but skinnier. Not the unfit skinny but the athletic. The man wasn’t dressed in armor, but fine clothes of some material I didn’t know. He had long really blond hair, piercing blue eyes, fine features and pointed ears. Fred’s new friend was an elf.

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  “Hey Fred,” I waved, walking over to join them.

  Fred held out his arm and we clasped forearms, the new form of handshake.

  “Jeriyan Sumerio, meet Nick Howell, also from Terra,” Fred said.

  The elf nodded to me, so I returned the gesture.

  “Nice to meet you,” I told the man.

  “Likewise.”

  Fred stepped back, giving me the once over. Still smiling, he just shook his head.

  “Did you start running the Tower already?”

  “Yeah, got my compound set up and then hit the first floor forest biome.”

  “That is a good first choice,” Jeriyan said.

  He had a snobbish kind of voice and tone. From his look, he would be classified as a high-elf in the old games and stories. I didn’t know if there was such a distinction in the real Multiverse. He was the first elf I had met. Wasn’t even sure he was an elf.

  “You seriously just headed straight into the Tower?” Fred asked, chuckling. “Yeah, I guess you would.”

  I shrugged.

  “What are you up to now?”

  “I was going to start looking at the various shops,” I replied. “See where the best ones are for selling and buying.”

  “That is a good plan,” Jeriyan said. “You will find that the market in Crossroads is varied. Some of the races will only buy and sell to those of their own race, or even those of their own planet. Some will give a high mark-up to those not of their own race. Culture can play a part in it as well. The Felitran, as an example, love to barter. They consider it an insult if there is no bartering. But..,” Jeriyan held up a hand, as if he didn’t want us to interrupt.

  Which I wasn’t. Not sure about Fred. I did have the urge to make a joke about ‘have wares’ but didn’t think Jeriyan would get it.

  “They also may start with a high mark-up, knowing there will be bartering. By the time you are done, unless you have a high Diplomacy Essence, you may not be getting a deal with the final price falling in line with elsewhere.”

  “That makes sense,” I said, turning and looking at all the options down the four streets. “What about your people?” I asked, turning back to Jeriyan.

  Fred laughed. Jeriyan smiled and gave a slight nod.

  “Very good question.” Jeriyan pointed to his left, my right. “The shop of my people is down there. We are fair to those that are fair to us. Our allies get a slight discount and those with contracts can get more.”

  “And that my friend,” Fred said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Is why you set up contacts first.”

  He didn’t say it to be mean. That was Fred being Fred. At some point over the years, he started seeing me as kind of a son.

  Which made it weird when we were on opposite political sides during the various World Councils.

  “Your friend’s method is good as well as he now has some resources to sell and also has gained some standing in the Infinite Tower. Depending on his score after one day, that can generate a lot of interest in him, his Faction and have people come to him.”

  I smirked at Fred, who just chuckled.

  “There is no right way to advance in the Crossroads,” Jeriyan continued. “I have seen Factions that do not form alliances with other races and just push forward through the Tower and gaining strength. They are one of the overall strongest Factions in the Multiverse. I am sure there would be many that would forgo the Tower if they were able but alas, none of us are,” he finished, spreading his hands. “But some Factions grow their political and merchant power over the Tower. There are many ways to live in the Multiverse.”

  Jeriyan waved his hand around, indicating the entire Market District.

  “You will hear that saying over and over. There are many ways to live in the Multiverse. It is a kind of anthem to those of us that live under the sway of the Celestial Challenge System. There are also many ways to die in the Multiverse,” he finished.

  We all kind of fell silent for a bit after that last part. Just a reminder of how dangerous our lives were. Before it could get awkward, Fred filled the silence. He did not like silence and did enjoy the sound of his voice.

  “I met Jeriyan here shortly after I arrived,” Fred said, expertly guiding the conversation back to a relevant topic.

  For all his loud behavior and bragget personality, Fred was extremely good at what he did.

  “My people are one of the more Mercantile focused Factions in the Crossroads. As well as one of the oldest. We are always interested in the newly opened worlds and what unique Resources they might have to offer. Part of my responsibilities in Crossroads is seeking the representatives of those worlds out and meeting with them, forming the first contacts.”

  “What is your Faction?” I asked.

  “I am a Ranking Member of the Sunrise Over Blue Hills Cooperative Formation,” he said, both hands over his heart, right over left. “For those we deal with off our planet, we are the Sunrise Formation,” he finished with a smile.

  I laughed. That was a mouthful.

  “Well let me formally greet you as the current representative of Solace and Clan Howell of Terra,” I said.

  Jeriyan gave me an odd look, glancing from me to Fred and back. I could tell he was confused but wasn’t sure how to ask the question. He finally just did, figuring he’d smooth his way over any potential offense he might cause.

  “You are not part of Mr. Douglas’ United American Alliance? You are from rival Factions but are friendly with each other?”

  I could understand his confusion.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Kind of rivals since our Factions control territory at opposite ends of the continent and expanding toward the middle.”

  “And mine is bigger than yours,” Fred added, chuckling.

  “By choice,” I replied with a smile.

  “Are all Factions on your planet friendly?”

  “Hell no,” Fred said, chuckle becoming a full-on laugh.

  “I think Subutei would happily murder us both in our sleep,” I added. “Actually, he might have tried already,” I muttered.

  “Hhhhmmmm,” Jeriyan said, long finger tapping at his chin. “I think we may have much to discuss. Let me buy you both a meal.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I said.

  “Won’t ever see me turning down a free meal,” Fred agreed.