Most awakened at some point in their lives encounter a situation which creates a heart demon. For more details on the subject please check the references, I will keep to the core of what heart demons are and how they affect our realm cores.

  Heart demons are sentient and sapient constructs within our realms which contest us for control over them. When near they make realm sculpting more difficult or impossible. They also often disrupt our meditations and obstruct our progress. But the most dangerous is the heart demon possession, a phenomenon which happens when advancing a realm with heart demons remaining.

  — Excerpt from Introduction to Realm Cores

  Day 103, 11:30 AM

  After three more runs of setting things up and seeing how some of them would play out, just to fix the kinks, I began executing my plan. The first move was played by Hammer, who brought Steelrod into my study while I was arranging my apothecary equipment.

  The loop was a keeper, and I planned to do everything properly.

  “Sit, Steelrod,” I said before the man actually running the town got to say his greetings. “I wish to promote our fair Hailstown.”

  I almost said “smelly” instead of “fair” again, but the man didn’t appreciate the joke last time, so I left it unspoken.

  “What is your brilliant idea, lord townlord?” I bet such compliments must hurt his pride when giving them to a man he almost certainly considered too dumb to tie his own shoelaces.

  “We shall organize a martial tournament for young awakened. There should be a dozen or so of them in the town guard. Two of my sons also fit the criteria, but we can keep it an open contest, with anyone being able to join as long as they apply at least a day before the tournament start.”

  Steelrod almost fainted again. He was about to whine about the money for the event, but I spoke before he opened his mouth.

  “I will fund the whole thing myself, but I will also keep whatever earnings we make. The budget for the organization, workers, and the rewards will be a single piece of second realm manarium. Here’s the list of things I had in mind for the town, but you are free to add to it at your own discretion. I trust you will handle everything correctly. You are dismissed.”

  He opened his mouth to protest, but I threw the crystal into his hands and gave him a sharp look, after which he left without a word. Next on the agenda, advancing apothecary to level five, then switching to alchemy so I could make some energy drinks, which is how I started calling mana infused potions for realm expansion.

  That evening, I enjoyed dinner and a night with Ruby before slipping out of her bed and going back to work.

  Two days later, I had Hammer invite the captain of the guards.

  “Oakson,” I told the man. “A skinny young man with red hair will arrive in town shortly. Have a non-awakened member of the guard instruct him to spend the night at the Tickle and Giggle, and tell him I will see him in the morning.”

  The man turned around, but I stopped him before he made a step. “The youth’s name is Newstar Salamandra. In case there are other young men matching the description.”

  There won’t be, but letting Newstar know I knew his name and that he was coming was a much better power play than what Thunderbluff’s citylord tried to do. Unfortunately, I lacked the time to prepare everything, so I had to stall. Energy drinks were notoriously difficult to make, so I needed the boost from apothecary skills, namely, Initial Precise Hand, since errors I failed to perceive resulted in failed potions. Very expensive failed potions.

  Another day passed, and come morning, it was showtime.

  “Townlord, Newstar Salamandra is here to see you.” Hammer knocked on the door of my private lounge, where I sat on a massive armchair covered in what looked like snakeskin, but were actually processed raptor hides.

  “Come in, young man,” I boomed, pouring myself some tea. Newstar hadn’t started drinking yet, and it wouldn’t do for the host to serve his guest with something they wouldn’t drink.

  He entered the room, confused and suitably intimidated, but not erratic, the change shook him up and made the future that didn’t happen release its hold on him. I perfectly understood the feeling, but, unlike him, I had to get used to it or die. He still looked at me as if searching for familiarity between the past and present versions. But I changed my clothes, trimmed my hair and beard, so I passed the initial inspection, with him hopefully confirming that the loop he had experienced was a dream.

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  “Come, sit. Would you like some tea? I would have offered wine, but you are so underaged, I am afraid someone would bring me before a magistrate for misleading the youth.”

  He met my gaze with eyes so blank and confused, his soul might have vacated his body.

  “I understand you are looking for your parents, and you have some misgivings about a girl. A very important topic at your tender age, but I would prefer us discussing it like civilized adults, rather than trading blows. Please, sit.”

  Finally, he sat.

  “Tea?”

  He made no attempt to stop me, so I poured him a cup, and he just let it sit there, staring at fine porcelain as if it had offended him somehow.

  “You are a silent type? All action, no banter.” I chuckled, and finally it seemed to snap him out of his daze. The poor kid’s brain must have gone haywire, struggling to make sense of everything, which was fine. Keeping people off balance in volatile situations ensured they lacked the footing to put up a fight.

  “Yes, I mean no. I am quiet, and I’m here to seek information about my parents.” He stopped himself from mentioning the girl, and I knew she was a much lower priority, more a lingering tether to his childhood. Nevertheless, given the kind of girl we were talking about, that string needed a decisive cutting before she sank down into the sea of memories.

  “And I’ve seen the posters about the tournament along the way.”

  Hook, line, and sinker. I nodded, my smile never changing.

  “Understandable. The tournament reward is hardly worth your time, but by all means, thrash a bunch of first realm knights struggling for resources to advance a layer, if you enjoy stealing from children.” I chuckled to reduce the sting of my words before steering the topic back to the most important matter I could address. “As for the girl, I wish to speak with you frankly. I have heard of you, and what you have done with your family, and all the other nastiness you suffered. Life sometimes tempers us with hardship, but often it is simply unfair for no rhyme or reason. Do you mind if I broach some sensitive topics?”

  The boy froze, staring at me, his eyes moving rapidly as he considered heaven knew what.

  “Sure,” he finally said, his lips tightly pressed the moment the word escaped them.

  Well, couldn’t blame the lad. I was about to shatter his illusions completely and beyond repair.

  “That Jasmine girl you are eyeing is a self-centered manarium-digger, looking for nothing save to climb higher in the world. I dislike her, but Hardstone has the right to do as he wishes with his life. He is not a child.”

  Newstar’s eyes went wide with shock, but that was fine.

  “As for you, you are not my child. I can advise you about matters like this man-to-man, and you are free to do as you like afterward. Now, I think she would be poisonous for you, so I spoke with my daughters to see if any would match your taste, and frankly I found them all self-centered, but nowhere nearly as manipulative, nor willing to prostitute themselves for power or wealth.”

  Newstar shuddered with rage, and I chuckled, trying to ease the sting of my words. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work.

  “I apologize for being so blunt. It is a character flaw of mine, but I have your best interests at heart, and I can prove my claims.”

  “How will you prove them?”

  “I will show you, but first, please take your tea. You need to calm down and evaluate the situation with a clear mind.”

  Newstar gulped the tea and glared at me, while I poured him another cup.

  “Do enjoy it a bit and exercise more caution in the future. I could have poisoned you just now. While I am seeking to resolve our differences and deescalate the situation, I am not beneath poisoning or murdering my enemies.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at how he looked at the cup.

  “It is too late to think about it after you have already drained an entire cup. Only an idiot would use a poison that will spare his enemy after they sipped it.”

  He took a bit more tea, drinking it slowly, and using the time to think. Good. He knew how to act, just needed polishing and reminders.Which was fine. Nobody started omniscient.

  “How do you plan to prove your claims?” Newstar asked after replacing his cup on the saucer, hitting the cue for my wise-man speech.

  “In this long life of mine, I have found words empty. They can never convince people, even of the most obvious truths, so I rely on practical demonstrations. Demonstrating overwhelming force eclipses empty threats, demonstrating loyalty serves better than lip service. And in case you are wondering, this is also a demonstration.”

  “A demonstration of what?” The boy gulped.

  “I am demonstrating my usefulness, candidness, and desire to work with you, but if you believe our differences are so huge that we cannot be allies, I am at least interested in nonaggression.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you are a genius. My current strength eclipses yours. I could crush you where you stand, either with poison or brute strength, but my instincts tell me I have much to gain from a friendship with you. Almost as much as you stand to gain by being friends with me.” I took a sip of tea, letting the words sink.

  “How do you know I’m a genius?”

  I deadpanned at him.

  “Because I have more than five brain cells. Listen, young man, your uncle threw you into an abandoned mine three years ago, and while your body has obviously suffered during that time, you somehow awakened, advanced your realm all on your own, and grown strong enough to destroy him utterly and win back your clan with the rest of the leadership accepting or at least tolerating you. It would take a moron to think you were lucky.” I paused. “Scratch that. You should be aware, there are plenty of people out there who do not value information as much as they should. They might not look into potential allies and enemies out of arrogance, inexperience, or delusions of grandeur. Hells, they might even believe themselves invincible.”

  I leaned over to him, showing him a winning yet dangerous smile.

  “But I am not that kind of man.”