Blanco stands in-front of them taking a short bow before rising.

  “It was an interesting bout, I am curious though, do you recognize this?” Blanco asks.

  Blanco raises his hand separating his index finger and middle finger from his pinky and ring finger with his thumb extended.

  “In a logical sense yes,” Mateo replies.

  “Then you know I’m a realmwalker from your realm, I want to warn you, that path you walk, voidlord, it requires sacrifice,” Blanco pauses giving Natalia and his pixie Vlad a glance. “Beware what you sacrifice, you can’t take it back, and logical isn’t always the best choice, we aren’t Vulcans we’re realm walkers.”

  “So, you’re from earth?” Mateo questions.

  “Something like that.”

  Blanco simply smiles before disappearing leaving a large chest in his place.

  Mateo steps toward it ready to open it, but Stitches stops him.

  “Wait, use your loot ability, you’ll get better stuff, and if it’s a mimic you won’t get trapped by it,” Stitches says.

  “Good idea,” Mateo replies.

  Ability activated, loot.

  Item received: Grade A Plot Armor. Grade A Plot Armor, this item is a single use consumable item. You can only have two of this item in your inventory. When you use this item it remains in your inventory with the effect ‘used’ and cannot be replaced. Grade A Plot Armor- this is your journey and it doesn’t end here, activate this item to survive an instance that would otherwise obliterate you. If the immediate area around you, the world you are on explodes, you will be teleported to a safe haven somewhere in the innumerable realms.

  Item received: Blood Letter. Blood Letter is a legendary blood bound item that takes the form of a small brush with a pointed edge. By stabbing the base of the brush into the user’s palm it will absorb the user’s blood allowing them to draw blood Kanji in the air in front of the user. Blood Letter comes with a companion tome with which to inscribe new Kanji which can be learned from dragon scribes or scriptomancers. Warning, this is a blood bound item. Once it is bound to the blood of the user it cannot be used by another outside of their bloodline. If the bloodline dies the item is destroyed.

  Item received: Tome- The Elf and the Mimic, a taboo desire written by Drieren.

  “Give me give me give me!” Stitches cries excitedly as she sees the tome.

  “Um, what is it and why is it sticky?” Mateo asks.

  “Nothing of use to you, it’s monster erotica, my ‘Woman of Culture’ skill gives me additional dialogue options when talking to other individuals of culture like Okami if I have read such tomes,” Stitches explains.

  She pauses pressing a claw to her chin.

  “A thousand-year-old elfess seeks the forbidden knowledge that lies within seven chests, only one of the chests is a mimic, when she opens it she is nearly swallowed, but she senses something within the chest, a deep longing for companionship-,” Mateo presses the tome to her chest and a finger to her lips.

  “That’s enough for me, you can have it,” Mateo says and pulls the ‘Grade A Plot Armor’ from his inventory observing it.

  The item itself is a small orb containing what looks like a swirling nebula. After his observations he returns it to his inventory removing Blood Letter. The first time he removes it it appears with its companion tome displaying only three kanji. Wind, Water, and Fire. He closes the tome inspecting the large brush. It has a sharp base and feels hollow. After a few moments he returns it to his inventory and a heavy presence washes over him.

  A large reptilian man appears before him dressed in battle raiment fit for a god. His reptilian attributes are a little off putting to Mateo, but he does not greet him with hostility.

  “Um, who are you?” Mateo questions.

  “I am Drako, the being from which your weapon was granted a name, and I am here to teach you a skill, well, a spell, but I would not have you use it as so, rather, use this only in your void domain and it will create an object that is both extremely rare, and incredibly valuable, but you must promise not to sell it, hide it away, and when you are ready you will be able to have it crafted into something that will assist you in killing the dragon god Dios,” Drako says raising his scaly hand.

  “So, you know of my crusade to kill Dios?” Mateo asks.

  “You have reached tiger rank, in a few minutes your perception of the world will change, the Task Master will attune with your spark in a way that you were too weak for it to before, and you will comprehend reality in a way that seemed before to be, incomprehensible,” he pauses as the domain shakes, no, as reality shakes. “Quickly, Garren is in need of my assistance, take my power young Voidlord.”

  Mateo reaches his hand out pressing his palm to that of Drako’s.

  Spell acquired: Black Hole Sun.

  Error!

  Error!

  Description unattainable!

  Error!

  For more insight on this spell cast it in your void domain but be sure to remain outside the event horizon when you do.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Drako gives Mateo a crooked lizard like grin as he lowers his hand and opens a portal to the realm of the gods. Looking over his shoulder, his grin widens.

  “Everything you know, is about to change little lord of the void,” he says and vanishes returning to the realm of the gods.

  “Mateo, I feel weird,” Stitches says.

  Mateo grips his head as it suddenly feels like his brain is alight with a hellish flame just before he passes out. The world turns dark, and text fills his mind not unlike that of the text from an old game he used to play. One featuring a main character that was a replication of humanity and was far too sexy to forget, though her romance with her intended partner was not meant to be.

  Hello realm walkers, and native tiger rankers. I am the task master. For time innumerable I have cast my influence over the innumerable realms reaching out to touch your spark in a, cough, platonic way. Ever expanding I am the sky and the seas, I am the light and the darkness it creates. I am unending and I am here to direct you on your path to greatness. Together we will grace the innumerable realms with stories of heroism and tragedy. Campaigns of adventure ranging from a rural to a galactic scale.

  Natalia- he really likes to hear himself talk so this will take a while.

  Mateo- is this information important, wait, this isn’t another one of your boyfriends, is it?”

  Natalia- what, no, he doesn’t even have a physical form, he’s just an ever-expanding blob of energy.

  Mateo- you’re not convincing me.

  Natalia- ok, maybe we talked for a bit, but that’s all! Well, I mean that is about all he can do.

  I didn’t mean this to be so personal, but I can read everything you’re writing. Not that your input always reaches me instantly, but I am in the middle of an important lecture, so it is very, rude.

  Mateo- Natalia gets like that, please continue.

  …

  …

  …

  Ah, Natalia, I’d ask how she is doing, but our communication is very limited, me being an almighty being that communes with every living thing and all.

  Natalia- hear that, limited communication, wonder what went wrong with our ‘relationship’.

  Mateo- Natalia, I love you, but please shut the fuck up, this is like, reality altering dialogue and you’re bantering through it about short comings within your relationship with an ancient celestial being, or whatever the hell the Task Master is.

  I’m short for time so I’m just going to throw these out there, do with them what you will.

  The achievement system has been unlocked.

  Achievement unlocked: Not not the Father! You have impregnated a fellow realm walker, congratulations! Or, maybe that wasn’t your intent? Better work on that pull-out game mister raw dawg.

  Achievement unlocked: Tiger rank 1, You are now a fierce tiger prowling the lands and hunting its prey.

  You have unlocked the status affliction menu.

  Status update: You have been inflicted with crippling anxiety. To alleviate this affliction, consult with your impregnated mate. Minus one point of intelligence. Minus one point of strength.

  Status update: Post nut clarity. You’ve done the deed, now your mind is clear. Plus one to intelligence. Plus one to dexterity, incase you need to make a quick escape.

  Status update: Infatuated. You really wanna bang that neko girl but your moral values are keeping your lust for her at bay. Slow clap, good job for the self restraint Mr. Dude. Plus one to integrity.

  For more information about your user interface or the Task Master you can access the ‘Hints and Tips’ option in your user interface.

  Critical damage unlocked, combo attacks unlocked. Critical damage: your attacks have a chance to cause critical damage. The chance to cause critical damage is increased when undetected or after using a combination of attacks. Combination attacks: experiment with your current attack set to form combination attacks that not only deliver devastating damage but increase the likelihood of causing critical damage.

  The challenge domain dissipates leaving Mateo and Stitches staring at each other overwhelmed and confused as their companions rejoin them.

  Bullet with butterfly wings by the Smashing Pumpkins has ended.

  “Shit, what are you guys doing?” Mateo asks turning his gaze toward the Harmony Casters.

  “Sorry, you and the vile huntress have been gone for three days so we got worried and started attacking the dome,” Yetsu replies.

  “Terror spent many hours convincing them that violence was the answer.”

  The entire world seems to come to a stop as Jade moves toward Mateo. There’s something about her, a longing in her eyes. Not for Mateo, but something he possesses.

  “You hold a legendary artifact of the artist, I can feel it’s power resonating from you,” she says.

  Jade approaches him the hungry look in her eyes somewhat off putting.

  “I got something called the Blood Letter, it’s a blood bound item,” Mateo replies.

  Jade’s lustful look of longing changes to that of innocent curiosity as her bright green eyes sparkle with desire.

  “Can I see it?” She asks her demeanor changing from longing to cute and bashful.

  “Terror thinks we rest for a moment, Mateo and Stitches have had a long and glorious battle and their victory will be celebrated once we reach Heroldin, but for now, Terror cooks a victory meal for his companions and Mateo indulges in the curiosity of young Jade, alone,” Terror states offering his hand to Stitches.

  They rest outside of Satsuki where the stench of burning and rotting corpses doesn’t hang heavy in the air. Terror makes a large fire using it to heat two massive kettles and the carcass of a large beast that Mateo doesn’t recognize.

  Jade pulls Mateo away, but not before Rayo crashes into his chest in the form of a small flying lizard. He lets off a small lizard like gurgle before transforming into his ivory snake form and perching himself around mateo’s neck.

  “I wonder why he does that?” Mateo asks petting Rayo’s scales.

  “It is where you are most vulnerable, if someone where to attack your throat, he would protect you from it, of the tomes I read on dragons I’ve come to know that they are very protective of those they are soulbound too,” Jade says removing her coat.

  Mateo looks away as she undresses, something he had not prepared for.

  “I know your kind is not used to being so exposed so I’ll cover up a little,” she says wrapping her bare chest in bandages. “There, you can look now.”

  Mateo returns his gaze to her noticing that she has, well, matured greatly since they first became a party. That or perhaps she has been keeping this to herself by wearing more loose-fitting clothing.

  “Stop gawking at me and pull it out already,” Jade demands.

  Mateo retrieves Blood Letter from his inventory and hands it to Jade. She inspects it as if she is using a skill to ascertain more information than the Task Master has granted Mateo in the item description.

  “What information did you get about this?” Jade questions.

  “If I blood bond with it I can use my blood to paint kanji in the air that will cast a spell or ability, it comes with a companion tome where I can enter more kanji in order to cast more spells or abilities,” Mateo replies.

  Jade turns the brush over in her hand before flipping through the companion tome. She peers at it curiously before turning her gaze to Mateo.

  “This item gains a boon from being blood bound to a voidlord, or someone with a death essence, if you aren’t going to use this item then give it to Stitches, if you are, then bind yourself to it now so I can see if I can write in the tome,” Jade states.

  Mateo nods his head retrieving Blood Letter from her. He takes the pointed end of the brush and jabs it into his palm.

  Blood binding initiated. You are attempting to bind your blood to Blood Letter. Would you like to proceed, Yes/No?

  Mateo- Yes.

  Mateo’s vision blurs and a dark figure appears before him. After the figure grows closer he recognizes it.

  “Sanguine?”