James grinned, pulled the ale mug from his inventory, and took a massive chug before handing it off.
Edward raised it in salute. “Level UP!
A cheer went up from nearby guild members. A few even clanged weapons together in celebration.
James raised his voice. “I’m heading back to the Guild to level—don’t wait on me!”
Given Squire’s terrifying efficiency at looting, their packs were already full. Others were returning too, though in no great hurry.
James? He ran.
That feeling again. A pressure behind his ribs. Urgency. Like the next system prompt was already queued up, just waiting to drop.
It wasn’t until they neared the gates that James realized what was wrong.
It took a full minute to place it.
No merchants.
No tents. No cages. No hawkers yelling about discounts on bone oil. Even Darneath, the always-there, always-scheming merchant? Gone.
The square where the market had been was simply… empty.
James slowed for half a heartbeat, then bolted.
Back into the Guild.
Anne’s door? Still locked.
He barely paused. A passing Bronze ranker pointed him upstairs, second level had been opened up for free levelling.
Edward and Ken followed, frowns replacing their grins. Something had shifted. And they felt it.
Edward broke the silence. “What’s going on?”
James stopped in the hall, chest rising and falling. “Ever since Wave One ended, I’ve had goosebumps. Despite the warm air. Despite the celebration.”
He looked between them. “Did you notice… none of the Silver rankers smiled at us? Not one.”
Edward opened his mouth, confused.
James snapped his fingers. “”
Edward blinked. “What is?”
Ken remained silent, but his eyes sharpened. Waiting. Letting James put the pieces together.
“The Silvers,” James said. “They didn’t fight. Which makes sense as wave one was capped. But I’ve only seen a of them. And always near Janine.”
His voice dropped. “Where are the rest?”
Edward frowned. “You think they’ve… left?”
James didn’t answer.
Anne’s locked door.
The market stalls gone.
Darneath vanished.
Guild staff tight-lipped.
It all lined up.
“They’re preparing for something,” James said. “Or they’ve already gone. I don’t know which is worse.”
He turned to the others. “Look, I have to level. But can you two check? See if I’m right? And try to find out what happened to the merchants.”
Edward didn’t argue. Just nodded, clapping him once on the shoulder.
Ken gave a quiet hum. “We’ll find out.”
They turned and disappeared down the stairs.
James stood alone in the hallway, Squire tucked under one arm, Charlie pressed to his side.
And that pressure behind his ribs?
It didn’t go away.
James closed the door, locked it, and dropped backward onto the cot—
—into his Commander’s Space
Normal time dilation. White noise. Charlie and Squire came with him.
A new section of the Space lit up the moment he arrived, outlined in a pulsing gold border. It stretched out from Squire’s Retreat
Bonded Options Unlocked.
Above the retreat, two radiant cards hovered in the air—larger than normal, gleaming with system-level authority.
One held the image of Squire, but older. Fiercely proud, bushy tail high, eyes burning with defiance.
The other showed Charlie, regal and still, his presence radiating calm strength and protective will.
Before James could even step forward, before he could they moved.
Charlie padded straight into his card and vanished in a quiet flash of gold.
Squire scampered up a crystalline ramp that hadn’t existed seconds ago, tail flicking like a banner, and dove in headfirst.
James made a move to stop them—then froze.
This felt right.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Their choice.
And they wanted it.
The cards pulsed with light.
Golden script flowed across the cards as he watched.
Squire (Squirrel Kit)
Category: Rarity: Type: Slots Required: Abilities: Traits: Size: Weight: Level Requirement: Uses Remaining: Available Slots:
Charlie (Adult Canine)
Category: Rarity: Type: Slots Required: Abilities: Traits: Size: Weight: Level Requirement: Uses Remaining: Available Slots:
After a breath the cards settled into place above Squire’s Retreat - clearly linked somehow.
As soon as they did, Charlie and Squire came bolting out of the main door and James sighed in relief. They were still the same as ever. James felt though that something had changed in him.
The alcove beneath Squire’s Retreat, once just blank, had filled in.
Soft golden light pulsed from within etched grooves, casting a low glow across the floor. The plate was divided cleanly into two sides, each bearing a familiar silhouette: a squirrel on the left, a canine on the right.
Lines of system-carved script traced down beneath each image:
Squire’s Retreat
Home to Bonded Creatures: Squire and Charlie
Loyalty Status:
Squire – Charlie –
Effect – Passive Boon:
??? Squire (Squirrel Kit)
Passive While Summoned – “Presence of Mischief”
+1 Agility
+1 Presence
Trap Sense: Mundane and low-level magical traps may glow faintly within 1 meter of James or Squire.
?? Charlie (Canine)
Passive While Summoned – “Presence of the Pack”
+1 Endurance
+1 Mind
+1 Will
Fear Resistance: Minor resistance to fear, panic, or charm effects while within 3m of Charlie.
James crouched to read it fully, heart slow and even. This explained why he felt stronger.
Squire gave a smug chitter from atop the ramp.
Charlie leaned against his leg, solid and steady.
He pulled out strips of jerky and fed them to each. He really needed better treats.
James motioned and the level up pack flew over. He tore it open.
The smell hit instantly—ink, varnish, precision-cut cardstock, and for a beat, all he could do was smile. This was ritual now. Familiar. Comfortable. He almost forgot he was in a rush… Almost.
He spread the cards out with practiced ease, sorting them by type: TriggerUtilityEnhancementLevel-Up Core
Then he stopped.
“Wait,” James muttered. “Why can’t I pick two of the same type?”
As if understanding James' desire, the level up card shifted and showed the slot types that were available to be filled. TriggerUtilityEnhancement.
“Deck-building rules,” he said softly. “Of course.”
It hit him harder than it should have. Because if this was true now, it had likely been true .
He filed it away. Later problem.
He mentally split the cards out into distinct fans, hovering neatly in front of him.
The Triggers
- On Attack
- On Summon
- On Unconsciousness
- On Low Health
- On Damage Taken
He hovered over On Low Health
Now that Charlie and Squire were part of the battlefield equation, this made sense—something that would kick in .
He tapped the choice. The card slid into the trigger slot.
Trigger Applied – “On Low Health”
He hoped there was a failsafe. Some automatic fallback. Maybe even an auto-recall. Worth testing later.
Next up: Utility cards
“Jail Wing” was back. Still unsettling. Still unselected.
The older options were also here:
- Summoning Awareness
- Card Info
But now there were new ones
- Bond Nursery – Bond School
- Crafting (Basic)on level-up completion.
Four good choices. All tempting.
Bond School
But one of the upgrade lines read . That was too useful to pass up.
He selected Crafting (Basic)
The card slotted in with a soft , system-level final.
Utility Slot Applied – “Crafting (Basic)”
Crafting Station (Basic)
This category had grown.
Last time, only the silver-bordered Command Self
This time, he had three
- Basic Size Enhancements Pack
- Basic Enhancements Pack
- Basic Instants Pack
- Basic Enhancements Pack
His heart barely hesitated.
“Instants,” James whispered, already tapping the card. “Yes.”
Slot Options – Choose One:
- Shared Instinct
- Guardian Pulse
- Bonded EchoPassive empathy link. James gains a faint emotional ping from the bonded creature—fear, pain, excitement
- Traveling Buff
- Guardian Pulse
James hesitated. His eyes lingered on . That “Mount” tag was interesting.
, he promised.
Bonded Echo
He tapped it.
James took one last look at the level-up card, now gleaming gold and pulsing softly in his hands, as if the system itself was holding its breath.
Level Up – Card Commander (Level 4)
Agility: +1
Endurance: +1
Mind: +1
Perception: +1
Will: +1
Presence: +1
Trait Bonus Applied – Focused Enhancement (Basic)
Summons gain +2 to all stats (0.5 × Level)
Inventory Slots:15 total
Maximum Death-Marked Deck Slots:12 total
Maximum Bond Slots:4 total
Maximum Active Cards:4 total
Trigger: Utility: Enhancement: Bond:
Happy, James nodded. “Lock it in.”
The golden card flared in his hand. Then, without ceremony, it shattered —but instead of fading into mist like before, it scattered into cards.
Nine of them.
System Notice – Instants Protocol Unlocked
Each hovered around him, forming a slow orbit like tiny, gleaming satellites.
James grinned and reached up, plucking them out of the air one by one.
Basic Instants Pack:
- Quick HealCures target for a small amount of health. Cooldown: 10 minutes
- Quick Might+5 Might for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Quick Agility+5 Agility for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Quick Endurance+5 Endurance for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Quick Mind+5 Mind for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Quick Perception+5 Perception for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Quick Will+5 Will for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Quick Presence+5 Presence for 1 minute. Cooldown: 4 hours
- Summon ItemSummon any unsecured item within 1 meter or from your inventory directly to your hand. Cooldown: 1 minute
??? System Note: Squire has reviewed the party loot rules.
She now demands equal share in gold, XP, and shinbones.
Charlie was sold at shinbones.