Seven

Seven

As the silvery words formed in my vision, I slumped to the ground in relief. It was a frightening fight, but the heat of the moment had carried me through it. My hand holding the knife, which had survived the death, if that was the right word, of the zombie woman intact, was shaking violently, and I felt drained of all strength.

“Wow, that was... I don’t know what I was thinking...” I scolded myself. I had told myself I didn’t want to risk my life, and then when the time came and my life was definitely on the line, I did the stupid thing and fought. It worked out, and I had even managed to level up again, but if it had gone wrong, just a little differently...

“You have impressed me.” Exposition-san said, standing in front of me. “In extreme circumstances you displayed surprising nerve and combat prowess. If you continue to do so, then a future as an Astral Emperor may not be out of your reach. Perhaps your world can still be saved.”

“I think I’d rather play it safe.” I muttered. “I thought I had a chance there, but if I was mistaken... I think the safest way is to build up my power slowly.” I pulled myself to my feet and collected the ether the zombie woman had left behind, before taking up the orange Etherite and extracting the ether from that as well. Now the glow around me was very bright, and as the final orbs of ether joined my orbit more silvery letters flared into my vision.

Your initial Territory Anchor will cost 1000 Ether. You currently possess 1021 Ether. You can construct your Territory Anchor in any Territory you control.

“I have enough... man that was hard.” I let loose a long whistle of exhaustion.

“It appears as if this was a zombie who was feasting upon others to try and break through its limits. No doubt the high ether density and quantity of Etherite ore is related to that. Should it have continued for longer it could have evolved to a leader class, able to use aether consciously. In that case I fear all that awaited you would have been annihilation. You must strive to quickly grow stronger.”

“I guess luck was on my side then.” I said wearily. “Still, relying on luck is not the way to go, as eventually it always runs out. Any gambler knows that, and my life is a bit too much to gamble with. If I decide to continue this fight, I’ll definitely make sure I stack everything in my favour wherever I can. No more leaving things to chance.” This reminds me too much of facing that dog when I was younger. I was wounded then too... still, that time I had no choice, or else...

“Maintaining safely is of course a prudent decision.” Exposition-san advised. “However there are times to take risks. For example, those who build up a powerful Territory and let their armies fight for them will be inferior in personal power, while those who neglect their Territory will face other obstacles. Balance is the key.”

“Yeah, risk and reward. I get it.” I wrenched the iron railing out of the ground using both arms, as it had really sunk in under the effect of my increased weight attack. “Time to go and place my Anchor... wait a minute...” Looking out into the blackness I could see another red glow in the distance. Another Etherite. Now that the elite zombie woman is dealt with, I can hopefully snatch it up for a quick ether boost.

“I’m just going to grab that Etherite quick.” I advised Exposition-san. “After all, in an RTS, resources are king.”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” I thought back to what I had accomplished. The strangeness of it all was the clearest thing, as if being conscious in a dream. But the highs of living through my own RPG was something I would probably always remember. Still, the lows were there too, especially the fear of death that pressured me when the zombie woman came so close to stabbing my vital areas. “I think I need to have a think about it when I return to the real... err the Material world. It’s too hard to think here, watching this.” Besides, there isn't just me to consider...

“I understand. Your body will naturally accumulate aether through your Silver Cord, and after some time you will find yourself able to enter the Boundary again. Use this time wisely, to think and decide. Should you enter once more, I will be gone. However as you have managed to reach beyond your zero status, and consolidate a Territory, you have the basic platform needed for growth, and your potential is only limited by your effort and fortune.”

As the liquid metal glow spread out further I decided to go outside and see if there were any lesser spirits to hunt. Once I left the apartment I could see the walls shimmering with a faint glow. It was quite the eerie yet beautiful sight. Still, there was no time to admire it, as I could feel heat slowly draining from my body.

“Time to restock.” I muttered, leaving the makeshift railing-club lying against the outer wall. I would make do with the kitchen knife I had obtained. Lesser spirits were coming, seemingly drawn to the waves of energy my Territory formation was giving out. Moving towards them quickly, they were helpless as I absorbed their ether, turning it into aether to keep stocked up. Behind me the silvery glow was intensifying, vivid flashes of red, orange and yellow shining out, with rarer ripples of green, blue and purple piercing the darkness. The sense of presence I could feel was growing, my Territory seeming more solid, more real, not only in the Boundary, but inside my mind.

For hour after hour I fought, draining the lesser spirits that flocked towards my Territory. Luckily there seemed to be no end to them, wave after wave drawn in from the wider area. My arms and legs felt leaden, and the drain of energy was intensifying, a lesser spirit only enough to keep my energy topped up for a few minutes now. I had no way of telling the time other than by checking the progress of my Anchor. Anchor Construction 22/24 Hours.

“It should not be much longer.” Exposition-san said quietly, with a trace of respect in its tone. At least I imagined I could hear such. “If you have any final questions for me, then now is the time to ask.”

“So, there will be others, right? Other candidates to be Astral Emperors, ready to defend the world?”

“Indeed. I myself am far from the only one to be sent out to this newly opened world. My eight kin have also come to choose their Candidates, and other camps will likewise be selecting them. They will not be common, but in this nation alone there will be a more than a thousand chosen. Though not all will succeed, and many others will decline the honour. Still, for those that triumph, the benefits in both the Material and the Astral will be legion. Remember that, if naught else from this time. But also beware. Not everyone with the power to save will use it for that purpose. There will be some Candidates who seek ruin, to destroy the world, either because they have joined a faction of wickedness, or simply for the pleasure of it.”

I understood the allure. Even just looking at the bonuses from my statistics alone, if they carried over to the Material world, they would be a huge boon to me. Imagine if one was to gain ten, or twenty, or even more Levels? They would be a superhero in truth. That was before whatever benefits a Territory granted were factored in. It was a tempting forbidden fruit indeed. One could be a hero of great virtue, or a villain of deep depravity. But I couldn’t truly decide what to do right now. I needed to think about it carefully after the adrenaline of this strange experience had died down. ‘Decide in haste, repent in leisure’ as my mom used to say.

Turning back to ask another question, I caught a hint of movement from behind another nearby building. There was a flash of light and suddenly I was struck with a flare of cold pain across my cheek. There was a thud, and behind me sticking out of a wooden post was a quivering arrow, the fletching smeared with scattered blood. Staggering backwards I could see a figure lifting up his bow and fitting another arrow to it, but what I could see defied belief. It looked like some sort of giant rodent, some five feet tall, with beady yellow eyes and fur matted with dirt. As it stretched back the bow its tail was lashing around, and its lips curled into a manic grin, exposing curved, jagged teeth.

With a croaking laugh I could hear even at a distance it loosed an arrow, which flew towards me, metal head glowing in the light of my forming Territory...