Борис Беленький
Church of Isekai -2

Acknowledgments

To https://hotpot.ai/ – for creating the image used for the Book Cover. See, you wanted a “prominent placement” – I delivered.

To my kids for their editorial work. It was a tremendous help. Thank you. I didn’t realize you had never read an “Isekai” / “LitRPG” work before. Perhaps I wasn’t supposed to make the assumption that the reader is familiar with certain concepts common for the genre. I hope I didn’t spoil the whole “Fantasy” literary World for you.

To the cat that occasionally comes over to my doorstep. A Judging Look and a Meow to you too.

To Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, for saying "Ego sum Rex Romanus et super grammaticam." It translates to: "I am King of the Romans and above grammar." This is the line I quote to my editors. It’s My World; I get to choose the Plural for “Elf”, “Dwarf”, “Drow.” The missing commas, random capitalization, wrong use of tenses, an “if” instead of an “it” – same excuse. Misuse of Em-dashes, En-Dashes, and Commas; Commas vs. Semicolons – see above :)

To you, the reader, thank you for choosing this, thank you for opening the file or the paperback, and thank you for spending your time in My World.

Foreword

This is the second book of The Church of Isekai series. I have written it such that if you haven’t read the first book, you’ll still understand all of the twists and turns. But just in case…

The very word “Isekai” implies the Hero’s journey to and through Another World – a World that has to be fundamentally different from the Home Realities. If the World isn’t that different, we don’t call it “Isekai”; we call it “Immigration” or just “Travel.” That also may warrant a book, but this is not what this story is about.

“Another World” needs to either be Magical, or someplace in another Era, or populated by strange denizens. There can be a combination of all of them, surely. Magic Worlds usually are set in a medieval environment – after all, why would anyone try to invent the Telegraph if a Paired Artifact from the Lab of Professor Pulken-Shtutzer does the trick? Considering that it was later improved by his own students and developed into a Centralized Repository of Artifact Halves, you have the entire population walking around with only one of those Paired Artifacts. Meanwhile, the other Half is in the Repository, overseen by a million-handed Golem, who connects the Stored Halves, letting the call go through. A rather efficient system.

Depending on the World, all Magic users can either be able to do all types of Magic, or are born with one specific “Magic.” Think of an entire class able to make a feather fly (only having said the incantation PROPERLY), vs. only those who are born with “Levitation Magic.” In this book, the Magicians have ONE type of Magic. A person can be a Tree-Mage (working with anything that grows, from moss to giant trees), a Fire-Mage (from a tiny flame at the end of a pinky to setting the World on fire), a Teleportationist, and so on, including a Cat Mage (Meowing, Napping, Purring, Scratching…. You may have seen those even in your own World).

If you are a Necromancer, your “area of expertise” is Death and the Dead. This is what happens in this story. The Hero is dealt that power and tries to use it to save the lives of those around him. This, however, leads to the book using words like “Corpse”, “Ghost”, “Death”, and such.

If you understand that a Necromancer is not a giggling Fairy dancing on flowers, you’re welcome into My World. If you get easily disturbed by the idea of Mortality, please consider reading something else. Maybe the News?

But if you want to see a very unlikely Hero trying to make the World into a better place while becoming a better person, please read on.

Happy Campers Part 1

It went much easier than I feared. Once I’ve turned the entire enemy camp into Zombies, they actually became a collection of well-behaved “normal” individuals. I’ve seen plenty of videos where a rescue team arrives at a scene of a large disaster, and I could only imagine how nerve-wracking it must have been for them to feed, shelter, and maintain order for the endless crowds when there’s only so few of the helpers. I don’t know how they do it in the real world. On the other hand, if I don’t know it, that doesn’t mean there aren’t people who do. Probably, they’ve gathered some smart planners and they’ve stocked up on some supplies including tents and water-purifying equipment, and maybe they hire people who don’t want to shy away into the nearest little hole when they are faced with a screaming person, like the Old Me would’ve done.

In my case, things went much easier than I’d feared. All newly-created zombies knew that the ones who took their lives were the Old Camp-Boss’s Assassins who needed to bring up their levels as soon as possible, and now the Boss is dead by my hand. They knew the Assassins are dead too, mostly having killed each other under orders to come up with one Ultimate Assassin who’d have a chance against me. He didn’t. Now he’s also a fellow Zombie. It doesn’t matter that in my Old World he was my classmate, Val. The camp Guards and the Barrack Heads, who had enjoyed a free rein over the Level-1s, were slain by the camp Assassins. Even though they were re-animated, I ordered them to assist the commoners in their tasks or be busy with raising their own Levels. The Captain of the Guards – a demi-Wolf – issued his instructions to them and left to build up other Demi-Humans. The Guards got busy with Level-raising activities, like hand-to-hand combat and stamina training. Exactly what I’d expect in a military academy in my Original World. I don’t think they could even think of goofing off – when I don’t exert absolute control over a Zombie, I think I still give off a Power Of Suggestion, and that should be enough for now. Besides, it’s our understanding that once a person settles down and kind of gets comfy in the current setup of being, say, a Nasty Goblin Level-1 or a Silly flying Fairy (I don’t think they have Levels), that person just doesn’t wake up one morning and the body dissolves in the rays of the raising Sun. Which is a bit annoying to me as a Necromancer, as I’d like to collect a few of those bodies for experiments, but being in the Forest before sunrise is not my idea of fun. Luckily, I have 2 Pixie Friends – Terry and Peach – who seem to be IN LOVE and don’t mind spending a night in a secluded location. Besides, having been turned into Zombies, they don’t get tired and they see very well in the dark.

My other Friend – Kate the Healer who became a Necro-Healer after getting Zombified – and is known in this World as Nectar, has followed my orders, gathering everyone capable of casting any kind of Healing magic and started training them. I think my Demi-Wolf was happy some of his potential cadets were taken. No matter how Evil, the Guards have a concept of Discipline built into their Character – Rabbit-Boys and Puppy-Girls – not so much. However, even they ended up learning to crawl through the grass and telling the plants apart. I’ve even seen them learn some hand-to-hand combat training. A very, very cute version of it. My Assassins from both of my teams – Drows and other humanoids – showed up to watch, claiming it was their Stealth exercise. I asked if it also was their “Stifled Giggling” training, and the Drow Captain Shade-1 lied, looking me in the eye, that the assignment was to avoid showing any emotions and that the Team had failed it and would have to repeat it tomorrow. I was going to tell her that I do sense her lies, but instead suggested that if they like to play with the cuddly demi-Humans they are welcome to do individual combat instructions and let the Demi-Wolf rest. The Captain of the Guards apparently heard us well, as he looked at us and eagerly nodded. Shade Team Leader was about to find a good excuse to Shadow-Jump off, but suddenly dropped her Stealth, shocking the Fluffies, and both Assassin Teams followed. For the next hour or so, the terrifying Assassins were giving individual training to the weakest members of our Society who were the most diligent students.

Former Bodyguard Paladin Level-10 gathered his students; a Level-5 Tree-Mage Girl led hers. I can’t find a good use for all specialties – no matter how good a Cook or a Bard is, we can’t let them enjoy their line of work because we, Zombies, don’t eat, and we don’t have much time for the ballads yet. But the Cook was sent to the Alchemist Lab to do Measuring and Mixing, and the Bard was requested by the Artifactors who needed him to fine-tune some apparatus by the sound it’s making. The two Humanoid kids – Twins Dar and Dara – who got into our World from the neighboring one where they were involved in Genetic Engineering of Monsters, demanded to be allowed to work in the Labs despite having no magical powers. We agreed – mixing their Brilliance with Magic Ingredients can produce unexpected results. Besides, research isn’t about adding magic but rather finding patterns and maybe some intuition, so I have high hopes for what these kids would do for us.

Our Dragon-friend Victoria got introduced to everyone and promised not to eat the Campers, but no, she won’t give rides. Petting is OK, but only some. She’s a busy Dragon, and she has places to fly to. Out Pet Monster Phil got his share of scares and attention, but soon enough even a giant caterpillar with a head of a lion gets accepted and even hugged. When it was turned into a Necro-Creature after attacking us, it was re-programmed as a large, friendly dog, so at this point it was basking in attention. The only other Teammate who is alive, is a Sprite named Fizz. He’s a Master of Air and has been very useful to us in that quality. He should be able to arrange his own Leveling Up, and I have no idea how he does it. He told me he’ll survey our World and look after the Gatherers we’ve dispatched into the Forest for Ingredients.

I know I have promised to get the commoners out of the Barracks and into cottages, but luckily the Barracks are still standing, and the Barrack Chiefs, who abused the residents, have been under the strictest of orders to behave. I think, with their new Necro-personalities, they would not try to go back to their old ways. Thorough oversight and genuine interest in details from the Higher-ups does wonders to the local managers.

I need to map out the camp, I need to design those cottages, I need to learn if the Labs figured out something we could use for Building Materials – be it bricks or wooden logs. I need someone to calculate all forces and counter-forces, but I have neither the necessary background in math nor the lab data on the materials, which don’t even exist. I don’t have any properly-trained Architects in this World… Wait a second… We came across an Architect in the World that sent a Dragon at us. Surely it worked out great, and we’ve “tamed” that Dragon and contacted their Officials and even taught one cocky high-ranking fool a lesson by “saving his life” and returning him home across the deadly Shimmering Veil. Nobody needs to know that he came back a Zombie – let’s not get too picky. They owe us a whole bunch of stuff – blankets, one-piece suits, and whatever else. I’ll send my Necro-Drone to them again just to rattle their cages – figuratively speaking.

Not now though. I have something I need to attend to first. When I captured the Soul of the previous Camp-Boss, I learned that he was a Librarian who managed to manipulate everyone into making him the King. He ruled with an iron fist, keeping the low-levels from advancing and encouraging the bullies to torture and terrify the rest. And they did. They supported him because he allowed them to be “on top,” and without him they are miserable nobodies. I hate people like that – they are worse than the hooligans themselves. At least the latter often outgrow it, whereas the manipulating psychopaths get their thrills from the countless lasting scars on numerous good people who just weren’t strong enough to resist them. I must read his Soul to learn his secrets, but I’m not really eager to do it. I must, and I can’t put it off any longer. Let me get into the Mansion he had built for himself and sit where his body is still lying in “Stasis” I’ve cast and just… do it.

He began as a typical nerd in school. Not comfortable around his age-mates, causing laughter and harassment from all of the boys and smirking from the girls. It’s so hard to understand why – he’s so Smart, he’s so Special. All of his answers are right; he even corrects the teachers. This makes the jeering even more painful. In all honesty, it’s not “all” of the classmates – maybe 8 or 10, but the rest are actively ignoring his plight or even smiling at his small figure crawling on the floor, getting kicks and spits, while trying to pick up the books they’ve knocked out of his hands. Life of pain and shame. Life of self-pity. All the way till that fateful Bus Trip. Only 10 survive the trip, and they are sitting there shocked. He takes the initiative – telling them to get the sticks and starting the fire. He oversees the building of shelters, and now he gets a “group leader” status assigned by the World. He learns how to adjust group Energy Balance (I too have that feature) and skims a little from the top. He fears the two bullies will start tormenting him again. He doesn’t understand they aren’t the dangerous ones – they like to join in the laughs and maybe in the spitting, but they would never start it. Doesn’t matter – they are all guilty. His specialty being a “Librarian,” allows him access to some “World Library,” and he learns poison making and manufacturing of simple weapons. He instructs an Artifactor in his group, and everybody gets armed. Food is easy to procure – plenty of edible plants around. One day, a small Monster shows up, and the team attacks and kills it. This is a joy for everybody, but makes him wonder what draws the Monsters to a person and what would be a repellent. He concocts a poison but adds to it a “lure” that attracts the Monsters and soon enough the two bullies and two more of his mates are dead. He screams at the team for having been lacking in training and taking too long going up the Levels. They managed to fight off a few Monsters and he makes sure that everybody understands that it was all thanks to him and without him, they are nothing. All the time he’s building up his own Levels, reaching 7 while not letting anyone to go over 2. They don’t understand where all the energy and experience is going to. They are suspecting something and at some point, a fistfight breaks out. He’s ready with several poisoned, sharpened sticks. Two boys and a girl are dying; an Artifactor is hugging the remaining hysterical girl while the Librarian is “taking revenge” on the dying one for having ignored him earlier. In the morning the bodies disappear, and he admits he may have over-reacted. He will protect the remaining teammates; they have his word. Soon enough, there is a new Bus and now the “remaining teammates” become the overseers and trainers. He yells at them for being too soft and that he can’t carry the whole team alone. They actually believe him and start basically running his show. He comes up with an idea to feed the Newbies to the Monsters, having sprayed them with poison first. Some Dwarfs and Gnomes build a Mansion for him and several more houses and even a wall around the Camp. He poisons them all and orders to kill them on sight. First – why pay with a potion recipe if he doesn’t have to; Second – if they’ve built such wonders for him they might build something even better for his enemies. He appoints a couple of direct reports, and the rest are declared “cattle” that they can do anything to. By that time, the “remaining teammates” are dead – the girl just didn’t wake up once and the Artifactor was easily replaced by a newcomer. Just like that – encouraging the Human Vices for the few and keeping the commoners terrified, plus an occasional drop of poison to remove the old “lieutenant,” promoting the young and eager. How many times he told someone that it’s time for him to move up the ranks but the old Chief won’t just resign, right? So here’s a little phial – if you want a promotion, you can guess what you need to do.

Saved by the Doc Part 2

I was knocked out of my meditation to see Kate-Nectar looking shocked and worried at me, and several low-levels crowding behind her. I feel that she just cast several Necro-Heals at me, and for some reason, I needed it. As I’m starting to stand up, she tells me that she felt me dying or, since we’re basically aren’t alive, she felt my soul leaving the body. Since she took over the Boss’ Mansion for the needs of her newly-formed Medical School, she was able to run up and save me. The curious students are slowly sneaking in and looking at the body of the Old Boss and me standing next to it. Let me think – this is not the first time I’ve read someone’s Soul, and I was just fine. What’s different this time? I look at the captured Essence of the Librarian Level-20 and see that it’s fully “Energized” – that can’t be; I drained it the moment I captured it. I drained it again, asked Dr. Nectar to stand next to me for a few minutes, and went back to reading his Soul but this time just the last few hours.

Here he is, all happy, having captured me in a cage. Getting even happier, threatening his Underlings. Yes, they will be punished, and the Punishers will be happy to do it, but then the Punished will remember it and will try to get back at them while the Punishers will know it and will focus on taking down the first. They’ll always be busy fighting among themselves. Shortly after, a totally different scenario plays out, and he’s brought down. For some reason, he doesn’t think it’s a problem. Let’s see… Looking up… looking down … Oh, here – He has a well-hidden Energy-Storing Artifact that gets his soul “re-Energized” even while in my storage. That … is … AMAZING. Apparently he read up on this anti-Necromancer trick in the World Library that he has access to. Nice… So once I’ve focused on reading his Soul, he almost managed to take over my body. If it wasn’t for Kate-Nectar, I’d already be getting collected by the Dark Cloud. Well, maybe not – even if he’d push me out, I’d just cast a “Stasis” on my body and drain his soul again while it’s in me, then go back. After all, the Magical Abilities are stored in the Soul, not in the Body, and in a fight between a Necromancer’s soul and a Necromancer’s body with a Soul of a Librarian, I’d still win. HOWEVER, I can’t risk that he doesn’t learn something else.

I come back before Dr. Nectar gets worried enough to kick me out of my meditation again, look around, and walk toward the wall. Then I smash my fist at that wall. The Level-1s gasp and look at their instructor, probably thinking if she can treat Mental Issues. Yes, she can, but that’s not necessary. I cast a Quick Aging spell (Necromancer tricks are more than just Souls and Bodies), and a large metallic panel inside the wall turns to rust and pours to the ground. I hear the gasps again and I feel a strong disapproval from the Doctor. She noticed that my reserves are almost entirely used-up and she doesn’t approve of this. Rightfully, she’d feel better with a Fully Charged Necromancer nearby. Yes, but if our World is indeed someone’s Video Game or a Show, they want Scenes that can be played and replayed, so we need to churn them out. I reach in and take out several Crystals. The students are silent, the one who gasps now is Dr Nectar. I contact my Necro-Drone – a dead, small, flying creature called “Brownie” that I can control even at large distances – and order it to fly to me. Then, under the wondering gazes of the Crowd, I open the window, and just stand there. What they don’t know is that while waiting for the “Drone,” I direct the Librarian Soul into my Magic Storage Crystal. Now I have access to the Librarian magic as well as the two other types I’ve copied before – Healing and Assassin. The soul, however, seems to still have the Magical properties. Before I’ve only created copies of souls and taken the Magic from them. I actually never bothered to see if the Copies still have their Magic. Apparently, they do. OK, I’ll keep it in mind. But that’s beside the point.

I can’t risk having this soul inside me, so when the Brownie arrives, I lay it on the desk and tell the now-larger crowd that they are about to see some Necromancer Magic. If they are too sensitive, they are welcome to leave. There won’t be any blood, though. Everybody stays, and I focus on the Brownie and insert a “De-Energized” Librarian Soul into it. I also re-power it with my energy so now the Identifying Text Pop-up reads “Necro-Librarian Brownie”. It sits up and tries to talk. Sorry, you can’t; I’ve made sure to take that away. It stands up and starts walking around, making hand-gestures apparently typical for the Old Camp-Boss, and the audience breaks down laughing. I’m controlling the Brownie – it wouldn't have been able to walk, unless Dr. Nectar spends hours on very fine repairs. She sees me doing that and keeps silent. In fact, there’s a frozen, murderous stare on her face – apparently, her students have told her Stories about their lives in the Camp.

I tell the Students that I’ve captured the Soul of the Old Boss, but when I wanted to do some experiments on it, the setup backfired, and that Soul almost took over my body. Thank you, Dr. Nectar, for saving me. Now I’ll keep that soul in that dead Brownie, and I’ll lock it into something sturdy until I no longer need it. The Brownie raised his head and shook his fist at me, then walked angrily around. The audience rewarded my Marionette Control Skills with a burst of laughter, and I addressed the Brownie, “What, you don’t like being locked into this body and then into a birdcage? Really? Well, what lesson did we all learn today?” I forced the Brownie to squeak angrily, “Never. Ever. Ever. Make. Your. Necromancer. Angry. Lesson’s over, class dismissed.”

Dr. Nectar takes the hint and starts herding her students out. A Fox-Girl, we’ve come across and saved earlier, turns around, looks me in the eyes, hugs her beautiful tail to her chest and nervously says, “Please don’t let it take over you. Don’t become like him. Please.” I smile and assure her that I’ll never become like him – I don’t need to scheme and plot to keep the people fighting among themselves – I am a Necromancer; I can just suggest to the people to be nice and respectful to each other, and they will be. So, don’t worry, dear Foxy. Is the tail OK? Oh, good, good. Thank you, Dr. Nectar, for all your help – with that tail and for saving me now. Thank you most sincerely. I can’t thank you “from the tip of my nose to the tip of my tail,” though as someone did once. Dr. Nectar smiles, and the Fox-Girl gets all shy, hugs her tail tight, and quickly walks away from the room, and Kate-Nectar follows. Yes, dear, I won’t turn like that dead Librarian. I always fear I could get much worse, though.

I don’t really need a container right now – I’ve stopped controlling the Brownie and it dropped onto the desk. Oh, look into these eyes. Not finding a source of information on breaking out of Necromancer control, having been locked into a small, dead, flying creature? Did you specify that now you’re downsized to a Necro-Ability of that creature? Not a Human Librarian – a Zombie with a Librarian Skill. You’re mine, and you know it. Let me study your Soul without reading it. So… Usually, I have an option of Dispersing a Soul that I have under my control – not this one because he’s Level-20, and I’m Level-10. As such, there is a whole bunch of restrictions I have when it comes to me controlling him, and if anything, I clearly have to beware of him controlling me. Should have I read thing before? Oh, YES. Did I, though? What stopped me from looking into him once I captured him? Oh, yes, the whole “setup up the new Camp and care for the Little Guys” thing. How do I balance My Needs with the Needs of MY People? "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed," as said by The Fox in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's “The Little Prince.”

I need to Level-up. The Crystals that the Old Dead Boss had secreted away identify as Energy Stores. Large Energy Stores. Eight Level-20 and One Level-30. All filled to the brim over all of the time this miserable psychopath was taking revenge on Humanity for failing to appreciate him. How do I start my upgrade? Earlier, I’d just begun draining a Monster, and it started. Now… Now I can read up, can’t I? Did I just get… WISE? Wow. Before I reach into the Magic Store Crystal that’s housing the Librarian Abilities, I look into the Librarian Soul in the dead Brownie and install every single restriction on it I can as a Master Necromancer over his Zombie. I’ve done it before for the Dark Drow Assassin Team. For them I’ve specified “Don’t attack teammates; Don’t communicate with other teams; Protect The Leader of the Team at all costs; Protect other teammates if possible and if not contrary to a more important mission; Obey The Leader of the Team,” but here I feel I need more. Let me add “Be an eager servant of the Master,” with my darling self specified as such Master; perform analysis of any of Master’s ideas and matters that he learns of with an honest attempt to improve the outcome in the way the Master deems desirable. Clarify different priorities of goals and chances of obstacle overcoming. Clarify acceptability of Material and Personnel losses for a goal. If I can make that … thing… useful – why not.

I’ve activated the Librarian skill in the Magic Store, and it felt like I’ve always had it. Somehow I knew how to search for data and how to go deeper for the explanations. So indeed, I just need to overflow my inner Energy Store for the upgrade to kick in. The next level costs twice my capacity. Normally, I would need to pump a portion of my Mana into a Storage Crystal and wait for it to fill-up, then start the upgrade by sipping in some of my own Mana to get me over the top. Necro-Doctors also have a requirement of a certain number of Healings and other Experience Points. The more experience, the less Energy needed for an upgrade, down to even Zero with lots of work done. Similarly for the Assassins – every action they take, including Shadow-jumping or even Stamina Training, raises their experience points and will save on Upgrade Mana. Not that easy for me – many Zombies under my control let me siphon lots of Mana from the Group but if I don’t take care of them, I’ll have no Mana. I guess the idea was – a Necromancer attempting a Leveling-up, better have a group capable of providing him with at least the same amount of Mana as his Inner Store or he’ll burn up and take the group with him. Interesting side-note – at levels that are Prime Numbers, one gets a Quick Promotion chance. So a Level-1 can get a quicker chance to get to 3, 5, and 7 and that’s what I got before. My next chance for that is my next level, so let me get to the Level-11 and start getting ready for the Long Jump. If I’m right and if I score that chance again, I’ll have a choice of 13, 17, and 19. If I had a Level-19, I’d take that Librarian into a very firm grasp.

I quickly left the Library and felt relieved that the Brownie is still exactly where I’ve dropped it. I picked it up and went out with it in my hand. I don’t want to start the upgrade now – my own inner stores aren’t full yet, but they should be soon. I need to look into the re-balancing of the Group Energy Assignment. The World sets it in some kind of “optimal” fashion where members with large reserves that can be quickly filled give off more into the Pool, whereas Small Fliers who basically totally deteriorate without an external Mana Source get more. I’m feeling bad about it, but I’m establishing a 3% tax on the group and routing it into my Crystals. I’m really not a Megalomaniac – in the Human World it’s the People who define the King and the Kingdom. In the Necromancer World – the stronger I am the stronger they are. Yet deep inside, I hear my own voice, “Just keep telling yourself that.”

Tight in a Box Part 3

I went to the Artifactor Lab to talk to the Chief. I don’t need a multi-slide presentation and a list of achievements – I don’t care about any of that. I want to sense the emotions that the Chief will give off while telling me about them. Everybody knows, the Lab Chiefs have done a lot of really nasty things to get to their places and to stay there. If I am not able to find an acceptable level of mutual understanding with them, or if their underlings can’t forgive all the abuse and fear despite my power of suggestion, he and the Chief of the Alchemists will be replaced.

I was met by a very busy crowd. Lots of newcomers were taking their first steps into the Wonderful World of making Artifacts. I have ordered everyone with Healing abilities to get training in the new Medical Center; everybody with any aptitude for Artifact Making or Alchemy was brought over for an Introductory class. GREAT!

I made it to the Chief, who looked very busy and really emanated eagerness to have things done. I think he was actually happy to try himself in his new role of a caring leader working for the common good. I hope it will last for a while. He noticed me and tried to get up and I told him to please continue sitting. I asked if he has a sturdy container that would fit this Brownie. It has to be able to get sealed and be hard to break. The Lab Chief asks if I need something like a bird cage for the air to come in and the Brownie to jump and fly around a bit? I smiled and said that he’s still not fully appreciating being a zombie – that Brownie doesn’t need to breathe, so there doesn’t need to be any air. He asked if he can be allowed to wonder why I treat a dead Brownie with such care. Do I know that these Brownies aren’t rare at all? His Gatherers bring one every 10-20 days. I kept silent for a second and then said that I’ll tell him. Can he send a messenger to the Chief Alchemist so I don’t have to explain it twice? She can bring her assistants if she so desires. He reached for an artifact on his desk and pressed it a few times. The lady from the other lab almost ran into the office less than a minute later and stopped staring at me. I could feel her overwhelming fear and worry. I decided not to dig deeper into her emotions and put the dead Brownie on the desk. Now the two Lab Chiefs are looking at me, at the dead Flier, and at each other.

I apologized for rushing her over and explained that I need a sturdy container for this dead thing, ideally one that can be sealed permanently and would be hard to break. The Chief Alchemist was about to ask something, but the Artifact Maker said that he already explained to me that these aren’t rare; albeit they usually dissolve in the morning, but the creature has no real use for making Artifacts or Potions. So now the two professionals are looking at me with a question in their eyes. I’ve re-animated the Brownie and made it walk around making angry hand gestures, gazing and even trying to scream at them. The Chief Artifactor froze and the Potion-Making Lady screamed and dashed to that Brownie with so much passionate anger in her eyes that I had to resort to stopping her through my Zombie-control means as her fist had already begun to crush the little dead body. Then I forced her to release my “toy” and step away, cast a “Necro-Repair Level-3” (I got a new Level – Hurrah!) picked up the now-motionless Brownie and released the poor woman. While she was still trying to gather her thoughts and get her emotions under control, the man asked, how it is possible that the “Duke” got turned into a dead Brownie. I answered that he didn’t. I captured his soul when I killed him with their help – you remember that, don’t you? They nodded and I told them that I tried to experiment with that soul and the experiment almost blew up in my face. You see, even Necromancers have Lab Safety issues. It happened that I already had a specially-processed dead Brownie from a previous experiment that I’ve used to fly around and even into the Shimmering Veil. At this point, they almost jumped looking at me, but I said I’ll talk about that Veil tomorrow. Honest. Really. They were clearly disappointed. So, closer to the matter at hand – I got their attention again – my experiment went horribly wrong and Dr. Nectar actually saved me. Let them be impressed with their new colleague. So, as you can see, I could not just keep the soul around and I still need to get all of its secrets out, so I had to engage an external storage capacity. Yes, now their eyes are shining – science talk; they get it. Storage requirements; they get it. So, I need it stored where I can reach it; while even if the Librarian procures some knowledge to do any damage to me or my Team (let them feel connected and special), he’d have no ways to communicate it to anyone or implement any of it. To my knowledge, Brownies have no telepathic abilities and shouldn’t be able to break out of a container. It doesn’t have to be large – the size of an eyeglasses case would do the trick. Light and air are not needed – the Brownie is DEAD and is sustained through Necro-means.

They both looked around the office, then walked into the area where the beginners were taught to make elementary parts, pulled some of these parts from the trainees shocked into silence, and within several seconds the hands of the Master made two boxes with tops. The trainees whispered with excitement, and I got my choice of sizes. I took the smaller one, walked a bit aside from anyone who can get too emotional and controlled the Brownie, making it fit itself into the box. More whispering from the trainees. Then the Alchemist Lady asked the Artifactor if the boxes can fit one into the other. Yes they can, with a little room between them. She told us to follow her, took us to her lab asked me to put a small one into the large and poured something from a small bottle into the space between the nested containers. Then the top was closed, and she assured me that the glue that she poured in is the toughest there is. They can put some water-resisting wax on the outside or maybe paint it. I got the wax and thanked them sincerely. While I’m here, maybe they need anything? I have no other room to offer for the classes, but maybe they want to take over a Barrack during the daytime? Working outdoors is fine too.

I walked away as the Chiefs discussed setting up 15 desks outdoors and rotating the students. Or maybe read Introductions to Potion-Making to Artifactors? Show basic Artifacts to the Alchemists? Maybe we need to locate someone with Crafting skills? Let’s do that – let’s look for Crafters to get them to build us more tables. You were going to develop a material for tents – when that’s ready, we can maybe make a fancy outdoors classroom. We’ll use it to test the pole design and the cloth strength. Self-unfolding with a stretching canvas? No, let’s say 20 days – 10 is way too optimistic.

I was walking back to the Boss Mansion, where I’ve decided to take over the Office and keep it for myself. Everybody needs a place to call his own – and the office of the Old Boss probably suits me well. Besides, I suspect there are other secrets hidden in there, and I need to get them out. A small flock of Level-1 Demi-Humans was strolling by. I suspect the Captain of the Guards had let them go for the day. I totally lost track of time – the daylight time is almost over. I have a big plan for tonight but that’s later. For now let me talk to these Fluffies.

I walked over and asked how they are feeling. Is the training keeping them occupied? Are they getting into it? What would they like to be trained in? Maybe they have some skills that I’m missing and they would like to have developed? They were scared at first, but slowly their answers got longer than 2 words. Yes the training is fine. The Demi-Wolf is scary. No, no, he doesn’t hit them or bite them or even yell at them. Still scary. I told them that’s his job to be scary – he’ll scare our enemies when they come and you can grow up to be strong like him. They are nodding. No, they are not too tired. Crawled in the grass, played “catch,” chased the silly dancing Fairies. No, they didn’t hurt the Fairies, just chased them. They didn’t mind – they like being chased. Learned plants. Trained with Assassins. Those are really scary. Nice … they didn’t yell too and said they like the Fluffies.

All of the time I was looking into each of these kids seeking their Talents. None. They have no Talent other than basically being Puppies and Kitties. What is the reason the World had created you… How do I use you? And then it hit me – I need to see them all at once. Once I did, I got an option to define them as a “PACK” or a “LITTER,” and when I did so, I made that group open for new members. There is a characteristic of “cohesiveness” that seems to be tied to how much time they are active together and will affect their future leveling. I told them to make sure to be at the training tomorrow and to make friends with other Demi-Humans that they train with and that aren’t here right now. Once they all become acquainted, their lessons will feel simpler and probably their extra talents will awaken. As they were walking away, I heard one saying, “Did you just feel something? Me too. He did some magic to us. I want to do magic too.”

Camp Bonfire Part 4

As the Sun was setting, I instructed the Dragon to bring a few dried logs from the Forest, and by the time all the away teams had gotten back to the Camp, I was ready. The Gallows were still standing in the middle of the Camp, but now with all of the Necro-Energy thoroughly drained. There were several logs arranged around that structure, and on it was hanging one body: the body of the Old Camp-Boss. I ordered everyone to gather in the Main Square, and they stood there in utter silence. The dreaded figure that signified everything that was wrong with this World was put on display. Even though it could no longer “Loose the hounds” onto anyone, the former “Hounds” were still here, still standing next to the people they’d terrified. Now, the people need new ideals, new passions, new goals so big and so bright that they would out-shine all the old wrongs. The people need to be able to say, “it was a bad period of our lives, and we will do anything not to re-live that pain and the shame.” In the real World, it wouldn’t be possible – a snake stays the same having changed its skin – but in the World of Magic and Necromancy, I actually have a chance.

I spoke, re-transmitting my voice through my Zombie connections. Everybody was listening, even the Assassins who were totally “not there” yet when I’ve started speaking, I saw the thin threads going to the rooftops and even to the top of the Gallows, and then disappearing into thin air. They are still not very visible through their Stealth to me. I addressed the crowd, and the Campers listened. I said that we weren’t born into this World. We were brought here without our consent. The first newcomers started a society, and it was one of Evil. I came to this world a few days ago, and I was lucky not to be captured and enslaved by the Campers. I was lucky to have survived the ordeal with my good friends – Dr. Nectar and Terry the Pixie. We were lucky to have encountered a friendly Sprite who had already had experience in this World and who helped us find shelter. We were lucky to defeat a Monster whom we encountered within a few hours – now that Monster is our dear friend Phil. Shortly after, we were lucky to engage in battle and bring to our side our wonderful Dragon-friend Victoria. (I will not mention the Dark Drow Assassin Team – such is the fate of those who live and fight in the Shadows.) We were lucky that the Camp-Boss decided to make his move first and did it so clumsily. Granted, killing the entire camp to let the Assassin Team bring up their levels and then having them fight to get one Super Assassin isn’t what regular people would call “lucky,” but I’m a Necromancer, remember? Our definition or “luck” is different, and besides, we are all together now, and he isn’t – I say that’s a Huge Stroke of Luck! We are here and we are free! We have been given a chance and I see each and every one of you grabbing that chance. I want to thank each and every one of you for not letting that chance go by. Thank you, Dr. Nectar for teaching the Healing spells. To her students – thank you for learning them. Thank you, Captain of the Guards for taking over the leveling-up of the Guards and for caring for the smallest of our members. Yes, we can just utilize them as Gatherers, but even in that, they need to be the best they can be. I’ll try to stop by tomorrow; I think I found something to improve their results. Thank you, Fluffies for being such good students. Thank you, Stealthy Teams for your work and help with training. Talking about the Stealthies – YOU, right there on the top of the Gallows! Yes, you, show yourself, come down, and stand next to me for a second. Everybody, meet a Drow named Shade-3. Wave to everybody. Oh, I didn’t know you can actually smile in a friendly fashion. So, your Terrifying Drow Smile that you all show me was a special treat from the Team? No, I’m not upset – I don’t easily get scared, remember the whole Necromancer thing? And just like that, she melts away. Yes, it’s a girl – quick and deadly when she needs to be. But the Drows aren’t our only shields – thank you, Guards, for working hard on leveling up. Believe me, when the time comes, your Levels will be the key to the survival of the entire Camp. Thank you, Lab Chiefs and the entire Lab Staff. I’ve seen them work today and I am impressed. Thank you, Paladin Level-10, for taking your part at being a trainer and thanks to your students. I don’t know much about your skills, but maybe for a few classes you can join with the Guards? I don’t mean to interfere with your lesson plan, but if it’s feasible – please feel free, as we’ll all benefit from cross-training. If you are a part of the Gatherers, thank you for being a Gatherer. We need the ingredients, and we’ll try rotate to get you trained in something else. If you can develop Crafting or Tailoring skills, please see the Labs. We will build better housing; we will learn to fight off the Monsters without the loss of life on our side; we will become one family, one big Team of Friends; and we will not allow the PAST to ruin our FUTURE! To the FUTURE! May the PAST burn!

I wanted a clapping response, but I didn’t get it so I sent a happy burst through my Zombie-ties and the crowd exploded in Cheers. I telepathically ordered our Dragon to burn the Gallows and she set them aflame. Utter silence fell over the crowd and I reached out to someone with a Bard specialty and told her to sing. And she sang in utter silence. And the rest of the crowd cried – every single individual.

They grabbed me from my home and land

And brought me to this place

Where I have faced an evil band

They dragged me to their base

They didn’t let us mourn our friends

And say our last Good-Bye

To those who’ve met their early ends

A trip that I’ve survived

I suffered pain, I suffered shame,

A lowly crying slave.

And in my cries forgot my name,

A plaything for the Knave.

I silently have dropped my tear,

As in my bunk I’d lie.

I begged of anyone who’d hear

That by sunrise I’d die.

And all of us have survived in fear,

Just rolling down the slope.

We died by hands of our peer,

In Death we found NEW HOPE

I was crying without trying to hide it as I walked to the singer and hugged her. I thanked her most sincerely, and she carefully hugged me back, probably trying to see if she could trust her emotions again. I went back to the center and said that this was the most emotional I’ve been in a long, long time. Thank you very much. NOW. I want us to be silent for a minute and remember. And then I want anybody who can sing – SING! I want anybody who can dance – DANCE! I want anybody who can play any musical instrument and perchance can get one – PLAY! Today we mark the end of the PAST and the beginning of the FUTURE! Will there be hardships? YES. The World Masters will throw every Monster they have at us, just for their Entertainment, and we WILL PREVAIL! We will raise our Levels; we will use our ingenuity to develop untold wonders and to even penetrate the Shimmering Veil and get even more wonders from there! I have already gone there and I’ll tell you more about it but when there’s more to tell. And now please, enjoy the night! TO THE FUTURE!

It took a while, but the dancing did start, and the singing was there, and someone brought out all of the Camp food stores, and Victoria brought a few more logs to keep it lighted and festive.

With all the emotions, my Mana Inner store was filled to the brim, and by sipping some more I’ve initialized the most uneventful quick upgrade to Level-11. Then indeed, I got an offer to go to 13, 17, or 19 and went all-in. As usually happens with my reckless moves, I went through by an entire hairbreadth… Maybe a half of it… Yes, the entire dancing crowd felt really tired but they blamed it on their excitement and just went to the Barracks or houses for a quick lying down. I’ve emptied two of my Level-20 Energy Stores and by the end Dr. Kate, with two Holy Maidens, walked over to me, pumping all of their Mana into me. All of the time, they were very vocal about some utterly irresponsible Group Leaders who don’t account for all possibilities and overestimate their capacity. What would they do without me? Have I thought about it? No, no, I haven’t. Why? Because I’m a self-absorbed little kid who’s still playing with his toys, accept now those toys are people’s lives, including my own and… I hugged Kate and kissed her on the forehead. All of her steam went out, and she just stood there. A beautiful slender young woman in the hands of a young man. It was so sudden, yet here we are. Just kids a few days ago, full grown-ups today. I don’t think I love her, and I don’t know what she feels toward me. However, we are bound to live side-by-side and care for each other. We don’t have to call it love, but we both know we’d give our lives for each other. Thank you, Kate. Thank you, Doctor Nectar. Thank you, my sister-in-arms. Thank you, Dear Maidens. I’d like to congratulate you – your leader just gained Level-19. CLICK!

Then I heard a voice in my head I’ve expected to hear anytime now. The Old Boss spoke out from his dead Brownie body that I carry on me now next to all of the Energy Crystals. Why? Because being an independent Necro-Creature he has his own Energy Capacity and I can drain him at will. A self-charging Energy Store. An angry, sneaky, plotting Energy Store who had already tried to overtake my body. Let me install some new restrictions on him before I forget, now that I’m almost his Level. There. Why? Because “Don’t. Anger. Your. Necromancer.” that’s why. He told me, “You’ve suffered from this human filth no less than I did. Why do you care about them? Or is it that you only care about playing your game with these dolls and soldiers?” I replied, “You have gathered so much Knowledge but you forgot that that’s not Science. Science expects you to doubt your outcomes and you never doubted yourself. ‘I read this, therefore it’s True’. We know plenty of bloody tyrants who wrote tomes upon tomes, tractates upon tractates and usually committed atrocities, wiping out those who didn’t fit their printed vision of the World. You failed to understand that you are limited, and the World isn’t, therefore, you must adjust to the World instead of adjusting your dataset. We call it ‘Confirmation Bias’ or ‘Model Overfitting’. This is why you didn’t just fail – you’d adjusted if you just failed. This is why people are dancing at the sight of your corpse being incinerated. And don’t tell me about my mind control – you had your potions that did basically the same. You thought yourself an Infallible God and this is why you failed. Maybe one day I’ll let you join me and try to partially atone by advising me OR maybe you can be my self-charging energy store. Now, instead of being angry at your schoolmates, you’ll be angry at me until a day comes when I disperse your soul. You are too dangerous to keep around. Now, Good Night,” and I’ve drained him again.

Back in the Cave Part 5

The first thing I need to do while the Old Boss is de-energized is to finish reading his soul, looking for his secret stashes, and learning from his experiences. I had to make frequent breaks to make sure he stays perfectly empty, and by the end, I really wanted to burn him again, as well as several items in his office after I saw the way he used them. Just as we have suspected, he didn’t have any special ways to communicate with the World Masters who actually run this place. He learned about them fast enough, but then basically set into an “evil psychopath” routine. Somehow he even learned that the Masters are happy with him – I suspect there were enough viewers interested in this perverted “show.” If my understanding is correct, the bigger the viewership, the bigger they make the World. Ours is rather small – Fizz the Sprite told us, when we just arrived, that he can fly across our “corral” in less than half an hour. In fact now that the Old Boss’ soul spoke to me, I got his map added to mine, and indeed we’re a rather small place. They told him about our sneaking away and hiding on Day 1 by announcing a “Special Mission” to eliminate our hideout at a specific location. That’s when the Drow Team visited us and eventually became a “Necro-Drow Team.” I suspect the World Masters view us as a Video Game, and they upped the bets by telling him to hurry up with the System Challenge and even giving him a hint – another Special Mission to train his Backup Assassin Team. To rush things along, they stopped sending the Random Surprise Big Black Boxes to him and sent one to me – trapped with a deadly explosive. I suspect the World Admins are required to use in-World means to steer the development.

This made me wonder how a Necromancer got into their Scripts. Either The Mighty Lord Random arranged the incoming characters, or some hacker got really tired of this Perverted Spectacle and decided to take over the Project. So far, the New Guy is winning – we knocked out the Librarian, and I have been working hard on generating likable content. That campfire show with clapping and cheering and dancing had to have gotten some attention. I don’t know for sure if I’m going in the right direction – on one side, I haven’t gotten any “System Challenges”; on the other, they did give me a Reward when we finished the Camp Takeover. Maybe they don’t really feel like steering us anywhere. Maybe they are thinking that in a few days I got to Level-19, took over the Camp and tamed a Dragon – they simply don’t have any script-writers that wild. Who’d message a total newbie that whole list and add that if completed in 3 days, there’ll be a bonus of a new pair of shoes or a Necromancer shirt – please choose one?

Even if I keep the soul, I’ll erase most of its memories. It’s human nature to find justification for one’s actions and to persist in the Old Ways, because to admit the error is to admit self-imperfection, and only a few have strong enough self-esteem. Maybe I’ll remove everything from his memory from about a day into his “transfer” to this World to the moment where people are cheering his body being publicly burned. Other than, that I’m done with it – it took me less than an hour to get all the hidden Crystals and Artifacts, three hidden at different World-edge locations, almost impossible to get to on foot, a matter of one Shadow-Jump for someone who’s learned the exact place and gotten that skill, albeit through questionable means. The Energy Crystals are loaded to the brim and might have a “personal attachment” to the Old Boss. I’ll see if I can remove it, or I’ll ask our wonderful Chief of the Artifactor Lab if he can.

I jumped to the Cave to see what’s going on there and because the Map told me that’s where our Friendly Sprite is. He was indeed sleeping in the Cave all alone. I guess I triggered his Air Feelers because he woke up and stared at me. I apologized for waking him up and asked what’s keeping him here all by himself. He told me he’s not a big fan of loud parties; besides someone needs to keep watch over the Shimmering Veil portals we’ve discovered, and he’s basically doing what I’ve told him to on our Day 1. I asked him if he’d like to relocate to the Camp, assuming we can station some Guards here and set up some motion-detecting Artifacts. He said that the Guards would be the end of his peace and quiet, and in that case, he might as well join with us at the Camp. I apologized for not contacting him earlier – I was moving around all day after taking over the Camp. I was looking for him at the bonfire, but couldn’t find him. He assured me he’s not upset and he heard me mentioning him in my speech. Then he asked me what brings me here before the sunrise. I said I’m not even sure – I just had a strange feeling I had to be here. Fizz shrugged and suggested I call up the Shades – if I’m right and something nasty happens, it’s better to have them here. I stepped into the clearing before the Cave and called out, “SHADES!” They appeared from thin air within a minute.

The Drows didn’t question my calling them – they just lined up and looked at me. I actually asked them why they aren’t spreading around looking for threats, just in case. I got their scary Drow Smiles in return and an assurance that they combed the area before coming out of Stealth. Then I wondered why Shade-3 was sitting on top of the Gallows with logs all around it. Did she not understand I intend to set fire to the thing? She sure did, as well as she knew I’d use the Dragon for it. First, they had taken upon themselves a mission of being my personal bodyguards. Second, the Gallows were the best vantage point to survey the crowd and the surroundings. Third, they seriously suspect Victoria can see through their Stealth. Thus, Fourth, she would've not lit the fire before making sure everybody is sufficiently far away, including the Drow. However, Shade-3 is not upset at my questioning her actions – ordering her to drop Stealth and showing herself to the Masses is a good way to cement my position as a Leader. I said that it seems I have to make sure to be a type of Leader who manages people smarter and wiser than he is. Drow Smiles… Scary Drow Smiles…

Then the Shade-Leader asked if I still can use the Brownie as before or if I have another. “Sorry, I can’t use it since I sealed it into two nested boxes and I don’t have a replacement.” Immediately two of the five shadow-jumped, and I saw them appear at the Brownie Tree and then at the Fairy Tree and then back – nothing. Brownies seem to have all survived the night, and Fairies sleep in large flowers which didn’t open yet. The Drows suggested they go to the Shimmering Veil and take a look – they crossed it before and came back fine. All seven of us walked to the first Veil Portal we discovered – to the World that gave us Phil the Monster. Technically, six of us walked and Fizz flew for a while and then just landed on my shoulder. Shade-4 turned his Stealth on and I was overjoyed to notice that I see his soul through his Stealth much better now. Thank you, Level-19! I saw the Veil give off a tiny ripple then a minute later again and the newly-revealed Drow assured us there is absolutely nothing there. The mess we created is still untouched, the doors are shut, and there’s no sound coming through them. We started our leisurely walk to the next Veil and then I heard a mental scream for help in a voice I least expected. It was Mr. Slime – a nasty man from the second World that we’ve been in contact with.

I dashed to the second Veil, stopped and reached out to Mr. Slime. The only way I could have returned him to his World was by making him into a Zombie. The guy died having fallen into our World through the Veil, which kills almost any living thing. However, I suspect the Designers of the Worlds didn’t account for Zombies, and at least for now, I can send my “protégés” between the Worlds quite easily. We threatened Mr. Slime that we’ll come in person to collect our fee for saving him – 25 sets of clothing. The “fee” is minuscule for his highly developed World, and I was hoping that they’d actually throw in lots of goodies – I mentioned to them we need blankets, but I expected a lot more for the Polite, Respectful Neighbors that they tried to kill by sending a Dragon to our World. Now I felt him being utterly terrified right across the Veil.

My Shades froze next to me awaiting orders. I took over Mr. Slime’s body and looked around. He was in the large Hangar adjacent to the Veil on their side. This is where they shoved the cage with the Dragon into and inadvertently caused a disaster by cutting away a piece of the wall to slide the cage in and bringing down a part of the upper floor. Now he was surrounded by about two dozen teens in similar uniforms; the doors were sealed, and the room was getting filled with some yellow gas. Some were panicking, some were convulsing on the floor and several have been dying. I started grabbing those souls and returning them into the bodies, making the kids into Zombies. Could I have revived them? Yes, at this point I could. However a freshly-revived person would need to breathe again and there’s this strange poisonous gas in the room. I can easily send my Shades into the gas – we don’t need to breathe – but that would've not helped the kids. If we carry them across the Veil, they’ll die the moment they touch it. So ironically, turning them into Zombies is the only way to save them.

Twenty-seven kids. I’m exhausted. I actually got some Mana from the Shades, making sure to leave enough for shadow-jumping. Suddenly, it’s getting crowded on our side of the Veil. Since I have to use Mr. Slime’s body, I am not really aware of what’s going on around mine. However, the Shades seem happy with the newcomers so I finish Zombifying all twenty-seven, order Mr. Slime to pick up one of them and march through the Veil to our side. I’m spent. I break off and order the Shades and the new arrivals – the Assassin group under the command of my former classmate Val – into the Other World. Get the rest of the kids out and lay them outside of the Cave. I never get tired of watching them move – I felt the wind blow past me, and by the time I slowly reached the entrance to the Cave, I saw Dr Nectar dashing between her patients laid out on the pebbles. Welcome, kids, to the first Sunrise of the rest of your (un-)life.

Dr. Nectar is again really disappointed with me. I risked my live needlessly. No, dear, you’re wrong this time. I didn’t even cross the Veil, and all Shades were next to me the whole time. Tired – yes; risked my life – not this time. I still get “a look,” and the Holy Maidens, who are standing to the side, feeding their Mana to the Doctor, express their total solidarity with her. I know, I know, without women, we men, would just think we’re perfect and would probably fly off on our over-inflated ego. We should be grateful that someone’s looking after us. Trust me, Kate, I am very grateful to you. So grateful that I’m willing to tolerate your “wife-ing” of me.

In a few moments, I’m rested enough to walk over to Mr. Slime, still standing to the side. He’s looking at the scene he probably hoped not to see ever again. I don’t want to talk to him, but I need to learn what happened. I lock eyes with him and start walking in his direction. I guess a glare of a Necromancer isn’t easy, because all of a sudden, he tries to run away. Sorry, we’ve gone over this before. I have total control over your body when I need to, Mr. Slime, so here you are, walking back to me, standing still and now there are five nice Smiling Drows standing around you. Well, I didn’t want you to run, you tried to disobey, now you’ll stand really still – just like I need you to. I don’t want to read your mind remotely – when my hand is on your head, I spend almost no Mana getting information out of you.

25 Clothing Sets Part 6

So, what’s in your head, Mr. Slime… OK, came out of the Veil two days ago, shocking all of the assembled Science and Management people. A former permanently barking Jackal walked up to his former colleagues and asked how he can go about getting 25 sets of clothing. When asked how he survived a trip through the deadly veil, he just muttered something and yelled back as he’d handle any interactions with the co-workers, then stopped himself and said that he owes “those on the other side” 25 sets of clothing for getting him across. The science people started asking for details on the otherworlders when a Big Boss cut in, claiming that Mr. Slime (whatever his name is) had survived a shocking ordeal and needed to be put under observation. It didn’t help when he started muttering about scary, smiling Drows who would come to him if he doesn’t come up with 25 sets of clothing. He was semi-willingly led to an isolation chamber in a medical facility. Next day, he stood up before a rather big panel with some members that he identified as the Bosses of the highest level, including those who Oversee Compliance to the Will of the Great World Masters and Endowers. They weren’t impressed with his story about us being basically harmless and nice and not going to attack their World through the Veil. Their view is firm – the entire dimension beyond the Veil is EVIL and everything that comes from it is EVIL, and it can’t be allowed to spread or even speak to the Good People of their World. The science types trying to learn about us were shouted down. Anyone wishing to halt the plans to destroy our World was shouted down. It didn’t help that now he was very polite instead of his usual horrible self. It didn’t help that he spoke about invisible, smiling Drows. He was led back to his isolation chamber.

Next morning, he was taken to the Hangar that was completely restored by then and told that he is allowed to tell his entire story to the schoolkids on a field trip from a nearby elite school. Suddenly, the Hangar doors shut behind them, and the room begins to fill with some Yellow Gas. He sees everybody around him panicking, coughing, and falling, and he gets a strange idea – since I boasted complete control over him, I must be able to save him. He actually screamed out, visualizing me, not understanding that he was actually the only person in that room who would not have been affected by the Gas. He’s already dead – if the Gas doesn’t dissolve his body, he can hold his breath forever.

I broke my contact and slowly walked away. The Shades followed. I felt an immense sense of relief coming from that man. I still find him a disgusting piece of slime but I’ve got to admit – he did his part exactly how I told him to.

Next – the teens lying on the ground. I walked up to a girl (all humanoids look a bit similar, so I’ll assume this slender, gentle-featured creature is a girl) who was lying with her eyes closed, knelt next to her, and touched her forehead. One of the things I learned from her is that she’s awake; another – her left elbow hurts. I said in a low voice, “When you decide to show that you’re awake, walk over to Dr. Nectar and ask her to treat your elbow.” Then I couldn’t resist a chuckle because my “unconscious” patient actually nodded. Next, next, next… One boy decided to be rebellious and asked me what I think I’m doing and if I know who his Father is. I told him that I need to touch his forehead and it doesn’t hurt. He asked me if I’m a Doctor or anyone else authorized to handle Patients. I told him that I am definitely authorized to touch-scan anyone. “By WHOM?” “By the Leader of this World.” “No, this won’t do!” The Patient sat up, then got up with my help and started to walk around angrily. “No, no, no! This is not how things work! There must be a proper licensing procedure in place. Anyone authorized to handle Patients must stand before the Board and prove his competence by passing an exam. Only then one can possibly do even something as simple as touch another person, even for something trivial. How does one know what is actually trivial? Who certified you? This will not do! And you should be aware that a detailed report will be submitted to all the agencies with the powers of oversight!” I looked around at the Shades and Val’s Assassins. I’ve got to give them credit – they are spread out around the area, and even though they are listening in on this diatribe and quietly chuckling, they are still looking over the field.

Dr. Nectar briskly walked over, probably meaning to save her patient from whatever horrible thing that he’s being put through. She stopped a few steps away, listened to the speech, and then suggested a bit more lying down would be good for this one. I asked if all of his classmates who are now sitting up, getting free entertainment, are OK to do so. She said, “Yes, but this one needs to lie down.” Since the Patient totally ignored her advice, I reached out through Zombie-controls, stopped his Public Speaking exercise, touched his forehead getting all the data I need, and commanded him to lie down and be silent for the next 3 minutes. Then I moved to the next person who asked me if I pacified that talker through hypnosis. “Yes, something like that.” The next patient asked me if the talker will be OK. “Yes – he’ll be up and about by the time I reach the last of you.”

And so it was. The kids got up soon enough, and I suggested we start getting to the Camp. Doctor said they aren’t strong enough for a walk, so the Assassins offered to transport them via a Shadow-Jump. I told the kids that it’s a rather unique experience as they move literally within the time it takes to blink, and most have agreed. I offered a ride on a Monster to the rest and when they saw our Phil they somehow preferred a Shadow-Jump. The Doctor with her staff and 2 of the patients still rode our Phil-ed up bus.

The Camp was still just getting to their morning routines, so when the entire Assassin Force showed up with a bunch of strangers and then Phil rode in with the Doctor, everybody assembled. As the newcomers looked at us in wonder, I sent an invitation to the Lab Chiefs to come out and, if possible, take their assistants. I promised a talk on the Other Worlds today – I deliver. Not the way I intended but still.

When everybody came, I started by welcoming our guests (stressing the word to tell everybody that these ones are going back) to the World Of Magic. “Your leaders have been telling you that your World is the one of Goodness, and in this one there’s untold Evil and Perversion. You are the only people who actually got to learn the Truth. Just like yours, our World was created by whoever you call the Endowers. They have given you technologies to get you started – all the Equipment and Knowledge that Original Ancestors received in their Random Boxes got them started on the road that brought you to Genetic Engineering of Dragons. I know you are all kids of the Elite, and several of you have actually been inside the secret lab. Most of you know that as they were trying to push the Dragon into our World, the Hangar got wrecked. Later I send a Messenger to some Officials asking for them to stop their attacks and to develop some relations between us. I offered to trade simple magic stuff for things we need. You also know that the man who came with you here, inadvertently fell into our World before. We used bits of our Magic and managed to send him back, requesting 25 full clothing sets as a fee for services.”

One of the boys perked up, smiled, and asked, “So you want us to go back naked?” I quickly said “NO,” and then it hit me. Those World bosses are playing tricks with me. They are actually laughing at me. I began my first conversation with them by asking if the Yellow Gas we sent before wasn’t a good enough hint for them to stop bothering us. Only later we understood that the Yellow Gas was sent to a different dimension, the one that first sent us Phil, and then we got the Twins – Dar and Dara – from there. Those Twins are right here, looking at me and the newcomers. That is the World we checked first, before responding to the cries for help from the second. It’s all making sense – the Science people wanted to stop wasting resources on aggressive Genetic Engineering and establish contacts with us. The Warmongers and the Religious Authorities benefit from the Arms Race that’s keeping them in charge and the “Endowers” happy. So, to shut the dissenters down, they’ve unleashed their own Yellow Gas in the Hangar on the most visible target – the children of those Science types. I saw in their memories that a much larger class was brought in, and it was split – a half went elsewhere with the teacher, and the second half went into the Hangar to hear a “Special Lecture by the sole survivor of the Veil.” That’s when the doors shut behind them and the Gas was pumped.

Those (not very nice people) framed us. They played a joke on us. I wanted 25 sets of clothing – I got them. With the murdered people in them. They needed to get rid of Mr. Slime, and they suspected we somehow were tracking him. They knew he’d call for help, and as a failed agent, he’d get an extraction. He did. The kids are inconsequential. If we leave their bodies on the floor – we’ve proven ourselves being utterly Evil, and they – wise and caring, who didn’t trust anything and anyone who came in touch with the Other World. If the bodies disappear – we’re still Evil. Mr. Slime would probably stay with us or not – after that horror, nobody would listen to him, and at best, he’d spend his days fearing the Smiling Drows in a locked up room. They played a joke on me… They. Played. A. Joke. On. Me. … THEY… PLAYED… A… JOKE… ON… ME! Never. Never. Never. Get. Your. Necromancer. ANGRY!!!

I suddenly heard a voice of our Dragon-friend in my head, “STOP IT!” I came back to my senses and looked around. My audience was sitting in shock, looking at me. Whatever they have just seen wasn’t what I have intended to display. I apologized to everybody and apologized again. I told them about my conclusions and said I wanted to talk to the Lab Chiefs, Dr. Nectar, Shade-Leader, Captain Val, and Dragon Victoria in about an hour. I’m not asking for the Demi-Wolf because he got his paws full with the Youth Group. In fact, I wanted to see them train – let’s go now. And sorry again. Most sincerely. I’ll do my best that it doesn’t happen again. The guests are free to mingle.

I walked to the meadow where the Demi-Kids were being herded by our selfless Captain of the Guard and tried to define them as a “Pack,” as I did yesterday to some of them. It turned out to be easier than I expected – when you know what you’re looking for and you’ve done it before, adding the new members to the Pack was a snap. I described what I had done to the Captain and apologized to the kids again for being too scary. A Kitty-Boy told me that I was really scary. Almost as scary as the Captain. I repeated, “Almost as scary,” and smiled at their coach. He looked me in the eyes and shook his head. Yes, we both know who’s scarier. Before I go, I told the kids I’ll play a little game and they’ll be my toys. They looked at me and I took control of the Pack as one entity and started forcing them to do dance moves. After the initial surprise, they actually laughed, and when I released them, they wanted to go again. I said that’s enough for now; they have a lesson and their coach is waiting. Little kids thought this is all fun and games. The Demi-Wolf understood it correctly – I can do anything to any of my Zombies, and there’s no way out for them. Well, I actually like them and need them, and I’d never hurt them, but it’s probably not easy to know that despite being so mighty, he’d be dancing just like those kids if I wanted him to. Maybe I’m overthinking it – he knew I’m a Necromancer before. Besides each Soldier obeys a Sargent; a Sargent reports to say a Captain; he to a General; and he to say a King. Maybe the Captain knows his job and expects me to do mine when the time comes to defend the Camp. I’ll just walk away.

Think inside the box Part 7

I walked back to the Camp Square where the Gallows used to stand. Strangely enough, the ashes and any traces of the all-night party had disappeared. I’ll ask later to make sure, but it looks like the World has certain self-purging features. I found the kid who joked about them having to go back naked and apologized to him specifically. I don’t want him or anyone to think that I totally lost it because of his joke. It’s just that it allowed me to understand something I couldn’t get for a while. I’ll talk to them all later. Did Dragon Victoria come out yet? Oh, she did – great. Listen I need to go; I’ll see you all later. Most probably, we’ll send you all back by sunset. No, no questions. I’m still trying to figure out a lot of details. No. Sorry, I need to go; I’ll come back in about 2 hours. I hope.

I walked back into the Mansion and found a large reception room that Dr. Nectar took over for the classroom. I asked her if she remembered we’re meeting in about half an hour. Yes, she does, so unless it’s urgent… No, I just need to sit in the corner and do something similar to what she saved me from yesterday. If she notices my soul running away, please act. NO. NO. I must, and that’s not up for discussion. Sorry, and please continue with your class. Dear students, sorry for the interruption.

I sat on the floor in the corner and reached out to the Soul of the Librarian. First, I left it with less than a tenth of his capacity, then took away half of that, then reached out to him. A very angry voice cursed me, and then again and again. I let him talk and then interrupted, “Listen, let’s assume you got me really upset and instead of running away in tears, I just started modifying your memories. Every one where you’re making someone suffer in your office will be reversed – you will remember it from the victim’s point of view. You have MANY of those, and I can change them really quickly. Oh, don’t start again – I’ll throw in your Drows’ memories too. Every one where they acted on your orders, only this time, again, you’ll be running through the Forest and hiding in the rocks and then dying in a way you’ve requested. Now that I got your attention – here’s the situation with the newcomers. I don’t want to keep them and I don’t want an all-out war with their World. I can send them back, and the Bosses would have to be silent about their own Yellow Gas. In fact, the whole incident would come down to a door malfunction – the kids would be forced to shut up about the Gas. That would leave the kids as Zombies – probably never growing up – and leave the World Bosses to plot their next casus belli

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