“Why must we wait instead of advancing as well?” Mordred asked, her nose scrunched up in dissatisfaction.

 

“Because I don’t have the right Subtree Stones for you two. They all had well enough Stones from quests and what I gathered from the vampires earlier. You two on the other hand I’ll need to go to the Auction House to figure out,” Drake explained looking at the earthen rooms slightly bored.

 

“You got an auction house, bro?” Bjorn asked.

 

“Yup was a reward for being so good-looking and amazing,” Drake smirked.

 

Chelsea scoffed from the side.

 

“Got something to say?”

 

“Oh, nothing…”

 

“Your face is saying you disagree with some of the truths I just stated.”

 

“Okay you two let’s calm it down,” Bjorn chuckled.

 

“She started it…” Drake booed.

 

“So, what exactly has been going on, you didn’t really fill me in,” Bjorn asked ignoring Drake’s grumbling, and a slightly miffed Chelsea.

 

“I’ll spill if you do,” Drake shrugged, “How’d you two end up, whatever you are and what was that hinting you had about the owner of this city? I had a notification to take over as soon as I stepped into the city but not sure how that mechanic actually works.”

 

Bjorn looked over at Mordred, Lucium, and a bored Glenn who was sitting down on the cold cement yawning.

 

“It’s fine, they’re part of the group now, and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a bit of story time,” Drake smiled.

 

Bjorn shrugged scratching his beard as he recalled the last week or so. His journey from Canada, how the landscape had changed to no end, and the distance from there to here was several times what he expected.

 

“There was also running from every E-Rank monster on the way too. Some I couldn’t ignore sadly and that's why I ended up leveling up. I’m not sure how close I am to 30 but honestly, bro… I don’t want to tempt fate if ya know what I mean,” Bjorn chuckled.

 

“Then Chelsea also knows about everything?” Drake asked scratching the back of his hood.

 

“More or less. We met about halfway, right about the time I found Tom and Sherry. Tom had Sherry dragging him around earlier than when I met them though, she’s been dying to eat the food you promised so I’m surprised she hasn’t just bugged you the entire time.”

 

“How about that? I knew they were kind of close but to meet up like that is interesting,” Drake mused, “So how much do you know about what’s going on?”

 

“Only as much as we knew in the tutorial and from what we can guess with the notifications. More than surprised to find you aren’t the weirdest one in your family though,” Bjorn said.

 

“Yeah well,” Drake sighed, giving a wry smile, “It’s a bit of a sore spot but…”

 

Drake then retold his daring tale of how he had saved children and helpless elderly alike in the city, bringing them to salvation after bettering the best warrior of the Rahk. How he had found a mad Doctor who had been in the same tutorial as his brother and began cultivating his own city.

 

Of course, adding in the smaller things, leveling up, becoming the last of his race, killing a Cardinal Beast, starting a war against the undead, and nurturing little monsters to fight said war.

 

The smaller details.

 

“And these kids just signed up?” Bjorn frowned.

 

“Mostly yeah. Each one has their own reasons but they aren’t kids anymore and I don’t treat them as such. You should see how some of them fight,” Drake smiled proudly, “Give them some time and experience to hit level 20 and I guarantee they wipe the floor with anyone of the same level or higher.”

 

Mordred’s ears perked up but she continued to listen contently as Bjorn went back and forth.

 

“But I’ll have to do something about this apparent slave town and… my brother,” Drake grimaced, “From what I’m told he’s turned into a maniac or at least more than he was before. But the thing is I keep getting this nagging feeling that I don't remember why.”

 

“It was years ago. That’s what I’d guess,” Bjorn said crossing his arms, “And what about everything else? How are you going to deal with this Voting Summit thing?”

 

“Not sure. Natto assumes there won’t be a definitive decision for now, which I’m guessing will be true. There’s over a hundred towns participating so it would make sense that everyone votes for themselves or has at best a handful of votes. So I’m guessing it'll be a tie at best or everyone votes for the biggest stick there, which is even better.”

 

“And you’re the big stick?” Chelsea scoffed.

 

“Kind of you to say,” Drake laughed.

 

Chelsea rolled her eyes.

 

“Okay, what about the Monster Wave then, any info on that from the little missus?” Bjorn asked.

 

“Nothing she can really say. It’s a system event and every new planet gets something like it. She’ll be able to say more once it starts but honestly, I’m more interested in upgrading the planet,” Drake explained.

 

“Hard to find experience?” Bjorn assumed.

 

“Yeah, E-Rank’s aren’t rare but aren’t common either, and with the increased threshold of my experience, it’s been a long time since I last leveled up. Almost two weeks now,” Drake sighed, “The problem is…”

 

“If you upgrade the planet, what is everyone else going to do?” Bjorn finished.

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Are you two married or something?” Chelsea pouted, “Finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences…”

 

“Jealous?” Drake smirked.

 

“Yes…” she growled.

 

“Either way there’s a lot on my plate so you can’t imagine how happy you’re here man,” Drake said honestly, “I have a great gig for you when we get back too.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Bjorn smiled interested.

 

“Yeah, I have  school-”

 

Drake was beginning to explain when a burst of mana came from the rooms and several loud reverberating ‘pops’ began cracking inside them.

 

“Looks like they’re all done,” Drake laughed.

 

“Oh this should be good,” Bjorn laughed as well.

 

“You two are horrible,” Chelsea sighed.

 

“What? Everyone went through it,” Drake grinned.

 

Snapping his fingers the walls came down around the group of teens and the immediate rancid disgusting smell of the expelling process from the Rank Up wafted through the air. The ground around every teen grotesquely painted an iridescent black.

 

“As expected, all of them. Well all of them but Landin didn’t listen to me,” Drake frowned.

 

“That smell isn’t going to come out,” Bjorn said holding his nose.

 

“Dauber! What in the world is that stench!” Mordred scowled.

 

“That is advancing guck. It’s what happens when you rank up, count yourself lucky you know about it now so I can’t prank you with it like them,” Drake laughed.

 

“Oi, get up sleepy heads!” he shouted spraying each of them down with massive amounts of warm water.

 

The teens all gasped and shot up straight as they were soaked, steam rising in the cold winter air. And once they came to their senses each one groaned and reeled as they smelled themselves.

 

“Dear lord, what is this smell?” Landin coughed, his voice deeper than before.

 

“Ugh, thank god I packed shampoo,” Charlotte sighed somewhat emotionless despite her situation.

 

“Ah!! Thank you, Lord Drake… To be bathed in his water magic as soon as we have awoken…” Atropos beamed, smiling widely.

 

“What is this foul shit!” growled Kalik.

 

“Quetz doesn’t like this sticky stuff!” Quetz cooed her voice a higher and clearer tone.

 

“Wow,” Drake said blinking his eyes at the teens, and throwing a towel at the naked Landin, since Chelsea and Mordred were blushing, “Looks like everyone decided to change rather drastically…”

 

Starting from the left to the right, the teens had undergone a dramatic change.

 

Charlotte had grown several inches. Her hair had grown out past her waist and turned from the messy auburn to a more ignited and passionate red. But the most striking part was here humming lightning yellow yes the color of a topaz. Her skin had cleared up and become a soft cream color, but her face had lost a lot of its expressiveness.

 

Kalik had also grown, his skin taking on a lighter tone of green, and his braided hair had shortened into a buzzcut with a remaining line of hair, like a movie-style gangster clinging to his face. His muscles had increased several times in both girth and definition as well making him look even more like a hoodlum than before and his eyes had turned a darkened smoldering red.

 

Quetz had turned more feminine as well like Charlotte, her feathers growing out on her legs, arms, and head. The colors were a more vibrant shade as they cycled through a spectrum, but now always settling on a light verdant green. Her violet eyes gleaned with even more playfulness than before.

 

Landin had turned into what looked like a man’s man. His body was defined and taller as if he had aged 10 years. His hair had turned to a sharp silver the scar on his left eye still visible and he had a sort of confidence he didn’t seem to have before.

 

Atropos also seemed to age like the others but only enough to be called a young adult. The charming cuteness she had was now replaced with a ladylike appearance that reminded Drake of Taliya from the Spirit Fox, which for all purposes made a shiver run down his spine. Her long hair had become more elegant, becoming a pure white, also having two red accentuating freckles now below each of her eyes. And finally, she had somehow added three more tails that swayed enthusiastically while she smiled like a predator at Drake.

 

Clotho the last of the bunch, had also grown several inches, his hair remaining the same color and length. But his face had turned more androgynous, while he had also added another tail, and if Drake hadn’t known he was a boy, he could have easily passed as a female. The only other thing that gave him away was his incredibly clear and deep voice that growled as he saw Drake.

 

Drake raised a brow seeing Clotho. And in a flash, the boy moved forward aiming right for him.

 

“Oh? Looks like we got one that got a little crazy with power,” Drake sighed.

 

Clotho was several times faster than before, his new subtrees doing wonders for him or possibly even skills. But he wasn’t in his right mind and didn’t even draw his threads, instead using his claws to scrape across the ground and barrel toward Drake like an animal.

 

And just before he made it to Drake, somethings or someones dropped from above crashing his face into the cement.

 

“Bad dog.”

 

“Cease this, dear brother.”

 

Both Atropos and Charlotte had moved instantly to stop Clotho, using their heels to drop him down into the snow, knocking him out instantly.

 

Drake scoffed, “Fast aren’t we?” he smiled, then frowned, “Ugh you both stink!” he grimaced waving them away.

 

Charlotte’s face may not have frowned but her eyes displayed some disappointment. Atropos on the other hand shivered and gave a playful frown.

 

“Lord Drake.. Why are you so mean! Did I  not just help stop my brother?”

 

“We…” Charlotte corrected, crossing her arms.

 

“What did you say…?” Atropos growled, doing a 180.

 

“We, protected him. And stopped your brother. Get it right you crazy love-struck puppy.”

 

“OKAYYYYY!!” Drake yelled spraying them both with water, “I think we’re all strung out from the rank up still, let’s just clean up and-”

 

But Drake was stopped as he gurgled out a mouthful of blood, the bloody outline of a dagger sticking out of his side.

 

“Lord Drake!”

 

“Drake!”

 

Several shouts went out, but Drake hadn’t died instantly from the blow. He quickly threw the two girls forward, lightly kicking Clotho in the same motion, and spinning around as the dagger was wrenched from his chest a trail of blood spurting out into the white snow.

 

[You have resisted Undead’s Coffin Poison]

 

[You have resisted Umbral Disarm]

 

[You have resisted Instant Death Strike]

 

[You have resisted Assassin’s Kidney Blow]

 

The air in front of him shimmered and the most disgusting thing he had ever seen flashed in his vision for only a moment.

 

[Stiched Umbral Amalgamation Level 37]

 

The brief reveal of the monster had shown a monster with several eyes, hands, and mouths, with dark stitching across every added appendage in some sort of worse-than-Frankenstein horror.

 

Drake placed his hand on the wound already feeling the wound closing thanks to his absurd regeneration as his hair flared and cascaded to a deep aquamarine blue.

 

Bjorn had already sprung into action his sword drawn and armor now in place as he swung it down where the monster had been. Chelsea acted just as quickly as she jumped backward her weapon and armor appearing as she landed on the house's steps.

 

Drake stood his ground, recounting the resist notifications and trying to parse if those type of skills would have a low cooldown. His mind raced as he saw them, never having fought something this strong or with this many skills.

 

His body shivered. Shivered in elation.

 

He wiped the blood running down his chin with his sleeve, “It’s been a while since someone has hurt me. And no one makes me bleed my own blood.”