I set the fortress down within spitting distance of the dungeon. I had no time or patience to be stealthy. Every hour it felt like an invisible noose was starting to tighten around my neck. I didn’t know if it was my imagination or some part of that damn ability that Randy was using. Considering it lessened as I got closer to Chicago, my money was on an ability.Well, let him use his abilities, I had surprises of my own to bring to our next encounter.The four of us rushed through the dungeon, killing off the lower-level kobolds with ease. I used it as a testbed to try out some of the new skills. Maddening Laugh turned out to be highly effective against the barely cognizant kobolds. After only one use they devolved into nothing more than aggressive animals their more animalistic tendencies taking over. They didn’t last long enough for me to cast it again, and I chose not to waste Multicast on it.Underhanded Blow was also effective. My ability to instantly enhance my speed by two poin

The war - if you want to even call it that - between the Black Dragon, and our ragtag team of four went on for weeks.The Black Dragon had numbers, more than I had ever thought possible. Every time we thought we cleared out the entrenched heavy weapons more would be rolled out and the battle would commence again.We were hounded every time we landed, they even found our damn island sanctuary and pounded it to dust with long-range artillery. The fortress was a mess but it was holding together better than I could have hoped for.The fortress floated toward downtown Chicago, listing a bit to the left where a portion of the levitator had been blown away. Both Ska and Martin had hairless heads, a blast of flame cooking their flesh before I healed them. The scars were gone but the hair would have to regrow on its own. I hoped Ska’s regrew fast, grimalkin did not look good furless. It was a mix between a naked molerat and a wrinkly testicle.Our approach had been uncontested. That was mostly

We walked out of the rubble-strewn area of Chicago where the dome shield had covered. The emitter was now safely tucked into my storage ring. I had to find a clear spot to call back the fortress for it to land.“So,” Martin said, “I see your hand grew back, was that because you killed the guy that cut it off?”I gave him a confused look before I remembered I had my new prosthetic on. “No,” I chuckled, deactivating the meld runes and pulling the hand away.Melding the mithril alloy hand with my skin, nerves, and bones was not a pleasant experience but it was less painful than getting a hand cut off.I handed him the hand so he could admire the workmanship. It had cost me forty thousand credits to get it made by a master craftsman. And even then that was only for an unenchanted hunk of metal that could mimic all of the movements of a normal hand and wrist. The hand looked to be made of tiny scales and I had no clue how the crafter had assembled it but it was a thing of beauty.It also i

After leaving Frathar’s shop we headed to the hotel. It was still a bit weird to see most of the electric street lamps running. There were a few that were dark and some were missing completely. I could only assume it was damage from battle or from them sitting around for so long unused.Part of me wanted to see what remained of my old house, but I knew it had been torched in anger after Fiona and I had escaped the first time. I decided that digging through the past was a lost cause and decided to leave it be and look toward the future.We decided on two separate rooms. One for Ska and me and the other for Fiona and Martin. Her relationship with Martin was like an open secret, everyone knew but nobody spoke about it. Well, except me when I ribbed Fiona about it. I had gotten my sweet revenge so there was no point for me to keep hounding her over it. I was happy for the two.The beds were nice, not super nice but nice. They weren’t pre-system manufactured beds. I imagined those had not

After leaving the Lord’s residence we were driven back to the hotel. Martin was quiet on the ride back and I decided to ask why.“What's up, you haven’t said a word since we left?”“Oh, nothing, I just figured I would wait for you to talk and tell me what to do since you seem to want to make decisions for me as well as everyone else.”“I… uh… hmmm. Sorry, I just thought since you didn’t say anything during the meeting it was fine.”Martin shook his head, “you should have told him you would think it over. You keep getting involved with these powerful people and it never ends well, for any of us.”“You should have said something then,” I added heatedly.Martin sighed, “that would just show him you weren’t in control. That is the kind of man you don’t show weakness in front of. It isn’t his level you need to worry about, but his ability to manipulate people. I may not have been born with a silver spoon in my mouth like him but I can sense a conman from a mile away. That man,” Martin adde