Chapter 152

The Angel Express - 5:11 AM

I stood in front of the guild board, sipping my hot chocolate as I read through it. Jamie had only liberated one more building while the Mills and I were dealing with the zombie issue, but it was a doozy. It was labeled as only “Park” and was worth 20 guild points. I shifted so that I could see the woman in the corner of my eye.

Before, her plastic armor had been a mix of different shades of gray and leaned on the darker side. Now, it was covered in brightly colored splotches running the full spectrum of the rainbow that would be incredibly difficult to wash off normally. Some of the paint was even in her hair, with the blue and green contrasting her usual blond.

Her first words to me this morning was to warn me about saying something, and I let it slide. For now, anyway.

Instead, I looked at the guild ranking. With Jamie’s work on the grocery store and the paintball park, we were sitting at 173 points, only 12 away from our next upgrade. Pittsburgh Pride was still in second place with 31 points, and Steel United had 27. Do It For The Elves had fallen off, replaced by The Greg Davis Crew with 20 guild points.

I shook my head and sighed every time I saw it. “This is as bad as calling our guild the Anthony Franklin Experience or something,” I muttered. Corwin barreled into me, tail wagging as if he hadn't seen me in days.

“What happened to you?”

A new voice caught my attention, and I turned to see Kayla and Jeff emerge from our sleeper car. They had done well last night despite having put up with an excessive amount of shit from Greg. Even with the zombie points nerf from being in a guild, they had cleaned up.

“Not everything goes to plan,” was all Jamie said before sipping her coffee. “Franklin told me to wait until you two showed up before I go to work. I assumed we were having another team meeting.”

“You’re right, Summers,” I confirmed as I started walking to the counter. “Good morning, you two. Get some food, because you’re in for a busy day.”

“Sending us to kill more zombies?” Kayla asked as she sat down at the same table as Jamie. Jeff joined her followed by Corwin laying at their feet, and the couple began scrolling through their menus.

“That’s definitely not what I’m interested in,” Jamie firmly stated. “I followed the people and saw the giant hole east of here, and I’d much rather be working in the Pitt, as confusing as it is to navigate.”

“That’s good, because I’m sending you a little deeper than you’ve been so far,” I said with a smile. “You, and the Mills.”

Kayla frowned. “I thought you said you wanted to keep us closer to the surface.”

“I did, but I’ve had a lot of time to think things over,” I replied. “Plus, there’s something at your first destination that might help you specifically, and something that will definitely help you, Summers.”

“So you want me to, what? Babysit?” Jamie scoffed.

“Hey, we can take care of ourselves,” Jeff protested.

“No, you can take care of yourself,” she retorted. “I watched you fight in your tournament. You’re adequate, but you have to occupy your time taking care of her.”

“Yes, I’m still learning,” Kayla said diplomatically, placing her hand on her husband’s shoulder before he could snap back. “But I’m confident that I won’t slow you down, Jamie.”

The Weapon Master looked unconvinced, and gave me a stern look. “And you can’t do it because…?”

“Because it’s my day off,” I answered. She arched an eyebrow. “What? I’m serious about the two on, one off. I’ll be working tomorrow, but I need these done today.”

Jamie sighed, but took a sip of her coffee and leaned back in her chair with a gesture to me to continue.

“The first of two targets is an arena that belongs to a local university,” I explained. “Not a skyscraper or anything, but it’s big and worth 50 guild points. Kayla should get the final strike on the boss, testing my theory, and Summers should get the skill book she drops. Y’all can discuss who gets any other loot that appears.”

I saw Jamie open her mouth to say something before glancing at the ceiling and swallowing her words.

Kayla had no such compulsion to blindly follow orders. “Why me specifically?”

“Because I want to see how the boss reacts to a queen,” I answered.

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Ant, that’s-“

“It’s actually pertinent to the situation,” I said, holding my hands up to defend myself. “Also, order food already. You know Jamie’s not going to wait for you long.”

“That’s always going to be true, deputy guildmaster or not,” the Weapon Master stated.

Sighing, Kayla refocused on her menu and selected something. Jeff did the same, and pancakes and eggs appeared in front of them. They looked at each other, nodded in solidarity, and began eating.

“Unlike the other places Summers has visited in the Pitt, when you start getting to the point where 40 or more guild points are the reward, then you start running into intelligent undead,” I explained.

“Like the dragon you fought,” Jeff stated.

I nodded. “Right. Well, these ones are vampires,” I said, catching Jamie’s attention. “They follow a caste system ranking from less powerful to their most powerful, the Duchess.”

“And you want to see what happens when a queen shows up,” Kayla stated, pursing her lips.

“I think it’s worth looking into,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, you have your very own Queen’s Knight, you have the Queen of the Forest passive, and, you know.” I was about to gesture towards her when she threw up her hands.

“Yes, I know,” she said quickly. I smirked, and she shook her head. “Fine. I get it. Go and liberate an arena with Jamie so you can figure out if something happens.”

“Thank you.” Smiling, I gave her a gracious nod before looking at Jamie. “Any complaints?”

“Several,” she stated immediately. “But, you’re paying me, so if that’s what you need then I’ll do it.”

“Good. The second place I want you to go to won’t be worth as many guild points, but I’m sure it’ll interest you anyway. It’s a library.”

“And why will that be of interest to me?” Jamie asked, arching an eyebrow.

I pointed a finger at a very smug looking Kayla. “Before the system dropped, I was a librarian,” she explained. “And when Jeff and I were going around Atlanta, I was able to use my knowledge and expertise to find skill books and items that no one else was able to find. Including Ant.”

Jamie pursed her lips, but nodded. “Very well. That will make this trip out much more fruitful.”

Kayla gave me a quick glance, and I gave her a half-hearted shrug. “Alright, now that y’all have your missions, here’s the directions,” I said as I reached into my inventory to pull out two pieces of paper. I slid them across the table to Jamie. “Both are marked, and I’d prefer if you took care of the arena first. Fighters will be flocking to it afterwards, which sets up some stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” she asked, taking them. I pointed up to the sky, and she shook her head. “I hate that that’s a valid answer.”

I smirked, but didn’t say anything. In all honestly, it had nothing to do with my Patron, but everything to do with the one that was watching her. There was no way I was going to say that out loud, though.

“Y’all good, then?” I asked.

“Once these two are done eating,” Jamie replied.

Jeff was already almost finished with his, though Kayla had just started due to the conversation. She looked down at her plate and sighed before standing up. “Come on, hon, let’s go get ready.”

“Sure,” he said, sticking one last piece of pancake into his mouth before doing the same and following her back to their room. Corwin bounded after them.

Once I heard their door close, I leaned my elbows onto the table. “Think Jeff’s an adequate fighter, do you?” I asked.

Jamie gave me a sidelong glance before rolling her eyes. “Not sure if he would have won it all, but he’s got talent. I can already tell by looking at her that she’s not up for the kind of high stakes fights we’re partaking in.”

“I know what you mean, but I’d appreciate it if you could help out,” I said sincerely. “She’s useful, and not just because Jeff sticks around because of her. Plus, they’re both like, my second and third best friend. I’d take it as a personal favor if you could look out for her.”

“I don’t generally do personal favors,” Jamie scoffed. “But I suppose if you’re paying me and your Patron’s helping us get points and gear, then I can do that much.”

“Thanks, Jamie. I appreciate you.”

The Weapon Master scoffed again before finishing her coffee, though I could see that her eyes weren’t as guarded as they were before. Setting her cup back on the table, she stood up and started walking away. It disappeared as she walked into the luxury sleeper car.

I heard her knock on the Mills’ door. “I can’t stand being around this guy any longer, I’m going to wait outside,” she called. If there was an answer, I didn’t hear it, but she left the train through the dining car anyway.

Smirking, I finished my hot chocolate and stood up, watching as the mug disappeared. “For the record, you’re definitely my best friend, Sara,” I whispered as I started heading to the back of the train.

[[Patron Message]]

I thought so, but it’s nice to hear it. I didn’t want to assume.

I am curious, though, what your plans are for the day. We both know that you won’t be able to sit still long enough to actually take a day off. Are you planning on talking with people around town? Manipulating some event in one way or another?

Sincerely,

Sara

I couldn’t help but smile at my girlfriend’s message, though I stopped at the end of the sleeper car. Ashley wasn’t in her room, which was what I expected. If she wasn’t forced to sleep at night, then she would do it during the day. Night owl seemed to be her default setting, not that it bothered me any. As long as she was productive, then it was fine.

“I’m going to start working on letters and the manual for the next leg of the journey,” I said to the sky. “Things with Pustibule are new and, while I don’t expect to get blindsided, I’m still going to be cautious about it. I usually get it all out of the way now, anyways. The second scenario is never as deadly as the first. People are picking up steam and starting to get their shit together, at least.”

While I spoke about Pustibule, I didn’t mention the Unknown Entity from back during the Amlex fight. The version of Sara that existed before I gave her the memory orb had scoffed when I thanked it for bending the rules of the system. That had made me wary, though there wasn’t much I could do about it at the time or even now.

“Don’t thank him. He’s nothing but trouble,” she had said at the time.

What really got me was that the Administrator Black-out was supposed to have ended, but it was still active. I was supposed to have it long enough to consolidate power, which I had, and then be subjected to the whims of the administrators as a regular player, not a glitch. The Unknown Entity’s warning messages, the fact that it had shown up when Esaraphelscion did, and how easily it could manipulate the system kept it as a constant worry in the back of my head; pushed back, but never truly forgotten.

[[Patron Message]]

What do you mean by a manual?

And how far do you think you can get into those letters?

Sincerely,

Sara

“It’s just insurance,” I answered, my thoughts snapping back to the present. “I told Kayla that, if something were to happen to me, then she’d be able to find instructions in my desk drawer. Like the letters I have the Dealer deliver, it’s to make sure that things go well without me. I take the time here in Pittsburgh because, like I said, there’s not as many casualties this time around. People are picking themselves up, they’re learning, and things are coming together. That’s destined to change when things get harder, but for now things are just… alright, I guess.”

There was no answer, and I read through her message again.

“Oh, right. I can probably get through about a hundred, hundred fifty letters. That’s pushing it if I finish up the Pittsburgh part of the manual. Why do you ask?”

[[Patron Quest: Complete the Letters!]]

Alright, now that I have a better idea of what you’re doing, I’m able to issue a quest.

Your knowledge of the future is one of your greatest assets. Spreading this knowledge is absolutely what you need to do in order to keep as many people alive as possible. Only you have been burdened with this information, that means you’re the only one who can do it.

Write those letters, Anthony.

Objective: Write at least 150 letters before you go to sleep tonight.

Reward: 600 points.

[[Patron Quest: Work on your Manual!]]

I don’t like it the thought of something happening to you, but I can see why you’d want to have it around.

Since you’re spending all day writing, then you’ll get two quests pertaining to it. Make sure you get all your homework done before bed, okay?

Objective: Finish the Pittsburgh section of your manual before you go to sleep tonight.

Reward: 500 points.

“Oh man, homework?” I said teasingly. “If I don’t get it done, are you going to send me to detention, Ms. Sara? I might not mind being punished in an empty classroom if it’s by you. Tell me, if you get me alone, how are you planning on… educating me?”

The next message took several long seconds before it appeared.

[[Patron Message]]

Anthony Franklin, please behave yourself. You might be cute, but your antics are a lot easier when you’re here.

The short message gave me a hearty laugh, and I couldn’t help but imagine how flustered Sara must have looked trying to decide how to respond to me. The contents were sparse, but she was a fighter, not a lover, and I already knew and accepted that. She would get better at flirting eventually. Or not, but that would be fine, too.

Smiling, I walked through the vault car to reach the workshop. The divider Ashley had put up was open, revealing a raging inferno in the large furnace at the back. The Monstersmith was working the bellows, occasionally wiping sweat from her brow, and I could see the dragon’s egg in the fire. Above it, she was working on something or another.

I didn’t feel the heat until I entered her section of the workshop, and it was enough to make me sweat despite my own Heat Resistance passive. Looking around, I noted the empty water bottles littering nearly every surface as well as a few plates with silverware and crumbs on them. My entry went unnoticed as Ashley concentrated, and I started cleaning up.

It was quick and easy work, and I replaced the bottles of water with full ones and set snacks in places where the heat wouldn't touch them. Ashley was always hungry by the time she finished working, but was rarely up for heading to the dining car to feed herself. This was the least I could do for her.

“I have water and food for you, Ash,” I told her as I crossed the threshold of heat and turned back around. “Don’t work too much longer, alright? The sun’ll be rising soon.”

The only response I received was a grunt and a wave as she worked. Not expecting much more, I started walking back to my room; I had a lot of writing ahead of me.