The power stored in my budding transdimensional body started to circulate. I pushed it faster till it felt like a bullet train was running through my veins. The slightest mistake and it would go off the tracks, ripping my channels to shreds and ruining my body forever. There’d be no respawn to bring me back from that. But it was worth the risk. It was worth the risk because I was doing this on my own terms.

  I gathered the energy in my right arm. The energy condensed to be thicker, but that wasn’t enough. I infused it into the flesh of my arm and felt as my body took the next step. There was power in me, but it wasn’t enough, so I called out to more.

  A notification from the Selmia AI popped up, and I read it in an instant as I called to the energy that was just beyond.

  ERROR: Breach to system integrity. External entity attempting to pass through the matrix… Breach direction uncertain. Energy pull is internal.

  As the closest HI- you are hereby ordered to close the breach by any means necessary. Permanent destruction of all system resources within an unknown range will occur if breach fully opens.

  Rewards for closure of the breach will be generous, only you must hurry.

  I ignored that notification but felt the connection between me and whatever was beyond grow. I needed more of that power. Normally, I could never detect the energy beyond the veil. Now, I could feel it, just out of my reach. That power was what I needed. I had to have it. So, I pulled harder. It was likely my raw emotional state which enabled this, but whatever the reason, it was a first. Not a first in the multi-verse. I’m not sure if such things exist, or if they did, it was a long time past. But it was a first for me.

  A tiny rip appeared, just as I directed it, within the stone giant’s head. In that instant, he was no more. For just an instant, I saw what he was. Not human, not AI, something different. After all the monsters I had killed, even if they were sent to respawn, it was unnerving to see there was something behind that.

  I almost gave up at that moment, but I needed this. I needed freedom. A voice in the back of my head asked if my freedom was worth the lives of others. I felt my hypocrisy and the mockery of what I was doing, but there was so much I didn’t understand. I erupted with power and started drawing it in through a small rift.

  A voice began to speak to me from beyond. “Yes, brother. Call to us. Bring us to you.”

  I didn’t know if I believed in evil any longer, but I knew that I didn’t trust that voice. The same way the chicken knows it shouldn’t trust the fox; I simply knew it. Instinct from so long past that it was forgotten and lying dormant with my DNA; or no, it couldn’t be that -- I had no body. Perhaps it was within my soul, if I had one. If I deserved one.

  The energy poured in, and the flesh of my right arm was changed. I felt it condensing and felt my bones begin to harden. I condensed the power pouring into me, making it more and more dense. I rejoiced in the feeling as I danced between ecstasy and all-consuming pain.

  The voice spoke again, “You stopped crawling. You take your first step. Who are we but the proud parents who have birthed this within you. Let us through. We can show you so much more.”

  I ignored the voice again as I circulated the power. Another notification popped up. but this time in red – from the breachers, those of the other dimension.

  Completed Quest- Piercing the Veil II

  You have opened your first breach, tiny though it may be. This was not done with knowledge, but with passion and intent. To progress to the next level, you must learn how to control the process.

  Rewards: Your FU points will be recharged. They will now naturally regenerate at a rate of 1 point per day.

  Those results were interesting. The reward wasn’t anything to write home about, but at least I knew a bit more about the FU points. More than that, it confirmed my belief that it was my emotion which was driving this process. It only motivated me to pull the energy through me faster. I sucked the power in until I heard a voice say, “More is not better; better is better. Condense the power. Make it work in your channels. Recreate your flesh to hold it better.”

  Then I had an epiphany. Perhaps the AI wasn’t the only one who could play god. Previously, when I had entered the dungeon, the transdimensional energy had been exposed, and I was able to make changes to myself. I felt like the AI had been messing with me ever since; but what if I could do it again? Did this really have to be either/or? Why couldn’t I combine the abilities I had in Selmia with this transdimensional energy?

  So, I spent another FU point to block out any input from the system. Then I pulled at more of the transdimensional energy. Instead of trying to absorb it, I pulled it like bath water. I aimed to cover myself with it. The breach started to widen. The flow of energy increased. It started to become more than I could handle, but I didn’t stop.

  I immersed myself in it. It was like floating in an endless sea of blackness with stars just out of reach. I almost lost my nerve when I heard the hunger in the voice as it said, “Yes, yes. A little wider.”

  I almost stopped then, but decided to push on. I was going to have to take some risks if I wanted my freedom. Tendrils of power flowed out of me to match my intent. With my will, I held the breach exactly as it was. I wasn’t going to let it expand even an inch further. Nor did I allow it to close. The energy from it flooded me. Then I began to see inside myself.

  It was like before when I could imagine the different aspects of my body in Selmia. The bright, shining core was there in the middle, and channels for transdimensional energy flowed off from it. I saw the way that mana had been used to create my body. My understanding expanded, and suddenly I felt in touch with so much more around me.

  I also knew that this feeling was fleeting. I would never be able to hold on to it. I could already feel it fading. So, what to do? I had to act quickly before the opportunity was lost. The first change I made was to use a combination of mana and transdimensional energy. I infused the muscle fibers of my body with the same lattice of energy I saw in my skin. What was different this time was that I commanded the mana to make my body more receptive to the energy.

  I began to soak it up like a sponge, and in seconds the process was complete, as a second red notification from the breachers came up.

  Completed Quest: Building from the Outside In- Trans-dimensional Body II

  Your body becomes stronger as it adapts to energy from beyond. Your very flesh will be more durable and powerful now.

  Rewards: STR: +15, AGI: +15, CON: +15

  Updated Quest: Building from the Outside In- Trans-dimensional Body III

  Push the power deeper. Learn to overwrite your very bones with it. Once the energy of the multi-verse is the foundation your body is built upon you, you will be ready for the next step. This will require you to learn to condense the energy to make actual bone.

  Rewards: STR: +20, CON: +20, WILL: +20

  I laughed inside. This was what the AI was drawn to. I felt another moment of sympathy for it. To be able to will power into existence. I trembled as though drunk with power. Now the window was closing even faster. The world around me grew darker. I had thought to make another Legendary item, but somehow, that didn’t seem to be the right choice.

  No, I needed a more personal change. One which would be with me always. I felt my hand on what remained of Malleon’s head. Yes, that would do nicely. I scanned him. What could I take from him that would make me better? A different voice whispered that this was a dark and dangerous path to take, but a stronger urge said I needed to act quickly before the opportunity was gone. We were stuck in a moment now, but soon the AI would resume control. I was not yet ready to challenge it.

  So, I pulled from the stone giant. What did it mean to be a stone giant? Giants were large and physically powerful. But I didn’t need more height. I already had all I wanted. I was already too big for being around players most of the time. So, what then?

  Ah, there in its coding. It was fading, but the AI, for all its aspirations of godhood, had originally been a computer; and it organized its use of mana in the same way. I saw the line that controlled the toughness of his skin. Better yet, I saw a way to improve it. I could maintain the same feel and texture of my skill while increasing the resistance to damage. But it was fading. I needed to narrow my focus, so I settled on slashing damage.

  I plucked the line of code out of Malleon’s remains and twisted in my hands. I pulled it and expanded it before my eyes so I could focus on the tiny changes I wanted to make. Sure enough, there it was. I spun it and pulled out the parts I wanted to cut, while turning others around into a new pattern. Then I implanted it into myself.

  For a second, it was like being thrown into an ice bath. My entire skin felt the shock all at once. Then I knew it had taken hold.

  You have gained resistance- Slashing: +20.

  It was a little weaker than what I had hoped for, but my changes may have had unforeseen consequences. I would take it for my first attempt. But this was a generic ability. It was part of what defined stone giants, not part of what defined Malleon personally.

  I dug deeper into the fading code that made him up. And there I saw the new mini-boss abilities he had gained when he passed level sixty. One of them was two degraded already for me to identify its purpose. It would have been dangerous to try and blindly implement such a change, and I wasn’t that desperate yet.

  The other I could identify much better. It was the frenzy variant which Malleon had possessed. But it was also starting to degrade. I didn’t have time to make adjustments, so I plucked out the ability and shoved it into myself. I found a spot on my core that I could anchor it to.

  As it took root, it felt right. I don’t know how else I could have described it. It was just the way it was supposed to be.

  You have gained Regenerative Frenzy mini-boss ability. At 20% health, you will receive the following perks for 2 minutes or until your health is at full, whichever comes first.

  Movement Speed: +50%

  HP and Mana Regen: +100%

  That could end up being awesome. It would be situational, but when I really needed an extra bit of oomph, it would be there. Now, though, the breach was slipping my grasp. I had to decide whether to let it expand into an uncontrolled breach or close it down -- and I had seconds to make it happen. To me there was no question. The breachers might have much to offer me, but I simply didn’t trust them. My trust was already burnt by the AI and humans, those members of my former race. Former, I say, for I don’t think I could be properly called a human any longer.

  I let it go, and the breach sealed up. Two more notifications popped up immediately.

  For timely closure of the breach, you are awarded a Major Boon. This may be selected the next time you are sent for respawn.

  Then the next.

  Congratulations! You have won the King of the Hill event. As the sole survivor, you also are the default winner of the PvP round. Since you are the only one standing, you will be the only won awarded XP for killing Malleon. All team members will receive the promised awards for completing the event.

  You have the title: King of the Hill. +10% XP. This will be granted before XP is applied.

  You now rule the entire zone: Deep Forest. All monsters within the zone will answer to your authority, although this does not mean that they are docile. It would behoove you to take charge of the dominant monster of the zone.

  Rewards: Gold: +20, XP: +1650.

  Randomly determined item for completing event: Unique Piece

  Slot: Finger

  This is a unique item, meaning the system will never generate this exact item again. Thus, it will be powerful under the right circumstances and almost useless under others.

  Ghazban Signet: Wearer will be recognized by all law-abiding citizens of Ghazban Village as the final authority. The council of elders will answer to the wearer.

  Daily Energy Production: +25%

  Personal Progeny begin with +20 levels and +20 Mind.

  I shook my head. Oh well, the energy bonus would be useful.

  Randomly determined item for winning PvP round: Epic

  Slot: Wrist

  Miranda’s Bracer of Spell Storing: This leather bracer is studded with mithril and diamonds. It may store up to 1500 mana worth of spells, which may be deployed instantly. It may only be charged once per day, and the spells within it may only be changed once per day.

  Mind: +10, Will: +15

  Then there was the big message for having killed Malleon. The reward was impressive to say the least. Because he was a threshold higher and 27 levels, the cumulative +25% per level bonus really added up. I gained a total of 10,342 XP for it.

  That meant I now had the XP necessary to hit level 50. Which was another requirement of a quest I had. I pulled up the quest to look at it again.

  New Quest: Legend of the Oni I

  This is your chance to obtain a rare racial evolution. Oni are the revered forbearers of ogres. Blessed of the gods, oni are just as strong as ogres but also have minds as sharp as any human.

  Requirements:

  1) Reach Level 50

  2) Obtain an evolution crystal (Completed)

  3) Lead an ogre town with at least 1,000 ogres

  Rewards: +10 MIND, +10 AGI

  +50 to one resistance of your choice

  1st oni racial ability

  3rd class affinity

  I didn’t know exactly what it would mean to become an oni, but I did know the ogres revered them. It occurred to me that perhaps I could ask Elgar to do some research outside of the game, to give me a better idea as to whether I wanted to complete this quest. For now, I just held onto the XP. I would still need to get the population of the village to 1,000 or higher. So, there was no rush.

  I was getting anxious to see if my friends had respawned yet, but I did want

  to take one last look at my character sheet. There were more upgrades to spells and

  skills, but then again, I had been fighting pretty heavily.

  NPC- HI 3a5.x290

  Integration: 18.3%

  AI Usage: 21%

  Call Name: Oogliefrank

  Monster Race: Ogre

  Ht: 9’2” Weight: 848 lbs.

  Class: Shaman

  XP to Level 40th: 0/1000

  Available XP: 13,416

  Strength: 126 (117) +10%

  Agility: 120

  Constitution: 135 (132) (+10%)

  Mind: 91

  Will: 215 (260) +30%

  Unassigned Free Stat Points: 0

  HP: 2348/2348 +40%

  HP Regen: 5.28/second

  Mana: 3640/3640 +40%

  Mana Regen: 19.5/second

  FU: 2/3

  FU Regen: 1/day

  Armor Rating: 26

  Physical Resistance:

  Slash: 58

  Blunt: 28

  Pierce: 17

  Fire Resistance: 45

  Cold Resistance: 40

  Electric Resistance: 40

  Acid Resistance: 20

  Necrotic Resistance: 10

  Radiant Resistance: 10

  Poison Resistance: 52

  Disease Resistance: 52

  Skills: (relevant)

  Blunt Weapons: Proficient 1

  Piercing Weapons: Proficient 18

  Skinning/Butchering: Proficient 4

  Cooking: Proficient 11

  Mana Channeling: Proficient 20

  Rapid Meditation: Proficient 8

  Dodge: Proficient 19

  Spell Forging: Basic 12

  Mana Sight: Journeyman 3

  Extra-Dimensional Sight: Journeyman 2

  Spells: Flameburst (B-20), Regeneration (B-20), Shrink (P-20) Moderate Healing (P-13), Home (B-5), Levitation (B-20), Status Reversal (J-2), Incapacitate (J-3), Spirit Lance (J-3), Degeneration (P-18)

  Signature Spells: Frostburn (J-1)

  Corrupted Vines (P-16)

  Spectral Hell Hound (J-4)

  Spell-Like Abilities: Talisman of Arctic Force 3/day

  Item-Based Spells: Spirit Song (J-20)

  Racial Abilities:

  Starting Stats: STR: +25, CON: +20, AGI: -5, MIND: -5*, WILL: 0*

  Iron Gut: Poison and Damage Resistance equals level +30%

  Rage: 1/hour

  Frostburn Durability: Increased physical, cold, and fire resistances

  Stun Immunity

  Transdimensional Body (P-1)

  Boss Abilities:

  Regenerative Frenzy (mini-boss)

  The biggest change to me was in that my integration into the system had gone down by 3%, while my usage of the AI had gone up by 2%. That seemed like a positive sign I was on the path to freedom. Now, it was time to go find my friends.

  Chapter 26- Expanding the Village

  The dome which had sealed the event from the rest of Selmia fell then. I walked down to the bottom of the hill and looked around. There were no signs of the others. I sighed and cast Home. If they weren’t here, then I had to hope the system respawned them at Ghazban Village, rather than at their actual bind spots.