The Fool's Freedom

Humans were expected to threaten and try to conquer other humans. It went well with tradition. After all, what was the human experience but a constant deflection of invasions? There were always troublemakers, be it protecting your personal space, sanity, or country.

Alan still found it a bit strange though. He was not an example of altruism or a hero who would lead the human race to unity and mutual understanding, but he had resolved to try and help his home Sanctuary, no matter how strange he found the idea of this place being his home. He had no home. He had a few people he liked. Friends was too strong a word in this new reality...

Yet, going to such lengths so soon after the world had ended and so many were dying daily, was dumb. There was not much to gain unless the System was playing games he had yet to find out about. Some sort of a conquering quest given to a person with the appropriate class? That sounded plausible.

“So… they’ll be coming, and want the fire users…? Did they mention why?” Alan asked.

“No. They want all our classes and abilities revealed, with special attention being paid to those who have fire-related skills,” Rosalyn replied. She was calmer than the first time they had met, shortly after his return. She was dressed in new, quite obviously enchanted clothes made of cloth and leather which took turns and were seamlessly attached to one another. An interesting feat of craftsmanship. What the enchantment did, however, was a mystery.

He could’ve always asked, but some part of him wanted to figure it out on his own. However, staring at her was probably not the most gentlemanly thing to do.

The impromptu meeting on the wall was going well. Alan had even gotten an ice-cold brew that tasted of berries. All berries he had ever tasted, and even some new. It was made of a fruit that grew underground and had a shell. Go figure. Everyone had found a place on the wall.

The people Alan didn’t know were hovering nearby, along with Top Rabbit who had taken to glaring at Alan from behind his mask.

Emerson on the other hand seemed quite happy to see Alan again. The man had instantly livened up as if his emotional support mass killer friend was the only thing that brought joy in his life. Still, there were shadows under the large man’s eyes. His massive stature did little to hide the pain.

And Alan could sense something else too. Something churning and waiting to break free. A beast, or a madman? Would there even be a difference between the two?

I should watch over Em…

“How strong were they?” Alan asked.

“Very,” Rosalyn said. “I don’t know how strong you are, but at least two of them gave me a similar feeling.”

That’s curious. And here I thought I was special. For some reason Jay not being an outlier made Alan smile. There were others. Of course, they had not spent months trapped in the void or roaming about aimlessly. They had been here, fighting the beasts of the forests, finding dungeons, leveling. Hell, when it came to gear most probably had better items too.

“What do you plan on doing?” He knew the answer, but he needed to hear it. Just like him, Rosalyn had probably had doubts about her chosen path. To hold the truth sacred was a burden he didn’t want to experience on his shoulders. It sounded harder than whatever he was meant to do… then again, he still didn’t know what that was. Apart from bringing a bunch of whispers around he had no further direction.

Rosalyn sighed and dragged her hand through her dark hair. “What are we supposed to do? Would you, of all people, advise me to place myself and all those people, all the children who still don’t have classes, in the hands of unknowns? For all we know they might be criminals who had just gotten lucky. Even if they were saints back on Earth… the System changes people, Alan. You managed to deal with that and so did many others, but some lost the fight. They lost themselves, giving in to the urges brought by their classes and strange titles. Some got driven mad by whispers that never ceased, others fought with illusions and waking nightmares until they died.”

Voices would do that to you, yes. Wouldn’t you agree my dear shadows? The whispers didn’t react, other than continue their ceaseless chatter. If it was his past self, it would’ve already driven him insane. Silence of the mind was so rare that he had often wondered what it felt like. Just a curiosity.

The voices helped with loneliness.

“We fought a war against the rotting bastards pouring out of that forest and we lost many in it to have the little peace we do. Our levels, and our peace, have been earned. I won’t agree to risk it all with the hope we will be treated better.” Rosalyn continued, unaware of his thoughts.

Alan remained silent after her speech was over. She had sounded calm through it, but her voice shook at times. I’ve missed a lot. My trip certainly altered the course of my life, but I’m also an outsider to these people. Months in this System world are like years back on Earth. Everything changes so fast, and we need to change too.

“I’ll let those who want to give up go. I won’t be keeping anyone by force. I’ve done all I can to build something here, even if I didn’t want to. After you were sent away, and Ashlyn left, it was me who took on this burden. I’ll admit I was hesitant, but the last few days have shown me what I need to do. I need to protect those who need me to protect them, to grow as a [Truthseeker] and a person, and to fight for what I’ve achieved. The System has given us a clear choice between progress and death.”

Alan nodded. “Good. You were uncertain before. More… tricky with your skills. The fact that you can’t tell lies only makes me want to join you more. I trust what you’re saying is what you believe, so I’ll help you with this.” My choice to do good includes slaughtering humans… How ironic. Maybe I should try to find Jay? Ask him for help. He rejected the thought as soon as it had come.

Despite everything, Alan was confident. And soon he would have a lot more to offer.

Rosalyn’s shoulders seemed to straighten. Her relief was palpable and the silent Emerson smiled from the side. Only Top Rabbit didn’t do anything, still staring at Alan.

“What about you, man?” Alan asked, turning toward the masked hero. “I owe you for saving me back then, with the alien bastard. Can I do something for you? Let’s chat.”

Top Rabbit blinked. There was a flash of blue, and the man was gone. So much for making friends. Alan tried to sense his mana signature and did. It was moving fast around the buildings surrounding them, almost frantic in its patterns. He hadn’t gone far, but his skills were almost as fast as [Void Step]. Probably of a higher grade, or utilizing faster mana.

“He’s a strange one. Very strong, but strange. I think he’s on the cusp of Tier Two,” Rosalyn said. “If some of us can break through, then…”

“Are you close?” Alan asked.

“Yes, but my leveling is different. Killing things helps, but my strength lies in uncovering the truth and lately being true to my word. Ugh, it’s so annoying.”

Alan laughed at that. “So if you make a promise you have to keep it? What if you don’t?”

“I feel like trash. I don’t lose anything if that’s what you’re asking, although I have the ability to create contracts between people. Like oaths, but more complicated and less severe. Those too, give me levels. As for combat abilities… I had some but swapped them out during advancements. I’m stronger than I was, but what I do is closer to what you did to that little [Warlock] girl…”

“Ah, Mayra. I met with her. We’re cool now.” In fact, she’s the first minion in my army! Ha!

“You’re not lying,” Rosalyn said with some surprise.

“Of course, I’m not! I won’t lie to you, Rosey, unless you force me to.” Alan winked, then stood up. His mind was still on Top Rabbit and his strange abilities. Like it had been with Amir. I should’ve tried to recruit that guy, but he struck me as an asshole.

“I didn’t take you for the forgiving type,” Rosalyn said. “Then again, I never thought I’d take responsibility for so many smelly bastards. I swear, it’s like [Cleanse] is not even a mass-produced charm some days.”

Alan laughed. Then frowned. Was that a dig at him? He had changed his clothes, but… He sniffed, then used [Void Step] to reach a nearby roof, making Rosalyn yelp. A quick [Cleanse] later he was back in his spot as if nothing had happened.

Rosalyn smirked victoriously, then grew serious again.

“We need to prepare. Tell me if you have any ideas.”

“Can we build massive towers that shoot beams of light and eviscerate everything in their way?”

Rosalyn blinked. “No? I… don’t think so?”

“Sounds to me you’re unsure. Look into it. I’ll too.” Alan said and stood up. The rabbit mask man was still on his mind, but he had a lot of other inspiration to go through first, before seeking a new one.

I wonder if I’ll be a match when he takes the step to tier two. I should find out his class.

“I’ll go check out the World Temple, and see what points I have can do. Can I spend any for the Sanctuary?”

“You could, with my permission. Anyone can buy buildings, amenities, and so on. As a leader, I’ll receive a prompt and be asked to allow what’s happening to happen. All we’ve managed are a few shields, but there are quite a few interesting options. The trading platform between Sanctuaries has grown more interesting too, but it doesn’t offer much. The System itself is still only allowing us to trade for supercharged mana stones. They’re quite valuable to crafters, but other than that I don’t know if it's worth it.”

“That reminds me. I found a bunch of stuff I’ll unload with Mr. Muge first. They might be helpful. There are these crystals that disrupt mana and seem quite weird. I’ve got a lot of them.”

Rosalyn squinted. “Dimensional storage?”

“Something like that.”

“Spatial abilities are among the rarest and strongest. If you have one, then try to work in that direction. Top Rabbit has one. Oh, also, go check up on Turtle when you get the chance. Guy was asking about you.”

Turtle? Ah, that dude…

“Is he still on about living forever?”

“Yes. I think… I think he’s tier two already, although he hasn’t left his hole in ages. I don’t know what’s up with him, but whatever God or being he’s communing with, some people are getting worried. I am too. I’ll show you where to find him. We don’t want another godspawn situation going on. We still have to deal with that one day… there are only a few months left before he’s out.”

Emerson shifted uncomfortably and lowered his eyes.

“Sorry Em,” Rosalyn quickly added. “I’m too blunt sometimes because of some traits. It’s not an excuse…”

“I was responsible for that,” Emerson replied, his voice dull and joyless.

Alan patted his shoulder with a smile. “Don’t beat yourself, Em. You’re just a guy who was brainwashed by a God. Could’ve been any of us. Well, I’ll go do some good for once. Prepare for killing and all…”

He moved and reappeared a few buildings down, out of their sight. Talking with Rosalyn had felt… nice. Friendly. Emerson hadn’t said much, but Alan wasn’t about to leave him just wallowing in self-pity. That just begged for another powerful being to worm itself into the man’s head and use him.

Now, where do I go first? Suddenly, there was so much to do. It felt nice, even if exploration was nicer. This was different.

Purposeful.