The Fool's Freedom

Alan stood still, blood dripping from his daggers. The world was spinning as his vision returned to normal. As normal as it could be while [Monochrome Armor] was active.

He didn’t know what had happened.

Someone had cast a fire skill toward Ashlyn and he had lost it. The skill probably wouldn’t have hit at all.

There were moans and crying behind him. Somehow some of the men and women were still alive. Alan didn’t know if it was due to their skills, his inadequacy, or his subconscious efforts to not kill them all.

He ignored the System messages. They had been weak, too weak for a level. Was that all life amounted to now? Experience?

It was almost like he had blacked out for a few seconds, which had been enough for the devastating attack. He assumed most residents of Sanctuary were ill-equipped to fight someone of his level after the boost from the Dungeon.

“Tell Cole to stay the fuck out of our way.” He heard himself say. It didn’t suit him to act like a hard-ass. It felt forced.

Only sounds of pain responded to him as he walked off. Ashlyn soon caught up.

“Yes! This is great! Leave a few alive to tell the tale of why they shouldn’t fuck with us! Now that’s some mighty fine demon work if I can say so myself. Next time—”

“Shut up, Xil!” Ashlyn said and the demon instantly went silent. “What was that, Alan?”

“I don’t know. I got angry, I guess. Way too fucking angry. Shit, am I becoming like Florence?”

Ashlyn punched him lightly on the shoulder, “No way. You’re not nearly smart enough for that.”

He tried to smile at that and felt weird for doing so after what had happened. “I killed some of those people, Ash. Without hesitation.”

“It is the world we live in. It’s not like Earth wasn’t full of assholes… but now assholes have power. Maybe killing a few would do us good in the long run. Still, you shouldn’t burden yourself alone.”

“But I don’t even feel bad. Human lives ended just because I was in a bad mood.”

“Oh, man up you fucking pussy. If you continue growing you will leave thousands of bodies in your wake. What the fuck do you think happens in the other worlds? This is the reality of the System. The strong live, and the weak die. And there is always someone stronger, yet you cannot cower in fear of meeting them because then those weaker than you will devour you. What was your option? Beat them up and wait until they show up with more numbers? Fuck off. I say you should’ve only left one alive. Or none.”

There was a moment of silence before Ashlyn surprised Alan. “I hate to say it but Xil is kind of right. Not about the last part, but if we show weakness we become vulnerable. You got the quest too. The Sanctuary is in a difficult place and someone as high level as us might get dragged into shit we don’t care about. Then again, this is our home base of sorts…”

“You think we should get involved? Fuck, I don’t want to rule over anybody. Do you?”

“Hell no. But can’t we just take the position and leave the work to someone else?”

“I guess that’s an option. But then we will be like the highly paid CEOs who make their dough on the back of the normal people.”

“This is the fucking apocalypse man; we have to adapt. You are all wreathed in shadows and I get high on beast blood. Plus, I am not sure we’re the strongest here. Don’t be overconfident.”

“When you put it that way. Let’s check on Walter and we will talk more.”

“I say just kill them all…”

No one responded to the demon.

The walk through the Sanctuary was interesting. The place had changed a lot in a very short time. The ruins now served mostly as the base for further construction. It was as if the settlement had grown to a second level upon which the build process still continued.

Xil was returned to the shadow inventory at his request. According to him, it would be too hard not to tell all the stupid people how stupid they were, so it was better for everyone if he could not see them.

Alan and Ashlyn walked in the shade of wooden bridges and whole platforms built above the ruins, using them as foundations. There were plant ladders and stone stairs leading to different places. Only a few people were trading services as there was no currency and everyone seemed to have enough food and water. Still, practicing your trade meant levels and maybe acquiring something interesting and valuable.

It was logical that growing one's control over their skill or leveling up was way more valuable than whatever currency this place would end up using. And Alan was sure there would be currency. Things were judged based on their perceived value in modern society. The actual value could be a lot less, but that didn’t matter. People needed that simplicity.

It was a maze and Alan found himself holding on to Ashlyn’s hand as they traversed the weird tunnels and changed streets, trying to reach Walter’s place.

And when they did, Alan gaped. The simple two-room concrete square had grown into a full house, complete with a door and even tinted-looking windows.

“Was there time dilation in the Dungeon? Is this like, I don’t know, fifty years into the future?” Alan asked.

“I am starting to doubt it myself. Walter has done good.”

They knocked on the solid door and waited. A door viewer opened after a few seconds and Walter’s weathered face appeared there. He took a few wide-eyed glances before shuffling to open the door.

“Well, I will be damned!” he exclaimed and opened the door, let them inside. Walter’s wide smile almost made Alan feel better. There were a few more people in the somehow widened room. Alan noticed that the hole in the ceiling was gone and there were a few more windows. Furniture covered every inch, and there was even a plant in one of the corners. There was also a ladder leading to the wooden second floor.

“Hey, Walter. You’ve done well, look at this place.” Ashlyn greeted.

The man grunted with less enthusiasm than Alan had expected and led them in.

“Come, let’s chat. I will introduce these good for nothings later.”

Walter led them to the other room. There was a big bed made out of some squishy-looking plant and covered in actual cloth. Walter closed the door.

“Feel free to try the bed, it’s awesome,” he said, then frowned. “Where is Florence, she coming later?”

Alan took a sharp breath.

“Sorry, Walter. Florence is gone,” Ashlyn hurriedly said, sparing Alan from doing it.

The older man stood frozen for a while before he sat down on a chair by the door. There were some tears in the corners of his eyes, but he quickly steeled his expression.

“Tell me everything.”

Alan felt his chest tighten; he wasn’t sure he could do it. Thankfully, Ashlyn took the wheel and gave Walter the short but truthful version of the event. The man listened attentively and even produced a few strange wooden bottles of something very similar to beer.

Alan took a few sips before he decided he liked the stuff. He wondered what attribute would be responsible for drunkenness. Probably Vitality. For once, his condition was a positive as he freely drank all of the liquid and took another bottle. Walter seemed to have plenty.

Soon everything became hazy and calm that was missing from his life over every inch of his being. With a sigh, he dropped back on the bed and closed his eyes. He could hear Ashlyn and Walter continue to talk but he didn’t care.

He must’ve drifted off before Ashlyn softly pushed him awake. He stood up rose with a grunt, and almost instinctively boosted his digestion and healing. The effect from [Warlock’s Body Mastery] was not very pronounced, but it was there. He felt sluggish but better.

“Damn boy, you’re lightweight,” Walter said from the chair he still sat on. There were a few more empty bottles next to him.

“Yeah…”

“Ashlyn told me everything. I’m sorry. I am. Shouldn’t have dragged you into this…”

Alan shook off the already diminishing drowsiness. “No, Walter. You didn’t know. And we can’t be sure she didn’t orchestrate that too.”

Silence descended upon the group and Alan wondered if there was something stronger to drink in the Sanctuary.

“There is another issue,” Ashlyn said.

“What?

“They might be executing Emerson soon after Cole is crowned leader.”

Alan sighed. Of course, they were.

“What did he do?”

“Supposedly killed a lot of gang people and buried them for a ritual to make his Goddess happy,” Walter said.

“That’s crazy.”

“By your tone, you don’t sound surprised.”

Alan shrugged, “Life is strange these days. I will go, it’s fine.” He stood up and frowned. He and Ashlyn had used the cleansing charm so he was fairly clean, but something felt very off. He knew what.

“You got a cloak I can borrow Walter? Mine burned.”

“Uuh, sure. I have a few. I got a friend who’s a [Seamstress]. They ain’t the best, but they are nice.”

Walter went out of the room and Ashlyn turned to Alan.

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Kill some people, put some fear in them. Take control of the place.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I mean. Bullshit won’t end, will it? Do you know what are superheroes’ biggest mistakes? They never killed so they have to deal with the same villains over and over again.”

Ashlyn raised her eyebrow. “So, you won’t be like a superhero?”

Alan grinned at the silly conversation.

“Never.”

If it was killing that needed doing, he would kill. He was past the point of regrets and morals. Was it the class’s influence or his own self that had reached those conclusions didn’t matter. They were correct.

He would eventually move past this too.

“And do you think you will just walk in there and be stronger than everyone?”

“We became much stronger in the Dungeon, Ash. I don’t think people would’ve caught up here, do you?”

“Not if everyone went out to hunt. But as far as Walter’s information goes, most kills had been funneled to a select few in the gangs, who now stand at the top. Don’t be arrogant. You don’t know their skills and classes. I know you are hurt and want to go out and do something, but being stupid and reckless is not the way.”

She was making a lot of sense. His arrogance and stupidity had already gotten him into a mess. Emerson had to be saved if there was even the slightest chance, he had not fallen into the deep end like Florence had. Actually, what was the man’s class?

“And,” she continued, “There had been a wave of wailers attacking the barrier.”

“What?” Those fucking things again. They had adapted and changed the last time he fought them, and they had probably changed further since then. That could become dangerous for the Sanctuary. “Come to think of it, we didn’t see any on the way back. The beasts were less too.”

“Yeah, the System is fucking around again. I might go out to scout after all of this blows over.”

Alan nodded. While he would worry, Ashlyn needed her alone time and he could probably use some on his own. They still had the enchanted items to go through.

“Okay, then. We can use the time needed to fix your place up and make a proper plan.”

“I already talked to Walter about that. Some kids seem to have taken a liking to it…”

Alan laughed. “They took your house?”

“It was just a ruin I slept it.” Ashlyn rolled her eyes.

“Wanna go and kick them out?”

“Not really. It’s just kids.”

“Let’s find a better place, then. Preferably with a view. And I want to check the Enchanter’s Bane again. Maybe we can trade that elemental core and Davis’s gloves for something for you.” Ashlyn opened her mouth to argue, taking a deep breath like she usually did before going on a tirade, but Alan shushed her. “Come on Ash. You’ve given me plenty. I don’t need much apart from a decent cloak.”

She frowned but nodded once and didn’t say anything. Alan accepted that as her agreeing with him.

Walter soon returned with a dark brown cloak that didn’t look half bad. It felt good to have a cloak for some reason. The hood made all the difference.

“Thanks, Walter, I will try to return it.”

The older man waved his promise off, “Eh, there’s plenty where that came from. What will you do now?”

“I was planning to go and kill some people, but Ashlyn convinced me it might be a bad idea to just go in guns blazing.”

“Yeah, they have some heavy hitters. You should check out the Elven Trunk.” Alan looked at him weirdly, and Walter hurried to explain, “It’s a tavern… of sorts. Close to that [Enchanter] you like. A scary place where all the people with issues who have found an outlet in the new world go. Some of the Sanctuary’s monsters are there. The owner is… well, I do think she might be clinically insane.”

“You’re not selling it very well. Thankfully, the name is attractive enough.” Alan stood up and clapped his hands. “Alright then, it’s decided. We go find a new house on the way to find the Elven Booty and do some shopping, and then we… sneakily break Emerson out. I don’t know.”

Ashlyn shrugged her shoulders, “We will figure it out.”

“Do you think those guards I killed might become a problem?”

Walter’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “You killed guards?!”

“Yeah…a few. Left some alive though. In hindsight, the demon might’ve been right in suggesting we kill them all.”

There was a horrified look on Walter’s face now, and Alan realized he had misspoken. “You know, not a literal demon, it’s what I call the voice in my head… ha-ha.”

Ashlyn shook her head, “Stupid.”

Walter looked from one to the other and when no one offered any further explanations took out another bottle from his quickly dwindling stash and took a long drink, before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Killing guards… has happened a few times. Some people don’t like the gangs and those affiliated with them.”

Alan understood. “They are simply a dead end. From what I’ve seen so far personal power is where it is at with the System.”

Walter nodded. “I think so too. And the few friends I’ve made agree, despite the fact that they have non-combat classes. We’re barely discovering what is possible… can you imagine after a year or two?”

Alan grinned. He couldn’t and it really made him excited. If he was still alive by then.

“Let’s go see that nice Elven Booty,” he said.

Ashlyn groaned.