Chapter 71: Book 1: Chapter 25 (Part 4 of 4)

I would check the girl’s stats later but was happy with my progression. My natural Hit Points had a big bump and when my gear’s contribution was added, would be well over a thousand. More than double what I had when we fought the Fomorians earlier today.

Anastasia and I would only get a +3 bump to a skill every three levels, the next one being due at level four, whereas Shana was getting +5. The difference between us was that Shana didn’t get a choice with her class. As long as she remained on the class tree it would always be Archery. At level four we could choose to increase our current skills by another +3 or pick another from our list to improve. It was a versatility to power increase trade-off.

“As a bonus, Torin, levelling has fixed your fucked up leg. Not a great idea letting monsters run you through by the way,” Dean joked, his irrepressible good mood back in place.

“You can say that again,” Anastasia grumbled. “It fucking hurts.”

 “Is there anything else? Or are you going to love me and leave me like last time?” Dean chuckled.

“I had good cause last time,” I told him reproachfully. “But I have a few questions, so we could stick around for a bit.”

“In which case, refreshments are in order,” he cried loudly.

Moments later his secretary appeared from behind us with a gaggle of other ‘people’ who looked like your stereotypical French waiter complete with snooty disapproving frowns, they carried trays laden with finger food and drinks.

Dean stared at his bean bag area and several of the bags morphed into solid circular tables, the waiters deposited the trays and retreated to the other side of the room, as did his secretary who smiled and gave me what I think was a thankful look.

There were no doors or a visible way out where they walked to, but when we looked away and then back, they were gone.

We sat back down on the inappropriate seating and picked at the food. Well, Shana and I picked at the food. Anastasia and Dean engaged in an impromptu eating competition and gorged themselves.

After a few minutes, Anastasia reacted to the querying expression on Shana and I’s faces.

“What?” she mumbled; her mouth half full of food. “I’m a fucking gem, it’s not like I can put on any weight. Silver linings and all that shit.”

Shana laughed companionably. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

Dean smiled mischievously. “Are you sure about that,” he teased and waggled his fingers.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Anastasia seethed.

“Maybe you should just let Dean win whatever competition it is you have going on,” Shana suggested with a stage whisper.

Anastasia glared at our host balefully but pushed her plate away and sat back. Dean rapidly scoffed what he had left in front of him with inhuman speed and gave us all a puff-cheeked grin of victory.

“You had questions, dude,” he said when he finished swallowing, which took a little while.

“General stuff. Like how many people refused to take a class the first time they were asked?” I put to him.

“On Earth?” Dean replied.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Eighty-seven percent of the eligible population,” he informed me.

I whistled softly. “That is a lot but explains what we’ve been seeing. Is that typical for an integrated world? What about now?”

Dean closed his eyes, and I could see the rapid eye movement beneath his lids. When he opened them he spoke. “Actually, Earth is ahead of the curve on initial take-up. Non-compliance is typically around ninety-two percent, which would be your gaming culture boosting the numbers. Since integration, a further seventeen percent of the eligible population have amassed enough XP to trigger their second chance and most of them have taken it. Although I should point out a similar percentage have since perished.”

We sat there in mute shock for a moment.

Well, Shana and I did, Anastasia started to load up her plate with food again, unfazed. “Seventeen percent of the population are dead?” I said slowly.

“Almost,” Dean confirmed, and for once he wasn’t trying to make a joke or behave inappropriately, which I appreciated. “You won’t have witnessed it much as the parts of Michigan you have been travelling through have been relatively stable. The mainland part of the state itself is faring better than a lot of other places. And it’s not just monster attacks, some of the big cities have descended into chaos.”

“It’s only been a week,” Shana gasped.

“That’s all it takes,” Dean reasoned dispassionately. “Especially once the looting sets in and all the food is gone from the shops. Without the supply chain to restock people turn on one another quickly. The more advanced worlds always have a higher self-inflicted casualty rate in the first few weeks than external, but then they tend to have much higher populations to begin with, so if they survive the first few years it tends to even out.”

“If we’re asking about dead people,” Anastasia piped up unexpectedly. “What happened to the other women you brought here with me?”

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“In what way?” Dean countered.

“What happened to them?” Anastasia demanded.

“I can’t give you specifics,” he replied. “There are some confidentiality rules, but they were offered other opportunities to escape their certain death predicaments. I can tell you not all of them accepted and those that didn’t died when they were returned.”

Anastasia grunted at his response. I’m not sure why she wanted to know but she was making a big effort to appear unconcerned by the news.

“Circling back to something that came up earlier,” I started. “Luca being Twin-Souled and my pledge to take everything he has before killing him.”

“That was a ballsy fucking pledge, by the way, mad props to you motherfucker,” Dean interrupted.

He tried to do something with his hand where he waved it with his fingers loose, trying to clack them together, I think. Whatever it was he didn’t pull it off very well.

Anastasia snorted at his display and Shana giggled quietly.

“Dean. Don’t try that again,” I told him seriously with a shake of my head.

He looked disheartened but didn’t argue and lowered his arm.

“Back to my question,” I said. “Is there anything I can do to break the bond between them and rob Luca of his power, short of killing his sister?”

“That’s not what you’re asking me, you dirty dog,” he chuckled. “You want to know if Claudia Gattosi is a smoking hot catgirl that you can soulbond and add to your growing harem of lovely ladies.”

“That’s not…” I started to protest but Dean ignored me completely.

“And the answer to that lascivious inquiry is three times YES!” he shouted. “Yes, she is super fucking sexy, yes, you can soulbind her and yes, she will make a fine addition to your pussy parade.”

I sighed audibly at Dean’s crude punning and felt the burning gaze of Shana and Anastasia on me.

I glanced at Shana; her expression was one of wry amusement. She’d said before she was amenable to three in a bed, so why not four?

My gaze shifted to the perky blonde on my other side. Anastasia’s expression was more inscrutable.

“Knew you were a perv,” she whispered under her breath.

 The words were disparaging, but her tone lacked the bite I’d experienced from her before. That didn’t tell me much, but I’d take the jury remaining in deliberation rather than a quick guilty verdict.

“I meant what effect would this have on Luca,” I said, trying to salvage the situation.

“Oh, it will fuck him up spectacularly, he will be shattered,” Dean replied enthusiastically and kept up with his punning. “Killing Claudia would weaken him, temporarily, at least. But he would recover eventually and retain his class and abilities. Soulbinding Claudia, on the other hand, will sever their bond in favour of yours and as she will still be alive all their collective strength reverts to her. And I think she will be very grateful to her saviour, if you know what I mean,” Dean finished with a wink.

“Yes, Dean, we all know what you mean,” I sighed.

Dean ignored me and blathered on. “The only roadblock you will encounter is that she can’t consent to your soulbond while still bonded to her brother. You’ll have to engage in an old-fashioned spiritual battle for the feminine prize. Luca will have the advantage as he already has his clutches on her soul, so you will need to weaken him beforehand, or make yourself a lot stronger than him.”

I nodded my understanding. Although I was a bit disappointed that a stealth raid to snatch her up and end this early was unlikely to be successful.

“Is there anything else?” he asked when we were all quiet for a bit.

“I don’t think so,” I replied after I glanced at the two ladies.

“Then you’d best be on your way before your brains start to melt,” he said seriously.

Shana squeaked in surprise and Anastasia shifted uncomfortably, but I knew better by now.

“I’m fucking with you,” Dean laughed. “Your faces, priceless.”

Blink.

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