040 – How Bad Could It Be?

Day 2

Before I returned to the fire station I dropped by at Claire’s spot across the road. She had upgraded her personnel. Along with the previous plushy, there were two mannequins. They had already begun mapping out everything she knew about the warlords on a whiteboard.

Just looking at it, I learned about two more strongholds, the Bronx Zoo and Hunts Point. My tiger shape was sliding ever further away from me.

Our exchange was brief. She was doing this information exchange everywhere in the city and gathering knowledge from anyone she could reach. And I added another task to her list. I had a plan that would need her assistance two-fold.

I didn’t even need to explain; the moment I asked, she knew why. I promised her that I’d take care of her stranded self first thing in the morning. And then I’d build her a voice.

Only then did I return to the fire station. Not wanting to give Lucy even more ammunition, I shed the Gnoll Queen’s skin and entered as my regular old human self.

The mood was a weird one. Many of them had picked their level 10 perks by now, or were in the process of doing so. But that new Task was also on everyone’s minds. Jason was nowhere to be seen.

The couch was occupied, mostly by my party, so I sat on the floor next to it, using it as a backrest.

“Hey, Eve,” said Jamie, who was sitting right above me.

“Anything good?” I asked.

“Got the final piece of summonable equipment. I’ve got armor now. You?”

“I haven’t looked yet. Will do so now.”

With just the kill rewards from hyena and kobold I didn’t quite reach level 14. I should have used the cassowary. It would be another couple of hours before dusk.

“Want to head out later to find some more Created? We could do a quick hit and run against the mall, the forest, or even the police station the others found?” I asked.

“I’d be up for it. It certainly looks like we need to get any advantage we can. What’s bothering you?”

“Why would something be bothering me?”

“You seem… detached?”

“I… am not sure.” I leaned my head back against the couch. I activated the Oath’s sharing again. Maybe Jamie would figure out what exactly was going on. He felt anxious and worried. But there was also an emotion I couldn’t even name. Endearment? Some kind of positive amusement that had an undercurrent of pride.

“Are you amused at my issues?” I asked.

“Not at all. I’m just noticing that it is very fitting that after a full success you’d still want to improve, and that you’d be mulling what could have gone better.”

“How do you name that emotion?”

Jamie laughed quietly. “I have no idea, Eve.”

“But you are right, I am bothered by how wrong things went there. I could have gotten more experience out of it, I could have done something to keep all those hyenas from dying, and… it had gotten far too close toward the end.”

“I’m not sure we are meant to get away with flawless executions of plans. I think struggle and near-failure will always be part of our lives. You said the Blessing is meant to challenge our will.”

“I suppose you are right. I will continue checking out those rewards now.”

“Do that. I’m here to talk if you need it.”

“Thanks, Jamie.”

I checked out the reward for that Personal Task first.

[Become the new Matriarch (Personal Localized Task)

Objective: Prove your superiority over the current Hyena Matriarch.

Hint: Killing alone is not proof enough.

Reward: Dire Hyena (Inherent Shape – 2 ATP)

Crown of the Laughing Queen (Rare Item – Not bonded)]

After hitting Accept, the Dire Hyena appeared in my shapeshifting UI, right under Crow. No condition, not tied to the collar, just there. Angel’s shape had served me well, but even without the extra +2 from the collar that shape would outclass a Golden Retriever in every imaginable category.

Well, every category besides “can make people go ‘awww’.”

I pulled the Crown out of my inventory. It was forged from dark, stained gold. A hyena skull sat at its center, its jaw fixed open in a silent laugh. The bone was polished, yellowed with age, and two red gemstones filled its eye sockets. Dark reddish-brown fur spilled out behind it.

“Oh, damn,” Jamie commented from the couch. “What does that do?”

I examined it. “I am not entirely sure,” I said.

[Crown of the Laughing Queen (Rare Item – Not bonded)

Effect: Upon defeating an opposing pack leader, grants a permanent bonus to the wearer. Bonus can be rejected. Bonus lasts indefinitely and is independent of wearing the Crown.]

“It wants me to defeat more ‘pack leaders’. And that gives me bonuses. It refuses to tell me what those are.”

“Not too promising.”

“Want to know what’s even more ominous? I can reject them. They can be so messed up that it made a point of telling me I can reject them. That’s incredibly rude. They shouldn’t allow me to reject them. Now my min-maxing comes with more choices.”

“We should totally kill the police chief,” Jamie said.

I had to turn around and look at him. He grinned.

“We should!” I said. “But first, more Tasks.”

[Heal 5 Created

Reward: Shepherd’s Spirit (Passive)]

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

I immediately clicked Accept.

[Shepherd’s Spirit – Passive

Effect: Your efforts to avoid hostility from Created are more effective. Deception, appeasement, calming behavior, and non-threatening mimicry are more likely to succeed.]

“Gabriel. You are absolutely, one hundred percent sure that the Created do not actually possess consciousness? Right?”

“Yes, Eve. They mimic living and breathing things very well, though. But it is not real. They are just like modern artificial intelligence you already know. Imitating the real thing, but without the same processes underneath,” she said.

“I’ll have to trust you on this.”

Upon accepting, no tasks appeared at the fire station.

“Before we head out, let’s fill up that one slot we can.”

“You ready to become a demon?”

“How bad could it be?”

Jamie got up. “Really, Eve? We are back to tempting fate? Do you remember what happened the last time?”

I accepted his hand, letting him help me to my feet.

“You got treated for arachnophobia and I got my coolest shape yet.”

“Ever the optimist. Where are we doing this?”

“Outside. I’m not bringing a demon in here. Remember: they can’t enter. I don’t want to suddenly get expelled or burned away.”