Aside from spending an inordinate amount of ti on calls fighting for resources, Zach had picked up so very significant people skills this past year, initially by necessity. There were tis he had to be gentle, tis he had to be tough, and tis when he just had to listen. Improving the lives of the citizens of Giant's Fall was a job that required words far, far more than it did a sword.
In the entire eight months he'd spent advancing various projects with the Royal Roses, Zach had never had to pull his steel once. The "close-calls" of his adventuring days turned into "close-calls" of deadlines, dishonest actors, budgetary concerns, and dealing with new types of crises in an entirely different way. In fact—and perhaps shafully—when a T2 boss spawned just 8 miles from where Zach happened to reside, he'd been in such an important eting he'd chosen to let the adventurers and Grundor handle it.
Ultimately, however, his work hadn't been for nothing. In addition to making real, aningful change for people who needed it, Zach had learned the importance of using care when speaking to others. For this reason, despite the burning sensation in his chest that ached for him to ask these amicable NPCs about his friends, he chose to be patient and answer their questions first, and to satisfy their curiosities ahead of his.
"It's a hundred percent true," Zach said, to which their faces all lit up as they sat around him. There were eleven of them, and they had pulled three tables together while a motherly looking NPC nad Leenoaralia got up every so often to refill teacups.
"So…so you really do age?" the cute, blonde-haired girl, Manomuna, asked.
"Yep. We start off as this big"—he gestured with his hands—"and then we grow up and get taller and bigger, and then we get older, and soday, we die."
"And you de-spawn forever?"
"Not…quite. I an, sort of. We die rather than de-spawn. Our insides don't regrow or co back. They just…stop working, and then our loved ones dig a hole for our bodies and put us there. And over ti, we decompose until we're just food for the plants."
The girl, Manomuna, wiped a tear from her eyes. "That's so awful. Gods have rcy on the bios. You poor creatures."
Zach laughed. "Believe it or not, I've always felt far worse for you N…for non-bios," he said.
Though no one had raised an issue with him, Zach had changed enough this past year to beco socially aware in contexts he used to automatically disregard. And thus, his instincts told him that using the term "Non-person-character" might not be the wisest or most polite way of addressing them. They clearly viewed themselves as people, and they were, people. And while Angelica, Grundor, Ruby, Landy, and Mushkie seed not to care in the slightest if they were called an NPC, it was also the case that those five—each for their own reason—had not spent thousands of years in a society with their own customs, ways, and views about their own nature and the nature of others.
These key ingredients—known as culture—Zach had learned played a role in causing offense to others, which was why calling a rfolk woman a "rmaid" as his dumb guild-leader loved to do publicly would often spark a global outrage.
One month ago, Vim had appeared on national television and made a comnt about a famous rfolk woman who'd starred in so of the best underwater action films. He'd made an extrely lewd remark about "that rmaid ass" and it had created such a terrible stir that Mr. Oren had needed to get involved and facilitate apologies and promises for growth.
Luckily, that one hadn't derailed the progress made towards global trade. In fact, humans took the least amount of bla when that happened, and for once, the Gnos took so flak instead of humanity. This was because Vim, who was now openly identifying as a Gno and no longer bothering to hide it, had been caught on cara snorting so kind of white powder together with four high-ranking mbers of the High Gnomish Council in the back of a limousine DEHV, and this whole incident had occurred on Gnomish territory, which ant the Gnos had to do the bulk of the apologizing.
Is it bad I miss that little idiot? Zach wondered.
Returning his attention to the conversation, Zach smiled politely as Manomuna asked him: "So what's Galterra really like?"
Zach took his ti and spent the next hour going over so, but certainly not all, of what life was like back ho. Naturally, he couldn't condense his entire lived experience into 60 minutes, but what he could do was paint a pretty decent portrayal of what the average Galterran's existence consisted of.
"Wow," one of the NPCs said as others oohed and aahed along with him. "Bios are a lot like us. You have individual personalities, you have jobs, and you have things that you love and care about, and also that you hate."
"Yep. That's just people in general," Zach said. "But so…so 'bios' are also very cruel and dangerous. So enjoy inflicting pain and killing people just because of the feeling of power it gives them. Others will run into a flaming building to save a life. We're all different. Just like you."
The girl's brother, Mangil, nodded. "That's incredible, bio."
"Please feel free to call Zach."
"That's incredible…Zach."
Zach sensed this pause in the conversation was his opportunity to do so learning of his own. Keeping his tone calm, he finally asked them the question that was burning a hole in his chest. "A group of my friends ca through here about eight months ago," he began. "It's the entire reason I've co here at all. These people are very special to . Have…have you seen them? Or heard of them?"
"We have," Mangil said, causing Zach to imdiately sit up straighter.
"Are they alive? Are they okay? Can I find them?"
"We…we don't know," Village Elder Golobara said. "But we believe they are dead." Zach felt his body drain of energy, his heart begin to ache, and his composure to falter. As though noticing this, the elder quickly added, "But that's a complete guess, and it's not based on anything solid."
"What do you an?" Zach asked, unable to hide the nervousness and pain in his voice.
Thankfully, what they said next was a bit more reassuring. One by one, they began to explain to him a little of how the city actually functioned. It was Manomuna who started things off.
"The reason we don't know is…well, to explain, it helps, I guess, to know that the city in Albion-4 is, like, really, really big. And when you get there, Zach, you'll see that various areas on your map are color-coded You do have a map you can summon, right?"
"I do, yep."
"Okay, so, when you reach the city and look at your map, you'll see that there's green, grey, orange, and red. Green areas are safe areas. That's the only place where non-bio thinkers live. We don't ever go into any of the other areas because it's unsafe and if we die there, we might end up respawning there, only to be murdered over and over again. Everybody knows an ancient story of at least one person that's happened to, and so, we were never able to rescue. aning they're still dying over and over right now." She shuddered.
Her brother spoke up as her voice quieted. "What my sister is trying to say is that, because it's unsafe, we never venture into them. We also can't teleport around those areas. We can only teleport from green area to green area." He extended his arms. "This is a green area. We can teleport from here to any green area in the city."
"What do the other colors an?" Zach asked.
Mangil answered, "The level of danger. Grey areas are lightly unsafe. The nas above the heads of the non-thinkers there are usually white instead of green, but there are so red NTs, too. We think you call those 'mobs,' right?"
"We do."
Mangil continued. "Well, these areas are usually okay, but they're unpredictable, and the level of danger doesn't tell you about the power of the danger when it happens. We've seen things from neighboring green areas that have caused us to flee indoors. Almost all of the NTs are banished from entering or attacking anything indoors in a green area. And the only reason they'd be in a green area in the first place is either if it's nightti—when we all hide—or one of us is seen. Oh, that last part might confuse you. So, the hostile NTs…they're weird. So of them only get mad at you if you co close. So get mad at you from far away. How do I explain this…? Um, so…"
Zach raised his hand and smiled. "This part I don't need you to explain. Us bios call it aggro, and we know how that works."
"Aggro?" the village elder said, repeating the word. "Sounds appropriate enough."
As they continued to speak to him, Zach beca entranced and fascinated by what he was learning. Basically, the city of Albion-4 really was so large that even the NPCs who lived there struggled to comprehend it. It was made up of green areas, which were considered safe, grey areas, which were neutral, orange areas, which were very dangerous, and red areas, which were extrely dangerous.
Though, based on what he was hearing, it seed like the word "danger" was a bit inaccurate as, to Zach, it actually sounded more like the colors indicated the level of hostility as opposed to the actual danger, as they described to him that so areas were vastly higher level than others, and so to a group of adventurers, a single super-high-level boss in a grey area was naturally going to be much more of a threat than a horde of lower-level mobs in a red area.
"We know that even red areas can still have non-hostile NTs in stores. There can even be small pockets of 'safe' areas in the red areas, but by safe, I don't an green. I just an not dangerous. So you won't find any of us there."
As they continued to explain things, Zach beca even more fascinated, as he learned that, for the vast, overwhelming majority of the apparently "fifty million" thinkers who lived on Albion-4, almost none of them had ever seen more than 10% of the city. This was because only 10% of the city consisted of green areas, with so being contiguous and others being all on their own. And yet, despite being such a small number, the city was so large that, even within just that 10%, they had, over thousands of years, linked up to form a society and culture that was trendous and every bit as complex, nuanced, and intricate as society on Galterra.
That said, there were stretches of the city that went on for thousands of miles in which there were no thinkers to be found. Just lifeless NPCs, bosses, and mobs, as well as quests and rchants and any number of wonders untold. 90% of the city was to thinkers what outer space was to Galterrans. A vast world of mystery and possibility that was simply too dangerous for them to explore.
But even still, that 10% that belonged to them was still so much that it never felt cramped or small to them.
They explained that their lives were usually pretty good, too, and that most of them were happy. When not doing the bare minimum level of work required each week, they all had their own agendas, romances, friendships, stories to tell, forms of entertainnt, and hobbies.
"Mangil here has a new girl from the city he's seeing," his mother teased, causing him to beco annoyed and blush.
"It's not like that, Mom."
"Sure it isn't."
"It's not! She's just…she's just a friend."
Zach laughed, then asked, "How big are the other types of areas?"
"You an, like, how much of the remaining 90% is grey, how much is orange, and how much is red?" Manomuna asked.
"Yep."
She shrugged. "We dunno. We don't explore that. We're too scared of getting caught in a death loop. It's been four thousand years since anybody tried. We don't even try to rescue those who are still caught, because they're probably in too deep for us to risk it."
"I guess that's understandable." Zach chewed his lower lip for a second, then said, "So, is that why you don't know what happened to my friends?"
"That's right," Manomuna said. "One day, the Dark Demon and his bio underlings left the green area where they had established a base of operations, and they just never ca back."
"Dark Demon?"
"Yes. The leader of your friends. An evil entity from another dinsion known as Fluffles."
Zach groaned. "Oh, Gods. What did he do this ti? In fact, I don't even want to know. I apologize for whatever it was. He's a bad boy sotis. But just so you know, if you ever see him again, you can pacify him with treats and belly rubs."
"Th-the Dark Demon can be pacified?"
"Yeah, but you have to suck up to him. Tell him he's the cutest cat and don't try to resist him. If he tries to take food, just call or find , and I'll handle it. Assuming…" Zach sighed. "Assuming he's still alive. Actually, about that, what makes you think my friends died? Is it just because they haven't co out of a non-green area? If these areas are truly as incomprehensibly large as you say, that shouldn't be surprising."
"Correct," the village elder said, "which is why that's not the sole reason. It's more because the status of Albion-4 reverted from ACTIVE—aning bios are in the area—to INACTIVE."
Zach again beca nervous. "And this ans they've died?"
"Well…not quite. It ans they've either died or have beco caught in so kind of trapped or imprisoned state."
Zach lowered his head for a mont and stared at the cottage's floor. He tried to think rationally and clearly. He knew these adventurers. They were cautious: extrely so. And Jimmy was with them, too. Jimmy knew all about farming rare items and how all this adventuring stuff worked better than anybody. Therefore, Zach thought it reasonable to conclude that, any ti his friends went into a "dangerous," area, they likely would've done so only if they had one of those Resurrection Totems on them: the item that Zach had already wasted on a Gods-be-damned fucking tiny little snake!
But more to the point: Jimmy for sure would've figured out so thod of getting more of them.
"What happens when an adventurer dies in a dangerous area?"
"If they have a totem, they respawn in the nearest safe area," Mangil said.
"A green area?"
"Yes. Always a green."
Just like respawning here, Zach thought.
His mood skyrocketed as he heard this. Relief flooded him. Finally, at long last, he had his confirmation. He knew them too well. He understood them too well. This was Donovan, Jimmy, Jascaila, Rian, Lienne—all of them. He was now so certain that there was no longer any question or doubt in his mind. He had co all this way and, finally, at long last, after almost a year of sleepless nights, he at last had the answer he had been searching for. He was now certain!
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"They're alive," he said. "They're not dead. They're trapped. But if they're trapped, then that ans they can be freed, right? This ans I can definitely find them. Thank you! You guys have told everything I needed to know."
Despite having broken the ice, the village elder and the others still looked quite nervous as they regarded him. "Can I ask why you're all so afraid of ? I won't hurt you. I promise."
The village elder looked at Mangil, who looked at his sister, who looked at her mother and father. In the end, it was the girl, Manomuna, who ended up speaking for them. "Well," she began, "we've always known since the mont we spawned that, if any bios ever arrived on Albion-4, we must perform our roles to perfection or else the pain switch will be turned on. And since we are breaking the rules right now, we're worried it might…it might happen."
"The pain switch?" Zach asked, a sense of dread spreading in his belly.
"Yes. It puts a non-bio in a state of total agony until we either lose our minds or beco compliant again." She shivered visibly. "It's why we're so scared. If you report us to the Gods as being 'bugged,' we will be tortured and punished."
Zach thought over her words. They seed both correct and sowhat incorrect at the sa ti. What she was saying was likely correct in the sense that she really had spawned in with that understanding, but she was wrong in that she lacked an understanding of the ways in which the world had changed.
This is clearly the greatest fear they have, he realized. For beings that can't face a conventional death, this is probably their version of the worst thing that can ever happen. That or getting caught in a death-loop in a dangerous area.
Zach could only imagine how much terror the idea of this "pain switch" must have caused in their society. Maybe he could alleviate just a tiny bit of that fear by being honest with them. Even though, in the grand sche of things, these eleven NPCs—these eleven non-bios—were basically the equivalent of eleven random, ordinary, unimportant level-1s on Galterra, Zach had co to believe that it was people like this who deserved the most consideration, not the least.
And for that, he had Mr. Oren to thank.
"This is going to sound shocking," Zach began. "I don't expect you to believe , but at the sa ti, I'm going to ask you to try." He drew a breath and held it. He could sense that their level of anticipation was rising. Exhaling, Zach said, "I've t the Gods. All of them. So, I can tell you a bit more about what is really happening here, and why you don't have to be as terrified of that as you think."
Leenoaralia, who had been refilling her son's tea, slipped, and so of it got on the table. But Mangil didn't even appear to notice or care. His mouth was open wide, and so was the mouth of the village elder. Several of the other villagers were making strange, guttural sounds of pure shock and disbelief.
"Y-you t the Gods? As in the Gods?" Mangil shouted.
Manomuna, at the sa ti, shouted, "So, earlier, when you were cursing the na of the Great Lord, Adamus, you were doing so having t him?"
Similar questions were shouted out, and Zach waited for them to settle down a bit before he replied. "Yes," he said. "And that's why I feel like there are so things you should know. In fact, if I'm here long enough, I'd like to spread this information to every one of you that I co across."
They all looked at one another, but now, no one spoke. They turned their heads back his way, and Zach could see he had their deep, undivided attention. He needed to phrase things carefully, however, and in a way that gave them a correct, rather than simply an optimistic, understanding.
"So of what I'm going to tell you is going to be a relief. So of it is going to cause you so dread and maybe a sleepless night or two. But in the end, you'll be so much better off having heard it." He took a sip of his tea and then put down the cup. He waited another few monts so that he could fully organize his thoughts, and then he continued.
"To begin with, the pain switch you're talking about is probably real. I want to be clear about that. And it's probably sothing that can be activated at any ti at Adamus's discretion. And it's also probably true that the instincts you spawned with were put there by the Great Ones—the ones you call Gods. All that is correct. But there's so much nuance here that, uh, that really needs to be understood."
Zach took another sip of his tea. "For starters, there are only three Gods left in the world. Adamus killed all the others."
As expected, Zach had the ti to slowly and carefully finish his tea while these NPCs, or non-bios, went through the stages of processing this news and reacting to it. It took a few minutes for them to settle down. There were raised voices, shouts of concern, cheers of joy, and even so mixtures of the two. Throughout this ti, all Zach did was confirm that he was sure and that it was their choice whether to believe him or not, which, despite only just eting him, they decided to do, taking him on his word alone.
"Here's why I'm telling you this," Zach continued. "Mangil, I heard you ntion at the beginning of our conversation that you and your family help maintain the system. Is that correct?"
"All thinkers do," he replied. "Every week, we perform maintenance. Not in person, but in our minds. If anything needs to be repaired physically, we are to dispatch a team to investigate. And if we are unable to fix it ourselves, there is supposedly a group of bios from Galterra that can show up, but no one is allowed to see them."
"The OMP," Zach said. "Yep. That tracks."
"OMP?"
"Orbital Monitoring Platform," he said, recounting to them who those people were. "Have they ever actually shown up? Eilea once told that, in all of its history, no human or other 'bio' had ever set foot on Albion-4."
"The Goddess is correct," Mangil replied. "Until your friends arrived, no bio has ever co here in all our history. And since bios have not co and put any strain on the system, we have never needed to perform any physical repairs, as nothing has sustained any wear. And even if they had been here, we likely still wouldn't have had to do so for many thousands of years. The infrastructure that upholds Albion-4 is quite well-maintained and durable because of the fifty million of us who look after it."
Zach snapped his finger and leaned forward, which caused a few of them to be startled, and so to be confused. "And there it is. That's what I was looking for. That's the explanation and answer all in one."
"Huh?" many of them asked.
"It's like this," Zach explained. "This pain switch, your fears—all of it. They're justified, but not to the extent you have them. Okay, let clarify, because this is probably coming across as confusing." He took a mont to ensure they were all still paying attention before he continued.
"There are only three 'Gods' left in the world: Adamus, Olandrin, and Eilea. Now, Olandrin and Eilea? They have no interest in causing you pain. No matter what you do or don't do. Or at least Olandrin wouldn't. Eilea could be convinced under the right circumstances, but if I told her not to do it, she'd listen to ."
That last remark caused another minute of gasps and shocks that he had to wait through. He chuckled accidentally, which caused even more confusion, and then he had to apologize. Eventually, however, they cald down enough so that he could go on.
"Adamus is the only being in all of existence who can and would, under the right circumstances, activate the pain switch you're all so afraid of. But, having dealt with him a few tis, and having learned a great deal more about him, I can tell you so things that will make your lives a whole lot easier."
"Please, go on," the elder said, his shoulders trembling.
Zach nodded. "For starters, Adamus does not care about you. He does not care about . He does not care about anyone or anything in this entire world other than his system. He cannot be provoked with insults. It doesn't matter what you say. It can be the most profane and evil thing anybody's ever uttered, and it won't even register to him. The only thing that he actually cares about, like I said, is his system. And that's why what you just told is so important."
"About our work?"
Zach again nodded. "Based on everything I've heard, it's clear that you…uh, you non-bio thinkers…it's clear that your real purpose for being on Albion-4 is to perform this weekly maintenance you talk about. That's why you're here, and that's why you're different from the…the non-bio non-thinkers. And that's also why I can tell you with, not even just ninety-nine, but with a hundred percent certainty, that that is all Adamus actually cares about. This other stuff with the costus is just a cover for your presence here. If he really needed you to perform those roles, he would've just created more non-thinkers."
The villagers looked stunned—and still a bit lost. So, Zach decided to elaborate further.
"In other words," he concluded, "it doesn't matter that you're talking to . It doesn't matter that we're sitting around here having tea. It doesn't even matter that you're not giving whatever quest you were clearly trying to offer. The only thing that actually matters is that you do that one job he actually cares about. I wish you didn't have to do it, and I hate that you do, but if your only fear is having that pain switch activated, then as long as you do the thing he actually cares about, he's never going to bother you or care about you. Nothing you do matters, as long as you do that."
There were murmurs and whispers as the villagers spoke quietly to one another. Zach sat patiently and waited for them to finish. Finally, Mangil looked at him and spoke to him. "So…so he doesn't care if we break all the other rules?"
Zach sighed. "I an…like, yeah, I guess he probably does, but he's not going to do shit about it. He can't be bothered. He has no support anymore other than from Olandrin and Eilea, and Olandrin definitely wouldn't help him torture you, and Eilea wouldn't help him down a flight of stairs without pushing him. So trust , I've seen this situation play out enough tis now with NP—sorry, I ant thinking non-bios."
"Thank you for noticing, by the way," Mangil shot in. "We hate that term. We weren't going to say anything. But calling us NPCs…we hate that."
"Yeah, I figured, and I'm sorry about that slip-up."
"That you're even considerate enough to care is deeply appreciated," his mother said.
Briefly, Zach smiled. And then he said, "Anyway, getting back to the point, what you really need to take away from this conversation is this: the only way any of you are going to find that switch flipped is if you do anything that threatens his system. It's his top priority. He's not going to micromanage your behavior otherwise. Fifty million of you were intentionally given sentience for that purpose, and as long as you do it, no one is going to flip any kind of switch on you."
"And you are certain of this?" Manomuna asked him, having beco wide-eyed.
"A billion percent," Zach said. He scratched his chin then shrugged. "I an, Adamus…Adamus is a strange guy. He's very soft-spoken, he doesn't get upset by what people say, and he doesn't really act out of spite or malice. But he's also extrely evil because he will do anything, no matter how awful, if he thinks it's required for his stupid world vision."
Mangil stirred uneasily in his chair. "And the other thing you said…you are sure of that as well? That our God doesn't care about us or love us? Even a little?" There was pain in his voice as he spoke those words.
Zach reached over and patted the guy on the shoulder. "He doesn't care about or love us bios, either. Hell, he doesn't even love his own wife. So like, there's another thing we have in common. To Adamus, we are all just pawns in his theory of how the world should be run. One night, I stayed up really late thinking about it, and I ca to the conclusion that, you, , your family and friends, my family and friends, and everyone I've ever known—we're all just a social experint so super-powerful God is using to prove to the universe that he's right and that everyone else is wrong. That's existence in a nutshell."
He refilled his own tea and then sipped at it with a slurp as he let that last bit sink in. Now, a silence settled over the eleven villagers, one that lasted until their elder looked at Zach and said, "I believe you to be an honest bio. I believe the things you are saying. But I still find it hard to…to accept that if the Great God overheard what we are saying, he would not strike back at us vengefully, to punish us for speaking ill of him and for breaking from our directives."
Zach bowed his head. "Well, he probably does hear what you're saying since I'm here and he likes to spy on like a creep."
This sent a jolt through the villagers, one that was almost visible. Their eyes turned upwards. Zach spoke quickly to reassure them.
"You don't have to be afraid. If you notice, you're not being punished—because he doesn't care about anything you say. In fact, as crazy as this sounds, he probably even agrees with everything I'm telling you." Zach made a groan. "In fact, in so sick way, telling you this stuff—about what he actually expects of you—is probably pleasing to him, because now, it ensures you'll probably take that aspect of your lives more seriously and give it an even higher priority to avoid pain. The truth is, aside from finding my friends, my ultimate goal is to bring tens of thousands, if not millions, of Galterrans here to beco stronger. There will be a lot more 'strain' on the system then. So, in a way, I've probably been outplayed yet again by telling you these things, because now you'll end up doing a better job at a more critical ti as a result of it."
"I see," Mangil whispered. "Do you regret telling us?"
"No," Zach said. "Because while I despise the fact that you were created for slave labor, it sounds like you were at least happy with your lives until us bios arrived. That's why, before I find a way to yank the doors to Albion-4 open, I'm going to make absolutely sure that every last one of you thinkers knows the truth. And I'm going to make even more sure that anyone who fucks with you or tries to hurt you is dealt with by other bios. No one will be allowed to mistreat you. When they enter your hos, they will ask permission. When they enter your stores, they will behave. If they don't…"
He leaned in closer. "They fear more than they fear any God. They'll learn what happens."
"And the one called Fluffles?"
"Don't worry about the cat. Once the adventurers know who you really are, they'll make sure he never does anything like that again."
"And the one called Rian?" Manomuna asked.
Now, Zach flinched. That na—he hadn't expected to hear it. "Rian…what about him?"
She told him sothing, then. Sothing that shocked and appalled him so much that it hurt. It physically hurt. And what was so crazy about it was that, just a year ago, he would have laughed at what she'd said. He would have thought it was a funny little mistake. But now, all it did was make him feel such incredible embarrassnt and anger.
He heard sothing that would have had him bursting out and cackling.
Now, he couldn't control the scowl on his face. The disappointnt that bubbled to the surface.
"He and his friends went into an item shop run by my friend Nanseen. To make so kind of joke, he stripped off her clothing and shook his testicles in her face. She kept in character and did not react. Now, she cries daily."
"He…he didn't know," Zach whispered. "But when I find him, I'll make him apologize. We'll make it right. I promise you."
"She's scared of him. She is terrified he will return one day."
A year ago, the picture in Zach's mind would have been an external one. The idea of Rian hopping up onto a shop counter, pulling out his balls, and slapping an NPC in the face. He'd have been all giggles. But sothing just wasn't the sa with him anymore. Now, he saw it from the NPC's POV.
Unable to move. Unable to resist. Forced to endure it as so stranger from another world stripped her naked and violated her. It was terrible. It made him nauseous. The sheer wrongness of it all. And yes, Rian didn't know any better. Of course he didn't. But that still didn't make it okay.
"When I rescue my friends, I'll make it right. I don't care what it takes. I swear an oath to you that we'll find so way of making ands. There's a woman nad Jascaila. She's with the adventurers. When she finds this out, she'll make sure this behavior is corrected. Look, I can't change what Fluffles and Rian did. I know I can't. But the next ti you speak to your fellow thinkers, if you could let them know about this conversation, and let them know how deeply ashad and sorry we are, I would appreciate it."
"Of course, Zach."
"Just out of curiosity, how long would it take for you to reach out to every thinker on Albion-4?"
"A day."
Zach gasped. "Wait, really?"
"We can spread things fast. Our society has functioned in harmony since the beginning of ti."
Zach lowered his head respectfully. "Then please let them know everything I told you. The truth of it, too. If their job is to give a quest, they should give the quest, but they don't have to freeze up and beco a statue no matter what they think. And they certainly don't have to deal with assholes or take shit from people. If soone is rude to them, throw them out. That's what Angelica would do."
"Angelica?"
Zach briefly told them about Angelica, and what surprised him the most was their takeaway. More than anything else, they were surprised that Zach "knew" and had befriended non-bio thinkers. They even mused that this must be why he was so comfortable around their kind.
"Be like Angelica. That's the best advice I can give you. As long as you do the core of what Adamus cares about—again, I wish this wasn't the case—but as long as you basically do what you're here to do, there is wiggle room. And within that wiggle room is your right to slap the shit out of anyone who sticks their balls in your face or tries to disrespect or hurt you. Angelica has ripped off the heads of disrespectful bios before, and you shouldn't hesitate to do the sa. Defend yourselves. And if you can't, one of us will. Hey…are you guys okay?"
Several of them were now crying. "What's wrong?"
Manomuna wiped her eyes. "It's just we appreciate this so much. What you've told us, Zach."
For another hour, the conversation turned light. Zach listened as they talked about their favorite sports teams, their hobbies, and told funny stories about their friends. Aside from the green na above their heads and their immortality, they were people in every sense of the word. They truly were no different.
Eventually, Zach smiled at them and then stood up. "Anyway, I really need to get going. I dropped a lot of valuable stuff in the desert, and I want to save my friends."
Mangil called out to him before he could leave.
"We had a quest for you, actually, if you want it. But the only way to get the reward is to run over my dad or my sister with a tractor. The reward is that you get to keep the vehicle and can use it to easily travel 400 miles before it breaks down."
The girl's father nodded. "I'm okay with it, Zach. As long as you pick and make it quick."
Zach shook his head. "No thanks. I'll walk."
With that, he backed away from the table, shook several hands, and then thanked Mangil for lending him the jeans and the t-shirt. "You can keep it," Mangil told him. "Don't worry about bringing it back when you find your stuff."
"Thanks again. And I'm sorry about Rian and Fluffles. Rian will behave. Fluffles will be…mitigated. It was an honor to et all of you. And as a ranking mber of the Royal Roses, I apologize for the actions of humanity and swear that any hard parties will be compensated."
"High…ranking?" Mangil asked.
"Royal Roses?" Manomuna added.
Zach nodded. "Oh, I forgot to ntion. Where I'm from, I have power over millions of lives. It's why I'm used to dealing with things on this scale. And it's why you can trust I'll handle it."
"Thank you, Zachys Calador," one of the villagers said.
"Thank you!" cried another.
Zach exited the cottage, walked over to the pool he'd splashed in naked, and then leaned forward to gulp down as much as he could like he was so kind of animal at a watering hole. Then he straightened his back, turned his body in the direction of a new skull-and-bones marker that appeared in the distance 49.5 miles away, and he carried on.
He really had changed during this past year. And now, in this new, fascinating world, he realized that, when he spoke to sentient beings, his words did not rely reflect on the other adventurers, but they also reflected on the entire region of Giant's Fall and humanity as a whole. And so day—hopefully very soon, given ti constraints—he would leave Albion-4 and return with every single mber of his guild that he could yank away from Vim. He would bring Mr. Oren, too. He would bring anyone he could. But he also knew that he was probably going to be here for quite a while, and so for now, he'd have to consider that his long-term goal.
An important one, nonetheless.
The World Eater spawned in four years, and it would take a planetwide defense to combat it.
But all that would have to wait, because for now, the only tangible objective before him was to survive and find his friends, whom he was devoutly certain still lived and were out there sowhere.
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