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"No free questions," Alex said with a tired grin, wiping his face with the back of a sleeve.

He approached the fallen Chimera and reached out to the Soul Flame that shimmered on the ground beside its body.

[Field Boss] Mid-High Grade Initiate (Mutated Chimera)

Whoa. That thing is huge, and the name is different as well. It kept the Field Boss tag. This is going to be worth a whole lot of energy… or possibly a really nice combination if I can work with it.

Alex scooped the fire up and power prickled against his palms. Its power was definitely proportionate to its size. He summoned a Spatial Mirror and shoved the flame into it, depositing the magic for later before turning to Claire.

"You okay?"

"More than," Claire replied, rolling her neck and giving him a grin. "Wasn\'t the tastiest thing I\'ve ever taken a bite out of, but it wasn\'t the worst."

"I can\'t believe it," Finley muttered, walking up to stand beside Alex as he stared at the fallen Chimera\'s body. "Did you lie to me earlier? Are you higher than Initiate?"

"No," Alex said. "Why would I lie about that?"

"There are all sorts of reasons as to why. The power you just demonstrated was far from some middling Initiate should have been able to pull off — especially one that was asking me questions about upgrading their Mind Palace," Finley replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Are you trying to play me for something?"

"I\'ve got bigger things to worry about than that," Alex said, giving Finley a sidelong glance.

Namely, Claire. I want answers. Something isn\'t adding up, but I can\'t quiz her here.

"Would you be willing to prove it?" Finley asked, reaching for Alex\'s shoulder but pausing before his hand could connect. "If you\'re telling the truth, then I\'ll make it worth your time. Very worth your time."

"Why?" Claire asked, tilting her head to the side. "An offer like that doesn\'t seem appropriate just to find out how strong someone is when they\'re only a mere Initiate tier."

"Look around you," Finley said tersely, drumming his fingers on the hilt of his swords. The merchant was nervous. Alex could see it the hunch of his back, the flit of his eyes. "This isn\'t some genius game I\'m trying to play at. You\'re both Natives, right?"

Actually, I\'m pretty sure Claire would count as an Outworlder. She\'s not from Earth — but there\'s no need to mention that.

"Yes," Alex said.

"Then you have no idea how important this all is." Finley waved his hands around, but something told Alex he wasn\'t indicating the rubble. "This is a Tier 1 world, ripe with resources. Magical power. Unique Titles, Visualizations, Paths, it\'s all fresh. The System is the paradigm of evolution, and this is the freshest petri dish. And you —Natives upon your own world— have both the biggest disadvantage and the highest potential out of everyone in the universe."

"Whoa there. Slow down," Alex said. "Go over that again, but in more detail? And what do you mean by us having an advantage?"

Finley smirked and shook his head. "Oh, no. I don\'t think so. The only answer you\'re getting is the one you need right now — and that\'s the reason I need you. I am a System Merchant, the lowest form of Outworlder. I can\'t fight unless attacked first. My power is heavily restricted and my contact back to my home planet has been completely cut off. The only thing I can do is sell resources. That means I need someone to sell those resources too. That\'s why I need you."

"Us and nobody else?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "I bet you\'re popular with the ladies."

"I wish," Finley grumbled. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a defeated sigh. "The reason I need you specifically is not some marketing scheme. It is because there is no alternative. Among the things I am limited from doing is activating a Starstone. The two of you can leave this place and go to another Hub City, but I am stuck here."

Alex\'s gaze shifted past Finley and to the glowing white meteor behind him.

"But surely other people could come here?" Alex asked. "And there could be other survivors here."

"People will come eventually, to defeat the Region Boss. But in the near future? No. People gather at large or powerful cities. Such is the nature of life. Very few will come out into the middle to a ruined town like this before the boss awakens. And the ones that are already here… do you imply they are strong enough to be able to afford my services?" It was Finley\'s turn to arch an eyebrow. "There are most certainly survivors, but they are not powerful — which means they will earn little. Thus, I will earn little, and that cannot be allowed to happen. I must sell my goods."

"Why?" Alex asked. "Can\'t you just wait?"

"He\'s in debt," Claire said, her eyes sharpening. "Isn\'t that right? You have to earn a constant stream of money to keep your debtors paid off."

Finley\'s jaw clenched. "Very good. I trust you understand my situation, then. I need your money. You need information and strength. We can help each other. I cannot afford to give you more information for free, but I trust we can form a business relationship."

"I\'m not sure we\'re planning on sticking around here much longer," Alex said, nodding to the town around them. "There isn\'t really much left."

"I would expect not," Finley said. He bit his lower lip, then blew out a short breath. "What I am asking is that you return to this place. Within a week. No longer. If you do that, then I am willing to give you a gift. Something to prove that partnering with me will be worth your time."

"What kind of gift?" Alex asked.

Finely shook his head. "I will not answer that. The more information I give away, the more I lose. I am not asking much — only that you return to this place before a week passes. You will not have to buy or return anything unless you decide that you want to."

Finley\'s offer sounded good. Possibly too good. The merchant had a calm smile plastered over his features, but it was only skin deep. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face and there was panic buried within his eyes.

Finley was terrified. It was difficult to tell if it was an act or not. If it was, Finley was the best liar that Alex had ever met. He was selling it perfectly.

I don\'t think I can poke any major holes in just promising to come back. Finley\'s already given me some really useful information. The time to push my lead is now.

"Will we have to pay to travel back?" Claire asked.

"Yes," Finley said. "But you will be able to afford it. I can guarantee it."

Alex and Claire exchanged a glance. Claire shrugged one shoulder, and Alex finally nodded.

"Fine. I think that seems fair enough. We\'ll come back if your gift proves that it\'s worth working together."

Finley blew out a breath. He turned his hand over, palm to the sky, and the air above it shimmered with faint blueish-purple energy. It warped like a mirage in the desert, then bent in on itself. A walnut-sized silver marble took form as the energy faded with a pop. Thin lines ran across its surface, splitting it almost like the streaks of a basketball.

"Here," Finley said, holding the marble out. He dropped it into Alex\'s hands.

"What is it?"

"A Harvester," Finley replied. He nodded over Alex\'s shoulder to the dead Chimera behind him. "You wanted to know how to get Credits? Sell your shit. Merchants, other people, you name it. There\'s a market for everything magical."

"And this will help us do that?" Alex asked, holding the ball up and squinting at it. "How?"

"You\'re about to go to a Hub City. Likely a family-controlled one. I doubt any Natives have had a chance to get their hands on a Town Token and actually grow it to the point where they can establish their own city. It\'ll be months before that happens." Finley plucked the ball from Alex\'s hand and held it up.

Town Tokens?

"What\'s a—"

"The families offer a great deal of things," Finley continued, not so much as missing a beat. "They will rip open your horizons — and they\'ll enslave you in the process if you let them. There\'s only one way you can get what you want without selling yourself. And that way is money. Credits. It makes the world turn, and you\'re about to have a whole lot of it."

Finley flicked the ball at the dead Chimera. The Harvester struck it in the side. There was a violent shearing noise, like an electric razor ripping through a head full of hair. Segments of the marble split apart and hovered in the air around it. A brief flash of purple energy lit the marble from within and the segments snapped back shut.

The Harvester dropped to the ground with a clink.

"You didn\'t answer Alex\'s question," Claire pointed out.

"No," Finley agreed. "I did not. I\'m already giving you the clothes off my own back like you were my own children. Stop trying to drag my underwear off as well."

Alex walked over to the marble, grabbing it before it could roll away. The lines running across its surface had turned a dull purple. He brought it back over to Finley, still studying it.

"I\'m not sure I followed what this did."

"Ripped the monster\'s core out," Finley replied. "When it comes to value, the core makes up around ninety five percent of a monster for the common man\'s purposes. The extra stuff… well, unless you\'re pinching pennies, there isn\'t a reason to lug a wagon of corpses around with you until you can get an extradimensional space. A Harvester can only hold one core at a time, but any merchant worth their salt can pop the core out for you. Bring this to whatever city you\'re going to and sell the core. It\'ll go for a rather nice amount — a monster like this will be quite valuable to anyone with a crafting-based Class. Just save some of that money for when you head back."

"If it\'s so expensive, why don\'t you buy the body off us?" Claire asked. "Or maybe we could trade?"

Finley winced and coughed into a fist. "I… am in a somewhat unfortunate spot with regard to Credits at the moment. I am in a slight want of them."

"You\'re flat broke," Alex said.

"That would be one way to put it. I cannot trade either. I need Credits, not a body that must be resold. Somehow, I doubt anyone in this backwater location will be in a purchasing mood."

"I see. Then we\'ll sell it in the city." Alex studied the Harvester, then slipped it into a pocket and nodded. "Thank you. This is useful. I\'ll get Credits for the core, I take it?"

"Don\'t accept anything else. There are too many dodgy currencies going around the Infinium," Finley said through a grimace. "Every single family tries to push their own, and every single one of them will pull the rug out from under you if you buy in. Only accept Credits. The System backs those."

"I see," Alex said. "Thank you. That\'s some really good information. You\'ve mentioned families more than once. I don\'t suppose—"

"Nope." Finley smiled. "That\'ll cost you. Information is the most expensive resource I sell. You\'ve already gotten your freebies."

"Fair enough," Alex said. He couldn\'t expect Finley to just give him everything for free. He\'d already gotten more than enough to keep his mind occupied. There was no doubt in his mind that he\'d be coming back, even if it was only to fulfill a promise. Breaking one would just leave a sour taste in his mouth.

"Then be on with you. The faster you leave, the faster you come back," Finley said, nodding to the glowing Starstone. He coughed into a fist. "And don\'t feel a need to wait the whole week. I would be quite appreciative if you returned earlier."

"What about the other survivors?" Claire asked. "I saw some others before Spark grabbed me."

"They\'ll be fine for a short while," Finley said. "With the Field Boss dead, the monsters that came in its wake will have temporarily retreated. Anyone intelligent will make their way to me soon enough. I can\'t do much, but I\'ll tell them to use the Starstone at the very least. Perhaps a few more will come back in time to purchase something."

Finley didn\'t sound too optimistic about the whole thing.

"We\'ll be back," Alex said. He studied the white meteor for a second. "How do we use this? Do I just touch it?"

"Together, yes. There won\'t be many options at this point. Oh — avoid any city controlled by the Nightmarch."

"Nightmarch?" Claire asked. "Is that a family?"

"Yes." Finley\'s expression went dark. "Scumbags. I can\'t say more than that, but just trust me on this one. Avoid the Nightmarch like the plague — and don\'t trust a single word out of their mouths."

Damn it. I have so many questions. It sounds like the Outworlders don\'t really like each other all that much. I guess inter-dimensional politics are even more insane than normal ones.

Gah, I wish he\'d told me what this big advantage Natives have is, but I suppose I\'ll just have to buy the information later or figure it out myself.

Alex threw a glance over his shoulder at the ruins of Towntown. Part of him was tempted to look for Dorriv and Ben, but even if he managed to find them, there was nothing that he could do. He had no healing abilities and the System would slowly fix them up anyway.

All he could do is hope that they\'d somehow survived the landing of the Region Boss and that they, too, would make their way out of Towntown.

Claire stepped up to the meteor. Alex mirrored her motion. Excitement built in his stomach. They would finally have a chance to see how the rest of the world had fared in the Apocalypse — and to see where they stood among the other survivors.

The two of them lifted their hands at the same time to press them against its rough, craggy surface.

Something cold and wet prickled against Alex\'s palm. A river of energy pressed through it and into his body, and the air around him shimmered as white letters traced themselves in the air before him.

Towntown Starstone

Connected Hub Cities:

Valley Ford

"Well then," Alex said. "Lots of options to choose from."

Claire snorted. "Valley Ford it is, then. You ready?"

He nodded.

The glowing white letters exploded.

Silver mist wrapped up from the ground beneath their feet, twisting up to form into a shimmering portal before them. Its surface rippled like that of a lake, but it was completely opaque and impossible to see through.

Alex and Claire stepped through it as one.

The world collapsed. Colors and shapes twisted together into a vortex, spiraling into the center of the portal until only darkness remained. A loud ringing filled Alex\'s ears and a roar of freezing cold energy washed over him like a crashing waterfall. The floor dropped out beneath Alex and his stomach flew up into his throat — and then he was falling.

And then, as abruptly as it had started, the sensation stopped. Alex lurched. Lines traced through the darkness, forming into the black and white model of a market square.

Before the rest of the world could even completely take form, a familiar feeling greeted Alex\'s mind — prickling goosebumps that rolled across his skin and gripped the back of his neck like a claw.

There was another Anomaly near them.