“I know that,” Harry says. “But if you’re seeing only a few seconds ahead, isn’t that easier?”
“Is it easier to see the cells on a leaf or the tree itself?” Mikito says. “Stare too close, and potential actions explode in number.”
“Too far into the future though and you can’t even see the tree anymore,” I add.
“So seeing into the future isn’t possible because there are too many options to judge normally? And requires too many attributes?” Harry says to confirm.
“Exactly. But he’s moving like a bullet and dodging ahead of time. And that Strength…” I shake my head, pointing at the attacks. “It’s not a momentum-based Skill that adds to damage either. It’s raw Strength.”
“So how is he doing this?” Harry says.
I share a look with Mikito and Ali before the three of us give Harry a shrug. Without more to go on, we can only guess. And we’d already offered that—a series of Passive Skill builds. Whatever the answer is, it’s certain that he’s a very dangerous opponent.
“Do we continue then?” Mikito says, making another window appear.
I look at the numbers Mikito shows, frowning. Even our best estimates show that we’ve convinced only two-thirds of the people we need to get a null vote.
“Do we have a choice?” Harry says unhappily.
“Can we even make it?” I say softly, tapping the screen and tossing out another screen. This one has a list of those we still have to contact. “We’ve got what, sixty-four still on the list? And of those, the majority were in our ‘well, maybe it’d work’ list or we suspect they’re stringing us along?”
There are nods from the group, and I flick my hand, pulling up another list. The pair peer at it, having never seen this list before. It doesn’t take them long to realize what it is.
“This is a kill list.” Harry sounds disapproving.
“Yes,” I say. “Everyone whose asked us to end someone else for their votes which I haven’t accepted or who we think might be worthwhile ending anyway.”
“And you want to agree to it?” Harry shakes his head. “You’re good, John, but some of these guys have Master Class bodyguards. And without the ability to teleport from location to location…”
“Or verify security procedures, backup plans, doppelgangers, Skills, or set-up times,” Mikito says. “Never mind automatic reprisal plans. This is a bad idea.”
“I know.” I shake my head. “There’s no way for us to finish all of this. Not even with my Extra Hands.”
“Then?”
I nod to Harry, smiling widely. “We just need to screw up the votes, right? And there’s never any guarantee that they’d vote for us. So let’s overturn the apple cart.”
“You want me to publicize this list?”
“And the recordings of the requests we have,” I say, confirming his guess.
“I…” Harry shakes his head. “This isn’t a good idea. Many of these might be our friends, or at least are moderately inclined to help us.”
“Inclined but not going to. We’re already fucked, so we might as well finish this,” I say, lowering my voice as I try to wheedle him into doing what I want.
“I…” Harry straightens himself and shakes his head. “No. I won’t do this. Not without speaking with Katherine.”
“That’s—”
“Not a good idea?” Harry crosses his arms. “Because she’s going to say no?” He harumphs. “Exactly. And you’re not going to do it either, not without getting Earth’s agreement.”
I raise an eyebrow at his tone, the way he’s so certain I’ll agree. He glares at me and I return his gaze, the pair of us facing one another down. Seeing who will break first.
Into the silent contest of wills, Mikito arrives with a smack on the back of my head.
“Owww!” I say, looking at her. I touch my head where the bloody wound is already healing. “That hurt.”
“Of course it did, you baka tank!” Mikito says. “You think I could get your attention with a love tap?” She wrinkles her nose. “I’m not Roxley.”
“Or Lana,” Ali says.
“Lana would step between him and Harry and lean forward,” Mikito says.
“True. She had great… ass-ets,” Ali finishes with a waggle of his eyebrows.
I roll my eyes. “We were in the middle of something here.”
“A measuring contest. Yes, we know.” She points at Ali. “He’s the biggest, because he isn’t human. Get over it.” She glares at me. “You’re asking Earth’s permission before you burn all their bridges.” When I open my mouth to protest, Mikito steps closer and drops her voice. “It’s not your life you’re gambling with here. And you don’t have to do it all by yourself.”
I shake my head. As if I didn’t know it isn’t just my life. Does she think I take these kinds of risks, accept this kind of insanity when it comes to just my life? This is a new level of chaos. If we had any other choice…
But I can’t think of one.
“Fine,” I say, throwing up my hands. “We’ll ask them. We’ll see what other ideas, what else Katherine has chosen to do.”
“And if she says no?” Harry says.
“Then…” I’m uncertain of what else to say.
In the end, I shrug. We have only a few days left, and I’m out of ideas. Perhaps I’ll think of something at the last minute, but what it is, I have no idea. We need to make sure that vote doesn’t pass.
***
Meeting up with Katherine is no easy matter. We have to be careful about how we contact her. And even more careful of when and where we set up the meet. In the end, it’s two days later, two long days where we lay low and send out my Extra Hands to do what they can and we—quietly—remeet with some of our failed targets.
The only good news we receive is that the vote has been delayed again. There’s a big flare-up of trouble as a dungeon outbreak occurs between the border of the Truinnar and Movana empires. It’s quickly revealed that the Movana set off the outbreak, which then devolves into a giant squabble between the parties.
Emergency resolutions after emergency resolutions are thrown around, with no end in sight. The entire thing might resolve tomorrow or a month later, according to Harry.
Now that we’re finally able to meet up with Katherine, that’s, of course, when I get the message. It’s a simple text message, but it’s one I can’t turn down.
14:45pm at the System Helix Shrine.
— Duchess Kangana
“Thousand hells,” I swear. “I got to do this.”
“Perfect timing…” Mikito mutters, making a face. She stares at the notification for a long time before she nods to me. “Go.”
“You guys…”
“Will be fine. Just go.”
I nod and accept her word. I switch directions, heading for a bullet train that’ll get me to the second ring and in the direction of the Shrine rather than into the fifth ring like the team. Hopefully their meeting goes well, but I’ll have to get briefed later. I’ve been waiting to speak with the Duchess forever.
The ride to the second ring is quiet, if a little tense. The security procedures in the third ring are much tighter than anywhere else, but the Shrine is one of the few places anyone can travel to—if they can afford the cost. There are even special conveyances that go directly to the Shrine and nowhere else.
Of course, calling the multi-hectare, fifty-story tall structure a Shrine is kind of like calling the Hagia Sophia a little roadside chapel. The entire Shrine is made of crystallized Mana, solidified Mana in which data, knowledge, is embedded. Each person who pays a visit to the Shrine of the System leaves a small Mana crystal at each visit, a gift of their best knowledge, their best craft. Something that may be gifted outward to another, as the priests and bishops of the System deem fit.