Author note: It is Thursday morning, and I'm scheduling this now for Saturday as I'm worried I'll be very tired from work.

Second chapter is planned out, and I've been having weird, fever-like ideas about Tycoon. Don't know why, but that story is starting to stick in my craw like none ever before.

I'm also considering changing the time-scale in Tycoon from 20 years, to 3, with little time passing on Earth. It would let the protagonist not miss any milestones with his daughters, and would kick in the "Dad saved me" plot that would be missing if his kids are older. Lmk what you think if you can.

Oh, also, ReaderQuest!

Quest ID: JDM-0002-L-EA

[Tier 2 Diplomatic Quest]

Assignment: Improve the Agreement

The first solution is rarely the best one.

Your Task

Identify one agreement, expectation, or arrangement in your life that could work better.

Then start a conversation to improve it.

Your objective is not to win.

It is to create an outcome that serves everyone involved more effectively.

Examples

Adjust how household chores are divided.
Reschedule a recurring commitment.
Suggest a better way to complete a shared task.
Clarify expectations before a misunderstanding develops.
Offer an alternative that benefits both parties.

Rules

Your proposal must consider the other person's needs as well as your own.

-  Don’t be an asshole. Their needs aren’t more important than yours, but on the flipside, you MUST think about more than yourself. Rarely do I add something like this to the rules, but I found it extra important.

You must respect their final decision, even if no changes are made.

Completion Condition

One agreement discussed. One improved proposal presented.

Timeframe: One Week

Reward: 16 XP

The strongest agreements are built together.

—

J D Mullenary Sr
The Original QuestWright

Chapter 68: Points

In less than a heartbeat, Cass’s mind was taken back to the darkness with the Source. Everything was the same, with one tiny change. Looking around, he found a small source of light stuck in the sky.

You’ve redecorated.

We’ve been told that this space is too scary for the uninitiated, so we each made a change.

I like it.

Excellent, I’ll tell the others.

Now, let’s get down to business.

Before we get to that, quick question.

Shoot, shooter, but don’t waste my time.

You keep implying that you’re not the only Source, so how many Sources are there?

Enough. And that comes close to wasting my time.

Touchy, Cass thought to the darkness, uncaring of how the Source interpreted it.

Now, this Dungeon was different from the last. There was no half-experience here, so keep that in mind and your expectations low.

I’ll combine your expected experience along with the points to save you the notification later, though you still have at least one big-ticket item waiting for you.

The counter didn’t tick down this time. Instead, a running list showed all of the monsters he’d slain as a totaled amount appeared at the end.

Minimal Credit:

121 Greybeards: 260xp/390 Points

Partial Credit:

14 Greybeards: 420xp/42 points

1 Corrupted Heart Guardian: 1500xp/100 points

Full Credit:

18 Greybeards: 1080xp/54 points

1 Rake: 2500xp/250 points

Total Survivor Tokens earned: 132

Ugh, math. Can I see it all together?

If the Source could roll its eyes, Cass felt like it would’ve. Without another word, everything added up, small sparkles flashing around the numbers in the darkness.

Total experience earned: 5,760

Total Index points earned: 836

Total Survivor Tokens earned: 132

That’s pretty. Thanks! Also, that’s a lot of experience. It should get Bella a few levels.

She earned her own experience at a sizeable sum. But yes, you’re correct.

Now, on to the portal closure points.

Wait, another question if you will.

There was a pause before the Source spoke again.

Yes.

I thought that red scab thing was the corruption? I’ve never seen a monster with red on it before.

Your reasoning is sound; however, that was a corrupted Guardian.

There is a reason that the System labels things corrupted. Once it is within a region, it begins to infect everything around it on an ever-growing scale. That is why it must be rooted out as soon as possible.

You are not the only Calling we have used to eliminate corruption, though thus far, you have been effective.

So that scab was the Guardian, and that’s why the bubble came?

The Source sighed, as if it were dealing with a pesky student asking inane questions that should be apparent. Instead of a long, drawn-out explanation, the Source replied with one word.

Yes.

Without explaining anything else, Cass’s point totals blew away as if struck by a strong wind. Then, a number appeared deep in the sky. Then it faded before Cass could read it.

Then it reappeared, only to fade a second time before he could make it out. At one point, it zoomed past his metaphysical vision in a blur as his frustration mounted.

Just…why?

Because you’re annoying me, so I am only returning the favor.

The numbers finally appeared in a tiny script far into the darkness. As they came closer, they ballooned in size until they filled the entire sky.

583,247

What the hell! Cass thought in shock. I thought you said to keep my expectations low.

Take up your complaints with my supervisor.

Who’s your supervisor?

Trust me, you wouldn’t want their attention.

To answer the question already forming in your mind, this is ten percent of all the Index points ever earned in this Dungeon. That is over all time, not just when you and your friends arrived.

So that’s including all of the farming the Guildtower has done with its Privates.

That is rather lewd, but correct.

By my estimate, they were most careful not to attract the Rake during their expeditions, though I do not know how they did so. 

Huh.

You’re so verbose, Cassio Vale.

I’m just shocked that there are things you don’t know.

I’ve explained this to you once before. We are not all-knowing or all-powerful. Nothing is.

And, in particular, regions rife with corruption create a sense of blindness in us. That is part of why you gain so many rewards by eliminating them.

Speaking of, are you aware that we can sense a corrupted item no more than a mile from your current location?

That close? Cass thought, trying to make it seem like he didn’t already know it. Sadly, the Source saw straight through him.

You’re considering not purging the corruption right now, aren’t you?

It’s on my to-do list; have no fear there. Only, my friends are tired, several are hurt, and I thought it would be wise to hit the corruption on the next trip down here.

Which will be when?

I don’t exactly have it scheduled, but- Cass’s thoughts stuttered as the Source interrupted him.

Are we negotiating right now?

The last negotiation had ended up with Bella getting her Calling. That, as well as the giant amount of points Cass currently had, made him consider what the Source had in mind.

What do you have in mind?

There’s a little over five-hundred-thousand points currently available to you. That’s quite a lot.

Uh-huh, I’m listening.

If you eliminate the corruption this day, I will unlock rewards that wouldn’t normally be reachable until your next tier.

Cass thought over the offer, which naturally led him to hear his own voice stating his argument within the metaphysical space.

That’s not a bad offer. It’d be nice to know what’s up there, and even the Source thinks that the points I’ve gained are a lot. I could buy some things that would have a huge impact later.

But then again, my friends are worn out. It’s because of Survivor and mostly Cinder that I’m still feeling fine, even after having my spine bent in by the Rake and that unfortunate tree. 

The group isn’t in great shape. Everyone has at least a few cuts, and Shirley looked particularly awful. Things are rough all over, especially Alan and Bella, who both pushed themselves over the edge.

Then again, again. This situation isn’t fair. Those points weren’t earned only by me…

Wait.

Source-

Yes, are you speaking to me now?

I am. How about this for a deal? I’ll go take care of the corruption right now, if you make an adjustment to-

You want to split the points among yourself and your friends.

Not only my friends. Everyone on the excursion earned this.

One of those excursion members is no longer among the living.

Jason? 

Exactly so, as I no longer have any connection to his Calling. 

What would you do with his share?

It only took Cass a moment to come up with the answer.

Can Shirley have it? Even though they fought a lot, it seemed to me like they were especially close.

This is a fair trade to me.

Accordingly, each member of your excursion would receive 48,604 points, while Shirley Portillis would receive 97,207 points.

Is that accurate?

So they were married then…Yes. It’s only right that Jason’s points go to her; I’m sure it’s what he would’ve wanted.

It is agreed.

However, point allocation and index selection will not occur until one corruption is eliminated. I will even allow your group members to choose when they’d like to enter the Index, so they may do so in a safe place.

As for the corruption, whether you purge the one nearest to you or the one directly beneath the Guildtower, the choice is yours to make.

Wait, there’s one beneath the-

“-Guildtower?” Cass said aloud as he was ejected from the darkness and back into the real world. 

Cass found his legs strapped to Bella’s saddle as the tired horse plodded forward. Adya came close, reaching from her own horse as she untied the rope holding him down.

“You okay? You were gone for a bit.”

Gary appeared on his other side with a tremulous smile. “How come we’re always dragging you back from places?”

“Just lucky, I guess. How long was I out?”

“About ten minutes,” Shirley said irritably on her horse in the lead. “Why is it, when you go to the Index, it takes forever? But every Dungeon I’ve been in without you, the person closing it is gone for only a few seconds.”

“I don’t know,” Cass said as they continued to move out of the biome Dungeon. “Maybe we’re experiencing things differently.”

The woman in front scoffed loudly. 

“You’re not special, Vale,” Shirley said in a voice close to a snarl. “You’re just like every other idiot who delves. Thinking you’re more than that will end up getting you killed.”

It didn’t take a genius to understand why she was upset.

She’s worried about Jason. Cass thought, glad to have his ruminations be private again. When she finds out he’s dead, it’s gonna hit her hard. If I tell her now, she’ll know his fate and won’t be wondering whether he survived or not.

But the person who tells someone that their loved one died always brings the heat onto themselves. I saw that during the Siege, and I doubt things will be any different here. 

Still, I know, and she doesn’t, and that’s not fair. In the long scheme of things, I barely knew him, and they were married.

Gary was pulling his horse forward, chest puffed up and an angry look on his face when Cass said.

“Jason’s dead, Shirley. I’m sorry.”

The lead horse stopped as Shirley turned to look at him over her shoulder. “You can’t know that!”

Everyone stopped as they stared at Cass, but he had eyes only for the woman with blood on her clothing. Taking a sharp breath, he said, “I do, and I’m sorry. When I go to the Index, I’m not alone. There’s something from the System speaking to me there; that’s why it takes so long. They’re the one who told me Jason’s dead. They said there’s no longer a connection to Jason’s Calling.”

“Bullshit.”

“Maybe,” Cass said, refusing to shrug and lessen the value of what he was saying. “But I don’t think it has lied to me yet.”

Shirley looked at him for another long moment, her glare boring through him. Small twitches wracked her face before spreading across her body as she turned sharply away and wiped something from her face. Then, she pushed her horse, bursting away from them and into the darkness.

Cass looked at the two archers. “Wallace, Seb, do you mind staying with her?”

“Of course.”

“Ya didn’t even need to ask.”

The two men rode forward at a gallop as all that was left in the darkness were Pellin, Gary, Adya, Cass, and their mounts. He looked at each of them. “We’re not done here.”

After making sure none of them were too injured to continue, Cass explained what they still needed to do. All of them rejected his deal with the Source, except for Pellin, who suddenly seemed very much like their missing member.

“Fifty-thousand points for all of us. Fifty…thousand…”

“Yeah,” Cass said, as Adya glared at the System Engineer. “I could do a lot with half a million, don’t misunderstand that. But it didn’t feel right to me. We all earned those points.”

“Cass, aren’t you tired?” Gary asked, taking a small piece of bread out and putting it in the corner of his mouth. “I know Bella is.”

At that, Cass reached down and patted her side, but the tough draft-horse spoke to him right away.

I hath no qualms of continuing.

“I don’t think you said that right,” He said to her, as she turned her head, one big eye rolling over to see him. “You’re sure?”

I am.

Cass looked at the others. “I’m fine. Got an upgrade a few days ago that’s keeping me going. I’m more worried about the rest of you.”

“I’m fine!” Pellin practically screamed at him. “Just fine. No reason to wait on little old me.”

Adya’s glare simmered on the long-haired man as she spoke up to the ceiling, “Why am I always surrounded by the foolish and the greedy?” She sighed. “I’m fine too. A few scratches that are starting to itch, but Johan can take care of that the moment we’re out of here.”

Gary, however, was looking at a long scratch on his arm that definitely had green-and-black mottling. “I don’t think I’m fine.”

Cass and Bella moved closer as he looked at his friend's arm. Small rivers of white liquid dripped from the edges of the wound, and just by looking at it, Cass winced in sympathy.

“No, you’re not. You can’t stay, Gary. You need to get to Johan right away, or you might lose your arm.”

“I’ll take ‘em.” A voice said in the darkness. Cass turned to find Alan sitting up on his horse. For the life of him, he’d forgotten the Old Scout was still there. “I’m no good in this place as I am right now.”

“Are you hurt?” Adya asked, her concern surprising everyone else.

“Just my pride for passing out. This old body can’t keep up like it used to. Come on, Trenner. Let’s get you out of here and see the Pharmacist. He’s bound to have something that’ll help you.”

Alan nodded to each of them as his horse started plodding forward. With a brief look at Cass and a warning to be careful, Gary followed the man. They faded into the darkness in seconds as Adya, Pellin, Cass, and Bella went in the opposite direction.

There was still corruption to purge.