"You know, this all could have been avoided. All you had to do was accept my offer, instead we go to War!" - ****** Declaration of War
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(Jaime POV)
Nearly ninety minutes later, Jaime stood alone in the Personal Subspace.
Mostly alone.
Revira now existed comfortably inside his Familiar Space, but her presence remained unmistakable at the edge of his consciousness.
Jaime glanced down at himself.
The cloak had been a good decision.
Objectively.
It was primarily red and black, with an enormous emblem across the back: a crimson rose wreathed in black flame inside a black sun.
He had skipped the shirt entirely.
Symbols produced by his Bloodline stretched across his skin, pulsing with faint crimson light.
Black combat pants completed most of the outfit, accompanied by black-and-red combat shoes formed through a mixture of Blood Control and Infect.
Jaime was still figuring out exactly why those two Skills allowed him to create clothing.
At this point, however, he had learned not to complain when something useful happened.
Especially when it looked this good.
He checked the countdown.
00:00:34
Thirty-four seconds.
Despite everything that had happened over the last several days, Jaime felt strangely calm.
Part of that was Primogenitor's Wisdom.
Part was Revira.
Most of it, though, was simple acceptance.
Whatever came next was happening whether he was ready or not.
You ready for this? Jaime asked mentally.
Revira answered immediately.
Of course.
Confidence radiated across their connection.
These inferior beings will soon learn to fear us. Then we will be another step closer to establishing our Empire.
Jaime snorted.
I love the confidence, but let's not start sucking our own dicks just yet.
Silence.
Jaime grinned.
There are still plenty of things out there that can kill us. Even after everything we just gained, I'm still only ranked second on Earth.
That reminder cooled Revira's excitement.
Jaime could almost feel her shifting mentally, confidence becoming calculation.
She may have lost most of her previous memories, but the intelligence behind them remained.
I did not mean to diminish the danger.
Her tone became more serious.
You are correct, Jaime. However, I believe these initial objectives will function as little more than an extended tutorial for the two of us.
Jaime considered it.
Probably.
His eyes remained fixed on the shrinking timer.
But if that's true, then this is also our best chance to save as many people as possible and start gathering talent, resources, and territory before the real shit begins.
Revira was quiet.
Jaime smiled faintly.
Kinda hard to build an Empire without subjects.
That earned him a wave of reluctant agreement.
You have a point.
Her tone lightened.
Perhaps I will use this period to determine whether any among your people possess the qualifications to join my lineage.
Jaime pulled up his Status one final time.
Location: Layer 1 — Personal Subspace
Name: Jaime Fareway
Bloodline: Bloody Ghoul Primogenitor
Rank: F+
Titles:
Earth Pioneer II
Subregional Lord — USA
Health: 10,000/10,000
Strength: 70 — Average F- Human: 15
Dexterity: 70 — Average F- Human: 12
Durability: 70 — Average F- Human: 12
Intelligence: 70 — Average F- Human: 16
Spirit: 75 — Average F- Human: 16
Stat Points: 0
Talents:
Primogenitor's Wisdom (SSS-)
Energy Genius (SS+)
Skills:
Blood Control (SS+)
Lord of Air (S+)
Weapon Master (SS)
Infect (SS+)
Jaime scanned everything one final time.
His Stats had stabilized.
His abilities felt more natural.
Some had changed entirely.
Others had evolved into things he still barely understood.
Good enough.
00:00:03
Jaime rolled his shoulders.
"Alright."
00:00:02
A grin spread across his face.
00:00:01
"Let's see what this bitch got."
00:00:00
The Subspace shuddered.
Jaime's surroundings folded inward.
He blinked.
And the world changed.
The first thing Jaime saw was a wall.
Not just any wall.
An absolutely massive structure of black material rose into the sky, its surface gleaming like polished obsidian.
Blue magical runes stretched across it.
Each symbol pulsed softly.
The energy they produced created a faint vibration in the air that Jaime could feel against his skin.
He slowly turned.
"What the fuck..."
He stood within what appeared to be some kind of central district.
But Jaime had no idea how else to describe the place beyond—
High Fantasy had fucked Cyberpunk and decided to build a city together.
An elf casually walked past him.
Definitely an elf.
Long ears.
Too-pretty face.
The whole package.
The man was staring at a holographic screen projected from some kind of watch strapped around his wrist.
Moving images flashed across it.
Entertainment?
News?
Porn?
Jaime had no idea.
Across the street, a creature that looked like a six-foot-tall oak tree sat comfortably on a normal park bench.
A Treant.
It lifted what looked suspiciously like a blunt to its mouth.
The creature inhaled.
Then exhaled smoke.
Reality glitched.
Literal blocks of distorted space appeared in the cloud before correcting themselves.
Jaime stared at the Treant.
The Treant looked at Jaime.
Raised the blunt.
And nodded.
Jaime nodded back.
"Respect."
He spent approximately thirty seconds taking everything in.
Then an enormous spotlight slammed down onto him.
Jaime froze.
Screens appeared everywhere.
Buildings.
Walls.
Floating projections.
Even the sky.
Every one of them displayed his face.
"Oh, come the fuck on."
Inside his mind, Revira sighed.
Jaime immediately grew alert.
What?
Another sigh.
What's wrong? Do I need to be watching out for something?
Revira's irritation mixed with something that felt suspiciously like excitement.
Part of my memory returned when I saw our surroundings.
Jaime waited.
I know what kind of territory we have entered.
Good thing or bad thing?
Both.
Of course.
The favorable news is that acquiring talent and resources should be substantially easier here.
Jaime began examining the crowd gathering around him.
Different species.
Different clothing.
Different technology.
Some looked almost human.
Others very much did not.
The unfavorable news is that we appear to be within territory heavily influenced by the Technomancy of the First Layer.
Jaime's attention sharpened.
Technomancy?
A vast power.
Revira's emotions carried genuine respect.
Their influence extends throughout the Well and beyond. They are an Empire worthy of admiration.
A pause.
And caution.
That was enough for Jaime to take them seriously.
Are they gonna be a problem?
Not necessarily.
Revira continued.
The Technomancy itself should not immediately concern us. Its Corrupted, however, may become a substantial problem.
Jaime remembered the word.
Corrupted?
Later.
Revira's response was immediate.
For now, understand this: many of them will possess little or no conventional blood.
Jaime's expression flattened.
That was annoying.
They may also possess significant resistance to ordinary infections and curses.
More annoying.
Jaime didn't like enemies specifically designed to ignore half his toolbox.
Fortunately, his increased Intelligence and Spirit had another unexpected benefit.
Their entire conversation occurred in less time than it took Jaime to blink.
Thought itself had accelerated.
He spent another few microseconds considering what Revira had told him.
Then turned his attention toward the audience.
The System apparently expected their new Lord to say something.
Screens broadcast Jaime across the entire Subregion.
Millions—
possibly far more—
watched him.
Humans from his old country were somewhere among them.
So were aliens.
Spirits.
Monsters.
Machines.
And whatever else now occupied the territory he had somehow inherited.
Jaime had been granted authority.
That didn't mean anyone respected it.
Yet.
He needed control.
Quickly.
Thoroughly.
Enough to keep the population from descending into chaos while he figured out what the hell was actually happening.
Jaime stepped forward.
Then slowly turned in a circle.
If everyone wanted a show—
fine.
He could give them one.
Across the city and far beyond, countless eyes settled upon the eighteen-year-old standing beneath the spotlight.
Jaime raised his head.
"Hello, people."
He paused.
"My name is Jaime Fareway."
His voice carried through every screen.
"And apparently, I'm the new Lord of this Subregion."
He let that statement sit.
"Now, I ain't gonna stand here and pretend like I know everything that's happening, because I don't."
A few members of the crowd exchanged looks.
"But I know shit is about to get crazy."
Jaime smiled.
"And best believe, imma handle that shit."
Somewhere in his mind, Revira groaned.
Jaime ignored her.
"We'll learn more about each other soon. I'll figure out what y'all need, you'll figure out what I expect, and eventually we'll work out how all this shit is gonna function."
His grin widened.
"But until then, there's one little saying from my old world I think everybody should remember."
Silence spread across the street.
Jaime opened his arms.
"Fuck around..."
He let the pause drag out.
"...and find out."
Dead silence.
Jaime nodded once.
Revira.
Black fire erupted beneath his feet.
A portal opened.
And before anyone could decide how the hell they were supposed to react to their new leader, Jaime disappeared into the flames.
Leaving behind millions of people with exactly the same thought.
What the fuck?
A bad impression had officially been made.