The Power of Ten

Chapter 3-75: Goodbye Easy Karma...

Four days later...

Dusk Renewal came in as I softly called off the Salute to Aethra.

Everyone was watching in expectation as the incorporeals began to materialize, and our little ducks of Karma began to show up.

And then they began to back away...

All along the wall, the undead and unliving who would normally be shambling or flying out towards the living souls on the Wall were instead pulling back from it rapidly, and that included all the corpses down below.

A couple of Briggs shooters called out that they were getting away, and Briggs just held up his hand, silencing them. He turned to look at me, and I just nodded.

Master Fred, get Sir Pellier on the phone for me, if you would.

The Warlock pulled out his Vaccine, tapped up an ID, and handed me the phone.

It rang only twice before the stern voice of the Paladin answered, Master Fred?

His phone, Sir Pellier, I replied calmly. I need you to suspend your nightly shootings.

There was a short moment of silence. That sounds ominous, he finally replied.

I am on the DC Wall. Weve been using it to Advance our Weapons while waiting for information. The Ministers here noticed something was wrong, and just pulled all the undead away from the Wall.

There was silence on the other end, and then a long, low chuckle. It was too easy, he laughed grimly.

That is very, very true, I agreed, smiling despite myself. These unliving are more disciplined and alert than yours, but it seems they do notice eventually, even when keeping the kill totals down.

Understood. Ill tell the others. It was profitable while it lasted, Miss Traveler.

Six days worth was nearly two million dollars in Karma for my Ring and Staff. Yes, it was indeed worth it for everyone here.

Yes, it was. Take care, Sir Pellier.

You as well, lass. Good luck on your hunt.

I hung up the Vaccine and handed it back to Master Fred. Commander, your recommendation?

Briggs frowned and looked out over the wall, both disappointed and irritated at this development. Lets see how far back they pull back, and wait a while. If they dont come back, well call it a night like any reasonable person. Ill call regularly to see if theyre testing out the Wall again.

If they do, I expect they will do so in small areas, testing to see if where they tempt attacks has anything to do with the missing undead. I watched them withdrawing out of anything but sniping range, and then just pulling back inside the buildings and not coming out.

Briggs nodded slow agreement at my words. If anyone finds out we were here, they may wonder if we had anything to do with this kind of behavior, he growled to me. There were no soldiers close by, as wed set up our firing line, and theyd seen we were well capable of taking down any undead who broke the Warding.

Perhaps. We arent the only shooters... but we were the only ones who might have improved our guns visibly. I glanced at his squad, who all pursed their lips at my gaze. They hadnt chosen Vivic for the first enhancement for their Zvei Slot, for just this reason, but the fact was they had still opened the second Slots successfully.

Fortunately, they had suppressed the fire, cold, lightning, blessed, and other effects, so they were not immediately obvious to those we had passed. Vivic was only useful for picking off undead and getting rid of corpses, after all. Against sahaug, for instance, it was not useful except for cleaning up the corpses in the water and pissing off the sharks.

This was a very alert March. It meant the easy Karma for others was not something that was going to persist, and would be noticed, meaning easy Leveling and Weapon Advances simply werent going to happen.

That meant killing them would mean breaching the Warding, which would open someone up to mass incorp attacks, and energy drains to death almost instantly.

Without constant Negative Energy Protection, breaching the Ward was basically a deathtrap, especially since there was no dimension-hopping under a Shroud.

And just like that, our sweet little Karmic exploit was over...

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We were heading back down the Wall when my phone rang. Frowning, I looked at it, and Chulvats name popped up on the ID. Id had them put in their phone numbers so they could call me if they had an emergency or questions.

Traveler here, I answered, after pressing the bright green Answer Phone button.

Miss Traveler, um, dunno if Master Fred told you, but he had us do a drive-by of your place every night, make sure there werent any new surprises in the area before you came home.

I glanced at Fred, who seemed supremely unconcerned about his wise move. Understood. So, this phone call means youve found something?

Yes, maam. Theres a person in one of the empty condos who doesnt belong there, and its got line of sight to your place. I get the impression from the city hes not a native, either.

Please pull away from there and make sure youre not seen. I moved the phone away from my mouth. Briggs, can I borrow your shooters for an hour or two? I asked ahead of me.

He half-turned back on the stairs. What for? he asked gruffly.

Theres a watcher camped in an empty house across from mine. Id like to make him run, and have Master Fred follow. I figure a fire team racing for the front door and breaking in would inspire him to get moving.

This have to do with that personal matter of yours? he asked, very grimly.

I do believe it might.

The lads will be happy to help. He flexed one hand, and his knuckles cracked. Well send three. Dont want to make you seem too well-connected.

I am obliged.

Frak, if I could just GAIN VERTICAL LEVELS, I could handle this myself! Ugh. Sideways Levels are for when you have all the time in the world!

I had a baby to find!

It had been six days. Einz had finished up getting a Div Ward II in place, and Id sent the Harsites Amulet back to them with a thank-you. There had been interesting things going on with my Levels, but I still hadnt been permitted to grow up, only sideways.

So damn stupid. I needed Caster Levels more than odd skill expansion at this point. Caster Levels, Spells, and Spell Slots! The rest I could acquire naturally over time. You went sideways when you didnt need to go vertical or time didnt matter, not automatically!

But nooooo. Must get the side Levels first, instead of later. Dammit!

Well, this is why you had friends, to take up the heavy lifting until you could do it yourself...

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I was watching as Chulvats van surged into the parking lot, pulled up in front of that unoccupied house, and the sliding door surged back.

Im sure the guy watching inside popped a pink Twinkie (which they actually still had here) when three fully-armored Aruan Temple Guards in red and yellow surged out of it, and charged for the house.

My Detect Evil had gotten a hit when I got close enough to the window, pinging him squarely in the purple. He saw the Aruans coming for him and blipped; I noticed the shift out the back as he Rode the Shadows out of there really fast, and the Aruans blew through the front door with a crash and spraying flinders, and began to fan out professionally.

Hes out back and moving, I murmured into my phone, which one of them had hooked into their coms. Do a sweep of the place and make sure he didnt leave any victims there, please.

Copy that, the team leader said, and they leapfrogged one another as they moved quickly and surely through the house.

I heard two soft clicks. Master Fred had him, and was following at a discreet distance; Sleipner was tailing him.

I headed back to Briggs van, a custom job made to fit him comfortably, although he didnt bother to drive, either.

Ive got Master Fred moving thataway, the coms guy, Petersen, informed me as he looked at his cell phone, pointing.

Were in no hurry. Hell text if theres an Interdiction or something, and theres nothing on wheels in this city that can possibly lose that unicorn bike. Let the squad finish the sweep; Trav, fix the door they busted, and well follow and see what we can, Briggs stated calmly.

I nodded and headed back to the house, as the squad reported theyd swept every room and found no sign of corpses, blood, or dead people. It was basically truly unoccupied, or the owners simply werent using it, fortunately for them.

They trotted out past me as I was fixing up the door, all of us ignoring the people watching from the other condos, and headed down the drive to Briggs transport van. I finished up and slid in next to Chulvat, who turned his ride around and headed out of there.

He was following after Master Fred, too. I guess Baltimore was interested in what was really going on here... and had noticed the use of Warlock magic that wasnt friendly at all.

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Fred found the hard thing about following this Sinbound was being close enough to keep him in sensory range, without falling into range of the other's own, and still being able to pounce.

Sinbound didnt have the ability to Detect Good or Evil, because that wasnt the focus of their Pact. In the end, they were sworn to death, so they had the ability to Deathwatch, which allowed them to identify living beings nearby and in line of sight, and see how close to death they were.

Shadows and invisibility wouldnt foil this, although cover would and did. So, Fred had to stay in visible range, making sure this punk in his stylish jacket and polo shirt and designer shades didnt get away, and at the same time not be seen by the frequent looks over his shoulder and at the sky in proper paranoia.

Still, there hadnt been any spellcasters visible when they went off after him, just the Guards, who werent Powered. It didnt mean he wasnt being followed, but invisible people wouldnt defeat his Deathwatch, and he had Devilsight, too, so the night was like day to him.

Fred basically was flitting behind trees and walls, taking glimpses and making sure he knew what the punk was doing at all times.

Gregorigori had sifted all the comments on the page with the Human Tongue video, specifically looking for those that claimed to know who she was, and where she was living. Then hed tracked back all their IP addresses, in most cases right to the building theyd come from....