Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (36 page)

Finding that there was nothing else he could do, he decided he might as well try a few out.

/GMHub

Invalid command, no zone selected. Please specify zone from available lots. Current available zones are zero through one million.

/GMHub 0

Teleporting…

Default Settings

Runner was standing in the warehouse one moment, then in front of a large office building the next. The holo-sign in front read simply as “Game Master Headquarters.”

Greetings! You have 1,418,397 tickets. Your current service level is 0% and your average speed of answer is Div/0. To reach proper staffing levels you will need to increase head count.

Please contact human resources, recruiting department.

Have a nice day!

“Ah. This would be the in-game office. Where tickets are resolved, issues worked on, GMs go on break. Probably even do orientation and training here. Big building. Shame that there isn’t more of an actual team. And that I’m a horrible monster because I’ll not be responding to any of those tickets.”

Walking forward a few paces, he ran a hand through his hair.

“Since I’m the only member, that is.”

Shaking his head in annoyance, he called up the console again.

/GMHub 1

Teleporting…

Active settings only:

Death=On

Food/Water=On

Damage=On

Gravity=100%

Biome=Plane

Day/Night Cycle=On

Runner found himself standing in a wide open and empty field of grass. Judging from the list of settings he’d been presented with on entering, this “hub,” as it were, was customizable.

“Okay, so…I dunno? Private space?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he called the console once more.

/GMHub 2

Teleporting…

Active settings only:

Death=On

Food/Water=On

Damage=On

Gravity=100%

Biome=Plane

Day/Night Cycle=On

And again he found himself in a wide open field. Identical in every way to the first.

“This must be the default then. Which leaves me a large number of customizable zones. For anything. In other words…I could build here. Like a castle. Or a storage facility. Or an entire city,” Runner said aloud, nodding to himself. Then a dark thought struck him. “Or a prison.”

Pressing his lips into a grim line, Runner tried the command he assumed would get him back to Kastell.

/GMHubReturn

Teleporting…

“And back in the warehouse. Neat,” Runner said. Promising himself to look more deeply into it later, he went back to the medical server. He couldn’t log anyone out or change them to an immortal status, but he had the medical server. Once he was done with this, he could start moving people over to it.

At which point they would be safe.

11:42 pm Sovereign Earth time

11/17/43

With a groan Runner rubbed at his eyes. Arrayed before him was the product of his long day’s work.

One large, dark, and wicked looking two-handed sword in the crate Ernsta had delivered the materials to. And six tanks, outfitted exactly like Boxy, minus the cannon. They were mobile battle platforms right now. That and a meat grinder for anyone slow enough to stand in its way.

Assuming Ernsta would collect the sword when she felt ready, he left it where it was. Honestly it wasn’t his best work either. Lots of damage, looked great, and absolutely no utility.

Pushing his fits into his lower back, he stretched and then blew out a breath.

“Bedtime,” Runner crowed intelligently, coming back to a normal standing position. Throwing his bedroll down on the ground, he outlined the entire warehouse and set it as his campsite.

“You going to eat anything? Nadine will fucking bake your balls if she finds out.”

Runner startled a bit at the sudden question and looked to the side to find Hannah leaning against an empty box.

“Yes, I’ve been here nearly the entire time. Lady Brunhild got in touch with Thana, who sent me over after telling me about you picking up Lady Amelia. Apparently she’s been trying to sneak over here repeatedly and Lady Brunhild was getting tired of it.”

“Oh? Right, then. Minxy did say she wanted to steal me away from everyone. I suppose me being alone is rather rare. Smart cookie. Gotta love her style.” Runner shook his head ruefully. “I’m sure Brighteyes has her in hand, though. I trust her implicitly,” Runner said with a smirk.

A warm tingle spread throughout his being. Two small blessings hit him at the same time. One for “health” and the other for “subtlety.” In retrospect, he did kinda compliment both of the aforementioned goddesses.

“I gathered. I’m sure a fuckhead like you had nothing to do with it,” Hannah muttered. “So here I am. Playing babysitter. You looked into your building thing so I left you be.”

“Thanks for that. Feels like people want to interrupt me for the fun of it at times.”

“Queen Helen did stop by for a moment. She watched you for a few minutes and left again. I imagine she’ll want to talk to you in the morning.”

“Hm. Either about her daughter or the tanks. Either one will be a delightful conversation. I’m sure.”

Runner toed open his bedroll and started preparing himself for sleep.

“About that. They found Katarina in your room this morning?”

Runner froze, bent over at the waist and adjusting his bedroll. Standing up again, he stalled for a few seconds.

“Yes,” he finally said.

“Why?” Hannah asked him quietly.

“Because we slept together.”

Hannah nodded her head minutely.

“So, it’s her then?”

“And you—”

“Me? What—”

“And Thana. Nadine.”

Hannah brought her dark brows down over her blue eyes. Her lips were pressed together and she looked annoyed.

“I told Katarina up front that if it had been you, Lady Death, or Rabbit, I would have said yes to them, too. I refuse to choose any of you over the other,” Runner said, and felt the truth of it. Might as well end it now if it was to be that way.

Running her thumbs over the hilts of her swords, Hannah looked for all the world like a woman confused. Not angry.

“So, if it had been me last night. You’d have fu-slept with me?”

“Yes. In a heartbeat. I’ve told you before, Hanners, you’re a beautiful woman. You really do have some of the best attributes of both your parent races.”

Resisting the temptation to look her over, Runner made sure to keep his eyes firmly planted on her face.

“And if I asked you to tonight?”

“In a heartbeat. With extreme enthusiasm. The lack of a bed would put a bit of a damper on it but I’m sure we can make do.”

“You’re a fucking whore.”

Runner laughed bitterly at that. His heart ached at the accusation. But she wasn’t wrong. The flames of desire went out like a circuit breaker had been pulled.

“Suppose I am. It’s the truth though. Right or wrong, I won’t choose between you four. I’ll let this play out to that conclusion, whatever it may be, for however long it will. I’m off to bed now. Long day tomorrow. Lots of people to kill.”

Runner switched to his sleep clothes and turned in.

8:01 am Sovereign Earth time

11/18/43

“You’re certain?” Queen Helen asked of him. They stood side by side at the top of the gatehouse.

“Very. She’s a very smart opponent. She’ll spend lives for information to save lives later. She does what she has to. I admire her,” Runner admitted.

For all intents and purposes, the enemy general would assume the Barbarians would remain holed up and leave the Sunless army to its fate.

Queen Helen and Runner had decided the best course of action was to carry on the charade of noninterference on the part of the Barbarians.

In truth, much of the Barbarians’ city militia, royal guard, and retired veterans had left the castle early this morning. They were now tucked in close to the Sunless’ flank, waiting for the chance to dive into the Human army’s own flank.

“Very well.” Helen turned her head to look down at the tanks arrayed below them. Barbarian casters weren’t numerous as they typically preferred melee, but there were more than enough of them to fill the tank’s troop compartments.

Into the tanks they went, the wooden constructions shifting as their occupants settled inside.

Off to one side was Boxy. Runner had left with the Barbarians this morning when they departed to get into position. Hannah had returned to the camp during the same time as well.

They’d stashed Boxy inside the castle walls. A contingent of Sunless noblewomen waited, lined up in two neat rows.

When the call came to prepare his personal tank, they had assembled themselves without being asked to. In fact, Runner had assumed he was going to fill it with Barbarians.

The Sunless noblewomen didn’t know what to make of Runner but he’d earned their respect. They were more than likely not as eager to get into his bed, thankfully, though their admiration of him had gone up and they had decided to serve as his personal tank crew.

Queen Helen apparently followed his eyes and nodded to his tank.

“You’re popular.”

“Unfortunately. I already have enough troubles in my life with women. They’ve already all been told I’m unavailable.”

“And are you? I have spoken to a few of them. They talk of others.”

Once again Runner had to admire the queen. She was very intelligent and quick on the uptake. She’d immediately jumped on the opportunity to question the Sunless about Runner to get more information.

“To anyone outside of the four they speak of, I’m unavailable. I’m the worst kind of man. I can’t decide. So I’ve chosen not to. I doubt that’s pleasing to your ear being the mother of one of them.”

“Her life is her own. I expect her to provide an heir eventually, but other than that I care little. My own husband was worse than you could ever be,” Queen Helen said, her head turning back to the open field before them.

“I’ll take that as your blessing then. Time for me to load up I’m afraid.”

Bowing his head to the queen, Runner dropped from the top of the wall to the courtyard, losing half his health in the process.

Casting
Regeneration
on himself, he stood casually and walked towards his waiting tank crew.

A black-eyed beauty with long black hair eyed him as he neared. Her features had a grace and elegance to them that were set off by the darkness of her hair and eyes, and her body reeked of overindulgent artists. Beauty took on a whole new meaning when someone could draw every curve the way they wanted.

Taking a step forward, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her perfect chin.

She had no name and happened to be listed as “Sunless Noble.” Level thirty-four and dressed well, she was assuredly a versatile and heavy hitting caster. She could be useful. Besides, it wasn’t like he had anything to lose.

“Ready to serve, sir.”

“Understood. Name?”

“Sophia,” the buxom brunette said. Her shoulders straightened further, if that was possible.

“No surname?”

“Sophia Tai.”

“Family?”

“Older brother, parents.”

Which made her expendable and why she was here.

“Sophia’s a nice name, but I’m a fan of nicknames. In this case, you look like the very image of a noble sunless lady. So you’re Grace,” Runner explained, moving to the rear of Boxy.

“I imagine I’ll eventually have a personal guard as well as a palace guard. They’ll be made up of various aspects of each base class. To that end I’ll need people in charge to run herd on them. I’d like to consider you for the role of captain. Pay to be established later since I have no formal ranks at this time but it’ll be relevant to a royal guard captain. You’ll need to work off whatever terms you have with your king first before you serve me.”

“I serve no contract to anyone and am here at my family’s request. I accept and request to be considered yours immediately,” Sophia said. Her nameplate shifted from “Sunless Noble” to “Sophia Tai” before she even finished speaking.

Runner felt odd about that change. He hadn’t seen that happen before and he felt like it didn’t bode well for the system.

“So be it. Consider yourself hired. Serve well or be replaced. Start working at hiring those who will roll up under you.” Runner paused and scratched at his cheek, considering.

“Shoot for two hundred and two. Two lieutenants report to you directly. Each lieutenant will have four sergeants. Each sergeant will have four corporals. Each corporal five troopers. Creates a base squad size of six. I expect you to hire so that each squad has an appropriate party make up and can function independently.”