I woke up without incident. The strange voice I'd heard just as I'd been falling asleep worried me - to the extent that Gamer's Mind allowed such things. Was this a further refinement of my power? Optimize, was that you last night?

NEGATIVE

I stood up, Inventoried my armor, and began to walk as I thought.

Did I feel any different? I guess I was finding it easier to keep my balance. Of course, with my dexterity as high as it was, it wasn't like I was falling all over myself when I couldn't see the road.

This might explain my still messed up status page.

Let's go over the facts. First, there's something strange about this world. Something the Shards don't understand. I know this because Ears of Babel can detect something... interfacing with me for lack of a better word. For simplicity, I'll just refer to it as 'magic' until I find out more about it. Then I can give it a better descriptor.

Second, my powers are acting strange. A lot of that can be contributed to being on a world that the Shards haven't analyzed every single atom of. However, there are a few outliers - mainly, my lack of sapient allies and my status page. The former is likely due to the 'magic' that brought me here. The latter...

Hmmm...

My status page is showing the same mess, except 'Class: None' has been replaced with 'Class: Wanderer 1'.

That's probably as much confirmation as I'm going to get. Optimize can't handle 'magic', and I now have a 'magical' class.

XXXXXXXX XXX

Helpful as ever, Optimize.

I sighed. This is just like when I got Optimize's memories. A fundamental communication issue that my Shard had to jump through some hoops to overcome.

So, what does it all mean? Is there another Entity on this Earth? It can't be Optimize's original self. It that was the case, then my Shard shouldn't have a communication issue at all.

...Unless it or its former self have changed somehow since Optimize was separated.

Hmmm... No. Let's use Occam's Razor. The least complicated explanation is that there's a third Entity or Entity-like power on this Earth.

It's that Entity that gave me the 'Wanderer' class.

Now, the next question is: Am I special? Have other people been granted powers? Are they the same, or are they personalized?

Harold was a minor Brute. Joel might be a minor Blaster. Maggie seemed like a minor Thinker.

What all did Harold say?

He commented on my 'skill'. They avoided asking me about my 'class' or 'level'. They mentioned a 'Necromancer'.

I'd thought that was their personal peculiarity. Or perhaps something that got lost in translation. I suppose that is the case, just that the 'translation' was my own assumptions.

Right. Instead of me getting special treatment because of being 'the Gamer', it's more likely that everyone in this world gets minor abilities.

Wait. I shouldn't assume that they're minor or that everyone gets them. Just because a farmer in the middle of wherever-this-is wasn't casually breaking the laws of physics in front of me doesn't mean that he couldn't. It also doesn't mean that he's a good representation of the upper end of dangerous people on this Earth.

I mean, there are capes like Maker on Earth Bet, but there's also the Triumvirate.

A sample size of three is entirely insufficient. Especially since I can't say I figured out Harold's family accurately. If my Thinker powers are unsure, then I should also assume that I'm missing other details.

...At least Riley should be thrilled by this, if she's here. She enjoyed the NerveGear games and playing around with other powers. Despite her opinion that 'Tinkers are the best'.

...

It didn't take long for me to come to the village Harold told me about. There's a fork in the road with a dirty sign that says 'Dretha'.

I decided to visit. I need some food before 'Hungry' debuffs start accumulating, and I don't have that much in my Inventory. I could always Craft some, but I still need ingredients.

It didn't take long to reach the walls from the main 'road'. The gates were closed, and I didn't see anyone.

"Hello!" I called out, but got no reply.

They might be standoffish, or something was wrong.

I circled the settlement. The wall that surrounded it wasn't particularly tall or thick. As far as I could tell, it was intact. No gaping holes or open sections.

Well, if there's trouble I should help. I've been trying to be more proactive. I think Dragon might've been rubbing off on me with all the situations she has sent me to handle.

I sighed. There's no helping it. I bent my knees and hopped over the wall. No need to be flashy or cause property damage.

I land lightly by lowering my gravity as I fall to the ground. I look around, but don't see anyone.

The village was quiet. Not to be cliche, but it was too quiet. In fact, it would be more accurate to call it 'abandoned'.

I walked around. No people. No animals.

Was this the result of the Necromancer?

Harold mentioned skeletons and zombies, but shouldn't there be signs of a struggle if that was the case? Admittedly, I'm going by movies and tv shows, but zombie apocalypses tend to have, I dunno, claw marks? Blood? Some kind of obvious signs?

...Unless the undead were intelligent and cleaned up after themselves, and then hid to surprise other people?

I rolled my eyes. If that was the case, why close the gates? It's more likely the village fled en mass.

I approached a house and knocked on the door. "Hello? Is anyone there? I'm coming inside." The door wasn't locked and opened easily. The insides seemed clean. I moved through the main room looking for anything strange.

*Shock negated by Gamer's Mind.

I nearly yelled as I opened the door and saw three people standing in a row. A man, a woman, and a girl.

"Hello?" No response. Their arms and heads were limp, but they maintained their posture well enough to remain standing. I Observed them.

[Body]

[Body]

[Body]

Okaaaay.

This might've been stupid, but I stepped forward and jostled the man's shoulder.

No response.

I put my hand on the side of his head and used my thumb to raise his eyelid.

No response. His retinas didn't move at all.

Fine. I'm not going to feel for a pulse or listen for a heartbeat. There is a simpler way to test it they're alive. I Inventoried them.

Success. For a certain meaning of success.

I quickly moved outside. The rest of the village was still the same as before. I un-Inventoried the bodies, which swayed slightly but remained standing. The only difference I could tell between them and corpses were that there was no decay, and the fact that they stood upright.

I pushed the man to the ground. He stayed where he fell.

Could these people be zombies? I was envisioning shambling corpses, but I was aware that the term 'zombie' originated from VooDoo. It supposedly originally used to describe people in a trance.

Or something. I wasn't an expert. It was just a piece of trivia I'd heard somewhere. It might not even be true.

The point was still valid. The concept I associated with a zombie might not be what that word meant here. I mean, the fact that we both spoke English didn't necessarily mean that we were speaking the same language.

On the other hand, if these people were alive, but in a trance - I shouldn't have been able to inventory them...

I un-Inventoried my mundane knife. Sorry whomever you are/were. This might hurt.

I knelt down by the man's prone body, and rolled up a sleeve of his shirt. In theory, Rapid Regeneration could be used to heal any damage I did, if he was indeed alive. Still, if I was going to wound him, better to not cut his hands. That might impact his livelihood if Rapid Regeneration didn't work.

I mean, I still hadn't tested it yet.

My knife wasn't very long. It was more of an utensil than a weapon. Despite that, it was easily capable of cutting flesh. I poked his forearm and gently applied enough pressure to pierce the skin.

The knife slid in, but no blood came out.

I frowned, and pulled my knife out. The tip of the blade was still clean. There was nothing on it.

Just to be safe, and to cover all my bases, I tried granting the body Rapid Regeneration...

Nothing.

I took a deep breath, and looked around the village just to make sure nothing was sneaking up on me. Satisfied that I was still alone, I brought my knife back down against his flesh. This time, I drew it across his skin after re-inserting it into the hole I'd already made.

Still no blood.

I used the tip of the knife to pry open the hole. Inside were threads.

Puzzled, I cut further and deeper.

He... it was a puppet. A masterly made puppet, but a puppet all the same. The question now was, is this a 'zombie'?

I stood up and considered my options. First, I could burn this place down. If this was Earth Bet, that'd be the 100% correct choice. Things were too similar to Ellisburg.

Well... that actually depended on when the village was killed off and turned into puppets. Or if anyone was killed in making them at all. I wish Observe was working.

Alright, leveling the place is out. I don't know enough to make any judgments. Besides, Harold said this place was 'creepy'. That implied that the village had been different. It would explain things if it had been comprised of puppets for a while. That in turn implied that whomever this Necromancer is has nothing to do with it.

Or at least HAD nothing to do with it. There's a decent chance that the village's puppet-master got involved with him. They might've even been killed, and that's why their creations are standing around

So, ignore things and continue on my merry way? I sighed. Dragon wouldn't approve, but I'm not her. I have other, more pressing things to do.

I guess I can take these three puppets with me and inform someone. Who knows if the puppet-master was even breaking any laws? I'm sure Riley would love to cut them open, but I'm sure there's other interesting things on this planet.

Besides, we can always come back once I find her.

Right. They might be someone's property. As such, I shouldn't take them without asking. I moved the puppets back into the house I'd found them in before leaving.

...

"Hullo friend! What news have you?" A man called out to me from a wagon as I jogged past.

I slowed to match his speed. "News?"

"Are you heading to Afiele?" The wagon-driver looked me up and down. "Are many others seeking shelter from the undead?"

"I think so." The main 'road' was getting more crowded with each passing day. It had gone from seeing the occasional farmer in their field to seeing the occasional family walking down the road. "I've seen quite a few farms that have been abandoned and their owners on this road."

"I'll pay you to deliver a message for me." The man smirked at my face. "I know, I know. 'I should go through the Runner's Guild' or other such rot, but if I was at a place that had a Runner's Guild, I wouldn't need to send a message would I?"

"Runner's Guild?"

The man leaned forward. "You are a Runner, are you not?"

I mean... "I am running, but that's not my job or anything."

The wagon driver straightened his posture. "My apologies then. I had just assumed from your attire and pace that you were a City Runner."

I nodded my head. "I'm afraid that I'm not. Still, if it's important I'm sure I can handle it."

He made a shooing motion with his hand. "No, no. It's my fault for asking. Wouldn't want to get in trouble with the Guild, would we?"

"Sure." I didn't know what to make of him, or his request. Instead I increased my pace and continued on.

I rarely saw any people heading in the opposite direction, and the number of people traveling down the road to Afiele steadily increased. It was like they were refugees. Actually, wouldn't they be pre-refugees? Instead of running away from a disaster, they were seeking shelter from one that was impending?

I supposed that might be true. There were signs of fighting and fatigue among them. That could be from the journey, or it might be due to having escaped the undead already.

I still haven't seen any creatures like that, but all the locals seemed pretty convinced that the undead were a real threat.

...

It took me a week all-in-all to make it to Afiele. During that time, my 'Wanderer' class had leveled up twice more, but I hadn't gained any new skills. Like the puppet village, my destination had a wall surrounding it. Unlike the smaller village's wall, Afiele's defenses stood over two stories tall, and were wide enough to mount ballistas on top. The gates were open as a steady stream of people passed through, despite the late hour.

The guards that stood to each side of the gate looked nervous.

I paused. "Excuse me, where can I find a library?"

The guard gave me a confused look. "I dunt know what yer jabbin' on about. Move on and stop blockin' the road."

"I don't want to be-"

"I said move on!"

Right. Don't antagonize the local law enforcement. They're obviously high-strung right now.

...Or just rude.

Or both.

Regardless, I'm not going to get any information from them. Which raises the question, what specifically do I want to know about?

Well, the world in general. This country specifically. How to arrange travel and find people.

Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than hunting down a specific individual in a medieval world. Except I wasn't looking for any old needle. Riley would cause a fuss no matter where she was. So all I had to do was keep an ear to the ground for a peerless doctor (or 'other' things).

So what I really needed to know was what the political situation was, and the upper limit on what I might encounter. Once I figure that out, I can see about traveling to wherever Sibby is.

I wandered around town looking for the equivalent of a library. I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb. Almost everyone was wearing black. There were a few noticeable exceptions: a man wearing a red hat, someone in golden armor, a woman with a white shawl. Threat Sense still let me know when people were looking at me, and my white T-shirt and jeans drew a lot of attention. It even clued me in to the little kid that I would bump into. I stepped to the side, but we still collided.

I looked down, but he was already running away.

A pickpocket? Seemed likely. Good thing my regular pockets are empty. My Inventory... was missing my Golden Gun!

I teleported into the air, spotted my target, and then teleported in front of him.

The little kid slammed into me a second time.

I Inventoried everything he had.

Clothes. A knife. A surprising amount of money. And my Golden Gun.

The thief recovered quickly and sprinted into an alley. I considered chasing him, but what would be the point? I only cared that I'd hadn't lost my most versatile weapon, even if it does take a while to charge up.

A man behind me started clapping. "I say! A most impressive display of magic, good sir! Most impressive indeed!" He wore golden full plate armor that had been polished to a mirror sheen. It made his clapping slightly odd as the cloth palms of his gauntlets muffled the sound. He walked towards me with his brilliant white teeth smiling under a perfectly waxed, brown mustache. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ser Dalimont of the Thronebearers of Calanfer. I am inordinately pleased to meet such a skilled practitioner of the arts! Indeed, as an emissary of the Eternal Throne of Calanfer I welcome your arrival in Afiele's time of need!"

Best to be polite. It's worked wonders for me in the past. "Greetings, Ser Dalimont. My name's Kevin." I held out my right hand before realizing that handshakes might not be a custom around here. Fortunately, the knight took my hand and shook it with a smile. He had a nice firm handshake that wasn't excessively strong. "Are you referring to the undead when you speak of Afiele's time of need?"

"Indeed! That is the current crisis that looms over these fair lands." His smile changed to a small frown. "Although I fear I must confess that there are greater tidings of ill on the horizon."

"Really?" I let go of his hand. "I'm not from around these parts, but I'll gladly help defend the helpless." The knight's smile returned. "Could you tell me what to expect from the undead? I've yet to encounter any despite traveling for many days to get here."

"By the Eternal Throne!" Dalimont's eyes opened wide. "I admit I followed you due to your odd clothing, but are you really..." He glanced side to side before leaning in. "One of Them?" It was... an attempt at a whisper.

I slightly turned my head. "One of whom?"

"You wouldn't happen to know a... singer, would you, Kevin?"

I was confused. "I mean, I know a few singers, but none of them would be anywhere close to here."

"I see. I see." Dalimont stroked his mustache before nodding to himself. "Sir Kevin. Would you deign to accompany me to a more secluded location? I know that we have just met, and I do not wish to appear too forward in my actions, but my Princess would like to meet one such as yourself."

"A princess?"

"'Tis true. I am a Thronebearer of Calanfer. My Princess, Seraphel du Marquin, has tasked me with seeking any visitors to this town that are dressed such as you are." Dalimont looked around before leaning in. "I believe one of your compatriots is one of her guests. Indeed, it was at her suggestion that I was tasked with my current duty."

I looked down at my clothing. It was noticeably different from what most people in this world wore. More importantly, could this 'compatriot' be Riley? I nodded. "Of course, Ser Dalimont. I'll gladly hear what you have to say." Besides, a princess should be able to tell me about other countries. Dalimont did say he was from Calanfer, right? That's either another city or another country.

The crowd parted for us as the knight led the way. I guess there are advantages of being of a higher social status. I bet pickpockets wouldn't dare attempt to steal anything from my companion. Speaking of that. "Ser Dalimont, might I ask you a question?"

He gave a short laugh. "Why of course, Mage Kevin! You need not seek permission to make inquiries of me!"

"You didn't seem very surprised with what I did to that young pickpocket."

Dalimont turned to look at me a moment before replying. "To be honest, I expected something. As you did not advertise yourself as a Mage, it wasn't surprising that one of this city's more unsavory lot tried to take advantage of you." He gave another short laugh. "Indeed, I had thought you a merchant or an entertainer myself."

"So my teleportation and seizing of his possessions isn't strange?" If other people got dimensional abilities from their Classes or Skills, that would explain how the kid had accessed my Inventory. I wasn't worried for myself, but there were some dangerous items in there. Would-be thieves might find more than they'd bargained for.

At least I didn't keep any of Riley's plagues in there. Just her dust that put people in a death-like state - and the serum to revive them.

"Not at all, Mage Kevin! While it is true that I've never met a Mage that was high enough level to master dimensional magic before, I have heard tales." He turned to look at me. "Did you study at Wistram? No, wait, I offer my sincere apologies! It is unbecoming of me to pry into your history."

"Yes, well, I don't get out much, and that was the first time I've encountered a pickpocket." I thought about how to phrase my question. "Are the usually able to access items stored in a sub-dimension?"

"You mean your bag of holding?" Dalimont glanced down at my clothing. "I've never had the need for one myself, but Calanfer has several. That said. It is rare for a [Thief] or a [Pickpocket] to get a skill that can access them, but I fear it's not unheard of."

I grunted in agreement and we continued walking. We soon came to another wall and another set of gates. The guards looked at Ser Dalimont for a second before quickly bowing and opening the massive doors for us.

"Why does the city have two sets of walls?" I asked.

"It actually has three, Mage Kevin." Dalimont glanced over his shoulder as we continued on our way. "It's a fascinating piece of local history really. You see, like most settlements in Noelictus, Afiele was constructed with the undead in mind."

"Really?"

"Oh yes!" He continued. "Even smaller villages in the country have walls to keep out rogue zombies or skeletons. It's not uncommon for farmers to band together in such a way also. It's not a universal practice, there are plenty of farms too remote for such a course of action. Of course, the [Farmers] who live so far away from civilization have developed specialized classes to help them fend for themselves." The knight stroked his chin. "Where was I? Oh yes! Afiele! It differs due to it being close to the border. As a trading hub from its conception, its defenses are substantial."

Dalimont paused and pointed. "Do you see the building up ahead?"

I nodded. "It looks like a palace."

"As well it should!" Dalimont smiled and resumed walking. "These lands belonged to the Nightengale Family back then, and are still entrusted to their descendants to this day. It was Afiele Nightengale that had the idea to expand upon his estate. That was when Afiele, the city, was created. They built another wall surrounding the lands around the palace. There are some very interesting laws and traditions about land ownership and nobility for locations within the city, but I shant go into those at this time. It is sufficient to say that Afiele grew more prosperous than the walls could contain. Indeed, only Ovela to the south can rival it! But Ovela is more of a military outpost these days, while Afiele continues to be the breadbasket of Terandria!"

"And the third set of walls?" I prompted the knight to get to his original point.

"Well, it should be obvious by now I would think! Ailendamus, the kingdom of Glass and Glory to the South, constantly seeks to expand its borders. This, in turn, has driven people away from Ovela, and to Afiele's protective bosom. Far too many people to fit within the walls, and far too many seeking to own land. That was when Afiele expanded for a second time!" Dalimont motioned with his arms. "As you can see, we are within the original city of Afiele now." He stopped and made a dramatic pose and pointed at the palace. "However, THERE is our final destination! The ancestral home of the Nightengales! The palace that is at the heart of Afiele! And the location of where my [Princess] resides with a broken heart!"

"A broken heart?" I asked.

"My apologies, Mage Kevin. I do not wish to speak out of turn, or to spread rumors. However, you should be made aware of the situation before you meet my [Princess]. Her fiancé was cut down by a [Witch] most foul! I tell you this, so that you can avoid the topic." Dalimont hung his head. "His loss weighs on all of us still. The wound is too fresh! This is why I caution you to avoid speaking of such events."

I nodded. "I understand, Ser Dalimont."

At the third wall, there was a set of even more impressive gates. The guards on duty saluted, and then pulled out a stone. "Are you Ser Dalimont?"

The knight replied. "Yes." The stone glowed blue.

"Are you of sound mind and body?"

"Yes. The stone glowed blue again.

"Do you seek the harm of anyone past these gates?"

"No." Another blue glow.

The guard nodded. "I'm glad to see you well, Ser Dalimont." He turned and looked at me. "Who is your guest?"

Dalimont slapped me on the back. "This is a Mage of great talent! Though we have only just met, I think he will be of great use in the upcoming battle!"

The guard turned back to the knight. "Then you vouch for him?"

"I do, my good sir!" Dalimont flashed his brilliant smile again.

"Very well." The guard turned, cupped his hands over his mouth, and yelled. "Open the gates!"

There was a metallic clanking from within the walls, and the massive gates slowly parted. Dalimont saluted the guards and then strolled forward. I followed close behind. We entered the palace, and stopped once we got to a lavishly furnished room. The most noticeable thing was that inside of the palace looked... normal. It was jarring to see so many colors after experiencing the near monochromatic outside world. Dalimont picked up a clear, crystalline bell from a table and rang it.

A single, pure chime sounded around us before a voice spoke. "Yes?"

Dalimont replied to the bell. "Ser Godard, I have returned. Please tell Miss Cara and her highness that my mission was a success."

"Understood."

"So, I've been meaning to ask about the undead." I took the opportunity to ask a question that had been on my mind for almost the entire time I'd been on this Earth. "What sort of zombies are we dealing with here? Are they slow or fast? Do they make other zombies? Do you have to destroy their brains to kill them?"

Ser Dalimont blinked. "Well, I hadn't really thought about them in such terms before, but yes, they tend to move slowly. Mind you, the more recently dead ones are faster, and greater undead can be quite spry, but zombies are usually ponderous monstrosities. Now, you shouldn't discount them as a threat because of that! While its true that any [Peasant] can out run one in the short term, zombies don't tire. They will seek out the living during any hour of the day, and they can be remarkably difficult to kill. As for destroying their brains? That largely depends on the amount of death magic that was used to create them. You see, zombies are easier to create despite having more volume than skeletons because the remaining flesh of the corpse can more easily mimic life. I've seen zombies that collapse when their heads are cut off, but I've also seen some that continue on. Fire is the best solution for those of us without magical counters."

That didn't sound so bad. "What about infection? Do people die and return as zombies if a zombie bites them?"

The knight tilted his head. "What a curious question. Is that how things happen in your country? I suppose that if a necromancer commanded a zombie to bite someone instead of using weapons, that it could kill them. I imagine this would be the case for reanimated animals since a human trying to bite someone in a fight would have little success. Yes, it might hurt in a barroom brawl or some such, but it would have limited impact upon a battlefield. As for returning as a zombie - it, of course, depends on the amount of death magic in the area. As you've no doubt noticed, Noelictus has much more of it than average. Thus, zombies rise quicker here than elsewhere as a corpse does not have to wait for the innate amount of death magic it produces to animate it."

"Really?" That sounded a lot more scientific and like a natural phenomenon than what I was expecting.

Dalimont chuckled. "I am no scholar, Mage Kevin. However, I did study the customs and conditions of the Kingdom of Shade before we arrived."

I was about to ask another question when the doors to the room swung open. A red-haired woman in an elegant dress with a haughty demeanor strolled in. To her side was a girl that looked to be around the same age as I was. She wore her long, dark hair in a ponytail. Two knights in polished golden armor accompanied them. One was easily six and a half feet tall with a solid build. The other was shorter, thinner, and possibly female - but it was hard to tell due to the full plate.

"Greetings. My name is Seraphel du Marquin, [Princess] of Calanfer." The red-haired princess motioned to her dark-haired companion. "This is 'Cara'. We'd like to ask you a few questions."