[Congratulations. You have reached the third Gate. Choose a reward.]

  Immediate

  Progressive

  Noah would have cried if his body wasn’t broken. Perhaps he was but simply couldn’t feel it. Either way, pride welled within him at his accomplishment. I did it. Now came the hard choice though. Before this moment he had never even considered choosing the immediate option. But as he thought over the previous rewards he couldn’t count it out. As much as he wanted a permanent boon, extra stat points, or more knowledge especially, he had no way of knowing if those would be of any use to him. He needed something that would make him whole right now, or there would be no future for him to worry about. With that thought he made his choice.

  [You have selected Immediate. Choose a reward.]

  Mind

  Body

  Soul

  Noah let out a long internal groan as he read his options. How was he supposed to decide? His initial instinct was to select body, as that seemed to be the issue, but he paused to consider the others. His mind seemed to be working order, but then again what was the difference between mind and soul? Seeing soul as an option came as a surprise, the final confirmation of its existence that scientists would have killed for back on Earth. The healer had never had any issue healing his body in the past, and from the conversations he had overheard, his body appeared healthy. His next thought was that the extent of the events he went through had caused some kind of fragmenting in his mind, leading to a sort of disconnection between the mind and body. Perhaps his mind was the issue, and he simply had no way to perceive it. Finally, there was the soul. Considering the reality of the soul, he had to assume that the trauma of the last year had left its mark. If that was true then perhaps the last two fights had pushed him over the edge, and his soul was somehow too broken to facilitate proper bodily control. That was somehow the toughest option to consider. Could a soul be healed? What would happen if it was permanently altered? Would he lose all sense of self? Had he already? A wave of panic threatened to overtake him, and he took a moment to steady himself. It lists the soul as an option, so there must be a way to restore it. The other options had lost all of their appeal after his internal struggle, after all this may be his one opportunity to fix his soul. He didn’t know what to think about the afterlife but if he was going to die he wanted to do so with his soul intact. With a firm resolve, he made his selection.

  [You have selected Soul.]

  [Soul Advancement Initiating.]

  [Error. Soul Damage Detected.]

  [Calculating…]

  [Greater Soul Restoration Initiating.]

  Noah’s internal world went blank.

  [Restoration Complete.]

  Noah gasped awake as if his soul had left and reentered his body at all at once. His eyes shot open and he stared at the descending blade in Jeline’s hand.

  “Wait!” He cried. Her eyes went wide and she inhaled sharply.

  “Noah!” She exclaimed, dropping the blade to the side as she wrapped him in a hug. Noah responded in kind, holding her close. She seemed to be crying, though he still didn’t understand their relationship. As he held her, he considered the changes to his inner self, or he supposed to his soul. He felt incredibly light, in a way he didn’t recall feeling before. It was as if every burden that had weighed upon him had been lifted, every trauma healed, every broken place mended. He recalled the agony of the last fight, his skin melting, his hope fading. He paused. His memory was perfect, he recalled it in vivid detail and yet it didn’t hurt. His mind went to the other memories, those deep places of pain. It was as if he had gone through the process of grief and acceptance and healing for every single moment. He was momentarily worried that this would change who he was, who he had become, but then that worry too melted away. I am exactly who I should be. Tears of relief began to well in his eyes and run down his cheeks. I’m free.

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  Sensing the shift in his demeanor, Jeline pulled away and looked him over, watching as the tears flowed freely. She reached out and gently wiped a drop from his face.

  “What is this?” She asked, a concerned look in her eyes. “Did you do something to me? Why has my heart ached? And why is water coming out of my eyes?” He smiled warmly at her and took her hands.

  “You were sad that I was injured. Your heart hurt because you wanted me to be well. And when you are filled with these kinds of emotions, your body processes through tears. It is very normal.” Noah explained.

  “I don’t like it.” She answered quickly. He laughed.

  “Yeah me neither, but there’s nothing you can do about it.” He stood to his feet and stretched out for the first time in nearly a month. He paused.

  “Were you about to kill me?” He asked, brow furrowing.

  “Yes, just like I said I would. The scouts confirmed that the neighboring kingdom is attacking in force. We have little more than a week to prepare.” She explained. He let out a breath and decided to ignore the killing him piece.

  “I managed to break through. Is that sufficient for you?” He asked with raised eyebrows. She nodded.

  “It would have been better if you had time to level, but this should do for now. I’m sure your friend will be relieved as well. That being said, it's time for you to fulfill your end of our agreement. Are you ready?” She asked.

  “I am.” He replied, the words ringing true in his heart.

  “Good. At your level, it will be challenging, but I suppose you can pick up XP on the way. The scouts confirmed that the king is leading his best forces directly, leaving his capital exposed. Your task is to take his capital and stake a claim on the land for yourself.” She said, her grin growing as she spoke. Noah blanched.

  “You want me to take their capital alone?” He asked, not believing his ears.

  “That’s right. I will release Recter to you and you are welcome to invite your tribe to join the attack, though I doubt they will be of much help. Their capital is two weeks of hard running from here, longer if you invite along the others.” She said. He considered her words, still caught off guard by the extent of the task.

  “And you want me to claim the land for myself? What is in it for you?” He asked.

  “Simple. I could use an ally in this fight and in the ones to come. Together we will absorb this fallen kingdom and look to expand our horizons with a friend to our backs.” He nodded, finding her words agreeable.

  “I guess that makes sense. Are you confident in your ability to defeat the king?” He questioned. She frowned.

  “It will be challenging, but it will be in our territory. If you can manage to take his capital his quest should fail, causing a significant distraction. We will take losses, but if we minimize surprises on our end we should come out ahead.” She replied. He found her response oddly unconfident, out of character for her typical self. She’s afraid. He stretched out an arm and set it on her shoulder.

  “We can do this.” He assured her, flashing his most encouraging smile. She let out a long breath and nodded.

  “Thank you, Noah. Now you best be off if you want to make it in time. I will see you on the other side.” She said, her words regaining their usual resolve. He gathered his things and left to find Recter, heading straight to the training yard.

  “You’re alive!” Recter greeted him, a warm smile adorning his face. Noah clasped arms with him and nodded.

  “I am, and I’ve managed to advance.” He shared. He watched as the tension seemed to leave Recter’s frame.

  “That is very good. Forgive me for doubting you. Regardless of our inferior rankings, I still count you worthy.” He said, a touch of bitterness in his voice. Ah. I should have known. He thought we were the most powerful beings in the world, the most worthy.

  “Recter, I believe we can still make it to the top,” Noah responded. Recter paused mid-sentence, his mouth still hanging open. He breathed deeply through his nose and straightened his back.

  “I’m ashamed of my lacking spirit. You are right, this is only the beginning of our story. There may very well be a path forward, and if there’s not… Well, we can make one.” Recter exclaimed, gaining momentum as he spoke. Noah grinned at him.

  “My friend, have I got some news for you.”