The night was deathly quiet as Joseph dragged the unconscious mages to a nearby alley, far enough to avoid suspicion near his territory. He glanced at their still forms, their faces pale and bruised. They weren't dead—killing them would only bring more trouble from the Order of Arcanum—but they wouldn't be awake anytime soon.
He stared at their essences floating in his palm, their glowing forms pulsing faintly.
> Mage Essence (Male, Tier 1)
Mage Essence (Female, Tier 1)
These were different from the bestial energy of the werebeast and the malevolent aura of the shade. The mages' essences felt refined, almost regal, their magical potential humming just beneath the surface.
Joseph's mind raced with possibilities. With four essences in his arsenal now, he had options: summon one servant immediately, combine essences for a stronger creation, or absorb their power for himself. But each choice came with risks.
> System Notice:
Summoning a servant reveals part of the system to the summoned entity.
Warning: The Order of Arcanum will likely seek their missing agents.
"Yeah, no kidding," Joseph muttered. He had bought himself some time, but the Order wouldn't take this lightly. His confrontation with the mages was an escalation, and it was only a matter of time before they sent stronger agents—or worse, discovered the system.
"System, what happens if I mix essences?"
> Essence Combination:
Combining compatible essences may create hybrid servants with unique abilities.
Incompatible essences may result in unstable entities or failed creations.
Joseph frowned. "So I could end up with something amazing... or a complete disaster."
He glanced down at the glowing orbs. Combining the werebeast's primal strength, the shade's agility, and the mages' intelligence could produce a formidable servant. But he lacked the points to experiment freely.
"Guess I'll have to take this one step at a time."
Back at his apartment, Joseph opened the system interface. The golden grid of his territory flickered to life, showing the faint outline of his boundaries. He couldn't afford another intrusion, not while he was still figuring out his next move.
> Territory Status:
Defensive Barrier: Low
Intrusion Detection: Active
Upgrade Points: 6
"System, allocate points to defenses."
> Upgrade Confirmed:
Barrier Strength +10%
Intrusion Detection Radius +5 meters
The golden lines of the grid brightened slightly, giving Joseph a small sense of relief. It wasn't much, but it would slow down any potential invaders.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaustion threatening to pull him under. But the weight of the situation kept him awake. The mages had spoken of disturbances—were they referring to the system's influence? Or was something else drawing attention to him?
A knock at the door shattered his thoughts.
Joseph froze. It was nearly midnight, far too late for casual visitors. He reached for the mace propped against the wall, his grip tightening as he approached the door.
"Who is it?" he called out.
"Relax, it's me."
The voice was familiar. Joseph opened the door cautiously to find Cassandra standing there, her expression grim.
Cassandra stepped inside, her sharp eyes scanning the room. "You're not making this easy, Joseph."
Joseph set the mace down, his tension only slightly easing. "I didn't ask for your help."
"No, but you need it," she shot back. Her gaze landed on the system interface, still active in the corner of the room. She frowned. "You've upgraded your territory."
Joseph stiffened. "How do you know that?"
"Magic leaves traces," she said simply. "And yours is… different. Crude, but effective."
She turned to face him, her tone softening. "Look, I get it. You're in over your head. The Order sent two mages after you already—there will be more. Stronger ones. You need allies."
Joseph crossed his arms, skeptical. "And you're volunteering?"
Cassandra smirked. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in keeping the Order off your back. They're getting too bold lately, and your little skirmish just gave me an excuse to stir the pot."
Joseph eyed her warily. "What do you get out of this?"
"Leverage," she admitted. "If the Order's attention is on you, they're not looking at me. And if you survive, maybe you'll owe me a favor."
He didn't like the idea of being someone else's pawn, but Cassandra was right about one thing: he couldn't fight the Order alone.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm not promising anything."
Cassandra leaned against the desk, her sharp features illuminated by the system's faint glow. "Tell me what you know about the Order."
Joseph hesitated. He didn't trust her fully, but withholding information now could cost him later. "They're after people like me," he said. "Or whatever this thing is." He gestured to the system interface.
Cassandra nodded. "They hunt anything they can't control. If they think you're a threat, they'll come at you with everything they have. You've seen their mages—that's just the start."
Joseph frowned. "And what about you? Why are you so interested in them?"
Her expression darkened. "Let's just say I have unfinished business with them. The kind that doesn't end peacefully."
She straightened, her tone turning brisk. "For now, you need to strengthen your defenses. Expand your territory, build alliances, and, most importantly, stay out of sight. The Order thrives on information. Deny them that, and you buy yourself time."
Joseph nodded slowly. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than nothing.
"And one more thing," Cassandra added. "If you have any… tricks up your sleeve, now's the time to use them."
Joseph's gaze flicked to the glowing essences in his inventory. He didn't respond, but the weight of her words settled heavily on his mind.
After Cassandra left, Joseph returned to the system interface. The essences floated before him, their potential untapped. He couldn't summon a servant yet, but he could still absorb their power.
"System," he said, "what happens if I absorb the shade essence?"
> Shade Essence (Tier 1):
Absorption grants +2 Agility, +1 Stealth Ability.
Joseph considered the option. The agility boost would make him faster, and stealth could be invaluable against the Order's mages. But using the essence now meant he couldn't summon a shade servant later.
After a moment of hesitation, he made his decision.
"Absorb the shade essence."
The orb dissolved in a swirl of dark energy, its power surging through him.
> Agility +2. Stealth Ability Unlocked: Shadowmeld (Passive).
Joseph inhaled sharply as the change took hold. His movements felt lighter, his senses sharper. And there was something else—a faint connection to the shadows around him, as though he could slip into them if he focused hard enough.
"Not bad," he muttered, flexing his fingers.
He still had a long way to go, but for the first time in days, he felt a glimmer of hope.
The Order of Arcanum might be coming for him, but Joseph wasn't the same man he had been before. He was stronger now, smarter, and more dangerous.
And he was just getting started.