Multi-Dimensional Merchant System

Increase Strength to 20 – 20,000 credits

Increase Agility to 20 – 20,000 credits

Increase Vitality to 20 – 20,000 credits

Increase Intelligence to 20 - 20,000 credits

Increase Willpower to 20 – 20,000 credits

Increase Spirit to 20 – 20,000 credits

Increase Luck to 20 – 20,000 credits

With just hours to go until his 'meeting' with Eve, Oliver was quickly growing annoyed and impatient. With a little over 40,000 credits, he had expected to be able to increase four attributes. All of the increases before had gone up by increments, 10 to 11 being just 1,000 credits, all the way up to 18 to 19 costing 9,000... But the price suddenly doubled, like raising an attribute to 20 was some kind of threshold. How he had missed it last night, he had no idea.

He blamed his impatience, and his anger, for overlooking something major like that.

His plan to raise four attributes to 20 was shot. He had wanted to raise all of the physical attributes, hoping that would give him an edge against whatever group of thugs or mercenaries Eve led, and his luck, thinking that could very well be the edge that saved him. Instead, he was forced to choose just two of them.

With a sigh Oliver selected Agility and, after a moments hesitation, Spirit. Some instinct drew him to raise his Spirit, though he didn't really understand why. He just hoped it was the right choice.

Increase Agility to 20? (Yes/No)

Increase Spirit to 20? (Yes/No)

Oliver refused to second guess the feeling, and quickly hit yes. His eyes widened in alarm at the system alert that followed.

Warning: Attribute increase exceeding local human limits may cause discomfort or pain during the initial integration process. Would you like to proceed? (Yes/No)

Oliver stared in shock at the message. He had seen some of the effects of increasing his attributes, as having his physical attributes at 16 was a noticeable improvements all around... But he had never really pushed his limits to test just how much stronger or tougher he really was. And now the system was telling him he was about to exceed human limits? What were his limits now, and what were they about to become?

He didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but his mind was definitely drifting in the direction of comic books and movies. But he didn't think of himself as a superhero... And he definitely wouldn't be wearing spandex.

He shrugged off the distracting thoughts and focused on the prompt in front of him. With a mental click, he selected 'Yes'... And the pain hit him like a truck.

Oliver ground his teeth as he stared at the screen of his phone. Before he would show up to the 'meeting', he had demanded proof of life... And gotten it in the form of a video call. While Eve never appeared on the screen, it was obvious she was the one holding the phone as she coached Tyrone on what to say. His friend sat in an empty gray room, blindfolded and tied to a chair with the day's newspaper propped up so the date was clearly on display, though he appeared unharmed.

“I'm alive and unharmed, and will remain so as long as you turn yourself over like a good boy... Seriously lady? That's condescending and stupid. Like, movie cliché stupid-”

“No going off script, Tyrone. You'll ruin the atmosphere I'm trying to cultivate here.” Eve's smokey voice echoed out from behind the phone she was holding, a hint of laughter in her tone.

With a resigned sigh, Tyrone continued. “You have one hour. Come to the address that will be texted to you, and come alone. If you're an idiot. Seriously, movie cliché trap. I don't know who this bitch has a grudge against, but it ain't worth it man. Don't trade your life for mine-”

“I think that is more than enough, thank you. And my, isn't he such a selfless young man, willing to sacrifice himself to protect the person that got him in this situation. All without even knowing who to blame!”

Eve let out a soft, almost mocking, sigh. “You'll be receiving your instructions soon. Don't keep me waiting!”

Oliver nearly facepalmed when arrive at the location that was sent to him. “Does Eve take all her cues from bad action movies?”

He didn't recognize the address at first, not having thought about the place much since his last visit. But it made sense, in a weird sort of way. It was his fault that the warehouse closed. After all, if he hadn't stolen literally tons of food then the place wouldn't have been the subject of an investigation... And Hardeman wouldn't have faced allegations of fraud. Though Oliver doubted anything came of those allegations, as Hardeman hadn't actually done anything.

He had no idea why the place was still closed. Maybe they were still looking into it?

And now things had come back around. This was were he had first really gone against Carl Hardeman Senior, and now he was back. Was this part of Hardeman's scheme? Or was it Eve's doing?

He had no way of knowing, nor did he care. He was here for his friend and nothing else. But still, better to be cautious.

Oliver settled in to the same spot he had watched the warehouse from before and scanned the property through his binoculars. He frowned in confusion as he swept his gaze across twice more. Other than a few lights inside, he saw nothing. No patrols. No guards. Nothing except an open door, inviting him inside.

It had to be a trap.

Oliver pulled the Tactical Personal Drone out of the warehouse, glad that he had fully charged it earlier, and sent it off for an aerial view. He stared intently at the feed it broadcast to his phone as he flew it in a spiral around the property, slowly closing in on the building. Still nothing to be seen, even after carefully combing the entire exterior.

With a soft grunt of frustration, he engaged the drone's stealth mode and flew it through the open doorway.

The warehouse was exactly as he remembered it, just without any of the fresh produce. Row after row of towering shelves lined the building from one end to the other. With a gentle touch, Oliver directed the drone along the width of the building, scanning each row as it passed.

Still. Nothing.

Oliver skillfully pivoted the drone around and flew it towards the offices on the end. While the walls here were the same gray as the room that held Tyrone, it was far to open. From his years as a music student, he had easily picked up on the way their voice rang out over the video call. The difference between a large, open room like this and a small office was clear in the way their voices would echo.

If Tyrone was here, he would be in one of the offices.

He cursed quietly when the drone reached the offices. The lights were on in all of them, but the doors were closed. He had no way to get the drone inside, and he couldn't get a look from the outside with the blinds closed. He had no way to confirm where his friend actually was.

Oliver sighed, resigned to having to search the offices himself, and spun the drone around to scan the interior one more time... When he finally saw her. Stalking between the rows of shelves, her head turning from side to side as if searching for someone, was Eve.

He didn't know what to think of her. With the way she talked, he expected someone more intimidating or dangerous. Instead, she just looked... Cute?

He guess that she was roughly five feet tall and petite, with platinum blonde hair and porcelain white skin. Instead of tactical gear and weapons, she wore a floral patterned peasant blouse, ripped jeans, and those odd fur boots that all the sorority girls seemed to own.

Was this really the woman that was happily threatening him on the phone?

Oliver quickly broke out of the daze her appearance caused and started to fly the drone back, only to pause when she turned as if to follow it. With a flick of his fingers, he turned the drone and flew it to the opposite end of the warehouse. His jaw dropped in surprise when she turned to follow it again. He could clearly see that the drone was in stealth, so how was she following it?

He watched for a moment as she stalked in the direction his drone had flown, her head turning from side to side as if searching, when it finally struck him and he glanced at part of the drone's description from the system.

Stealth mode renders the drone virtually imperceptible visually, though sufficiently advance radar or magical detection may detect it.

Somehow she was tracking the drone. Since she clearly wasn't carrying some sort of super radar... The only possibility was magical. She was magically tracking his drone... But... Who the fuck was this woman? And how the hell did she have some sort of tracking magic?

Oliver quickly put away the drone. He had hoped to find an easier way, but had expected not to. With a deep breath to clear his mind of any distractions, he stepped into the warehouse.

“Hello Oli, I'm so glad we finally get to meet face-to-face.”

Eve looked the same in person as she had through the drone, though now that she was smiling, he could see the dimples in her cheeks... But something felt off. More off than the situation already was, at least to him. Was it some sort of sixth sense from his Spirit attribute being raised to 20? What did it mean?

While she stood still in front of him, he could read the tension in her body and see the predatory gleam in her eyes. Like a hunting cat, ready to pounce on her prey.

And Oliver had no interest in being preyed upon.

He wanted to dissuade her of that notion, so why not try something new?

Blood Aura: An aura of blood surrounds the caster, draining health from all living creatures hostile to the caster within fifteen feet to heal the caster. Minor damage. Minor healing. Mana cost – 10/second while active. Note – Blood aura is invisible to those unable to perceive mana flows. May still be detected by individuals sensitive to natural auras.

Oliver felt the mana flowing through his body like blood as he followed the knowledge of how to use the spell. After a second, it started to surge and boil as it rose to the surface of his skin. Then it drifted off in a red, misty haze that he could barely see... and did nothing.

Eve's eyes closed to slits as she seemed to bask in the Blood Aura. With a deep inhale, she spoke with a tone of longing. “Mmm... I don't know what you did, but it is wonderful. It reminds me of killing Nazis back during the War.”

Then she smiled at him.

Oliver stared at her as his mind raced, trying to understand why the spell didn't work. It was supposed to hurt her while it healed him, so why didn't it do anything to her...

The feeling that something was seriously off rose inside him like a tidal wave, and he flinched in shock and took a half step back as it clicked. Blood Aura affected living creatures.

The pale skin.

The fact that she was only breathing when she needed to speak.

And the sharp fangs that peeked out when she smiled at him.

“Fucking hell... Vampires are real.”