Penn Station, Manhattan, New York - 7:40 AM

  I stretched as I left the Subspace Depot, the rest of the guild trailing in my wake. We were underneath Madison Square Garden, only a short walk away from Penn Station, and we started heading that way while avoiding the trains coming and going.

  As we jumped onto the platform and started up the stairs to the street, gathering a significant amount of curiosity along the way, I couldn’t help but smile. The guild was rolling up in their level best and rocking the Sol Ligatus logo, a sun trapped within a circle, on their chests with pride.

  Kayla, wearing the perfect blouse and skirt to go with her wide-brimmed Magnanimous Hat of the Charitable. The Egyptian style necklace she had on further increased her Credibility and Moxie stats. Although she had her Drakefang Dagger at her hip, she also wore the Hidden Claws gloves that could turn her nails into knives. The Double Agent looked magnificent as our spokesperson.

  Her husband was, thank Sara, not dressed as goofy as he had been. Jeff had basically thrown whatever strong gear he could find on and called it a day. It was a take that I had resorted to time and time before, but not one we wanted when we were trying to make an impression.

  Well, a good impression.

  Now, the Queen’s Knight wore his black and yellow Stinging Yellow Jacket along with clothes that matched it. The Goggles of the Trojan Prince were a little out of place, but at least he wasn’t wearing the loud safety vest on the outside. Killer Queen was on his belt, as always. The rapier had been maxed out with Weapon Enhancement Jewels, allowing it to stay competitive even now. Still, it was almost time to replace it, something I knew the sentimental man wasn’t looking forward to.

  Walking beside him was Corwin in his Black Dog form. The Evolution Hound was initially a yellow labradoodle, but this transformation made him bigger and gave him the ability to breathe fire. He exhaled bright embers in a display that some might have called intimidating if it weren’t for his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth and the girl riding on his back.

  Bethany’s eyes were wide as we left Penn Station and reached the road. She was dressed like a barista with a witch’s hat, fitting for a Tea Witch, and kept her hands firmly on Corwin’s fireproof collar. The ten year old was too big to be comfortable riding on the Evolution Hound’s original form, but this one was just right.

  Beside her, with his hand on her shoulder, was Mercury back in his iconic garb. It was pure black and tight, but a casual observer’s eyes would slide right off of him if they didn’t know what they were looking for. The metal plate on the headband around his forehead labeled him as a “Ninja,” but no one was paying him any attention. The Princess, his wakizashi, was across his lower back today as he decided to mix things up.

  Behind them was a very disgruntled Ashley. The Monstersmith squinted as the sunlight hit her face, and her scowl somehow deepened. According to Kayla, this had been the first time she had left the Subspace Depot since we had gotten in after leaving Atlanta.

  Out of everyone, she was a mess with soot on her freckled skin, her red hair tied in a barely controlled bun, and her thick leather apron clearly having been used recently. The tools she had around her waist were sublime, however. They were clearly taken care of, and the purified ones from Pustibule even shone with an Angelic grace. I wasn’t about to get my head snapped off for bringing up how she presented herself, but it was clear what her priority was.

  Jamie brought up the rear, intimidating with her piercing eyes and plastic armor. The Weapon Master was a walking arsenal with different implements of death either sheathed or simply hanging off of her. The golden shield on her back was an example of this, along with the knives on her thigh. Her twin scimitars and pistol on her leg were sheathed, and the Atlantean weapon in its harpoon form stayed in her hand.

  And then there was me.

  The Staff of Raphael I carried didn’t matter, nor did the rosewood red pants, gloves, and cowl I wore. I had on the Glasses of the Messenger of Peace on, and the Cloak of the Irradiated King. A bracelet of bones on one arm, fishing line with Longcomb Sawtooth teeth dangling from it on the other. Even my Heelies, which had wings on them, didn't stand out as much as I wanted.

  It was all overshadowed by the obnoxious blue, white, and brown Hawaiian trench coat. The constellation of 17 sparkling starstones in the shape of folded wings on my back didn’t help, either.

  “You’re ruining our entire vibe, psychic boy,” Ashley complained. “If anyone’s wondering why I look so sour having to leave the safety of the train, it’s because of psychic boy.”

  “It does look quite a bit worse than the Golden Retriever Knight trying to dress himself, doesn’t it?” Mercury asked.

  “Hey, don’t rope Jeff into this,” Kayla said, not bothering to look back.

  “Thanks, Kay,” her knight said with a grin.

  “He’s passed that phase, after all. Anthony’s returning to it,” she finished.

  “Yeah, thanks, Kay,” Jeff repeated, now shaking his head. She patted him on the arm, and that was all it took to make him smile.

  “Got anything you’d like to add before we make it to the Empire State Building, Jamie?” I asked, rolling my eyes at the good natured ribbing.

  “Nah,” she replied.

  “Excellent.”

  “I mean, your outfit is loud enough for the whole group, don’t you think?” she asked, deadpan.

  At least two high fives were exchanged behind me, and I laughed. This was a good, healthy environment. A big part of me had been worried how they would react to learning outright that I was a regressor.

  Surprisingly well, it turned out. Not perfect by any means, but it was something I could work with.

  I turned towards our destination: the Empire State Building. There were people crowding the streets, celebrating the coming of the new scenario. While that wasn’t a cause for parties in most circumstances, it was different here. This scenario was so huge that it protected the rest of New York City.

  That wasn’t to say that the whole place was a safe zone all of a sudden. There were still monsters around along with some dungeons and roaming bosses, Baltastasia just wanted to make sure that the bulk of the attention was on her and the Emperor’s Ascent. It still promised to be far, far safer than a different scenario in every neighborhood, though, which everyone was relieved about.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  I just told Baltastasia that you and the guild have arrived. You should be receiving the first quest shortly.

  <<<>>>

  “Alright, Sara says we’re about to get the quest,” I told the group. It appeared before I finished.

  <<<>>>

  [[Emperor’s Ascent Quest 1]]

  Welcome, Sol Ligatus!

  Let’s make one thing clear, you’re here for the ratings. Your boss is a glitch and possible regressor, there’s a lot of discourse around him right now, and I’m going to milk that for all it’s worth. The Zodiacs voted 7 to 6 to let you lot in specifically because this mystery Patron of his made a good point about the sun and that seems to be your guy’s jam.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Here’s a tip for you. Make sure the ratings stay high, and you’ll be fine. Keep me and the watching Patrons happy, and you’ll be fine.

  Your ratings start to slip? I’m feeding you to the wolves. There’s nothing people like more than a good old fashioned tragedy, and you’re on the menu.

  Don’t get complacent just because you’re taking part in an elite, invite-only scenario. You’re all chum in the waters here, so remember your place.

  Objective: Head to your designated areas, arrive before 8 AM, and wait there for the next quest.

  Reward: 100 points.

  [[Notice]]

  You were one of the first players to find the Hidden World Boss [Esaraphelscion, Angel of the End]. +10,000 points.

  You were one of the first players to permanently kill a Demon Lord. +10,000 points.

  These rewards have been reduced due to scenario limits. Points will be given to you at the beginning of each scenario until you have received them all.

  <<<>>>

  I swiped away the notifications. It was nice getting the World Boss and Demon Lord notifications right off the bat this time. Back in Pittsburgh, I had to wait for a few quests before the scenario properly began.

  “Well, they sound like a fucking delight,” Ash loudly complained as an arrow appeared, pointing me in the direction I needed to go. Everyone else would have gotten the same.

  “At least you know what she’s all about,” I said with a shrug before turning around and walking backwards through the crowd. “Alright, so y’all should have a different entrance than I do. Head on over there and watch the opening ceremony. I’ll be joining you once they’re done.”

  “How long do you think that’s going to take?” Kayla asked.

  “Depends on how long-winded Baltastasia’s planning on being at any given moment,” I answered cheekily. “But this is the least dangerous part of the scenario. I can handle her.”

  “You going to wear your Warmonger mask?” Mercury asked. “You know, to hide your face from that horrible coat like some kind of tropical Dr. Doom?”

  I was about to retort when I thought about it more seriously. “You know, I think I will do it for the air of mystery. Who is this glitch? Why is he hiding his face? Was he horrendously scarred or burned, or just horribly scared because he has to wear that outfit?”

  “We’re all a little frightened of it,” Jeff said.

  He grinned at me, and I returned it as I flipped him off. “Alright, you all get out of here. I’ll see you when I see you.”

  They said their goodbyes quickly, noting the time, and were on their way. I raised my Glove of the Warmongering Mystic and Lifted it, sending me into the sky to land on top of a building. There were people up here waiting for the opening ceremony to start, but aside from a few surprised and curious glances, no one seemed to care about my presence. Removing the Kingtin’s Foil from around my finger, I started molding it into my Warmonger mask.

  <<<>>>

  [[Item]]

  The Kingtin’s Foil

  (Malleable Item [Accessory Slot]; +5 Willpower)

  <<<>>>

  The silver metal was easily reshaped into a mask that would fit over my whole face. It had hard edges meant to be intimidating, and this time I did put in rectangular eye holes so I could see without Absolute Awareness. Underneath my right eye, there were three slits that got smaller the lower they got. That had been the original design of the mask when I first received it, and I had kept it since.

  Placing it over my face, the Kingtin’s Foil adhered magically without the need for straps. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering that it was a metal mask. Now all it needed were the same Party Tricks it had back in Atlanta, the ones that changed my eye color and voice, and I would feel like the Warmonger all over again.

  But for now, this worked just fine. Especially because it wasn’t even necessary, it was just a bit extra.

  I started moving from building to building, walking along the edge as I skipped over most of the crowd. The opening ceremony came into view of my aura before I could see it. Thirteen people stood on a stage, one of them separated from the others. That was the Avatar of Ophiuchus, who was also considered an intruder in this scenario.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  You’re going to be okay, right? I know this is the first time you’ve joined the scenario like this, so I’m a little worried about how it’ll go. From the sounds of it, at least six of the other teams didn’t want you there. They could make things a lot harder for you.

  <<<>>>

  “Good, let them challenge us,” I said confidently. “That’s just what the team needs.”

  There was no response from Sara, so I know that wasn’t the answer she was looking for.

  So, I smiled. “We’re going to be fine,” I insisted.

  I may not have ever been here as an intruder, but I had shown up a couple of times and grabbed Cancer as a Patron specifically so I could join in back when I was testing high MVP builds. That was when I decided the time to complete the Emperor’s Ascent wasn’t worth it over the Dublin event.

  That, I sent in a message. I wasn’t going to say that out loud without knowing which Patrons were paying attention.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I only worry because it’s something worth worrying over.

  <<<>>>

  “I know, thank you,” I said before signing my affection to her at the sky.

  Then, I threw myself off of the building. Lashing out, I released the Cable Conglomerate from the Vambrace of Wires and caught a flagpole. It bent as I used it to swing towards the stage, but it held. People pointed and shouted at my spectacle. I disengaged the wire rope at just the right moment to allow me to sail over the other thirteen competitors and land safely on the edge.

  Raising my fists in the air, I followed the arrow a few steps back to stand in my spot. The crowd shouted with both approval of my entrance and confusion over my outfit, but it was only the second strangest one on the stage.

  “Hey, I’m Anthony Franklin,” I greeted, extending my hand. “Supposed to be the sun, according to my Patron, who I, personally, think is a star. I heard you’re also not considered part of the whole Zodiac gang proper.”

  “Ross Haverstein, avatar of Ophiuchus. A pleasure to meet you,” he replied, his giant gloved hand eclipsing mine. “Quite the getup you have there, Mr. Franklin.”

  “You’re one to talk; it’s not everyday I get outsparkled in this outfit,” I said with a grin. “And please, just Anthony is fine.”

  I looked up at Ross, watching as the man smirked down at me. What had once been a balding middle aged man was now a full fledged Orc standing at nearly 8 feet tall with a physique a professional body builder would kill for. Not only that, he was also a Magical Girl.

  Ross wore a vibrant red and white, star themed dress complete with skirt, ruffles, and a tiara. The neckline showed off his pecs and black chest hair, and he had detached sleeves that ended just before where his gloves began. His shoes, thankfully, were not heels, but they did come complete with white, thigh high stockings.

  He was very, very sparkly.

  When I brought attention to it, he gave me a resigned chuckle that made it clear I was not the first to voice this observation. “Yeah, but sometimes you really don’t get to choose what you get to wear.”

  “Amen to that, brother,” I said before raising my fist. He bumped it in solidarity.

  While I was chatting, I was checking out the other competitors with my aura. Some were talking with each other, being on good terms, while others hung off on their own. Before I could really focus, my awareness aura slammed back into my body, leaving me only with my eyesight. This was a powerful psychic effect, though it wasn’t one I intended on fighting back against.

  My eyes fell on Pisces’ avatar, a severe looking Indian woman I knew was named Tanvi. She glared at me, and I bent my mask at the nose so she could see me grin at her. With a disgusted roll of her eyes, she crossed her arms and looked back at the crowd. I fixed my mask after that.

  Ross arched a bushy eyebrow at me. “Making friends?”

  “Always,” I replied. “You can never have too many.”

  A quick, amused snort came from him before something swept over the streets of New York City. The windows of every building came to life like a television screen, filled with an aerial view of the stage. Each of the other avatars quickly got into position. Ross and I were exactly where we needed to be. The unseen camera panned so that it stopped in a place where no one was standing, and I covered my ears.

  “Welcome, one and all!” a bombastic voice boomed as smoke erupted from the stage. “To the fourth scenario of this mighty city!”

  The smoke disappeared, revealing the administrator in all her glory.