An Unbound Soul

Mia and Lucas would no doubt be pleased that my haste hadn't resulted in them getting, to pick a random example, [Hive Mind] instead of the basic [Telepathy] that I'd assumed they'd get if I asked the System to give them a telepathy skill.

What the heck sort of skill was [Hive Mind]? What class would someone need to obtain that legitimately? Several skills in the list the System had presented us with had raised questions that I really wanted answered, but Serlv was still adamant that she wouldn't let me abuse my administrative privileges.

Which reminded me of another of our issues.

"Are you still against protecting Harry's group from the Law?"

"Yes," said Serlv. "As you should well know."

"Can you not see things from their point of view? The Law is taking a part of their mind from them. They've never lived under it before. It's losing a part of what makes them 'them', like Noah watching his hand slowly liquefy. And they can no longer return home to escape it."

"Yes, they can. Nothing physically prevents them crossing over. Darren can open a portal at any time. Perhaps they will not be welcome on the other side, but such is the price of a world without Law."

So, if you don't like the Law, go back to Earth. Perhaps you'll be shot on sight, but that's your fault for Earth not having the Law. That was hardly a good argument!

But if this was going to turn into a debate, there was another point that bothered me.

"What about Cluma?"

"What about her? She is losing nothing. She is as she always has been."

"Sorry," I said, reminded that the dragons were not privy to my internal thoughts. "It's not that, but that I can't help but wonder if she really loves me, or if she only behaves as she does because of the Law?"

"The Law compels good behaviour. It does not compel love."

"Perhaps, but would she be less tolerant of my silliness? I've made any number of mistakes that should have driven her away. Once, I almost killed her. Back on Earth, relationships tended to end for far less."

"Why would a relationship end for a mistake, or an accidental act? Is that not unfair? Does it not drive consequences by blind chance? Why do you consider that better?"

"I... suppose I don't. But it's not natural."

"What is 'natural'? The creator of life on this world made us to behave in a way that suited her. Why do the means by which she carried out that task matter? Would you be more accepting if the life she'd created was biologically incapable of carrying out acts of evil, rather than the limitation being imposed mentally?"

"I... okay, no. I agree that people born here should remain under the Law. Or at least I did, until you begged me to release you with tears in your eyes... But now that you have, you want it back! I don't understand at all! But either way, Cluma is Cluma. I just... can't shake the self-doubt."

"I do not recall asking to be released, but I concur that without Erryn it was a prudent course of action."

I suppose there was a difference between then and now. Now she knew the details. Back then, she didn't, and just knew that something was messing with her mind. It wasn't a surprise she'd panicked.

Just like Noah, trapped in a dark void with no idea what had happened, and not even a mouth with which to scream. This wasn't a debate we could have quickly, so he needed to come first. I hadn't even started on the children of Earth yet.

"System, grant [Telepathy] to Mia and Lucas," I requested.

This time, Serlv and Krana agreed, and the System dinged its compliance.

"And now I suppose we need to go back there again and tell them what we just did."

"I wish we had picked up Horil for this task," complained Serlv, falling into a resigned plod as we left the ark again.

"Well, there's still a conversation we can continue as we fly," I pointed out. "What are your thoughts on the newborns of Earth?"

"What about them?"

Had I not mentioned that part? That damn Maximilian had interrupted us the first time around. "Everyone on Earth was disconnected from the System, but newborns are not. Likewise, everyone on Earth is exposed to the Law, but it doesn't work on them until the System has had time to fix their souls' incompatibility with it."

"Hmm... And so you wish to disconnect the System from Earth in its entirety. Mere hours ago, I'd have disagreed. Introducing the Law in that way avoids the loss of mind and memory that concerns you so greatly, and over time it would render Earth a trustworthy ally instead of a dangerous enemy. However, now I have seen first-hand the horrors that can result when the nefarious take advantage of the Law. I believe that were it to be introduced at all, all at once would be preferred, regardless of the effects on the existing population."

"If your opinion can change in hours, what's to say it won't change again tomorrow?"

"Nothing. I will be the first to admit I am operating in a vacuum of information. I do not believe I can currently be trusted to make decisions of that magnitude."

To be fair, it was only hours ago that she'd been permitted to comprehend that the Law existed at all.

But I didn't want to leave things for too long. We may no longer be in danger, given that Earth should no longer have any means to reach us, but I could be damn sure they wouldn't stop trying for as long as the System was infecting their kids. Or would they tolerate the System, as long as it didn't come bundled with the Law?

And even if they couldn't reach us, I'd bet there would still be unrest on the other side. Probably wars, even. I may be doing my best to protect this world, but that didn't mean I wanted Earth to self-destruct. I'd much rather protect both.

The village came back into view, and the dragons glided in for a landing.

"Hopefully, this is the last time we must make this journey," grumbled Serlv.

"We need one more trip to the ark, to fix Earth's baby problem."

"I fail to see why that is our problem, but if you insist," she muttered, crashing into the ground with a thump, no longer being bothered to land neatly. A couple of wooden shingles fell off the nearest roof in response to the vibration.

The five kids were already stuck deep in silent conversation, Mia and Lucas having been dinged at when they acquired their new skill, and having worked out how to use it on their own.

"How's Noah?" I checked.

"Upset, obviously. He lost his parents and two younger brothers," answered Lucas.

I'd meant in terms of being a slime, but it was only fair that sat behind the fact his entire family had been murdered in their priority list.

An interesting grinding noise came from Serlv as her claws tore into the floor. Being freed from the Law had certainly stepped up the property damage she was causing.

There was also the issue that the trio of fresh monsters had broken out of the Law, while Mia and Lucas had not. That could cause some interesting communications issues later, but for now, we'd done all that we could do. We'd killed Maximilian, saved those we could, and ensured the victims at least had people to talk to. Now it was up to the kids and the beastkin survivors. Whether they chose to rebuild this village or move elsewhere was something they'd need to decide at some point, but it needn't be today.

I found myself wondering what was running through their heads. Without [Telepathy] myself, I couldn't join in the conversations, but Emma was breaking out into an occasional giggle, so she was obviously getting on okay. Of course, she had the advantage of still being humanoid.

Then she jumped on Benjamin's back, and he went racing around in circles.

"It looks like they'll be fine," pointed out Serlv. "We have dealt with the attack by Earth, and now the fallout of Maximilian's actions. All that remains is to conclude the issue of Earth's newborns in a way you are content with, and we can draw a line beneath this episode."

Really? Was it almost over? Serlv was ignoring Harry, but I'd lost my main objection to using Erryn's crystal in the great dungeon; with Earth locked out, stating my views would no longer place this world in danger. Perhaps I could deal with him that way, even without the cooperation of the dragons.

As for Earth's newborns, my opinions hadn't changed.

"I think we should cut Earth away from this world completely. No System or Law on Earth, and no portals from there to here either."

"You do not think the System or the Law will be beneficial to Earth?"

"Maybe, but we don't have the right to make the decision for them."

Neither would they ever make it themselves.

Serlv shrugged, making one last trip back to the ark, flying via Synklisi to drop Jason back off home. At the ark, I was finally able to give the System the order I'd been trying to ever since it first learnt how to spread on Earth, preventing it from infecting off-worlders once and for all.

Without the soul magic interface, it couldn't even express discontent at the order.

"Is that it, then? Are all our Earth problems over?" I muttered, half convinced I'd forgotten about something. Yes, we had Harry's new portal generator, but we could just... not turn it on. It wasn't as if we needed it any more. And yes, they had the Law to worry about, but I had something I could try to free them now, or as Serlv so ineloquently pointed out, they did have the option of returning to Earth.

Our little group of administrators split up outside the ark, Serlv and Krana flying off east.

Actually, that was another loose end; there were the two others on the privileged users list. I had no idea who they were, but if they helped me, I could make administrative decisions without the dragons. Or, conversely, if they joined with the dragons, they could make administrative decisions without me. Such as stripping my [Unbound Soul] trait, which Serlv had explicitly stated she thought I should do. Which was, admittedly, different from threatening to do it herself...

I should visit the great dungeon again sooner rather than later.

But not right now. I'd seen enough action for the season, and I was well overdue cat-girl cuddles. I teleported back home.

... Alas, home contained a below-average quantity of Cluma.

A double-check with [Soul Perception] confirmed she really was out, rather than merely invisible. It was a weird distinction to need to make, but such was the side effect of her stealth addiction.

Where had she gone? I'd been on the way back from the institute when the System had imploded, and then we had Maximilian on top of that. I hadn't done anything to let Cluma know why I was back late, but she'd have had the connection lost notification herself. Perhaps she'd gone out looking for me, or just assumed I was busy with something and gone out to do her own thing.

It was unfortunate, but Cluma-cuddles would need to be delayed further. It wasn't as if I had nothing else to do; given the time of night, bed sounded pretty good.