Reidar led the group deeper into the woods, moving away from the site of the battle. The carcasses of the Silt-Stalker Monitors were behind them, and the scent of blood filled the area and gave them nausea, besides acting as a beacon for anything prowling the forest.

They discovered a small clearing that was bordered by massive roots rising from the earth like natural walls, offering them some measure of cover and protection from the elements. These roots also released a strong, earthy scent that masked their scent trails. After surveying the area and figuring out whether or not it was suitable for a brief rest, Reidar signaled for the group to halt.

"We'll stay here for an hour," he said. "Give our mana time to recover, then we keep moving."

He sat down on a moss-covered stone, feeling the cool metal of the Signet of the Twin Maws against his skin. It was a powerful item, maybe one of the best he had found, but his mind wasn't on the loot. It was on the System, and so was Jake's.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Jake asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground. He was turning his new dagger over in his hands, watching the way the pale bone caught the filtered sunlight.

"What?"

"The quests," Jake said. "Sometimes we get them for everything. 'Kill ten rats.' 'Find a lost dog.' 'Survive the night.' And then… nothing."

He gestured back toward the direction of Creamont.

"We fought an entire war in Creamont. We killed Aaron. We took down a city. And the System didn't give us a single quest for it. Then we go to Redwater Crossing, dismantle a bio-lab, kill a High Executor, and save prisoners. Silence. But the moment Reidar spots Silas in a cave? Bam. Twenty million points."

Reidar looked up. Jake was right. It was too weird not to notice.

"It's not random," Reidar said. "The System awards quests based on the person undertaking them and their actions. I discovered a while back that for us—especially for me—it only activates when there are major threats involved. But there's more to it than that. It seems most quests originate from the allied worlds rather than the System itself. When you think about it, the Aegis Phalanx did not know what was happening in Creamont or Redwater. So it makes perfect sense we didn't receive quests for those situations. But Silas is different. Silas is trying to get past level 400. He's working to reach Tier 40. The system must recognize him as a threat."

"But Aaron was a threat," Jake said. "He was killing people. Silas was making the circle in Creamont. Redwater was making monsters. Ashford was making another circle…" He paused.

"Your explanation makes sense if we consider the Aegis Phalanx only, but the system? It should now know better than the Aegis Phalanx what is going on, which also poses a question. How really strong are the allied worlds? How come they can travel through space, send hundreds of city-sized ships, and monitor you from dozens of planets away, and yet don't know where the progenitor is?"

"Aaron was a symptom," Reidar said. "Silas is the disease. The System prioritizes threats that destabilize the balance of a region. Aaron was just a bully with a big stick. Silas is trying to rewrite the rules on behalf of the progenitor."

"The System wants us to kill Silas," Lena said. "That much is obvious. It put a bounty on his head."

"I think it's more because it's the best way to find the Progenitor," Reidar said. "Silas is his right hand. If we take him out, the Progenitor might show himself." He paused. "We might even find his location."

He paused, frowning.

"But that's the part that bothers me," Jake said. "If the goal is to stop the apocalypse, why haven't we received a quest for the Progenitor? He's the one controlling those opening the portals. He's the one twisting the humans. If Silas is worth twenty million, the Progenitor should be worth a billion. Why is the System silent on him?"

"What are you trying to say, Jake?" Lena asked.

"That maybe it's not the System," Jake said. "Maybe the system is not the reason we are not getting other quests."

Reidar and Lena both looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Reidar asked.

Jake stopped playing with the dagger. He looked at Reidar, his expression serious for an eleven-year-old.

"Think about it. Who gave us the quest in the valley? The Shepherd's Gambit. That wasn't a normal System quest. It came from the Aegis Phalanx."

"So?" Lena asked.

"So," Jake said, "we know the Aegis Phalanx can interface with the System. They can issue quests. They can track us. Maybe they can suppress quests too."

Reidar narrowed his eyes. "You think the Phalanx is blocking us from getting quests?"

"I think they're controlling us," Jake said. "Think about it. We're gaining levels incredibly quickly. Way too quickly. You've got an entire army at your command, Reidar. At the rate you're progressing, you won't just surpass the Church in power. You'll surpass them. Or at the very least, you'll become strong enough to pose a threat."

"That's paranoid," Lena said, though she didn't sound entirely convinced of her words. "Their goal is to save humanity. They want us to kill the Progenitor and save our world. Why would they stunt our growth?"

"Because they want humanity to win," Jake said. "Not a warlord. If Reidar becomes too strong, if he takes control… maybe they're scared he'll become another Progenitor. Just on the other side. It makes me think that maybe… just maybe, the progenitor is right about them wanting control."

Lena shook her head. "That's absurd. Xy'tharr Kench gave us gear. He gave us intel. They need us."

"They need us to be useful," Jake said. "Not uncontrollable."

Reidar stayed silent. He was thinking back to when he had just escaped Silas. He remembered the way the Kytinn warrior had looked at him when he realized Reidar had survived the mutant. It hadn't been relief. It had been anxiety. There was a wariness in the alien's eyes, a hesitation that Reidar had brushed off because he was too worn out and because he needed him to find his family.

But what if it was fear?

Reidar was an anomaly. A human Summoner with a growth curve that defied their models. If the Phalanx operated on logic and statistics, Reidar was a variable they couldn't predict. And unpredictable variables were dangerous. Plus, if what they really wanted was control of the planet and its inhabitants, being wary of Reidar was actually justified.

"It's possible," Reidar said. "If they can manipulate the quests, they might be throttling our C.L.A.S.P. gain to keep us in a manageable range. They want us to fight the Church, but they don't want us to outgrow the sandbox."

"Great," Lena said. "So we're fighting the Church, the monsters, and our allies."

"We don't know that for sure," Reidar said. "But we need to keep it in mind. We can't rely on the Phalanx to guide us."

He stood up, brushing dirt from his pants.

"And right now, that path goes through—"

Ding.

The sound cut him off. It was the alert of a combat quest.

Reidar, Jake, and Lena all flinched as the blue window snapped into their vision, overlaying the forest with glowing text.

—[QUEST RECEIVED: Apex Predator Approaching]—

Goal: Eliminate the approaching high-tier monster.

Progress: 0/1 Razorwing Mantis defeated.

Time Limit: 3 hours.

Reward: 2,000,000 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 750,000 Survival Points, Legendary Equipment (Random).

Special Conditions: The Monster is tracking your group's scent from the Monitor kills. Combat is inevitable.

Description: A powerful predator has detected the aftermath of your battle with the Silt-Stalker Monitors and is now approaching your location. This creature is drawn to fresh kills and views your group as either competition or prey. Tracks show it is a Level 362 Razorwing Mantis, a solitary apex predator with massive scythe-like forearms and near-perfect camouflage capabilities. This Corrupted specimen is more aggressive than typical mantises and will pursue relentlessly.

Warning: Failure to eliminate the creature will cause it to stalk your group indefinitely. Retreat is possible but will give up all quest rewards, and the creature may attack nearby settlements.

—[END]—

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