Macronomicon
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Chapter 7: Punitive Remuneration
🕑 Added 2020-12-25 16:38:45 +0000 UTCJeb scanned the room.
As far as ambushes went, it was a pretty decent one. Jeb was curious how Garland had brought an imperial enforcer into the office, but the how didnât matter a whole lot right now.
The enforcer was the major hurdle here. Zlesk wasâŠagreeable, to an extent. The biggest problem was that Jeb had already spilled the beans about being in the Impossible tutorial, which wasnât something he wanted to make known to the government just yet.
And yet, there was a government fixer with the authority to execute punishment on site without a trial or any kind of due process. In all likelihood, the story had already been spread to her.
Canât change whatâs already done, Jeb thought, gaze flicking to the smug Melas bodyguard. The man didnât seem nearly as intimidated by Jeb as he had been last time. Probably because they had a high level bruiser here to hold their hands.
âJeb, Mr. Grenore says you tried to extort him?â Zlesk asked.
Jeb reoriented on Zlesk.
âExtortion is defined as obtaining something through force or threat of force. There was no mention of using force, nor do I have any intention of doing so.â Jeb said, slipping Svekâs earring out of his pocket and holding it up where they could see it.
âIf you like, we could use a few Truthseekers to mediate this dispute?â Jeb said. âIf mine wonât do, I believe Mr. Grenore has one in his desk.â
It really didnât matter if Garland said yes or not. It was already clear he didnât intend to pay Jeb. Now it was a fun little dance before Jeb got his Myst.
âAn excellent suggestion. I think a healthy dose of the truth should clear things up.â Garland said, fishing through his desk and coming out with a similar earring.
Sure will.
âUse mine please, Ms. Tekalis. Thereâs no telling what kind of alterations that knave may have done to his.â
The enforcer glanced at the earring a moment, pursing her lips as she frowned.
âYou understand that if I put this on, I will be acting in an official capacity as an Imperial Enforcer and will immediately arbitrate a settlement to the best of my ability and the two of you will be required by law to abide by my decision.â
âUnderstood,â Jeb said.
âI understand.â Mr. Grenore said.
âAlright then, letâs get this over with.â Vresh said with a sigh, clipping the earring on and addressing the two of them.
âUnless otherwise prompted, you will answer my questions with short, yes or no answers. First. Mr. Trapper, did you extort Mr. Grenore?â
âNo.â
âMr. Grenore. Did you agree to pay Mr. Trapper two hundred and fifty Marks in exchange for the return of your daughter?â
âYes.â
Vresh raised a brow. âUnless I miss my guess, the matter is clear. Is there anything either of you would like to add to this?â
Jeb stayed silent, allowing Garland to keep digging.
âThis man claimed the five bulbs held in escrow for the rescue of my daughter at the Hunterâs association.â Garland said. âOnly minutes before he met me to offer to return her for fifty times the original reward. He attempted to defraud me by charging again for a bounty that had already been completed and claimed.â
âMr. Trapper, is that true?â
âWhich part?â Jeb asked.
âAll of it.â
âNo.â
âTruth.â
âWhat? You said you would kill all the pirates and return her! That was already done! What else could it be other than fraud!?â
Vresh glanced at Jeb and nodded. âMake your case.â
âIf you recall correctly I said that after your daughter was returned, the pirates would no longer be drawing breath, not that I would kill them. In this way, I was not defrauding you by charging multiple times for the same rescue, I was charging you two hundred and fifty bulbs to walk her back to your office. The fact the pirates wouldnât draw breath afterwards was simply a statement that was true.â
âTruth.â
âThatâs kidnapping!â Garland shouted, earning a miffed glare from the Enforcer. âHe held my daughter for ransom!â
âMr. Trapper, did you have any intention to retain Ms. Grenore, should her father refuse to pay?â
âNo.â
âTruth.â
Jeb found the way the tycoon ground his teeth amusing.
âItâs not illegal for a street vendor to charge two hundred and fifty bulbs for their product, is it?â Jeb asked. âI donât see any reason why I could not charge that for the armed escort of a young girl.â
âThe disputed payment is two hundred and fifty bulbs? Fifty times the original reward?â Vresh asked.
âYes.â
âMr. Grenore. The original reward for the rescue of Ms. Grenore was five bulbs?â Vresh asked, her expression souring as she glanced at the keegan.
âYes. What of it?â He asked, missing the frown blooming on his daughterâs face as she sat right next to him.
âNothing actionable,â Vresh said, glancing back at Jeb. âAm I correct in assuming the agreement you had with Mr. Grenore was entirely verbal?â
âYes. And a handshake.â
Vresh massaged her temples for a moment.
âFrom what I have observed, Jebediah Trapper committed no actionable offenses against Mr. Grenore beyond being staggeringly misleading, which isnât a crime.â
âBut ââ
âBy that same token, Imperial law does not enforce verbal contracts below the value of two silver. By Mr. Trapperâs admission, the service provided was a two block escort to Mr. Garlandâs place of business. The fair value of such a service falls well below small claims. Without a written contract, there is no legal impetus to enforce the outrageously inflated price.â
âHah!â Garland said, clenching a fist.
âSo let me get this straight,â Jeb said. âYou have no intention of paying me?â
âYou should have gotten it in writing.â The keegan said, radiating smug superiority.
âYou shouldâve thought twice about fucking me over,â Jeb said. âI wonât be accepting apologies, Mr. Grenore.â
âFine by me. Now that our business is settled, get out of my office.â
Now to get my payment through other means.
In order to raise his Myst, Jeb needed to take something from the businessman that packed a lot of emotional energy and intangible value. Something painful, that would diminish his Impact over the course of his lifetime.
Jeb had just the thing in mind.
âJust a moment. Zlesk, Iâm still working on picking up your written language, do you think you could read this aloud for me?â Jeb asked, offering Zlesk the first letter.
âNow? Canât it wa-â
Jeb shoved it into the sheriffâs hand. âJust read it.â
He turned to Garland. âI find a lot of people donât consider the value of trust as much as they should. Itâs a valuable currency, you know. Hard to earn, easy to lose.â
âIs this real?â Zlesk asked, glancing at Jeb.
âOh yeah,â Jeb grinned.
Zlesk cleared his throat.
âGrenore. I do not care about your mewling protestations. The situation favors us. The Stitch has dropped a veritable fortress in the form of the Split mountains between you and your beloved mines. A fortress I own.â
âBLACKMAIL!â Garland shouted at the top of his lungs, leaping to his feet.
âBlackmail is the threat of exposing damaging information In exchange for money. I never threatened to release this information.â Jeb said. âNot blackmail. Punishment.â
âYOU!â
âSit your ass down,â Vresh said, shoving the keegan back into his seat. âI want to see where this goes.â
Zlesk glanced nervously at the Imperial enforcer and kept going.
âI know how far youâve overreached with your new mine. I heard it straight from your foremanâs mouth before I broke his jaw. I have you by the balls, and you can do nothing to change it short of paying us our due. If you want your shiny new lenses back, you will give us no less than two thousand bulbs in imperial MarksâŠ
âHowever, Iâm nothing if not understanding and generous. If you can convince me to accept collateral of equal value, we will allow your workers to return to the mines, such that you can gather the money needed to appease us.â
âThatâs stolen! He stole that from me!â the Keegan shouted, growing desperate. âHe made it up! It means nothing!â
Jeb caught it when Vreshâs ear twitched.
Jeb adopted a playful voice. âYou know, Iâm pretty sure I saw your men hauling lenses into the warehouse under the office a week ago the day I returned your daughterâŠwhatâs the round trip to and from your land? Three, five days?â Jeb gasped. âThat must mean that a couple days before, they got past Svekâs men somehow! Did they already have the collateral? HmmâŠâ
âDonât! Iâll pay! Iâll pay you, just stop!â Grenore said, struggling to reach Jeb as the Imperial enforcer held him in place with an iron grip. Beside him, Seraine Grenoreâs eyes were slowly growing wider, and Jeb could see the connections slowly forming in her mind.
Jeb felt a deep pang of guilt for pulling the rug out from under a nice girl, but she wanted control over her fate, not blissful ignorance. So, painful or not, Jeb was going to deliver.
âOh, look at this other letter I found in Svek Pedersonâs personal effects!â Jeb said, pulling out the second letter.
He handed it to Zlesk.
Zlesk read over it once, and glanced at Seraine.
âDo you think perhaps we should read this some-â
âRead it.â Seraine said. The keegan girl was standing now, trembling like a leaf, but her voice was resolute.
Vresh nodded.
âNo! donât re-â the enforcer clapped a hand over Grenoreâs mouth, silencing him.
âRead it.â She said.
âOkay then,â Zlesk cleared his throat.
âThe collateral will be visiting the Ironseed property on the edge of town on the fourteenth. Iâll make sure her guard is otherwise occupied. If I find any harm has come to her, I will rain down such destruction upon you that your ancestors will feel it.â
âYou realize they were probably gonna harm her, then blackmail you with this letter, right?â Jeb asked.
Vresh removed her hand from the guyâs face.
âIt wasnât me!â He said, jiggling the Truthseeker in Vreshâs ear. âSomeone else could have done it!â
Jeb and the imperial enforcer shared a glance, the same thought going through their heads. This guyâs lost it.
Jeb spotted a stack of papers on Grenoreâs desk, and sent out a thin thread of Myst, snathing one up and bringing it to his hands. Vresh tensed up for a moment, watching the strand of Myst.
She can see Myst. Good to know.
âIt kinda looks like your handwriting.â Jeb said, scanning the paper âI mean, I canât read but⊠Zlesk, does this look like the same handwriting?â
âI think youâve made your point.â Zlesk said, folding the two letters and putting them in his pocket.
âNah, I got one more thing,â Jeb said, glancing at the bodyguard trying to remain inconspicuous in the corner.
âHey Mr. Bodyguard. Were you the one supposed to watch Seraine that day? If so, what exactly happened that separated you from her?â
The hulking melas turned a lighter shade of orange and glanced at Vresh before pressing himself further back into the corner, seemingly unwilling to say anything at all.
âEnough.â Vresh said, drawing the attention of everyone.
âI am the law here, not you,â she said. âI will sort this out, and you will leave. Your role here is over.â
âSure,â Jeb shrugged. âI got what I needed.â He glanced over at Seraine. âMs. Grenore, you chose a painful truth, but I believe youâll come out stronger for it. I wish you luck in taking the reigns of your destiny, and if you ever need help, visit me. I will hear you out.â
Jeb nodded before spinning on his peg and heading out the door. A moment later, Zlesk caught up with him as Jeb exited the doors of the first floor and burst into the dry air of the desert city.
âWhat in the Roil was that?â Zlesk demanded. The sheriffâs jaw dropped as they passed a poster glued to the nearest wall.
It had Garland Grenoreâs name and likeness on it. Underneath it was a short and sweet blurb, reading: âI gave my only daughter to pirates. Imagine what Iâll do to you.â
Every ten feet or so there was another poster. Same picture, same message.
Jeb nodded in satisfaction as the ice pick headache began to build between his temples, scanning the poster-studded streets. Fifty bulbs well spent.
âEck-ban,â Zlesk muttered, stopping in his tracks. âYou really went for it.â
âHad to make sure it stuck,â Jeb said as he clomped along.
âBut this is justâŠoverkill.â
âFucker shouldnât have stolen my silver coin.â Jeb muttered.
âIs that why you did this?â Zlesk asked, âRuined that man and his daughter?â
âThe vast majority of it is because he gave his daughter to pirates,â Jeb said. âIâm not that petty. But I have to admit thereâs a certain satisfaction that wouldnât be there if he hadnât stolen my silver coin.â
The headache kept growing until Jeb felt like someone was stomping on the back of his eyeball with cleated shoes.
Just gotta get back to the Inn, then I can suffer through the Myst sickness in peace, he thought to himself. Before he realized it, Jeb was toppling forward, the only thing stopping his descent was the sheriffâs palm. He could barely hear the Keeganâs words through the throbbing in his brain.
âUuugh,â Jeb said in response, hoping it was the right answer. His eyes were both crossed and unfocused, making it extremely difficult to see.
The sheriff responded with some more words lost in the pounding of Jebâs skull, then began to haul him away.
When Jebâs senses began to return to normal, he found himself sitting in a booth at the local bar, fingers clenched in a death-grip around an iron beer stein.
âWhy?â
âBecause you stood me up last week.â Zlesk said, glaring at him from the booth.
âI told you it would be different.â Jeb said with a half-hearted smile. Zlesk gave him a flat stare.
âYouâre lucky you got away with that stunt you pulled with Grenore,â Zlesk said, shaking his head. âYou were in front of an Imperial Enforcer. There were so many ways that could have ended with you dead. If you hadnât baited her with GarlandâŠâ
âPfft. At no point in there did I tell a lie.â
âYeah, and you admitted to some very borderline criminal activities.â
âTheyâll never stick.â
âYou know I could have you executed for forgery any time I want?â the lawman asked, raising a brow. âIâve still got you dead to rights on that one, you slippery bastard.â
âWhy are so many things punishable by death?â Jeb demanded.
âBecause itâs difficult and expensive to imprison people with Classes.â
âWow, didnât expect a straight answer,â Jeb said. âAnyway, Iâm sorry. That day ran long, the stab wound made me sleepier than I thought, and I forgot the beer.â
Zlesk grunted. âDonât worry, Iâm saving arresting you for something more egregious than forgery. I want you to get famous first so I can get promoted.â
âDonât call it forgery,â Jeb said, opening a tab with the barmaid with a silver. âCall it âcorrecting your embarrassing underestimation of what Jeb Trapper is capable of.ââ
âYou were right, and I was wrong, alright?â Zlesk said with a scowl. âThatâs the only reason Iâm not stuffing you in a cell right now.â
Jeb shifted in his seat to grab his pitcher, his pegleg bumping against the leg of the table as he did.
That gives me an idea.
âChange of subject,â Jeb said, filling his first mug. âHow much would a fancy prosthetic run me?â
âYou could get a nice one with a false foot and a couple heavy duty springs to smooth out your gait for a bulb or so. If you wanted something better than that, with magical support, tricks and some kind of spell imbued into it, it could run you as much as, ohâŠfifty to a hundred bulbs.â
âYou couldnât get that one made in Kalfath, though,â Zlesk said. âA little city like this one isnât gonna cut it.â
âWhat if I wanted someone to regrow it?â Jeb asked.
âGood luck.â Zlesk said with a chuckle. âThatâs a matter of having a powerful healer owe you a big favor. Theyâre in extremely high demand, and getting access to one is more a factor of being a powerful aristocrat than simply having enough money to throw at the problem.â
Bzzt.
Jeb blinked as the table in front of him flickered and resolved into a video feed.
âStill getting used to those,â Jeb muttered, moving his beer out of the way. The way the empire could push video to everyone inside their borders whether they wanted it or not felt very dystopian.
âHi there!â Jeb blinked as Amandaâs cheery face showed up in front of the camera, followed by Brettâs chiseled good looks. âIâm Amanda Courvar!â
âAnd Iâm Brett Courvar.â Brett said, smiling at Jeb with his stupid perfect teeth.
âSpeak of the devil,â Jeb muttered, taking a sip of his beer.
The camera zoomed out to show the fitness model couple standing in front of a stack of paperwork.
âWeâre here today to kick off a series about how to get along in this wild new world! Welcome to the first episode! I hope it helps as many people as possible!â Amanda said.
âTodayâs episode is about how you can register a homestead and apply for a three year tax exemption.â Brett said.
âThree years?â Amanda asked, eyes widening in surprise. âThatâs a long time!â
âLong enough to get on your feet, anyway.â Brett said, nodding.
âThe registration is free for humans! All you have to do is-â
With a wave of his hand, Zlesk dismissed the screen in front of Jeb.
ââŠHow?â
âIâm a Citizen.â Zlesk said with a shrug.
âFucking traitors,â Jeb heard a human mutter across the room, where the scruffy man was watching the Courvars trying to give him vital information.
Sure, they were slutty sellouts, but they werenât bad people. Jeb didnât really expect anything less from them than whoring themselves out for massive success. There were certainly more insidious things they could be doing than Public Service Announcements.
âThat man owes me a night with his wife,â Jeb grumbled, turning his attention back to Zlesk. The sheriff was watching him with a cocked brow. Smartass was looking at Jeb with a similar disapproving look from atop the keeganâs hat.
âWhat? Itâs the truth.â
âAnd when did you meet two of the humans who survived the Impossible tutorial?â
âWhere do you think?â Jeb asked.
âYou know, lying on your census information is ââ
âPunishable by death?â Jeb asked.
âA serious offence.â The Keegan said, eyes narrowed to slits.
âI didnât lie, you just came to the wrong assumptions.â
âYouâre gonna have to visit me and sort out that paperwork.â
âI donât wanna.â
âJebâŠâ
âLook. Iâm safer if Iâm a nobody on paper,â Jeb said. âDue to reasons I donât really wanna get into, I came out of the Impossible tutorial actually weaker than I went in. I donât want the government knowing about me just yet.â
Zlesk flickered in front of him, and the table jumped in place a bit, making their beer slosh around in their mugs.
Jeb blinked.
âI guess youâre telling the truth,â Zlesk said, taking a sip of his beer.
âDid you just reflex test me?â Jeb demanded as he felt a sting on his cheek, a drop of blood rolling down his face.
âMaybe.â
âFucker.â
âMurder Hobo.â
Zlesk eyed him for a solid minute before speaking again. âAlright. Iâm willing to leave your census as is if you tell me how you beat Svek Pederson and his crew.â
âDo you know what a cleansing wand is?â Jeb said, leaning forward.
At the end of Jebâs description of the Beautiful Revenge, Zlesk waved off Jebâs explanation of how it had turned the pirates into burger, saying he got the idea.
âThat magic item hasnât been added to the list of prohibited weapons yet, but Iâm gonna make an executive decision as the sheriff of Kalfath and say this: I donât want to see it inside city limits, understood?â
âYessir.â Jeb saluted.
The two of them drank in companionable silence for a couple minutes, mulling over the events of the day.
âI think you should leave.â Zlesk finally said.
âEh?â
âYou might have bloodied his nose pretty good, but even like this, Garland Grenoreâs got more money and influence than you do. The only reason you pulled that off is because he didnât see it coming. You can bet your ass heâs paying more attention to you now. If I were youâŠIâd probably lay low for a couple years. Avoid dark alleys.â
Jeb sat there and thought it through. If a bulb was roughly approximate to a thousand dollars, then an assassination would probably cost anywhere between ten and a couple hundred bulbs. If the keegan expected he could pay two thousand for the return of his daughter, then there was no reason to think he wouldnât be able to afford to sic people on Jebâs ass.
Becoming scarce was starting to sound like a good idea.
âWhatâs the enforcer gonna do to him?â Jeb asked, faintly hoping that would solve his pissed-off rich guy problems.
âSlap on the wrist. Heâs a Citizen. The laws are far more lenient for us.â
Jeb frowned, glancing at Zlesk. âYouâre a Citizen too, right? How do you go about becoming one?â
âA hundred bulbs and a Class, or reach officer rank in the military.â
âSo what, you buy your way in?â
âMy parents bought my Citizenship when I hit level twenty and got my Class,â Zlesk said, nodding.
âRich boy.â
âPhilistine.â
âWell,â Jeb said, standing and dropping a few coins on the table as a tip. âThanks for the advice. I think Iâll get started on it. I liked your town and I hope to see you again.â
Zlesk waved dismissively as Jeb left the bar.
***
Jeb was in his room at the inn, packing up his shit while Smartass gushed. Sheâd been hiding in his collar the entire time, unable to speak for fear of someone â especially the Enforcer â noticing her existence.
âThat was so awesome! You pulled that off like a true fae! I mean, taking his daughterâs trust as payment? That wasâŠI meanâŠ
Smartass gripped her skull before making explosion noises and spreading her hands outward. âBâCHEW!â
âA stroke of brilliance. It was like watching one of the ancients at work,â She babbled while Jeb stuffed a backpack with all his goodies. Lenses, a change of clothes, a box of .44 ammo, and some dried food.
âI see you liked it,â Jeb said.
âLiked it? Liked it!? Do you have any idea how long it takes for typical mortal wizards to get the hang of procuring Myst through Bargains? And the sheer amount!â She said, holding out her arms and wiggling her fingers.
âI can feel the power flowing through my veins! Kneel before me!â
Smartass cackled and zoomed around the ceiling, insect wings humming as she did.
Jeb glanced down at the ring. He hadnât bothered to check the profit from the Grenore job yet, but Smartass seemed pretty pleased with it, which made him curious.
If the headache was any indication, it had been pretty decent.
He took off the ring and used it to appraise himself.
Jebediah Trapper
Mystic Trapsmith, Level 39
Accolades: Kruskerâs Brawn, Sirenâs Cunning, R-R-RubUâs Mysteries, Greshâs Subtlety, Innovator, Lagrossâs Power.
Body 21 (9)
Myst 71 (16)
Nerve 26 (10)
Abilities: Mystic Trigger
Accolade Pending: Lagrossâs Power suspended due to multiple instances. Awaiting resolution.
Attention, this User has been flagged for exclusion from the System by executive order.
Nine points in Myst and a single point in Nerve. The equivalent of ten levels.
Not a bad start.
Give Jeb a couple months to grow his Myst core to the new limits, and heâd be moving a few hundred pounds, easy.
That, in turn, would make it easier to engage in more high-stakes deals, and raise his survivability.
Hold on, Jeb thought, slipping the ring back onto his finger. He had to consider why he was doing what he did. Power for the sake of power never ended well.
He had to find a niche for himself.
Maybe open a business where I rescue children for exorbitant prices. Jeb chuckled at the thought.
Another thought: Jeb didnât have to follow the same path as before.
He glanced at the immaterial insects wading through the Myst settling near the floor of the inn. One of them was about the size of a large rat with a gaping maw that seemed to strain the Myst like a whaleâs filter feeder. It passed through Jebâs foot without a care, leaving a wake of slightly off-color, blue-tinted Myst behind it.
Canât say I missed the hallucinations.
Jeb had chosen to raise his Myst exclusively during the tutorial because he felt that magic would be the way to break the game, and that had been the right instinct.
Now his instincts were telling himâŠ
Donât overspecialize.
When he had no clue what kind of trials would be heading his way, a more well-rounded approach would likely offer more ways to survive.
Well, payment is typically material in nature, anyway. I donât think Iâll have any problem getting Body, as long as I continue making Deals.
That settled, Jeb got back to work packing to skip town, idly itching his scalp as he did.
There was a lump on his head.
The fuck? Jeb thought, standing straight and searching for the lump with his fingers.
Nothing? He probed, poked and prodded his scalp with his fingers, not finding anything.
That was weird. Jeb sighed, running his whole hand over his head to dispel the heebie jeebies.
There was a lump.
Ice settling in his stomach, Jeb reviewed his short term memory, prodding exactly where he had felt the strange thing. Nothing. He pulled his hand down and looked at it.
The appraiser sat there on his right ring finger, looking innocent.
Oh you son of a bitch, Jeb thought, folding back his index and middle finger, using only his ring finger to prod his skull.
There it is. To his ring finger, it felt like something was attached to his skull. Some kind of zipper like object just above the skin, seemingly welded in⊠Needless to say, his other fingers couldnât feel a thing.
Jeb switched the ring onto another finger and probed with that one.
Still there. Definitely the ringâs doing, then.
What the ever-loving hell is going on here? Jeb thought, poking the lump some more.
It twitched.
The lump on his head twitched.
Okay. Thereâs something alive in or on my skull that only exists when touched through the appraiser. I only have one question. Is this the appropriate time to panic!?
Knock knock.
Jebâs gaze darted to the door.
âNot a great time,â Jeb said, his voice a little higher than he mightâve liked.
âJebediah Trapper?â The enforcerâs voice came through the wood. âIâd like to speak to you about kidnapping and capital punishment.â
Comments
Awesome, I didn't think to check for a chapter yesterday, but a new chapter of this is a great present!
Kemizle
He already canât lie so I could see it making him more fae like
Joshua Flowers
Small mention of Smartass being disapproving of Jeb's owed "favour"? Let me just unnecessarily lob that under the ship tease category; nevermind the most likely solutions, I'll ship what I damn please XD! I wonder if practicing Fae magic will affect him later on; it seems to make Smartass larger atm, perhaps it'll make him ethereal or something.
Arnon Parenti
This was awesome 3 potions in one deal is brutal, Jeb is gonna fly past any systemer ever born
Arnon Parenti
She was his evaluator on the impossible tutorial, my guess this is about kidnapping and extorting the tutorial crew
WhiteRabbit
Damn I love this chapter
Anon
Guess Vresh figured out who Jeb was.
Kemizle
If Jeb gets access to the system does his sticky impact absorbs it and it becomes permanent power that canât be taken away? That goes for his class too. Also is there a way to save impact for abortion later if he canât absorb any more?
Fabhar
Fantastic. Very satisfying. I'm guessing the lump is the pending Lagross's Power or whatever it is that is blocking him from the System.
Kemizle
Great chapter
Deinos
Nice conclusion :-) Approved.*stamp*
Andrew
Thank you!
Jose Cordones
Thanks for the Christmas gift. Gracias por el regalo.
Macronomicon
Merry Christmas! I didn't actually have any more chapters than this to give you, but expect another on Sunday. In the meantime, enjoy the conclusion to Jeb screwing over an alien businessman and souring the relationship between him and his daughter for magical power! (don't worry, she would've soured on her dad eventually)
