I woke up and did my usual routine while thinking about what Marcella said to me the previous day. She was right. When we open the portal back to earth this place will be almost immediately ridden by some kind of army, and later probably by a bunch of agents from the intelligence agencies, then probably politicians and wealthy people.

I definitely didn't want our freedom to be stolen. We didn't need anybody who would be telling us what to do. I wanted this world to be a sacred place where anybody would be able to reinvent themselves. Just like I did.

With those thoughts in my head, I met with my friends, and started another long period of hunting, with only one goal in my mind. Gather enough class points to get myself more anchors, and speed up my hunting process even more, which involved unlocking the third tier of the 'Shadow walker' class.

I hunted for 150 days because I got so caught up in the process, that I realized I have enough points after I had more than I needed, and then decided to go for a few more to have a round number.

I ended up earning 6 136 475 000 points, and 900 class ones. With that, I finally unlocked the 'Void dweller' with the following skills: 'Shadow walk III', 'Hide presence III', 'Shadow reach II', 'Void anchor II', 'Shadow permit II', and 'Void vault'.

I started by buying two upgrades for anchors, each one was giving me ten instead of one, but the price also went up ten times. The rest of the skills I upgraded to the sixth level, which was not the last one.

Next was finally finishing all the skills of 'Shadow Knight' and 'Shadow Baron', unlocking the 'Shadow champion' and 'Shadow Viscount'.

The champion was out of my reach, but I was gonna go after the Viscount as soon as I got the twenty points I lacked.

Then I went after 'Armored Dreadnought' skills, maxing the class to unlock 'Unstoppable Dreadnought'. 'Experienced psionic' skills, without the 'Mind influence ll'. Remaining 'Summoner' skills, unlocking 'Advanced Summoner'. All 'Monk' skills, unlocking 'Enlighten one'. All the 'Weapon Master' skills, unlocking 'Weapon Grandmaster', and finally, all the 'Healer' skills unlocking 'Hierophant'.

With that out of the way, the time to upgrade my abilities came. I started with some strength. Five thousand upgrades, which made me shiver on the ground out of pain. I picked myself up, though. After which I want with the constitution. I bought 13 600, puked, and might, or might not yelled:

- It's over nine thousand! - on the top of my lungs.

The fact is, nobody can prove me anything.

I was still not done yet. I had plenty of points, and I was gonna use them for something I didn't upgrade for a while. My dexterity. I bought fourteen thousand upgrades, and again, landed on the ground in pain that cut of my vision, sense of hearing, and balance.

I picked myself up after a moment, feeling a significant difference. I had to fix my seal a bit to keep my new body in its cage. I didn't want to kill somebody accidentally.

I might also have whispered the same thing again.

- It's over nine thousand! Again!

After that, I was still left with a lot, but since I was planning on getting the second tier of 'Shadow Baron' very soon, I left the points, to max it as soon as I get what I need.

I finally had everything I needed, and although it was minutes before dusk, I went to test my new fancy skill. The 'Void vault'. I stored my weapon in it immediately, then summoned it in a burst of void essence.

I could even go there myself. It was just a completely dark part of The Void, like any other, with a slight difference. This one belonged to me. I could keep anything I wanted there, and no vengeful shadow could touch it. It wasn't big. With my level of skill just 64 cubic meters. Enough to store food, crystals, clothes, and weapons if I needed them.

Then I went to relax a bit in the bathhouse, knowing that I've earned it, and the real hunt just began. I was gonna go find new territories and accelerate even further, to get myself to a point when I will be able to finally fight the ghosts and travel to Loistavadvaar, the city of gates.

Returning back to earth was almost in my reach. I couldn't take it jet, but soon. Very soon. Those thoughts made me proud of myself, and happy that I will be able to tell Will straight to his face, that he is gonna see his son.

To be honest, I wanted to go with him, just to watch the reunion. I wanted to see the boy watch his father in full glory.

We were for sure gonna become a sensation after our return. Back then, in that bathhouse, I still knew so little about what was going to come in the future. I didn't even have the slightest idea about the small problems that were evolving into something dangerous right under my nose.

That happens when you have too much peace. You grow dull. I can only say to my defense, that you can not always be prepared. Especially if you don't want to become a tyrant who rules over everybody.historical

I wiped myself up, put the clothes back, and was ready to go back hunting, just like hunters do. This time, though, it was a little bit different. I was revitalized. Even after almost half a year of barely sleeping. I had more energy to kill the monsters than I had when I started. The first target was those damn stairs, and what was at their end. More giants, and the boss. I finally could reach them... In few days.

The long period of hunting came to an end with 1 669 917 029 points remaining on my account, and 80 class points.