"When I tasked you with the invasion of Reprizem, I had certain expectations." Rakin's voice filled the endless field of crimson flowers. The Overlord stood beside Isaac but didn't look at him. He stared off into the distance as he spoke.

"A hundred dead Zerians. That was the minimum. One you met without issue. You could have extracted, and no one would have faulted you." Rakin finally turned to Isaac. "But no, you stayed. You kept fighting."

"Didn't do it for you, or for the mission," Isaac said, crossing his arms. "Earth has to win."

Rakin's smile revealed razor-sharp teeth. "On that we can agree. Which is why I'm pleased you stayed so long. Not many survive S-rank Infamy this early into the Fusion Wars. You did, though. You gave your planet a short lead and exceeded my expectations. Good job, kid."

Isaac didn't care much for the praise. As he mentioned, he hadn't stayed for Rakin or his stupid mission. No need to get hostile at this point, though. The Overlord was still a great source of information. He planned to use it as long as he could.

"You didn't warn me about Infamy, or the bounties for that matter."

Rakin chuckled. "Of course I didn't. Where would be the fun in that? Besides, this way I learned that you can adapt and overcome. That's rare in situations like those."

Fun… Isaac took one deep breath when he heard that word. Anger. It wouldn't solve anything here. Like always, he had to squash the urge to punch the Overlord and just move on. He still had questions.

"The bounties. Who places them?" he asked.

Rakin clicked his tongue. "Of course you would ask that… Remember that list we talked about last time?" Isaac nodded. "Back then, I told you there was a lot you didn't know. Well, bounties are part of that. Anybody watching you across the Integrated Universe can place one for a price. As simple as that."

Isaac's brow furrowed. "But… didn't you say I was protected? That nobody but you and Fisk can watch me?"

A snort escaped the Overlord. "That was before you went and slaughtered legions of Zerians at their Safe Zone. People notice things like that, and with that, your protection vanished. Congrats, by the way. You are now a minor celebrity."

Celebrity? Isaac echoed in the safety of his mind. He couldn't imagine how his face looked right now, but it had to be quite the sight considering that the Overlord began laughing.

"Surprised, eh?" Rakin said once his chuckles stopped. "Don't be, kid. Strength attracts attention, and you were among the first to show it during these Virus Wars. And trust me, it's just the beginning."

"Right…" Isaac muttered, unsure what else was there to say. He, a celebrity? Just because he slaughtered hundreds of aliens? The less he thought about it, the better. Which was why he steered the conversation back to the earlier topic.

"So now anyone can place a bounty on me? Even you?"

"Not exactly," Rakin answered instantly. "There are rules in place so the system cannot be completely abused. Otherwise, the wars would serve almost no purpose."

Isaac arched an eyebrow. "'Completely?' So you say it can be abused to some degree?"

The grin Rakin offered him sent chills down his spine. It said more than any straightforward answer could. And something told him he didn't want to know the details, or he would really end up punching the Overlord.

After a way too long, uncomfortable silence, Rakin averted his gaze and chuckled. "Enough of that. Why don't we move to a more pleasant subject? Like your rewards, or the future of the war."

Isaac had no idea how anything about the war could be pleasant, but he still nodded. This also reminded him of something.

"You gave Earth quite low odds of winning," he pointed out. "And yet I turned the tide for a few hours with just a single invasion."

Rakin shrugged. "You are still losing, kid… But maybe I underestimated you humans a bit. I definitely didn't expect so many of you to invade in the early days and survive."

That got Isaac's attention. Rakin noticed and rolled his eyes.

"You might be the first to reach S-rank, but there are plenty of others who extracted before getting that far. Your number one fanboy, for example? Harry?"

Isaac grimaced. "Please don't call him that. I get your point."

Rakin laughed again. "Oh, don't be shy now. You have seen nothing yet. Celebrity, remember?"

How could I forget? Isaac grumbled internally while glaring at the Overlord outside. "The war?"

"Right, right." The alien raised his hands in surrender. "The odds are looking much better now, but like I said, Earth is still losing. What you did gave humans a second wind, but the same happened to the Zerians. They aren't a species that will break just because they suffered a minor setback. They will fight harder now. Push harder."

Isaac nodded to himself, eyes on his hands. He expected as much. It would have been foolish to think his lone invasion could break the spirit of a civilization so focused on war. Still, Marie was right. Now every human knew that victory was within reach. They just had to work for it.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

He looked up at the Overlord. "Any advice?"

"Advice, eh?" Rakin hummed. "Keep doing what you're doing, but remember that this is a team effort. Coordinate with others. Make plans. That's all I'm willing to say for now."

Coordinate. Isaac frowned. It was decent advice. He had no idea how to use it. His pairing with Harry had been more luck than strategy. He could try, though. Talk with his friends. Maybe they would have some ideas.

"Guess that's better than nothing," he said at last.

Rakin huffed. "Not even a thank you. Where is the respect for your elders?" He shook his head. "Ah, whatever. Your rewards then. I planned a quick presentation on the stuff I prepared, but I can't keep you here any longer in your current condition. All I will say is enjoy, and use my gifts well."

Fair enough. Isaac nodded. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Rakin waved him off. "Just one more thing. I might have an offer for you soon. Something to help with the war. Nothing final yet, but don't be surprised if I snatch you off Earth for a bit."

Isaac knew better than to protest. "Do what you want. Just not when I'm busy."

Rakin shot him another grin. "I will keep it in mind. Ciao!"

Just like that, the field of flowers vanished, replaced by a familiar darkness. Isaac closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him once more. The rewards could wait a little bit longer.

When Isaac's eyes opened again to the sight of a familiar wooden ceiling, he no longer felt like dying. The aches lingered, but most of the pain had faded. At least that was until scorching heat enveloped his left arm.

He shot upright, eyes snapping to the flames crawling across his forearm. It didn't take a genius to realize what was happening.

Dammit, Rakin. A little warning would have been nice.

He could all but picture the Overlord grinning at his suffering right now. As such, in a very mature move, he flipped off the invisible observer with his other hand and waited for the process to finish.

Thankfully, the fire died down after a few seconds, leaving his entire left forearm covered in strange black markings. It didn't look all that different from the tattoo that held the Root.

Okay, what are you? Analyze?

[Abyssal Storage Brand | Grade: Eternal] One of the finest Storage Brands on the market. Its high-quality compression matrix can store more than some warehouses. Thanks to its link with the Host's Virus, losing the arm bearing the Brand will not sever access. Passive: Abyssal Grasp - Automatically extracts all Virality Gems and Cores from all nearby enemies you have slain.

The moment this description appeared, Isaac was hit with a headache, one that brought a bunch of information with it. How to access the new Storage Brand. How to use it. And the general idea of what was currently stored inside.

He rubbed his temple, ignoring that for the time being, and returned his attention to the description.

Oh wow…

Getting a permanent storage space alone would have been great, but this? This went far beyond that, thanks to all the bonus effects. Especially this Abyssal Grasp.

All right, I'm impressed already. Now for the rest.

According to what Isaac could feel, there was a bunch of stuff inside the Storage Brand. Most of that he recognized as clothes. There were, however, three items that didn't match this pattern.

A large stone. A pill. And a… note?

He summoned the stone first. His eyes widened as bright red light washed all over the room, followed by warmth one could only get from sitting close to a campfire.

What in the…

The object that landed in his now-sweating hands? It was a melon-sized crimson stone that looked like it had a literal miniature sun pulsing inside. He Analyzed it right away.

[Flameborn Core | Grade: Arcane] A moderately powerful Origin artifact. Can be used to instantly Reawaken the Origin of Fire. Otherwise, it's a very good source of fire-attuned energy. Can be used in the crafting of even Relic-grade items.

Isaac smiled. He didn't even have to guess why Rakin had given him this. Now he had a powerful tool to help him with Origin Fusion.

Next came the pill, colorful and oddly glossy.

[Mutagen: Viron Adaptation | Grade: Arcane] A popular and well-received Mutagen designed to slightly increase resistance to all Viron-based attacks. Upon consumption, the Host may select one Origin Aspect for enhanced resistance. This cannot be switched later on.

This is… good. Very good, Isaac thought. Rakin must have been even more impressed than his words had suggested. Not that these things were probably worth much to an Overlord, but still.

Whatever.

Isaac shrugged and threw the pill into his mouth. Thankfully, Marie was nice enough to leave a bottle of water next to the bed before she left. No swallowing stuff dry.

A strange sensation rippled through his body. This was followed by a notification.

Please choose an Origin Aspect.

Here, he could have picked something obvious. It might have helped with the Fusion, kept his hair from falling out. That said, Isaac discarded that idea right away. He had made a decision the moment he read the pill's description.

Illusions.

The time he spent with Harry was eye-opening. He could dodge or block normal visible attacks, regardless of their aspect. But what defense did he have against something unseen? None at all. Hence his choice.

Mutagen successfully adapted (Slot 3 of 3). To remove it, issue a simple mental command.

That just leaves the note.

With a tug at his Storage Brand, a piece of paper appeared before him. It only had a single short sentence written on it.

"Not bad, eh?"

Isaac snorted. The nerve of this guy. As if some rewards would make him forget about everything the Overlords did. Not now. Probably not ever. Too many had died.

Bastard, he thought, and pushed those thoughts away. He stood up and looked around the room. Despite the promises, there was no real food anywhere here.

He sighed.

Might as well take a look outside.

He made the first step toward the door, but just then, in a familiar pattern now, it snapped open.

Elaine.

For a brief moment, the two of them just stared at each other. Then, the woman's eyes went wide, and she dashed forward, dropping all the stuff in her hands. Within a second, she had him trapped in a tight hug. She didn't say anything, though.

Isaac smiled and returned the embrace.

How long did the hug last? He had no idea. But as they stood there, another figure appeared in the doorway, one he hadn't expected to see today.

James.

Isaac wanted to ask how and why he was here, but with Elaine still holding onto him, he just settled on a nod that the man returned. They would have time to talk.

It's good to be back.

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