n

n

nInstead of being empty as expected, a ring of 13 large trees lined the outer area. Each of the trees had an ornately carved door in the center of the trunk.

nThe six trees on either side of the oval were large enough to fit small families. The final tree, standing in the middle at the far end of the oval was different.

nIt was twice the size of the others in height and width. Natural stairs made of vines led up the trunk and onto a balcony made up of intertwining branches.

nThe location was perfect for both observing the area and making speeches. A podium with a Dungeon Crystal floating above stood in the center of the balcony.

n'It looks as if it can project images that everyone can see easily.' Geth thought, examining the location.

nAfter that, he let everyone choose their new homes. His mom and Til took one close to the entrance. Jen, Filthy, and the newborn took the one across from them.

nStark could run back and forth between their homes as he pleased. Geth's three teenage sisters excitedly chose their own homes, happy to not be directly up under their parents.

nBruce would temporarily stay with Geth's mom and Til. He'd already begun mumbling about crafting something to help him get around. The old man really didn't seem happy to impose on others.

nGeth liked people like that, he would likely be extremely loyal in the days to come. He wouldn't tolerate any dissonance in his sanctuary. Family, friends, or otherwise, the threat would be directly removed.

nEveryone inspected their unfurnished homes, and Zolis took the children to show them around their new quarters.

nGeth's face slipped. The smile quickly faded, and his true apathetic nature took its place. He promptly turned and walked back out into the corridor.

nHe didn't notice that Bruce was leaning against a nearby doorframe. He also didn't notice that the man's face showed a hint of fear on seeing the sudden change.

nGeth had never been some happy-go-lucky person. His goal was to build a strong community to help provide for and protect his family. Aside from Zolis and his mom, no one really knew how cold he could be.

nHe had to force himself to not speak in a flat, monotone way, and keeping up false facial expressions made his muscles a bit sore. His mom had taken him to therapy quite a few times as a child, but there weren't any medications that could fix it.

nAside from those who were close to him, he really had no issues shutting others out. There was a very slim soft spot for children. For anyone else, however, they could be torn apart in front of him and he wouldn't bat an eye.

nThat lack of empathy was going to be needed for what was next. Geth knew what would come if he didn't act first. He already noticed the footprints of the group that tried to force their way in while he was away.

nIt was time to begin annexing those around him. There was also the matter of his friends he would like to find. They numbered very few, but he could almost guarantee they would fit in perfectly in this world.

nHe thought about the old gaming squad.

"I suppose I could try bringing the old team together.

" He muttered.

nHe stood by the podium, thinking about where the rest of his old gaming team could be. There was no way he would start conquering dungeons with people he couldn't trust. It would be best to strengthen his own people and not potential enemies.

nGeth used the podium to pull up the current Rankings. The list for Dungeon Rankings that had once been grayed out was now lit.

n1. Valhalla (Lvl 2)

n2. Burning Demon Sect (Lvl 2)

n3. Soaring Winds Sect (Lvl 2)

n4. Frank (Lvl 1)

n5. Theold (Lvl 0)

n'Looks like those in the east are really ahead of the pack. I wonder if it's because of their numbers or if it's because reading and anime had them more prepared for a similar scenario.' He pondered for a moment before glancing at the World Rankings.

nHe was still at the top, but someone from the east was also Level 20. There were two more, both at Level 18, and then what looked like a Russian name at Level 19. As he thought, he was beginning to lose his advantage in Levels. He had used very few cores to boost his experience.

nA new ranking list had appeared since the last time that he checked. This one was called

"Local Rankings

", which was rather convenient for him at the moment. It was always good to have an idea of who your potential enemies were.

n

"The only problem is, there isn't anything letting you know just how far 'Local' reached before changing to 'Regional'.

" He muttered. Even so, he opened the page anyway.

n1. Geth (Lvl 20)

n2. Blade (Lvl 18)

n3. Swole Papi (Lvl 17)

n4. Thorn (Lvl 17)

n5. Filthy (Lvl 16)

n'The Local Rankings are a bit higher than I thought. But based on World rankings, there shouldn't be anyone else over 18 on the western continents.' There was definitely a light here. Three of the Local top 5 were people he could trust.

nThere was still the need to find Swole Papi of course. 'The fact that he's local means that he was caught on this side of the river when we were sent here. I wonder if his wife and kids happened to be with him?'

nGeth knew he should try to locate him quickly. If needed, they could form a party to go retrieve his family. There wasn't a need for him to make the dangerous trek alone.

nEven if Geth was complacent towards others, he was quite loyal towards those closest to him. If his friend needed to bring his family back, he would be beside him in doing so.

nHe also still wanted to find three other friends of his.. 'One's name should be Blazemancer, and the other he wasn't sure of since he would choose new names for every character.'

n