Returner 2 Recap + Ch 1 (Patreon)

Story Thus Far

Bran Heros, known as the Wandering King in the prior timeline, knew that humanity was doomed. When all hope was lost, he used a combination of abilities and artifacts to peer into the past and possess his eighteen year old body.

Now, two years before the first demon invasion would begin, he’s getting a head start on preparing for it.

Bran gets the Blood Hegemon, an Unknown Rank class. Later he discovers it upgrades the quality of the class along with the number and quality of bloodlines that he absorbs. Totally not a vampire.

He’s chosen to use the Nester Crime Family, a known entity from his prior life as his foundation. Bobby Nester was useful in getting himself initiated with the system, and their organization would be helpful as Bran creates his own.

The Nester Family has more than a few problems of their own, and as Bran digs into them he finds a demon hunting for bloodline holders and a cursed artifact. But he found the upper hand in both situations, gaining more followers and eventually the Mul Branova group that worshiped him and chose to be initiated with the cursed artifact.

His waves didn’t stop there. He saved Gloria Nester and Simone Sweet from their fates of death and possession this time around. And they both decided to join him on his journey to strengthen himself through grinding dungeons.

With his knowledge of the previous timeline, he was able to take advantage of several things, yet the more he learns the more he realizes just how much had been going on under the surface in those early years.

Finally confronted with Thorin ‘Clan Killer’ Aegir, he’s concerned for his mothers safety, only to learn that Thorin is his father.

Pieces of events that happened in the past timeline are falling into place, and Bran realizes just how much he’s already changed things.

Just in time for him to prepare for his initiation to the Heros Clan.

Chapter 1

Bobby leaned against the railing, taking a sip from his glass of whiskey. I eyed him before I looked down at the club, taking in the scene.

The room was familiar. It was the same one that I’d barged into at the very start of everything to put the series of events I needed to sway the future into motion. The same room where I had demanded that I become Bobby’s minder. It had all worked out for the better.

“Sometimes, it’s really hard to imagine all of this suddenly ending one day, yet at the same time it makes perfect sense.” Bobby took a long drink. “You know, I always felt a sense of impending doom. Like the world has been teetering on the edge of some giant disaster, but I always thought it’d be some financial collapse or war in a foreign country that would sever the global economy and trigger the first.”

“It never goes away.” I chuckled. The sense was now like a familiar blanket rather than a hanging guillotine. “Just use it to motivate you. You have the power to progress right now.” I clinked my glass against his and took a long sip. We both had the power to level and gain real, personal power, the kind that could shape the future.

Candy was down below us dancing with Simone on a bar while Gloria did her best to keep them out of trouble. No one went near them while Gloria leaned nearby. The two had said they needed to blow off a little steam, but I was fairly sure that they were giving Bobby a moment with me. Tomorrow I was off to the clan.

I had an idea of what he was going to ask of me.

“So, the giant complex you have Gloria building. How big can we make it?” He continued to make conversation, sliding closer to his goal.

“As big as we can sustain.” That was the obvious answer. As for how big that actually was, it wasn’t quite a simple math equation. It was a question of resources.

“Dad’s buying a cannery in the city and Orvin is getting into some food companies. Now that they are basically trying to spend everything, it’s incredible what they can do.” He sipped his glass and turned to me. “Yet you and I are different.” Bobby held his hand up and a sphere of acid floated in it. “What’s the meaning of having money if someone stronger than you can quite literally walk through any defenses you put up and crush it?”

I smirked. “Then get stronger Bobby.”

“I am… you know. There’s that—“

Rather than amuse myself by letting him continue, I pulled a folded up sheet of paper from my spatial ring. “Here’s the map to the dungeons, as well as what you can expect inside. Get yourself ready. I’ll be gone for a few months at the very least. It’ll take the B rank some time to recharge, use it. Gloria will need someone to help her continue to grow stronger. I’d also recommend you guys offer your help doing some instances for the Free Player Alliance. That’s a good way to make friends and get some levels. Just keep an ace in your back pocket; never know when someone would covet what you have.” To that end, I pulled out a few talismans. “Speaking of, here’s a few aces.”

Bobby laughed and sucked the talismans into his ring without question. There was no need between the two of us. The mood lifted significantly; I wouldn’t have it any other way for my last night out.

This wasn’t the Bobby of my past life, but it was a comfortable way to reminisce about better times. Times when we were a big group fighting together, the people I grew to care about were still alive.

I tipped my glass over to the side, spilling a few drops on a fake planter in the room. “Just stay alive Bobby. I’ll be back and any problems that have stacked up will be solved.” I promised.

“If I leave them for you.” Bobby laughed. “Besides, Gloria has that big group of ladies. The Mul Branova’s are already getting a name among the FPA in the city. You know that right?”

I shook my head. Of course they were. Given that they now had a stupidly good class, they were bound to make waves. “Well, don’t rely on them too much. They are Gloria’s problem while I’m out.” That class of theirs was ridiculous. It was insanely powerful defensively, but it would be costly to get them specialized skills to fit whatever style they settled into.

They’d be worth it, given they were a font of power for me through the Worship skill and their bloodlines.

The Heros clan was full of potions and other resources for bloodlines. I’d have to come back with gifts for each of them and improve their strength.

The fact that leveling their strength up would improve my own was secondary. I liked to keep those who followed me alive, and nothing did that better than raw power.

Someone knocked on the door and I turned as Amanda, the leggy blonde that served as my driver, stepped inside. She passed the other two Mul Branova women that stood guard in the hallway. “Your mother is looking for you.” She spoke directly, knowing that I didn’t want her dancing around the topic.

I rolled my eyes. “We leave tomorrow.”

“Sounds like her plans have changed.” Amanda gave me a small smile. “We’ll all miss you.”

“Put that emotion into growing stronger so that when I get back you are all ready to push forward.” I said, knowing that the Mul Branova ladies weren’t going to slow down in the slightest. If anything, my absence would give Amanda and Jenny more time to train.

She dipped into a curtsy. “As you wish my lord.”

Bobby huffed and slugged back the rest of his whiskey. “Good to see that your charm is still just too much. Just make sure you tell my sister goodbye so she doesn’t get bitchy.”

I chuckled. He was right, the mafia princess would take it out on everybody else. “You heard him. Please have someone go get Gloria and Simone.” I grabbed my jacket and threw it over my shoulder.

Amanda nodded and stood before sharply turning to go get them.

“You aren’t fucking all of them… are you?” Bobby asked me.

I choked a little on my drink. “No. They have a compulsion with my words. I could never touch them because of that.”

“Huh. I could have sworn…” Bobby decided not to finish that and pour himself a drink. “Anyway, how strong are you going to be when you get back?”

“Who knows.” I grinned knowing plenty of resources existed in the Heros Clan. Navigating the situation was going to be tricky though. I had already shifted fate far more than I realized. I now knew that my father had destroyed the Heros Clan because he had blamed them for my mother’s death.

By saving my mother, I had inadvertently saved the Heros Clan from the disaster that shattered them. Now I had to decide how I could use them. Previously, I had thought about going and looting the clan for all they were worth because they were going to be destroyed anyway.

The situation had changed and perhaps I could use the clan. The trick was that if I took too much for myself during this visit, I just might change their future enough that I couldn’t easily harness them.

It was a headache that I’d been grappling with as I worked through my plans.

“There you are.” Simone came through the door with Gloria and Candy. All of them looked like a vision, but my eyes lingered on Simone who wore a royal blue shimmering number that hung off her curves before cinching at and emphasizing her tiny waist. Right now she didn’t have an illusion on her, and her dark hair hung down in ringlets that framed her face and emerald green eyes.

Gloria was far more covered. She wore tight leather pants and a loose velvet blouse with a coat over her shoulders like a cape. Between that outfit, her height, and the number of diamond studded pieces of jewelry she wore, she came off fairly intimidating.

But the mafia princess seemed to enjoy that appearance, fully leaning into the signature style.

“Jenny said your mother is summoning you?” Gloria asked with an undertone of additional meaning.

“Yeah, I’m guessing we are leaving early. Something must have come up.” I said, glancing at Simone as she plastered herself to my side. The woman had a new lease on life since becoming a player, not to mention she was ridiculously overpowered in her bloodline and class.

So was Gloria, by that metric.

For whatever reason, shifting these two women’s fates had led to more than I could have ever expected. In my past life Simone had a SS rank Succubus class, likely picked by the demon that had possessed her.

It was almost like my changing their fates had improved their potential… but that would be strange. The system wasn’t whimsical like that. Everything I had learned said that it had fairly rigid rules and only a semblance of intelligence by reproducing language and relevance rather than truly understanding it.

“My mother isn’t a woman to change plans. Something must have come up. Perhaps my father is driving her nuts.” I chuckled.

Thorin ‘Clan Killer’ Aegir was a little denser than I had ever realized. Watching my mother struggle with his presence had been the height of amusement.

“Speaking of, care to give me an introduction before you leave?” Gloria asked.

I nodded and Simone took my drink to slam back the remainder with finality. It could be useful for Gloria to have my father’s contact information should any trouble occur. He was going to stick around for my mother to return. “Let’s get going. Amanda, pull up the cars please.” I nodded to the valet.

The leggy blonde hurried ahead, stuffing her hair under a drivers cap and marching professionally down the hall. Everyone at the club got out of her way.

“So, what do I need to know about Thorin before I meet him?” Gloria asked, waving goodbye to her half-brother to enjoy the rest of the night with Candy.

Simone clung to me like a barnacle as if I were going to escape her and run off to the clan without her at the last minute. “He’s kinda dumb, but stupid powerful.” She reported.

“He’s a Borrson through and through, even if he was exiled from the clan. That they didn’t kill him is very telling. He’ll try to solve everything by smashing it, so don’t make yourself a problem.” I told Gloria. “Also, it might be nice to invite him to the base you are building; he won’t do well in the city.”

“Cracking city sidewalks by accident, and he can’t use a car.” Simone said offhandedly, having learned a little about my father already. “Bran, don’t get that heavy.”

“Didn’t before.” I told her. “Though, that might be why I had a berserker class and grew as tall as I did. Too many things made sense after learning my father’s identity

Part of me wondered if that was a particular blind spot of mine now that I learned it, like my subconscious had been avoiding putting the pieces together.

Oh well, not much to do except move forward. I had learned enough times that clinging to regrets was useless.

Amanda and Jenny were waiting by the two Rolls-Royce electric sedans. The women opened the doors as we approached.

Gloria refused to ride in any other brand of car. Her personal car, driven by Jenny, was armored and trimmed in gold. My own was slightly less flashy.

“So.” Simone got in my car with me in the back while Gloria got in the front, leaving Jenny to follow in her car for later. “Clan business. You’ve been very vague about what’s going on there and what you’re going to do?”

“That’s the question, right?” I mused. “Right now the clan’s activities aren’t entirely clear to me. I didn’t even know they existed until about a year after the Rapture, when they came in and crushed the leadership of Vein City.

“So, it might be business as usual or there might be a few problems. What I do know is the general structure of the clan and how I fit into it.”

Gloria leaned back in her chair to listen, her hair a silverish-purple had been getting a touch more purple since she upgraded her bloodline. “How exactly is that?”

“I’m not part of the three branches. Well, there are more than that, but only three are actually important. If I want to do more than run away with all the loot I can get, I have to join one of them.” I said.

“Are you going to do that?” Gloria raised a well manicured eyebrow while Simone was content to lean on me.

“Yes, he is.” Simone said. “He’s going to elevate his and his mother’s status, right Bran?” She looked up at me with those piercing emerald eyes.

“Even if you hadn’t said something… yes. It’s the harder of the options before me, but long term, if the clan isn’t going to get crushed by Thorin then I can use it to stop the demons.” Without realizing it before, I now knew that my mind was made up. I knew my path forward.