From Real to Realm

Everyone returned to the guild together for a debrief. When they reached the chapter hall, Maeric took a moment to talk with both Tamsin and Elira. It took Val a few seconds to recognize Elira, but even she couldn’t forget a woman so attractive. A few minutes later, the three of them approached the group.

“I heard it went well,” Elira said, her focused gaze raking over the group. “Minimal injuries, nothing serious, and you all fought well.”

Maeric and Tamsin were standing on either side.

“We have everyone’s information. If we decide to reach out further, you’ll be contacted by either a runner or one of us. Good job today.”

With that, she turned around and headed deeper into the guildhall.

“Alright,” Tamsin said, stepping forward. “Anything you found on the delve is yours. Other than that, you’re free to leave.”

“That’s it?” A girl behind Val whispered.

Someone else whispered back. “I thought we’d at least get an offer to join now if we did well.”

“I thought I did well today,” someone else whispered, sighing.

Amarisse chuckled. “I didn’t think it would be so cut and dry.”

“I didn’t know what to expect, honestly,” Val said, walking toward the door.

“Well, if we’re lucky, maybe they’ll sponsor us or something,” Amarisse said, pushing the door open for Val.

Val walked through, waiting for Amarisse. “Does a sponsorship mean they just mentor and guide us?”

“It depends on how invested the chapter wants to be,” she said, waving her hand. “Some will go as far as investing in better gear for you. Most of the time, it’s additional training and access to everything.”

“Maybe we have a shot with Stormveil?”

Amarisse shrugged. “I’d like to think they might be interested, but only time will tell.”

The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky. Val’s stomach grumbled, signaling it was getting close to dinner time. Marxus’ wife would likely cook something, but recently Lynesia had been cooking as well.

When Val finally pushed through her front door, a delicious aroma filled her nostrils. “Something smells good.”

Lynesia peeked around the corner. “Dinner will be done in a little while. You should have time to take a bath first.”

Val set her bag down and her halberd against the wall. “Alright, I’ll be quick.”

Around twenty minutes later, Val walked out of her bedroom. She wore a short linen shirt that bared a sliver of midriff, and loose linen pants that stopped at mid-shin.

“Did you forget something?” Lynesia asked, holding up a small box with a ribbon.

Val froze. “Well, considering you blindfolded me and ruined my ability to think…”

Lynesia giggled. “Oh? Was I that distracting?”

When she walked back into the kitchen, Val followed her. Within seconds, Val’s arms were hugging Lynesia from behind.

“Well, go ahead and open it.”

Lynesia pulled the ribbon, letting it fall away from the box. Then she opened the box to see the small silver ring with the green stone set flush with the band.

“You were thinking about me, even while on the road…”

Her finger gently rubbed over the bright stone.

Val kissed her cheek. “I’m always thinking about you.”

Dinner that night tasted better than it had any right to. A small smile never left Lynesia’s face as she absentmindedly rubbed her thumb across the ring. Val was home safe and sound. That night was the perfect night.

The days that followed didn’t slow down for Val. Soon she found herself in a routine. Delving twice a week, sometimes three times, training on her off days. The air outside continued to cool as surface quests only continued to dry up. The dungeon didn’t care for the weather. It was always present and available to those brave enough to push inside.

One evening, Val pushed through their front door, sore in all the wrong places.

She set her halberd against the wall. As she walked through the room, she rolled her right shoulder, wincing. Then the glint of something metal caught her attention on the table.

A guild badge.

Val checked her hip. Her badge was still firmly attached.

“Lynesia?”

There was a pause. Then she heard footsteps approaching. When Lynesia saw what Val was holding, her face went white.

“Before you get mad,” she said quietly. “Just… sit with me for a second.”

Val didn’t set the badge down; she carried it with her. “This is serious, Lyn.”

Lynesia sat on the couch, waiting for Val. “I know.”

Once Val was sitting next to her, she took Val’s hands in her own.

“I didn’t make this decision lightly,” she started. “My plan was to try to fill Lucia’s open spot. But after taking the affinity test…” She paused. “I’m better off as a Mage.”

Val gulped. “A mage? You’d be fighting, not saving or healing. You’d be in danger. I—I can’t…”

Lynesia quickly cupped Val’s cheeks. “Val, I love you. I refuse to sit idly and wait for you to not come home one day.” She rubbed her thumbs over Val’s cheeks. “At least this way, I can stand next to you. I can watch your back while fighting off what gets too close to you.”

Val’s eyes were watery.

“Val, I fucking love you. I refuse to rely on others to keep you safe if I can do it myself.”

The logic was solid. Val still hated it.

Things changed a bit from that day forward. Val and Amarisse continued to fill in on delves when they could. Lynesia, on the other hand, was sent to the training yard behind the guildhall. If anyone understood the value of training now, it was Val. She refused to let Lynesia make the same mistake of diving headfirst into danger that she had made.

Days flew by as Lynesia trained while Val and Amarisse kept delving. On the days they weren’t delving, Val and Amarisse would join her in the training yard. Neither could offer much mage-specific advice, but they were more than happy to offer support.

Eventually, Lynesia had found her niche. Her defensive spells stopped flickering, and her barriers came up more reliably. At their insistence, she kept a few attack-type magics in practice as well, just in case the dungeon demanded more than holding the line.

Nearly a month into the new routine, Val was busy coaching Lynesia in the training yard. She had a dagger in her hand and was sweating. Early on, Val bought the dagger for her as a backup weapon. Her reasoning? Mana was finite. The dagger filled the gaps.

“Make sure to watch your footwork,” Val reminded Lynesia.

Lynesia wiped the sweat from her brow. “I know.”

A second later, Lynesia slashed at a dummy with her dagger.

“Guys!”

Everyone turned to see Lucia sprinting full-bore at them.

“Guys! Mina’s awake! Come on!”

There was no hesitation. The three of them grabbed their things as they rushed past the table they were using. With Lucia guiding them, four sets of loud footsteps echoed down the halls of the medical wing.

“This way! They moved her to a different room!”

The sudden appearance of four people, two in full gear, startled the nurse in the room. She was in the process of doing what looked to be a medical check-up. Mina was standing, while the nurse’s glowing green hand hovered over her body.

Mina’s eyes found theirs, flicking between each of them. Even as they stood there, tears started to fall. When the nurse finally finished, she stepped to the side. She moved just in time for everyone, aside from Lynesia, to rush in and hug the cat-girl.

“I missed you guys so much!” she cried, clinging to them. “I was so scared I’d never get to see you again!”

Her sentiment was echoed by everyone present. The sight alone was enough for Lynesia to struggle fighting back her own tears.

Val pulled away, wiping her face. “So, what’s the diagnosis? Are you clear to come back?”

Mina smiled, sniffling. “They told me there’s no lingering corruption.”

“It’s probably all that energy, fighting it off,” Amarisse said, barely keeping her composure. “I knew you’d bounce back.”

A few chuckled echoes through the room.

“You should probably get back in bed,” Lucia said, trying to act serious. “You need to regain your strength.”

Val and Amarisse helped her back into bed, then everyone sat on the sides.

Mina smirked. “Looks like you’re not so unique anymore, Val.”

Val tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not the only one who was bedridden in a coma now,” she said, sticking her tongue out. “Gotta find something new to tell people.”

Val rolled her eyes, chuckling. “I see, that’s why you did what you did. You needed to take me down a peg.”

Val obviously still felt some chemistry there. However, she had to watch it now that she was officially with Lynesia. The talk she had with Amarisse recently was still lingering in her mind, though.

“I see you’ve already replaced me,” Mina said, waving at Lynesia. “I’m Mina, kinda almost died.”

“Like anyone could replace your energy,” Amarisse whispered under her breath.

Lynesia giggled. “I’m Lynesia, Val’s girlfriend and the party’s new mage.”

Mina’s ears twitched, her gaze flicking to Val. “Girlfriend? A lot has changed since our delve.”

“We’ve been friends since before my amnesia,” Val said. “Lynesia helped a lot during my rehab. Spending that much time together kind of sparked something.”

If Lynesia’s reveal bothered Mina, Val couldn’t tell.

“What class do you have?” Lynesia asked.

“Striker, I prefer dual short blades,” Mina said, clenching her hands. “I’m eager to get back out there.”

That declaration surprised a few of them.

“So you’re going to keep fighting?” Val asked. “Are you sure?”

Mina tilted her head, ears twitching. “Of course. Why?”

The room settled.

Lucia cleared her throat. “I’m not in the party anymore.”

Panic flickered across Mina’s face. “Did you get hurt too? I thought I protected you…”

Lucia quickly waved her hands. “You did protect me! I got out with barely a scratch…” She paused. “It’s just… after watching Elza die, and you almost dying too… I can’t go back in.”

“Back in the dungeon?” Mina asked softly.

“Right,” she said, nodding. “I’ve gotten better since then, but you can ask Val and Amarisse. I was jumping at everything. Any little touch, bump, loud noise, anything really.”

Mina frowned. “I didn’t realize it hurt you, too. I really hate the dungeon.”

Lucia smiled. “I’m alive because of you.” Then she hugged Mina. “I’ll never forget that. Thank you.”

Tears started rolling down Mina’s face as she hugged back. “I just did what I had to…”

When Lucia finally let go, Mina wiped away her tears. “So, how long till I can rejoin?”

Things really started to pick up after that day. Mina still needed some time to regain the strength she lost while stuck in bed. Unlike Val, she was only stuck in bed for weeks, compared to Val’s year or more. That meant, before long, Mina was joining Lynesia in the training yard every day.

Val and Amarisse barely missed a beat. Two delves a week minimum, sometimes three, even as the rest of their party trained. More than a few times, Val would come home with unhealed cuts. When Lynesia pressed her about it, Val said she didn’t want to “waste” the healer’s mana on a scratch. However, a few of those cuts were more than just a measly “scratch” and required stitching. Lynesia, at those times, would force Val to sit down and bear the pain as she tended to it.

Days flew by, then weeks. The air was even colder now, and most mornings, flurries would accompany the fog filling the streets. Winter was fast approaching, and real snowfall likely wasn’t far off.

One morning, as Val and Amarisse were walking toward the main gate to the guild courtyard, someone called out from behind.

“Hey! Val! Amarisse!”

The two of them turned, only to recognize Cera running up to them.

“Hey, Cera,” Val said, waving. “Long time no see. How ya been?”

Cera smiled, a light blush on her cheeks. “I’ve been good. I finally got permission to join your group.”

Val chuckled. “You wouldn’t need permission for us anymore.”

“W—what do you mean?” she asked.

“I’m level three now,” Val said, smirking.

Amarisse rolled her eyes. “Don’t applaud her, you’ll give her an even bigger head. I hit level three just a few days ago, too.”

Cera stood there, brow furrowed. “So, I wasted all that time…”

Val shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it a waste. Lynesia is still level one, so it’s good you’ve got guild permission.”

“How much time have you been spending in the dungeon?!” she asked, stomping a foot. “You’re rookies! You shouldn’t level up that fast!”

“Twice most weeks,” Amarisse said, raising an eyebrow.

Val shook her head, thinking. “Hell, by this point I think we’re in there three times a week more often now.”

Cera sighed. “That makes sense.”

“What do you mean? Doesn’t everyone delve that often?” Val asked, arms crossed.

“NO!” Cera huffed. “Rookies go in once a week, sometimes twice at most!”

Amarisse elbowed Val. “Don’t forget we got a fourth delve in there a few times, too.”

“Ohhhh. You’re right.” Val said, grinning at Cera. “I almost forgot.”

Cera looked at them like they were crazy. “Please tell me you haven’t been dragging along your new members to four delves.”

Val shook her head. “Nope. They usually go down with us once or twice a week at the moment.”

Amarisse nodded. “Mina hit level two last week. I bet Lynesia is close.”

“So that’d still make you the highest level,” Val said. “We’ll be under your care.”

“Wha—“ Cera said, pausing. “Under my care?”

Val, Amarisse, and Cera filled in on delves together from that day forward. It took Cera some time to get used to Val and Amarisse’s drive, but before long, she was next to them on every delve. They continued to check in on Lynesia and Mina on their off days as well. Mina and Lynesia were only joining for one delve a week at this time. They were shallow delves, sticking close to the staircase leading to the surface. It was enough to give them experience without overextending too deeply into the floor.

Before they knew it, they were deep into the winter months. It was no longer just flurries filling the air. Small piles of snow lined the sides of the streets most days now. Fresh footsteps were left in the thin layer of snow as it continued to fall. Everyone’s gear had changed for the colder weather as well. Fur-lined coats and extra layers were commonplace among adventurers now.

By this point, the girls were delving two to three times a week. Due to the cold, they didn’t usually delve on a fourth day. Being in the cold that much was detrimental to their health. With everyone trained up, they no longer needed to fill in with Stormveil every time. Of course, on occasion, they would fill in on a large operation with other groups if asked.

“On your left!” Lynesia yelled, blue energy gathering around her hands.

Val turned on her heel. “Got it!”

With practiced effort, Val brought her halberd overhead just in time to bisect a Bramble Rat. Each half landed in a heap a few feet behind Val, leaving blood along the floor.

“I still can’t believe how different this feels,” Mina said, yanking a blade free from the skull of another rat. “I just wish Lucia could be here, too.”

Amarisse ran the flat of her blade along the fur of one of the rats, cleaning the blood off. “I do too, but at least she’s safe.”

Cera stepped forward. “I understand why she stopped. I’m still amazed you survived such an encounter.”

Val remembered Cera’s reaction when she explained what happened. Like most other adventurers, Cera at one point heard about the group that ran into two Soul Mimics on floor one. She promised not to treat the group any differently, but commended them for continuing toward their goals.

Looking back, Val really was surprised by how much had changed since then. Cera reached level five a couple of weeks after joining their group. Mina and Lynesia were already level two as well, with Mina likely close to leveling again. As for Val and Amarisse? They both hit level four a few weeks ago. All together, the group was beginning to really make their own way.

“We’re almost to the stairway,” Val said, nudging a dead body to make sure it was dead. “Everyone good to move on?”

A handful of nods was all the approval they needed to keep moving. Mina and Lynesia were no longer on training delves anymore. It was hard to believe that over two months ago, it was just Amarisse and Val filling in with Stormveil where they could. The past few weeks, as a full party, they were hitting the dungeon at least twice a week, sometimes three times. Mina was able to fall back into rhythm without much issue. Cera was experienced, having already reached level four before joining. Lynesia was the newest factor, but thanks to her training, she caught on quickly.

“Is anyone hurt?” Cera asked as they walked along the stone corridors.

A handful of head shakes was enough for her.

Cera smiled. “Lynesia’s barriers are getting better by the day.”

Val smiled to herself. At first, she was worried about how well Lynesia would fit in with the group. Well, she was also really worried about her getting hurt, but that was something else entirely.

“Let’s be honest,” Amarisse said, stretching. “We’ve all gotten stronger. Bramble Rats were tough for us our first delve, remember?”

Mina jumped up. “They were! I almost got seriously hurt!”

“What makes them so easy now?” Lynesia asked. “Is it really just because of your experience now?”

“Pretty much,” Val said, adjusting her armor. “Amarisse and I have even touched floor two with Stormveil. Not much different from this floor, but the groupings were larger.”

Amarisse nodded. “Stormveil is on another level when it comes to party composition. Val and I fit in just fine where they put us.”

“Stormveil is the top tactics chapter for a reason,” Cera said, stepping between everyone. “They will push your abilities, but not beyond what you can handle. I’d say they’re a big reason you’ve gotten so good.”

Val raised an eyebrow. “You’ve worked with other adventurers around your level, right?”

Cera nodded. “I have, why?”

Lynesia chuckled. “Val wants to know how she stacks up to them. Careful, babe, your ego is showing.”

Val bumped Lynesia with her hip. “Hey, it’s not egotistical to want to become stronger.”

Giggling echoed down the stone corridor.

“I’d say you’re better than most adventurers at your level,” Cera finally said. “At your current pace, you might make a name for yourself faster than most.”

Val smiled big. “Wow, a big vote of confidence.”

Lynesia rolled her eyes. “What about Val’s aura? Has it changed any?”

Cera focused on Val for a moment. “It’s more intense now, I’d almost say dense in a way.”

Val looked down at her hands. During one of their group training periods, Cera mentioned her aura again. She wasn’t very secretive about it, so the rest of their party was dragged into the conversation. Ever since the escort quest, according to Cera, her aura was getting more frazzled and condensed. Even if Val exhausted herself, it didn’t change anything.

“Have you found anything in the guild library?” Amarisse asked.

Cera shook her head. “Being able to see auras isn’t a common ability. There’s not a lot of information about what an aura looks like or what it could mean.”

Mina twirled in front of the group. “What about my aura?”

“I doubt it’s changed,” Amarisse said, rolling her eyes.

Cera smiled, then focused. “Amarisse is right. Your aura hasn’t changed.”

Amarisse sighed. “Still a mystery where all that energy comes from then.”

Within a few minutes, they were looking up the long stairway leading to the surface. After a quick check to ensure nothing followed them, they began their ascent. A few dozen feet from the door, they saw light starting to pour through it.

“How deep are we going today?” asked a man in thick iron plate armor.

A tall woman in leather armor sighed. “I don’t know, okay? Let’s just focus on getting to the second floor first.”

A few other people were behind them. None of them stood out as anything unique, though. After being in and out of the guild and dungeon for over a month, they looked like your average adventurers to Val.

“They’re going down a bit late, aren’t they?” Lynesia whispered.

Val nodded. “Probably hoping groups like ours cleared the way for them.”

“Why?”

“If they can get to a lower floor without fighting on the upper floors, they save energy and mana. I disagree with the practice, but I get it.”

Soon, the girls reached the top of the stairway and walked out into the cool air.

“Explain to me how the dungeon is warmer than outside?” Mina asked, shivering. “It’s underground, it should be colder.”

Val chuckled, wrapping her fur coat tighter around her upper body. “The dungeon is an anomaly; it doesn’t follow any rules.”

They took their time to stop by the guild on their way home. There wasn’t much of worth that they found during their delve this time. A handful of monster parts and a small ore vein, they were barely able to mine. Once they were able to sell those, they stopped by the quest board to see if anything new was posted.

“Nothing worth a damn,” Val said, sighing. “This cold weather really has a chokehold on quests.”

Cera nodded. “The snow makes it hard to do anything. The only consistent job is the trip to Edmur.”

“But since it’s the only good one, it’s grabbed up immediately,” Amarisse sighed.

With nothing worthwhile on the quest board, it was time to go home.

“Tomorrow’s a rest day, okay?” Val reminded everyone. “Train if you want, but don’t forget to rest, too.”

The walk home was cold, but Val had a warm bath and cuddling with Lynesia to look forward to. Together, they quickly moved through the streets to their place. They wasted no time getting into the hot bath together.

“I feel like I’m finally thawing out,” Lynesia said, chuckling.

Val squeezed her lightly. “I’ve got something that can warm you from the inside.”

Lynesia turned slightly. “Is that so?” Then her expression changed. “You okay?”

Val’s eyes were wide, a familiar feeling permeating her body. “I—I think I leveled!”

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