For Bel, the System was a constant in her life, something that had been there as long as she could remember. Who needs an imaginary friend when you have the System? You could just talk to it; it would always respond the same way, though.

  [...]

  Only that.

  So when Astor told them about his past, she wondered what the hell the System was even doing.

  ***

  After the events of the Fourth Land and their short stay, the time had come to move on again.

  “Hurry up, Astor, we’re going to miss our dragon,” Bel said.

  Astor, who was talking to fellow researchers, bid them farewell. And to do so, he did something very Astor-like: he gave each of his co-workers a cat. “Take good care of them.”

  “I will,” one said. Others said basically the same things

  Except for one, who sneezed after holding his cat. "I'm allergic to cats..."

  Utter shock showed on Astor's face, and Bel delighted in that expression. The group of researchers continued to talk, laughing about the allergy. Wait, they were talking again.

  "I said hurry!" she grabbed Astor by his hood. "Come on, let's go."

  The two departed for real this time.

  Bel talked on their way, "I'm glad you made some friends, by the way."

  "Thanks, Bel," he replied, smiling.

  "The whole black thing was crazy, but you and your group managed to put many plans together pretty fast. That's the power of friendship, if I ever saw it."

  "I couldn't have done it without you."

  "Me?" Bel said. "I barely did anything this time."

  "You were here in the barn for me. You helped with the troops. You even risked your life with me."

  "That's the bare minimum; you don't have to mention it."

  "I felt like it was important to tell you."

  Bel snorted, elegantly, of course. "Well, you're right. I'm kind of amazing like that. Let's pick up the pace; Cayn is going to be mad."

  They trotted and saw their dragon waiting for them, with Cayn and the rider.

  "You're late."

  "Sorry, it's my—”

  Bel interrupted Astor. “My bad; I was flirting with the researchers.”

  “You what now?” Cayn said.

  “Nah, I’m kidding. I was insulting them, actually.”

  “Right, right, as if. Enough talking; we’re going.”

  The trio got on their ride toward the Fifth Land, where chasms are the norm. Traversal of that land on foot was risky. Indeed, there were so many chasms that the land could be described as a gigantic labyrinth. To avoid getting lost, dragon rides were recommended.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The trip was amazing. Bel loved the sensation of the wind grazing her skin, the sheer resistance of the air against her, clouds at her fingertips, and birds gliding behind, taking advantage of the dragon's lead. Sensational. Truly sensational. Apparently, the party had taken a dragon ride before; alas, she was a little too dead to remember.

  Talking about deaths, she had only one remaining. The soul could only withstand four deaths; the fifth being the final nail in the coffin, literally.

  “We’re almost there, please brace for impact,” the dragon rider said.

  Bel held tight to her safety belt, looking at the Fifth Land as they descended. Vast. So vast it made her nauseous, or was it the ride? Maybe both.

  The dragon slowed as it neared the ground. It stopped swiftly; Bel hated the descent.

  “Thank you for riding with us. I wish you well on your journey.” The dragon and his rider bowed after getting paid handsomely. Some elite treatment—Bel liked that.

  Cayn spoke, “Why am I the one paying?”

  “Do you want me to pay?” Astor asked.

  “No, it’s fine. The message was more directed at Bel.”

  “Me? I don’t have that much in my inventory.”

  “We split our money fairly. Astor aside, what did you do with your share?”

  “Listen, there was a lot of new food to try at the festival. How could I say no?”

  “Just do it?”

  “It’s fine, though; I have [Appraiser]. Actually, don’t you have it, too? Aren’t we financially secure forever and ever?”

  Something clicked for Bel. She looked at Astor, and so did Cayn. He didn’t have [Appraiser]. The one who needed the class most didn’t have it. If that’s not irony, what is?

  “It’s okay, Blue-eyes; you’ll reach the coin limit one day; I believe in you.”

  Inventory coin limits meant being rich. It was a life goal for many, as the coin limit could afford almost anything. If an orphanage had a price, it would be that. Cayn and Bel had told Astor this when the subject came up. They both agreed to help him. It was only natural for friends to do so for each other.

  In front of the trio was one of the many Fifth Land entrances. Just a big cavity in the ground, leading to the local city.

  “Shall we go inside?” Cayn proposed.

  “Let’s go!!”

  Bel was the first to walk in. The first thing that greeted her, aside from the lights, was someone who literally fell on her.

  “Ow!” she yelled, suffering from the shock. Then a second wave came, “Ouch!”

  A voice came from above Bel. “Are you ok V?”

  “Manus tuas,” a feminine voice… babbled. Bel didn't recognize any of the words spoken.

  “Phew, we’re lucky we fell on a nice cushion.”

  Did he just call her a cushion? Time to ruffle things up.

  Bel pushed them aside. “Hey, what the fuck?”

  A wide hole had opened above them, which must be where they come from.

  The dude spoke, surprised, “How— are you alive?”

  “Are you really asking me this question?” Bel said, stern. “Do I look dead to you? In fact, do I look like I have a low Constitution stat?”

  “Sorry, didn't mean it like that. It’s just that we fell from a very high place and I can’t see the cushion I made, so…”

  “Cushion? What cushion? What are you on about?” Bel said.

  And as the tension rose up, Cayn intervened. “There must be explanations to everything, let’s present ourselves, shall we? I am Cayn, nice to meet you two.”

  “Oh yeah,” the dude said. “The name is Kyle and my friend here is Rhea.” He looked at her, “C’mon say something.”

  “(Why is his butt so big?)”

  Bel got weirded out, as she couldn't understand anything coming out of that woman’s mouth.

  “I’m Bel.”

  The dude looked at Astor.

  “Astor.”

  “Yo bro, you’re gorgeous. Calm down with the long eyelashes, my masculinity feels threatened.”

  “That’s a crazy thing to say,” Bel replied.

  “Am I wrong? Is he not gorgeous? Is this a cultural gap or something?”

  Bel glanced at Astor: he was by any means beautiful. Not that it matters much to her. “Nah, you’re right. It’s just that no one mentioned it in front of him, I don’t know why. Are you hitting on him?”

  “Nah, I don’t swing that way.”

  Cayn intervened again, “Sorry to interrupt this… very interesting conversation. However, I’d like to know what happened.” He pointed at the hole above.

  “Oh, that? Well, long story short, we were fighting monsters and got catapulted. Right, Rhea?”

  The woman was sleeping. She was standing up and .

  Kyle continued, “Sorry about her, she’s narcoleptic.”

  “That is completely fine,” Cayn said, “does she need any particular help?”

  “Nah, it’s fine, she’s used to it, and so am I. By the way, where are we?”

  “In the Fifth Land,” Bel said.

  “Ooh, nice. Is the city, town, whatever, nearby?”

  Cayn answered, “It is, we were heading there.”

  “Cool!” Kyle replied. “Lemme take care of Rhea real quick and head there.”

  From his hands, a wheelchair spawned out of thin air. [Mage] class? No, it didn't seem right, the wheelchair was clearly made of different materials. [Crafter] class? Neither of the materials necessary is here. She clearly heard him mutter something, though. Was he hiding something?

  Kyle put Rhea in the wheelchair and signaled them, “Let’s go!”

  There was something sketchy about the two of them, but Bel couldn't pinpoint what. More importantly, her back pain was coming up. Better fix that.