Lucy turned around and walked toward the gates, not bothering to check if anyone had followed her. Fang stared wide-eyed at Richard, who shrugged and started walking. The others scuttled forward. She must have heard everyone behind her, because she kept talking.

  “Also, while we’re on the topic of sexual organs, I’m sure you’ll all be delighted to know that sexually transmitted diseases don’t exist here. Also, in the thirty years since the apocalypse started, we’ve discovered that the only people who can have babies are the native people of this planet. You don’t even need a condom. Congratulations.”

  “Uh…” Richard couldn’t help but say.

  “Just saying the stuff everyone is too embarrassed to talk about. And I hate when people come to me with what they think are embarrassing questions, so I get those out of the way in the opening lecture. Some people think that even though it’s an apocalypse, there’s something called patient confidentiality. It’s usually Earth people who think so. Someone in this group is from Earth. I didn’t bother to check who, so let me warn you all right now: there’s no such thing and this is a small community. If two people do something freaky and need me to heal them because of what they’ve done, I will tell Dmitri about it, and these things spread. The rumors. Not the injuries.”

  Richard didn’t understand why this conversation went where it did, but it seemed like Lucy had seen a lot in her time as a healer. Perhaps she needed to vent.

  They entered the healer’s building. The other three studied the room curiously, but Richard had already been in here. Seeing the others study the room made him realize he must have materialized far away from base camp. Did they even have to travel through the forest?

  “Also, you want to know my favorite part about my job?” Lucy walked over to the main table, giving a smile. “I don’t have to heal you if I don’t want to. Some people find this threatening. I find this exhilarating. You know why? If you treat me like a piece of shit, you don’t get my services. I’m not someone who’s going to do it because it’s the right thing to do. I’m doing this because I value your contributions to base two. Saving you benefits the greater good, as long as you actually contribute.” Lucy raised a hand. “Some of you might think I’m a bitch for saying this, but let me tell you what you have to do to get my services.” She paused as though for dramatic effect. Richard’s shoulders raised as though bracing for a hit. “Be a decent human being.” She spat the words out. “Don’t be a jerk to me, and I won’t be a jerk to you. I know I appear prickly, but in my five years of working here, you’d be surprised how much a little pain suddenly makes everyone assume they can treat me like trash. And no. I absolutely have no interest at all in falling in love with anyone. I’m not interested in love because I have maybe two or three more years on this planet, tops.” She placed her hands against the table, leaning forward a bit. “Questions on your crash course of apocalypse sexual education?”

  No one said a word. Not even Richard found it in himself to make a comment after everything she said. True, Lucy’s personality was strong. It was an odd lecture to begin with, but it was information he didn’t mind knowing.

  “Great. Then let’s start your basic lecture. How to keep yourself alive in an apocalypse one-oh-one.”

  Richard listened as Lucy went through the basic health potions. She had an example basic and advanced healing potion on the table.

  “Four is the pattern you need to remember. Basic, advanced, master, legendary.” Lucy placed a finger on the basic, then the advanced, but touched two more empty places when she said master and legendary. “I have only ever seen one master healing potion, and it cured a hell curse that I thought was incurable. I’ve never seen a legendary healing potion, and I doubt I ever will. The only ones who said they had later went insane and died shortly thereafter. I would not be surprised if legendary healing potions brought someone back from the dead. If we ever get the ingredients for them. I seriously doubt that, though, so don’t get your hopes up, newbies.”

  Richard stared at the two empty places next to the other healing potions.

  “Also, since I’m your first lecture of the day, yes, there’s a reason those words are familiar. Basic, advanced, and master are the levels you can upgrade the abilities on the skill tree when you’ve leveled up. They are also sorted into the three levels. Also, it is intriguing that you will eventually gain three skill trees. Think of this tree as your basic one, your class as the advanced tree, and then your Order gift as the master tree. Yes, some people get a fourth tree. That’s when they become leaders, and, as you can imagine, they are rare. Or legendary, if you’d like to think of it that way. Also, you can get legendary upgrades of skills after the master level, but that can only come from Order herself, when you have done something she considers quite pleasing. Don’t bother asking if anyone has one. A legendary leveled ability, I mean. Rumor has it that if you say what your legendary ability is, Order takes it away. No one will risk it.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Richard did his best to understand. He didn’t feel like it was too much of a firehose of information, more just basic information he was curious about. He had a question ever since Lucy mentioned the number four. Richard started to see the pattern in the classes themselves. Three main classes, like scavenger, farmer, and guard, but then Lucy and the others with a special gift. He raised a hand.

  “So… leaders have a fourth tree?”

  “That’s right,” Lucy said.

  “But don’t you have a fourth tree?”

  “No. Amrynn is the leader, not me.”

  “But… healing? Isn’t that your class?”

  “No. My class is actually the scavenger class. My gift is healing. Since I have such a specific Order gift, they’ve made me in charge of healing. I don’t scavenge much because it’s too dangerous. My class is pushed to the side in favor of strengthening my gift.”

  Richard nodded, trying to make sense of it all. It was interesting, though he wondered if Lucy ever felt bad that she wasn’t as strong in scavenging. Then again, that class seemed extremely dangerous.

  Lucy folded her arms and leaned against the wall. “You’ll understand when you get your gift from Order. Some of them are super strong, and some of them work well within your own class. It is a conversation between you and Order.”

  Richard tried to imagine that kind of conversation. He didn’t know if he was ready for it.

  Lucy clapped her hands. “Alright, who knows the first rule of healing potions?”

  Richard frowned, then raised his arm. “Uh, make sure the clothing is away from the cut before you use it?”

  “Incorrect,” Lucy said. Richard stared at her. He was sure she had said this. He couldn’t have been that out of it with pain. She raised a finger. “The number one rule is always apply health potions to wounds like it’s a liquid gel. If you try to drink it, it could kill you. If it doesn’t kill you, you will definitely be in pain for a long time. Many worlds drink healing potions, but this is not one of them. Fight your instincts, please. It takes so long to fix you afterwards.” Lucy picked up a potion, shaking it a bit to show the thick potion inside. “The only time you should drink a healing potion is if I instruct you to do so with one I have made specifically for you. It is one of my gifts.”

  The lecture went on. Lucy was far less intense once she clarified she didn’t want to take anyone’s bullshit, but Richard got the impression from her that as long as she was respected, she would return the favor.

  So Richard listened, hearing all about healing potions. Richard did his best to frame his question so as not to insult her by any means, but he was curious that if the very basic of healing potions did all these incredible things, what did she do as a healer if not simply dish out healing potions?

  “Ah, good question,” Lucy said, and Richard felt himself relax. She wouldn’t bite his head off for that. “Health potions are great for what I call ‘planet wounds’. Like getting a broken bone, or running into a regular animal turned hellish by the apocalypse.” Lucy pointed to the wall. “But some creatures out there come from the portals of different worlds, and if you get injured, a basic healing potion might not work. My gift helps them get back to normal. My cure disease, for example. Ever since receiving that gift, I have been using it constantly. It’s the first gift to naturally reach master status, because I’ve needed it on its one-hour timer.” Lucy stared at that gift right now, even though Richard couldn’t see the words. “It’s gotten to where I can almost feel myself not as anxious as long as my cure disease is all charged up.” Lucy sighed. “You’ll find you’ll get hurt in more ways than just cuts, bruises, and broken bones, my friends. Especially if you choose a scavenger or guard class.”

  “Do… farmers also get hurt?” Fang asked.

  “Not as often.”

  Richard heard a high pitch ringing. He frowned, glancing around. “Do you hear that?”

  Amber, still watching the conversation between Fang and Lucy, leaned closer to him. “Hmm?”

  “That ringing. Do you hear that ringing?” Richard asked.

  This seemed to draw Lucy’s attention. She focused on him, frowning. “You’re hearing a ringing?”

  Richard glanced at her as the ringing grew louder. “Yeah. Does anyone else?”

  He received four blank looks in return. Lucy cleared her throat, trying to shake off the blank expression on her face. “Alright, talk to me. What are the symptoms?”

  “Just… a ringing.” Richard wiggled his fingers near his ear. “And it’s getting louder.” He crinkled his nose, glancing around. “A lot louder.” He raised his voice because he wasn’t sure if anyone else could hear him with all that noise. Lucy’s look turned to alarm, and she walked up to him.

  Then the ringing stopped. Richard blinked, and Lucy was back behind the table talking.

  “…specific Order gift, they’ve made me in charge of healing. I don’t scavenge much because it’s too dangerous. My class is pushed to the side in favor of strengthening my gift.”

  Richard stared, a frown tugging at his lips. He was experiencing the weirdest sense of déjà vu.

  “What?” Richard asked.

  Lucy blinked at him. “Huh?”

  “I… what’s…” He trailed off, a growing dread filling his chest.

  Lucy looked confused, her head tilted to the side. “Are you okay?”

  Richard stared ahead, focusing on keeping his face neutral. They had had this conversation before. He distinctly remembered it. Richard rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  “Nothing. I’m fine. Carry on.”

  Lucy shrugged, and did exactly that. “You’ll understand when you get your gift from Order. Some of them are super strong, and some…”

  Richard tuned out the lecture; instead he looked around, feeling his breathing hitch. Something happened. He jumped back in time again. This was the second time this had happened. The ringing appeared. Perhaps that was a clue. He wasn’t sure if the ringing happened with the leopard, since last time he was focused mostly on escaping, and sensing those claws dig into his chest cavity. All he knew was it happened again. He had jumped back a few minutes in time.