“This sucks!” Celeste whined for the twentieth time in the last hour, “That thing was so strong, and it only dropped five copper. We've killed hundreds of monsters and only found four items between the two of us. Is our luck really that bad?”

  Raine seriously considered pushing her off the nearby cliff so he wouldn't have to hear her complaints for a while. They were traversing a steep and narrow path down the inside of a canyon and were close enough to the bottom that she wouldn't die. Probably. The hour it would take to backtrack and pick her up after 'rescuing' Fizgore ultimately wasn't worth the momentary peace.

  Instead of answering her question, he attempted to shift her perspective, “This is good for you. You haven't grasped the difficulty of accumulating wealth and gear. Don't look at me like that; I'm serious. Sure, I got a lot of cheap equipment in a short amount of time. What you're ignoring is that each piece came at the expense of hours or days of grinding. Those players put it all on the line when they fought me, and they paid the price for failure.”

  Surprisingly, Celeste grew quiet after his lecture. He didn't particularly care if she took his words to heart. So long as she had the will to continue advancing, she would grasp her own truth eventually. In contrast to Celeste, Mel's mood had improved dramatically since they left town. For the most part, she stuck to Celeste's side, supporting her through the constant monster attacks.

  She shot him a mischievous glance as she joined the conversation, “Instead of all this grinding for barely any reward, why not keep killing those players and take the rest of their stuff?”

  Raine's response was instant. “Why steal from beggars when you can steal from kings?”

  Getting close to Fizgore must be making me nostalgic. Goofball was always saying stuff like that.

  Raine answered her question more seriously, “The real riches are never going to be in the hands of those weaker than you. Sharpen your skills and keep your eyes on the horizon. Then, the good stuff will come so fast it'll make your eyes fall out.” Raine knew he was getting off topic and paused to consolidate his thoughts, “What I'm trying to say is, there's no point comparing your experiences with mine or anyone else's. If you want more, put in the work. If it's too slow for you, work harder. Ultimately, only your own strength decides what you have and, more importantly, what you can keep.”

  “Hmm. I don't really get it,” Mel shrugged, holding the club Raine had traded to her after she maxed out her dagger attunement.

  Celeste charged at a creature that was pulling its long, worm-like body from the canyon wall. Sensing her, its front end swiveled around, and a circular maw lined with sharp teeth hissed in warning. The worm was thicker than a strong man's arm and covered with tough segmented plates. With a quick snap of its body, it met her charge. Her fists, protected by hard gloves with metal knuckles, impacted the beast's flesh with a dull thud.

  She was sent back three steps, but it was the creature that screamed in torment. The Blast she released upon collision ignited the thin layer of mucus that usually protected it. While it burned alive, Celeste dove in again, landing three more punches, the last loaded with another Blast. In its wild thrashing, the creature's neck unexpectedly sped toward her face. She brought both arms up to block while attempting to duck. She wasn't fast enough. Her health dove by a large chunk, and she was thrown back, nearly falling off the narrow trail. Her forearms released ribbons of dark smoke, her skin singed from the burning beast.

  A Mend landed on her as Mel raced by. Using her club, Mel carefully smacked the creature several times without being hit in return. Celeste circled around to its other side. Together they wailed on the smoking Canyon Wriggler. The flames rapidly extinguished, yet the creature stubbornly continued to battle against them. It was faster, forcing them to use Discipline to keep up.

  The fact they could match its much higher attributes with technique and Discipline proved how far they had come. Still, taking down the level seven monster required several minutes, even with its hard plates severely damaged. By the end, both girls were out of resources. They huffed, hands on knees, lamenting the lack of a single copper from its corpse.

  As always, Raine was quick to continue their training, “Celeste, why did you keep hitting it with fire after its mucus was already burned away? Ice would have rapidly cooled its defensive plates, shattering them and making the fight much easier. Mel, why did you keep attacking near the mouth? That thing didn't have a head, which means no brain or eyes. Critical hits will always be more likely when striking an actual weak point. You could have done more total damage by analyzing it, finding its weakness, and then calling it out while only Celeste fought.”

  Celeste's glare wasn't directed at him. He could tell she was annoyed with herself for not considering such an obvious solution. After all, changing the element of the basic Blast only required a thought. Mel took the criticism like a champ, nodding thoughtfully while intently gazing up at him.

  Raine continued down the last part of the steep path, not giving them time to fully recover. The bottom of the canyon was flat and narrow. A dried-up creek bed cut through its center. Sparse plant life sapped away any potential moisture long before it coalesced into actual water. The walls pressed in close from both sides, domineering in their presence.

  Raine scanned the floor for threats, then set a brisk pace to the south. The girls stayed close, on edge after their multiple tough encounters. Behind them, the mercenaries brought up the rear, easily the most relaxed of the group.

  When Raine spotted the first hidden monster, he didn't make any outward sign of the danger. Without warning, a huge scorpion burst from the ground. It clogged the entire canyon floor, easily three meters wide. Instead of a regular tail and stinger, a thick snake writhed in the air above the main body. The girls nearly soiled themselves when its hood widened and it released a threatening hiss.

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  Mel fell back a step, raising her weapon in a shaky grip. [Level ten?! Please tell me he's not going to make us fight that!]

  Light flared around Raine's fists as he dashed into range. The snake-head darted forward to sink long fangs into his shoulder. A swift uppercut struck it in the jaw, slamming its mouth shut. Raine's fists were a blur, not slowing in the least as he ducked a grasping pincer and another bite from its lower head. Each hit took huge chunks off its health, and within three seconds, the level ten beast shuddered its last and collapsed.

  He earned no Superiority or Attunement, but a piece of shell dropped. He tapped it with his boot, adding it to his inventory.

  [Carapace Scrap: (Common Grey) Useful when crafting certain armor and weapons]

  Raine hopped onto its still-twitching body, then dropped down behind it to continue their trek. Upon hearing his retreating footsteps, the girls scrambled to follow. Touching the warm corpse, they were wise enough not to vocalize their displeasure in the dangerous new territory. Groaning in disgust, they climbed and chased after him.

  Over the next hour, several more of the beasts ambushed them. Learning what to look for, the girls managed to spot the signs of their burrowed forms. The terrain slowly changed, the walls widening until the bed of the canyon was nearly a hundred meters across. Plants flourished, adding green and lavender hues to the bleak, rocky surfaces. The ugly, rough stone walls high above, near the surface, were replaced by raw, white marble, allowing additional light to reflect into the depths of the canyon.

  The most notable change was a sweet, enticing aroma that gently tickled their nostrils. The girls breathed deeply, sighing as their tension bled away. Raine was quick to uncork a bottle from his inventory, downing its contents.

  [Beguiler's Drought: (Common Grey) Increases resistance to mind altering effects for 2 hours]

  The potion wasn't foolproof, relying heavily on the mental fortitude of the imbiber. Since the girls wouldn't need them, he didn't bother sharing any of the expensive consumable. Both mercenaries likewise downed a bottle. The three men nodded solemnly at one another, mentally preparing to face the deadly foes ahead.

  Celeste's voice was low, her wariness cranked to maximum after witnessing Raine's caution, “What's happening? Why do you three look like you're ready to fight a ghost? And what were those drinks? Do we get one?”

  Raine's words were equally hushed, “No. Stay quiet and stick to their sides.” He nodded at the mercenaries, then locked gazes with the girls in turn, “You're about to witness something so dangerous that many who encounter it never mentally recover. Their martial path grinds to a halt, unable to forget, never again willing to progress. You're too weak to help, but experiencing their undiluted powers will give you valuable perspective. Keep an open mind, and whatever you do, don't attract their attention.”

  Mel gulped, fear coloring her features. Raine nodded, glad they were taking the dangers of ZionLine more seriously now. He led the way again, head on a swivel as they dashed between plant cover and rock outcroppings. He stopped to inspect the environment with each move.

  In the past, being ambushed by these creatures had been the instant and permanent end for far too many. Raine wasn’t taking any chances. After all, even deleting your account couldn’t help recover from extreme mental shock.

  As they gradually approached the next bend in the canyon, the scent in the air grew several times thicker. It was a steady enough increase, and the smell so soothing, that it was hard to notice. Despite their earlier fear, both girls were relaxed again by the time Raine darted his head around the sharp rock wall to scout around the corner.

  He saw the location, and it was exactly as Fizgore described it in the past. Juxtaposed against the canyon wall was a cozy two-story tavern. Made of brightly painted wood and decorated with hanging flowers and creeping vines, it overflowed with an all-too-inviting atmosphere. Combined with the cloying smell, Raine couldn't help but acknowledge that part of him wanted to walk right up to its front door. The wooden portal hung wide open, soft light from within beckoning him closer.

  He only took a glance before his head was back behind the rocks. He turned to the mercenaries, “This is as far as you go. You can let them watch but they are not to approach.”

  “Understood!” They snapped a salute, eyes hard.

  Mel giggled, swatting Raine's arm. “What are you getting so worked up for? There haven't been any monsters since we got here. This place is so nice, and beautiful too. Relax a little! Why don't we take a walk, just the two of us?” She raised her brows suggestively. Celeste turned three shades of pink, licking her lips while her eyes couldn't decide which of the two to watch.

  Ignoring them, Raine boldly walked around the corner. The girls jumped to follow, but their arms were quickly grabbed from behind by the mercenaries. Celeste paused, not resisting the grip on her elbow as she looked straight ahead. “What's a tavern doing out here in the middle of nowhere? It looks so nice, and whatever they’re cooking is divine. Can we go in?”

  Raine was spotted immediately. The trimmed plants and lack of natural cover leading up to the tavern made a stealthy approach impossible without skills. From the second floor, a voice as sweet as honey called out to him. Every syllable caressed his ears, sending shivers down his spine.

  “Oh my! What a handsome young man. You look so parched, love. Why don't you come in for a drink? We'll take such good care of you.”

  When the girls looked up, their jaws dropped at what they saw. Raine wasn't immune just because he came mentally prepared. Upon seeing the two young women waving at him from above, his breath hitched. He tore his eyes away, heart already pounding.

  One had light red hair, the other black with violet highlights. They wore revealing clothes that displayed their divinely sculpted figures. Alluring smiles adorned soft lips, and hands of smooth, alabaster skin waved gently, as if caressing him from afar.

  Raine clamped his jaw shut, not responding to their invitation. One laughed softly as he continued to approach the tavern, while the other blew him a kiss that he somehow felt on his exposed neck despite the distance. His skin burned from the deadly attack, and for a brief moment, his mind was overwhelmed by the desire to feel like that on every inch of his body.

  He regained his composure with a silent snarl. His efforts were almost undone when the same girl who kissed him purred, the sound reaching his ear as though her lips were brushing against it. She spoke with a strong foreign accent, the kind that could make any man melt, “Want sauce of this? Come inside. We be waiting.”

  Patreon along with a lot of other exclusive art and even some we've turned into short videos! Really enjoying playing around with those. AI is getting bonkers. Not going to be long before I can turn my entire stories into short movies... Future of entertainment is going to be wild.