With the dungeon's first test passed, my surroundings shift once again. I am back in another small room, but this time, there are only two of us.

"You okay, kid?" Gone is the overplayed petulance. Replaced by pure concern in a snap.

"It is the first time I have faced a C-grade monster, Pemik. I am angry. I am angry that something like this is allowed to exist. I am angry at what it can do. I am angry at how powerless I am feeling right now. Even after I tore it apart."

The look in his eyes changes. "It's okay. Try to breathe. Slowly." He gently places a hand on my back. After I follow the instruction, he continues, "Anger doesn't help you in a fight. Trust me, I know. How are you feeling? Tired?"

"I'm fine. My stamina will be sufficient for the rest of the dungeon."

He takes a quick glance around then sighs. "Why can't I figure you out? I prided myself on knowing people. On understanding them. But you? To borrow your own words—you really played me, kid. What's your deal?"

I look him in the eyes. "I only want one thing—to help as many people as possible."

He sighs again, a long, tired exhale. "Fuck me. Can't even force myself to hate you." He thinks for a bit and then extends his hand. "We good?"

I extend my own, and we clasp at the wrist. "We good, Pem Pem."

He grumbles out, "Don't you start with that too."

"Sorry, part of the deal."

He playfully throws his hands up. "Sure, whatever. Not like I am almost twice your age or anything."

"Says the guy that was pouting all morning."

"Hah! Got me there, Luci."

The anger melts away, quenched. "Let's fuck this chatterbox up and grab some lunch."

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

The otherworldly whisper returns once more, "Promising. Might I get some more puppets? Still remains to be seen. Fight well, pests."

Surroundings shift. Pemik and I are in another identical arena.

I raise my voice to the covered sky, "Couldn't you see we were having a moment, asshole!" Pemik barks out a laugh. The voice refuses to comment. It's okay to be a little shy. No judgement.

A dark purple mist starts seeping out of the opposite wall, slowly covering part of the arena.

Pemik casually nocks a still in the process of conjuring arrow. "So—and stop me if you feel like this is still too personal—was everything you told us a lie?"

I conjure a small, metal sphere near my right shoulder. A pang of guilt runs through my mind. "No... I don't have any family." Pemik frowns slightly. "And I'm not broke. Unlike someone."

Within the crawling mist, bone hits against brick.

"Oof. That is not a very nice thing to say, young man." He snickers and draws back his bow.

Arrow and sphere fly into the obfuscating cloud of purple. A piercing crack and a dull thud.

I draw my sword. "Too sturdy for my spells. Let some through." Pemik nods, and I start walking forward.

He starts loosing a steady barrage. When each arrow gets lost in the mist, a crack and a clatter follow.

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A humanoid silhouette becomes visible, then a few more, then a hundred more, then a thousand. A figure finally breaks the boundary. Dull bones with a near imperceptible purple glow wisping out. No weapons. No armor. A steady gait. Untiring. Skeleton.

Pemik looses another arrow that splits in the air, cutting down the number of foes. I sidestep a fluid lunge and shatter the monster's skull while it is still in the air.

The archer raises his voice a touch, trying to be better heard over the crushing of bones. "I still can't believe you hid your strength so well. Why'd you hide the spellcasting, though? No offense, but you seem like an amateur at it. At least if power is concerned."

I batter a skeleton aside, cutting three others with a single stroke of the sword. "I'm surprised the Guild's rumor mill hasn't picked up on it yet."

"Your meetings with that elf from the Academy?"

"I stand corrected."

He smirks and croons out, "Do tell."

"Don't be weird, Pemik. I wasn't able to sense nor use mana until recently. She helped me out and is still helping me out. Teaching me and stuff."

"Huh. That's boring."

I kick a skeleton away and turn to him, slashing another into two behind my back. "What do you mean boring! Have you ever heard of anyone not being able to even sense mana?"

He shoots an arrow that explodes into a bright, white fireball. "No? But I was expecting something else."

I duck under the rending hand of an undead, kicking it from under its feet and stomping on its skull. "What were you expecting?"

Pemik looses the arrow he was holding and raises his hands. "Hey. No judgement. You are both consenting adults."

I blink a few times. "It's not like that."

He dashes next to me, sticking a skull with a newly conjured arrow gripped in his hand. "Hmm?"

I make several slashes. Several skeletons tumble to the ground into a pile of bones. "What?"

He hums, "Nothing..."

I continue dishing out destruction. "What is it?"

"Well, if you really want to know, I think I clocked you."

I narrow my eyes. "I have no idea what you mean."

"You don't?"

"No."

"Maybe, and just maybe, you want it to be 'like that'."

"I don't." He just smirks.

"Why not?"

I try to formulate a response, but the words get stuck in my throat. Am I that obvious? Who am I kidding, of course I am. The words propel themselves out, with me not even making the effort to stop them, "Maybe I do."

He punches a skeleton so hard it turns into bone dust. "Hah! I knew it!"

"What?"

He wheezes out, "I was just fucking with you! And you actually confessed!" I changed my mind. Pemik is now on the list for elimi— Ahem. I mean, there is no such list. This was all a dream.

"If you tell anyone about this, I will sic Ren on you."

Actual fear flashes on his face. Another explosion removes a few hundred skeletons. He clears his throat. "Why would I ever do that to my lil' buddy."

"Pfft." I parrot back at him, "I was just fucking with you, Pem Pem." He groans. The swarm of monsters appears to be subsiding. "Besides, it's not like I can act on it."

"Why not?"

I briefly glance at him. "We are two different people, Pemik. Two very different people."

He just shrugs, removing a few stragglers. "Lots of couples are."

"Some differences are just too great..."

He claps me on the back. "All this self-doubt? Coming from the guy that had so much self-confidence he nearly killed himself?"

"Maybe I learned my lesson?"

Pemik chuckles. "Nah, you're too thick-headed for any learnin'."

"Asshole."

The last skeleton is clawing at the walls in desperation. I can practically hear it begging for mercy. Well, maybe not. It's just mindlessly running at us.

"Want the honors?" Pemik asks.

I nod, chucking my sword at the monster. The blade spins in the air, cleaving though its spine. I flex my control, and the sword flies back to my hand.

"That was easy," I say.

"Don't get too comfortable. The boss will be a challenge. Even for us."

The surroundings shift, and the party is reunited once again.

Sini checks us over. Miv gives a quick nod to Pemik, receiving another in return.

Pemik smiles. "Hey, Sini, Lucius could use a few pointers—" I kick him in the shin. He yelps in mock surprise. "Why is everyone ganging up on me today?" He gently rubs the impact area.

"Next one'll be a little higher."

He jerks upright. "I have seen the error of my ways, Lucius."

Miv and Sini both look at us, flabbergasted. The leader of the party asks, "Did something happen, Brother, Luci?"

I reply, "We made up."

Pemik nods. "Sorry for before, team."

After realizing what has most likely transpired, Sini actually cheers up, not the facade she had on for my sake. "That's great to hear!"

Miv chimes in, "I guess it makes sense you two got along so well. Pem Pem would not stop talking about you." The two share a telepathic sibling fight. Miv, as the oldest, proves victorious, leaving Pemik with a resigned expression.

I circle around the younger brother. "Hmm? Wouldn't stop talking about me, huh? Maybe I should change my target."

Pemik shouts out, "Come on! Next room, please!" I snicker behind him.

The voice seeps from between cracks in reality, "Always so eager to burn out. I am enjoying the struggle, pests. Could you not only join my fold, but bring a thrill I haven't felt in eons?" The voice sighs out, distorting space, "Alas, I may never find out." With its last proclamation said, the distorted space snaps back into another arena.

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