“Good job, Eli! That’s twelve kilometers in a little over fifty minutes—no, don’t stop! You have to keep running for the remaining time,” Vivian said.
Elias groaned, grunted, and grit his teeth, maintaining the same pace. It was mostly for show anyway. His physique had improved substantially since his last run, so he wasn’t all that tired yet.
Roughly ten minutes later, Elias collapsed onto the dojo floor, panting but smiling despite his exhaustion. He’d managed another two kilometers in those final ten minutes, bringing his total to fourteen in just over an hour.
It was a solid accomplishment. In fact, he suspected his effective Vitality was nearing level 6. The progress he’d made in just a few days was truly remarkable.
Drinking his well-earned recovery potion, Elias turned to find Isabela sitting in a corner of the dojo with a pink milkshake in hand, staring straight at him. When their gazes met, she swallowed, gave him a goofy smile, and waved smugly.
Kitty was right beside her, curled up in a loaf position, fast asleep.
“Hey, Bel. What are you doing?” Elias asked, eyeing his little sister with growing suspicion.
She was usually up to something—especially when she looked at him like that. He had a strong hunch she’d come here just to annoy him by drinking her milkshake in front of him. Few things were more irritating than watching someone enjoy something tasty while you were still working out.
“Nothing,” she replied.
Then she slurped her milkshake loudly, flashed a wide grin, and stared at him expectantly.
Elias walked away.
“Wait, I’m just kidding!” she exclaimed, hurrying after him.
Elias stopped and glanced back, raising an eyebrow when he noticed another milkshake in her hands—this one a glittery white that swirled with black spots.
She held it out to him with a small smile, her eyes sparkling. “So, how was the dungeon yesterday?”
Chuckling, Elias accepted the offering and began recounting his latest dungeon delve. But instead of focusing on the monsters or the fighting, he talked about the fair in the clearing and how it transformed into a lively tavern at night. He didn’t even need to exaggerate—it had been incredible on its own.
Like him, his sister was thrilled by the idea of such a place. Her eyes lit up with excitement as he spoke, as if he were describing one of the hidden Temples from the stories they used to read—legendary places deep within the dungeon, where adventurers gathered to rest, surrounded by danger on all sides.
Soon after Elias finished telling his story to Isabela, he noticed her animatedly talking to their mother, gesturing wildly with excitement. Vivian’s narrowed eyes turned toward him, her gaze carrying a silent accusation.
Scratching his head awkwardly, Elias decided it was best to quietly slip out of the dojo. He had a good idea of what his sister was trying to convey, and he didn’t want to stick around to remind their mom that he was to blame.
Suddenly, it clicked why he’d never heard about the fair at the clearing until yesterday.
Just before he slipped out, Elias caught his mom turning pensive, her gaze shifting back to him—this time with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Fine, I’ll bring you with me tomorrow! Just stop talking for a goddamn minute,” he snapped at Isabela, massaging his temple in annoyance.
She’d been badgering him for hours to let her tag along to the clearing—and he only had himself to blame. His parents had clearly seen this coming. He should have, too.
“How about we come with you this time, Eli?” Vivian suggested, her tone almost pitying. “It’ll be like a family trip, and you won’t have to worry about bringing your sister back.”
Elias agreed without hesitation. In truth, he didn’t mind taking his little sister along. It was the return trip that annoyed him. Even though the Temple was relatively close to their house, it still took him an hour to make the round trip.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The next day, Elias walked to the dungeon with his energetic sister in tow.
Isabela had her long blonde hair tied back with a yellow ribbon that matched her floral yellow-and-white summer dress and white slippers. Beside her, Kitty trotted along, her long tortoiseshell fur bouncing with each step, a matching yellow ribbon tied around her neck.
They looked adorable.
Peter and Vivian walked a few steps behind, their hands clasped and swinging in time with their steps. Like Isabela, they both wore light summer clothes, making the three of them look more like they were headed to a picnic in the park than a dungeon.
Though, Elias supposed, that wasn’t too far from the truth for them.
“All right, kids, your mom and I are going to take a look around. Just come find us when you’re ready to head into the dungeon, Eli,” Peter said with a wink.
Vivian snorted and looked away.
Elias knew they were curious to meet his new friend, but he was relieved they were giving him some space. He hadn’t even warned Marco that he’d be bringing his little sister to lunch. Bringing his parents along too would definitely be pushing it, especially since they’d only just met.
“Eli, take care of your sister. And Isabela—behave,” Vivian added, putting extra weight on the last word.
Isabela had the audacity to look offended at the insinuation, but no one was buying it.
Before they left, Peter even transferred some money into Elias' energy card. It was more than enough to cover both his and Isabela’s lunch.
Considering he didn’t have much money of his own, it was a gesture he deeply appreciated.
As soon as their parents left, Isabela began tugging at Elias' shirt, eager to get moving. The excitable young girl had been vibrating in place ever since they arrived.
Rolling his eyes, Elias lightly ruffled her hair before strolling through the stalls, giving her a tour of the fair. Honestly, it was a miracle she hadn’t already run off on her own.
Her sparkling eyes darted every which way as they walked, her gaze filled with a hunger he couldn’t help but sympathize with. Occasionally, he even caught her sneaking glances at the jungle, and it dawned on him—this was probably her first time inside the dungeon.
“Stop pointing, Bela, it’s rude,” Elias hissed, making his sister pout.
Thankfully, the older adventurers looked on with indulgent smiles, even when she started pointing at especially cool-looking weapons and items she spotted.
A few minutes later, Isabela had settled down slightly, allowing them to move at a more relaxed pace.
Meanwhile, Elias kept his eyes open, scanning the crowd for any sign of Marco. They had agreed to meet in the clearing around lunchtime, but he now realized they hadn’t actually specified where.
Fortunately, halfway through their tour of the stalls, he spotted Marco beating his way out of the jungle with a wooden sword in hand.
Elias waved until his friend noticed him and began making his way over. As he approached, Elias eyed the sword curiously. It looked nothing like the one Marco had carried the other day. That one had been sleek and ebony black.
Unable to resist, he used Analyze on the weapon.
*******
Hardwood Katana
Common
Training Sword
*******
“Hey, Elias! How’s it going, man? Good to see you again,” Marco said with an easy smile.
“Hey, good to see you too,” Elias replied, returning the smile. “By the way, this is my little sister, Isabela. She really wanted to come see the clearing, so I brought her along today. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Hi,” Isabela said, earning a friendly greeting from Marco in return.
“It’s no problem at all. So, where do you want to eat? Ready to try that meat skewer place?” Marco asked, motioning toward the stall with a tilt of his head.
Elias was tempted. He’d walked past the stall not long before Marco’s arrival, and the scents wafting from it had been mouthwatering.
But he shook his head—he already had another place in mind.
“I was actually thinking we could try a burrito place I saw last time I was here. It looked really good… what do you think? It’s just over there,” Elias said, motioning vaguely in the stall’s direction from memory. “Plus, I’ve been showing Isabela around, and that one’s one of the last stops on our route.”
“Are you sure? I promise the skewer place is amazing. You won’t regret it. Unless... you’re not chickening out of trying the chicken-heart skewers, are you?” Marco said, grinning as he taunted him.
“I’m not chickening out,” Elias replied, rolling his eyes. “We can go there another day. I just really wanted to try this place today—with Isabela.”
“Why with me?” Isabela asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she crossed her arms. For some reason, Kitty chirped, the same sound she made when birds showed up near the house.
Elias narrowed his eyes in return, getting the distinct impression that the cat was mocking him.
“No reason,” he said slowly. “I just think you’re really going to like the place.”
“Okay... and you really think it’s good?” Isabela asked, arms still crossed. “Better than that place Marco just mentioned?”
“Of course! You’re going to love it,” Elias replied in a cajoling tone, before sealing the deal. “And I’ll take you to the skewer place another day. How about that?”
“All right then—but that’s a promise,” she said, finally relenting.
Elias let out a soft sigh of relief.
“To the burrito place, then,” Marco said with an amused smile.