When Jul returned to the party room, about an hour after Nar himself had returned, the common room exploded in cheers, whistling and applause.

  “W-What's going on?” Jul asked, backing up against the door.

  Tuk strode towards her, grinning from side to side and wiping his eyes. “Nar told us what happened! You were so brave!”

  And he gave her a tight hug.

  “I-I was?”

  “Of course!” Cen said, coming in next, snot peeking within her nostrils. “My Crystal! That was so amazing! I don’t think I could've stood up against my master like you did!”

  “Like what?” Jul nearly squealed, as Cen pulled her down to hug her. “Nar, what did you tell them?”

  “Exactly what happened,” Nar said, shrugging. “Though I didn’t tell them about the decision you made. Just that it went well… And that you beat the Master of Shadows into submission and forced her to apologize to you!”

  “Nar!”

  Laughter filled the room, and Jul was carried forward to the table, where everyone gathered around her.

  “So, can we ask?” Kur asked. “What happened in the end?”

  “Well… In the end, she was just worried about me. She didn’t want me to have a hybrid path like Nar’s.”

  “Whaaaaat?” Tuk said. “You’ve got a hybrid path too?”

  “You don’t look like a tank,” Mul said, frowning. “And definitely not like a party leader.”

  “Mul!” Cen snapped at him.

  “It’s okay!” Jul said. “And he’s right. I’m none of those things. I’m a hybrid debuff/DPS class.”

  “Wow,” Tuk said. “Debuff? My master mentioned something about that. It’s like status effects, right? Since you’ve got a fear affinity, are you going to be messing up the enemies’ heads?”

  “Something like that,” Jul said, smiling awkwardly.

  “That sounds terrifying,” Mul mused, and when Cen elbowed him, he added. “But awesome! Terrifying for them, but awesome for us! Crystal…”

  “So, none of that stuff you didn’t’ like?” Gad asked. “No poisons. No sneaking around. No assassinations and so on?”

  Jul nodded. “The Master of Shadows is going to teach me how to fight like a frontline rogue. Apparently, not all rogue paths are about sneaking around using [Stealth].”

  “And are you also learning from the Master of Emotions?” Viy asked.

  “Yes,” Jul said. “You, me and Mul are all part of the Emotions Hall. We all have emotion-based paths.”

  “Nice!” the spear woman said, beaming at her.

  “And this is what you want?” Gad asked. “You’re sure?”

  “Yes,” Jul said, her tone certain. “Thanks everyone for helping me. Especially you Nar. Thank you for coming with me. I know you were worried about getting in trouble and losing your master but… You still came with me.”

  Nar smiled and shook his head. “I just stood there. You did everything yourself. And well done. That was amazing to see.”

  Jul’s cheeks turned a darker shade of green, and she looked down at her hands. Nar grinned at the smile she was unable to hide.

  Tuk clapped his hands, making them all jump.

  “What the fuck was that for?” Mul threw at him.

  “What do you think? It's time we got this weekend started!” Tuk said, his eyes shining with sudden and unbridled enthusiasm. “Enough of all the serious stuff! Enough of the hard work and the bleeding and all that! We’re out of that damned B-Nex, and it’s about time we started enjoying ourselves!”

  “I’m going to study,” Kur said, getting up to leave. “I picked fifteen electives, and they already sent us reading and viewing material. You guys go do whatever you want. Just don’t get in trouble.”

  “Booo!” Tuk shouted after him.

  “I’m out too,” Cen said. “I can’t practice my aura, but I can still study. Take Mul though, or he’ll be climbing up the walls in an hour. I need to focus.”

  “No, I won’t!” Mul shouted after his sister. However, unlike Cen, he remained where he was, looking at Tuk with an undeniably expectant look.

  “Anybody else leaving?”

  Gad raised her hand. “I need sleep. Next week is going to be worse.”

  “Bah!” Tuk said, as she left. “Why sleep when you can live? Already, nobody else is allowed to go!”

  “I’m tired too…” Jul mumbled.

  “You can sleep tonight!” Tuk said, slapping her back.

  “Alright! Alright! Enough with the mystery,” Viy said, folding her arms with a challenging smirk. “What’s this great idea of yours?”

  Tuk grinned. “Why, we’re going to go on an adventure, of course!”

  “What are you on about?” Mul asked, frowning in suspicion.

  “We… Are going to find out where food comes from!” Tuk said, opening his long, double elbowed arms wide.

  “What?” Viy asked.

  “The what?” Nar asked, similarly stunned.

  “I mean, look at the stuff we’ve been eating!” Tuk said. “It’s so different from the crackers and jell-os we’ve eaten our whole lives! And there's so much variety of stuff! We haven’t even eaten the same stuff twice! It always tastes different! Aren’t you curious to know more about it?”

  “I’m in!” Mul shouted, slapping the palms of his hands against his legs. “Damn it! Let’s go!”

  “Now that’s the spirit!” Tuk shouted.

  Jul, Viy and Nar exchanged a look.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Come on, guys. This is why we got out!” Tuk pleaded with them. “We’ll go back to training soon, but what's the point of all that hard work if we don't get to enjoy ourselves along the way?”

  Nar snorted.

  “How can I say no to that face…” he said, shaking his head.

  He glanced at Viy and Jul, who, still hesitant, nodded nevertheless.

  “Alright, Tuk. I’m assuming you’ve got a plan?” Nar asked. “Or are we just going to get lost in the ship?”

  Tuk chuckled and rubbed his hands.

  “Oh, don’t worry, my friend! I’ve got a plan alright!”

  *********

  The door opened a slit, and an eye peeked outside.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s us!” Tuk proclaimed, loud enough to cause the other apprentices in the corridor to look their way.

  Nar grimaced at the attention, and Jaz let the door open fully.

  “Are we doing this?” he asked, his eyes sparkling as brightly as Tuk’s did.

  “You bet!” Tuk said, laughing. “Are you guys ready?”

  “Hey! They’re here!” Jaz shouted backwards into their room. “Get your asses out here!”

  “Yoh!” Lim said, waving at them, as he, Raf and Teb emerged from their room.

  “Ah! I got more than you!” Tuk said, elbowing Jaz.

  “Ugh! Those spoilsports…” Jaz said, rolling his eyes. “No, Jaz, we’ve got to rest! No, Jaz, I’ve got to study! Bah! What do they think we’re going to be doing from now on?”

  Tuk nodded. “And non-stop too!”

  “We’ll make them regret it!” Lim said, laughing. “Once we come back with tales of our adventure and findings!”

  “How are we even going to do this?” Mul asked, as they all filtered back out into the corridor. “You still haven’t told us anything.”

  “Hush, Mul!” Jaz said, before Tuk could reply. “The surprise is part of the fun!”

  Mul grumbled slightly, but he didn’t press the issue. Behind him, Nar hid a smile. The brawler might not want to display it, but the wide grin plastered all over his face told them all everything they needed to know about how excited he was for this little adventure of Tuk’s and Jaz’s.

  Nothing like food to ensure he’s in a good mood, Nar thought.

  Then again, could he fault the lengos for it? He too felt his heartbeat drumming in gentle anticipation, and with Jul and Viy chatting animatedly behind him, it felt as though the morning’s ordeal, and all the worry of the previous two weeks, was slowly fading away into just another memory.

  With Nar having secured his training from the Master of Blades, together with that of the Master of Aura, and with Jul finally managing to make her master understand and respect her wishes, while at the same time also netting herself the direct instruction of the Master of Emotion, it felt like everything had worked well for them in the end. And while Nar wasn’t entirely sure how things had gone with the rest of the party, given that no one had voiced any concerns or grievances, he could only hope that everything had worked out fine for the others as well.

  And that meant that they could stay aboard the Scimitar and continue their training!

  Nar would, of course, have left the ship if things didn’t work out for any of them, but he had to admit it. It would’ve stung to leave the Scimitar, and have to look for a new teacher and place to stay.

  That’s a load off… Nar thought as he quietly followed along the dark, red brown corridors alongside the others. And now, I can just focus on my own training for real.

  Unless they suffered some kind of immense misfortune or bad luck, Nar also had no doubt that they would be invited to stay aboard the aethership for the full two year delve. And he couldn’t help but be excited at the thought of all the things he was going to learn with his new masters and instructors.

  In two years’ time, I’ll be a much different person, he thought. A much different and better fighter.

  So yes. With all that done, achieved and to look forward to, he allowed a little smile to creep onto his lips. He had earned this little rest. This little fun with the others. And he was allowed to have some fun, too.

  However, a few minutes later on, he found himself frowning as they entered a very familiar place.

  “What in the pile?” Mul asked. “Why are we back in the canteen?”

  Tuk raised his hands before any more protests could be voiced.

  “Relax, my people! This is just where we’re starting!” Tuk said. “Come along and have some faith!”

  Tuk and Jaz guided them onwards towards the food counter where they always queued up to receive their meals. It seemed that breakfast was just about finished, and the staff was clearing out the leftover food trays.

  “Gnathluv!” Jaz shouted, into the area behind the food counter, where the staff usually stood.

  “Oi!” a shout came from within. “Just a sec!”

  “Take your time!” Jaz shouted back. “We’re happy to wait!”

  “You guys are going to love this!” Tuk said, wiggling their eyebrows at them.

  “You guys also have no idea where we’re going?” Viy asked the other three from Row’s party,

  “No idea,” Lim said, shaking his head.

  “Ah! Morning, boys!” a voice boomed from behind the counter. “And ladies!”

  Nar turned around, already knowing who it was.

  “Morning!” he shouted, alongside the others.

  Beyond the food counter was the same man that had explained things to them on that very first time they had entered the canteen. Nar had seen him on and off, and always exchanged small talk and pleasantries with him, but apparently, and completely unsurprisingly, Tuk had taken things up to a whole other level.

  I didn't even know his name, Nar thought, unsure of whether he should feel ashamed of that fact or not. But to be honest, I’m not Tuk. Right?

  “Alright, you kids ready to have your minds blown?” Gnathluv asked, rubbing his hands with jovial excitement.

  “You promised it! Now you’ve got to deliver!” Tuk said.

  “Oh, I will! Have no fear!”

  Then, Gnathluv motioned for them to follow him to the very end of the food counter. He reached down to something they couldn’t see, and a loud metallic clang sounded from somewhere inside the counter.

  With a small grunt, the man lifted up the top half of a section of the counter, then he pushed the lower half outwards.

  “Alright, step on through!” he said. “And let’s get started! Grab those trays and stick’em onto the cart there!”

  “You heard him!” Jaz said. “Let’s get to it!”

  Nar leaned down into the food cart and grabbed one of the nearly empty trays. He did so almost out of habit in obeying the faculty, and when he caught Gnathluv and the other member of the canteen staff exchanging smug looks as they rested against the wall, Nar had a sudden bad feeling about this whole adventure.

  He noticed that Viy had noticed it as well, and the two of them exchanged a concerned glance. There was a very, very real chance that this day was about to not be very restful after all.

  But it's too late now, Viy’s eyes seemed to communicate.

  Nar nodded. Whatever Tuk and Jaz had planned for them, they were deep in it now. Too late to back out.

  Still, despite the sudden apprehension, Nar couldn’t deny that he was still looking forward to uncovering whatever Gnathluv wanted to show them.

  And doing some chores isn’t that bad, Nar told himself, smiling. It was not like they were going to be put to some kind of heavy labor. He doubted anything could be on pair with the two insane weeks they had just endured anyways.

  And so, they loaded the trays. And garnering some curious looks from the apprentices still finishing their breakfasts, they also set out to go load all the dirty cutlery, cups and the extremely heavy water tanks, as well as to wipe clean the tables, benches and the counter itself, as well as to mop the floors, something that blew their minds open.

  “You wet it in water and bleach, and you drag it around the place?” Mul asked, staring at the mop in his hands as though he didn’t believe it was real. “So you drink it, wash it and also clean things with it?”

  “Of course!” Gnathluv said, laughing. “And in the laundry, they also use water to wash clothes!”

  “Really?” Mul mumbled.

  “Water is one of the most crucial things in the Nexus,” explained the other canteen staff member, who had introduced himself as Thobask. “Energy to keep it all moving, and water to keep us all alive and everything clean.”

  “Damn…” Nar whispered, tentatively dragging the mop across the floor. “That’s crazy.”

  “You’ll get used to it… Now, start mopping! And hurry!” the man said. “We’re falling behind schedule.”

  Together, Nar, Mul and Raf quickly got to mopping the canteen floors while the others rushed to and fro under Gnathluv and Thobask’s orders to get everything loaded up onto carts. These carts were as tall as Nar, and covered the entirety of the back half of the space behind the food counters. By the time they were done, the carts were bursting full of a myriad of items, most of them dirty.

  “Alright, good job, kids!” Gnathluv said, clapping his hands when they were done. “Now, we can finally get started! There’re six carts and nine of you, so two of you grab a cart each. And you, big guy, what’s your name?”

  “Raf.”

  “Raf, you look strong. Can you handle one of those carts on your own?” Gnathluv asked him. “I know you guys all have attributes, but it's not about brute strength. It’s about control.”

  “I can handle it,” Raf said, smiling.

  “Alright then, one by one, you’re going to follow after Thobask. You got that?”

  And with that, Thobask opened a different door, one that had blended in so well with the wall that until Thobask opened it, Nar had been convinced that they were about to wheel out the carts through the canteen.

  Instead, following after the others and pushing his cart out with Mul, Nar found himself in a new corridor. One he had never been in. And he was completely sure of that because this corridor was dark blue.

  “Welcome to the crew decks!” Gnathluv announced.