Ondun waited for a few seconds before hearing the pattering of human feet. When the door opened, a woman in her late 30s yelped and jumped before regaining her composure. Ondun looked down, seeing he was still in bloodstained Medicus robes. The shock, in light of that, was understandable.

  "Excuse me, is Mrs. Li in?" Ondun asked. "Dr. Wusiji sent me here to stay the night while my paperwork is handled."

  The woman nodded. "Please, come in," she said politely, but Ondun could tell the woman was terrified. The Draconian adventurer was literally the first of his kind to visit this world, after all, and the blood from the healing he had done on the wounded Gloompups didn't really help.

  He entered a very clean, if relatively small, house. On one wall were pictures of a younger Mrs. Li, a man who looked a little like the Ranger Captain he'd met with Alice, and a child. As Ondun followed the hall, the child went from a mere baby to a toddler, to a young child, to a young man. At his side in one of the final pictures was a bird that looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't place.

  Ondun stood by quietly while the woman came in behind him. He decided to break the ice. "These pictures...we don't typically have anything like this where I'm from. You have a lovely family."

  The woman stood by his side. "Yep. My husband there..." she pointed out the man, "is a cousin of a Ranger Captain in Guandao City. He works in accounting of all things." She grinned like a lovestruck girl. "'Someone's got to keep the books in order while the kids go traipsing around the countryside!'" she said in a deep voice. Ondun laughed, of course—as an adventurer, the idea of balancing books as opposed to seeking the horizon was laughable. Even so, she stared at the picture fondly before turning her attention to the child.

  "That's my son, Yuan. He'd be 20 this year. He started on his journey at the right and proper age of 16, with his Fledgelev. I caught it for him." She struck a pose. "It may not be obvious, but during my circuit, I battled all five city leaders to a standstill. It was only in the Grand Tournament where I stalled out."

  Ondun nodded, letting the woman talk. "That's impressive. I'm sure the competition is quite fierce at that level."

  She nodded. "Those who defeat all the city leaders are, by default, a cut above most other trainers in the province, you know. Just reaching that point puts you in an exclusive club and automatically qualifies you to take place in the tournament...if you can make it through the Shengli Path, at the base of Mount Kongming. The path takes you to the headquarters of the province, which is where the tournament gets held. It's a process that, while I can't do anymore...I am very proud of."

  Ondun nodded. "You must be quite an adventurer in your own right. When I'm situated, I'd love to hear more about your journeys."

  She nodded. "You know, I was scared when you came here, but I can see you're an alright sort." There was a brief pause. "Here, follow me; I've got a spare room."

  The woman led Ondun through the house and eventually came to a room that was relatively clean if minimally decorated. There was a window, something that looked to Ondun like an Allemandian terminal, and most importantly, a soft bed. Immediately seeing his accommodations, Ondun released his embodiment of the Medicus discipline, shifting to simple wayfarer's clothing. He set his pack with generic camping supplies down, while Aquepup jumped straight onto the bed and curled up.

  "This is amazing. It almost reminds me of my home village. I just turned 18 myself," Ondun said. "I left my home at 16 to strike out for glory and adventure. I suppose I'm a little like your son in that regard."

  The woman pulled the chair away from the odd terminal and sat down. "So you're an adventurer yourself? Do you have a Circuit where you're from?"

  Ondun sat on the bed. It was quite comfortable, and if Ondun lay down, he knew he would fall asleep nearly instantly. "No, we don't. In the world I'm from, Arcanis, life is difficult. There are monster attacks, natural disasters, and all sorts of things. We live in the shadow of advanced civilizations that pulled themselves apart in their hubris and the foolishness of spellcasters who prioritized their own aims over the common good."

  The woman rolled her eyes. "Believe me, you'll find everyone here on Monastria can relate. The more things change..."

  Ondun nodded. "The more they stay the same." She giggled in response. "Glad to see that's the same between worlds," she added.

  There was a pause. "This is my son's room. His journeys have taken him abroad, and he's got quite the powerful monster team. He does call home, of course, and let me know how he's doing. Every week, on schedule, my Yuan calls. It's always good to hear...but bittersweet, too. He's basically a grown man at this point. He doesn't need me."

  Ondun thought about his own parents, back in that sleepy village. Somewhere, between his involvement with the Knowing Circle, the goofy adventures he and his fellow adventurers got up to, and the struggle for the very fate of the realm, his parents had gotten swept by the wayside. Only now was Ondun realizing that his parents were probably quite worried for him. His face fell. "I...if I get home, I think I'll go check on my parents, that is assuming some idiot doesn't summon a new Astral, or something."

  She nodded. "You should. I'm sure your parents love you very much. They're probably worried about you, no matter how strong you've become."

  Ondun couldn't disagree. The woman thought, then stood up, smoothing her lilac skirt as she did. "Anyways, take a load off. Dinner's in an hour."

  The sound of gentle knocking woke Ondun from the nap he'd taken in that comfortable bed. He stretched as Mrs. Li called out, "Dinner's ready!"

  The sun had set early despite the mild weather. Ondun stretched. "Coming!

  He got up off the bed and took a moment to re-straighten the comforter he'd rested on, checked that his Memory Gems were on, just in case, then left the room. A few steps down the stairs brought him to the dining room, which was filled with a spicy and savory smell. On the table were two empty dishes, some silverware, and in the center of the table, two larger dishes. One was filled with stir-fried vegetables that reminded Ondun of his journeys into his world's Far East, particularly the rural village of Imanai. Next to it were some cooked meats that were bright red and had some onions stacked atop them in the shape of a volcano.

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  There were also some glasses of water, though Ondun knew from experience that the water would just spread the spice over his palate.

  The adventurer stood at the chair on one side. As he was a guest, he chose to let the woman whose house this was dictate the etiquette. This was a technique the Draconian had developed over the last two years, due to being invited to fancy feasts and dinners by Alliance commanders and heads of state alike.

  "Oh, dear, you look well rested. Please, any seat is OK. There's no need to be so gosh-darned formal."

  Ondun sighed. "Thank you so much." He immediately took the seat, and the woman did likewise. For a time they just filled their plates with vegetables and spicy baked meats and ate. The vegetables had a nice salty flavor and coated the tongue so that the spicy meat and edible volcano garnish weren't too overpowering.

  After silverware was laid down, Ondun sat back. "Thank you for this feast," he said, with a bow.

  The woman bowed back. "Mighty Olympus is to thank; I just cooked the food." It was a formal response and again reminded Ondun of his time in Inamai.

  "That spiced meat was fantastic, ma'am. How did you learn to make it?" Ondun, he asked.

  "Oh, that? That's a recipe called 'Volcano Bake-Meat.' It's a Yamato delicacy. My son learned the recipe in the second year of his journey. He apparently became quite the field cook." The woman tapped her lip, apparently the regional behavior for indicating one was thinking. "The stir-fried vegetables are a family recipe, though."

  Ondun grinned. "I won't pry, but I will praise. I fear I'm not yet much of a cook."

  Mrs. Li grinned wide. "Well, not with that attitude you're not. Seriously, though, everyone should learn to cook. It's not just good, relatively clean fun; who doesn't want to eat good food? Also, you save lots of money." She added sagely.

  Ondun nodded; early in his adventuring career, when money had been a serious problem, he had considered visiting a chef's guild and accepting instruction. Nowadays, money wasn't such a problem...or, it wouldn't have been, had he not been dislocated to this strange new world.

  Ondun pulled out a Sil, the standard currency of his home, and set it on the table. "I've been meaning to ask about this. Do you think my money will buy much?" The woman's eyes went wide. "Is this a real gold coin!? Huh. You'd have to go to a bank or a money-changer, but I'm sure you could exchange it for at least something." She nodded. "You don't see an honest-to-Olympus gold coin every day, after all." After a moment, Ondun nodded and pushed the coin towards the woman. "Oh, no, I can't accept that!" she said, but Ondun held up a hand. "Please, consider it a souvenir from another world. This feast was more than gift enough. I am humbled by your hospitality."

  The woman thought for a moment, then took the coin.

  "There is another question I had, too. This 'Olympus' you speak of. This seems to be a being of great reverence. Can you tell me about Him?" the Draconian asked, carefully. He was hoping that Astrals wouldn't be a problem in this odd world, given how people tended to react to any display of the magical arts, but there was no harm in being sure.

  Besides, Ondun knew how to deal with Astrals by this point.

  "Hmmm...so, Lord Olympus has been since the beginning. It was said that He created the entire universe and that Mons and Men are both his children. He is said to favor the top of Mount Kongming, where the provincial government has built its headquarters. He controls both time and space, and his ultimate power is that of Creation itself."

  The woman fixed Ondun with a serious look. "Olympus is not worshipped because such a being is well above petty piety. He is revered and respected, and more to the point, we know he exists. Two centuries ago, someone fell from a hole in the sky and saved the land from a great menace, a traitor and ally to the Dark One, Hellzeph. This hero preserved the boundaries between worlds, bringing Hellzeph into submission. Then, one day, they vanished, never to be seen again."

  Ondun sighed with relief. That did not fit the M.O. of any Astral he had ever faced.

  "This girl is held as a legend, and we all hope she returns to us one day as a redeemer of Kongming's lost potential, though. She is a symbol to all the peoples of Kongming, embodying diligence, the bond between Mon and Man, and the very concept of what it is to be a hero. We call her the All-Maiden."

  Ondun tensed right back up. The ancient enemy, the Knowing Circle, had both faced and lost friends to love, using figures like this as the basis for inspiring people to call upon Astrals. He would have to keep an ear open for any further mentions of this All-Maiden.

  The adventurer chose to change the subject. "That's fascinating. I'll seek out more information as I go on my journey. Speaking of which, can you tell me anything about the Circuit? I believe I can learn much of this world by competing. What precisely would I be facing?"

  The woman thought again. "It's hard to say. The cities and towns have had their leadership replaced a few times by now. The team compositions are also tied to the relative level of experience that a challenger brings. If you've got a bunch of weak monsters—no offense, Aquepup—you'll face a small, limited team intended to teach you lessons on how to battle better or deepen the bond between you and your monsters. If you've got strong monsters, the battles get much, much more difficult."

  She paused.

  "If you clear the circuit and ascend the Shengli Path, you will be facing the most powerful coaches in the region and the most powerful Mons in the region. I don't know if you know, but it's generally considered for a tamed Mon to be twice as strong as its wild counterpart, especially if that Mon is well cared for.

  Ondun thought back to his battle with Alice's Faerrow and how different the battle was from his fight with the Yeziblade in the Yuanto Forest. This raised another question.

  "Out of curiosity, do monsters stay as they are, or do they somehow change? The Doctor showed me a baby monster, a Yezimoss, and it seemed like a much larger monster I fought when I came here... I think it growled the word 'Yeziblade.'"

  The woman's eyes went wide. "Oh dear, that explains a lot." She nodded. "As monsters experience more things, as they win fights, as their bond with humans and other Mons grows, Mons can metamorphose into higher forms. It's a slow process. Some mons, like your Aquepup here, will only slowly change over time until they reach their highest form. Some, like more insectoid Mons, will do things like weave cocoons around themselves, almost like normal insects. Yet others develop in strange and wondrous ways."

  Ondun nodded and reached down to pet Aquepup, who promptly began licking the spicy baked meat juices from his fingers. "I'll make sure you grow big and strong, my new friend."

  "Aquepup!" it barked happily. The woman giggled.

  "By the way, have you named your Aquapup yet? It's a tradition since time immemorial to name Mon companions. In the old days, it was said that names made a Mon stronger. I don't know if that's true, though."

  Ondun snapped his attention. "Where I'm from, named monsters are always stronger than unnamed counterparts." Ondun tapped his chin. "Also, that move you used, little one...I could swear you shaped anima in order to do it."

  "Aque?" the small monster whined. The woman just looked confused. Ondun resisted the urge to stand and start pacing. Instead, he took a sip of water. Ondun was no Aenora, but even he could see common threads of phenomena between the worlds. While this was still nothing directly actionable, Ondun made sure to keep these observations in reserve; there was something here he could use to get home, and maybe even save his friends.

  "I'm starting to think this world and mine have much, much more in common than I would have expected."