I woke up well rested and with a fresh days fortellings.

  Before addressing my notification tabs, I gave a yawn, sat up and stretched. Everyone else was stirring as well.

  There was nothing as rewarding as a good night's sleep in Valaria. If only my previous life had regenerating health bars and a rest system. Granted, the notification tab was equal to if not worse than a phone addiction. I could throw my phone out a window, but I couldn’t turn off my system interface.

  Ignoring it momentarily would have to do because there was a more pressing matter at hand.

  Julian was missing.

  [Julian?] I sent over the chat logs. There was a familiar [Barrier] guarding us, but the half-elf himself was nowhere to be seen.

  [One second.] He sent back, and we all shared a look.

  Except Tully, who had jumped to his feet. “Where’s– ah.”

  “Let’s pack up and be ready to move out.” Visha ordered, already rolling up her bedroll and slipping it into her storage.

  Tully just waved at his and it vanished. He smiled, “Ready.”

  I folded mine and then stored it. I preferred summoning a blanket that didn’t immediately flop all over the floor.

  Jeffry was the slowest, looking like he’d been hit by a train.

  “Here,” I offered, handing him a hot cup of extra strong, steeped red tea. The most caffeinated, as far as I could tell.

  “Mm, thank you.” He ran a hand through his scraggly bed hair and then accepted the cup.

  Then I sat down on the edge of the platform and checked my logs.

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

  [Passive Perk: Sense Fate has activated. [Duke Julian von Slyke] will fall into a pit trap.

  You have crossed paths with a Fate that can be changed. Area of effect radius Level 67 x Perception 45 x [Foretelling] Skill Level 4 =12060sq/ft. Fate herself will guide you.

  “The eyes of Fate are on the chosen of her company, and by the end of grace might hear the sound. That moment when the third cross the fingers reach, the earth herself will hold and drag him down.”]

  Alright, that sounded… not good.

  [Julian, watch for floor traps!] I posted as soon as I was finished reading the warning.

  [Too late for that.] He said.

  When he didn’t immediately follow it up with more, I held off yelling at him in all caps, calmly asking, [And!!!?]

  [It’s fine.] Still no real explanation.

  “John.” I told the rogue, who was reading his own notifications. His eyes glanced my way and I said, “Go get Julian.”

  “Alright.” The shadow man disappeared into his own shadow.

  “Wow,” Tully laughed, “John listened to you.”

  “Of course he did. She’s Madame Potts.” Pram explained.

  Jeffry added cheekily, “And she’s sl— dating the Duke.”

  John and Julian appeared back in the cavern, the duke slung over John’s shoulder. He looked worse for wear. One shoulder was gouged pretty badly, there was a cut on his cheek, and one of his legs was clean missing. From the blood dripping through his clothes, there were other unseen injuries as well.

  Julian was deposited on the platform while John wordlessly handed over mana and healing potions.

  Tully made an impressed whistle, but no one else spoke.

  “Fine, huh?” I marched up to Julian and poked him on the side of the chest that wasn’t torn up. As much as I knew this world didn’t work the same way mine did… seeing him in this state made me angry.

  Which was probably the only reason I wasn’t yelling at the duke.

  “I was almost done.” He replied. His face was clammy and his eyes unfocused. “Just one more star vole and then I would’ve healed myself.”

  “You’re a wreck!” I told him, poking again. He flinched. John was already opening another potion and handing it over.

  The rogue came to Julian’s defense.

  “It’s true, Miss Gerda. Usually, His Grace could tackle twenty star voles unscathed.” John gave Julian a deliberate look. “Though I’ve never seen you come back this injured before.”

  “He fell in a pit trap.”.

  Julian grunted.

  John nodded. “Ah, that would do it.”

  Between the potions and Julian’s [Divine Shield], his leg came back before our eyes. Barefoot and without a pant leg, of course. I handed him a [Mend] Scroll, and he swapped out a new pair of boots.

  “Enough fuss.” Julian said, handing back the empty potion bottles and standing up. “It’s time we head out… I suspect the other party is still in the dungeon, and since the dungeon status hasn’t updated, they haven’t reached the dungeon core. Everyone needs to be on high alert.”

  “How far did you go into the tunnels?” Jeffry asked. He’d changed his wings in for a pair of glasses that let him see in the dark. Instead of his usual standard sized sword, Jeffry had equipped a half-sword that was easier to maneuver in tight spaces.

  “Not far. The star voles came from the left side, and there’s been nothing from the right.”

  “So are we still going left?” Visha asked. Everyone was standing, ready to head out.

  “That will be difficult.” John had a slight smile. “Since most of it has collapsed.”

  “...”

  Something in the look in my eyes made Julian crack. His rough leader demeanor faltered and he rushed to explain, “Everything was fine. I was simply going to heal up before calling John over for a teleport.”

  “...”

  “And despite the way I looked, I still had a quarter of my health. Gerda–”

  “Okay,” I cut him off. Something about his panic and desperate explanation was cute enough that it distracted me from my worry and upset. He looked relieved so I poked him in the chest another time. “But don’t lie to me like that again. Explain things properly or I’ll get really angry next time.”

  His gaze suddenly softened in a way that made me feel guilty. “Next time… I will.”

  My ear twitched and I looked away.

  And the team set off down the right tunnel.