“Vijya’s… not with you?”

  Julian didn’t spend much time examining the coal he found beneath the rubble of the secret dungeon. There wasn’t much point, given that he had no idea what or where Dodona was. After ensuring he hadn’t overlooked anything in the ruined chamber, he stepped onto the teleportation circle and was transported out.

  He remained on high alert, fully expecting Vijya to be waiting with his stone fists ready. But instead, he was greeted by Ben and Natasha, who stood near the teleportation exit, visibly prepared to fight. But as soon as they saw Julian materialize alone, their shoulders lowered, but their eyes still scanned for Vijya.

  “...No.” Julian tilted his head slightly, also trying to hear for any hints of Vijya nearby. But with the grass only hindered beneath Ben and Natasha’s feet, it confirmed that there weren’t any souls for at least a dozen meters. “He’s not with you?”

  “No…” Ben exhaled sharply, his brows furrowing in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. “When we realized you and Vijya weren’t behind us, we rushed back here. That guy’s been gunning for you since the start.”

  Natasha, standing silently behind her husband, nodded in agreement, her gaze flickering toward the surrounding area.

  “Hm.” Julian hummed, “He did attack me in the dungeon.”

  “What!? Are you alright?” Ben’s concern was evident as he stepped closer, his voice tight.

  “Yes. I was able to trick him. He seems to be a more… simple-minded person than I am.”

  “Trick… him?”

  “Yes.”

  Ben blinked, his lips quirking into a faint smile. “Huh… that would’ve been fun to see.” He sighed, stretching his arms over his head before glancing at Natasha.

  “Anyway, the wife and I decided to spend some time walking around the city for a while because… wow…” His eyes softened as they wandered over the distant Ethaca. “How long’s it been since we were last here? The memories… feels like it was just yesterday I broke out of that weird tree cocoon and almost got mangled by goblins.”

  “Are you truly alright, Julian Winters?” Natasha’s gaze lingered on Julian, even as Ben was already lost in thought, planning their next move. Her concern was evident—how had he managed to emerge completely unscathed? She knew what Julian was capable of, but she also knew the threat Vijya posed.

  “I find it remarkable that you managed to trick him, given the difference in your levels,” she said, her eyes scanning Julian for any signs of injury.

  Julian opened his mouth to respond, but Ben cut him off, laughing as he walked away.

  “Oh, please. Have you seen that guy’s temper? It’s like most of his IQ is in his mouth—assuming he has any. I know guys like that. Always get what they want. If I were you, Julian… I’d be watching my back.”

  “Hm.” Julian shrugged, trailing behind as the married couple began heading back to Ethaca.

  “Are you returning to your real body as soon as we return to the city?” Natasha asked over her shoulder.

  “Not yet. I still need to talk to Juliet about something.”

  Ben slowed his pace to walk alongside them, narrowing his eyes at Julian with a mischievous grin.

  “You know,” he began, smirking, “technically, even if you sleep with Juliet, it wouldn’t count as cheating. They debated that ages ago on the forums when Otherworld first launched.”

  “Benjamin.” Natasha’s tone was sharp as she shot her husband a glare that could pierce armor. Ben raised his hands in surrender.

  “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Just wanted to see how he’d react.” He glanced at Julian, then frowned. “And… he didn’t. Wow. You know what I’ve realized these past few days we’ve been together? You and Ellie have, like, the most insane and secure relationship I’ve ever seen.”

  “That’s true,” Natasha agreed, her expression softening as she glanced at Julian.

  “What’s the secret, man? You’ve been together since, what, 14?”

  “A secret?” Julian seemed genuinely puzzled.

  “Yeah, the secret to how you two have stayed so solid for so long. What’s the magic?” Ben grinned, and even Natasha, usually so stoic, was watching Julian expectantly.

  Julian didn’t hesitate. “We’re together because we’re supposed to be together. I don’t know any other way to live.”

  “That… well… wow.” Ben was at a loss for words.

  Suffice it to say, the walk back to the city was quiet after that. It wasn’t until the married couple bid their farewells that they talked again—as for Julian, he returned to the smithy plaza to find Juliet.

  And find her he did… still in front of her old boss’ shop. This time, however, she wasn’t just lingering—she was directing workers who carried crates, carts, and other supplies inside.

  “Ah, Boss!” Juliet’s face lit up as she spotted him approaching. “I decided to sign a contract to use this place while you were gone.”

  “You rented it?” Julian tilted his head, peering into the shop. “You have that kind of money?”

  “Boss…” Juliet blinked at him, baffled. “Remember I sold all my stuff? And you let me handle all the loot from our nonstop one-week hunt back in Calydion? I have a lot of money.”

  “Huh.”

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  “Yup.” Juliet crossed her arms, nodding in satisfaction. “Oh, and Cyrus said you’d be busy in, you know, your world. So, I figured we wouldn’t have much time to travel across the lands anyway.”

  “He said that I would be busy? With that?”

  “I… don’t know. He mentioned something about a strainer… Sterner? Streamer? Just something about awards or something. But enough about that, look here…”

  Before he could respond, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the shop. “...I even rented the shop space too! We can display everything we make here. Imagine it—a shop filled with [Rare] equipment, nothing less. And maybe even some [Epic]... and then—wait… Boss!? Are you crying!?”

  Tears streamed down Julian’s face, catching everyone off guard. The workers paused mid-task, exchanging confused glances. How could someone who looked so muscular and strong… actually crying right now in front of all of them?

  “I am… very proud of you, Juliet,” Julian said, releasing a deep breath. A gentle smile spread across his face. “To have your own shop… I almost feel ashamed you still call me master, especially when you’re clearly more accomplished than I am.”

  “W-wait, Boss! Boss!” Juliet waved her hands frantically, her cheeks flushing pink. “I didn’t rent this just for me! If I’d done it only for myself, I’d just lose money. I rented it for you. Well… for us.”

  “For us?” Julian blinked, clearly surprised.

  “Hmn.” Juliet sniffled, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to push past the emotion bubbling up in her chest. “Since you’re going to be busy, I figured you’d want a place to relax and de-stress. I even had a bed brought in, so you can sleep here, wake up, and get straight to work.”

  “Oh…” Julian’s gaze wandered as he began to explore the shop, eventually making his way to the smithy in the back. “...This is very nice, Juliet. Thank you.”

  “I know, right!?” Juliet exclaimed, practically skipping to follow him. She raised her arm as though to sling it around his shoulders, only to awkwardly stop mid-motion and pat him on the back instead. “I’m already imagining all the things we’ll make here!”

  “Your armor,” Julian said simply.

  “Yes! Have I shown you the sketches yet? No? I’ll show you tomorrow!” Juliet’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re probably tired though, right? I’ll just ask about the dungeon later.”

  “Speaking of the dungeon…” Julian trailed off, reaching into his pocket. “I found something I need you to check.”

  “Hm?” Juliet tilted her head as Julian retrieved an object—a lump of coal.

  “Do you know what this is?” he asked, holding it out.

  “A coal?” Juliet frowned, staring at the item in confusion. After a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration, and she called upon the [Guidance of Artemis] for answers.

  “...It really is just a lump of coal,” she muttered, her tone uncertain. “But… it’s from Dodona? That’s pretty far—almost Gnarfolk territory. But why do I feel like I’ve heard that name being mentioned recently, but I can’t remember where… Huh. And you found this in the dungeon?”

  “Hm.”

  “That’s strange.” Juliet let out a long sigh, crossing her arms. “I’ll try to dig up some information, but it’s late. You should get some rest, Boss. The bed upstairs is already set up, and I’ve moved your stuff there too.”

  Julian hesitated. Before he could respond, Juliet’s eyes lit up. “Ah! Wait—what do you want to name the shop?”

  “That’s your decision,” Julian replied, his tone warm.

  “Hmn. I want you to name it.”

  Julian considered this for a moment before nodding. “Then… name it Flames of Juliet.”

  “W-what?” Juliet froze, her face instantly turning scarlet. “Why my name? That’s—”

  “It’s the name of a quest I have involving you,” Julian said, his voice calm as his eyes fixed on the glowing text in front of him.

  “You… have a quest about me?” Juliet’s voice rose in pitch, her eyes widening in shock. “What does it say?”

  “I’ve never really checked,” Julian admitted, tapping the quest to reveal more information. “It says… to offer you a braclet?”

  “W-what!?” Juliet stumbled back a step, her face blanching as her hands instinctively shot up to cover her mouth. “Why… why would Artemis tell you to do that!?”

  “It doesn’t explain,” Julian said, tilting his head in genuine confusion. “Why are you so startled? What’s a—”

  “You… you should go to bed, Boss,” Juliet cut him off, her voice shaky but firm.

  “But—”

  “Sleep!” Juliet snapped, practically shoving him toward the door.

  Julian, stunned, let himself be pushed out of the smithy.

  As the door closed behind him, Juliet remained rooted in place, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to steady her breath. Her face glowed so red it seemed as though her cheeks could ignite the forge itself.

  “Why…” She whispered softly, “...Why would Artemia make you do that? You… you already have someone.”

  ***

  “Welcome back to Earth, Julian. Well… not exactly.”

  And as soon as Julian woke up in his real body, the first voice that welcomed him was Ellie. She quickly held his hand, handing him a bottle of water.

  “Thank you.” Julian immediately drank the water before getting out of the capsule. With his feet landing on the floor, he quickly felt the vibrations around him and noticed that aside from Ellie, there was no one else there.

  Other than Ellie, the only sounds were the steady, rhythmic breathing of Ben and Natasha in their capsules.

  “Jin and Vijya are gone?” he asked.

  “Jin already left. But Vijya…” Ellie’s voice wavered as she moved closer to Julian. “...We need to leave now, Julian. As in, now.”

  “Why?” The softness in Julian’s tone vanished, replaced by a sharp edge. His brows furrowed as he tightened his grip on Ellie’s hand. “Did Vijya do something to you? Where is he?”

  “N-no.” Ellie swallowed hard, glancing toward the door. “These people… they’re dangerous, Julian.”

  “Hm?”

  “I was watching your stream with Victoria, and we saw Vijya suddenly attack you. I… I told her to do something, and she left me alone for a bit. When she came back…” Ellie’s breath hitched. “I saw them dragging Vijya away from his capsule. They ripped the LinkGear from his head and just destroyed it. Isn’t that… dangerous? I think… I think they killed him.”

  “That—”

  Before Julian could respond, a calm voice interrupted from the side.

  “That truly pains me to hear, Ellie. I thought you had grown to like us over the past few days,” Victoria said with a soft chuckle, her presence as unnervingly calm as ever. “And no, we did not kill Mr. Thacker.”

  “Where… is he, then?” Ellie stepped in front of Julian protectively.

  “We are merely… talking to him.” Victoria waved her hand dismissively, her smile never faltering. “We believe in diplomacy here at Humanity Engineering, Ellie. That’s something we have in common with Mr. Winters. Isn’t that right, Mr. Winters? We like to… talk first.”

  “Hm.” Julian’s response was little more than a grunt, his eyes narrowing.

  “Anyway,” Victoria continued, her tone breezy, “I assume the two of you are heading home now? I’ve already had my team prepare a ride for you. Sadly, I won’t be the driver this time.” She sighed dramatically. “It’s a shame you didn’t find anything. Someone must have beaten us to the Hidden Quest. But rest assured, Mr. Winters, our team on Artemia is working tirelessly to uncover more.”

  “What about the coal I found?”

  “That’s entirely up to you, Mr. Winters. According to Ms. Juliet, it’s just a lump of coal,” Victoria replied with a sly smile. “But it would be much better in the hands of the best blacksmith in the Known Universe, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Hm.”

  “Now, I believe your ride is ready. Are you sure you won’t stay?”

  “We… still have things to do. You heard them, there's that... Streamer Awards thing we have to prepare for.” Ellie gripped Julian’s hand firmly and pulled him toward the exit. “Thank you for the hospitality, Victoria.”

  “Well, no doubt Mr. Winters is winning the Newcomer category. I do hope you’ll call me sometime,” Victoria said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “It… was a pleasure to talk to you, Ellie.”

  Ellie stopped mid-step, her hand tightening around Julian’s. She turned to glance at Victoria, holding her gaze for a few moments before nodding.

  “I will. Just… promise me no more creepy stuff.”

  “...I promise,” Victoria said quietly.

  With that, Julian lifted a hand in a brief wave, echoing Ellie’s farewell as they left the room.

  “So…” Victoria muttered to herself, her gaze drifting upward as if addressing the empty air. “Do you really think they’re ready for what’s about to happen…

  …Erin?”

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