The group woke just before dawn and began to gather their things. Victor noticed in his log window that he had a status effect.

  Hungry – A full meal must be eaten to remove this debuff.

  He could feel it too. On earth he had felt hungry before but here it clearly had significant effects even beyond merely missing the food. His body felt slower, weaker, and unsure. He made sure to activate vitality boost and confirm his flow wasn’t lower as well. Fortunately for Victor it seemed like flow was unaffected by hunger. It was still dark outside but the sky seemed to have turned a dim purple. The trickle of the water into the cave continued with no interruption. The group stood up wordlessly and exited the cave. Seeing the skeletal corpse of the T-Rex made it clear that they couldn’t scavenge any meat from it nothing but bits of bone remained.

  Cawthorn whispered to Victor. “We’re being watched by 6 creatures that I can see us. They all want to attack us but I think they are waiting for something else to attack us.”

  “We’re being watched. Cawthorn sees a number of creatures watching us.” Victor told everyone. He turned his head to Cawthorn. “Where are we going Cawthorn? We need to hunt a creature and actually keep the meat.”

  Cawthorn looked around gulping. “Use your weapon to spear fish. Everyone else watches your back. The jungle is full of monsters. They are really big.”

  “Are you scared Cawthorn?” Victor asked.

  “No. The scary guild leader isn’t around.” Cawthorn replied.

  Gargrim raised an eyebrow. “Guild leader?”

  “Oh yeah we established the Artifact Hunters Guild, but that isn’t important right now. Can all of you watch my back I will use the Frigid Foil to spear fish.” Victor nodded.

  The group quickly turned around raising their weapons. Victor extended the Frigid Foil into a spear twice as long as him on top of a rock. It reached just above the water and he carefully aimed at a small fish with large teeth. He stabbed missing it and scattering the fish. He tried again and again missing over and over until he realized the water was distorting his aim. He tried leaving the spear underwater but no fish approached. He sighed and thought for a moment. ‘Can I just change the form?’ Victor imagined an ice cage and focused reshaping the weapon to something resembling a large cage. It was cumbersome so he asked Emilie. “Can you strength boost me?”

  “ Strength boost .” Emilie tapped him.

  Victor waited nearly an hour before a fish swam down below his cage at the end of an icy stick. He thrust it downward forming ice around the fish and raising it out of the water. The fish flopped in the cave orange and fat only for a nearly clear almost transparent crocodile twice Victors size to chomp down and break the icy cage and swallowing the fish whole. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That thing is nearly invisible! It has been watching the whole time!”

  Serena turned to him. “No luck?”

  “I caught one but a crocodile with nearly perfect camouflage snatched it away.” Victor sat down on the rock hanging over the water. Even looking for the creature he had a hard time seeing it but two tiny black holes for its nose did betray its location.

  Gargrim agreed. “It’s practically a rule. If you catch something here you have to kill something else to keep it. I hate this place.”

  “Does anyone think they can kill that clear crocodile next time I catch a fish?” Victor asked.

  “Too big.” Jenora shook her head. “At least without getting in the water with it.”

  “We aren’t doing that. The water looks clear but the creatures here are practically invisible.” Gargrim insisted.

  Serena noted. “My stealth skill is much more powerful here too.” Brice turned to see her but couldn’t see her. Everyone gasped as she vanished. “I’m still here but my skill must be at least rank 4 or 5.”

  “My fire magic didn’t work at all here either. This realm must have special rules modifying skills.” Brice noted as Serena reappeared with her stealth skill seeming to cause her to fade into existence from her predator like cloak. “Does anyone else have any skills that have been amplified?”

  Cawthorn calmly added. “My Eagle Eye skill is improved so much that I can see your stealth Serena. I have to focus incredibly hard here because we’re still being watched.”

  Victor brought up his skills in front of him using his HUD. Only 1 skill had been elevated. Proximity Frost Bolt rank 4.

  Proximity Frost Bolt Rank 4

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Requirements: Mage 31, 8 stat point.

  Instant Spell

  Mana Cost: 8 mana

  Shoots bolt of freezing cold energy at the target. Damage increases with prowess, skill rank, and proximity doing more damage at close range. In cold environments does full damage at any range. Proximity customization massively increases damage within 5 feet and massively decreases the damage beyond 10 feet.

  “It’s not all magic. My frost bolt is improved here.” Victor looked to them. “Swordie do you know what’s going on?”

  “All realms have unique rules. Realms are created by powerful beings and are connected to the abyssal labyrinth universally. These unique rules often effect skills, stats, or even your physical form. All effects of a realm stop once you leave it. This realm is known as the Green Garden. Beyond that I know little of the realm we are currently in.” Swordie explained

  “What do we do here? Fishing clearly isn’t going to work.” Victor sat down on the rock.

  Brice looked around uneasy. “We should return to the cave and discuss it there. I feel like I’m sitting on a dinner plate.”

  “I might never say this again, but I agree with the long ears.” Gargrim looked around. “Lets get back to the cave.”

  The group began to edge back to the cave off their rock only for the rock to move beneath their feet. A massive turtle snapped one of the clear crocodiles in half swallowing it whole as they were shunted off its shell. The group scrambled back to the cave hearts pounding terrified that they couldn’t even realize they were on top of the behemoth. Brice laughed. “We’re so dead.”

  Victor grabbed his shoulder. “We’re fine, we’re figuring out the rules. Serena has far stronger stealth than she normally does.”

  Jenora started panting and looking at her hands. Emilie asked. “Are you alright dear?”

  “I’m fine. Not used to being hungry.” She kept looking at her gauntlet.

  Victor agreed. “Me either. We need to find some food.”

  Serena cracked her back and her fingers stretching. “Boost me.”

  Emilie tapped her. “ Vitality Boost. Speed Boost .”

  Victor tapped her. “ Vitality Boost . What do you plan to do?”

  “I’ll hunt anything I can and bring it back.” Serena faded from vision in front of them.

  “Wait! That’s way too dangerous.” Victor protested as she vanished from view. “Shit she’s going to die!”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Gargrim slapped Victor.

  -1 health

  189/190 health

  “Get a hold of yourself lad! She’ll be fine. Calm down and keep quiet.” He forcibly sat him down.

  Serena emerged from the cave almost completely transparent with only a tiny shimmer betraying her when she moved. She stealthily crept over to a tall tree noticing a snake slithering on it the size of a massive vine. She slowly began to climb up the tree branch to branch watching the snake intently. Stomping approached as a massive long necked dinosaur began eating from the top of the tree. All around her they stomped thunderously toward her stripping the trees bare. The snake slithered away from her avoiding the creatures. She marveled at the creatures as they stripped the branch she stood on of its leaves.

  The sound of drums approached her. Hooting and howling accompanied it. The long necked dinosaurs began to stamped away knocking over trees around her without knocking down hers. A massive ape covered in brown fur with a stone axe swung past her as dozens more ran along the ground. Torches and fire flanked them as some threw stone spears. Two apes with drums escorted a larger red ape with a sabertooth skull for a hat. The large red ape pointed toward the baby long neck as it entered the circle of longnecks that formed to defend it.

  The group began firing stone arrows at the creatures which whipped their tails at the apes still out of range. She watched this drag on hoping to scavenge something. It dragged on for more than an hour before she noticed a small brown sack that had been dropped on the ground. She slid to the ground silently and snatched it leaving the huge hunting party and returning to the cave a few minutes later. She uncloaked and opened the bag. A single piece of dried meat, they all looked inside to the disappointing the group.

  Victor volunteered it. “Gargrim should get it. If he doesn’t get rid of the starving condition we can’t heal him.”

  Emilie agreed. “He’s the strongest too, and being unable to heal someone makes me nearly worthless to them in combat.”

  Jenora looked at it with baited breath. “Is there any way I can have a small piece of it?”

  Brice clarified. “It won’t remove your hungry condition and if you take much it won’t count as a full meal for Gargrim. Best just to let him have it.”

  She sat down like a child who had just been told they couldn’t have dinner. Emilie leaned against her. “Don’t worry Jenora. We’ll find something for all of us.” Gargrim ravenously consumed it and sighed as he could feel the status effect regress a step to hungry.

  Three days past attempting to hunt with no success what so ever. They began to become more desperate slowly. They tried picking fruits but were attacked by the plants slashing the vines and fleeing as more monsters entered the fray. They tried baiting a creature to attack them and then killing it only to be attacked by dinosaurs again. The group returned to their cave irritated. “This can’t continue.” Jenora panicked holding her head in her hands.

  “I know dear we’re all hungry.” Emilie comforted her.

  Jenora looked at her gauntlets feeling inside them. “You don’t understand dear.”

  Emilie hugged her tight. “I’m hungry too.”

  Jenora sighed and calmly replied. “I know. This sucks.”

  Brice slumped over irritated. “I can’t believe I’m in a forest full of life and food and can’t scavenge a single thing. I think I deserve the banishment.”

  Victor shook his head. “Don’t say that man. We’ll be fine. We just need to get food and then get to the top of the ziggurat Gargrim saw.”

  “HOW! It’s been 3 days and we’ve caught nothing. Serena tried alone and she couldn’t get anything. She nearly got hurt trying yesterday. The only thing she was able to find was something those apes dropped and she scavenged. Actually killing something here and taking its corpse is impossible.” Brice angrily glared.

  Gargrim nodded. “We have about 3 more days of this nonsense before we’re all starving again. If we don’t find food that is.”

  Serena sighed irritated and angry. “We could try plan B. Get a lay of the land around that ziggurat then make our way to the portal and hope a barrier from Brice, Victor, and Emilie is sufficient to keep us alive for the 15 seconds it takes to transfer.”

  Gargrim shook his head. “No way that works. If we could we should but there’s no way that works.”

  Serena looked at him dead in the beard. “If you have a better idea lets hear it. I’m so hungry I could eat anything and I don’t want to deal with this anymore. Tomorrow I’m going to scout and they’re going to give me their boosts. Hopefully nothing happens and I can get good information, the day after that we can decide if it’s possible or not.”

  Victor leaned back against the wall. He had felt hungry before but he’d never been strong or fast before so the fatigue that accompanied it didn’t really occur to him how much it hits you when you’re active and strong. “What am I supposed to do here?” He wondered aloud.

  “We might need your skill Victor.” Serena sighed. “If we don’t get any food tomorrow or the next day, the day before we starve you have to activate it and make sure we all get sufficient food.”

  “Should I activate it to get us to the green portal?” Victor asked. “I can only give it one goal.”

  Brice shook his head. “This skill sounds dangerous. If you can’t tell us anything about it you should be very careful in its use and make it the minimum lowest bar so we don’t suffer. Just make sure it leaves us safe and with sufficient food for a week or more.”

  Jenora insisted. “We should do it sooner. Saving his skill isn’t as important as avoiding starvation.”

  Victor looked her directly in the eye. “I have 4 more uses my entire life of that skill. It could be used to get us out of this if we get too far down the starvation path but starvation isn’t going to kill us tomorrow or even 5 days from now. I’m not wasting it.”

  Jenora frantically shook her head. “No. You see we’ll be slower, weaker, and get crushed in combat.” She smiled hopefully at Victor practically pleading for him to use it.

  Serena shook her head. “We’ll live. I’m the one doing the most here. I’ve felt hunger far worse than this in my life. We will not waste uses of his skill until our backs are against the wall.”

  “We’re backing toward the wall right now. Isn’t it better to do it now? We’ll be better off.” Jenora pleaded to Serena.

  “No. Victor, don’t you dare use your skill until we’re already starving, and no matter what don’t use whatever else you have in your back pocket to solve this.” She glared at him with the fury of a thousand suns. “Do you understand dear?” Victor sheepishly nodded. “Good.”

  Emilie grabbed her hand. “What’s wrong Jenora? She’s right. As long as I can heal everyone and no one dies in a single hit we’ll be fine. When Serena goes out alone we’re not in danger. I don’t understand what’s wrong dear.”

  Jenora clenched her gauntlets again. “I can’t starve. Please. Don’t do this.”

  Gargrim looked to Victor. “How sure are you that talent of your will work?”

  “It found you last time.” Victor looked at him.

  Gargrim waffled in acknowledgement. “Fair enough lad. I trust it will work even when he’s exhausted and collapsed.”

  Brice agreed. “Especially if this skill is tied to one of his curses, we should avoid using it. There may be unintended side effects.”

  Emilie leaned over to Jenora. “Are you afraid of starving?”

  “Of course I am! Aren’t you?” She panicked turning to Emilie who glanced at her with worried eyes and a calm but exhausted face.

  Emilie leaned against her. “Victor will save us if it gets too bad. He’s an angelic knight after all.”

  Jenora bit her lip extremely nervous. “Alright dear we’ll see what happens. Whatever happens I love you.” She held her tight with her hands shaking.

  Victor turned to Serena. “You should take Cawthorn with you to inspect the apes.”

  Cawthorn agreed. “I WILL FLY CLOSER!” He hopped onto her shoulder.

  “I don’t think that is wise. I can’t stealth with him.” Serena noted fading away as Cawthorn remained visible.

  “Try getting in her shirt Cawthorn.” Victor noted.

  She guided Cawthorn down her shirt leaving only his head poking out. He slowly turned fully invisible leaving only the slight shimmer as they move. “This ought to work.” She returned to visibility. “We’ll go out tomorrow and check it out. We can decide then Jenora. We’re not going to let you starve. Trust us. I don’t want to starve either.”

  Jenora continued panting heavily for a few moments before calming down. She looked at Brice and thought for a few moments. She cracked a smile with a single faint chuckle. “Well I guess I have no choice. Hey Brice, do you trust that Victor would defend you no matter what?”

  Brice blinked twice confused. “Uh, he already has. When someone earns trust they keep it until they throw it away.”

  Jenora nodded. “Alright. I’m going to rest tomorrow. Please only wake me if we’re attacked in this cave.”

  Gargrim shook his head. “We’re all dead. It doesn’t matter much what we do. Even if we find food or make it through that portal we have 2 more portals we’ll have to make it through. I do look forward to seeing how far we can get though. Those apes are all about as strong as me and mostly they work together. I only picked one off who was scouting.”

  Serena observed. “They seem to work together and there’s a larger red ape that leads them.”

  Victor hugged Serena and Cawthorn. “Serena don’t get too close. Take the whole day if you have to but don’t endanger yourself. Keep an eye on her Cawthorn.”

  Cawthorn saluted him with his wing. “I WILL KEEP HER SAFE MY MAGE! YOUR FUTURE WIFE IS SAFE WITH ME!”