[Author note:

At this rate, I won't be able to publish 4 chapters this week. Despite doing my best to carve out writing time, sleep deprivation has made it difficult to stay awake while at the keyboard, which has significantly dropped my rate of production. So unless a miracle happens, tomorrow's chapter won't come out.

I've always been sleep deprived, but having a newborn is like a whole new level.

I will adjust to this new reality soon, and hopefully gain some ranks in Working While Sleep Deprived! Or, you know, maybe I'll even get some sleep and take off the Sleep Deprived debuff altogether... yeah, probably not for a while.

Enjoy the chapter!]

Xavier fought a little more than half a dozen more beasts on his way back to Hunter’s Home.

In the part of the forest that he was in, the beasts he kept encountering were the wolven packs and the Whiptailed Boars. He fought another pack and one more boar.

The fights had been rough. He’d been focusing heavily on using his new melee attack. Out of the seven beasts he’d killed after that first Whiptailed Boar on his way back, he’d managed to get five of those to count toward his Spell Quest for Telekinetic Enhanced Strike, which meant he had six out of the hundred he needed.

This might take a little while.

He grinned all the same. He had a few more puppets. Unlike normal zombies—which was a strange thought to have, zombies… being normal—his puppets didn’t need a brain to function, so Elian tended to go for head strikes whenever he could. Not only did hitting the brain tend to do the most damage, it also didn’t have a negative effect on the puppet’s usage after death.

He had eight puppets striding behind him when he returned to Hunter’s Home. During the fights, he’d pushed almost every single one of the skills and spells up a few more ranks.

And he’d gained another level. He was now Level 162.

He hadn’t spent any of his attribute points. He wanted to do that while he was at Hunter’s Home.

He was hoping to gain some insights while he was there.

Xavier sighed in relief when he saw that Gimble was still in the tavern. The dwarf was drinking with the rest of his dwarven party at the same table.

I’ve been out fighting beasts, and he’s just been sitting here drinking ale?

Xavier felt a little bit jealous at the dwarf’s ability to relax. Even in a place where time moved significantly faster than his own universe, he couldn’t help but still feel that drive pushing him forward.

It was something he was trying to fight, by coming back here.

“Ho there,” Gimble said, giving him a big wave the moment he saw him. He motioned Xavier toward his party’s table.

Though Xavier had come here to speak with others, he hadn’t expected to speak with an entire party at once. This was different to addressing his own people back on Earth, where he’d become something of a leader. And it was different to talking to his own party.

To these people, he wasn’t a powerhouse. Everywhere else, he’d had his power backing up his confidence, while here he was a little in over his head.

At least, that’s what it felt like.

I killed plenty of beasts out there, and I did it solo. Maybe I’m not so out of my depth as I thought.

Xavier headed to the table. He looked at the mugs of ale scattered about. These dwarfs could drink. Xavier wondered how much a drink was in this place—the only drink he’d had here had been on the house. He could make Spirit Coins, but he couldn’t make D Grade Spirit Coins. Still, he figured the polite thing to do would be offer them a round, even if he had just spent all of his money on his new scythe-staff and robes.

“You four look thirsty,” Xavier said. “How about I grab you another round?”

One of the other dwarves, one that was even more stocky than Gimble, with bushier eyebrows, stared at Xavier, then looked at Gimble. “Where’d you find this one, Gimble? Never met a human so polite.”

Gimble rubbed his hands together. “Didn’t realise he was so generous. Might have taken advantage of it sooner.” He nodded at the bar. “She knows what we’re drinkin’.” The dwarf winked at Xavier.

Xavier headed to the bar, creating spirit coins as he went. Spirit was his strongest attribute, and something told him he still had more points in Spirit than the majority of D Grades around him in the room, if not all of them…

By the time he made it to the bar, he had more than enough coin to buy the table a round.

That’ll come in handy.

The same woman was behind the bar. She smiled at him as she pulled the drinks from the tap. It turned out the group were drinking Whisper Ale. Xavier had the woman pour him one of the same, then he headed back to the table, carrying it all on a tray.

One of the dwarves had already fetched Xavier a seat before he’d made it back with the drinks. He placed the tray at the centre of the large wooden table and plopped himself down.

The stockier dwarf smiled at the drinks, then frowned at Xavier. “So, what brings a human over to a table full of dwarves?”

“A desire for good company,” Xavier said. “And a thirst.”

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“For ale?” Gimble asked, raising his mug hopefully.

Xavier smiled. “For information. Gimble was the first person here to approach me when I arrived.”

“Aye. That I was. You looked lonely, over there.” Gimble introduced Xavier to the others, telling them his name. He motioned, drink in hand, to the other three dwarves at the table.

The last two were female dwarves, and—unlike in Tolkien’s books—they didn’t have beards. The stocky dwarf with the extra-bushy eyebrows was named Tam, while the white-robed dwarf who Xavier assumed was a healer was named Elinae. The last dwarf, a mage in dark red robes, was called Lilta.

Gimble, Tam, Elinae, and Lilta.

“Watch out for Lilta,” Tam said. The dwarf leant in, his voice a little slurred. “She’s a blood witch. Don’t let her cast a spell on ya.” He winked.

Xavier smiled at Lilta. “A blood witch?”

The woman nodded solemnly.

Xavier wondered if he should mention what type of class his was. He still wasn’t sure what soul reaping was thought about in the Greater Universe.

He decided not to say anything. He may have told them his first name, but he had kept his last name to himself for a good reason. The last thing he wanted was one of the planets from his sector that he’d threatened to somehow find out he was on this floor. Even if violence wasn’t supposed to be committed against another Champion here, it didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen.

A soul reaper named Xavier… seems like a dead giveaway.

He supposed he wasn’t doing anything to hide his appearance. Someone might find out he was here anyway. Still, better to be safe.

“Sounds like an interesting class.”

Gimble downed the rest of his mug of ale, then grabbed the one Xavier had brought over to him. “So, what information are you after? Saw you grab one of the notices. You having trouble finding your beasty?”

Xavier shook his head. “I was wondering if there was access to the System Shop in this place. I have a new spell that I’d like to learn more about, and if I could access an information broker, it could make things a little easier.”

Tam chuckled. “The System Shop on a floor of the tower? You ever encountered the shop on any other floor?”

Xavier blinked. “No. I suppose I haven’t.”

“Well, wouldn’t expect to see it here, then.”

Xavier looked around. “This floor feels different to the others.”

“Aye, that it is,” Gimble said. He eyes Tam. “Which makes it an honest question.”

Tam grunted and leant back in his chair.

“Why don’t you simply leave the floor?” Lilta, the blood witch, asked. Her voice was somewhat monotone, as though it lacked emotion.

Xavier’s forehead creased. “I’d like to avoid that if I can.”

Elinae leant forward. “Felicia.” She nodded over at the bar. “The barkeep. That woman’s been working in this bar forever. I daresay she might know where to find what you need.”

Xavier nodded at the woman. The barkeep was going to be his next stop, though it was good to know her name now.

“You’re here on your own?” Tam asked.

Xavier looked over at the stocky dwarf. “That I am.”

“Well, if you ever need anything, all you gotta do is let us know, aye? Can’t imagine being out there on me own.”

Xavier frowned. “I thought Champions could only join parties here when they were going after raid bosses?”

“Not just Hunt Quests to do around here. Plenty of beasties to kill,” Gimble said. “Can do that together without joining our party. Though I figure you came here alone for a reason.”

Xavier had come here alone for a reason, but he hadn’t intentionally ditched his party. Though even if he had his party along, they wouldn’t actually have been able to help him in this place. If these beasts could take out so much of his health… they’d destroy the other members of his party.

It might be useful to have help out there, even just a healer…

But something told him he wouldn’t be able to progress near as fast if he had others by his side. He was aware of the fact that he needed to be more careful in his fights. That he needed to be less arrogant.

Did that really mean he needed to bring other people out with him, however? Was that what the System had had in mind, when he’d sent Xavier here?

That didn’t seem like the lesson it was trying to teach him…

Having more people with me will only serve to reduce the challenge I face, and facing challenges is the only way I’ll truly get stronger.

“The offer is tempting,” Xavier said. “But it’s one I have to decline.”

As the dwarves weren’t able to help him, Xavier left the table and headed to the bar to speak with Felicia. He could have stayed with the dwarves longer. Chatted with them. Had a few mugs of ale. Made some friends. It was even rather tempting, if he were honest.

Real dwarves.

He could ask them tons of questions just about their lives. Their world. Their culture and customs. He could learn more about dwarves than Tolkien ever invented about them.

But he wasn’t here for that.

If he ended up needing allies? He’d come to them. Otherwise, he needed to get on with his task.

“Back again? Those dwarves really know how to drink,” Felicia said.

“That they do,” Xavier replied. “But that’s now why I’m here.” He sat on one of the stools and placed his elbow on the bar—the woman kept it clean. Sam would be proud.

Xavier told the woman what he was after. Knowledge about a spell, and how to use it. The woman nodded along as he spoke, then asked him what spell he needed help with. Xavier wasn’t used to being forthright about what spells he knew to strangers, but he figured now was the time.

The woman raised an eyebrow and whistled. “A time spell? That’s powerful… As it happens, I do know someone who might be able to help with that.” She tilted her head to the side. “I think you’ll like them. They too decided to come to this floor on their own.”

Another Champion soloing this floor? That is interesting.

He looked around the bar. “Where might I be able to find them?”

Felicia rapped her fingers on the bar and tapped a finger against her chin. Then she clicked her fingers. “The Dark Mountains.”

Xavier blinked. Dark Mountains sounded like a terrible name for a set of mountains. He looked at his mini-map. He hadn’t filled out enough of the area to see any mountains on it.

“How far away are those from here?” Xavier asked. “And who would I be looking out for?”

“Oh, they’re not far if you’re moving at speed.” Felicia’s gaze turned toward the Hunt Quest board. “Find a Hunt Quest for a Stone Bear, then your mini-map will point you exactly where you need to go.”

Xavier nodded. That sounded easy enough. “What do I owe you for the information?”

“Nothing. At least, nothing for now.” Felicia winked. “But I might have some questions for you in the future. Perhaps me answering yours will help you answer mine, hmm?”

Xavier smiled. He wasn’t so sure about that. “I suppose that depends on what questions you ask.”

Now that he had the information he needed, Xavier didn’t intend to linger in this place. He headed to the Hunt Quest board and looked for a Hunt Quest for a Stone Bear.

He found several notices with a Stone Bear on them,

The problem was, he couldn’t take on more than one Hunt Quest at a time, and he couldn’t simply switch out his current Hunt Quest for another. The notification, when he’d first gotten the quest, had said he would need to be on the quest for at least two days before switching it out for another.

Which meant, if he was going to find the person Felcia had described, Xavier would need to finish the Hunt Quest he was already on first. That, or find someone else to lead him toward the Dark Mountains.

I could ask Gimble and his party to get me there… or I could go after the Maga Bull right now.

Xaiver spent the free attribute points he had left over from reaching Level 162. Considering the type of fights he’d been in lately, with how much health he’d been losing, and how he’d been fighting, he decided to put half of the attribute points straight into Toughness, and the other half into Speed.

Extra points in Strength would have no doubt helped him, but he didn’t think it would have helped enough to be worth it right now.

Better to be able to heal faster and dodge more effectively.

Once he spent the points, he left the tavern.

It was time to kill the Magma Bull. And if he wanted to ensure he found the Champion who might be able to help him with his Time Alteration spell before they took a break from the floor and disappeared for days, weeks, or months, he would need to move fast.