“There’s a dungeon that we’ve been having a spot of trouble with,” Najam began, and my heart immediately leapt with joy. I wouldn’t have complained if Najam had simply asked menial chores of us, but I’d been hoping beyond hope that he’d ask for something like this.

“It’s a five to ten-man dungeon, ranked at three stars,” Najam continued. “It’s the highest-ranked one around, that we’ve found. We’ve run the dungeon a few times now, with the best of the men we’ve brought, but we’ve never even managed to get past the second stage. If you two are up to it, I’d like for you to help us out with it.”

“Our biggest problem for the dungeon is our damage output,” Lionel added. “Usually, Gyda and Tara are enough, but this one is a special one.”

Gyda nodded then. “Yeah, it’s absolutely crawling with zergies. No matter how many of them I cut, they keep coming.”

“Exactly,” Tara said. “Gyda and I are geared towards handling smaller groups of high-strength mobs, not endless hordes of weak little buggers. I’ve only got a few wide-area offensive Artes, and they’re too costly for me to deal with too-large groups.”

“Zergies?” I asked, cutting into their complaints.

Gyda nodded. “They’re these nasty little critters with sharp claws and teeth. Not a lot of muscle, though. Pretty short too. They’re faster than they are strong, but they aren’t much of either, to be honest. A good swing will end ‘em quick enough, but the problem is they just don’t stop coming atcha.”

“Well, if you think we can help with that, then I am more than happy to. I’d love to see what a dungeon is like,” I said.

Ren nodded from beside me. “Yeah, sounds about good to me, too. Just one quick question. You said you’ve already run the dungeon a few times, right? What does that mean? I was under the impression failing would mean death.”

Najam shook his head. “Were Life Revives not a thing on your planet?” he asked in response.

Ren shook his head. “But we have heard of them, though. The Grand Order people explained a little.”

Najam nodded in understanding. “I see. Well, thanks to Life Revives, so long as a mage’s Core remains untouched, death is not so permanent a fate. You pay for it with the loss in strength, of course, but I think few wouldn’t take the deal. After all, a few day's worth of blue Core’s should be enough to restore all that was lost – for the average mage, at least.”

Najam paused there, realizing he’d gotten off track, and focused himself back on Ren’s question. “Now, as for the dungeon runs. Essentially, we keep going until we lose enough people that the chances of successfully completing the dungeon are zero, and then we grab the corpses of our people and head back.”

“Well, that’s convenient,” I said in relief. “So your life isn’t really on the line in these dungeons, huh?”

“Well, technically, no,” Najam said, “but that doesn’t mean you should take death lightly. It’s a painful process, for one, much more than normal Revives. Not to mention, it’d still take you days to regain your strength. And if you lose enough strength, even a Life Revive won’t be able to bring you back. After all, the Flux in your Core is what does the heavy lifting of the process, and if there isn’t enough within it, then death really will be the end.”

“How do you know if you have enough?” I asked.

“Well, usually, the Nexus Chips would indicate that, but that’s obviously not an option for the two of you,” Tara answered me. “However, you two both certainly have enough for at least one Life Revive – I can sense that much from your auras alone – and we really could not ask more from the two of you beyond one death.”

Najam nodded fiercely at that. “Yes. One run is all that I ask for, and all that I will permit. I will not have you risk permanent death for the sake of a single dungeon.”

The steel behind Najam’s voice then warmed my chest. His care was apparent, and demonstrably genuine; it was more than clear that he was a truly decent person. “Well, it’s a good thing one run is all we’ll need,” I stated confidently, giving the people gathered a grin. “So, when do we head out?”

Najam tilted his head and touched a finger to the side of his head, his eyes staring off into space as if watching someone only he could see. “Hmm. The day is young, so we have plenty of time,” he said. “Why don’t we have breakfast first, and then we can run through a few spars with the both of you – I want to get a good sense of your strengths and styles before we head in – and then we can walk you guys through what to expect from the dungeon, and then we can start.”

I gave Najam a look. “Oh, you’re one of them, aren’t you?” I grumbled.

Najam and most of his people seemed utterly confused at my remark, but Ren – and surprisingly, Gyda – both cackled loudly with amusement.

Unfortunately for me, however, it appeared Najam’s word was more or less law in the camp. So, after a quick breakfast – a supposedly humble affair that Ren and I found heavenly – we all gathered around a sandy clearing near the center of the camp. And all meant, quite literally, all. It seemed the entire camp had gathered around the ten-meter-wide circular ring that would serve as the sparring grounds for us. The news that the strangers from a different planet would be sparring with Najam’s people had made rounds in the camp far more quickly than I had thought possible.

I would go first, as Najam decided, and my opponent would be Gyda. “I have a hunch your styles will be the most similar,” he’d said, “so she’ll make the best match for you.”

And that was how I came to be stood in an open, sandy clearing, under the gazes of many new men and women, facing down Gyda – for the second time today.

I was nervous as I stepped into the ring, but that tension quickly evaporated as I limbered up, staring down Gyda and her massive ax. The prospect of the upcoming fight quickly drowned out all apprehension at being watched and studied by so many people. Gyda would be a tough opponent, undoubtedly, likely far stronger than I, but I was itching to test myself against her.

“Alright,” Najam began, standing at the side of the ring. “The rules are simple. We have healers present, so most non-lethal wounds should be fine, but no unnecessarily painful hits, got it?”

Gyda and I nodded.

“The winner will be decided by forfeit, or by Galas stepping in if either of your lives are at risk. And lastly, play fair, ok? We’re all friends here, and I want this to be a respectful fight. I want no bad blood after this.”

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Gyda and I nodded once more, and Najam smiled as he saw the barely concealed impatience in our eyes. “Very well,” he said, “if everyone understands, you may begin.”

Immediately, Gyda rushed at me, her ax already poised to launch a wide swipe. Taking in the speed she rushed at me with, I quickly opted for the best route I could think of. Sending Flux down to my legs, I pushed off the ground and ignited the Flux at my feet, sending me high into the air. With practiced ease, I swung myself around in the air and blew downward. The stream of flames that left my lips was concentrated and just wide enough to encompass Gyda, and leagues more powerful than the first time I’d done it.

But Gyda was no weak goblin, and she immediately dealt with the trick. In the second she had, she brought up her ax and held it above her head, spinning the thing in place fast enough to dispel the stream of flames. By the time I lost my momentum and landed behind Gyda, she was completely unharmed.

With a swift twirl, Gyda turned around and swung her ax at my back, but I was ready for it. With a flaming hand, I swiped in the air and threw a stream of flames in the shape of the arc my hand traveled. The crescent of flames intercepted Gyda’s strike, but her ax blew through the fire with ease. Still, the dispersed heat was enough for Gyda to reflexively shut her eyes for a mere moment, but a mere moment too long.

I leaned back enough for Gyda’s slowed swing to slip by just short of me, before leaning back in for a rapid hook and jab combo. The first fist, still inflamed, landed square on her jaw, while the second connected with her gut. Gyda was pushed back a few steps, stumbling, but I immediately knew then that I had been severely underestimating the woman. Her skin had been hard as any stone I’d ever punched in my life, and I could tell that the fire had done little to damage her, either.

Gyda, for her part, seemed genuinely delighted that I’d managed to land the first hit, and the wild grin she gave me was downright terrifying.

She took a few measured, slow steps toward me again, while I readied myself to defend against whatever she threw at me. However, quite literally throwing her ax at me was possibly the last thing I imagined, nor did I imagine that anyone could throw a thing as hefty as her ax with the speed that she managed.

The massive blade spun through the air as it raced towards me, and following it was a speeding Gyda, who ran at me with the eyes of a demon. I immediately realized that she was banking on me dodging the blade, which meant I had to do anything but. However, the alternative was catching a spinning, speeding ax with a blade that could glide through my neck like it was paper. Something only an insane person would attempt.

And yet, I found myself flooding my body with Flux as my senses all roared to life, bringing the world into focus as my entire brain single-mindedly concentrated on the blade of the ax. Surprise flickered in the eyes of Gyda and the people gathered as they saw that I wasn’t making a move, but I was far too focused to notice.

I waited and waited, muscles taut and eyes alive, as the blade drew nearer to me. Then, when instinct declared the time to be right, I lunged forward and grasped the handle of the ax, gripping it tight enough to cancel its momentum just before the blade could reach me.

With a victorious grin, I flipped the handle and swung the blade at the approaching woman, forcing her to duck under it instead. As she did, I brought my other hand in front of her and blasted her with a stream of flames. The brilliant orange doused her entirely, scorching her for a few seconds before she could bring her momentum to heel and retreat.

As she backed up, shaking off the flames that clung to her leather armor, I gave her a grin and stabbed the massive ax into the ground, letting its weight sink the blade into the sandy dirt. The flames didn’t seem to have done much against her – which was to be expected, considering how tough her skin was – but with her disarmed, the fight had just become far easier for me.

Or so it should have been, but as the fight carried on, I began to realize just how outclassed I really was. Gyda had just about every possible advantage over me. She was faster, stronger, and had a body tougher than steel. And beyond the physical, she seemed to have a wealth of experience more than I, often reading my moves before I even decided on them. It was as if she’d fought so many people that she knew the exact patterns I’d follow, patterns I didn’t even know I had.

But, despite her overwhelming advantage, she seemed to let me fight to my heart’s content. She took a more passive role in the fight, letting me attack with absolutely everything I had while only offering light counters of her own.

An hour after we’d started, my knees finally lost their strength, forcing me to the ground as I panted, sweating hard. On the other side of the ring, Gyda still stood tall, seeming hardly even winded. She gave me a fierce grin as I stared at her, my eyes unwilling to stop despite my body’s adamant refusal to stand back up.

“Ya done yet, girlie?” she asked, to which I would have responded had I not been busy trying to even out my ragged breathing.

Najam finally stepped in then, calling an end to the match without forcing me to forfeit on my own. “Don’t feel too bad about it, Ruby,” Najam said with a smile as he offered me a hand. “Gyda’s a B-Rank adventurer, after all. On the cusp of hitting A-Rank, even.”

Gratefully, I took his hand and forced myself up to my feet, giving Najam a questioning look. “B-Rank?” I asked.

Najam nodded. “You wouldn’t really understand the meaning of the rankings until you have enough experience to reference them against each other, but they’re essentially how we rank the strength of adventurers. The scale goes from F-Rank to S-Rank.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “And Gyda’s only B-Ranked?!” I asked incredulously. That seemed far too low for the level of skill that she possessed.

Gyda looked flattered at my surprise, but she didn’t hesitate to humble herself. “Oh, please, I’m not all that. Some adventurers are strong beyond all reason. The legendary ones – the ones at the higher end of A-Rank and the few in S-Rank – are so powerful they’re considered military assets in any country they go to. They can single-handedly turn the tides of wars.” There was a look of reverence on Gyda’s face, and the faces of the rest of the adventurers gathered, as she spoke of those legendary people.

“I’ve even heard of the existence of higher ranks, too,” Lionel piped up. “Apparently, the King’s Guard employs a mage of a rank higher than S.”

Another adventurer nodded then. “I have a cousin whose friend works at one of the super-elite Adventurers Guild branches,” he said. “They said that they saw Freya the Fire Witch come in for a mission, and her portfolio read her ranking as SS-Rank!” His words were hushed at the end, as if he was sharing top-secret information.

There was an audible reaction from all the people present – save for Ren and me – as the man revealed his information. Clearly, the news was both shocking and more than welcome.

“Freya’s an SS-Rank now?” one man said. “That’s amazing! That’ll make even the Wruris maniacs think twice before trying us!”

A murmur of assent rippled through the people. “I sure hope so,” a woman said. “We can’t handle a war at our doorstep, with the way the imperial family is at the moment.”

“And that’s exactly why I fear,” responded another, one of the eldest gathered, “that war is soon to come knocking. Wruris has had its eyes on our lands for many years, and the imperial family, divided as they are at the moment, are entirely unprepared to handle any kind of war. Wruris is well aware of that, and they know that the chance they have right now is better than any they’ve ever had before, and likely will ever get in the future.”

A hush settled over the people as they considered the implications behind the man’s words. But, before anyone could add on, Najam clapped his hands and brought the people's attention back to him.

“People, people, half the reason I came out to this uncivilized, uncharted forest was to get away from the headache of politics,” Najam said, earning a few chuckles of agreement from the crowd. “We are all well aware of how close we stand to war, both civil and foreign. But at the end of the day, there’s little any of us can do about it, so there’s no point worrying.”

“Well, that’s not strictly true, now is it, Bow Hawk boy?” Tara called out from the crowd with a teasing grin. The people gathered nodded along with her words, seeming to agree.

Najam flushed a little. “Just because I’m part of his family doesn’t mean I have his influence,” he said defensively. “All my name does is give me a way into the politics of the noble houses, but I’ve never cared for that, so there’s no way anyone would listen to me anyway.”

Tara raised an eyebrow at that, clearly about to say something that Najam wouldn’t want her to say. Najam was smart enough to guess that from her face, though, and he didn’t give her a chance to speak again.

“Alright then, why don’t we move on to the next spar, huh?” he said, addressing the crowd like a showman. “Lionel, Ren, could you please step up to the ring?”