Roth halted, causing Mel to also stop and look at him. Roth took a deep breath, looked into Mel’s shiny eyes, and said what he had rehearsed.

“Mel, I care about you.”

She blushed and looked down with a tiny smile. “Me too.”

“T-there’s something I-I wanted to ask you.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“We’re dating. Right?”

“Duh,” she said teasingly.

“Are we only dating in the game?” Roth asked, gulping hard.

“What do you mean?”

“This,” he said, squeezing her hand into his. “This is real to me.”

“Of course. To me, too.”

“When I leave the capsule, and we meet in real life… Will you still be my girlfriend?”

“I will,” she said seriously.

“But I’m an ex-convict. I’m a rageaholic. I haven’t had a meltdown in a long time, but the rage’s still there, and it rears its ugly head sometimes. I’m not exactly stellar boyfriend material. There’s also a psychopathic maniac who’s hellbent on killing me or worse. And you… You are perfect, Mel. You have a carefree life.” He felt silly saying the next part. “You don’t have a criminal record!”

“That you know of,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

Roth smiled weakly, but now that he had started expressing his doubts and fears, the words he'd been struggling to put together started coming out in a jumble. “I’m just afraid you'll be disappointed once we meet in real life.”

Mel held Roth’s face, ensuring he looked her in the eye. “How could I be disappointed? You’re an incredible person. I’ve never met someone like you. You are so kind. You’re special.”

Roth looked down. “It doesn’t feel that way. You know what I’ve done. You know I deserved to go to prison.”

“True,” she said, surprising him with how easily she agreed. “But you have changed, Roth Taylor. You’re a different man. Roth, I don’t know what the future holds. We’re still getting to know each other, and I don’t know where our relationship will lead us, but I know that meeting you in real life won’t disappoint me. It will be a happy day. I can’t wait for it.”

Roth felt like the weight of the world had come off his shoulders. Maybe it was because of how highly Mel thought of him. Maybe it was because she believed that he had changed. Or it could be because she seemed genuinely interested in meeting him in real life. Whatever the case, that was enough for him.

“Thanks, Mel.”

“You’re welcome, handsome. Now. Where’s my surprise?”

“Haha. I’ve prepared something quite special. Here we are.”

“Uh? Why are we in the Union’s headquarters?”

“You’ll see!” Roth said, trying to stop his knees or his voice from trembling. They walked up the stairs and entered through the open twin doors of the Union’s headquarters.

Sometimes, Roth couldn't believe that he was one of the owners of this remarkable building. In the deed of the title, he had split its ownership between himself, the members of the 14th, and Drake. He had chipped in with the largest portion of the money, but splitting it all evenly still felt the right thing to do then, and he had no regrets. They were loyal companions. No one could put a price on friendship.

Roth had not visited the Union's building for a week, and there had been a major redecoration. One of the most noticeable changes was the new flag hoisted outside the building, featuring a field of blue with a gorilla standing atop a mountain, looking out to the sunset. Roth had read about its addition in the Union’s forums. It granted incredible bonuses to agility and crafting, so it wasn't surprising to Roth that Drake had secured it for the guild.

But it wasn’t just the flag. Wherever they looked, there was a piece of furniture crafted by the Union's carpenters, chandeliers of brass hammered by the Union's smiths, and tapestries hanging from the walls depicting craftsmen working together, weaved by the Union’s tailors.

From what Roth had heard, at least half of the tapestries had been donated by Leanne and Rhapsody. It was the latest method they found to compete. They weren’t the only ones doing so. There was a healthy rivalry between the different groups in the Union, and having a piece on display at the Union’s headquarters was not only a sign of prestige for the profession but also an excellent way to get some free publicity.

Just from looking at some of the items, Roth got occasional buffs.

You beheld the Sunrise Chandelier crafted by Demius II.

+1 intelligence, +1 charisma for 10 hours.

With each step Roth took, his stats increased.

"The Union has become a paradise for craftsmen," Mel commented. "This is impressive. However, something feels strange.”

“Really? What is that?”

“How come this place is so empty tonight? Is it always this quiet?"

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

"No, usually the place is packed. I wonder what’s going on,” Roth lied through his teeth, and Mel picked up on it. Roth could tell she was getting excited, sniffing the surprise around the corner.

"Why don’t we go this way?" Roth offered.

Mel followed happily, and they disappeared into one of the corridors. They got to a pair of double mahogany doors with brass knobs. Even the doors differed from what Roth remembered; maybe a gift from one of the Union’s carpenters.

"Are you ready for our date?" Roth asked Mel, whose eyes were beaming with expectation.

“Yes!”

Roth smiled, heart racing. It was time to show her the surprise he and his friends had prepared. He just hoped Mel would like it. He threw the doors open, revealing a large paneled room. The bright, glossy cedar floors reflected the reds and yellows of the fire in the hearth, while the gold patterns in the crimson wallpaper added to the room's warmth.

The occasional painting made the place look more tasteful, and a bright chandelier shone from the top, illuminating the beautifully carved dinner table filled with candles and flowers.

"Whoa," Mel exclaimed.

"Do you like it?" Roth asked.

"This is so romantic. I love it!" Mel said.

"I'm glad you like it. Come, have a seat." Roth remembered to pull the chair for Mel like a gentleman.

"Well, thank you, sir," Mel said gracefully. Roth went around the table and sat across from her. Seeing her brilliant smile filled his chest with joy.

"Did you do all this?" Mel asked.

"I had a little help from my friends."

"Really? Who do I have to thank?" Mel looked around as if they were hiding behind one of the curtains.

"You'll see."

A crew of waiters and waitresses appeared from a side door. They looked like an army marching into battle, but they wore white shirts, black slacks, and black vests instead of military uniforms.

“Look at them! They even got bowties,” Mel praised.

Roth chuckled, seeing the 14th take their roles as waiters and waitresses this seriously. Maggie filled Mel’s cup with ponche.

“I love your dress,” Maggie said to Mel.

“Thank you! Maggie, isn’t it? It’s great to see you again.”

“Thank you, dear.”

“Sir, you might want to wipe the drool from your chin,” said Sarg while filling Roth’s glass.

“Haha. Thanks for this, Sarg.”

“No problem, my boy,” he said, clasping Roth’s shoulder before heading out. Only H stayed behind, playing the part of a master of ceremonies. "Could I interest you in some soup to get you started? Some breadsticks, perhaps?"

Mel giggled, hearing H act so formally. "Yes, of course. H, was it? Thank you so much.”

"H, this is amazing," Roth echoed. "Thank you so much for doing this for us."

"You deserve it. Now sit back and enjoy your lovely ponche, and we'll be back with the soups in a while."

H turned around, like a soldier shifting direction, and walked with precise steps out the door. As the door opened, Roth could see the rest of the 14th trying to take a peek into the room.

“I didn't take you for the kind of person who outsources romantic dinners to your friends," Mel accused playfully.

"Well, what can I say? It all started with me asking Pete who was the best chef in the game. When he asked me what it was for, I told him I wanted to prepare a romantic dinner for you. Pete told everyone about it, and before I knew it, all my friends were involved."

"Good friends you have here. How did you meet them?" Mel asked, leaning closer and inviting Roth to tell the tale.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” Roth warned.

“Come on! Please tell me!”

"Fine. Fine. Yes, when I first started playing the game, I went nuts whenever I saw anyone hurting an animal."

"What do you mean you went nuts?"

"Well, I kind of ran after people and tried to pin them down, healing the monsters, trying to get them to run away," Roth said, scratching his head.

"You what?" Mel burst out laughing. "You didn't."

"I did. Remember the hunt of the Hive King?"

"But why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was because they reminded me of what my old crew put me through. Or maybe it was because of how I had to take care of a little chick when I was in prison. The thought of an animal being hurt just broke my heart. It just made me flip, you know?"

Mel stretched her hand and put it over Roth's. "And you still think you’re a rageaholic?"

Roth looked away. "Well, I am. The fact that I couldn't control myself and threw myself in the way of players hunting animals in the game proves that. Anyway," Roth tried to get to the part of the story that mattered, "one day, the whole 14th was hunting foxes, and I got in their way. They did quick work of me, of course, but later on, Sarg bumped into me and took the initiative to ask if I was suffering from PTSD. He then gave me his contact information if I needed to talk."

"And I guess you did.”

"Yes, I did. Later, I told them how I was trapped in the pod. They volunteered to help. Then, they met Drake, and we became friends."

"So you've never met them in person?"

"No."

"Once you're out of here," Mel said, squeezing his hand, "we're going to have a big party and invite all your friends. It will be great to meet everyone in the flesh, don't you think?"

Roth felt his eyes tearing up, and his voice choked up a little. "That'd be great."

The door opened, and Pete entered with another chef in tow. Roth was thankful for the interruption. If they hadn't come at this precise moment, he wouldn’t have been able to hold back the tears, and he didn't want to cry in front of Mel.

Pete was followed by someone Roth had never met before. He was tall, with a pointy nose and big ears. He wore a pristine white coat and a top hat almost as long as his head. From his equipment alone, Roth could tell he was a higher-level chef than Pete.

Mel was taken aback. "Isn't that Chef Gustav?"

"You know him?"

"Do I know him? He's one of the best chefs in the game," Mel said, excited.

Pete bowed politely, greeting Mel, and then turned to Roth. "Our honored guests, meet Chef Gustav. He has joined the Union recently, and when I told him about your date, he volunteered to make the soup tonight."

"Is that so?" Mel asked, stunned.

Gustav stepped forward, pushing the cart with a silver cloche. "This is my giant kelp soup. It's made with water from the Crystal Fountain in the Evermountain and a variety of tasty algae. I hope you like it."

As he raised the cloche, a crystalline soup twinkled under the chandelier's light, with floating sliced cucumbers and algae in all tones of red, green, and brown. The smell of the ocean flooded the room. Roth could almost taste the salty spray of the waves.

Gustav poured a serving for Mel and another for Roth. "Please let me know if you want seconds," Gustav offered kindly.

Roth studied the milky broth, then glanced at Gustav, who regarded them nervously as if his restaurant’s reputation was hanging on this one meal, and then at Pete, who was grinning proudly. Something fishy was going on here. Roth beckoned Pete to approach.

“What’s up, Roth?”

“Pete, from Mel's reaction, I take it this guy is a heavyweight in the world of cooking, yes?"

"No one makes soups like him; they're to die for.”

“And how did you convince him to come to serve us food on this date?" If Pete had said that this chef would cook them the entire dinner, Roth would have believed it. However, this chef had come on purpose only to make soup! That meant that more chefs were working hard in the nearby kitchen.

Pete slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. At the end of the dinner, add whichever chef who cooked your favorite dish to the VIP list of the Union, alright?"

"What?"

"It was the best way to get you two the greatest dinner possible. This is your first romantic dinner with Mel," Pete accused, sliding over to Mel’s side. "You have to treat your lady right, Roth. Half-hearted efforts just won't do. You have to impress."

Mel applauded Pete’s bold declarations. Roth could see her mouth was watering, and she was holding herself back from digging into the soup.

Roth shrugged. "Sure, why not? Are you ready?"

"Yes," Mel said, putting a spoonful of soup in her mouth.