Hera left her session feeling a bit better. According to the psychiatrist, the feeling of boredom she had wasn't that uncommon, especially among people who spent years inside the MAZE. For beginners, it was less common, but it also happened. Hera was someone who spent years dreaming about being an explorer. Because of that, doing anything that could be considered part of a civilian's life made her feel like she was wasting time. It wasn't something serious, but it was good that she sought help.

Before leaving the guild, she stopped by the commission terminal and requested her new armor. Unlike the shop she visited in the Carpon Caverns, the payment had to be made in full as she completed the order. It didn't bother her as much since it was all guaranteed by the guild. If something happened, she would be reimbursed, or they would commission a new armor following her request. The order also required a full-body scan. Luckily for Hera, she had made a few of those during the last few days of treatment. Even if she had to do it again, it wouldn't be a problem. This branch of the guild had only a single one of those machines, but people used it mostly to request armors and sometimes as part of a medical procedure so the wait to use it wasn’t very long.

As Hera left the guild, she sent a text to Blue and Alex, asking what they wanted for dinner. She would stop by somewhere and pick it up on the way back. It didn't take long for them to reply, and Hera headed to the market. She had to kill time somehow. Cooking might not be something she excelled at, but at least it was fun, and more importantly, it was a way to stay busy and not thinking about hunting. Hera picked a basket and started gathering the ingredients for spaghetti with meatballs. Since Blue asked for pasta and Alex just wanted some meat, it was a fitting choice. She grabbed some noodles, veggies, and the grounded meat that she was going to use. She splurged a bit and got the cow meat for the meal. It had to be imported from the outside in this room, so the price was steeper than frog meat. Still, she deserved some luxury. Even after all her spending, she still had over 5 000 gold in her account. Buying some meat wouldn't put her on the red. As she waited in line to pay, Helena sent her a text asking if she could buy food for Runir too, Alex wanted to invite him for dinner, but she asked Helena's permission first.

She was next in line but had to leave to get more ingredients. The amount in her basket wasn't enough for five people. She grabbed more ingredients, got back in line, and arrived at her home in less than 40 minutes.

"Are they here yet?" Hera asked as she walked in.

"No, but they should be close. What did you get me?" Helena asked from the basement.

"Nothing yet. I'm making spaghetti and meatballs."

There was a moment of silence, followed by hurried steps coming from the lab. Helena slammed the door open.

"Wait, are you cooking?" she asked as she arrived in the kitchen.

"Yeah... I mean, we can order in, but I was in the mood. Is that a problem?" Hera was already setting up the pans on the stove.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, we have people coming."

Hera stared at Helena, "Lena, I can cook. I'm not a grand chef, but I can make some dishes. Why are you so worried?"

"No... I know. I mean, you told me... But... The last roommate I had was Quinn, and let's just say that we could create some pretty deadly bioweapons."

Hera chuckled, "Relax. Let me do my thing. I promise no one is going to get sick. Unless it's because of an allergy that I don't know about. Actually, let me check."

She sent a text to Blue, who confirmed that the only one with any allergies was Runir. He couldn't eat shellfish. Since it wasn't going to matter for the dish she was making, Hera got back to preparing their meal. She was about halfway through when her friends arrived. The meatballs were already in the oven, the pasta was in the pan, and she was making the sauce.

"Hey. We're back!" Blue announced as she walked in with Alex and Runir, "Where did you get the food?"

"Nowhere. I'm making it right now. Give me, like, 15 minutes, and it will be done," Hera said, adding garlic, onions, and oregano to the chopped tomato in the pan.

"Hold up. You are cooking?" Alex rushed to the kitchen.

"Yep. I was in the mood, and the shrink suggested making myself busy while I can't go hunting."

"That's awesome. What are we having?" Blue asked.

"Spaghetti with Meatball surprise," Hera replied, puffing her chest.

"What's the surprise?" Runir asked.

"It wouldn't be fun if I told you guys. But relax, there is no shellfish in the recipe. I promise," Hera was already heating the sauce.

"No worries. Even if there was, I'm pretty sure I can keep myself alive until I reach the guild or get a shot."

"Let's not put that to the test today, shall we? I just stopped worrying about her. I don't want to worry about someone else right now," Helena started setting up the table.

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The group kept talking by the kitchen door while Hera was cooking. Runir asked a few questions about the Wendigo that Hera fought. He had seen her interview and was curious about a few details. After a few minutes, the food was done, and they all headed to the dinner table.

"Holy crap, Hera. This looks amazing!" Blue was already getting her serving.

"Wow, it really does. Much better than the charcoal I make," Helena started serving the drinks.

"Ok, and what is the surprise?" Alex placed a meatball on her plate and started to cut it.

"Don't do it like that. They are not that big, you can just take a bite out of them," Hera complained since Alex was about to spoil the surprise.

Alex squinted at Hera for a moment and put the meatball in her mouth without breaking eye contact. Her expression changed from skepticism to wonder in just a moment, "Is this... Wow, it's incredible!"

"I'm glad you liked," Hera sat down, waiting for her turn to put food on her plate.

They all tried the meatballs almost instantly. Hera cut some potatoes in small cubes, fried them, then wrapped it in bacon and cheese, and stuffed the meatballs with them. The result was a golden outside with layers of soft and crispy in the middle. Meatballs were a dish that Hera always enjoyed making. It allowed her to experiment with different flavors without ruining the taste. They kept talking while eating, joking around, and having fun. Hera was interested in the ways the group was fighting the crocodiles around the city. Finishing the meal, the group headed to the living room to talk. Hera had forgotten to make a dessert, but they still had a stash of chocolate and various candies.

"Ms. Dittro, do you mind if I ask you a question about leveling?" Runir turned to Helena.

She looked around and noticed that he was staring at her, "Do I have something in my teeth?"

"No, Runir is just asking if you can answer a question," Blue said, unsure why Helena reacted like that.

"Wait. I'm Misterio?" Helena looked confused.

"No. I said, Ms. Dittro," Runir explained, embarrassed by the situation.

"OH! Sorry. I think you are the first person to call me Ms. Ditrro since... Ever. What was the question?"

"I just got a spell that is classified as a battle heal. Do you know if that is something exclusive for healers?"

"Not really. I have a couple, but healers have an easier time not going over the residual mana," Helena replied.

Hera, Blue, and Alex stared at each other. They had no idea what the two were talking about.

"What is a battle heal?" Alex asked.

"You know that spell I used during the last fight? To heal the cut that Blue got on her face?" Runir asked.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That is a battle heal. A spell that uses the residual mana from an attack to recover. From what I can understand, it uses the mana that the attack left on you, plus my mana, to replicate the cells on your body. But it needs to be used right after the attack hits. Mine has only a three second window," Runir explained.

Hera thought about it for a moment, "And isn't that what happens with regular heals?"

"Not quite, sweetie. Regular heals make your body trigger its natural regeneration at an accelerated pace, fuelled by the magic poured in the wound. It's like giving your cells twenty shots of expresso," Helena said, taking a piece of white chocolate.

"Can anyone learn those?" Hera asked.

"Yep, but it's hard. Spells like that require a deep knowledge of anatomy. If I'm not mistaken, part of the healer's test is to memorize all the bones in the human body, right?" Helena turned to Runir.

"Not all, but we need to memorize about two-thirds. And some anatomy lessons for organs, muscles and everything else. That's part of the reason I failed the first time. I spent the next week studying like crazy," Runir grabbed a few gummy bears and was throwing them up to catch with his mouth.

"Don't feel frustrated. 40% of the recruits fail the test the first time. The number goes up to 75% for healers. We wanted to make a better way to prepare the students for the role they want, but since the first part of the test gives you a bit of career advice, it's hard to prepare you guys for it."

"Yeah, my entire class failed their role tests, but after we passed the test in the second try, they all were recruited by a company and headed to another branch. I wasn't too keen on being a goon for a corporation, and a friend of mine is already here in the Carpon Caverns, waiting for me," Runir sat back on the couch.

"Speaking of that. When are we going to the next room?" Blue asked.

"Blue, we are still level 4. And Hera is out of commission for the next few days," Alex replied.

"But we are awesome. You can kill those crocodiles on your own without a problem, and we have Runir. When Hera is clear to go, we might as well try."

"Blue, I'm not sure if that is a good idea. The things there will be much stronger," Hera placed one hand on Blue's shoulder.

"Actually, you guys might be fine there. You've been working together for a while. And not many parties would have a healer, not to count Runir's friend. I'm guessing he's been there a while, right?" Helena asked.

"Yeah, he just got to level 7, apparently."

"So, you guys might be able to handle there. Just don't go in a dungeon right away. Fight some monsters that roam the caverns as a test run. If they are too much, you can come back and train more before going there again," Helena finished eating her chocolate bar.

"I'm game," Blue said.

"Honestly, me too. This place is too slimy. Everything here keeps reminding me of the frogs," Alex joined in.

"I'm fine too. Honestly, this past week working with you, Alex was much better than being a merc. I was wondering if I could join your party," Runir admitted.

"I have no objections," Blue said.

"Me neither," said Hera.

"Welcome aboard then," Alex toasted to the new member.

"All right, tomorrow we head to the next room!" Blue shouted, throwing a fist into the air.

"I'm still prohibited from fighting for the next two days, and my armor only arrives after that," Hera said without getting up.

"Aw man," Blue slumped back in the chair.

"Are you guys always this rowdy?" Runir asked.

"That's mostly Blue. We are the ones who have to pull her back from the clouds," Alex took a sip of her wine.

"Hey!" Blue protested.

Helena just laughed at the situation, "I might need to install a noise-canceling field in my lab."

"It's a good idea," Hera chuckled. She knew that there were still some days before she could hunt again, but now there was one more reason to be excited.