The rest of the trip through the cave was an enjoyable experience for Micro. They ran into few monsters, a handful of cave bears and several giant green rodents, and he enjoyed Kel’s newfound enthusiasm for conversation.

“Oh, we’re already out?” Kel turned to ask his friends as they stepped out of the cave into the fresh forest air. It was early morning, but it looked like it would soon start raining.

“Young master…” A weary Bol-En replied, his voice ragged.

“We’ve been walking for two days… without rest or replenishment… How…”

“Really?” Tae chimed in.

“I didn’t notice.”

The four cultivators who hadn’t joined them in the dungeon looked like they could fall asleep at any moment, but they stood on their shaking legs without complaint. Noticing this, Kel realized his mistake.

“It looks like I lost track of time!” He apologized.

“It has been a very long time since I sat down to rest…”

“There’s a shrine at the top of that hill.” Tae pointed ahead of the group into the dense woods, then shot a cold glance back to her comrades.

“We can take shelter there until we are all ready to continue.”

“A shrine in this region? To what god?” Kel asked.

“Apologies, young master, but it is too far to see.” She replied with a bow.

“It may be abandoned.”

“Very good, then!” Kel declared.

“Let us go-”

Micro had already started walking at a brisk pace before Kel’s decision had concluded, but Kel only smiled and chased after him, followed shortly after by Tae and the other four weary attendants.

“Hey, Blue…” Micro whispered as he walked along the forest floor, snapping twigs beneath his clumsy feet and stubbing his toes on roots and rocks.

“What god do you think lives at the shrine?”

“Huh?” Blue mumbled, opening her glowing eyes to meet Micro’s.

“Gods? Where?”

“We’re going to a temple to rest.” Micro explained.

“Do you think Nora is there…?”

“Nora? No, she’s not a local.” Blue replied casually.

“You won’t run into her in this realm any time soon.”

“I see…” Micro sighed.

“I thought I might ask her to send me home.”

“She wouldn’t if she could, believe me.” Blue rolled her eyes.

“She’s just another tourist with more power than she knows what to do with.”

“What about-”

“Don’t bother me now.” Blue suddenly snapped, closing her eyes tightly.

“I’m doing something.”

“Oh, sorry.” Micro gently patted the pocket opening closed to give her privacy.

He continued walking, keeping an eye out for any monster that may wish to collide with him. Kel found himself occupied with explaining in more and more detail to his attendants the way he completed the trial, so Micro was left alone with his mind racing at the thought of meeting a god. The morning proved peaceful though, and the group came to the bottom of a grassy hill.

At the top of the hill was a large wooden structure in a state of disrepair, surrounded by stone statues and dilapidated walls. While the temple itself may have been impressive, something else drew Micro’s attention.

“A road!” Micro shouted in glee, pointing at a distinct path that zigzagged all the way up the hill from where he stood. The Cultivators looked in confusion as he took a large first step from the grass onto the dirt path as though it were enjoyable to him.

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“Wait, what is this?”

It concerned Kel to see the enthusiasm on Micro’s face drain in an instant, leaving behind a look of utter disappointment.

“This isn’t even at all…” Micro whispered through his heartache.

“Even for a dirt road, this is far too bumpy…”

“What’s wrong with the path, Micro?” Tae asked.

“It looked fine to me.”

“This is anything but fine.” Micro replied with a sad expression.

“Are there no other roads?”

“What do you mean?” Den asked.

“Why would they make two paths up a hill?”

“But is this really…” Micro looked down with his eyebrows furrowed. He lifted his foot to take another step, and immediately regretted it. His foot came to rest at an odd angle at the edge of a long groove in the dirt path, and he could feel a small rock pressing against his heel through his worn leather boot.

“The rain is picking up.” Sung spoke up as he walked past Micro and addressed Kel.

“You should rest too, young master.”

Kel looked curiously at Micro as the cultivators began their walk up the path to the shrine. Micro’s pace quickened gradually, but the displeasure on his face was unlike any expression Kel had seen on him before.

“Are you alright, master?” Kel called back down the hill, sure that Micro wasn’t injured, but unable to understand what was causing him such grief.

“I’m fine…” Micro groaned.

“I just… this road…”

“Come on, boy!” Den shouted from the entrance to the large wooden building.

“You’ll catch a cold!”

Micro looked up at the cultivators waiting for him and quickened his pace, trying to ignore the unpleasant feeling of the path beneath his feet.

“I’ve never seen you this upset, master.” Kel said as he guided Micro into the shrine with a hand on his shoulder.

“Aren’t you troubled by the state of that road?” Micro asked Kel with a a frustrated look.

“Shouldn’t it be repaired?”

“Repaired?” Kel asked.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It was bumpy in some places, and full of holes in others!” Micro complained.

“There were rocks to trip over everywhere…”

“You didn’t mind walking through the woods, master.” Kel replied.

“The path couldn’t have been unpleasant by comparison-”

“A road is a road, Kel.” Micro frowned.

“There’s off-roading, and there’s roads. That was a disgrace to both.”

Kel froze while trying to understand Micro’s dilemma, and Micro wandered further into the shrine to see Tae and the others unloading their baggage and stretching in an open area. The room was dry and smelled of old wood. Some light made it in through the open windows, but it was otherwise a dark and somber place.

“It’s not as dirty as I thought it would be.” Kas commented as she wiped the surface of a windowsill with her finger.

“It looks like it’s been cleaned regularly for a long time.” Sung added.

“Be mindful not to disrespect this place. It may still be sacred to some.”

As Micro’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed elaborate carvings in the wooden walls and pillars, and he eventually noticed a cat sitting on an ornate table, recessed into one of the walls. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was made of stone, and only slightly resembled a cat. It had three long tails and its ears were much longer than a normal cat’s.

“That must be what was worshipped here long ago.” Tae explained to Micro as she approached the table.

“I haven’t heard of such a deity.”

“I see.” Micro replied, then he turned to the cat-like carving and waved to it.

“Hello. Can you please send me home?”

“What are you doing?” Tae asked.

“If it’s a god, it might be able to send me home.” Micro replied with a smile.

“Excuse me. can you send me back to the old man?”

“Master, I’m sorry…” Tae grabbed Micro’s waving hand gently and lowered it.

“That’s not a god.”

“But you said-”

“It’s just a carving. It’s made of stone.” Tae explained as she knocked on its head a few times. The sound of her knuckles against the stone echoed sadly through the shrine.

“If there ever was such a being as this, it has likely long since moved on from here.”

“Oh, I see…” Micro hung his head in disappointment, but continued to look at the carving.

“Well, just in case…”

Tae pulled a small pouch of water and a handful of dried meat from her bag and passed it to Micro. He accepted it gratefully, and she returned to the others to rest.

He sat down in front of the table, and closed his eyes, hoping and praying that he’d suddenly wake up in his garage with four tires and a pair of headlights. The voices of the cultivators gradually faded as they fell asleep one by one, leaving Micro free to concentrate on his wish with all his might. However…

“It’s not working…” Micro sighed.

“What are you doing?” Blue whispered to him from his pocket.

“I’m not sure…” Micro replied sadly.

“The old man used to pray at a little shrine on the side of the road near his house after his father died. I’m not sure how it works, but I thought it was worth a try.”

“Whatever you say.” She mumbled back.

Micro sighed and lay down in front of the statue, closing his eyes to sleep this time. Since leaving the dungeon, he’d had some trouble remembering how much time had passed, as if he’d woken up from a dream, but dreaming was another thing with which he had little experience. But still, he couldn’t help but feel like it had been far too long since he last slept, and so he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.