The walk to the workshop Glom was using was silent, save for some greetings here and there. The Gadgeteer wasn't a resident of the village. He only visited once every two years to activate the Arbitrii of the new adventurers. From here he'd go back to the capital by train, get a new batch of devices and visit another village. Every month he was in a different place.

The village was fully awake now and everyone was busy. Nero could see some of his fellow Adventurers on their way to the Dungeon. Technically one could enter the Dungeon a few minutes before exit time and still Delve for how long they wanted. Nobody did that, because you'd go inside with all the wear of a full day. For the sake of survivability, it was better to get in the Dungeon with a refreshed body and mind. Nero's plans were to pick Altia and head straight there.

Byron was waiting for them at the door. "About time you two showed up. How's Agatha?"

"She is grieving but that's a strong woman. Good morning, husband."

Nero avoided his father's gaze. He was civil enough after he returned from the Delve but things could get sour depending on the result of this visit.

Despite not having a fixed workshop, Glom rented space in the local Machinist's workshop. Like Nero's lantern, he forgot in Agatha's house, there were several devices people used to make their lives easier. While most of them required a Gadgeteer to make, a Machinist could perform maintenance. The place always marveled at Nero. Several devices like clocks, lanterns, some spinning things with spoons he had no idea what purpose they served. One time he even saw a small wagon that moved on its own. The month Glom visited was when the Machinist would take a vacation so the tiny Squiig was alone.

His home could use some devices but Nero's parents were pragmatists. They settled in Hom to raise him and now that he was a full-fledged, albeit slightly defective, Adventurer, they would soon go out on some adventure. It was Nero wish he could join them but the level gap was too big. His hope was that either Glom had a solution or he would be stuck farming the rank I Dungeon for the foreseeable future.

"Oh, Hello, Adventurer Byron and family," Glom greeted them from a workbench.

There was a metallic crate on the workbench, one with windows and a small door. Probably Glom's house. On the side, he noticed a double door large enough for him to poke his head inside. He also noticed there were some folded legs along the sides. Did this box move like a spider? How cool it was to travel with one's own house? And probably the whole workshop too.

"Master Glom," Biron answered. He seemed polite enough but Nero knew his father was boiling inside.

"Young Nero, come here. Please sit down on this chair and put your arm inside so I can inspect your device."

Glom pointed to a chair right next to the box's larger doors. With a rod in his hand, he pressed a button and the doors opened. Nero sat and put his arm inside. He pressed another button and clamps held his Arbitrium in place.

"Now if you excuse me, I'm going inside to run some detailed diagnosis."

There was room for the tiny Squiig to climb on Nero's arm and go inside. He soon started to hum and the clinking of small metal pieces came from inside. Nero could feel Glom moving around his Arbitrium and he even saw the display light up a few times. It was boring but he was almost holding his breath. This continued for a good half-hour. Nero's parents excused themselves and went outside to talk.

Glom did something then poked his head outside. "Did you feel that?"

"No. What did you do?"

"Nevermind. Next test."

This repeated two more times. Nero heard Glom curse and then the clamps released his arm. He pulled it back and stretched his elbow and wrist. The tiny Gadgeteer came with a card in his paws.

"Call your parents, Nero."

Nero nodded. By Glom's face, it wasn't good. Nero called them and everyone gathered in the workshop.

"So? Did you fix the defect?"

Glom sighed and handed Byron the card. Nero never saw one of these and he could see it was printed much like the display of his Device, with a row of values on one side and some other information. He couldn't read it but he saw it was different than his. Byron, however, wasn't surprised. He took the card and examined it. He frowned and before he could toss the card, Rhynne took it from his hand.

"What is the meaning of that?" Byron demanded.

"I'm sorry, but there isn't a defect. Nero's Arbitrium is working as intended. Your son's level cap is indeed zero. I even used three lesser Anima crystals on him."

"I don't care--" Byron's outburst was cut off by Rhynne. She touched him and he just stopped.

"Master Glom, you said you used three Anima crystals?" She was concerned, in a way that usually involved money.

"Yes, ma'am. On me, of course. As you can see, he was unable to earn a Level Accolade."

Byron recovered from whatever his mom did and he glared at Rhynne, earning a shrug.

"Sit down, husband, before you thrash this workshop. We'd have to work for a whole year to pay it off. Let me do the talking."

He clenched his fists but decided to take a look around. The gadgets and contraptions on the workshop shelves seemed expensive. And probably the possession of the villagers, brought here so Glom could repair them. Some tasks were above the expertise of the local Machinist. Byron took a chair and slumped on it.

"Fine," He grunted.

"What's an Anima crystal?" Nero asked. He knew better than to barge in this powderkeg of a conversation but he was curious.

"Ah. It is a very special kind of Essence crystal that drops on higher-ranked Dungeons," The furred Gadgeteer explained. "It contains part of the spirit of the monster and is very powerful. They can be used to trigger advancement on low-level Adventurers. They usually increase one's level by one."

"I didn't know there was something that increased levels," Nero confessed, feeling dumb.

"It is extremely rare and expensive. Nobles pay top price for it, depending on the rank, for their scions. But do you know what kinds of accolades exist?"

Nero looked down. "Apparently not."

"There are ten types of Accolades from normal monsters, each with the same odds. One for each of the nine Attributes, and a tenth for the Level. But for Dungeon Bosses, it changes. Half of the time it is a Level Accolade, the other half some Attribute. The crystals I used on you, they can trigger a Boss kind of Accolade. Unfortunately, it can't raise one's level above their cap and they work only for low-level Adventurers. You gained one point each in Strength and Reason, though."

Glom pointed at the card and Rhynne handed it to Nero. He could see the card was his Status, it even had his name written. Truly enough, there were three ones. Not believing it, he turned on the dial on his Arbitrium and saw the same values.

"I won't be able to even select a basic Class then." He didn't ask but Glom nodded.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Anyway, we thank you for your efforts, master Glom," Rhynne was diplomatic and a bit cold. "I take you will preserve his privacy when you present your results," She added.

"Of course, ma'am. I'll keep his name out of my reports even though Level caps are not restricted information. I checked by almanac last night, the lowest recorded level cap was forty-two. Ever. If it weren't a subject as extraordinary as this, I wouldn't even bother reporting."

Nero suddenly was aware of what was going on. Glom didn't use the three 'very expensive' Anima crystals on him out of goodwill. It was a bribe of sorts. And his mother was negotiating the terms of the deal. He got two Attribute points, and his family wouldn't force the Gadgeteer to keep his snout shut about Nero's level cap. It would put an undesirable kind of spotlight on the boy but there was nothing he could do. The discussion was out of his league.

Glom would probably gain around the same value of the three crystals out of the deal. Maybe less but convincing a very angry and high-leveled [Warrior] to not squeeze his tiny frame was probably worth it. Probably why his mom took the lead. Nero filed those thoughts and decided he could exercise the best part of valor.

"If the checkup is done, I will go pick Altia up. We need to go to the Dungeon for our delve."

Byron grunted Rhynne was giving Glom a polite smile that ended at the corner of her lips.

"Godspeed, my son," She said.

Nero nodded, hugged his mother and left the workshop. With the card that had his name written. He was afraid Glom would take the card with him and expose his name. He broke into a jog and barged into Mrs. Simmons' shop. Altia was by the counter, and there were three or four customers, all of them recently-activated Adventurers. He leaned on the wall next to the door and waited for her to finish her sales. He couldn't help but notice the guys were hitting on Altia but she was doing a good job of being professional and ignoring their advances.

"Shall we go? Agatha told me to close the shop. She'll be upstairs, grieving."

"Yes, let's. Do you have everything you need?"

Altia bent and picked up two backpacks. "Agatha gave us these. Some equipment, food, and other necessities," She blushed at the end.

Nero opened his backpack and saw a blanket tucked inside. After carefully stowing his delicate lantern inside, he pulled the strings and adjusted the straps on his back.

"Let's go."

They had to wait in line for a while before entering. The Dungeon was the same as always. Dimly lit cave tunnels and faint sounds of combat and monster grunts. Nero used just a [Buckler], [Sword], and one [Healing Potion]. He kept a second potion and an [Antidote Potion] slotted but without summoning. Altia summoned a potion and a [Cudgel], all of their cards gray. Using whites for a single delve was too expensive for what was basically a training delve.

Their armor still had some blood stains and more than a few scratches. Nero hoped it would last at least until the end of the week but he would have to buy a new set.

"How was it at Glom's?" She asked.

"We should move out of the starting cave before we talk. But my 'problem'," He hesitated to call it a problem but did anyway, "Is still the same."

"Don't worry about it," She leaned forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Let's kill some rats."

They did the same pattern as before. Pause at interceptions, listen down the tunnels, go to where the noise was lower. Avoid meeting other delvers. Nero found that his new Attributes helped a lot. His Reason improved his reflexes and Strength gave more oomph to his blows. They killed twenty rats but Altia's improved level meant the Essence crystals were weaker. Nero remembered one of his mother's lessons on why.

"Not all the Essence of the defeated monster goes into the Crystal. The Arbitrium absorbs a good amount and this amount increases as the Adventurer levels up. It is a tug-of-war between the Crystal and the Arbitrii around the monster, or your party."

He wondered if this absorption had anything to do with the Accolades. How it was easier to get one if the monster was stronger than the Adventurer. But it also meant they would have to kill twice as many rats if they wanted to haul in the same amount of Essence as yesterday.

Since the fights were easier and they tired less, Nero lost count of how many rats they'd killed. They got a white [Maul] card and some assorted grays before they stopped to rest and eat something. Nero walked around until they found a dead end.

They sat on a blanket and he turned on his lantern. No need to stay in the gloom. He pointed the light away from them so they would only receive the light reflected by the stone walls. It would also blind anyone coming up the tunnel and make it hard to see them.

"I have sandwiches and chamomile tea," Altia offered.

"Good. I'm starving."

Nero didn't have breakfast. The only thing in his stomach was the tea his mom served him. After they were settled, Altia broached the subject.

"How was it, with Glom?"

He swallowed. "Not good. My level cap is indeed zero," He said with a low voice. These caves could carry sound very far away. "He even used some Anima crystals on me, it didn't work. I got two Attributes though."

He showed her the card.

Altia whistled. "Three Anima? That's a lot."

"Yes, but he wanted to publish something on me, so it was a bribe of sorts. I left my parents there, negotiating with them. At least mom was. Dad was just brooding."

"I'm glad you got stronger," She sighed and then leaned on Nero.

He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and she held his hand. They finished their lunch and neither wanted to stand up and keep delving. They just enjoyed each other's company.

"I like you, Nero. I liked you since we were small."

"I'm a--"

"I don't care what your level cap is. I'm with you."

"You are the sweetest girl I've ever met, Altia."

She deadpanned. "So you're swapping me if you find a sweeter one."

"What?" He shouted. "No! Not at all. That's not--"

She just giggled. "I know. What took you so long?"

He was too afraid of rejection, of ruining their friendship. Women were unreadable to him. Their mood too fickle. He promised to ask her out once he got his marvelous one-hundred-something level cap but then, a zero got on the way.

"I'm here now. And if you can overlook my level cap, I promise I'll do my best to not hold you back."

"How about we cross that bridge when we reach it? Should we go hunt some more?"

"Yes. This place is not safe. And we need to hunt twice as many rats as yesterday."

"No snakes?"

"No snakes. Let's pack our things."

Fortunately, Nero's shouting didn't attract any attention, from either monster or delver. They picked up their things, leaving the trash behind. The Dungeon would kindly dispose of it later. The two lovebirds resumed their path of carnage and raticide. They spent the next three hours delving and hunting, finding a [Rogue] class card well before their first [Egress]. Altia was tired.

"Slot the [Egress], Altia."

"No. This time, you slot it."

"I am best suited to delving alone, Altia."

She kept refusing. Insisting only made her angry. "I have enough Essence to level up. And a [Chemist] card. If something happens, I'll activate the Class."

Nero closed his eyes. 'I will not be treated as a handicapped person', He decided.

"That's dumb. You need a green [Chemist]. We need to save so you can trade the card. I'd offer my [Warrior] but it is a gift from dad."

"I don't want to--"

He stole a kiss to shut her up.

"You are precious to me. I can fight better if I don't have to worry about losing you. I can go all out. Please, let's make it a rule. You will always slot the first [Egress]."

"Nero," He saw tears forming. Never did he imagine she would be so adamant into alternating who had the first [Egress]. Then she did exactly the opposite. "Thank you. I won't leave you behind. Ever."

She kissed him again. Nero wanted to dive in the feeling but they were in the middle of a Dungeon. Not the time or place. Altia obediently put the silver card in an empty slot of her Arbitrium and they continued hunting for the next two hours. When nothing of notice turned up, they found another dead end and stopped to have a meal.

"How many Essences have we collected?" Nero asked.

"Thirty-seven level one with six Essence each, Sixteen level two with twelve Essence, and five level three with Thirty-six Essence."

Nero couldn't bother to do the math, even with his heightened Reason. Altia needed 300 points to level up, they probably had enough. They would hold back, though. Those values would drop to five, ten, and thirty if Altia leveled. Nero thought back at their discussion. He opened a card pouch and took his Class cards. White Classes gave ten Attributes. If his meager three points were noticeable, imagine ten of them. Green classes, on the other hand, gave fifteen and a slight boost to the effect of Skills. The green-quality [Warrior] card he had, read:

> Warrior (green quality) - Requires Level 1

>

> Strength: +4

> Vigor +3

> Endurance +2

> Dexterity +2

> Agility +2

>

> Reason +1

> Perception +1

>

> "The glory of war is its own reward."

>

> Special: +20% to All Skills' Effects

That was mouth-watering. There was some variation in the Stats. Strength could be between +3 and +5, some other Attributes either missing or swapped around. The special abilities that appeared on green and rarer Class cards would also draw from a pool. But the special ability was just awesome. And as one evolved their Classes adding advanced cards at every fifty Levels, these abilities would compound, the Attribute bonuses stacking on top of each other. That's why finding Altia a green [Chemist] card was so important.

There were blue and yellow Class cards, with two and three "Special" entries but there was a catch. They were so rare and so expensive only Nobility and Royalty could afford them. And usually those that found such cards had no use for them. As a rule of thumb, a Class card was worth at least twenty equipment from the same quality. But card traders were like sharks, they could smell blood on the waters.

He looked at her, she met his gaze then shifted down to the card in his hand. She sighed and touched his hand. "It will be fine. So long we're there for each other."

Nero placed the valuable card back in its place. "Yes, it will," he lied to himself.

----------------------------------------

Nero [0/0]

Strength: +1

Reason: +1

Perception: +1

Altia [2/179]

Endurance: +1

Dexterity: +1

Willpower: +1