“You…you’re dead!” shouted Luc, jabbing a finger at Faro’s chest.

Faro only smiled. “Do I look dead to you?”

Behind Luc, several of the black tunics stepped forward and helped Tissa to his feet. Luc watched as they exchanged several crude phrases of banter, laughing and slapping each other on the backs.

“W-what’s going on, Mister Faro?” asked Ritha, looking just as confused as Luc.

“We apologize for any confusion or worry we may have created,” said Faro. “But as you probably realize now, my death was a ruse. A simple test to see how the team performs under sudden and extreme pressure.”

Realization began dawning in Luc’s head. It all made sense now. It made sense why Tissa had saved him against the monster in the water. It made sense why Tissa seemed so happy to be returning to the Metropolis of Floor 1.

“So he’s a black tunic too,” said Luc.

“The correct term is a Spade,” said Faro. “As we are part of the Syndicate called the Spades that rules the Chasm.”

“Ha!” said Tissa, wrapping his arm around Luc’s shoulder and making him jump. “This guy here’s not just a normal Spade. He’s the Duke of Floor 1!”

“The Duke?”

Faro gave Tissa a stern look. “Normally I do not wish for my identity to be known, especially by those who will have to run the Gauntlet twice.”

Luc’s stomach turned. “…twice?”

“Unfortunately, you were a day late,” said Faro, face expressionless. “And given the rules of the Gauntlet, those who do not make it to the endpoint within the given timeframe are to be disqualified and sent back to Floor 0.”

Next to Luc, Ritha’s breaths began to shorten.

“Wait a second, Faro,” said Tissa. “I believe my team is a unique situation. After what Gray did - ”

“We do not look at the methods of the Gauntlet runners,” said Faro. “Only the results.”

Tissa stepped forward, keeping a hand on Luc’s shoulder for support. “Do you even know what he did to me?”

“Judging by the fact that he made it out and you did not, yes,” said Faro. “But regardless, in the Chasm, perhaps the most important skill to have is the ability to go through any situation and live to tell the tale.”

Tissa scowled and glanced over his shoulder. “Where’s my lance?”

“Have you lost your mind?” said Luc. “You lost it in - ”

One of the Spades stepped forward and offered forth a lance. Unlike the one Tissa had possessed before, this lance was not wrapped in cloth. It was pure black, with the length above the handle colored with jagged red lines, swirling around its circumference to the tip.

“That piece of trash?” said Tissa, smirking. “That low level golem wouldn’t have survived a single blow with my actual lance.”

“Low level?” said Luc, eyes bulging.

“The monsters on Floor 4 get worse than that,” said Tissa. “And when you get lower than that - ”

“Tissa,” said Faro, voice calm but firm. “They must find that out for themselves.”

Tissa was quiet for a moment. Then he looked up. “Which Floor did you send Gray to?”

“Floor 5,” said Faro.

“Floor 5?” said Tissa, eyes wide. “Are you insane? You never send newcomers lower than Floor 3!”

“There was one other, who I sent even lower,” said Faro.

“Never mind that,” said Luc, not caring much for the squabble between the two. “Is there anything I can do to not take this Gauntlet thing again?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

There was no hesitation as Faro shook his head.

“Let me talk to you for a second,” said Tissa, limping forward using his lance as support. Looping a hand around Faro’s back, Tissa led him a short distance away from the rest of the group. They muttered a few things quietly before their voices began to grow louder.

“Tissa,” said Faro. “I cannot make an exception. They were a day late. A whole day late after the deadline. And you said they only made it to you on or after the third day?”

“Faro - ”

“Look at them!” said Faro. “The white-haired kid does not have any useful Bloodlines or Skills. The other boy - ”

“Girl,” Tissa corrected.

“The…girl panics at just about everything,” continued Faro. “Even though I do not have full consciousness over my clone’s thoughts, I can still gauge that much.”

Next to Luc, Ritha lowered her head, lower lip trembling.

“Faro” said Tissa. “Your clone only saw the first day of the Gauntlet. I’m the real proctor, not you. I should be the one determining where each one of them goes.”

“You are young and naïve,” said Faro. “That is why you fell to Gray. I know your combat abilities exceed mine, but the issue is you simply trust people too easily. In the Chasm, you cannot give them the benefit of the doubt. And that is why I must make the decision, not you.”

Tissa was quiet for a moment.

“Is this settled?” said Faro, turning back to Luc and Ritha. “Then let us - ”

“They saved my life.”

Faro paused. “Softness is death in the Chasm. I thought you were better than this, Tissa.”

“You said before that the most important skill to have is the ability to survive any situation,” said Tissa. “But I don’t quite agree with that.”

Faro sighed and turned back around. “Please do tell.”

“I think the most important skill to have in the Chasm is your willingness to sacrifice to save another.”

Faro held up a hand. “Again, with the naivety. That does not make any sense. Why would - ”

“You should know that best of all,” said Tissa.

For a moment, the two men just stared at each other. Then Faro took a deep breath and lowered his head. Quietly, he murmured something.

“What?” said Tissa.

“Floor 1,” said Faro, louder. “I will let the two of them start on Floor 1. Not because their ability warrants it…but because they saved the life of my best friend.”

A smile spread on Tissa’s face, and he bashed Faro on the back with an open palm. “I knew you had it in you!”

Faro massaged his eyes with a hand before turning back to Luc and Ritha. “As formalities go, I congratulate you on passing the Gauntlet. I do not know what you came to the Chasm to do, and it is not my business to ask. But if you consider going further down, I must pass to you a word of advice.”

Faro fixed his eyes on Luc’s, and then Ritha’s. “Take some time to explore the Metropolis of Floor 1. Here, you will discover many ways to prepare yourself, whether that is levelling up current skills, learning new ones, or purchasing more powerful equipment. I emphasize this because if the two of you want to survive in the Chasm, getting stronger is not optional.”

With that, Faro turned and began walking in the direction of the Metropolis, beckoning for the group of Spades to follow. Tissa began limping after them, but before he left, he paused and turned back to Luc and Ritha.

“Saving you guys from another trip through the Guantlet is the same as saving your lives. From here on out, let’s say that we’re even.”

Ritha began bowing at the waist repeatedly. “Thank you, Mister Tissa! Thank you so much!”

Luc didn’t feel the need to thank him. What he said was right. His life for mine. Twice over. We’re even now.

“Maybe we’ll run into each other again,” said Tissa. “But until then, this is farewell.”

With his final words spoken, Tissa turned and headed off after Faro, using his lance as support. A short distance in front of him, Faro came to an abrupt halt, looking over his shoulder. Behind him, the procession paused as well.

“I almost forgot,” said Faro. “Someone asked me to give a message to a white-haired kid named Luc.”

Dante! He must’ve made it out alive! Luc found himself feeling surprising happy for someone other than himself.

“What did he say?” said Luc, desperately wanting to be reunited with the person who was supposed to get him out of the Chasm safely.

“He said he’ll wait for you on the Floor I sent him.”

“Which one is that?” asked Luc. Probably Floor 2 or Floor3. I should be able to catch up to him in no time!

Faro watched Luc in silence. Then, he turned back to the Metropolis, followed by the pack of black tunic wearing Spades.

“Floor 10.”

As Luc watched the Spades go, his mind twisted and turned. Floor 10? And monsters stronger than that stone statue exist on Floor 4? Standing there, Luc felt the little hope he had dwindling into nothing. Squatting, he put his head in his hands. There’s no way I make it down there alive.

The pendant slipped out from the collar of his shirt, hanging down in front of his face. Staring at it, Luc remembered the fight against the stone statue. Hopper had been able to hold his own. While Bones couldn’t touch the statue, her Evolution and Loyalty percentages had increased. That meant she had room to grow. That meant he had room to grow. What had Faro said again?

Getting stronger is not optional.

Throughout his life, Luc hated listening to other people and doing things himself, preferring a lax, lazy lifestyle. But right now, he found that there was something he disliked even more than that – the feeling when someone spoke to him like he wasn’t capable of doing something. Ever since he had fallen into that tomb, almost everyone he’d met treated him that same way.

I won’t let anyone talk to me like that again.

Luc wrapped his hand around his pendant, squeezing it. The only way back home was down.

Floor 10.

“I’m coming.”