“So that’s it?”

"Yeah. So that's about it," said Max.

Across from him, sitting in a cheap plastic chair just like he was, Ethan nodded. "I appreciate the rundown," the former martial arts instructor said. His phone beeped and he looked at it before glancing up at Max. "That's another text message from another news group wanting an interview about the Trifecta Guild.”

“Do you think you can handle it?" asked Max.

"Yes, I think so. You've given us a good head start with the publicity and with the gear." Ethan pointed at his belt where he'd made or found a simple sheath for his new short sword. "I guess now it's just going to be up to us since you're leaving us in about an hour, right?"

Max checked the countdown on his screen before dismissing the window and nodded. "Yep." The two of them were quiet for a while, lost in their own thoughts.

On the other end of the parking lot, everybody who lived in the little post-apocalypse strip mall community were having a celebratory cookout. The other people who were not part of the Trifecta Guild seemed to be almost happier than the guild members themselves. Even from a distance, Max could smell the delicious fajita chicken that one of the chefs from the Mexican restaurant was cooking on a camp grill. Max grinned and hoped that he would be back soon. This feeling, this community…it was nice. He said, "I hope I don't make you guys wait too long for me, but when I get back from the Quartet, I'm going to be far, far stronger. So you guys need to keep training too, so you can keep up."

Ethan chuckled. "You bet we will." He shook his head. "Two Paths, huh? Busy guy, Max. By the time you get back, maybe we won't even recognize you."

Max looked down sheepishly, but probably not for the reason his friend thought. Inside he felt a little guilty. He hadn't been completely honest with his friends about several things, including the fact that he had three Paths, not just two. Nobody could leak something they didn’t know and that was a bit of information that he was not ready to share with the world–at least not this one. There was also the matter of him being a Champion for a dark god. He was still wrapping his head around how the Morrigan existed in myths and legends in his world, but apparently only existed in the other universe.

He looked up and said, "I'm counting on you guys to hold it down. With all this publicity, recruiting shouldn't be difficult, and maybe you can even help take the city back before some of the more powerful Returners arrive. But yeah, because I'm leaving soon, I need to do a few things on my own before I'm gone.”

“Do you want to say goodbye to everybody?" asked Ethan. He gestured at the cookout with his head.

"No, I don't think so. I'm not really good with goodbyes and I've kind of already said what I needed to say to everybody anyway.”

It was true, too. The reporters had wanted to talk to everyone in Trifecta after the five that had participated left the portal. Instead, Max had hustled his team away. He was on a time limit after all. Luckily, on the way back to the compound, he'd gotten an opportunity to use Blake’s phone to log into his email again.

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Thinking of the pages-long email that his mother had sent him still made him crack a grin. Whenever he finally returned to earth for good, she'd definitely have quite a bit to say to him he was sure. She was definitely not amused that after wondering if he was still alive or not, he’d only sent her an email and hadn’t told her he was going to visit. At least he was sure she’d be taken care of now. The Trifecta guild would help, he was sure.

“Don’t want to say goodbye? Suit yourself," said Ethan. He got up with a groan and cracked his neck. "Fighting monsters for a living is going to be hard on the back. I can just feel it."

Max laughed. "I think you'll hang in there. Making a living and eventually making lots of money if the world doesn't end first should be some pretty good fringe benefits.”

“Hell yeah," said Ethan. Then the man held up an open hand. "Before you go, I have to ask, even though I'm afraid it's rude…You keep talking about your spirits and Lavinia in particular. Is it possible that we can see her?"

Max mentally thought to Lavinia, Do you want to show yourself?

The former summoner had been strangely quiet for more than a day, so he wasn't sure what she'd say.

Lavinia's voice came back. It takes some energy, but why the hell not? Mostly translucent and faintly glowing, Lavinia suddenly stood in the parking lot. She was dressed exactly how she had been when Max first met her–before any of the Earth culture or outfit changes she had adopted since their contract.

All of the revelry on the other side of the parking lot ceased as her aura settled and the other Challengers felt it. They all stared. Ethan's eyes were practically bugging out of his head and he stuttered, "N-n-n-nice to meet you!"

Lavinia nodded serenely before turning to Max and giving him a wink that only he could see. She disappeared. "Well there you go," said Max. "That's Lavinia."

"She's beautiful," muttered Ethan.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to hear you say that." Max grinned, waved, and said, “Adios!” Then he turned and after a few bounding, running steps, borrowed power from Slick to hop directly over the compound fence. Then to stretch and get some distance, he kept running. He wasn't going to go far, just wanted to see a little bit more of the city one last time before leaving. At Max's speed, it took practically no time at all to clear four blocks. He used a combination of summoner magic and parkour to reach a three-story rooftop. Perfect.

He sat cross-legged on the tar roof, doing a quick inventory. Other than what he’d already been wearing, he had a couple new short swords from the kobolds. Max made a face. He wondered again if he should grab some things from Earth to take back with him. Every time he’d thought about it before, he’d decided against it..

It was tempting, but he wasn't sure if it'd be a good idea to take earth tech or even food back with him. After everything he'd experienced in the Quartet, he didn't think it was a good idea to advertise the fact that he had managed to return to his world already.

Max settled down further, making himself comfortable on the rooftop, and then he used mana to enlarge his hands. Then he began the laborious process of pushing mana into his mana vault. The process was slow, but even in the short time he had been practicing, he'd been able to speed it up.

The hour passed swiftly and before he knew it, his surroundings changed. There had been no sense of transition. One second he was still on earth, sitting on a rooftop. And the next, he was sitting on a stone floor in the ancient abandoned temple. Max stood up and stretched.. "Home sweet home," his voice dripped sarcasm.

He was pensive as he exited the temple. Once outside, he checked his body and his belongings to see if everything was in order. It was. However, he was still only a one star mana body.

Max sat against the stony wall of the cavern in his own little out-of-the-area of the faun caves in the Cradle of Giants dungeon. The mana was as thin as it had been before. Now that he’d been back on Earth for a while, it felt even worse. He felt like a fish being forced to figure out a way to exist on dry land.

“No, that’s not a very good metaphor,” Max murmured.

He retrieved the mana vault artifact and bounced it on his palm. He wasn't sure how yet, but he was certain that this device was his ticket to a second star mana body.

Now he just needed to figure out how.