“How many days has it been?” Kyung asked, leaning against the wall of his barbershop.

“Three,” Vivian said. He lifted the hand spade again. One more time. I can learn the sensation of level eight Dig! I can! Probably… Eyes sparking, he thrust the spade into the waiting earth, next to a dozen other similarly-perfect holes.

“That Mage of yours isn’t coming back.”

“One more day,” Vivian said.

Kyung raised his eyebrows. “You said that yesterday.”

“Yeah, well, one more day. Have you ever been to the Ruined Castle?” Vivian asked, setting down the spade. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sat up.

Kyung shook his head.

Vivian snorted. “It’s much easier if you have a Mage. Trust me. One more day. It’s worth it.”

“This is the last ‘one more day,’” Kyung declared.

“Fine. Fine! But when we go to the Ruined Castle and die, don’t blame it on me,” Vivian said, shaking his head.

Kyung sat there for a moment. He looked at Vivian. “Wasn’t there something in your Garden?”

“Ah? Oh, the vine. Yeah. Well, I checked on it. I think it’s going to last another week, at this rate. And then…” Vivian sighed. And then, I don’t know. Feed it some more people-fertilizer? Despite all appearances to the contrary, I’m not actually that huge on Player-Killing, so I’d rather not. I can’t sustain it with my SP. I’ve got six, and it seems to consume one an hour at its current rate. I’d be able to carry it for six hours, but no more.

Ugh. I might have to give up on it. But it’s so cool…

Vivian clenched his fist. Determination glimmered in his eyes. “I won’t give up! I’ll find a way.”

“It’s good to have goals,” Kyung commented neutrally.

The gate glowed. Vivian looked up, holding his breath.

A bright-eyed young woman bounded into the Tower, dressed in armor and pale clothes, a gold necklace jangling around her neck. She looked at the two NPCs and beamed, bouncing off into the town.

Vivian sighed. He scuffed his bangs and shook his head.

“We should go. We’re wasting daylight,” Kyung opined.

“No, no. What’s the rush, anyways? We’re NPCs. We can’t leave,” Vivian said.

Kyung eyed the gate silently. He twisted his lips.

“What? Are you… worried someone’s going to see you? That ship has sailed,” Vivian commented, muttering the last bit. He stood, brushing off his knees. “It’s just one more day. One more—”

The gate glowed. A small form hurtled out of it and careened wildly across the road, almost slamming into a passing cart. Drawing up short, Noah looked around, eyes nervous.

“Hey, over here!” Vivian called, waving.

The gate glowed again. Hefting his robes up, Noah bolted off, tearing into the town.

A pair of thugs stomped into the Starter Town. Both rippled with muscle. Their bodies emanated raw power and savagery. A huge axe hung over one’s shoulder, while the other gripped an enormous club.

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Barbarians. One of the best pre-promo classes around, as long as all you want to do is deal a shit-ton of damage. High HP, high STR, and not much else. Not a class I can casually take on. Vivian knelt and dug at the ground again, pretending not to have just called out to Noah.

The thugs looked left and right, then made eye contact. One pointed left, the other pointed right. They nodded at each other, then set off in the direction they’d pointed.

Kyung glanced at Vivian. He raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s… go meet up with the kid on the far side of town,” Vivian suggested, pursing his lips. What did Noah get into this time?

“If he’s trouble, we’re going without him,” Kyung declared.

“At this point, I’m just curious. I mean, right? What the hell is this kid doing, that he keeps getting chased down by the mafia?” Vivian said, shaking his head.

“Chased down by the mafia…?” Kyung asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Pseudo-mafia. I killed them,” Vivian said, shrugging.

Kyung drew away from Vivian. His eyebrows shot up.

Vivian shrugged again. “And I’m pseudo-immortal, so…”

“What is wrong with you,” Kyung muttered under his breath.

“None of that sass to the Vivian,” Vivian said.

“I’m starting to really doubt that you’re… him. You can’t be,” Kyung said.

Vivian frowned. “Why not? I look like him, my name is Vivian…”

“Vivian is a hero to all Climbers everywhere. The paragon of what a Climber should be,” Kyung said.

“The other day, didn’t you say he killed some girl? Sorry. I killed some girl,” Vivian said.

Kyung shook his head. “In the moment, it ruined his name, but in the long run, Vivian’s fame has outshone the troublesome parts of his past.”

“Ahhh… yes. So I’m like that one pop singer from the eighties who swapped skin colors and then got accused of horrible, horrible crimes against young boys, and somehow remained beloved anyways,” Vivian said. He paused. “Except without the crimes against young boys. And the skin color swapping.”

Kyung squinted at him. “Who?”

“It’s not important. Come on. I know the back exit to the Starter Town. If the kid’s any smart, he’ll bolt that way. Putting aside everything else, the thugs can’t fit through it. Hole’s pretty small.” Vivian gestured, jogging off into the town.

Kyung nodded. He followed silently, his footsteps fading against the cobbles.

“Unless he doesn’t know about it,” Vivian murmured, putting his hands behind his head.

Kyung whipped around and narrowed his eyes at Vivian.

“Eh. I mean, kid’s pretty smart. And he was hanging around the Starter Town when we partied up for the first time. He probably knows,” Vivian said, shrugging.

“I didn’t know about it,” Kyung said.

“Yeah, but you spent a whole week cutting hair,” Vivian pointed out.

Kyung nodded. “Fair.”

They wound through the town. The medieval buildings passed them by. Familiar shops with their hanging wooden signboards, the other tavern that didn’t house cannibals, rows of sweet houses, one or two with Players polishing weapons on the houses’ porches or vaguely visible moving around inside.

Maybe I should buy a house, Vivian thought. A second later, he frowned. But houses have a monthly Gold cost, and they’re expensive, too. Real-world-house expensive. At the rate I make Gold, I’ll be able to buy a house in ten years, if I’m lucky.

I’m planning to climb the Tower, anyways. What do I need a house for? Vivian shook his head, looking away.

As he turned away, something caught the corner of his eye. Vivian stopped short and turned, slowly.

“What?” Kyung asked, mildly concerned.

“There it is. I’ve been looking for you for so long,” Vivian crooned. He crept over to the nearest house.

Kyung squinted. “What are you up to now?”

Vivian hugged the flower box hanging from the house’s window, resting his face on the moist soil. “At last…”

A metal grate held a layer of mossy substrate. Dark, soft topsoil filled the substrate to the brim. The first little green sprouts pushed through that dirt, the tightly-wound green tips hinting at tulips to come. Vivian patted the earth and sighed. Oh, the things I could plant! Ghost Roses, the Lady’s Vine… so many more dangerous plants to come! Flower Box, you and I were meant to be.

“I’m going after your Mage, if you have nothing better to do,” Kyung said.

Vivian grabbed the flower box and yanked. The flower box wobbled, held on underneath. Frowning, Vivian stooped and inspected its underside.

Metal supports braced the box to the wall. A pair of screws secured each brace. Vivian scowled. “Do you have a screwdriver?”

“Me? I’m a Hairdresser, not a Mechanic,” Kyung said.

Twisting his lips, Vivian stood. “Alright. Let’s go fetch that Mage for now. Once we’ve got him under control, I’m finding myself a screwdriver and coming back to get that flower box.” Narrowing his eyes at the flower box, Vivian reached a mournful hand toward it. “Flower Box, you and I are destined to be. I won’t forget you, no matter how far I go, no matter who I turn out to be, whether a legend or a no one… nothing shall—”

Kyung rolled his eyes and jogged off.

“Hey, come back!” With one last longing look at the flower box, Vivian ran after Kyung.