Zack whistled to himself as he walked through the doors of Master Kord’s dojo. Camille had taken the third mana core, and they’d made plans to go back to the tunnels that week. A successful day, all things considered.

“I still think you owe me some charisma points,” Zack told Gia in a low voice.

[And why is that?]

“Camille didn’t want to come with me at first. I convinced her.”

[That’s not how charisma works. That attribute is about helping people, not persuading them to do things.]

Zack knew a few politicians who might disagree, but whatever. This must be a cultural difference between the gnomes and the rest of the world.

He and Daudilus had been hoping to return to the tunnels tonight, but Camille needed more time to prepare.

“If we’re gonna do this,” she’d said back at the library, “Then we’re gonna do it right. That means I’ll need to buy some proper gear. You should also teach me how to shoot for real. A two-minute crash course might not cut it next time.”

She made some good points, and this would definitely be worth the wait. Zack couldn’t carry much without her truck, especially if he wanted to keep his discovery quiet. A wagon full of loot would have raised far too many eyebrows around town.

Besides, he could use a few more levels himself. He’d already shown Gia his running and calisthenics that afternoon, gaining six more skill points in the process. This brought his total constitution up to 10.5. Another half-attribute point, and he should reach level three.

The Temple of Strength was even bigger than the library, with a small lobby at the front, and two massive chambers beyond. The dojo itself sat on his right, with its smooth wooden floors, and groups of students running through their katas. Most were unarmed, but a few carried wooden blades or staves. Zack spotted a few apprentices inside the chamber, but still no sign of Master Kord.

He stepped through the left archway into the gymnasium. Rows of padded benches filled the floor, with racks of dumbbells and barbells around the perimeter. Orange crystals shone from within the dark rafters above, and sunlight streamed in through the western windows. Zack wove his way through the crowds, listening to the dwarven iron music that blasted from the radio. Daudilus might have tried dancing if he were here, but they’d gone their separate ways after the library.

He found Master Kord overseeing some students in the back corner. As always, the gray-haired man wore a sleeveless martial artist’s robe that showed off his massive arms and shoulders.

“Zack Farron.” The man’s deep voice rumbled over the music. “What brings you here?”

“Master Kord.” Zack sketched a deep bow for his old teacher. He would never act so formally in the Valley View, but this was the proper thing inside the Temple of Strength. “I’ve sort of plateaued with my weightlifting these past few months. I was hoping you could look at my form.”

Kord nodded once. “Grab a bench and I’ll take a look.”

Zack stepped over to the nearest rack and retrieved a pair of forty-five-pound dumbbells. He could probably manage larger weights if he tried, but he’d already lifted that morning. Best not to overdo it.

“Barbells might help,” Kord said as he stroked his neat silver beard “You can add more weight, with less focus on stability.”

That might be true, but it also sounded like a ploy to lure him in. First, Zack would spend more time in the gym for its equipment, then Kord would pull him into martial arts class to help the other students. At that point, the man would strike with his offer: since Zack was already spending so much time around here, why not get paid for it?

But they’d been down that road before. He’d been Kord’s apprentice during high school, and everyone had expected him to go full-time after graduation. But Zack planned to leave town within the next few years, and it hadn’t seemed fair to waste time on an official apprenticeship.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Kord had disagreed, but for all the wrong reasons. He didn’t think Zack would actually make it into the Sentinels. Instead, the older man wanted Zack to be his successor, and to spend the rest of his life in Starwing Town.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Zack lowered himself back on the padded bench. From there, he went through his chest presses, followed by his rows, and his squats. He gave the movements his full attention, trying to predict Kord’s feedback before it happened. Slow down. Straighten your back. Pull higher on the rows. Go deeper on the squats.

“Your form is good,” Kord said once he’d finished. “How often do you do this?”

“About twice a week,” Zack said.

Kord’s lips pulled down at the edges. “About twice a week? Which days, lad?”

“Kragday,” he said. “Sometimes Aelorday.”

The master's frown deepened, and he raised his silver eyebrows. “Either you lift twice a week, or you don’t. Which is it?”

“I guess I don’t” Zack scratched the back of his head. “I work different shifts at the Valley View, so it’s hard to stay consistent.”

“How many sets per day?”

“Eight.” Zack gestured back to the dumbbells beside the bench.

“Those are repetitions, lad. How many sets?”

“Uh . . . one?”

Kord grunted. “Well, there’s your first problem. You aren’t doing much lifting at all. You might even be losing muscle at that rate.”

Zack suppressed a wince. He was still a year away from the Sentinels’ fitness test, so he’d focused more on saving money than building strength. He had enough muscle for basic combat in the mines . . . . or so he’d thought. In hindsight, he could have used more against that quartz beetle that tackled him yesterday.

“How about your diet?” Kord asked. “Are you eating enough protein?” He reached out a hand and grabbed Zack’s left bicep. Zack had been proud of his growth since high school, but his arm felt far too small in that moment.

“I eat meat every day,” he said after a short pause.

“How many grams of protein?

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, what’d you eat today?”

“I had a scone for breakfast, then a turkey sandwich for lunch. Still haven’t had dinner yet.” He’d actually had two scones for breakfast, plus some chips with his lunch, and some more light snacking throughout the day. But he knew those weren’t the right answers.

Kord nodded as if he’d expected this. “We’ll be generous and say you had forty grams today. Maybe eighty grams if you go home and eat a good dinner. I’d double this number if I were you. Switch out the scones for eggs, and add a protein shake after your workouts. Your muscles won’t grow if you starve them.”

The master glanced back at the dumbbells. “As for your workouts, I’d aim for three days a week. Kragday, Nimday, and Aelorday. That gives you some rest days in between.”

“My work shifts are different every day,” Zack said.

“So? When’s your earliest shift?”

“Nine ‘o'clock.”

Kord shrugged his massive shoulders. “So do your workouts at seven-thirty. That should give you plenty of time.”

Zack didn’t bother hiding his wince this time. He wouldn’t have woken up so early today if Camille hadn’t barged into his room and dragged him out of bed. Still, this wasn’t impossible, especially if it helped him level up.

Quest Complete: Lift your Body Weight: Part One.

Your Constitution has increased by 0.5.

Your new Constitution is 11.

Well, that wasn’t so bad. This was his first real quest reward, and it only took a five-minute conversation.

No sooner had Zack gotten the message than the air shimmered around his chest once again.

Oops.

He’d meant to do all his level-ups outside, away from people, crystals, and other mana-based technology. He hadn’t realized he’d complete this quest right here in the dojo.

A familiar pressure formed in his chest, followed by a glow of blue mana beneath his t-shirt. Zack turned away from Kord and made a show of returning the dumbbells to their racks. That should keep the glow hidden for now . . .

All the lights flickered out, casting the gym in shadow. Shouts of confusion erupted around the room, and Zack’s chest shone like a bright blue beacon. He dropped the dumbbells on the padded mat and dropped to his belly, praying to Kragor and all the Titans that no one would see the glow from the other side.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 3!

The lights flickered back on a few seconds later, and Zack scrambled to his feet. Fortunately, the others had all been too distracted to notice his antics. Kord was already talking to his closest apprentice, and the girl jogged off to the utility room.

Zack cleared his throat and tried to sound as innocent as possible. “Everything okay, Master Kord?”

“Blasted temperature unit.” Kord waved toward the back of the gym. “Sucks all the mana from the room.”

Right. Kord was already having problems with the Temple’s mana tech. Zack wasn’t making things worse, was he? He’d have to ask Gia about that later and make sure these level-ups didn’t cause permanent damage. The town was struggling enough as it was.

“Anyway . . .” The older man took a step closer. “You have everything you need, lad?”

“Oh, yeah.” Zack bowed again. “Thanks for your time, Master Kord.”