Ye Lan was most likely preparing her phrase in advance, choosing the most suitable moment to utter it. I'm not sure what reaction the girl expected, but certainly, not the one I demonstrated. Instead of starting to at least ask her leading questions, I gave her a puzzled look, shrugged my shoulders, and said in a calm voice:

"Who wants to?"

And then I fell silent, pretending to be entirely preoccupied with watching the duel unfolding in the arena sand.

My chosen behavior was apparently so unexpected that Ye Lan was taken aback. The girl clearly didn't know what to do next. She kept wanting to say something, leaning forward, then distancing herself from me. Meanwhile, I pretended not to notice her confusion, seemingly absorbed by the fight before us. She herself was to blame for my attitude towards her. When you use manipulations on your interlocutor, especially such blatant ones, be prepared that they might not like it. Well, I didn't like it.

I dislike being treated as a fool. If she really needs something from me, she must find the strength to say it outright. And all this: "earthlings should help each other" - I always hear a distinctive mercantile undertone in such phrases. What infuriates me most is that her sexual manipulations work. And if it weren't for the "memory of the future," if I were that naive earthling who arrived in Ain just a few weeks ago, she would soon be able to wrap me around her finger using such techniques. But Ye Lan was unlucky: due to the "memories," I am much more cynical and cautious than in the Last Cycle. The funniest thing is that if she just came up and asked, did so openly and without manipulation, I would try to help her. Because such help fit into the strategy that I was still adhering to.

The silence dragged on, the fight had already ended, and the winner had been announced, but Ye Lan still hadn't gathered her thoughts. I decided to help her a little and also learn some information.

"You didn't just happen to notice me," I prompted as if nothing had been said before. "Sitting on the Arena steps, you were waiting for me specifically."

"Yes," relief flickered in her gaze; the girl was glad to change the subject and start the dialogue 'from scratch.' "I was waiting for you specifically."

"And how did you find out about me? And when did you realize that I was an earthling?"

"It's simple," Ye Lan pulled herself together, her gaze becoming mocking and sharp again. "When I entered Tries at dawn, most of the conversations reaching my ears were about the Tournament taking place here." She gestured towards the sand. "And most of all, they talked about how some guest of the city defeated the favorite in the very first fight. And, as I understood it, because the favorite was from some other city-state..." She tried to remember the name but stumbled.

"From Cisto." I came to her aid.

"Right! Her index finger gently poked me in the chest. "From Cisto, yes. And, as I understood, the local folks didn't quite like this foreign champion who was already touted as the tournament winner." She scanned the stands. "I don't think people here had something personal against this particular champion. Most likely, their animosity is due to the fact that he is from a rival city. And when this champion was skewered through in the first minute of the duel, the locals really enjoyed it." Ye Lan waited for the lead steward to announce the next pair of fighters and continued: "Then I heard the name of the one who so ruthlessly dealt with the champion of the neighboring city." There was a hint of playful seduction in her voice again, disguised as sincere admiration. "Raven from... Seattle. And this 'from Seattle' intrigued me, to say the least. And when I saw you walking across the square and appreciated your hairstyle... Her fingers lightly, barely perceptibly, touched my braid. "Which, by the way, none of the locals would allow themselves... I was completely convinced that you are from Earth."

Her short story clarified for me the changes in the gazes of the locals that I noticed this morning.

"And I decided to get acquainted with you." She blushed slightly and clarified, reddening even more: "In my own peculiar way of getting acquainted."

And she's a talented actress: to play genuine embarrassment, tinged with mild regret - one must be skilled. As for Ye Lan recognizing me as an earthling after hearing my "name" and where I'm "from," that was my original plan when I started introducing myself on Ain exactly like that.

"But I'm far from the first earthling you've met on Ain." I clarified, as if unintentionally. "Apart from the original five, of course."

"Of course." She immediately caught my interest and, feeling that she could take the initiative in the dialogue, visibly relaxed. "There are quite a few of ours," her hand pointed to the west, "there, beyond the walls."

"Oh, I see..." I cluck my tongue.

Well, one of the mysteries that intrigued me seems to have been solved. By Ain's standards, Tries is a large city, and the fact that there were only two earthlings in it, Ronin and me, seemed strange to me from the very beginning. It deviated from the average distribution of earthlings by questers, or rather from how I imagined this distribution.

"Here..." Ye Lan looked around at everything. "Especially when you're standing low in the local ranking system, there's nothing to do." And then she clarified. "The locals treat foreigners as if we were subhuman. If you're not a citizen and not an honored guest of the city, then you're nobody here... Anyone will wipe their feet on you or fleece you to the bone, and the local "fair court" won't help you. And advancing your rank within the city limits is, let's say, problematic." Her face slightly twisted into a sad smile.

"Yes, completing the questers' Elevation task within city limits would be difficult for many." I agree with her.

"Questers?" She got confused at the unfamiliar term.

"From the word 'quest,' those who give tasks," I explain.

"Quite precise... questers... quest..." After trying out the new term, Ye Lan agreed.

I noticed her instinctively flinch at the mere mention of these otherworldly entities - as if wanting to hide. It wasn't a pretense; she was clearly afraid of these creatures, shaking at the knees, losing control. But I can't blame her.

"So there are quite a few earthlings around the city?" I come to her rescue, steering the conversation back on track.

"Well, not exactly many, and not exactly in the vicinity..." She began talking indirectly but stopped, shook her head, and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Mention of these, as you said, questers throws me off quite a bit."

"They irk me as well," I admit.

In response, the girl looked at me gratefully, straightened her shoulders, and when she spoke again, there was no trace of trembling in her voice:

"You know that Tries is on a small peninsula separated from the rest of the continent by a low mountain range?"

"I do. It's called the Border here, but they're more like large hills than real mountains."

"This range is roughly a day's travel from the city walls. And it's disputed territory, claimed by both Tries and the steppe clans," Ye Lan smiled openly. "In reality, it's more of a 'no man's land.' Tries patrols rarely venture into the mountain slopes, as do the nomads. They say there was a big war ten years ago that ended in a stalemate. Now each of the opponents considers these mountains theirs. But neither side is in a hurry to risk their people again for this land."

"Yes, I'm somewhat familiar with this history." When you spend a lot of time with a chatterbox like Aun, you involuntarily learn many things, including those you don't need at all.

"We've settled down on this ridge."

By "we," she obviously means the earthlings. This was confirmed by her next words:

"Most importantly, these mountains are full of dungeons. Dungeons that nobody grinds." She used gaming terms so easily as if they were natural to her. "Local peasants living near the slopes are forced to hire guards and tunnellers to Reset the dungeons once a month. But no one dares to mine resources there regularly." She took a deep breath and explained, "The chance of running into a nomad raid is too high to venture into the dungeons without high-rank protection. And since high-rank protection has to be paid, and paid well, there is no benefit for locals in clearing the Border Ridge dungeons, which are almost all from Copper to Bronze. Even Resetting the dungeons once a month is too costly for them, but not Resetting is even worse." She smiled and shrugged. "So the appearance of a group of reckless adventurers in these parts was quite a relief for the local population living near the Border Ridge slopes."

"So, those groups that the questers sent to the Tries area gradually moved towards this mountain range?" I clarified, just in case.

"A fish looks for the deepest water, a man for the best place," the girl shrugged. "But, of course, not everyone stayed on the slopes. Some left for the city at the very beginning, a few weeks ago, and were never seen again. Some joined passing trade caravans and went wherever they wanted. But many quickly understood the advantage and began gathering on the slopes."

"Many?"

"When I left for Tries a day and a half ago, there were nineteen of us," the girl said, not hesitating to give the exact figure.

"That's quite a lot for one group." Too many, in fact, since no more than twelve people can enter one dungeon at a time.

"We divided into two teams; it's more convenient that way. And easier since not everyone can get along with everyone else. Besides, because the first dungeon cleanup gives more achievements than a dozen subsequent passes, the two groups can easily switch. Well, easily..." She corrected herself, "not always, of course, does it go smoothly." And as if in justification, she added, "People are different, and among them, there are blatant jerks. But they are our jerks, earthlings, so nobody chases them away."

It's a mistake that they don't: one inadequate can ruin a ten, easily and nonchalantly. But each of the earthlings must come to understand this simple truth on their own.

"Of course, I'm not a great expert in this world," I squinted and demonstratively clicked my tongue. "But something tells me that everything can't be so rosy and simple." And giving my voice an element of pressure, I continued: "Or am I wrong?"

A dense shadow crossed Ye Lan's face.

"Yes, we've had losses."

Her voice at this moment seems perfectly calm. But it's such an unnatural calm that I realize: this girl took the death of earthlings very close to heart, although she tries hard not to show it. I stay silent, not rushing her; she will tell me if she wants to. For about three minutes, Ye Lan pretends to be very interested in the duel, but then she says:

"In total, we lost five people. One died due to an unspeakable stupidity, he got into a language fight with the Tries border guards, said too much, and when they tried to arrest him, he resisted."

"And they didn't bother being delicate with him." I nodded when the girl fell silent, obviously delving into unpleasant memories.

"They butchered him," Ye Lan's lips twitched, but she held back her emotions. "Publicly, in front of some of us."

And the way she said it suggests to me that she was a witness to this execution.

"The saddest part is that the one who was killed was a normal guy. Calm, balanced, but with an excessive thirst for justice. And when, in his opinion, this justice was trampled right in front of his eyes, he..."

"Went off the deep end." I helped her finish the sentence.

"Yes..." Ye Lan nodded, then shrugged and smiled. "But that's in the past."

"And the other four?" I reminded her.

"Nomads," she replied tersely, but after a brief pause, she elaborated, "The locals avoid the Border Ridge for a good reason." Suddenly she smiled again, this time genuinely. "But! We've found a way to avoid major casualties."

"And how so?" I was genuinely curious.

"We now set up camp near active dungeons and only clear them when it's time to move on. If we spot a nomadic raid, the fastest of us runs for help to the nearest Tries outpost, and the rest retreat to the dungeon for the full term until its Reset. Or rather, they stay there and clear it to the limit. This tactic has saved our skins several times. The nomadic flying squads aren't keen to clash with regular troops. It's one thing to plunder and quite another to fight equals. When the nomads realize they've been spotted and they can't make a quick raid, they retreat promptly."

Pulling my gaze from the arena, I looked the girl sitting next to me up and down, pausing at her belt, where she hid the guest ribbon, and began to speak with assertiveness in my voice:

"You constantly speak of two groups, of earthlings in general... But that's not how you behave when you belong to a specific team. Let me guess... You're a sociable girl; it's easy for you to start a conversation with a stranger. And, judging by your words, you get along well with earthlings from both groups." As I spoke, her pupils darted sideways a few times, confirming my guess. "I'm sure you move freely between these two teams and are gladly accepted by both." I nod my head in understanding. "It's convenient. You're free to choose who to go with and where to go." I nod at her belt. "The benefit is obvious. If I'm right, then you're the first of the nineteen earthlings you mentioned to reach Bronze." And while the girl is slightly perplexed, I add. "The journey from the Border Ridge to Tries takes a day, another day back. You wouldn't have wasted that time skipping another dungeon sweep. But now you're Bronze, and the rest in your groups are probably still Iron, and you simply don't have a team for your new rank yet. So you decided to spend two or three days visiting Tries, because 'why waste time'. " There is no hint of condemnation in my voice. "Or am I wrong?"

"Yes, I messed up with this ribbon," the girl smiled, taking on a maximally independent appearance. "And you guessed a lot, but my transition from team to team is beneficial for all parties, so..."

"Hey!" I stopped her with a raised palm. "I'm not judging. On the contrary, I admire."

"Hmm... thank you." Most likely, she didn't believe in my sincerity.

"All that remains is to understand what or who threatens such an enterprising young lady with death." Saying this, I turned to her with my whole body, thereby showing my interest.

"Ahem-m-m..." Ye Lan flinched back from me for a moment but then leaned in even closer so that her lips were almost touching my ear. "Those you called questers."

"Did they personally threaten you?" My surprise was genuine.

"Huh?! No!" She laughed cheerfully, naturally, and you wouldn't immediately say that it's almost a hundred percent play. "I just don't know how to complete their next quest." Noticing that I didn't laugh but continued to watch her attentively, the girl resumed in a more calm voice: "And no one I know understands how to complete the Affinity task either. And those peasants, traders, mercenaries, and soldiers, with whom I managed to establish contact, couldn't answer this question either."

"And you came to Tries..." I nodded.

"Yes! A big city is always more information than in peasant settlements." She stepped back again, restoring the usual conversational distance between us. "This morning, I already visited the Temple."

"Did you learn anything?" I asked innocently, roughly already knowing the answer.

"I did." Ye Lan nodded, but in her gesture, there was no hint of joy or relief. "But all this knowledge won't help with my problem. To gain the Affinity of Light, one must keep the strictest vows for years. To gain the Affinity of Life, one must devote their life to healing others..." The girl sighed heavily. "Devote a life... But how to achieve Affinity in a few days? No priest gave a clear answer!"

"In fact, there are ways." I shrugged, keeping as calm a look as possible.

"What?!" Her palms dug into my hand.

"Find and destroy the true altar of a Dark deity, and the Light will immediately turn its gaze towards you. Stop an epidemic, and the Echo of Elai will reward you with its attention, or risk your life for the hopelessly ill, not formally risk it, but for real. Make a geographical discovery, and the Echo of Sundbad, the god of travels, won't leave you without a reward. Make several incredibly profitable deals, and the Echo of Dyled

might offer you a personal deal. Fulfill an ancient vow, and the Executioner of Gods will put his hand on your shoulder..." I ran out of fingers on my free hand, counting, and fell silent.

"You must be joking..." Ye Lan whispered with a tone of doom. "Destroy an altar, a true altar! Yeah! I've heard enough local folklore these weeks! I know that after such an accomplishment, the life of that hero becomes extremely short! And the rest... You can't just do it. How will I make a geographical discovery in the remaining time?! How?!! If I even managed to get lost several times on the Border Ridge!" She abruptly fell silent and stared at me without blinking. "I have a question. How do you know so much?!"

"It's simple." Since she had let go of my hand, I used it to gesture at everything around us. "Tries is as old as Earth's Rome and Athens. This city remembers the living Gods and witnessed their Fall. Its Temple was built by Dyuryin himself, the deity of labor and diligence. The Arena, the bench of which you're sitting on at the moment, predates the Roman Colosseum." As I spoke, her eyes widened more and more. I'm sure she knew all this already, but my specific examples and comparisons moved this knowledge from formal to understanding. "Yes, over the centuries, Tries has experienced a lot: fires, invasions, earthquakes, epidemics – but it has preserved its historic center intact." I looked into the girl's eyes. "What do you think - how much knowledge does this city hold?"

"A lot..." In some sort of stupor, looking around with wide-open eyes as if seeing this Arena and its magnificent lodges for the first time, Ye Lan agreed with me.

"A lot indeed." I nod, completely omitting the fact that a stranger like me wouldn't be allowed near this knowledge, not even at a ballista's range.

"I got it!" The girl moved further away from me and looked squinted. "Unlike me and those of ours with whom I was, you... you are not worried!" Her voice became quiet and somewhat dim. "You already have an Affinity... Right?"

It wouldn't cost me anything to lie. My conversation partner would never know about this deceit. But after thinking for a couple of seconds, I decided that such a lie, while making this conversation easier, wouldn't bring any other benefits, so I told the truth:

"True." As soon as I said this, a light veil of estrangement appeared in Ye Lan's eyes - as if she had distanced herself from me inwardly. So I added: "I got it during the first tests. But, there's a catch..." The girl's eyebrows raised in a silent question. "Do you think the questers are so kind that they wouldn't come up with another task for those like me?"

"Did they come up with one?" There were so many different emotions mixed into this question that I couldn't understand this cocktail.

"And trust me," I confidentially leaned my head closer to her, "accomplishing such an individual task is not easier than for the others to do the common one."

"I don't believe it." Ye Lan shook her head, looking me straight in the eyes. "You're too calm. If something nearly unachievable were hanging over you, you wouldn't..."

"Easy, easy..." I interrupted the girl, who had flared up and raised her voice so much that people began to turn to us. "You're not considering one detail. Unlike you, I know exactly what I need to do to complete the questers' task. And it's simple here, I do it or fail. So why worry about a possible failure? Will these worries help me in any way?" And while she was pondering my words, I asked a question that should shift her focus a little from me: "And among those earthlings with whom you talked, wasn't there anyone who, like me, gained an Affinity during individual or group trials?"

"No, I don't know any..." she began to respond, then suddenly fell silent before speaking again, this time more introspective. "I didn't know that you could gain an Affinity before our transition to Ain..." The girl lifted her gaze to me again, and I saw a spark of budding anger in it. "Damn it... There's a guy who... Well, it doesn't matter... I'll talk to him later." Judging by the gleam in Ye Lan's eyes, someone was in for a difficult conversation in the next few days.

We fell silent for a while. The girl was lost in her thoughts, and I didn't want to interrupt her. Besides, there was an interesting duel happening in the arena at the moment. What intrigued me about this fight was that it was between two mages of Steel. One mastered Fire, Wind, and Earth, while his opponent used only Lightning. Still, the command of his Element was decent for a mage of the Metal coil. If Aun had been sitting next to me, he would undoubtedly have bet on the first fighter, thinking, "Three Elements are better than one." But such an approach is often deceptive in magic, as Bruce Lee's words about fearing not the one who knows a thousand moves but the one who practices one punch a thousand times often hold true in the magical arts as well.

The battle was even, but in the end, the more versatile fighter emerged victorious. He caught his opponent during an awkward retreat and formed a bump under his foot with Earth magic. The Lightning caster stumbled clumsily and, after receiving an "Air Fist" to the chest, lost his balance completely. He was not allowed to get back up. The outcome of this battle showed me clearly that betting on other fighters is not a good idea, as I would have bet on the Lightning mage in this pair and inevitably lost my money. However, this was a fight between roughly equal opponents, and it's generally unwise to place bets on such matches due to the high risk.

As the announcer declared the winner, our sector, reserved for tournament participants and their guests, entered Paravi Malik. The local beauty was, as usual, dressed oddly compared to the fashion popular in Tries. Her top was clearly a man's shirt, and instead of a long skirt, she wore a lamellar one made of leather strips edged in steel, which barely covered her long, slender legs to mid-thigh. But as she was a local favorite, a lot was "forgiven," and her unusual outfit was viewed without judgment or excessive prudishness. Paravi walked past me as if not noticing, but I caught her shoulder twitching in annoyance when she realized I wasn't alone but was with a girl. The beauty, with a demonstrative sway of her hips, went a little lower and took a seat five rows away from us.

"Are you interested in her?" Ye Lan whispered into my ear.

I could have explained, but instead, I chose to show my new acquaintance that we were not quite friends yet. Removing her hand from my forearm, I moved slightly away, looked down at the earthling, and said with slight irritation:

"Mom, I'm grown enough."

"Hey!" Ye Lan whispered after playfully punching my biceps. "What kind of 'mom' am I to you?" There was a twinkle in her eye; she suddenly pressed herself against me and said languidly, "But if you like older women, then I, as a good actress, can play..."

I don't like her mood swings. They can happen due to nervous tension, constant stress, or the oppressive feeling of impending danger for several days. Therefore, I did not play along with her, although this would definitely lead to a pretty interesting night. Instead, I took the girl by the shoulders, slowly moved her away from me, and, catching her eye, asked:

"I still don't understand: what threatens your life here and now?" Of course, I understood her but deliberately played such a card now.

"But I told you!" Her mood changed abruptly again, and notes of genuine irritation flickered in Ye Lan's voice.

"Repeat it, please," I asked, almost syllable by syllable.

"I... Don't... Know... How... To... Obtain... Affinity..." The girl pronounced it syllable by syllable as if to a little idiot.

"And?" I asked simply, tilting my head like a raven noticing something shiny.

"Are you stupid? Or are you mocking me?" The girl finally moved away from me.

"And still, I insist." My voice was just the epitome of calm.

And this tone of mine works; the girl sighs heavily and, even quieter than usual, she says:

"If I don't get Affinity, I won't complete the mission and will be Erased."

"And who told you that?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders.

For a moment, it seemed to me that she was about to explode, jump up, hurl insults at me, and leave. She even started to get up, but suddenly all the air seemed to be let out of her, and she fell back onto the seat like a rag doll.

"Look around at these stands." Following my words, Ye Lan obediently looked up. "What do you think, how many among these thousands of people have Affinity with any Power or Element?"

"Not many?" After a minute of reflection, she gave a vague answer.

"I've been in the city for a while, and I can say for sure, very few! In general, as far as I understand, those who are on the Metal Coil of the Spiral, which is practically ninety-nine and nine-tenths percent of Ain's population, almost no one has Affinity. On the Precious Coil, the situation changes, and there is Affinity in every second or third. But you can't step onto the Legendary Coil without having Affinity in principle."

"This is all interesting, of course, but how does all this information relate to me?" And after a second pause, she added, "And other earthlings?"

"This task of the questers to obtain Affinity, something tells me that at best, one in ten will be able to complete it on time."

"There's an opinion among us that questers will appear a day or two before the deadline and explain how to achieve the set goal... I just don't really believe in it."

"As far as I've come to understand these beings, none of them will explain anything to any of us." I agreed with the girl.

"Right! I think so too."

"What do you think, how many earthlings got weeded out even before the transition to Ain, during individual and group trials?" I started from afar.

"We've thought a lot about it, calculated, built theories, and eventually came to the conclusion that about a third of those abducted from Earth were transferred to Ain, the rest... got weeded out..."

My opinion was slightly different, but I didn't voice it and just nodded, asking a new question:

"And here on Ain, we've already been for over a month. By my estimates, our losses have decreased significantly, one in five or one in four over all this time."

"Two out of five," Ye Lan nodded more confidently. "The first days were too difficult for many; they didn't adapt, they forced their opinion on the locals, taught them how to live..." Judging by the way she says it, I think she herself witnessed a scene like this, maybe more than once. "And even after the first days, life didn't get much easier." A sad smile on her lips: "More familiar - yes. Easier? I wouldn't say so!"

"We are adapting. Those who survived the selection and the first days. We're adapting."

"I agree."

"With each day, if we survive, we learn and increase the chance to survive tomorrow."

"To me, your outlook seems overly optimistic, but I won't argue." She frowned. "I just don't understand where you're leading?"

"The point is, the situation is illogical. We were sifted through a harsh and merciless sieve; we were tested and culled for over a month..."

"I get it!" Her smile turns into a smirk. "You think... the questers won't Erase anyone this time?! Men... You even think alike. Many of our guys think just like you."

"Because it's not logical. For some reason, we were moved here, gathered, sifted through the selection process, and then suddenly given such a task that at least nine out of ten will be up for Erasure. I repeat: it's not logical."

"Sometimes I think you... men are made in some factory! By stamping!" Ye Lan waved her hand. "'Not logical.' 'They have no reason to act like this.' 'This is stupid.' How many times just this week have I heard these words?" The girl finished with an annoyed snort. "Can't count."

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"But you don't think so?"

"They will Erase us. Easily. We know nothing about why we were gathered, why we were thrown into Ain. We don't know! We don't understand what's logical for these... questers... and what's not." Her lips narrowed into a thin line. "Maybe their logic is different, or maybe logic doesn't matter to them at all?!!"

"Stop." I raise my palms up. "Let's approach from a different angle."

"Well... go ahead, 'approach'." With her arms crossed on her chest, the girl straightened her back, and by how she didn't make a vulgar joke about the 'approach from a different angle,' I understood that she was extremely serious right now.

"Let's recall the first task here in Ain."

"Seven achievements." The girl nodded.

"No. That's the second one; I'm talking about the first one."

This threw her off, and she pondered for almost a minute before finally saying:

"Are you talking about the Core Assembly?"

"Correct. Can you recall what the quester said?"

"Not verbatim."

"And you don't need to; the last words are important. They were: 'And those who fail. Will be Erased!'"

"Yes, something like that." She agreed with me.

"Next, the second task, about seven achievements in seven days. Remind me, did the questers, when setting that task, say anything about Erasing in case of failure?"

"I don't remember such details." After brief contemplation, Ye Lan said.

"And I remember: there was no mention of any Erasing. Let's move on. The next quest..."

"To gain a new Rank."

"Exactly. And the same question, do you remember how the questers set the task?"

"Vaguely, I was drunk then." The girl admitted.

"In that case, Erasing was indeed mentioned. That is, when failure implies death, questers speak clearly and unambiguously about it. And now recall, was there any mention of Erasing when the task to gain an Affinity was set?"

"That doesn't mean anything!" Ye Lan raised her voice again. "They said, they didn't say; what's the difference? Everything is clear anyway!"

"But it's not." I shake my head. "Not every quester task failure means Erasing."

"Do you know this from your own experience?" I finally managed to break through her aloofness and denial; she even leaned forward with her whole body, and this time not for sexual manipulations but out of genuine interest.

I could have said "yes" and not been too far off since in the "last Cycle," "I" did indeed fail several tasks, but instead, I said something slightly different:

"Not personally. But I have witnessed such non-completion." Again, this was not in this Cycle but happened in the previous one. "And the one who failed was not Erased, but punished differently."

"How?" The girl's gaze was full of attention.

"They took away the bonus from the Mithril achievement 'Enhanced Body' for a month."

"Unpleasant..." The earthling grimaced. "Very. But not as scary as Erasing, this debuff can be survived." She looked me in the eye and asked, "So that's why you're so calm - because you know that even failing a quest won't kill you. Right?"

"And here you're wrong." Shrugging my shoulder, I turned towards the arena and spoke more quietly, almost in a whisper. "In my case, there is an individual task, and it was made clear to me that if I fail it, I won't get away with some debuff and will be Erased."

"Oh..." She covered her lips with her hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I've kind of gotten used to the idea, and I know what needs to be done."

"And what do you have to do?" It was clear that Ye Lan didn't believe me here and now, but the look of being trapped and doomed had disappeared from her gaze, which was good.

"Now, that's my own business," I replied with a sweet smile, completely contradicting the tone of my words.

I'm intrigued by this girl, even interested. Besides, I can use her to relay useful information to nearly twenty earthlings that may significantly ease their life in Ain. Not taking advantage of this situation, in light of the strategy I've decided to stick to, would be unwise. In principle, I've already started telling Ye Lan what most earthlings won't learn until at least six months or even a year from now. But, as beneficial as it is, personal space is personal space, and a bit of healthy paranoia isn't something to be dismissed. We had been silent for almost five minutes when the earthling moved closer to me again and said:

"Alright, I admit, I might have overstepped with my relentless curiosity. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. I won't be offended."

"You must be quite the actress, indeed," I smirked, prompting her eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. I then elaborated, "You adapt surprisingly quickly to external conditions."

Frowning, she pondered my words before smiling and nodding.

"Thank you." She then clarified, "That was a compliment, right?"

"That was the truth," I shrugged in response.

Our conversation quieted down for a while. Apparently, Ye Lan needed to think more carefully about my words. I decided not to interrupt the girl in her thoughtful endeavor. I had something to keep me busy anyway. Watching the Steel tournament grid fights was more spectacular than in the lower-ranked segments. And the participants' mastery level was significantly higher on average than in the Bronze or Iron grid. Some fights even turned out to be aesthetically pleasing, although no one, not even the favorites, demonstrated anything that surprised or astonished me. Moreover, fights in the Steel grid happened much faster than in the lower ranks. Rarely did a match last more than three minutes. The steward tried to compensate by artificially extending the time between fights, announcing opponents while stretching out the words, but it helped little. Even from the stands, it was clear to me that the first round of Steel would end almost two hours earlier than the same stage of Bronze. Unlike the organizers, who apparently planned to end this day of fights with the sunset, I was even more satisfied with this arrangement.

"Are you the only one of ours in Tries?" Ye Lan asked after a long silence.

"I know at least one other. But he spends all his time on the territory of a closed dojo, learning the art of combat. And I'm not sure if they would let you or me in without prior arrangements."

"Oh!" The girl's eyes widened. "I didn't think any of the locals would teach a stranger."

"Wrong..." I smiled at these words. "I was lucky, too. On my first day in Ain, I met a good person, the sheriff of a small town, who took me as his disciple."

"I'm beginning to think that the questers transported you and me to different planets," the girl laughed sadly. "For me and all of ours, to achieve even a neutral attitude, we had to work hard!"

"Some people just have a charming and welcoming smile, and they are generally pleasant, while others…" I decided to turn everything into a joke, and it seemed to work.

Ye Lan listened to this phrase and then lightly tapped me on the knee.

"What if there was a more impressionable girl in my place?" The girl's face became grotesque, exaggeratedly serious. "You can't do that!"

"Do you have any other explanation for why locals chase someone away," I demonstratively cast a glance at my interlocutor, "while someone else is being taught and invited to live in their home?" My smile indicates that everything I have said is just a joke. "Of course, it's because someone is handsome, and someone else…"

I was not allowed to finish. Ye Lan starts laughing, at first quietly, and then she has to cover her mouth.

"My God…" Having laughed, the girl wiped the tears that had appeared in her eyes with her sleeve and raised a cheerful gaze at me. "Thank you. I haven't laughed like this in a long time. Not forced, but like this, because of a silly, stupid, inappropriate, but well-timed joke."

"Joke?" I pretended to be outraged. "So you want to say that I'm not handso…"

"Stop, stop." Ye Lan gestured for me to be quiet. "Don't; it will be too much. In a good joke, you have to know when to stop."

Actually, it was quite risky to defuse tension with humor. You never know if your interlocutor is on the same wavelength as you or if your joke will only ruin everything. But this time, I was lucky, and Ye Lan, after laughing, noticeably relaxed. She closed her eyes, raised her face to the sky, and exposed it to the sun's rays, and unlike the first minutes of our acquaintance, her eyelids were calm. When Ye Lan opened her eyes, she noticed where I was looking, moved closer to me, but this time without any sexual context, and whispered:

"Are you interested in this girl?" The earthling's gaze unambiguously pointed to Paravi Malik, sitting a few rows before us. "I see that you are."

"Let's say so," I responded as vaguely as possible.

"I wouldn't be deceived if I were you. She's sending sexual signals to all the men sitting on this stand. And she does this not because she is so sensual or "hungry"; she does this consciously; they come from her head. Believe me; I understand this very well."

"I believe." She's a good actress, and it's perfectly logical that she can determine whether another person is acting or not.

"She's beautiful. She has an amazing figure." Ye Lan took a deep breath. "Even I find her attractive, although I'm not into girls at all. She could approach anyone and get him, but instead…" The earthling fell silent, unable to find an answer.

"In front of you is Paravi Malik. She is a participant in this tournament in the Bronze grid." I began to explain. "And only the tournament participants and their guests are on this stand. And since the draw for the next round will only be tomorrow morning, she doesn't know who will be her opponent in the next fight…"

I deliberately left my sentence unfinished, letting Ye Lan think it through herself, and she did:

"What a cold-blooded snake," the earthling sneered. "Using her sexuality to unsettle a future opponent and gain the upper hand!"

"And who does she remind me of?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest and looking straight at Ye Lan.

"Sto-o-o-op!!" The girl protested. "I am not..." But then she burst out laughing and slapped my hand. "Alright, you're right. I admit it." She spread her arms wide and winked, "If it works, why not use it?"

"I think Paravi feels the same way."

"But!" Her finger jabbed my chest. "If you understand all this, why are you falling for it?"

"I'm just giving her what she wants." It was my turn to wink. "If we end up fighting, and she thinks I'm charmed by her, she's in for a little surprise."

"Hey!" Ye Lan quickly moved away from me and looked at me disapprovingly. "You can't do that! It's dishonest!"

"So it's okay for you, but not for us..."

"Yes!" She cut me off sharply.

Since I wasn't sure whether she was joking or serious, I chose to remain silent rather than argue. Instead, I raised my hands in an "I surrender" gesture and turned back to the arena.

"You're strange," Ye Lan broke the silence after almost three minutes.

"Thank you."

"Do you think that was a compliment?"

"Of course." I turned my head towards her, and to prove my point, I gave her a grateful smile.

"Back on Earth, I realized that honesty and openness work just as well as lies, deception, and hidden manipulations. Most people are not ready for openness and frankness; it throws them off balance, which allows you to get what you want from them quite easily and honestly. Here, in Ain, it works even better, especially with the locals. And... suddenly, for the first time, I meet a person who is ready to play on this field with me."

"What if I'm not playing?"

"Then you're either a fool or incredibly strong, so much so that you don't need to hide behind artificial personas."

I understand that this is a provocation. I understand what she is pushing me towards. But this suits me, and looking back at the arena, I ask:

"Do you see the two fighters?" I nod at the opponents converging on the sand.

"I'm not blind."

"Can you estimate their level?"

"Roughly."

"What do you think, if a conflict arose between any of these combatants and any of the teams of earthlings from the Border Ridge, how would this conflict end?"

"But they're both on Steel, and ours are still on Iron..." The girl was doubtful.

"Even so," I insisted.

"I think..." She sighed heavily, then voiced her gloomy thoughts. "At least half of ours would be killed..." Then the fight in the arena exploded into a whirlwind of attacks, parries, and executed techniques, and she added, "If not all..."

"You asked what task the questers gave me?"

"Yes." She said it quietly, on a slight exhale.

"Well, to complete it, I have to win this tournament." Ye Lan's eyes widened incredulously: "And I will."

The girl drills me with her unblinking gaze for almost a full minute, and then she concedes and says:

"I believe you."

And we fall silent again. We remain silent all the time while this fight and the next one are happening.

"You know a lot about Ain," Ye Lan finally speaks up, apparently having made some decision.

"Your words are quite an exaggeration, but I suppose that you, who spend most of your time on the Border Ridge, know even less."

"How about helping me and the other earthlings?" Noticing my mocking gaze, she speaks in a purring voice. "Information in exchange for my gratitude..." She presses against me with her whole body once again. "Sincere gratitude."

"A fair exchange of information is enough for me. I'll tell you what I've learned here, and you'll tell me what you've found out." This is beneficial for me, I was just thinking about how to load her with as much knowledge about Ain as possible, which will make it easier for both her and the other earthlings to survive, and here she offers it herself!

But my joy quickly fades as instead of agreeing, Ye Lan distances herself from me and looks at me with some kind of strange, I would even say disappointed gaze, with a touch of offense and genuine irritation. Damn it! Where did I go wrong? And how to fix the situation now? While I'm thinking, calculating options, the girl, who has been looking me in the eye all this time, relaxes slightly and, after taking a deep breath, says:

"Am I not attractive enough?"

"What?" I didn't understand this abrupt transition.

"I know I'm not as beautiful as your Paravi, but am I repulsive?"

"What? I didn't say that!" What is she thinking?

"You said it..."

"Stop! Stop!" I wave my hands in the air, trying to find the right words. "You are indeed not as beautiful as Paravi Malik..." Oops! I think I went wrong with my honesty there. Need to correct it immediately! "But you are much more vibrant. When you talk, I don't want to look away from you. You're cute..." Here my brain surrendered its authority, and I just whispered the banality: "Pretty..."

"So you like me?" Ye Lan immediately asks me without a grain of embarrassment in her voice.

Her direct questions, being asked so bluntly, keep knocking me off my stride. And I can't find a better answer than to simply say:

"Yes."

"Men!" Rolling her eyes, Ye Lan murmurs, then moves closer to me on the bench and asks, "Then how about our first information exchange in the form of a lesson?"

"Yes?" She completely outplayed me, taking full initiative in the conversation.

"If a girl offers you her 'gratitude' herself. Even without hints on your part. If she herself brings up the topic of this 'gratitude'," - each time she says this word, she presses her firm bust to my elbow, "And if you like this girl, you don't need to... you don't need to refuse or offer any alternative. Just agree."

"Yes?"

"Yes! For the love of God, 'YES!'" She pressed against me again and asked, "Remembered?"

"And if I misunderstand something?"

"And if you misunderstand something," Ye Lan smiled, "Believe me, the girl will make it quite unambiguously clear to you."

I'm completely lost. I don't understand when she's acting and when she's not. Maybe she's always in the role she's chosen to talk to me? Or maybe she's always been sincere? My brain is boiling as if I'm solving a runic puzzle. Playing word games with Larindel was easier than with her! I seriously got, as they say, "lost," and if not for the end of the tournament day, I might have blurted out some nonsense. But the lead steward saved me with his announcement and the teaser of the next tournament day.

As we got up, Paravi walked past us. And not just walked - she paraded, contemptuously glancing at Ye Lan. The earthling, in response, looked at her like a hunted grey mouse[1], which brought a victorious smile to Paravi's face.

"Hee-hee." Ye Lan giggled into her fist as Malik disappeared around the corridor's corner. "Did I play my part well?" the girl said, nudging me in the side with her elbow.

"Thank you," my voice is calm; I've managed to collect myself.

As we walk through the corridors of the local Colosseum, we chat about nothing and everything because those walking next to us might hear. And only after leaving the Arena and beginning to slowly descend the stairs Ye Lan asked:

"So, where to now? You're almost a local here, so lead the way!"

"As you've already noticed, I attract a lot of attention."

"That's true..."

"So, it will be difficult to sit somewhere without everyone gawking at us."

"And? What do you suggest?"

"First option, we can just stroll around the city, walk along the embankment; it won't interfere with our conversation."

"And the second?"

"We could go to the local market, buy some food, and have dinner where I live, especially since the whole house is at my disposal for this evening and night."

"The whole house..." She breathed, pressing herself to me, "At your disposal..." But then she laughed lightly and melodically, changing the tone of the conversation. "I've heard there's a magnificent seafood market in Tries, and you can buy squids and langoustines almost for a song here."

"That's true."

"And since I not only love squids but also know how to cook them, the choice seems obvious to me!"

And that's what we did. We got to the market, where the girl picked out food, and we headed home. All this time, we chatted leisurely. And amidst this chatter, I tried to give out as much helpful information as possible.

To avoid provoking neighbors into excessive gossip, I led us to Aun's house from the back, where, opposite the main entrance, there was an exit for carts. I was about to open the gates when I noticed that my marks on them were gone. There was no hair stretched between the boards. There was no piece of goose down that I left on the brackets.

Ye Lan opened her mouth to say something, but my palm covered her lips.

"Quiet!"

And by her reaction, it was immediately clear that the month in Ain was not wasted on the girl. She didn't protest or ask again but pressed her back against the wall and tensed her legs while her hand slipped somewhere under her skirt.

Taking a step into the shadow, I "listened." Yes, Seguna's displeasure hung over me, but the Echo of the goddess hadn't taken away my Affinity with Shadow, and now I was trying to catch any foreign vibrations.

Unsuccessfully.

But how could my markers just disappear on their own? They couldn't. And there were two possibilities. First: Aun came back earlier than planned. Second: someone had intruded into the house and could still be there. Bringing my lips close to Ye Lan's ear, I whispered barely audibly:

"I'll go in alone, and until I call, you don't come in!"

The earthling nodded in agreement. Without questions, without clarifications, she simply nodded. Smart girl!

The Thunder Dagger smoothly slipped out of the back sheath and took its place in the sleeve. Next, catching two baskets of groceries, I started whistling something and, after kicking open the gate with my foot, I walked into the house. I walked in and immediately started looking around as if searching for a place to set down the baskets. But in fact, of course, I was searching for signs of an intruder.

And found none.

I had almost crossed the entire space that Aun's father used as a trading warehouse when I felt a vibration from the Shadow. Light. Almost unnoticeable vibration. Right behind my back. Even before I turned around, both baskets from my hands were flying toward the threat. And if the attacker dodged the first basket, the one with spices and rice, they couldn't dodge the second one, from which squid tentacles began to tumble out in flight.

The attacker was short, slender, and somehow reminded me of Aun in body structure. Only this aggressive "guest" had a clear sign of a full Bronze Core. The attacker jerked in an attempt to dodge the tentacle of a sea creature falling out of the flying basket, and in this movement, I recognized the one who had recently run so sharply across the rooftops after they stepped into my trap at the window. The squid tentacle smacked right into the assassin's eyes, momentarily blinding him.

And that was enough for me.

Enough for the blade to slide into my hand as I continued the basket's movement. A sharp lunge, and my Discharge, enhanced by the Lightning Ring and the artifact dagger, exploded right in the face of the assassin. Due to the enhancements, the impact had a force worthy of a Wootz mage, not a Bronze warrior: not only it stripped the attacker of skin, but it also exposed the facial bones. The assassin's mouth just started to open in a yet silent scream, and on my left palm, the rune of Des was already formed by Illusion magic. My attack coincides with the first scream of pain. At the last moment, as if instinctively understanding the threat, the assassin tries to dodge. But instead of avoiding the attack, he exposes his neck.

"Des!"

A sharp, gut-wrenching crunch - and a stranger's bloody head rolls into the corner of the warehouse while the already dead body is still trying to walk somewhere.

But before I can relax, the Shadow warns me again!

I go into a low stance and spin like a top, immediately performing the Dragon Sweep. All my Auras are activated. I'm moving at the limit of my strength. Until my veins burst, until my muscles crack.

And I don't make it in time.

The stranger's blade, wielded by a Steel warrior who had seemingly appeared from nowhere, was faster. By a hair's breadth, but faster. In a moment, his wootz blade would sever the tendon in my right leg, turning me into an easy target. But before that happens, something shoots past my face like a silvery fish, chillingly close, and hits the stranger's sword, deflecting it slightly. By just a centimeter. But that centimeter is enough for me to pull my leg away from the blow.

A second later, I'm back in my fighting stance and ready to fight. Yes, I'm facing a Steel, but I'm far from a mere Bronze.

Besides, I'm not alone. A silver flash whips over my shoulder again. The new enemy is forced to parry this threat, thereby opening up, if only slightly, for my attack. And I don't miss this opportunity. My movements are like an explosion. Dagger versus sword – not the best choice, but we're in a confined space where maneuverability is limited, so I still have a chance. I just need to close the distance. Get within my striking range!

It didn't work... The enemy proved to be no pushover, and I had to roll back; otherwise, a well-executed counterattack would have taken my head off.

But with my actions, I turned the assailant side-on to the doorframe. And Ye Lan, who had broken my instructions not to enter until I called her, instantly seized this chance. Three steel darts tear from her hand. Small, only the size of a palm. But each of them begins to glimmer with silver in flight, promising nothing good for whoever they hit.

Since we're not in a movie and aren't shooting for pretty scenes, I didn't wait for the enemy to dodge or fend off the darts. I attacked again while they were still in the air. I attacked even more fiercely than the first time.

And again, the enemy proved to be an exceptional fighter. Not only did he fend off my onslaught, but he also parried all three darts. He cleanly knocked away two, but the third one, sliding down his blade, still hit the killer below the knee. It struck at the end of its flight and seemed harmless. But Ye Lan turned out more cunning. As soon as her weapon touched the opponent, the killer's leg was instantly coated with a crust of ice.

You can't stop a Steel warrior with such simple magic. It can't stop him, yes. But it can slow him down! Only slightly, but this little bit is enough for me.

"Discharge!"

"Des!"

But the enemy is good! Very good! He manages to counter again. And he even dangerously swings back, nearly impaling my chest. He manages to deflect my attacks, but not the two Ice darts that embed themselves beneath his shoulder blade. With a loud roar, the silent killer cries out:

"Steel Fan Technique!"

I manage to duck, but Ye Lan is not so quick, and the blade projected by the stranger's Air magic leaves a deep wound on her arm.

"Lesser Healing!" the girl whispers, simultaneously launching new darts at the enemy.

"Shadow Veil!"

Realizing that a quick victory was out of his reach, my enemy decided to run. He didn't need to break through us; he chose a different path, turned around, and bolted through the front door. And to cover his retreat, he cast a shadow spell on himself. Unfortunately for the assassin, although he had learned this magic, he apparently didn't have Affinity with Shadow, which allowed me to maintain my focus on him.

"Discharge!"

But now, I have time for a full spell! The augmentations of the Lightning Ring and the Thunder Dagger again catch the enemy off guard. A powerful charge of electricity strikes the back of the assassin. The armor and the Shadow Shield absorb most of the spell's energy, but about a quarter still reaches its target.

"Discharge!" I no longer whisper.

I shout as if the power of the magic depends on the loudness of my cry, even though I know it's not. The enemy's blade, thrown back timely, deftly catches my ball of lightning, and it explodes before it reaches its target.

The enemy has two steps to escape, and it's at this moment that another dart strikes him right in the thigh. It hits hard, penetrating his clothes and deeply embedding in his muscles.

"Chill!" Ye Lan immediately casts, and the assassin sways so much that he crashes into the door frame.

But our foe is a Steel warrior, and he won't go down so easily. He didn't freeze even for a second, although Ye Lan's magic clearly hit its mark. The assassin pushed off the door frame and, knocking the door out with his shoulder, tumbled onto the street. A Discharge and two new darts flew after him, but he rolled and evaded the attack, then disappeared into a small crowd of passers-by.

"Guard!!!" someone immediately shouted.

"Call the guard!" Another voice echoed.

Stepping away from the door, I turned to Ye Lan and said irritably:

"What did I ask you? Not to interfere until I call!"

"Let's consider that I heard not that, but 'thank you'." The girl smiled, picking up the darts scattered on the floor.

What should I do with her? On the one hand, she helped. On the other, my spear was behind the next door. And I had just three steps left to get to it, and then I could have handled it alone! And the second assassin wouldn't have gotten away alive, either.

After picking up the last dart, Ye Lan hid it in the thigh sheaths, which were previously hidden by her long skirt. Adjusting the fabric, the girl stepped towards the dark entrance:

"Will the guard be here soon?" she asked.

"This is a respectable district, so yes," I replied.

"You do realize that all this is your problem?" Ye Lan spread her arms. "And this has nothing to do with me?"

"I do."

"Then, I think you will understand me now too." And blowing me an air kiss, the girl disappeared behind the gates, not forgetting to close them with a kick...

[1] TLN: people call "grey mouse" women who aren't pretty or don't clothe in an attractive way and don't use makeup. In general, it's someone with almost zero sex appeal.