“What happened to sparing? You almost killed him” Panda shouted.

“It was a simple backhand; I wasn’t expecting him to be so weak. It’s pathetic.” Sally replied, indignantly.

“He’s only level 9!” Panda screamed.

“Level 9? Most children are at least level 10. How could he be so weak at his age?”

My head felt like it had split open. My face felt swollen and everything was spinning even though I could only see an empty void.

I tried to open my eyes, everything hurt. The headache turned into a migraine as cracks of light shone into my vision. It was blinding.

My HUD flicked back on, blinking a red warning light. My HP was only at 1/101. I was dying.

Something had hit me; I remembered the brief contact but not how it happened. Had I been fighting someone? Sally! That’s right I’d been sparring with Sally.

I heard heated voices close by but I couldn’t make much sense of what they were saying. I wished they’d be quiet. My head hurt so much, I just wanted to sleep. I wanted it all to go away.

Are you really going to allow yourself to die like this?

A mysterious voice whispered in my mind. It felt familiar, comforting even.

Get up Kaleb, you’re being pathetic.

I didn’t want to get up. Everything hurt. My body was broken. Even the HUD was telling me to give in. The flashing red lights all around my blurred vision wanted me to surrender.

“Kaleb?” I heard a familiar voice. I think it was Panda. “Oh thank God you’re awake. Give me a potion!” He shouted, though I got the impression he wasn’t shouting at me.

“No not a cheap one. A common one should do it. Look at his face, he needs a good one.”

I felt myself fading away again. I wanted to sleep so badly, why were all these voices keeping me awake.

I felt something warm on my lips, then pressure as something soft rubbed my throat.

The warmth filled me as it sank deeper into my body. It began spreading everywhere and the pain started to fade. My HUD stopped flashing and I watched as my HP started filling up.

It was magical, serene.

I wished I could feel that way forever.

***

I woke up feeling refreshed. I wondered if I’d ever get used to the feeling of waking up like that. I didn’t miss feeling like a zombie every morning but it was still strange to feel good after sleep.

Opening my eyes I sat up and stretched my arms. I looked around and found that I was in an unfamiliar cabin-style room.

I was laid on a single bed in a room with walls so close I could touch them from where I sat. There was a sliding door at the end of the bed.

How had I gotten here?

That’s right I nearly died. I thought, rubbing my chin. Stubble had started to form. That was interesting, I’d always been clean shaven. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try growing it out. New world, new beard as they say. Well, I don’t think anyone has ever actually said that, but it sounded like something people would say.

Wait. I nearly died. Holy shit! I realised in a sudden panic.

I pulled the covers off myself and started checking for injuries. I was still wearing my clothes and they seemed fine.

I seemed fine.

The door opened and Sally stood there, she had to duck to see under the door frame. She looked at me and her expression softened slightly.

She entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed, her weight tipped the mattress and I had to dig my feet in to stop myself from sliding towards her.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“So, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” She asked with a kindness which was so uncharacteristic of her that it caught me off guard.

“I think I’m ok. Did I die?” I asked slowly.

“Not quite, but it was close.” She replied, then she looked down at her hands. Her sudden bashfulness was off putting. “Listen, I’m sorry I nearly killed you. It’s just that I didn’t realise you were so weak. When Lucas asked me to look out for you he never told me you were an outworlder.”

How did she know? I was supposed to be keeping that a secret. I swallowed a lump that had appeared in my throat all of a sudden. My mouth felt dry.

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag huh?” I said, also looking away.

Good going Kaleb. The cat’s out of the bag? Seriously. You’re talking to a damned cat lady.

She didn’t respond so I decided to keep talking. I felt awkward. This woman had just proved she could kill me with ease. If she wanted to skin me there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I got the feeling that wasn’t the case though. Something about her seemed trustworthy. Despite the battle junkie trope she called a personality.

“How did you find out?”

“I saw the tattoos on your back when I carried you in here. Your shirt ripped. That self-repair option was a good choice. Panda filled me in on the rest.”

It seemed self-repair really was useful. Without a spare shirt I’d have had to remain semi-naked for the whole quest. Again.

“Ah, I see.” I replied, “where is Panda?”

“He’s throwing up over the side again. He’s not much of a flyer that one. He keeps coming back to sit with you though, that’s been his routine for the past nine hours or so.”

Nine hours? Had I really been out that long from a single hit? The director was right, I really was weak as shit. I needed to do some levelling.

“So, what now?” I asked hesitantly.

“Now, I train you up as much as I can in the short time I have you. It’s the least I can do after nearly killing you.” She smiled a fangy grin at me but there was no malice in her eyes this time.

“Thanks. I’m weak as shit, I need all the help I can get.”

“Yup. Though don’t beat yourself up too much. I am a level 90, the disparity between is no joke.” She chuckled and placed her hand on my knee and I looked up at her. “For what it’s worth, your attack did leave a mark on my skin. At your level that’s quite impressive. It’ll take work, the life of an adventurer is hard. But, if you’re willing to put the effort in I think you have what it takes to make it in this world.”

Before I could reply she stood up and ducked out of the door.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts. She was right, I’d been treating this assignment too lightly. How arrogant did I have to be to think I could pull my weight with someone like her?

I needed to get stronger and I needed to do it now. No more messing around. I took both my hands and slapped them into my cheeks.

In that moment, I resolved to do whatever it took to make it in this world.

Soon after, I got out of bed and left the room. It opened up into a cramped hallway that led into a dining area come kitchen.

It reminded me of a log cabin. There was fire burning in a metal fireplace on the back wall and Sally was cooking something on a small stove.

Panda sat at a table which took up most of the room and he was drinking a funny looking concoction. It looked like orange juice with bits of ketchup floating in it and from the look on his face as he drank it, it tasted like that too.

“Make sure you drink that all up. I won’t have you throwing up on deck.” Sally said as she cooked.

Her voice had returned to normal, no more of that maternal charm. I was glad. I was thankful for her words but I didn’t want her like that all the time. I was starting to get used to her boorish personality anyway.

I walked into the room and Panda looked up at me. He still looked sickly but the colour was beginning to come back to his fur.

The concoction must have been some kind of travel sickness medicine.

“Ah, you’re awake. Took you long enough,” he said.

“Were you worried about me?” I teased. “I heard you didn’t leave my side for a whole nine hours, apart from when you needed to throw up.”

“Worried? Of course not. It’s no skin off my back if you go and get yourself killed kid. I was just in there for the bed… yeah that’s it, the bed was soft and I’m a creature of comfort.” He retorted, refusing to meet my eyes.

“Sure.” I replied lightly as I took a seat.

Panda took out his bamboo pipe and took a drag. Then he blew a few rings at me. For a sage, he was remarkably childlike at times.

Sally dashed over to him and slapped the pipe out of his mouth.

“No smoking at the dinner table Furball!” She yelled before returning to the stove.

“Furball? Look who’s talking Steroid Test Kitten.” He responded.

I wasn’t sure what had happened between them in the time I’d been unconscious, but they seemed a lot less tense around each other, friendly even. Panda had barely spoken a word to her before.

Sally responded by brining three dinner plates over and slapping them down on the table. Each plate contained a pile of overcooked meat.

I was no culinary expert but I was pretty sure it was a travesty to cook meat for this long. Steak was supposed to be rare or medium rare, that’s where the flavour was.

This was more like ash than meat.

“Protein’s all you need if you want to be strong like me.” Sally said, taking a seat and flexing her enormous bicep at me.

“I eat bamboo and I’m plenty strong. Pandas don’t eat meat.” Panda said, pushing the plate away with both hands.

“Starve then.” Sally said, taking the plate and scraping the copious amount of meat onto her own pile. “How about you Gonads. I made this to toughen you up so you better eat it.” There was a slight threat in her eyes but it was marred slightly by the food in her mouth as she spoke.

I grabbed my plate and began eating with gusto. It lacked taste. It was chewy. Honestly, it looked like it was prepared and cooked by a toddler, and not one of those super smart ones that parents always brag about. A normal, bog-standard toddler.

Still, it was the best meal I’d had since arriving here.

“All this protein will feed your muscles and you’re going to need it.” Sally said, still eating as she spoke. “After dinner we’re gonna train until you puke and then we’re gonna train some more. We’ve still got half a day until we arrive and I need you in fighting shape for the quest.”

I gulped. I’d never really been a train till you puke kind of guy. But I guessed I was going to have to be if I wanted to get stronger.

I was strangely excited to see how much I could grow in only half a day of training with a silver ranker.