Olin jumped down into the pit and began to heal Dos’ arm.

Kron just threw a healing spell at me. I was really feeling the love and care of my teammate.

Fortunately, the healer had stepped it up. The perfect amount of life mana poured over me and fixed the damage Dos’ shield bash did to my chest and what The Shocker did to my balls.

Disturbingly, the hits I’d taken to the groin had been getting easier to deal with. It reminded me of something… some video I once saw in my last life, maybe?

Eh, I'd figure it out later. I eventually remembered dodge tanks so this might be the same.

Once we’d all climbed out, the dwarven cleaners started their work magically repairing the hole. And that was when I overheard Olin ask Dos, “What happened back there?”

He shook his head. “I was just stunned that I’d hit Samalrune there and I froze.” His glowing blue eyes focused on me, then he took several steps forward. “I’m sorry, Sam. I knew you were redirecting my attack between your legs, but I used too much strength and...”

Wait... Dos didn’t realize that I had performed a special aura skill? I could actually prevent myself from being embarrassed today?

But that made sense. As long as I didn’t repeat the skill in front of anybody aside from my team members, I doubted that anyone could guess that I had a stunning aura redirect. After all, if it hadn’t been literally unheard of, then it wouldn’t have shocked the system.

I shrugged. “Things happen in fights, and Kron is an excellent healer. I also managed to use Cover Body just in time.”

He sighed in relief. “Your father would kill me if I prevented you from giving him grandchildren.”

Dude. Not cool.

“I’m more pissed that you went after my face.”

His cheeks turned red. “That—”

“Never go after an elf’s face, man. That’s messed up. You know better than that.”

He rubbed the back of his head. “I was hot headed back there. I apologize for that and for not thinking of you when deciding to join my team.”

“I accept your apology, but it doesn’t change what you, Kimmi, and Bradvin did to me.”

“I understand.”

“Dos!” Bradvin said as he strode over from his place in the stands. He glared at me. “I know you did something, but I don't know what you did.”

I scowled at my old friend. “How could I possibly do anything in front of all of these people? Am I even the type of person who would do something? You know me.”

“Do I?” Bradvin’s eyes wandered between me and my new team members. “You’ve changed.”

Had I? Since I recovered my memories, maybe a little, but I hadn’t become a fundamentally different person. Where I had absolutely changed was that I could now take a hit to the balls without immediately falling down.

“Maybe it’s your perception of me that’s changed. You saw me as weaker than Dos, dumber than you, and more incompetent than Kimmi.”

“I’m not incompetent!”

“Obviously, I wasn’t implying that, Kimmi.” I turned back to Bradvin. “I wasn't what you saw me as.”

He swallowed.

“And, honestly, Bradvin, you’re smart, but you really need to spend some time understanding that even if a tomato is a fruit, it doesn't belong in a fruit salad.”

“What?” He scowled at me.

I grinned. “It means you have to wise up. Especially if you’re going to be leading your team.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you.”

“I think we’re done here,” I said, turning to Murr and Kron, who’d stayed beside me during the whole confrontation. “And I need a new inn.”

I gave my old companions one last look, turned on my heel, and left. Judging from the look Bradvin and Kimi gave me, there was an extremely large chance this wasn’t the end of things. I had no doubt that Bradvin was already making plots and plans, thinking I might try to go after him for revenge. The idiot.

As if I could plot against my childhood friends who played with me, got in trouble with me, and lied for me when we messed up so bad we thought our parents would actually kill us. I couldn’t start hating someone like that, even if I felt betrayed. That type of person wasn’t who I was, nor who I wanted to be.

I was still pissed at them. That wasn't going away anytime soon.

Even if Bradvin believed that I would hold him and his team back, I had assumed that our time together as friends would have... well, it didn’t matter anymore. They’d made their choice, and I wanted to move on. Because I might die if I couldn’t keep moving forward.

Once we reached the empty corridor leading to the inn, Murr draped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a big side hug. Then he grabbed Kron’s, so we were linked together.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“I have a great idea! We can rent one of my parent’s properties.”

I scowled. “Can we even afford that?”

“We can,” Murr said. “With my discount, I can grab us a place that is a fraction of what the average adventurer would pay. Basically, we’d be responsible for paying the land tax for however many weeks we stay there.”

“Remember,” Kron said, “15% percent of our earnings go into the team funds. Part of it covers housing and utilities.”

I’d almost forgotten about that. “But isn’t it too late at night to—”

“Don’t worry about it. For allowing me to see Rava’s expression as she faceplanted into the sandy floor, I would gladly wake up my family’s real estate manager. If I can’t throw my parent’s weight around when it matters, why even have wealthy parents?”

That was a messed up thing to say, but I was also grateful for the thoughtfulness. Rogues would be rogues.

***

The manager found us a small already furnished house near the ocean where some of the lower ranked dungeons were located. This included Balrock’s Mine. There wasn’t much to the house since it was a thin boxy building made for transient adventurers with deep pockets. We were lucky that the previous occupants had to rush back home a week ago, and the employees had only recently finished cleaning and repairing it for a new owner.

When I woke up a few hours before noon, I considered consulting Kron's mother before entering the dungeon, but after talking things over with my team we decided that we didn't need guidance just yet. She was also on another mission and would be gone for a few days. Hiring other experts just to gain reassurance about the direction of my build would be an expensive waste of time at this point. We'd have to complete a few more missions before we could afford it. Besides, at this stage in our leveling journey, it was better to develop our skills and spells by fighting monsters. Once we developed them enough, they would rank up and evolve. And the only way to reliably do that was through fighting monsters.

This was why the guild master wanted us to clear out this dungeon.

***

We traveled to a rocky area near the ocean, just outside the city where our rogue said the dungeon entrance was. The salty ocean breeze picked up blowing through my hair.

“It has to be here somewhere!” Murr squinted as he peered around the rock covered, grassy slope.

Kron yawned. “Are you sure you weren’t given bad directions?”

The catfolk scowled. “By the guild master? Come on. Make more sense.”

“But would the guild master ever have a reason to visit a rank K mining dungeon?”

We all froze as we quickly realized that she would not.

When we walked closer to the sandy beach and rounded a large boulder by a small cliff, unfamiliar voices drifted over to us.

“We’re not doing this dungeon with you! Go find someone else.”

“Hey! I hired you to escort me inside. It’s a fair deal. We’ve even worked together before.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Why wouldn’t I be serious?”

We soon saw the large yellow gate framing a young dwarven man in mining gear who had his back against the rock wall and his hands up in a placating gesture.

The large orc in the small team of adventurers that surrounded him, whispered something that made the miner flinch.

The two humans in the party, glared down at the little dwarf and crossed their arms.

I squinted at them. Their names didn’t appear above their heads, but their levels did. Each of these guys was in their early 60s. That meant that they were either very low level Tested Adults, or in their third and final year of being New Adults.

The miner whispered something back.

When it looked like the orc was about to raise his arm to punch the miner he winced and covered his eyes. “Not in the face! Not in the face!”

Despite the level difference, I couldn’t let this slide. Especially after having attacks thrown at my own face earlier. I stepped forward.

[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/949515587766329405/1045446634017923132/SPOILER_Sam_copy.jpg]

“It’s illegal for combatants to harm non-combatants!”

They turned to us, then scowled at the dwarf. “You’re lucky we’re busy, Val.”

The group passed by us without saying anything.

I walked over to the terrified miner. “Are you alright?”

Val swallowed a couple times, then glanced up at us gratefully. “Hey! Thank you for that. I worked with them before, so I thought they would clear out a dungeon like this easily. But I guess now that they’re level 60s they can’t bother with me.” He kicked a rock. “How was I supposed to know that they’d be offended after bringing them here? I feel like there’s a good vein somewhere in here, so I’m happy to pay the big bucks, a full quarter of my ore and gems. Do you think that’s too little? Huh? Huh?!”

He sighed.

"Did you say a quarter of your ore and gems?" Murr stepped forward wearing a con-cat's smile. “Actually, we’re willing to help you clear out the dungeon.”

Val’s eyes sparkled. “Oh? Really?!”

“Murr,” I whispered harshly. He waved me back.

Kron patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not going to let Murr take advantage of that poor little miner.”

“Like I said, don’t worry about it. He’s not.”

“But we’re clearing out this dungeon either way.”

“Yes, but if we take him with us, then protecting him would be our priority. That splits our focus off of killing mobs and that needs compensation.”

“That... is a very valid point.” A point I should have thought of. Our team was lucky to have someone as business savvy as Murr.

Once the rogue and the miner finished talking terms, they signed a contract through the system.

Val beamed at us. “Hey, I really appreciate this. Oh! I have an idea. How about I get my friends to give you all some reputation? I’ve seen how hard new adventurers have it. Since you guys are scratching my back. I’ll scratch yours.”

Murr nodded eagerly. “That sounds good to me.”

“I wouldn’t feel right accepting something I haven’t earned,” I said. Actually, I'd said this to the goddess but it was still how I felt.

The dwarf harrumphed. “That’s only because you don’t know the people around here. There are a lot of very nasty individuals. They don’t like anybody and go around officially complaining about desperate folks like you and me. That’s a negative reputation right there. You earn enough of that and, and even if you have an overpowering amount of positive rep, the guild still might deny your access to some of the better dungeons.”

I turned towards Murr, who nodded. “But that almost never happens. You’d have to be a monster to earn that much negative rep.”

“But don’t you worry. Val, here has your backs! And hey, I won’t say no if you return the favor. Miners need to keep a good reputation as well, or we can’t get adventurers to help us out.” He grinned wide.

[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/949515587766329405/1045446634277982228/SPOILER_Val_copy.jpg]

Murr smiled. “As long as you do well, we'll be sure to add our own compliments to your reputation log.”

Val hefted his pickaxe onto his shoulder and pointed to the glowing yellow gate. “Now, if you don’t mind. Let’s head into the dungeon. I’ve got a mining itch to scratch. I’ll send in my complaint about those three later.”

I grinned. "I'll go first then. For a dungeon like this, we need to follow the rules."

"The tank enters first!" Murr said.