The next week passed in a steady rhythm of mazes and recess areas. There were no new monsters to contend with, just a mixture of all the creatures they had encountered so far. Wyrms and salamanders would sometimes appear in the same group, or they’d face wyverns alongside amphipteres. The bosses were similarly mixed variants, each presenting a unique challenge.

Kaiden had nearly died only three times during that week—a marked improvement in his eyes, considering the increasingly difficult floors they were tackling. Still, he couldn’t fathom how Ashkar and Zinnia thought it was a good idea—or even possible—to bring someone of his low rank into such a dangerous place and expect them to survive.

Then again, Kaiden supposed he was living proof that it was possible. But he was also fairly certain that he was the exception, not the rule. Without his unique circumstances and abilities, survival would have been out of the question.

They hadn’t used another dungeon compass since the first maze, but thankfully, the subsequent mazes hadn’t been as lengthy or convoluted. While the pace was grueling, they made steady progress, and the balance of recess areas allowed just enough time for rest and recovery.

When they stepped through the portal to the next floor, Kaiden felt his heart leap in excitement.

It was another farm recess floor.

Kaiden nearly jumped for joy. He didn’t know the official name for this type of floor, but that hardly mattered. What did matter was whether he’d find another permanent attribute-boosting food here or not.

“You gonna join me for another bath?” Zinnia asked, her voice filled with playful mischief.

Kaiden replied as casually as possible, doing his best to hide the excitement he felt. “Actually, I’d like to sort out my dinner first. As much as I’d love another one of your travel rations, I can’t pass up the chance for a hot meal.”

Zinnia sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her heart for effect. “I can’t believe you’re choosing food over me,” she said with mock disappointment.

Without another word, she chuckled into her hand, turned on her heel and walked off, leaving Kaiden shaking his head with a faint smile at her antics.

As soon as the others disappeared into the tavern, Kaiden activated Arcane Vision, scanning the area eagerly. His eyes lit up when he spotted a familiar cluster of reapers hovering near the forested section of the area. A greedy chuckle escaped him.

“Found you,” he muttered, already making his way toward the trees.

Kaiden didn’t spare a glance at the other animals as he passed them, their meat momentarily forgotten. He‘d come back for them later. That was his dinner after all, but right now, his focus was singular: finding the source of another permanent boost. His meal could wait.

The cluster of reapers he’d spotted hovered deeper into the woods than where he’d found the piglet last time, but that didn’t faze him. He’d go as far as necessary for a perma-boost item. Fortunately, though, he didn’t have to wander long.

In a small clearing, he spotted a horned deer grazing peacefully. At first glance, it looked like any ordinary deer, but its antlers were... ridiculous. They were almost comically large, far too big for its slender body.

That must be the sign, Kaiden thought, recognizing it as the anomaly that marked the special creature. Without hesitation, he approached casually, not bothering to sneak.

The sound of his footsteps caught the deer’s attention, and it lifted its head, freezing in place. Its wide, startled eyes stared at him, unmoving—just like the phrase "a deer in headlights."

Then, just as the piglet had done, the deer keeled over and vanished with a soft poof, leaving behind a chest.

Kaiden licked his lips in anticipation, stepping forward to open it. Inside, he found a meat skewer neatly placed on a plate. He picked it up, grinning as a notification appeared in his vision:

Venison of the Quick

Fully consuming this venison grants a permanent boost of +20 Dexterity and +10% Dexterity.

Kaiden bit into the skewer and practically swooned. The venison was soft, tender, and bursting with flavor, each bite more satisfying than the last. He savored the meal, eating slowly to prolong the experience, until the notification confirming his stat gains appeared.

He paused, waiting for a change in his body—some sensation of increased speed or coordination—but nothing noticeable happened. Still, he grinned widely. Gains were gains, and these were significant ones.

“Totally worth it,” he muttered, already looking forward to hunting for more treasures in the woods.

As Kaiden made his way back to the pastures, a thought struck him. If he had already received permanent boosts to strength and dexterity, then constitution was likely next. But was that the last one? Or could there be a boost for mana as well?

He leaned toward there only being one more for constitution. If the boosts were divided by four attributes, this recess area might mark the halfway point in the dungeon. But by his count, they were already beyond that. They’d cleared close to two-thirds of the dungeon if there were indeed 24 areas, the same number of rings he’d seen.

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Then again, dungeons were anything but predictable. Kaiden had been caught off guard so many times that he almost expected to be surprised. “Be prepared to not be prepared,” he muttered, shaking his head at the endless possibilities.

Reaching the pasture, he headed for the cows and placed a hand on one, activating the menu to see the selection of cuts. He really wanted a steak—desperately—but sighed and moved on to another cow. He had zero confidence in cooking it properly. The last thing he wanted was to waste a hot meal with an overcooked or undercooked disaster.

Ground beef would have to do, assuming he could find some. If not, pork chops would be his next choice. After a few attempts, he finally found a cow that offered him a small chest of ground beef. Satisfied, Kaiden picked it up and made his way back to the tavern to cook his meal.

The kitchen was quiet as he entered, and Kaiden set the chest down on the counter. As much as he’d wanted that steak, he couldn’t deny that ground beef was versatile and easier to prepare. This would do nicely.

BREAK

Varren Hales sat at his desk, studying the woman who had just entered his office and was now making her way to the empty seat across from him. Chestnut brown hair, freckles, hazel eyes flecked with gold, and bronze skin—she was simply breathtaking no matter how many times he’d seen her. But the beauty was deceiving; the thorns on this particular flower were deadly.

Marigold Petal was a force to be reckoned with, a woman whose name alone made even the King uneasy.

Rising from his seat, Varren extended a hand, which she took with a firm, confident shake. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Marigold,” he said, motioning for her to sit.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Varren?” she replied, her tone warm but edged with intrigue. A smile touched her lips, one that could disarm a lesser man. “I hear you’ve made it to Sergeant Major again.”

Varren mirrored her smile as they both took their seats. “Yes, and I hope to hold on to it this time.”

Negotiation was Varren’s strong suit, but his opponent today was in a league of her own. Marigold Petal wasn’t someone you “talked to”—you survived her, if you were lucky.

“I gather you already know why I’ve asked you here,” Varren began carefully.

Marigold’s smile deepened, though her eyes narrowed with curiosity. “I have an idea, but I’d love to hear the details.”

“Well,” Varren said, clasping his hands together, “your sister has... complicated things on my end.”

Marigold raised a single eyebrow, her expression unreadable. “Has she now?” she said with mild amusement. “We’re only talking about a newly graduated private, aren’t we? You’ve been compensated for losses like that in the past, and we’re more than capable of doing so again.”

Varren cleared his throat, suddenly aware of the subtle shift in the room’s atmosphere. “Ahem. Of course,” he said, carefully measuring his tone. “You’re right—on the surface, it’s not a big deal. A single private doesn’t usually warrant this level of attention.”

Marigold’s gaze sharpened, her smile fading ever so slightly.

What he couldn’t let her know—what she mustn’t know—was just how wrong that assumption was in this particular case. Kaiden wasn’t just any private. He was special, though Varren hadn’t yet pieced together the full picture of what form that would take. He almost couldn’t believe it when he saw it himself. On his Titles page was the icon of the golden hand. In his surprise, he’d forgotten to tell the boy not to show that or speak to anyone about it, but he remembered to cover his tracks later by having Boran taking care of it.

“He was dragged against his will into a D-O-D after General Thorne. Surely this can be seen as an attack on us,” Varren said, carefully measuring his words. It was a stretch, admittedly, but not so far-fetched that it could be dismissed outright.

“Is that so?” Marigold replied, her voice dripping with skepticism. “My little Zinnia would never do such a thing.”

Varren held her gaze, knowing she wasn’t buying his argument. Military personnel often had access to classified information about dungeons, and most certainly D-O-Ds. Theoretically, her sister’s party could use Kaiden to uncover secrets or strategies tied to General Thorne’s mission, undermining his efforts to obtain a certain artifact before him. If the Perennial Petal had sent someone to the dungeon, then they most certainly knew about the artifact it contained even if Varren himself had no idea what it was. He wasn’t even sure if the general knew. If he did, he kept that secret close to his chest, not letting anyone know.

But Marigold was no fool. She knew as well as Varren that a private wouldn’t typically have access to any intel that could jeopardize a general’s mission. Still, it was technically possible, and that slim possibility was enough to justify raising the issue.

Instead of dwelling on Kaiden’s rank, Varren shifted the focus to the more concrete problem: General Thorne’s explicit order. No military personnel were to enter the dungeon with or after him. He would be the one to procure some secret artifact. This was his mission alone. While civilian dungeon divers were free to act as they pleased because it’s a D-O-D; forcibly involving a member of the military violated those orders and created a potential breach.

“If General Thorne doesn’t come out with that artifact and he learns that your sister entered after him with one his soldiers, it could have drastic consequences,” Vareen said. He leaned back slightly, letting the implications hang in the air. The argument wasn’t airtight—it didn’t need to be. Marigold would grasp the risks and ramifications well enough.

Still, she didn’t miss a beat. “I’m not buying it. If that were to happen, Thorne knows well enough that it had nothing to do with some lowly private. We both know how he feels about his soldiers. No, something tells me there’s more to that kid than you’re letting on,” she said outright, her eyes narrowing.

It took all of Varren’s willpower not to show a reaction. Damn, she was good. Was she operating on more information I didn’t know about? Or is she that good?

“All we can do,” Marigold continued, “is compensate you for the loss. Surely, he’s already dead in there.”

“And if he survives?” Varren asked, his voice carefully neutral.

Marigold chuckled. “Virtually impossible. An E-rank kid in a Diamond-grade dungeon? Not a chance.”

“Even so,” Varren pressed.

Her smile widened. “Well, then good for you. You get your private back, and I won’t even ask for the compensation to be returned.”

Varren’s eyes narrowed. “Then no one at the Perennial Petal will try to lay claim to him.”

Marigold let out a soft, knowing laugh, her amusement laced with unmistakable cunning. “So there is something special about him. You might as well admit it and drop all the pretense. There’s something about that kid you’re not telling me, and you don’t want me to have him. If he survives, of course—which, by the way, it looks like you genuinely believe he will. Hmm, special indeed.”

By all accounts, Kaiden shouldn’t have lasted a day in that dungeon. Yet Varren knew he was still alive. That favor—the one that bound them both—hadn’t disappeared. As long as it remained, Kaiden was alive.

And Varren knew that if Kaiden did survive that Diamond-grade dungeon—and that was a monumental if—he couldn’t afford for the Perennial Petal to claim him. At least, not before he did.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss any confidential information regarding military personnel. You know that, of course,” Varren said with a grin. Even if Marigold somehow got her hands on Kaiden’s military records, she wouldn’t find any mention of the golden hand. Varren had made sure to leave that detail out of the official files.

“Well now,” Marigold said smoothly, a glint of interest in her eyes. “Tell me more about this kid and perhaps we can come to an agreement.”