Four days had passed already, we had remained in front of the cave. We needed some time to rest before we would set out on our journey towards Brickton. This morning, I sat near the campfire, scrolling through Talia’s book, it is harder with one hand, but not impossible, it was hard getting used to it.

We have also been training, and just processing. We required some time off after everything that had happened. Haley crawled out of the tent, it had been quite crowded, but none of us seemed to mind that the tent had gotten quite crowded. She sat down across me. “Do you have some food, dad?”

I spawned a sandwich from my inventory and gave it to her. She looked at my book, “Have you found something yet?”

“No, not really, there are many extinct species.”

“How are you doing, Munchkin, with your new body and all?”

She smiled at me, “To be honest, I am just glad that I did not come out bald.”

I laughed, “That would have been awkward. You know, you can say something, I think, not many other people can say.”

“What is that?”

“You have been born twice.”

Haley fell backwards and laughed. Lory crawled out of the tent while yawning. “Can’t you guys laugh quietly?”

“No, we can’t.”

She sat down and grabbed some salad out of her inventory. “You are getting me those pickles once we are in Goldia!”

I nodded, “I promise you, my love.” I put the book in my inventory and got up. “Haley, are you in the mood?”

She got up and nodded. We walked a bit away from the camp. I cracked my knuckle, “We should not use energy. How rough do you want me to be?”

Haley smiled, “Don’t hold back. You always do that. I am not a little girl anymore.”

I smiled as I saw her sprout her demonic wings. “You will always be my little girl, my Munchkin.”

She ran at me and tried to punch me, I swayed aside, and returned the favor, she easily blocked my incoming fist with her open hand. As she tried to kick me, I used my right arm to block her leg. She immediately switched to the left side, I had no arm there. I leaned backwards and saw her foot fly over my face. As I launched back, I gave her a headbutt. She staggered back, I ran towards her for a double kick, she shielded herself with her wings. She got pushed back, but I don’t think she felt anything. I landed on the ground with a thud. With ease, I jumped up.

Haley’s fist already came my way and I barely avoided it. Then I tried to give her an uppercut, she leaned back and kicked me in my groin. I grunted, “That’s not fair.”

We both heard Lory laugh. While jumping back with a backflip, I looked at her, “That is sadistic.” She shrugged. Haley ran my way, I got ready to block her blow, she slid between my legs and pushed her elbow into my back and I staggered forward.

She punched me in my back, and I fell forward, I did a one-handed cartwheel, it looked awkward as fuck, but I recovered. I turned around and saw Haley come for me, I swayed aside, and punched her in her face. Some purple blood splattered around. She smiled at me, she twirled aside, to my left side and punched me in my side before I could turn. I fell on one knee, and I felt the wind of her leg coming to kick me to the ground.

I swayed aside, and her leg landed on my right shoulder. Quickly, I grabbed her leg and threw her over me on the ground. With my knee, I jumped on top of her while pulling my gun and pointing at her. I smiled, “I won.”

I panted and spit some blood on the ground. “Well, tap out, I win.”

Haley chuckled, she suddenly swooped her leg hard against me left leg, I fell over, and my gun rolled away. Haley rolled my way and grabbed my head between her legs. She looked at me, “Tap out!” I sighed and tapped the ground. She let me go, and I rolled on my back.

Haley fell down on her back and lay next to me. “I liked that, thanks for the training dad, you are doing considerably well, seeing as you miss one arm.”

“Thanks, I guess.” “You made good use of the gap in my armor. It is just going to take some time to get used to it.” Suddenly, I saw an energy beam fly my way. Quickly, I stretched my right hand and shot a silver beam back to deflect it.

Lory walked over towards me, “Nice reflex.”

“Thanks, Lory. I am working on not being scared to use my energy.”

Lory smiled at both of us. “We don’t have a dojo, but you guys still like to kick the crap out of each other.”

We both gave her a thumbs up. Then Haley raised her other thumb. I looked at her, “Really?”

She giggled, “Sorry.”

“You know if you keep teasing me like that. You know what is going to happen.” Haley tried getting up, but I grabbed her and tickled her.

“Stop it, dad! I am too old for that!”

“What, I can’t hear you over the sound of your laughing.”

She fluttered her wings around, “I said stop it!”

I stopped, “Alright then, no more mocking my missing left arm!”

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Lory stretched her hand, “If you guys are done, should we pack up camp?”

I grabbed her hand and she helped me up. Haley just used her wings to gracefully jump up. Haley looked at Lory, “Are we on for the next training match?”

Lory smiled, “Yes, thank you for giving me a moment to acclimate to everything.”

It did not take long for the three of us to pack up camp. I looked around, “We should head down the mountain, Goldia should be close. We enjoyed those fireworks two days ago. We should head that way.”

Haley looked at me, “When the two of you snuck off to watch the fireworks?”

I looked at Haley, “Your mom and dad sometimes need some time alone.”

She shook her head and waved her hands, “Don’t talk about things like that.”

Lory giggled, “We should get going, down this road, then?”

I nodded, and we started our trek down the mountain. There is barely any life here. Just a simple road with many rocks around us. Haley let out a deep sigh. I looked at her, “What is the problem, Munchkin?”

“It is strange, this feels like another reality or world, but in fact, this is real. I have only existed for a few days.”

“No, Haley, you have existed all your life, in our dreams, our hearts, and now you are real, like Pinocchio.”

She blinked a couple of times, “Who is Pinocchio?”

“While we keep following this path, I will tell you.”

Lory looked at me, “I also have no clue who Pinocchio is.”

I chuckled, “Let me tell you the fairytale.”

“And that is how Pinocchio ended up being a real boy.”

Haley just stared at me, “The kids turned into donkeys?”

I nodded. Lory looked at me, “And he gets eaten by a whale? Man, that fairytale from your reality is grim.”

“Oh, this is the kid friendly version, in the real one, Pinocchio dies as he gets hanged.”

Haley sighed, “Just, nope.” We continued walking, silence filled the air. As we followed the path, I heard creaking under the ground. I put my hand on my gun. Just before the ground erupted, I jumped back and saw roots. They came for me, I pulled my gun and started shooting them. Lory undressed herself and changed into a wolf. Haley looked, troubled and in awe, at her mom.

I jumped on Lory’s back while firing. As a root went for Haley, Lory shot an energy beam from her mouth to stop it. “Haley?”

“Yes?”

“Fight!”

“But, how?”

“We trained for many years, you can do this.”

“But, I never fought a real opponent.”

Lory walked over to her, and I pulled Haley up. “Just hold on for the ride, then.”

Lory started running while I kept firing the gun to stop the roots. Haley had put her arms around me, looking at the action going on. Lory jumped aside from a root. The flower bud came out of the ground and I saw the horrible teeth. I yelled out, “This time I won’t be a snack!”

With a few deep breaths, I managed to let energy flow out of my legs, into Lory. She used green and moon energy to infuse herself. I yelled out, “Reload.” Within five seconds, I had reloaded and then Lory rushed forward. She jumped and I felt Haley grab me tight. We jumped straight for the mouth. I kept firing at the tongue, we shot through the flower bud. Lory slid and turned around as she landed. The flower fell dead to the floor. The roots fell to the ground.

Lory panted, “That was insane!”

Haley looked at me, “Sorry dad, I am skilled in combat but, I have not seen real combat yet.”

“I know, Munchkin, it is alright.”

As Lory turned to follow the road, Haley looked at her as she leaned forward, “How did you change like that, mom?”

“It is because I love your dad.”

At that comment, I stroked my hand through her fur. Haley seemed to be adjusting her wings behind me, “Oh, I need to find a woman that I love?”

Lory nodded, “Yes, the tingle.” She stammered a bit as she said it.

We continued our way towards an outlook. We saw Goldia from here, it is indeed close by. Settled near a volcano, the city of Goldia is home to the Minites, they reminded me of the yellow creatures from Legend of Zelda. According to some of the books I read on this reality that Funk had handed me. This city wasn’t built by a volcano accidentally, as it has old tombs, which are of great importance to the people of Goldia.

The city itself looks worn. With its blackened rooftops, murky wooden walls and dirty roads, Goldia has a spine-chilling atmosphere. Funk told me dwarves used to live together with the Minites, but they all retreated into the volcano when the void came.

Haley pointed somewhere, “Look, there are all kinds of golems.”

When I looked, I saw fire golems, scorpions, and some other mobs. They are almost attacking the wall. The Minites seemed to be panicking. Some of their warriors were gearing up. “Lory?”

“Yes?”

“Shall we help them?”

“Yes, they are going to get annihilated otherwise.”

Haley pointed somewhere, both Lory and I looked at where Haley pointed. Horses with a wagon. “Good idea, Haley, we can use those to get to Brickton fast. First, we need to save these creatures.”

Haley nodded and stretched her right hand. She spawned a sharp purple blade. “I am ready now. Let’s go help those innocent creatures!”

“Yes, I am with you, Munchkin.” Lory started running that way.