Caution's mind wandered elsewhere during monster hunter class. While the lecturer went into detail about the skeleton monsters and outlined their strengths and weaknesses, he slumped in a chair at the back of the classroom.

Hearing coach Azuku’s voice again reminded him of the large gaping hole in his chest. He had been too distracted by the crimson cube to notice it but now he was dragged back into distress. This morning, one fact was particularly bumming him out...

For almost two weeks, which was sixteen years from his perspective, Abeo and Phoebe didn't have a father to turn to. Manny had spent several weeks away for training camps before but they knew he was coming back in those circumstances and he was always one phone call away. Now they could only see him half-dead in a hospital.

Was his absence already affecting them negatively? Were other students at school treating them differently? Were they eating well? Caution reminisced on the times they spent together. His eyes began to water. The crimson cube rotated faster than normal, seemingly sensing his pain.

I love you both unconditionally, and I'm always proud, Caution thought. Whether you're winning or losing, I'm grateful you're my children. You don't need to be like me. You don't need to be a champion...

"Are you okay?" Astel asked, sitting at a desk adjacent to him.

"I'm fine," Caution snapped, immediately turning away. "Do you want to spar later?"

Astel's eyes widened. "Nope. No thank you. I'm good."

"Why? I thought you wanted to learn boxing."

"Yeah, but I'm not fighting you. I don't want to die."

"What? We have a truce. I'm not going to kill you. It's practice..."

"Yeah... no... I'm not getting the Reuben beat-down treatment."

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At the archery range, Caution sat cross-legged on the grass and watched Yolga and Lilly shoot bullseye after bullseye. He couldn't help but smirk as the other adventurer students, including Astel, goggled at their masterful display. Neither of them had ever used a bow and arrow in their life so it was astonishing to see.

He doubted they would become archers though. Lilly was highly likely to become a mage adventurer. She never stopped experimenting with her "mastery" spells and Caution had overheard her mutter incantations he hadn't heard before on numerous occasions. Meanwhile, Yolga was obsessed with the idea of holding a large two-handed sword. Whenever someone asked him why he wanted to wield one, he ranted about why they were the coolest weapons in the world. There was a decent chance he would become a warrior.

"Do you want to spar later?" Caution asked

The twins exchanged a look. "Hell no," they said at the same time.

"Why not?"

"I don't like being punched repeatedly," Yolga said.

"I don't like the taste of dirt," Lilly said.

"I don't like the idea of losing for the billionth time," Yolga said

"I don't want the Reuben beat-down treatment," Lilly said.

"I don't like being read like a book and countered," Yolga said

"I don't like being knocked the f--"

"Alright, alright, I get it," Caution interrupted. " I didn't realise you guys hated sparring so much."

"Hate is a strong word," Yolga said. "It just wasn't fun most of the time."

"Then why did you do it?"

"We wanted to play with you," Lilly said. She paused. "And it made you less miserable."

Caution leaned back, spreading his hands against the grass. He looked at the clear sky and smiled slightly. "Oh. Well, thank you for doing that. I appreciate it."

The twins' eyes lit up. "Are you just going to sit there all lesson?" Yolga asked, pointing at the bow and arrow beside Caution's shoes.

"Yeah, give it a try," Lilly said. "You're probably better than us."

"Nah."

Yolga sniffed the air. "Does anyone else smell chicken?"

Lilly raised a hand. "I do. It's very strong. It seems to be coming from a certain direction."

"I'm not doing it," Caution said. "No matter what you say, I'm not doing it. I'm not an archer. There's nothing you can do to convince me. Leave me alone."

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30 seconds of chicken noises later...

Reluctantly, Caution drew the bowstring of the longbow back. His muscles strained against the natural strength of the weapon as he forced the arrow back to his cheek. He focused on one of the square targets, attempting to correctly gauge crosswinds and distance before releasing the arrow with a loud snap of the bowstring. The arrow missed the target completely, almost shooting down a bird from the sky. Yolga and Lilly howled with laughter in the background.

With a stone-cold face resembling a serial killer, Caution repeated the process. He missed again. And again. And again.

He closed his eyes and then opened them. This is the last time. If I miss... If I miss one more motherfucking time...

Caution hesitated for what felt like an eternity, stuck in his head. Self-awareness was an invisible barrier. He knew he was shit at archery but now he had this overwhelming desire to not be shit at all costs, even if it was just for a moment. Somehow, he had to surpass his beginner ability on the spot and defy reality itself.

Or maybe...maybe he just needed some luck.

A few curious adventurer students nearby stared to watch, most likely fascinated by how bad he was. He gulped. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead as the bow shook violently. In the boxing ring, Manny had always been the one to shine under pressure in the most critical moments. This wasn't any different, was it?

He held his breath and focused.

Come on... almost there...

His breathing slowed. The bow stopped shaking.

"We haven't got all day," Lara said. "Shoot already."

Caution jumped. The arrow flew high into the clouds. Slowly, he turned his head to the right. "Where the hell did you come from?"

Lara shrugged. "I was always here."

Caution whipped around at the twins. "Was she always there?"

Yolga nodded. "She was standing next to you the whole time."

"No excuses," Lilly said. The smugness in her voice was undeniable. "You missed and that's okay. We can't be masters at everything. Now and then, you get shining talents but it's not realistic to replicate them"

"Mhm," Caution grunted. A small part of him was tempted to remind Lilly of their countless sparring sessions but he decided to let her have her moment.

"I'm terrible at archery too if it makes you feel any better," Lara said in a monotone voice.

Caution stared at her blankly, still in shock from not noticing her lack of presence. Lara stared back at him with tired eyes.

"Do you want to be sparring partners?" Caution asked.

Lara yawned. "Okay. What... like now?"

"No, later." Caution yawned, infected by her lethargic energy.

Yolga grinned and Lilly stepped between them, resting her elbow on Lara's shoulder. "Oooh, interesting. We would love to spectate..."

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Standing in his favourite field behind the adventurer castle, Caution reached for the crimson cube floating by his shoulder. He squeezed it with one hand and it vibrated in response, reminding him of a buzzing smartphone.

Hello master, the cube signalled. Do you need help?

"So you can talk," Caution replied. "I thought it was just my imagination. What can you help me with exactly?"

No clue. I'm merely a small physical embodiment of your soul. I only know what you know.

"That's not very helpful."

I can repeatedly slam into you if you like. Or maybe I can pretend to be a flying projectile and you can try to dodge me. I'm connected to your mind so you're guaranteed to get hit but we both know you love an impossible challenge.

"No thanks."

Suit yourself. If you ever want to talk to yourself but not yourself, I'm always here.

"In the fight against Senni, did you follow my orders to hit her or was it by accident?"

Of course, I followed my master's orders. We're connected. I heard you. In the future, I advise you not to use me offensively. My best attack is hitting people repeatedly and its main purpose is to piss people off.

A short while later, Lara, the twins, Astel and even Reuben showed up.

"Why are all of you here?" Caution asked.

"We're here to watch the fight of course," Yolga said, smiling. He rubbed his hands together.

Lilly massaged Lara's shoulders who unsheathed her daggers. "You've got this. It's going to be an easy win. You're strong and beautiful. He doesn't stand a chance."

"Expect him to put pressure on you from the get-go," Yolga said. "Don't let him overwhelm you."

"I believe in you, Lara," Astel said.

"You've got this in the bag," Reuben said.

Caution shook his head, smirking. "Oh. I see how it is. You're all looking to win vicariously after getting your ass whooped. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm undefeated."

"I haven't got my ass whooped," Astel said.

"You will soon. Don't worry."

"Come on, Senni wiped the floor with you," Reuben said. "Stop trying to act so tough."

Caution turned to Reuben and looked him straight in the eye. "Everyone refers to what I did to you as the Reuben beat-down treatment. "

There was a brief silence.

"It's true," Yolga said. "Sorry, Reuben."

"As much as I love a serious fight, I'm not looking for one," Caution said.

"Oh?" Lara rotated one of her wrists. "What did you have in mind?"

Caution quickly opened up the inventory and picked the short sword. It materialised out of thin air. "Using your daggers only, try to break through my defence."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, pretty much so--"

*CLANG*

One of Lara's daggers crashed into Caution's short sword.

He wasn't fazed in the slightest. The fight had begun the moment they had started talking.

"Nice. Keep it coming."

*CLANG* *CLANG, CLANG*

At a blistering speed, Lara lashed out with one of the daggers every few seconds. Caution knew she was quick but her speed still astounded him. Her arms were like whips.

At first, the sequence of attacks was structured. First, she aimed for the body repetitively. Then she switched to the limbs and then the face. Caution smiled. Immediately, he knew her intentions. She was testing the waters, allowing him to see which attacks he found the most difficult to defend.

Suddenly, Lara lunged with both daggers. Caution deflected the first dagger and weaved right to avoid the second one.

"Oooooh," Yolga and Lilly said.

Lara nodded slightly. Caution nodded back. She gradually increased the speed of her attacks, swinging and lunging with the daggers. The combinations became less predictable, forcing him to rely more on reflexes and instinct. She launched an explosive right kick. Caution blocked with his right arm. Immediately, it fell numb. She sprung high and front flipped, swinging down with both knives. He only just blocked.

Her speed spiked yet again. Crimson sprinkled in the air from one dagger grazing Caution's cheek. Slowly, he took steps backwards, gritting his teeth.

"Finish him!" Reuben roared.

Lara increased the complexity of her attacks further, incorporating more spinning kicks into her combinations. Every so often, an attack slipped through the cracks in the form of shallow cuts. Between Caution's weaving and Lara's flashy acrobatics, the fight almost looked like a choreographed dance. Everyone followed their movements, mesmerised by the fast-paced fight.

Suddenly, the two froze like mannequins, both breathing heavily.

"Holy shit," Astel whispered.

Caution's right gauntlet rested just below Lara's chin.

Lara's daggers were inches away from Caution's chest.

*New Skill learned*

[Rogue sparring] Earn bonus XP when sparring against a rogue class.

"I think we should do this more often," Caution said.