image [https://cdn.midjourney.com/44f30143-2e31-407f-858f-4a8c6267878c/0_1.png]

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Decisions were to be made, and they gathered to talk outside the camp, with the pretense of a breakfast picnic. Peter, Regina, Marius, Ariana, Naomi, and Daniel.

"That's it, we’re done. Melinda's father will get the prize before us," Ariana said. “How did they figure out it’s there?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Peter said. “What matters is that they did. Our only choice is to contribute to the fight, hoping to clear the quest regardless."

“It’s for the better,” Daniel said. “He does the fight, we pick the money.”

"We have to bring Jack,” Naomi said. “He's almost at rank four now. It will be suspicious if we don't bring him."

That's so stupid!

"Helene is trustworthy," Marius said.

Don’t! The last thing I need is to have both of Regina’s parents on my back.

"None of the tasks given by the fog was simple," Regina said. "Maman's not cut for fighting, period."

"So Jack is a must," Ariana said. "We need three more."

"Someone from Earth-Two, other than their Pete and their Jack," Regina said.

"Who? I’d like to have trustworthy people with us, and they both barely fit the profile. I'll tell them about the expedition, but also that they can't come for obvious reasons," Peter said. "We can give them a part of the bounty for a consolation prize."

"I'll phone William, maybe he'll change his mind," Marius said.

"What about the teachers? Sports is Body seven, I think," Naomi said.

"The teachers will get in our way," Peter frowned. "And Grandmaster Li said to choose students and guards."

"You sort it out, I'm on guard duty for the day," Daniel said, rising.

"I'll go speak with Floor Two me," Peter said, kissing Regina on the cheek.

“Take care,” she replied with a peck on his lips.

There was no need for Sneaking or losing time now. Warping twice to get to the same spot he always used, Peter peaked over the dune.

What the heck?

Aside from the bartender and Peter, there was a third person there, one he knew well: Redroar. He approached, waving his arm and clearing his voice to make himself notice. Startling Redroar was not the best idea.

'Howdy," Redroar said, raising a mug of beer.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for a gig. Need some money," she lowered her eyes.

"You need money? After… never mind," Peter stopped, realizing his doppelganger didn't know their previous history, and that it was better left untold.

"We bought a large mansion with a pool, and put the rest into a college fund… You have no idea how much a good education costs nowadays…"

"I can imagine," Peter said. "Well, if you need work, we're going into the fog tonight. But we're not going to fight," he rushed to add because she was grimacing. "There's a level ten cultivator who'll do all the work for us. We'll be paid just to pick up the loot. Cultivators are too lazy for that."

"Very well. What hour do you start?"

"I was counting on her for a few urgent jobs," Peter Two interjected. "Like disposing of some people from that... list."

"I can kill them tomorrow," Redroar waved her hand. "Questing with Peter pays well."

"Then come near our camp before sunset," Peter said. "And... sorry Pete, but you can't come. It's impossible to explain our resemblance."

"I'll equip a Rogue class with disguise skills," the double said. "No one would know."

"You sure?"

"I'll show you. It has time to reset before sunset."

After using the injector gun on himself and waiting a minute, the doppelganger changed into a bald man, looking forty.

"It'll do," Peter nodded. "I need one more person…"

"Don't look at me," the bartender raised his hands in the air. “Old Jimmy is done with adventuring. One day I’ll tell you about my life as a—"

"OK, see ya later," Peter said and jumped away. All the chat had taken a couple of minutes, so he regrouped with the others while they were gathering the remains of the breakfast.

"William is a no," Marius said.

"Too bad… oh… just had an idea… Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you."

This time, he started running, to keep in shape and because the destination was nearby. The Dayak camp. The guards saw him well before he reached the enclosure, and shouted something backward. The chief was already at the gate when Peter arrived.

"You were supposed to stay away," the older man said abruptly, frowning at the younger man.

"Our headmaster’s father will take us to hunt a dragon in the fog. He’s ranked ten and will do all the fighting. There's a spot on the team. Are you in?" Peter said with the same bluntness.

"A dragon? Wait... I’m getting a quest... You cleared all three previous stages?”

"Yes. You?"

"We cleared a town based on the Mu continent, then a missionary encampment, but we got stuck at the school."

"Yeah... school was hard..."

"You don’t need to tell me," the chief groaned. "Tests of advanced math… We ate a teacher thinking it would trigger an exploit but it didn't."

"It was a construct," one of the guards said. "We don't eat real people anymore."

“I was thinking of calling my daughter, the accountant, from the capital city... but this makes us skip the School...” the chief added.

"So, you in?" Peter asked because the guard looked like he wanted to expand on the subject.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Take my granddaughter," the chief pointed to a kid who was following the conversation. "She's a Wild Magic user and a good tracker. If there's any reward worth the effort, a young'un should have it."

The girl looked around fourteen, or a bit older. Asking would have been impolite. Maybe she was sixteen, and that was the legal age, for Dayaks. And he owed the chief, after all.

"We start after sunset."

"Duh… the fog doesn't activate before that," the girl said in a slightly snarly tone.

"Come to our camp before that," Peter said. Bowing toward the chief, he left, still running.

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At nine PM sharp, Grandmaster Li zapped himself down in the center of the camp, a yard away from his daughter's tent. Many students waited at the ready, phones in hand. Exclamations of happiness went around, meaning they were streaming or recording his electric apparition.

"The team is to enter this circle," the Cultivator said, making a sign in the air. A sparkling shiny line appeared on the grass, fifteen feet in diameter. The team of ten plus Melinda went inside. A brief light blinded them, and then they were in the depths of the fog, on a mountain.

Peter patted himself. His body had transformed into electricity, yet he remained conscious for the duration of the trip. However, it was not the time to ponder about Cultivator transportation.

The surroundings were eerie, yet beautiful. There was no fog around, at all. The sky was clear, and the three moons shone almost as strong as daylight. The mountain and the plains around were covered in a maple forest, donning vivid fall colors. Below them, in a valley, there was a cavern, a hundred-foot-high hole in the stone, darkness hiding what was inside.

"Wait here. Don’t intervene, whatever you see. It won't be long," Grandmaster Li said, and disappeared, to reappear in front of the cave. He tried to enter it, but a forcefield blocked his way. Stepping through the light, a dwarf appeared from the cave, a sword in hand, the typical medieval one-handed knight sword, nothing fancy or out of the ordinary.

“Are you here to confront Fafnir, stranger?” the dwarf asked.

“I am. Move out of my way,” Li bellowed.

The cutscene for the last quest is unskippable was the message everyone received.

“I’m Regin, and this is the sword Balmung,” the dwarf continued. “I have stolen it from the dragon horde but my strength is too weak to confront the invulnerable beast. Will you be the hero to carry it in my stead?”

A notification shone for all: The party has the choice of accepting or rejecting the use of the enchanted sword Balmung during the fight.

“Take the sword!” Peter yelled. “It’s the only thing that can kill the dragon.”

“Shut up, moron, you don’t tell a rank ten Cultivator what to do!” Jack hissed.

The party has agreed to use the enchanted sword, Balmung, in their fight.

The blade disappeared from the dwarf’s hands, reappearing in a sheath tied to Li’s belt. Then, both the dwarf and the force field vanished.

“Don’t interfere anymore, student,” Li proclaimed, starting to shoot lightning bolts inside the cave. A tremendous roar replied, making the mountain shake.

The wyrm walked out, endless. It was over three hundred feet long and thirty wide. Ignoring the bolts, it tried to snap its jaws around the cultivator. Li zapped up in the air, continuing his bombardment. The dragon took flight, albeit it had no wings.

The two engaged in battle, throwing fire and electricity at each other, moving so fast only a giant swirl could be seen. Five minutes passed, then ten, then fifteen.

"It takes too long," Alchemy whispered. She was worried, that much was clear.

Grandmaster Li reappeared next to them, riding the lightning, as usual. Blood was pouring out of his eyes, ears, and nostrils.

"It's nothing!" he screamed at Melinda. "Qi-potion. Now."

With trembling hands, she offered him a bottle. Drinking it in one gulp, the man vanished. The fight in the sky renewed with more intensity, thunders and plumes of smoke and fire chasing each other. It went on for another fifteen minutes.

"I need to help," Alchemy yelped, and took off, flying toward the battle.

"We have to do something," Ariana pleaded.

"Loot the cave while they fight?" Daniel suggested.

"To help Melinda!” Ariana hissed.

"I’ll try to heal them," Regina said, and Peter nodded in agreement.

Putting his hands around his mouth, he screamed: "Use the sword! Use the sword!" Then he took one of the three javelins he had on his back and threw it at the dragon. He didn't add Kinetic Impulse because of the need for secrecy. It hit the target and bounced off.

"Give me that," Jack sneered, snatching the javelins. Jumping a hundred feet in the air, and arching his back, he threw one, then the other, a second later, landing back on all fours but safe. Although he threw with more force, the projectiles suffered the same fate as Peter’s.

"You got stronger, Jack," Regina said, to Peter's displeasure.

"I'm about to break into the fourth realm," Jack said.

Marius and Daniel took their rifles and started to shoot at the flying wyrm, taking care not to hit the Cultivators. Grandmaster Li was a clew of energy, moving too fast to be seen, but Melinda was moving from one side of the dragon to another, shooting qi-bolts.

Regina had moved to the back to work her doll magic without being noticed by Jack, who was now shooting a bow, seconded by Redroar. The Dayak girl joined Regina, whispering something over the dolls the Cajun girl was holding in her hands. Ariana and Naomi were shooting qi-bolts too, albeit reaching that far was questionable.

All of a sudden, silence fell, deafening by the total lack of noise. There were no more roars or thunders. Then the dragon crashed onto the plain, dead, making the mountain tremble and dust erupt. All around them, the maple trees shook, many of their leaves starting to glide in the air, dancing with invisible currents of air before covering the ground in a blanket of auburn and gold.

The Dragon Fafnir has been slain. You have gained a level, was the message Peter received.

Then Li arrived. He didn’t look any better, his white hair was half burned and half covered in soot, and the sword in his hand was corroded, melting. "Who insisted on using the sword?" the Cultivator bellowed, throwing the destroyed weapon away.

"I, Grandmaster," Peter bowed, ready to Warp away if needed.

"How did you know nothing but that blade could kill it?"

"This… place is similar to a human legend, Grandmaster," Peter said, keeping his back bent and his eyes on the ground.

"You were right. I will award you ten ounces of gold," the Grandmaster said.

Meanwhile, Melinda had landed behind her father. She was mostly untouched but looked very tired. "Who healed us, from such a great distance?" she asked.

Regina and the Dayak girl took a step forward.

Melinda nodded. "Good job. I'll gift you a golden qi-advancement pill as soon as we return. The rest will receive the standard pay, five ounces of gold."

Redroar growled, and Peter elbowed her. "We're most grateful for your generosity, Grandmaster," he said.

With a hand gesture, Li made another light circle appear, and then they were on the plains, near the dragon's body. Blood sipped out like a stream from a wound in its neck, gathering in a pool, following an indentation in the ground. The leaves were starting to grow in a deep rug, their feet making rustling sounds as the group approached the dragon.

The Cultivator flew into the cave and reappeared seconds later. "There’s no hoard in there... no artifact, nothing… How can this be?" he frowned.

"Grandmaster!" Peter raised his hand. "The stories say that if one bathes naked in the dragon's blood, their skin will become impenetrable to any attack. And there should be a ring or a cloak conferring invisibility… or was it granting control over the world? I forgot. Or maybe multiplying the wearer's Strength twelvefold..."

"You're killing me!" the doppelganger whispered. "Why tell him, idiot?"

"Melinda, you bathe," Li gestured.

The young woman hesitated, looking around. It was awkward to undress with so many people around. And some were quite keen to see her naked, Daniel was whistling, pretending to look away but peaking in her direction, and Marius had a grin on his face.

"Turn around until I say else. Whoever looks at my daughter's beauty will be slain!" Li roared.

They obeyed, some reluctantly. Peter could hear his double sigh. A minute later, Melinda shouted: "Father, I can't approach it. It's burning."

"Too much qi… Your chance will come another time. I'll do it. Stay with your backs to us!" the Cultivator ordered.

There were faint noises, robes being put back on, Melinda, then Li undressing. They waited and waited some more. When Grandmaster Li told them they could turn, he had dressed back. His robes were torn, but the man's skin and hair were fully healed and beaming, a show of perfection. The blood pool was nowhere to be seen.

"Aha! I feel the artifact," Li said, floating to the dragon's head. A ring, as wide as a car wheel was fixed in a nostril. As soon as the Cultivator touched it, the jewel diminished in size and went on his index.

Master Li has claimed the prizes: Invulnerability (subject to conditions) and Control of the World, aka the One Ring to Rule All the Floors. The latter will now replace any previous teleporting devices to the Tenth Floor and its control interfaces, twelvefold enhancing the efficiency of commands.

“What the heck are floors?” Jack asked in a low voice.

“A metaphor for ranks,” Melinda rushed to say.

"Good job, Wild Magic user. Another two ounces are granted to you,” Li beamed, fidgeting his fingers to look at the ring. Creasing his nose, he tried to fix it better, then moved it on another finger, but it was too loose. Extracting a golden chain from an invisible inventory, he put the ring on it, then pulled the chain over his neck. “You will stay here and gather the body parts. Use this," he threw a bag on the ground. "I will be back in due time." Saying that, he disappeared, taking Melinda with him.

"I should have taken the bounties," Redroar complained. "This is peanuts."

"We didn't do much, though," Daniel said.

"Powers bring responsibility. We work for the greater good," Jack said.

"Indeed," Peter's double said, slapping Jack's shoulder. "Now Grandmaster Li is immune to damage and has stronger control over us. How lucky we are to have contributed to his greatness."

No shit, Nancy Drew.