“Where are Dennis and Aaron?” Min-Jae asks Tess.
“They went north to observe that area that’s always covered in mist. They brought Noodle and Maya along because they planned to explore deeper inside.”
“I’ll go and grab them so they can see Nat before he goes back to Beyond.”
“Sure. Be careful.”
As she says that, Min-Jae starts pulling on his body and quickly moves through the jungle, leaving me, Tess, and Biscuit behind.
Tess glances at the puppy sized corgi with his tiny, cute antlers, then at me. “Lily went east. She found some monsters she wanted to fight so that she could level up a bit, but she should be back in a few hours.”
“So everything’s going well so far?” I ask.
“As well as it could. Everyone’s been a bit more... proactive? If that’s the right word. It’s a reasonable reaction to what happened, but we’re only human. In a few months, when the memories start to grow more distant, we’ll calm down again, if only to find ourselves getting stomped on again.”
“How dark of you.”
“I’d call it being realistic. But it will make us stronger. And how about you? How did it go?”“I found her and could’ve probably killed her if I’d tried really hard, but of course, nothing ever goes according to plan. Instead, I brought back one of Sophie’s fragments.”
Tess smiles. “So our spiteful mind mage managed to pull off something that sneaky. That sounds just like her. Still, who would’ve thought something like this would happen after everything that went down between you two on the first floor?”
“Or the second time, when she and Hadwin tried to kill me—right after I showed up half-dead from fighting Cinderbear.”
“I think it was me who put them in their place, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes,” I confirm. “You were so cool back then.”
Her smile widens. “I have my moments. How’s your social battery? Do you feel like talking about plans, asking questions, or just blabbering?”
“I think blabbering is fine. We can talk about plans when everyone’s here instead of everyone telling me things separately.”
Tess straightens her posture and lifts her chin. “In that case, you are currently looking at the second member of Group 4 to reach a level over 300. I’m only accepting congratulations. If I hear anything close to ‘took you a while,’ you can be sure I’ll be as petty as possible when the time for my revenge comes.”
“You’re so cool. Level 300 already? Congratulations.”
"I'd prefer a bit more enthusiasm, but I'll take what I can get."
Biscuit keeps glancing between me and Tess, as if unsure what to do, but in the end decides to stay quiet. He just snuggles closer. I’d even swear he puts his ear over where my original heart is and listens to it in much the same way my minion likes to.
That’s when a thought hits me, maybe the real reason Biscuit likes to take such a small form is so that he can be carried around. I still remember the existential dread my minion went through when Vic told her she wouldn’t be able to listen to my heart anymore as she grew older.
I push that thought away. “It must’ve taken a lot of work. I mean, I did some large-scale leveling with explosions and stuff to get where I am, but you…”
“Right? But with my Potency and my Primordial Lightning being so good at single-target damage, combined with my ranged projectiles… it wasn’t all that bad. Plus, I got some decent level-ups from everything that went down on the seventh floor.”
“What class did you get?”
"I thought you'd ask that first. It's called Primordial Stormpiercer. Unlike yours, mine’s just Arcane, but that just means I'll have to try harder next time."
"I don't think there’s really all that many attendees running around with Arcane classes."
"Right? I was thinking that too. It also came with a nice passive that improved my [Farsight] a lot. Soon, I might even be able to see through clothes."
I glance at her and blink slowly, half in disbelief, half daring her to elaborate.
She holds my gaze and smiles—calm, amused, utterly unbothered. It’s one of those smiles only this tall blonde can pull off.
I say nothing. Just keep looking at her, waiting.
She chuckles softly. "I think it’s part of your charm, Nat, for you to react like that after one of my looks. But it would also be fun if you blushed and looked away. Min-Jae did that. It’s heartwarming to see him act like that after everything he’s been through."
"I will not apologize."
I see. So the smaller one is for me.
There’s no need for me to turn around to know Tess has that smug smile on her face.
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For the time being, I stay in my room alone with Biscuit. I'm gracefully allowed onto his bed, and as I lie there, I continue to pet him.
All these cheeky things aside, I still think everyone should have their government issued emotional support corgi. There is no question about that.
As I muse on that, I continue to check the Community while keeping my stats open on the other screen.
Lvl 323
Strength: 264
Dexterity: 252
Constitution: 457
Mana (Stage 1/3 - Vast Mana): 1675 + 1675
I’ll need to improve the Restrictive Training Emblem and Burden Enhancement Inscriptions again to increase their output, as my stat gains have been slowing down again. But it's nothing I didn’t expect, just one of the many things I’ll need to do.
Savant (Hell, Alone) - It's been months since we met during the tournament, and the first thing you said here is that I was a bitch when I forfeited our duel.
Noname (Hell, group 4) - I remembered it out of nowhere, and it pissed me off like it always does. And finally, you got your ass to the 9th floor.
Savant (Hell, Alone) - Not everyone clears their floors with a full roster of party members.
Noname (Hell, group 4) - Oh, you are so cool, you clear all those floors alone?
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - 〜(＞＜)〜
Noname (Hell, group 4) - I still have no fucking idea how YOU cleared the 8th floor.
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - (￣ω￣;)
Grumpy (Hell, group 4) - Nat, stay where you are, I’ll be there soon!
Noname (Hell, group 4) - I'm not leaving, don't worry. I'll probably be staying for a day or two longer.
Sset (Hell, group 4) - Didn't you say you told your guild that you'd only be staying two days? That time is gone, taking your travel here into consideration.
Noname (Hell, group 4) - It’ll be fine. Savi, how’s your Sword of Aeons project been going?
Savant (Hell, Alone) - Absorbed.
Noname (Hell, group 4) - Damn, and your kinetic energy?
Savant (Hell, Alone) - It's confusing and chaotic, but I’ve made some progress.
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - |ʘ‿ʘ)╯
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - ↜(╰ •ω•)╯
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - (ಠ o ಠ)¤=[]:::::>
Savant (Hell, Alone) - Is that a stabbing emote?
Grumpy (Hell, group 4) - She still doesn't like you!
Savant (Hell, Alone) - I noticed, especially when she attacked me during every other event just to fuck up my tournament performance.
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - (・`ω´・)
Savant (Hell, Alone) - You can keep trying. This is enough for me for now. I’ll be leaving for the time being.
I don't even bother responding, knowing his Community tab is probably already closed. He just loves having the last word.
Tacita then follows up with one more message.
Tacita (Hell, Luce) - ｀、ヽ｀ヽ｀、ヽ(ノ＞＜)ノ ｀、ヽ｀☂ヽ｀、ヽ
The emote likely means it’s raining where she is? How the hell would I know?
Grumpy (Hell, group 4) - No going back to Beyond before I get to our base! Promise?
Noname (Hell, group 4) - Promise.
After that, I close the Community as well. Biscuit’s already sleeping in my arms and breathing softly. I count my 660th boop since I came here and look around the room, picking out the things I’ll take back with me to Beyond. Likely some mana stones, and possibly a few things I’ll ask Min-Jae for recommendations on. Some Earth clothes and a few snacks for when I feel especially mentally drained after interacting with people.
Now that I’m a member of the Primordial Knights, I think I’ll get a boost to my Beyond Stay token. If I recall correctly, it should be a 50% duration bonus for 2nd to 5th ranked guilds, so my next stay will be 45 days. That’s why I don’t mind stretching my stay here for a few days longer. In the end, it won’t be me who has to deal with the consequences.
Interestingly, my affiliation with the guild now even shows in my status. Another line that people outside of Beyond aren’t likely to have. And one more, this time for my rank. That one appeared the moment I entered the second floor, I think. Or maybe only on the third, or after I joined the guild. I rarely check that part of my status, so it’s hard to know exactly.
Name: Nathaniel Gwyn
Title: Champion Candidate
Difficulty: Hell
Rank: C, Ivory White
Guild: Primordial Knights
Floor: 9 - The Pit
Time left until forced return: 2y 199d 16h 14m 36s
Traits (2/3): Mana Wavelength Iris 2/3, Mana Physique 0/3
Getting to B rank should be fairly easy, A rank as well. And I’m starting to think S rank should be possible if I really try. The only problem is that I don’t know the requirements yet, but I guess if I manage to enter the 6th floor and do some fancy Beyond quests, I should be able to pull it off. That would make me one of the apex Beyond predators for at least a few months before I have to leave the tutorial.
Facing equally strong opponents, or someone stronger than myself, is great, and I live for that feeling, the thrill of battle.
But!
Curbstomping someone who used to be stronger than you, once you’ve overtaken them through the results of your hard work, feels good in its own right.
Thinking of pleasant, normal, things like that, I continue to enjoy the view from Biscuit’s penthouse. Through my senses, I perceive that Izzy is still with Sophie, and Tess went ahead to help Lily get back, who apparently lacks the navigational skills to do so by herself.
The wind shifts slightly, brushing against my skin in a way that feels just a little too deliberate. Something in the air feels off, too still, like the world is holding its breath. Biscuit lets out a tiny huff in his sleep, ears flicking once, before settling.
One moment, I’m looking at the wide open view.
The next, there’s a face in front of me.
White hair. One red eye, the other closed, blood flowing from the socket. One leg cracks underneath her, and she stumbles a moment before regaining her balance, still putting full weight on it as if she were ignoring or failing to even notice the wound or the pain that comes with it.
All my instincts scream at me to move, but my mind races faster. Before I launch an attack, I recognize the feel of the presence in front of me. The presence of someone else piloting this native demon’s body.
Biscuit twitches, sniffs, and seems like he’s about to wake up, but I hold still and gently pet his head until he calms down and continues sleeping. Even then, I feel an adrenaline and mana rush through my body, preparing to fight in an instant.
"You seem to recognize me. I'm glad to see that!" the woman says, and her shoulder twitches and cracks, the bone tearing through the skin and clothes.
Watching that white bone covered in blood, I lift my finger to my lips and glance at Biscuit.
She smiles apologetically and lowers her voice. "How unkind of me, almost waking this beautiful beast from its slumber."
Taking another step, she stumbles again as she puts weight on her broken leg, and it twists a bit more. Looking at that leg for a good moment, she just sighs before turning back to me.
"You’ve been awfully curious about me, Nathaniel."