When Miles woke up, the sun was already peeking over the horizon and for a few moments, he was a little disoriented at where he was. The urgency to prepare for his fight against Ashirruk stole over him, like a looming shadow that threatened to set him back weeks if he failed to get past the demon once more. His heart rate picked up, and his breaths grew shorter—then he blinked, and he recalled that… he wasn’t in the Dungeon.

  He’d won against Ashirruk already, and he was on the surface.

  The events of the day prior flashed into his mind, and Miles let out a long sigh of relief which then turned into a wide grin. He hopped out of his sleeping bag, took a few seconds to stretch and yawn as the anxious energies leaked out of his shoulders, and when he was done, he reached into his Vault for his necessities.

  With his favorite mug in hand, filled all the way up with rich, steaming coffee, Miles was ready to get started on this new day and what better start could one hope for?

  Miles giddily squatted down to peer at the sugarcane cuttings and then at the small coffee plant, a stupid smile on his face as he looked for new tiny leaves or any other change.

  “How are we doing, little buddies?” he asked the plants. He knew full well that a handful of hours weren’t enough to see any real growth, but now that he had some sleep and was having some coffee, he felt amazing. It was like the first day at the start of a vacation, which, to be fair, he hadn’t experienced back on Earth as he’d been too young to work back then. As for within the Dungeon, he’d done work, but vacations… were not that common compared to Earth. Only in the largest cities and settlements in the Dungeon were there good work standards. And if you were trying to impress a warrior or craftsman to learn from them, asking for how many vacation days his apprenticeship offered was a great way to be shown out the door. Especially when he only had weeks to earn their trust, unless he was willing to alter the loop’s starting point.

  Still, he did take a few loops to rest here and there, but that just didn’t feel the same. It was hard to relax when he knew there was so much he could—and should—be doing. But this? This was different.

  “A new day outside of the loop,” he said peering around as he sipped his coffee. “Kinda quiet, though.”

  The grass was swaying gently around him as he hummed and looked around. “I could get some chickens. Some cows? But not in here. It’d have to be outside,” he mused. “Maybe a bit further away from the coffee shop. Or should I open that in the city?”

  As soon as he said, he scrunched his face, shaking his head. “Nah. Not the city. I’m not that far anyway… if people are interested, they can make the trip in less than fifteen minutes. I’d rather do my own thing away from the rush and bustle. The coffee house could be the face of the property, and behind I could have my own space. Some poultry for the eggs. Cows for butter and milk. But I’ll need space. Loads of it. Especially if I want to have some crops out here. And if I want to have some people around to help…”

  Miles scratched his head. He didn’t know so much about farming, and he was very much aware he was a little out of his depth, but he could probably ask around, right? Plus, this used to be a farming village.

  “Actually, that leads me to another problem…”

  Brows furrowed, he vacantly looked down at the grass under his feet. Who actually owned the village? Was it just abandoned? There had been no crops in the surroundings, and no animals had been grazing.

  “Does the city own the area, or is it one of the local nobles?” Miles rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I should have started with that before thinking of which farm animals I should have around,” he chuckled. He’d gotten so excited about the prospect of a farmstead café that he overlooked the fact he had no actual land or property to even get started. Just this curious space he was standing within. Just a key and a door. And he didn’t want to really make its existence public. At least, not yet. Then again, he could always claim it to be a Transcendent Skill.

  That’d be a matter for another time.

  I’ll need to ask around about the status of the village and the space beyond it. And while I’m not sitting on mountains of gold and mithril, I do have some valuable stuff stored away and I can always do some part-time refining. My elixirs and pills should sell pretty well to afford any loans I might need to take, he thought. “But I need to figure out what’s going on first. And when that’s done…”

  Miles could already picture it. A raised terrace with wood flooring. Some round tables here, some benches there for big groups. There’d be a few trees around the terrace and in summer evenings, there’d be fairy lights hung from above to light up the space. There’d be drinks, of course. This was no Earth and he didn’t need alcohol permits.

  As for insides… wood. Just comfy, cozy wood all over, and as soon as one steps through the door, the smell of baked goods should grip them by the nose and drag them to the counter.

  He smiled at the imagery, taking another sip as he watched the sun pull itself up in the… fake sky? The sky was reflecting the outside world, as far as he could tell. He knew the edges of this spaces were illusions, so he didn’t expect there to be an actual second sun up there.

  Eh. I’ll figure that some other time. But back to the shop. Once I actually figure who owns the land and all that, I’m gonna need an architect or a designer. I have no clue how to get much of this done. Aside from brewing the coffee and making the pastries. And frankly, even that last one might be done a little better by a Torchbearer with baking Skills, he mused. “Maybe I could send a message to Caspian,” he muttered.

  Glancing around, Miles smiled, drinking some more of his coffee. “This’ll be fun. And I’d be able to have my breakfast at a coffee shop. Just like before.”

  There was something comforting about the din of a coffee shop or a tavern. When he wanted to relax and unwind, that was. But he could certainly get some use of a quiet space like this.

  “Alright, what are we starting with, today?”

  Miles considered creating the fortifying elixir out of what he managed to recover out of Ashirruk, but the objections quickly flitted through his thoughts as he shook his head.

  “Not enough raw materials,” he mumbled. “It’d be the most effective on the first use, so I better make the best one I can manage. For that, I need more reagents. And I need more mana around. For the boss of the thirtieth floor, the cauldron’s gonna need a heck of a lot more mana than what I have in my core and what’s available around,” he listed, refilling his cup. Then considering it for a second, he shrugged and popped a still crunchy croissant out of his Vault.

  He turned the pastry in his hand, mind buzzing with ideas as his thoughts drifted back to the shop he wanted to open. “I could start with just serving coffee and butter croissants. Then fill the menu with regular breakfast stuff. Omelets, eggs, and all that. Find a good cheesemonger. Then for lunch and dinner, I’d let the chef figure it out. Hmmm…” he muttered, taking a bite of his croissant. A groan escaped his throat, then he washed it all down with coffee. “Where was I? Right… Well, I could wait a little on the chef stuff. I’m still looking way too far ahead. I don’t even have the land yet,” he reminded himself. Then looked at the cuttings he’d planted the day prior, he grinned. “But I do have some land.”

  Miles finished up his breakfast, summoned his hoe and got to work.

  Over the next couple of hours, he just lost himself in the process, creating ten thirty-yard-wide squares of evenly-spaced, furrowed patches, and when he was done, he summoned a wooden table that only annoyed him a little with all of its tottering on the uneven ground, then began arraying some of the seeds he had at his disposal.

  Surprisingly, this world had most of the things he knew from Earth, and a bunch more. Which at first had been a little disturbing. But considering Earth and this world had been connected through the cavern he’d got lost in back on Earth, that somehow made sense. Maybe Earth had been a floor. Or something. He didn’t know. He tried to find out about Earth, but he never learned much there, though he did learn of the guarded existence of parallel worlds. Apparently, on occasions an unknown sapient species would show up on a floor or another, and they’d often describe most of the same thing as them: A Dungeon, archetypes, delving for resources and power.

  Miles had so far confirmed the existence of elves and goblins as inhabitants of one of these neighboring worlds. He’d bet there were more, but the knowledge was well guarded and hard to access, even through loops, though he’d bet there’d be more information deeper.

  Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the table and the seeds.

  “I’ll make these small patches for smaller fruits,” he muttered as he pulled the little paper-wrapped and labeled bags from his storage. “Ten patches… so what do we got?… Emberdew, Nightsap, Froststraws, Glowberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Elderberries, Cranberries, Strawberries. That’s ten. But…”

  Miles grimaced. For a few of the fruits, he had alternative varieties, but while at first he’d considered keeping them for another session, the thought of having some strawberries in one patch then some other kind of strawberries a hundred yards away bugged him.

  Ah screw it, I still got time, he thought, picking back the hoe. Miles ended up prepping twelve more patches to account for the seeds of which he had more than one kind. He also considered prepping the coffee area and get started on those, but he frankly would rather wait until Hazel was rested so they’d make sure it all went smoothly. He had no magic to improve the soil himself, and the coffee seeds were annoying enough to source that he’d rather not risk wasting them.

  Once the berry plots were ready, he evenly distributed the seeds, saving whatever remained in storage, then used a large watering can to spray all of them. He had had to refill it multiple times, and he took note to figure how most farmers watered their crops. He’d seen some complicated setups deep in the Dungeon, but there must be something better than lugging around a large watering can.

  “Should have maybe taken some farming lessons in between all the fighting and studying,” he ruefully chuckled to himself.

  Once he was done, Miles stood over the worked soil with a satisfied smile on his lips. Somehow, he’d ended up working up a sweat, but as he looked up, he realized it wasn’t even noon.

  I could take a dip in the river, he mused. He was about to get going when he sensed the key in his soul shudder, vibrating along the knocking at the door.

  Brows raised, he popped the table and his tools back in storage and with a couple of jogs, he put some distance between him and the worked soil before waving his hand and bringing the door to him. He was about to reach for the handle when he paused, eyes narrowed.

  Wait… this is the perfect time for a test.

  Closing his eyes and reaching forward with a hand, he focused on the key and latched on to the connection to the door and this time, the knocking nearly made him flinch back. But as much as he tried to see or hear through the door, he couldn’t.

  Damn… how about the aura?

  His brows furrowed. Pushing his aura toward the closed door five feet from him didn’t let it through. Which was fair, considering how… firm the door between the two dimensions had shown itself. But when he tried to project his aura through the key and the door as he would do with his other Soulbound items, it worked, but sensing anything through the key was significantly tougher. It was like trying to hear with wax in his ears and mufflers on. Still, he could feel a little something, but by now, it had been nearly three minutes, and he was making whomever was out wait for too long.

  I’ll work on this, he told himself as he reached for the handle. Miles cracked the door open and a wide genuine smile spread on his face when he found a nervous Thalia and an excited Brie in front of the door.

  “Good morning, Thalia. Brie,” he greeted, chuckling as the red-haired girl enthusiastically waved. Then he saw the third figure behind them, and his eyes sharpened as he gave the man a nod. “Lott.”

  Thalia’s eyes flicked to the side as she spoke. Miles didn’t miss the slightly tense air in the corridor, which he intended to address. “He said you had him run an errand for you,” she explained as the Shadow gave him a little head bow. “He also apologized to us. And helped get through the gate. Security is still a little tight considering… yesterday’s incident.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Miles raised a brow, turning his gaze back to the Shadow. “He did?”

  “Mhmmm,” Thalia nodded. “As for us too, we were done with our shift and I wanted to come say hi. If you’re not busy, of course.”

  Miles waved that off. “Nonsense. Come in, all of you,” he said. “Lott, go in first, I gotta say something to my sister and her friend.”

  The rogue acquiesced. “Of course, sir.”

  Miles moved aside and let the Shadow through, then closing the door behind him, he turned to Thalia to find her worried. As for Brie, she was hunched, a conspiratorial look in her eyes.

  “What is it,” Thalia whispered, her brows a little furrowed.

  Miles waved her worry aside. “Nothing bad. I just have a couple of things to say. First, a heads up. He thinks I’m a Shadow,” Miles whispered. “I didn’t correct him, but don’t out me either. Not yet, anyway. I’ll tell him eventually when things are less… volatile.”

  Brie nodded, grinning, while Thalia relaxed. “Oh. Yeah of course,” then blinking, she tilted her head. “Well… aren’t you kind of a Shadow, by this point? With the whole…” she trailed off, waving at her own face, which he interpreted meaning his mask.

  “I thought you were a Torchbearer,” chimed in Brie.

  “Yes, Brie. I am a Torchbearer. As for you, Thalia, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Miles innocently said, straightening his back, to which she just groaned as she rolled her eyes. Miles spied a little smile on her face but she quickly suppressed it.

  Miles chuckled and shrugged. “But yeah, archetypes aren’t the end-all be-all, you know? You can start as anything then learn a bunch from the other archetypes. So it’s very understandable that he’d think I’m a Shadow. I did spend a lot of time with them. Anyways, we’ll talk about all that. Second thing I gotta say.”

  Taking a quick breath, he asked. “So, are you two okay with this guy being around? I’ve had him run some errands only Shadows can handle, but I would understand if you’re uncomfortable.”

  Brie blinked, a bit taken aback at being asked, while Thalia just smiled and shook her head. “I knew you were going to bring this up. You still worry too much.”

  “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.” “I mean, it’d be fair. And I don’t want things to be awkward.”

  Thalia let out a sigh for a second, eying the shaft of her spear. “Here’s what I think: You have a high-ranking Shadow in your debt. It’s great. You honestly kinda need someone like him around right now. And while I’m not about to become his friend, let’s not forget the fact that he was actually doing his job. I mean… we were sneaking around and disobeying orders. He was rough, but as far as he knew, we were up to no good. Yes, he could have been nicer about it, but he also could have just as easily been much nastier. One of us could have easily died. After all, he’d just need one to interrogate so at the end of the day, it’s really not that bad. So I’m good. We won’t be friends, but he’s useful.”

  Miles nodded. “I appreciate it,” he said. Turning to Brie, the red-haired woman just shrugged. “He’s just a reminder I need to get better at dealing with Shadows. They’re just so damn fast, you know?”

  Miles laughed, relieved. “They are, aren’t they? I can probably give you a hint or two there,” he said as he finally opened the door and let them through. Lott was already standing and waiting for him, holding up a wrapped piece of brown paper.

  “Here’s what you requested, sir.”

  Miles picked it up while Thalia and Brie gawked at their surroundings. Tearing the piece of paper, he found himself looking at what might be his fourth or fifth new identity. But compared to those, he intended on keeping this one for a while. It was basically a thin, rectangular piece of silver, with his name engraved in the blocky letters of the Dungeon’s Common and a little green gem on the side to hold the identification enchantment.

  “I opted to procure a low-tier one. That way once you reach the tenth floor, you’d outgrow it and can get an authentic Delver’s Tag. It’s primed to receive your mana and register your signature, sir.”

  “Good call,” mumbled Miles as he turned over the piece of identification. He hadn’t thought of this, but now as he was eying the enchanted item, he worried it might not hold up if he used his body enhancement Skill to transfer some of his mana to it. It was hard to regulate what he transferred with that Skill. On the other hand, his cauldron would be perfect to let in only a diluted, gentle stream of his own mana into the gem.

  Lott blinked, worry creeping up his face. “Is there an issue, sir? I made sure it was well made. Our best enchanter worked on it all night.”

  “Oh,” said Thalia, now peering over what they were doing. She looked up at Miles. “You haven’t found a solution for that, huh?”

  Lott’s brows lifted quizzically, while Miles shrugged. “It hasn’t been much of an issue. Aside from situations like these.”

  The rogue’s eyes went down to the gem, then back to Miles who was still not channeling his mana into the item, then it clicked in Lott’s mind, and he opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say, while Brie seemed to have much less restraint compared to the Shadow. Which tracked a little.

  “Hm? Oh….You’re um… Corebound?” she asked, saying the last part a bit quieter, as if anyone could have heard her.

  He could see the unease spread around from Brie to Lott, while both of himself and Thalia just chuckled.

  The people in this world often looked at the condition as if it was some death sentence. Especially on the surface. But for him, it was an annoyance at most. Sure, back when he had learned he’d never be able to cast grand spells like the mages and sorcerers of his favorite shows, it had broken his heart. And sure, being unable to use regular enchanted items had been a huge hamper early on in his journey and it had forced him to get better at using what he had at his disposal. But in a way, the limitation had been one of the most efficient drivers that had propelled him forward. It was a limitation for some, but it had been a boon for him. He had to make do with his own Skills and grit, instead of relying on external help.

  “I am Corebound, yes,” Miles said, sliding the identification card within his pouch and into his Vault through a fold of space. He’d activate it later with the cauldron. For now, he turned back to the others as he pulled three cups out and handed them one each while they awkwardly stood there, as if they’d just been told he’d never walk again. “Relax. I’m doing just fine, aren’t I? Being Corebound only means I can use my mana in two ways instead of three. It’s not the end of the world. Now, what do you guys think of this as a breakfast menu?”

  Saying so, he poured them each a full cup of coffee before he handed them all a still fresh croissant.

  Lott politely accepted what he was offered, while Thalia peered down curiously at the mug and pastry, and her eyes widened when she smelled the croissant. Brie, on the other hand, seemed to have already recognized what she’d been handed and was already chewing, eyes closed as she groaned with pleasure, and she was already going for a second bite.

  “This is amazing,” she said as she chewed, crumbs raining down on the grass. “And you say two ways of using your mana. But isn’t there just one? Aren’t Corebounds only able to use Skills?”

  “Soulbound artifacts,” answered Lott. “And there’s some enchanted items they can use. The self-recharging kind that’s equipped with a mechanical trigger. Though finding one powerful enough that won’t fall apart after a couple of months is a hassle,” he explained as he sniffed the cup. “This is good coffee. You could make a killing selling this,” he said, taking a sip and closing his eyes. “Before the Cornvales come after you.”

  Miles smiled as he saw the two girls freeze mid-bite before slowly resuming their chewing as their eyes flicked to him. Turning to Lott, he answered with a shrug. “The Cornvale House doesn’t care if you sell their coffee. So long as you’re not producing it yourself. That’s why they only sell it roasted or ground. And while I’m not ready to clash with a Great House, I have a few favors I could pull to keep them off of my back.”

  From over the rim of his cup, Lott looked him in the eyes, then his gaze drifted toward the freshly watered plots a few dozens yards away as a smile stretched on his lips. “Right.”

  Miles grinned. Turning his attention to the girls, he brought the conversation back to his Corebound issue and away from the plans that will eventually have him clashing with a Great House. “Soulbound items are like Skills. They’re part of your soul, right next to your core. There’s a direct connection, so it’s possible to channel mana through them. And their power grows with yours, so they’re pretty valuable.”

  Understanding dawned on Brie, and like everyone who had heard of Soulbound items—Miles included—her eyes nearly shone with greed. But Thalia frowned, her cup held in front of her mouth. “I heard of those. Aren’t they like… impossible to buy and find?”

  “They can be bought,” Lott said. “But you’re not going to find anyone who’s willing to sell, unless they have absolutely no use for what they got. Because once a Soulbound item is bonded to its owner, it’s part of their soul. It can’t be taken away, and when they die, it goes with them. They can’t be destroyed, and their power scales with the user. They’re treasures. They’re the kind of treasures that only the Great Guilds and Great Houses can usually afford. And it’s the stuff of nightmare for delving parties.”

  It took Thalia a second to understand that last part, while Brie immediately grimaced.

  Lott nodded, lips pressed. “Exactly. They’re some of the most valuable loot that can be found in the Dungeon. If tomorrow an auction house announced the sale of a Soulbound artifact, you’d have monsters no one had heard anything from in hundreds of years coming out of the woodwork to bid. It’d be mayhem,” the rogue said, whispering that last part, a smile on his lips.

  Thalia’s gaze shifted to Miles, brow raised, but Miles just dodged whatever it was she was about to ask. “So? What do you guys think of this as a menu item?”

  “I love the pastry, and the coffee’s great. Just make sure you have some milk around,” said Brie, swirling her cup.

  “I kinda like both,” said Thalia as she reached into her satchel for her bottle while Miles turned to Lott.

  “The pastry is a bit rich for my taste, but the coffee will absolutely sell. Especially if you get your hand on some of the enhanced varieties.”

  Miles grinned, happy to get some validation for his ideas. “That’s nice to hear. Well. Thank you all for participating,” he said as he took the mugs from them and chucked them in storage to be washed later.

  They all mumbled some thank-yous in response, while Miles turned to Lott. “So… I’d like to spend some time with my sister and catch up, Lott. I appreciate you apologizing as I requested, and I appreciate you bringing me what I requested so fast. I’ll remember it. But before you head back, what’s going on with the investigation? Any leads?”

  Lott nodded. “Of course, sir. Feel free to let me know if you need anything,” he said, then straightening up, he put a hand on his belt as his eyes sharpened with focus. “The Gate Wardens have spoken to two others who’ve exited the Dungeon from the same floor around the same time, and one of them did disclose that they’d been escorted out by the Ashen Wanderer after they were pressured. Hollow Wind, the Great Guild based in Sandgate had applied pressure so the line of questioning was dropped, but now there is a suspicion that the Wanderer was linked to yesterday’s events. There are no leads on where the fugitive might be, and while Rivergate has no… conflict with the Wanderer aside from breaking protocol, I’ve seen some bounties be updated. They’re estimating Master or Grandmaster threat, and I know that a Shadow courier has been dispatched to the Spire from Skygate, where the delver had been questioned.”

  Miles frowned. “The Spire. They’re sending a message down?” he asked. And while he didn’t mention it, he was worried about Caspian. The cook was a friendly man without much backing compared to Ilyon, and while he appreciated the latter’s help to protect the Torchbearer, he worried Caspian might get targeted.

  Lott nodded. “They are. They might be calling for more muscle to come look into what happened. Rivergate’s governor and the Branchmaster of the Registry are fuming, and it’s creating some tension with Seeker Zenith and his House. It’s… a mess. They stopped with most of the patrols, but there are a few high Shadow on the lookout, as well as some Seekers with Identification rings.”

  Miles winced. It was getting a little spicy, so he should really lay low. The Seekers shouldn’t be able to see through his veil, but he didn’t like the attention. “In that case… Let’s set up a drop spot. I’ll head to the city in a day or two, and if there’s something, pass me a message. Don’t come here, just in case that attracts attention. That goes for you two as well,” he said to Brie and Thalia, thoughts whirling. Then pausing as the others shared a look, he recalled that this space could be invoked anywhere, as long as he had a spare door to use his Custodial key on.

  Huh.

  If he was laying low, it’d be much easier to do it from within a crowd. It’d be much easier to pass the time as well. He could just get a room at an inn and wait until this all blows over. That’d be the best spot to hide. Right under their noses.

  Miles nodded to himself as the idea crystallized, then looked up at the others. “Yeah, change of plans. Any issue with me going in now, Lott? There’s no reason for me to stay here, really. It might be better to just blend in with everyone else.”

  He could take a couple of weeks for the heat to cool off, and he could use the time to establish his new identity. Go on a delve and make a name for himself before he got started on the annoying logistics. Yeah, that would work, and it looked like Thalia appreciated the idea as well. After all, he’d be able to go and see Mrs. Seren.

  “That might be for the best, sir,” Lott said, eyes intense. “We could…” he trailed off, looking at the three of them as his thoughts whirled, then his eyes lit up as he nodded. “They’re equipped for a fight and they left with me. I could say I took them out on training for their upcoming exam,” he said, pointing at the two girls who just looked at the man, alarmed. Lott grimaced, his face suddenly apologetic. “Sorry, I looked into who you were yesterday after… everything,” the rogue added, then he pointed at Miles. “And we met you on the road, you were coming from Willowrun. You’d need to activate your ID card before we get to the gates. We might even get lucky and have you get through the gate without being registered. That’d be ideal.”

  A little elaborate. But that should work, Miles thought, nodding along. “It sounds good to me. Any objections?”

  Brie raised her hand, a sheepish smile on her lips. “If we went out for training, then we should actually do some training, right? It’s barely been thirty minutes since we left the city.”

  Miles blinked. Thalia perked up, already taking a step toward him and noting Lott’s crooked smile, Miles chuckled. “Yeah. Alright. But let’s do it in here. An hour should do,” he said, glancing toward his sister. This would allow him to catch up with her. It was time they spoke.

  sidhe for the new review and everybody else for reading and pointing out the typos!