Tars briefly pacified the three "little" giants, tore up his tattered, unrecognizable wizard robes to tie around his waist, and stepped out of the Abyssal Bedroom. He wanted to see if Karyu was still waiting after all these days.

  The moment he exited the spatial door, a bundle of fabric flew toward him. He caught it—it was a set of loose wizard robes.

  "Put these on," Karyu said, still sitting in the same spot. "Even if you look a bit strange, anyone with a modicum of experience will understand once they see the robes. So, how does it feel to be a Dragon-blood kobold?"

  Tars clenched his fists. "I feel powerful. Full of vitality. Like I could live for a very long time."

  He stowed the extra robes in his storage pocket and pulled a hooded one over his head.

  "Let's move," Karyu said, standing up and dusting himself off. "We're likely on the edge of a cavern domain. We might reach a human settlement soon and enjoy a drink at a tavern."

  Tars nodded, and the two set off.

  As they walked, Tars kept casting curious glances at Karyu. First, he compared their heights; he found he was now roughly the same height as Karyu, perhaps even a fraction taller. The realization brought him immense satisfaction.

  Then, his gaze turned strange for another reason. Before they left, Karyu had talked about "hurrying," so Tars had expected some magical mode of travel. Instead, they just walked—and slowly at that, as if they were taking a leisurely post-dinner stroll. Karyu even stopped occasionally to pick up odd-smelling plants or trinkets along the way.

  Bored by the pace, Tars began tinkering with the spells he had mastered. He decided to place Mental Ferocity into his fourth Sigil. He didn't want it just for its standalone effect, but as a component for the eventual five-Sigil composite spell. After his recent battles, he realized how vital it was to curb the violent impulses triggered by Demonic Body. Without that tiny, overlooked spell to keep him rational, pain and rage likely would have blinded his judgment.

  Whenever he experimented with Fetid Skin, Karyu would look over with a curious, almost unworldly expression.

  Tars also made a new discovery: every time he cast Fetid Skin, his skin tone changed, reverting only after the spell ended. Now that he had scales and patches of thinning fur, he noticed the spell had left faint spiral marks on his body. At first, he wasn't sure if it was the spell's influence, but after several long-duration casts, the marks darkened and then faded to a certain degree over time. He regretted not noticing this earlier; now he couldn't tell if this was an interaction with Demonic Body or a result of the Dragon-blood transformation.

  "Is she still sad?" Karyu asked suddenly.

  Tars blinked, realizing Karyu was referring to Aiskin.

  "Yes. It's her first time leaving the tribe. But she's also fascinated by the world. She asked me to thank you for the Language Comprehension spell," Tars replied.

  He had just sent Aiskin and Big Dumb Hum back into the Abyssal Bedroom after giving them some "fresh air" and having Karyu cast the Cavern Common Tongue spell on them. Aiskin was torn between her excitement for the new world and her longing for Old Goldtooth. Tars felt helpless; the world was rarely perfect. If he had to choose a kobold to truly venture out with, Old Goldtooth would have been his first pick.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  As for sending them and Squeak back into the bedroom, it was because the first human settlement was finally in sight.

  They had indeed walked for three days. Karyu had clearly intended this "stroll" from the very beginning. As they approached, however, the gap between Tars's expectations and reality widened. Though Karyu had briefed him on the way, the disappointment was still palpable.

  A Cavern Domain usually centered around a massive Cavern City, with dozens or hundreds of numbered "Cavern Districts" under its jurisdiction. These districts were essentially small towns—the backbone of the domain—that enjoyed some of the city's light. Outside these lay the "Abyssal Zones"—disorganized, unnumbered areas where most people actually lived. These were buffer zones, referred to as the Abyss because they were almost entirely dark.

  In the numbered districts, people could grow crops that required sunlight, but in the Abyssal Zones, life was a struggle. The "buffer" served primarily to keep subterranean beasts and burrow-worms from destroying the crops further in.

  Karyu led the way while Tars, hood pulled low, followed behind.

  His first impression was of decay and stench. The darkness didn't bother him; they weren't exactly nobles from the high city. He stomped on the ground and found that while the buildings and streets were dilapidated, the floor was well-paved with large, tightly fitted stone slabs. Some were worn smooth by centuries of footsteps, while others were clearly new repairs.

  Despite the smell, the streets were bustling. Tars hadn't seen this many people in ages. They arrived at a small tavern on a corner.

  Whoosh! A group of about thirty people burst out of the tavern, looking aggressive and forcing Tars and Karyu to step aside. Tars watched them with excitement; seeing so much human activity made him feel like he had finally returned to society from the deep mountains.

  "Are they going to fight? Should we go watch?" Tars whispered, leaning toward Karyu, only to receive a flat look in return.

  They pushed through the doors and chose a table that was just as sticky and foul-smelling as the town itself. Tars leaned his arms on the tacky surface, unbothered. When a waiter approached, Tars felt a surge of thrill. He cleared his throat and raised a hand to stop Karyu from speaking, drawing the waiter's attention to himself.

  "What do you recommend? Or perhaps you have a menu?" Tars asked excitedly.

  The waiter stared at him, then let out a scoff. "A noble young master from the light, are you? Abyssal taverns don't have menus. Today we've got Sour-Mushroom Wine and Black-Bug Ale. If you're hungry, there's roasted meat or the Bug-Shell Stew. The stew is the house specialty; I recommend that." The waiter's scarred face twitched; without the mark, he might have been a handsome man in his youth.

  "Alright, we'll take the stew and two of each drink," Tars said.

  "Two stews, four drinks. That'll be twelve Star Coins," the waiter said.

  Tars looked at Karyu and made a "please" gesture. Karyu sat back with a smile, watching Tars's excitement, the waiter's disdain, and the flickering grease lamps with amusement. To him, everything seemed interesting—including the greedy, violent-looking Abyssal dwellers in the shadows.

  Karyu placed twelve Star Coins on the table. As the waiter gathered them, he leaned in and whispered, "Little master, it's not smart to look so excited out here. You might not make it to the end of the alley."

  "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Tars replied with a grin.

  Once the waiter was gone, Tars leaned closer to Karyu. "Where to next? Back to your academy?"

  Karyu shook his head, his expressions much more animated now that he could move. "We'll likely stay in this mess for a while—where you can spot a wanted criminal on every corner—while I recover. Besides, wizard apprentices like us usually graduate from their academies decades ago."

  Tars felt a spark of excitement. He was more than happy to explore this unknown world, especially human territory. It didn't look nearly as dangerous as the places he'd been.