“I’m not answering that,” Mazo said, sitting on a rock while Hans and Devon took a break from sparring.

  These days, the griffon canyon was a war zone by the time they finished their training. The rocky, dusty landscape was ravaged with craters, deep gouges in the earth, and still-smoldering scorch marks.

  Hans wiped water from his mouth as he lowered his waterskin. “Why not?”

  “I can think of a dozen or so spells we’ve seen Wargod use, starting with the Tainted Caves and ending with the lich cabal job. I can guess another thirty or forty he likely knows because of his interest in spellcraft, and then I can name a few that might be long shots, but Wargod might be the most experienced Mage alive, so there’s a good chance he has those too.”

  “Right. That’s why I asked.”

  “I love you, Hans, but you will undoubtedly blow yourself up if you jump to high-level spells. Worse, I might be next to you when you fuck up.”

  “I fully intend to be gradual and methodical about learning magic,” Hans retorted.

  “If you know them, that means you can think about them. If you can think about them, you could try using them, intentionally or unintentionally. Any other student, I can show them whatever because they have a lot of practice between learning that a spell exists and actually casting it. But you? You just have to want to cast it, and boom, there goes my place in history.”

  Hans sighed. “You’re right. We haven’t worked on Soul Shift for the same reason.”

  “Yeah, we’ve got a ways to go. Force Bolt, Force Wall, and Force Pull will occupy you for a while, but I have to say, this is all very weird. I’ve never had a student that was beyond competent with casting a spell while being a complete neophyte at actually using the spell in the field.”

  “This is strange for all of us.”

  Mazo stood. “My critique: Your aim sucks with Bolt and Wall. I assume it sucks with Pull also, but with Devon’s resistance I can’t see that as easily.”

  “It’s probably the same with Pull,” Hans admitted. “Devon mopped me pretty good today, and sucking at Pull didn’t help matters any.”

  “You’ve done enough archery to know that hitting a moving target is a son of a bitch, so resist the urge to Force Bolt when they are moving side to side. You want to attack when they are standing still or when they are moving toward or away from you. For now, save the mana if they are moving laterally. Either use a different attack or use a Force Wall to stop them dead for a few moments.”

  For some time after she finished speaking, Hans stood quietly, staring at the ground. He mentally reviewed the last five rounds of sparring to identify places where he should have applied Mazo’s advice and visualized how that might have played out. She was absolutely right that he wasted several dozen Force Bolts trying to hit a fast-moving Devon. That wouldn’t be a weakness forever, but presently his accuracy and timing weren’t yet advanced enough.

  “How about you, Dev?” Hans asked after a few minutes. “Any feedback?”

  “You’re still overshooting the Dash, but you know that, and this last round was your best yet as far as that is concerned. You might consider saving the Dash-Camouflage combo. I mean, I know you can do it, but against someone else, use Dash as it is. Bust out the fake teleport for a special occasion. If we can crack the strength issue with Barrier, you carrying a shield is probably unnecessary. I know that’s a whole thing, but it’s a thought. Also, fuck you and your trips. They’re bullshit.”

  Hans laughed. “Old dog, old tricks.” After a pause to think, Hans added, “Good call on the fake teleport. That might help me get the finesse of Dash down. I’m just now realizing using two abilities back-to-back might be hurting me there.”

  “Your angles felt a lot better.”

  “Thank you. The shield feedback is good too, by the way. I really like the idea of loading up a Gruwalda shield, but you’re right that Barrier does the same thing as a physical shield and does it better.”

  “You don’t need the Gruwalda,” Mazo interjected. “You’ll have as much power as you need with your spells, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to fuss with Gruwalda charges, you know? Makes even less sense because of Dev’s Barrier point.”

  “Damn,” Hans said. “It’s going to be hard getting used to not having a shield. I don’t disagree with it or anything, but it sucks that something that cool won’t be a part of my core game plan.”

  “The free hand will help with your casting,” Mazo said. “Aiming is a lot more intuitive with a hand involved.”

  “Thank you, guys, for all of your help. Can I show you some nonsense that’s not practical but looks awesome?”

  “Yes,” Devon replied immediately.

  “My timing is still rubbish, so I might bork this completely but…”

  Hans jogged away from Devon and Mazo and activated Dash. Then he immediately used the far-dorocha Shapeshift ability. When the burst of speed ended, Hans was partway through becoming a rabbit, his transformation completing a moment later. He bounced around as a rabbit for a few seconds and then ended the Shapeshift.

  He paused to reorient himself.

  “The delay is messing you up, huh?” Mazo asked.

  Hans nodded. “That and switching between human and rabbit senses is hell.”

  “Can you Shapeshift and then Dash? That gives you an extra beat or two for the transformation, which might be enough that you end the Dash as a rabbit, which I think is what you’re trying to do.”

  “That is what I’m trying to do.”

  “I know,” Mazo said. “I don’t have advice for Shapeshift sickness. You just got to learn to suck that up. I mean, Druids do it. Would be a shame for a Druid to be tougher than you.”

  “Maybe Dunfoo can make me something that fixes it automatically,” Hans joked. “I’m not looking forward to building up a tolerance to Shapeshift sickness.”

  Mazo jumped to her feet. Her eyes were wide.

  “Maz?” Devon asked.

  “I had an idea, but it’s a strange one. I need to look into it.”

  Hans started walking toward the exit of Griffon Canyon. “Yeah, it’s time we get back home anyhow.”

  “Have you been training already?” Quentin asked when Hans stepped into the Leebel training room, sweaty and dirty from his workout in the Griffon Canyon.

  “I got some rounds in with Devon and Mazo.”

  “This morning? You’ve been up that long already?”

  Hans shrugged. “Sleep and I don’t have a great relationship. What do you want to work on today?” he asked as he changed clothes and toweled off as much of the grime as he could.

  “Whatever you want me to work on.”

  “You have to have some idea.”

  “Could we spar and you critique me?” Quentin asked.

  “Sure.”

  The round went slowly for Hans, but he knew that was just his perception. Quentin tried his hardest, but the skill difference between them was too great. To Hans, it felt like every second had somehow stretched into four or five. That’s how matches like this always went, so it wasn’t unusual for the Guild Master, but the effect seemed more pronounced. His mind felt sharper and more engaged, and that exaggerated how slow the world around him seemed.

  “You’re reaching with your thrust,” Hans said after reflecting on their match.

  “I’m trying not to.”

  “I know. It’s really common for it to happen anyway. Your mind convinces you that the extra inch will do the trick, so what can it hurt? I had the same problem. Here’s how we are going to fix it: Instead of worrying about where your thrust ends, we’re going to adjust where it begins because that’s the real issue. You’re choosing a thrust from too far out.”

  “Okay…”

  “Here’s an example.” Hans motioned for Quentin to assume a combat position. “You drew my guard high and tried to come underneath with a thrust. That’s a good setup, but I also taught you that, so I know I should probably move away if you get me to go high.”

  “You’re already retreating before I even attack.”

  “Correct. It happens quickly, so that might not be obvious, but it does leave you chasing me.”

  “Which gets me reaching too far and compromising my position.”

  Hans nodded. “So how do you fix it?”

  Quentin pondered. “I could still attempt the thrust but use it as a feint. Really, I’d be using it to close the distance for another attack.”

  “That’s good. What else?”

  “I could try getting closer with my high attack so there’s less distance for the thrust that comes after.”

  “Careful,” Hans warned. “You’re using a good position for that setup. Don’t put yourself out of position somewhere else to fix the problem here. The deeper step for the thrust is a good idea, but instead of changing how you go high, change what comes after. I’m moving out of range because I’m predicting what you’ll do. Break up your patterns so I don’t feel so sure about that.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Good. Again.”

  Over the next four rounds, the feedback and tweaking continued.

  When the hour ended, both were soaked through from the effort. For Hans, a lot of that was likely from sparring with Devon prior to this lesson, but that didn’t change the fact that Hans needed a bath. His smell had to be foul by that point.

  “Mr. Hans…”

  “Quentin, look,” Hans said. “I’ve known you long enough to be certain that you’re not an asshole. On top of that, I respect and trust you. You don’t need to go through these gymnastics every time you want to ask a question. Just do it. If you cross a line, I’ll let you know, but I won’t be mad at you because I know you didn’t mean to offend me. I also know that your manners are good enough that you’ll respect that line once you know it’s there.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Okay.”

  “What’s the question?”

  “How do you manage when people don’t like you?” Quentin asked. “There were a couple of guys in Kohei that I don’t think liked me much, but then I see how much you’ve dealt with, and I feel like I’m being a baby.”

  Hans forced the last few drops out of his waterskin. “I’m not very good at that myself.”

  “Seems like you are. I don’t know how you’re working knowing that someone wanted to kill you.”

  “The advice I heard for this sort of thing was always along the lines of ‘suck it up’ or ‘ignore the detractors’ or ‘let it roll off your back like water on a duck.’ Are those the kinds of things you’re struggling to do?”

  Quentin nodded.

  “If that advice works, it’s never worked for me,” Hans admitted. “It hurts every time, and I’ve found that it doesn’t get easier like people say it will. For me, it’s gotten worse, especially when it’s someone who I want to like or respect me. I’m sure there’s plenty of what I get that is deserved, but yeah, I’m no good at dealing with it. In hindsight… In hindsight, I can see a lot of times where I brought it on myself, which means I presented something poorly, or I wasn’t kind to a person when I should have been. There are plenty of moments where I had no idea why someone didn’t like me, and I’m not sure I’ll ever have a good idea as to why.”

  “So what do you do?”

  “I don’t know that I have an actual answer. I can tell you that being more patient with people helps, as does trying not to assume that anything vaguely negative is delivered maliciously. I’ve tried to be softer about how I disagree with someone, which has helped a bit. I also think standing up for myself more often has helped too. That’s made it easier to see when someone is being intentionally mean or is being misunderstood.”

  “I can try that,” Quentin said.

  “Remember that I’m an expert with the sword. I’m not an expert in navigating social situations. I pissed off enough people that they wanted to murder me, so I might not be the best person to ask about this stuff.”

  The roots of the dungeon core fully embraced the tunnel to Gomi. Hans could now visit it remotely with the same ease as the rest of the dungeon. He originally planned to devote that day’s meditation session to further expanding the roots, but the long walk from Leebel’s Rest to New Gomi and the dungeon core gave him plenty of time to debate alternatives.

  He needed to spend as much time as he could with the dungeon core if he wanted to completely understand what it was he had become, but the few hours out and then a few hours back was immediately challenging to schedule. When he thought about it, he realized it was also wasteful. With so many responsibilities demanding his attention, burning four to six hours on a walk meant neglecting those responsibilities for far longer than he should.

  With the tunnel root extension finished, Hans decided to spend the rest of his energy on an experiment. Resting a hand on a root bundle, he closed his eyes and visited his rooftop deck via dungeon roots. Leebel's Rest was dungeon-grown, making the old structures of the town part of that web. He couldn’t, however, see through new construction. Incorporating them into dungeon roots might have been possible, but Hans was already uncomfortable with his unfettered access to private residences.

  He never acted on that access, but he didn’t see a need to worsen that discomfort for himself.

  Hans did see a reason to try growing more roots in his home, though. If he could connect with the core from Leebel’s Rest, his efficiency would jump significantly.

  So he pictured a root that ran up the exterior wall, across the roof, and then up out of the deck to wrap the arm of his favorite chair. Unlike normal plants, dungeon roots didn’t need to go around or drill through a solid surface to grow. If this worked, the only visible root would be the one going from the floor to the armrest.

  Willing that change into existence made Hans aware of two worlds simultaneously. He could see the present moment as he always could, but when he pictured modifying the dungeon itself, he could see what would eventually happen as well. The sensation seemed like it should have been jarring, but the whole process felt natural and intuitive.

  With that suggestion in motion, Hans envisioned a set of stairs growing from the fissure and descending to the dungeon core. If the dungeon grew those steps where he wanted, he would never have to climb that fucking rope again. Once that image was complete in his mind, he slowly exhaled.

  Hans opened his eyes. There were no stairs.

  “Did that not work, or is it just slower for me?”

  The dungeon core didn’t reply.

  “Kind of bullshit I can’t poof it into place like you can. That’s not a great way to treat a partner.”

  Altering the dungeon instantly would have been ideal, but Hans would be grateful for any element of control over the dungeon he could get, even if it was not swift.

  Hans spent the rest of his meditation stretching the roots of the dungeon around the Gomi surface. Could he gain the same level of visibility with his roots anywhere outside of the dungeon, or were there limits?

  He’d know the answer soon enough.

  Quest Update: Confirm whether the stairs and the deck roots grew as intended.

  Dunfoo’s imp opened the door for Hans and ushered him into the halfling enchanter’s workshop.

  “Did we have an appointment?” Dunfoo asked, lifting a pair of dark goggles from his face as Hans entered.

  “We don’t. If you’re busy, I can come back.”

  The halfling thought, rubbing his stomach absentmindedly with one hand. “Make it quick. In the future, I prefer appointments.”

  “Understood.”

  “I value my time, and I believe efficiency begins with scheduling.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “So please, make appointments from now on.”

  Hans nodded. “This won’t happen again.”

  “Good. What do you need?”

  “I’m in the market for an enchanted bastard sword. Can you help with that?”

  Dunfoo wiped charcoal from his hands onto a rag and motioned for Hans to take a stool. The halfling did the same, and since this was a halfling home, the stools were sized for Dunfoo. Hans felt like he was folded up at a kid’s table. For a moment, he wondered whether Dunfoo did this intentionally as some sort of power negotiation play. Hans’ old knees would have hated it, but they weren’t here, so Hans didn’t care what power moves Dunfoo needed to exercise if it helped his process.

  “What kind of bastard sword?” Dunfoo asked.

  “The usual, but I’m getting a slightly longer hilt. Turns out I don’t-”

  The halfling narrowed his eyes, suspicious that Hans’ reply had been a joke. “No. What kind of enchantment?”

  “That’s part of the problem,” Hans said. “I’m not sure what would be the most useful for me. I was thinking Greater Ice for a bit, but it’s-”

  “-too expensive for you.”

  “...But it’s not really helpful in my case. Anything I would hit would probably die before the spell was a factor. I can’t think of anything else more practical.”

  “Strength? Agility?”

  “I can cast them.”

  Dunfoo raised his eyebrows. “Really? Getting shanked has its benefits, I guess.”

  “Any recommendations or options I might be overlooking?” Hans asked.

  The halfling crossed his arms and chewed his cheek. “Greater Ice won’t even be useful for the big ones? You got that much of a boost?”

  Hans nodded.

  “What about the Merchant? Think even against him?”

  “Let’s not talk about bringing harm to our neighbor.”

  “Fine. What’s the worst thing you could possibly fight? It might be that an enchantment is a waste of your coin. I suppose if you want it for the clout, I could understand that, but that doesn’t seem like you.”

  Mentally, Hans cycled through every monster he could remember fighting in his career. Beast after beast, none of them warranted an enchantment on top of his new abilities. A snallygaster, a griffon, a cyclops, a basilisk, even the undead titan–Greater Ice against a monster like that would be overkill for him now. For all of his adventures, none of his previous encounters reached the right level.

  What about stuff he hadn’t fought?

  He thought of the tityos, and that brought its master to mind.

  “Gods and big demons,” Hans said, finally.

  Dunfoo choked on his spit. “Pardon? Really, Hans. I thought we were beyond your stupid jokes.”

  “I don’t joke about my sword.”

  “Fuck’s sake. ‘What do you got that can kill gods?’ What kind of question is that?”

  Hans shrugged.

  The halfling stood to pace. Hans wasn’t sure if Dunfoo did that to think or to diffuse some of his anger. The scowl suggested the latter, but then again, he was always kind of ornery.

  “Holy is usually a waste, but if you’re talking about demons, it might be a good choice.”

  “I don’t want to spend a bunch of gold just to bust it up.”

  The idea to use Holy briefly flashed through Hans’ mind early in this thought process, but the impracticality of Holy wasn’t a secret. A weapon enchanted with Holy was especially effective against demons and undead, but the drawback was that if a Holy weapon struck a non-demon or non-undead, the blade was oddly brittle. If the sword survived the battle, it was still ruined or near to it.

  Unlike other enchantments, Holy was always active, whereas a spell like Greater Ice could be enchanted to be manually activated or deactivated. That on-and-off functionality was optional and a big jump in enchanting complexity, so anyone who could afford such an enchantment typically assumed there wouldn’t be a reason to not use your awesome magic sword. Why spend the coin to have an off switch if you’ll never need it?

  Holy enchantments could not be built in that way, however. If a sword was enchanted with Holy, it was always moving Holy magic through its blade. Why that was the case was not fully understood, but most enchanters believed that the unique process for enchanting Holy was to blame. An enchanter usually applied spells they themselves could cast. Holy, however, required the involvement of a Cleric in addition to the enchanter and their tools.

  If a god played a role in giving you Holy power, it made some sense to Hans that they would dislike arming someone who was willing to be Holy or Unholy according to their own self-interests. That was the best rationalization Hans had heard, at least. What mattered was that Holy was exceptionally powerful in a narrow range of situations while being a liability in all others.

  If Holy could be disabled the way an Ice enchantment could, the enchantment would immediately become far more practical.

  Dunfoo gave Hans an unusually sincere face. “I have an option, but I need your assurance that you won’t share this conversation regardless of its outcome.”

  “Yeah, of course. I won’t tell anyone.”

  The halfling grinned.

  He’s got an excuse to brag. That’s a good sign.

  “I came up with a design that makes it possible to disable Holy on a weapon. Thought I was heading for the history books, but I got stumped. The workaround is a mana suck, and it requires more mana control than slash-and-bash folks tend to have. As long as you’re pumping mana into the enchantment, Holy turns off. As soon as that stops or your mana control drifts, Holy is back.”

  “Odd that the active mana turns it off. Seems backward.”

  “Most enchantments are like a fire that you feed with mana, but this situation is more like sticking your finger in a dam. It’s always flowing, and it doesn’t stop unless you’re there to plug it up.”

  Hans was impressed. “That was a really good analogy.”

  “I fucking know!” Dunfoo spat. “I came up with it twenty-three years ago and never got to publish it. I couldn’t solve the mana problem.”

  “How big is the drain?”

  “Mazo could maintain it for two minutes. Perhaps a bit more.”

  “Gods.”

  Dunfoo nodded. “I told you I didn’t get it solved.”

  “Where does all of it go?”

  “Holding back a dam of Holy with your finger takes a lot of effort.”

  “I want it.”

  “Huh?” Dunfoo looked at Hans skeptically.

  “I’m serious. Work up a quote. I want to do it.”

  The halfling studied the Guild Master for a few more long moments. “I need a Cleric, twenty-five gallons of Holy water, and payment upfront.”

  “Twenty-five?”

  “You think the Holy magic comes out of me? Not a shot.”

  Hans extended his hand. “I’ll get the Cleric and Holy water taken care of while you do the quote.”

  “You’re sure about this? I’m excited to use an old design, but it’s not a smart investment.”

  “I’m sure.”

  Dunfoo shook Hans’ hand.

  New Quest: Get Dunfoo the materials he needs for a Holy enchantment.

  Open Quests (Ordered from Old to New):

  Monitor for independently grown sections of dungeon.

  Complete the next volume (Bronze to Silver) for “The Next Generation: A Teaching Methodology for Training Adventurers.”

  Learn to help your advanced students as much as you help beginners.

  Relocate the titan bones to the dungeon entrance.

  Master your Diamond boon.

  Confirm whether the stairs and the deck roots grew as intended.

  Get Dunfoo the materials he needs for a Holy enchantment.