Chapter 20

The next evening, I was headed to the dining hall with Cora and Mike when we once again crossed paths with the archer. He was still wearing his armor, so I assumed he was just returning from a quick trip to the dungeon.

“Oh, hey! Archer guy!” Cora called out when we drew close. “You’re an Ascender, right?”

The man looked at us with resignation before his expression shifted to something closer to wary curiosity.

“I am,” the man replied. “My name is Stephen. You three are also Ascenders?”

The archer’s emerald eyes scanned the three of us, pausing on me for just a beat longer than the others. I found myself feeling strangely disappointed when his eyes moved away.

“We are! I’m Cora, and this is my husband, Mike, and our teammate, Emie,” Cora said, motioning toward the two of us. I gave him a little wave, which caused his lips to twitch into a fleeting smile.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Stephen said, inclining his head.

“Are you just coming back from the dungeon?” Cora asked, eying his armor.

A quick check with Identify showed Stephen was level sixteen, which was just four levels higher than me after our last delve. Considering he was delving on his own, I almost expected him to be at a much higher level.

But if we’d all started around the same time, it made sense for him to be around the same level, especially if he had to deal with things like making camp and crafting his own armor.

He also showed up as an orange threat, which was a first. Most of the other Ascenders only showed up as yellow threats, with only the princeling showing up as green.

It was clear his former vassal hadn’t been joking when he called the former prince the weakest of their group. However, such ratings only took the individual into consideration. I was sure that, combined, the former prince’s party would have posed a significant threat before they split up.

“Yes,” Stephen replied with a nod. “The sooner I reach the first evolution, the better.”

Nodding sympathetically, Mike said, “We get that. It’s hard to be treated like a youngling after living for a couple of millennia.”

The archer inclined his head in agreement.

“Did you join a party or are you challenging the dungeon alone?” I found myself asking, unable to suppress my curiosity.

I wasn’t sure what it was about the archer that intrigued me, but there was definitely something there.

My question caused both of my companions’ brows to raise, and I knew I’d probably suffer for my interest later. Cora, at least, would bring it up, for sure.

Having friends could be annoying, sometimes.

“I work alone,” Stephen replied with a hint of melancholy. “I’ve found it’s easier that way.”

“I can understand that mindset,” I told him. “I spent most of my time in the previous realm as a soloist. Not because I wanted to, necessarily, but because of circumstances. I’m trying to be more social this time around.”

I motioned toward the couple as if to reinforce my point. The archer seemed uncertain how to respond, and the silence soon grew awkward.

“Well, it was nice meeting you,” I said lamely. “Maybe if you’re not busy, we can chat sometime. I know how isolated working alone can be. There’s no reason you can’t have friends outside of the dungeon, even if you do prefer to delve alone.”

I wasn’t sure why I made the offer, but I found that I actually meant it. I wouldn’t mind getting to know the lonely archer a bit better.

Since I was still a couple of levels higher than my teammates, they asked if I would mind if they ran the third floor together without me. Having recovered my Enchanting skill, I was actually happy to stay behind.

I wouldn’t make it a habit, but between my occasional shifts at the medical facility and the artifacts I wanted to craft, I had plenty to occupy my time.

I also spent some of that time learning more about our new realm, though I made sure to incorporate actual downtime as well.

It had taken me a long time to realize how important actual rest was for mental well-being. I’d come close to burning out more than once as I pushed to advance as quickly as possible, and I had no intention of repeating the same mistakes now that I had basically been granted a whole new life.

The evening that my party members returned from the dungeon, we met up for dinner at a small restaurant just outside the dungeon complex. The food was supposed to be a lot better than what we were served as copper-ranked delvers, but not overly expensive, making it a popular choice for soon-to-be adults wanting to splurge a bit.

We’d just settled into a booth when Cora tapped my hand, drawing my attention. “Look who just walked in.”

I turned toward the door and saw the archer from a couple of days earlier waiting by the door. This time, he was not wearing armor, but was dressed in dark slacks and a gray shirt.

“Hey, Stephen!” Cora called out, drawing his attention. “We have an extra seat. You should join us!”

I was surprised when the archer seemed to take the invitation in stride and made his way over, sliding into the open booth beside me.

“Thanks. I don’t really like eating at bars, and I always end up sitting at one when I eat in restaurants.”

“No problem. Taking a break from the dungeon?”

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Stephen nodded. “A short one. I usually only go in for a couple of days at a time to prevent half of my loot spoiling.”

“I can understand that, especially with how expensive preservation items are,” Cora said, glancing at me after adding the last bit.

I’d given her and Mike a storage bag capable of preserving anything placed inside for their delve, so she knew it was something I was capable of crafting.

It was a new development, but one that I didn’t plan on publicizing until after I reached the first evolution. I didn’t want my previous affinities to be widely known just yet.

The waiter stopped by a moment later. After we gave him our orders and he departed, I looked at Stephen and said, “If preservation is the issue, I might be able to help with that.”

“Really? Are you an Enchanter?”

“I am,” I admitted. “I was a Grandmaster before I ascended, which basically just means I’m barely qualified in this realm. I did recently craft a backpack liner capable of preserving anything placed inside, though, if that’s something you’re interested in.”

Leaning a bit closer, the archer said, “I’m definitely interested in something like that. How much do you charge?”