Following Gwyneth’s tip, Bunty got the coat to form as he intended. He didn’t just annotate the sketch but wrote a short story about it too. Perhaps a description would’ve been sufficient, but Bunty went ahead and a little tale about it. The piece starred him facing braving a blizzard with the coat protecting him from the elements. Then they faced a tribe of yeti together. If not for the extra-thick bits around his torso, the yeti would’ve prevailed. The pulse of energy that resulted from confirming summon was a lot stronger than the previous ones.

The leftovers from breakfast turned into lunch. Gwyneth left him to settle a follow-up meeting with the city council while he worked. Bunty tried a similar tactic with the spear. Unfortunately, the results didn’t change, so he left it as a staff. Bunty walked Baba back to the Boleyn tower before shopping for supplies. He bought a flask and waterskin for Gwyneth. She promised to reimburse him for everything later.

It felt odd to prepare for a climb without rope or hooks. Bunty bought dried meat, cheap and rye bread. Some healing ointment made by a plant-spirit user found its way into his pack too. After some thought, Bunty invested in a retractable shovel that had a pick on one end too. His final load was a negligible fraction of what he carried for most climbs.

To avoid attention, Bunty walked around in just his shirt, waistcoat, trousers, and boots. For the time being, he left his new coat unsummoned. The glossy black would stand out no matter where he went in the city. He still had time until Gwyneth finished her meeting, so Bunty visited Lydia’s office to offer thanks. The receptionist turned him away, saying she’d be in meetings all day. He expected as much. He didn’t expect someone in her position to be available just after lunchtime. Lydia most likely had meetings from dawn to dusk. It didn’t explain how their fateful meeting had occurred, but he didn’t ponder too much on the matter.

“This will sell in no time,” Kartik claimed, studying Red Charger’s Core. He was Bunty’s final stop after buying whetstones for his axe. Gwyneth did not need the sphere and had entrusted him with its sale or trade. Bunty couldn’t tell whether he’d made that good an impression or she was much too trusting. “Physical enhancement upgrades are always in high demand, especially in the first, second and third intervals. It’s a good thing the Core will work across all three. It doesn’t matter what your spirit type is, an augmentation, defence, or utility spell from something like this is always in high demand.”

“We’d be happy with a similarly aged trade as well,” Bunty told him. “Both my companion and I would appreciate telekinesis and duplication. My friend’s spirit is a lamp, and she has an elemental attack and utility spells. If there’s anything you find that can help her along will be great.”

“That’ll be a challenge.” Kartik shook his head. “Decent elemental upgrade Cores don’t come around until the fourth interval. The shamans and spirit callers might drop them earlier, but with everyone gunning for them, they’re a rare find. I can look into metal manipulation, transformation, or something in a similar school. Sometimes the best defence is a good offence.”

“Whatever you think is best, Kartik,” Bunty said. “I trust you not to screw over one of your countrymen.”

The old merchant scowled. “Listen here, boy.” He growled. “I’m an honest trader. I don’t mess with anybody countrymen or not.” Then he grinned. “Blue-blooded snobs get a big mark-up though. Fortunately, you’re not one of them. You don’t want poisons or toxins anymore?”

Bunty shook his head. “I’m taking my spirit in a different direction. I don’t think they’ll pair well with my spirit anymore.”

“Suit yourself. I like casting a wide net when looking for trades. Sometimes you might want something powerful but on low demand for a steal. I’ve got to say, though, Bunty. You’ve had a bout of insane luck to come across powerful Cores as frequently as you are. Most Climbers spent years in the first interval before finding a decent upgrade or something decent to trade.”

“I just take the path less travelled,” Bunty told him. “That’s all. I’ll be back in a few days. Alright?”

Kartik nodded, making no mention of returning the deposit Bunty had given him. Baba trusted the man, so Bunty didn’t push it and headed for the meat-on-a-stick stall by the tower’s entrance. Gwyneth wasn’t there yet. Guessing that her meeting was running late, Bunty slumped down against the nearby wall and got his notebook out. He had too many questions and took a minute to make a note of them.

Following his meeting with Explorer and then chat with Baba, Bunty had too many questions. He had made a habit of ignoring every negative thing Baba said about Neer. Hearing the man imply that he had failed with his upbringing of Neer had struck a nerve. Were there things Baba had kept from him regarding his brother? Who was Neer? Who was Explorer? Bunty was starting to think that his discovery of the ground-floor ruins and Neer’s carvings was too much of a coincidence as well. Now that he thought about it, it felt all too coincidental. Had Explorer somehow pulled the party’s strings to drive them there?

A sudden poke to Bunty’s side snapped him out of his momentary daze. He found a person wearing a mask over their nose and mouth looking down at him. It wasn’t until they pulled down their hood, revealing their red hair did he realise it was Gwyneth.

“You made a smart decision not summoning your coat,” she said. “Even though I’ve reported the DeLawneys, it’ll take some time before the city council reacts. So, it’s for the best if we maintain our anonymity.”

“I didn’t plan on summoning it until we got to the fifth floor.”

“You might as well wait until we’re clear of the hub too. It will be teaming with DeLawney. They don’t know your face, I think, but if there are fewer people watching you, there won’t be as many eyes on me either.”

The new climbing party did a quick inspection of their equipment and supplies before entering Gaia’s Ark. Gwyneth kept her head down, hood and mask up, keeping her face concealed. Bunty maintained a casual gait, but his lack of equipment drew the local merchants’ attention. They tried to hawk clothing, tools, fire-starting kits, and armour. Bunty rejected them all.

Before meeting him, Gwyneth had picked up a spear for herself. Bunty planned on training her in its appropriate use. Her spirit had made the bow useless. As a result, she didn’t need anything either. The shoulder, breast and arm padding she had on under her coat would be sufficient. Besides, Bunty expected her to stay behind him at all times while he kept their foes busy.

By the time the pair reached the Gate Room, Bunty couldn’t wait to distance himself from people. The Bound Gate's line was shorter than usual. As a result, they only had to wait a handful of heart-pumping minutes before stepping into the fifth floor.

"I was expecting them to increase the guard," Gwyneth said, her back stiffening. "It'll be a while before the council acts on my report, but the DeLawneys should know that I'm free. Someone must have seen me yesterday also."

"Your party hasn't reported in either. Do you think they might be trying to lay low too? I bet the house doesn't want negative attention from the council. What if they're biding their time?"

"I think you're right," she said, taking his hand. "Let’s pretend we're together. Be charming and flirtatious until we exit the hub."

"Do you really think that will work?" Bunty laughed. He took it one step further and slipped an arm around her shoulder as they walked. Gwyneth's back stiffened for a second, but then she chuckled and kept moving. "We've got to sell it since you're wearing a mask. I doubt handholding will sell it."

'That might be so, but considering my attire, this makes you look like a creep."

"Are you afraid a zealous nobleman will step forward to protect your honour?" Bunty asked.

Gwyneth nodded. "Probably won't be one of the DeLawneys though, so we should be fine." She looked around. No one spared them more than a glance. People were too busy to care about an underdressed man and an overdressed woman. "We need to be careful not to run into any of them in the field. I'm sure they'll want to put me down for beseeching their name. Then they'll target you for being with me."

"There might be some scorn for costing the house a Climbing party too."

Gwyneth didn't respond. Instead, she moved closer to him and kept her eyes on Bunty. He couldn't tell whose attention she was trying to avoid and guessed it wasn't the time to ask either. The pair exited the hub and followed a well-trodden path into the hills. They kept close to one another but occasionally glanced ice their shoulders to ensure that no one was trailing them.

The pair sighed their relief in unison once the little frontier town was out of sight. Gwyneth eagerly lowered her mask and hood. Bunty summoned his coat and welcomed its weight on his shoulders. It was much lighter than Baba's old garment, but the summon still gave him a much-needed sense of security. Then he called forth his staff too. He missed having a walking stick and wanted to run a few tests with it. As good as the axe was, he liked opening fights with decent range.

"I think the staff is a bad idea," Gwyneth said. "You're pretty decent with the axe and have the tentacle for range."

"I agree, but I need to get used to using the Stiffen and Relax commands on the fly," Bunty replied, wobbling the staff.

"I don't think you should use staves at all until you can create sharp edges. It’s redundant. If I were in your place, I'd create an off-hand gauntlet. You could store the pen within the gauntlet and then grow tentacles out of it for use. It'll give you excellent defence and offence."

"That's a bloody amazing idea." Bunty stared at his staff thoughtfully. "I wish I had thought of that."

"It’s alright." Gwyneth laughed. "I'll be the brains. You are the brawn." When Bunty pulled out the FTF's compass, she shook her head. "That won't do you any good. The DeLawneys control every door near here."

"We have no choice but to scope them out," Bunty said, tapping the looking glass hanging from his belt. "Let’s focus on scouting and perhaps hunt something we can get Cores from. If everything fails, we'll grease someone's palm to get through."

"I guess that’s our best option." Gwyneth sighed. "You're holding onto the staff then?"

Bunty nodded. "For now, at least. I miss exploring with a stick in hand. I'll design a gauntlet when we stop for the night."

"Your axe play is pretty devastating, with or without my lightning enhancements. That's all I'm saying. You're not giving enough thought to your spirit yet. A staff uses both hands and takes away your ability to summon and manipulate tentacles. Weave the Slimeskin into your fighting style. You won't believe how many people spend all their lives training in one form of combat and try sticking to it even after nurturing their spirits. The DeLawneys are constantly losing skilled combatants in the second and third intervals for just that reason."

"I get you." Bunty sighed. "Give me some time to figure things out and ease into it. I like the idea of summoning something around the pen or making it a part of the construct, though."

Gaia's Ark is forever changing. The beasts and their strength shift drastically between intervals. No adjacent floor has a matching biome, and the landscape is forever shifting. The power to adapt is vital for survival.

Baba would often repeat the words when training Bunty in a variety of forms. Learning one was never enough for the man, and Bunty was starting to understand why. Now that he thought about it, he had used different styles against the mole, lizardmen and slime. Now it was time to add to his repertoire and evolve his fighting style further.