Quiet days are the best.

That was what Rob thought – without a hint of irony – as he used magic to cleanse an eldritch infestation from a Fiend's soul. The Fiend in question was writhing in discomfort, teeth grit as Purge Corruption seared away the infection within them bit-by-bit. Rob did his best to ignore his patient's distress and focus on curing them; after all, it was hardly the first time someone had displayed an adverse reaction to the Purging process. Some Fiends felt refreshed, like drinking a glass of cool water on a hot day, but many others felt even worse than Rob's current patient, as if the process was akin to being flayed alive.

Unfortunately, more of them were trending towards the latter reaction as time went on. Corruption wasn't an inanimate object; it was a parasite with an instinctual will of its own, and parasites survived by entrenching themselves as deeply as possible into their hosts. It was common for Rob to find that the souls he was Purging were wrapped in tendrils of Corruption, squeezed tight by a vice grip that refused to let go. In the worst cases, he'd find that Corruption had dug into his patient's soul with ephemeral spikes spreading out in multiple directions, forming a lattice that would have been impossible to excise via pure force. Rob couldn't just powerwash the Fiends' souls with Blue energy and call it a day anymore – he had to be precise, taking care not to cause them undue pain.

It made for a nice break from the usual death-defying situations he'd found himself in since coming to Elatra. Performing invasive soul surgery required concentration, but after tens of thousands of operations, he'd gotten used to the process. It was similar to how heart surgery was a terrifying prospect to a layman, but to a heart surgeon, it was just another day at the office. Compared to fighting Blightspawn, or traveling across Elatra, or Dungeon diving, or fleeing from a Leviathan...yeah, Rob was perfectly happy with Purging Corruption like it was a nine-to-five job. As far as he was concerned, the last few weeks had been a vacation.

Although I might be the only one who sees it that way, he mused, moving on to his next patient. Most of the Deserters were still busy acclimating to their new living environment. While they were being treated reasonably well by the Fiends, the change in scenery was proving difficult to handle for Elves who'd spent their whole lives in Ixatan forest. In some ways, things had made more sense when they were on the run, despite the dangers involved. Back then, there'd been clear destinations, clear enemies, and clear goals to strive for. 'Reach Broadwater City' was simpler to parse than 'Come To Terms With Your Status As an Expat In Potentially Hostile Territory'.

Personally, Rob didn't give a shit. He'd always been an expat in potentially hostile territory. Fiendland was pretty chill, really, especially considering the whole blood feud between Humans and Fiends. His reputation here was significantly better than it'd ever been with the rest of Elatra.

And it only took saving the entire fucking nation to get them on his side.

Diplomacy cheerfully reminded.

Rob winced, causing his current patient to panic and think that something had gone horribly wrong. After calming the poor soul down, Rob replied back to Diplomacy, being careful to keep his expression neutral for the sake of bedside manner. As if I could ever forget the plays, he internally sighed. Did you know they're making it into a trilogy? With the third one being based on events they've completely made up? They're writing freaking fanfiction! They even paired me and Keira up before we became official!

Rob declined to comment. He glanced at Keira, who was sitting a few feet away, and shot her a small grin. She returned it with one of her own, then went back to standing vigil over him, watching his patient like a hawk, on alert in case Danger Sense pinged. Rob appreciated the care, although he thought she was going a bit overboard with the protection detail this time. In his tens of thousands of patients, he'd only been attacked by one crazy ranting about Corruption being the Fiends' rightful punishment for their sins and blah blah.

Diplomacy remarked.

So what? I've got 1250 HP. Rob was pretty sure that he could survive a bomb to the face, even without using Lifesurge or Not A Scratch. And it's not like I can make much small talk with her while working on traumatized, Corruption-riddled Fiends. I'm worried that Keira is wasting her free time on 'protecting' me when she could be doing other things.

The Skill had a point. That was another reason why the past few weeks only felt like a vacation to Rob: his friends were sorely lacking in hobbies. Training to hone their skills was always an option, but that had diminishing returns. You could only swing a sword for so long until your body and brain demanded a reprieve. In The Village they could still patrol the woods and hunt easy game, but now the Deserters were living in a city with walls, and their food was being supplied by the Fiends. There just wasn't much for Riardin's Rangers to do without an immediate enemy that needed killing.

At least they weren't totally hopeless. Zamira had been practicing her singing more often. Meyneth was attempting to socialize with a few of the Elves. With varying degrees of success, but she was trying nonetheless. Malika was slowly getting into novels – mostly romance novels about star-crossed lovers, by Earth standards meant that she was going through her 'Twilight' phase. Orn'tol had seen one of the Fiends' plays last week, and asked to go to another just yesterday.

Those were baby steps, in general, but baby steps were better than nothing. The only two members of Riardin's Rangers who'd shown zero progress were Keira, who in retrospect was probably guarding him because she was bored, and Vul'to, who was...

What was Vul'to doing recently? Rob felt a pang of guilt at the fact that he didn't know. Vul'to was totally the type of guy to fade into the background without a trace if no one reached out to him. Rob had seen plenty of people like that in high school and college. Heck, without Jason's influence, Rob himself could have been one of those people.

We should check up on him, Rob decided. Diplomacy, what's my schedule for the rest of the day?

The Skill let out an exaggerated sigh.

Sounds good. I'll ask Keira to come along, too. The more the merrier.

Diplomacy's core froze in exasperation for a moment.

Rob fought back the blush inching into his cheeks, and for the millionth time, wished he knew the Poker Face Skill. We aren't that bad.

New couple, Rob countered. It's gonna be extra exciting for a while, and I for one am not complaining.

Diplomacy rolled its nonexistent eyes.

Rob's embarrassment dimmed as he remembered that he and Diplomacy were on a timer. According to the High Soulseer's observations, Rob's soul was going to absorb Diplomacy's in the near future. A consequence of one soul piggybacking off of another. Unavoidable, unless they took drastic measures.

Thankfully, it was looking like the Fiends' Soul Surgeons were going to be able to prevent that outcome from coming to pass – if just barely in the nick of time. They'd started investigating the issue after Rob first met with the Grand Overseers and asked them to devise a way to give Diplomacy a body. He could've asked them to look into removing Leveling High, or to find a way to get him back to Earth, and both those options had been tempting. In the end, though, he'd wanted to do something nice for his friend. Diplomacy deserved better.

Just as well. If he'd asked the Fiends to prioritize his other wishes, Diplomacy wouldn't have been able to get a body until it was too late. Not every good deed went unrewarded, apparently.

Diplomacy said, interrupting Rob's brooding. The Skill paused.

He couldn't argue with that. Shaking himself out of his funk, Rob activated his new Message Skill and reached out to Keira. The Skill worked suspiciously similar to Earth text messaging, allowing him to silently communicate with anyone that was in his Party. So far it'd proved highly convenient in coordinating his friends' daily lives, although it came with the caveat that his Party members couldn't directly communicate with each other without Rob setting up a 'group chat' that included himself. And if he left the Party, their ability to Message would vanish until he formed the Party again.

Those were minor complaints, though. Being able to Message people felt like a nostalgic slice of home, and that was well-worth having to remake the Party whenever he and Keira needed some...alone time.

Message Started Between Party Members: Rob, Keira

Rob: quick question

Rob: bit worried about vul'to, he seems isolated

Rob: im gonna visit him later, want to join?

Keira: Yes, good idea. It's been a while since I saw him, too.

Rob: neat, will message him asap

Keira: Why are you calling him a sap? He hasn't done anything to deserve that.

Rob: no its

Rob: nvm will explain later

Message Started Between Party Members: Rob, Vul'to

Rob: hey

Rob: what's up

Vul'to: Oh, hello, Rob! How has your day been thus far? Are your Purging duties proceeding as planned?

Rob: yeah all quiet on the western front

Rob: which means no eye stabs

Rob: how about you?

Vul'to: It's been a typical day on my part, I'd say. Nothing worthy of note has happened.

Rob: cool cool

Rob: u mind if me and keira visit later? we want to hang out

Vul'to: Assuming that means spending time together, then yes, I would enjoy that very much! I'll be in my personal living quarters for the foreseeable future. I'm looking forward to seeing the two of you.

Rob: awesome, cya later then

His spirits raised, Rob continued Purging Corruption from Fiends for the next few hours. Eventually, after hundreds of thankful patients, his energy stores ran dry, and he exited the Purging station with a spring in his step. Unlike the early days of the Corruption epidemic, where Fiends were succumbing left and right, there weren't any emergency cases he needed to worry about anymore. No one was in danger of dying. He could just put in the hours and reap his well-deserved gratitude – because as painful as Purging Corruption could be, having Corruption was significantly worse, and his services were high in demand.

"That's a nice smile you've got there," Keira said, holding his hand as they walked. "It's almost a shame that Fiend territory will be Corruption-free within the next two weeks, if Purging it puts you in such a good mood."

Rob shook his head. "I'll admit that it's nice playing the hero every now and then-"

"Every now and then, says the person who always jumps headfirst into danger."

He cleared his throat. "Yes, well. As someone who was infected with Corruption not too long ago, I can assure you that I'll celebrate the day when it's been eradicated entirely. Wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy."

"Ooooh, so magnanimous," Keira said, in a teasing tone. "We're meeting up with Vul'to now, correct?"

"Yup. He's at his apartment."

Keira nodded. "As much as I was wishing for a repeat of the broom closet, it would be good to see Vul'to. I hope he's been doing well."

Rob's mind blanked out for a solid five seconds. "Wait, you were wishing for-"

He was interrupted by Keira grabbing his head in her hands and kissing him. Aggressively. Some time later, Keira released him, looking like the cat that had caught the canary. "Well?" She said, in a singsong voice. "What are you waiting for? Can't keep our friend waiting." And with that, she ran off, a satisfied smirk on her face.

...I am so fucking lucky.

--

Before heading to Vul'to's place, Rob took a few minutes to re-tighten his Sinner's Shroud, concealed directly underneath his clothes. It was designed to block out the Fiends' Soul Sight, preventing them from being repulsed by his patchwork abomination of a soul. Whatever the gods had done to Rob when bringing him to Elatra and integrating him into the system had fucked up his soul to the point where it caused most Fiends to literally vomit when seeing it for the first time. Faelynn and Rob's doctors were the only Fiends who'd been around him long enough to get used to the sight; for everyone else, the Sinner's Shroud was necessary. No need to ruin his good PR by looking like an actual monster to Joe Schmo on the street.

Speaking of Joe Schmos, there were plenty of them out in force today. Acrastor City was bustling with energy, its inhabitants living life with the fervor of those who'd stared death in the face and been seconds away from blinking. Despite the appearance of both the city and its inhabitants, watching Fiendland thrive reminded Rob of any typical metropolis back on Earth. Sure, Fiend architecture was made up of multicolored buildings that grew from the ground, with the road consisting of a vaguely fleshy substance. And sure, the Fiends themselves were tall, heavily muscled, with ashen-white skin, a black carapace covering half their bodies, and horns growing out of their heads. But there was no difference in the way the city and its populace acted. They were people like any other. People that Rob had helped save from being eaten alive by Corruption.

It was a notion he held close to his heart. Whenever the nightmares came, or whenever doubt started creeping into his heart, he could always remind himself that countless Fiends were alive because of him.

They knew it, too. Rob and Keira were accosted – er, greeted by dozens of passerby on their short trip to Vul'to's apartment, and it would've been hundreds if they hadn't utilized discreet side roads. Some of the Fiends that came up were those who Rob affectionately referred to as 'groupies'; people who'd suffered under the Corruption epidemic to a relatively lesser degree than their peers. They'd been confined to their homes, maybe picked up a bit of Corruption, and understood in an abstract way that the end was nigh, but they hadn't lost anyone or needed emergency Purging treatment. Their gratitude was genuine, although not quite as rooted in desperation.

That wasn't why Rob thought of them as groupies, though. It was because they were extremely likely to ask him for an autograph.

"Thank you so much," the newest Fiend cheered, his eyes sparkling. "I know you must hear that from everyone, but – thank you."

"You're very welcome," Rob replied, grinning from ear to ear. "And don't worry – hearing that never gets old."

The Fiends hesitated. "If...it's possible, can you-"

Rob summoned a pen and paper from his Spatial Storage. "Who do you want it made out to?"

The second type of Fiend that tended to approach Rob were those who'd been more directly affected by the Corruption epidemic. Either by loss, or the Corruption itself. They weren't there for autographs; they were there for closure.

"You probably don't remember me," the next Fiend began, her voice trembling. "But I was one of the lucky few who was blessed by your early Purging ministrations. Don't think I'd be standing here today otherwise. I had...in my body...it hurt so much..."

"It's okay," Rob soothed. "You don't need to say it out loud."

Her posture relaxed, visible relief clear on her face. "Right. I...thank you. For that, and everything." She closed her eyes and inclined her head. "You have my deepest gratitude."

Appreciation from people like them hit different.

Thankfully, Keira was hardly left out of the festivities. More than one person came up to express their thanks to her as well.

"You saved my sister," another Fiend said, staring at Keira like she was a goddess of war. "Cut down a Level 30 monster in the blink of an eye. I've never seen anything like it."

Keira shifted uncomfortably, caught between embarrassment and relishing in the man's praise. "It was nothing much," she eventually stated, with a straightforward tone. "Anyone else would have done the same. Just remember that I can't always be there to protect you when danger arises. Watch yourself, understand?"

The Fiend nodded intently, running off with an air of giddiness. Keira watched him go, a complicated expression on her face. "Is it wrong that I never want to leave this place?' She whispered, in a voice flush with guilt. "If a new Village was built in Elven territory, and it was safe, and we were invited to live there...I don't think I'd go."

"You were planning to leave The Village before all this shit went down, anyway," Rob pointed out.

"I would still have returned to Elven territory on occasion. Wandering the world isn't the same as making a new territory your permanent abode." She crossed her arms. "I know that the only reason the Fiends have accepted us is because we were useful to them. Are useful to them. But..."

Rob put his arm around her waist. "I think this is one of those things that you shouldn't overthink," he said, pulling her close. "Just soak in the gratitude and have fun decorating your new home."

Keira slowly nodded in response. Rob knew that his words hadn't completely reached her; not that he'd expected them to. Elatrans seemed to possess an instinctual desire to stay in their race's native territory. It was part of why the Deserters were having trouble adjusting to Fiendland. Travel was uncommon, and immigration was rare, far moreso than on Earth. Rob wasn't sure if it was due to social norms, the gods messing with people's subconscious thoughts in order to keep nations at odds, or both.

Regardless of the reason, he suspected that most Deserters wouldn't agree with Keira's view on living in Fiendland. As much as they hated how the Elven Seneschal had treated them, it was his presence south – and the danger of being near his army – that was keeping them north. Not some enduring rebellion against all of Elfkind. If the opportunity arose, they'd make tracks for Elven territory once it was safe for them to do so.

Only a few more solicitors showed up after that. Soon enough, Rob and Keira arrived at Vul'to's personal quarters – and to their surprise, they found that he wasn't alone.

"Greetings," Meyneth said, giving them a languid wave. "Be forewarned: I may speak less than usual. My social energies have been drained by those who preceded you."

Rob glanced at Vul'to, who shook his head in denial. A moment later, realization struck. "Asha," Rob concluded. "Your new Elf friend. How's it going with her?"

"Terrible," the Dragonkin grumbled. "She asks me a multitude of questions I've little notion of how to answer. Things such as...how my day is going, and how I'm feeling, and...ugh. It's no better than an interrogation."

"I think that's called 'being friendly', Meyneth."

She groaned under her breath. "Socializing. Don't know how people do it so often. I'm perfectly happy being left to my own devices."

Rob noted to himself that Meyneth wasn't saying that she wouldn't meet with Asha again. He also noted that, despite Meyneth's professed lack of 'social energies', she'd still come to visit Vul'to.

Diplomacy advised.

"Why are you here with Vul'to?" Keira asked, causing Rob to barely suppress a facepalm. "Shouldn't you be resting in your room if meeting with Asha drained you so?"

Meyneth winced as she comprehended the trap she'd set for herself. "Ah. That's..."

"We were merely discussing things," Vul'to cut in, a strained smile on his face.

"Things?" Keira parroted.

"Things."

She blinked a few times, then shrugged and glanced at Rob. It was a look he immediately interpreted as 'I don't know what's going on, so it's your turn to direct the conversation'.

Okay, he thought, cogs spinning in his head. We should avoid bringing up whatever Vul'to and Meyneth were doing before we arrived. Not sure how direct I should be regarding why we visited, though. Might put Vul'to on the spot if we say we're worried about him.

Diplomacy explained.

You're a lifesaver. Idly, Rob considered how it was going to be a lot harder to help out his friends once Diplomacy got their own body – a thought he harshly shoved aside. He'd already made it through the vast majority of his life without Diplomacy shoring up his conversational deficiencies, and his friends would still like him even if he was a little less charismatic.

Probably.

"So hey!" Rob said, in a voice that was a bit too loud. "Congrats on hitting Level 40, Vul'to. That's a pretty big milestone."

A shy smile spread across the Guardian's face. "No need to mention it," he said. "Besides, your Level 51 is much more impressive. There are scarce few Combat Class users in Elatra who can claim that accomplishment."

"That reminds me," Keira interjected. "Rob, have you spent the ten stat points you gained from your last two Levels yet?"

"Nope, and I refuse to."

The three Elatrans in the room gaped at him in disbelief. "We went into Nevermore City weeks ago," Keira said, baffled.

"Do you have any idea how many times my bacon has been saved by last-minute stat spending?" Rob countered. "Other people might tailor their builds to specific fighting styles, but personally, I just want to live. It makes sense to hold onto my stat points until encountering a dilemma that calls for specific needs."

"Such as?"

Rob held up his fingers, one-by-one, as he rattled off a list. "If we fight a monster that's extra durable, I'll need more Strength. If they're extra fast, I'll need Dexterity. If I'm at risk of dying, I'll need Vitality to boost my HP. If a monster is extra sneaky or...let's see...turns invisible, I'll need Perception. And if a situation calls for using extra Skills, I'll need Magic to boost my MP."

Meyneth raised an eyebrow. "That's quite paranoid."

He let out a wry chuckle. "And I'm still alive, aren't I?"

The four of them continued chatting for several hours longer. Vul'to stayed quiet for most of it, although he seemed to be enjoying himself. Rob – with Diplomacy's assistance – attempted to coax him out of his shell in a manner that wouldn't put him on the spot or make him feel uncomfortable. It was slow going, but progress was made, so they elected to count it as a victory.

Eventually, the conversation wound down, and everyone agreed it was time to turn in for the night. Rob and Keira said their goodbyes and left – while noticing that Meyneth didn't. Keira, her expression brimming with excitement, barely waited until they were out of Heightened Senses range before blurting out what was on her mind. "Why is Meyneth there?" she asked. "With Vul'to? Alone?"

"They're friends," Rob offered. "Friends hang out."

"You mean like how you and I were 'friends' who just so happened to enjoy spending time alone?"

Rob smirked. "Okay, fair enough." He tapped his finger on his thigh. "Vul'to might have a crush on her. I could see that. Kind of hard for me to imagine Meyneth going for him, though. Or anyone in general."

"You're not wrong, but it's more fun to theorize." Keira tilted her head, imagination running wild. "For all we know, they could be confessing their feelings at this very instant!"

--

Vul'to waited until Rob and Keira were well out of Heightened Senses range before speaking. "Continuing where we left off," he began, facing Meyneth. "When we hunt down your parents, how much pain would you prefer to inflict upon them?"

She frowned, falling silent as she contemplated his question. "How much would be appropriate?"

"It's your revenge. You get to choose."

Meyneth's eyes glinted with malice. "Let's start by constructing a list of all the ways they've wronged me," she hissed. "I want their punishment to equal their sins."

--

"Well, if they are confessing their feelings, I wish them the best of luck," Rob said. "Being in a relationship with someone you love is pretty fucking awesome."

Keira gave him a warm smile and laced her fingers with his. They walked together in a pleasant silence, avoiding the main roads and sticking to the shadows to avoid being spotted. This was a nice moment; no need to ruin it by handing out autographs.

Rob let that nice moment persist until his hormones got the better of him. "You know," he stated, in an excessively nonchalant tone, "I don't have anything to do for the rest of the night."

Keira's smile turned devilish. "Your place or mine?"

Life is good, Rob mused, as their pace quickened. No matter how anyone else in the Deserters felt about the last few weeks, to him, it'd definitely been a vacation. One he was going to treasure for as long as it lasted.

Until the quiet days came to an end.

They always did.