The next day, he woke up and found he was naked. He blacked out like a lamp without Esssence so somene undressed him. Altia was next to him, hugging him tight, legs interlocked, pressing her body against his. She was like that. He wriggled one arm free and rubbed her back. He heard a sound outside and tried to use [Sense Enemy] but he wasn't on his [Rogue] build. He slept as a [Warrior]. Remembering Serena was outside, he sighed in relief. She didn't murder them in their sleep. Nero wriggled his right arm free and rubbed Altia's back, kissing her forehead at the same time. It only made her squeeze him tighter.

He heard movement outside again and felt something stomping the ground. The memory of yesterday came to him and he tried to break free from Altia's death grasp. She mumbled "not now" and pulled his neck down.

"Altia, something is outside. I think it is a shambler!" He shook her. She pulled him toward her and kissed him.

"Just a bit more," She whispered.

Serena's voice came from the side of the tent, "Indeed, it is a shambler, don't worry. I got him charmed for," there was some rustling sound, "forty-two more minutes. No need to hurry. Enjoy yourselves."

Some of Nero's worries vanished. Not about the shambler but Serena's intentions. It would take a long time for her to earn his full trust but it was a good step forward. Maybe once she was out of danger, she would do something but he intended to make it sure she knew she was free to go anytime.

He needed to grow stronger. And fast. Their chance was here, in this Dungeon. They had supplies for two months, more if they could get fruit and water from the Dungeon. Originally he bought three months' worth of food but now there were three mouths.

Nero caressed Altia's hair. She purred and rubbed her face on his chest. He looked down, she was smiling. He closed his eyes and did as Serena said. He remained still, enjoying that moment with his wife.

But all good things come to an end. The sun of the Dungeon, even though it was not too hot, still turned the tent into a sauna.

"Hot!" Altia whined. Her eyes popped open. She climbed up a bit and gave him a long kiss. "Sorry, it is too hot. Time to wake up."

She crawled out of the tent in her birthday suit. Her clothes were outside and after looking around Nero found his bundled in a corner. He dressed and left the tent. Outside, Altia was stretching and Serena was sitting on the chair giving the shambler some commands. The charmed monster was dragging the logs Nero cut yesterday as well as some branches. What he saw left him slack-jawed. The shambler ran his moss-covered stumps over the tree and the bark sheared away, joining the mass of the monster.

Serena looked at him, "Pretty cool, isn't it? I found it by accident. It is how they feed in the forest. They absorb plant matter into themselves and are pretty strong. I'll use [Charm] on it again once the timer runs out, don't worry." She raised a hand and he saw she was holding a round metallic object hung by a chain. A [Dungeon Clock] if he wasn't mistaken.

"Is that a Dungeon clock? How much time is it marking?"

Serena frowned and looked at the clock. "Six months, twenty-three days, and thirteen hours."

Nero checked his. Seven days, twenty-one hours. "Sorry for asking." She spent a half-year alone. No wonder she was in that state when they met. "That's how you fought, right? Charm a shambler, use it as a tanker."

"Actually I just made them fight each other. Took a bloody lot of time and I'd charm the winner, in whatever damaged state it was. Made the next fight easier too. This way I could kill one monster per point of mana. Pretty efficient if you ask me. Forty-five kills a day."

Nero didn't have anything to say. He didn't even approach the princess. He watched the shambler work. He could even remove the knots in the wood.

"Can he dry the wood as well? It looks dryer," He commented.

"I guess? I mean, they are mostly moist, they have to get that from somewhere and I don't see roots at their feet."

"Okay. I'll check the breakfast with Altia, and maybe we can make some planks out of these logs. If the shambler can smooth the wood, that's a blessing."

They ate breakfast and Nero chopped wood. The [Greataxe] was a weapon for war, not a tool though. While it could split the wood, it couldn't do it smoothly like a woodsman's hatchet could. He got some planks here and there but a lot of wood became kindling.

By noon he had enough planks to build a third chair and a larger table. From the branches, they made a screen of woven twigs, two meters tall and three wide in a quarter circle. Nero took a hammer and nails they bought outside and started to hammer the planks together. The afternoon passed and the camp got a picnic table and a bench. He also made a rectangular pallet the size of a bed so whoever was sleeping outside wouldn't have to put the bedding directly on the ground. The shambler was very helpful in smoothing and flattening the wood. Nero's skill as a carpenter was lacking but the monster's help was essential in making the planks straight and uniform.

Serena renewed the [Charm] on the shambler every time it was about to run out. Her [Dungeon Clock] chimed when it was time to use the spell again. When the day was over, she called for Nero's attention.

"What is it?" He asked without approaching.

"Would you kill this shambler? His time is running out, we're done for the day. I want to test something and I would like to see how you fight."

"Sure. Is it still under control?"

"For five minutes, yes. He'll fight in self-defense and regard you and you alone as an enemy if you attack him."

Nero wondered why she wanted to see it but gave up. He decided to put more trust in the nereid. Meeting Serena could put their lives in danger but he couldn't abandon her. Especially because Altia was becoming very fond of the princess.

"Any preferences about the method of execution?"

"Anything but fire. It would ruin our campsite."

Our campsite, Nero remarked. It was a step forward, maybe. "Okay. Let me switch Classes."

He changed into the [Mana Bolt] build.

"It never ceases to amaze me. You can be anything." She praised and then added with a slow voice she thought Nero didn't hear. "I envy your freedom."

He charged his mana with gray cards and took some distance from the shambler. Then he held two gray cards on his left hand and pointed at the monster's head with the right. Then he let loose the [Mana Bolts] as fast as he could. Twelve spells and ten yards of running away later, the shambler dissolved.

Altia and Serena gasped in surprise. In the twilight of dusk, Nero failed to see the screens of their device lighting up.

"Nero, I got a point of reason!" His wife shouted.

Serena had a smile as she looked idly at her device. Nero decided to not ask. He walked to where the monster died and picked up the crystal and a card. He got another good surprise.

[Cougar's Speed] - yellow - Requires +12 Agility

+12 Agility

"Gather all four and you too will be a Champion of Justice."

Effect: Spend 1 stamina and 1 mana. Increase your Agility by 20% for 5 minutes or your movement speed by 50% for 1 hour.

Special: This Skill is part of a set. It will grant all Attributes +4 when complete.

"Hey, I got a yellow Skill!" He shouted.

Nero approached and showed Altia the card. She gawked.

"What? Part of a set? I've never heard of them!"

Serena went around Altia, "Can I take a look, please? Set Skills are powerful and the boons they bestow are enormous, but it is too hard to find them. The entire set always belongs to the same rarity." She took the card from Altia after Nero retreated a bit. "Yes, this one is a strong set, but four Skills is overkill. You might never complete it."

"I think it is worth just for the effects, even disregarding everything," Nero pointed out.

"That's correct, being part of a set does not detract from the card's value by itself," Serena replied. "I'll leave it here on the table."

Nero stored the card with the others.

"I think it is time for dinner, what do you say?"

Nero sat on one end of the picnic table and Serena on the other with Altia between them. The princess was still wary of him.

"The device you use to skip a day, where it is? I assumed it was large and you are not carrying any bag," Nero asked, curious about the gadget.

"I have it with me," She replied curtly, hinting at her discomfort in talking about the device that helped her stay in the Dungeon.

Nero sighed. "I'm sorry I asked. I do not intend to steal it from you, ever. Look, Serena--"

"I know, and I am grateful for your candidness. [Sense Motive] is a double-edged blade, I must confess," She sniffled and shook her head. "I keep trying to find it but I can't. My fears, my heart demands I find you something to loathe in you. I don't know what's wrong with me. I know I should be glad I found a decent couple that wants my friendship for who I am despite my station and yet the darkness wants to hate you. It can't get closer to you two because you shine too bright."

Altia left her chair and quickly went around the table to hug the princess. "It is okay, Serena. You are wounded, you were hurt in a terrible way. You are trapped in a prison of your own making. You stayed alone for too long. Too much time for these dark thoughts to fester. Nero and I, we won't abandon you. Take your time. Heal."

The nereid cried again. She grasped Altia's wrists as if the other woman was an illusion and would vanish anytime.

Nero closed his eyes, barely containing his feelings. It hurt to see Serena broken like this and he hated prince Tyre for doing that to her. That's not how a true man acted.

Nero [0/0]

Strength: +7 (+10 clockwork blade, +8 clockwork shield)

Vigor +8 (+12 Brigandine[1], amulet[3])

Endurance +7 (+8 Muffler)

Agility +11 (+12 Elven Boots)

Dexterity +4 (+7 Amulet, +8 inside a Dungeon, Goggles)

Reason +8 (+12 Clock[1], Amulet[3])

Willpower +6 (+9 Amulet)

Perception +4 (+7 Amulet, +9 inside a Dungeon, Goggles)

Charisma +8

Class: [Jester]

- Special: Ignores tier I Class level requirement.

- Special: The Jester has no Skill Slots.

- Special: Allows the Jester to equip and unequip a tier I Class and Skills to bind to that particular Class. All Attribute bonuses are halved while the Class is equipped. A Class card is bound to the Jester upon activation.

- Special: No Class information will be displayed or shown.

Equipment: [Rending Clockwork Blade of Regrowth +1], [Self-Cleaning Brigandine of Regrowth], [Dungeon Goggles], [Elven Boots], [Hot Muffler], [Dungeon Clock], [Spiked Clockwork Shield of Regrowth +1], [Apprentice's Amulet +2]

Altia [Chemist 4/179]

Strength +6

Vigor +10

Endurance +5

Agility +9

Dexterity +11

Reason +4

Willpower +12

Perception +3

Charisma +10

Class: [Chemist]

- Special: All your beneficial combat consumables restore a little more of all resources.

- Special: You use 20% fewer ingredients with Alchemy.

- [Potion Toss] - Allows the use of beneficial combat consumables on others at a range of Dexterity / 2 yards.

- [Quickbrew] - The act of brewing alchemical concoctions or activating combat consumable cards requires 30% less time.

- [Empower Potion] - The effects of beneficial combat consumables and the speed of their effects is increased by 20%.

- [Magic Arrow] - Allows the user to summon and shoot a physical arrow for 1 Mana, dealing damage based on Reason and Willpower. This spell does not ignore armor.

- [Double Tap] - When using a physical ranged Skill, 50% chance of duplicating the item thrown and triggering the Skill twice at no additional cost.

- Empty Skill slot

Equipment: [Self-Cleaning Brigandine of Regrowth], [Elven Boots], [Hot Muffler], [Dungeon Clock], [Iron Staff]