Usually, Joe enjoyed being right about anything. It was a very human thing that's common in most people. But man, Joe hated being right about how much it sucked to pick those damn red berries. By the time he'd managed to grab a dozen berries, the pain had engulfed his whole forearm and had started traveling towards his shoulder. At that point, Joe backed his arm out and only dug a few new furrows in his skin. He couldn't imagine how bad it would be without the Tough Skin skill helping keep some of the thorns from penetrating.

That was why he had to quit faster than he'd anticipated. His terrible magical skills were now high enough to run two passives at a time without running his mana dry. Tough Skin was working to keep his skin in one piece, and his poison resistance skill pushed him below the break-even point. Once he felt his mana was at half, it was time to quit while his arm still worked. Joe sat back and made sure to tie the new berries bag shut and carefully separate them from the others. Then he ate a white one and went through the process of pushing back the poison once again.

The process took longer this time. Joe had some buyer's remorse for the poison resistance skill. It ate a ton of mana compared to its current 2% resistance. Joe reminded himself that it was a marathon, not a sprint. Even if he never evolved it, the skill would still max out at 20% resistance, which would undoubtedly have utility. Minor Regeneration, on the other hand, continued to work like a champ. Every time Joe leveled it up, the healing was a tiny bit faster and more thorough. It wasn't healing at a visible pace, but coupled with his other skills, it really took the edge off a poisoning.

Joe sighed to himself. It looked like once he leveled up, it would be back to training magic again. He saw Nik heading towards the pillar. The man was taking his advice and looking at skills. Joe knew that seeing the level up after being stopped and not taking it was torture. Well, not real torture. After all the poisoning and stabbing, Joe realized how misused that phrase had become in modern life. The DMV was an awful place designed to destroy the will and wellbeing of anyone unfortunate enough to enter, but comparing it to stabbing and poisoning was just silly.

"If nothing else, you might consider taking Sense Mana. It's come in handy more than once for Diana. Every skill and monster has mana, and it seems to come with a built-in sense of what type the mana is."

Nik nodded and placed his hand on the pillar. He only stayed that way for a moment before releasing it. He walked back over to Joe, and his eyes flashed silver for a moment. Nik's gaze changed from one of interest to one of concern, and he knelt by Joe.

"How the hell are you just sitting there with all that poison and other mana in your arm?"

"Clean living?" Joe managed to keep a straight face, but it was close. Teasing people about his injuries was one of the few sources of entertainment available. Someday someone was going to punch him in the face for it, but he figured it would heal.

Nik laughed in spite of himself and sat down next to Joe.

"We can spare a few minutes while I patch up. Follow the flows of mana in my arm and try to keep them all separate in your mind."

That is how they spent the next twenty minutes. Joe ended up needing another berry to finish the healing process. He worried about the others making it out first, but they had made pretty good time up to this point. He wouldn't be much help if he wandered into a fight, still resisting the poison in his arm. The tenseness would throw off his attacks in addition to the general slowdown. When Joe was about to call it a day, the hunter tensed and almost fell over when he tried to stand.

"Glamour or your legs fell asleep. Which one was it?"

"Both, if you can believe it."

"Do you have enough essence to level up?"

"Just enough. I'll be on empty, but that's nothing new. The rift in my town takes forever to farm essence."

Joe nodded, and Nik went over to level up. There was no grand earth-shattering moment, but Nik looked pleased as he stepped away from the pillar. Joe stood up and dusted himself off. The last of the poison had passed, and it was time to go. Both men tightened their grip on their weapons and strode into the portal and out of the rift.

It was pitch black when Joe's senses returned online a moment later. He strained his eyes and hearing to make out anything in the darkness. Nothing was nearby that he could detect, and more importantly, there was no scent of fresh blood or sounds of screaming. Joe could make out Nik in the light of the rift. He motioned to the townhouse, and Nik nodded. They moved quickly, and Joe felt better when the door shut behind him. Joe had never been afraid of the dark, but those hounds were getting him there.

The men wandered up and joined Carl and Mike on the roof. The duo told Joe that no one else had come out of the rift, and they hadn't seen any sign of the roaming monsters. Nik took the peak and continued to scan the area. Joe didn't know if he had a skill or if his senses were that much better. Either way, he seemed to be on top of things. Joe turned to Mike and Carl.

"Do you two want to go in tonight? We can keep watch for the girls."

"We talked about it," Carl said. "We'd rather go back and keep watch over the children. There's always another night."

Joe nodded in understanding. Their plan had sounded decent in the light of the day. In the darkness surrounding them, it was natural to want to protect your children and loved ones. Joe wasn't counting on Mike and Carl saving the day in a fight. He felt terrible even having the thought after the trust the men had shown him, but it was true. They were builders at heart, and that was great. Joe hoped there would be more need for their services than his in the near future, but he doubted it.

The portal rippled, and two figures stood in front of it. Joe couldn't make out the details, though. Nik spoke up and quietly confirmed it was the two women, and they looked to be in good shape. After a moment, both of them headed towards the townhouse. Joe, Mike, and Carl went downstairs, while Nik said he would keep watch until they were ready to leave. Joe hadn't thought of that, but it was a good idea.

Diana came through the door looking tense and worried. Joe's heart froze as he imagined everything that could have gone wrong. When Deena walked through a moment later, it started beating again and pounded away to make up for the lost time.

"Is Nik OK?" Diana's concern was understandable, and Joe could have smacked himself for not thinking of that.

"He's just keeping watch. It went well."

Both women nodded and moved away from the door. Joe explained that they were going home, and the ladies looked relieved. Deena's kids and husband were there after all. Joe called Nik down, and everyone prepared to head out. After a brief discussion, Nik agreed to take the point, and Joe would take up the rear. They would head straight east and then take road home. It wasn't the fastest route, but it put them farther away from where the hounds might be roaming. Diana's eyes drifted down to the red welts on Joe's arm, and she frowned. She looked up at Joe, and while nothing was said, he could feel what she was thinking.

"I had a good reason. Check these out." Joe held out the bag of red berries.

Diana's eyes flashed again before she responded. "Poison and fire mana. The berries from the rift wall?"

Joe nodded in response and was gratified that everyone seemed appreciative. He wanted to ask the ladies about their run, but Joe felt it was better to get the group moving. They headed out with Diana locking the door behind them. Joe was struck by how much things had changed and how people were still clinging to past habits. A locked door wouldn't deter any monsters. Hell, it probably wouldn't stop anyone over level two at this point. Joe thought he could probably kick it down without much effort.

The run didn't take long, with Nik adjusting the pace for Carl and Mike. Everyone else was winded but keeping up. Nik was noticeably faster than when they'd entered the rift. Joe made a mental note to grill him on his class. At some point, they needed to write all this information down and make copies. The information needed to outlive them if something happened. The greedier parts of Joe's mind thought it would also make some pretty good trade material soon. That musing came to an end when they spotted the house.

Joe could feel everyone focusing and trying to see if anything was wrong, and he was doing the same thing. Once again, he couldn't see much but was relieved when he didn't smell blood or hear screaming. The group went inside, and most sighed in relief when the door was shut and locked. They heard a noise upstairs, and Deena called to ensure everyone was all right. They answered back, and bookcases were moved to allow people to move throughout the house. It was awkward in the dark, but hugs were given out, and children's fears were assuaged. Joe wanted to hear about their run, but Deena wanted to go up with her family.

It could wait. They had faced death and made it through another day. Joe was still feeling jazzed from his run, so he offered to take the first shift, and Mike also volunteered. Nik and Carl would take the second shift, and everyone upstairs could get some sleep. The bookcases were left out but kept nearby just in case. Joe took the kitchen, and Mike sat in the archway as everyone else drifted off to sleep.

The night was blessedly peaceful with a light breeze. The moon waned in the sky, shedding less light and giving the shadows more reign over the night. The birds and insects seemed to take a cue, being quieter than the night before. Joe would have been more apprehensive if the frogs weren't doing their best to cover for all parties. Those guys were in the mood for making tadpoles tonight. The next few hours passed in peace that Joe needed after the stresses of fighting for his life. All good things must come to an end.

A howl filled the night air. The familiar vultures screech that spoke of pain and suffering in bottomless measures. Joe's whole body tensed at the sound. There was no way he would ever forget it or the beast that made it. The red monster's hunting call came from the northwest about a half mile away. A minute later, it sounded again, and this time a man's pained scream joined the cacophony. Joe stared at the night as it went on and on, rising and falling for several minutes. Finally, blessedly, it cut off, and Joe let go of the table's edge. In the far distance to the west, Joe thought he heard the rumble of the other hounds call, but it was faint. A moment later, he heard the red one's call, farther away this time.

He felt relief that the sounds had come from a different neighborhood and shame that a man dying gave him even a tiny amount of comfort. Noises from the next level and feet coming down the stairs let Joe know that he and Mike weren't the only ones that heard it. There were noises from upstairs and the sounds of children crying. Deena called for her husband, and Diana came down to join the other adults on the first level. Joe heard the couple doing their best to quiet and soothe the children.

It was a bit crowded with everyone clustered in the kitchen, looking out the windows in the direction they'd last heard the sound. Joe hoped that the monster was done feeding for the night and would head back west to sleep off its meal. No one spoke, but Joe knew the same thought was on everyone's mind. They were out of time. The hounds were getting closer and bolder. Hard choices would have to be made tomorrow. Either they bowed their heads and joined Plain City or fought those monsters. Despite his actions, Joe was not in a hurry to throw his life away, but he didn't think Frank would forgive whatever the situation.

After a few hours of silence, except for the frogs and insects, Joe began to feel drowsy again. Diana had since gone upstairs and back to bed. Carl and Mike had as well, with Nik keeping watch alongside Joe. The air blew cool through the cracked window and carried the scent of green plants laden with dew. It helped keep Joe focused and alert for his vigil. The moon continued to draw down toward the horizon, and once it vanished, Joe knew that dawn would not be far behind. He woke up Mike and Carl before laying down to rest. Nik did the same on the other mattress, and sooner than Joe thought possible, he fell asleep.

The sun was up when Joe woke up in a flailing panic. His dreams had not been kind once again, with the hunting calls of the hounds echoing through them. He saw that he was the last one awake, but it had been a long day, and it was still midmorning. He could hear Jennifer and Travis outside with the kids, supervising water retrieval and other chores. Mike and Carl must have been outside with them as only Nik, Deena, and Diana waited for him in the kitchen. Joe's head felt foggy from the day before and the terrible night's sleep. He swore that if he ever found a rift with coffee, that's where his home would be, regardless of all other factors.

"Morning," Diana said. "We were waiting for you before we discussed our next step."

Joe nodded. He knew his mind better with every passing day. A week ago, Joe would have left town at the first sign of this mess. Today he had people he wanted to protect. Joe felt more alive in the last three days than he had for the entirety of the last three years before that. Caring sucked and made people make stupid decisions, but Joe didn't want to go back. That wasn't living. It was just not dying. He motioned for someone else to start off the conversation. Diana continued with worry causing her brow to furrow slightly.

"Those monsters are coming this way. It's only a matter of time. I think we all agree that staying here and doing nothing won't work much longer."

"They've found a new source of food." Nik didn't look happy at the thought, and Joe empathized completely. "They won't leave unless it gets too difficult or they're killed. The fortifications at my town must have worked if they are hunting down here now."

"I don't want to go back to town." Deena was quiet, with her eyes downcast as she spoke. "Frank will not let what we've done go. We'll be separated and given the most dangerous assignments, if not quietly killed. I'd rather run than go back there."

"That's not an option." Joe hadn't meant for his voice to come out as firmly as it did, and Deena jumped slightly. "Those hounds are actively hunting around here. Taking children on the road is asking for a massacre. I wish we had more time to level up everyone and get better gear, but I think we need to kill at least one of those things."

Everyone nodded somberly. Joe knew deep in his gut it was their only option if they were going to stay together. If he was being honest with himself, he badly wanted to kill those things. The thought of fighting them scared him, as it should, but those two hounds had to die. Joe cleared his throat and spoke again after everyone took a minute to think.

"There's got to be a way. I'm not suggesting that we charge in screaming. Martyrs won't help our situation. Let's come up with a plan and take them down. They're strong, but so are we. There are four level threes at this table so let's make it happen."

It wasn't a great speech because Joe wasn't a great speaker. The point was made, though, and while no one was happy about the situation, they put that aside and focused on the steps in front of them. Joe had been right, and both ladies had hit their bonus cap and leveled up the night before. Deena's skill was a little stronger, and Diana's mana sense continued to gain range. Overall, Diana was the physically weakest of the three, but thanks to her early bonus Attributes, she was still a better fighter than Mike or Carl.

After an hour, they broke apart and started their individual tasks. Nik headed east and crossed the stream with his bow in hand and some plastic garbage bags they had found under a sink. Diana and Carl continued to work in the garden. Their time would be better spent ensuring a long-term food supply. Joe, Mike, and Deena headed northwest towards the rift and the sounds they heard the night before. They would have to be cautious, but they needed somewhere better to fight those things. It would be a lot of work, but if it went to plan, they would take the fight to the hounds tonight.