[You have gained a level]

The group spent most of their time over the next month cloistered under Cobbletown, farming giant rats and green oozes. No boss had yet to appear, which was fine by them. The furs they looted from the rodents were piling up in their inventory, and Belladonna had crafted her first item, [Gecko Leather Boots]. Although she made multiple pairs, only Edge would wear them. Amongst the rest of the party, Belladonna included, fashion triumphed over upgrades . . .

-noobs.

Two months, that’s how long they’d been trapped inside Levia Online, and no hint of the purpose of the game had surfaced. Edge sat on a bench overlooking the end of the world. It was noon, but the starscape was more vast than a dozen real skies. The universe of Levia was not infinite, as one expects from the real world. It had a bottom. Beneath the continent of Levia, a plane of miasma, possibly hundreds or more miles down, churned as the storms of Jupiter. The pinks, purples, blues and reds, blurred into one another as paint on an artist’s palette, and extended as far as the eye could see. It was almost like looking out over the ocean from the peak of a cliff.

A stone dock extended out into the empty void. He’d heard rumours at the Watering Hole about players jumping off, desperately clinging to the chance that disappearing might send them back home. Not exactly an easy way out. He contemplated jumping, wondering how far he would fall, wondering if it would hurt. At one time he might have jumped, but now he didn’t want to, not right now anyway. Edge finished his sandwich, tossing the wrapper over the side of the floating continent. It was time to get back to work.

The party had become a well oiled machine, built on hard work, and producing results. Thanks to his private training sessions, he was holding his own even without special abilities, or even a weapon. Perhaps, unarmed combat was worth it after all. He could sunder a giant rat with one hit from the brim of his battered shield.

Edge caught up to the girls, who’d decided to spend some of their hard earned bounty at a local cake shop. Not surprisingly, they’d done the same thing for lunch everyday since the shop’s discovery.

“Chocolate raspberry,” said Bell.

“Angel food with vanilla mousse,” said Daphne.

“Tiramisu,” added Sakura.

A stack of empty plates sat at the center of the table between the girls. Just how much cake did they eat?

“Almost done?” asked Edge, with a hint of sass.

None of the girls looked pleased by his interruption.

“This could be our last meal,” argued Daphne.

Edge raised his eyebrows.

“Look Edge, Sakura said that our E, X, P, has gone down a lot since we levelled. Also, Bell said that you’d probably drag us somewhere new and dangerous soon, so we thought . . .” Daphne let her explanation die, as she noticed the other two glaring at her. “What? That’s what you said,” she defended.

Sakura and Belladonna both kept silent, slowly shoveling spoonfuls of cake.

“You’ll both be glad to hear, you’re right,” said Edge. “I think it’s time we test out those crossroads bandits outside the North Gate.” He held back a ‘before you get fat,’ comment. Since it was rude, technically incorrect, and because he didn’t want to be tossed off the end of that dock. “I’ll be at the North Gate, when you’re finished,” he said dryly, making his escape before they strangled him with the bill.

“Is it me, or is Edge getting cheekier?” asked Sakura.

“I like a man who can take charge,” offered Belladonna. “Just not of me.”

“He has nice cheeks,” said Daphne, obliviously.