"Oh shit!" Shane blurted out, surprising only Liz, who somehow still jumped while floating.

"Has anyone seen Sharlot this whole time?!"

Liz shook herself side to side as if to say no.

"My apologies, master Shane. I haven't been able to track her down. Maybe you could find more success than I?" Humphrey humbly inquired.

"It's okay, guys. I don't expect anyone would have an easy time locating her if she didn't want to be found," said Shane with a half smile.

Just then, a lightbulb in his mind suddenly went off, and he threw open his menu interface and cycled over to the [Map] tab.

"Why didn't I think of this sooner!" He exclaimed.

Shane looked around the map's immediate vicinity for an icon resembling his own—she was his summon, after all.

Shane decided to zoom it out further when he couldn't see anything standing out on the map. This action increased the amount he could see by over two times. It was then that he found a moving icon on the far left side of the map's screen—and it was still moving. If that was Sharlot, then she had already traveled over ten thousand meters further west, according to the map.

Shane curiously pressed on the quickly moving icon. While it was undoubtedly Sharlot, her stats weren't what he remembered. Thankfully, a drop-down menu next to her name gave the option to teleport her to his location.

Name: Sharlot

Species: Giant Arachnid

Level: 10

Hp: 130/210

Strength: 19

Speed: 46

Magic: 28

Options: Teleport [Sharlot] To Your Location? - Accept/Cancel

This would save both of them a lot of time trying to find each other, and for that, Shane was relieved and felt a little more hopeful than before. Maybe now we can finally make our way to Krooth and really get into the meat and potatoes of what this world can offer. He thought, his determination kindled. Shane willed the acceptance of Sharlot's teleportation to him, a feature he wanted to become more intimate with.

Shane told everyone to stand back as a bright light burst into existence in front of him. The light grew and then slowly changed into the shape of a colossal spider. Once the light was fully formed, it dissipated, leaving a very alarmed Sharlot looking around wildly. As she struggled to get her bearings in the warm, dim light of Mage's fire spell, her eyes found Shane.

There was a moment where it almost looked like Sharlot didn't recognize him or was at least unsure of who he was. She took a couple of small steps toward him, her legs making a *clacking* sound on the floorboards. Shane quickly noticed Sharlot had physically grown. She was at least half a foot taller and just as much longer than before. The top of her body was even up to his shoulders. The moody lighting, long shadows, and Sharlot's unusually tentative behavior combined with her larger size made him shiver ever so slightly.

Suddenly, Sharlot was upon him, embracing him in a complete hug using all her legs—the momentum sending both of them tumbling to the floor.

"Master, I am overcome with joy at seeing you again. I saw you shivering and knew you needed a warm hug immediately."

Her monotone voice aside, Shane knew she was being honest with him as heat radiated from her thorax, warming him very quickly.

He briefly struggled against the arachnid's strength.

"I'm so relieved you were able to flee," he said warmly. "You're stronger now, too, I see! I know it's a week late, but I still want to celebrate your achievements."

The heat from Sharlot spiked after what he said, making him dizzy. Shane ultimately had to command her to let go of him lest he would perish from heat stroke.

"First thing's first," Shane said. "Liz, I want to repair my dwelling because tonight we feast!"

Liz instructed Shane how interacting with his dwelling's service station would give him the option to repair his broken home. To his delight, the repair price was equal to the destruction and in no way would cost more than what the dwelling initially cost. The repair process was just as painless, with the walls, floor, roof, and furniture being back together within minutes.

As the repair process took place, Humphrey and Liz coordinated using the dwelling's basic supplies kept in the structure's cellar. The two became very knowledgeable of that section of his residence while hiding during the home's previous attack. After some cooking that filled the house with

delightfully tangy scents, Humphrey delivered dish after dish of basic but delicious foods.

Buttered bread, seasoned fish, spiced vegetables, the delectable tastes sent Shane further into space than that lion guy could have. After eating a couple of Humphrey's dishes, a new window made itself known to Shane.

-Notice-

Food Quality Rank: [Quality] Gained

Your mood has marginally improved!

Lasts for 12 hours

"Ooh!!" Shane exclaimed. "Humphrey, eating your food gives me emotional bonuses based on quality!"

"That's excellent, master Shane! I'll have to procure higher quality goods for your next meal, but it will take longer to do so," replied Humphrey, who was now sporting a chef's hat and heat-resistant mittens.

In truth, Shane found this kind of buff terrifying. Still, because he ate quality food, the ramifications of such a change to himself hadn't fully set in. He noticed Sharlot seemed to be affected as well, as her flirtations and even tone of voice had become more personable.

Even though he had to send her to the corner for time-out twice, it was still a perfect morning.

Shane, with a shrunken Sharlot in his hood, and Liz, gave Humphrey a fond farewell and promised them he would watch over the dwelling until their return. The three of them descended down the rocky pathway that would eventually give way to the road to their ultimate destination—Krooth. The bright sun dispelled the early morning fog as they set foot on the road.

It was a warm morning, but a strong breeze kept the traveling party comfortable. While they walked toward Krooth, with its towering gate and stone walls growing in size with each step, Shane thought of Alabaster and greatly looked forward to seeing the magic-loving vampire again.

"I hope Alabaster can join us again soon," said Shane out loud to no one in particular.

Liz gave him a warm look.

"His wounds were pretty serious, but he seemed like a resourceful fellow, so I'm sure he'll find us again eventually," Liz said cheerfully.

Shane couldn't help but think the same thanks to his full stomach's emotional buff. Man, eating food is basically like a drug! Shane absentmindedly thought. In this final stretch between his dwelling and the city, there weren't any points of interest that made themselves known on his radar. What did stand out were a few traveling merchants and traders leaving the city. Shane immediately noticed that none of them were precisely human.

As Shane approached the large iron city gates, the number of mixed-race merchants and citizens they crossed paths multiplied. The merchants encompassed a variety of mixed-race humanoids. A lizard man, a female wolf, a couple of male wolf guards, and even a cat-like race—not unlike the man who sent him orbital-bound.

None of them looked at Shane with even a hint of goodwill.