Two figures limped through the soft glow. One, a large mushroom covered in brownish tree bark, scarred and broken in many places, revealing soft white flesh beneath. His hand held both a wooden staff and bloodied halberd, leaning on them like a walking stick. The other, a tiefling, had an arm slung around the mushrooms neck, his other arm hung limp.

“We got out somehow,” Dustin muttered as he dragged Noam.

Noam groaned, “C’mon, let me at them.”

Dustin paused to slap Noam on the head, “Shut the hell up you adrenaline junky.”

He glanced at Noam’s body, the limp arm that had an uglier shade of purple compared to the rest of his skin, the various strips of white fungus where Dustin had to do an emergency patch up and the wet blood on his body, “How the fuck are you still standing…” Dustin muttered.

“Determination,” Noam muttered.

Dustin scoffed, “More like too stupid to feel pain.” His hand went up, going through a few motions.

“What are we doing now?” Noam asked.

“Calling for backup.”

Dave was a lot of things.

Traveller, merchant, a connoisseur of ramen, hivemind, A.I. that was debatably alive, though he didn’t want to bring that can of worms up again. Having an existential crisis for what amounted to several centuries was horrifically unproductive and the other Daves all agreed as such.

More recently though, Dave was intrigued. An odd group had just walked into his store, Zoe, Devourer of Aberrations, frequent customer and bribable by head scratches exactly four centimetres behind her left ear, was carrying what looked like two tiny myconids by the scruff of their necks.

Amanda might’ve spent a good ten minutes giggling over the inherent cuteness of the group but Dave, being a strict professional, adjusted his monocle, and greeted them as he would all customers.

“Welcome,” he meowed, “whatever you want or need, you can purchase here.”

It was no lie or boast. Already a bag of ‘exotic grasses’ was in his paw, the scent putting him in a good mood. It was some really strong stuff, to even affect him. Dave wondered how Zoe will present her money this time. Though with the nature of Zoe’s Path, successfully guessing how she does anything is a long shot.

The cat in question tipped her large wizard hat backwards, from the darkness within Dave saw sixty-eight rings of Traveller coins orbiting a food bowl. Dave smiled as Zoe poured out the contents, the food bowl landing first and the coins falling in perfectly stacked piles inside. The coins suddenly disappeared, and Dave placed the pouch of ‘exotic grasses’ inside the food bowl.

Zoe very carefully poked open the bag and sniffed it. Unintentionally letting out a content purr and dropping the two near myconids on the ground.

Another Dave peered at them, adjusting its monocle as it stood at eye height as the sentient- no, sapient mana stored in the form of a mushroom. They were very similar to Magic Myconids, albeit fully functional despite being the same size as newborns.

Due to some light ‘administrator’ privileges, Dave knew that these were Traveller familiars created by a class trainer. They were nothing the Traveller couldn’t have made themselves of course, though a class trainer giving it to them was much faster and learning types like these showed their worth over time. Their strength was also linked to a support role, something meant to enhance their Traveller’s strength. Overall a very good level purchase, not some flashy weapon but a steady tool that can always be relied upon. Dave estimated they’re worth forty-eight gold each. As high as sixty if a decent merchant did the sale. He felt that old itch again, the desire to haggle, though he swiftly put it away. A merchant he may be, the prices he offers under this brand are always fair and non-negotiable.

Cat Dave lightly tapped him on the head with a tail, reminding him that he had passed the amount of time that was polite for staring at customers. The tiny myconid Dave shook himself out of his stupor, before chirping, “Welcome, whatever you want or need you can purchase here.”

The green myconid glanced at the other, before hesitantly turning replying, “...We don’t have money.”

Dave mentally upped his assessment by another six gold. Mutual learning capability, passive too, they practically raised themselves. Wispshroom Dave smiled, “Of course, it’s no problem, you’re both familiars aren’t you?” they both nodded and Dave continued, “As familiars, you can make purchases on your master’s behalf, I assume that he has money…”

“You lost everything?”

“I lost everything,” Matt replied with a smile.

The side of my eye twitched.

Matt fell back slightly, wincing as he brought his hands up in the universal sign of surrender, “Hey hey, no need to get pissed dude.”

Peps very gently brought Matt’s damaged arm down as I stared at him, “It’s good that you’re lively,” he idly said as healing light caressed his arm.

I took a deep breath, “I am not mad,” I very quietly replied, my fingers massaging my brow, anger was not productive, it was never productive, “I was just… reconsidering our options.”

Indeed, if it were just the money or his supplies then it would’ve been fine, but both? Between the two of us, that was around half of our starting resources, how very annoying. Those supplies weren’t like equipment that became worthless the moment something with higher stats came along. Hunger was a very real threat and if the marketplace was any fair indication of the supplies worth, then that stuff Matt lost over those deaths was worth at least twenty-gold. That idiot, we’re already at a deficit compared to other players who just played safely-

“Even if you lose, you can always earn it back,” Peps calmly said as he finished healing Matt’s arm, “I mean, it’s not that much, is it? It’s just some starter stuff.”

“Yeah, that’s right!” Matt interjected, waving around his newly healed arm, “Chill out bro, we can always do quests and earn it all back.”

I shook my head, “It’s not that simple, with new servers, it’s always a race to see which players get to what resources first…” my voice slowly petered out. That was game logic, wasn’t it? Moreover, there was no specific reason to be worried about that.

I was tryharding.

When did that start?

When did I start having fun?

“I know that smirk,” Matt said from the corner.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” I replied.

Matt scratched the back of his head, “What hair-brained scheme have you concocted this time profiteer?”

“Shut up junkie,” I simply replied.

“You know the drill by now,” I continued, “less than five gold between the two of us, you definitely dragged us into hard mode, we’re gonna take that paltry sum of five gold and-”

I froze as my hand touched the coin pouch, feeling the outlines of the contents. Key, small coins.

“Problem?” Matt asked, leaning forward.

I definitely took them out with me, there was no mistake with my memory.

Small coins, engraved, silvers, the change I got from the shopkeeper I bought the bottle from.

Key, it opens the inn room I rented.

Silver coins and a key.

A receipt from a store called ‘Daves’, made out to one Greenie and Yellow.

Silver coins, a key and a receipt.

“God fucking-”