After finally getting out from under the blankets and out of the embrace of the overly affectionate slimekin, Myles took a moment to catch his breath and relayed the results of the night to everyone. As he spoke, the story came easily enough, almost as if it had really been him rather than the twisted mirror that Mitchel’s subconscious saw him as. Myles did his best to include everything, but he wavered for a moment as he tried to describe regaining his lucidity.

His hands were shaking.

One hand grabbed the other and squeezed gently as he did his best to hide how the feelings bothered him.

No one said a word, but he felt a complex series of emotions from his monsters as they watched and reassured him.

As he wrapped up, he explained what he had planned for that day and meeting with Sindra about Morpheus, details he didn’t hide from his friends.

The discovery of a rank S difficulty boss didn’t sit well with any of them and shook the idea of an easy victory out of the team’s mind despite what Nod hinted at. Whether he was stronger or weaker, any monster hunter worth their salt knew something didn’t get an S ranking without a valid reason.

“Well, that’s a heap of sket,” Kendra stated as they sat around Myles’s living room after the discussion. “I’ve never even heard of Rank S outside of world-ending threats like the Star Fallen. Why do gods and Outsiders even have a rank of difficulty?”

Myles shrugged, unsure himself. “Maybe it’s just so far beyond a Rank A that it had to come up with something else.”

They threw a few ideas around, mostly as jokes, but Will presented an idea that was harder to ignore than Lyna’s ‘the-modern-alphabet-is-wrong-‘ theory

“Theory is,” Will interrupted, derailing the ‘complex’ argument on linguistics, “that the power rank of anything is measured against the grand dungeons themselves since they provide Classes and magic. I agree something numerical would be more reasonable, but I’ve heard rumors that the cores of the dungeons are ranked as well with the grand dungeons rumored to be S Rank as well.”

To Myles, the fact the grand dungeons were on the same level as divinity made sense. They did grant and change Classes, created and destroyed life itself at will, and seemed to be a way for humanity to advance to defend itself. The messages he’d seen within his interface seemed to confirm that the dungeon thought on a sapient level, too. Why would his Skill descriptions tease him otherwise?

It was also widely believed the grand dungeons were divinity incarnated to protect the world more actively. Though Myles didn’t quite give that as much credit. If they were gods once, why would their names be lost? The gods gained power from followers, didn’t they?

Just more questions for another day.

Silpha was still doing the research he’d requested, but Myles would have to ask her about it later. She had enough on her plate for the next few days, and there wasn’t much more they could do in Somniums without knowing if there was a safe way to interact with the others. He had time before Sindra wanted to do her all-out attack on Morpheus, but if it was anything like Shardking, it wouldn’t be pretty without more of an edge. She said she had a plan, but would that be enough? Sindra had to know that plans rarely held up to the first encounter.

“It will not,” Ashra assured him. “It is why she needs us.”

Myles sighed. Because we do the impossible.

“Because she trusts us to save her when things go wrong.”

Until we can’t.

“Myles?” Mitchel asked.

Myles’s attention snapped back to reality when he realized he’d wandered into the woods again while he spoke with Ashra. “What did I miss?”

“Just wondering when breakfast would be,” he said, grinning.

Myles looked around, seeing the others with that same hungry look in their eyes. “Don’t you people know how to cook on your own?”

Lyna laughed. “Do you want us to die?”

“Do you want to get me supplies?”

“Don’t you have a slime that makes bread dough?”

“Do you want it to fight with or cook with?” Myles countered.

“Combating hunger,” Lyna replied proudly.

Myles looked from one eager face to the next and did his best to suppress a sigh. This was one fight he wouldn’t be winning with logic. “Fine, but we’re going to start taking turns or you’re all going to start giving me shares of your coin to keep myself stocked.”

“Hey!” Lyna countered. “Don’t you have a fancy spice rack for that?”

“Fancy doesn’t begin to cover it,” Myles said smugly.

Looking over to his counter where the masterwork spice kit sat, Myles couldn’t keep the smile off his face as the description came to mind.

Cooking Spice Kit

Value: 3p

Tool - Dimensional Supply Kit (Masterwork)

Class requirement - Utility Family (Cooking)

Attuned: Myles Chase

Description: A rune-inlaid, void orbus wood lacquered case of spices with more room on the inside than would appear at first glance.

Detail: This dimensional storage shelf acts much like a Runner’s inventory and can call any spice to the forefront with a thought to its attuned owner. This supply kit cannot store anything other than dried herbs and spices used to season foods. Living things will be rejected unless special accountancy has been made during the construction of this kit.

Spices are meant to be eaten with food.

Current Capacity Free: .2%

List contents: Y/N

Not only had he been using it constantly, but there was a nearly endless supply of spices that he’d not even scratched the surface of. Every spice he’d ever heard of and so many more were waiting within and had cemented his place as the team cook, as if his [Succulent Magician] Class hadn’t already done that. Even the oddities like the Zakaran black salt he’d purchased were in full supply, ready to be used.

It wasn’t a weapon, so it didn’t have many combat applications. However, that wasn’t to say the things inside couldn’t be made into weapons. He’d fully intended to add the powdered reaper’s touch peppers to some dough to enhance his versatility against his opponents, but he’d just been so busy lately.

It didn’t help that his mind kept wandering onto more pressing matters, either.

Coming back to reality, he knew nothing would change their minds. Besides, he did like cooking. It was in his blood, after all. It didn’t hurt that he had to check on the slimes anyways, and Doughnut was due for a trim. It was time that they learned a bit of what went into the work themselves.

“Fine, but no more free rides,” Myles said as he took on the well-worn persona of a head chef with all the authority his title gave him. “If you want to eat, you’re going to help. We’ll start with something simple: bagels, eggs, and bacon.”

There was no protest at the mention of the fresh foods; however, Lyna eyed him dubiously, and Myles could only imagine why. On more than one occasion, the Halfling had gone into great detail on how she couldn’t be trusted in the kitchen, having burned water and set sandwiches on fire purely by chance. If he hadn’t known her, he wouldn’t have believed it, but not knowing how to cook for yourself? That was going to stop now.

They'd all learn or die trying.

“Tail, get the water boiling with three or four teaspoons of salt and a squirt or two of honey. Lyna, put two pads of butter to melt in the pan and turn it on low heat. Extra won’t hurt, so just eyeball it. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper once it melts to bloom. Tastes better that way as long as it doesn’t burn. Nothing fancy till I get back.”

Turning to Kendra, he took a bowl, summoned some dough into it, and handed it to Kendra. “Kendra, sprinkle some flour on the table, and separate the dough into fist-sized lumps, so I can work. Then, set the oven to 350. Will, Mitchel, relax until we need to clean up. Squishy, with me. Ashra, go check on Silpha, please.”

Squishy and Ashra had no arguments about their orders. The younger slimekin even chimed her crystal-clear approval, unlike some who had just jumped into their job…

“Hey!” Kendra called as she spread the fistfuls of flour like lobbing bombs. “Can’t I just…”

“A little flour!” Myles corrected. “A little!”

“The more the better, right?” Kendra asked, smirking for just a moment before opening her mouth to add something that she thought must be a clever comment.

Mitchel interrupted her train of thought as he cleared his throat.

Turning to Myles with a bright grin, he replied quickly, “Got it, Boss.”

“Hey! I had a great comment!”

Kendra glared, but Mitchel just smiled at her over his shoulder, whispered something, and turned the [Berserker] beet red, forcing her to back down somehow. Even without trying, their team leader could feel the smugness from one and the strange well of emotions, primarily embarrassment, from the other.

Myles shot the two a confused smile, feeling as if he’d missed something, as Will plopped himself down onto the couch. “I could get used to orders like this.”

“Much better than the battlefield,” Tail commented good-humoredly as they began filling a large pot with water.

“Maybe we should all start a business after this then,” Myles joked.

“You never know what could happen,” Mitchel said, still grinning at Myles. “Honest work and all that.”

What did he say to her? Myles asked Ashra before she left the room’s back door.

She paused for only a moment.

“I do not like repeating what I do not understand.”

Myles considered that for a minute as Kendra continued working, mumbling to herself as Mitchel looked like he’d just won the grand dungeon. He caught her eye for a moment, shot her a smile so warm that it would make the proofing dough rise on its own, and quickly slipped away with Squishy in tow.

He’d have to ask Mitchel about what he’d said later.

***

The Supply Team came to greet them as eagerly as they always did. It seemed that no matter the form Squishy took, she was accepted as one of them. She quickly sat down and began chiming in what Myles considered to be her native language before he turned his attention to the violet slime, Paragon, who was once again purring at its approach. As it did, Myles focused on the slime long enough to trigger his Monster Lore.

Violet Slime

Dungeon Creature - Slime (Small)

Rank E Threat level

Best trait - Adaptability

Preferred Method of Attack - Absorption, Swarm

Known Drops: Violet Slime Core

Diet: Everything

Breeding Groups: Amorphous

Special Ability: None

The violet slime is a middling stage before stage advancement. A violet slime has lost its purification ability as it has adapted to its diet and will devour nothing else. As they feed, they advance to the second stage of life in which they take on elemental affinities and additional traits based on their diet and environment. The more mana rich an environment and the more plentiful the food, the faster stage advancement will occur.

Stage advancement is usually within a day of this stage beginning.

“A day my…” Myles began. Then, remembering the young, kinetic iron slimekin girl listening, he stopped himself. “butt.”

Two days had passed, and Paragon still hadn’t evolved. It was the same purring, jiggly mass of violet slime that it’d been. That would have been strange enough thanks to the quick evolutions of the other slimes, but he hadn’t run into a wrong description yet.

Was he doing something wrong?

If he was, his codex on monsters really needed an update. He did still have a Skill Stone. Maybe he’d save it for that.

Still, there was no point in worrying as he reached down and stroked its head. The purr that responded vibrated its entire body in satisfaction.

It’s nice to be loved, Myles thought to himself as he went to the closet for more of their food.

Portioning it all out, Myles was careful not to give too much to one, a potion for each of the primary slimes and half a bottle each for Paragon.

When it came time to meet Doughnut, Myles decided it was time to teach Squishy her role in helping with breakfast.

To his great surprise, it went better than Myles had hoped.

Squishy eagerly took to the task, and Doughnut complained far less than it had when he did it. Squishy’s sheer hands made quick, clean work of the excess dough, handing it off in chunks to Myles to place in his resource area which perfectly prepped the dough for his spells and cooking.

Squishy was a natural at harvesting, so Myles put her to the test with the other slimes.

Ten minutes later, he declared the test a success and gave the slimes a bit extra for their cooperation before leaving her to play with her siblings while he cooked breakfast with help from the rest of his friends.

It hadn’t been too bad.

Everyone followed his directions well enough, and the steps just fell into line. Whether or not his abilities had anything to do with it was anyone’s guess, but Myles was happy with how little fire and smoke there was upon his return.

Tail and Kendra did excellent with prepping, kneading, and shaping the bagels. Cooking had a few false starts, but then again, they weren’t easy. Due to the complex cooking method, bagels weren’t his favorite thing to cook since so much could go wrong, but once you got that chewy texture right, the simple dough rings were unforgettable.

Lyna did burn the butter, but it cleaned up easily enough thanks to a little elbow grease, and they tried again. The second go had a bit more success and he taught her how to properly whisk the eggs into fluffy mounds while adding a touch more salt and pepper to ensure their taste. Granted, they would have burned without him keeping her on task, but she was able to remove them from the heat, plate, and cover them on her own.

The bacon was the trickiest part.

Sure, it was just cooking meat, but the stuff went for a premium. Sure, he could make it for free when he could bribe Silpha, but he couldn’t always rely on her without questions since no one was sharing the monster that dropped it. That meant he was trying his best to do it himself which meant being a patron of the market.

Soon, the sizzle of the savory-smelling dish filled the air as the obvious foul hit him like a wolven alpha. He should have cooked the bacon first and used the grease to coat the pan rather than waste butter!

He sighed. There wasn’t anything to be done now. He’d remember for next time and save the grease for later. Good thing he had plenty of containers for it.

It took longer than it should have with all the hands he had, but breakfast was ready before noon. Golden bagels, fluffy yellow eggs, and bacon littered the table surrounded on all sides by empty plates and hungry Runners. And so, the team dug into the meal the same way they did most things: with little regard for what might be called proper procedures.

They hadn’t eaten in over twelve hours, after all. What did anyone expect?

“Any last words?” Mitchel asked, only to narrowly avoid the hands grasping spoons and bagels on either side of him.

“Too slow,” Kendra said triumphantly, grinning as she took a pair of bagels in one hand and a few strips of bacon in the other. She moved as if fighting, taking what he reached for and leaving crumbs of her conquest in the wake of her hands.

“Hey!” He argued as Lyna seemed to do the same.

“Too slow,” Lyna seconded, through a mouthful of bread and eggs.

Myles grinned as Mitchel scrambled for purchase.

The [Shield Wall] had been around them long enough to know just how they acted, and with Kendra being Kendra, he should have known even better how she’d find a way to get back at him.

There was little more conversation as Rising Star ate to their heart’s content, but that didn’t mean Myles was left alone as the team stuffed their faces and he happily chewed his egg sandwich.

~Myles?~

Silpha didn’t need to eat.

Swallowing a bit harder than he would have liked, Myles put himself to the task. It was still too hard to talk and eat at the same time. Yes, Silpha?

~We need to talk when you’re done with your team. It’s about one of the items you showed me. The one I couldn’t see? You still have it, right?~

Of course, it was something he couldn’t avoid.

He bit off another piece of his sandwich and considered his response as he chewed and swallowed. Can it wait a few minutes?

~Oh, of course, it can. That doesn’t mean I want it to. I’m very curious to test my theory! Get here as soon as you’re done, since we were interrupted the last time. I’d rather that not happen again when I’m on the brink of learning something beyond my wildest hopes and dreams.~

That again.

~Oh, and Ashra says to bring Squishy with you.~ There was a moment’s pause as Myles felt Silpha’s judgment. He was about to respond when he felt the metal equivalent of a sigh and she added, “Really, Myles. She’s evolved and has a concept of self. She needs a better name than Squishy.~

As if he wasn’t already thinking of names.

I’m working on it!

~Sure you are.~

“He is.”

Thank you, Ashra.

“It is just a large decision. A name will dictate much of her future. He does not want to hamper her with an unworthy name.”

He sighed. Thank you, Ashra.

If it wasn’t for their mental connection and the sincerity Ashra spoke with, Myles would have taken back all the nice things he’d said about her.

Be right there.

Backing up from the table, Myles finished his meal and turned to the others. “Alright. Dirty dishes on the left, clean on the right, drying rack when they’re done. I’m heading out to check on Ashra and Silpha. I’ll help when I get back if there's anything left.” Then, almost as an afterthought. “Don’t soak the cast iron. Leave that for me.”

Mitchel and Will gave him a curt nod of understanding since their mouths were full.

Of course, fate chose that moment to interrupt his daily plans.

Myles opened the door to the bathroom and stopped before he walked right into a maelstrom of chaotic purring and warbles as Squishy looked out towards him, covered in violet slime as Paragon enveloped her like the mother slimes had tried to do to them. Medic was hanging from the ceiling, dripping as if it’d been thrown hard enough to splatter. Topoff was sitting next to the toilet as a cube of all things, and Doughnut was walking around on four new legs shaped like a cat. None of them moved to help free their sibling.

In everyone’s combination of hesitation and confusion, the violet slime’s large, black eyes rested atop Squishy’s head as they wiggled happily like deep onyx pools of joy.

Myles, being Myles, only panicked for a moment before rushing the slime as a father scorned.