Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV

“What are you doing? I didn’t say stop.”

Sylvia groaned in pain. “But—”

“No, buts. You wanted this, remember? Now get back down there and finish what you started.”

Sylvia’s single blue eye glared at me from behind her mask. “When it’s your turn, I’m going to make you pay…”

I scoffed at her while looking down at her. “I truly doubt there is anything you can put me through that I haven’t already done. I have methods that are going to make your head spin. This is what, your third day? Don’t tell me you want to give up already?”

“Shut up… can’t you at least make this more comfortable?” Sylvia huffed.

Sylvia begrudgingly laid back down on the stone bench press and started pressing four times her body weight. I had to admit that the bench wasn’t very comfortable, but there wasn’t much I could do to make a stone slab feel better. It also didn’t help that Sylvia was unnaturally strong.

We have taken an hour or so a day to start training each other on the road. We start with my training with the sword and Sylvia’s hand-to-hand combat, then move on to working out after. So far, things have been going well… well, for me that is.

I was afraid to tell Sylvia that she wasn’t a very good teacher. Her way of explaining things was the same way someone might explain how they walk to somebody with no legs. When I asked why she held her sword a certain way, she merely shrugged at me and just said, “that’s just how I learned.” This means I can only speculate on the finer details…

Regardless, I’m learning something, at least. Most of my knowledge with swords comes from what I’ve seen other people do or me trying to use it like a machete. As one can imagine, swinging a short sword is not the same as swinging a machete at someone. As for Sylvia’s training…

I had no idea that Sylvia was always this strong. I was under the impression she used Blood Sorcery to enhance her body like how I used mana, but it wasn’t the case. Sylvia used Blood Sorcery to make her already strong body even stronger. Apparently, this was common for Vampires who could use Blood Sorcery that the older they got, the stronger they became through constant use of Blood Sorcery.

Which means every time she has punched, elbowed, or pinched me she has been holding back… mostly…

I couldn’t be sure if Sylvia had gotten stronger from when she was asleep. What was the ratio? Every one-hundred sleeping years was one normal year? Or maybe it’s nothing? I just can’t be certain and Sylvia isn’t either. It’s not like she was killing monsters or fighting people to death before she went to sleep.

This brings to question whether Sylvia will even benefit from working her body out. It’s an entirely new field, and I’m not even sure how it will affect me, let alone a super-powered ancient Vampire. So far, I’ve gotten stronger, but what will happen to me in a decade? I can only guess. But for now, I need to worry about the present.

“Alright now move over,” I said.

“What? What are you—”

“I’m working out? What did you think this was going to be? A stand-and-watch session for me? I need to work out as well, so slide over…” I grumbled.

Sylvia rolled off the bench, and I took her place after lowering the weight a little. A few of the “stone plates” I’ve dubbed them, disintegrated into sand and fell to the snowy ground. A few miles off the main road, Sylvia and I camped out in a small forest. While removing the last bit of weight, I sighed internally. I simply just couldn’t compete with Sylvia, currently, in raw strength. For now, anyway.

After leaving the Pruit ranch, things have been… challenging for me. I was in a slump for a few days and it’s thanks to Sylvia’s kindness and support that I managed to crawl out of it. I’m sure if she wasn’t here, things probably would have gone differently for me in more ways than one.

I hadn’t expected to be so bothered by killing them. Never in my life have I regretted ending a life as much as I did theirs. I knew it had to be done, and there was no way I could have let them live. I value my life, and my goal of returning home above all else, and they were threatening both of those things… but it still didn’t ease the uneasiness in my heart.

Saying goodbye to little Myla was more difficult than I was expecting as well. I hadn’t realized how close I had grown to the little girl. I genuinely hope I can see her again one day. One day when my existence doesn’t put her in danger.

I was also sure Sylvia was struggling with things as well. After all, she killed her first person, not in her defense but in mine. I also noticed that she winced when she brought up “combat draining” on that day. Sylvia said if she hadn’t done it, she wouldn’t have been able to fight but… I couldn’t be sure about that either.

I’ve done my best to extend a helping hand to her as well. I’m not sure what I can do to help her, so I’ve just tried to be there for her like she has for me. I feel like in this situation, it’s all I can really do. It’s all either of us can do for each other.

Maybe we both need to see a therapist after this…

Dem’s betrayal left a bitter mark on my heart, but it immensely displaced our current plans. Although I doubt Dem informed anyone of my true identity, I can’t take the risk of staying in this area. It’s still another month until the snow melts, and Keldrag pass becomes useable again. Staying in Nactus or at another village is no longer an option.

“How many more sets or whatever do we have of this?” Sylvia groaned while taking my place on the bench.

“Two more.”

This leaves us with few options.

We debated trying to hide away in Whieland itself, but we discarded that idea instantly. Sylvia entertained the idea of backtracking and going to Sandervile but I also vetoed that notion.

So far, security has been lax in Whieland, and my status as a Ruby adventurer has kept me safe, but it was only a matter of time until a curious guard cornered me. I felt that scenario was most likely to occur the closer I moved to Sandervile, while the odds decreased the further north I went.

My wanted poster might be available at guilds and inns here in Whieland, but most people probably don’t know about bounties. But in Sandervile, I could already imagine my face was plastered on every wall, guard station, street sign, or business. So I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I was the most wanted person in Sandervile, even beating out Alnwar and his band of thugs.

So that means we have to go to Luminar immediately. Unfortunately, this also means our only choice is going through a dungeon. Something Sylvia and I are not looking forward to…

“What’s next?”

I got up from the bench and forced it into an incline position while two dumbbell weights morphed out of the snowy ground. “Dumbbell flys.”

“Dumb… bell… flying? What?”

I sighed deeply at the confused vampire. “Just watch.”

Anyways, four months was not enough time for me to go back into a dungeon. As far as I’m concerned ever going back to a dungeon was too soon but we were out of options.

The Iron Citadel is this continent’s largest dungeon which is rumored to span the entirety of the northern mountain range. At least, that’s what people believe. Unfortunately, confirming the actual length of the dungeon is impossible. It’s also one of the only dungeons ever recorded to have multiple entrances and exits at any given time.

There are a few entrances and exits that have remained open since the dungeon was first discovered thousands of years ago. Still, according to what I could scavenge from a local adventurer guild outpost, the dungeon was prone to making new ones every so often.

However, what made the Iron Citadel such a danger was that once you got inside the dungeon, you had to pray that the path didn’t change on you in mid-dive. The dungeon would constantly change paths internally, and a mapped-out path that led to safety a month ago might take you to a monster nest instead.

It was rumored that the dungeon would change paths on adventurers and they would become lost in the dungeon for eternity.

Despite this risk, the dungeon is probably one of the most frequented dungeons in the entire world. It’s technically a passage that connects three major nations that border the dungeon that never closes due to weather. Merchants and adventurers alike use the Iron Citadel to ignore the weather during the winter months and move valuable cargo like food.

Legend has it that the Kingdom of Krunbar used the Iron Citadel to launch surprise attacks on the old Grand Brax Empire during the war. At this point, the Iron Citadel is considered less of a dungeon and more of a dangerous highway for greedy merchants and desperate armies.

And this isn’t even considering the monsters that inhabit the Iron Citadel…

Most monsters in dungeons go by a floor-by-floor difference. Like in the last dungeon, we went from fighting giant crabs to ice monsters in just a single floor. But unlike other dungeons, the Iron Citadel has only one type of monster residing inside of it.

The undead.

If what information the guild receptionist told me was accurate, then the entire monster population of the Iron Citadel is made up of the undead. Undead Dwarves, to be exact. The undead come in a variety of different types, but they all share the commonality of being dead Dwarves.

As for the reason this is the case, it’s believed that the Iron Citadel was an ancient Dwarven stronghold that predates even the Kingdom of Krunbar. This stronghold somehow got turned into a dungeon, and that was that. Any official records have been lost to time, and nobody knows for sure what happened. Krunbar apparently has no records of the Iron Citadel before it was found either.

If dungeons are living entities… does that mean it took over a city? As far as I can tell, it’s never happened before, and it’s only speculation… but if a dungeon could consume an entire city, why would it stop there? Or maybe the dungeon made itself into a city… who knows?

“Hey, are you paying attention?” Sylvia hissed.

No…

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Am I doing this right?”

I watched as Sylvia performed the motion for dumbbell flyes to near perfection. She was the type of person that learned just by watching somebody else, and more often than not, she only needed to see something once or twice to understand how to do it. Which is probably why she was a poor teacher…

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Sylvia asked, confused.

“Nothing, you are doing fine. Just make sure you finish the motion at the end and pinch your chest together.”

“Pinch my chest together? Like this?”

Oh my…

“Yes…” I squeaked.

I ripped my eyes away from the scene before me and I felt the tips of my ears burning. For whatever reason it seemed like Sylvia’s black leather shirt she used for training or other physical activities was getting tighter and tighter… and we still hadn’t repaired all of our gear from the fight, which left plenty of her exposed pale skin showing.

When I promised to teach Sylvia how to work out, I swear I didn’t agree to this with ulterior motives. But it was, at times like this, that I was glad I was wearing a mask.

Maybe I’ll just wear one for the rest of my life or get better at self-control. I wonder if there is a manual for this…

Sylvia stood up from the bench and eyed me suspiciously. Unlike her, I could actually see one eye, and I watched as it looked me up and down. Her ears turned red, and she looked away from me.

Well, lightning doesn’t strike twice… unless I cast it.

“What’s the matter?” I said playfully.

“Nothing,” she squeaked back. Sylvia turned back to me and crossed her arms across her chest. “You know I can heal those scars on your chest whenever you want?”

Low blow… why do people always think I’m being serious when I’m not… I’m honestly about to give up entirely.

“And I told you I don’t want that.”

I traced the long white scar that went from my shoulder and across my chest. It was the same scar that man gave me on that fateful day. It ached for well over six years because of what that Vampire did to me along with all the other smaller ones I’ve collected over the years. Some came from beatings, and most of them came from fighting other slaves.

But thanks to Sylvia, those pains are long gone despite the scars remaining. The only reason she didn’t heal it initially was that she lacked the blood to spare back down in the dungeon.

I could still feel Sylvia staring at me, so I just sighed audibly. “It’s a reminder for me. What I lost that day and what I’m trying to get back. I don’t want to forget them.”

Sylvia nodded meekly. “ I understand. I’m the same way… nobody is ever going to remember my family… so it falls to me, I guess,” she said, sadness leaking out of her voice.

I wanted to say something to make her feel better, but I couldn’t bring her dead family back no matter what I said. Something I understood all too well… there are some people I’ll never see again.

Sylvia tossed me the one hundred and thirty-five dumbbell like it was nothing. “Your turn.”

I caught the dumbbell and had to enhance myself with mana just to hold onto the damn thing. I spun on my heels and tossed it into a tree at full force. The dumbbell exploded into a sandy cloud. Sylvia gasped in surprise, and I formed a spell core for multiple Fireballs and set them in the air around me.

“Next one is going to be on fire,” I threatened.

A brown blur jumped from the tree and landed softly on the snowy ground. It’s been a long time, but I doubt I would ever forget this person… and it seems she actually wears that insane leotard out into the world. At least she is wearing some type of cuirass made of steel… a very small cuirass.

You can almost see everything. Isn’t everything bouncing around that much uncomfortable? It has to be, right?

“It’s been a while, kid. Or should I just call you, Voker, now?” Bella purred. Bella eyed me up and down slowly and smiled. “I heard a few months ago that a masked High Elf turned up in Nactus and dropped an entire adult Wyrm head off at the guild. But the rumors don’t do you justice.”

Can bears purr? And why did she say that the last part slower than the rest? Does this woman have no shame?

The Beastmen woman in front of me was the infamous Bella The Ball Crushing Bear, a Ruby adventurer I met back in Anderfield during my travels. She was an acquaintance of Dems… which means…

“How can I help you, Bella?”

Bella’s brown bear ears wiggled on top of her head as she moved her black hair to the side. Her hazel eyes narrowed at me, and she put on a devious smile. “Why so cold, Voker? Did I do something wrong?”

“I would call spying on two people cause for offense,” I said flatly.

Beastmen… they are a significant threat to me. The fact that Bella managed to get within twenty yards of me without me knowing is a scary thought. She made no noise whatsoever, and it wasn’t until I sensed her presence did I know she was here. And I wasn’t even sure how long she had been watching us…

Bella gave me a pouty face and strolled over to us, hips swaying all the way. The scimitar attached to her lower back jingled as the bronze chains rubbed against each other. Right before Bella reached me, an intoxicating aroma wafted at my nose for a second. My mind went blank for an instant, but I quickly regained my composure. Bella extended her arm out to touch me, but she found herself at the tip of Sylvia’s sword.

This… this is the second time I’ve smelled this, isn’t it? It’s Bella’s scent…

Can Beastmen project their pheromones at people? That’s dangerous, but at least it isn’t overpowering like a drug. I can see how an inebriated man might fall victim, though.

“That’s far enough. Don’t even dream about touching him,” Sylvia threatened.

“Wow there… I didn’t mean—”

“Bella, that’s enough. Your playtime is over,” a deadpan voice rang out.

Sylvia let out a low growl of frustration at the newcomer. A wolf Beastmen woman with cyan eyes glared at Bella paying no mind to Sylvia or me. Her long gray and white hair hung loosely at her sides while she rested a hand on the hilt of a sword.

This woman was with Bella as well… what was her name again? And she seems… different?

Bella clicked her tongue. “You always have to ruin my fun, Veme.”

Veme just gave a blank stare back at Bella. “No. There is nothing fun about this. Mr. Voker, here is moments away from starting a fight with you. Why must you insist on causing us problems?” Veme turned to me, her placid facial expression never breaking as she gave me a short bow. “I ask you once again to please forgive her, Mr. Voker.”

“As long as she understands my personal boundaries.”

Bella gave me a hurt look, but Veme scowled momentarily at Bella, making Bella’s eye twitch. Finally, she laughed nervously to herself and took a few steps backward.

I shrugged, and my Fireballs flickered out from existence. Veme raised a single eyebrow at me, but her face quickly returned to its default state while giving me a head nod in thanks.

I don’t think these two are here to attack us and claim the bounty. If they had the information, they would have believed me to be a pure mage and would have snuck up on me while closing the distance. There is no way they would give up the element of surprise.

“Is it only you two?” I asked.

“Yes, we spotted your tracks, and once we identified you, Bella decided to sneak up on you. I apologize,” Veme said. It seems her cold voice was even more lacking in emotion than mine… and that’s saying something…

"It’s fine. In the future, I would prefer if you stop her before she does something like this.”

Veme gave me a slight nod. Bella was about to give me a slap on the back when I glared at her, and she meekly retracted her hand. “Anyways… what are you two doing all the way out here?” Bella asked awkwardly.

“Avoiding people.” Sylvia snorted while lowering her weapon and sheathing it. Sylvia has started carrying her sword out in public just in case to avoid using her Spatial Ring.

Bella wrinkled her nose at Sylvia and gave me an expectant look. I sighed and figured it wouldn’t hurt. “Traveling north.”

“You two are more alike than ever….” Bella groaned. Then Bella raised both her eyebrows and eyed me. “There isn’t anything up here besides a guarded entrance to the Iron Citadel…”

“So what?” Sylvia shot back.

“We are heading there, yes,” I said. Sylvia’s head snapped at me, and I could practically see the betrayed look on her face through her mask.

Veme gave a hum of agreement. “I see. We are as well. Would you care to travel with us? We have purchased a map to traverse the dungeon.”

A map, huh…

The guild outpost didn’t have any, and they recommended we go to Whieland to purchase one, but that was not an option for us. I was hoping to purchase one from a passing adventurer.

“I’ll buy it off of you,” I said.

Veme gave me a slight frown. “We need it to cross the dungeon, Mr. Voker…”

“How about I copy it from you?” I suggested.

“Is traveling with us so disagreeable?” Veme asked, sounding slightly hurt.

“It’s just that we prefer to travel alone these days,” I said, reassuring her.

“Have you been to the Iron Citadel?” Sylvia asked.

Now it was my turn to look at her, confused. Sylvia seemed like she was asking a genuine question.

Veme and Bella both nodded their heads. “Yes, I have traversed the dungeon multiple times throughout the years. I often get hired on as a caravan guard, something we are heading off to do,” Veme stated.

Sylvia gave me a quick glance and shrugged her shoulders. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have an experienced adventurer help us out. Ruby ranked tags hung loosely from both of their necks which means they are well-accomplished adventurers in their own right. Veme’s experience might be valuable, considering Sylvia and I haven’t been to the Iron Citadel before.

Then again, we cleared a dungeon that was probably leagues above the Iron Citadel. Not to mention both of us would have to hide our abilities. But having extra people was always better when delving into a dungeon…

“How long is the path? And where is it supposed to lead us? I heard the Iron Citadel could sometimes take a long time to come out from,” Sylvia questioned.

“The path was mapped out one week ago, and its estimated travel time is one day. We will come out on the side of Luminar two days from Curia. The map includes monster information as well. We are only one night away from our designated meeting point. We are to link up with another group I believe you are familiar with, Mr. Voker,” Veme stated.

Bella pounded her first into her palm. “Ah! That’s right! Those guys are supposed to be there!”

“And who would that be?” I asked.

“The Stars, of course. I believe you are familiar with them? At least I saw you chatting with their leader, Nicholas, no?” Veme asked.

Nick, Ryan, and Adrian are going to be there as well, huh?

That changed things, at least for me. I don’t believe those three are aware of who I really am unless Nick and Adrian managed to hold an hour-long man-to-man conversation with me without breaking character or showing any signs of knowing the entire time.

I looked back to Sylvia, and she relaxed her shoulders and gave me a nod. “We will join you.”

Bella flashed her fangs in the form of a wide smile. “Nice. We can hash out the details later. We should probably start walking.”

So much for our workout…