Daisy was a godsend. The shambler was so stupidly strong it could uproot trees as an elephant would. Just push and push until it was down. The panels and roof of Serena's hut were done, all they needed to do was carry everything to the spot she chose and build it.

Nero noticed the trees they cut didn't grow back although the flowers in the glade did. The patch at the southern area he burnt a few days ago grew back overnight. Maybe it was a property of the trippers, they would stick out like a sore thumb - a thumb covered in flower bandages - if they stood without flowers around them.

It also meant Altia could brew potions all day and would never run out of ingredients. They had a barrel of healing potion and another half-full with mana potion. And that was something any Adventurer wanted. Infinite potion meant infinite fighting prowess.

He was in his [Gadgeteer] mode, messing with two gourds, tubular reeds, and a [Bandanna] that either dropped somewhere or was in the cards from the students. He had no idea which because he just threw everything in the same bag. He'd borrowed Altia's Essence burner and was trying to make the reeds bend in a particular configuration. Altia was watching him while Serena was out hunting.

"May I ask what are you doing? What kind of contraption are you crafting that needs you to keep swapping Classes?"

He answered without looking at her.

"I'm trying to make an automated potion feeding system. One that would feed me potions whenever I need it."

Altia picked up one of the gourds and played with it. "So, you want a second potion feeding system?"

Again, he replied almost mechanically, "I think I can make a second one after the prototype but..." He was hit on the head with the gourd. "What is the problem!"

He stopped doing what he was doing to look at her. Altia was angry, so angry she was getting red. Her arms were crossed and she was glaring at him.

"You already have an automated potion feeding system. One that can even restore mana and stamina with healing potions. Do you know what it is called?"

Nero opened his mouth. "Uhhhh..."

"It is called YOUR WIFE!"

She grabbed him by the shirt, pulled so he would stand and then french kissed him. Now, that is a novel way to scold a husband, Nero thought. He was almost out of breath when she released him.

"Serena just went out hunting," She said with a sultry gaze. "And we'll hear Daisy stomping on her way back from a mile away," She added, with a ragged breath.

Nero could hear some trees breaking far away. Probably Daisy.

"And It's been three weeks since we met her."

"Exactly. Now, do you want me to show you how the potion delivery system works?"

Nero nodded. He scooped her waist and they walked sideways to the tent. "I'd love to."

Serena held her mouth shut as the shambler flew through the woods, crashing and breaking a tree. Daisy stood still, in the same position she was when she launched said shambler away. It was the weirdest slam she'd ever seen. Her charmed shambler engaged another one and they started to trade blows, as usual, They would bounce off of one another and scrape patches of moss away until they reached the vines and then smash the vines until the other stopped moving. Daisy's slam was different. She saw the massive limb connect violently with the smaller shambler and for one second nothing happened. Suddenly as if remembering it had been punched, the shambler flew.

She commanded the charmed shambler to go where the other fell and finish it. Then Daisy to guard her. She walked forward and her shambler was standing next to a broken tree apparently staring at a crystal and a card. Serena picked her loot and examined the card.

[Archer] - UR - Requires Level 1. +10 Agility. +10 Dexterity. +10 Perception.

+5 Endurance

+5 Agility

+5 Dexterity

+5 Perception

"Ammunition-based Ranged Combat Hunting Extermination Reconnaissance - not necessarily someone that uses bows"

Special: Increase your move speed and dodge by half your Willpower.

Special: Increase your ranged weapon attack speed by half your Perception.

Special: Your ranged physical attacks may automatically deal either slashing or piercing damage if one of these damage types is better against your target.

"This might be something Nero would want," the princess mused. "I really have to get him a gift worthy of you, Daisy. Let's keep hunting!"

They didn't take long to find another shambler. Serena did the same. She sent the charmed one first, then Daisy. "Do that same punch again, please," She told her combat pet.

Her charmed shambler was in tatters but she broke another tree. The shambler dropped a crystal and she measured it. One hundred and sixty Essence. She couldn't help but compare to what Nero would get. Four times her amount.

After a dozen shamblers and three more charm spells, Serena was growing bored of watching trees break. She did a sharp turn and headed for the crag turtle area. A few minutes later and they were at the outer edge of the forest. She looked around and found a turtle. Confident, she inverted the orders.

"Daisy, kill it!" She ordered.

The giant shambler stomped toward the turtle. The gray reptile opened its mouth and spewed a jet of water. It hit Daisy and Serena watched, terrified, as the water sheared away Daisy's protective moss shell. She ran ahead.

"[Mana Shield]! [Holy Bolt]!"

A transparent field of force surrounded her, and a ball of golden light shot toward the turtle. It hit the front paw, leaving a scorch mark. The turtle turned its head toward the princess, keeping the jet of water gushing out. It hit Serena and pushed her back. While the shield blocked the brunt of the jet, the water still splashed around as it was harmless. Serena slipped on the rocks and fell on her buttocks, completely soaked.

Her distraction allowed Daisy to cross the distance. The shambler punched down on the turtle's shell and the sound of stone cracking rang against the backdrop of the river water flowing. The turtle bounced a bit on the ground and Daisy punched again. Radial fractures ran down through the shell and the turtle stopped the water jet. The monster bit Daisy's feet and yanked a small portion of moss. The third blow incapacitated the reptile and the fourth caved in the shell.

The turtle dissolved into glitter. Serena stood up and searched for loots. She found a gleaming white crystal along with a red one. An Anima crystal! She thought about using it immediately but pulled back. Her level was four, if she gained a level it would be catastrophic. She put the Anima cristal in her dimensional pouch with the pyramid contraption and recalled Daisy. They returned to the forest. Healing Daisy consumed five [Holy Bolts]. The spells' versatility came with a cost. It healed roughly half of what a specialized healing spell would.

Serena looked at the badly damaged and still charmed shambler and sighed. In her hubris, she almost jeopardized her guardian. She pointed at the monster.

"You. Go in that direction until you find a shambler. When you do, attack it. Daisy, only attack an enemy after my charmed monster does."

She knew her pet couldn't understand her words but the meaning behind the commands. They would perform as instructed.

The charmed shambler didn't take long to find its comrade. The two shamblers traded blows but hers was on its last leg. Moss. Daisy arrived right as her charmed monster started to glow and dissolve. Before the enemy could react, her punch was already connecting. A moment of pause and then it was flying away. Her Arbitrium buzzed.

Congratulations! You defeated an enemy twice your level! You gained one point of Charisma.

Serena re-read the message shown on her display. Then she looked at her last Attribute. Thirty-nine! She skipped a bit, happy. She went around and gathered her loot. The charmed shambler dropped a card. She looked at it, it was a common one. And with a hideous name. [Deforestation]. Extra damage to plant-type monsters. She slid it into the cut on the lid of her card pouch. The cards could get in but not out without opening the pouch.

"Walk behind me and don't engage an enemy if I have no charmed monster," She told Daisy.

The [Enchantress] found another shambler, a big one, probably level eleven. She cast [Charm] and the monster halted its advance. She gave her units their orders and kept hunting. Nero was right. Saving resources was important, but so was killing things fast. She hoped he would like her gifts. She had to pay and then reward them for their hospitality.

A few hours later, Serena was making her way back to the camp, on Daisy's shoulders. She wondered why she didn't think of that before. The only minor problem was when she stepped on a thorny tripper. Daisy took some damage but she just crushed the tripper. Then Serena had to go down to pick the drops. They were almost not worth the effort but if there was one thing spending half a year trapped in a Dungeon taught someone was to treasure every boon.

Altia grabbed the sleeping form of her husband as if he was going away soon. She felt something was amiss. Their honeymoon took an unexpected turn. She didn't dislike Serena's presence but she surely disturbed their dynamic. She also felt like she was being left behind. Nero was hunting but not so much and she was worried he was practicing carpentry for her sake, to not go too far away. He was already stronger than her if he used the right Class and he wasn't stuck with a single path.

She could get a huge boost at level fifty when the tier-II Class became available but that seemed so far away. And a sour realization struck her. When she got that, Nero would be able to visit this place anytime he wanted while she would be forever denied this beautiful scenery. Bezzias' crackpot theories became much less crazy now. She couldn't hold back on leveling as much as she could hold back breathing. It would come sooner or later, through Accolades or using Anima even if she forsook spending Essence.

It was wonderful that she could dedicate almost a month to brewing potions and she learned a lot from her attempts. She felt sorry for using Nero as a guinea pig but she needed someone else's honest opinion. And there was nothing more honest than Nero's face. It was even cute how he thought of different ways to praise her awful brews while grimacing at the bitter and terrible-tasting batches. But she shouldn't have spent all her time on a single activity.

Maybe she was naive in choosing a support role. No, scratch that. She was naive. A village waif, unaware of the reality of the world. Now she was involved with princesses and conspiracy and treason and war. Out of her league. What could she do? What choices would maximize hers and Nero's survivability? They were doomed the moment they met Serena. Help her, turn her in, ignore her. The moment it became known, the entire royal palace would come after them. To punish or to merely silence them. She heard the term once. "Control of the narrative".

What could she do? Get stronger? How strong would you need to be to stand against a level two hundred and forty-something agility fighter whose build was all made out of orange cards? No, that's silly. He'd need thousands of Accolades to get near that level of power. But one thing was obvious. They had resources, they had time. They had a Dungeon to explore and train. They had a barrel of potion and a chemist that would greatly enhance the effects of the brew without assaulting anyone's tongues.

Maybe what Nero was building with the gourds and reeds was his unconscious way of telling her he missed her company during his hunts. Altia felt terrible. Nero meant the world to her. It was a sad fact that girls became women too soon and boys remained brats until late. That gap made her aware of her feelings way before they got their devices and became a delving party. And now it was her duty to do her best to help them both out of this situation.

If Nero could become anything, she would make sure he would become someone that could rely on her support.

Inside the hot tent, she held him tighter and pressed her body against his. There was no better feeling than squeezing him and feeling every inch of his skin this close to her. The way they fit together felt like they were meant to be like this.

Nero was quiet, listening to Altia humming and nodding to herself in some sort of weird internal monologue as she tried to squeeze the soul out of him. He never thought she would be this clingy but she looked happy when he stole a glance at her face. If he moved or stirred she would grasp harder. With the Strength boost from the purple card, she got even harder to resist. He disliked the immobility she caused but the tactile sensation was pure bliss.

Serena did throw a wrench in their honeymoon. They hadn't had time to enjoy each other's company for a long time. And now that he was thinking of it, his body couldn't help but react to its master's will. It rubbed on Altia's leg. She murmured something, snickered, and turned her head up to look at him.

"Oh, you are awake, and very awake, by the looks of it," She cooed. "Is it for me? Mine?"

She touched him and climbed up a bit so she could reach his face. Nero nodded and Altia threw a leg over. The ground shook. Altia dismayed and clicked her tongue.

"Of course she had to come back now. Can you save this for me later, honey?"

Nero took a deep breath. It would be hard to rest now. "It's a promise," He whispered. "Now, go out first, I need time to get myself ready."

She kissed his lips briefly and crawled back to leave the tent, giving him another tantalizing kiss as she moved over him. She grabbed her clothes near the flaps and got out of the tent. Nero threw his head back on the pillow and slammed the tent lining with a backward fist. It would take a while for him to simmer down and rest his body so he could stand near the still afraid of men princess. He closed his eyes and remembered that one time they were pubescent boys in the village and peeped on old woman Hendrickson bathing. In retrospect, he was sure she knew they were there and did that on purpose. Yes, the memory did the trick. His body reacted just like it did back then.

He heard the women talking outside but didn't focus to try and eavesdrop. Without his gear, Perception and Dexterity were his lowest Attributes. He stretched, sat up, put on his clothes awkwardly because the tent was too low, donned his bandolier and crawled out of the tent. His boots were outside. He checked the sun's position when he poked his head outside the tent and soon it would be night.

"Nero!" Serena called him as he stood up. "Come here, please."

She looked excited and happy, like a child on her name-day. Behind her, the lumbering form of Daisy, and Altia was also smiling at him. He took a few steps forward until the nereid's smile faded a bit. Then he stopped. That was the edge of her safe space but it was huge progress. If they both extended their arms, they would touch each other.

"Welcome back, Serena. How may I help you?"

Her smile came back in full and she glanced at Altia, earning a nod. Then she opened a belt pouch and removed a stack of cards.

"These are for you. A gift to repay your hospitality and kindness."

The top card was some Class with yellow borders. He couldn't see what it was because he saw just the bottom, the rest covered by her fingers. Nero nodded.

"Serena, I am happy. I accept your gifts with a warm heart. Finding a true friend in a Dungeon is a fortuitous event. We are grateful for having you. Altia, please."

Nero didn't reach out to take the cards because he didn't want to hurt Serena. The princess was trained to read social cues and even had a Skill that told her what people were feeling. She boldly took a half-step forward and extended her arm again.

"I insist you take the cards from my hand, Nero. I... I have been extremely rude to you. I know you have eyes only for your wife and you would never hurt me. And yet I showed you fear and disgust. I apologize."

Nero reached with both hands. With his left he took the cards, his right hand went under Serena's fingers but he didn't pinch them with the thumb. She could pull her hand anytime. He bowed and brushed his lips against her skin. Then he lowered his hand, her arm falling to her side naturally. Nero took a step back, still bowing.

"I won't accept your apologies because you never offended me, Serena. We are friends. Your spirit is wounded. A hermit that lived a century in a deep dark cave will flinch from candlelight. Become someone strong enough to stand tall under the sun. Altia and I will support you. Not the third princess of Coriander but Serena the nereid Adventurer."

Altia pulled the [Enchantress] into a hug. Daisy didn't move an inch. Serena fought to keep the tears away but Nero was right. Her spirit was still wounded.

"Now, I have something to declare," Altia said. She patted Serena's back. "We are going to eat dinner and we are heading out to sleep early. Daisy will patrol around our camp. Tomorrow, all of us will go out hunting as a party. The card drops of this Dungeon are augmented by the purple boss and we need to capitalize on that. We need Essence for Serena's device, cards for Nero's Classes, and tons of Accolades. From tomorrow on, we are going to delve seriously. No more vacation, no more brewing all day long. Serena's hut is almost done, we just need to assemble it. Who is with me?"

Everyone, even Daisy, punched up.