That big day began at Midnight.

Myles was exhausted, mentally and physically, but he had to keep his wits about him. As soon as Sindra’s announcement went out about Runner’s Plaza, he’d already moved to the edge of safe area and was ready for the turnover when a new option appeared on his Interface.

Name: Myles Chase

Age: 18

Sex: Male

Race: Human

Patron:

Primary Class:

Monster Tamer

Neophyte 2

Secondary Class:

Baker

Proficient

Brawn - 13 (11+2)

Dexterity - 18 (17+1)

Will - 13

Influence - 16

Soul Energy: 50/70

Elemental Alignment:

Titles Available: 2

Active Title: Runner (Kess)

Skills:

Bait

Soul Link

Monster Lore - Expanded

Neophyte’s Item Lore (+)

Stasis Gem Creation

Keen Eye

Traits:

Taste Test

Deft Hands

Resourceful

Mind over Matter

Toss of a Coin

Empathic Link

Dagger Mastery

Minion interfaces Available: Ashra Snowpelt

Homestead Options are Now Available

He could build his home!

With his collected vouchers, Myles would be able to have a place to call his own. Granted, it would only last as long as he was in the competition, but seeing as if he survived he’d be one of the most sought after people on the continent…

Well..

The moment still mattered to him. It was his first place!

Excitement dulled the lull of exhaustion as he mentally nudged the homestead option and was presented with plenty of options, hundreds really, and three recommended. Since he didn’t have the mind of a builder or really an eye for aesthetics beyond a cake or pastry, Myles focused on the three recommendations, and the rest of the information faded away.

—

Recommended Homestead Options for Current Voucher Totals

Recommended Option One: Monster Ranch - Basic

Recommended Option Two: Cabin and garden

Recommended Option Three: Split-level home

—

Focusing on the most obvious choice, the Monster Ranch - Basic information came to life.

—

Monster Ranch - Basic

Cost: 40 Wood, 16 Stone Vouchers

Upgradeable Homestead

Interior - One bedroom, Living Room, Office, Cellar

Exterior - Barn, Root Cellar, Outhouse

Additions - Training Yard, Fencing

Details: A good starting home for a [Monster Tamer]. Taking up a moderate amount of space, the Monster Ranch - Basic, has everything a fledgling [Monster Tamer] would need: a four stalled barn with food and bedding, a comfortable home, and a training yard.

With room to expand as your needs arise, the Monster Ranch - Basic is the perfect starter home for you!

Recommended Comfort Upgrades and Additions -

Bathroom (10 Comfort Vouchers, replaces Outhouse)

Garden (10 Comfort Vouchers)

Stone Fence (10 Stone Vouchers, replaces Wood Fencing)

King sized bed (5 Comfort Vouchers, replaces Basic Bed)

Replenishing First Aid Kit [Weekly] (2 Comfort Vouches, added to the Living Room)

—

It sounded perfect.

As it was, he had just forty wood, eighteen stone, and eighteen comfort vouchers. If he bought it as his starter home, he could upgrade it to get a bathroom, a kind sized bed, and a first aid kit too. He hoped he was right and that the bathroom would have at least some kind of shower or bath. He only had Ashra, so the fence wasn’t necessary anyways. Speaking of her, she was the reason he didn’t even consider a garden. She’d survived as long as she had here without one, so there must be plenty of edible greens in the forest.

That pretty much settled it.

With ten of his vouchers surely accounted for, he couldn’t afford anything else. Maybe he could barter with or use that voucher later? It would be a good way to get some extra coin, and there were always small things he could get later when the merchants began to appear.

Mentally, Myles confirmed his choices, selecting the Monster Ranch, bathroom, bed, and first aid kit upgrades. In the next moment, the world flew out from under him, and he was getting an aerial view of the Runner’s Plaza below him. Myles didn’t bother taking a breath when he noticed his body was still on the grass below. Like it had been when he had chosen his class, his mind was limited to the ghostly, glowing structure below him.

His house.

It was larger than he expected, but it still fit in the zone easily enough. The main house was simple, connected to the barn by a small, covered walkway to keep the rain off. A wooden fence encircled the house from the sides of the house to the front of the barn. Inside it and in front of the barn was a worn, dirt road circling itself, a track? Either way, the building was a palace compared to where he’d come from. The city didn’t really have room for large houses even if his family didn’t really need one.

Right now, the back of the barn lingered in the forest, turning the entire structure an angry red. Could he do something about that or would he have to move his ranch?

As he did with his Interface, Myles focused and tried to trigger the items movement as if he were trying to confirm a selection. To his surprise, it responded without resistance and moved! The entire structure slid away from the forest as if it were on ice. When he left the forest and the entire structure was out of the forest, its ghostly image was a softly glowing, emerald green.

After some experimentation, Myles learned he couldn’t make major changes to the design. Everything was set as it was — except for the foliage strangely.

That one potted plant on the small wooden front porch and the two flanking the main barn’s door could be a red tulip-like flower, a yellow sunflower, or a pink petaled flower. After cycling through it a few times to let fate decide the small issue, Ashra made a suggestion.

The Pink Daylilly.

Was that what the pink flower was?

“Is there a reason in particular?”

I like pink. Then, as if that reason wasn’t enough, she added. Pink Daylillies can also be eaten or used to sweeten food to make it more palatable which will be invaluable to our survival. The Sunflower will only produce once before it dies and its seeds can be tricky to protect. If we tend the Daylilly well, it will continually produce flowers for us to use.

Well, that settled that.

You are welcomed, and I will take good care of them.

Huh, he hadn’t pegged her for a gardener. Then again, she was part rabbit, and rabbits loved plants. Was that speciest? Whether it was or not, if it made her happy and helped her stay focused on staying alive, it was enough for him.

With everything confirmed, Myles set his idea to stone and confirmed his choice. To his surprise, he was right back where he started…

Without his house.

Did he make a mistake?

The [Monster Tamer] almost reopened his Interface before he noticed someone running… no, sprinting towards him, waving his arm in a friendly manner before calling in a low baritone, “Hello!”

Myles waved back, waiting for the man to approach before returning the greeting.

“You’re Myles Chase? The [Monster Tamer] requesting approval for his ranch?”

“Yes…”

The man opened his interface and began checking… something before putting it back. “I’m Mitchel, Mitch to anyone that really cares, but you can call me Mitchel. I’m part of Sindra’s main party in charge of checking housing requests in this part of the plaza. You can imagine we’re pretty busy tonight, so I’ll make this quick.”

Sindra the [Strategist] had said something like that, hadn’t she? Well, there was no way to avoid it, so Myles just tried to smile as he replied. “I appreciate it?”

Mitchel smiled despite the question in his tone and nodded. “Have you been accused of any crimes?”

“Why?”

A sigh. “Please, it’ll make this go so much faster.”

“No.”

“It’s either that or I can’t approve your home.”

It was Myles’s turn to sigh. “No, I mean no, I haven’t ever committed or been accused of a crime.”

His face flushed a bit and Mitchel smiled again. “Sorry, but you can see the confusion.” Myles nodded and the questioning continued. “Are you married or otherwise engaged or dating anyone?”

What? The question took Myles off guard. Was he dating anyone? “No, why would that matter?”

He shrugged. “Just a question. Only a few left.”

“Perfect.”

I didn’t think sarcasm had a feel to it.

“Quiet you.”

Feeling another’s laugh was strange, almost alien and made him smile as Mitchel asked the next question. “Are you willing to be set up with a party?”

“Why?”

He looked over the question and shrugged his massive shoulders. “Efficiency would be my guess. Everyone needs someone to help. Well, except for Jacks, but they’re usually assholes anyways.”

“Jacks?”

“Sorry, [All-Trades] is the proper class title. Most of us just call them Jacks to be nice. It’s better than Jackasses.” When that didn’t clear things up, Mitchel cleared his throat and explained a bit more thoroughly. “They’re people that scored so high on the Qualifier that they have access to every class’s skills as they grow. Makes most of them pretty cocky.”

That was an option? Mists, if he knew that he would have tried harder to max out his scores. “I’d rather pick my own group.”

Mitchel seemed to accept that for what it was.

Still, the questions were strange enough, but they only got more personal as they went on.

“Do you have any children?”

“If I’m not married or seeing anyone…” Myles sighed, he was just doing his job. There was no reason to harass him for it. “No, no children.”

“Preferred partner’s gender?”

“What?”

He shrugged. “Just one of the questions.”

“Why’s that matter?”

“The boss has her reasons,” was all Mitchel could say before he shrugged again. “Everyone’s got to answer, so don’t think she’s trying to court you.”

“Really?” The frustration was starting to bubble over, but Mitchel just nodded again and waited. “Fine, women.”

When Mitchel’s questions got more personal than Myles was comfortable with, he just stopped and nodded or shook his head. After asking about species, the number of partners he was willing to take, and his number of past partners and relationships, they got a bit more normal again.

“Do you have any sponsors?”

“The Runner Times,” Myles said, face still burning with annoyance.

“So, you’ll need an interview spot.” Mitchel retrieved a notepad, wrote a few scribbles down, and asked what Myles had been waiting for. “Alright, last one! Are you willing to do what it takes to survive?”

Was that even a question? “Of course.”

Mitchel smiled at that. “Excellent! Seems as if everything’s in order. Your build and citizenship to the Runner’s Plaza is approved.”

With that word, the world shook. There was a heavy boom, and Myles felt a rush of dust bypass him as his new home burst onto the scene thanks to the power of the dungeon. The smell of fresh timber, stain, paint, and more assaulted his noise as the storm of activity ended as quickly as it began, leaving an entire ranch in its wake.

As Myles tried to hold his jaw up, Mitchel just smiled. “Look forward to seeing you in the Plaza proper. You seem like a good guy, Myles.”

“Thanks,” Myles said, just finding the words as the man turned to leave.

“No problem, just doing my job. We’re having a get together tomorrow afternoon. Not today tomorrow since it is technically after midnight. Tomorrow-tomorrow, if you want to come.”

Myles was too tired for semantics and just nodded, giving the other leave to go.

As soon as Mitchel left, Myles walked into his new home and barely made it into the bedroom before collapsing onto the bed and sleeping a sleep that the dead would be jealous to call their own.