Virial led the group deeper into the heart of the Grove, where the towering trees stretched endlessly above them, their massive roots twisting through the earth like ancient veins. The air was damp with the scent of moss and rich soil, and the distant hum of unseen life created an atmosphere of quiet reverence. This was a stark contrast to the relentless chaos they had left behind.

She stopped at a clearing where the roots of the largest trees wove into natural hollows, each padded with thick, soft moss. "These are your resting quarters," she announced, her voice carrying an undeniable finality.

Her gaze swept over them, hard and unyielding. "I will say this once and one time only. There is no violence in my domain. If you break that mandate, you will be severely punished." Her eyes lingered, challenging any dissent before it could surface. "There is enough violence out there to sate even the most bloodthirsty. Don't bring it back here, too."

No one spoke. No one dared. The weight of exhaustion pressed on them, leaving no room for argument.

Rachel and her group drifted toward a section where two trees stood close together, their roots forming enough cubbies to house them all. The moment they lay down, the tension in their bodies melted into the moss, and sleep claimed them within seconds.

For everyone except Rachel.

She had never been good at sleeping after adrenaline ran this high. Every muscle ached, but her mind refused to quiet. With a sigh, she turned over, forcing herself to at least try.

Paul was already awake.

She hadn't expected it, but there he was, lying beside her, his eyes open and fixed on her with that familiar hesitant expression—the one that meant he was trying to be delicate about something. She knew this game. He would waffle, overthink, and eventually stutter it out like he always did.

Rachel exhaled, rolling her eyes in the dim light. She decided to take mercy on him.

"You want to talk about what happened today, don't you?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "What you saw scared you."

Paul swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing slightly before he gave a slight nod. "The look in your eyes scared me," he admitted. "I wasn't sure you would stop." He shifted, his fingers brushing lightly over her arm. "You know how I feel about violence. I'm trying to change, to survive here, but it was just… a lot. All at once, ya know?"

Rachel exhaled slowly. "I know, dear." She hesitated, then pressed her forehead lightly against his chest. "I kind of got lost in the moment. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stopped me." She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. "Thank you for being there for me."

Paul's lips twitched into a small, tired smile. "That's my job, Ms. Hulk." His thumb traced idle circles along her shoulder. "I love you, but don't want you to lose yourself here. I don't want you to forget who you are."

Rachel swallowed hard. The memory of what she'd done, how close she had come to letting the rage take over, tightened in her chest. "I just got so mad. I freaked out a little." The image flashed in her mind—her hands around that man's throat, the raw panic and fury coiling inside her like something she barely recognized. "I was scared you were going to hate me for that."

Paul sighed, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "I think there's too much going on for me to hate my wife just because she was trying to keep us alive." He tilted her chin slightly, meeting her gaze with a familiar, lopsided grin. "Doesn't seem like it would be very fair of me, ya know?"

Rachel breathed, something in her chest loosening as she curled in closer.

"What do you think tomorrow will be like?" she asked, voice muffled against him.

"No clue," Paul admitted. "Virial seems like she genuinely wants to help, so I think it'll be more training. What that looks like? Your guess is as good as mine."

Rachel huffed a small laugh. "Knowing her, it'll be a giant horde of leeches, and we'll have to survive with just a shovel." She shifted slightly, her body finally starting to relax. "The trial today was way harder than it had to be just to get their point across."

Paul nodded. "Yeah, I saw several people die." His voice dropped lower. "The rules here aren't like back home. We're going to have to adapt. I just… hate what this will probably bring out of people."

Rachel hummed in agreement, the sound soft against his chest. She was getting heavier against him, her breath evening out as sleep pulled at her. It always happened like this—Paul would talk to her, they'd get wrapped up in conversation, and soon she'd get comfortable enough to drift off.

"…mmhmm," she mumbled. "Yeah, that sounds go…"

Paul smiled, glancing down to find her as expected—sound asleep, the faintest hint of a snore already slipping through.

At least some things hadn't changed.

He stroked her hair, letting his fingers trail through the strands as exhaustion crept in. His gaze lifted to the sky, to the unfamiliar stars stretching endlessly above them. The sight was strange, unsettling in its vastness, yet still beautiful.

He exhaled slowly, holding Rachel closer as his eyes finally closed.

The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of the Grove, casting beams of golden light onto the forest floor. The cool morning air carried the scent of damp moss and earth, but Virial's sharp voice shattered any tranquility it might have offered.

"Up and out!" she called, striding between the moss-lined cubbies where they slept. "You've got two days of free food, but after that, you work for what you eat. Now move."

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Groans and muttered curses rippled through the camp, but everyone obeyed. Rachel forced herself upright, her muscles protesting after yesterday's fights. Paul rolled over with a grunt, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I think I might be dead," he muttered.

Rachel smirked, nudging him with her knee. "If you're talking, you're still alive. Now get up before Virial dumps water on us."

Paul sighed dramatically but pushed himself to his feet. Around them, others were already stumbling toward the clearing where breakfast was being served—simple but filling portions of roasted meat, dense bread, and fresh berries.

Virial stood near the center, watching them with her ever-judging gaze. "Two days," she reminded them. "That's how long you get free meals. After that, you'll have to earn your food. Killing monsters, gathering resources, completing quests—whatever it takes to get gold or trade materials. The Market Crystal is inside my domain. Use it wisely."

The message was clear. They were on borrowed time.

The morning dragged on in an exhausting blur of movement. They began with weapons drills—repetitive exercises of strikes, parries, and footwork.

"Again!" Virial barked as Rachel swung her sword, the blade coming down at the exact angle she'd been taught. It met the wooden training post with a dull thunk. "Control! No wasted movement. Faster, cleaner. If you swing like that in a real fight, you'll die before your blade makes contact."

Rachel gritted her teeth and adjusted her stance, her body drenched in sweat. Around her, others were in similar states of exhaustion—Charles struggled to keep his shield steady as he practiced deflecting blows, Evelyn worked through the awkward mechanics of switching between her bow and a small dagger, and Nathan swung his axe with an enthusiasm that would have been impressive if it weren't so reckless. He really is like a giant puppy.

Virial moved through the ranks, correcting stances and pushing them harder. Every time someone faltered, she forced them to do it again.

Then came the running.

By mid-morning, they were sprinting through the Grove, weaving between trees, vaulting over roots, and struggling to keep pace. The exertion burned through whatever energy breakfast had given them, muscles screaming in protest.

"Keep moving!" Virial shouted from somewhere behind them. "Your body will fail before your will does. Push through it."

Rachel clenched her jaw, forcing her legs to keep moving despite the growing nausea. Around her, the others looked just as miserable.

Paul stumbled beside her, gasping. "If I throw up, do I get a break?"

"No," Virial said from behind them, almost amused.

Paul groaned. "Great."

By the time Virial called for a break, half of them had collapsed to the ground. Rachel bent over, hands on her knees, sucking in air as her stomach churned.

"I hate her," Nathan wheezed, sprawled out beside Charles, who nodded in agreement.

Rachel swiped the sweat from her face and pulled up her screen to check her stats. The exhaustion was still there, but a tiny spark of satisfaction lit up in her chest as she saw the notification:

My sword skill has leveled up, and I gained some points for free!

She glanced at the others and saw similar reactions—Paul wiping his face with his sleeve as he checked his stats, Evelyn blinking in surprise at her screen, and Charles rubbing his arms as he studied his notifications.

"We gained skill levels from this?" Evelyn asked, her voice still breathless.

Rachel sat back against a tree, letting her heartbeat slow. "Guess so. So much for skills only coming from system allocation. Looks like hard work counts for something."

Paul gave a tired grin. "You mean to tell me suffering pays off?"

Nathan groaned and rolled onto his stomach. "Don't tell Virial that. She'll make us run more."

Rachel chuckled, leaning her head back against the tree. "Buddy. I am one hundred percent sure she knows exactly what is going on." The training had been brutal, but she could already feel the difference as she flexed her fingers around her sword's hilt. Her grip was steadier, and her swings were more controlled.

For now, they had a moment to rest. But Rachel knew the actual work was only just beginning. After lunch, they had to accept a quest and complete it before nightfall.

The afternoon sun filtered through the dense canopy of the Grove, casting shifting light patterns across the ground. The air remained cool beneath the ancient trees, but the lingering fatigue from morning training still weighed heavily on them.

Rachel stretched her arms over her head, rolling her shoulders as she sat against the base of a massive tree. The group had just finished lunch—a much-needed break after hours of relentless drills and endurance training. The meal had been satisfying yet straightforward, providing them with enough energy to push through the next phase of the day. When they returned from running one round, they found tables laid out with random cuts of meat, cheese, and bread. Everyone had descended on it like a pack of locusts, demolishing the food in just a few minutes.

Paul sat nearby, leaning back against the moss-covered roots. "So… we're sure that wasn't some kind of death march disguised as training?"

Nathan let out a groan. "She definitely tried to kill us."

"She's not done yet," Charles muttered, tilting his head toward the clearing where Virial stood waiting, arms crossed.

Rachel sighed and pushed herself up. "Alright, let's get this over with."

As they gathered, Virial waved a hand, and a shimmering screen appeared before them, glowing panels filled with various quests. "Your free meals won't last much longer," she reminded them, her tone matter-of-fact. "If you want to eat, you'll need gold, supplies, and materials. That means working for it."

She stepped to the side, gesturing toward the floating display. "Some of these are simple—hunting Fellgrins, gathering resources, clearing pests. Others are more involved, like cleansing an abandoned shrine. The harder the task, the greater the reward. Choose wisely."

Rachel scanned the quests, her eyes flicking over the gathering and scavenging options before landing on something else entirely.

Quest: Cull the Fellgrins (Uncommon)

Description: The Fellgrins are multiplying alarmingly, their numbers swelling beyond control. If left unchecked, they will overrun nearby safe zones, threatening all who seek refuge within. Their swarming tactics and venomous strikes make them a growing menace that must be dealt with before it's too late.

Goal: Eliminate the Fellgrins and thin their numbers before they become an even more significant threat.

Rewards:

Experience

Gold

1 Item Token

She nudged Paul and pointed at the mission. "This one. We need to see how we fight as a group when not panicked and running for our lives."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Jumping right back into a fight?"

Rachel shrugged. "Better now than later. We must figure out how we work together before something worse than Fellgrins comes along."

Nathan cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Anything's better than picking berries."

Charles studied the quest details, nodding in agreement. "It's a good test. Fellgrins aren't that dangerous alone, but they'll push us in large numbers. Perfect for figuring out coordination."

Rachel turned to Evelyn and Diana. "You two good with this?"

Evelyn hesitated but nodded. "As long as I can stay in the back and shoot."

Diana exhaled slowly. "Fighting's inevitable, right? Might as well start now."

Rachel turned to the twins. "You two still want to stay with us? Are you interested in taking this quest on with us?"

They glanced briefly before nodding. Felicity spoke up on behalf of both of them. "We would like to stay with you guys if you would have us. Thank you."

Virial smirked, clearly amused by their decision. "Not a bad choice. It won't be easy, but it's a solid challenge. You leave in an hour—be armed, prepared, and ready to fight."

Rachel glanced back at the quest details, the day's weight settling over her. The morning had been about training. The real test came: working as a unit and facing a threat together.

An hour to prepare. Then, they'd see just how much they had learned.

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