I spluttered as a warmth spread through my body, jolting me awake. My eyes shot open to see Moose and Himia standing over me. Blinking until things started focusing better, I felt around on the cold tile floor as I got my bearings. My body was exhausted and my divine core was completely empty.

  It was awful. I didn’t feel nearly as run-down the first time I was done. There had been a slow, but steady, trickle of energy from Cheroske’s realm that was normal for a paladin. We didn’t recharge quickly without rest, but there was always a connection.

  Right now, my core felt bare and remained empty. Like I was in a deficit, which shouldn’t have been possible. Maybe it was simply circulating through me, trying to soothe my body. I had won this encounter, but it absolutely didn’t feel like it.

  “Why do I feel like I was just trampled by Moose if all of that was supposedly in a mental realm?” I grumbled.

  “Because your body still provides your mind with energy even when it is absent. It seems as though you have gone through more than you are used to,” Himia answered in her usual monotone.

  “Great. Sounds fantastic,” I muttered gruffly. I stumbled when I began to stand up and had to put my hand on a nearby cabinet to steady myself. “How long was I out for?”

  “Roughly three-quarters of a minute, Inspector,” Himia answered. “Moose healed you, then you woke up.”

  “I wasn’t quite sure what to make of your situation,” Moose said, leaning down so that his head was level with my own. “But I figured it couldn’t hurt to try and wake you up. I’m glad it worked out.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I replied with a nod. I took a breath and stretched, trying to remove some of the stiffness in my body. My gaze traveled to the pot. It had been damaged from the short fight with CC, and that had somehow translated to the real world. I nodded towards it. “And what happened there?”

  “Unfortunately, we could not tell what was happening inside,” Himia said.

  I scowled. “No, I mean, why is the pot all battered like that? CC had claws that damaged it and I used it to bash her over the head, but that happened in the void, not here.”

  “Ah, my apologies. I now understand the question,” she replied with a bow of her head. “The Dungeon Nexus is something that must be bound to this world so that the dungeon magic has something to latch on to, and that means it exists in both spaces. Whatever happens to it there will happen in the real world, and whatever happens to it here will happen in the mental one. It is an object of dual nature, which allows those capable of it a way to control the dungeons all at once.”

  “So it’s useful to Carr, the Dungeonborns, and myself, somehow,” I stated.

  “That is correct. You four are the only ones that can interact with it, though that number is now down to three.”

  I shared a look with Moose, who shook his head, and I sighed. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  “Do you need a ride?” he asked as I started leaving, my posture stiff.

  “Thanks, but it’s nothing I can’t walk off,” I answered, waving him away with my hand. The healer followed silently, and I could feel him watching me in case something went wrong.

  Alexis gave us a serene nod as we left, and I returned it. I wondered if the silver woman, or even Logan, were truly sentient creatures or if they were Golems or a similar construct following the last commands Carr had given to them. Himia could answer that question, but I didn’t ask. Right now, I just wanted to leave.

  We stepped into the yellow and black contraption and teleported into the tall grass of the park in Winleshire. Nothing attacked us and the only sound was the wind, so I reached into my pocket and retrieved the Sending Stone and sent a message to Justisius that we would be teleporting soon. He was quick to respond that they were ready for our return at any time.

  Cojisto had Moose’s Teleportation Draft with him, but I had spares thanks to having a smaller team than everyone else. I helped him imbibe the drink, and he popped away unceremoniously. Seconds later, I followed after him.

  The sun moved across the sky as I dropped a few inches onto a soft cushion. We had been warned that the potion would take us onto a ship far off of the coast of the Southern Continent, which meant that any teleportation efforts needed to be higher than the deck would be. A group of medics and clerics surrounded us, and Justisius waved.

  “Badger, Moose!” he greeted warmly. It looked like he had rushed here, and he grimaced as he examined me properly. “Are you alright, my friend? You look worse for wear.”

  “I just finished round three with the worst person in the world,” I grumbled as I walked his way. “You shouldn’t expect me to look like sunshine and rainbows. Did you not listen to the report I gave you last time?” One of the clerics, a priestess of Zizaru based on the bronze holy symbol in her hand, approached me. I waved her off. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. My own healer is right behind me.”

  “If you need any further assistance, Inspector, please don’t hesitate to let me know,” Moose said, getting weird looks from everyone else. The cleric did lower her holy symbol and back away, though.

  “Do we have somewhere private we can talk?” I asked once I reached Justisius.

  “We do, though I’m not sure Moose can fit under the deck,” he admitted with an apologetic frown.

  I turned to look at the healer. “I’m fine here. The sea breeze is pleasant, and I’m glad to have a moment of safety. All I ask is that you send Cojisto my way if you find him.”

  “Is the rest of the team here?” I asked Justisius.

  “They are, and I’ve already sent a runner informing them of your arrival,” he answered.

  “Okay. I’d like Tabitha to be there for our chat, so if you could have someone send her down then that would be great.”

  “Of course, Badger,” Justisius replied before turning to one of the medics. “Could you please send Tabitha to my quarters once she arrives?” They gave him a nod before gesturing for me to follow him.

  I cast my gaze out across the ocean once we got away from the group, and all I could see in any direction was water. We were well and truly away from the danger for the time being. That fact did nothing to relieve the tension in my body, though.

  The next chance I get, I would be right there at the next Dungeon Nexus. Once again, I would be giving it my all in order to defeat CC.

  Even with my already prolific divine core, which held more of Cheroske’s energy than I thought possible given my experience as Tegril’s paladin, I had been wiped clean. Not only that, but my body was sore to the point of aching even after Moose’s spell. The only thing keeping me from complaining was the fact that I was too stubborn to show weakness.

  This time, I had given my all, but what about next time? CC was going to be even more powerful. The difficulty had already spiked from the first attempt to the second, and I expected something even more drastic on the third. At this rate, it didn’t seem like I was going to keep up.

  I frowned at the serene water one last time before going below deck. This peaceful respite didn’t suit my mood one bit.

  Justisius’ cabin wasn’t too far from the stairs. It was a quaint bunk room turned into an office with a small desk nestled between a bed and a couple of chairs. A few scroll cases and books rested on it, but overall it was quite bare. It was clearly a quick, temporary solution. He sat on the bed and gestured for me to take a seat. I took him up on that.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Drink?” he asked as he opened one of the desk drawers.

  My first instinct was to decline it, but then I thought about how nice that actually sounded. “You smuggled your usual order with you? On a work trip?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “That doesn’t sound like a no,” Justisius deflected with a thin smile.

  He pulled out three glasses and a bottle that I recognized as rum even though it was missing its label. Mostly because he ordered his drinks from the Bottom’s Up and I was often the one who delivered them to him. When he served a double pour in each glass and pushed one my way, I was quick to grab it.

  And even quicker to drink the whole thing. The rum went down smooth, and I set the glass back down on the desk hard. I gestured for another.

  “Oh?” he asked, clearly teasing. “On a work trip?”

  “Don’t be a bastard,” I complained, though I wasn’t really upset with him.

  “Me? Never. Coming right up.”

  Justisius poured me another three fingers and I took the glass with the intent to nurse it this time. I took a moment to really take in my fellow Dungeon Inspector. His usually bald head was now covered in thin, curly black hair, as if he hadn’t found the time or will to shave as he normally had. The clothes he wore were mussed despite his appearance being one of the things he was most proud of.

  I was going to ask how he was doing, but the door opened just as I was finished assessing the man. We both turned to see my wife. Tabitha’s eyes locked on to me as she closed the gap between us, then paused.

  “Why are you burnt?” she asked, noting that I was still somewhat scorched.

  “Spiders,” I answered.

  “As good a reason as any,” she allowed before hugging me tightly.

  I wrapped my arms around her, placed my head on her shoulder, and sighed. Her presence helped ease the tension in my body. It felt like I was melting in her presence, though the threat that CC posed still clung to me, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of being next to my wife.

  Justisius, wisely, turned his attention elsewhere while we had this moment. After a few seconds, Tabitha shifted so that she could kiss me. It was quick, but warm, and our eyes met afterwards.

  Are you okay? hers seemed to ask.

  Better, now that you’re here, mine replied. She smiled beautifully, even if it was full of doubt.

  Then Tabitha turned her attention to the alcohol. “Thanks, Justisius,” she said before taking the last glass.

  “Cheers, Tabs,” he replied with a strained smile as he raised his own.

  We all took a drink, and I put mine down afterwards. “How are the kids?” I asked, not bothering with professionalism despite Justisius’ presence.

  “Bah,” my wife replied. “They’re sulking because they got done in by that sleeping spell. Cojisto was fretting over Moose, but he felt better knowing that you were there with him. He was the first out of the door when we got the news of your arrival.”

  “Makes sense. Ferrisdae and Dalsarel are with him?”

  “Mmhmm,” Tabitha confirmed while taking another sip. She smacked her lips when she placed the glass on the desk. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like it any more than they did, but there’s no use sulking about it. It’s unreasonable to think that you can survive everything the world throws on you. That’s why we travel in teams. You and Moose made it through and that was all we needed.”

  I smiled softly at her optimism even as I watched her fold her hands in her lap. Normally she spoke with a lot more enthusiasm than that, gesturing as she made her points, but she was borderline subdued at the moment. Still, Tabitha wouldn’t let that get in her way. She was resilient. I reached out and placed my hand on her leg.

  “Thanks for taking care of them,” I told her honestly.

  “They’re worth taking care of,” she answered with a shrug. “You’re the one with the weight of it all on his shoulders. I’m here to back you up, protect the vanguard, and make sure everyone makes it back alive. So drink up, Badger. The fact that you’re here in one piece tells me that you’ve earned it. Take a moment to rest.” Justisius grimaced at her words, and Tabitha shot him a glare. “Is there not a moment, friend?”

  The threat was clear, and the other Inspector cleared his throat. “Yes. There is a moment. Badger has more than earned it.”

  “But?” she challenged immediately.

  Justisius looked down at his drink, downed it, and immediately poured another. I arched an eyebrow at him before he turned his attention to me. “You really have done what I assume is a phenomenal job,” he started, and I didn’t like this praise at all. “The southern half of the Southern Continent has been liberated from CC’s control in just over a week thanks to the efforts of you and your team, and your pace has been, honestly, miraculous. You and your team have exceeded our expectations.”

  “But?” my wife repeated more insistently.

  He sighed. “But…” he started slowly, leaning back on the bed. I wasn’t sure if it was because of how tired he was or if he was just trying to get farther away from Tabitha. “I have been pressured to ask if you are ready to leave for the next destination right this moment.”

  “I’d rather finish my drink first, if that’s okay,” I replied. “But we can head off, sure. Wherever you drop us will probably be safe enough for a while for me to regain my strength.”

  “No, I mean…” Justisius rubbed his temples and took a moment. “We’re going to teleport you and your group to the main encampment soon, and Teladora is going to get you. She’s found the portal to Mount Rust. She can get you there in just a few seconds. You and one of your team mates, of course, because you’ve told us that you can take two. Basically, we’re ready to end this as soon as possible and we have a plan. We just need you to, you know, deal the finishing blow twice more.”

  My body protested at the mere thought of going out there without more time to rest. Muscles ached, pain pounded across my skull, and my divine core still hadn’t started refilling. I reached out to Cheroske to see if there was something wrong, but I could feel her attention on me. A warm feeling spread through my chest, one that didn’t come from the alcohol, and I knew we were still connected.

  “Absolutely not, Justisius!” Tabitha exclaimed as she stood up and put her hands on the desk. The fact that it was almost taller than she was didn’t make it very dramatic, but damned did she try. She waved at me. “Look at him! He’s obviously not ready to fight CC again, or whatever it is he does in that black space. What Badger needs is rest.”

  “I understand, Tabs,” he replied.

  “That’s Mrs. Rhodes to you,” she snapped without hesitation. “If you’re planning on sending my husband into the grinder like that, when he’s like this, then you’re no friend of ours.”

  Justisius looked like she had just slapped him, and he actually recoiled. He shook it off quickly. “Listen, please. I don’t want to do this any more than you do, but there are lives at stake here.”

  “Yes, and Badger’s is one of those lives,” she argued, drilling her finger into the desk. “The fact that he’s the only one who can end this because that Dungeon Master guy is a coward doesn’t mean you can run him ragged.”

  “And I agree,” the other Inspector said, holding up his hands. “I understand everything that you’re saying, but we are losing this fight despite your prodigious pace. There were even high level talks about leaving since it seemed like CC could only unify the continent through the Dungeon Nexuses.”

  “Then do that,” Tabitha demanded. “Better than killing my husband.”

  “We can’t,” Justisius sighed. “We went through our notes and realized that the Cult of Chaos had actually already halfway constructed one back home, we just didn’t know what we were looking at before Badger came across them here.”

  “Where was it?” I asked, curious.

  “Near Port St. Grandus, which would be close to where CC would have come if the Dungeon Master was to be believed. That’s the only one we found, but that doesn’t mean there’s not more,” Justisius answered before shaking his head. “It highlights the danger even further because, as I said, we are losing this fight. Almost half of our special operation teams have lost people or are out of communication, the Director is starting to flag with the constant portals he’s opening up, Oristrella has gone MIA, and there’s several other problems we’ve got to deal with.”

  I frowned upon hearing this news. The Director was one thing, but Oristrella was another. She had more stake in the war than most others since she was romantically attached to the Dungeon Master. CC had expressed interest in her simply because of that fact, musing out loud that she should seduce and steal the Dragon herself.

  “Things are just bad,” the other Inspector continued. “All around bad, and we need to end this as soon as possible. Every day that passes, the casualties increase by the—”

  “I’ll do it,” I interjected, not wanting to hear the numbers.

  “Badger, no!” my wife firmly said, whirling to face me. “You’re not able to meet their timeline. I can tell that just by looking at you, and I bet Justisius can, too.”

  “But I can do it,” I replied gently, taking her hand in both of mine. “And I have to. I’m the only one who can.”

  Tabitha opened her mouth to continue, but closed it as she looked at me. I smiled at her. Tired, but real.

  “You’re such a damn paladin,” my wife complained quietly, bringing my hand up to her cheek, and I caressed her scar with my thumb.

  I took a breath, holding onto this moment for a few seconds, before turning to Justisius. “Send us to the encampment, but can it wait a few hours? That will give me time to resettle my mind and body. I’ll be ready after that.”

  “Even if they push me, I’ll find the time you need, Badger,” Justisius replied with a nod. “And I really am sorry.”

  “It is what it is,” I conceded. “Now, tell me the plan. Once we’re done with this meeting, I want to spend this time with my people.”