As much as Aura wanted to speak with the others, namely Jackie and Kaelen, now was not the time to do so. While she understood that the meeting was planned to happen one week after they all came to this world, it was bad fortune that she had to go on another monster hunt with her squad. Still, that did not mean that she could not at least look towards her two friends to see just how they were taking everything from that meeting.

  Sitting in what was essentially the mess hall, waiting for their first meal to be delivered by the Runners, she did manage to catch sight of them both. Kaelen had woken up in a more abrupt manner than her, sitting up in bed shortly after she had come to. She had tried to give him a look that said they could talk later but was not sure if she had been successful. Looking at him right now, he seemed to be in an almost contemplative mood. Their gazes did meet, and he offered her a small smile and nod, but seemed content to leave it at that.

  Jackie, meanwhile seemed to be in a more upbeat mood. The other girl had shot Aura a thumbs up when the two of them saw each other. Though whether that was to show that she was okay or as an acknowledgement that she knew Aura had her question answered out loud was anybody’s guess. As usual, Jackie’s mood seemed to drop a bit when she ate with her squad. It was not hard to notice over the past week how there was distance between them all. For the natives of this world, the reason for it was obvious. Jackie just did not behave like they probably expected a woman to, but then neither did Aura. And while for her there were some issues still after so many had seen her in the infirmary, things had been gradually getting better.

  The real issue though, was the other player that was on Jackie’s squad. Orrin, along with the two on the other squads — Darek and Jareth — had been distant since that first day. While Aura had made some efforts to connect with them, since they were all from Earth, they brushed her off. The three did hang out with each other though, so at the very least they weren’t totally without friends. But given how they had apparently been a part of the group that had seen her without a top on while being healed, as well as some of the comments and phrases they used when they thought nobody was listening, it seemed like they were adapting to the mindset of Fortress.

  If this place was nicer, then there wouldn’t be much issue if they did adapt. I mean, we will all have to adapt to a certain degree since it seems we will be here for a long time. I just hope this is a phase or something that they will get over. And not an indication of the kind of people they were before coming here.

  Aura of course knew that there was a chance that the trio could have more, problematic, views on things. The call for alpha testers when this was all supposed to be a game was obscure, so people of all kinds were probably a part of this. Looking at them now though, she did feel some sympathy for them. Jareth looked to be almost listless, while Darek seemed to be lost in thought. Orrin meanwhile looked angry, something that multiple people were noticing. Perhaps the meeting had affected them in its own way, and they would be open to speaking to her now.

  Though given the sound of footsteps approaching their barracks, it probably would not be right now. With the footsteps heralding their arrival, the Runners entered. A part of her did wonder why there were many when just one would be enough to carry everything thanks to the Inventory that people seemed to have. For now, she did not need to question it as her gaze quickly found Violet among them.

  The guy turned girl honestly looked more rested than normal. It did not take Aura long to realize that while all the Soldiers woke up at around dawn to get ready for the day, even if the day was mainly just training, that the rest of the citizens probably got up earlier than that. Thinking back to when she had walked back from the Herbalists and how empty it had been, it probably was not that late either. Fortress ran on a strict schedule it seemed, so sleeping in was not in the cards. Nor was staying up late.

  That aside though, Violet did look better than normal. Whether it be that the meeting served as some strange motivation or something else did not matter. Aura still wanted to speak with her of course but now would not be the time. Strangely enough though, the girl did not approach her squad’s table to serve the food as normal. Instead, she approached Orrin’s table. And on reaching the man in question even leaned close to whisper something in his ear. Whatever it was seemed to give him a determined look on his face as he responded before she stepped away.

  The interaction doesn’t go unnoticed by others though, and some mutterings do break out. But with the seniors also in the room watching them all as they eat so that they can be taken out for their hunts, things are kept subdued. Aura catches Violet’s eyes as she stands towards the back with the other runners and catches a muttered ‘later’ being mouthed to her. Something was going on, though whether it was for the better or worse had yet to be seen.

  For now, at least, the day ahead was already planned out. Hopefully with them heading out earlier they could make it back to Fortress before darkness fell. And if so, maybe she could chat with at least Jackie and Kaelen a little more in-depth about that meeting. Giving a quick thanks to the Runner that delivers her meal, the same porridge-like food, she digs in, to ready herself for the day ahead.

  While Aura’s squad was the first to finish their meals, when Cody started to lead them out of the settlement it was not in the same direction. The first time they headed out into what was essentially the wilds they had traveled along the waterline that flowed alongside Fortress. This time though, they circled the settlement for a little while before heading out.

  “Just like how we have a settlement, the monsters reside somewhere out here. They do not yet know where we are though, so they send out many groups to different points. Lucky for us they are not intelligent enough to realize that sending groups to the same place and having none of them come back is foolish.”

  That was Cody’s explanation when asked why they were heading elsewhere. It made sense in a way, but Aura still felt something was off about it. Sure, they could keep the monsters form finding out where the settlement was by doing things the way they were, but why not take the fight to them? From what she had seen over the week, there were at least a couple of hundred Soldiers able to fight. Not to mention Fortress and his group which seemed to be a cut above the rest. It would certainly be better to wipe the monsters out rather than let them continue to try and find the settlement.

  That was not the only thing that rubbed her the wrong way though. She had been a bit to nervous to notice it on the first expedition out, but looking around there were not any real signs of wildlife. Insects were around sure, but even small mammals or lizards were nowhere to be seen. It painted a bit of an eerie picture for her, but she would have to ask Kaelen his opinion on the matter later. The man had a tracking skill of some kind, so maybe he would be able to give her some more information.

  All of that aside though, the walk was not too bad. Sure, she was still experiencing a constant throb from her injuries after fighting Maul. Despite nearly a week passing her HP had only healed by a couple of points, meaning that health was a far more valuable resource than most would expect in this kind of situation. But she had grown used to it at this point, and hopefully the essence crystal she would get from killing a monster would be able to go towards a poultice to help.

  Other than that, shortly after they stepped outside of the vicinity of Fortress another Quest had been given to her. Though, calling it another quest when it was the same as the first one was a stretch. The only real change was that the quest was marked as repeatable now, as if whatever oversaw it guessed she would be here for a while. And while the constant stream of equipment would be nice, Aura had no intentions on sticking around Fortress for long. Bad feelings about the place aside, she needed to grow stronger faster. Something that would not happen staying here.

  Though, she did have to admit that having monsters to kill every week was quite the tempting thing. It seemed that variety would not be in the cards though, for after what felt like a few hours of walking Cody finally brings them to a halt. Whereas the last place they fought had a fair bit of grass overgrown, this far from any water the ground was mainly dirt. It was a little hilly however, but rather than get to the high ground they were told to simply stand and wait.

  For what felt like another hour, the tension that had been lowered began to rise among most of them. Aura herself felt okay, and looking around it seemed that both Kaelen and Maul seemed calm as well. Her fellow player was even walking about, seeming to examine the ground and muttering to himself. She was sure it was his skill at work and had every intention on asking what he found out later.

  It would have to wait for later though, for eventually shapes were seen cresting over the hill. Giant Spiders were coming over the hill, though they do come to a stop at the top. While the monsters are still, presumably taking in the sight of prey, her squad begins to move. They spread out to not draw more than one Spider to each person, but still close enough to be nearby to help if needed. Aura notices how both Maul and Kaelen have positioned themselves close to her. And how angry both Brad and Heath were about that.

  Pushing the thoughts of those two from her mind for now, she turned her attention towards the now approaching mass of monsters. Just like last time, there were only ten of them heading their way. Unlike last time though, she knew what she was doing. With her club in her right hand, Aura raises her left and points it in the direction of the spider that seems to be heading towards her. She has practiced using her magic since the last encounter with the Giant Spiders, and her DEX is better as well. Combine that with some tips from Maul about fighting in general, and she knew what to do.

  “Mana within me rise. Be unleashed upon those before me as I call your name. Mana Bolt!”

  As the bolt of magic flies towards the spider, Aura notes that it seems a bit more vibrant than when she had first used it. The spell itself has grown stronger, and she cannot wait to see the results. As the magic clashes with the spider head on, it lets out a screech of pain as it flinches slightly. Still though, it doesn’t stop the forward charge.

  [34 Damage Dealt]

  Seeing how much damage she dealt gave an idea of how exactly her spell would scale, though that would be something to dwell on later. The monster was still heading her way, and from the looks she had enough time to get off one more cast. So, taking a deep breath, she repeated her chant and watched as a second Mana Bolt flew towards, and collided with the spider’s abdomen.

  [34 Damage Dealt]

  The monster was not looking to be in good shape right now; she could even see some blood leaking from where the chitin had cracked under the force of her magic. But it was close enough that a simple jump would have it on top of her. Not wanting a repeat of what happened last time, Aura lowers her free hand and has it grip her club as well. Bouncing lightly on her feet, she awaited the monster to make a move.

  And move it did, as once more it leapt towards her once it was close enough to do so. Ready for it this time, she skips out of the way of the monster. And while it is tempting to take a swing at it while doing so, that could cause her to lose her balance. So instead, she waits until it has landed to lash out at the monster with a powerful swing.

  While she has become more accurate with her swings, speed is still something she is lacking in. The monster recovers quickly enough to scuttle out of the way of her attack, before quickly turning and lashing out at her with its legs. It is to close for dodging to be a viable option, not without risking being off balance, so she does what she can and swings her club at the same time. It collides with the side of the monster’s head at the same time as one of its legs collide with her side.

  [27 Damage Dealt]

  [-7 HP]

  Lucky for Aura, unlike last time this blow is not a critical one. It still hurts of course, what with it connecting with her still injured torso. But between the lack of critical, the fact that she is wearing boots that boost her VIT, and the skill she got from the fight with Maul she is far sturdier. The spider however is not and looks to be dazed following her attack. Taking this for the opportunity that it is, she delivers one more blow to the side of it’s head.

  [5 Damage Dealt]

  [Giant Spider Defeated!] [+20 XP.]

  Seeing those notifications are welcome, and she takes a deep breath to calm herself. Looking around, the rest of her squad seems to have this handled well enough. Which just makes her wonder more. Sure, her squad may be among the stronger ones, but this was still only their second time out hunting these monsters. Other squads had to have been at this for years, but for some reason they could not muster a force to wipe these monsters out? There was something bigger going on her, she just did not know what.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The cleanup from the fight did not take that long, with none of the rest of her squad needing helping to kill their spider or having been bitten. Which meant that it was just a matter of waiting for the monsters to dissolve into those motes of light so that their drops could be gathered. As the final Giant Spider was slain, she did get a notification of her quest being completed. The reward this time was a pair of Leather Gauntlets, also offering +1 to her VIT. Sadly, she could not take them out to examine. But the fact that she had even more armor was reassuring. As far as drops, nobody got anything more than Essence Crystals, with Kaelen’s skill not seeming to go off this time. Once everyone had gathered their crystals, the march back to Fortress began.

  Things were a little livelier on the way back, what with it being earlier in the day compared to last time. There were mentions of cleaning up, with implications that Aura should join them in the river. She ignores those suggestions though, knowing that nothing good will come from doing so. And while Kaelen looks uncomfortable just hearing those suggestions, unlike before Maul doesn’t come to her defense. To be fair, washing up after a fight is probably the normal thing to do. But she has other priorities in mind.

  So, for the most part she is silent on the way back, mind focused on trying to piece together various things. From Violet’s interaction with the other trio of players that were soldiers this morning, to the possible implications of why they fought the monsters in the way they did. She had theories of course, but she needed to clarify somethings with the others as well. Thinking about it a little bit, Aura wondered if there was a connection between what Violet had done and the talk they had about some kind of meeting between all the players in Fortress.

  On getting back, Aura breaks away from her squad without a word. Some of them do put in one last effort to try and convince her to wash up with them, but they are easily ignored. Instead, with purpose she begins to make her way towards the Herbalists. While there is some risk going there and encountering the one who had led to some of her dignity being taken away, the constant pain she has been in is something she needs to take care of.

  On getting there, she is somewhat dismayed to see a mixture of men and women inside and working. Most look to be involved in the process of making what is likely the poultice, while a couple of others are standing around. One man, on noticing her, approaches with a bit of an eager look on his face. Much like most of the men of Fortress he is plain looking, with his brown hair being somewhat neater than others. And while he looks to be a little bit older, it doesn’t look like much.

  “Well hello there. You must be the… infamous woman Soldier I’ve heard about. Did your squad treat you a little roughly and you need some healing? Why don’t you strip down so I can examine you thoroughly.”

  The way he was speaking sounded slimy, and if Aura had not already been on her guard she would have been on it. But just from the look on his face she had pegged what kind of person he might be. Not even deigning him with a response to that, she instead taps the air and retrieves the Essence Crystal she had just earned.

  “I do not need healing, just a poultice and some cloth in case of future injuries.”

  While she did not like to lie, it was pretty much necessary at this point. While she did not like that, she would not be able to get patched up right away, she could deal with that on her own later. The man’s expression briefly shifts to an annoyed one, before that same smile grows on his face.

  “Are you sure about that dear? I know how, rough, those Soldiers can be with women. There is nothing to be embarrassed about though. I can make sure that they did not hurt you to badly and get you fixed up nice and easy.”

  “Yes, I am sure. Look I just got back from hunting down some monsters, the job of a Soldier, unharmed. I am tired and hungry and want to get this poultice now before other squads come back and I have to wait.”

  Aura began to raise her voice to get her point across, aware that attention was already on the two of them. While the women kept their heads down, the men were a mixed case. Some were looking towards the man with a look of jealousy on their faces, while some were looking towards her with clear lust. Part of her was debating just leaving and coming back later to not have to deal with this all when it happened.

  “Look girl, you need to stop playing tough. We all know that the Soldiers get exclusive women to play with, and rarely do you come here. So just show us what those men on your squad have seen already and we can get on with-.”

  As the man began to speak, he also reached and grabbed her by the arm. He started trying to pull her along as well, to where she did not know, but Aura had enough. This man, and most of the men here, were clearly looking down on her. She did not know what rumors had spread about her since she had been brought in, but they had some clear assumptions. And while she hated it, there was one thing that had become abundantly clear. In Fortress, might made right.

  “Let go of me and give me the poultice so that I can go.”

  With as cold a voice as she could muster, her free hand went to the man’s arm and began to squeeze. With most of the past week having been spent training, she had a good measure of her physical strength by this point. In a way, this world was far more equal than back on Earth. For despite being shorter and lither, she was physically as strong as Maul. Stats truly were equalizers in this world, or in this case difference makers.

  I can feel him trying to pull away… and his arm feels so fragile in my hand. I’ve heard that people can break bones just through squeezing them. And I think I can do that right now. This world really is quite something.

  Dwelling on her strength being far greater than before, Aura makes sure to apply constant pressure to the man’s arm. At least, up to the point when he finally releases her own with a muttered curse. Letting go of him shortly after she watches him stumble backwards for a moment. As he catches himself, he settles a look her way. One that is a mixture of both anger and fear.

  “F-Fine. I was just trying to show you some kindness those Soldiers clearly haven’t shown you. You’ll get your poultice, but the cloth is only for those who are treated here.”

  Without waiting for her to respond, the man turns and begins to hurriedly walk away. As he does, she catches the fact that his arm is quickly showing signs of bruising already. Shortly after, one of the female Herbalists approaches with a small clay container.

  “Here is your poultice… I’m sorry for how he treated you. A lot of the men have heard some rumors about when you were supposedly last here.”

  The woman’s voice is timid and spoken more as a whisper than anything. Taking a breath to calm herself, Aura fixes the woman with a small smile as she takes the poultice.

  “It’s fine, I should have expected it. You do not need to apologize for him. Was he telling the truth though, about not being able to give me any cloth?”

  “H-He was. Per Fortress’ orders we need to keep track of any and all cloth so that we know when more cotton needs grown. I-If you come back later then the men will be gone and we can treat you.”

  Aura considers that for a moment, before giving the woman a shake of the head.

  “No, it’s fine. Like I said I didn’t get hurt fighting monsters today. And I’m feeling a lot better than when I last came in here. Thank you for the poultice, here take the crystal.”

  Offering thanks one last time, she hands over the essence crystal. Giving the woman a small wave, Aura turns to leave the Herbalists building, well aware of the stares being sent towards her back as she goes. Along with those stares though, is the feeling of unease within her. While she did do so for justifiable reasons, she still used her superior strength to get her way. And that was not the kind of person that she was.

  I can’t just apologize to him though, it would probably be seen as a sign of weakness. Gah! I can’t be thinking like that. I’m not like the people of this place who thinks strength is everything. But it’s not like I can do anything to change their mindset except for by showing my strength…

  It was truly a conundrum for her to deal with, though as she starts to head away from the Herbalists another issue appeared. While she had gotten used to it, her chest was still injured and provided a constant dull throbbing pain. She did have every intention of getting that taken care of now, but it seemed that was going to have to wait. Before she can dwell on it too much though, something draws her out of her thoughts.

  Not too far away, she spots Violet, head down and appearing to be heading somewhere. While curiosity bubbles up, concern does as well. The guy turned girl had acted strangely this morning and looked to be trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. Rather than follow along and try to snoop though, Aura decided to confront the matter head on. Jogging to catch up, only possible because the girl she was after was walking, she waits until she is close before beginning to call out.

  “Violet, hey Violet.”

  While some of the other natives walking the streets do look her way, Aura’s attention is mainly on Violet. Her voice is heard by the girl who turns to look her way. There is a bit of a tired look on her face, though a small smile grows as they lock eyes. Rather than call out, Violet instead turns and approaches Aura.

  “Hey Aura, I’m surprised to see you here. Aren’t you all supposed to be out hunting monsters or something?”

  “We just got back not too long ago, and I went to get some healing… but ran into some trouble. Are you doing okay though, you don’t look so good?”

  Now that Violet was closer, Aura did get a good look at her fellow player. Her hair was a little frazzled, and her gaze looked tired. It was not the gaze of someone physically tired though, but rather someone who was mentally. Just the sight of Aura seemed to help wake her though, if the bit of light coming to her eyes was anything to judge by.

  “I’m fine, just… dealing with some stuff. What do you mean by you had some trouble with getting healed though?”

  “Oh, well I’ve had to go there twice already and the last time I was unconscious. While I was… my top had to come off and plenty of people got a look. A guy tried to imply some things when I just went in, so I left without getting healed.”

  A look of understanding grows on Violet’s face at that. And while her gaze flickers toward Aura’s chest it is not too odd. After all, Violet used to be a guy.

  “Ah, well I know what that is like. Which is odd — something I never thought I would say. But do you need me to go in and get some poultice for you then? I’ve done it before, being a Runner and all.”

  “Oh no, I did get the poultice. But I didn’t get any cloth to wrap myself up with. I’ve felt how sticky it is, and if I wear it with a normal shirt it will kind of hug my chest tightly.”

  “In that case, maybe I can do something to help. Here follow me.”

  Violet lights up a little bit as Aura explains more of her situation. Reaching out to take Aura’s hand she begins to pull her along. And, unlike with the male Herbalist Aura allows it to happen this time. Together, the two of them start to go between some of the buildings in Fortress, Violet talking all the while.

  “While this place isn’t that big, a lot of the buildings aren’t being used. Like all the Soldiers, most of the normal people live in communal housing. It can be rough at times, but I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve even found another place to sleep if things get a bit much.”

  “Violet, if people are bothering you then you can tell me. I may not like it, but I can help put a stop to things.”

  “That’s… honestly really kind of you to offer Aura. But I’ll be fine, I’m learning to deal with it. As much as it sucks, it could be a lot worse too. Now come on into here.”

  The building Violet has led her to looks just the same as any of the others, if not a little more run down. There is a bit of dirt and dust covering things, but it otherwise looks to be decent. Outside of a stone table which seems to be standard for Fortress, it is devoid of any furniture. Gesturing for Aura to hop up onto the table, Violet’s hands move through the air briefly before familiar looking cloth appears in them.

  “Wait, where did you get that? I was told that they wouldn’t give any to people who weren’t just being treated there.”

  “Oh, I didn’t steal it. They… gave it to me.”

  Violet’s response is somewhat timid, and Aura can easily tell that she is holding something back. She believes that the clothes were not stolen, but that just leaves other possibilities for how they were gotten. It doesn’t matter all too much right now though, as the chance for some healing is enough that she lets it slide for now. Another throb of that pain helps to convince her as well, so she drops the matter. Instead, she retrieves the poultice she had just received from her inventory and removes her top. Violet hisses slightly at the sight of Aura’s still bruised skin, though is given a tight smile in return.

  “It honestly looks worse than it feels. I’ve kind of gotten used to the pain a little bit.”

  “You shouldn’t have had to get used to it though… also are you alright with me being here? I mean, I know I don’t look it right now, but I am a guy.”

  “Sure, you are a guy, but you’ve also been living as a girl for the past week. So, I’m sure you’ve already seen some breasts.”

  Both of them chuckle slightly at that, though Violet gets a somewhat distant look in her eyes. The topic is still a sensitive one after all, but a little bit of joking and laughter can help. Not wanting to push things though, Aura starts to apply the poultice to her injured chest, wincing a little as she rubs it in. She keeps talking to distract herself though.

  “So, do you mind if I ask why you spoke with Orrin this morning? He was in a bad mood, probably from that meeting thing, but seemed to calm down after.”

  “Oh that. Well, while I am happy he is doing better after I spoke with him that isn’t why I did it. Calen finally got back to me, after he spoke with the guys who did not end up as Soldiers. It is good that we ran into each other as well. Because I think we can all meet up tonight!”

  “Well that’s good. But seriously, all it took to get those guys to stop being asses was to tell them about Calen? Also, when and where is this meeting going to happen?”

  “Well, that isn’t all it took… I can’t say more right now Aura, but I promise that I will tell you later. As for where and when, here a little bit after dark. I was going to tell you about this all while you were eating your evening meal at the barracks, but I’m going to be by there later tonight to lead everyone here.”

  With the poultice fully applied, Violet hands over the spare cloth to Aura, who begins to wrap herself up with it. Honestly, it is probably for the best that the meeting is happening tonight. After the big meeting that mysterious man dragged them all to, she was sure that the others might need to talk to air some grievances. Hopefully, it would also give them a chance to come to some sort of understanding and make a plan for how to take things going forwards.

  “Consider me there. I can talk to Jackie and Kaelen about it and make sure we are all ready. By the way Violet, I meant to ask but are you doing okay? You looked pretty tired when I caught up to you. And after everything that happened last night…”

  “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Well as fine as I can be anyways. That meeting, gathering thing last night was really something though huh? By the way, congratulations on getting your question answered publicly. It was better than mine at least.”

  “Oh, and what did you ask about?”

  “I may have asked if there was anyway, I could go back to being a guy. Turns out there is a lot, but that guy did not give me a straight answer.”

  That was clearly something Violet needed to say, as a bit of tension seems to break after she admits it. She then starts to break into a fit of laughter, something Aura joins in on. With her chest all wrapped up now, putting her top back on is easy enough. Without much else planned, and there still being plenty of time before they need to do anything, the two of them just relax and casually chat. The time for serious conversations could wait for tonight when all the other players would be here. For now, just enjoying each other’s company was enough.