We stopped at six for dinner.

  Miel put up a barrier that would keep the slimes from bothering us and we made sure to pick a spot where no monsters had spawned to sit down. It would have been safer to go to one of the bridges or all the way back to the gate itself, but that would have involved a lot of walking, which was time that we would have lost to farm.

  “I’m level three!” Nakten beamed as she bit into a ration bar. Her face contorted. “You eat these things?”

  “That’s a staple of Adventurers.” I bit into the flavorless bar. “It’s got the nutrients to keep you going while you’re fighting monsters and it’s compact enough that you can eat them pretty fast so you can get back to fighting.”

  “All for the cost of my soul…” She whined and looked around at the others. “Don’t tell me that all of you like these things?”

  “I don’t think anyone likes them.” Justia took a bite out of hers. “But he’s right about being able to eat them fast.” She nodded at the barrier where a pair of slimes had already gathered. “When you’re eating in the Dungeon, you don’t have a lot of time to just sit around.”

  “If I kill them can we eat something else?” The Anubis stood up.

  “If you don’t eat, then you won’t have the strength to keep fighting and you’ll end up hurt.” I pointed at where she’d been sitting. “So sit down and eat your ration bar, drink some water, and once we get you to level four, we’ll head back up and you can get some real food.”

  Nakten’s eyes brightened. “You’re going to take me out for some food?”

  I shook my head. “No, but it never takes much to convince Aelin to go out shopping.”

  “SHOPPING!” Aelin cheered.

  “I’m not letting them go out on their own and I’m not leaving you at the RV by yourself.” Miel shook her head.

  “Awww…” Aelin pouted her lip. “But Nacky is really hungry.”

  “Nacky?” Nakten raised an eyebrow as she turned to the brown woman.

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  “She gives everyone nicknames.” I shook my head, then stopped as I tried to think of her nickname for me. “Well, maybe not everyone.”

  “That you know of.” Aelin giggled. She turned to the Anubis. “You like it?”

  “Not really.” Nakten shook her head. “Sounds like something my mom would have called me when I was learning how to walk.”

  “Oh…” Aelin frowned. “I’ll try to think of something else.”

  “It was a nice gesture!” Nakten pushed Aelin’s arm, then looked at me. “So honey, it sounds like you’ve got to come with.”

  I shook my head. “Trent should be back by then. I can just stay with him.” I looked over at Fray, then Ether. “I’m guessing the two of you would rather stay back than go out?”

  “Gathering others to join your cause won’t help your case.” Miel huffed. “But… You’re right. If Trent is in for the night, you can stay with him.”

  “Cool.” I stretched. I’d run out of clips a while ago and had switched to my snakeblade while my mana regenerated. While it hadn’t slowed our progress down too much, it was taking more out of me to swap between spells and a sword. “Nakten, what skills have you learned?”

  “Shadow Strike and Darkblade.” She puffed out her chest. “I’m killing more every loop.”

  “Speaking of killing more…” Aelin grumbled. “I still think I could go faster by myself.”

  “We’re doing fine on time.” I glanced over at Ether, who nodded. “There’s no reason to be in a rush and getting one of us hurt.”

  Nakten slid her partially eaten ration bar into her CB. “If I keep trying to eat that, I’m going to make myself sick.” She stood up and brushed herself off. “Come-on Ether! I bet we could trigger an elite before these lazy bums get finished eating their cardboard.”

  “You will not!” Aelin crammed what was left of her ration into her mouth. “FRAY! You can eat that while you follow me around! I’m not letting them catch up to our lead!”

  I shook my head as the two women ran out of the barrier, leaving their partners behind.

  “We should probably get out there before one of them gets too enthusiastic and summons an elite while we’re already fighting one.” I stood up and offered Ether a helping hand.

  She took my hand and stood up. I took the opportunity to give her a quick kiss while she had her helmet off.

  “What was that for?” Her red eyes blinked as she looked up at me.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I just felt like doing it.”

  “Then here.” She kissed me back. “For luck.”

  I chuckled as I glanced over at where Nakten was stabbing slimes. “I think you’re going to need more of that than I will.”

  Ether groaned, then put her head on and jogged over to where Nakten was fighting.

  I watched the others for a little bit, then looked over at Justia. “Well…” I took a deep breath. “I guess we better get started.”

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