[Floor 20]

  Faehelm: A second world, holding fae creatures.

  ***

  Spawned on a chair, Lodio slumped off, hitting the marble floor with a meaty thud.

  “Well, you don’t look too right!” A chuckle. “Wouldn’t like you to die in front of my eyes. Look at this bloody mess.” With two claps, two fairies materialized. “Jassi and Rosy! Heal this poor man.”

  With nods, they hovered their tiny hands over Lodio.

  Something stirred inside Lodio’s stomach. Then as quickly as it began, it stopped. Lodio pushed himself up and caught himself on the oak desk. Two breathy gasps. Then, he stood fully, his shoulders shrugging. His gaze landed on the man: long braided hair framing his face with wooden beads and small circular glasses.

  “Well, look at you. All nice and healed.”

  That voice again.

  This man?

  “Well, congratulations!” He applauded. “You have passed all twenty floors! Now, you became a Vagabonder,” he paused. “Now… what do you want to do as a Vagabonder? That is up to you. Want to find artifacts, fight fae beasts, or simply start a company? That is up to you.”

  Ding!

  [You have been promoted to a Vagabonder!]

  Lodio stared at the screen.

  “W-what’s—more floors—“

  “Of course there are more. The floors never stop. More tests, more Gilds, more power. What will you do?” The man leaned forward, his lips curled into a smirk.

  Lodio didn’t answer. No. He stared at the man’s face. Then, with parted lips, “Fight.”

  The man threw back his head and laughed. “Fight? Fight? You’ve done plenty of fighting, but you seek more? I see it. Your Anima. Enough rambling, off you go.”

  Dissolved into mist.

  [Outer World]

  Lodio’s fluttered open, finding himself on a hammock. His eyes stared at the rocking ceiling. To his right was a porthole, sunlight intruding in. Rolling himself out of the hammock, he pushed himself up. His hand was placed on the wooden wall.

  It all felt surreal: his breathing, the rocking movement, and being a Vagabonder. A Vagabonder. Lodio’s gripped the knob and twisted it open, revealing the blinding lights.

  Above, the seagulls squawked, circling the deck. At the ship’s heart, people scrubbed and cleaned the floors. Seated on a barrel, a man sharpened his knife with a whetstone.

  “Ah, you must be the primary customer! You’re awake!” Next to him, a man chirped. “We’ll be arriving soon.”

  Lodio didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped forward, making the floor creak. His nose crinkled from the scent of salty sweat and fish.

  Is this… the… Outer World?

  Looking around, he spotted a small boat propelling toward him.

  “Stand back! That’s the ship raiders! We got—“

  Unsheathing his sword, Lodio approached the white railings. He stared at the propelling boat: three men dressed in puffy clothes. One donned a black musketeer hat with a yellow feather.

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  “What are you doing?! Stay—“

  Lodio ignored him.

  When the raiders reached, they jumped and clung onto the ropes. Then, they climbed upward, still grinning.

  Lodio let them climb, let them hop over, and let them brandish their swords.

  “Aye, give me yer—“

  Thwack!

  The musketeer-wearing raider flew off the ship with broken teeth.

  Splash!

  Lodio stared at the remaining raiders for a second. What happened afterward? Their blood stained his face like war paint. His mind flashed back to the fifteenth floor: the beaked figure and that man.

  Val… Val… Val?

  His lower lip disappeared behind his teeth.

  Val…Valerio? No? Diosi?

  The ship ride was calm. People applauded for him and tried to strike up a conversation. But he went back to his chamber, where he tried to flare his Anima again. But every spark disappeared, fizzling in the air. When the ship arrived, Lodio walked out and made his way down the gangplank.

  On the dock, he stared at the looming buildings: stone walls with timber walls replacing the second floor, narrow roads, and vendors. A lot of them. Some were stationed near the wooden docks.

  Stepping forward, Lodio squeezed through the crate-carrying men. They stared at him due to his lack of clothes.

  What do I want?

  He looked up at the fiery ball.

  Gilds… fighting…

  The announcer’s words repeated in his head like a mantra.

  ”Anything you want.”

  In the distance, seagulls squawked, circling the docks. People chattered. And the air? The air smelled like fish and something crisp. Waves crashed against the dock’s legs, splashing on Lodio. With every breath, he tasted the salty air. Crisp.

  Squeezing through the crowd, Lodio made it toward the town’s or city’s heart. A large fountain stationed on cobblestone: three tiers with water cascading on each one. Carved on the fountain was “Galimar City.”

  Then, a laughter cut through the noise. Two men exited, arms around their shoulders. Something about a “huge score,” they said, grinning like idiots. Lodio made his way toward the building, or what hardly was a building. Small. Smaller than the surrounding establishments. Shadowed.

  Bonder’s Guild?

  But before he could ponder, his legs moved before him. And when he stepped inside? All eyes were on him. The people inside were all dressed—a far cry from Lodio’s state of undress. It was dim. They were sitting on oak chairs while some drank from a wooden mug.

  Paying no further attention, Lodio stepped forward.

  “Welcome! How can I help ya?” The man in front of him said, wiping a mug.

  “What is this?” Lodio asked.

  Smiling, the man answered, “, sir! This is where you decide on what to become or simply get food or drink. But judging by how ya look… you’re a newbie, aren’t ya?” He chuckled.

  “Guild? Like a house?”

  “Sort of… there are noble houses. But what I mean is that there are…” The man paused for dramatic effect. “, and more.”

  Lodio stared blankly.

  “Bountibonders? Is that bounty hunters? Mercibonders? Mercenary?” He asked.

  The man nodded. “Yes, yes, so what do ya want to be? Need a recommendation?”

  His sword ached.

  Looking up, Lodio didn’t stare at the man; he stared through him, stared at the parchments pinned on a bulletin board. Charcoal sketches stained it. Two bulletin boards: a Bountibonder and an Assabonder. His gaze flickered between them.

  “.”

  “Ah! Ya have an eye for it! Well, ya should see a pop-up…”

  Ding!

  [You have become a [Bountibonder]!]

  Lodio stared.

  “From what I know… you need to work as a team to rank up…”

  Team?

  Instinctively, his shoulders slumped. As he looked around, he spotted two blondes, saying something about ‘one extra person.’ For a moment, he stood as if his feet were one with the wooden floorboard. But, finally, Lodio crashed through the room, a foot nudging an empty chair or his hips hitting an edge.

  And when did he present himself? The two blondes stared at him. Perhaps from disbelief. Perhaps from something else. Lodio could not—

  “Who—“

  The other blonde shoved the speaking one out.

  “Heya! Ya must be a Mercibonder! Name’s Juless, but you can call me—“

  “We don’t need—h-hey!”

  “Ignore my sister! As I was saying—“

  Fed up, the sister kicked Juless’s shin.

  “Need someone who has—c-can you s-stop?!”

  Lodio watched with an agape mouth. At the shuffling. At the scuffling. At the roughhousing. His pupils tracked their movements. Finally, the sister stepped forward, her finger pressing on Juless’s lips.

  “We need someone who can use their Anima—ahh!”

  She cradled her bitten finger.

  “Well, he clearly did! He’s a Vagabonder! Every Vagabonder can control their Anima, dummy!”

  Lodio’s eyes flickered left to right before settling on Juless’s face. “I used too much Anima… now I can’t use it.” Demonstrating, his Anima flickered before fizzling out.

  “Sorry, I wasn’t imbuing my eyes, do it again, please.”

  Again.

  It fizzled out.

  “Then we don’t—“

  “Charlyne.” Juless turned to her sister. “We’ve been standing here for hours. Hours, I say!” Her eyes were comically enlarged. “Who cares if he’s standing there almost naked… and… doesn’t… can’t use… Anima at the moment…?” Every word fizzled out.

  Lodio stared at his palms. “I can get it back. Tell me about the bounty and when.”

  With that, the Vagabonders’ chatter muffled into the background.