I woke up feeling incredibly tired. I guess I must've slept pretty poorly last night. Man, I feel like I had some really weird dream, or something, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it was... Well, it's not like I have to get up for anything, so I guess I'll just get right back to sleep.

Yep, just gonna get right back to sleep. Without any interruptions. 

None whatsoever.

Just gonna sit here, and close my eyes, and... 

Uh...

Shouldn't DYN2 have showed up by now? C'mon, dude, I'm obviously setting you up for a joke, get with the program! Once I closed my eyes, they should have shouted 'Goooooooooooood morning, sleepyhead!' or something from that, uh... 

 I quickly scanned around the room, looking for any reflective surface. No mirror, no window, no unrealistically clean surface. Huh. Nothing in this room could be used as a reflective surface. Dang. 

Now I don't really even want to back to sleep. Guess I'll just... wake up like a normal person. 

I actually got out of bed this time. I looked around the room one last time, just to be sure. Nope, nothing. Well, I'll just have to keep an eye out, I suppose. 

I stepped outside of my room and into the inn proper. Huh, doesn't seem like S is out yet. Well, he did seem pretty tired after we finished training. I guess his must've been pretty tiring, whatever it was. It certainly looked complicated, if nothing else. Cool, too.

So, anyways, I have some time to kill. Y'know, that seems to happen a lot, lately. Can't teleport away from the all encompassing force that is boredom, I guess. But what to do? I mean, I guess I could continue training my magic, but I'd like S to train with me, in case I have any questions, or if I mess up real bad and need help. Also, training by yourself is kinda like drinking alone, isn't it? 

Guess I'll just look for something reflective, see if DYN2 shows up, maybe he'll have some needlessly cryptic and vaguely threatening advice.  That's always wonderful. The river near the bridge should work, I wager. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, it's less 'river' and more, like, part of the sea. I've been thinking of this place as a peninsula, but maybe it's actually more like a full blown island. I mean, it's not too far away from the main land, but they're only connected by that weird bridge. Well, I guess they're probably also connected underwater. I don't know if that counts as an island. 

Well, who cares. Anyways, standing here thinking about things that probably don't matter isn't an efficient use of time. I should get moving. 

I looked over at the innkeeper, who was polishing a glass behind the counter. Man, still rocking that robe, huh.

"Yo, uh, if my friend wakes up before I get back, could you tell him I'll be back soon?" I shout from across the room. 

Initially, he seemed a bit surprised, guess he forgot I was there or something, "Oh, sure thing sonny! Just don't keep 'em waiting too long now!" he said, before going back to polishing the glass. 

"T-thanks." I said before I left the inn.

So this is what morning in Basenholm looks like. It was surprisingly lively. There were 3 people tending the farm, harvesting stuff, I think. Looks like a family it's a business, which is pretty neat. Beyond that, the guards were patrolling the same way, there was some girl with a comedically large backpack heading to the general store, the green guy walkin' around, and I think I saw Michaus sprinting off who knows where. 

And it's just a beautiful day, too. Bright blue skies, just a few clouds tastefully thrown about, and, overall, the mood is positively perfect. It'd be a wonderful day for a picnic, for sure. Anyways, I'm gonna go talk to a body of water real quick. 

Now, I know I could just teleport there, but it seems a waste to just teleport around on a day like this, y'know? Sometimes you've gotta take the scenic route. Especially if you've got the ability to warp anywhere at will, it's important to remember to get in some light cardio whenever you can. Superpowers don't excuse poor health practices. 

But man, at risk of sounding redundant, it really is a wonderful day. Reminds me of those class trips to the woods, back in primary school. Those were weird. I've always been kinda fond of nature, though the respect certainly isn't mutual. I've mentioned this before, but animals always seemed to dislike me, so I've always tried to keep my distance from animals, wherever possible. That meant that whenever we went on those trips, I really only ever cared about looking at plants, the sky and all that. I never really cared much to learn the specifics of the all that stuff, but I think that they're cool nonetheless, and that's all I really care about. Heh, almost makes me wonder if I'd have ended up being a florist or nature preserve guy if things hadn't... Y'know. Bang. Man, imagine a guy like me doing either of those. It'd look pretty freaky, wouldn't it? 

Bah, I'm thinking about pointless garbage again. Nature is freakishly good at stimulating thought, I find. Maybe that's why I liked looking at plants so much. 

Anyways, I've just about arrived at the strip of sea/river/water area/whatever. Water's still today. Water's nice, too.

"Goooooooooooooood morning, sleepyhead!" I heard a familiar voice coming from the river.

"'Morning." I said. Nice, it worked. I looked down into the river, and, in place of my reflection, I saw DYN2, wearing golf attire. Weird. 

"Surprised you actually sought me out, to be honest. Could it be that you're falling in love with me? Ooh, how tragic, brings a tear to my eye, truly." DYN2 joked.

"Can it."  

"Oooh, cold. You're breaking my heart over here!" DYN2 joked once again. "Anyways, looks like you've got your own place, congratulations! You sure work fast, don't ya? I'll be sure to prepare some champagne for the next time we meet. Though, thinking about it, seems like your friend did most the heavy lifting." 

It was hard to deny that, honestly. Yeah, if it weren't for S, I'm not sure how I'd be doing right now. I've relied on him quite a bit. 

DYN2 continued, "Though, that's actually pretty reasonable, considering you were dropped into an unfamiliar world with next to 0 knowledge or preparation."

"Wasn't it you who put me here?" 

"You consented. Plus, I'd have helped you a little if you'd been seriously stuck, anyways." DYN2 reasoned. "But that's all besides the point! You need to grow some backbone, my friend!"  

"W-what do you mean by that?" Also, rude!

DYN2 smiled, like they always do before those vague and threatening tips. "You're a lucky guy, but it's gonna take more than luck to make it in this world. At some point, you'll need to show some spine, or you'll regret it."

Yep, there it is.

"And who knows? Maybe that point will come sooner than you think."

They disappeared. 

Well, that's eerie. They're probably right, though. I can't just rely on S forever. One of these days I've gotta learn to stand on my own 2 f-

I felt something pressed up against my back, and my heart stopped.

"Drop everything you have or I'll gut you like a fish."

Oh, come on.