Years ago.

In a grassy field, a grove surrounded by trees.

What would eventually become their farm was still mere wilderness on the outskirts of Rockmund.

And, for Amelia in the moment, a battlefield.

A row of wooden dummies, complete with rounded heads and straw torsos, arms out like oversized Ts, stood posted all over the field. They did not move, and they did not threaten. But in Amelia’s imagination, they served as an army of deadly foes, weapons drawn and spells casting.

She did a backflip roll through the dirt and sprang up, right arm extended. She jumped backwards and launched her fist, which fired off and smashed through the wood in one dummy’s head. The fist came right back and reattached to her wrist just as she landed on her feet.

But she didn’t let herself have a single second to hesitate. The moment her eyes moved to it, she aimed her wrist and fired again. The next dummy died. Then the next, and the next, and so on.

With each damage, she pictured a fight that she might be trapped in, the kind of perilous punch-out she almost relished.

Out here in the real world, fights were not done for evaluations or for fun. They were life and death situations, and each and every one could mean the end of Amelia’s life. Poof. Her mana would return to the soil from whence it came, and her soul would pass into the Holy Afterplace. But there were worse things than her own death, most notably Ed’s death.

With every use of [Shock Pummel], every launch of [Throwing Hands], every activation of her Boost Module, she pictured the most dear thing in her life—her girlfriend, now sitting on a stump by the tent, watching her—in mortal danger. Perhaps she had been poisoned and needed to be rushed to safety. Perhaps mage enforcers had come to capture her and return her to the research center in Newpool. Perhaps this was the final battle, and the two were making their last stand as hundreds of soldiers blocked the path between them and the board of directors at the North Sunwell Company.

Whatever the scenario, it meant that Ed’s life was in Amelia’s hands. For her entire life thus far, it had been completely the opposite. Now, for the first time, Amelia was the one with the responsibilities. Amelia was the one who had to make sure their hiding place was perfect, that any intruders would be dealt with mercilessly.

These training dummies may have been made of grass and wood, but it did not stop her from attacking with the absolute force required to dispatch flesh-and-blood foes.

Amelia came into close quarters with the final dummy, so close that any foe could blast her at point blank range. But Amelia was faster than them. Nobody could move with the quick-draw speed necessary to attack her in time. Because as soon as they registered she was there, she had already punched their throat in.

This dummy, being an inanimate object, fared even worse. Its thin head blasted into a million tiny wood chips.

It was supposed to be target practice for Amelia, this training endeavor. When she looked around at the overall carnage, it dawned on her that she had completely ignored the point of it all. But it was too late.

A job well done, if she did say so her—

A pole came swinging down over her head.

In one quick motion, she ducked and dodged the sudden attack, but only barely. One inch higher and she would have knocked some of the rocks off her head.

The pole completed its swinging arc and, just as suddenly, a latch clicked. A giant log fell from the trees nearby and began to make its rapid roll towards her.

She jumped just in time. Her hand touched the wood and boosted off of it, so she could land perfectly on her feet without being run over.

The log stopped rolling a second later, and Amelia almost had time to catch a breath—except that she did not. What she thought was a log sprouted arms and legs made of thick, hard wood, and stood up off the ground.

A golem, three times Amelia’s size and with purple eyes and a mouth that roared voicelessly as if it wished to consume her spirit. Rudimentary in design, just a brute force combat golem, but also one specifically created for the purpose of attacking Amelia.

It did not move with great speed, but it did not have to. Amelia launched [Throwing Hands] and sacked it with the force of a weak rifle, but it merely bounced off and chipped the wood close to its eyes.

A few more volleys, and the same result. The wood was too thick, and in just a few seconds it would unleash itself on her.

But she had hardly broken a sweat. If Ed thought this was going to challenge her, she must not have understood her girlfriend as well it appeared.

Amelia dove feet first onto the ground and slid through the dirt. Too dry to go very far, but just enough to get directly under the golem’s torso. She began punching away at its feet and legs as fast as she could, even with her left fist. The skin tore and it hurt like hell, but she managed to make a good dent in one of the feet. Another well-placed [Shock Pummel] and the leg tore completely apart.

One step later, and the golem toppled over and crashed onto the ground once more. Amelia rolled over on her back, jumped back onto her feet, and walked calmly to the fallen tree golem.

If it had the capacity for speech, surely it would be begging for its life right now, she thought. Help me, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up, or something of that nature.

She almost wished it did, so that it would be even more satisfying when she ripped through the bark and pulled the soul gem right out of its body.

A small, delectable treat. Ed’s idea of a reward for completing the training rally. She absorbed the soul energy and felt re-energized.

Also, she had said she had barely broken a sweat, but that metaphor proved quite inaccurate in reality. Her clothes were drenched around the neck and armpits, and her forehead was just the same. Unfortunately, for everything else her system did to keep her body running without the needs of normal human functions, smelling good and keeping water were not among those.

Ed, over on the stump by the tent, clapped. “Congratulations, Amelia,” she said. “You passed my very thrown-together test.”

She hopped up on her feet and began towards her. Amelia knew she reeked, but that never stopped Ed before.

“It was better than I expected,” Amelia said.

“Oh, don’t flatter me. I know it was a little weak. But you’re really getting good with your combat skills. After all that faking around we did at the facility, I’m impressed.” She came up close to her, close enough that they could kiss at any moment.

“I actually learned something, didn’t I?”

“Well, mostly.”

Then, Amelia felt a sharp whip of pain against her side.

“Ouch. Ed, what—”

She looked down and saw a small piece of metal in Ed’s hand.

“Oops, you failed the test,” Ed said.

“...What?”

She shook her head in disappointment that Amelia did not understand. “Yeah, you beat the dummies and the tree golem, but you let your guard down for me. If this were a knife, or Gods know, a magi-knife, you’d be on on the ground already.”

Ed was right. She usually was about these sorts of things.

Amelia bowed her head. “I understand.”

“You get the lesson here?”

“Yeah. We’re safe right now, but it won’t last,” Amelia said. “We have to be ready for it.”

“Exactly,” Ed said. “We just ran away from the North Sunwell Company. The most powerful force on the whole continent. They think you’re dead, and they think I quit in anguish... but surely they suspect a little more, you know?”

“I think so too. We got away too easily.”

“Well, THAT was just my ingenious plan coming into action.” Ed put her hands on her hips, and Amelia was not sure how sarcastic she was trying to be. “But if they ever, ever find out you’re still alive, they’ll chase you down. Rip you apart for tests and other madness.”

“I won’t allow it.”

“You’re right. You won’t, because you need to put your life above everything else. One day, you’re going to be the hero that Sunwell needs, the most powerful being out in these shining lands. You’re going to save us from oppression, because that’s what we decided on together. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I never have.”

“Even if it means letting go of me,” Ed added.

“Now that...”

“You have to promise me,” she said. “If it comes between you and me, you’ll pick yourself. I’m a genius, but I didn’t create you. I could never make someone as wonderful as you. So you’re the one shot we have.”

“Selling yourself short again.”

“Promise me.” Ed smiled, as if already knowing the response to come.

Amelia shook her head. “I can’t do it,” she admitted. “I’ll choose you every single time.”

“Well... That disappoints me, but also it kind of warms my heart. I’m not sure what to feel.”

Amelia leaned her head down and kissed Ed on the lips. She pulled away just an inch, then kissed her again.

“What do you feel?”

“I feel like this place might be perfect,” Ed said. “Let’s live here forever.”

“Alright.”

Sweaty as Amelia was, it did not stop the two from taking each other in a romantic embrace.

***

And Ed’s instincts were correct. She and Amelia lived together in that very grove, which soon became a farm with a house, for four years. It was not forever, but it could have been.

One day, perhaps they could move back out there, Amelia thought. Restart the village, find any survivors and rebuild what they and everyone else lost at the hands of the North Sunwell Company.

That was some time away, though. For now, she wanted her mind to stay focused entirely on the present. Today she would be visiting the Manadhmeth Dungeon, and if she could help it she would be destroying every single trace of Fourland’s synth drug trade.

She used to have a perfect life. But, as Ed always said, she had a higher purpose. The savior of Sunwell and everything that entailed. Her perfect life could resume, but only after she achieved her ultimate directive. The one she set herself.

Here at the hostel, things were still quiet. The sun had not risen, and only a dim, lonely mana lamp lit the common room. The others were barely awake, especially Aeo, who quietly told that goblin girl goodbye and basically pushed her out the door. This did not exactly look like a group of adventurers ready to set off on a magnificent quest; it looked like people who partied a little too hard last night for the amount of sleep they ended up receiving. Phelia seemed asleep even as she stood, and Hummer walked with the cadence of the undead.

They all had their armor on and supply packs on their backs, but certainly were not in shape to actually use any of it.

Mino, while clearly tired, at least wore a pleasant smile as she addressed the group. “Sorry for waking you up so early,” she said. “But if we want to get our tour done today, we’ve got to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.”

“What does that even mean...” Hummer grumbled.

“Let’s get ready to show the dungeon who’s boss!” She raised her arm into the air, and seemed hopeful that someone would match it. No one did. Her expression deflated. “We’ll grab breakfast on Floor 1, okay?”

“Yay,” Aeo said, mockingly raising her own arm up.

“I just need some tea and I’ll be right on my...” Hummer said, but yawned before she could say “feet.”

Amelia hoped she would not have to ruin these people’s tour today. But she would do what she had to if she wanted to save the continent.

---