Sometimes, I wondered if it is us humans who are invading the monsters’ homes and not the other way around. Maybe we were the real monsters. 

 

“That’s pretty deep,” Ryder replied when I suggested this idea. “But will that change what we have to do?”

 

No, it didn’t. Although financial gain and fame were the biggest motivations to enter the Door, the threat of the Pockets bursting also made Rhombics necessary. 

 

Ryder and I were walking in the deeper part of the fourth floor. Ryder wore a gray baseball cap and a pair of thick glasses, a rather poor disguise as bad as the one used by Clark Kent. But just like for Superman, this seemed rather effective. Most Rhombics passing by didn’t pay much attention to him. 

 

As long as he avoided using his flame skill, he was safe from being recognized and harassed. 

 

“Nowey,” Ryder whispered. “I think there is one behind that tree over there. Get ready.”

 

I nodded quietly, my fingers tingling in anticipation. Many experienced Rhombics had the ability to sense different energies nearby. What they detected was mana, which was magic the monsters and Rhombics possessed. 

 

I wasn’t capable of this just yet, which meant that I had to rely mostly on my eyes and ears like the common folks. 

 

-And me too!

 

Oh yes, and Gomi. 

 

A week ago, I learned that Gomi was now able to communicate with me in my head. I guess you could call it telepathy. As expected, she wasn’t able to tell me how she gained this new ability, but we got our heads together and guessed that it was probably from her leveling up significantly. 

 

And on top of this, it turned out that Gomi was capable of detecting manas too. She was quick to point them out to me. 

 

Well, when she felt like it that is. I was just relieved that she could do this in my head rather than blurting it out loud. 

 

Whenever I got the chance, usually before or after my lesson with Ryder, I diligently checked Gomi’s and my Displays. Her Power value grew little by little, and the increase in my own remained consistent with hers. But Gomi’s Level recently reached 10, which might have explained her new telepathic skill.

 

Gomi was thrilled to be able to talk to me freely. Before working with Ryder, it has been just the two of us, which meant she could babble all day. I hushed her whenever I spotted other Rhombics, but most of the time, she was free to chat. 

 

But with Ryder with us, I have warned her not to speak. This had to be hellish for her because it was obvious she liked to talk. She still whispered to me from time to time, and I felt bad forcing her to act like a mute. 

 

To be honest, I still didn’t know if others could hear her voice. Since they couldn’t see her, I knew there was a possibility I was the only one who could hear her too. 

 

But I didn’t feel comfortable testing it out. Can you imagine having Gomi say something when Ryder is around and me asking him if he could hear her voice too? 

 

That was a sure way to be sent straight to the loony bin.

 

Now, Gomi could talk all she wanted in my head. The way she sometimes blathered nonstop suggested that the loony bin might still end up being my final destination. But I was slowly learning to tune her out. 

 

Ryder, who was walking by my side, went ahead of me in a broad stride. 

 

“Shields up, Nowey,” he ordered while glancing at me behind him. “Let’s see what you can do. Just try not to suck too much.” 

 

His eyes crinkled as if he was daring me. He was a good teacher, but he could be such a brat. 

 

I put my feet firmly on the ground and narrowed my eyes. 

 

“I wish your fans know what a jerk you are. I should record you and upload the recording online.” 

 

“Ha!” Ryder laughed at me. “Jokes on you since the recording device won’t work inside the Door. You’ll have to do better than that to blackmail me, Nowey.” 

 

I mock glared at him, but my lips curled up a little. I’ve never had a close friend before, so I imagined this is how other kids banter with their friends. 

 

This has been our usual routine since Ryder came to me. He, the Lead, stood ahead closer to the monster while I, the Support, attempted to create as powerful of a barrier as possible. The goal was for my shield to prevent Ryder from having to lift a finger.

 

I concentrated, feeling the mana inside of me gather to my core. I felt the familiar tingle as I formed what I imagined to be a small sphere. Though some of them were tinged with a bluish hue, the barriers were mostly transparent. So I found it easier when I visualized it. 

 

Keeping the shape as consistent as possible, I made the sphere bigger. It was like blowing a protective bubble large enough to encircle both of us. The key was to make sure it thickened as it grew, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds. 

 

“Can you come a little closer to me so I don’t have to make it so big?” I shouted, knowing full well he was going to refuse. Ryder didn’t like to make things easy for me. I always found it so amazing how different he behaved in public compared to when he was teaching me. 

 

He grinned and replied, “You know I can’t do that. You gotta learn to make it bigger and stronger.” He gave me a wink and added, “And that’s what she said.”

 

Ugh, he could be so inappropriate. Whenever I saw him on TV, he acted like a perfect gentleman, hence nicknamed the prince. But in real life, he was like a six-year-old boy whose life goal was to tease and torment. 

 

-I bet he probably eats his own booger. 

 

‘Umm, that was really random, Gomi, but glad you agree that he’s immature,’ I thanked her silently.  

 

I hated it when he was right, but he was. Not about the “that’s what she said” remark, but about how I need to get better. 

 

I have been practicing the barrier formation with him for about two weeks now, and I was getting pretty good. I was now able to create a shield strong enough to protect both of us for a fair bit of time against the fourth-floor monsters. 

 

Training to make the wall bigger was no doubt going to help me greatly down the road, but I still couldn’t help feeling frustrated that even after two weeks, he still hadn’t taught me any fighting techniques. 

 

Noticing my annoyance, he must have realized that I needed more motivation now than just his usual cheerful “good job!”. 

 

With a knowing look in his eyes, he murmured, “If you get this right this time, we’ll move on to the attack skills. How’s that?” 

 

“Deal.” I nodded emphatically, making him smile even wider. 

 

-You can totally do this, sweetie! Just concentrate. 

 

Satisfied with this new incentive, I put more of my mana into the barrier, giving it a bluish tinge. My legs felt a little weak, and I regretted not having a snack before this battle. 

 

But no matter, I had to do this. I couldn’t wait to start hunting actively again rather than keep fiddling with this barrier business. 

 

“Ugh,” I groaned, beginning to feel drained a little. But I liked the feeling because it had to mean that I was getting better at this. The barrier felt solid, stronger than any I have ever made so far. 

 

“It’s coming! Hold it!” Ryder ordered, and I braced myself. 

 

The mistake I used to make earlier was giving up too easily. The moment I felt the monster make a contact with my shield, I would let it go. Ryder was flabbergasted that I didn’t know I was supposed to hang onto it and continue holding off the monster. In his annoyingly condescending tone, he had explained that I should always have some reserve power ready and pour it into the shield the moment I felt it begin to crack. 

 

And that was exactly what I did just now.

 

Thud!

 

-You got this, Leah! Keep holding! 

 

Gomi’s voice in my head wasn’t helping me concentrate, but I tried not to be distracted. 

 

My hands still raised, I pushed back against the troll that tried to get inside the barrier. I was still not as good as Ryder, who could build a shield thick enough to make a monster fall back. But I was getting better, and my wall was still holding without a single crack. 

 

“How long do I have to hold it off?!” I yelled, realizing that I should have made him set a time limit before agreeing to this. Was I supposed to keep the troll at bay for five minutes? For an hour? 

 

He didn’t look worried at all about the monster, and I knew it wasn’t because he believed in my barrier. I was pretty sure he had a barrier of his own around him because neither of us trusted my own. 

 

“Let me think about it!” Ryder the jerk answered, leisurely cracking his knuckles while I was sweating over here protecting his ass. 

 

As far as I could tell, I guessed that I could probably last a solid 10 minutes. But having learned what Ryder was like, I could see him saying, “Ah, too bad. You were supposed to last 15 minutes to win this bet.” 

 

I gritted my teeth, sick and tired of all this. It has been two weeks. Two whole weeks! I thought with the infamous Ryder Reece’s help, I would be on the 10th floor before the end of the second month. Yet after whole two weeks, I still haven’t even made an attempt to take the test to get to the fifth floor. Ryder kept saying I wasn’t ready for it yet. 

 

At this rate, I wasn’t going to reach the 10th floor in three months, which would mean he chose the wrong option. This thought at least made me feel better, thinking he deserved to suffer. 

 

“Ackkk!” This time, I did more than just groan. I screamed, and it wasn’t from the troll charging against my shield. It was my own frustration that made me howl.

 

Why couldn’t I get stronger faster? Why couldn’t I be like the other Rhombics?! 

 

“Just keep going. I can feel it beginning to crack on the left side, so put more mana into it! Remember how I showed you to repair the small cracks, Nowey? Get it done.” 

 

“Dammit!” 

 

I exploded.