The whole southwest corner was open.

  Not like a room with the eight-foot-high ceilings, but like the safe zone with the proper ten-foot-high ceiling. The lights running across the floor helped to guide her as she mapped out the whole section. Thanks to her previous run, she had the southeast rooms mapped out, but Penelope was still going to have to enter them since Circe had chosen to tag along.

  The two women stared at the open space in the southeast corner of 11C. A pair of Chom slashed at the barrer, sending a pulse of white light shimmering with every swipe.

  “Don’t do it.” Jeru chastised her.

  Wouldn’t my party still get the experience? Penelope rolled her fingers as she thought about killing the two monsters.

  “But Frederica’s party wouldn’t, which would make the leveling lopsided. Plus, you know she hates it when you fight stuff on your own.”

  Fine.

  “Couldn’t you kill those things from this side?” Circe raised her bow.

  “We’ll get them in a few minutes.” Penelope sighed and walked away. “We should finish mapping the rooms we passed on our way to meet up with Frederica.”

  “Fine.” Circe slung the bow over her shoulder. “You didn’t get anything good, did you?”

  Penelope touched the necklace. “I got something, though the other stuff was all for the Tanks.”

  “I hope there’s an archer in the next one!” Circe skipped beside Penelope. “I got some enchanted gear, but most of what I’m wearing is regular stuff.”

  Penelope glanced at the status screen to see how much gear the other woman was wearing.

  “You’re the only Shooter we have right now, so anything that drops for your class will be yours.” Penelope closed the menu. Despite the level difference, some of Circe’s stats were better than Penelope’s.

  “I hope so.” Circe frowned. “I really wish I was more useful.”

  “You were very useful in the last fight…” Penelope tried to count but realized she hadn’t paid attention through all the fights. “How many of the monsters did you kill?”

  “Not as many as you or Miss Frederica.” Circe hung her head.

  “Don’t try to compare yourself to us; we’re literally not on your level.” Penelope smirked. “Think about all the other level ones. How many of the smaller ones did they kill?”

  Circe’s face brightened. “You’re right! They didn’t kill anything!” A smile split her face. “Thanks! That makes me feel better!” She opened her arms and leaned in for a hug.

  “Boundaries.” Penelope took a step to her right and picked up the pace to keep a safe distance between the two.

  “Sorry.” Circe mumbled. “I forgot.”

  “It’s okay. You’ll start remembering.”

  “Or maybe I’ll wear you down because I give the best hugs!” Circe smiled as she tossed her brown hair over her shoulder. Now that they weren’t in combat, the younger woman had taken off the leather hood she’d been wearing, which allowed her wavy brown hair to spill just past her shoulders.

  Doubtful. Penelope groaned.

  “So…” Circe walked into the second of the front rooms that Penelope had been in before. “Why’d you go through the portal first?”

  Penelope froze as she thought about her answer. She shrugged. “I don’t know. It felt like the right thing to do.”

  “Running into an unknown danger was the right thing to do?” Circe scrunched her brow. “That doesn’t sound like you at all.”

  “And what do I sound like?” Penelope continued into the larger back room.

  “Observant. Calculating. Patient.” Circe smiled as she followed after Penelope. “None of those qualities scream, ‘Run headfirst into a portal to Hell.’”

  “This isn’t Hell, though in the sense that it is a dimensional space that is linked between the Demon plane and our own; there could be an argument made—”

  I don’t need to go down that rabbit hole with her. Penelope sighed and turned around. “Honestly, there were too many people on the surface.” She recalled how frazzled she’d been the last time she’d walked through the portal. “Whatever was in here was at least something I could fight.”

  “There was fighting on the surface.” Circe frowned. “Carl thought that he could get experience by killing people, but he didn’t get any. There was a big trial and everything afterwards.” She paused.

  “What happened?” Penelope knew the answer, but she’d only heard about it in hushed whispers, not from someone who was willing to talk about it.

  “Derek and Emory decided that an example needed to be made, but Emory..." Circe wiped a tear off her cheek. “There was a big fight, and Emory didn’t make it.” She bobbed her head. “Nobody wanted to go against Derek and the others in the Star Tower after that.”

  Who is Emory? Penelope turned her thoughts inward.

  “He’s a good kid, but too much of an idealist. He tries to see the good in people but will also advocate for justice when he feels strongly about it.” Jeru hesitated, but after a moment, he continued. “I don’t think he’s ever survived to the fourth floor.”

  One more lemming to save. Penelope sighed. “Don’t worry, Frederica won’t let the Star Tower run things down here.”

  “But didn’t one of your party members join them?” Hesitation filled the younger woman’s voice.

  “Do you see Dawson down here?” Penelope shook her head. “Don’t worry, he’s a coward, so I doubt he ever comes back into the Dungeon.” She nodded. “Yeah, and Frederica is going to keep a handle on things, so you won’t have to worry about anyone killing people down here.”

  “What about up there?” Circe pointed at the ceiling.

  “That’s…” Penelope didn’t know what to say. Of the over six hundred people who had been kidnapped from Earth, there were only around a hundred who had been willing to come into the Dungeon. That was a lot of people who weren’t part of their group. She remembered Abel’s attitude as well as when Kent tried to take over. Even with the willing group, there were troublemakers.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Penelope smiled. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself on the way back?”

  “There’s not much to tell.” Circe shrugged as she followed Penelope into the room where the first fight had taken place.

  “Are you in school? What about a job? Hobbies? A…” Penelope let that question fade without being asked.

  “Probably best. If you asked if she had a boyfriend, she’d think you were hitting on her.”

  You know, you could be a lot more helpful with these types of conversations. Penelope suppressed a shiver. I feel like I’m drowning.

  “You’re doing fine. Plus, it’s helping her feel better. Just keep talking with her about Earth.”

  “I graduated high school last year. I’m not smart enough for college, and my adopted father said he wasn’t going to pay for me to get a worthless piece of paper, so I started working at a daycare.” Circe shrugged. “I play the guitar, but I doubt we’ll see one of those drop as loot.”

  “You never know.” Penelope grinned. “I’ve seen some pretty weird things. Who knows if there isn’t some rock and roll Demon down here that attacks us with sound?”

  “You’re making that up!” Circe laughed. “But thanks; that made me feel a lot better.”

  “No problem.” Penelope walked into the tunnel that led back to the safe zone.

  “Penny?” Circe stopped in the doorway.

  “Yes?” Penelope half turned but stopped walking.

  “I know you’re planning on rotating through people, but I wanted to ask..." Circe bit her lip. “I wanted to ask if you’d let me stay on your team! At least until I’m as strong as you are.”

  “I think the plan is to do most of this column with the same team, then split us up on the next one.” Penelope motioned for the other woman to catch up. “So you don’t have anything to worry about. You’ll be with me for a while.”

  “Oh, good.” Circe let out the breath she’d been holding. “I had this whole speech about how much more useful I’d be if you let me level up more and—”

  “Circe.” Penelope cut her off. “You’re rambling.”

  “Oh, right.” Circe held out her arms. “Can I get a hug to celebrate?”

  “No!” Penelope pointed at the other woman, then walked backwards as Circe closed the distance between the two of them. “I’m serious, no!”

  “Fine.” Circe giggled. “But one of these days, you’re going to ask me for a hug.” She smirked. “And I’ll give it to you, because I’m nice like that!” She brushed past Penelope as she strutted down the tunnel.

  Doubtful. Penelope watched the other woman walk into the safe zone. There had been a time when she would never have entertained the idea of a friendly hug, but she could feel herself changing. I’m not the same person I was when you took me. She focused her thoughts on the parasite. How much do the Loopers change?

  “That’s not a today you problem.” Jeru motioned for her to leave the tunnel. “Focus on what’s in front of you first, then we can talk about how the loops wear on people.”

  Fine. Penelope forced a smile on her face that she didn’t feel. They’d already lost one person, and judging from the stories she’d heard, it was possible that there would be others while they were trapped on the second floor.

  “Focus.” Penelope chided herself, then turned towards Frederica. It was time to focus on the problem in front of her.

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