In an apartment that costs more than it should…

  Lucas stared at his computer screen, struggling to process what he was seeing.

  Somehow, Charlie, no-no-no, John, had gathered the money. How? Had all those enchanted items paid off?

  No way.

  She couldn’t have moved as much as two million players combined, right?

  Right?!

  The balance was clear though, and the grin on his face came instinctively. Still, a darker thought intruded, something she’d said about “a guy.” He shook his head, trying to dismiss it.

  John is a man, isn’t he?

  He checked the account again, debating whether to send them the money immediately. No. That would only encourage them to demand more. He set the transfer for six days out, buying them some time.

  “Good evening, Lucas,” a voice spoke from his left, startling him.

  Someone had broken into his apartment.

  Was it the ring? Terrorists? Or maybe that player he’d humiliated, the one who’d vowed to find him in real life?

  Reacting on instinct, Lucas grabbed the gun he kept under his desk, diving behind the table.

  “Name’s Jeffrey, and I come in peace,” the intruder said calmly, a hint of amusement in his tone. Lucas, aiming his gun at him, took in the young, punkish appearance of his visitor.

  That’s him!

  He let out a sigh and lowered his weapon. If this kid had meant to kill him, he’d already be dead. The boy’s face brightened as he continued, “I’m one of the leaders of the Ring of Smiling People. Just dropping in to say hi to you and your girl.”

  Lucas’s heart dropped. “Please leave Charlie out of this! She’s done nothing wrong.”

  “Charlie, or should I say, John-Charlie?” Jeffrey replied smoothly. “See, Lucas, you helped him retire. You were the one who archived his ID, right? I’ve heard some chatter about a plan to… disrupt Charlie.”

  Lucas sank back into his chair, his fears easing slightly. Jeffrey looked like a kid, sure, but Lucas knew very well that his power and reach were unnerving. “Why is Charlie being hunted?”

  “Nathan isn’t happy that I helped her when she needed it. I’m here to support her, the best hero in the game,” Jeffrey said, an amused smile creeping on his face. “I don’t know how it was achievable to change his gender into a female, but the cover is phenomenal. Excellent work, you two.”

  “Yes, but there’s still a problem,” Lucas said, his voice tense. “I owe tens of millions to your colleague. If you could—”

  “Then stop gambling?” Jeffrey cut in with a slight smirk. “I have limited resources for now. I need time to merge some ventures and figure out how the reality compares to the simulation. Mine was around ten percent, unlike someone’s 99.9%, but they were dumb and did not know which company was good and which not.”

  Shaking his head, he continued, “So, survive the next few months, and I’ll be able to help you. But I need something from Rimelion… It’s an item that can only be obtained there, and brought via portal here. That portal is not yet built, but it will be, trust me.”

  “If I might ask—”

  “You may not.” Jeffrey’s eyes flashed. “That would be foolish; Pearl is a rash person, and questions would get her killed. I’ll tell Riker to help you and Charlie. He’s a good man, eccentric, but you should trust him.” He gave Lucas a bitter smile, turned on his heel, and left, his confidence filling the room even as he walked away.

  Back to Charlie...

  Enchanting items was proving to be one of the most annoying tasks I’d ever tried.

  Ever.

  I tossed a pair of gloves at the wall, watching with satisfaction as they slid down to the floor, where I gave them a solid, love-filled kick. Three times for good measure.

  Two months without whiskey? Doable. But this? This was torture. I took a begrudging sip from my waterskin and bit into the cheapest bread they could buy. Real “princess” living right there.

  Break over. Back to enchanting.

  Why? Why is this so stupidly difficult?

  How many times did I need to practice this rune before I got it right? A billion times?! My patience wore thin, and my fist smashed into the armrest of my chair.

  Splintering it into pieces.

  “Wonderful. Just wonderful!” With one more punch, the old table was gone too. Great. Now I had to sit on the floor.

  Uncomfortable? Yes.

  Manageable? Also yes.

  Calm down, John. Breathe.

  Wasn’t I the one who once found a bug with three flying sticks and zoomed around like a comet? I knew how to exploit, damn it, so why was I failing so badly at this?

  The process was grating. My knowledge of enchanting was limited to an exploit, not the actual technique. I gathered more dust and essence, muttering, “Let’s go.”

  I hate this! I swear I’m absolutely the worst with these things.

  The minimum effect I needed to get was five percent just to make it useful for Lisa.

  She seemed desperate.

  That required a rating of at least forty percent, and I couldn’t reach it fast enough! Frustrated, I threw another punch, this time cracking the floor.

  I paused, taking in the scene around me. Something felt off. This was unlike me. Normally, I’d analyze every detail and work out a solution methodically before acting. Could it be my new hormones messing with my head?

  No way.

  Lucy was leagues better at enchanting than I ever was, and she also had to deal with these hormones.

  My success rate? A pathetic one in ten attempts. On the bright side, at least I’d stopped outright failing after the first couple of hours. I glanced at the clock, and the memory of the bar’s comforting warmth crept back.

  Sorry, Lucas… tonight’s a no-go.

  Later, as I channeled mana into the rune, I noticed a faint glow at its edges, a weak line of light that linked the rune to the glove, focusing on the Essence. Interesting. Maybe this was a clue? Carefully, I dusted the connection points with two more layers of essence dust, pouring in mana at a slower, steadier rate.

  Success!

  I tossed the gloves onto the “completed” pile and kept going, enchanted energy practically coursing through me. Dust the glowing spots, channel mana, and bam, instant success! I’d cracked the Enchanting code.

  Pumping my fist with a triumphant grin, I enchanted item after item, far exceeding my assumptions.

  When I finally finished, I sent a message to Lisa and collapsed on the floor, exhausted.

  “You called, sweetheart?” Lisa strode in moments later, flashing a playful grin.

  Why else would I call you Miss Moneybags?

  I thought, but kept quiet. After I nodded toward the finished gear, she eagerly dug through the pile, her eyes lighting up with excitement. Her dazzling smile showed her perfect teeth, and suddenly, I felt my face heating. I turned away, trying to brush off the odd feeling twisting in my stomach.

  Snap out of it, John! You’re a girl now, remember? Maybe she likes girls…? Stop it!

  Once she’d finished examining everything, Lisa squealed and pulled me into a hug, bouncing up and down like a kid.I couldn’t help it; her enthusiasm was infectious, and soon I was grinning and bouncing with her.

  Great, now I was just like those noobs who cheered for killing a wolf who barreled in a mud. And not like a forty-year-old should behave.

  “You’re a lifesaver! I really needed this gear,” she whispered. I mumbled something in response to her shoulder, steadying myself as we jumped. Honestly, leaning my head on her chest was just a side effect… definitely not intentional.

  Our celebration ended abruptly when she pulled out a scroll, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “One last favor, Ice Princess! Enchant this staff for me, and this rune is yours. But—” she wagged a finger at me, “you have to promise not to enchant anything for Dmitry!”

  “Miss Lisa, I’m... not so sure about this,” I muttered, my eyes glued to the floor. “I don’t want to damage your item.” Lisa’s hand found my shoulder, squeezing with such confidence and warmth it sent a comforting wave through me.

  She patted my head, and for a moment, I could hardly keep myself from grinning like an idiot.

  “Princess! You’re so cute!” she laughed. “Give it a shot. If you fail, you fail; that’s okay. I’ll still like you! Here’s a tip: don’t inspect the item before you enchant it. Let it be a surprise!” Her easy encouragement calmed my nerves, and I managed a small smile back at her.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  John, would you have ever guessed a noob would be your cheerleader one day?

  She was onto something, though. Maybe I’d feel less pressure if I didn’t know the full worth of the item. It was probably just regular staff, right?

  She wouldn’t hand me anything rare.

  Right?

  I glanced at the scroll again, and my stomach dropped. The Rune of Fire was more complex than the system led on! “Rune,” it said, but it was two interconnected runes. The first part was straightforward, but the second?

  A mess. It was as if a child had scribbled together three octagons in a haphazard connection, with no sense or reason.

  The staff wasn’t exactly basic, either. It was crafted from dark red wood, and at the tip, a bright red crystal was embedded. Just a cheap crystal, I tried to tell myself, nothing fancy.

  Just a stick, just a stick. Calm down, Charlie. Eh, John.

  Lisa plopped onto the ground, happily sorting through all the enchanted items, humming some tune to herself as I studied the runes.

  I took a steadying breath and dusted the staff with four even layers of powder. After that, I looked for the right placement for the runes. It would look cool, I thought, if I placed them near the bottom of the staff. Perfect. I decided to set the gem about two-thirds up, ideal if I pulled this off. Finally, faint rune outlines appeared, and I guided my trembling hands through each twist and turn of the design.

  Focus, John. Lisa trusted you with this!

  I slowed my pace, feeling a slight, almost invisible tug in my mind as the mana resisted, wanting to surge outward.

  It was nothing like anything in the real world, or whatever our world was. But in an odd way, it reminded me of trying to hold in a ridiculously full bladder. A sliver of light began to shine along the staff, and with my final brush of powder, the runes connected.

  The runes wrapped around the base of the staff, glowing a fierce, bright red, and the gem shifted to match the enormous crystal at the top.

  My snowflake emblem was even etched right into the gem itself! I stared, barely able to believe what I was seeing. An idea that had just been in my head was now there in front of me, real and perfectly crafted.

  I dropped to the floor, paralyzed with fear.

  This… this was one of the rarest drops from the first boss in the Scorching Dungeon. Lisa had trusted me with an Epic-tier dungeon loot? My voice caught in my throat as I stared at the staff, frozen.

  Lisa snatched it up, her eyes sparkling as she examined the stats. “Princess, you’re incredible! Look at this staff!” she squealed, letting out a triumphant laugh. “Wahaha! I am the Fire Goddess! Everything belongs to me now! Eat that, Dmitry!” She swung at an invisible enemy, leaving a trail of fiery sparks in the air, then clutched the staff to her chest, twirling in a graceful, almost professional dance.

  I’d never seen anyone dance with a staff before, but she looked like she’d taken lessons. Probably had given her wealth. Feeling oddly encouraged, I finally spoke up. “I’m glad you’re happy with it. Uh, could I get some equipment too? Level five priest gear?”

  “Of course! Peter’s next door. No, actually, I’ll tell him!” she said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing out the door with such excitement she nearly tripped.

  What just happened?

  The ruthless “Fire Goddess” had kissed me? The rumors about her had to be wrong.

  I followed her lead and entered the next room to find a lone elf sorting through equipment. Nervousness tangled my tongue, and I could only manage a nod and a small smile.

  “Oh, yeah,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Our fearless leader mentioned something about priest gear for you before she bolted off to who-knows-where.”

  I nodded as if this was completely normal, even as he sighed and led me to a room filled with neatly organized equipment scattered across the floor. Hundreds of items, all arranged by type and level. The sheer effort it must have taken!

  Peter, wait when you find out you can build shelves…

  I accepted whatever he handed over and quickly left without a word, mentally kicking myself for being such an ice princess.