The Outlands

Ellie downed Mama Bear with a spell, watching in satisfaction as the charred corpse burst into rainbow haze.

“That was awesome, Ellie!” Ilmir cheered. “Keep it up!”

Ellie frowned. Ilmir had been laying it on thick with the compliments, and it just…didn’t feel good. Not with how she had treated Tess. If it had been, say, Ker or Jin, who obviously weren’t playing favorites, or even Eyfura who was clearly trying to help Tess, but given the vast difference in how Ilmir treated people…

“We could have taken care of this faster and profited more if Tess was here.” Ellie said sulkily.

“I’m not so sure. I mean, the monsters here are stronger than the ones in the other dungeon we were at, and she took a while in the boss there, so in fights like this we’d have to divide our attention trying to keep her safe. You really don’t need her, she’s just dragging you down.”

“Actually, she was being considerate.” Jin corrected. “From what Alice told me, she was able to take that boss out in one hit when she was on her own, she was just making sure Ellie was able to get a share of the EXP.”

The group had moved back into the lobby at this point, but Ilmir didn’t give the argument up.

“So? It’s still a goblin and she’s in the twenties. It doesn’t mean anything. When she’s able to do the same to something tanky like Mama Bear or something from a harder dungeon, then we’ll talk. She’s being carried by being way overleveled and that’s not going to last.”

“Yeah, but by then she’ll have way better Skills.” Ellie argued. “If we’re saying that, then I’m being carried by having way higher stats.”

“Her Skills can only take her so far.” Ilmir countered. “She’s got a lot of status stuff, but that doesn’t mean anything if she can’t do any damage. Alright, let’s say she paralyzes something. What then? If she can’t hurt it, she can’t apply her bleed.”

“At that point I come in and give a coup de grace. She’s not working in a vacuum.”

“Not if you’re busy trying to keep three other monsters from taking her out.”

“Theoretically speaking, that’s probably not even necessary.” Ker pointed out. “Only bosses or other smart things are going to target her, and if she gets over her fear of using her abilities to their full extent, she’ll have a couple of minions able to take heat for her.”

“Yeah, but from what I’ve seen she’s not going to get over it.” Ilmir said flatly. “She’s spineless.”

“She is not!” Ellie protested. “She’s just going through a lot of changes right now, and she cares about what other people feel, unlike you.”

Ilmir shrugged.  “I’m saving you both hardship in the future. It may hurt now, but, in a few years when you and I are in the harder dungeons, you’ll thank me.”

Ellie grit her teeth. “Grandpa and Aunt Eyfura believe in her, so why can’t you? I’m pretty sure they know better than you.”

Ilmir opened her mouth to reply, but Jin cut her off. “That’s enough. Ilmir, you’re entitled to your opinion, but if you don’t refrain from voicing it, then I’ll have no choice but to call your grandmother. She told me to do that if you started causing problems, and I won’t hesitate. Understand?”

Ilmir gulped. “Y-yes, sir.” She replied, immediately cowed.

“Furthermore, you’re being an awful teammate. Causing dissent in the party like this is liable to get someone killed, and, in my opinion, is more harmful than even having a completely useless person on the team. Ker and I have escorted a couple of people who thought they could handle themselves in a fight and trying to protect them while they go up against something out of their league is much easier than dealing with internal strife.” Jin lectured.

“But…”

“But nothing. At the end of the day, you’re placing too much focus on raw combat ability and not thinking about other aspects of a team. Even if Tess couldn’t directly contribute to a fight by dealing damage, there are a myriad of other ways she can help out a team, both in and out of combat. By tomorrow, I’ll be expecting you to come back with at least five of those. Otherwise you’ll be given a punishment.”

Ilmir frowned. “You can’t–”

“I can and I will.” Jin replied calmly. “Eyfura gave me full permission to train you as I see fit. And, the way I see it, you’re too focused on fighting. Now, we’re going to go back in there and we’re going to finish this grind off, and I don’t want to hear another word about it. Understood?”

“Yes.” Ilmir pouted.

Ellie smiled inwardly. She couldn’t wait for Tess to come back so she could prove Ilmir wrong, but she would be lying if she said there wasn’t a seed of doubt being planted.  What if Ilmir was right? Everything she knew and had been told said that Tess would be strong eventually, but she couldn’t get rid of that nasty “what if” in the back of her mind.

She shook her head, clearing the thoughts away for the moment. All she could do now was believe in Tess and train herself so that when Tess came back, she could properly support her. Ellie hefted her sword, putting on a determined face. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

---

Ellie kicked her feet back and forth on the bed excitedly, holding her phone in front of her. She had just finished her first call with Tess and there was something…different about it. It was nice to be able to talk to the target of her affections every day but talking over the phone at night was…she couldn’t articulate it. It made her feel like she was really pursuing a relationship.

Still, she had to wonder why the sudden change in Tess’s behavior. She wasn’t the type to do something so bold without provocation, but Ellie couldn’t figure out what could have done it. She didn’t fully buy the whole “prove to myself” thing that Tess had been going on about. That might have been part of it, but it couldn’t be the whole reason; she wouldn’t be so sudden about it. It had to have been something to do with the visit from Jacob, but that didn’t make sense to Ellie either.

Tess didn’t seem like she had been bothered that much by the visit, and even if she had, then all she had to do was say she didn’t want to have any visitors. Furthermore, there was a determination in Tess that hadn’t been there before. That had not been the bearing of someone who was running away from her problems. So, Ellie was left baffled.

Oh. That meant that this, in some way, came back to Ellie. Fortunately, Tess hadn’t seemed off-put, if Ellie was any judge. Theoretically, if Tess returned Ellie’s feelings…could she be trying to prove that she was good enough to be on a party with Ellie? If so, that was adorable, but Ellie couldn’t get too hopeful just yet. Yes, she had obviously had feelings for Ellie in the past, but that had been years ago.

Still, she couldn’t help but grab a pillow and squeeze it tightly, letting out a little squeal. Tess was just too much of a cutie for her to handle. She’d once again have to thank her lucky stars that things had turned out this way, because she couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Ellie bolted upright. Did that mean Fortune was more responsible for Tess becoming a girl than Ellie had thought? She knew Fortune had been somewhat involved, but really wasn’t sure how she felt about her being a more direct cause. On the one hand, it was everything Ellie had ever wanted. But, on the other…well, it was really shaking up Tess’s life, and it was causing her a lot of stress.

Actually…was it right that Ellie was so happy about this? Now that she was thinking about it, it kind of felt like profiting from someone’s misfortune. It was everything Ellie had ever wanted, sure, but Tess hadn’t wanted this, and it’s not like Tess seemed any happier for it or anything.

Ellie frowned. That didn’t completely alleviate her worries with regards to Fortune, but it was better than nothing. Still, she had to pursue this new line of thought about her own feelings. She hadn’t really taken the time to think about how potentially wrong it was.

It…kind of made her feel like a piece of trash. She hadn’t really thought about it in this light before, and certainly hadn’t in any of her scenarios.

She squeezed her pillow tighter, her joyous feet kicking having completely stopped. This really wasn’t a good feeling; she wouldn’t be pleased if someone else was happy about something bad that happened to her, so she couldn’t imagine Tess would be any different. And that hurt, knowing that the way she felt could potentially hurt the one she loved.

She groaned, rolling around on the bed. It wasn’t like she could just stop being this happy, not when this had been a long-time hidden dream of hers. No, she’d have no choice but to make it up to Tess however she could. Once Tess was back and this whole bet nonsense was over with, she’d come clean and beg for forgiveness, and hope Tess wouldn’t be too off-put by it.

It still didn’t make her feel any better, though. She probably wouldn’t until everything was out in the open.

Her phone buzzed and she jumped, shocked out of her reverie by the device. She turned the screen on to find a message from Tess. “Don’t forget to do your homework too!” It read, “I know things are crazy, but Gramps is gonna be really mad if you fail!”

Ellie couldn’t help but giggle and shoot a text back. “Don’t worry about me, I won’t :)”

The two ended up conversing a little while longer, even though they had just finished speaking over the phone, and Ellie had to admit that it lifted her spirits to an extent. She still kind of felt bad about the fact that just talking to Tess helped, but she supposed she could allow herself that. If she didn’t…well, the next month was going to be incredibly hard.

---

Earlier that day, Tess was woken by Eyfura gently shaking her. “Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up.” Eyfura said, smiling faintly.

Tess groaned, stirring. After the previous night she really shouldn’t have been surprised that the hoverer came with really nice pull-out beds, but she had been regardless.

It turned out that the hoverer was actually something akin to an RV with a really nice coat of paint on it; a few hours after they had set out, Alice moved to the front and started messing about with the console. A smooth yet distinctly artificial voice rang out, instructing people to stay away from the front end of the craft while a rearrangement was in progress, and the front four rows of seats began to glow.

After a few seconds, the hoverer glided to a stop and the walls the glowing chairs were attached to began to scoot outwards, eventually stopping once the area was around twice as wide as the other parts of the hoverer. At that point the glowing seats folded back into the wall, and after a moment of stillness a fully-functional kitchen slid out of the walls in their place.

Alice grinned as she looked at Tess’s slack-jawed expression, and reached into one of the cabinets, pulling out a pot. “Let’s have some soup, shall we?”

After their dinner Alice once again messed with the terminal, and this time the entirety of the sitting area was folded back out to make room for the beds, where the three women slept for the night.

And that led to where Tess was now, gradually clawing her way back into full wakefulness. Eyfura placed a tray of food on a small table in front of Tess. “Eat up, it’s going to be a long day and you need your breakfast.”

“Thanks, Eyfura.” Tess mumbled.

Eyfura slid the table away from Tess. “Nuh-uh-uh.” She wagged a finger, still smiling that faint smile. “I’ve changed my mind about things. You call me Auntie from now on. You and Ellie keep forgetting to call me Aunt Eyfura, so I’m putting my foot down.”

Tess hesitated. “Thanks, Auntie.”

Eyfura beamed, pushing the table back to Tess. “Better.”

“Um, we haven’t really even known each other for that long, though.” Tess began. “Are you sure about being this intimate?”

“You haven’t known me for that long.” Eyfura corrected. “I’ve known you for a lot longer.”

Tess frowned. “But when we met a few days ago you said…”

“That I was dying to meet you? Yes, but that’s only partially accurate. I was dying to meet you as Tess, but Thomas is a different story. We met back at Ellie’s parent’s funeral.”

Tess’s frown deepened. “But…”

Eyfura reached into her bag, taking out a ring. When she put it on her beastkin features vanished, and she looked just like a human. “You’d be surprised how many non-humans were there.” She said, smirking. “I’d be surprised if you remember our encounter, it was pretty brief.” She took off the ring, putting it back in the bag.

“But, even more than that, your grandfather won’t shut up about you and Ellie. I mean, I get feeling proud about your grandkids and all, but sometimes I feel like I know more about you than I do Ilmir.” Eyfura shrugged. “Just think of me as that one aunt you barely know at the family reunion, if that helps. It’s honestly not too far off from the truth.”

“I…yeah, that actually does help.” Tess replied, beginning to eat her food.

“Good to hear.” Alice said, coming out from the bathroom. “We’ve got half an hour to be ready, then we’re going in, OK?”

Tess nodded. “What’s the dungeon like?”

“Like the other dungeons you’ve been to, but combined. Tougher monsters, tougher traps, bigger floors, more floors.” Alice listed, “But the rewards are also better.”

“Not that much better for Tess, actually.” Eyfura corrected. “The beginner dungeons’ Rewards Crystal rewards are too good for the difficulty, with the best stuff being as good as the best stuff this place has to offer, just rarer. So, while for most people the Rewards Crystals from dungeons like these are better, that’s not really the case for Tess.

“Anyway, what this dungeon has that the beginner dungeons don’t is treasure chests. Get used to those, you’re going to see them a lot. The appearance rate and contents are based on the party’s Luck, and…well, we know how that’s going to turn out.”

Tess nodded, swallowing a bite of bacon. “Sounds cool.”

Alice shook her head. “I really envy you sometimes,” She said, shaking her head. “Still, if we want to make the most of this month, we gotta hurry. While you eat, I’m going to give you the rundown on this dungeon, alright? That way we’re not wasting time.”

“Good idea,” Eyfura said, standing up and making her way towards the kitchen, “I’m going to finish cooking the rest of the food, let me know if either of you want seconds, alright?”

“Yes, Ey–” Tess stopped, correcting herself, “Yes, Auntie.” She started, realizing she had forgotten something. “Um, I had been thinking…” She began nervously.

“Go on.” Eyfura prodded.

“I was thinking about how weird it felt having so much better hearing now, and how that wasn’t really…humanly possible, and I was thinking that, maybe, it might be a good idea to put on like…a wolf ear and tail Attribute when I’m in the Outlands, to help give more of an excuse for better senses and the claws and stuff.” She babbled, it all just sort of spilling out when she mentioned it, despite the embarrassment she was feeling.

Eyfura thought about that for a second. “I think that’s a good idea.” She eventually said, “I hadn’t even thought of that. Well, I didn’t know that was a thing you could do, but I don’t know if I would have thought of it if you had.”

“I don’t particularly see a need for it, but if you’re not using those slots for something else then go for it if it makes you feel better.” Alice added.

Tess nodded, taking the Attribute from the Monstrous Wolf (Young) core she had yet to eject and putting it into one of her slots. She had a few she had yet to put anything in, having been content with her current loadout and not really seeing anything worth taking from the cores she had. The only really tempting one was Iron Fur from the Emperor Lion, but she wasn’t particularly interested in growing a layer of fur over her body.

Especially when she found out how clothes felt over the fur. It was not comfortable. So, she had just left well enough alone; if she really needed anything it didn’t take any time to take it out of the core, only putting an Attribute in did, as far as she could tell.

Eyfura smiled as the blond ears and tail sprouted, then laughed as she saw Tess’s expression. “Yeah, if you don’t make room for the tail, pants are tricky. The key is to wear them a little lower than you’re used to, the tail will hide anything you’re worried will show. I mean, there’s a little more skin, yeah, but it’s barely even noticeable. And you got your armor from Io’s, right?” She continued, seeing Alice’s nod. “Don’t worry about the armor, then. It’ll adapt itself to fit.”

She winked and left to cook, while Alice sat down across from Tess and began her explanation. Soon afterwards, everyone was geared up and ready to go. It was time for Tess’s first real dungeon dive.