“Port! Laine! What are you doing here?” Colby asked.

  “Can’t a girl visit her friend?”

  “Hi, Colby,” Porter said.

  Elaine turned and looked down at the scrawny boy with more holes than fabric in his shirt. “I thought we were going for a cool entrance.”

  “But isn’t saying hi to Colby cool?”

  “Nevermind,” she sighed.

  “Cool,” Colby said.

  “See!” Porter exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

  “Anyway, Colbs. Today’s my day off. And me being the awesome Knight-in-training that I am, I have decided to grace you with my presence. Also, because it’s time to celebrate your accomplishment.”

  “Accomplishment? Wait, how’d you know about my aging cheese, Core Construct? Was I talking in my sleep? Were you stalking me?”

  “What? No. We’re talking about your Tier 1 Core. And the fact that you can finally cast something other than cheese. Remember?”

  “Oh, that. Yes, I remember.”

  “Wait, you can make aged cheese now?”

  “I could always make aged cheese, Laine. The difference is that now it won’t take years.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Here,” Colby said, handing out samples of the young Gouda.

  “Is this okay, Colby?” Porter asked. “Isn’t it better to save it for research so that you can improve it?”

  “Port, you trying it is the research. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.”

  “Okay, Colby.”

  He watched as his two friends popped the piece of young Gouda into their mouths and chewed.

  “Well, how is it?”

  “It’s yummy. Not as good as the cloud the other day, but still super yummy.”

  “It’s yummy, Colby. And… Sorry, Colby, that's all I know how to describe it.”

  “As long as you’re honest, it doesn’t matter,” Colby said. “Plus, it’s miles better than that lobster stew Laine made the other day, right?”

  “Porter, you can be honest. As for you, Colby Tyro.” Elaine’s hand moved toward the handle of the blade at her waist. “You'd better watch your mouth.”

  “I don’t have a mirror with me, right now, Laine.”

  “They were both yummy, Elaine,” Porter scrambled out, trying to defuse the situation.

  “Thanks, Port,” Elaine said.

  “But mine was yummier, right, Port?” Colby asked.

  “Colby Tyro. One more word about my cooking and you’ll be tasting iron.”

  “I mean, if you can make a cheese that tastes like iron, I wouldn’t mind trying it.”

  “Remind me why we’re friends again, Colbs?”

  “Because I’m the best.”

  Elaine just sighed before looking at Colby's parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Tyro, do you mind if I bring Colby out to celebrate?”

  “Sure thing, Elaine,” his father said.

  “Just look after him, please,” his mother said. “You know how much of a troublemaker he is.”

  “Oh, I know. He is not going out of my sight. Bye.”

  Elaine waved before grabbing Colby by the rim of his shirt.

  “Wait! Laine!”

  “What?”

  “Let me keep my cheese first.”

  “Fine.”

  “There,” Colby said, dropping the young Gouda into his Inventory. “Now you can be mad at me.”

  Colby turned around and offered the back of his collar to Elaine. She gladly took it, dragging him out of the shop with barely any effort on her part.

  “Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. See you later.”

  A bark echoed from the ‘Employee Only’ door, and it suddenly swung open.

  “No!” Brie yelled, barging through it. She ran around the counter, chasing after them with Thornelius by her side.

  “I want to go play with Broby too!”

  “It’s not safe, cheese puff,” Jack said.

  “I want to play with Broby, and Laine Laine and Port Port.”

  “Sorry, Brie,” Colby said. “What I’m planning to do to them isn’t safe.”

  “No fair!”

  “How about this, Brie. I’ll let you play with the roller blades again.”

  “Really, Broby?”

  “Yes, Brie. Really.”

  “Yay!” she yelled, running up to hug his half-limp form.

  “Just give me a minute, Laine,” Colby said, slumped over and still being held up by Elaine.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  He closed his eyes and honed in on his Core.

  After a couple of minutes, a pair of [Cheese Boots] with [Wheels of Cheese] underneath them appeared in his hand, along with a [Cheese Helmet], all made out of mozzarella.

  Congratulations! [Wheels of Cheese] has reached Level 2!

  “Here, Brie,” Colby said, handing the equipment to his sister.

  “Yay!” Brie cheered. She dropped to the floor and kicked off her shoes, replacing them with the cheese roller skates before donning the [Cheese Helmet], made to fit her smaller head.

  The blonde girl slowly stood up. Her knees wobbled, and she flailed her arms trying to find her balance. Thornelius rushed over, offering his body for support. With one hand holding on to the Thornwolf’s leafy fur, she skated around the cheese shop. Whenever she drifted too close to one of the racks of cheese, Thornelius would nudge her slightly, pushing Brie away from any catastrophic cheese-truction.

  “Have fun, Brie.”

  “Thank you, Broby! I love you, Broby!”

  “Now we may go, my trusty steed,” Colby proudly declared.

  The force lifting his upper body disappeared, and his back hit the ground.

  “What was that for, Laine?”

  “I’m not your horse.”

  “What other animal do you want to be? Donkey? Camel? Elephant? I mean, I have ridden you before.”

  “Just get up before I change my mind and celebrate with Port alone.”

  “Isn’t it my celebration? You can’t celebrate without the mainman himself?”

  “Then you better get up and keep your cheese hole shut,” Elaine said, stomping out of the shop.

  “Are you okay?” Porter asked, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him up.

  “Nope, I’m Colby,” he giggled, standing up by himself.

  “Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. Bye, Brie. Bye, Thornelius.” Colby waved.

  His parents just waved and smiled.

  Thornelius barked and panted.

  Brie placed her hands on her hips and yelled, “His name is Thorpy!”

  That sudden outburst caused her to lose her balance, and she flailed her arms, nearly falling, before Jack rushed over to catch her.

  “Be careful, cheese puff.”

  “Okay, Daddy.”

  Smiling, Colby left the shop with Porter. Outside, they found Elaine with her arms crossed and tapping—more like stomping—her foot.

  “Hey, Laine,” Colby said.

  The red-haired Knight-in-training glared down at him. “You can’t just tell people you’ve ridden me, Colby Tyro. Especially not in front of your parents.”

  “But it’s the truth.”

  “Sometimes I can’t tell whether you’re secretly smart or just dumb,” she huffed.

  “Why not both? Secretly dumb? Wait! I mean, just smart.”

  Elaine smiled, looking down at him, “Never change, Colbs. Never change. So how do you want to celebrate?”

  “Well, our last celebration involved me eating your cooking. Now I get to subject you to the same torment.”

  Elaine drew her sword and used the butt of the handle to knock him on the head.

  “Ouch, what was that for?”

  “Another word about my cooking that isn’t a compliment, and I will chop your body into pieces and dump them in the forest for monsters to eat.”

  “Noted.”

  “So tell me, Colbs. How do you want to celebrate?”

  “The best way I know how!”

  “With cheese?”

  “Even better! Exploitation of labor!”

  “You want us to work for free?” Elaine asked.

  “I’m okay with that,” Porter said.

  “See, Port’s already in.”

  “Port, you don’t even know what he has in store for you.”

  “It’s okay, it’s Colby. He wouldn’t intentionally hurt us.”

  “Thank you, Port.”

  “You see, I am low on milk. So I need your help to scam some monsters!”

  “What?”

  After a quick explanation of the Daisy Cow milk scam, the three of them headed into the forest.

  “And how do you plan on doing this without that Thornwolf?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out. I mean, you’re pretty big and scary. Maybe you could play the monster.”

  “How are you both sensitive and insensitive at the same time, Colby Tyro?”

  “What? Did I say something wrong, Port?”

  “No one likes to be told they're scary, Colby.”

  “Oh, sorry, Laine.”

  “Good.”

  “You are pretty big. Maybe you could play the monster.”

  “I take that back—Wait, get down.”

  Elaine pushed Colby and Porter to the ground. The sounds of leaves rustling echoed in front of them. Branches snapped as something heavy pushed through the undergrowth. Deep growls rolled over them, followed by terrified shrieks that cut off as suddenly as they began.

  “Monsters,” Elaine whispered.

  “If they’re after the Daisy Cows, then this is perfect. I’ll feel even less guilty about it.”

  They crept forward, inching towards the source of the disturbance.

  The bush ahead burst apart as a stampeding horde of flowers burst into view. At the center, surrounded by milk white petals, was a cow’s head. Its eyes were wide with terror as it bellowed, roots pounding against the ground in a desperate rush.

  Chasing them was a monster that Colby was all too familiar with. Thornwolves. These leaf-coated hounds were bigger than Thornelius—much bigger. While Thornelius barely reached up to his knees on a good day, these were at least waist height.

  The Daisy Cows scattered in every direction, while the protector of the herd, the Daisy Bull, remained. Rather than soft petals, a ring of horns surrounded the plant-animal hybrid. It held its ground, puffing out a cloud of pollen at the pack of Thornwolves.

  The Thornwolves shifted targets. They circled the lone Daisy Bull, low growls rippling through their thorny teeth as sap dripped onto the ground below.

  “Something’s not right,” Elaine whispered.

  “I think you mean, something is very right. Don’t worry, I got this.”

  Colby opened up his Inventory pulling out a leaf-covered ball of mozzarella that he had made for Thornelius.

  “Colby! Wait!” Elaine, harshly whispered.

  “Relax, Laine. It’ll just be like Thornelius.”

  Colby walked out of cover, moving toward the pack of monsters.

  “Here, boys! And maybe girls!”

  The Thornwolves snapped towards him. Predatory glares and menacing growls struck him first. He waved the ball of cheese around, making sure that he got their attention.

  And just like when he first defeated Thornelius, Colby threw the ball of leafy cheese into the distance. “Fetch!”

  The Thornwolves moved. But they were moving towards him—in the complete opposite direction of the delicious treat.

  They prowled forward in a widening arc, shoulders low and eyes fixed on him.

  Colby grabbed another leafy ball of mozzarella from his Inventory and threw it over their heads. “Fetch!”

  They still moved towards him.

  “Fetch! Fetch! Fetch!”

  More leaf-covered mozzarella balls flew overhead.

  They were all ignored, except for one. A sloppy throw caused the ball to land on the snout of the Thornwolf at the head of the pack.

  It snarled and lunged at him. One heartbeat later, and it was already in the air.

  It was too fast. He couldn’t cheese up a solution in time.

  A streak of red flashed across him, blocking the Thornwolf.

  It was Elaine.

  The Thornwolf slammed into her sword. Thorned fangs unable to penetrate cold metal as Elaine held the beast back.

  “Colby! Get back.”

  “Elaine?”

  “It’s like the lobsters all over again. Something’s wrong with these monsters.”

  “I’ll distract them like last time.”

  “No, Colby. They’re higher-level than lobsters. It’s not safe for you. Port! Get him out of here.”

  “Okay!” Porter yelled, running up to Colby, placing a hand on his shoulder and preparing the [Lighten] spell.

  All of a sudden, Colby found himself on the ground. In a surprising show of strength, Porter had managed to shove him down.

  Dazed, he looked up in time to find a Thornwolf lunging at Porter.

  “Port!” Colby yelled.