(Realmer)

  The state of the American healthcare system was a staggering mess of problematic entities colliding with each other. ‘Magical’ healing not being covered was just standard procedure amongst insurance companies. If you sought magical healing, then none of your hospital bills would be paid.

  It made total sense… from the insurance company’s point of view. They couldn’t standardize the rate of [Healers] and healing potions. Skills, levels, magic and custom potions were difficult to analyze and put on a chart. And if there was a problem? Well good luck trying to get a high realm [Healer] to take responsibility.

  Conversely, those high profile cases often made it so that [Healers] would do less sweeps of hospitals and healing potions being barred from most cases. This was despite the outcry of doctors insisting that even tiny doses of healing potions could reduce the risk of surgery significantly. Only the most serious cases would get approved for healing potions.

  In a real sense, insurance companies were the ones managing the supply and demand of minor healing potions.

  But that wasn’t a problem Ryan could fix just yet. His was a personal issue, and it required a personal touch.

  Edward picked up the phone. It was showtime.

  “Hi Ed! how’s it going?”

  Edward was the middle manager of the Manaburger Ryan and his friends had worked at. The man sounded happy to hear him.

  “Ryan! I heard you got out of the hospital, I was really worried.”

  To Edward’s credit, he did sound genuinely relieved. Ryan would bet his entire bank balance that it had nothing to do with his well-being and everything to do with the staff shortage after the shooting.

  He started with a little jab.

  “Not worried enough to call or visit though, right?”

  There was a pause.

  “I, well - had to worry about the others, talk to officers and calm the other employees. It’s been a trying last couple days. I have to keep the Manaburger running. You know how it is.”

  “.”

  Edward was a petty old manager that was used to dealing with a revolving door of bad employees. Ryan understood that. He still had no sympathy for the old man that treated every new employee like they were going to be shit ones in the first place.

  Edward completely missed Ryan’s tone. Or ignored it.

  “Of course you do. You were always the best employee you know. If it were back in the old days when we had the best employee of the month award, you’d win it everytime.”

  Ryan sneered, Edward must have been really desperate. That was good.

  “Well, I was wanting to go back to work but I have a problem and I was wondering if you could help with that?”

  “What is it?”

  “It turns out United Insurance won’t foot the bill for a simple two day stay.”

  Edward didn’t even pause, the petty manager immediately coming up with a defense.

  “Ah, you know I can’t just pay your hospital fees, that’s just not company policy.”

  “I’m not asking you to, I’m asking you, Edward, the manager of Manaburger that recommended United Insurance to me, your best employee, to speak on my behalf so that they pay for my hospital stay.”

  Ryan had practiced that one in the shower. He grinned as Edward’s brain churned to figure out a way to weasel out of this.

  “Well I’m not sure I can just call them up and demand things of them. But Ryan if it’s only a two day stay then surely you could just come back to work, I’m happy to pay extra while the staff shorta–”

  “I will show up to work again when I know that you’ve got my back.”

  “I, well-”

  The hesitation in Edward’s voice was so nice to hear. The Manaburger manager wasn’t expecting nor used to jousting with someone better than him. It was so easy.

  Edward was not Manager, no Witch Tyrant or a Gamielle, not even a Barry. Just a normal petty middle manager that refused to take responsibility.

  Ryan had him on the ropes and it seemed like Edward didn’t even realize it. Now it was time for the finisher. He put on the most indignant voice he could.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “I just want my basic rights! Talk to the insurance company! Threaten them with contracts! You must have referred hundreds of people to them! How would you feel if you were in my shoes? Would you go back to work when your manager wouldn’t stand up for you?! I still haven’t told everyone in the groupchat out of respect for you but I will if I go homeless paying for–”

  Edward bruised and battered could only surrender.

  “Alright! Alright! I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thank you Edward, if you have my back I’ll have yours.”

  Ryan lied. He was a [Rogue] after all.

  “No worries Ryan, I’ll talk to you later.”

  He hung up. Ryan shook his head

  It didn’t matter if Edward succeeded or not. He’d find a way to sneak out the thousand realmcoins out of his adventurer wallet. It was probably much more if Zhenyu did as promised.

  Maybe ‘Pinkie’ would be able to help him if he couldn’t find someone else to launder the money.

  This was just a little bit of petty payback. The least of what Edward owed his ‘best employee’.

  But most of all? All of it had been to give his audience a show.

  He looked towards the door.

  “Hey mom, did you enjoy that?”

  There was a stumble at his door. Then it flung open. Mrs. Robinson flew towards her son and gave him a hug. She beamed as she looked up at him, pride on her face.

  “My boy’s all grown up!”

  Ryan chuckled.

  “I told you to leave it to me.”

  –

  “And then he said, ‘would you go back to work when your manager wouldn’t help stand up for you after you got shot working for him?”

  His mother was bragging to his father about the entire conversation she had overheard. He couldn’t help but blush, somehow the conversation being replayed by his mom as she boasted to his dad made the whole thing far too embarrassing.

  “I can’t believe it,” his dad exclaimed, “is that really our Ryan?”

  Ryan narrowed his eyes.

  “Hey. What’s that supposed to mean?”

  His dad pointed a fork at him, warningly.

  “Don’t you look at me like that. Only your mother is allowed to do that. Also I’m not letting you go back to work at that place, one shooting is more than enough.”

  Ryan sniffed at the idea that his dad could tell him what to do. Not that it mattered in this case.

  “Oh yeah, I lied. I’m quitting whether or not Edward gets the insurance to pay.”

  There was a pause at the table, he just shrugged at the odd looks his parents gave him. His dad looked the most surprised.

  “Wow, getting shot really did change you. Maybe it was a good thing after all.”

  “Maybe I should get shot again.”

  Both Ryan and his dad laughed. His mom looked much less amused. She narrowed her eyes and both men coughed and looked away. Mrs. Robinson smiled at her son, wanting to change the subject.

  “So what did you do on Saturday?”

  “Well, you know the orc that I was sitting next to? He was an ex-adventurer. He introduced me to a friend. An actual adventurer.”

  Both his parents gave each other a look, then at Ryan in concern. This was a bit of a sensitive topic but this was really the best way. He continued.

  “Well his friend lives in The Realm most of the time and I got a job to take care of their farm.”

  “You sure you’re not being swindled, son?” His father asked.

  Ryan laughed, trying to imagine Seffara trying to swindle anyone.

  “No, you can come meet her sometime. She said she’d be happy to meet you all later.”

  His mother was far more suspicious.

  “Who is this adventurer? Surely she has a realmnet profile we can check.”

  Ryan grinned, “I’ll leave that as a surprise.”

  His parents had lived through the superhero generation, the one where Seffara had truly become famous. Now that would be an entertaining meeting.

  –

  Robert Robinson would be the first to admit that his wife was sharper than he was in most things. Their son, however? She had a massive blindspot for Ryan.

  His son had changed far, far too much, maybe that was normal after a life and death experience, but he still remembered Ryan when he’d left on Friday, he was shaken up, lost. But now?

  Ryan exuded an unnatural confidence. Too unnatural.

  He would have celebrated, if it was for the right reasons.

  Robert Robinson knocked on the door to his son’s room.

  “Come in.”

  He entered and took a seat at Ryan’s childhood bed. His son smiled warmly at him, the smile had so much calm and confidence that he felt more certain than ever something was wrong.

  “It seems like you made quite a few big decisions straight out of hospital, I’m wondering if you wanted to talk about anything,” Robert put a hand up before Ryan could talk, “and don’t give me a pre-planned talk.”

  Ryan closed his mouth, then scratched his head, “outplayed by parents again,” he muttered.

  Robert shook his head and rolled his eyes at his son.

  “Well,” Ryan began, “I just spent some time thinking about what I wanted and decided to take it one step at a time. Screw everything else.”

  That sounded honest at least. “Your old saying, one step at a time huh?”

  “Well, it never changed, just the direction.”

  Robert paused, “and this direction, this new adventurer. You aren’t doing this because you’re secretly hoping to get a chance at being an adventurer again, are you?”

  “Ah, that’s what you’re worried about.”

  This was the hardest thing Robert had to do, he didn’t want to break his son’s newfound confidence. But it had to be built on something real, something achievable. They’d all made this mistake before. Robert had encouraged Ryan to keep pushing for the Trial sponsorship, he had been too weak to tell Ryan that he needed to stop. In the end? It ruined his boy.

  He didn’t want to see his son go through another period of aimlessness again. It was better to break such fantasies now.

  “Dad, it’s fine, I’m not a kid anymore. I’m not deceiving myself into thinking she’ll give me an adventurer sponsorship.” Ryan met his father’s eyes, “Truly.”

  “sorry son, you were just so different that…”

  Robert didn’t say. He was riddled with guilt, he knew Ryan blamed himself for them losing their old family home, . How could his own child be responsible for Robert’s own stupid actions?

  Robert blinked away the tears in his own eyes.

  Ryan was there in a flash, kneeling in front of his dad and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Relax dad, this adventurer is rich and they feel bad about what happened with their friend in the Manaburger.” Ryan gave his dad a sneaky grin.

  “I’m going to milk them for everything they’re worth.”

  Robert laughed, yes his son had really grown up.

  “I’d really like to meet this adventurer of yours.”

  “Of course, but dad?” Ryan paused.

  “Yes son?”

  “You’re not coming over right after I got a job.”

  They spent the rest of the time seeing the photos of the entire place. Robert was completely taken away at seeing Milock, Ryan and another girl that worked at the Manaburger have fun in what was a luxurious farmstead. In the end he ended up with another concern entirely.

  –

  It was Monday, and Mr and Mrs. Robinson watched their son go into Milo’s car early in the morning. It felt wrong and right at the same time. Ryan was waving back with a smile on his face, calm as could be. Not like a child chasing after an impossible dream nor like an aimless young adult that had his dreams shattered.

  “He’s grown up so much,” Mr Robinson said.

  “Oh, he has,” Ryan’s mom said, “I’m so proud of him,” she’d be proud of him no matter what, she knew he’d always find his way.

  –

  Ryan had spent most of the remaining Sunday with his parents. Then he’d spent most of the night researching. Most of the planning for the rest of his second realm adventure was completed that day. In the end he chose to hunt down the bullipede. It would be easier to challenge himself now and force the snowball.

  That was the first step to challenging the world and winning.

  He had to make his climb as difficult as possible. Do that and the Trial System would reward you. That was the one he knew.

  He grinned at Milock in his beat up car.

  “Alright, let’s go.”