There was a reason why Vivi chose the same tree as her spawning point. The chance was slim, but if she was lucky, tonight’s practice session would be far more pleasant. Productive, perhaps not, but fun. She opened her eyes under the scorching sun, squinting as she checked her surroundings.

  She felt a presence in the forest. Not a hostile aura of a monster, but more like a calm street lamp in the middle of night. As Vivi spawned, the feeling shifted, as if the lamp was distracted from its task, focusing its pleasant warmth onto Vivi instead.

  Vivi turned her head in the direction. “Hey, Essi.”

  Essi was channeling ether underneath the shade of the tree. She lost focus as Vivi entered. She leaned against the tree, awed and lost for words.

  Then she got to her feet and stepped forward. “Vivi? You got a new raincoat?”

  Vivi adjusted her posture and turned around, showing the back as well. “Do you like it?”

  Essi got closer to examine the fabric, while Vivi grinned. She saw the purple underneath the hood and the deep black. She lifted a sleeve and compared it against Vivi’s raincoat. They were the same shade of black.

  “Can I feel it?” Essi asked.

  Vivi nodded, of course, and Essi felt the raincoat from the sleeves. She nodded, feeling the outer layer, then her eyelashes fluttered as she felt the inside of the coat.

  “It’s moonweaver’s silk,” Vivi said proudly. “Like a real swordmaiden’s dress.”

  “Wait,” Essi said. “You have moonweaver’s silk? Real moonweaver’s silk?”

  “Of course,” Vivi said. “But only on the inside. The outer layer is, uh… well, that’s a secret.” As in, Vivi had no idea how the rest of the raincoat had been made.

  Essi looked her in the eye now. “I suppose you are on the lower levels. Rare materials will be available.” She almost looked jealous. “Where did you get it?”

  “A friend made it for me,” Vivi said.

  Essi’s lips were drawn at a subtle pout. “My grandma would love to meet your friend. Your friend would be a fine competitor.”

  Oh no, did I accidentally propose a challenge against her lineage? Did I brag too much?

  Lucius was studying the conversation intently.

  “The next time I visit, I’ll bring some silk to the surface,” Vivi said. “For your grandma.”

  “No need to trouble yourself,” Essi said curtly. “She would love it, though. And congratulations on the raincoat. It fits you. Whoever made it knew you well.”

  The compliment seemed honest, but at the same time, Essi was clearly jealous. Upset even.

  “I’m sorry,” Vivi said, her excitement turning to a nervous worry in her chest. “I stole your style, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to brag. Sorry.”

  Essi’s head perked up at that. She blinked herself out of the sullen mood. Then she flushed, her voice getting soft. “Oh dear, no I’m sorry!”

  Essi pressed her hands together and bowed, and suddenly, Vivi found herself utterly lost in what was happening.

  “Sorry, I’ve had a bad day,” Essi said. “I’m spreading my bad mood onto you, aren’t I? It has all been so overwhelming lately. I didn’t mean to get petty.”

  She tried to form a smile, but it looked worried, like something was troubling her. She patted her coat down and sat back beside the tree. “I need to channel ether today. Want to join me?”

  Vivi sat beside her. “Is everything okay? On the surface?”

  Essi’s forced smile fell by the question. Her eyes pointed down. “The first city has fallen now. Not on the surface yet, but on the first level. Madoea. Twenty different surges spawned within four miles of it. The hunters defending it were only prepared for six. Eight hunters died, and the walls were breached.”

  She let out a weak laugh and said, “Hunters are expected to be extra strong for this storm season. We have to be, or monsters will kill those we’re supposed to protect. But…”

  Vivi waited for her to continue. Essi bit her lip.

  “My superiors aren’t helping us fight,” Essi said. “They’re negotiating with city leaders. Even in this situation, the Sylva Bloods are still fighting to buy rights to the surges they wish to fight. And they’re buying a lot of surges.” She took a deep breath, voice wavering. “I was assigned to fight a surge on the second level, along with two other hunters, without any ether sticks. Melloris Sylva was our strongest hunter. He ordered wooden logs and sticks to be gathered onto the surge zone to have even a little bit of control over whatever spawned.”

  Essi paused for a short while, as if it hurt to speak. “Usually, the full secondary team is fully present for surge jobs of this scale, with ether sticks used. This time, it was just the three of us. So when the surge broke, I…”

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  She hugged her knees, burying her face low. Her voice was barely a whisper. “I just ran. There were so many of them. Treants, snakes… We had no chance. All three of us would have died.”

  She stayed hugged. Vivi understood the feeling. She’d watched a surge break next to her as well, when the twilight shaman spawned right next to her. And although Vivi could probably defeat any surge on her own now, she knew that when something that much stronger spawned right beside her, there wasn’t much to do other than run.

  “Is your hunting company upset?” Vivi asked.

  “They blamed it all on me!” Essi let out, nearly in tears. “Because I was the first to run, I was the one who broke the formation. They’re furious with me. Because of me, we lost all the ether Ellinoir paid for the surge, and now monsters roam freely from the surge. All because I didn’t want to die…”

  Vivi hadn’t thought her dislike of the hunters could grow still. No part of her was surprised. This was just how hunters behaved. But hearing Essi’s tale, and seeing her like that…

  Vivi wrapped her arm around Essi’s back, just like Senith would have done. Essi pressed her head onto Vivi’s shoulder and sniffled a tear, but no more flowed. Essi kept them inside.

  “Are you being punished?” Vivi asked.

  “They’re discussing what to do with me now,” Essi said. “They’re upset with their decision to have given me a spirit. I haven’t paid off nearly as much ether as they'd expected, and I… I haven’t grown fast enough. They don’t trust me with surge jobs anymore. But they’re also short on hunters. Solely thanks to that, I might have more jobs coming…”

  Lucius frowned in Vivi’s core, hearing that. “This is bad,” he said. “The hunters might deliberately send her to a job she can’t handle.”

  Why would they? Vivi asked.

  Then it hit her, before Lucius could even answer. Of course. They were speaking about ether hunters, after all.

  “They’re probably hoping she’ll die on her next job, just to retrieve her spirit for someone they believe is more competent,” Lucius said. “It’s rare and illegal, but some hunting groups outright kill their hunters on jobs, framing them as accidents.”

  A spark was reignited deep within Vivi. Her hatred for the hunters. That flame had been extinguished after Grandpa woke up in Shivenar—for the simple reason that Vivi no longer had anything she valued on the surface. The hunters could despise her all they wished. They are all too cowardly to actually visit her on the fifth level.

  But now they had Essi. Vivi’s friend. A genuinely good person. If they harmed her as well…

  “Sorry,” Essi said again. “You must have your own worries, too. There’s no need to worry about me. Ellinoir isn’t cruel. She just has a lot on her hands. She’ll forgive me after storm season is over, and after I reach the second elevation. It’s just… You’re the only one I can speak to about this.”

  “If you want…” Vivi said. “You can always teleport to the fourth level. I’ll meet you there.”

  Essi was silent. She seemed to think about it.

  “That’s not smart,” Lucius said. “Even if she escapes here, Essi’s family is on the surface.”

  Vivi had the urge to frown. She clenched her fist. She was really not looking forward to another trip to the surface.

  “How does this sound?” Vivi asked. “If you need my help, send my spirit five signals in rapid succession. I’ll take that as a sign that you need help.”

  “I’ll survive, Vivi,” Essi said. “But thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. The signals are a good way of communicating regardless. How about, if I call you in Paradise, or if you call me, but one of us is not available, we’ll respond with three consecutive signals to let the other know that we’re okay, but unavailable.”

  Vivi nodded. “And five if something bad happens.”

  Essi’s mood seemed to slowly get better. She lifted her head off her shoulder. “Let’s channel ether now. You came here for practice too, right? It’s good to channel together while talking as a distraction. This might sound stupid, but give me a math problem while I channel. I’ll try to solve it simultaneously. That’s a good way to practice.”

  “That’s smart,” Vivi said. “I’ve been trying to channel ether with distractions as well.”

  “I’ll go first,” Essi said. Her aura began flowing with ether. “Give me a problem.”

  “What’s six times fifteen?” Vivi asked.

  “Ninety,” Essi said immediately. Her aura didn’t even flicker. “Something more difficult, please.”

  “Uh,” Vivi said. “A hundred sixty-seven times fourty-six. And plus thirty-nine.”

  Now she looked more focused. “That’s over five thousand…” she said, while keeping her aura active. “Is it seven thousand… six hundred, no seven hundred and—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of ether came right in front of them. Vivi immediately cursed in her head at the utterly awful luck she’d had with this lately.

  Figures spawned in. Or rather, they teleported in, already clearly awake. They faced down Essi and Vivi the moment their figures formed. They hadn’t randomly spawned here. They were looking for something.

  The Sylva Bloods hunting group. Vivi recognized the first woman from the smear of makeup all over her. Vivi met her when she was still in Zand, channeling ether in Paradise. It was Ellinoir Sylva; the mage who had blasted Vivi with a discharge of ether the moment she’d spotted Vivi calmly channeling. A white fur scarf, lips red with too much lipstick, and a skin-tight dress, with her hunting group behind her.

  The woman’s deep scowl was focused on Essi, who immediately sprung to her feet. “Ellinoir! Sorry, I, um…” Essi tried to say, but lost her line of thought.

  The woman crossed her arms. Vivi had never seen such a disapproving expression. “You have been ordered not to meet with this traitor.”

  Vivi eyed the Sylva Bloods as the men formed a concave around her position. Everyone looked threatening, like some constables closing in on a pair of criminals.

  This was bad. If Essi was seen being friendly with Vivi, the hunters would have a reason to associate Essi with the same reputation Vivi had. The Sylva Bloods would have even more of a reason to try to swap Essi’s spirit to someone else.

  In a hasty decision, Vivi summoned Dawnpour, pushed ether through it, and cut Essi in one clean swipe. Essi disintegrated to ether right away, sent away from the conversation.

  Then Vivi put on the most arrogant expression she could muster and faced Ellinoir. If she recalled correctly, Essi had tried to convince the Sylva Bloods to work together with Vivi for her swords. “Finally. The higher-ups have arrived. Can we start discussing the deal now?”

  We are not friends, Vivi thought. Essi and I were merely discussing deals.

  The frown remained on Ellinoir’s face, now directed at Vivi. “It seems you’ve misunderstood the situation, cursed runesmith. A deal was never in the talks.”

  Vivi batted an eye, pretending to act confused. “I have been lied to?”

  “Our junior has acted on her own impulse,” Ellinoir said. “The Sylva Bloods are not interested in your runeswords.”

  Vivi frowned at that. “I see. Goodbye, then. Do not waste my time again.”

  Cut the connection, Vivi thought.

  “What about practice?” Lucius asked.

  We’re testing the skill on the front lines, Vivi thought. I’m mad now.

  Her connection was cut.

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