“A space elevator?” Pemik says. “I ain’t gettin’ on that thing. Space is fucking terrifying.”

  “Your suit is rated for the surface of most stars. Before the enchantment. I checked. Space is, like, on the complete opposite end of the scale.”

  “No way.”

  “I’ll hold your hand all the way up?”

  Pemik shakes his head, not even reacting to my teasing. “How about I support you from the very solid ground?”

  “Brother,” Miv gently says, “just think of it as swimming in deep and dark waters. Not being able to see the surface nor the bottom. Not being able to see what might lurk around.” ...Is that supposed to help him or traumatize him?

  Pemik’s body language instantly relaxes. “Huh. Yeah, I’m good now. Let’s go already.” He jogs to the inviting sliding doors.

  I turn to Miv and regard him with a confused expression.

  He chuckles, glancing at the space elevator, now containing a waving Pemik. “Framing the unknown to what he has experienced always seemed to remedy most dilemmas.” I hum in reply.

  As we start walking, Sini comments, “The environmental control is really something. When I first saw how... snug the armor was, I thought it would get all stuffy and sweaty, but it feels really pleasant to wear. Like old pajamas.”

  “Thank you, Sini. Spent a lot of time perfecting that.”

  “Two minutes?” Pemik half shouts from within the vertigo-inducing superstructure.

  “Har har. Try not to barf in your helmet when it zooms us up.”

  Sini continues, “I appreciate all the thought you put into these for us.” I nod, a little embarrassed, which all three can clearly see. If their helmets weren’t in the way, I would probably be looking at three grins. ...Maybe being incognito wasn’t so bad.

  We enter into the space elevator the dungeon has constructed. The circular room is around twenty meters in diameter and has a central column. White surfaces and smooth edges. The only point of interest is an... interruption in the column. A section of it looks like it has been cut out, and a glowing sphere has been placed inside. Terrible for structural integrity, if you ask me.

  When the doors silently close, the atmosphere inside changes. Figuratively, of course. It’s still breathable.

  The Rangers immediately ready up. Loose but prepared to unleash hell at a moment’s notice.

  As their tactical views populate with new data, messages populate the group chat. Sini informs that teleportation has been blocked. Pemik tags the locations of incoming enemies that don’t show up on conventional sensors. And Miv issues commands. The exchange happens in seconds, just in time for the elevator to engage. Once again, silently.

  The platform we are on smoothly lifts up and starts accelerating along the tether, the cut-out section somehow cutting out the stranded metal from reality, only for it to reappear when the two no longer overlap. As we leave the relatively small structure that acts as the entrance, one thing becomes clear—this is not a conventional elevator. There’s no walls nor a ceiling. Just a platform climbing a gently curving cable into the sky.

  Pemik pulls the string of his new and shiny bow, conjuring a crystalline arrow as the limbs bend back. His fingers let go. The arrow gets lost in the clouds that are still above us but are quickly approaching. Something tumbles through and exits the fluffy whiteness, crashing into the ground, producing a modest but fiery explosion.

  Another sound can be heard accompanying the whooshing of air as the platform climbs. The buzzing of a swarm.

  Ice starts growing from the platform, twisting around the center so it can protect the fragile sphere floating within.

  Our archer unleashes arrow after arrow into the clouds. The angle of his attack gradually grows sharper, until he is firing straight ahead and through the hazy obstruction.

  One of the buzzing sounds grows stronger, and fast. The rotary-wing drone, a quadcopter, slams into a wall of ice that sprung in its path and detonates. Ice compresses inward, shooting out like spalling. With a well-timed wave of her hand, Sini changes the direction of the shards, shredding a squadron.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  But soon enough, the swarm is eliminated.

  Sini reinforces the central pillar some more. “That power is no joke, Lucius,” she says.

  “Want me to start helping?”

  As Sini shakes her head, Miv answers verbally, “No. We are confident in our ability to triumph.”

  Pemik adds, “Unless you’re antsy to show off.”

  I shake my head and start tracking the next wave. “I’m not.” I so am. And he definitely did not believe me, chuckling away behind his helmet.

  Miv draws a red stroke through the air. His sword impacts something with a crack, just as another crack overpowers the constant whooshing of air.

  Through a barrage of bullets, being intercepted by arrows, ice walls, and red streaks, Sini intones, “Domain of Winter.”

  Whatever suspended moisture is around crystallizes. And starts spinning. We are in the eye of a storm, miniscule shards of ice blending the technological monsters into slightly larger pieces of scrap.

  And then, just as fast as it came, her spell melts away.

  “Now that was some mighty fine spellcasting,” I say, quite impressed by her performance.

  Sini scoffs, showing reluctance in the sound though. “My domain spell is still too restrictive. Don’t feel obliged to reciprocate my compliment.”

  “No obligation. It took me a lot of time and effort to perfect my own heavy hitters. I’m only recognizing yours, just as you have mine.”

  She releases a sigh, multiple emotions mixed in. “Thanks. Also, am I the only one that finds this whole thing”—she motions in my general direction—“still weird.”

  “Nope,” Pemik replies immediately.

  Miv clears his throat politely. “As I understand it, Luci was simply allowing chosen aspects of his personality a central role. He was not fabricating them.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Sini says. “Or it is... I’m not so sure myself. But I still kind of see you as a young adventurer, not an artificial lifeform from another universe who conquered a nightmare.” She adds with mild exasperation, “And your unfitting behavior is certainly not helping.”

  I start to laugh, confusing her even more. When I calm down, I ask no one in particular, “What is it with dungeons and serious conversations, huh?” Pemik snorts while dutifully eyeing the sky for approaching threats. “Maybe I am both. A young AI and a dedicated adventurer.” Making an exaggerated shrug, I continue, “If I hardly know what I am myself, what chance do you have. So, why don’t we skip that stuff and go back to smacking monsters?”

  Sini blows some air in frustration, but then she blows some in amusement. “We can do that.”

  The platform soon leaves the clouds, causing all three to focus again. Air thins, gradually turning to the vacuum of space. A fake sun bathes our forms with intense light. Radiation warnings start flashing on neural interfaces.

  As my lips silently move, my voice is heard all the same, “Try it out against the next wave?” Pemik considers for a moment, then nods an affirmative.

  He stores his bow, replacing it with a long rifle.

  Tactical views are populated a moment after mana senses notice the encroaching swarm.

  The sniper takes a knee, bracing his weapon. A silent click of the trigger produces a silent streak. A crystalline projectile pierces a jet-propelled drone, blowing out a cone of scrap to join the cone of flames.

  While Pemik is muted, because his maniacal laughter is a touch too maniacal, Miv comments, “Harsher environment than most known dungeons. Was the C-grade you delved this punishing?”

  “It at least had air throughout, if heavily polluted and barely breathable.”

  Sini chimes in, “A worrying trend. If B is this bad, what are the remaining two going to be like.”

  “I have an A scheduled,” I say, “so I guess we’ll see. But I suspect it won’t be that much worse. Rules, remember?”

  Sini counters, “What if you are mistaken?”

  “The last dungeon I was mistaken about nearly killed me. And opened my eyes. So... maybe good, maybe bad. Even odds.”

  The ice mage shakes her head.

  Miv chuckles briefly. But then his voice turns serious. “Any unwanted visitors?”

  I answer, my lips unmoving, “Not yet.”

  “Stay alert,” Miv instructs.

  As the last drone is reduced to space junk, and Pemik appears visibly tired, the platform reaches the end of its path—the counterweight station. Or more accurately, the counterweight arena. We are hanging in the void, fake sun attempting to bake us with frightening levels of radiation.

  Pemik tags an unknown object. A bright flash overwhelms the dungeon’s star. Ravening fury and fire grows from the point of detonation. A sphere of death.

  Two red eyes open in the starless tapestry of black. A red crescent is pierced by a red streak, dragging and deforming it until the two magical attacks combine and start resembling an arrow. The hunters’ mark is already caught in their celestial sight.

  A satellite rocketing in orbit of the planet below is erased from existence.

  The gate out appears just as the curtain of fiery destruction washes over a dome of thick blue ice.

  My voice is filled with awe. “That was so cool. My spells are way less impressive than a complete ‘Blood Moon’. Mind if I steal it?”

  Pemik exclaims in exaggerated surprise, “Huh! Of course the AI has no respect for intellectual property. Typical.”

  “That is highly offensive, young man. And a very hurtful stereotype,” I lecture back.

  “If you pay us royalties for each use, we could consider it. Right, Brother?” Miv has already tunned us out.

  “Might want to reconsider that line of thinking, Pem Pem, or you’ll see yourself owing a monthly subscription for the usage of my marvelous inventions.”

  “Pfft. Quite the opposite, actually. You should feel privileged we’re even testing your janky getup.”

  “I’m taking back the sniper rifle.”

  “‘Janky’? Who said that? Wasn’t me. Brother, don’t insult Lucius’ amazing armor.”

  Sini and Miv collect the prize and continue to ignore us as we playfully bicker some more.