Luke finished explaining his plan to Layla.

  “In short, that’s how it is. I’ve got two options. Either I break into Arcadia and risk beating up people who’ve never done anything to me, or you simply walk in, and I use my skill to see through your eyes,” he said.

  He dropped into a chair. “Simple, right, Layla? All I need is for that body of yours to step inside Arcadia and we’re done.”

  For some reason her face had turned bright red. She clenched her fists.

  “You bastard. You scumbag. Don’t scare me like that!”

  “Scare you? The only scary thing here was me walking in and seeing your face like that. You’re going to have to take that thing off or they’ll attack you in Arcadia thinking you’re a monster.”

  “It’s a cleansing mask, you idiot!” she snapped, sitting on the bed with her arms crossed.

  “Layla, you look more like Michael Myers,” Artemis muttered.

  Luke stood. “So, have you decided?”

  “Do I even have a choice? I owe you… a favor,” she admitted.

  “Then get off that bed and grab your things. We’re leaving.”

  It was the most practical solution Luke could come up with. All Layla had to do was enter Arcadia’s temple, and he would use [Soul Infiltration] to watch through her eyes and copy the layout. Arcadia wasn’t a large settlement, just a small community of around fifty people. Once, they had welcomed outsiders, trading and exchanging goods.

  'What are the chances she actually gets into the temple?' Artemis asked.

  Low. But I don’t need her to get all the way in. She just needs to bring the cat close enough to someone inside. It jumps into a new host, and I see through their eyes instead. If not, I’ll use the traditional infiltration method. Either way, Layla is my guide to the last two temples.

  ***

  They had been walking for eight hours since leaving the camp.

  “You are very slow, human rat. Even I am not this slow, and I am short,” Franky said.

  “Shut up. I just wasn’t made for this,” she muttered as she trudged forward.

  “And what exactly were you made for?” Artemis asked.

  “To marry a rich, gentlemanly man and live a princess life,” she replied.

  Luke laughed.

  “Why are you laughing, you scoundrel?”

  “You are anything but a princess, Layla.”

  While they walked, Luke kept checking the landmarks that pointed the way to Arcadia. They stopped at the top of a hill, and far in the distance he saw a massive ravine, dark and deep, like the land itself had split open. A jagged scar carved across the earth.

  “That way is Arcadia. We circle around the ravine and reach the coconut forest,” she said.

  “I still can’t believe there is actually a coconut forest here,” he murmured.

  ***

  By the time night settled in, they decided to stop and rest. Luke poured water into a small bowl for Franky, who complained at first about being treated like a pet, but still drank it in the end.

  There was no way to set up proper tents, so Luke used a kind of sleeping roll made of animal hide stitched with cloth, something common among travelers.

  “Why are you putting your sleeping bag so far from mine?” Luke asked.

  “I-I-I am not sleeping near you,” Layla replied.

  “Alright. If a monster shows up to kill you and I don’t reach you in time, that’s on you.”

  “I can handle myself,” she said, though her voice betrayed her doubt.

  With the fire burning, they sat around it and ate. Layla had even taken out something that looked like a cloth napkin and was eating as neatly as possible, using a plate as if she were at a formal dinner instead of in the wilderness.

  “Why don’t you just eat with your hands like a normal person?”

  “I am a lady,” she answered.

  He decided not to argue.

  “Your friend Charlie and that familiar of hers stayed behind easily, or did something happen?” he asked.

  “I told you, they are in the temple training. And besides, that place is the safest one. The poison cloud protects it.”

  And I doubt anything could threaten them. It would need to be something truly powerful. Luke stared up at the stars, thoughts drifting back to his family in Maine. Eventually, they lay down in their sleeping bags.

  “I am not sleepy, even though I am exhausted,” Layla’s voice murmured in the darkness.

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  “Close your eyes. Count pigs, sheep, and monsters,” Luke said.

  “You fall asleep too easily.”

  He glanced to the side and noticed something.

  “Is it just my imagination, Layla, or did your sleeping bag suddenly get closer to mine?”

  “I-it’s your imagination,” she said quickly.

  “No it isn’t. I saw you crawling closer,” Franky added.

  “Shut up!”

  “Layla, Layla…” Luke sighed.

  “It is not what you are thinking, you scoundrel,” she blurted.

  And what exactly am I supposed to be thinking?

  “I-I-I am afraid of forests, alright? Especially dark, creepy forests like this one. It’s the middle of the night and everything is terrifying,” she said, the words spilling out in a rush.

  “You’re afraid of forests?”

  “Y-yes. It’s a phobia,” she admitted, inching her sleeping bag even closer. “Do not misunderstand. W-when Charlie or Angie were there, at least I could sleep near them. But now it’s just you.”

  “It is true, she was scared in the cave. I even pretended to hear noises just to watch the rat get nervous,” Franky said, laughing.

  “You jerk, idiot! I was terrified for real during those three days!”

  “I know. That’s why it was so funny,” the hatchling laughed.

  “I didn’t know you had that kind of phobia when I left you in that cave, Layla,” Luke said.

  She went quiet for a moment. “You are not going to make fun of me for it… right?”

  “Me? Of course not. What do you think I am?”

  “A scoundrel. A manipulator of women.”

  “I was undercover as James back then. I was acting, Layla. I’m a good person.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Layla thought for a while, then sighed. “Alright… I’ll give you another chance to prove that you’re good.”

  “Okay. Just stop calling me a scoundrel.”

  “Fine. As long as you actually try to be a decent person.”

  Why does this sound like I’m some criminal in rehabilitation?

  Luke turned over, ready to sleep.

  “D-do you know… any story that helps someone fall asleep?” Layla asked, a little embarrassed.

  “No,” he replied, already settling back down.

  “You answered too fast. You were at least supposed to pretend you were thinking about it.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “I don’t know, but a normal person would.”

  “I’m not a normal person.”

  “Yeah… fair point…”

  “I know a story,” Artemis said.

  “Here we go…” Luke muttered.

  “Seriously?” Layla asked. “You’re not going to mess with me, are you, talking necklace?”

  “I won’t, Layla,” Artemis replied.

  “And… what kind of story is it?”

  Artemis cleared his throat. Layla went quiet, listening closely. She really was interested, Luke noticed. Maybe it was her way of dealing with the fear she still felt.

  “A man and a boy are walking through the woods.” Artemis began. “As it started to get dark, the boy says: ‘I'm getting scared.’ as he clutched right to the man's hand. To that the man replies, ‘you're scared? What about me? I have to walk back alone…’”

  Franky burst into laughter.

  “That wasn’t funny at all!” Layla snapped.

  “Oh, come on, that one’s a classic,” Artemis said, still laughing.

  “It was… a little funny, chatterbox,” Luke admitted.

  “See? Even Luke liked it, and he ignores most of what I say.”

  ***

  They were standing on top of a large stone outcrop, and below them roamed beasts that looked like massive wildebeest. Layla loosed arrow after arrow with quick, precise movements. Luke watched her as she fired, noticing how focused she became, her breathing steadying, her entire body falling into a calm rhythm.

  He gauged the range of her shots, then threw a knife.

  [Telekinetic Impulse activated]

  The blade shot forward like a bullet, striking the creature’s neck and tearing straight through it, ripping the head clean off. When the last of the beasts fell, Layla wiped the sweat from her forehead.

  “You’re pretty good with those knives,” she said.

  Ever since he’d gained the skill to conjure his own blades, combining it with his witch powers, he’d been using them more and more.

  “I manage well enough,” he replied.

  “So how does it work?”

  Luke closed his empty palm, and with a smooth motion a tear of darkness split the air. A heartbeat later, a black throwing knife rested in his hand. He tossed it to Layla, and she caught it easily.

  “I can create my own throwing knives.”

  He formed another and slipped it into his holster. “The downside is they don’t last very long. But they get the job done.”

  Layla handed the knife back. “Professor Eleanor has a similar skill. She showed me. She can generate arrows.”

  “Why do you call her professor?”

  “She taught me archery during the tutorial.”

  “Yeah, but that’s over now.”

  “She may be my age, but she feels wiser. Like a refined, elegant woman,” Layla said.

  “I’ll agree with that. She’s very mature.”

  'You’re complimenting another woman? I’m going to tell Charlie', Artemis teased.

  Hey, I’m just acknowledging her qualities. As a friend.

  They continued on. Even though the wildebeest-like creatures were below level fifty, they came in large numbers, and the only way through was to scatter them. Luke could have used his [Acid Blood Arrow], but he let Layla take the kills and gather some experience.

  It took less than an hour before they reached the forest where every tree was a coconut palm.

  “We’re here,” Layla said, checking her notes and the map she carried. “If there’s one thing I committed to, it was learning as much as I could about this place.”

  Luke threw a knife upward and knocked down a coconut.

  “No matter where we enter the forest, if we walk straight toward the center, we’ll reach the temple,” she added, a faint hint of pride in her voice.

  “You’re actually useful,” Luke said.

  He sniffed the coconut water, then drank through the opening.

  “Here, snake.” He tossed one to Franky.

  “What is this?”

  “A sweeter kind of water.”

  The little wyvern bit into the shell, pierced it, sniffed, then drank. “Not bad. The taste is actually good.”

  They hadn’t gone far into the forest before the trees began to grow taller and thicker. Luke climbed one of them. From the top, he threw knives at a few creatures below, then looked farther ahead.

  “Yeah. We really made it.”

  He dropped down, spreading his cloak to soften the landing.

  “When we get there, it’s on you, Layla,” he said.

  “I’m nervous. Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask them for the temple map?”

  “And give them any clue about how to find the hidden temple’s location? No. We’re doing this my way. What could possibly go wrong?”

  As they walked, Luke glanced at the notification that appeared across his interface.

  **Your second class [Witch] has reached Level 30!**

  [You have unlocked a Class Skill]

  https://discord.gg/znGSjCxhkR