Limitless Path

She made her way to the back of the house and upstairs, finding Blood waiting for her in their room. It was amazing how quickly she had started thinking of Blood as an intrinsic part of her life, but she dismissed such thoughts as she got ready for bed.

Rolling into bed, she dropped her phone on the nightstand and turned the lights out. She rolled over and was out as soon as she settled into a comfortable position.

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Ding, ding. Ding, ding. Beth reached over to her phone with a slight groan and swiped her fingers around for a second before she managed to turn the alarm off. It only took her a handful of seconds to fully orientate herself and get up, her new sixteen END showing its worth as she was able to be alert both quickly and completely in just a handful of seconds.

Padding over to her bathroom, she quickly got ready for the day, completing all her brushing and washing in near record time, eager to get going. She was back in the main part of the bedroom in a flash, throwing on some clothes quite quickly, grumbling a little at the fit. She had grown since the start of the world's changes, and everything was now a bit off, especially her undergarments, both the top and bottom sections not quite fitting.

The underwear she could deal with, as her waist hadn't really grown much, just a slight widening of her hips. It was the bra that was the real problem, both cutting into her torso as well as uncomfortably squishing her now slightly large chest. She would need to get new ones from somewhere, or she would have to see if they had anything she could get at the CRA Hall.

Finished with her preparation for the day, she exited the room quickly, followed on her heels by Blood. She made her way downstairs, simply walking out to the front of the house and opening the door without a prompt from her phone. She saw Sabs just turning the corner to the street leading to the cul-de-sac, waiting for her to get to the door before greeting the older girl and pulling her inside.

"Morning," Beth said quietly as she shut the door behind Sabs.

"Morning," the small girl replied before leaning up to plant a quick kiss on Beth's lips, pulling back immediately before the taller girl could react.

"That's a hell of a wake-up call," Beth said, grinning as Sabs grabbed her hand and led her towards the kitchen. They didn't even have enough time to start pulling out ingredients for breakfast before Kim and Soph joined them, both having an easier time due to their high END. Even so, Soph still was a little frazzled, with a bit of a bleary look in her eyes.

The four girls were starting to get down a bit of a routine, with Beth taking care to feed and water Wiggles as well as Blood. It didn't take very long to prepare breakfast, the focus being on food that they could prepare quickly. They made enough that the Bell parents would have something for when they come down in a few minutes.

"What's the plan for today?" Beth asked as she started eating.

"I guess we're on guard duty again. I need a better sword before we can go back into the dungeons," Kim replied.

"I’ll see what I can do about that. We need more money, but maybe I can find a new dungeon to fight through, first clears can give a bonus five silver or something like that," Beth replied, eyebrows scrunching as she dug into her second plate.

There was only the sound of silverware on plates as the girls continued eating, thinking about what was coming up that day. Sabs and Kim were clearly already over having to perform guard duty, while Soph had hair sticking up in several directions and seemed a little fuzzy. Beth finished first, even though she ate the most, and proceeded to start cleaning up some of the dishes.

"You know," she said to the group while she cleaned, "you're all strong enough that you could fight even the level four ants with just your fists. And Soph has her magic as well; she could easily take out level fives, especially with a little help. You don't necessarily have to do guard duty."

"Yeah, but what happens when we're fighting stuff somewhere else and people get attacked?" Kim asked as she finished her second plate and joined Beth at the sink.

"Then they fight," Beth replied coolly.

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Kim prodded.

"Not really. It's a new world, with new rules. I mean, the adults want four teenagers to defend the whole town. Maybe it's time for a few of the adults to get some levels and take care of it. Everybody doesn't have to fight, but it also can't all just be on our shoulders," Beth answered, shaking her head at the responsibility they already had.

"I guess so. It just feels kinda, like, wrong to bail on people," Kim said with a frown.

"It's not bailing on people. You're going out to get stronger, which will help everyone. If Soph can cast a single lightning bolt and kill every ant between here and Canada that'll be a lot better than if we have fifty level one people who can't even fight a level ten. Besides, it's not like you'll be on the moon, you'll be, like, a fifteen-minute walk away," Beth responded with a quick shake of her head.

"I think she's right," Sabs interjected. "We need levels and money. The more we get, especially while the enemies are still weak, the better we'll be."

"OK, OK. You don't have to ride right to your girlfriend's defense," Kim replied, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, look, she's uh-, she's not my girlfriend," Sabs stammered back with her trademark deep blush.

"Oh, I'm not? Not good enough for you, am I?" Beth asked Sabs as she left the sink, a gleam in her eye.

"No, no, no. That's not what I…I mean, look, I didn't mean that…" Sabs continued stammering.

"Relax, I'm just joking," Beth responded, stroking the shorter girl's hair.

"Alright, again, get a room you two. Anyway, it's not like I disagree with you or anything, I'm just trying to make sure everyone's safe," Kim said.

"Right, well, getting stronger is also a way to keep people safe. I'll see about how much it would be for more equipment when I go down there today. By the way, is Soph OK?" Beth said.

The three all looked over at the youngest girl, who was just sitting and staring into a half-eaten bowl of cereal. "Are the Cheerios speaking to her?" Beth asked.

"Is she meditating?" asked Sabs.

"I think she's asleep with her eyes open," answered Kim.

"That's pretty impressive," Beth said, walking up beside her youngest sister. She waved her hand in front of Soph's face and got no reaction, so she then ruffled her hair.

"No, just five more minutes," Soph grumbled.

"Yep, asleep," said the other three in unison.

"Alright, wake her up and you guys can get about your day. I'm off for the CRA Hall," Beth said, heading down the hall to the mudroom, trailed by both Blood and Sabs. Beth equipped her boots, gloves, and sword before turning to Sabs.

"Hey, I'm gonna try to get you an emblem, or at least, see how much they are," Beth said.

"Oh, you think I should get one?" Sabs asked.

"Well, I'd like all three of you to get one, but I'd like you to get one first. I might be staying down at the Hall a lot of the time; they have some pretty cheap rooms there. It would be even cheaper with two people splitting the cost," Beth replied, lifting an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Oh, I see. I think I would really like that. I mean, splitting the cost, obviously," Sabs responded.

With her smirk widening even more, Beth firmly grabbed hold of the slippery girl and planted a kiss on her cheek. Letting go of a flummoxed Sabs, she darted out the backdoor with a quick "It's decided! Bye!"

The ride to the CRA Hall on Blood's back was just as uneventful as the previous day's, with the two of them only needing a little less than fifteen minutes to get there. When they arrived, Beth hopped off outside the doors and strolled in with Blood behind her. She noted that Tazeen was still manning the counter today but was joined by the man Beth thought might be a rogue, with knives strapped all over his armor. She Identified the man before doing anything else.

John Silvers, Level 282 Human Storm Runner

Beth had no idea what a Storm Runner was, but it didn't sound particularly rogue-like. Then again, it could really be anything or mean anything, she had no idea. The man, John, glanced at her when she used the skill on him, but went back to what he was doing, working on something on a screen hovering in front of him. Tazeen merely stood there, looking at her with his strange eyes without blinking. She walked up to the counter in front of him, watching as he raised an eyebrow.

"It's a little freaky when you do that," she said to him.

"Welcome back. Also, I am unsure what you mean," he replied.

"She means you starin' like a loon," said John, not bothering to glance over at the two of them.

"I find your insinuation to be offensive," replied Tazeen, though there was no obvious heat in the words.

"I wasn't insinuatin', I was callin' you a loon," John replied, not seeming to notice the stares of the other three.

"Right, well, uh, I have a question," Beth said, unsure where to go from here.

"Of course. What can I help you with?" Tazeen replied, ignoring John.

"How much is a copper emblem?" Beth cut straight to the point.

"Two gold coins. You must also complete a registration," Tazeen replied smoothly.

"I thought she had an emblem," John groused from the side.

"Oh, I do. I just wanted to know. I want to get my, uh, friend and my two sisters emblems as well," she replied.

"Well, if they have two gold coins and are present in the hall, they may register themselves for a copper emblem," Tazeen replied evenly.

"Two gold is so much. It'll take a while to get that together. Are there any good ways to make money?" Beth asked.

"Well, I could think of a few," Tazeen said, holding up his left hand. "First," He said, extending his thumb, "kill monsters. Second," The index finger this time, "clear dungeons. Third," He extended the middle finger now, "fight in the Ladders. Fourth," the ring finger now, "though this will not be at the speed you would like; learn and practice a trade. Fifth," All that was left was the pinky, "find rare herbs, ores, minerals, crystals, natural treasures, etc. Apart from that, I'm sure there are other ways an enterprising young lady on a newly integrated world could make a profit, but business is not a specialty of mine."

"Cuz he's a loon," muttered John to the side.

One of Tazeen's eyebrows twitched slightly, but there was no other reaction.

"So, what do you mean by fight in the Ladders? I get everything else you said but I'm not really sure about that," Beth inquired further.

"Simple," he replied, his hand dropping back to his side. "As soon as you are a copper ranked member, you have at least a minimum access to the Ladders. These are unranked and ranked Ladders of Wayfarers covering a variety of conditions and types. There are Ladders for 1v1 fights, team fights, fights versus beasts, tests of skill, and so on. Registering for a fight requires an entry fee, but the winning side gets their fee refunded, plus half the loser's fee paid to them. Apart from that, there is also betting, including regulated betting on oneself, but an unscrupulous person such as John would be far more knowledgeable about such things."

"'Cuz I'm not a loon," said John, nodding at Beth once firmly.

"Right, I think I'm seeing the pattern here," she replied with a slight smirk. "How do I register for these Ladders?"

"There are several registration rooms deeper in the complex, in the arena ring. You can register for battles there. I would consult with your instructor first, seeing as how your skill may be a little…lacking, for wont of a better term," Tazeen replied smoothly.

"Right, I'll do that. Thanks for your help, Tazeen," she said, nodding at the powerful elf.

"It's no problem. Simply inform me should you need anything else," he said, returning to monitoring the empty lobby fastidiously as Beth entered the door to the right, heading towards the room of the previous day.

It didn't take very long for her to find the lounge-type room, walking in to find Baelvyr sitting in his "usual" place, as well as Elana at one of the tables as well. She walked over to Baelvyr's table, followed by Blood, and sat in a seat near him.

"Back again today, kid. Good ya aren't a shirker. Ya want to get started right away?" he asked her, watching a screen while drinking something from a small cup, or at least, a cup that looked small in his hands.

"Yeah, sure. I just wanted to ask about the Ladders, first. Tazeen mentioned it as one of the ways to make money but said I should ask you about it. What do you think about me joining?" she asked as she watched him take another small sip.

"Huh, the Ladders, is it? Well, yer free to enter, don't need me stoppin' ya. I'll tell ya this, though; don't expect to win. Not for a long while, at any rate. Ya ain't got the skills to compete, even in the lower-level brackets," he replied with a shake of his head, taking another sip of his drink.

"Well, then I need to do something else. I need money, and a lot of it," Beth responded, frowning while starting to tap her chin.

"Ha, don't we all. Ya need to train, before anything, really. Ya want to make money, ya should go through some dungeons. That'll be the best way, for now," he replied, giving off a chuckle that made her teeth rattle.

"Well, I'll spend a couple days training, at least. I'm ready whenever you are," she replied.

"Yeah, yeah, girlie. Give me a minute to finish up my morning drink," he replied with a casual wave of one hand.

Beth sat and waited, turning to look at what was happening on one of the screens. It looked like some kind of combat program, two opponents facing off against each other on a stage in an arena. Both of them were human looking, but like all the experts she had encountered at the CRA Hall, their eyes were rather different. On top of that, one of them had what looked like feathers and very long limbs, while the other had a mane almost like that of a lion. When what Beth assumed was a referee yelled start, the two seemed to disappear before suddenly clashing in the center of the stage multiple times.