The hot pot dinner slowly transformed the tense farmhouse into something warm and alive again.
The large metal pot at the center of the table bubbled steadily, releasing steam that carried the scent of broth, garlic, herbs, and spices throughout the room. The table itself had become crowded with ingredients: sliced beef, chicken, fish from the lake, mushrooms from the farm, bundles of vegetables, noodles, and various sauces Phong had improvised from whatever he could trade or grow.
Dominic leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the backrest, watching the steam rise from the pot like he was staring into a campfire.
"So," he said after swallowing a bite of beef, "you should've seen Alex earlier."
Phong looked up from stirring the broth.
"What did she do?"
Dominic grinned.
"She killed the wolf."
Jake immediately raised his chopsticks.
"Not just killed."
"Annihilated."
Alex groaned quietly.
"Can we not."
Dominic ignored her.
"Level fifty-four Ice Wolf."
He held up five fingers dramatically.
"Fifty-four."
"Big enough to bite a horse in half."
"Faster than anything we've seen on this floor."
He pointed at Alex.
"And this psycho—"
Alex threw a mushroom at him.
"—used some giant psychic drill attack and punched straight through its skull."
Janet nodded calmly while dipping fish into the broth.
"She nearly gave herself a migraine doing it."
Jake snorted.
"Worth it."
Phong looked at Alex.
"Sounds impressive."
Alex shrugged slightly, though a faint smile tugged at her lips.
"It worked."
Dominic leaned forward again.
"You should start planting defenses around the fortress soon."
"Once the next lime-oak sprout grows we'll be ready for a second camp."
Phong nodded slowly.
"Alright."
He made a mental note.
Camp Stymphalian.
Camp Harpy.
And soon…
A Wraith Fortress outpost.
The network was expanding.
Across the table, Rico had taken over the storytelling for an entirely different reason.
The raccoon stood proudly on the chair like a tiny lecturer.
"And then," Rico declared loudly, "farmer refused touch Emma even to apply medicine."
Nyx flicked her tail approvingly from Janet's shoulder.
Bruno barked once in agreement.
Rico pointed dramatically at Phong.
"Peak beta behavior."
Jake nearly choked on his drink laughing.
Dominic slapped the table.
"That actually happened?"
Emma rolled her eyes.
"Yes."
Phong rubbed his forehead.
"It was basic respect."
Rico shook his head.
"Raccoon logic superior."
"Medical emergency overrides romance protocol."
Emma chuckled softly at that.
"You know," she said, lifting her chopsticks thoughtfully, "I never expected to lose to Alex in terms of attractiveness."
Everyone paused.
Alex blinked.
"What?"
Emma gestured toward Phong.
"You managed to lock down the one man in the room who refused to even touch me while saving my life."
She smirked slightly.
"That's impressive."
Alex snorted.
"You're joking."
Emma shrugged.
"Partially."
She dipped another slice of meat into the pot.
"This hot pot thing though…"
She glanced at the bubbling broth.
"…is very peasant food."
Jake raised an eyebrow.
"You're still eating it."
Emma chewed thoughtfully.
"…it's good."
The table erupted into laughter again.
At the far end of the table, Alexei had been quietly observing everything with mild fascination.
He had never seen anything like this before.
A hidden farm.
A team of divers casually discussing boss fights.
A raccoon giving relationship advice.
And a tiny phoenix chick perched on the table.
He leaned forward carefully.
"Hey."
Little Fireball ignored him.
Alexei picked up a small piece of cooked meat.
"Want some?"
The chick glanced at him once.
Then immediately turned around and hopped into Phong's hoodie hood instead.
Alexei blinked.
"…did I offend it?"
Phong shrugged.
"She's picky."
Rico snorted.
"She only trusts main character."
Alexei sighed.
"Tough crowd."
Eventually the hot pot meal slowed.
People leaned back in their chairs.
The room was full of satisfied exhaustion.
Dominic stretched.
Janet began organizing the remaining supplies.
Jake and Jack argued over whether the wolf's teeth would make better daggers or spearheads.
Nyx and Bruno had curled up together on the floor.
The farmhouse slowly grew quieter.
Later that night, Alex stepped outside the bedroom where Emma had been resting.
Emma sat upright against the headboard, ribs still wrapped but her was breathing steadier now.
Alex leaned against the door frame.
"You believed it."
Emma looked up.
"What."
"You believed what Josh believed."
Emma raised an eyebrow.
"That Phong would kill me."
Alex nodded.
"Or leave you to die."
Emma watched her carefully for a moment.
Then she shrugged.
"…yes."
Alex crossed her arms.
"You didn't expect him to save you."
Emma tilted her head slightly.
"You're observant."
Alex smirked faintly.
"It wasn't hard."
Emma leaned back again.
"Well... Congratulations."
"You found a dull man with strong morals."
Alex laughed quietly.
"He wasn't always like this."
Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"The dungeon changed him."
Alex looked toward the hallway where Phong's footsteps had passed earlier.
"And it changed us."
Emma studied her expression.
"You're different too."
Alex nodded.
"I know."
Emma gave a small smile.
"You're more likable now than you were in college."
Alex blinked.
"That's… surprisingly honest."
Emma shrugged.
"Near-death experiences are very clarifying."
She gestured lazily toward the door.
"You should go."
"Your boyfriend's waiting."
Alex hesitated.
"You'll be alright?"
Emma nodded.
"I'll recover."
Then she smirked slightly.
"And I'd rather not watch your cuddle session."
Alex rolled her eyes.
"Fair."
She turned toward the hallway.
Phong was sitting quietly near the window when Alex returned.
He looked up.
"You done talking?"
Alex walked over and sat beside him.
Then leaned gently against his shoulder.
"Yeah."
The farmhouse had grown quiet.
The farm outside swayed gently in the night breeze.
Alex wrapped an arm around him.
"You did good today."
Phong exhaled slowly.
"Feels like everything keeps getting bigger."
Alex rested her head against his shoulder.
"That's because it is."
For a while neither of them spoke.
They simply sat together.
The farmer and the woman who had chosen to stand beside him.
While outside, Camp Stymphalian continued quietly growing into something the world had not yet discovered.
Phong woke up to a sound that could only be described as a war crime against the ears.
"SCREEEEEEEEEECH!"
He bolted upright in bed, half tangled in blankets, heart pounding like something had just triggered an alerting carrot next to his head.
Alex stirred beside him.
"What—"
Another screech.
"AAAAAAAAA—GET OFF—GET OFF—GET OFF!"
Phong blinked twice.
"…Rico?"
Alex groaned and buried her face in the pillow.
Outside the room, chaos continued.
Phong pulled on a shirt and stepped out into the hallway.
The scene he walked into froze him for a solid three seconds.
Emma Tannenbaum sat upright in bed, hair messy from sleep, looking extremely irritated.
And in her arms—
Rico.
The raccoon.
Who had apparently been hugged like a plush toy all night.
Emma blinked slowly.
"You people have very strange pets."
Rico exploded into movement the moment he realized he was awake.
"I AM NOT PLUSHIE!"
He scrambled off the bed and onto the floor, fur puffed up in outrage.
"I AM PROUD WARRIOR!"
Nyx, sitting on the dresser, watched the scene with feline judgment.
Bruno wagged his tail enthusiastically.
Emma stretched her arms.
"In my defense," she said dryly, "I woke up in the middle of the night and something soft was already there."
She glanced at Rico.
"…so I used it."
Rico pointed dramatically.
"KIDNAP!"
Alex leaned against the doorway, barely holding back laughter.
"You sleepwalked again."
Rico froze.
Then he slowly turned to Phong.
"…this farmer sabotage."
Phong raised both hands.
"I didn't do anything."
Jake leaned against the wall.
"This is the funniest morning we've had in weeks."
Jack nodded solemnly.
"Ten out of ten."
Emma crossed her arms.
"Next time your raccoon enters my room at night, I'm charging rent."
Rico gasped.
"RACCOON UNION FILE COMPLAINT!"
The farmhouse filled with laughter.
Once breakfast settled things down—rice, leftover hot pot broth, fresh vegetables from the farm, and an alarming amount of coffee—the camp gathered under the lime-oak tree to discuss the next step.
The great trunk of the tree cast a wide shade over the clearing, its pale bark glowing faintly with the chill aura of the Snow Lime fruit.
Phong stood near the table they used as a planning board.
"Alright," he said.
"We can't delay anymore."
He pointed to the rough map they had drawn of the dungeon floors.
Camp Stymphalian.
Camp Harpy.
The Wraith Fortress on Floor 2.
And the scattered territories controlled by the Lizardmen, Trolls, Treants, and Greencap Kingdom.
Dominic crossed his arms.
"You're going down there yourself."
Phong nodded.
"I need to start planting the defensive plants."
"If we want the fortress to become a real second camp, the plants have to take root early."
Alex leaned against the table beside him.
"Which means we divide."
Phong pointed.
"Janet, Dominic, Séline, Camille."
"You stay here."
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
"You're benching me?"
"You're guarding the camp," Phong replied calmly.
"And keeping an eye on Emma."
Emma snorted from the porch.
"Lovely."
Janet nodded though.
"That makes sense."
"This place is still the heart of everything."
"If something attacks while you're gone, we need our strongest fighters here."
Séline glanced at Camille and shrugged.
"Vacation over."
Camille smiled slightly.
"We guard the farm."
Jake stretched his shoulders.
"So we're the expedition team."
Phong nodded again.
"Me, Alex, the three of you."
"And the animals."
Nyx flicked her tail proudly.
Bruno barked once.
Little Fireball peeked out of Phong's hoodie hood like a sleepy ember.
Rico raised a hand.
"Raccoon volunteer stay in camp."
Phong shook his head immediately.
"No."
Rico froze.
"WHAT."
"You're coming."
"NO."
"YES."
Rico clutched his chest dramatically.
"I have… important research here."
Alex smirked.
"Research involving coffee?"
Rico turned away suspiciously fast.
Phong had absolutely no idea that the raccoon had been secretly feeding bits of defensive plants to the baby treant on his back.
To Rico, the goal was obvious.
New Kamen Rider forms.
To Phong, the raccoon simply looked like a caffeine addict trying to dodge work.
"No arguments," Phong said.
"You're coming."
Rico slumped.
"Farmer dictatorship."