Arthur went back the way he had come through the meandering, nonsensical hive. Tamya’s words echoed in his ears, lowering his mood. Though he had not been aware that there was a problem, he knew he had failed her and Len. He was supposed to be the leader of the class—even though he was in training himself. Yet all he had done was focus on how Moon Hive’s training had failed him. He’d given little to no thought about the shortcomings in the lower ranks.

Rubbing his face, he sighed aloud. That must have been a bit too much for his new Stealth class because he got a couple of curious looks before people's eyes slid away as Arthur refocused.

Then on cue, he received a new skill level in Concealment.

Well, he might be a screw-up as a leader, but he always had his skills.

He couldn't change what had happened with Tamya and Len. She made it clear that the bridge was burnt. The only thing he could do from here on out was to learn from the experience, move forward, and try to keep it from happening again.

Straightening, Arthur exhaled as if to rid himself of his guilt. As he took in a clean breath, he caught a spicy scent in the air. His stomach rumbled in approval.

He had been hesitant about going into one of the kitchens to grab a bite before as there were things in there that could be weapons, like knives. But that silver mystic who had seen through his stealth class hadn’t stopped him from walking where he wanted.

Perhaps he was being overdramatic. Did it matter if word got back to the council that he’d been out and about? They already knew they couldn’t control him.

Following his nose, he found the delicious spicy aroma coming from a vendor who had set up a cart in an alcove, too shallow to be considered an official lava cave. The booth had a smoking grill with several battered peppers roasting upon it. Despite the alluring smell, no one waited in line for a meal.

"What is this?" Arthur asked, walking up.

"Stuffed peppers," the man replied. "We have meat, cheese, or rice. Or you could get all three for a copper."

The peppers were quite large and stuffed. That was a lot of food, but Arthur had his storage space. He figured he could take some back to Cressida as well. She wouldn't be leaving Joy's side anytime soon.

"I'll take two of the combinations," he said and stood back to watch as the vendor dipped a couple of the already stuffed peppers into the batter and threw them onto the grill. Then the man skewered the nearly cooked-through peppers with small wooden stakes.

New Counterfeit Skill obtained: Perfectly Roasted

Remaining Time: 71 Hours 59 Minutes 59 Seconds