Talia was sitting near the restaurant window when Max arrived.
She had changed out of her training uniform, although the round shield resting beside her chair made her easy to recognize.
Her black braids were tied back neatly, and she was scrolling through something on her phone with a thoughtful frown.
The moment Max entered, she looked up and waved him over.
"You got here quickly."
"It’s not far from the Academy."
"Sit. I was looking at the Gate you sent me."
Max took the chair opposite her. The restaurant was fairly busy with students and Hunters stopping in for lunch, but their table was tucked far enough from the counter that they could talk without raising their voices.
A server brought over a menu and two glasses of water.
Max opened it immediately.
Talia set her phone down. "Are you actually planning to enter Blackthorn?"
"That’s the idea."
"Why that one? There are easier Gates accepting parties."
"I want to fight E-rank monsters. And I like the look of the creatures listed there."
Talia watched him for a moment. "The Nightfang Lynxes?"
"Those too."
"Those too?" She leaned back. "They’re really dangerous from what I found out."
Max nodded. He’d read the same descriptions. Hearing her talk about them made him more interested in seeing how the monsters actually behaved.
"Have you entered it before?" he asked.
"No. I’ve cleared E-rank Gates, though. Usually with people I’ve trained beside." She tapped the table with one finger. "Which brings me to my question. Who else is coming?"
"Nobody. Just us."
Talia went still.
"You want to enter an E-rank Gate with two people?"
"That’s the minimum, ain’t it?"
"Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s the number that’s recommend."
Max closed the menu. "You don’t think we can manage?"
"I think you’re strong. I watched you fight Hale, and I know what I saw." She met his eyes.
"But you’re still an F-rank Player. We haven’t fought monsters together, and we’ve known each other for about two days. That’s a lot of uncertainty to carry into an E-rank Gate."
Max couldn’t argue with that. She was looking at the situation from the perspective of someone who’d fought in teams before, and she had every reason to be careful.
Still, he didn’t want four or five Players following him around while he tried to collect monsters for Devour. The fewer people who saw what he did after a hunt, the better.
"Could we bring a third?" Talia continued. "I know a few people who’d be interested. There’s an archer in my group who’s pretty reliable, and another shield user who has more Gate experience than me."
"I’d rather keep it to two."
"Why?"
For a moment Max considered inventing an excuse, but he didn’t have to.
"I prefer small groups," he said. "I can handle myself, and I’ve already fought E-rank monsters. I don’t want to spend the entire expedition coordinating with people I’ve never met."
Talia looked down at his covered gauntlet.
"You’ve fought E-rank monsters before?"
"Yeah."
"Alone?"
Max nodded.
Her expression changed. It wasn’t quite disbelief, but it was close.
"You really are an odd F-rank," she murmured.
Max didn’t reply. The server returned to take their orders, giving Talia a moment to think. Max ordered chicken and rice, while she chose a smaller meal and a fruit drink.
Their food arrived shortly afterward. Max began eating while Talia checked the rest of the Gate information.
"So you’ve fought E-rank monsters before, and now you want to hunt them regularly?"
"Something like that."
"Well, I can’t blame you." She glanced at the Blackthorn Gate listing. "The cores are worth considerably more, and I’ve been saving for better equipment myself."
"Then we both have something to gain."
"Assuming we survive."
Max smiled. "You worry too much."
"And you seem to worry too little." Talia shook her head, though there was a small smile on her face. "Fine. What’s your plan?"
"We stick together. You handle the front, and I’ll take care of anything that gets past you. If things get dangerous, we can always retreat."
Talia considered it.
"And the loot?"
"We split the cores equally. Though I’d like to keep some monster specimens for myself."
"Specimens?"
"I’m a researcher, remember?"
"Oh, right." She glanced at his gauntlet. "Almost forgot about that."
Max leaned back in his chair. "So, what do you think?"
Talia studied him for a moment. He was asking her to enter an E-rank Gate with only two people, yet he looked completely relaxed about it.
She’d seen enough of his abilities to know that his confidence wasn’t entirely misplaced. He’d defeated her without much effort, and even Instructor Hale had needed to take him seriously.
Besides, she wasn’t exactly helpless herself.
"All right," she finally said. "I’m interested."
"Great."
"But next time, you should probably ask someone before deciding they’re joining your hunting party."
Max raised an eyebrow. "I did ask."
"After deciding it would just be the two of us."
"Well, you’re free to say no."
Talia laughed softly. "Fair enough."
Their food arrived shortly afterward, and they continued talking while they ate. Max was especially interested in the Nightfang Lynxes, asking what Talia knew about their movements and hunting habits.
She told him what she’d learned from other Players, though she admitted she’d never encountered one herself.
By the time they finished eating, Max had already made up his mind about where he wanted to begin exploring.
"So," Talia said, setting down her glass. "When are you planning to go? Tomorrow?"
"Now."
She blinked.
"Now?"
"Yeah. Are you not ready?"
"No, I’m ready. I just didn’t expect you to want to go today."
"Why not? It’s still early."
"Because we haven’t even bought a permit."
"I already reserved one."
Max took out his phone and turned the screen toward her.
[Blackthorn Gate]
[Party Permit: 2 Players]
[Status: Awaiting Second Player Registration]
Talia stared at the confirmation.
"You bought the permit already?"
"Yeah. There were only a few slots left this afternoon."
"And what if I’d refused?"
"I would’ve found someone else."
She looked at him for a moment before breaking into a smile.
"You’re quite something, Max."
He shrugged and returned to finishing his drink.
Talia picked up her phone and opened the registration invitation he’d sent earlier. After reading through the conditions, she scanned her Player card and confirmed her participation.
A notification appeared on both their screens.
[Party Registration Complete]
[Registered Players: 2/2]
[Entry Authorization: Active]
"There," Talia said. "Looks like we’re officially a party now."
Max checked the confirmation, satisfied.
"Shall we?"
"Give me a minute."
Talia rose and adjusted the strap on her shield, then collected her equipment bag from beneath the table. Max waited while she checked its contents, including a short baton and two healing potions.
"All good," she said.
They settled their bills and left the restaurant.
The journey to Blackthorn Gate took them out of the Academy district and toward the eastern outskirts of the city.
During the ride, Talia told Max about some of her previous Gate expeditions.
She’d joined several E-rank clears since Awakening, though most had involved larger parties.
Max listened with interest, occasionally asking about the monsters she’d encountered.
Some of the species were familiar from his research, while others were creatures he’d only read about in Association reports.
When they arrived at Blackthorn Gate, few Players were gathered around the entrance.
A group had just completed their expedition, their equipment covered in dirt, and one of them carried a bundle of long, curved spines.
Max’s attention immediately shifted toward the bundle.
’Bristleback spines?’
He’d seen illustrations before, but the real things were considerably larger.
Ahead stood the Blackthorn Gate, its dark green surface rippling between the rocks.
Beside it was the Access Node, the familiar construct connected to Earth AI that controlled authorized entry.
Max checked his phone one last time. Their party permit was active, and both names had been registered.
"Ready?" he asked.
Talia secured her shield and smiled. "Been ready."
"Good."
They approached the Access Node together.
[The challenge is yours, Players]