Lance set aside a few pieces of stoneware he had made in the dungeon. He didn't want any customers to come and have to eat with their hands. The trio had begun to unload all of the things they gathered, neatly on the tables out front, from Reillys Crown. There was a surprising amount of Goblin ears and tongues. They had also managed to kill a decent amount of spiders of varying sizes. They had even been lucky enough to find a cocoon of spiders, King had told them to hold onto it for him. Lance sent a message out to HamStar, telling him that his food was ready to be prepared and he had one day to accept an invitation. Lance spent an experience gem on a large block of ice from the market, which felt like a ripoff but once the guy came and delivered it he understood. He learned you could send for a one time entry when dealing with purchases or delivery which delighted him when accepting the sale to HamStar, he received the same thing for the delivery of ice. The individual came and cast a spell into Lance's starter chest, filling it with water then freezing it. At the cost of one mana, the robed wizard made an entire gem. “ I have to make this food thing work.” Lance thought. Lance told the individual he would call on him again before he left his legacy space.

  Reilly and Courage divided the gear they had, leaving Lance all of the ingredients they gathered. Lance had told them he preferred it this way. They help him gather ingredients, they keep the gear, he keeps more gems. They knew this was an odd balance, but they'd get food and experience when they ate, which was a win-win. Lance began to hang the cave weeds from the shelves in the kitchen, followed by placing the sheets of polished metal around a lantern, tied off by cordage on the ceiling. The light in the room became more balanced and brighter making him happy. He had thanked Courage for grabbing them.

  “New Message”

  Lance opened his menu and clicked on it. It was from HamStar.

  “ Be right there, give me 5 minutes.”

  Lance yelled out to the others in the front half of the bar but as he stepped out, the door to his Tavern creaked open. In the doorway stood a bulky man with large puffy cheeks. His belly was rather round and flowing off his shoulders was a fur cape that was dark brown. Under them his plain starter clothes had stains all over. He had a large mustache that almost hid his lips until he smiled opening his arms, his sharp teeth took them by surprise. “ Hello!! Sac?” He said arm extended towards Courage.

  “ Ah-ah” Courage said, thumbing over his shoulder.

  HamStar patted his belly awkwardly after not receiving his hand, Courage noticed and waved his left arm nub. HamStar made an awkward giggle, being left handed hadn't put him in such a position before.

  “ I'm Sac, you are?” Lance said as he walked around the counter. He met with his hand outward.

  “ Bernard. You can call me whatever, Bern Bernie, Ham, Hammy, Hamard, Hernie… Hah..ha.” He said quickly pulling the awkwardness back into the situation.

  Lance held his hand as he kept shaking it. “ Okay, I think you forgot a couple there. How about Bam? Haha” He said, pulling his hand away pointing at Reilly and Courage. Courage shook his head and Reilly bit her lip hiding a smile. “ Anyways yeah, take a seat I'll whip up your food, have you had any slime soda before?”

  Bam's eyes widened “ Soda?! No please, I'll buy some.” He began to dig in his pockets.

  “ No need, comes with the meal, take a seat. Guys put that stuff away. If you want some too, I'll make some more after his.” Lance had begun to walk around the counter and he poured some slime soda for everyone. Violet looked at him angry, to which he fed her a goblin ear. It began to sizzle inside her.

  Bam looking around the room and the gear they began to put away in Reilly's crown smiled.

  “So what level are you guys on? Thanks for letting me have food here. I have been eating so much stuff it's all so tasty. Did you guys have some of the leaves in the forest yet? I tried to make a tea and it was sooo bitter, but it was nice like a black tea”

  Reilly cut him off. “ Dude, slow down.” Courage laughed. Lance came around the counter setting the mugs down.

  “ Go on” Lance said. Raising his eyebrows.

  Bam grabbed the mug and took a sip then gurgled it in his throat. Violet peeked over the counter eyes wide and raised in shock. “ This is gooood! What's this from”

  “ Wait, go back to the tea. The forest.” Lance said, pushing his shoulder down as Bam began to rise looking back over the counter. Lance sat against the table “ We're about to go to level three.”

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  “Oh! I just did that level. Yea level three is a forest and everything there is so pretty. So many bugs and veggies. I made tea from the tree leaves. Had some wolf and bear, it's good stuff.”

  “Hmm. Okay. Thanks.” Lance stood up ready to go to the back room and cook.

  “ Give me a minute and I'll have your food. Enjoy the soda but save some for the food, first cup is free, not refills.” Lance went into the back and began to prepare his food.

  “Hey, what else did you see on the third floor? Any bosses or anything to worry about?” Reilly said with her notebook out.

  “ Haha nope. Just bears and wolves and more of what was in the cave. Pretty easy.”

  “ Are they aggressive? What did your team do to fight the bears?”

  “ Yeah! They're buttheads. And eh I did it myself. Everyone always leaves me after a little bit of playing, I don't get it really but they don't like trying out new foods and stuff and then they start complaining about me showing them all the stuff I find on the ground or from the stuff we kill, or when I start talking about what I can do or my class and stuff they get all weird and most of the time they just”

  “Dude. Slow down” Reilly said, her pen had stopped moving. She shrugged looking at Courage. He smiled then just kept drinking. He got up and went behind the counter towards Lance. “ Okay so you were alone. Then what's the fast route? I'll pay you in goblin gear or gems for the information”

  “ Huh? What you mean?” Bam said, drinking his soda.

  “ How'd you do it alone? There's a fast route right?”

  “ I mean I wouldn't say it was fast. It took me three days, tried queuing, each time people just kept leaving so I went to the next checkpoint and then got off.”

  “ So… you just did it by yourself?” Reilly put her book down. “ What about friends? You got a group to play with?”

  “ Mm nah. My real friends didn't get a Specter and now they're sold out or whatever. So for now just me. What about you, you guys are all friends that's pretty cool when my friends get a console I hope that i wont be to far ahead but i was thinking i could make an alt that way i can try a diffe-”

  “ Bam… Slowwwww dowwwwn.” Reilly was getting annoyed. He intrigued her but his gabbing made her want to cast Silence. “ What's your class?”

  “ Oh I'm a Beastkin Druid.” He said slurping his drink loudly. “ I can turn into stuff. Part of the reason people leave.” He said finishing his drink.

  Lance and Courage came back around the counter platters full of food. Lance made Goblinalco tacos, Cave Dwellers Salad, and had a cup of Goblinalco on the side. He set the plate down in front of Bam. Bam's eyes grew wide. He looked up at Lance and shook his hands quickly. Lance began to describe the meal, but he found himself falling silent. Bam quickly muttered something then Bam's face contorted and grew, his nose and mouth becoming longer like a snout, his sharp teeth became fangs, his brow and eyes sunk in and darkened and his neck thickened. He hung his face over the food and took a deep inhale through his now canine nostrils. He quickly dug into the food like a rabid hound, the occasional snarl and growl as he chewed large mouthfuls. He hummed a low tone as he ate it and sounded upbeat, happy. Everyone was quiet and watched as he ate. The auburn fur striking out in sharp cowlicks bounced with the flick of his head movement. The meal was gone in a matter of moments, the large portion he had made would have taken everyone else at least a half hour together to eat, as it was enough to feed the three of them twice over. Bam shook his head quickly and his canine features shrank back into his original face. He was still holding a plate licking it but then burped loudly and set it down.

  “ That was amazing! My goodness here, please have some more gems!” Bam said, pulling out a handful of gems and setting them on the table.

  Lance looked at the plate, to Bam, and then the gems stunned. He had already been paid when the order was placed, here he was being offered more. “Bam.. that was awesome. You liked it huh? Hahaha” Lance burst into laughter. “Well I was going to say eat it with this.” as he pushed forward the goblin alcohol.

  Bam picked it up and gave it a sip. Then he quickly drank the rest and smiled wide.

  “ Wow. *buuuurp* Where'd you get this from! This is the best vodka I've ever had! I love this game!” He said as his eyes welled with tears. “ Here it's all I have left. Just keep it coming. “ He pulled his pocket inside out.

  Another ten gems fell out onto the table. By now he would have paid over triple for the meal he received. Lance giggled greedily, Bam was like a child with a credit card. As Lance roughly counted the gems on the table he paused. There were easily over twenty dull experience gems here. At least another level's worth. The three of them were barely away from level six. All of these small questions prompted Lance to ask Bam a few questions. “ Hey, how do you have so many gems?”

  “Huh? I got them from the stuff I fought. It doesn't digest well.”

  “What, wait.. gross” Lance dropped the gems and looked at Reilly. “ You told them you did level three by yourself? What level are you?” Lance sat down fully at the table.

  “I'm level three. Jeez you guys ask a lot of questions, You gonna make me more food?”

  “Yea we ask questions, yes I will make more food. And last question. Can you help us?” Lance smiled looking at Courage and Reilly. Courage shrugged, Reilly sighed.

  Bam looked around at everyone. His eyes scrunched and he pursed his lips. “ You guys wanna play together? Sure but I already did level three.”

  “You can do it again, You said you know the level and did it slowly, we can use that and take everything from the level on the way out. I can cook up the bear and wolf for you as well. You can share your tea with us. Come back with us, and you can eat for free in the dungeon.”

  Bam smiled “ Heck yea. Bring more of this stuff and you got a deal.” He said, waving his cup.