The descent towards the Dungeon was slow, a staircase that would only take mere minutes felt like an eternity for Ragnar. The massive hole around the staircase and the loud beating of his heart felt like a drum in his ears did not help him to remain calm and the voices of the other adventurers, the many footsteps around him or even the cheers and excitement coming from behind him were just making him more anxious.
The idea of them minimizing something like fighting against monsters and trying to survive in order to come back alive made his brain think a lot. Maybe he was overthinking it? Maybe he was more capable than he thought but what if he was wrong? Was he prepared to be an adventurer? Would he even be capable of killing a monster? Were the fears going to get the best of him? Those were the questions that kept piling up in his head with each step he took.
But everything felt silent when he saw the entrance to the Dungeon properly: The first floor. While he was advised that the Upper Floors were perfect for any novice adventurer, he should still be careful. Simple creatures would be easy to defeat, but with his lack of strength and experience, anything could be deadly. That's what he was already worrying about.
He went through one of the entrances and his vision was engulfed with darkness. Ragnar hummed to himself, trying to keep his composure and not run away at the first sight of danger. However, he stopped the moment there was light, took a deep breath, and held both the axe and shield close to him.
His vision was finally clear, the natural light of that cave gave him a better view. It was an open area with light blue walls mixed in with green, in the ceiling there were shiny rocks that helped illuminate the path but perhaps the most terrifying element in this place was the silence that was broken every time he took a step.
The captain had finally arrived.
In his mind he expected a violent welcome with creatures and adventurers fighting to the end, the corpses of those who fell before him and even the remains of monsters. Truly he was waiting for a battlefield to be laid in front of him, but it was the complete opposite: a barren land with nothing in sight.
"This is... unexpected, " he said to himself, taking cautious steps and turning whenever he heard a sound.
His breathing, which started rapidly, was now slowing down but Ragnar was still keeping his guard up. He was trying to remember the words from Esther; what path to take, what type of monsters he would face and even more general advice. For now, he was only focusing on what he would do if he found an enemy.
The fact that there were no other adventurers nearby made his situation even more terrifying.
Every now and then he heard the sound of battles in the distance echoing through the walls of this part of the cave, but he couldn't tell how close they were. Even the chanting of monsters felt worrying as they sounded very close but no matter where he looked, he was alone.
"Remember the lesson, Ragnar, " he kept talking to himself. "This is doable for you… even if you've never fought before. Yeah, I'll get stronger if I fight here." His tone had some sarcasm in it.
He wouldn't lie to himself, he really wanted to get stronger, to overcome a fear that has been chasing him. But at the same time, he wanted to be realistic about the situation. Even though he saw some people back at his village teaching how to swing a weapon that did not mean much. He could instinctively swing the axe and pray that it hits a monster. Would he have the enough strength for the kill? What if he broke his arm? Those were the questions that were circling in his head on top of wondering if it was a good idea to descend into this hellish place. The silence was unnerving and even if the distant sound of fighting came from other adventurers, he was afraid that it was a strategy of the dwellers of the Dungeon to set up an ambush on him.
Even if there were no monsters, he was already feeling like he was running out of air, the walls were closing on him and Ragnar did nothing but cling to his shield and hope to not get crushed.
At the rate this was going though, it would not be a monster to end him, but his nerves. What good of an adventurer would he be if he was panicking at a moment's notice? The promise he made with Skadi and Esther would be broken because of his inability to focus. Survive? As if. His body was giving up and even if his soul and mind wanted to continue, he couldn't move.
Ragnar closed his eyes, hoping that this nightmare would be over soon. However, he felt a warm feeling on his cheek and pain on his forehead. There was a voice that didn't belong to him, and he couldn't understand anything it said.
He opened his eyes to notice that he wasn't alone in that place. The warm feeling was blood, his blood, caused from a small wound that was nested in his forehead. His vision adjusted to the natural light of the cave, and he tried to get his bearings.
In his panicked state, he had taken several steps back and now was against the wall. He was still in shock, trying to understand what happened, but the moment he moved his hand to touch his cheek, a projectile flew in his direction.
A thud could be heard as the object collided against his shield and fell to the ground. It was a rock. Ragnar lowered the shield and saw the perpetrator: A goblin.
The small creature was alone; the top of his head reached Ragnar's waist. Its green skin and red eyes were already a terrifying sight and even though it was only armed with the few rocks it could find laying on the ground.
Perhaps for a more advanced adventurer this would be bump on the road but for the novice fighter it felt like it could be the most difficult battle of his life. A challenge that would decide everything. His starting point as an adventurer or his finale.
The goblin took another rock and threw it at Ragnar who once again blocked it. The boy took a deep breath as the on the axe was tighter and slowly approached, keeping the shield up and closer to his face.
Perhaps it wasn't the most effective strategy, perhaps he was acting ridiculously, but he didn't care. The lesson he received from the Guild member were thrown away, his mind was focused on one thing: Killing the goblin.
Another rock was thrown and blocked. "Come on…" He whispered. Ragnar was getting closer, and the situation was changing; this time it was the goblin who was with its back against the Dungeon's wall, it could still run away but the captain would have the advantage. A small swing would be enough to create even the tiniest of wounds and while it might not be fatal, it would grow his advantage.
The green creature did nothing but look for more stones albeit with no positive results. There was no fear in its face, only a sense of violence that was easily reflected in its red glowing eyes.
No more voices around him, no adventurers, no monsters. Just him and his prey. He clenched his hand even tighter.
He was ready to attack but it was the goblin made the first move. It tried to escape to the left by running past the blond. He counteracted by lowering his shield and swinging his axe down, but the creature was faster and made him miss his attack.
The monster used this advantage with the rock it held, hit Ragnar's leg. It wasn't as painful as the impact from before, but it definitely made him lose balance.
Thud.
Ragnar fell to the ground and saw his enemy running away to pick up another projectile to throw immediately. He curled as much as he could to block it but the patience of the blond was running thin. His reactions were quick, but he wasn't fast enough to kill the monster.
He crawled to the wall and used it to get back up, then raised his shield in front. He was thinking of a strategy, anything that he was taught before would've worked if he stopped to think about it, but right now his mind was focused on not dying to that foul creature.
"Come on, throw another rock, " Ragnar muttered under his breath, taking step after step to get close again.
Whether the goblin understood his taunt or not, it picked up another rock and threw it at the adventurer. Ragnar immediately deflected it with his shield then dropped his defenses to swing the axe.
However, he wasn't expecting the next attack. The goblin jumped and threw another rock and hit the boy in the head, close to where the first wound was made. The sudden change in tactic caught him off guard, sending him back to the ground.
In that moment he saw the monster trying to land on top of him, but he was quick enough to react and put the shield in front of him, softening the impact and causing some pain in his arm. The monster was using holding onto the rock in its hand and tried to hit him but the shield was protecting him, albeit temporarily.
Ragnar smiled. Although his original plan didn't succeed, he knew he could turn the situation in his favor once again. The foul creature was in a prime position but there was one problem.
He couldn't feel his axe.
During his fall he dropped the weapon to try and protect himself. His attention went immediately to the left and saw the axe nearby; he would need to stretch a bit to grab it, but it was doable. The problem would be the goblin noticing and running away which would set this fight back to square one.
"Please…" He slowly moved his arm to try and reach out the axe. The constant pummeling from the monster did not help his focus, especially as he was losing the strength in his shield arm. The tip of his fingers could barely touch the handle of the weapon, and his effort only slightly pushed it away "Don't… you dare…"
His anger was rising, the fear he had before was fully replaced with adrenaline and a savage feeling, one he hadn't felt before.
His arm stretched out more and his fingers touched the bottom of the axe once again, only this time he had a better reach. The handle was held between the index and the middle fingers as he pulled his arm slowly back in.
He felt that the right one was going to give in, and that the shield was almost destroyed. It was now or never.
When he felt that the axe was close enough, he adjusted his grip to hold it firmly, twisted his wrist around and with a scream of anger, and swung his axe at the goblin that was on top of him.
The next sound that Ragnar heard was of metal slicing through flesh, then there was silence for a moment. His ragged breathing on top of the sound of liquid dripping over wood was the next thing that he heard before his body relaxed, even if for a brief moment.
The heavy weight that was on top of his arm was gone, the shadow of the goblin that had loomed over him disappeared in an instant. Instead, he took a peek at his axe to notice a sliver of blood coating the edge.
Another thud was heard as another projectile fell into the shield and then slid down to the ground.
Ragnar laid his head against the stone and took a deep breath. He moved his right arm to the side and let it rest while the left one also touched the stone.
His eyes saw the glowing rocks on the ceiling which observed the struggle. The adrenaline that overcame him was gone, unlike the pain that was still pulsating in his forehead and arm.
So many things were going inside of his head. The ecstasy of winning his first battle, the struggle of almost dying to a goblin, the plan that he had failed. His vision was almost tinted in red due to his wound, but he didn't care; he won. A small smile crept onto his face. Victory was something to be happy about.
"I will… do it." He groaned and tried to use his strength to sit.
His back was against the wall once again. This time, he rested there to assess his current situation. His left arm was unharmed, except for a few small cuts in the jacket. His legs were also in good condition.
The problem was his right arm. He loosened the straps and removed his shield; the jacket was in a good state but when he pulled the sleeve, he saw that his arm was swollen underneath the bandages and he had some difficulty clenching the hand as well. While most of his injuries from travelling had healed, some pain still lingered.
His left hand went to the wound on his forehead, there was a small cut that, even though it stopped bleeding, he could still feel some pain. Ragnar shook his head and cleaned the blood.
In this moment of silence, he started to reflect on recent events; his fight against the monster, the injuries he sustained, and the eventual victory that left a taste for more in his mouth.
But there was something else that kept bugging him since the battle ended. Things like how the damage caused by the rock should've knocked him out, or how he had more than enough strength to fight the goblin when he considered himself weaker. Things that had no sense at first, but he soon came to a realization.
The blessing from Skadi.
He didn't realize it before, but he couldn't deny that there was a change. Before arriving at Orario he wouldn't be able to fight like this, let alone survive in this type of situation.
Ragnar laughed. His first step was entering the Dungeon, and the second was to defeat his first enemy. While they may not have been the biggest leaps, it was still huge progress for him.
Even though fighting one monster was nothing for many adventurers, the captain already felt like he experienced quite a lot in a single day. He tried to get up, but something caught his attention.
He thought it was one of the rocks that the goblin threw but this one had a different shape and texture. When he grabbed it for a closer inspection he noticed some cracks into what looked to be a purple crystal, inside there was a faint glow that captivated the adventurer despite the mysterious nature of this object.
"Oh, " he quickly realized, "this is what Miss Estherisiana meant."
If there was one thing that he quickly remembered was a way to earn money. The magic crystals, he didn't know what the Guild wanted with them but if they were willing to pay money he wouldn't mind giving away his loot. The boy put the crystal inside the pocket of his jacket and took another deep breath.
He turned his attention to the shield and let his hand move underneath the straps, tightened them and then proceeded to stand up.
"Alright, enough fighting for one day. Time to go back to the city." He talked to himself again and then looked to the left, then to the right.
Both paths were the same, nothing stood out and lost his bearings when fighting the creature.
"Uh…" Ragnar hesitated, trying to remember his movement but there was nothing that could guide him; the echoes of battle came from both sides which did not help either.
Ultimately, he opted to go to the left; if anything it would be easier to just turn around and return.
His footsteps were quick, the shield was raised as he tried not to lose focus unlike the last time so he wouldn't be ambushed. The grip on the axe was tighter than before, he trusted his newfound strength and even though it was just one fight against a single enemy he felt happy, he would be able to keep his promise to the goddess and the Guild worker, he would return victoriously and as a stronger person than before. The dream of becoming the strongest adventurer in Orario came to his mind, being revered as one of the best in the city; but those felt like distant goals that were quickly getting to his head.
Unfortunately it was those same thoughts that made him lose his focus again, only this time he wasn't feeling any pain nor was he ambushed.
He stopped in place after he noticed that the path in the cave kept going to no end.
"Huh, should've taken the other route, " the captain shrugged and turned around, walking down the path he took before.
While it sounded simple, he came to a big problem: The path he came from was divided in two. There were two tunnels leading to the left and the right and much like before there were no signs of which one he was in.
In his daydreaming he didn't pay attention and was now lost in the Dungeon.
Without much thinking he went to the right and hoped that it would take him back to the surface or at the very least find another adventurer who could help him with the bearings.
But that was hopeful thinking to an almost impossible situation.
He continued down the path until his ears caught a familiar noise. The strange mumbling of a green creature.
Ragnar approached to the corner of this cave and peeked to see a goblin poking at the remains of a bonfire.
The blond clicked his tongue; he took the wrong option in the path so he had to retrace his steps.
Or at least that was the plan initially, instead he found himself with another problem.
As he was turning he noticed that two rocks were flying in his direction. He raised his left arm and was able to block one of them while the other hit him on the side of his body.
Ragnar fell into a trap. While one goblin was something he already faced, three at the same time was a new challenge he was not sure if he could fight it, let alone win.
One of the creatures had a club while the other was just relying on stones; the one by the bonfire had a makeshift spear with one of the burnt pieces of wood.
Another projectile was thrown while the one with the club rushed at the boy, screaming in a high pitched tone, the red eyes focused on the adventurer.
Ragnar proceeded to block the rock, and as the other goblin was approaching he clenched his teeth and hit it with the edges of the shield.
It was an effective move that pushed the goblin back but that left him open as another rock hit him in the head and caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
The monster with the `spear´ advanced and did a quick thrust at the captain; he tried to dodge but it was his shoulder that received the attack in the end.
Ragnar screamed in pain and kicked the goblin away in response, then he tried to quickly remove the stick only to feel another wave of pain as the tip of the weapon was coated in his blood.
"You want to play like that? " He stood up amidst the pain. "Fine, I'll do it too." He prepared the axe and looked at the three monsters. Only one of them was unharmed while the others were slightly wounded. A feeling of anger and adrenaline was building up once more.
The first goblin charged with club in hand again. It went straight for Ragnar's legs but the blond was already running towards it.
Rather than a downwards attack he decided to improvise. As soon as he was close, instead of using his axe, he decided to kick the goblin from the side and push him towards the wall; from there he cut the creature's head which disappeared almost instantly and dropped one of the magic stones.
The other two monsters felt uneasy the moment their companion disappeared in the blink of an eye. An angered Ragnar was looking back at them with his axe coated in the blood of the fallen goblin.
But that didn't stop the one with the spear who charged with another stick towards the captain.
In a quick attempt to turn around and attack, Ragnar was stabbed in the shin, feeling a new wave of pain coursing not only from the point of impact but also through the entirety of his body.
The goblin removed the spear and was ready to aim at his face.
"Take this! " He yelled and much like the previous goblin he cleaved right at the monster's skull.
The meaty sound from the weapon mixed in with the violent screaming from the captain echoed in a show of violence that made him grin.
But that wasn't all. There was still one enemy alive that was trying to run away and Ragnar was not going to let it escape, not after so much pain in a single day.
He let go of the axe and started to loose the straps from the shield and charged at full speed towards the third monster.
In an attempt to stop him, the goblin threw another rock and while it was able to hit Ragnar, it didn't stop the boy's charge.
Another furious scream echoed in the cave as the captain was able to get close and tackle on the goblin. He used his weight to make sure that the creature wouldn't move; even in his weakened state he was still able to overpower the creature.
Ragnar could only scream as the edge of the shield crashed against the goblin repeatedly until it disappeared and made the boy fall to the ground.
He won, another victory albeit a more painful one. He turned around with his back against the floor and looked at the ceiling with glowing stones, a familiar sight that he was facing once again in a similar manner.
He remained silent, his mind reeling in from the ecstasy of combat, a feeling that he never experienced before but it still left an itch for more. He was aware that his goal was far away and that it would never be easy, yet he wanted it more than ever.
"Stronger, " He muttered "I need to…" The captain tried to get up but his body wouldn't let him, it felt like an anchor was keeping him down.
"So this is how it ends? " Ragnar talked to the ceiling and let out a quick chuckle "If I ever see you again, goddess… I need to tell you…" but no more words came out as he closed his eyes and darkness engulfed him.
It was quiet. The sound of fighting in the distance disappeared and was instead replaced by, the sound of chainmail that was getting louder and louder; he didn't dare to open his eyes but there was something that forced him to do it.
"Hey, " an unknown voice called for him. "Hey, kid. Wake up."
A light pressure in his belly forced him to open his eyes and noticed that he was surrounded by three people, one of them carrying a long stick which was used to wake Ragnar up.
"Ugh… what? " He looked around. The same ceiling, walls and rough floor. "Am I still in the Dungeon? "
"What? You think you died?" The trio laughed "Here, let us give you a hand." Two of the adventurers helped Ragnar sit down and dragged him to the nearest wall to rest "Just what were you doing?" One of them asked.
"I was ambushed by a group of goblins. My body didn't respond so I thought it would be my end." He gestured at his shin and shoulder.
"Let me guess." The man who woke him approached the captain. He was clad in heavy armor and carried a black maul over the shoulder. His long brown beard reached to the belly and the voice made him sound like an old person yet his height was clearly abnormal compared to the other two adventurers. A dwarf. "New adventurer? " Ragnar weakly nodded "I knew it! " The trio laughed again "Can you move? "
The captain tried to shake his legs but only one of them was reacting properly, the other one sent a jolt of pain. "I can't…" When he looked up at the group he was surprised when one of them presented a small vial to him "What's that? "
"Drink it, it won't get you in top shape but it will heal your wounds enough to help you move around." Another one of the adventurers spoke, a young man clad in a robe and pointy hat.
Even if Ragnar shook a hand to reject it, the healer insisted and he had no other option but to drink it.
It had a horrible taste at first but that was not what caught his attention, it was the fact that he was able to move his arm and legs freely as if he wasn't injured. The wounds were still there but the bleeding stopped.
The third person, a female Pallum wearing light armor and carrying two daggers on her belt, helped the blond to get up.
"I don't think I can thank you enough for what you did." Ragnar bowed.
"Maybe if I see you around the city you can buy me a pint." The dwarf left the maul near the group as he walked towards the weapon and the loot that was around this area. He grabbed the axe first and swung it around "Nice axe." He then grabbed the magic stones and walked back "Here, you don't want to be empty handed"
"Thanks." He grabbed the stones and put them in his pockets; before grabbing the axe he slid the arm behind the shield and tightened the straps. "It was a gift." He replied and took the axe.
"I'd recommend taking care of those wounds. It might feel good right now but it will be sore later."
"Understood, " the boy nodded at the healer, "so… what's the way out of here? "
"Down the corridor, when you see a path to your right take it." The shortest one pointed where they all came from "Are you going to be alright?"
"Y-yeah, I thin, " the adventurers stepped aside when Ragnar started to walk away. "Again, thank you."
Staying close to the wall, Ragnar left that area. The smile that was adorning his face earlier was gone and was replaced by one that showed fatigue and small bits of pain. Even if the potion helped him, his body felt sluggish and the agility he showed before was not that present at the moment.
Following the directions of the other adventurers he took the path he came from and when he reached the fork in the road he took the path to his right.
His eyes were recognizing the rock formations and how the road was slowly going up. He was straying away from the deeper layer of that floor and slowly going back to the entrance.
The slow walk felt even slower as he was climbing up. What it felt like an eternity before now it was closer to reality.
Step by step he went up until the carved walls of the staircase were replaced by a more open area where many more adventurers were gathered. He arrived back to the surface.
The gazes of many adventurers were focused on the injured captain, even whispering things about him yet Ragnar paid no attention to them as he made his way out of Babel.
The sun was slowly setting in the horizon. He lost track of how much time he spent in the Dungeon and moving at a slow pace did not help him either.
"I better turn these in" He muttered and walked in the direction of the Guild.
The first day in the Dungeon left a mixed feeling for him. On the one hand he was able to beat four goblins which even if they were lesser creatures he still had trouble fighting them. On the other he almost lost his life in both encounters, something that could be the norm for any adventurers, but it was still nerve racking at the end of the day.
Still, that's what came with the job description, for better or for worse.
Ragnar entered the Guild building, earned a few more glances before he went to the Exchange area.
In front of him there was a counter with a wall blocking his vision to the other side, below was there was an empty box.
He was uncertain on what to do at first until a voice called him from the other side.
"Please put any loot in the box."
"R-right…" He hesitated at first but then took the four crystals from the pockets in his jacket and placed them in the box, only for it to be pulled into the wall.
The captain remained silent, looking around as if waiting for something until the box reappeared with many coins.
It was his reward, all the pain he endured this day ended in this.
Not like he would reject it. He thanked the voice on the other side and took his hard-earned Valis out of the box and turned to leave the Guild.
However, someone stopped him in his tracks. A familiar face with a definitely worried look who dropped the box that she was carrying.
"M-Mist- R-Ragnar what-… What happened?!"
"Miss Estherisiana, h-hey" He kneeled and grabbed the box that the staff member brought "I'm back from the Dungeon."
"I can see that but, I didn't expect you to come back like that! Just… did you follow the advice I gave you earlier? " the elf took the box again.
"You see…" the captain had to explain what happened. His first descent into the Dungeon, as well as the two encounters to the finest detail and the further he explained the more worried Esther looked.
"Then you arrived. That pretty much sums up everything."
"I…" The girl opened her mouth but nothing came out; her eyes looked as if she was going to let out some tears but nothing came out "I'm happy that you returned. That means that I gave good advice to you… even if you didn't apply any of it." She gave a nervous chuckle.
"Hey, not all of it! I was aware when I was fighting the goblin… sort of…" He scratched the back of his head "Still, thank you for your help, Miss Estherisiana."
"I am glad that the adventurer that I'm helping was able to come out on top" The Guild member smiled "Now If you excuse me, I need to take this back inside" The blond stepped aside and she walked past him.
Just as he was about to leave, the same voice called for him "Oh, Mister Ragnar? " He turned around at the smiling elf "Please, it's Esther."
"Yes. Thank you, Miss Esther" The captain, still weary from today's trip, walked out of the Guild and headed back to Fimbulvetr where he would have to give an explanation to a worried goddess.
It took a while for him to reach his new home, the constant murmurs of the citizens about his injured state didn't stop him but it still made him think quite a lot. How would Skadi even react to his state? Would she forbid him from going back to the Dungeon? One of the memories of his goddess was how she was worried when he was leaving for the first time but yet she didn't stop him earlier in the day.
He still couldn't understand Skadi, but perhaps it was his tired body that didn't let him think properly.
Once he crossed the walls of the compound he dragged his body towards the entrance of the mead hall where he found the goddess wiping some dust from the floor.
"Goddess Skadi, I'm back."
"Hello Ragnar, I was wondering when-…" Her voice trailed off when she turned around and saw her child injured.
There was no response, no more words. She immediately let the broom fall and ran towards the blond, placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Ragnar…" she muttered, "I was worried since you weren't returning. I… I was afraid that you…"
"I… promised…" As if the weight of his body wasn't enough, Skadi was not helping either.
"What? " She blinked and took a step back from the captain.
"I said that I promised. I would come back alive and stronger" He extended his arms and looked down "It may not look like it but I am better than when I left this morning, just… a little sore"
"You have to tell me everything. No… you need to have those bandages replaced. No, you need to-…" But the goddess bit her lip; she didn't know what to say, her reactions were going from worried to happy. "Ragnar, I'm happy that you're back. But I'll need to replace those bandages. You will tell me everything, alright? "
"Yeah… I will" Skadi gave him a smile and helped him find a spot on the bench.
The rest of the afternoon he spent inside of Fimbulvetr, explaining his goddess everything that happened since he went into the Dungeon, his prowess against the goblins as well as the fear he had. The few people he found and helped him.
Regardless of how injured he ended, he still considered it victory. Even if those were weak enemies he was at an equal level, something that looked impossible at first.
Ragnar knew that if he was to become stronger he would have keep training, but that's what he signed for. His first victory, while painful, would be something he will never forget.
As the day ended, Ragnar was ready to go to bed. Saying his goodbyes to the goddess but before closing the door he stepped outside again.
"Goddess Skadi? "
The deity turned around when she heard her name "Yes? "
The captain remained quiet, biting his lip as he tried to think the right words. "I just want to say… thank you. For helping me in Orario and giving me a place here in your Familia. I'll try to be more careful."
Skadi smiled. "No, I should thank you. For coming back, I mean, " the two of them exchanged a nod before they went to their respective rooms.
Alright, it has been quite a busy month, and schedules didn't help. I had many more ideas and kept writing but I needed to go back to this chapter to change a few things and I found myself without energy to do it. But thankfully when I finished a chapter I decided to go back and do the necessary reworks.
But the story is still going and expect an update soon!
Thank you to everyone who's following this story and leaving your reviews. As always I try to reply to PMs and any questions.
As always, thanks to Jester of Nihil who helped as a beta-reader for this chapter.
With nothing more to say, have a good day and I'll see you in the next chapter.
