Great. Just my luck. People were still poking around. This time, we had another guy with regen, and he was also from a respected family.

  The three of them came to a halt just a few paces from us, like they’d rehearsed it. Goron stood in the middle—built like a kiln turned upright, long muscular arms at his side, white hair like ash-flecked steel. Halden and Kael–a nearly identical set of brothers–flanked him, both shorter but no less broad, and with matching expressions that were more expressive than Goron’s. Those two gave away more of what was on their mind than Goron did.

  Halden looked me up and down like he was measuring a piece of scrap. “You look a little too fine for someone who's been fighting for his life.”

  Kael snorted. “Didn’t you hear? He heals fast now.” Kael’s brow raised. “Or could be he’s a bit better at doing the beating these days.”

  “What’re you talking about?” I asked, already knowing I wasn’t gonna like the answer. “I appreciate that everyone thinks that a one-armed man can perform miracles, but come on. Cut me a break.”

  Kael’s nose crinkled. “Fix that face of yours, kid.”

  “We’re here about Saela and Edrin… and I guess the other one,” Halden said, stepping forward. “They got hurt bad last phase. Edrin’s not gonna be able to hunt for a while. Saela’s shaking in her boots still. You know it’s scary, right? Someone out there could hurt our neighbors like that, and vanish, taking Veyrith with him.”

  “And that beating they took?” Kael added. “Someone hated them.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “Come on, guys. A lot of people hated Veyrith.”

  Kael cocked his head back, showing the scar across his neck. “Yeah, but you’re the only one who’s ever hit him.”

  Goron said nothing. Just watched. His gaze was steady—maybe curious, maybe weighing something heavier than his brothers’ suspicions. I kind of detested how unreadable he was. This guy had regen, so he most likely had a Level. If I was unlucky, he had multiple Levels. If he had multiple Levels he might have unlocked Signature Weapons, and if he knew about Signature Weapons, he could come up with a theory.

  “Alright, well, there’s nothing I can do when you’re so set on–”

  “Shut up, Set,” Kael interrupted, scoffing. “It’s weird, Set—all of that happening yesterday. We gotta make sure we do our part. We gotta make sure you’re not doing something weird.”

  “Oh, please,” Runica muttered, but stayed close. “I’m going to tell my family! You can’t keep harassing Set! You know he has no way to prove to you that he didn’t beat up Saela if you’re not going to accept reality!”

  Kael cracked his knuckles, confidence overflowing. “No, we’ve got a way.”

  He took a step closer, and then—

  “Boom.”

  A boom rang out as a nearby, watermelon-sized stone exploded. Eyes flew to the tall one on my side–Raster.

  He stood a few paces away, smile wide. “So sorry to interrupt the Smith family inquisition—but I simply must interject.” He spread his arms grandly, spectacularly holding his coat open.

  Bombs—it had to be bombs. Raster had dozens of balls wrapped in shroom skin nestled into loops on the inside of his jacket.

  The pair of brothers had no idea what they were looking at, but the last explosion had terrified them.

  “Raster?!” Runica called, hiding behind me.

  Raster laughed like a maniac. “The dull ones always try to bludgeon the sharp ones into the ground! I’ve read it over and over! Smiths! Come! The moment you hit me, all my projects are going off—kaboom!”

  Halden went pale. Even Goron showed concern.

  “Just like that rock?” I asked, helping Raster along.

  “Even worse!” he declared. And then, a glint appeared in his eye as he let out a sickening, disturbed laugh. “I’ll take out five houses worth of space.”

  “Are you mad!?” Kael yelled. “How do you even have those things?!”

  “I’m a genius!” Raster declared. “Just like you savants of metal and weapons! I’m the genius of mushrooms!”

  “H-Hey, Raster,” I called. “Five houses?! Runica and I are right here!”

  “It’s okay, Set!” he replied, laughing like a man gone mad. “You can regenerate! I’m sure you’ll protect Runica with your body!”

  “Spirit help us!” Kael pulled on Goron’s shoulder. “Hey, I think this is real! He’s going to do it!”

  Goron’s eyes narrowed. And then Raster pointed at Kael, getting a wince from the shaking man.

  “You, Kael, come hit me!” Raster took a step, and Kael backed up. “Hey, stay here!”

  “Why me?!” Kael cried.

  “It’d be a waste to target Goron. He’ll just heal it all! But you?” Raster grinned and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. “I wanna see your arm disintegrate in the moments before my brain is blown to smithereens.”

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  My mouth was hanging open. Runica’s too. Halden was moments from passing out.

  The story they told me of Raster giving the family a bomb–at first, I thought they were overexaggerating, but no. Raster actually would blow things up.

  Goron, straight-faced, raised an arm. “No, we don’t want to be blown up.”

  Raster straightened up. “Oh. A fair response.”

  “Ignore the other two, Raster. I just wanted to check something with Set.” Goron turned to Runica and dipped his head slightly. “Miss Runica, I promise it’s nothing that would be a serious inconvenience. I won’t bother you further if all goes well.”

  Runica looked disgusted as she clung to my arm. “And what does that mean? Are you going to keep harassing him if you find some new thing to terrorize him over?!”

  “Yes, because it would mean Set is dangerous,” Goron calmly replied.

  “Screw you–”

  I soothed Runica immediately and gestured for her to calm down. Then, I faced Goron.

  “Goron, you seem reasonable. What do you need from me?” I asked.

  “Set, punch me with all you’ve got.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll be able to tell if someone like you could have hurt those three the way the attacker did.”

  “Are you crazy?!” Runica yelled, getting between us. “Look at him! He’s so many pounds lighter–not counting the fact that, I don’t know, he lost his arm! I heard it, too, from my uncle! Kastel’s saying that someone with both his arms beat him and the others up! Look at Set! It’s not him!”

  Goron cast a sympathetic glance. “Runica, if Set punches me, I’ll be able to speak with as much conviction as you can.”

  “Are you not listening—”

  “Runica, I’ll do it,” I said, patting her shoulder. “Thanks for worrying about me.” I stood beside her and stared into this stalwart man’s eyes. “Honestly, I want to dispel suspicion as quickly as I can. Having another blessed vouching for me will really help. You ready?”

  Goron nodded, gritting his teeth. He got on his knees and signaled that he was ready. Even on his knees, he was imposing. No matter. I lined up and threw a punch—no way anyone would say I looked like I held back. I even put all my weight into it. All that was lacking was my Level Flicker.

  He received the punch with a hollow thud and then stood up.

  He looked so bewildered.

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  I shook the echoes of the pain away and scowled. “What do you mean? What’s your head made of? I wish I were that thick. My survival wouldn’t have been such a toss-up!”

  “Okay,” Runica said. “He punched you. Can you leave us alone?”

  “Can I punch you with all I’ve got?” he asked, as if Runica didn’t exist.

  I shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Set!” Runica shouted. “Are you crazy? Look at his muscles!”

  I didn’t break eye contact with the giant. “I got hit by worse.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Goron replied. “Ready?”

  “Go for it.”

  He wound up, never once looking away. It was clear to me—also—that he wanted me to see the reinforced glove he was about to strike me with. It had metal nubs on it.

  “What are you waiting for—”

  He struck like lightning. For such a huge man, his striking speed was blinding. I was flying to the ground before I knew it, Runica’s scream in the background, my neck snapping and turning further than it reasonably should.

  I ate dirt. My HP dropped by three points—holy shit, I’d forgotten what this pain felt like. Palms on the ground, I lifted myself up. “Shit man, how are you so strong!?”

  I faced him again, soothing my neck. He was just looking at his fist, confused.

  Shaking his head, he wore his dissatisfaction on his sleeve. “This isn’t someone who could beat up three people just like that.” His eyes locked with mine again. “Thanks, Set. We’ll make sure no one gets any wrong idea about you.”

  “H-Hey!” Kael yelled. “I don’t think–”

  Goron kicked Kael’s feet out from under him, and stepped on him the moment that Kael tried to get up.

  “Kael, you’ve got no way of proving anything if I can’t confirm it.”

  Halden shook his head at the pinned Kael and sighed. “We brought you, but don’t forget who’s actually got any business with Set.” Halden then winked at me. “Thanks for taking my cousin’s punch, Set. That’s all we really wanted to see.”

  “Oh,” I replied, a little surprised.

  “And we’ll do the Mastersons a favor and get Kastel to stop running his mouth,” Goron said. “Edrin and Saela are happy to put this behind them, but Kastel’s a chicken without his feeder.”

  “Set, Runica, if you see anyone with a metal glove, or wearing a cloak or something, let us know, okay?” Halden said, suddenly all smiles. “We’re glad justice was served, but there’s someone crazy out there. It’s no good for this thing to be hurting our people like this.”

  I nodded. “Understood.”

  “Thanks for taking the hit, Set,” Goron said, getting Kael onto his feet.

  And with that, the trio left, leaving us to stare at them until they were out of sight.

  “Hey, Set, he was out here hunting,” Raster calmly stated.

  “Yeah.”

  “Didn’t seem like you gave him what he wanted.”

  “I gave him all I had.”

  “Hmm. I would say that you receiving the blow was more convincing.”

  “Hey, Raster,” Runica said, brow furrowed. “You’re not saying Set’s lying, are you?”

  Raster grinned. “Runica, don’t make such a scary face. We all know Set’s holding back. And by that I mean he’s holding back his mind, so doesn’t it follow that he’s holding back his body?” He slapped my back. “The hero that survived and brought back so many mental morsels—he could surely hurt an enemy in exotic ways, right?”

  I looked away, sympathetic to Runica’s concerns. “Who knows? I’m just a guy without an arm right now.”

  “Right, right, dull people don’t need to have a proper measurement of us,” Raster replied, delighted.

  “I can’t hurt people the way you can, though. You’re crazy.”

  Raster laughed. “I think you’re fun too, Set!”

  “No, seriously. You’re crazy.”

  I raised a brow at him blushing like I had given him a compliment.

  “Hey, do you actually have regen too?” I asked–was I really wrong for asking? I didn’t think so at this point.

  Raster stopped and tilted his head. “Oh, I don’t know, let’s check.”

  Before I could even make sense of the reply, Raster had slit his wrist with a rusty knife. Blood poured out quickly, sending Runica and me into a panic.

  “Oh, guess not,” Raster nonchalantly said. He pulled a small blue mushroom from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, chewed it, and then smeared it along the cut, stopping the bleeding. It was like an adhesive putty.

  Runica and I were both just staring at this shroomish marvel.

  Raster, meanwhile, just sighed. “One day, but not today.”

  Runica and I both looked at him, and then, perfectly in sync, said, “You’re crazy.”

  The goddamn man blushed again and hid his face like he was an innocent maiden.