After a long day of classes, Mike returned to his dorm. Activating the room's built-in defensive array, he teleported back to the Forest of Truth.
He remained at the forest's edge, waiting for midnight, rather than venturing deeper. As midnight approached, Mike returned to his private space.
0.25 seconds before his arrival, a green light erupted from Vladimir's head, illuminating the entire space.
Gabriel looked surprised. *Was that really necessary?*
Glancing at Vladimir's green hat, Mike reached out and tapped it experimentally. The hat changed! Areas previously containing gold had transformed into copper.
After experimenting on Vladimir, Mike searched for Fool, eventually finding her near the forging furnace.
"Fool, whatcha doing?"
"Making equipment." Master Fool rolled her eyes, retorting without hesitation, "The sooner I finish, the sooner I escape this hellhole."
Intrigued, Mike pressed further. "How much longer?"
