CHAPTER 79: WARNINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS

Marcus kept working hard, trying to learn every weapon Alex showed him. Alex reluctantly demonstrated shooting techniques, but Marcus could sense the man's impatience with his questions about rifle mechanisms and design details.

During lunch break, Marcus was eating and thinking about how to start building his own rifle here to mirror in Valdris when Irene approached with two cups of coffee.

"Marcus, here's coffee for you too." When she placed the coffee, she started to pull cigarettes from her purse.

"Thanks, Irene. You seem lively today."

"Do you smoke?"

"No thanks, I don't."

"I'm going to be direct. I hate everyone saying a thousand things to deliver one thing. Be careful with Alex. He is not a good guy."

Marcus looked at her with surprise. "I don't know what you mean, but you've been here longer, so I believe you."

"He made me relapse the third time and was laughing when I went to rehab the third time. None of the gun range workers are to be trusted as friends. You seem like a normal guy. I wanted to warn you."

"Relapse and rehab. That explains the previous days. I hope you pull through."

"Yeah, I don't have much belief, actually. I'm trying to be sober as much as possible. Other than that, no one seems to care."

"Mr. Pressley would care, right?"

"He likes to pretend it's not real when it's happening and can't deal with me, so he sends me to rehab."

Marcus tried to pick his words carefully, not knowing what to say. "I cannot comment on that, but I hear you and I'm trying to understand you."

"Good response, new guy. Never heard that before. They either start arguing with me or defend him like he's their father."

"In a couple days, when I feel much better, I'll show you how to correct your form. I've been shooting since I was seven."

"At least use correct breathing. I'm sure Uncle Brass teaches this at the course," she said, referring to the gruff instructor.

Marcus felt conflicted about getting involved with his boss's clearly troubled daughter. He wanted to keep a low profile, but he also couldn't turn down free help.

"Sure, Irene. I would love that."

After work, Marcus continued for the security course. Security course was becoming more valuable. They covered advanced threat assessment, emergency medical procedures, and conflict de-escalation techniques. Marcus took detailed notes, thinking about how these skills might apply in Valdris.

During a break, Marcus found himself sitting next to Janet, the ex-military woman who'd invited him for drinks before.

"You're taking this pretty seriously," she observed, looking at his extensive notes.

"Knowledge is power," Marcus replied simply.

"What's your plan after certification? Most of us are looking at mall security or apartment buildings."

Marcus thought about his real plans involving interdimensional warfare and mushroom farming. "I'm hoping to work somewhere I can learn advanced skills."

"Well, if you ever want to grab a beer and talk shop, offer stands."

Marcus smiled politely but didn't commit. He appreciated the gesture, but his schedule was already impossible to manage.

When went home to find Tyler moving more of his streaming setup.

"Dude, check this out," Tyler said excitedly, showing Marcus his improving stats. "Viewer count is up twelve percent this month."

"That's great, Tyler." Marcus was tired and wanted to focus on his studies. He excused himself and went to sleep without eating anything.

Marcus looked at to do list for Valdris. Each item connected to dozens of sub-tasks. The complexity was overwhelming, but Marcus was starting to see patterns. Skills from one world enhanced his abilities in the other. Mechanical knowledge, leadership experience, and strategic thinking all transferred between his two lives.

Marcus rubbed his healing hand and thought about Irene's warning about Alex. In both worlds, he was learning to pay attention to the people around him. Some were allies, some were potential problems, and some, like Irene, were complicated mixtures of both.

The real world demanded just as much attention as the fantasy one. Maybe more, because the stakes seemed smaller until suddenly they weren't.