As he walked through the growing light, Myles reflected on the stories of the great five dungeons, which got him thinking about dungeons in general. Sure, everyone had heard of dungeons. They were places of brutal combat, monster lairs, traps, treasures, and oh so much more, but they were nothing compared to the five.

The five were older than the oldest recordings and almost worlds upon themselves. They were the places where magic was thought to be born, where the gods had become gods, and if legends were to be believed, protected the planet in an age long forgotten from the Starfallen themselves. Then, they rose from the ground and took to the skies to protect the world and give the people hope to change the future.

It made a kind of sense. A place that could change your fate and your Class had to be powerful and ancient. It had to be the kind of place where legends were born and ended. It just made sense.

As Myles walked through the back alleys on his way to the center of Hazen and its transportation crystal, he thought about the first leg of his journey, the step before even reaching the true trial of the Runner.

The place where he would receive his Class change, and if he were lucky, move on to the city level of the Dungeon of Kess.

By the time he reached the main street, the sun was rising proper, the fog was lifting like a blanket from the city, and the day was starting to warm by the moment. Myles's spirits rose with the sun, and he stopped off to buy a pair of egg-stuffed sausage balls covered in what tasted like pretzel bread. To his surprise, his Taste Test Skill triggered a moment later, teaching him all about the new food:

Taste Test successful!

New Recipe Learned!

Hazen Sunrise Eggs

Regional Dish - Hazen

Best cooked as 4 Servings

Ingredients Needed - eight eggs (Four beaten, four unbeaten), two pounds pork, one-eighth cup maple syrup, four cups pretzel breadcrumbs, one cup flour.

[Taste Test] Skill Bonus Granted!

Would you like to see the optimized recipe?

No, Myles thought as he pushed the spectral blue window away from his thoughts. The information was still there though, squirreled away inside his head even as he rejected knowing more right there and then.

He just knew that chili powder and some red pepper flakes would make it hot and sweet, more fitting to his tastes. He also knew that if he wanted to go more exotic, he could use wurm meat for a richer, meatier texture and more naturally spiced flavor while maple chicken eggs would remove the need for syrup.

All those tastes he knew would modify things, and it was something he really didn’t need.

Sometimes, he hated it.

There were places his family couldn’t eat because of their high Skills and the risk of theft or a hidden ingredient getting out. His… Maximus had mastered the Skill, and with that much Skill in Taste Test, he could identify, modify, and make almost anything short of a grandmaster. Of course as a [Baker], it would be rare to get enough tastes to reach grand master. Well, rare for anyone without the king’s blessing, anyway.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Remembering all that came with being his father’s son was almost enough to make him lose his taste for the fatty treat.

Almost being the key word.

Myles’s stomach refused to be stifled as he devoured the second greasy morsel. He considered going back for two more, but the money in his pouch reminded him he had other things that had to be done. He still had to buy the best equipment he could when he reached the qualification room.

No, his stomach would just have to wait as he licked the grease from his fingers and continued down the sidewalk toward the hub of everything in Hazen. Even from this far away, it wasn’t hard to see the massive, perfect spire of crystal that the city had been built around, its Shard of Heaven.

Myles didn’t know as much as he’d like to about them, but he knew that some were natural, and some weren’t. He’d traveled enough to know that Hazen’s clean-cut facets were mage-made rather than the more natural-looking, rough, uneven lines of the capital city’s. They all served the same purpose though: protection from the elements and wild beasts and easy access to travel across the country.

Protection and power like that didn’t come cheap.

To keep it running, anyone that used it. outside of the royals and the army. had to sacrifice Soul Energy, the fuel for their Skills. It wasn’t much, but it would still put some Classes out of commission for days after a long journey. If you didn’t have enough Soul Energy, you could always pat a [Transporter] to teleport you too, but the results of that were questionable.

Walking up to a free platform, one of the smaller ones meant for individuals, Myles placed his hand on the plate and reached out for the magic interface with his Soul Nexus, the source of his Class.

Good morning, Myles Chase.

Where would you like to go today?

Please be direct with your thoughts.

At least that was easy enough. He wanted to start fresh at...

“Myles!”

The voice jerked his thoughts away as he turned away from the crystal. No, it couldn’t be. It had to be his imagination playing games with him.

“Myles!”

He couldn’t ignore it a second time and broke the connection completed, feeling the whiplash of his soul like a sudden, but thankfully mild, headache. It was gone by the time he stepped off the platform and was brought into a bear-hug from Maximus Chase.

“Dad?”

“I’m sorry,” he said after a tense moment, squeezing his son all the tighter.

“Dad...”

“No, let me talk,” Maximus said as he let his son go. “Your grandfather, your grandmother, and even your mother told me this day would come one day. ‘Myles has too much heart,’ they said. ‘Too much of an adventurer’s spirit. Too much of everything to be kept here.’”

That was when Myles noticed then the giant of a man was crying. His tears streamed down his face as quickly as a leaking bucket despite how his forearm wiped them away. The flour did a good job steaming the tide for a bit, but the white on his face only made the caramel tones of his skin more obvious as the flour began to autolyze. It was getting harder to tell by the moment; something in his eyes was making it hard to see.

“I’m sorry I didn’t want to see it, but when I said what I said… I just couldn’t let that go. Myles Chase, if you want to go out there, don’t settle for less than everything you deserve. No matter who comes back, I’ll love him all the same. Fight, scrape, and do whatever you need to do to get to the top and come back someone you can be proud of.”

His father hugged him tightly once again, wiping some of the flour and dough from his apron and hair against his son.

For his part, Myles nearly turned back then, but there was something greater pulling at him now. He had his father’s blessing and a task at hand. He was going to make the man proud to call him his son.

“Watch me, Dad,” Myles blubbered, unable to hold himself back anymore. “You’ll see what I can do.”

For a long while, the two just held each other. A father accepting his son’s adulthood, and a son determined to make his way in the world.

“Umm...”

“Hey!” Maximus growled, holding his son tight. “We’re having a moment here.”

“Some of us are trying to get to work.”

“Dad…”

Another tight hug later and Myles was freed to return to the platform with his father as witness to his journey.

Good morning, Myles Chase.

Where would you like to go today?

Please be direct with your thoughts.

His thoughts were direct as he pictured the grand dungeon, and the platform responded with a happy chirp.

The Grand Dungeon City of Kess?

This is your destination?

Are you a Runner prospect?

Myles confirmed his thoughts on all accounts, and the happy chirp of magic rang through his mind.

Destination accepted!

As a Runner prospect, your SE will not be drained for this task, and no monetary charge will be rendered.

Enjoy your travel!