Ender, son of Ofet from Logarad, tossed a dry branch into the fire and looked up at the sky. His gaze lingered on the Night Sister, which was already leaning towards the horizon. At most, an hour left, and the first rays of the sun will herald the approaching dawn.

If someone asked the sheriff of Unudo right now why he was sitting here, at the Bano rock, away from the town, where the Sign of the Gate of the Monkey's Lair was drawn, he wouldn't be able to give a coherent answer. When late in the evening, Tuan, a ranger and the sheriff's assistant, assigned to subtly keep an eye on the guests, transferred by unknown magic from beyond the Great Ridge, brought his report, Ender initially didn't believe it.

Raven, the leader of a small group of uninvited guests, seemed quite reasonable and prudent to the sheriff, despite his rather young age. They had drunk together twice, and Ender felt like he had figured out this dark-haired stranger, understood his character. And suddenly, he commits such an act. Alone, without his group, he enters the third-circle dungeon! Moreover, he did not take with him not only his spear, which was kept at the marshal but also left even his dagger in the rented room. Instead, for some reason, he bought a small, almost toy, though very sharp knife at Silent Hey's shop. A knife that Tuan found in front of the Dungeon Door, and which the sheriff now holds in his hand.

Kicking a lump of coal that fell out of the bonfire back in, Ender from Logarad looked at the Gate with hidden melancholy. Dungeons... How many friends and comrades had they taken from him over all these years? Countless.

Almost all the children of Ain play tunnellers and dream of becoming heroes, rising to precious or even legendary ranks. Almost… Ender never wanted such a fate. Even when he was very young, he dreamed of something else. About the peaceful life of a craftsman. But fate had other plans, and he had to take up the family business. His older brother, after initiation and receiving the copper rank, believed too much in himself. He was indeed good, especially since their father, an experienced tunneller of the Opal rank, trained him well. With his newly acquired copper rank, Faran was so skilled that he could challenge many who were at iron.

And one day, just like Raven now, he quietly left home and entered the Dungeon Gate alone. He went in, never to return. The memory made Ender's fists clench so hard that he almost broke the knife's handle.

Great achievements are tempting, and the youth believes too much in their exceptionality and thinks that death is something that will certainly not happen to them. And the experience of others teaches them nothing. Even in the vicinity of Ender's hometown of Logarad, every year, some young tunneller, wanting to show how good and worthy he is, would enter the Dungeon Gate alone. Out of thirty such cases known to the sheriff, only one managed to get out. But that was a first-circle dungeon, which was studied down to every turn, all patrols there were learned. Moreover, the one who took the risk and won had bought the best weapons, armor, and loaded up on battle elixirs before going in. One out of thirty, and still, every year, there is a young tunneller who thinks he is better than everyone else and that everything will work out for him.

But even with all his experience, Ender from Logarad couldn't recall a single instance or story where someone dared to go alone into a third-circle dungeon. Such an act could not even be called a risk, as it was far beyond the concept.

"Ah, Raven, Raven…" The sheriff shook his head. "We were getting along so well."

Ender was genuinely upset. He had just met a decent drinking buddy whom he had despaired of ever finding in this backwater. And suddenly…

"And there was no sign of this coming," the sheriff thought as he once again examined the obsidian knife in his hand.

Ender believed that he was good at understanding people, which was, to put it mildly, a delusion, so the actions of the leader of the uninvited guests of the island took him completely by surprise.

"He didn't seem like someone who would take his own life!" Ender whispered to himself for the umpteenth time.

He didn't, but the facts spoke otherwise. To enter the third-circle dungeon alone. And not only that, but to do so without armor and even without a weapon! Moreover, he didn't take the weapon on purpose, as he threw away this obsidian knife before the Entrance. Even the most meticulous judge of the Pentapolis would not dispute the verdict of suicide.

But why?!

They had just met earlier in the day! And Raven didn't seem like someone who wanted to say goodbye to life. The sheriff remembered the dark-haired guy's eyes, full of a will to live and confidence in himself that morning. What happened in the time they hadn't seen each other? What made the young man take his own life?

Ender recalled how Raven trained. The leader of the uninvited guests definitely knew how to handle a spear. Almost half of the sets and separate exercises he used were unfamiliar to the sheriff.

Gazing at the coals in the fire, Ender was lost in memories. Many years ago, he had also watched his older brother train.

Taking a deep breath, Ender from Logarad bitterly smiled; comparing the training of Raven and Faran didn't favor the almost forgotten elder brother. Moreover, his new drinking buddy was head and shoulders above young Ender himself in weapon handling.

"If only I had a quarter of your talent!" the sheriff of Unudo shook his head. "I wouldn't have stopped at Steel and Bronze."

As it usually happened with him, as soon as he thought about the uneven development of his Core, Ender immediately felt a small pouch hanging on his chest. For five years now, he could have raised his rank of Mental Stream from Bronze to Steel. And all these years, he did not do it because he did not want to immerse in himself so deeply, to the point of losing the very sensation of "I." Nevertheless, every new year he promised himself he would definitely do it this year! Four winters ago, the sheriff even bought an alchemical compound that facilitated the Elevation. He paid two dozen gold for it! He paid, and for several years now, he has carried it in that very pouch on his chest. He constantly keeps it with him, like a silent reproach to his fear. If he had continued on the path of a tunneller, he would have gathered his courage and brought his Core into harmony. But for several years now, he has been working as a sheriff on a peaceful, remote, totally provincial island, and he simply doesn't need it. Why, if the most difficult dungeons within two days' journey on the fastest ship are bronze, and there is not a single steel one? And, truth be told, a truth that Ender would never admit to anyone, he prefers his new job to the bustling life of a tunneller.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

As it usually did, the thought of the disharmonious Core spoiled the sheriff's mood even more. Angrily, he kicked the coals, causing them to scatter across the stone platform. Comparing Raven and his long-dead brother led him to another thought.

"You did not go there to get yourself killed, did you?" The sheriff addressed his question to the silent Gate of the Monkey's Lair. "You are just like he was... Only even crazier." Jumping to his feet, the sheriff shouted at the rock, "Who do you think you are? Boy! The new Jegur or the reborn Evelan?!! Idiot! Underage moron! Do I have to drown my sorrows with that fatso Vun again?!" The sheriff spat angrily on the stones. "Just found someone decent to drink with." He slapped his thigh and raised his voice, "Alone! Into the third circle! Without weapons! Without armor!" and then he continued in a very low voice. "Did you think about your people? Greenhorns, they will perish without you!"

After making several circles around the dying fire, the sheriff caught his breath and calmed down. He really took a liking to the dark-haired one. The guy reminded him of his almost forgotten homeland. And he was so much like Faran, who had passed away a long time ago, not in appearance, but in character, in his steady gaze. But Ender was not a sniveling young man; he could afford to shout at the rock, show his anger at the stupidity of youth, while no one was watching, but no more. Adjusting his belt with sheaths, the sheriff of Unudo spat on the stones and recited his favorite saying:

"Fools pave their own road to the grave."

After that, he turned away and took a step toward the city. Single step. After which, he drew his sword and, turning around in place, assumed a combat stance.

The Gate of the Monkey's Lair faintly lit up in the night.

"Overflow? Now?!" A thought flashed through the sheriff's head. "Impossible! It's still too early!"

But no matter how wrong the thought of an untimely Overflow seemed to him right now, Ender from Logarad was an experienced fighter who had been through a lot, and he was now ready to fend off a sudden attack of nends. To hold back the first, most dangerous onslaught.

A flash heralded the opening of the Door. The sheriff, ready for battle, almost dropped his sword when he saw who came out of the Gate.

"What?!!" His lips, which had instantly dried up, whispered softly, almost soundlessly.

From the Door came a man. Covered from head to toe in fur, blood, guts, and innards of nends. There was no visible unscathed spot on him. All his skin was cut and wounded, his entire body bruised and battered. His right eye was so swollen that it wouldn't open. He could barely move his legs, but he was dragging a nend's skin full of mountain crystals behind him, and with his right hand, he was pressing the Heart of the Monkey King to his chest.

"Raven?" Not believing his eyes, the sheriff of Unudo asked this man, who looked like a reanimated corpse.

Hearing someone's voice, the young man raised his head. His only seeing eye focused on Ender.

"Ev...ry... thing's fine!" He whispered something with his battered lips, raised his thumb, and immediately fell to the ground.

Returning the sword to its sheath, the sheriff rushed to the young man. He immediately had to cover his nose with his palm, as the stench of death and guts was so strong that it brought tears to his eyes. Lifting Raven's head from the rocks, the sheriff cast a spell to find out how badly the guy was injured. The magic showed that nothing was too serious, and a medium restoration elixir would have him back on his feet in a couple of hours. But if his body was not that bad, the guy's Core was incredibly radiant. It was so filled that it resembled a small volcano. If nothing is done, his soul will be torn apart by the streams of Spirit and Magic that his overfilled Core is now pouring out like a turbulent waterfall.

"Raven!" The sheriff shook the guy by the shoulders. "Look at me! Stay awake!" He had to give the young man a resounding slap. "Stay conscious!"

"Huh?!" The dark-haired guy looked at him in bewilderment with his only intact eye.

"Your Core is overflowing! You need to release the excess Charge! Can you?!"

"Yes." The young man barely nodded and immediately passed out.

Another slap and shake did not bring him around. Then Ender picked up an obsidian knife from the ground and plunged it into Raven's thigh with all its blade length.

"Damn it!" The guy immediately came to his senses and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Release. The. Excess. Charge!" With each word, the sheriff slightly twisted the knife in the wound so that the guy would not pass out again.

"Stop it! I'm okay!" Pushing Ender's hand away, Raven pulled the knife out of his thigh. "Thanks, damn it! I can last five minutes."

"Release. The. Charge." The sheriff spoke clearly and distinctly as if he were talking to someone concussed by mental magic.

Without answering, the young man seemed to dive into himself, and when he looked up again, he spoke firmly.

"Ender, son of Ofet from Logarad, I, Raven, son of Alexander from Seattle, ask you to be my Anchor."

"Are you insane?!" The sheriff stepped back. "Are you out of your mind?! Your soul is about to be torn apart, and you're thinking about Elevation?"

"I can't, just can't." The young man shook his head. "Such a density of the Core! Such energy, and you want me to Release the Charge? I'd rather die than miss this chance!"

Ender understood what he was saying. The higher the density of Spirit and Magic flows during Elevation, the stronger your Core will be in the future. And with the level of energies that were now raging in Raven's Core, if he manages to deal with the Charge and seals his Core right now, he would be no weaker than bronze at his iron rank!

"Such greed will kill you!" The sheriff retorted. "Release. The. Charge! Elevation now is not just madness - it's pure suicide."

"I'm stronger than I seem at first glance." Saying this, Raven staggered and almost fell.

"Really?! I can see that!"

"Anchor. Can't do it alone." The young man stubbornly bowed his head. "Please. I will owe you."

"No," Ender answered firmly. "Just Release the Charge!"

"All is yours." The dark-haired guy's hand nudged the nend's skin, full of mountain crystals, to the sheriff's feet, and the Heart of the Monkey King followed. "Be my Anchor during Elevation!"

"I will not be part of your demise." The sheriff frowned and turned away from the offered bribe.

"I'll survive!" Gathering his last strength, Raven shouted back. Then he whispered, "Achievement visualization!"

And before the eyes of the sheriff of Unudo, a Sign appeared. A symbol of the achievement that the young man sitting in front of him had earned, inscribed in divine adamantium!

"Pure Palm of Five Empty Fingers."

The sheriff looked but couldn't believe it.

He stared but couldn't see.

What his eyes were looking at couldn't be real because it was impossible! He snapped back to reality only when someone clicked their fingers in front of his nose, and a quiet voice said:

"Hello! Ain is calling Ender. Please respond!"

"What?!" The sheriff exhaled. "This is impossible! It's a myth! A tale for young tunnellers! A story that has claimed hundreds of lives! A legend that is impossible to achieve!"

"I have a minute before I pass out," Raven said firmly. "Anchor. Elevation. I can handle it if you help."

"Are you the reborn Evelan, as foretold in the prophecies?" Ender from Logarad whispered, looking up to the sky.

"No, I am Raven. The one who will put this Evelan to shame!"

It was absurd to hear such words from a young man of the copper rank. From someone who could barely sit up, and even that was only with the help of someone else. From someone whose soul was about to burst into pieces. But the sheriff of Unudo, looking into the boy's one open eye, believed him.

"Anchor!" Raven demanded, reaching out his hand.

As if under the control of a mithril-ranked mental mage, Ender obediently nodded. Their hands met, and Raven's eyes rolled back as his body limply fell to the ground.

Clutching the guy's hand, concentrating on the rhythm of his own heart, the sheriff of Unudo reached for the pouch on his chest. He paused for a moment and then tore it off…