Over the next two hours, we cycled team compositions and went through our capabilities in enough detail to give us each an introductory understanding of each other's abilities.

I had thought about using Eternal Wrath, but wasn't entirely sure if I wouldn't end up killing the creatures while in my unconscious state. It was unnecessary however, as Isamaar let out a cloud of ice particles that spread out over the ground, clinging to the legs and feet of the creatures, immobilizing all but the flying Wraiths. With some small effort from me and my magically treated rope, it had taken about thirty minutes for us to tie them all up and lead them into a trap Fras had placed that looked like a regular pit in the ground about the size of a wagon train.

Dropping the grouping of Undead into the hole, and depositing the Wraith I was holding with the rest, I had stood back expecting them to crawl back out, but an orange barrier materialized in the form of a half-dome over the large pit whenever they attempted to escape, trapping them inside quite effectively.

Fras had explained that it drew on Ambient Mana once placed and would keep them there for up to twenty-four hours before dispersing. He had released his spell and we stepped back to a safe distance while the creatures clambered out of their hole, returning to their irritated wanderings.

It was Trennel and Kira's turn that caught everyone's eye. Trennel surprised everybody by producing an assortment of metal disks of varying sizes that he tasked his spiders with sticking each disk onto one of the creature's backs. The two Automatons scurried past weaving in between the legs of the shambling Undead. They both climbed up the legs of two creatures quickly depositing the disks between the shoulder blades. The disks released small spikes that folded out from the edges and stabbed into the flesh of each creature. After a few minutes, all the disks were placed, even on the four Wraiths, which still didn't make sense to me. Once he recalled the spider back he had sent Kira into the center with a metallic sphere that had a mirrored surface and had an inverted reflection of the world around it.

Kira darted for the center of the mass of monsters, sinking the sphere into the soil over a foot deep, kicking off into a roll to avoid an attack, and sprinting back to Trennel, while he activated his spell. Every creature had simultaneously flown back through the air, piling on top of where the sphere had been placed, completely immobilized, as the strong magnetic pull dragged them closer together.

This continued, with us swapping partners and trying to use different methods to hinder the creatures further. It hadn't taken long before we had exhausted our ideas, and besides Trennel, had all ended up simply using close-range melee to overpower them physically.

"I think that is enough for now, I will review this and add it to the data I collect on the first floor of the dungeon. Rest for now, I will kill the summons before we move on." I said, releasing my Unguis.

Mana seeped from the nodes in my fingers, denser now due to the effect of my gauntlets. Forming the intent with my will, the Mana condensed and solidified into a one-inch talon, that appeared as the vibrant yellow of my Mana, on each finger of my hands. The talons curved slightly toward the tip and glowed even in the light of the clear day. Holding both my hands up, I took a moment to examine them, smiling a bit before catching myself.

"It's okay that you can take the time to appreciate the small things, even after all that has happened," Mel said, appearing next to me. "I can see the wonder you still hold for magic and the excitement you felt when you received your Grimoire. It's not a stain to their memory if you enjoy it a little."

It doesn't feel right. I said, shaking my head.

"I know." She turned to stand directly in front of me. "I know you think it's disrespectful, but when you bring them back, what do you think the consequences of enjoying the journey to do that would be? Would they not be happy just with the fact that you were able to live, when they did not? I see the walls you are trying to put up and hide behind. You've been distracting yourself, throwing yourself from one task to the next. The vaults are not a permanent fix for avoiding your feelings, I think you might want to pay a visit the next time you're in the Library. You will need to start trying to let go of that anger and grief that hide so deep down that hallway, and the first step in that is taking the time to live the life that you were given a second chance at. I have no doubt you will achieve your goals eventually, but you will burn yourself out if you continue like this, and that may impact your progress negatively, delaying you further."

I thought about what she said, trying not to brush her off like the pit in my gut was telling me to. I knew what Mel had said was true, I had told myself the same thing, over and over. But nothing could erase the hole in my chest when I thought about my promise to Ren; that I would show her all the spells I learned while at school, and when she got her Grimoire, to teach them all to her. She had been so excited for the chance to get tested once she was to come of age. Everything magical made her eyes gleam with a childlike curiosity.

The day we had been in Culler City before the attack, she had made us wait for her in the lobby of some Runesmith's shop that specialized in magical plumbing, while she soaked in the very boring tour of the different scripts and Runes they used to maintain the city's water system. As well as a hologram display of the Array points placed throughout the miles of streets that made up the underground. Ren had spent hours grilling the poor man on every question that had popped into her head. She was brilliant, determined, and curious. A powerful combination that made her a pain to be around but also made me proud to have her as a little sister.

Now that she would not get to experience any of that until I found a way to bring them back, it felt wrong to take joy in my magic without her.

Thinking about Mel's words once more, I could imagine Ren scolding me while pulling off her signature move: the shin kick, and telling me over and over how stupid I was. That brought a smile to my face, as several memories of such antics played over in my head.

You know you are a priceless treasure, right?

I felt my Tactile Relay light up, buzzing with Mana and startling me, as Mel placed her hand on my shoulder. I felt it as if she were a real person touching me, it was gentle and warm, even through my armor.

She smiled ear to ear, "I Know."

***

Ding!

Experience earned!

You have increased your level!

Current Level: 33

Stat Points allocated

+24 Free Points

I had gained a respectable three levels from the small group of summons. Deciding to skip adding my last six Free points into Vitality, I continued the rotation from there as planned, adding them instead to Endurance. I had felt confident in my Health pool for my real level but I had been winded easily throughout our training session, regardless of how superhuman my body was. My stamina had leaked out from every action and fatigued me quickly in some of the more extended fights.

The Creatures here had been easy enough to kill since we hadn't released them from their bonds. I had also made sure I was the one who had done the actual capturing on the last run we had done. This was so I would be recognized as the recipient of the Experience. I had learned that this restriction, by what I now knew was the System, was put into place to keep higher-tiered beings from capturing and delivering free Experience to those who did not wish to risk their lives gaining it and had no talent in any crafting field.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The quick levels were nice but I knew they wouldn't last for long. These were all up to a dozen levels higher than I was, which gave me bonus Experience, but getting to Novice didn't take very long by normal standards anyway. The real slowdown came at the end of Novice and the beginning of Journeyman. As long as we stayed cautious and efficient, I was confident in my timeline to Journeyman, likely hitting Novice after the first few floors of the first dungeon were cleared. With my entire team at Novice already, there was a good chance we would all leave the final Novice Dungeon at peak Novice or early Journeyman.

Reflecting on my practice with some of my Freeform Mana, my Unguis hadn't really had a chance to shine fully, as this was no more than a culling and nothing close to an actual fight. I had Mel compiling data to review on our next meditation, but I wouldn't get a full understanding until I could test out their limitations, and that required a real fight, something I was sure to get when we entered the first Dungeon.

"What next?" Fras asked hopping down off a large rock he had decided to make his seat while I had killed the summons. Isamaar and Kira followed behind, with Trennel taking up the rear.

"Now it's time to divvy up the loot, then I think I should take Trennel back to the estate to work on some Forms." Turning to Trennel, I continued. "The other three have a decent understanding of their martial skills, but we will not always be there to prevent you from fighting in close combat. It's a good idea if we work on training you as we go but we have a few more hours, and I want to be prepared as possible."

Looking over Trennel's body, I realized he wasn't wearing traditional armor. What I had assumed was a chainmail undergarment under his sea-green cloak, was actually individually enchanted bands of silver links. The Runes were etched so small into each band, that I couldn't make more than a few out. What I did pick up on was that it was heavily aimed towards elemental defense, based on the Fire and Wind Affinity Runes for simple barriers that I could make out. That piece alone probably cost more than all of my new fancy gear combined.

"Is there anything anyone needs before we go into the Dungeon tomorrow? Any gear that you need replaced, or potions to stock up on." I asked the group.

Kira was the best equipped out of the other three, wearing her Guild armor. The two former prisoners still wore the gear they had selected from the estate's treasury. It was decent armor but I had a feeling they had just picked what would have given them the best chance in the one fight against me. I doubted they had chosen their gear with long-term growth in mind.

"Are you offering?" Fras said with a cheeky grin that looked sinister on the giant human.

In my storage ring, I organized three sets of ten Gold and extracted them with a wave of my hand. A space opened up and three small purses dropped on the ground in front of my feet. Picking them up, I handed one to each of them.

"Ten Gold each. Upgrade your gear, buy consumables and delving gear, as well as some rations for the group, after that, I don't care about the rest."

They all stared in amazement, just as I had, I knew. It was not a small amount to just be given freely and I had received a much larger sum.

Kira looked conflicted as Fras and Isammar both had contemplative expressions.

"I can't accept this. It is very generous, but I can not." Kira said, trying to hand it back to me.

"I need you to be at maximum efficiency, and at your peak if you are going to be the ones watching my back. View it as an investment. By the time we are out of these Dungeons, pay me back, if it makes you feel better. This will look like pocket change by the time we are through here." That seemed to entice most of them, a small glint appearing in their eyes as they imagined it, even in Isamaar. Trennel had hesitated for a moment, before feigning interest in the monetary gains. This made me even more curious about why he was hiding his identity from the others, but I decided to wait to ask him about it until after the rest of the team had left.

Fras tossed his purse into the air making it disappear into his storage right before he caught it. "I do not feel any such obligations, and I thank you for the coin, boy."

I returned his smile, the old thief was continually growing on me and seemed to just enjoy not being in queue for the executioner's blade. Isamaar had remained silent for the majority of the day, but I didn't know if he was still shaken from the confrontation with Isaac back at the Elder's lodge, or if he had other things on his mind.

Kira had finally come to a decision as she nodded once, then stored her purse away like the others.

"You have until dawn to get to Arani and back. You should be able to obtain everything we need for the delve there." Taking out three red envelopes each with a wax seal in the shape of a golden wishbone, and a piece of blank parchment. I quickly scribbled down the names of Madam Ceneste and Skaalner's shops as well as a few other businesses they should gather supplies from on the parchment. Rolling it up and handing it, along with one of the envelopes to Isammar, I said, "These shops should be enough to get us started. After the first few floors, you should each have enough to upgrade them once again, if needed. Your letter contains the seal of House Cerilius, as promised."

The dwarf nodded at me, before pocketing the two items. I handed the other two envelopes to Kira and Fras.

"How are we supposed to make that trip before tomorrow morning?" Kira asked, taking the letter from me. "It's several days to the coast by carriage."

"That is what I just handed to you, will be for. It will grant you access to the teleportation circle in Requara. That will bring you directly to Arani and back." I said addressing all of them. "We will meet up tomorrow at the village, and continue straight to the first Dungeon. We'll enter the first floor and stay cautious while we get into the groove of working together."

"They had a way here the whole time?" I faintly heard Kira mutter under her breath. I felt, before I saw, Kira's gaze bore into me, as I turned her. The first thing I noticed was her fists clenched tightly, and then the fire in her eyes that burned through the deep blue of her irises.

"What's wrong?" Trennel asked, noticing the same thing, before she tried to hide her unexpected change in mood.

"Nothing is wrong, I'm fine." She retorted, a little too aggressively, juxtaposing her statement.

Mel appeared holding a book on the local geography we had picked out together. She used one arm and wrapped it around my own, never taking her eyes off her book. "She's definitely lying."

What would I do without you? I asked sarcastically, regarding Kira. It's not my business. I don't even want to know. It's probably a whole thing that I'll get dragged into, for sure. You know how these things work. I can not afford to get roped into some side drama when I haven't even started here yet.

"What happened to enjoying the journey?" Mel asked.

I will, I promise, but I need to reach a certain point before I will feel comfortable enough to put time into other things. You know the milestones I have set for myself. If I slack off before I reach the first ones, like reaching Novice by the end of the next week, that's more time my family is gone. More time that they aren't here. I will help where I can, and when I can, but I can not go out of my way to the detriment of my goals, for people I just met, and who don't even know my real name. Whatever Kira has going on, was going on before I got here, and does not affect me. Only fools stick their necks out when there is an ax being swung.

"That was either very profound or extremely lame, I can't tell." She laughed, before disappearing back into the Library. Off to go sort through our collection, undoubtedly.

Addressing the others, I blatantly ignored what had just happened with Kira and continued with our plans.

"Alright then, I'll mark the building on your maps, just show them the writ, and they'll escort you through. If you have any issues, come back and find me at the estate." I paused considering it for a moment. "Trennel? Can you make longer-range communication items?"

"Yes," he said, still eyeing Kira suspiciously until I gave him a subtle shake of my head once he looked up at me. "I have all the necessary materials, but I can't make something that would reach that far. Maybe in Journeyman, but right now my limit is only a couple of miles, a dozen over flat land if there is no interference."

I nodded in understanding."Fras? Can you check the shops in town to see if you can find any? It won't help us right now, but it may come in handy in the future."

I pulled out two more Gold coins and the pile of Cores I had collected from the summons, leaving myself one of each for Mel's cut of the loot.

Refined Undead Core

(Beginner)

Affinity: Death

Quantity:44

Alchemy Ingredient

Greater Spirit Core

(Beginner)

Affinity: Death

Quantity:3

Alchemy Ingredient

"Sell these and use the Gold to find some decent communication stones for everybody. Get two extra just in case.

Fras agreed and with nothing left to discuss and daylight burning away, the group headed out leaving Trennel and me behind, standing in the open field and watching them walk away.

I turned to Trennel as soon as they were out of sight. "Alright, what the hell man? You've been acting weird all day, why are you being so secretive around the others?"