Luke was being offered active skills when reaching level 5. About time! While the vast majority of people were making their way over to the gateway after the Groll Champion succumbed, Luke sat on the grass to check out the skills, weighing his options.

  System Message: New skills available.

  The Healer's Moment [Active. Mana Cost: Moderate]: A mere moment can cut through the chasm between life and death.

  The Healer's Staff [Active. Mana Cost: Low]: Turn your weapon indestructible for a brief moment.

  Weaver's Grasp [Passive]: The Weaver's control extends beyond their touch.

  Weaver's Will [Passive]: The resources of healing are the Weaver's to command.

  With a single skill point to use, this was quite the tough one. The skill descriptions left a lot of room for interpretation, but the staff skill looked far worse than the others in terms of potential. That active skill, Healer's Moment, sounded like some sort of buff, while Weaver's Grasp and Will might unlock more of the potential in the Lifeweaver class. Grasp meant reach in Luke's mind. Not having to be close enough to touch someone would be worth so much, but he couldn't help but wonder about Healer's Moment, but even more so, Weaver's Will. The resource of healing was mana, and Threads of Mana gave him control of that already, so this meant something else.

  Gah! He wanted all of them! But more levels would come even after the Tutorial Dungeon. He'd get them all at some point. For now, he chose Weaver's Grasp. Reach would be beneficial no matter what.

  After picking the skill and confirming his choice, Luke reached out toward Nate, who stood around with the others, throwing him weird glances. Threads of Mana extended from the palm of Luke's hand. Seeing the thread of mana in the physical world made him draw in a sharp breath, but then he narrowed his eyes. The damn thing extended less than three inches, like a blue ribbon waving on the wind. A short ribbon.

  "That's it?" he grunted.

  "Hey Luke, you want to stay in here or what?" Nate asked.

  Luke got up and jogged up to the others. "I really don't. Let's go!"

  Shimmering pink motes drifted from the opening swirl of the gateway, and as they approached, a low, bass filled hum made Luke's chest thrum, and he swallowed hard. People walked up and into the gateway. One by one, they disappeared.

  "This is it," Daniel said, disbanding the party. "We'll probably end up back where we entered. See you around."

  "Didn't think of that," Tiffany said, looking around at the group.

  "What happened to the items?" Luke asked.

  Daniel reached out his hand, and a dull-gray, flat disc with a hole through it appeared. "I got the core. Why don't you take it, Luke?"

  "Me?" Luke asked. "Why?"

  "You saved my sister. I was a little busy earlier, but I'm, you know, grateful she isn't dead and all."

  Tiffany snorted. "Such warm words from big bro."

  "Thanks," Luke said, taking it. He considered saying it wasn't necessary, but the boss core might be a big deal, and if Daniel wanted to show his gratitude, who was Luke to say no?

  By then, everyone else had exited through the gateway.

  "Well, talk to you soon," Nate said, waving to Luke as he ran into the gate and disappeared between swirls.

  The rest of them said their goodbyes, and then Luke was alone. He turned around to take a last look at the area and everything in it, the trees, the grass, even the sky, until that black ceiling. It all felt real. Even the scents reminded him of hiking through the woods at his grandma's house as a kid.

  "Goodbye," he told the empty air before turning and walking into the gateway.

  That sucking sensation in the stomach from when he entered the dungeon returned, and between breaths, Luke found himself transported back to Lazarus Park. He stood on the other side from where he had touched the orb.

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  System Message: Quest Completed: Complete the Tutorial Dungeon.

  Reward: 1000 Credits.

  Luke nodded to himself, unsure how valuable 1000 credits were, but was still excited. Wanting to get his bearings before checking if the shop was up and running, he looked around at his surroundings. Much had changed.

  A tall wooden fence painted white surrounded the orb so you couldn't look past it and to the sides to create a corridor going straight ahead, with no other way of leaving. He saw someone's back disappearing down that way. With no other options available, he continued forward. The manmade corridor was wide enough not to feel cramped, but the emptiness was a little eerie. At least he still heard the roar of the crowd back on the other side.

  The corridor ended in a makeshift building, the sort of barracks you see on construction sites, only this one was huge. He tried the door and found it unlocked. The light was on inside, and rows of tables lined up on either side of him. A person sat behind each, perhaps fifty people, and only a few had Integrated by them, talking. A whole lot of people stared at him.

  "Hello?" Luke said.

  "Hello," a woman to his left replied. "Please sit."

  She was in her thirties, with short brown hair in a bob cut. She wore a thick gray dress with a gray jacket over it.

  "What is this?" Luke asked, attempting to inspect her to get her name, but it didn’t work. His interface was still there, and he could navigate through it, but that specific aspect of it must only be available in dungeons or something.

  "My name is Emily, and everyone here are employees of the newly formed Department of Integrated Affairs, or DIA."

  Luke cleared his throat. "The Department of Integrated Affairs? How long was I gone?"

  "Today is the 23rd of May," she said with a smile. "I’ll be happy to take your registration."

  "Twenty-third…" he muttered. So it was the morning after.

  "Why is it so empty here?" he asked, sitting down in the chair in front of her.

  "Well, so far, we've only had a few Integrated come through here. We were getting worried, but then the first group of people who exited the orb told us a little of what was inside. No wonder it took you a while!"

  "I see," Luke said, looking around the room, recognizing one of those leaving through a door in the back. It was the spear wielding man who escaped before the Goblin Mage wiped everyone out.

  Then Emily spoke, pulling Luke's attention back to her. "I’m just here to take your registration form. You will sit down with an official next."

  Luke sighed and leaned over the table, grabbing a pen to fill out the form in front of him. It was just a standard contact information form. As he wrote his name, he pondered whether or not it was a good idea to give the government information about him at this stage. Well, too late now.

  He tested Weaver’s Eye and found that the skill worked just fine. No health issues for Emily. She accepted the form when he handed it back, gave it a thorough examination, then nodded to herself. "Do you have a driver’s license or any other form of identification on you, Mr. Quinn?"

  He felt around in his pockets and shook his head.

  "That’s fine," Emily said. "Fine, fine, fine. Now, please, if you would come with me."

  A moment later, Luke found himself sitting in what amounted to an interrogation room. He’d seen the sort on TV a thousand times. A small table with a folding chair on either side, a heavy door, the only exit, and a large mirrored wall, where he figured people were sitting, watching him from behind the reflective surface.

  Sitting there made his skin crawl, but it was not a good idea to get on a new government agency’s bad side first after returning, so he just went with it.

  Luke still had his phone. As he sat there, other Integrated throughout the country and the world were finishing the Tutorial Dungeon. Social media posts and articles were popping up everywhere, and the first guild in the U.S. was already established. Someone must have picked that boon that allowed you to start one right away, he figured.

  He dialed Alan’s number, and a woman picked up.

  "Mr. Schmidt’s office, this is Lillian speaking," the voice said over the phone.

  "Hi, my name is Luke Quinn. Is Alan there?"

  "He is out of office at the moment but has informed me of his return from the orb. Mr. Schmidt told me to expect your call and connect you through to his cell phone. Please hold," Lilian chirped, and elevator music played for a few seconds. Then Alan’s familiar voice sounded over the phone.

  "Luke! I’m so glad to hear from you."

  Tension melted off Luke’s shoulders, and he drew in a breath, sighing as he exhaled. "Alan… you made it out! They're all fine then."

  "I did, so yes. It appears that fatal wounds in the Tutorial Dungeon don’t mean death. Just that you fail. I was taken out, outside, next to the orb, but I’m glad to be alive. Went to my doctor right away for an X-ray."

  "How is your head?" Luke asked.

  "The size of my tumor has diminished by quite a bit, they tell me. Seems like your healing touch did its job."

  "So," Luke said.

  The smile in Alan’s voice was audible even over the phone. "I owe you some funds, and a conversation about what comes next."

  "I’m still with DIA," Luke said. "We’ll have to talk more later. I just called to check up on you, to make sure everyone made it out OK."

  "That we did," Alan said. "I’ll hand you back over to my secretary then, and she’ll take your banking information so we can wire you the money you are owed."

  "Thank you," Luke said.

  "No, Luke. Thank you," Alan said. "I hope you’re ready to give my head another look soon!"

  He clicked off the call, and the secretary took the information over the phone, promising the funds would be in Luke’s account by end of day.

  Luke had time to text Ray, but got no reply, before the door opened and a heavy-set stooge wearing a suit and tie entered. He was in his late forties, clean-shaven and with an air of efficiency about him.

  "Do you want some coffee?" the man asked. "We're going to be here for a while."

  Luke leaned back in his chair. "I'm not saying a word before you get me a burger."