I remained silent, meeting David's gaze easily. There was a time not so long ago when I might have been intimidated by someone like him, in this setting. Not anymore, I waded through enough death and risked my life often enough that the idea of being frightened by a suit was preposterous. That wasn't the same as a lack of caution or dismissing him and his organization as a threat; even if David couldn't defeat me in direct confrontation on his own, he didn't have to. The White Banner was a large organization with the people and resources to match that.

  If I signed the dotted line, I'd get access to some of those resources for myself, to advance and grow stronger. It would mean putting on their collar, though, following orders like a soldier. That didn't sit right with me. I was loath to give up my freedom, my choices. That and following orders had never come naturally to me, especially ones I didn't agree with.

  David seemed to sense my hesitation, his eyes softening slightly as he leaned forward. "I understand your reservations," he said, his voice low and measured. "The White Banner isn't for everyone. But consider the opportunities it could provide." I shifted in my seat, my fingers drumming against the armrest. The silence stretched between us, filled with unspoken possibilities and potential consequences.

  "And if I refuse?" I finally asked, my voice steady despite the tension coiling in my gut.

  David's expression remained neutral, but I caught a flicker of something—disappointment, perhaps—in his eyes. "Then you walk out that door, and we part ways. No hard feelings." He paused, his gaze intensifying. "But," David continued, his voice dropping even lower, "you'd be walking away from more than just resources. You'd be turning your back on a network of support, on knowledge that could mean the difference between life and death in this new world we find ourselves in." I leaned back until the chair creaked, unable to go any farther, considering his words. The weight of my recent experiences pressed down on me—the close calls, the nightmarish creatures I'd faced alone, but for Vipera. Part of me longed for that support, that safety net. Another part, a deeper part, the part that had kept me alive so far, bristled at the thought of being constrained.

  "And what about my freedom?" I countered, meeting his gaze. "How much of myself would I have to give up to gain all that?" David's lips quirked in a small smile.

  "Less than you might think. The White Banner values initiative and creativity. We're not looking for mindless drones. We need people who can think on their feet, adapt to the unexpected."

  I snorted softly. "Pretty words. But at the end of the day, I'd still be following orders, wouldn't I?"

  "Guidelines," David corrected gently. "Think of them more as guidelines." It was all just pretty words. At the end of the day, I'd be expected to follow orders, and that was that. At least that was how I saw it. The simple reality was that I wasn't willing to bend her, to submit myself to their authority.

  "I won't work for you," I said finally after long moments of deliberation.

  David's features twisted into a mask of disappointment, his brows furrowing and his lips pressing into a thin line. It was clear that he had been counting on me to join his cause. His eyes, usually bright with determination, now held a glimmer of defeat. I could practically feel the disappointment radiating from Uncle Wolf beside me. "But," I went on, smirking slightly as a glimmer of hope returned to David's face. "I'd be willing to work with you if we can work out something that works for both of us." David's expression shifted, a mixture of intrigue and caution dancing across his features. He leaned forward, elbows resting on the polished mahogany desk.

  "I'm listening," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

  I thought about my next words carefully. "I'm not the sort to take orders well, never have been. Just ask Uncle Wolf, I'm sure he'd tell you." I chuckled, relaxing slightly. Uncle Wolf shook his head in amusement beside me, long braid swaying back and forth. "What I'm thinking is something more like a contractor," I said. I could see the gears turning in David's head while his Aide, Ed, was writing furiously on a pad of paper. "Your organization would offer jobs when you have a need, and I'd choose whether I want to engage with them or not on a case-by-case basis. That way, I can either work with your teams as needed or work on my own. Compensation on a job-by-job basis. That way I get something out of it and you're assured I won't just take your money and run."

  David leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled beneath his chin as he considered my proposal. The silence stretched between us, broken only by the soft scratch of Ed's pen against paper. I could feel Uncle Wolf's approving gaze on me, but I kept my eyes fixed on David, watching for any reaction. Only a fool would think a negotiation wasn't a form of battle.

  Finally, David spoke. "An interesting proposition, Mr. Kaesor. Unorthodox, certainly, but... not without merit." He paused, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "You've clearly given this some thought. What would you expect in return for this... arrangement? Besides monetary compensation, of course."

  I paused for several moments as I worked things out in my head. How did I want this to work? "Access to information," I said firmly. "Training resources. All of that, but it should be a give-and-take. A two-way street. So, perhaps an arrangement where we can swap Dungeon loot or cash for resources?" I trailed off into a question. "I freely admit I'm not sure how something like that would look, so I'd rely on you and your organization for what that portion should look like." David's eyes lit up, and I realized I'd made a mistake. I'd given something up without knowing what.

  "Dungeon loot, you say? Would you happen to have a looting ability, Mr. Kaesor? Those are quite rare." I cursed inwardly, realizing I'd revealed more than I intended. The eager gleam in David's eyes told me I'd just inadvertently raised my value in the White Banner's estimation. Which could be both good and bad. I couldn't take it back now, so I decided to lean into it.

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  "I do," I admitted, keeping my voice steady. "But that's part of what makes me valuable as an independent contractor, isn't it? My unique skills and abilities that I can bring to the table."

  David nodded slowly, a calculating look in his eyes. "Indeed, it does, Mr. Kaesor. Indeed, it does." He paused, drumming his fingers on the desk. "Very well. I believe we can work something out along the lines you've suggested. A contract-based arrangement, with access to certain resources and information in exchange for your services on a case-by-case basis."

  I felt a wave of relief wash over me, quickly followed by a surge of wariness. This seemed too easy.

  "Of course," David continued, confirming my suspicions, "There would need to be some... safeguards in place. Non-disclosure agreements, for one. And we'd need to assess you against some of our own. We need to understand what kind of power you bring to the table so we know what sort of jobs to offer you." I didn't mind any of that. The NDA might chafe a little, but David was going to have to accept that I'd be telling my family.

  "I don't mind the NDA, but understand, I'll be telling my family. I vanished for two years, David. They deserve some answers."

  "we…" David looked contemplative as he mulled that over. "Can live with that, as long as it goes no further. Given the relationship your family already has with Carl. He's made several requests to bring your family into the fold over the last year and a half after we recruited him."

  "Well, that explains why the family didn't know anything, hands tied, Uncle?" I looked over to Uncle Wolf, where he sat to my right. He just shrugged in response; there really wasn't much to say about it. He'd wanted to tell the family, but his hands had been tied by his employer.

  I nodded, accepting Uncle Wolf's silent explanation. Turning back to David, I said, "Alright, I can agree to those terms. What kind of assessment did you have in mind?" David leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with interest.

  "We have a training facility here on base. It's equipped to handle various levels of magical ability and combat scenarios. We'd like you to spar against a few of our members. This will help us gauge your current capabilities and determine what kind of missions you'd be best suited for."

  I raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose this assessment would be happening right away?"

  David chuckled. "Eager to get started, are we?”

  "I wouldn't mind it, truth be told, I've been getting a bit bored hanging around the house. I could use an opportunity to stretch." I grinned back at David.

  David's smile widened. "Well then, let's not keep you waiting. Follow me." He stood up, straightening his suit jacket as he did so. I rose as well, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension coursing through me. Uncle Wolf gave me an encouraging nod as we followed David out of the office. We made our way back to the bank of elevators. Once inside, David flashed his badge across a scanner, and the digital screen shifted, revealing a handful more options below the ground floor. The trip was swift and silent with barely a bump.

  We emerged into the corridors of the White Banner facility, which were a stark contrast to the warmth of the office we'd just left. Sterile white walls and fluorescent lighting gave the place an almost clinical feel. As we walked, I could sense the buzz of magical energy all around us, subtle but unmistakable. It was odd, though. It reminded me a bit of a candle in the dark, like it was only bright because of the lack of other light.

  "Our training facility is state-of-the-art," David explained as we walked. "It's designed to accommodate a wide range of abilities and combat styles. We can simulate various environments and scenarios to test different aspects of your skills. We built it under the base to limit the impact if anything were to get out of hand." We came to a stop in front of a large set of double doors. David placed his hand on a scanner next to the entrance, and I heard the soft click of the lock disengaging.

  "Ed? Would you go make some calls, pull a squad with a good range for this? I'd like to get a good idea of Aiden's strengths." The younger man nodded, bustling away, pulling a phone from his pocket. I paid little attention to the younger man; he still seemed somewhat shaken by what had occurred in the conference room, though he looked better and wasn't as pale as a sheet like he'd been in the moment. I figured, for now at least, it was probably better to subject the man to as little of my attention as I could.

  "Ready?" David asked, his hand on the door handle.

  I nodded, feeling Vipera stir beneath my skin, sensing my growing anticipation.

  "Sure." I shrugged. I was curious to see what would come next. As the doors swung open, I was greeted by a vast, open space that seemed to stretch on impossibly far, given the constraints of the building above. The room was easily the size of a football field, with high ceilings to match. Various obstacles and structures dotted the landscape, creating a complex terrain that could simulate a number of environments.

  "Impressive," I muttered, taking in the scope of the facility.

  David smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. "We spare no expense when it comes to training. This facility can be reconfigured in countless ways to test different skills and scenarios." As we walked further in, I noticed several figures approaching from the far end of the room. A diverse group of five individuals dressed in the standard fatigues I'd seen outside, each exuding similar auras of power and confidence to David and Uncle Wolf that marked them as experienced System users. Though there were gaps in power between them. Two of them felt slightly weaker than Uncle Wolf, a pair of younger-looking men with blonde hair and big blue eyes, I'd peg as being in their early twenties. While another pair felt a little stronger, their aura shone a bit brighter than the other two and exuded a sense of pressure around them. All of them were looking at me as the odd one out. They seemed to know Uncle Wolf and at least knew of David, while I was the stranger. That made sense. The last one felt closer to David's level. A genuine challenge. I had no real way to judge power levels here like I did in the Soul-Sheer; perhaps I was getting arrogant, dismissing the others the way I was. In the Soul-Sheer, it had been a combination of feeling and instinct that guided me, which was easier to rely on since most of the monsters I fought were just simple bundles of stats and a few simple abilities. With people, it would be infinitely more complicated.

  Well, more like I have the tools, but not the knowledge or skill to use them properly. In the Soul-Sheer, I'd judged my enemies purely by instinct, or at least I thought I did. I had to wonder whether that was all it was or if I was somehow unconsciously using skills I shouldn't have had yet. It was completely beyond my realm of knowledge.

  As the group approached, I felt several analytical skills go off targeting me. I brushed them aside the same way I had brushed aside Ed's earlier in the conference room. Though I was more gentle about it this time, somehow. I wasn't sure exactly how I was doing it; I could feel a vague connection to my [Aura Manipulation] skill. I'd have to practice more to get a better handle on what that skill could do, because this seemed more than a little far outside what it should be able to do. That, or I was even more severely lacking in knowledge than I had thought, which wouldn't be terribly surprising. In any case, I might have to work with this group in the future, so there was no sense antagonizing them right out of the gate.

  "Ah, here's our test group," David said, gesturing towards the approaching figures. "We'll start with some basic sparring to gauge your combat abilities," I smirked at the puzzled look on the group's faces as they felt their skills be rebuffed. They hadn't expected that.

  I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and wariness. This was a chance to let a little, though I wondered how much of my skills and abilities I should show off here.

  Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained; besides, I could feel Vipera in my soul.

  She was practically vibrating from excitement.

  Politics. Ugh even saying it makes me feel dirty. Of course the Banner aren't the only faction out there either, so there is more at play than just what we've seen so far.