"No! You don't get to run away today, Aiden!" Vicky practically screeched from behind me as I reached for the door. I had returned home late last night after working with Victor's squad most of the day. We had marched through that first dungeon with no issues whatsoever. I had found the monsters almost laughably weak, and the EXP had been the same. At least it had allowed Dave and Matt to pick up a level each, silver linings and all that. And then we had gone through three more dungeons that had cropped up throughout the day. Each time, I'd been able to find the entrance with relative ease. Unfortunately, the dungeons were all at the same relative strength. Which meant they were weak.

  While there hadn't been much in the way of EXP to be gained, my bank account had enjoyed the infusion of cash the dungeons had brought. I was entitled to a share of the cash value of the crystals pulled out of the dungeon, the same as the rest of the team. It wasn't anywhere near as much as the Solo clear I'd done had been worth. It was still a solid amount of money, though, I certainly wasn't going to turn my nose up at an extra ten grand per cleared out dungeon. Though I was already beginning to wonder what I would actually spend the money I was making on.

  Living the high life the way some might when they finally got a taste of wealth held little interest for me. Before the Soul-Sheer, I would have spent huge amounts of money on game-related things to be certain, but that just didn't hold the same appeal to me now that it had then. My life was swords and sorcery now; I was living escapism. I had no need to buy it from a company at this point.

  "Hey Vicky, "I turned, smirking to face my sister as an Idea crept into my mind. "Did you ever finish paying off your student loans?"

  That brought her up short; it looked like she'd been getting ready to launch into a full-blown tirade.

  Vicky's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "No... why?"

  I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just wondering. How much do you have left?"

  She hesitated, clearly thrown off by the sudden change in topic. "About seventy thousand. Aiden, what are you getting at?"

  I pulled out my phone, tapping quickly through my banking app, looking for the wire transfer function. "There. All done."

  Vicky's eyes widened as her own phone chimed with a notification. She fumbled to pull it out, her mouth dropping open as she stared at the screen.

  "Aiden... did you just...?"

  I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Maybe I did, little sister, maybe I did." I shrugged. "The Banner pays me well, very well."

  Vicky's eyes welled up with tears, her earlier frustration forgotten. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. "Aiden, I... I don't know what to say. Thank you."

  I awkwardly patted her back, not used to such displays of affection. "Don't mention it. Probably going to have to pay off the house for dad, not like I don’t have the money for it.”

  Vicky pulled back, wiping her eyes and composing herself. "I can't believe you just did that. But... wait, what do you mean about paying off the house? Aiden, just how much are you making?"

  "Well, fighting monsters for a living pays pretty well, probably better than lawyering." I laughed. "I'm about halfway to being a millionaire, Vic."

  Vicky's jaw dropped. "A... a millionaire? Aiden, what the hell?"

  I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing, doubling over at the incredulous expression on her face. It was priceless. It took me a minute to get myself back under control.

  “Hah, yeah, the Banner pays well, and they apparently value my ability to get things done rather highly.”

  Vicky shook her head, still trying to process the information. "I... I can't believe it. You're making that much money? And you're just... giving it away?"

  I shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable with the attention. "It's not like I need it all. Besides, what's the point of having money if you can't help out family?"

  Vicky's expression softened, and she reached out to squeeze my arm. "You're a good brother, Aiden. Even if you drive me crazy sometimes."

  I cleared my throat, trying to dispel the sudden emotional tension. "Yeah, well, don't go spreading it around. I've got a reputation to maintain. Next thing we know, Sean will be begging me for beer money."

  Vicky laughed, the sound light and carefree in a way I hadn't heard in a long time. "Oh, don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. But seriously, Aiden, thank you. This... it means more than you know."

  I nodded, feeling a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with my stats or abilities. "You're welcome, Vic. Now, why am I not allowed to escape you today?"

  "Oh, righ-" Vicky was cut off by the ringing of my phone. I held up a finger to her as I pulled out my phone to see who was calling me.

  "Sean," I said by way of explanation before I held the phone up to my ear.

  "What's up, little brother?"

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  "Uhhh, so that System thing you were talking about? Yeah, that happened."

  “Shit, where are you?”

  "Heading to Dad's right now, it's maybe fifteen or twenty minutes."

  "I'm already here with Vic, we'll wait. Guess today is bonding time for the Kaesor siblings. See you in a few." Sean grunted in response, and I hung up the phone, turning back to Vicky. "You're playing hooky today, Vic. Go call in, let work know you won't be in."

  Vicky's brow furrowed, concern etching its way across her features. "Aiden, what's going on? Is Sean okay?"

  I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. "He's fine, but... he just got the System.”

  Vicky's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh. Oh wow. Yeah, I'll call in right away." She pulled out her phone and stepped away to make the call.

  I sank into a nearby chair, my mind racing. Sean getting the System was both exciting and terrifying. On one hand, he'd have access to abilities that could protect him. On the other hand, it meant he was now part of this dangerous world I'd ended up a part of.

  Vicky returned, her face a mix of worry and curiosity. "Okay, I'm clear for the day, thank god for PTO. Now, can you explain what this means for Sean? Is he going to be okay?"

  I nodded slowly. "He'll be fine, but it's going to be a lot for him to process. The System... it changes everything. Since he is part of the System now, I'm going to see if we can get 2 for 2." I said, looking back to my phone. I fired off a message to both David and Argyle to see if there were any lower level dungeons that needed to be cleared out. Sean was already system-initiated, so this way he could get some experience, and if I could drag Vicky into a dungeon, she'd get initiated as well. Then both of my siblings could get some experience, where I could keep an eye on them.

  I waited impatiently for a response, tapping my fingers against my thigh, eyes locked on my phone screen. Vicky eyed me suspiciously.

  "What are you planning, Aiden?" she asked, her tone wary.

  Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. I glanced down to see a message from David.

  "Got a low-level dungeon about an hour north. Techs are saying it should be mostly goblins, around level 5, nothing too dangerous. You want it?"

  I grinned and replied in the affirmative, looking up at Vicky. "How do you feel about a little field trip?"

  Vicky's eyes narrowed. "Aiden..."

  "Look," I said, holding up my hands, "Sean's going to need guidance with this System stuff. And honestly, it will be good for you to get initiated too. Safety in numbers and all that."

  Vicky crossed her arms, her lawyer face on. "And how exactly does one get 'initiated'?"

  I hesitated, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "Well... The simplest way, is to have you enter a dungeon."

  "A dungeon," she repeated flatly. "Like, with monsters and stuff?"

  I nodded. "Yeah, I just talked to one of the guys at the Banner. There's a low level dungeon nearby. Sean needs some experience, preferably where I can keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get in over his head." I explained. "I might as well kill two birds with one stone and get you initiated at the same time. Eventually, I'll be doing the same with Dad, that or Uncle Wolf will."

  Vicky's expression wavered between disbelief and concern. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like there might be a glimmer of excitement underneath it all. "Aiden, you can't be serious. You want to take us into a... a dungeon? With real monsters?"

  I nodded, understanding her hesitation. "I know it sounds crazy, Vic. But this is our reality now. Sean's already part of it, and I'd feel better if you were prepared too. I'll be there the whole time, and I promise, it's a low-level dungeon. Nothing I can't handle. If it came down to it, I could solo the whole thing myself." I finished with a grin. “You two are the newbs getting power leveled right now.”

  She bit her lip, considering. "And what happens if I don't get 'initiated'?"

  I sighed, running a hand through my hair as my grin faded away. "Then you're vulnerable. The System... It's not just about gaining power. It's about being able to see the threats that are out there. Without it, you're blind to the dangers, not to mention completely helpless against them."

  Vicky's shoulders slumped slightly. "I can't believe I'm even considering this. But... you'll be there the whole time?"

  "Every step of the way," I assured her. "I won't let anything happen to you or Sean."

  Just then, we heard the front door open. Sean's voice called out, "I'm here!”

  "We're in the living room, Sean!" Vicky called out.

  Sean entered the living room looking an odd combination of exhausted and beyond excited at the same time. "Let me guess," I said, giving him a pointed look. "System actually showed up some time yesterday, and you spent all day and night messing with stuff before you called me."

  Sean just shrugged, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

  "Thought so," I said, shaking my head. I was smirking, though. "Alright, sit down and I'll explain what's going to happen."

  Sean plopped down on the couch, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "So, what's the plan, big brother? Are we gonna go fight some monsters?"

  I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. "Slow down there, hotshot. First things first, we need to get you both up to speed on what's really going on."

  Vicky sat down next to Sean, her expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "Alright, Aiden. We're listening."

  I took a deep breath, collecting my thoughts. "You know I disappeared and magic is real and all that." I paused, seeing nods from Vicky and Sean. "Dungeons are like pocket dimensions that appear; they're full of monsters and whatnot. That on its own isn't that big a deal." I explained, grateful I'd taken the time to read up on some of the Banner's information on dungeons during my time in the archive. I had a much better understanding of them now than I had previously.

  "The problem is that they're like weeds; if you don't clear them out every so often, they grow out of control." I turned serious. "If a dungeon isn't cleared in time, it results in a breach. Monsters pouring out of the dungeon into our world to wreak havoc." I paused again, letting that sink in for a few moments. "That's what the Banner does for the most part. They clear out these dungeons trying to prevent Breaches."

  Sean's eyes widened as he absorbed the information. "So that's what you've been doing? Fighting monsters in these dungeons?"

  I nodded. "Exactly, that’s what I do for the Banner. I’m an outside contractor for them. And now, we're going to take you two into one."

  Vicky tensed beside Sean. "Wait, you were serious about that? Aiden, this sounds incredibly dangerous."

  "It can be," I admitted. "But the dungeon we're going to is low-level. Think of it as... tutorial mode. It's weak enough that you’ll have time to adjust."

  Sean leaned forward, excitement practically radiating off him. "So what kind of monsters are we talking about? Dragons? Demons?"

  I couldn't help but laugh. "Nothing that exciting, I'm afraid. Mostly goblins, from what I've been told. Small, weak, but numerous. Perfect for beginners."

  Vicky still looked unconvinced. "And you're sure you can keep us safe?"

  I met her gaze, my expression serious. "Vicky, I promise you, nothing in that dungeon can touch me. I'll be there every step of the way, guiding you both. This is about getting you both prepared." I said, "If you decide after this that you don't want to continue, that's fine. Just having access to the system will grant you a base level of protection to a degree, as far as I can tell."

  Vicky let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping, but the look in her eyes was determined. "Alright. Kaesor sibling dungeon diving, it is then."

  "Dungeon time!" Sean laughed, cheering like it was the most exciting thing in the world. To be fair, for him, it probably was. If I hadn't been in survival mode at the time, running from one thing after another that wanted to eat me, I probably would have been much more excited about the System and magic than I had been. I couldn't deny that even through all of that, I still got excited about it as well.

  "Alright then, Vic, you're driving since I saw your car in the driveway."

  Vicky rolled her eyes at me, "Go buy your own car, big brother, not like you can't afford one anymore."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Sean chimed in, looking at the two of us suspiciously.

  I grinned at the prospect of needling my little brother. I had never been above needling him when the opportunity arose. "She means little brother, that I might as well be rich at the moment." My grin spread wider. "You're the poor boy here, poor boy." That would change eventually, I was sure.

  I had no doubt that Sean would run headfirst into the System and fighting monsters. Which would mean sooner or later, he'd end up a part of the Banner or in a contract with them similar to mine.