We pulled up to the police cordon surrounding a small park on the far side of town. One of the uniformed officers flagged us down. "Just pull up, I'll talk to him," I informed Vicky, who nodded, rolling the car to a stop before rolling her window down as the officer approached.

  "This area is cordoned off for investigation. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The officer, a man with graying hair who looked to be in his late thirties, said. Thankfully, David had sent me documentation to prove we were supposed to be here. I flashed my phone screen at the cop. "Aiden Kaesor, David Giffle should have informed your superior officer I'd be on my way here," I said while the officer leaned in to look at the document on my phone screen. "These two are with me as well," I explained.

  "No problem, looks in order." The officer said, straightening up with a nod. We rolled on without issue. I could already sense the rough location of the dungeon.

  "Park the car here, Vic, we'll walk a bit," I said, gesturing at the curb. Glancing around, I could see at least a dozen more cops wandering the area. It reminded me of that first dungeon I'd cleared for the Banner. They really did take it seriously when a dungeon showed up in areas where people liked to hang out. I got out of the car, followed by my siblings.

  As we stepped out onto the sidewalk, I could feel the familiar tingle of mana in the air. It was faint, but unmistakable. The dungeon's presence was like a subtle itch at the back of my mind, growing stronger as we approached. It felt significantly weaker than the other dungeons I’d been around, which was good. That was what I wanted.

  "So, what exactly are we looking for?" Sean asked, his eyes darting around nervously.

  I lowered my voice, aware of the nearby officers. They knew something was up, but not exactly what it was. There weren't many who'd been read in on what was going on. "You'll know it when you see it now that you're initiated. Vicky won't be able to see it; I'll have to drag her in by force." I explained to Sean in a hushed tone. "Just follow my lead and try to act natural," I said, looking first to Sean and then Vicky.

  We made our way through the park, past swings and picnic tables. To the untrained eye, everything looked normal, but I could sense the underlying wrongness. The colours seemed a shade too vibrant, the shadows a touch too deep. I found it near the back of the small park, nestled into a corner surrounded by a small group of trees. "Holy shit…" Sean whispered. He was staring directly at the dungeon entrance. A swirling mass of green energy about a meter in diameter is floating in the air.

  "What? I don't see anything." Vicky questioned, and she was looking more than a little frustrated.

  I placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can't see it because you're not initiated yet, Vicky."

  "Come on," I said, heading towards the entrance to the dungeon. We came to a stop a few feet from the entrance. I couldn't help but smirk at Sean, who was eyeballing the ball of energy as if he wanted to dive into it headfirst and was only barely restraining himself.

  "Alright, listen up," I said, turning to face my siblings. "Vicky, since I have to pull you in, we're going first, Sean, you'll follow us in. All you have to do is touch the entrance, and it'll pull you in." I explained. " Once we're in, we'll be in the entrance chamber. Which is like a safe room of sorts, no monsters, no traps. Once we're in, Vicky, we'll sort out your Class and see what you have to work with. It's impossible to know what you'll have before we go in."

  “Will she get a choice like I did?” Sean chimed in.

  I shrugged before answering, "I would assume so, dunno for sure. I never got one because of how I was initiated." Vicky was silent, just watching and listening intently. "Once we get that sorted out, then we'll work on clearing the dungeon. We've got something like 50 hours before Breaching becomes a concern, so we've got time for you to take things slow." My siblings were all nods.

  "Alright, let's get going then, c'mere, Vic." I grabbed Vicky's hand and dragged her over to the entrance. "Ready, on three," I said, struggling to hide a grin.

  "One," I said, then, without warning, dragged her with me into the dungeon entrance. I couldn't help but laugh at Vicky screeching my name as we passed through the entrance. It was as strange an experience as it always was. Reality spun around us before shifting, it was warm then cool, then a swirling mix of the two as we passed through a dizzying wave of colours and sensations.

  The stone room was stark and empty, the walls made of rough, gray stones. Torches lined the walls, their blue flames casting an eerie glow over the room. The light was dim and dull, making shadows dance and flicker across the floor. The room was only Silent for a moment before Victoria started screeching.

  “Aiden! You asshole!” I couldn’t help laughing as I let go of my Sister while she wailed on me ineffectually. I was still laughing when Sean stumbled into the room through the portal.

  “That was… deeply uncomfortable.” He said after a moment to get his bearings.

  "You get used to it," I said with a shrug while Vicky finally settled down.

  "You should be seeing some sort of floating screen now, Vic?" I asked, turning to face Vicky.

  "Yeah," She settled down, eyes flickering back and forth, clearing, reading through whatever the screen was saying. "Here, look." She made a twisting gesture with a hand, and then suddenly, I could see what her System screen was saying.

  "Huh, didn't know you could do that. Good to know." I muttered, realizing that I really hadn't experimented much with the system itself. There hadn't been time, and there had been other things that were a higher priority.

  "Sorry, Vic can't help you with this one. Everything I know says that your choice of Class is an intensely personal choice. Outside influence could just hurt you here." I said. There wasn't anything I could do for her at this stage; she had to make the choice for herself.

  "Try focusing on each option one at a time. When I had to choose my Class, I got a sort of Vision? Preview? Something like that for each choice." Sean interjected.

  Victoria nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration as she focused on each option in turn. Her eyes widened slightly as she experienced the visions Sean had mentioned. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and spoke.

  "I think... I think I'm going to go with Soul Soother," she said, her voice hesitant but growing more confident. "It feels right, somehow. Like it's calling to me. I like Sword Signer too, but Mind Shriek is terrible, for me at least."

  As soon as the words left her mouth, a soft blue light enveloped her. I watched as her eyes glazed over, her body tensing for a moment before relaxing. When the light faded, she blinked rapidly, looking down at her hands in wonder.

  "That was... intense," she murmured. "I feel different. Stronger, maybe? But also... more aware?"

  I nodded, remembering my own initiation, though mine really started with my Bloodline instead of Class. "That's normal. You'll probably notice some changes in how you perceive things, especially emotions and... well, souls, I guess. Given your class name."

  Sean piped up, curiosity evident in his voice. "What can you do? Any cool powers?"

  Victoria closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them with a small smile. "I can sense... something. It's like I can feel the emotions in the room. Your excitement, Sean. And Aiden's... concern?" She looked at me questioningly.

  I nodded, impressed. "Good. That's a useful skill to have. What else?"

  She frowned in concentration. "I have some Skills. 'Soothing Note' and 'Piercing Note'. And... 'Echoing Shield '? I'm not sure what does what yet." She frowned slightly. I figured she probably felt that strange mental capitalization that happened when you talked about System Skills and the like.

  "We'll figure it out as we go," I assured her. "For now, let's see your stats."

  Victoria made the gesture again, and her status screen appeared for all of us to see:

  Sean held his up for us to inspect as well.

  "In the future, be very careful about who you show your stat sheets to," I said seriously. "Your stat sheet lays out everything about you. Your Strengths, your weaknesses and what you can do. Don't go showing it around."

  "Alright, now that we've got that sorted, let's talk strategy," I said, bringing everyone's attention back to the task at hand. "This dungeon is relatively weak, should be just goblins according to the Banner, which makes it perfect for your first run. We'll take it slow and steady."

  I glanced at Victoria, who still looked a bit overwhelmed by her newfound abilities. "Vic, you'll stay in the middle. Your skills seem more support-oriented, so we'll need to protect you while you figure out how to use them effectively."

  Turning to Sean, I continued, "You'll be up front with me. Your [Empowered Fortitude] should give you some extra durability, and [Retribution Reforged] sounds like a counter type Skill, probably packs a punch."

  Sean nodded eagerly, clearly itching to test out his abilities.

  "I'll take point," I finished. "I've got the most experience, and Vipera will watch over our healer and our rear." As if on cue, my familiar materialized around my feet. She stopped to fix me with her electric blue eyes; there was an accusation there. She was annoyed that I hadn't brought her out for a while, and that much I could feel through our bond. I stopped to pet her head for a moment. Then she slithered over to Victoria, but not too close.

  Victoria eyed the snake warily. "I still can't believe you have a venomous snake as a pet."

  "Partner, but yeah. She's smart, though. Can't talk, but she definitely understands. So I'd treat her like a person if I were you." I smirked at Vicky. "I'll go in and kill the first group. You two can stay back and watch; we'll see if I can get you some gear so you're not fighting with your bare hands. That's neither fun nor easy."

  I set off through the opening in the far wall with my siblings trailing behind me. We walked in silence for a few minutes until the tunnel came to an end, opening into a large cavern. "Stay here, I'll be back. Vipera, keep an eye out." I whispered my instructions softly before moving into the dungeon chamber at a slow jog.

  The cavern was dimly lit by glowing fungi clinging to the walls, casting eerie shadows across the uneven floor. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I spotted a group of goblins huddled around a small fire near the center of the chamber. They were smaller than I expected, barely reaching my waist, with mottled green skin and beady yellow eyes.

  I counted five of them, armed with crude clubs and wearing makeshift armour fashioned from scraps of leather and metal. They hadn't noticed me yet, too engrossed in whatever they were cooking over the fire. Perfect.

  I summoned my [Sentinel Root Blade] from my [Inventory], and the familiar weight settled nicely in my hand.

  The first goblin went down before it even realized what was happening, my blade cleaving into its neck in one swift motion. The others scrambled to their feet, screeching in alarm, but they were too slow, far too slow. I whirled through their ranks like a storm, my blade finding flesh with every strike.

  In a matter of seconds, it was over. Five goblin corpses littered the ground. I hadn't even bothered to [Analyze] them. Pushing my will onto my [Spirit forge], I looted the goblins. The goblins were too weak to get anything fancy out of them, but they'd do for basic armaments. The energy bucked under my control, but I was more than strong enough to handle it this time around, and there were so few possibilities that it was easy for my mind to parse them all. Moments later, the familiar golden energy flowed towards me from the goblin corpses, taking the shape of a long sword and a spear. They were both solid pieces of a dark metal I couldn't identify.

  I jogged back to the entrance and handed off the weapons to my siblings. Vicky got the Spear, and since it would help her keep her distance, Sean got a sword, because I knew he'd want one.

  "Remember, these aren't toys," I warned as I handed over the weapons. "They're real and they're dangerous. Treat them with respect."

  Sean's eyes lit up as he took the sword, giving it a few experimental swings. "This is great," he grinned, his excitement palpable.

  Victoria was more hesitant, holding the spear at arm's length. "I've never used anything like this before," she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

  "That's okay," I reassured her. "We'll take it slow. For now, just focus on keeping your distance and using your skills to support us."

  We moved back into the chamber, stepping carefully over the goblin corpses. Sean's eyes widened at the carnage, while Victoria looked a bit queasy. I watched my siblings carefully. Vicky seemed by far the most unsettled. While Sean seemed a little put off by the sight of the corpses, but still willing. I knew my little brother well enough to know that he'd be more like me. The idea of getting stronger would drive him forward on its own. I wasn't so sure about Vicky. While she was perfectly willing to engage in a battle of wills and ideals in a courtroom, she was also the soft-hearted member of the Kaesor family.

  "You okay?" I asked her quietly.

  She nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, just... It's one thing to know we're fighting monsters, and another to see it. To see you do it."

  I squeezed her shoulder. "I know. It gets easier, though I'm not sure that's a good thing for you."

  We pressed on, moving deeper into the dungeon. The passages twisted and turned, the air growing thick with the scent of damp earth and something else, something rotten.

  "There's another group up ahead," I whispered, sensing movement around the corner. "Sean, you're up. I'll watch your back." Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about him knowing how to use a sword. At least the basics of it. All three of the Kaesor family siblings had done at least a few years of martial arts when they were younger, and so had at least a rough idea of how to use something like a sword or a spear. Certainly more than someone without even the most rudimentary training would have.

  I hung back as Sean held up his sword in front of him, edging around the corner to get a look at their targets. I didn't need to look. I could feel the auras of the three goblins around the corner. They were bored, judging by how placid and still their auras were. Sean took a deep breath, his grip tightening on the sword as he peered around the corner. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched as he steeled himself for what was to come. He glanced back at me, seeking reassurance, and I gave him a firm nod.

  With a burst of speed, Sean charged around the corner. He was clearly favouring the idea of going before he could talk himself out of it. The goblins, caught off guard, barely had time to react before my brother was upon them. His first swing was clumsy but effective, catching one goblin across the chest and sending it stumbling backward with a shriek of pain.

  The other two goblins recovered quickly, brandishing their crude weapons and lunging at Sean. He managed to parry one attack, but the other caught him on the arm, drawing blood.

  "Sean!" Victoria cried out, her voice laced with concern.

  I was about to step in when I saw a change come over my brother. His eyes narrowed, and the wound on his arm wasn't nearly as deep as it should have been. While the goblin's weapons were crude, they were still metal weapons and would have caused severe wounds to a normal human. The answer was Sean's [Empowered Fortitude]. The Skill enhanced his durability beyond normal. I imagined that if he reached a high enough level, ordinary non-magical weapons wouldn't even be able to hurt him.

  With renewed vigour, Sean pressed his attack. His movements became more fluid, more confident. The old lessons seemed to be coming back to him. He ducked under a goblin's wild swing and brought his sword up in a vicious arc, cleaving through its neck. The last goblin, seeing its companions fall, tried to flee, but Sean was faster.

  "[Retribution Reforged]!" Darting forward, he caught the fleeing goblin with what should have been a glancing blow to the shoulder. Should have been. Instead, the sword flared with red light, and the air thumped as the energy discharged into the goblin. Its torso was ripped asunder, and it went toppling to the ground.

  Sean stood there panting, his sword arm trembling slightly as it hung limply at his side. He stared at the fallen goblins. The adrenaline was clearly wearing off, and the reality of what he'd just done was sinking in. I was familiar with the feeling. I'd experienced it often enough in those first days in the Soul Sheer. Fortunately, I'd had Vipera after a time to help me deal with things. I didn't want to contemplate what might have become of my psyche if I'd been stuck there alone the entire time.

  "You did well," I said, approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

  He swallowed hard, his eyes still fixed on the carnage before him. "I... don't know. It was intense. Exciting, but also... scary? I didn't expect it to be so... messy.” He shook his head as I watched him pull himself together. “Didn’t expect to level up either."

  Victoria approached cautiously, her spear gripped in both hands. “Vicky, why don’t you see if you can get that little cut patched up?” I suggested watching my sister closely. Victoria nodded, her expression a mix of concern and determination. She approached Sean slowly, her eyes flicking between her brother's wound and the fallen goblins.

  "Okay, let me try," she said, her voice wavering slightly. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and reached out to place her hand gently on Sean's injured arm.

  "[Soothing Note]," she whispered, and a soft, her voice resonated through the chamber as she sang a single pure note. A pale blue light emanated from her hand, enveloping Sean's wound. The cut began to close, the skin knitting together before their eyes, and in moments the small gash Sean had suffered in his battle with the goblins had vanished entirely except for a small amount of drying blood. As the light faded away, Sean twisted his arm back and forth as if checking for functionality and looking at the site of the wound from every possible angle. There wasn't any trace of the wound beyond the slowly drying blood that still lingered on his arm.

  "Huh, that's a neat one, Vicky. Thanks."

  “Mhm.” Was the highly intellectual response that came from the lawyer.

  I shook my head at my siblings. "Alright, let's keep moving. Sean, you'll take point and engage each group as they come. Vicky, this time, try to use your other two Skills to support him." I said, turning to face her. "If you had used [Piercing Note] on the goblin, or [Echoing Shield] on Sean, he might not have gotten hurt at all," I explained. I wasn't trying to be hard on her, but she needed to understand that she had a part to play here, or she would have to stay out of the dungeons. Some people simply wouldn't be cut out for fighting monsters, and that was fine. Someone had to keep the home fires burning and patch up the wounded after all. The only useless people were the ones who willingly chose to do nothing.

  Victoria nodded, her expression a mix of determination and apprehension. "I'll try my best," she said, gripping her spear tighter.

  We pressed on, the dungeon growing darker and more oppressive with each step. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and something else, something rotten. Sean led the way, his sword at the ready, while Victoria and I followed close behind.

  As we rounded another corner, the passage opened up into a larger chamber. The flickering light of bioluminescent fungi revealed a group of six goblins huddled around a crude altar. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at them. One of them didn't look the same as the other. It stood several inches taller, and it was clothed in what looked like some sort of hide robe. Necklaces that seemed to be made of teeth and claws strung together hung from its neck, while some sort of head dress adorned its head. I triggered [Analyze] on the goblin. I suspected I already knew what the deal was here, but I wanted to be sure.

  I cursed under my breath. This complicated things. The shaman wasn't particularly strong, but it could buff its allies and had some offensive magic as well. This was a little too much for Sean and Vicky to handle on their own right now. However, I still wanted them to participate in this. A moment later, I had a plan of action.

  "Change of plans," I whispered to my siblings. "Sean, you focus on the regular goblins. Victoria, as soon as Sean charges them, use [Piercing Note] on the shaman as soon as the fight starts - it's the one with the robes and necklaces. I'll take it out as soon as you hit it, then join Sean fighting the rest of the goblins. Just focus on supporting us." I explained my plan in low tones, pitching my voice so the goblins hopefully wouldn't hear us.

  Sean nodded, his jaw set with determination. Victoria gripped her spear tightly, her eyes fixed on the shaman. I could see the nervousness in her posture, but also a steely resolve. There was the Vicky we knew and loved.

  "Ready?" I whispered. They both nodded.

  Sean burst into the chamber, his sword gleaming in the eerie light. The goblins screeched in surprise, scrambling for their weapons. As Sean engaged the first goblin, Victoria took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

  "[Piercing Note]!" she cried out. A high, sharp sound cut through the air. The shrill note pierced the air, causing the goblin shaman to stagger and clutch its head in pain. I seized the opportunity, scooping up a nearby rock that lay on the ground. Taking aim at the goblin shaman, I hurled the rock with all of my weight and all 62 points of Strength I possessed behind it. My attribute pool flexed with me to meet my need, and the stone shot off through the air like a rocket.

  This was something neither of my siblings had encountered yet. It was something that I was sure most people would need to experience firsthand to truly understand. The numbers in their status pages reflected a new reality. If an Olympic power lifter had somewhere near 20 Strength, I possessed nearly triple that amount. Effectively, that rock had been hurled by someone who could lift thousands of pounds. The rock in question blasted through the shaman's skull as if it were made of cake, bits of brain matter and fragments of bone scattered from the impact.

  Sean was startled as some of the gore splattered against him, and his steps faltered, eyes wide in a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

  “Sean!” I barked at my brother.

  That was enough to get him back on task as I moved to support him. He turned his mind back to the task before him and continued his charge towards the goblins. I didn't think I'd need to do much here. I just needed to make sure the goblins didn't flank him, and he should do well enough. As I moved in behind Sean to watch his back, another shrieking note pierced the air, and another goblin dropped to their knees, clutching at their ears. It seemed Vicky would be taking a more active role this time.

  Sean's confidence grew as he engaged the goblins, growing with each swing of his sword. His movements became more fluid, more precise as he battled the goblins. One fell quickly to a slash across its chest, while another lost an arm before Sean finished it off. I hung back, ready to step in if needed, but letting my brother take the lead.

  Victoria's voice rang out again, "[Piercing Note]!" Another goblin dropped to its knees, hands clasped over its ears. Sean took advantage of its vulnerability, dispatching it with a quick thrust. There was a single moment in the mad scrum that worried me, one of the goblins had edged to the side of Sean. It was clearly trying to flank him, so it could plant the wickedly jagged blade it carried deep into his side. I needn't have worried. As the goblin dove in, grinning in victory when a wide swing left Sean's ribs exposed, another note rang through the chamber, this one reverberating and vibrating through the air. Echoing.

  A pale blue wall of energy interposed itself between the jagged blade and my brother's exposed side. A backwards glance showed me Vicky with a grim look of satisfaction on her face. As I watched the situation unfold, Sean realized the presence of the goblin at his side, and he whirled around, leading with his blade. The unfortunate goblin's head was rapidly separated from its shoulders.

  The remaining goblins, seeing their companions fall so quickly, began to retreat. Sean gave chase, and the remainder were cut down in short order. The battle came to an end with Sean breathing hard from exertion and Vicky trying to catch her breath. She'd stopped the goblins from escaping by hitting them with a rapid series of [Piercing Notes] that sent them stumbling, clutching their heads and ears.

  “Level 3!” Sean declared with a grin.

  "Level 2." Vicky declared, though without the same enthusiasm. She did have a satisfied look about her, though. One that was mixed with a healthy dose of introspection. "You did this for 2 years, Aiden?" She asked softly, and I shrugged in response as Sean approached, some of his enthusiasm fading.

  "I don't think it was as long for me as it was for you," I said. I was certain I hadn't been gone for a year. No matter how messed up my sense of time had become in the Soul-Sheer I didn't think I was there for more than a year. "I think it might have been closer to a year, but yes. This is essentially what I did while I was gone."

  "Wow," Sean breathed, looking at me with a mixture of awe and newfound understanding. "No wonder you came back so... different."

  I nodded, a grim smile on my face. "It changes you. But you two are doing well. Better than I did at first, that's for sure."

  Victoria leaned on her spear, her face pale but determined. "I... I think I understand now. Why you were so insistent on our learning to defend ourselves? This is... It's intense."

  "It is," I agreed. "This is what I meant when I said that, without the System, you would be like toddlers trying to defend yourselves from full grown adults. I think you're beginning to understand it now." I said, levelling a serious look at my siblings. "The Banner pegs the limits of the normal human body at around 20 points in any given stat, though there have been exceptions. That's the person with the best memory, the strongest athlete, or the fastest." I explained. I was glad I had taken the time to look into some of this during my time in the archives. Then I fixed my gaze on Sean. I had a feeling he'd already broken twenty in his Class's main stat. "Both of you check your stats. If I had to guess, I'd say that Sean is already at 20 points in Endurance. Tell me I'm wrong?"

  Sean's gaze flickered back and forth, clearly reading his status sheet. A moment later, he shook his head. "Nope, just hit twenty. What are these unused points?"

  "Every time you gain a level, you get 10 points. 7 of them are spent according to your Class. Yours are probably spread between Endurance, Strength and maybe something else? Not sure. The other three are what we'll call free points. You can assign them anywhere you'd like, you just have to will it to happen."

  "That's... incredible," Victoria murmured, her eyes wide as she absorbed this new information. I could already see her own eyes flickering back and forth as they roamed over her own status sheet. "So we're already surpassing normal human limits?"

  I nodded. "Exactly. And it only gets more pronounced as you level up. That's why it's so important to train and grow stronger. The monsters we face will only get tougher. That’s not even considering other people."

  Sean was practically vibrating with excitement. "So, where should I put my points? What's the best strategy?"

  I held up a hand to calm him. "Hold on, don't rush into it. It's best to think carefully about how you want to spend them." I said, "Far as I can tell, there are two prevailing strategies, according to the Banner at least. Using your free points to enhance your strengths, or to shore up your weaknesses."

  "So I should just dump all my points into Strength, and be able to crush these mobs in one hit, right?" Sean grinned eagerly. I reached out and bopped him on the top of the head with a little force.

  "That's not what I said, Sean. Work through that idea. You put all of your points into Strength, what happens?"

  "I get really strong?" He asked, glaring at me, though there was no heat to it.

  “How much good does your Strength do, if you can’t hit anything?” I asked him pointedly.

  “Shit.”

  "Yeah. Don't get me wrong, Strength can get you moving really fast in a straight line, but there isn't much control, and it won't help your reflexes much." I explained, it was clear now that he was thinking more deeply about the issue, rather than just going with what seemed like the most fun.

  "So we should spread them out evenly?" Vicky asked, and I turned to face her.

  "Sort of. You have to do what works for you and your Class, but if you spread yourself too thin, then you might end up weaker overall."

  “This is more complicated than I thought it would be.” Vicky let out an exasperated sigh, but I could see the gears churning in her mind.

  "Most things are. Don't worry about it for now. For now, we'll finish clearing out this dungeon and then you two can put your heads together over what might work best for you."