In the heart of downtown Toronto, the regional headquarters of The white banner was a hive of activity. People ran in and out of the command center. The command center was a massive room, walls lined with banks of monitors manned by dozens of analysts. The center of the room was dominated by a huge console with a digital display showing the entire region in detail. A man in his late forties stood in front of the console looking grim.

  "How did we miss this?" He asked no one in particular as he stared at the glowing red icon in the southern suburb of Toronto near Etobicoke. They were facing a Dungeon Breach in no more than twenty-four hours. Their sensors, both magical and mundane, had completely missed the damn thing. Their diviners and sensory mages had picked anything up either. All the information they had indicated the dungeon was over level 20 and would breach in less than a day. Of course, such a thing would occur while the Director is off doing god knows what. Ashton Bremin thought to himself as he stared at the map. The situation was not good. That was putting it lightly.

  Most of their normally available strike teams were out dealing with other issues currently. He simply didn't have a full strike team of Rank 2's he could send, not here at headquarters anyway. If he sent in rank 1's, they would get slaughtered by the higher-level monsters. Maybe someone would get lucky and destroy the anchor, or get a lucky kill on the boss, but the death toll would be unacceptably high. "Someone get Director Giffle on the line!" He yelled to the room of analysts who were working furiously at their keyboards.

  —-

  "We have an emergency," David said, looking grim as soon as I and Sofia entered the room. I felt a chill run down my spine at David's words. Emergencies in this line of work were Bad NewsTM. Sofia tensed beside me, her hand instinctively clenching her staff, which one of the healers had been kind enough to retrieve along with my dagger, which was stowed back in my [Inventory].

  "What kind of emergency?" I asked.

  David's blue eyes met mine, his expression grave. "A Dungeon on the verge of breaching, less than 24 hours from now. Southern suburb of Toronto, near Etobicoke. Our analysts are pegging it as being over level 20."

  "Shit," Sofia muttered under her breath. For everyone else, the room seemed to drop a few degrees. Uncle Wolf looked worried, very worried.

  "Exactly," David nodded. "We're short on high-level strike teams. Most of our Rank 2's are deployed elsewhere. We don't have anyone available that I don't know about, do we, Carl?"

  "The best we have right now are standing in this room, Director." Uncle Wolf's voice came out strained. I knew by the look on his face he was wracking his brain trying to come up with a solution.

  "I'm assuming your Rank 2 means level 20 and up. Which means Rank 1's are below that, and won't cut it in a dungeon that's spawning monsters over level 20." I spoke up. "You need someone to step in," I stated flatly, while a grin crept onto my face, and my adrenaline levels began to spike. I was already preparing for another fight.

  It wasn't a question, but David answered anyway. "Yes. Our classification uses every ten levels as a Rank. I know you're not officially under contract yet, but you're the best we've got available. This is going to be dangerous, I won't lie to you."

  While I didn't doubt he was right, I suspected it would be less dangerous for me than he thought. I'd been able to avoid showing off most of my abilities. The biggest thing they'd seen was my [Auric Armour]. They had very little idea what I was actually capable of.

  "How about a demo then, a trial run?" I said, grinning at the thought of more levels. "You get me there, and I'll clear the Dungeon for you. We can talk about payment and all that after."

  David's eyebrows shot up in surprise at my bold offer. "You're serious? This isn't some low-level dungeon, Aiden. We're talking about a potential catastrophe here."

  I nodded firmly. "Dead serious. I've handled worse."

  Sofia stepped forward, her face set with determination. "If he's going, I'm going too."

  Uncle Wolf's weathered face creased with concern. "Kids, this isn't a game. The monsters in there will be higher level than you.”

  I met his gaze steadily. "No, I’ll be going solo. For this.” I turned to face Sofia briefly. “I don’t have time to babysit, and my abilities aren’t good for protecting others.”

  David looked between us, clearly weighing his options. After a moment, he sighed heavily. "Alright. I don't see that we have much choice. But you'll have backup. Carl, I want you to assemble a support team. Anyone we can spare."

  Uncle Wolf nodded grimly. "I'll do what I can, but it won't-"

  "I said I'm not babysitting anyone. I'll clear it on my own." I interrupted David and Uncle Wolf.

  David's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "This isn't a negotiation, Mr. Kaesor. We appreciate your offer, but we can't send you in alone. It's too risky."

  I felt my own temper flaring slightly. "With all due respect, Director, you don't know what I'm capable of," I said it point-blank. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but I just beat three of your best people. Or at least the best people you currently have available. And I only used a single skill other than my familiar." I let that statement settle over the room. I hadn't wanted to throw salt in the wound for the others, but here we were, and I needed David to listen to me. "Sending in others will only slow me down and put them at unnecessary risk."

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  Everyone in the room was silent for a moment as if remembering the bouts they'd just witnessed or experienced personally. Uncle Wolf stepped forward, his voice low and urgent. "Aiden, think about this. We're talking about monsters that could have more than five levels on you. One mistake and-"

  "And I'll handle it," I cut him off, my voice firm. "Look, I understand your concerns, but trust me when I say I've lived that situation for over a year. I'm very familiar with it." I finished with a heavy sigh. "Look, send a team to the entrance, that way if I need back up, they're close by. He'll send a drone or something in with me so you can watch, but let me do this." David's brow furrowed as he considered my words. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could see the internal struggle playing out on his face. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

  "Alright," he said, his voice heavy with reluctance. "We'll do it your way, but with conditions. We'll have a team stationed at the entrance, ready to intervene if necessary. And you're right about the drone - we'll send one in with you to monitor the situation."

  I nodded, relief washing over me. "Fair enough."

  "I still don't like this," Uncle Wolf grumbled, but he didn't argue further.

  David turned to one of the other people present. "Victor, your squad will be Aiden's support team. Get a transport ready. We need to move fast." He looked back at me, his blue eyes intense while Victor and his squad trooped out of the room, Sofia glancing back at me with a worried expression on her face. "You have an hour to prepare. Gather whatever supplies you need. When you're ready, meet us in the garage."

  '"I don't need an hour." I grinned as I pulled my gear from my [Inventory], slipping on my bracers, gloves, cuirass, cloak, ring and necklace within a few seconds. "I'm already ready," I said as I finished buckling everything into place. I already felt much better with all my gear back in place. I'd felt a little naked during the matches without it. I smirked as David's eyes went wide. I was sure it was another little nugget of information for him that I had some kind of storage Skill he hadn't known about.

  “Uncle Wolf, brief me on dungeons while we get going. What do I need to know? General structure, routes? What should I expect? Do I just need to kill the boss to get it to close?” I rattled off a list of questions I had at my uncle rapid fire.

  Uncle Wolf's eyebrows raised slightly at my rapid-fire questions, but he quickly composed himself and began to explain as we made our way to the garage, accompanied by David and Ed.

  "Alright, listen up," he said, his voice taking on a serious tone. "Dungeons are unpredictable, but there are some constants. They're usually structured in levels, getting progressively harder as you go deeper. The layout can change, but you'll typically find a mix of corridors, chambers, and larger arena-like spaces."

  We stepped into an elevator, and Uncle Wolf continued as we ascended. "As for what to expect, be ready for anything. Monsters will vary based on the dungeon's theme, but they'll all be dangerous. You might encounter traps too, so stay alert."

  The elevator doors opened, revealing the motor pool we'd seen on our way in.

  "To close the dungeon, you need to either kill the boss or destroy the dimensional anchor point. The problem is finding the anchor. They're damn near impossible to find without the right Skills. So, going for the boss is your best bet. Be warned, the boss will be the toughest challenge you'll face in there."

  "No big deal then. Wipe out hordes of monsters, then kill the big bad. Simple enough." I said, still grinning. I had a lot of raw combat power; I knew from experience I could punch well above my weight class. That was, after all, all I had done in the Soul-Sheer. Punch above my weight class. Unless the internal layout of the dungeon was simple, I figured my biggest problem might end up being actually finding the boss.

  As we approached a sleek black SUV, David's expression remained grim. "Don't underestimate this, Aiden. Overconfidence can get you killed in there."

  I nodded, acknowledging his concern without losing my smile. "I appreciate the warning, Director. But trust me, I know what I'm doing."

  “Aiden, I need to emphasize the gravity of this situation. This isn't just about proving yourself. The lives of countless civilians are at stake if this dungeon breaches."

  I nodded, my grin fading. "I understand, Director. I'm taking this seriously, I assure you." We piled into the vehicle, Uncle Wolf taking the wheel. As we pulled out of the garage, I could feel the tension radiating from everyone. Even through my excitement, I knew the weight of what I was about to attempt. The drive was mostly silent, save for the occasional update from David's comm device. I used the time to center myself, mentally reviewing my skills and preparing for what lay ahead. As we neared our destination, I noticed the air growing thicker, almost oppressive.

  "We're getting close," Uncle Wolf growled, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "You can feel it, can't you? The mana saturation is increasing."

  "Anything else I should know?"

  David turned in his seat to face me. "Yes. The drone we're sending in with you has a communication link. If things go south, you call for backup immediately. No heroics, understood?"

  I met his gaze steadily. "Understood, Director. But I don't think it'll come to that."

  As we approached the dungeon entrance, I could feel the oppressive weight of mana in the air. It was thick, almost syrupy, and I could sense Vipera stirring restlessly within me. The SUV came to a stop in an abandoned parking lot, surrounded by dilapidated buildings. Thankfully, the dungeon hadn't appeared where someone like me could get trapped inside. It was still possible, but much less likely.

  "This is it," Uncle Wolf said grimly as we exited the vehicle. "The entrance should be just ahead."

  I stepped forward, my eyes scanning the area. At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary - just crumbling concrete and overgrown weeds. As I extended my aura senses, I felt it within the building. A swirling mass of mana that felt like it connected to somewhere else. Somewhere other.

  "I see it," I murmured, more to myself than the others.

  David came up beside me, his face tense. "Remember, Aiden. At the first sign of trouble-"

  "I know, I know. Call for backup," I finished for him, unable to keep a hint of impatience from my voice. "But that won't be necessary."

  Uncle Wolf approached, holding what looked like a small metallic orb with a glowing gem embedded on one side. "This is the drone. It'll follow you, and transmit what it sees and hears to a mobile terminal," he tossed the orb into the air, and it hovered there, focusing on me. That’s neat. I glanced over to see Ed setting up what looked like a workstation from a large container I assumed had come out of the back of the SUV. Presumably, that was the terminal they were talking about. I popped Uncle Wolf on the shoulder; he still looked worried.

  "Don't look so worried, Uncle. I'll be back before you can get any more grey hairs." I smirked, ducking easily out of the way of his half-hearted return swipe.

  "You better kid, if you make me explain your death to your Dad, I will personally haul your ass out of whatever afterlife a little shit like you gets, and tan your ass."

  I grinned. This was the most irritated I'd seen Uncle Wolf in a long time. Granted, he was less irritated than he was actually worried.

  "Back in a bit," I said with a wave as I headed into the building. I strode through the main floor towards the swirling mass of mana I sensed and was met with the sight of a swirling purple sphere, a couple of meters in diameter, floating in the air. I strode into the sphere, choosing to treat it like a doorway or a wormhole.

  Reality spun around me, then shifted sideways.

  —-

  "I don't like this, David. I know Soul-Sheer survivors have a history of coming out stronger than normal… But that's my nephew we just sent in there." Carl's voice was strained with a mix of frustration and worry.

  David sagged in response; he was frustrated with this turn of events as well. Once this was done and over with, he'd be asking some people some very hard questions until he got answers. Why were all the Rank 3 and 4 teams engaged up north with none in reserve? Why were the rank 2s all engaged, being forced to pick up the slack? And why now of all times?

  "I don't like it either, Carl, but you know as well as I do. We ran out of options, and we're running out of time." David's gaze swung from Carl back to the building Aiden had entered only moments ago. The clicking of Ed's fingers on the terminal keyboard was audible above the light breeze.

  "I've got it, the feed will be online in a moment," Ed announced, his eyes never leaving the terminal screen. The other two gathered around to get a look at what their drone was seeing. What they'd just tossed a single young man into.

  None of them realized they weren’t the only ones watching, a pair of golden eyes shimmered in the midday sun from the roof of a nearby building. The gaze of their owner wasn’t unfriendly, but it wasn’t friendly either. Those golden eyes watched the events unfolding with interest.