"So your whole team is all non-combat types, huh?"

  "Pretty much. There's one or two of us who can beat some arse in a pinch, but it's not ideal. Victor's squad is in behind us to make sure there's no problems." Jack explained. "They're just acting the part of insurance in case you missed anything on the way through."

  I let out a sigh of relief. I knew for absolute certain there were still monsters wandering around the first chamber, nothing strong enough to trouble Victor and his whole squad as long as they stayed together. It could have been bad if another horde had descended on Jack and his people while they were traversing the chambers, though. By Jack's own admission, his people weren't fighters.

  I stood watching the recovery team at work for several minutes while Jack offered direction to his team. He seemed confident his team could manage without him picking up an axe to aid them himself. It was interesting to watch the men and women of the recovery team work; they often worked in pairs. One carves the mana crystals from the rock face of the cavern, and the other takes the fallen crystal to a stockpile area. There is a rapidly growing pile of crystals in the center of the boss room from the efforts of the dozen or so Rankers that made up the recovery team.

  "Well, I should get moving, I'm sure Uncle Wolf and David will want to talk to me after all this." I let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to either of the men I knew were waiting for me outside the dungeon; it was just nerves, old ones at that. Dealing with people had never been easy for me, and it seemed that hadn't changed despite all I had been through. Small groups were better than crowds, but still. I still preferred my own company most of the time.

  "You want me to haul some of that out on my way?" I asked, jerking a thumb in the direction of the pile of crystals.

  "Don't see how you'd be doing that unless you plan to carry 'em out in your arms." Jack let out a booming laugh that echoed in the cavern.

  "I've got a storage Skill." I shrugged. I was past hiding most things at this point; David would have seen a large portion of what I could do through the drone that was still following me. I'd keep some secrets, like my Class Skills; it wouldn't be difficult to let them think that all my Spider abilities were from my actual Class.

  Jack just shook his head. I couldn't tell if it was from exasperation or disbelief. I shrugged and walked over to the chest-high pile of crystals and started feeding them into my [Inventory]. The crystals stacked nicely, which was a small blessing; a dozen large crystals only took up a single slot in my [Inventory], which allowed me to fit the majority of the pile without any issues and still left me with some space left over. I wasn't quite sure how the slots related to the actual space items took up in my [Inventory]. At times, it seemed rather flexible how much a single slot was; other times, it was strict and rigid, like with weapons and gear. My [Inventory] was supposed to be able to fit two cubic meters of material inside, so the giant pile of crystal, plus all the other odds and ends I'd shoved in there, were taking up about three-quarters of the space. Maybe a little more.

  I looked up from the remains of the crystal pile to see that the cavern was silent and everyone present was staring at me.

  “What?” my voice echoed through the quiet cavern.

  "Enough gawking, back to work!" Jack called, though he'd been staring too. "Wish we had a couple of people with Skills like that." Jack shook his head with a wry grin. "Make my job a helluva lot easier."

  I just shrugged, unsure how to respond to that.

  "I'm gonna head out, Uncle Wolf will pitch a fit if I keep him waiting any longer," I said with a smirk. Jack and several other members of the recovery team waved their goodbyes, and I headed out of the boss chamber at a light jog.

  —-

  Nothing bothered me on the way out of the dungeon. I wasn't sure if perhaps I'd killed off more of the monster population than I thought, or if they were just chasing Victor and his team around. Either way, I passed through the manticore forest and the open plains of the first chamber without incident.

  The familiar glow of the dungeon entrance grew brighter as I approached. I slowed my pace, taking a deep breath to steady myself. The nerves were kicking in again, a mix of anticipation and dread churning in my stomach. There were questions waiting for me on the other side that I probably wouldn't want to answer. I let out a sigh. I'd answer what I felt like answering, and if they didn't like that, well, they'd have to deal with it. I was not in the mood to be interrogated right now. Before I stepped out of the dungeon, I reshaped my [Mirage of the Root-Nexus] into a baggy black hoodie that would cover all of my armour. I didn't know who else would be around when I stepped out. It was probably better to keep things as quiet as possible.

  As I stepped through the shimmering barrier, the crisp autumn air hit me like a wall. The transition from the humid, musty dungeon to the outside world was always jarring. I blinked, letting my eyes adjust to the natural light.

  "Aiden!" Uncle Wolf's gruff voice carried easily over the noise from the hub of activity that hadn't been here when I entered the dungeon. My gaze swivelled around, taking in the cordon and the dozens of law enforcement personnel rushing around the area. So many cops in the area were making my skin itch. I'd never much liked the cops; I understood on a logical level that they were just people doing their jobs at the end of the day. I disliked them on a more visceral level that logic had little say in.

  I took a deep breath and strode towards Uncle Wolf, trying to ignore the chaos around me. His weathered face was a mix of relief and concern as I approached.

  "You had us worried there for a bit, kid," he said, clasping my shoulder firmly.

  I shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes. "I'm fine. Just took a little longer than expected. Wasn’t expecting a Boss that could chuck Spells at me."

  Uncle Wolf nodded, his sharp grey eyes scanning me for injuries. He seemed satisfied after a moment when he was unable to find anything. "David's been waiting to debrief you. You up for it now, or do you need a moment?" I glanced over at David, who was standing a short distance away, his blue eyes fixed on me with an unreadable expression. Part of me wanted to put off the inevitable questioning, but I knew delaying wouldn't make it any easier.

  "Might as well get it over with, but I'm going to need some rest after this," I said. In the back of my mind, I could feel a strain, a weight. It was like I'd been carrying a burden for too long, and now it was finally taking its toll. Vipera surged in my soul, waves of comfort and assurance alleviating the unease and tiredness in my mind. I sent back a wave of appreciation. If it wasn't for my steadfast familiar, I didn't know what kind of state I'd be in. I'd been running from one crisis to another for too long, what felt like forever. I knew there was something off with me, with the way I'd been feeling. The way I'd been processing things. Normal people didn't escape prolonged life or death situations like the Soul-Sheer and then immediately dive head first into the next one. I should have been a nervous wreck after a week in the Soul-Sheer, but I wasn't. I should have been a wreck after making it home and finally being able to relax for the first time in forever. I knew Vipera was responsible for some of it; the connection I shared with her bolstered my mental fortitude to an astounding degree. Yet, I still hadn't wanted to poke that particular slumbering monster too hard, lest it all come crumbling down. Soon I was going to have to. Even with the support of Vipera and whatever else was keeping me mentally whole, I could feel it beginning to crack under the weight of all that had happened. Underneath that was something ugly, something I didn't want to examine too closely. And wanted anyone else to see even less.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  As we walked towards David, I noticed the drone that had been following me throughout the dungeon was now hovering near him. Ed was still at the controls of the mobile terminal, probably reviewing all the footage they’d got of me in the dungeon.

  "Aiden," David greeted me with a nod. "Glad to see you made it out in one piece. That was... quite the performance in there."

  I nodded tersely, not really in the mood for small talk. "Let's get this over with. What do you need to know?"

  David's eyes flickered briefly to Uncle Wolf before returning to me. "Right. Well, first off, can you walk us through what happened in there? The drone footage gives us a good idea, but I'd like to hear it from your perspective."

  I took a deep breath, collecting my thoughts. "Entered the dungeon, cleared out the first chamber. Lots of lower level monsters, nothing too challenging. The problem was the sheer numbers; dozens of them at once weren't sustainable for me. I used an item I have to make them all back off towards the end there. The second chamber had stronger enemies, those manticores that gave me some trouble. I had to change over to my Spider form to deal with them, which you saw."

  David nodded, his expression neutral. "And the... abilities you displayed in there. Care to elaborate on those?"

  I tensed slightly, feeling Vipera's reassuring presence in the back of my mind. "What about them?" I asked cautiously. I'd decided already I wouldn't be telling them about my bloodline or any of the skills related to it, nor would I be telling them the details of my Class.

  "Well, for starters, your combat capabilities seem to have increased dramatically beyond what we saw during the assessment. And some of those skills... they're not exactly standard for your class, are they?"

  I shrugged; he was trying to bait me into revealing more information than I had up to this point. I didn't blame him for it; it was a smart move on David's part. "I was holding back during the assessment, obviously. I had a level advantage on everyone except Victor, whom I didn't get to face. I didn't need to use those Skills to win." I finished softly. I didn't want to disparage his people at all. In truth, they seemed quite skilled to me; they simply hadn't been able to cross the gap that was superior levels and stats.

  "You still don't know what my Class is, David," I responded, choosing to call him by his first name. "I won't be telling you that, or about any of my Skills. I suspect in my new reality, keeping those things as secret as I can will only be to my benefit."

  David's expression tightened slightly, but he nodded. A brief glance at Uncle Wolf revealed a look that was equal parts frustration and pride. I imagined that professionally, he was annoyed that I was keeping secrets, but personally proud for not giving away information. It made me appreciate the difficulty of the position he was in, between me and the White Banner. "I understand your desire for privacy, Aiden. But you must realize that withholding information makes it difficult for us to assess potential threats and protect both you and others."

  I felt a flicker of irritation. I already had a deal in place with these people, or at least the foundation of one. "I'm not a threat, David. We have a deal in place. I just want to do my job."

  Uncle Wolf stepped in, his voice calm but firm. "No one's saying you're a threat, kid. But you've got to understand our position here. We're responsible for keeping people safe, and that includes you."

  I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Look, I get it, you have a job to do. But I'm not comfortable sharing everything I can do with you. You've seen what I can do, and I volunteered to be here; is that not enough?" David exchanged a glance with Uncle Wolf before turning back to me. Something passed between the two men. I wasn't sure what it was

  "For now. But we'll need to have a more in-depth discussion about this later. There are protocols we need to follow."

  I nodded, too tired to argue further. "Fine. Is there anything else?"

  "Just one more thing," David said, his tone softening slightly. "The mana crystals you brought out for the recovery team. Normally, when one of our squads clears a dungeon, we take all of the resources and payout the squads at forty percent total value, split equally between them." David explained. "Under the preliminary terms of our deal, we've afforded you the right of first choice to any items pulled from the dungeon and forty percent of the mana crystals on top of a base fee for responding to the call since you cleared this one solo. In cases where you participate alongside other squads, we would give you a flat five percent of the total value, as well as a share as if you were one of ours. Our only request is the right of first refusal on anything you pull out that you don't want personally, particularly the mana crystals. We have many uses for them." Having an increased Intelligence stat was showing its worth here. Before the System, I would never have been able to remember everything David had just said, not without missing something.

  Everything he'd said sounded all right to me. I got to keep anything that I personally pulled out, unless I didn't want it. I'd get a payout anytime I helped with a dungeon, as well as a share of the value pulled out of every dungeon I participated in. I had absolutely no issues giving them the right of first refusal on anything. It seemed plenty fair, especially given the huge percentage I'd get on anything I did solo, since I would be the sole contributor.

  "Works. I'll just dump what I have out here then." I said pulling up my inventory, I was shoulder deep into the screen pulling out armfuls of crystals and dumping them on the ground in front of David and Uncle Wolf. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually all of the crystals were out of my inventory except for a small handful. I wanted them for myself. I figured I'd either find a use for them eventually or I might be able to learn something interesting. "That's all of them except for five of the mid-sized crystals. I'm keeping those for myself. You can just pay me the cash value for the rest of my share."

  David nodded, clearly still assessing the pile of crystals I'd dumped on the floor of the tent.

  "That is appreciated. We use mana crystals to power much of our more magical infrastructure, so there is a constant demand for them. Give me a few moments, and I should be able to give you an approximate value." David shuffled over to the corner of the tent, where there was a second mobile terminal setup.

  I noticed Uncle Wolf watching me, and I shrugged. Uncle Wolf shook his head with a wry smile.

  "You never cease to amaze, kid. That's quite the haul you brought out."

  I just shrugged again, not really sure how to respond. The pile of crystals did look impressive, glittering in the dim light of the tent.

  As David worked on calculating the value of the crystals, I leaned against one of the tent poles, feeling the exhaustion settle into my bones. The adrenaline from the dungeon was wearing off, leaving me drained. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the sounds of the bustling camp wash over me.

  Suddenly, the tent flap burst open, letting in a gust of crisp evening air that carried the scent of distant wood smoke. Three figures strode in, hints of armour gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights of the tent from behind marked jackets. My eyes snapped open, instantly alert despite my fatigue.

  "We're here to clear the dungeon," announced the leader, a tall woman with fiery red hair cascading down her back in intricate braids. Her emerald eyes scanned the room, widening slightly as they landed on the pile of mana crystals at my feet. Underneath the baggy windbreaker, I could see hints of armour that looked like a mix between modern plate carriers and medieval-style plate armour. To her right stood a burly man with a thick black beard and arms like tree trunks. He carried an enormous war hammer slung across his back as if it weighed nothing. His eyes darted between me and the crystal pile, a mixture of curiosity and wariness in his gaze. To her left was a lithe figure with androgynous features, their silvery hair cut short and spiked. A bow was slung across their back, and I could see the glint of throwing knives at their belt. David looked up from the terminal, his brow furrowing.

  "Ah, Squad 7. I'm afraid you're a bit late to the party. The dungeon's already been cleared."

  The redhead's eyes narrowed, flicking between David, Uncle Wolf, and me. "Cleared? By who? We didn't see any other squads on our way in."

  Uncle Wolf stepped forward, his posture relaxed but his eyes watchful. "By our newest associate here," he said, nodding towards me. "Mr. Kaesor handled this one solo."

  The burly man with the war hammer let out a skeptical snort. "Solo? Pull the other one, old man. No way some rookie cleared a whole dungeon alone."

  I felt a flicker of irritation at his dismissive tone, but reigned in the impulse to speak out. The androgynous archer spoke up, their voice soft but carrying a hint of steel. "Wait, Bjorn. Look at the crystals…"

  The redhead's eyes narrowed as she studied me more closely. "You're telling me this kid cleared an entire dungeon by himself? And brought out all these crystals? Ahead of the recovery team?" Her tone was skeptical.

  I shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention. There was an undercurrent to this situation that I was missing. The uncomfortable looks on the faces of David and Uncle Wolf proved that. As had the surprise of this group entering the tent unannounced. There was something more at work here. Bjorn, the burly man with the war hammer, let out a booming laugh.

  "Not that big of a deal, he says! Kid, if you really did clear this dungeon solo, that's more than just a big deal. That's damn near impossible for most Rankers."