I arrived at the cafe we all agreed to meet at, and found the a table where Jameson, Sophia, Grant, and Emma all waited.

“Am I late?” I asked apologetically as I grabbed a seat.

“Yes, so the meal is on you. You’re famous after all.” Emma winked playfully.

“No, you’re not late.” Jameson shook his head.

“Oh, the famous part was true though,” Grant interjected.

“You’re talking about the video?” I said, making no effort to hide my displeasure of the entire ordeal.

I didn’t really have an interest in fame like most Gifted. Sure, I didn’t take steps to maintain my anonymity, I didn’t throw myself out there on purpose. Somehow, it didn’t seem as if it would all just blow over.

“You shouldn’t be upset. Hell, do you know how hard it is to get a viral video of your gift out there? Most people barely blink at class-three so it’s hard to get exposure,” Emma explained to me.

“She’s right you know,” Sophia agreed while stirring her drink with a straw, “I told you already but I’m apart of the Sacred Branch guild. They wanted me to inquire about those enchantments you put on your weapon.”

That reminded me, I needed to quickly select my permanent runes. I had gone too long without them and my fights up until now would’ve been less difficult if I had runes pre-equipped.

“Oh? I’m not too good at them just yet.” I spoke vaguely.

Whether Sophia understood my reluctance to speak about it or not, she just nodded before adding a bit of input, “Be prepared for a lot of requests in the future. Enchanters and gifts relating to crafting are highly sought after and very dangerous.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I was well aware the stories of Gifted who were forced into constantly mass producing items with their gifts.

“Speaking of, how many guild offers did you get? Your video’s at a million views and climbing. I’m sure the big guilds have already sent some emails.” Jameson said offhandedly.

That’s when I realized I was still disconnected from networking that allowed Gifted to grow. There was a social hub that connected Gifted as well as allowed them to receive private business offers or offers of cooperation. Of course, the signup was exclusive and you needed a classification card number or a government granted permit to join. I had yet to even sign up and create a profile because I had been far too busy.

I wasn’t too worried as the more professional offers would be sent to me regardless. My Gifted status wasn’t private at all and requests would be funneled through the government system and sent to me.

“Oh…” I just realized Jameson was still waiting for answer. “I’m not actually sure, I hadn’t checked yet.”

“Really? What the hell have you been doing since your first ruin clearing?”

“Clearing ruins,” I replied, but continued when I felt the urge to elaborate, “Most class-one ruins, but there were also a couple of class-two’s I managed to get to.”

“You’re a strange one, Casper,” Emma commented. “After I cleared my first ruin I didn’t want to go back again.”

“I-Is it really strange? I thought the experience would be good.”

“Just ignore her, you’re right to practice. Some Gifted are trained from the time they’re children. Most Guilds have the rights to one or two ruins of their own so you know their people are constantly running through them.” Jameson shrugged before placing his hands on the table and leaning forward. “Now, let’s talk about the next ruin.”

I nodded and sat up a bit more in an attempt to settle into a serious posture.

“Unlike the last ruin, we have almost no firsthand info about this one but that doesn't mean it’ll be very dangerous. It’s well-documented with several attack strategies outlined on the Gifted network. We’ll be dealing with a group of several ogres. For the sake of refreshment, I’ll remind you all that they are thick-skinned, strong, and quick to anger.”

I remembered my run in with an ogre, it poked my shoulder with its fingernail and tore open my skin. Ah, that day was I had my eyes locked on the corpse of that man. It was an eventful day to say the least.

“When they get angry their attacks become unpredictable which makes them easier targets but more dangerous. Grant will protect Sophia while me, Emma, and Casper take care of them.”

“Oh? He’s front-lining now?” Grant asked, sending a smile my way.

“There shouldn’t be any doubt of his abilities after that video.” Jameson grinned in acknowledgment. “Now, after we take care of the ogres, we have to deal with a group of Imps which should be easy for you Casper. Then, when that’s settled, all that awaits is an Ogre Brute. The last part will be the toughest battle but we should be fine with Sophia and Casper.”

Jameson went over things like the environment inside of the ruin, the behavior the monsters inside would exhibit, and how we would respond to different scenarios. All in all, it was a very comprehensive meeting but we would have to meet a few more times before we were ready to go in.

I said my goodbyes and headed home as soon as we finished. It would probably take a week for us to actually enter the Class-3 Ruin so I had time to clear a class-1 or maybe even a class-2. I planned on applying but not before I added myself to the Gifted Online Social Network. Also, I had to do research on the artifact I retrieved from the school.

I stepped into my apartment and headed straight for the computer, searching for information about bird-related artifacts that didn’t lead me anywhere.

Shapeshifting Artifacts:

There have been multiple artifacts with the ability to change the user into the form of a different being. So far, the artifacts that are known have the capabilities of mundane transformation which include, wolves, bears, eagles, and hawks. Surprisingly, these forms do not leave the user vulnerable. While the forms are mundane, the size of the forms are usually two to three times larger than the animal they replicate with far more strength. Additionally, the artifacts do not require you to remove your armor as your body isn’t physically transformed. It is more accurate to say that you are stored inside of an armored shell that you can control, but more research is needed.

Familiar Summoning Artifacts:

Not to be confused with Spirit Summoning or Spirit contracts, these artifacts allow the user to summon a familiar that often takes the form of an animal. Among scouting uses, there are many different familiars that have offensive, defensive, and support abilities making them highly coveted. Although summoning multiple familiars often causes incompatibility. There have been cases where a synthesis was achieved and two or more familiars were able to work together. Note, the familiars mentioned weren’t predator-based.

That’s all I could find when I searched deeper into things. I looked at the crow figurine and read the inscription underneath it once more, “A bird has no need for a cage. Neither should you.”

I’m sure the ability of the crow figure was spelled out right in front of me but I didn’t have a way to decipher it. Still, I knew a few things based on what the nameless book said to me.

The figurine was from a forgotten land meaning it wouldn’t be as mundane as it seemed. At least, that’s not what I would expect from a forgotten land. Would it give me wings? That would be extremely problematic for me if that was the case. Penelope’s dance required a strict sense of balance and control over my limbs. A pair of wings would throw me off so badly it’d be as if I had started from square one again so I wasn’t too enthusiastic to get a pair.

“A value of eight hundred souls though?” I reminded myself aloud.

Who said that a high-price reflected the actual value of something? Then again, that would also mean I was doubting the description the book gave.

“Why is this so difficult?” I groaned out as I spun in my chair.

Rational thinking led me to realize that the value of souls I spent could be recovered relatively easily. I shouldn’t put as much importance on losing a few hundred. So, I decided to save up until I could unlock the secrets of the artifact which I hoped to be soon.

“Now, let’s think about permanent enchantments.” I gathered up a set of bones and neatly organized them out on the table in front of me.

I had a lot to think about before heading into another ruin.