Gabriel had spent another sleepless night. Now groggy and grumpy, he and Liz waited near the Dungeon Delver guild.

"You are Starsedge’s new recruit," said a boy waiting on the front desk of the counter; it wasn't a question.

"Who?"

Gabriel had no idea who the Starsedge might have been, and in the state he was in, even if he knew, he wouldn't have remembered.

It hadn't been the study of runes; it had been the long night he spent blaming himself for his mother's disappearance.

There was much he wanted to do, but really nothing he could.

To add insult to injury, as he broke his fast at the inn, he heard the news about the state of the front against the Priests of Lore.

It was located in a place called The Vast, which was a vast expansion of mostly deserted land situated in the south of The Den.

The Priests had struck a deal with the inhabitant and acquired most of the lands, relocating their headquarters there. Enough to say, the war wasn't going exactly how the Druid had planned it. It wasn't going at all.

The newly formed alliance with the Giant was going to be late, they said, because, in a few months, there would be a huge... tournament? Or something of the like, not that he had understood fully. Simultaneously, the Shamans had suddenly declared themselves neutral and barred, thus to anyone, passage inside their Infinite Forest. The Forest bordered with The Vast, which slowed the warring for both the fronts.

What was happening meant that even if he was to join the front to get closer to those who kidnapped his mother, he wouldn't be able to really achieve anything but wasting his time. Thus, the only thing remaining for him to do was train; train in every possible field that could give him an advantage in fighting against whichever bastard stood in his face… or so his insomnia fueled fury told him.

Back to the present.

"Starsedge. Nast- Yamamoto's team? Was I mistaken?"

"If by Yamamoto, you're talking about that Sato guy. Then yes, I had a meeting with them here," Gabriel said.

The man pointed behind his back with his thumb. The gate was half-open, and even though the early hour, he could hear a lot of noise from it; however, it was muffled.

As he stepped inside, Gabriel was met with an explosion of sounds that he couldn't imagine.

What the…

It was clear that there must have been some sort of magic in play, muffling the sound coming from the inside. However, the noise was only half the surprise. What was incredible was the number of people shouting at each other, all cramped near the desk space. The personnel in a cobalt blue uniform were shouting some formulas that he had no idea about.

There were at least six of them, waving papers or books around; it looked like the stock market from nineties movies. People shouted, shoved each other, and race at who could raise their voices higher.

"Gabe," came a whisper that he had no idea how he heard.

At his left stood the petite Prisha. She had bags under her eyes, like him. But she seemed rather lively.

"This way," she said.

As she preceded him, it was clear she was leading him on a massive and rather tall mezzanine, which covered half the hall, and the hall was rather big. The floor in question had its edge meet with the front desk on the lower floor, so it was situated at roughly thirty feet above the head of the guild's personnel.

The spiral staircase leading to it was being climbed by only two other people, while those shouting at and for the guild staff could be counted in the hundred.

"This is our place," she said, pointing at him to a table where the other had been sitting. Sato sipped on an orange juice, while Fred and Carla were having a red glass of something unclear to him, unless…

"That's karkade, isn't it?" Gabriel asked even before saying hi.

"You know about it?" Asked a surprised Fred.

Greta nodded, "It cleanses the body and the Spirit. However, we drink it because the Hibiscus flower is a symbol of fame and fortune."

"Ritual breakfast? I respect it. How are you guys today?" Gabriel asked, taking a seat.

"Good, as always. Juice?" Sato did not wait for an answer. Instead, he started pouring it into a glass that was waiting for him.

"Well, thank you." Gabriel sipped some before continuing, "So, how does this place work?"

"The ground floor is for Tiers 1 and two; we all start low here… well, not us. But people do," said Prisha. She was having what looked like soda, "This place is the middle ground; it is for Tier 3 and 4."

She raised a finger, pointing up, "Higher still is for those above Tier 4."

Gabriel raised his chin to take a look.

Much higher than where they sat stood another platform; it looked regal.

"How does one even get up there, without flying, of course."

"You've got to at least be able to do something of the like to have the privilege of sitting up there," answered Greta.

"Enough with the bullshit," abruptly said Fred, "What is that you do? What is your role? You said you could use magic skills, but you are clearly an Assaulter. So what's your deal?"

Gabriel smirked, "I'm a Jack of all trades. Or so my class says."

Greta and Fred shared a look, Prisha smiled, Sato didn't even seem to register the answer.

Fred seemed to be giving it some thought. "That's not exactly good. I'd keep it for myself if I were you. However, in our party, it's not essentially bad."

"See? We can start then," said Gabriel giving them the first real smile since he met them.

"Wait, what Skills do you have, and don't worry, each table has a soundproof barrier around it." Fred again.

"Really?" Gabriel turned around, focusing on Mana Sight. There was indeed a dome of Mana around their table and seats. Gabriel tried moving the chair away a few inches, the dome reshaped with it.

"Mana Sight, eh? You don't seem trained in using it. You shut it out," Greta said.

"Yes. Mana Sight, Soul Sight, Enhanced sights, they tend to send a crapload of signal," Gabriel agreed.

"Sustaining them all together is feasible but requires training. I doubt you had enough time even to master half of them in your month old stay," she nodded.

Gabriel could say he abused Spirit Sight in The Memory, but it was better they didn't know all the details.

"Anyway, I've got… well, it's useless keeping it secret since you could notice with Analyze. I've got all the Basic Skill-" Fred spit his drink out, Greta froze, Sato visibly twitched, and Prisha gawked, "and I've evolved Epiphany into a Dark element Magic Skill."

"Wait, wait, wait. Do you mean to say that you've wasted your Skill selection for a Common version of the Basic Skills? Without the fucking multiplier? What the hell passed through your head!?" Fred shouted, getting up and slamming the table; it didn't even budge, weirdly.

"No, I think there's been some confusion. I've got the Basic Skills, the real ones, those that retain the multiplier," Gabriel clarified.

At that point, though, he felt a pull all over him; it came from Sato. Everybody else froze.

"He's… not joking," Sato said, sitting straighter. "The man has them all… the evolved Skill too has retained the multiplier."

"This can't be for real…" Fred said.

"Here," Sato answered, then the whole party probably shared Gabriel's information.

They couldn't help but remain speechless.

"This is… you've got the stats of a Tier 3… it's unbelievable!" Greta said.

Fred grew silent; Prisha kept studying the thing in front of her, gawking.

"I think it's fair to say that this is the best acquisition that Starsedge has ever done," Sato said with a smile.

"Yup… not even Farouk could compete with that, even with his tris of Epic Skills," Prisha nodded.

"Who's Farouk?" mused Gabriel.

"An ex-party member. He was scouted by another party, though. Now he's up there." Prisha pointed upside.

"Oh well, now that it's clear that I'm not a pushover, are we going to go?"

Sato nodded, "We'll need to put you to the test all the same. I've booked a reservation for Leaf Dungeon."

"Oh, there, I thought we'd be going to Ant Dungeon," Gabriel said.

"Why would we go to… Ant Dungeon?" Asked Fred, he was still grumpy.

"I don't know; it’s the only one I thought I knew, not that I've actually been there, only by the outskirts."

"Ant Dungeon is crowded with hunting parties, and anyway, it's much too low for us, now," stated Prisha, she still seemed to be staring at an ethereal screen in front of her.

"So, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

***

"Wow… I had never seen this place."

Starsedge brought Gabriel to a place at roughly forty-five minutes from The Cradle's entrance.

The Verdant Fields had given out to a fully blooming forest of gigantic trees with maple leaves just as significant.

Before the open fields gave in to the Forest, the signboard signaled that the place was a level twenty zone; it also had written 'LargeLeaf Dungeon (Level 20), Front Entrance.

The Forest seemed to be a direct extension of the Dungeon since it, the Dungeon, was nothing but a colossal dome of Mana raising itself just a few dozen feet from the crown of the Forest's tallest trees.

The LargeLeaf Dungeon's front entrance was manned by sentinels that had been stationed on the ground and in extraordinary treehouses. The trees were big enough that they supported the heavy structures of the heavily defended constructions.

While the entrance itself was nothing but a tall arc whose edges were entwined tree branches.

It was useless to say, but the trees themselves seemed to be extensions of Yggdrasil; Gabriel could tell by the trees' maple style and the form the trees themselves tended to take.

This time too, the Mana Shield around the Dungeon was transparent. Gabriel could perfectly see through the preternatural dome of azure light, which, blending with Forest's trees, bathed the surroundings in an ethereal aquamarine.

While Gabriel gawked, Sato talked to the guards.

Gabriel's and the rest of the party's Spirits were finally all out and visible. He finally met them and learned their names.

Sato's Bond Spirit, the cute owl, was ostentatiously called Raiju. Greta explained to him about the mythological beast that in Japanese folklore descended with lightning bolts from the sky to wander the Earth while wielding thunder and lightning.

While he had seen Greta's goat and had learned it was called Bjorn, he had only managed to take a short look at Prisha's frog. She was called Fronkie. Is it a play on the name Frankie? He shrugged.

The only one he had never really seen or maybe noticed was Fred's tortoise. She liked really much to use Spirit Fade; it seemed that she was very, very shy. And she was big, big like all the Spirits that heavily focused on Resilience and Affinity; he judged the Spirit's dimension to be tied to Affinity. She was called Fort, as in short for Fortress.

Liz was still the smallest among them, the land turtle but especially Sato's owl, being a lot bigger than they would be in nature.

"I have to admit... it's been a while since last I've seen someone make such a face," admitted Prisha, "It's kinda sexy," she confided with Greta.

"He's gotten Enhanced Sense, he told us before," Greta answered, raising her eyes to the sky.

Prisha shrugged, "I know."

Gabriel laughed. The kid must be barely sixteen… Might have to introduce her to Darte.

"But I concur, not on the sexy part, but it's refreshing to see some new reactions instead of the usual tired attitude of our fillers," Greta added.

"Not that we're exactly lively in regards to Leaf Dungeon, Water Dungeon, or whatever… I'd gladly make another run of Spirit Dungeon if we managed to book it. Of course." It was Fred.

"Water Dungeon? Wait, don't tell, it must be by the Rapids. But Spirit Dungeon? Where's that?"

"Exact on the first. Spirit Dungeon is inside The Temple of Life; it's not exactly easy to book. It opens once a year, for a week, and its level is always random," explained Greta.

"Last year, it was Level 43, and we were damn lucky to get inside, probably only thanks to Nastia. However, as much influence our families have, I doubt we'll be able to get in this year," this was Fred.

"Why is that? Did you book it already?"

"Of course we did, but reading talk about Level 75, and it's still rising," he snorted.

"Wait, you are all Tier 3 now, no? Doesn't that mean that each of you is at least Level 60? Is it that hard?"

"What? Are you crazy? Of course, it's hard!" Fred answered, then he looked at Greta, saying, "What's this guy's problem?"

"I'm not following? I don't remember Dungeon's blocking entrance for Levels; was I wrong?"

"It's not about sealing the entrance, Gabriel," Greta started, "A Dungeon of that caliber has mostly Guardians, Elite, and above. Do you have any idea what a Level 75 Elite monster is capable of unleashing on a party of Tier 3 Delvers? It's suicide even thinking about it."

"Mmh didn't really think about it; you might be right," Gabriel nodded, arms folded.

"So," came Sato's voice, "are we ready?"

Gabriel was sent an invite to join the party, which he promptly accepted. Again, he didn't see any interface but knew the Party Leader, learning all there was to know about them, had the ability to pull strings. Sato was the Leader, which was a good choice in Gabriel's opinion. Not only for his cold and calculating personality, reminding him in part of Darte, but for his role as a ranged.

"Man… I'm getting excited," Gabriel said. He could already feel the vibrancy of Skill release on the pores of his skin. He was starting to become a battle junkie, and the very thought of having the chance to unleash his pent-up stress was almost arousing him.

A wide grin expanded on his face. "Can I go all out?"

"I strongly suggest you don't. However, I think we need to judge your abilities at least a bit," Sato answered with a confident smile. "Just let's rehearse a little. The big Dutch is our frontman; he takes the hits and calls the shouts on priorities if I'm otherwise engaged. Greta heals and summons barriers; Prisha is the scout, and I'm the damage dealer. My projectiles hurt like hell, so try and stay out of them. Anyway, Gabriel. I don't know about your battle style, but are you sure you are confident with those few Life points?"

Prisha joined in, "I've seen such builds around, however, never on someone who hasn't got any defending specialties, or Mana Shield builds. You are one odd case. How are you even alive?"

What should I tell them now? That I don't follow the rules that deal with their very life and death?

"I'm just terrific at not dying. Let's just see how I fare here? I'm on the verge of leveling up, so if it goes bad, I'll put something in Life."

"If it goes bad, you're dead, man." Fred.

Gabriel couldn't help but "tsk" with a smirk.

"Confident, are you? Then let's see what this Herald's made out from."

"Fred, don't taunt our new teammate; he's not a mob," Greta said with her usual reaction.

"Then we're ready. Let's go," declared Sato.

The party passed through the huge arc and quickly left behind the light's aquamarine tint to find themselves in a much deeper environment. Full green blessed the eyes, while the echoes of the Forest filled their ears with pleasant sounds and calls.

At first sight, it was a relatively common forest, not considering the trees that expanded for over four hundred feet in the sky. However, it was soon clear that something reasonably intelligent inhabited the trees, and if that was not enough, as Fred caught something with his hand that was zipping directly at Gabriel's throat, it was clear.

It was an arrow made entirely of wood, and as Gabriel followed with his eyes the direction from which it came from, he knew. The thing, for whatever it was, was definitely not human but sentient.

"Terrific at staying alive, eh?" Fred said, passing the projectile to Sato.

"Well, that was... unexpected. More importantly," Gabriel said, sincerely taken aback, something that was further shown by Lizzy's gaping. "Is that green mutant I see over there, intelligent?"

The group looked at each other, smiling, "I guess that's the reaction all those that have ever seen them have to take sooner or later," Sato said, scratching his brow. "Those, Gabriel, are Yggdrasilian. Or at least they would be if they were outside, in the real world."

Hiding up on the tree, a frail-looking thing made of convoluted green mass, taking the shape of leaves and branches, stood what looked like a green man with trees made of foliage and a barely covering skirt and a bow made of the same substance of its body.

The creature knocked an arrow in his bow, producing it directly from its fingers, and shot again.

This is not going the way I wished it to. Gabriel thought, sighing.