“Erm, Jake?” Aspen asked from the kitchen as Jake walked into the common area of the safehouse. “I’m not one to question things, you know that. That said, is that a snake curled around your arm?”

  They’d all been too tired, overheated and eager to get to bed to discuss what Boon Jake had received from the Dungeon, but Jake could see the playful look in Aspen’s eyes.

  “Hmm, yes, I suppose it is,” Jake said, glancing at Surtiss as though he hadn’t really considered it. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “Right, right,” Aspen said, nodding even as he reached for a nearby cleaver. “Just stay real still for a moment, okay?”

  Surtiss unwound slightly and rose up from Jake’s wrist to glare at Aspen with an angry hiss, his mouth opening to show his fangs.

  Jake laughed at the look on Aspen’s face and reached over to pat Surtiss on the head, only for Moby to peck his ear in response. Cursing, Jake ducked aside, drawing laughter from the rest of the group, who’d all emerged by this point.

  “A new friend, Jake?” Nepthys asked, coming over to examine Surtiss more closely. The snake’s tongue flickered rapidly for a moment before he seemed to glare at Aspen one last time and returned to where his head rested against Jake’s inner wrist.

  Jake didn’t know too much about snakes, but he doubted this was particularly normal behaviour for them. Then again, that wasn’t exactly surprising considering that Surtiss was a manifestation of Jake’s psyche.

  “Yes, this is Surtiss,” Jake said, twisting his hand to show them the snake once more. “My Boon from the Dungeon, rather than a new Ability.”

  “Oh, and what is your new Ability then?” Gargan asked intently, taking a mug of hot tea from Aspen.

  Pulling out his belt dagger, Jake activated his Skill and infused it with Dauhaust’s Root, which caused the dagger to lengthen slightly as small tendrils of metal dug into Jake’s hand.

  Wincing, Jake let go of the dagger and wiped the blood away with a muttered curse. “Not a great example, but it lets me create a shadow of one of my Boons in an item I’m holding. Poison from the Hidden Fang and the leeching side of Dauhaust’s Root it seems.”

  "Now that’s an interesting Ability,” Alan said, rubbing his chin in thought. “I wonder how that would interact with wands or other types of weapons?”

  “Only one way to find out,” Jake said with a grin, feeling ready to head off and get started on it right that moment. “Before we experiment, though, what did the three of you get and how did it feel?”

  “I don’t know about you,” Aspen said, tapping his chest. “But my Ascension deepened my Wyrd reserves, just like going from the first to the second tiers.”

  “Same here,” Alan said with a frown. “It feels odd, though. Like I’m out of balance with the world. My capacity for Wyrd is higher, but it isn’t being drawn in as fast.”

  “Yeah, I can feel that as well,” Jake said, having noticed the odd feeling once he’d got past his initial excitement. It was almost like the air around them was too thin and no matter how deeply he inhaled, it wasn’t enough.

  “This is as we expected,” Gargan said, nodding to himself. “As the difference between our souls and the Realm grows, we’ll be less able to draw in Wyrd from around us.”

  “So what about Skills and Traits?” Jake asked, eager to move the conversation on to the meat of their changes.

  “Well, I actually received a Gift from Kalinkos,” Aspen said, flushing slightly. “It was in recognition for my ongoing dedication. It’s quite good as well, though it’s at the first rank for now.”

  “Oh, what does it do?”

  “It improves other Abilities that reference being a Knight, though I currently only have one, and boosts my endurance when following the tenets of my Patron.”

  “Impressive, Abilities that boost others are highly sought after,” Nepthys said, giving Aspen a nod. “You should use that when choosing future Abilities and advancements.”

  “That’s my plan, but I was limited in what I could do this time,” Aspen said, flashing Nepthys a grin. “I did get some other good stuff, though. I’ve got a new offensive Ability and advanced my flame weapon control. It has gone up to a Very Rare rarity now.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Jake let out a low whistle, impressed by the change. It took little urging for Aspen to demonstrate the new Skill, while telling them what it did.

  The new attack Skill was similar to Jake’s infusion, but focused on the impact and penetration of blade weapons, while his upgraded flame infusion was a straight improvement. All in all, Aspen was stronger, faster and hit harder now.

  The Ability that was being boosted by Aspen’s new Patron Gift was his Knight’s Physique, both of which he’d shared with them.

  Sworn to Service (I) - Rare - As a Sworn Knight of Kalinkos, you gain a minor boost to your endurance when following the tenets of Kalinkos and a minor increase in the effect of other Knightly Abilities.

  Knight’s Physique (X) - Rare - You are a Knight of an order, given rank and responsibility. Your personal strength upholds the tenets of your order and is the foundation on which everything is built. You gain a medium boost to your resilience and strength.

  Watching Aspen now, Jake could see the difference as the first Ability increased the second. Nepthys had been right to recommend that Aspen use this to its fullest.

  A shiver ran down Jake’s spine as he considered the power of a classer with a full suite of Abilities that were then boosted by something like this Gift.

  It would be a restrictive and specialised way to work, but in return, the power such a setup gave would be considerable.

  In some ways, it was a reminder for Jake that other classers could have Abilities just as powerful as his own. His Boons were impressive, but it was far from the only path to power.

  For that matter, there were other Dungeon Nobles out there with their own Boons and powers. Eventually, Jake hoped he’d meet one, if only to find out if he was doing all this the right way.

  “Now that was fun,” Aspen said, grinning wildly as he finished his demonstration. “But I think its time to hear what you two got.”

  Alan went next, explaining that his Class had shifted from Inquisitive Scholar to Inquisitive Marksman, which Jake hadn’t expected.

  He’d assumed that the naming would progress, rather than take this sideways step, but Aspen and Gargan said it was a known part of the progression through the tiers.

  As a classer developed their personal style and settled into what worked for them, their Class would shift slightly to match it. At least, the System would make an offer. Actually taking it had been down to Alan.

  “I was feeling left behind in some ways,” Alan said when Jake asked about the difference. “This is a fast-paced group, and I’m still finding my place in it. I think I’m leaning toward a mixed role taking elements from a scout and a archer.”

  “Huh, interesting,” Jake said, cocking his head to one side as he tried to envision how that would work. “So, the change this time is to give you more of a role in combat?”

  “Yeah, my new Skill improves effects that relate to weaknesses. After seeing what synergy can do with the others, I wanted to start down that path myself.”

  “I can’t blame you,” Jake said with a laugh. “I’d been thinking about that myself. It’s a bit different for me, though. So, what about you, Gargan?”

  “I am now a Devour Acolyte of Purification,” Gargan said, looking a little smug about that. “My new Skill is called Fire Conjuration.”

  Active - Fire Conjuration (I) - Rare - You are able to expend a minor amount of Wyrd to create flames in an area of your choice. Any Abilities you have that manipulate flames receive a minor boost when interacting with fire you conjure through this ability.

  “Another demonstration of good synergy with your fighting style,” Nepthys said approvingly. “You already have a control Ability, don’t you?”

  “I do, and my Purifying Flames Gift applies to conjured flames.”

  “Not bad at all,” Jake said, more than satisfied with their increase in strength as a group. All they needed now was to somehow get Nepthys to third tier. That meant hunting down some Corrupters, though, and while Jake was all for that, it would bring complications.

  “So, what do we do now?” Alan asked, giving voice to the question they were all considering. “The Dungeon is near to reaching the next tier, but it isn’t there yet. Should we could delve it again?”

  “That does sound like a good idea,” Aspen said, perking up at the suggestion. “It would help us get a handle on our new Abilities. We’ll also get a better feel for how much slower our Wyrd will be recovering.”

  “That’s actually a good point,” Jake said, nodding slowly. “We should go through again, maybe get enough Wyrdgeld to reach our next ranks.”

  “I can tell you what you’ll find with your Wyrd,” Ari said from the doorway. The genial classer looked haggard and tired, but there was something different about him. The last few times they’d spoke, Ari had barely seemed to be focused on their conversation, too lost in his grief and self-recrimination. Now, though, he looked like he was present with them again. He looked like he had a purpose. “If you’d like?”

  “Please do,” Alan said, prompting Ari to continue.

  “A single tier of difference is a reduction of one fifth according to the scholarly classers. That increases with each tier of difference until the sixth tier. Crossing Realms from there leads to your Wyrd regeneration being essentially negligible. Which is why Felix struggled as he did.”

  A heavy silence fell over them for a few long moments before Jake cleared his throat. “We should still go, if for no other reason than to feel it ourselves.”

  “I agree, but what do we do then?” Alan asked. “Do we just move on?”

  “If that is what you want, I will get you through the gateway,” Ari said, his voice cracking slightly with disuse. “I owe you all that much.”

  “Would you come with us?” Jake asked softly, knowing the answer in his heart already.

  “No, I will stay here and hunt down the Fatesworne who killed Felix. I doubt I will survive killing him, but every part of me cries out for vengeance, and if I turn away, I will never recover.”