Glass shards twirled around Jennifer’s hand, bending and twisting to form beautiful crystals that refracted light into multiple colors. She held one in her hand, playing with it. She nudged the composition of the glass shard to have different colors shining through its edge.

It had been a day since she'd had her talk with Livian, and Jennifer had spent most of it pouring through the books she'd gotten from Derim. There had been a surprising amount in those books that had caught her fancy with some sections even delving into soul magic. Probably the most illegal form of magic she knew of.

“Busy are we?” Jennifer heard a voice as a finger poked her nose.

Jennifer looked up to see Rumina standing in front of her wearing a grin. “Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought,” she replied, dissipating the shard of glass from her hand. She glanced around to see if anyone seemed to be noticing the two girls.

“So, where’s this mage guy who’s dragging you out to the dungeon?” Rumina asked with a cursory glance behind Jennifer.

“We’ll meet him in the dungeon plaza. He mentioned that we’d be grabbing some gear before heading into the dungeon,” Jennifer said. “Let’s head out? I wouldn’t want to be late.”

Jennifer walked ahead, with Rumina following behind her as the two continued on their way towards the dungeon plaza. Jennifer eyed her friend briefly as she hummed something under her breath, watching the city pass by.

“You’re taking all of this awfully easily. I’d expected you to be a bit more nervous about the dungeon. Or at least suspicious of some guy asking me out to a delve in the dungeon,” Jennifer said.

“Not my choice for a first date, but you aren’t exactly normal either, bringing your friend out for it,” Rumina replied with a cheeky grin, winking at Jenn.

“Rumina!” Jennifer exclaimed, slapping her friend’s shoulder as she cackled gleefully.

“Fine, I’m sorry! And I’m not silly like you. I’ve got his whole history checked out,” Rumina said, glancing at Jenn. “Wanna listen?”

“I know you’re going to tease me about it if I say yes, saying something stupid like ‘Oh so you’re interested in him afterall?’ and then laugh like a mad woman all by yourself,” Jennifer said, as her friend’s face fell.

“You’re no fun Jenn!” Rumina exclaimed and Jennifer decided to kindly ignore her.

“[Information Recall], ah yes. Livian Firgold, the second son from a family of gold merchants. Ancestry from the empire, decently rich. The father is a particularly high level [Gold Merchant] I suspect in around 35-40 for his level. Quite rich, and they come from the Empire, so they’re used to all the nobility and ranking systems. Not human supremacists despite what their origins may suggest, and a line of newly established lines of [Mages] starting from Livian’s uncle. The boy started going to the-”

“Sera’s grace Rumina, that’s more than enough. Did you end up digging into his entire family history?”

“Yup! I had to make sure. Can’t have the boyfriend of the soon to be saviour of Lienmont be a nobody afterall,” Rumina said, and Jennifer lost her footing for a moment as she glared at her friend, who giggled back at her.

“Shush you. You know I’m not interested in that stuff. I have far too much to do instead of jumping at boys.”

“Precisely why I love to tease you about it,” Rumina said and Jennifer shook her head in amusement, giving up the argument as she resigned herself to the incessant teasing.

“Did you find anything on the orc captain?’ Jennifer asked before Rumina could get lost in the teasing.

“Ah, unfortunately not much. Captain Drighak Khazir, orc mercenary captain of an all orc mercenary group Wandering Blades. In the city from roughly a week ago, around the time the Southern caravan had arrived to the city. Family unknown, current loyalties unknown, the man loves to fight, and loves to eat even more. Which is just about any orc out there,” Rumina replied.

Jennifer nodded. The two friends continued to talk idly for a few more minutes before the gates to the dungeon entrance began to appear from within the city.

Walls were erected around the end of the plaza, with a massive gate covering the cavernous entrance that led into the dungeon, manned by guards at almost all times of the day with the gates perpetually opened to allow for the flow of mana from the dungeon, out into the city.

The dungeon shift had not yet occurred, and the guard around the dungeon was still low, which would allow all of them to enter far more easily.

Jennifer and Rumina stood within the plaza for a few moments, glancing around as they waited for Livian to arrive.

“Hey!” a shout came from across the plaza, as the blonde haired boy ran towards her carrying a large bag on his back that rattled with each step.

“Sorry... for... being… late,” Livian panted, his breath heavy. Jenn eyed the bag the boy carried in his bag, large enough to fit all her clothes in if she wanted to.

“It’s alright. We just arrived a few moments ago as well,” Jennifer replied, before turning towards Rumina as the two waited for Livian to catch his breath. “Livian, this is Rumina,” Jennifer continued once the boy had settled down. “My friend, and the one I’d talked to you about who’d be accompanying us to the dungeon.”

“Ah, my apologies. I’m Livian Firgold. It’s a pleasure, and thank you so much for helping me out.”

“I’m Rumina Floreth, a pleasure here as well. It was a favor from Jenn, I wouldn’t have said no to her.”

Jennifer looked at her Rumina, surprised at the lack of teasing when Livian came around. She decided not to mention it, grateful for it. It would’ve just made things awkward between all of them.

“Anyway- umm. So, I’ve planned to head out to The Serfield Wings to get some gear,” Livian said.

Before Jennifer could say anything it was Rumina’s turn to jump in surprise.

“What?! Are you sure it’s Serfield Wings? The Serfield Wings?” Rumina asked, her voice rising towards the end.

Jennnifer looked around, slightly confused at her friend's reaction. “Why is that such a big deal?”

“Are you kidding me? You really have no interest in the market and anything like that do you? I knew you weren't interested in clothes or dressing up but... Sera’s grace Jenn, this might just be a good thing,” Rumina turned towards Livian. “You know the way right?”

“I most certainly do. Follow along,” Livian said, walking ahead, as Rumina shook her head at Jennifer, with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

“What’s the big deal?” Jenn asked in a hushed tone as she stared at Rumina.

“Serfield Wings is a branch for one of the largest names in the clothing industry. Alongside many other things. They’ve got a hand in many businesses in the entire alliance, and are famed for working with Ranked Plates and even Royalty! I can’t believe I’m going to be visiting one of their shops,” Rumina said, a bright smile plastered on her face.

“My father happens to know the owner, so I suspect we could get some good gear there as well. I don’t have too much money but it should be enough to supply all of us,” Livian replied with a smile.

Rumina nodded along happily as Livian turned back ahead when her friend suddenly moved in closer to whisper into her ears.

“I’ve never been more happier to help you. You said you’re not interested right? Can I take him? He’s rich, he has a pretty face. A bit too soft and clumsy for my preference, but that may change with time. And he can take me to nice places.”

Jennifer stared at her friend with an unsure expression. “What about everything I told you about the city?”

“Well, it’s not like I’ll remember afterwards. And if I do, I’d like to remember nice things. Like eating at very expensive places and wearing beautiful dresses,” Rumina said, cupping her cheeks with her hands as her eyes glazed over with daydreams.

This girl…

“You’re being silly. We’re here to go on a delve, now focus,” Jennifer said, grabbing Rumina’s hand as the two continued on their path.

The roads widened as the dirt path gave way to paved pathways with decorated plants. Jennifer inspected her surroundings, glancing at Livian occasionally as they entered the richer parts of the city.

“And here we are,” Livian said, as the two of them turned to look at the shop.

It was a large building, built more like a manor than a store. Expensive decor lined the front of the shop, the design followed the Empire’s design architecture very closely, adding embellishments to the theme wherever it could. A beautiful insignia made of a pair of wings was carved onto the front section. “Let’s head in,” Livian said, walking ahead.

Rumina laughed in delight, walking ahead as a hesitant Jennifer followed behind her.

A beautiful interior greeted Jennifer as she entered Serfield Wings, glancing about in curiosity. The inside was densely saturated with mana, even the air felt fresher somehow, a slight smell of flowers present in it.

“Ah, welcome. Please come in,” an old pot bellied man spoke, rising from his seat behind the shop counter.

“Hello, we wanted to look at some gear for a delve into the dungeon,” Livian said, as the man behind the counter nodded.

“Well, then. I assume you’d want some light armor. Perhaps a [Detect Danger] accessory, along with something like a Tier 3 Protection Field. Maybe an Ironskin bracelet,” the man said, going through the pile of stuff as he waved some away into a dimensional storage.

Jennifer looked at the man, something about his features making her feel as if she’d seen the man before.

Hold on, isn’t Serfield Nathaniel’s surname?

Jennifer looked at the man once more, finding a startling resemblance to Nathaniel in the man. His chestnut brown hair, almost the exact same.

“Would you happen to know the Gold Plate adventurer Nathaniel?” Jennifer asked, looking at the man curiously.

“You know Nat?” the man said, turning to look at Jenn and she nodded in reply.

“He taught me some magic and helped me with my training,” She replied, before pausing. That didn’t happen in this reset. We haven’t even met yet.

“I see. That is quite rare. The boy was never the type to be too keen on teaching others. Perhaps he’s changed recently. If only he came home more often,” the man said with a sigh. “Excuse me, I was getting a bit reminiscent. It is a pleasure to meet you young lady. I’m Markus Serfield, Nathaniel’s father and a humble [Merchant].”

“You’re Mr. Serfield?” Livian asked in surprise before dipping his head in greeting. “Please forgive me for not recognising you, I’d assumed your employees would be manning the shop. My father has worked under you before, and he talks fondly about the lessons you taught him.”

Markus laughed, patting Livian’s shoulder. “No need to be so stiff. I just like to sit in my shop sometimes. Return to the time when I was just starting out, and doing everything myself. It’s a good feeling to be reminded of your roots.”

Jennifer dipped her head as well. “I’m Jennifer Laine. Nathaniel has been a great help to me in my lessons.”

“I see. Perhaps if it wouldn’t hurt you, would you care to tell me a bit more about him? The boy rarely returns home and as ashamed as it is to admit this to you, I haven’t talked to him in a few months.”

Jennifer turned to look at Rumina briefly, but found her friend fawning over a dress. She nodded to Markus, the man smiling happily in return.

“Alright, let us sort this business out first. A simple leather armor. Minor enchantment for durability. I assume you can tell that already. The leather also has minor mana resistance, so it’ll hold against magical projectiles and attacks as well,” he said, laying the armor onto the counter.

Jennifer touched the leather armor, feeling the enchantment on it, interwoven carefully across the whole armor. She couldn't help but notice that it was sized for someone twice her size as she held it up in front of her.

“You can try it out as well, hold on. [One Fits All],” the man intoned and the armor began to shift beneath her hands, changing its shape.

“Try it on now,” he said, and Jennifer flipped the armor, sliding into it like a sweater, placing it over her clothes. A single strap on each side secured the armor snugly and she felt it hug her body like a second skin.

“Hold this crystal, it’s a Skill stone. [Detect Danger]. You can bind it to you by sending your mana into the stone. Make sure it's touching your skin at all times if you want the skill to work properly. Maybe tie it around your arm,” he said, handing her a small red crystal.

Pouring her mana into it, the shard lit up with a soft crimson glow. She looked at it for a second when an idea struck her.

Jenn triggered her [Blood Dagger] forming it around the skill stone as it was embedded snugly into the hilt. The glass was formed of her blood and would count as a physical contact. So long as she could stay connected to her dagger, she’d be in contact with the skill stone.

A system prompt popped in front of her

[Detect Danger]

Tier 2

Status: Bonded

A Skill Stone with the [Detect Danger] Spell, able to detect danger to the bound owner of the skill stone and grant them the [Detect Danger] skill.

“Blood and Glass magic? That is a very rare and impressive form of magic you have, young lady. I think I’ve only known a handful of people who've had the affinity,” the man remarked, raising his eyebrows.

“Jenn! Come here for a second!” Rumina shouted excitedly and Jennifer turned to see her friend holding out a dark crimson dress, black cuts and patterns decorating it with ribbons hanging from it’s sleeve.

“How do you think this looks on me?” Rumina asked, holding the dress in front of her. A subtle magical aura wafted off the dress, and she felt her new skill [Minor Danger Detect] flash for a brief second.

“I don’t know...it looks great, but maybe a bit too violent? A tad bit mature for you as well,” Jennifer said, eyeing the dress skeptically as Rumina pouted, waving her away as she returned to fawning over the dress.

“Why are you suddenly looking into these and waiting... are those ribbons knives?” Jennifer asked as she looked closer at the strands of ribbon hanging from the dress, gleaming in the light.

“Just having a look, there’s a lot of interesting dresses here. It’s not like you'll have any interest in this stuff. So I went ahead and had a look for myself. I do need gear as well after all, since I decided that I’d form an adventuring team with you,” Rumina stated calmly, turning away as she went around to inspect the accessories in a different section of the shop.

“A new adventuring team is it? Very exciting to see. Tell you what, I’ll prepare something for all three of you. In the meantime, you head on inside and have some tea. I'd love to hear a bit more about Nat, Jennifer.” the man said, laughing pleasantly.

“Thank you very much for the hospitality Mr. Sefield,” Livian said with another bow as the three of them headed further into the shop.

A small, but tastefully decorated room awaited her, four wooden chairs around a low table. Each chair looked as if they'd been woven by taking individual stands of wood, then weaving them together one strand at a time.

She took a seat, discovering the chair was practically made of cloud as it absorbed her weight. Extremely comfy.

“You know Mr. Serfield’s son? A gold plate? Forgive me for this but- I wasn’t aware that you had such good connections,” Livian said, eyeing Jennifer.

“Ah, well. I do know him. Some weird circumstances led me to meeting with him, and we got to talking,” Jennifer replied, avoiding going too deep into details. Livian eyed her for a moment, before letting the topic go.

A few moments later, Markus walked into the room, a single tray with a teapot and a few teacups upon his hand. Jennifer got up, offering to take the tray from him but was refused by the older man as he poured a cup of tea for each of them.

“Have a drink please. And don’t mind my presence, I enjoy the work. Not much else to do at my age besides count numbers and direct people. So a change of pace is just what I need,” Markus said, as he took a seat at the table. With a wave of his hand, multiple items appeared beside the teapot.

“I’ve got a few enchanted daggers for your [Informant] friend here. And a thin armor-dress that'll allow her to blend in the shadows better. A simple fireball and shield ring for the [Light Mage] here, along with a simple barkskin ring and a few healing, mana and stamina potions,” Markus said, as his gaze landed on each of them around the table.

She turned towards the items on display, confusion evident on her face as she saw the various expensive looking equipment.

“Hmm, nice daggers. Better than mine for sure,” Rumina said as she spun the dagger, the blade curving back towards her as it returned to her hand.

“Now then, would you care to share a bit more about Nathaniel?” It's been a while since he was home. My brother Zaress keeps him in the guild most of the time, and Nat has a tendency to get lost in work as well. I don’t remember the last time he came for diner,” Markus said, as he looked at her.

Jennifer almost spit the tea she’d been drinking. She coughed, turning to stare at Markus in surprise. “Guild head Zaress is his uncle?”

Markus nodded, glancing at her as he sipped at his tea.

“I-I umm, how? He... isn’t his name Nathaniel Serfield? From what I know the guild head’s name is Zaress Keinor…” Jenn trailed off as she stared at Markus, unsure of what to say.

“It’s a long story, and I married into my wife’s family. Taking up her last name. Some people did not like that, let me tell you. Ah, I see Nat hadn’t told you. That boy never liked talking about home, I should’ve expected that.”

“Well, I don’t know too much about Nathaniel. He seems to be doing well. And he was an amazing teacher to me, helping me with my glass magic and spells. He even taught me a mana channeling method which ultimately helped me get my [Glass Mage] class,” Jennifer said, and Markus nodded contently.

“I see, it is good to hear that he’s doing well. Raising a new generation of adventurers, almost makes me feel young again,” Markus said with a laugh. “Have you guys decided on an adventuring team name?”

“I’m not sure what would fit us three,” Livian said, looking around nervously. The boy seemed at ease with his surroundings and Jennifer couldn’t help but notice how much better his table manners were in comparison to her.

“How about Meifor’s Wings? In folklore the beast Meifor had three wings after Sera clipped his fourth before taming him. And there’s three of us,” Rumina said, looking around excitedly.

“That is certainly an excellent name!” Markus said.

Thinking for a moment, she realized she didn't have a better idea. Jennifer turned to look at her friend smiling cheerfully at her. “Sure, let’s go with that then.”

“Let me add a little something then,” Markus said, snapping his fingers as three small leather patches plopped onto the table. “[Instant Stitches]” he said, and she watched as ‘Meifor's Wings’ was etched in a beautiful design on the leather piece, three wings joined at their edges forming a triangular shape.

“I can add these to your armor and gear. It has a little spell on it, which you can trigger during an emergency to call for help from the guild. Just a little trinket,” he said, handing her the patch of leather.

Jennifer grabbed the piece, the leather soft to her touch. She stared at the name written on the patch, dull light reflecting off of its surface. A small smile tugged at her lips.

"Would you have an enchanting crystal?" Jenn asked, looking up at Marcus.

The merchant swept his hand over hers as one dropped onto her palm. "I like to keep them handy," the man said with a wink.

Jennifer smiled, taking all three leather patches. She held the crystal in her hand, mana pulsating through her before as she carved a Tracking enchantment onto all of them. The rune lit up for a moment before fading away as the spell matrix attached itself to the object.

"Aha, clever indeed," Markus replied with a nod as Jennifer smiled.

"What's that?" Rumina asked, looking over curiously.

"A tier 1 tracking rune. I can tell where this patch of leather is if I'm within a radius of about 50 to 100 feet from it."

"How much would all of this gear be?" Livian asked, turning towards Markus.

“That’ll be about two gold pieces, all together,” Markus said.

Jennifer’s smile slipped slightly, her eyes widening as she stared at Markus.

“I’ll throw in a discount of fifty silver for a new and upcoming adventuring team,” Markus added with a wink.

Jennifer glanced at Livian, who nodded at the words. Digging into his pouch he handed over the coins that vanished into Markus’ storage ring with a pop.

“Now, I won’t hold you for too long. Something tells me, you have a delve to get to as well,” Markus said with a light smile and Jennifer dipped her head thankfully. It had been a strange experience to come to such a fancy place, but she also had a surprising amount of fun. Something she could almost never say for any shopping trips.

The kind merchant stood up and escorted the trio to the door, after they'd donned their respective gears, and the three of them dipped their heads as they took their leave.

Jennifer saw Rumina fiddling with her dagger, and Livian briefly examining his robes as they stood outside the store.

Jennifer fiddled with her new armor, turning to take a better look for herself. As they were leaving, she’d decided to quickly change out of her clothes and shift into loose shirts that didn’t bite her body as hard when layered with armor on top.

Her eyes shifted towards Rumina and Livian, her red-haired friend wearing a slim armor that fit in with her leather one, and Lixian wearing spell warded robed, above simplistic leather armor.

“We at least look like adventurers now. Which may be the only common thing between our team and them,” Rumina said, glancing around at Livian and Rumina.

Jennifer smiled as she looked around. Three teenage kids wearing fancy armor and with expressions varying from nervous, excited, and carefree. They certainly looked the part for young fool hardy adventurers.

I hope the similarities end there as well. Young naive adventurers don’t get happy endings to their journeys into dungeons.

“Let’s head out then?” Rumina asked, receiving a nervous nod from Livian. Jennifer nodded as well, as the party walked towards the dungeon plaza.

The afternoon sun hung high above the plaza as the trio made their way. The bustle of Lienmont felt subdued as people took cover under shades, away from the light of the sun.

The trio made their way towards the two guards manning the way in. Jennifer remembered them as the same guards who'd been here during the dungeon break she'd gotten caught in. The same ones who'd refused to come in and stop the brawl with the orc mercenary.

The guards in question noted their arrival, and greeted them by barring the way in by tilting their spears.

“Plate?” One of the guards asked.

Jennifer dug into her pouch, pulling out her Apprentice Mage card, and handed it to the man. It qualified her as a certified mage apprentice, arguably a higher qualification than an Iron plate.

After a cursory glance from the guards, the spears moved aside, and the three of them walked in. Jennifer took a glance back at the plaza outside as she walked into the dark entrance, feeling her heart starting to race as memories from her first trip within the dungeon came to her.

She took a breath, calming her nerves as she turned around, and began to make her way ahead. If she wanted to make a change, she couldn’t allow herself to be so weak and cower from the dungeon.

She turned around and walked further in, as the system message from the dungeon greeted her.

You've entered the Great Dungeon of Lienmont.

It was time to put her new magic skills to the test.