(Jamie)

A tall, swirling portal stands before us, set within the wall of the cave we're standing in line to enter.

Max and I arrived in the city yesterday with not much else happening on the journey, other than me gaining a new Skill, Rage Strike, and another Level in Brawler. After checking in at a cheap inn, courtesy of the little money we were able to pull together from items we gathered outside of town, Max and I cleaned up and enjoyed the day.

Today, after a quick breakfast, we made our way here, and now await entrance to the Dungeon.

This Dungeon sits underground, in an intricate cave network that once served as mines. It apparently formed around two hundred years ago one day, with resources far more bountiful than the mines themselves.

The mines stayed active until they were depleted around thirty years later, but the magically-powered Dungeon has remained in service ever since.

Since it's just after breakfast, and hundreds of Adventurers want to delve into the Dungeon, they have to line up and wait their turn to enter. There's no limit to how many people can be in the Dungeon at a time, but only four people can pass through the gate at a time, due to its width.

We've already waited for two hundred to pass through, and we have another hundred or so before our turn to enter. Part of the reason it's taking so long is because though four can pass through, only two are, sticking to the right side of the entrance.

As this Dungeon's entrance obscures the view, no one can tell if anyone is passing through. As a result, 'courtesy passage' rules, which means that you only pass through the right half, when going through, so that those entering are on one side, those exiting on another.

After all, though five hundred people might be trying to enter the Dungeon immediately after breakfast for whatever reason, there were people already in there, some of whom might have been in there all night, if they were strong enough or determined and lucky enough.

"Look at the kids in front of us," one of the adventurers standing directly behind Max and I says, probably thinking we aren't paying attention. "No armor or equipment at all. The one isn't even old enough to have Access, and the other-"

"I'm old enough," Max speaks up before the adventurer continues, turning to look at the man. "Which means that there are only two things that could be. One, I have an Appraisal Resistance higher than your Appraisal Level, or two, I'm a Demigod. I'll give you a hint: I'm incapable of acquiring Appraisal Resistance."

"As if," the Adventurer snorts, and I turn to look at him. "And you, Level 11? Heh. What do you have, sex-related Classes? Only way I can think of for someone your age to be there already, especially with Level 1 Squire as your primary. What – did you find it to not be to your tastes? You two lovebirds should-"

He cuts off as he finds an uppercut meeting his chin, throwing him up into the ceiling. He crashes back down, unconscious.

"That was unnecessary," I sigh.

"I'm half-god," Max looks at me. "Pride is a part of who I am, and he insulted me. Also, he insulted my student. He's lucky I'm not raping him to death, too. Healing Flames."

Fire bursts from Max's outstretched hand, cloaking the unconscious adventurer in crimson flames, probably to heal whatever damage Max did. The man wakes up, scrambling to his feet with his sword drawn.

"You want to fight me, punk?" He asks. "I will cut off your-"

"You're only Orange Rank," Max says calmly. "You cannot hope to defeat a Demigod of my caliber. You weren't even capable of seeing my movement that resulted in your momentary state of lack of consciousness. Now, you will put that sword away, or you will find it embedded in your chest."

The man continues to glare at Max, who sighs.

"You're wasting my time," Max turns around, and we move forward, as the line had been.

I sense the man moving forward, but he's a fair bit faster than I can track with my gaze. All I know is that he finds himself slamming into the wall far in front of us, next to the entrance to the Dungeon, everyone in front of us staring at him, everyone behind us staring at Max.

"You did something unnecessary again," I tell Max.

"He defied a Demigod," Max shrugs. "Then continued to disrespect me. I don't have to put up with the mortals of this realm. The only reason I didn't outright torture, rape, and murder him was because I am trying to be respectful of my student."

"His Appraisal Resistance is at least Level 4," I say. "So I wasn't able to see his stats. Is he dead?"

"Unfortunately not," Max sighs. "I restrained myself. As it is, we have city guards coming."

Ten of them, approaching from a tunnel off to the side of the entrance, where Max said several guards keep an eye on things and react if there's an issue.

"Are you the one who threw him?" One of the guards asks.

"I am," Max says. "You mortals should learn to respect your superiors."

"Superiors?" The guard laughs. "Just who do you think you-"

"Max!" A high-pitched squeal echoes through the tunnel.

"Shit," Max looks annoyed. "I wasn't aware that that bitch would be here."

I look over to see a woman departing from the Dungeon. She's tall, roughly six feet, with a pair of rather large breasts. She's clad in almost nothing, too, with a pair of small clothes covering her breasts, and very short skirt with a split side covering her crotch.

Her smooth, pale skin bears no trace of dirt, grime, sweat, or blood, as if she didn't just walk out of a Dungeon, her long, black hair cascading around her shoulders, brilliant green eyes filled with an energy that, alone, told me Max wouldn't get along with her.

And she knows him, and his reaction clearly states he dislikes her.

An orb floats beside her, clear, with a bluish tinge to it. She runs straight towards Max and wraps him in a hug, her boobs pushing against his arm as the Demigod looks irritated.

Is she a Warlock – or rather, the female equivalent – who has somehow managed to enter the Demonic Realms? How does she know him? And in-person, too? I can't see anything about her.

New Skill! Divine Appraisal Active The power to see information about Divinity, Demigods, and Divine Items. Tara

Well, that's helpful. Thanks, random usefulness of a Skill that doesn't really seem to care that I don't need to know her name or information.

Wait – she's a Demigod, too?

"How's my little brother doing?" She squeals.

Her… little brother?

Well, that explains things… maybe?

"You know him?" The guard who was looking ready to cuff Max asks.

"Of course I do!" She looks at the guard. "It's my little brother, Max! Father didn't tell me you'd be coming to the city! What are you doing here? You look as annoyed as always, little bro! What's up?" She looks at me. "Oh! Is this the mysterious Jamie I've heard Father babbling about the last few days? He is so cute!"

She detaches herself from him and throws herself at me in a hug, her boobs pressing right into my face, suffocating me as my back starts to hurt from the strength of her hug.

My body gained a Level in Impact Resistance from that.

"You're suffocating my student, Tara," Max says, and she releases me. I take in several breaths. "Father didn't tell me that you would be here."

"I've been here for three years!" She gives him a hug again.

By now, everyone's staring at us, and it's making me uncomfortable.

"So what's my little brother standing in line for?" She asks. "Demigods get to skip it! We are the children of the gods, after all!"

"We do?" Max asks, looking relieved. "I don't want to have to put up with more of the babbling of people who think we're underprepared for this Dungeon, since we don't have equipment."

"Your student could probably handle a few Floors by himself," she says. "But don't go on the Twelfth Floor. Even if you are Black Rank, that Floor would be too much for you, if you cross the Final Boss. Father personally pulled me out, when I accidentally went into it."

Max's eyes widen in surprise. So there are things that can pull that reaction out of him? I get the impression that his older sister is weaker, but she's still clearly more powerful than anyone else here, if she's a Demigod.

"What was there?" Max asks. "Father wouldn't tell me why no one's cleared it."

"It was the peak of a mountain," she shrugs. "Pretty open, and I couldn't see anything. Couldn't sense anything, either. No threats at all. But Father seemed pretty panicked when he forced me out. I've never seen him acting that way before, it was almost as if he believed there was something there that could actually kill me."

"He tells me to avoid it, too," Max nods. "Won't tell me why. How long are you planning on staying in town for?"

"I don't know," she shrugs. "Awhile. I forgot that Father was having you come train a mortal. So-"

"Hold on," Max holds up a hand, focusing on something in front of him. "Interesting."

"What?" She asks.

"You know how I'm-" a shimmering crimson barrier surrounds the three of us as the two Demigods ignore that the line has completely halted for people to stare at us. "-filling in for Father for awhile for the Demon Contracting Service? A new Warlock just forwarded his stats to me, probably by accident. He's pathetically weak, must have only just acquired Access, but also… damn, he must have never really done anything before. He's an Elf named Leif. Ah, it goes to Steve. Sent down to him. That's interesting. No one ever manages to forward it to the Boss.

"Anyway," he looks to his sister the barrier fading. "Jamie and I are heading into the Dungeon so I can train him a fair bit, we were planning on going down to Floor Eight. Think that's okay?"

"Yeah," she nods. "That one's actually a massive field with some mountains in the distance. You'll need to be careful of the Crimson Field Vipers, but other than that, you're safe until you're about a mile away from the mountains. I wouldn't recommend going near it with him until he's at least Red."

"Red?" Someone scoffs. "My apologies, Your Ladyship, but someone would have to be at least Green to handle those mountains alone. In a team, they'd need to be probably Yellow. Two youth, new to the System, with one of them at Red?"

"You misunderstand the human standing before you," Max snarls. "His powers are far beyond your mortal imagination, and-"

"Uh," I interrupt. "Technically, only the one power, and technically, it's within mortal imagination, unless it's even more powerful than I can imagine it being."

"Anyway," Tara giggles. "You two cuties can go on ahead, Demigods can skip the line. By the way – Crimson Field Viper Scales sell for a pretty good price. Their venom is pretty deadly, but you and I are immune to it, little bro."

She thinks for a moment, then pulls a couple of smooth, yellow stones somewhat rectangular from her Inventory.

"These will teleport you," she hands them to Max. "Directly to Floor 8. Why is he focusing so hard on us?"

"No clue," Max notices the way I'm focusing on the siblings. "What are you doing, Jamie?"

"I only know two Demigods," I say. "So there are only two targets to use Divine Appraisal on."

"How in the-!" He looks annoyed. "Father!"

The sound of giggling fills the tunnels, a child's giggles.

Tara snorts, looking at me.

"So you're trying to Level it while we're here, huh?" She asks.

"I am."

"Good luck," she says. "It takes more than a little use to go up," I shrug. "I'll be going. See you two around, and Jamie – don't mind my brother, he's a bit dense about certain things. And uncaring towards people like you."

"I've already discovered that," I nod. "He hits hard. But he's already advanced me pretty well. Maybe he can hunt down some of these vipers so we can get somewhere more than the cheap hotel we're staying at and a new sword for me, so I can actually fight as my Squire Class, since I lost my sword months ago."

"You need a new sword?" She asks, and I nod. A moment later, she pulls one out of her inventory. "Got it as a drop earlier, and as someone who focuses solely on the magical side of things… I don't even have Sword Mastery. Was planning on selling it in town. The only thing I ask in return is that you don't waste the gift and do cut off my brother's tail, you get the chance."

"Hey!" Max snarls at her.

"What?" She asks. "Father's challenged me to see if I can get your tail lopped off. It's not like it won't regrow."

"That doesn't mean you have to actually try for it!" He snaps.

"Don't worry little bro," she puts a hand on his head and ruffles his hair. "It's not like I actually expect anything to manage it," she looks at me, then back to him. "Then again, it all depends on his growth. He might actually one day manage it."

"What about a Dragon?" I ask.

"They'd probably not even try," she grins at me, then holds out the sword. "Will you accept it?"

I take the sword. It's more simple in design, a regular double-edged sword, the metal appearing to be simple steel to me. The hilt has a simple crosspiece with a vine-like design around it and for the grip, a green gem set into the pommel and the center of the crosspiece. The fuller, a shallow stretch along the blade stemming from the hilt, this one running almost to the point, contains a series of dark green runes, and the blade has one on each side, the runes identical, only flipped, as if seeping all the way through the blade.

"What's your Identify Level?" She asks as I take the sword.

"Identify?" I ask. "Oh, probably a Skill I haven't acquired yet."

"It's used for other types of information on items," she says. "Beyond the limited range of Appraisal. Just focus on an item, on gleaning its information, and say-"

"Identify."

New Skill! Identify Active Allows you to discern information about objects. At Level 1, allows you to see its name and a basic description of it. This information is limited in regards to the difference in rarity of the item, your Total Level, your Rating, and the Level of this Skill.

"There we go," I say. "I have it, now."

I examine the window in front of me.

??? A sword imbued with magical abilities.

"It wasn't very helpful," I shrug, sliding it into the leather sheath decorated with vines the Demigoddess hold out for me. "Didn't give me a name, and just said that it was a sword imbued with magical abilities."

"It's a Mythical Drop," she says. "I found it on Floor 11. I'm not surprised you can't see its information yet. It's called Enduring Vines, and when used in combat, it'll drain some of your blood, biting into your hand, but that only fuels its power. It'll consume any blood that touches the blade as well, both making it more powerful and healing the user. Very nice weapon for someone like you, who will be quite the melee-oriented fighter."

She's right about that, I agree as I fix the sword to my belt, letting it hang in a position that allows for me to grab it with a natural movement of my hand. I can adapt to using physical things and resisting physical attacks a lot more easily than magical.

Specifically, using them. Sure, I can adapt to magical ones, but physical ones are easier. So she's right in that I'll be quite the melee-oriented fighter, once I'm trained a bit.

"Looks good on you," she comments, then looks at her brother. "Make sure he gets a proper stone to sharpen it with. The blade itself can't get dirty, and it'll take a lot to damage it, and something good to sharpen it, but it's still a good idea, just in case. And don't you dare try attacking him while he's using it unless you're holding back to avoid damaging it. That thing is a Mythical-Grade item with a Mythical-Grade Durability Rating, but it can't withstand the power of a Black Rating Demigod like you."

+1 LUK!

I gained a point of LCK from receiving the sword? Or was it something else entirely? The only thing I can think of would be the sword, but… how would that qualify as the truly special kind of event that would allow me to earn a point of LCK?

"Whatever," Max rolls his eyes, that single word breaking me from my thoughts.

"Don't make me smother you again."

"No!" He blushes furiously. "No smothering me!"

"Good," she smiles, then looks at me. "If you ever decide to go the Warlock route, I'd recommend getting an Eye Demon as your first Contracted Demon. It'll suit your style perfectly."

She turns and leaves, the adventurers staring at her as she does.

"Come on," Max says, and I realize he's taken several steps already. "I suppose since my sister decided to out me, we'll skip the line."

He ignores the guards as he walks to the front of the line, where the adventurer he… threw? Punched?

What did he do?

Anyway, that adventurer is waking up with the aid of healing magics.

"Next time," Max looks down at him. "Don't challenge a Demigod. We are clear above you petty mortals to the point where the further Levels of a place like this are the only way we'll gain benefit from a Dungeon."

Max turns and steps through the swirling portal, and I follow behind him, entering another tunnel. The Demigod hands me the stone.

"To use it," he says. "Just channel Mana into it, and it'll take you there. You can use it to return here as well, it just creates a 'warp' between entrances, going one way or the other."

Similar to the stones Adam had, but also different, in that those only took you outside the entrance of the Dungeon, while this seems to only have use within the Dungeon, and moves you between two set places.

He channels Mana through his and vanishes, then I do the same, finding myself standing beside him in a vast plains, mountains to the north of our location. Though I'm only calling it north of our location, not actual north, as I'm not sure which direction is actually north.

That's a lot of north.

"Alright," Max looks at me. "Ready to start your training? Because it starts the moment you're bitten."

"What?" I ask, then feel a sharp puncture in my leg. "Gah!"

-40 Health! You have been Poisoned -10 Health!

Fuck!