Five days had passed since the small village of Lamfell was wiped from Tevilandis's map.

In Forgedalk, the roads from the upper district to the city gates flooded with the wagons of the nobility. Their plan was to retreat south to the coastal city of La'abrine, putting as much distance as possible between them and the newly-risen dungeon. Those in the middle and lower districts remained in the capital city due to monetary restrictions, maintaining their small businesses and other personal reasons. Despite the dungeon being a day's ride from the capital, most reasoned that the walls of the city ensured their safety. But some small riots ensued within the middle districts as the nobility hoarded necessities for the long journey. The mostly isolated demihuman district remained quiet as other parts of the city fell into spurts of chaos.

It was just as Jin Hanlon predicted. Most of the people with outspoken discontent were dealt with during those five days, but it was only a matter of time before another uprising reared its ugly head -- one that would turn violent given the correct circumstances. As a result, the leaders of Tevilandis needed to establish a plan of action to assuage the fears of their people.

Jin observed the thirty-two individuals present for the High Council meeting. As per usual, the meeting took place in the main government building of Forgedalk's upper district. The dying light from the stain-glass windows seemed to deepen the forlorn expressions on some individuals. No spellcaster had bothered to infuse the hall's many wall-mounted caricthmian crystals with mana to brighten the room. The black marble table that usually absorbed the light remained dark and sullen.

The chief councilman's speaker was also absent. In his place at the podium was an older woman clad in the characteristic rainbow robes of the Spire organization. Her creased brow deepened the wrinkles on her face as she restlessly tapped a gnarled rod on the edge of the podium.

Individuals sat together at the table with empty chairs used as clear lines in the sand for their alliances and agendas. The diversity of the groups took Jin off guard. Colored spellcaster robes mixed with equally colorful medals on the shoulders and chests of military uniforms. University cloaks with various sigils and individuals with ranks of High Council badges intermixed.

Jin knew that the last thing they needed were splits within their organizations. At one time, he would've preferred the members sticking to their own, but the internal division concerning world-changing events would provide all sides with access to crucial information.

If only it were that simple, Jin thought. What he observed at this meeting could very well be an elaborate fallacy. The precarious balance of power between the High Council and the Guild Union served as a perfect example.

Jin observed the empty section of the table. He anticipated that the lack of guild leaders would also incite a number of disquieting discussions. More accurately, it was the entirety of their absence that fed his suspicion. Not even a single native guild leader was in attendance for the meeting. It wasn't too difficult to piece together why the High Council withheld an invitation. The High Council had deliberately alienated themselves and made it clear that the Guild Union and government didn't necessarily hold legally binding obligations regarding certain matters. It especially applied since the guilds usually acted independently.

In the most basic sense, it appeared as a childish display of power. Even if it was frivolous on the surface, Jin had to admit that a skillful implementation of words had convinced the chief councilman to agree. It also meant that there were inadmissible plans brewing, and none of them were favorable for the guilds.

His previous theory from the first meeting proved mostly sound: it took a catastrophe to bring people together. And now they had it. A village was gone – replaced by an enemy sitting right at their doorstep.

After three days of clearing debris and preparing hasty fortifications, it was confirmed that the foul place was indeed a dungeon. Nervous scouts and even more apprehensive spellcasters were sent into its depths over the following days to map and gauge enemy numbers and strength. The layouts and monster reports were meager at best. Nobody could blame the brave recruits for the clear deficiencies and lack of information. Another random mana surge would spell the end for them. The top-tier spellcasters of the Spire assured them that any drastic changes in mana would be picked up in time for an evacuation, but the unpredictability of such rancid magic didn't give these assertions much weight.

Jin clasped his hands on the table. The guilds can't voice their concerns if they aren't present. The council will, without a doubt, turn to adventurers. If I was in their shoes, I sure as hell wouldn't enter that place either. It's like a volcano waiting to erupt.

He wondered about the other dungeons as well. Would the adventurers just ere on the side of greater caution, or would some give up on the other dungeons entirely?

“This is unprecedented,” the master general said, breaking the silence. Many looked up at him with plain surprise on their faces. It was against common practice to begin primary discussions without the chief councilman.

Jin recognized the general – the one from last meeting who wore a uniform that seemed too tight for his burly frame.

The general made a customary stroke at his goatee and ignored the disapproving looks from some of the High Council members. “Our main forces are still concentrated to the west,” he announced. “The most recent report states that we are at an impasse. This has never happened. Anyone care to explain?”

Another ranking officer nodded gravely. “It usually takes a year before we have to send troops to push back the border. It's only been six months since the last engagement.”

“Maybe they did a sloppy job," someone offered lamely.

"There's no way we can pull troops from there,” another officer added. “What about the border security up north?"

The outspokenness of the military provided the rest of the groups enough courage to speak their minds as well. Uncertainty spurred them forward and brushed aside their unwillingness to break tradition.

“Perhaps it is something beyond normal reproduction,” a university instructor ventured as the conversation shifted. “We must also consider that the monsters are amassing these numbers artificially somehow.”

“That has been a running theory for some time now,” a spellcaster agreed. “But there are not enough willing parties to venture across the border.”

An echoing voice abruptly stopped the conversation, “It seems this meeting is already off topic.”

Everyone turned to the robed man standing upon the usual dais towards the front of the room. Under the chief councilman's arm was a rolled parchment that was clearly larger than an average document. He strode purposefully to the high-backed chair at the head of the table and promptly seated himself.

His demeanor didn't betray any sort of disdain for the lack of procedure. To his credit, he simply continued unabashed. “The western border can wait. We must address our foremost concern. Namely, the dungeon sitting a day's ride from us. We must first ensure that the defenses around the dungeon are bolstered. If we have to send reserves from the capital, then so be it.”

Jin was surprised by the chief councilman's proactive thinking. Usually, he abstained from placing himself unfavorably in the middle of conversation in regard to military affairs. But he had also opted to relieve his speaker from duty, placing the charge of recognizing each individual at the meeting upon himself. Allocating forces from the capital was also a bold move, as it mostly lowered protection of higher-ranked individuals.

His declaration did incite plenty of trepidation from the other council members trepidation. Jin felt it permeating the large hall.

Jin shifted his gaze to the chief councilman's son, Altham Volkest. The arrogant councilman's eyes shifted to the many individuals at the table. He visibly stopped for a few seconds on each person before turning to the rest in no particular order. A hand covered the lower half of his face as he was lost in thought. Jin expected the troublesome councilman to butt heads with more than a few people at this meeting.

Jin glanced to the seat next to him when he noticed his spellcaster associate, Evelyn, shift restlessly in her seat. The heavy bags under her eyes weren't as noticeable thanks to the room relying exclusively on natural light.

She leaned towards Jin when the young councilman's eyes had finished with them. “We'll be out of our element,” she whispered.

“Not if they bring up the guilds,” Jin answered carefully. “But you're right, we don't have much in regard to military affairs. And anything we provide about the dungeon is already common knowledge.”

“And those dark ogres,” Evelyn added. “Three groups of adventurers have already come forward about them.”

“That will also be common knowledge by now. It might've helped if we actually had the bodies for the Spire to analyze. All we have are black puddles and scattered deirgu corpses...”

Jin stopped himself when Chief Councilman Ardievca Volkest rose from his seat and extended a hand to the woman standing at the podium. She tapped the bent rod in her hand against the edge of the podium with more purpose and control. The large parchment rolled open on the table when Volkest held it near the edge. It extended far enough so that every individual at the table had a clear view.

On the parchment were a series of markings and haphazardly drawn lines. Apparently, the sketch was recent with no opportunity to recreate a more detailed version. A map key was also generously provided in each corner. Crooked lines extended out to the sides with boxes and crosses littering the empty space. Two lines extended to each side with a circle at the far end near the councilman.

“This dungeon is more than just a dungeon,” Volkest said. “The place is a damned fortress. We cannot rely on just the adventurers to take care of this.” He observed everyone at the table with hard eyes to ensure he got his point across.

“That's probably a good thing,” someone said. “We don't need a debt to the Guild Union hanging over our heads.”

Of course not, Jin thought. Wouldn't want to owe any favors or have tolls on your coffers.

The chief councilman didn't acknowledge the pointless comment as he turned to the master general. “Your insight, General Xaldera?”

The big man cleared his throat, stood up and leaned over the table to begin a detailed explanation of the dungeon layout. “The dungeon is plunged in darkness once the winding tunnels from the entrance are traversed. The square markings along the edges are the placements of ranged attackers. Kobolds. They have superb vision, especially without a light source.” He then pointed to a crossed mark that accompanied each square. “Each kobold has a watcher that sits a ways into a narrow tunnel. We still don't know where they lead, but we can assume it is their main headquarters. If anything should happen to its consort, the watcher alerts the rest of the monsters lurking deeper in the dungeon to prepare defenses.”

“So even if someone were to execute a stealth kill from range, the watcher kobold will notice and alert the whole dungeon,” a fellow general added for clarification. “And I'm guessing there is no way to reach these perches?”

Xaldera nodded. “Only by climbing if you want to be quiet about it. Perhaps levitation magic, but then you'd be a sitting duck and alert them anyway." He rubbed at his goatee again in frustration. "I'm afraid it only gets worse from there.”

Jin stared at the square markings. There were fifteen. Which meant there were fifteen areas from high ground, with an equal number of watchers. If it was as dark and treacherous as he was led to believe, then there could be more littered about the walls that went unnoticed.

The general moved on to the two lines at the center of the parchment leading to the circle. The lines indicated a narrow natural bridge that crossed a massive chasm. There was only room for three normal-sized individuals to stand abreast, two if they were heavy infantry. There were a number of options the general proposed for crossing the bridge: shields to either side and above would thwart any incoming projectiles; spellcasters staggered throughout the formation could also provide overlapping protection spells or a battle of attrition might be waged using their own archers, crossbowmen and offensive spellcasters. The latter option was mostly undesirable since the kobolds had high ground on the ledges, outcroppings of rock for cover and superior vision in the darkness.

“So, do we even know what lies beyond this circle?” A councilman tapped his finger on the furthest portion. “I imagine a competent scout could sneak across even with the kobold vision.”

The master general shook his head. “That isn't the case.” He pointed to a triangular marked in front of the circle that everyone assumed was a passage leading further into the dungeon. “We know there is also a watcher somewhere around this area. Perhaps on the adjacent side as well. Two of my scouts gave their lives to confirm this.”

Jin's bad leg started twitching under the table as his unease rose. The pain started to stem along his thigh and threatened to stab at his knee. He hovered his fist over where he thought the pain originated and gave it a swift punch. The dull thump was muted by the many voices. He was about to go for another harder swing to numb the pain when Evelyn's hand rested over his leg. He glanced at her and only received the shake of her head in response. Her stern eyes cooled him down.

The master general let out a regretful sigh. “What emerged from the passage when the alert went out, well, let's just say I'm convinced there is something in this dungeon that has a considerable amount of knowledge with military tactics. Within the passage are two layers of stone walls around five meters in height, a portcullis and at least one hundred orcs armed with spears and tower shields.”

“A hundred!” Many of the individuals at the table mirrored each other with similar exclamations when they heard the absurd amount. Some bolted straight up from their chairs.

A councilman grabbed at his head. "What are orcs doing this far south? I thought they were stuck between the Northern Kingdom and western Barrier Mountains!"

“The orcs are supposed to be Xerscled's problem!”

“And that's only in one chamber?” the chief councilman attempted to stifle anymore potential outbursts. The effect was weakened as he ran an arm across his forehead to wipe off the obvious sweat.

Jin knew what this meant. If their forces resorted to moving across the narrow bridge with shields or protection spells, then the procession would move too slow. He pictured the orcs preparing their defenses at the mouth of the passage and sealing the way with the tower shields. Another line would stand behind and thrust spears over their comrades. The kobolds would fire upon the attackers from behind as they deadlocked. Any small forces that might move across fast enough would have to deal with the second line of defenses in an open area. That was assuming they could get across without being noticed. Offensive magic might be too dangerous at the moment without more of a detailed examination of the cavern. They could bring the cavern down on their own soldiers or block the passage.

A painfully familiar, condescending voice rose over the growing cacophony, “This is all our scouts have to show?”

Jin grinded his teeth when he heard the chief councilman's son. Just the utterance of a single disparaging word would have been enough to tilt his mental state. What made it worse was that the young councilman's words plainly had a more lasting effect than his father's.

Altham Volkest barely masked a brazen grin behind his laced fingers. “We should send outworld adventurers to do the scouting for us. Their skill set is specialized for this sort of thing,” he said. “We post it as a quest with a sizable reward. Surely, a seat on the High Council will have them more than eager to serve. Add a bit of extra coin to sweeten the deal.”

Jin's fingers clawed at his still-aching thigh. You little-

Evelyn's hand now rested on his. She gave him a sideways glance and shook her head. He knew that if they looked directly at each other then they would feed off each other's anger. The side of her mouth quivered and her fingers tightened around his before she placed it back in her lap.

Everyone at the meeting knew how pointless a seat on the council was for an adventurer. The last gathering was a prime example. The guild leaders had kept to themselves throughout most of it. The other individuals of the government, university, The Spire and military saw no reason to mix their affairs. They built it up as some prestigious position, but it was all just a tool for a show of checks and balances between organizations. Worse, it was a despicable act of deception.

But even adventurers knew venturing any further into such a dungeon bordered on suicide.

It'll never work, Jin thought. He's just using this as a lead-in to something else...

“Not a bad idea,” another councilman said. He rubbed his narrow chin with lanky fingers. “I imagine we have a list of suitable candidates?”

Volkest junior smirked. “But of course. I couldn't wait until we had a policy in place for monthly appraisal examinations of the outworlders. We would lose valuable data in the early stages of their stat development. I decided to take matters into my own hands and have my people run cursory appraisals from time to time. We did receive some willing volunteers as well. There are noble adventurers who share their methods of success for the sake of progress. But of course, there are always some egotistical people who hide their findings to pursue their own selfish agendas. ”

Jin didn't fail to notice the verbal jab hidden underneath his last statement. It was a struggle to maintain a neutral expression. Jin wished that the disgruntled Bevka was here to give this profane man an earful. Unfortunately, the spellcaster wasn't fond of group discussions, and he had already agreed to meet with Jin after a request from Evelyn. He refused to attend two meetings in the same day. The man was a thoroughly wise recluse.

He was grateful when the chief councilman interrupted his son, “We should address this at a later time. The area is isolated. For now, let us consider the defense of our people.”

His son gave him a sour look. He pocketed the folded documents he had just procured from his robe, sat back and crossed his arms like a petulant child.

Volkest turned to the master general sitting next to him, “Speaking of which...?”

Xaldera grunted. “Our defenses are no more than flimsy palisades to maintain morale. A pack of goblins could tip them over. We plan to erect towers at each cardinal point with an extra three at the dungeon's entrance, but it is slow-going. Most fear another mana surge. Those willing to work so close have their production cut in half.”

“As well they should,” a Spire spellcaster said. “The amalgamation of mana suggests that the source is not just from differing species of monsters. The mana we extracted varies in age and is constantly growing. If it should reach a certain threshold, well, we have no way of knowing if it might be released again.”

“A village vanished in a matter of minutes. What if another surge happened? Of course the adventurers would be skeptical.”

“It will take years to determine if there are other locations sitting beneath the country!”

The chief councilman slapped his hands on the table. The sound echoed around them and instilled a shocked silence.

Jin laced his fingers on the table, both to keep himself from punching his aching leg and to mask his own whirlwind of emotions. But he was impressed. He started to wonder if he was too quick to judge the chief councilman in the past.

But there was something else that itched at his brain. It was as if his body was trying to send him signals. Something about the diverting conversations didn't add up.

What's going on here? Jin wondered.

“We assess the situation and gather more evidence,” Ardievca Volkest said. “If the enemy was planning a surprise attack, they missed that window two days ago. There will be no entering the dungeon any further until we are certain there won't be another mana surge. I won't put soldiers or adventurers at such risk.”

A number of exclamations rose from this, followed by barely suppressed gasps at the declaration.

“We may as well do nothing! Are you mad?” A colonel rose from his seat. Now it seemed the other side of the argument was ready to step forward. It was like kicking a door off its hinges. “Clearly, mana is being amassed in that damn place. Waiting will just ensure another mana surge does happen.”

“Know your place!” The master general slammed his fist on the table. It was as if the weight of his towering gaze shoved the other officer's shoulders and promptly threw him back in his seat. “We must analyze the mana. It's only been a few days, which isn't enough time to ensure the safety of those who venture further. As the chief councilman stated: the place is isolated.”

Many of the other members nodded their agreement to this sound reasoning, but there were others who jumped to the aid of the forthright colonel.

Jin fished a piece of paper and quill from his pocket as the arguments escalated. He also set a small ink disc on his thigh and opened the cap. He dipped the end of the quill in the disc and began to note the individuals that spoke. Evelyn gave him a questioning look as he furiously wrote down some names.

Allegiances shifted as another general spoke, “There will always be sacrifices. We send spies to the Northern and Eastern Kingdom knowing full well that not all will return. This is no different.”

A spellcaster acquiesced to this argument, “We could send the scouts with a mind-link gem so that they can provide information in real time. If some should perish, then we will still obtain valuable information.”

Jin fought to control his demeanor as the many organizations fell into discord. The hell is going on? How can their views be so skewed?

It was almost as if many individuals within the groups were purposefully inciting argument, as if they wanted their own organizations to fall into disarray.

Jin stared at the colonel who instigated everything with his uncharacteristic outburst. The man had faced away at this point. The colonel rested a hand over his mouth and whispered to the woman standing at the podium. The woman nodded and tapped the gnarled wand in her hand lightly against the podium.

Jin glanced at Evelyn to inquire about it when he noticed that her attention was mostly focused on Altham Volkest. The folded documents were in his hand again. He tapped them on the table with a patient air around him. He stifled a calculated yawn as the heated discussion continued to escalate.

Wait a minute... Jin gave the colonel another sideways glance. He was now speaking to another spellcaster next to him, the one who had announced the many traces of mana collected at the dungeon site.

Jin remembered that the alliances had seemed plenty obvious since the beginning of the meeting, but now he started to believe that he was terribly wrong. It dawned on him exactly what had just transpired. He cursed himself for remaining on the sidelines, rather than making a play and diverting the conversation in his own way. He'd been too passive this time around. At the last meeting, he had relied on the chief councilman to give him control. Admittedly, this sense of control was in his area of expertise as a field master in the Siren investigation, but now he found himself pushed back on his heels with this militaristic topic.

We've been played, Jin thought. How did Altham get this much support? He looked up at the chief councilman whose eyes seemed to stare at nothing in particular now. The side of his son's mouth twitched as he observed him.

The colonel's outburst had successfully instigated a rise out of the master general. His words had unwittingly given Altham his foundation for a counter-argument to prove that his words earlier were now the foremost of their concerns. The other spellcaster affirmed his previous claim to take immediate action, despite the terrible consequences to the adventurers. There were even generals who threw in their support despite the master general's efforts.

Jin's thoughts froze for a second as a thought dawned on him, Fucking bastard! It's like he's...no...is he planning to use adventurers as fodder?

“We must send outworlder scouts to ascertain the enemy's military might and the terrain past this fortress,” Altham said. His voice rose and arms spread to assume his dominance of the directed conversation. “They are the most qualified to take on this task. We have handled ourselves well enough before they invaded our country. Yes, you heard me right. They may as well be migrants akin to the northerners who constantly cross our border. Therefore, they should not hold the same rights as native adventurers.”

A hum of agreement rose in the hall, partially interrupted by a few grunts of disapproval.

The chief councilman purposefully avoided eye contact with his son. “And in regards to this...?” he inquired reluctantly.

“I'm glad you asked,” Altham said with a half-grin. He unfolded his documents with slow dramatization. “We implement a new policy.”

To Jin's absolute surprise, Evelyn bolted to her feet and barely restrained a hand she planted on the table. “I know where you're going with this, councilman.” She added deliberate emphasis to his title. “It will never work! Adventurers, whether native or outworld, are not subject to the policies of serving the government. You can't force adventurers to act on behalf of the High Council. It will also strain relations with the Guild Union if you impose limitations on its free workers.”

The rest of the room remained mute as everyone simultaneously turned to Altham for his response.

The young councilman raised his hands in an exaggerated shrug. “The Guild Union has undermined our authority ever since the ousting of the monarchy. I think it's time we showed them what little control they really have. Are you saying that a northerner can just simply cross the border and avoid consequences by becoming an adventurer? What nonsense.”

Jin forced himself up and ignored his protesting leg. “Your plan is short-sighted.”

The last word of his statement held more weight than even he anticipated. A few individuals who had once been on the side of the young Volkest started whispering to each other uncertainly. The young councilman felt the spotlight drawing away from him. He narrowed his eyes at Jin and his knuckles went white as he gripped the edge of the table.

Hanlon took a deep breath to compose himself before speaking, “Put out a quest if you want, but if you implement a draft policy, or any other form of forced conscription at this time, then your own citizens will begin to question your abuse of authority. If this was something you wanted to implement in the future, then fine. But to do it so soon after such a catastrophe...” He trailed off and gave each person at the table a measured look. Some gave him a barely perceptible nod of agreement, many averted their gazes and others glared at him with outright hatred. But he was glad to see that the master general and chief councilman visibly relaxed a bit.

Jin decided to take a gamble with his next bit. “The outworlders have accomplished too much to be subject to any sort of arbitrary laws. That time has passed. The people are on their side. If you suddenly implement this draft policy, then our people will believe the power of the High Council is something wielded without any restraint and by any convenience. They will have no choice but to suspect some sort of conspiracy or a path towards an abusive oligarchy.”

“How dare you!” It was the wiry councilman who cried out. He pointed an accusing finger at Jin. “You may as well claim it as a personal belief with such bluntness. You border treason! To think that you would question-”

“His reasoning is appropriate,” the chief councilman interjected with a raised hand. It seemed he had fallen in with Jin's momentum and planned to keep the pace going at all costs. “It is merely an observation of many possibilities. It is the job of a field master to ascertain any potential outcomes concerning the citizens of this country based on material evidence and motive. As far as motive is concerned, lawlessness would certainly increase with such a sudden draft policy or restrictions on adventuring. There would be more than just verbal outrage. Yes, this plan is short-sighted.” The chief councilman made certain to look pointedly at his son with the last bit.

“Adventurers would take up new occupations or fall into a more private mercenary business. This would lead to retaliation from the Guild Union. The military would then be spread even thinner than it is now to deal with our people's grievances.”

Ardievca Volkest smiled in Jin and Evelyn's direction and gave them an appreciative nod before taking his seat.

His son still stood to the side with his fists clenched. He tossed the documents on the table. “Very well,” he said. He made sure to direct the words to a certain select individuals. “We will put it up as a quest. I still think it should be exclusively for the outworlders. After all, they are best suited with their so-called stats. We can't sit and wait for another surge.”

Jin knew not to push his luck further on the matter. The outworlders would be viewed by most as expendable, and the idea of them being illegal aliens was already planted. There was no argument prepared for this battle, and if he lost that one, then he may as well have handed over his previous victory as submission.

“As we are all well aware, the outworlders possess potential that reaches beyond any ordinary adventurer.” Altham Volkest raised his finger as he sensed the impending rebuttals from spellcasters who had spent time studying the topic. “I know what you are all going to say, 'We still don't know how much benefit these stats provide.' Granted, it is difficult to ascertain their effectiveness in conjunction with natural talent and practice.

"But the outworlder scouts clearly hold great value in their particular stats. Why else would they place so many points into them?” He held up the documents that he had unfolded so meticulously. “Here is the progression of some scout stats over time to prove this. Feel free to look it over. I have also marked my own suggestions for who is best suited to the task, based on my own team's research.” He handed the papers to the master general. The general reluctantly accepted them. “And most importantly, I'd like to mention their most coveted stat, perception. It allows them to see what others cannot. They have the eyes of kobolds in the darkness. They can see the world differently from us. Hell, I imagine with time they could tell when a person is lying at a glance. They are the perfect scouts. The perfect candidates to ensure we form the best attack possible on this dungeon fortress.”

The room remained silent as the documents were scrutinized. Altham gave the table a satisfied once-over and returned to his seat.

Judging by the smug look on the councilman's face, Jin assumed that he had already claimed victory with this final verbal battle. And he was right. The last words would remain most prominent for some people.

The papers finally reached Jin's end of the table. He and Evelyn decided to lay it out and observe it together. They read the names of the many outworlder scouts with their stats and some achievements noted off to the side. Some of the names were crossed out, indicating that they were deceased. A few others had tally marks next to them to indicate the votes for who were best qualified. Of course, this didn't actually mean the adventurer would be unanimously chosen just by a simple vote. The individual still had the choice to accept or decline.

But that wasn't the point. The ones with the most votes would without a doubt receive more pressure from those in authority. There were other ways to force someone to do something aside from the law.

Jin narrowed his eyes when he started reaching a section with mostly deceased outworlder scouts. There were more than he expected. An uncrossed name sat amongst the dead: "Evan McCarthy." He also already had six tally marks next to his name. It was strange how he had so many votes with only his achievements being listed. His stats remained blank. This meant that nobody was able to run a successful appraisal on him, save for when Evelyn assisted during the Siren investigation, and she had kept the results under wraps.

Jin read a few of the crossed out names mostly out of principal and respect: "Michael Rupeno, Desiree Miller, Robert Kazinski, Shinji Yamamoto, Alphonse Kneller..."

Unfortunately, the names didn't provide much with their notes.