When morning came, Bazel didn't want to get up.

The night before, he'd eaten kabobs and flatbread until he was sick. After that, he found an extra blanket to use as a pillow and went to sleep on his cot. It was the best sleep he ever had, and it was over too soon.

"Everyone up!"

The man from the previous night came to the dormitory with a couple other employees of his company and began rousing the beggars. They weren't being mean about it, but Bazel was still annoyed that his rest had been interrupted.

"There's wagons parked outside the city walls," the man said, "everybody load up and we'll take you to the dungeon."

After talking with the man the previous night, Bazel expected some of the beggars to opt out of going to the dungeon. To his surprise, not a single one left. He wanted to call them idiots for going along with it, but he was doing the same thing. The truth was that nobody knew what was inside the dungeon. The only thing anyone could be sure of was that everyone who went in didn't come out.

At least not yet.

As Bazel dragged himself out of the cot and out to the wagons, he had the thought that he should turn back. He agreed to go into a magical tower – possibly built by the gods – for nothing more than a vague promise of riches. It seemed to be madness.

When all the beggars got out to where the wagons were waiting, Hargal was there to see them off. He stood on a crate and had everyone gather around.

"On behalf of the king, I would like to thank all of you for your willingness to help us explore the dungeon and learn the truth behind its existence." Hargal spread his arms wide and smiled, "You do your kingdom a great service!"

"What's more," he continued, "any of you who come out of the dungeon with information or treasures will be greatly rewarded! The King is willing to give one hundred gold pieces to anyone who provides information on what the dungeon contains, or its purpose!"

The beggars cheered at that. Even if nothing good could be found in the dungeon, simply providing information about it would allow them to live a good life. Bazel knew they were only being sent there because they were expendable, but he found he was okay with that.

Exploring the dungeon would be the best chance he could ever have to elevate his status.

No matter what happened, he would come out of this situation better than he went into it. Even if he died, it would be while doing something grand. The feeling Bazel had was a strange one, like his life was about to end, but also that something better awaited him. Maybe the other beggars felt the same way, because none of them hesitated to board the wagons.

The ride out to the dungeon took half a day, which Bazel estimated to be around seven or eight leagues from the city. Halfway through their journey, the massive tower could already be seen. Just as the man had told him before, the structure was as big as a mountain. The large spiraling tower rose out of the plains and dominated the horizon. Its shape reminded Bazel of a seashell he once saw.

Once they got closer, the absolute immensity of the tower boggled Bazel's mind.

It appeared to be built of white hewn stone, like marble or white granite. Each level was easily as tall as the king's castle, and the lower ones were so wide that it was impossible to see around them. A ramp wound it way around the outside of the building making it appear as if someone could simply walk to the top. Bazel counted the levels as they approached and discovered there were one hundred and forty-four of them.

Bazel did some math in his head. If the entire structure was around thirty-thousand feet tall, and there were one hundred and forty-four levels, then each level was about two hundred feet tall.

Each level looked about ninety to one hundred feet smaller than the one below it. If the bottom level was eighteen-thousand feet in diameter, then the top level was still around five thousand feet in diameter.

Even the smallest level at the top was bigger than any castle!

The wagons finally arrived at the base of the dungeon and all the beggars exited the wagons to stand and gawk at the mighty structure. Bazel gawked at it too.

The man from the previous night stood on the back of a wagon and got everyone's attention. Once most of them were listening, he started to speak.

"This is your last chance to turn back!" He shouted, "I wouldn't blame any of you for losing your nerve after seeing the dungeon in person. If you decide you don't want to go through with this, I'll take you back to the city." He paused and let his shoulders fall.

"If you still want to try your luck, then may the gods be with you!"

Bazel walked up to the man as he climbed down from the back of the wagon.

"I don't understand your concern for a bunch of beggars, but I appreciate it."

"Oh?" The man raised a single eyebrow, "change your mind, did you?"

"No." Bazel shook his head, "I'm going to go inside, I just wanted to thank you first. It's been a long time since someone was as nice to me as you were. I know the king paid your company to take care of us, but I appreciate it anyway."

"Aye," the man frowned, "I just wish I could do more."

"I brought one of the blankets with me," Bazel held up the wool blanket, "mind if I keep it?"

"Go ahead," the man chuckled, "It's the very least I could do."

Bazel wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and wore it like a robe. He then waved at the man as he turned to walk towards the dungeon.

"Thanks again, sir! I'll be sure to come see you again after I discover this place's secrets!"

"My name is Jardan!" The man shouted after him, "And I look forward to it!"

"I'm Bazel!" Bazel stopped and turned halfway, "Bazel the Beggar!"

"Good luck, Bazel!"

Bazel turned and walked towards the large entryway on the side of the tower. It looked large enough for giants to walk through. He had no idea what he would find on the other side, but he was excited.

In the span of a single day, Bazel had gone from begging on the streets to exploring a dungeon. He knew that the king probably just wanted to get rid of the beggars infesting his city, but he didn't mind. It still provided a great opportunity just like Hargal had promised.

Bazel hadn't given much thought to why he was willing to brave the dungeon. Sure, he wanted riches and a pair of shoes, but that alone couldn't motivate someone to go into such a place. As he walked toward the massive tower, he thought about it and realized what he truly wanted.

To live.

Begging for scraps on the streets wasn't living, merely surviving. Bazel never found joy or purpose in his life, and never thought he would. But, by a chance of fate, he received the opportunity to see and experience something truly fantastic. Maybe once he walked inside, he would find a purpose he was searching for.

Bazel walked past the other beggars and outcasts who still stood, gaping at the sight before them. He stood taller than he'd ever stood as he walked straight into the dark entrance of the dungeon. Once he crossed the threshold, he was thrust into complete darkness, but he continued to walk forward.

Suddenly, everything turned white and made Bazel stop.

The light hurt Bazel's eyes and he held up his hand to try and block it. He noticed he was standing on something soft, like the wool on a sheep's back. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that he was standing in a white room. There were two plush chairs, one of which was already occupied.

"Welcome, applicant." The person said.

It was a woman, the most beautiful woman Bazel had ever seen. She had dark skin, black hair, and wore a black and white outfit that somehow made her seem respectable. She sat with one leg crossed over the other and held a flat, black tablet in her hand.

"Please, have a seat." She gestured to the chair across from her.

Bazel cautiously walked over to the chair and sat down, never taking his eyes off the woman.

"Don't be afraid," the woman smiled and showed him her perfectly white teeth, "I won't hurt you."

"Wh-what is this place?"

"I believe your people call it 'the dungeon'?" She looked at the tablet in her hand and tapped it with her finger, "Quite fitting actually. We call it Aethertech headquarters of world Tau, one-one-five-oh-seven dash three… but, I like 'the dungeon' more. It rolls off the tongue, you know?"

"I suppose."

"Anyway," she waved her hand, "We should get started with the interview. Are you ready?"

"Interview? What's that?"

"First," she ignored Bazel's question and asked one of her own, "Could you state your full name, please?"

"B-Bazel. Bazel the Beggar."

"Not a very flattering name," the woman tapped her tablet some more, "but, I've heard worse. My name is Cassandra, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Cassandra."

"Okay, how old are you, Bazel?"

"I'm not sure, maybe around twenty?"

"Years?" She looked up to see him nodding, "Wow, you look rough for only being twenty! Sorry, that was uncalled for."

"It's true." Bazel shrugged.

"You have a good attitude, though." Cassandra nodded and looked back down at the tablet, "That will serve you well here. Okay, why are you applying at Aethertech?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Bazel frowned, "I thought I was going to explore this place for treasure."

"Absolutely!" She smiled and tapped the tablet some more, "Treasure, power, whatever your heart desires can be yours. It won't be easy, but if you work hard enough, you can have all that and more!"

"O-okay."

"Next, I'm going to ask you a series of questions that may sound a bit odd, but just answer them the best you can, okay?"

"Sure."

Bazel thought this whole thing was odd. He never could have imagined the strange circumstance he found himself in at the moment. He was so off-guard, he didn't even know what to think about it.

"First question." Cassandra looked at the tablet as if she were reading from it, "You're walking through the woods and encounter a bear. The bear says it will eat you since you're trespassing on its property. What do you do?"

"I would probably run away. There's no way I could fight a bear."

"I see. Second question." She tapped the tablet, "What does love smell like?"

"Smell? Seriously?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"Um, apple pie? It's certainly the most lovely thing I've ever smelled."

"Good." She tapped the screen, "Final question. If you were granted godhood, what would your dominion be?"

Bazel chuckled, "Obviously, I would be the god of beggars!"

He spoke in jest, but Cassandra pursed her lips and nodded as if he had just said something profound. After tapping on her tablet a bit more, she cleared her throat and smiled at Bazel.

"Okay, I ran everything through the system and it suggested a class for you."

"A class?"

"Yes." Cassandra nodded, "Think about it like a job. As long as you're in our employ, your class will dictate what kind of work you do and how you go about it."

"I think I understand. What class did it suggest?"

"Swindler."

"Swindler?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that bad?"

"I don't understand." Cassandra tilted her head, "Why would that be bad?"

"Because swindlers are bad people!" Bazel sighed and shook his head, "They trick people and take what doesn't belong to them."

"Exactly!" Cassandra smiled as she tapped on the tablet and read something, "The Swindler specializes in taking things away from his enemies and using them for himself. Their main skills revolve around drains and mind manipulation."

"That sounds really shady."

"Honestly, I think it's perfect for you!"

Bazel didn't know what to think. He was so far out of his element, he couldn't see straight.

Being something called a "swindler" didn't sit well with him, but if he was being honest, it wasn't a far cry from being a beggar. He spent most of his life leeching off of others so he could survive, and what Cassandra described sounded similar.

"If you find that you don't like the class," Cassandra interrupted his thoughts, "you will have the opportunity to choose another later."

That made things a bit easier. If he wasn't locked into the decision, then he could feel a bit better about just trying it out. He still had no idea what he was actually going to do, but he figured he would just play along.

"Okay then," Bazel shrugged, "I guess I'll try being a Swindler."

"You won't regret it!" Cassandra replied cheerily and tapped on her tablet some more.

A small round table popped into existence between the two of them. Bazel jumped in shock at its appearance, but Cassandra acted as if it were a completely normal occurrence. On top of the table was a black box made out of a strange material Bazel had never seen. It was hard – like wood – but smooth. Bazel reached out and touched the box.

"Go ahead and open it," Cassandra gestured to the box, "it contains your starting equipment."

Bazel found two latches on the front of the box and flipped them up. The top of the box opened on a hinge. Inside was some soft gray, foamy material with three cutouts in it. Set in those cutouts were three blue crystals.

Bazel looked up at the woman, "What do I do with these?"

"These are Aethertech skill crystals. Once you use them, our patented aether control technology will grant you abilities to use while in our employ."

Cassandra waggled her eyebrows and grinned.

"So what do you say, Bazel? Ready to get to work?"