Lan was alive… again.


    He knew that for sure. He could feel air currents brushing against his skin and hear the inane chatter that signalled one sobering fact.


    Once again, he was in the entrance hall. He didn’t even need to open his eyes to check. And he was beginning to get sick of this place.


    ‘I suppose I can get to the meeting point quicker from here,’ Lan consoled himself, remembering that he was supposed to meet the weirdo from earlier that day soon.


    Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and surveyed the hall. It was emptier than usual, with only a few hundred pathfinders roaming between the marble pillars like ghosts.


    ‘I’m guessing the third wave hasn’t ended yet, that would explain why there are so few people here. Perfect,’


    Lan needed to meet the weirdo right as the third wave was ending. For whatever they had planned, the weirdo had very specifically noted that they should meet at that time.


    He took off, striding past the meditating pathfinders, sitting peacefully on their pillars. Occasionally, a desperate recruiter would shout out to him, but he ignored their attempts to sign him up for what amounted to slavery.


    Having viewed hundreds of contracts by now, Lan had come to view Cece’s offer as too good to be true. If he worked for her, he would retain all his freedom and work on commissions.


    Not only that, but she had also guaranteed him access to various hidden areas on the bridge that would otherwise be blocked off for people like him.


    Of course, he was only supposed to use those hidden areas as places to gather treasures for the shop. But if some otherwise unobtainable goodies slipped into his pocket… who would know?


    As he left the hall and walked towards the leaderboard, Lan checked his notifications log, seeing what gifts the second step had granted him.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgba(52, 73, 94, 1); border-color: rgba(45, 194, 107, 1); border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.9595%">


    Alert: The Second step has been passed, with an 81% completion rate: +8.1 endurance. Challenge the next step? [Y/N]…


    No option was selected – defaulting to No.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ‘What even are my stats at this point?’ Lan wondered, pulling up his character profile.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgba(52, 73, 94, 1); border-color: rgba(45, 194, 107, 1); border-style: inset" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.9595%">


    Name: Unknown


    Title(s): [Punching Up] [Class Of Your Own]


    Age: 18


    Race: Human - G


    Class: None


    Talent: Weapons are my Weapons - G


    Health: 255/255


    Mana: 140/140


    Level: 2


    Strength: 27


    Dexterity: 28


    Endurance: 34*


    Vitality: 19


    Mind: 22


    Intelligence: 14


    Luck: 22


    Free Points: 0


    Skills: None


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Having already gained 8 points in endurance, Lan decided to put his free points into just strength and dexterity next time he levelled up.


    Not that he didn’t appreciate the growth in his endurance. His body felt denser and more robust than it ever had before. Although much to his annoyance, his superhuman strength and muscles did not translate to a superhuman physique.


    Looking down at his skinny body, Lan hated that he still looked like the malnourished kid he had always been.


    ‘I need to do some strength training or something. Maybe I can improve how I look that way,’ Lan decided. And while a lot of his motivation was the selfish desire to look good, he simply told himself that, ‘A man who overthrows the bridge should look intimidating, not like he would stop you on the street to ask you for spare change!’


    His mind overrun by thoughts of how incredible he would look with a six-pack, Lan strode past the leaderboard, ignoring that his position had jumped up thousands of spots.


    And for the first time, he didn’t turn up the hill. Instead, Lan strode down the other path that led to the crafter village.


    The path here was the same as everywhere else, and honestly, Lan wasn’t sure what he had expected. With everything he had heard about the scumbaggery of the crafters, he half expected demons to try and tempt him off the path, luring him into evil and whatever else demons did with their spare time.


    Stepping into unfamiliar territory, he kept an eye peeled on the scenery, “Bush that looks like a shaft… where would that be?” Lan muttered, going over the words the weirdo had written on the slip of paper.


    He didn’t have the original piece, of course, having lost it when he died. But he could remember the instructions clearly.


    ‘Turn at the shaft, and then 200 paces off the path,’ Lan reminded himself, as he analysed every bush he passed with a discerning eye.


    ‘What exactly constitutes a shaft?’ He wondered, not even sure what he was looking for.


    After rounding a bend in the path, Lan spotted two boys, still in uniforms, pointing at a bush and laughing.


    A sinking feeling, like he had just swallowed a ball of lead formed in his chest. ‘I see where this is going…’


    Lan came to a stop beside the laughing boys, ignoring their grins as he stared at the bush in a mixture of disgust and disappointment.


    ‘Why is it so detailed?’ He bemoaned.


    Unlike the path to the town currently under attack, the crafter’s path only bordered the forest on one side. On the other, the ground plummeted down into an endless blue ocean.


    Lan heard the waves crashing against the cliff beneath him and wondered if he should just throw himself off the side. ‘Well, obviously this is going to be a waste of time!’


    He began pacing beside the bush, trying to decide whether to follow the instructions and head into the forest or just die and get back to the entrance hall quicker.


    Lost in his thoughts, Lan nearly walked straight into the tall young man who had appeared right beside the bush.


    “Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Lan apologised.


    The young man smiled warmly and waved his hand dismissively. His whole visage was warm and comforting, with slightly curly auburn hair and a bright smile that seemed to say more than words could.


    He moved his attention away from Lan and began staring quizzically at the bush. His thoughts were as clear as day on his face, he was frowning.


    After pulling a similar slip of paper to the one Lan had been handed, the young man read it over before checking the bush again. The frown stayed firmly attached to his face.


    “Is that…” Lan’s attention was grabbed by the slip of paper, “Did a guy with weird eyes give you that?”


    The young man nodded, rolling his eyes at the mention of the guy.


    “Same,”


    The two stood in awkward silence beside the bush for another minute before finally, Lan couldn’t take it anymore.


    “So, what’s the deal with you not talking? You deaf or something?”


    Shaking his head, the young man made a zipping motion across his lips. And then shrugged helplessly.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “Alright, well... Do you want to go in or what?” Lan gestured towards the overgrown forest behind the bush.


    The young man looked thoughtful, biting his lip slightly as he mulled it over. In the end, he just shrugged and then nodded half-heartedly.


    Lan took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh, before steeling himself and stepping off the path and around the bush.


    “One, two, three…” Lan counted steps as he walked, grabbing a fallen branch off the ground to use as a makeshift sword... Or pointy stick.


    Hacking at the foliage in his way, Lan and the quiet teen arrived outside the mouth of a cave. A trickle of smoke poured out from within, along with the flickering glow of a fire.


    “It’s here…” Lan muttered, “Last chance to turn back,” He glanced at the mute teen, who was squinting into the cave. The boy simply pointed at the cave and nodded, walking in past Lan.


    Reluctantly, Lan followed him in, stepping into the shallow cave, hidden by fallen boulders and overgrown shrubbery.


    Lan’s eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom as he walked through the cave, allowing him to get a clearer picture of his surroundings.


    The rock walls were black, giving Lan flashbacks to the volcano he had just escaped from. But the cave was cold, the little warmth in there coming from the crackling fire that sat in the centre of a hollow opening.


    Three figures were crouched around the fire, holding up their hands for warmth. One, Lan recognised immediately, the inhuman eyes a dead give-away.


    Silhouetted against the flames, the other two figures were tall and short respectively. One of them was a huge man with a fully-grown beard. ‘How the hell is he 18? He looks like he could be my dad!’ Lan thought.


    Honestly, Lan was more than a little jealous of the beard that he still couldn’t grow. His was patchy and made him look homeless rather than masculine.


    The other figure was smaller, hunched over the fire so close she was in danger of falling in. Her dark red hair seemed to shimmer in the firelight.


    And most importantly, both of them were still wearing school uniforms. ‘They must be strong,’ Lan judged them cautiously, making sure not to underestimate either of them in the future.


    “Hello!” Spider eyes clapped his hands in delight, “I wasn’t sure you would really come,”


    “I’m not sure I’m going to stay,” Lan replied tersely.


    “Me either,” The big man rumbled, his voice like an earthquake.


    “Yeah, come on, you’ve had me sitting in a cave for 10 minutes already. Just tell me this ‘opportunity'' you have for us!” The girl snapped.


    “I was waiting…” Spider eyes gestured to Lan and the mute boy, “For everyone to come. I don’t like repeating myself,”


    “Well, they’re here now, so let’s get on with this,” The girl grumbled.


    “First, let’s do introductions. My name''s Archie and I can see how strong people are, only in stats mind you, but that’s usually a good signifier,” Archie, the boy with compound eyes like a spider stood up and bowed as he introduced himself.


    The girl rolled her eyes, not bothering to stand, “The name’s Thea, I like blood... a lot,”


    “Ehhh… ok,” Lan looked at the girl’s dark red hair in a new light, it seemed sinister now, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you guys, you can call me Lan. I''m a... a weapons expert, I guess,”


    What followed was an awkward silence as neither the giant of a man nor the mute boy offered any information.


    Archie facepalmed dramatically, “Oh yes, how could I forget? This handsome young man is George, he’s… mute.”


    Thea arched an eyebrow, looking George up and down, “What can he do?” She asked coldly.


    “Honestly, I have no clue,” Archie laughed, “But I can tell you this, in terms of stats alone, he’s the strongest person here,”


    Lan turned to look at George, not quite believing someone with his innocent appearance would be stronger than the giant who still hadn’t introduced himself.


    Thea whistled appreciatively and dropped it, turning along with everyone else to stare at the giant expectantly.


    After a long moment, the giant reached behind his back and picked up a huge wooden club that looked like it was made from an entire tree trunk.


    “I crush things…” The giant rumbled, “Call me David,”


    Archie coughed awkwardly, “Wow… you’re a talkative bunch aren’t you,”


    “Ugh, just tell us what’s up man! I’ve got places to be, people to kill,” Thea groaned, pinching her brow like just being here was giving her a migraine.


    “Alright, alright, everyone should sit down while I fill you in,” Archie walked over, guiding Lan and George to their spots around the fire.


    “So…” Archie glanced at the expectant gazes of the other four, seemingly impervious to the pressure, “I know where we can find an extremely valuable hidden dungeon-”


    “How many people?” Thea interrupted.


    “It can take all of us. The limit is 20 but if we want the best rewards we need to go with as few as possible,”


    Thea nodded, returning to silently stoking the fire.


    “This hidden dungeon grants the title: Creative Thinking-“


    “That’s it?” Thea interrupted again.


    “Oh, would you shut up and just listen!” Archie snapped, losing his cool for the first time.


    Thea grunted, narrowing her eyes at Archie.


    ‘This is going well…’ Lan thought morosely. He had some idea of what a hidden dungeon was, Rachel had mentioned them last night.


    Supposedly they were the biggest advantage second-generation pathfinders had over newbies. They function much like the boss levels of a video game, with puzzles to solve and monsters to fight. And much like video games, when you were done killing those monsters, they dropped loot.


    “No more interruptions!” Archie glared at Thea before continuing, “The title, Creative Thinking is the reward when cleared with 20 people. But, I have it on good authority that when the dungeon is cleared with 5 people, the title gets an upgrade.


    As you know, the third step is a big stumbling block for a lot of us pathfinders. Simply because it relies on luck just as much as skill. One single moment of inspiration can make or break whether or not we succeed in making our own skill, and the title this dungeon helps with that.”


    Thea looked like she wanted to speak, but Archie stared her down, stopping her from talking.


    “It’s called, Epiphany. A title that helps connect the dots, a title that clears the smog, a title that makes geniuses.” Archie waved his hands grandly, and Lan had to admit, he was quite a good storyteller. ‘He certainly has a touch of dramatic flair,’


    “So, what exactly does this title do?” Lan asked.


    “Basically, it helps you have epiphanies. You know when you have all the pieces to a puzzle, but they just aren’t fitting together. The title helps you figure out what goes where,”


    “That’s… That’s insane!” Thea shouted, “How could something that valuable be hidden from the strongest people in here?”


    George was staring wide-eyed at Archie, and even the giant had sat up straighter, listening intently.


    Archie grinned, “Call this dungeon, a family secret. For generations, only the eldest child has been told where it is and how to open it,”


    Thea leapt to her feet, “What are we waiting for? Let’s do this thing!”


    “Yess… well, as you can see from my robe, I have died already,” Archie coughed awkwardly.


    “Yeah, and?” Thea glared at Archie.


    “I had the key on me when I died…” Archie mumbled.


    “You what!?” Thea yelped.


    “Seriously?” Lan shouted.


    Archie held his hands up defensively, “Look, it wasn’t entirely my fault. How was I supposed to know some asshole would gut me right after the first wave?”


    Thea held her head in her hands, massaging her brow fiercely. “If you lost the key, then what is the fucking point of this conversation?”


    “Ah-ha! I’m getting to the point,” Archie exclaimed, “Basically, I know I was killed by one of those scumbag crafters, and ever since then, I’ve been investigating their base. I followed the strongest people around until eventually, they led me right to where they store all the stolen stuff they can’t smelt for resources,”


    “Wait a second! You know where the stolen stuff is?” Lan butted in. He was still hoping to find that D-rank venom.


    “I do indeed, my robe-wearing friend. And if you help me steal back the key, we can head straight to the dungeon,” Archie grinned wolfishly.


    “So that’s why you wanted us to meet you during the third wave,” Thea nodded in understanding.


    “Oh right, the crafter village will probably be deserted right now,” Lan realised.


    “Exactly, so, are you in?” Archie stared intently at the group, the firelight casting twisting shadows across his face.


    “Of course!” Lan exclaimed, itching to get his stuff back. He was sure he could turn the venom into a weapon of mass destruction with his talent.


    ***


    Lan didn’t like the plan.


    It was straightforward and would probably work, which was why he didn’t like it. Something had been gnawing at him, he couldn’t help but worry that Archie was exactly as untrustworthy as he looked.


    ‘I’ll have to keep a close eye on him,’ He decided.


    But right now, his eyes were occupied. Their group had followed the path down the side of the cliff, and they had just rounded a corner, with the crafters'' village coming into full view.


    A thick blanket of smog hung over the town like a perpetual thundercloud. Thanks to the hundreds of forges that belched smoke up into the sky endlessly.


    “Are all crafters’ blacksmiths?” Lan asked because so far, he hadn’t seen any other types.


    Thea gave him a funny look, and, in the end, it was Archie who responded. “Of course not, there’s alchemists, woodworkers, tailors… all sorts really,”


    “Okay, but how does a woodworker end up passing the trial? It’s not like they get points when people sit on a chair they made,” Lan pointed out.


    “Actually, they do get points for reinforcing the barricade around town, and you can even pay a woodworker points to improve your hut if you''re so inclined,” Archie added.


    Lan immediately tried to figure out how much that would cost. He was desperate to stop living in what could have passed for an outhouse.


    “But that’s beside the point. Most crafters pass by getting carried.” Archie finished.


    “Carried?”


    “Yeah, if an organisation likes them… Let’s say a clan wants a new tailor, they will give that tailor a contract that stipulates, if the clan helps the tailor pass the tutorial, the tailor will work for them for a certain number of years.


    Then, the clan will go offer contracts to strong pathfinders. Saying that if those pathfinders help the tailor pass by protecting them and helping them level, then the clan will reward said pathfinders.”


    “I see, that makes sense. But what if someone has a talent no clans want?” Lan asked.


    “Then they better work twice as fucking hard,” Thea answered for Archie.


    They were nearing the crafters’ town now and Lan could see the buildings in better detail. He felt like he stepped into heaven… at least, compared to the fighters’ town.


    Everything was clean and well-kept. People didn’t live in huts, instead, simple houses lined the streets, mostly built from logs found in the nearby forest.


    Although it was quiet in the village now, Lan could imagine these streets would be bustling with activity whenever the third wave ended.


    ‘Which shouldn’t be long now,’ Lan noted. Although there were no obvious signs that night was coming, he could tell it would only be half an hour until the light went out.


    “I wonder why the third wave is taking so long this time…” Lan muttered to himself.


    Thea grinned evilly, “I imagine it’s taking so long because many people are refusing to fight, they’ll stop the barricade falling, but that’s all. Besides, the waves will only get harder from here. I’ve even heard of cases where people didn’t manage to clear one wave before the next one started,”


    Lan shook his head, feeling somewhat guilty that he was doing nothing to help anyone. ‘Ah well, I’ll help out later when I’m strong enough,’


    They strode into the town, following Archie’s lead through the winding streets as he brought them through twisting alleys and along narrow roads.


    The sounds of clanging metal and roaring fires echoed throughout the entire village and every time they passed a blacksmith’s forge, Lan would catch a glimpse of a person drenched in sweat, hunched over an anvil and holding a variety of unusual hammers.


    By now, Lan could tell that Archie was leading them towards the part of the town beside the cliff. Here, the houses simply stopped a few feet from the sheer drop down into the ocean below.


    The crash of waves joined the clang of metal, roaring in Lan’s ears.


    “This is the spot,” Archie whispered, pointing to a small hut on the edge of the cliff.


    Thea took one look at the hut and snorted, “I hardly think they would hide the stolen goods from thousands of pathfinders in a garden shed,”


    Archie just rolled his eyes at Thea and walked up to the door of the shed, pulling it open. Much to Lan’s surprise, despite looking ancient and rundown, the door opened silently, as though the hinges were freshly oiled.


    Following Archie inside, the group crowded into the tight hut. The ceiling was low enough that Lan could touch it with his head, never mind David, who was forced to crouch.


    Archie walked over to one of the corners of the hut and stamped on the floorboards. His foot went straight through and with some difficulty, he lifted it again and repeated the process.


    By the time he was done, Archie had managed to open up a hole in the floor, wide enough for all but David to squeeze through.


    “I need you to be look-out,” Archie whispered to David, who nodded slowly.


    The giant found a corner of the hut and sat down, fiddling with his massive club like a child’s toy.


    Lan followed the remaining three down into the hole, where a ladder descended deep into the earth. At the bottom, he could see a faint red glow, but he couldn’t tell how far away that was.


    As he climbed down the ladder, the deeper he descended, the hotter it got. It was like descending down the chimney of a lit fireplace.


    By the time he reached the bottom, Lan was sweating profusely from the heat. ‘Why the hell aren’t these robes a bit lighter?’ he bemoaned.


    Down at the bottom of the chute, he surveyed the room along with the other three.


    It was bathed in a soft red glow that came from a sparkling orb of amber set on top of an ebony staff.


    The rest of the room was filled with school uniforms, most of which were ruined by blood from stab wounds.


    Set into the wall behind the school uniforms were grooves of various sizes that housed all manner of strange artefacts.


    Lan spotted hundreds of grooves at least, ‘My venom better be up there somewhere… and you know what? I’m taking my rope back with me as well,’


    Thea walked out of the ladder chute towards the wall of treasures.


    “No, wait,” Archie hissed, but it was too late.


    “Oi! What the hell are you doing down here!?” A gruff voice shouted.


    Lan, Archie and George whirled around, only to be met by the glares of ten pathfinders, all still in school uniforms.


    “I actually hate you, Thea,” Archie muttered, reaching to his side and drawing his sabre from its sheath.


    Thea ignored him, continuing to grin as she licked her lips wolfishly at the men.


    “You''re trapped, so just tell us what is going on!” One of the Pathfinders shouted, waving a spiked mace threateningly.


    Thea threw her head back and laughed evilly, “I’m trapped! I’m trapped he says!” She flexed her fingers, her nails turning dark, blood red and elongating into claws.


    Lan held up his stick sadly, comparing his weapon to Thea’s claws and Archie’s sabre.


    “We’ll see who’s trapped!” Thea yelled, throwing herself at the group of pathfinders. Her clawed hands swiped towards the nearest man’s throat.


    Archie did similar, running towards a pair of pathfinders’ holdings spears. His sabre whistled through the air in a deadly arc, a flash of silver in the red glow.


    The rest of the pathfinders looked at Lan holding only a stick and charged.