"Huh? What do you mean you don't want to visit Mom's grave at the moment?! It's been like what, five to six years since then?!"
Samantha lashed out at her brother, who woke up late afternoon after a few hours of late sleep since the last early morning's mentally exhausting matters.
Seated at the table with cold food prepared by her, Lucian remained silent.
Because of his sudden circumstances, doubts began to linger at the back of his mind regarding visiting their mother.
Is Mom's soul...
He was afraid to confirm their mother's wandering soul in the area, especially when only he possessed such an ability to see through these souls, presumably so, as the Eternal-Class Necromancer.
I need to confirm something first but for now...
"It's just... Sigh, forgive me. I can't tell you why, at least not yet. But let's just say I... I'm not ready to face Mom, okay?"
"W-what...?"
Lucian let out a deep breath.
"Can you...," he paused for a second, "Can you trust me on this?"
He fixated his gaze on her, who leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, as she momentarily closed her eyes.
Finally returning his gaze, Samantha sighed before asking,
"Oppa... You know I can help, right? What's the problem?"
No... You-
Just as he was about to dismiss his sister's goodwill, Lucian gasped for air; as he exhaled, his lips moved.
"Hmm. This may seem abrupt, but the help I currently need is access..."
Samantha slightly cocked her head, which prompted Lucian to continue.
"You're kidding. What do you mean by raiding a stagnant dungeon all by yourself? Are you asking to be killed?"
Even without confirming, Lucian grasped that his sister, as one of the important figures of one of the twelve clans in the world, possessed sufficient authority to own or oversee a stagnant dungeon—a kind of dungeon among others in which it couldn't be destroyed and that any monsters inside, both ordinary and bosses alike, were repeatedly respawning with the same strength and patterns.
Lucian was dreading whether or not to actually tell her that he was the 13th Eternal-Class Awakener. In fact, as he racked his brain numerous times while being burdened with the sudden curse of eternal life, he found it increasingly difficult to decide.
He weighed the advantages and possible backslashes, knowing that mind-related powers, among other various sets of skill categories, exist in the world of awakeners.
What if the Witch of Dreams accesses Samantha's memories in some way? Does she occasionally evaluate anyone under her wing, especially if they're in a considerably high position? I may not grasp at all the Phantasm Clan's family head's power, but I've heard stories that each family head is similar to a god in their own right.
Lucian knew he was overthinking things based on the moniker Witch of Dreams, those that might not even happen in one's lifetime. But it was better than making a mistake with irreversible consequences.
With his mind remaining composed, he eventually addressed the matter at hand.
"I mean, it's not like I can be killed if you're there, right? Also, I'm asking for any lowest-rank dungeon and not those that contain monstrosities that even you would find difficult to clear."
Hearing this, Samantha's pink eyes lit up.
Being used to her working life as an awakener, her mind was always preoccupied with her schedule, more so as a squad captain of the Mist Squad. What's more, it's only been recently that their sibling relationship was healing, even little by little.
"R-right... Why didn't I think of that? I can clear up my schedule! So when?!"
Her demeanor suddenly changed from her frowning expression to an instant delight; Lucian was taken aback.
"Uh, right. How about this evening then? Of course, prioritize your job or I'll lose my allowance."
Lucian punned as he began to stuff food in his mouth, savoring every bit of fiber and protein.
"Hah! Don't choke, Oppa. Anyway, let me contact my secretary to check my schedule."
Samantha shook her head in exasperation, but a genuine smile was on her lips as she contacted her secretary; the earlier dense atmosphere seemed to have never happened in the first place.
***
The moon of the starry night sky loomed over the unshadowed lands of the world as its counterpart hid through the horizon with its brightened rays of warmth.
The evening came, and in it was the chilling breeze of tranquility.
At District 7, Zone 7 of the City of Seoul, in a mountainous area with [Private Property] signage, the two siblings, Lucian and Samantha arrived.
However...
"Seriously, Violet. Is this even necessary?"
Samantha frowned.
Accompanying them was a woman of fair physical features, with cascading shoulder-length platinum hair as if it was dancing with the howling winds, glimmering purple eyes similar to amethyst gems, and a fair-skinned tender body—all enough for lustful men to desire.
Nudging her silver-rimmed eyeglasses, Violet of the Mist Squad spoke while slowly treading forward.
"Yes, Captain. Because this dimensional rift, despite being entrusted to the Mist Squad, is still part of the clan's property. It means that any raid attempts, especially outside of normal timeframe, must be recorded to the database."
"..."
"And as your secretary, that's my task. I hope you understand, Captain."
Samantha remained silent.
As they entered the spacious property, from afar, Lucian saw a pulsating and whirling azure rift—a dimensional rift or simply put, a dungeon.
Looking around, he also noticed a few erected military tents surrounding this void, but not even a sign of breathing could be heard, which prompted him to casually ask,
"Why aren't there any guards? Not even one."
Hearing his casual query, Samantha replied,
"Due to this dungeon being a stagnant one, the clan determined that it would be a waste of resources to put manpower in here.
"You probably know this Oppa, but stagnant dungeons do not cause dungeon breaks, making it relatively safe."
"I see... That makes sense."
After several minutes, the three of them arrived at the lofty rift.
Turning her head towards Violet, the latter asked,
"Don't tell me you're joining us inside?!"
"Ah- don't worry. Knowing this dungeon layout, it wouldn't take long. I'll just record the time of entry and exit."
Samantha looked at her brother, dismissing Violet's reminder.
"You ready?"
"Of course. That's why I'm here."
She then gazed at her secretary, who then nodded.
"You may enter now, Captain, and... Captain's brother."
***
[ Ding! ]
[ You have entered the dimensional rift. ]
[ You have arrived at the Forest of Screeching Greens. ]
[ Difficulty F ]
[ To clear the dungeon, eliminate the Goblin Chief. ]
[ Reward: EXP ]
[ Reminder: If the awakener's level reaches a certain threshold, EXP will no longer be acquired. ]
"Now, my brother. Let's see what you can do. I'll only intervene if I determine you are in danger."
"Alright. Don't be surprised, okay?"
Summon Undead.
Lucian mumbled in his mind. Fortunately, any creature he had killed within the perilous and haunting Penalty Zone would be eligible to be summoned through his F-rank skill.
Summon Undead (F)
Description: [Call forth the mimicry of any creature that died through your cold hands. In this way, you will embrace death more and more.]
Effect #1: [Summon Limit: 0/3—You cannot summon the same creature; remember that each existence is unique even if death is all the same.]
Effect #2: [Inherited Stat: 1% of the summon when it was alive—Bond to it, bond to it! Or it will remain weak!]
Effect #3: [Subservience—They will not and never turn their swords against you.]
...
It was at that moment that Samantha's eyes widened, her brows furrowed in disbelief.
From the ground, a burning entity holding a sizzling chain sprouted from an ominous magic circle.
"I told you not to be surprised; there's more my beloved sister."
Main skill, Death Bond.
This was a gamble considering the partly vague description of the Main Skill.
[ Ding! ]
[ You have bonded with the creature, Burning Catcher. ]
As the system prompts continued to appear before him, Lucian commanded the first undead creature in his possession.
"Kill those motherfucker."
From a distance, a few goblins lying in wait to attempt ambushing them remained behind the bushes.
However, even to his surprise...
Whoosh!
The Burning Catcher vanished, so fast that even the S-Rank Mist Squad Captain barely saw what had happened.
In the next moment...
[ Ding! ]
[ You have slain a goblin! ]
[ Effect: Death Multiplier 13X has taken effect! ]
[ You have acquired 13X EXP! ]
It did not end there...
[ Effect: Death Multiplier 13X has taken effect! ]
[ You have acquired 13X mana shards. ]
The grinding begins!