As Jin transted everyone’s words for Alim, she tried not to let her rising panic cloud her mind. The idea that these new friends, who were barely more than acquaintances, were putting their lives in her hands was honestly terrifying.

  If she had learned anything over the years from participating in sports, though, especially the more team-oriented ones, it was that hesitation meant defeat. She couldn’t afford to second-guess herself before every decision when quick actions were a necessity. She needed to learn fast and react even faster.

  “I will help you,” Alim signed to her. Smiling softly, he added, “We’re woven in purpose now.”

  “What do you mean?” she signed back.

  “Like a cord or rope, the more strands woven together, the stronger it becomes. It just means we’re stronger together. You’re not alone in this either.”

  Jin smiled gratefully at him. Knowing that it wasn’t completely resting on her shoulders alone made her rex a bit more, and she was able to refocus on the next step. She spoke aloud to the others while signing for Alim. “Let’s look at what all there is to choose from, and we can talk while changing into the uniform.”

  Jin wasn't sure what to make of the elders who chose to go look at the uniforms first. They seemed quiet and oddly content, as though this were just another day and they were shopping for new clothing.

  The girl named Celia seemed to be herding Daren near the clothing as well and talking to him in a low voice. “I know you’re excited to finally get to see it all up close, Dare, but you have to remember not to run off this time. You stay close to me! Understand?”

  The boy giggled, sounding much younger than he looked as he happily replied, “Yes, sis. I’ll be good. We’ll match!”

  Jin sighed as she realized some of her fears were confirmed about the pair, but she decided to focus on her own situation and the handful of people that seemed interested in staying with her. She moved to get a closer look at the wall of Aspects and realized they were beled with a number and what it was to aly any confusion. There were thirty options total, and Max had already cimed number three: the sword.

  One was an Ax, and two was a Mace, which didn’t really surprise Jin. Continuing down the list, with number four being a Bow, there was Sling, Spear, Shovel, Bag, Compass, and Rope. She paused at number eleven, beled Perfume, wondering how that was even considered a tool. Perhaps it meant something a little different here than in her old world? Though she guessed it was a tool to smell nicer.

  She continued reading on to consider Trap, Needle, Glue, Hammer, Scissor, Quill, Wand, Dagger, Net, Anvil, Pot, and Manacle.

  Jin stopped again and squinted at the Aspect bel that should have been number twenty-four but actually read “42 – Towel,” and she asked, “Why is this one out of order?”

  Hadia walked up to look over her shoulder and shrugged. “Probably just miswrote it. I know I’ve switched numbers and letters around like that before. I struggle a lot with reading because of it.”

  Jin leaned closer to look at the Aspect, which indeed looked like a miniature white towel, and noticed that the words “Don’t Panic” were embroidered into it, which simply made her want to panic more.

  “I’m not sure how a towel would help anyone fight monsters,” Hadia muttered. “Half of these seem like traps to get us killed off faster for choosing wrong.”

  Jin nodded and tried to push the disturbing towel from her mind as she looked at what else was avaible. Loom, Flute, Brush, Vial, Staff, and Hook were all that was left, causing her to frown at the wall.

  “No shield or something obviously healing-reted like I had hoped. I guess that means we should focus more on different damage types and potential survival options. What do all of you think?” she asked the group.

  “Better than choosing one of the options that are obviously for the crafting Workers. I feel like the odds are rigged when these obviously favor them and the Fighters.” Hadia grumbled, moving back down the wall to look at the options again.

  Jin was about to ask why anyone, even the Workers, would choose an obvious crafting Aspect when Alim drew her attention by picking up two of the Aspects and seemed to be debating between them. He gnced up at her and raised a brow, the silent question obvious. “Wand or Vial?”

  “My vote is Wand,” she signed back. “You already know how to use one, and magic damage should be useful, right?”

  Hadia pointed at the Wand to nod her choice to Alim as well while saying clearly for him, “While you might get some kind of battle alchemist ability, the risk for pure crafting is too high when you already know alchemy.”

  Alim nodded and set the Vial Aspect back down.

  Jin asked, “Why does his knowing alchemy already matter?”

  “Because abilities that get unlocked are often based on what you’re already capable of. The magic basically looks at the current state of your soul and responds to suit what you’ve experienced already. If you’re a Fighter who has trained in combat all your life and you pick that Vial, you’ll probably get some kind of ability that either grants drinkable Boons or throwable potions that deal damage or Banes—basically something to help you fight. If you were someone who studied alchemy instead, though, and never fought a day in your life, you’re going to get something to help you make potions,” Hadia expined as she walked over to the other wall and looked for a uniform in her size.

  Jin looked back at the wall of Aspects, which seemed like even more of a risk now. She gnced at the older pair who had surprised her by sitting down in chairs by the gate they had come through instead of joining them to choose Aspects.

  “Are you not going to pick?” Jin called over to them.

  Kian smiled at her and shook his head as he expined, “We’ll pick st. Mary and I both volunteered this time. We asked Salman to give the younger ones another Season to prove their worth to the Servants.”

  “There were a few others like us who had offered themselves up,” Mary added softly, her smile tinged with sadness. “Based on the names I heard called, I’m guessing Sal didn’t believe my peers were worth giving these young ones that chance to prove themselves. I’m sorry we cannot do much more and will likely drag you down.”

  “Now, now, Mary,” Kian interjected, gently patting her hand in comfort. “We can give them time to escape if nothing else. Perhaps the beyond is smiling upon them to send us a Wayfarer.”

  Jin grimaced at that idea. She wasn’t some kind of cosmic hero. That crazy witch was probably just punishing her and everyone else for reasons unknown. Should she tell them that she was just a clueless teenager trying to make sure the girl that reminded her of her crush survived a little longer? It was such a selfish and childish reason.

  Basima moved closer to her, bringing her attention back to the wall of Aspects, and asked, “I know I’m pretty terrible with my feet. I’m not sure I can fight like the others.”

  “How’s your aim?” Jin asked as she considered the options more. “Being ranged usually means you won’t have to worry about moving around so much. If you go with the Bow or Sling, you can probably stand in the back and still help fight.”

  The blonde hesitated for a moment and admitted, “I’m not sure? I don’t really remember having a problem with throwing things; it’s just the walking while holding things that usually makes things go wrong.”

  “I think you should pick one of those then, but it’s up to you. I’m not going to force any of you about what to pick since it sounds like a permanent option. I’m just trying to give my own advice based on how some games work in my world.”

  Basima nodded and looked at the wall again before going over and selecting the Bow Aspect. “This is probably better than most of the other options for me.”

  “Sounds good. That’s a physical range, magic range, and technically Max’s sshing damage,” Jin summarized but hesitated to include Max in the strategy.

  Luckily, Hadia seemed to reinforce that sentiment. “Don’t count on Max. If he’s gonna run off and not consider us, we shouldn’t depend on him to help. What other kinds of damage are you thinking we’re missing?”

  “Well, if I go off DnD knowledge, we’ll want piercing and bludgeoning as well. However, I’d really like to get something that’s more supportive or survival-based rather than loading us up with all offensive weapons. I think someone mentioned it wasn’t just killing monsters that could earn us points.”

  “That’s true; there will be puzzles and traps, too,” Karam confirmed for her. “While there will definitely be monsters to fight, each floor will have its own environmental challenges and hidden treasures to discover. There’s also a boss on each floor that needs to be defeated in order to move up to the next. That’s why some cooperation between the Sects is usually required to reach the top.”

  “Then we should definitely pick one of the non-weapons as well and hope it will help us survive,” Jin said.

  Hadia picked up the Mace Aspect and said, “I’m not really good with details or doin’ things delicately. Plus, I have a Special Attack Disposition Talent; it makes me more likely to unlock an attack ability instead of some kind of support. Smashing things is something I’ve always wanted to do, and it fits your bludgeoning goal, yeah?”

  Jin nodded and said, “That works,” then she gnced over to Karam. “I’m not sure what you’re thinking for yourself. I know you can probably use the smaller one-handed weapons, but I’m not sure how quickly you can move. Being in melee range with how big you are just makes you an easier target to hit, too.”

  “I’m not fast, but that will change if we can manage to reach Crystal Caste in here,” he replied. “Your body changes when you ascend… There’s even a theory that I may be able to get my missing limb that way. It’s happened in the past to others, but the soul itself has to want it.”

  Jin was surprised by that, but she knew healing magic was a real thing here. If there was magic that could change a person’s body that drastically, she already knew of a few people who would have died for that chance. Phoenix herself wanted nothing more than for her body to match her soul, and Jin wished she could bring that magic back to her.

  Karam’s movement brought her mind back to the present as he surprised her again by picking up the odd Perfume Aspect and saying, “It might sound strange to you, but I think this might actually work for me as a support option.”

  “How so?”

  “It’s about spraying scents, so I don’t think it will require two hands. I’m actually hoping it will result in warding off monsters, like creating an odor that repels them. I don’t really like the idea of fighting at all, so having something to avoid that might be more beneficial for all of us.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Jin replied with a thoughtful nod. “Right now, surviving is goal number one, and one of the first things my evil Dungeon Master taught me was not every monster should be fought. Sometimes, it’s better to run and live to fight another day.”

  Basima gave her a curious look and repeated, “Evil Dungeon Master?”

  “Yup,” she replied and gave an exaggerated shudder. “My mom was brutal.”

  “Oh,” the blonde replied with a sad look of pity. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that kind of abuse…”

  Jin ughed. “Not like that. She was great usually, but let’s just say I get my competitive streak from her. She would never just let me win any kind of game. I had to fight for it.”

  “Oh,” Basima replied. Smiling, she said, “Well, that’s better, at least. So what are you going to pick?”

  She gnced back at the wall of limited options and frowned. “Well, I was only really ever good at the javelin throw in my old world. The closest thing here is probably the spear, which is piercing damage. I don’t think it’ll be the same, though. It might be better if I try something more survival-oriented, too, like the Trap one.”

  “What experience do you have with traps?” Hadia asked from across the room as she finished slipping into the silvery long-sleeved shirt and pants.

  “None,” Jin admitted and rolled her eyes at the ft look Hadia leveled at her. “Alright, I get it. Spear it is.”

  She walked over and picked up the tiny glowing spear that was barely bigger than her palm. She was gd to see the little hologram above it, which gave her more information.

  Item: Spear Aspect

  A magical aspect of the spear.

  Caste: Crystal.

  Avaibility: Common.

  Type: Consumable, ingredient.

  Requirements: Less than four unlocked aspects.

  Effect: Unlocks an aspect of one’s soul, granting one passive and one cultivating ability.

  You are able to absorb the [Spear Aspect] with your Talent: [Aetheric Transmigrator].

  Do you wish to unlock the Spear aspect of your soul?

  Jin stared at the st two lines. She had a Talent that could let her just absorb these? She looked over to Keeper Nell, who was currently helping to do some kind of weird ritual-looking thing for Max, who was clutching his mini Sword Aspect.

  Hadia had moved to wait nearby now that she had finished getting dressed and needed to receive her own bracelet and ritual. She hadn’t seen anyone else with a little hologram, so she could only assume it was coming from one of her unknown Talents, which she really wished she could know more about.

  She contempted trying to grab four of them now to instantly become a Caster like the others had expined would happen, but she figured deliberately breaking the rules like that would just wind up with them killing her for cheating. For now, she decided to py it safer and keep this particur [Aetheric Transmigrator] Talent hidden.

  Jin shook her head at the dispy just to turn down the prompting question, which surprisingly made the whole hologram vanish a moment ter.

  “Dare! No! Come back over here and we’ll wait our turn!” Celia’s voice called out in the space as her brother rushed near them and happily picked up the miniature Towel Aspect.

  “This one! Please, Cici? I can be a hero, too!” Daren said with a big grin.

  His sister gave Jin an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Wayfarer. He’s just really excited about getting the chance to get powers.”

  “It’s fine. I think we’re all done picking anyways,” Jin replied, more surprised than upset about anything. After a brief moment, she asked the other woman curiously, “Why is he so excited? He does know what we’re going to be walking into right?”

  Celia’s eyes seemed to pinch with the pain that her smile refused to show. “We both grew up watching the st Season. While I found out ter that it didn’t end well, the kids here are all shown the highlights of the Champions at their most heroic moments… battling monsters, figuring out puzzles and traps, and sying the floor bosses… We were spared the darker details of how they got to that point until we’re old enough to enter the tower ourselves,” she expined.

  Jin winced at the realization that Dare simply hadn’t quite finished growing up yet. He still saw the Champions as heroes instead of sacrifices to the gods in this twisted tower game.

  “We’ll do our best to help,” Celia offered. Gncing back at her brother, she lowered her voice and admitted, “I couldn’t just let him come alone, but I understand what’s at stake… I don’t want either of us to cost more lives.”

  With a nod of silent understanding, Jin whispered back, “I’ll try to help you both, too, but I’m not entirely sure what I’m even doing or what to fully expect. If you both want to follow Max, or do your own thing, I get it.”

  “I guess I’m going to have to figure that out on the way, too. Thanks for understanding, though,” she replied, and rejoined her brother to pick out an Aspect for herself as well.

  Jin refocused on moving toward the uniforms to find one that fit her too. As she touched one of the shirts, another dispy popped up and she finally realized it was reacting to things that were magical.

  Item: Insuted Sliksilk Compression Shirt

  A magical uniform designed for minimal survival and modesty.

  Caste: Crystal.

  Avaibility: Common.

  Type: Armor, chest.

  Effects:

  Increased resistance to tearing.Slowly repairs damage over time.Reduces the effects of extreme heat or cold from Mundane sources.

  Well, that’s useful, Jin thought to herself as she tried to find one that fit; not caring much about changing in front of the others in what basically amounted to a locker room.

  “Congratutions, Maximus,” Keeper Nell said once the ritual was done and she lifted his arm that was already fitted with a matte steel bracelet. Above the bracelet was a small holographic dispy, much like Jin had been seeing but this one was visible to everyone as the Caster read the dispyed information out loud. “Looks like your Aspect bonded to your Agility Attribute and unlocked a Passive ability to conjure a sword with a Special Attack that deals extra damage when you throw your bde at a target.”

  Max conjured the sword into his hand. It appeared to be a simple bronze gdius-style bde, like most of the swords Jin had seen other Fighters wield.

  Hadia snorted a ugh. “Figures he gets an ability to disarm himself.”