Minily broke down crying in the empty white space. She wasn’t ready to let her kids or that life go. She knew that meant she passed her trial but letting them go was much harder than she thought. Her thoughts kept telling her that they weren’t real to begin with. Her feelings were real though. Of course, this just proved even more that she now grasped the true meaning of significance.

  After ten minutes of silent sobbing, she stood and wiped away the tears. Then she spoke aloud.

  “Goodbye my family. I will carry your memories with me into reality. You are real to me.”

  To her surprise there was an answer.

  “Minily, you have successfully completed your trial. It was a difficult one and you shall now be rewarded. You have earned two rewards. One is a choice, and the second is an item dependent on your decision.”

  “Can I have my kids back?”

  “Unfortunately, not, but you can help others feeling your pain. The choice is to switch classes. This is a rare opportunity. The class being offered is one of great power and significance. There has not been an individual that has taken this class in nearly a 100,000 years. Take time to look it over and make your decision.”

  Seeker of the Lost (Mythical): Become the light that leads the lost out of the darkness. Gain skills to find and aid those who can’t find the right path. Your kindness and charisma are unparalleled. Leverage that kindness by making a change to the world. Protect those that can’t protect themselves. Be the hope the world needs. Each level of this class grants 10000 generic stat points.

  Warning: This will rewrite your current class and skills. You will be set to the minimum level to obtain this class which is level 100. You will gain thirty skills if you accept this class. This change will be painful.

  Minily was taken back by the description of the class. It has nothing to do with her current path, but she understands why it’s being presented to her. She knows what it’s like to feel lost. This was her chance to help others that feel that same way. It’s a huge change and she feels like it wouldn’t let her sail the seas with Drackenn anymore. The truth is that she never really wanted to be a pirate. It was just what all the successful people in Doubloon did. Her first class she wanted to take was the Lone Healer class that would let her heal people’s hearts. The only reason she didn’t take it was to prove herself to all those bullies and people who looked down on her. This was a correction. It also didn’t mean she couldn’t sail with Drackenn and then help people that they come across on her travels.

  She did enjoy being a pirate, but she never liked hurting people. This would let her help people instead. Level 100 is an insane boost. If she had that when the kraken attacked, then she could have saved all those people. All these pros and cons were redundant. She had already made up her mind to accept it, but she was nervous. Well, she was until a realization hit her. Her class didn’t make her who she was, she made her class what it was.

  “I accept!”

  Searing pain was rampant within her body. Everything was being rewritten. Her stats were growing at a rapid rate. They were almost a hundred times more than they were before. Knowledge of so many skills was flooding her mind. Too much was happening at once. This all took place in only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to her. Finally, the pain subsided, and the voice spoke once more.

  “Congratulations. You have overcome yourself and more. Now for your second reward.”

  A pair of items popped into existence right in front of her. One was a pure white cloak with a golden lining and a calming aura. The other item was a white shepherd’s crook with a beautiful golden lantern hanging from it.

  Cloak of the Lost (Mythical): This cloak will grow in power for every lost soul you find. Gives off a calming aura that makes others instantly trust you.

  Crook of the Found (Mythical): This crook will grow in power for every soul that finds their way. The lantern hanging from this crook will always light the way. It will glow brighter the closer you get to the correct destination.

  With that her trial concluded and the door opened.

  ***

  When Crix told everyone about Laiko there was panic around camp. Vorin was in utter dismay. He promised to protect the twins. One was dead and the other was now lost.

  Everyone was out searching the island just in case he simply was displaced close by. June gathered the other class expected and led them through the areas near the mansion while the class chosen all scoured the rest of it.

  After two days they concluded that Laiko was nowhere on the island, and he was now truly lost. This was an answer that Vorin didn’t want to accept, so he kept looking night and day. Zuls and Prith went off to have a chat with him, but it didn’t help. He was already grieving, and this sent him over the edge.

  Gene inspected the sight of his sister’s grave where he was standing when it happened. The owl had a theory after three days. They asked Syenxus to gather everyone for a meeting.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Does anyone know when Laiko’s class day was?”

  No one answered. Vorin definitely knew, but he was in a rough spot. Luckily, Synexus remembered from the ship.

  “Well, he said three months when we started our voyage. It’s been a month and a half or so since then.”

  “I think he was rounding up. By my calculation of his slow mana intake, I believe he was a little under a month away. That is closer than anyone here.”

  “Okay, what do you mean his slow mana intake?” Synexus felt like Gene had figured this out day one, but it was hard news to deliver.

  “When a class expected is getting close to their class day they start to absorb ambient mana slowly. The System does this to start integrating them and to start building class options for the individual. I think when that wave of space time mana erupted from the dungeon, it forced that absorption rate to increase drastically. On top of that it was space time mana flooding a class expected.”

  “Gene, what are you trying to say?”

  “I’m saying that Laiko was displaced either in space or time or both. There are high level spells we could perform to reverse the displacement, but there is no way we have what we need here. We can only hope he finds his way back.”

  “That’s not good enough!” Vorin cried out. “We failed him. We shouldn’t have messed with this dungeon.”

  “Vorin, you know this is a good opportunity for all of us. We couldn’t have known.” Zuls spoke softly to him.

  “She’s right. I’ll admit that I feel guilty that it was after my trial that this happened, but sometimes things are meant to happen. What if this is one of those times?” Drackenn wanted to make Vorin feel better. He knows what that guilt feels like, but he knows that nothing he says right now matters.

  With that they started keeping anyone close to their class day in the mansion at all times. They figured it was the eye of the energy, and it would be the safest place. Everyone else got back to sanding the ship to get it ready. Drackenn had showed them all the ship in a bottle that he obtained as a reward and it was decided that having two ships was ideal, so that they could all go their separate ways instead of making extra stops when leaving the island. The sanding was also a good distraction from the newest tragedy they were facing.

  At the end of the fourth day, the entire island shook, and an even bigger crack formed across the entire gemstone mountain range. This time they were all prepared and stayed away from the mansion until the surge of energy dissipated. Once it did, they all ran back to the front door including the ones staying in the mansion. There was to be a mandatory head count from now on.

  Minily walked proudly out of her trial with her new items equipped and went up the stairs. When she opened the front door, she wasn’t expecting to see a serious crowd being counted by Kumo.

  “Well, don’t congratulate me all at once.”

  “Sorry, Minily. I’m glad you’re out. There was a problem when you were in there. Laiko has gone missing due to the energy that was released.” Kumo filled her in while finishing off the count and checking off that everyone was accounted for.

  “Oh, I was just kidding. I’m sorry to hear that. Like he died from the energy?”

  “It’s unlikely. It’s more that he got displaced in time, space, or both.” Gene landed by her with the explanation and then stared at her in amazement. “Wow, that is quite the reward. You are truly special to take that mantle.”

  “Thank you, Gene. That sounds awful though. It’s kind of hard to be excited after hearing something like that.”

  “Well, we have nothing to fear now, correct?” The owl looked her up and down. “Look at your skills.”

  Minily looked at the owl in confusion and then pulled up her skill list. There were a lot of them, and they were all at level one. Most were passive, but not all. She could create an impenetrable shield, and fly. She could heal and create light. She could become incorporeal and navigate places she never had stepped foot in. Then she saw it. The skill Gene wanted her to see.

  Call of the Lost: Ability to follow any lost soul by standing in the last place they stood while holding onto something they touched. Only you can follow the lost. The level of this skill will determine how close you arrive to their current position.

  “Will that work if he got displaced in time?”

  “I believe it will. I’m not an expert on this, however.”

  “Okay. Let me say my goodbyes and then I will try my best.”

  Kumo was standing there looking confused. “Um, hello? One of you want to fill me in?”

  “Of course. Listen up everyone, I have a couple of things to share.”

  At this point Drackenn stepped forward from the wall he was leaning against to move into the crowd since it seemed there was going to be a discussion. Right as he passed her, Minily grabbed his arm and pulled him into a kiss.

  “First off, I wanted to do that for so long. I understand we can’t be together. You have a complex past and that’s okay. It seems I now have a duty that I must perform.”

  “I wasn’t going to say we can’t be together. That trial helped me move past Aspen’s death and move forward. She wanted me to be happy. I just never wanted to put you in that position because I’m your captain.”

  “Well, now I feel silly. Also, you will always be my captain, but I won’t be sailing with you for a bit.” Drackenn looked at her confused. Minily then turned towards the crowd.

  “That brings me to my second thing. I received a new class as a reward in the dungeon. It’s a mythical rank class and the System granted me level 100 to take it. It seems the System has a plan after all. This class requires me to find those that are lost and help them. Now, I came out of the dungeon and the first thing I find out is that we have someone lost among us. I promise you all that I will find Laiko at all costs.”

  Silence fell over the crowd. Drackenn ended up breaking it.

  “Good for you, Minily. I knew you never really wanted to be a pirate. You’ve always loved helping people and this is your chance. Be safe and find me when you can.”

  “Will do, King Captain.” She winked at him.

  “Th…thank you.” Vorin muttered it from the back of the group. “Please find him. I will forever be in your debt.”

  “Please, we are all past debts with each other. Synexus literally saved my life. Let’s all just follow our classes and make this world better.”

  She gave everyone hugs and wished them all good luck on their trials. It was the hardest thing she had ever went through. She was honestly excited to see what they all would accomplish. Especially Synexus. That one was intriguing to her.

  Standing over Layola’s grave she held one of Laiko’s daggers that he would normally wear on his person. She gave everyone one last smile and then activated her skill. A second later she found herself somewhere she couldn’t comprehend.