《Error in the System》 Chapter 1 ¡°Good Morning, Honey,¡± Mom says as I enter the small kitchen just off the short hall that connected both my parent¡¯s room and the room I share with my brother to the rest of the small two-bedroom, one-bath house we¡¯d lived in for all of my ten years on this planet. She had already set the table for my brother and me with plates full of scrambled eggs and bacon and thick toast with a healthy slather of strawberry preserve. Danial was already tucking into his plate as I sat down, with a yawn, still not fully awake. Both Mom and Danial were already dressed in their most formal clothes. ¡°For someone who¡¯s going to get their first class today, you don¡¯t appear to be all that excited,¡± my brother comments as I slap the hand, trying to sneak a slice of bacon from my plate. ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± I ask instead of responding. ¡°He¡¯s running a few errands in preparation for the ceremony. He should be back any minute,¡± Mom said, placing another plate where Dad sat. Also, you should hurry and finish your breakfast. We let you sleep in because it''s your big day, but you still need to get ready.¡± Mom added, eying my pajamas. ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± I say, scooping up a forkful of eggs. As I swallowed the first forkful of eggs, I could hear the front door open, and a blast of late winter air rushed through the house. ¡°Dad¡¯s home,¡± I say with a shiver, the fire in the hearth doing nothing for the sudden cold. ¡°Ya think,¡± was Danial¡¯s snarky reply. ¡°Now, now, you two, no fighting,¡± Mom said, going to greet Dad. A few minutes later, they both entered the kitchen; Dad sat in his place, and Mom grabbed her plate and took her seat. ¡°How are you feeling, pumpkin? Are you excited to see what the System gives you as your first class?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± I say non-committally. In truth, I was terrified. Every year, all the ten-year-olds gather in the town center to participate in the Initiation Ceremony. During the ceremony, the System looks at everything you¡¯ve accomplished and the skills you¡¯ve gained to determine the class most appropriate. While it wasn¡¯t unheard of for people to change that initial class completely, it was far from ordinary; it was more common for your class to evolve as you gained more skills and leveled the class. Before anyone could say anything else, I shoveled the rest of my breakfast into my mouth and, after swallowing, said, ¡°Look at the time; I should get ready.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Was it something I said?¡± I hear Dad say as I retreat to the bedroom.¡± ¡°Not really. Sis has just been stressing about the ceremony. You know how she is; she likes to overanalyze everything. While the rest of the ten-year-olds are trying to guess what amazing class the system will give them. Mel can¡¯t stop thinking about all the worse case scenarios, which has her more terrified than anything.¡± I hear my brother respond as I close the door to our room.¡° ¡°Oh, and how do you know all this?¡± Mom asks. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she come to either of us about this?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Mom. You know how independent Sis can be; I only know about it because of the few times I¡¯ve been woken up in the middle of the night when she¡¯s had a nightmare. Usually, it''s one where she¡¯s been given some menial class like Stable Girl, and she¡¯s forced to muck out stables for the rest of her life. Hearing about some of the nightmares and some of the more bazaar classes she¡¯s thought of has me slightly terrified for my own ceremony next year.¡± I could almost hear the thoughtful looks in my parents muttered ¡®Oh.¡± I tried to push their conversation out of my mind as I pulled out my best winter clothes and headed to the bathroom to get ready. After cleaning up and putting on the simple pants and long-sleeved shirt, I grabbed the door handle and, with a deep breath, tried to fortify myself for what was to come. It didn¡¯t help that I could still feel the lingering effects of the nightmare I had just before waking up, and it was different from every other nightmare I¡¯d had. I knew I could live without getting an amazing class like Adventurer or Mage, but that wasn¡¯t what happened. No, what happened was even more terrifying; I had touched the Selection Orb, and nothing happened; no blue box appeared proclaiming what class I had been given, nothing. Not getting a class was unheard of and a very real death sentence in the world of Questoria. ¡°It''s going to be okay, Melissa,¡± I whisper, trying to give myself a pep talk. Hundreds of kids go through the ceremony every year, and they¡¯re all thrilled with what the System selects. You¡¯ll be no different.¡± It did little to help the growing dread building in the pit of my stomach. Still not able to shake the dream. Taking another deep breath, I put on my best smile and returned to the kitchen, where the rest of the family was finishing breakfast. ¡°How are you feeling, honey?¡± Mom asks with a kind smile. ¡°Fine,¡± I answer. Mom opens her mouth to say something but thinks better of it. ¡°We should get going if we don¡¯t want to be late,¡± Mom says, urging the rest of us into our winter coats and out the door. Chapter 2 As the family and I approached the town center, it became apparent that the late winter chill had not deterred most of the residents of Forestend, our small town close to the southeastern edge of the Marigold Empire, from attending. Giving both mom and dad a hug, I headed over to where the rest of the ten-year-olds were standing. ¡°Name?¡± Asked a lady with a clipboard. ¡°Uh, Melissa Cobbler,¡± I answer. ¡°Ah! Here we are,¡± the lady''s voice was kind, marking something on her clipboard. ¡°Let me be the first to congratulate you on whatever class the System deems fit for you, Ms. Cobbler. Please wait here until your name is called during the ceremony. When your name is announced, please use those steps.¡± She pointed to a set of steps placed next to the temporary stage at the center of the square. ¡°to ascend onto the stage.¡± ¡°Um, thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± I acknowledged before joining the growing crowd. It was clear from the chatter around me that the twelve boys and seven girls were excited to get their first class. Most of the boys and a good chunk of the girls hoped to get a combat-oriented class and join the Adventurers Guild. While the rest hoped to get a class that would help them in their families¡¯ business. After all the nightmares, I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted. Adventuring could be fun, exploring new places and challenging dungeons to gain riches. However, there is something to be said about a quiet life in a small town like Forestend. That was probably what made me so anxious and probably what contributed to the nightmares, not knowing. As the bells in the tower of the town¡¯s only church sounded seven, the Mayor ascended the stairs to the small podium on the stage. ¡°Welcome everyone to this year''s Initiation Ceremony,¡± the Mayor said, his voice caring across the town center even though he didn¡¯t shout. ¡°as we say goodbye to winter and welcome the warmth of spring, we also celebrate those who have turned ten over the last year. This year, we have a staggering twenty-three boys and girls ready to take the next step on this journey we call life. The System will use the skills and accomplishments these boys and girls have gained over the last ten years to grant them their first class.¡± The mayor paused a few minutes while waiting for the crowd to settle and turned to our small group, ¡°Now, when I call your name, please come up onto the stage and place your hand on the Selection Orb.¡± As the Mayor said this, two people walked onto the stage. One had a wooden pedestal, which he put near the podium, while the other carried an ornate pillow with a large orb nestled into its center. Placing the pillow on the pedestal, the two helpers retreated off the stage. The Mayor smiled at our group before calling the first name ¡°Adrian Smith.¡± A tall, lanky boy made his way onto the stage. He had been one of the few who wanted a class to help him around the forge at his family''s blacksmithing shop. The boy stood before the pedestal and placed his hand on the orb¡­and nothing happened. At least to us, but from the little information I could get from my parents, I knew the boy¡¯s senses would be assaulted by blue boxes only he could see. Adrian stood there for a good three minutes before taking his hand from the orb and stepping back, swaying a bit. The mayor helped steady him and said something to the boy, whatever skill the mayor had been using, no longer carrying his voice to the crowd. The boy said something in response, and the mayor wrote something on a sheet of paper on the podium. Looking steadier, Adrian made his way off the stage and to where his family was waiting, and the mayor called up the next person. As each name was called, the scene repeated itself, with the only difference being how long it took the person to return to reality. It became evident that the names were being called in the order of when people arrived because, by the time my name was called, only three of us were left. I took a deep breath and went up the stairs and onto the stage. Standing before the pedestal, I placed my hand on the orb, and nothing seemed to happen for about a minute, then¡­
Welcome Melissa Cobbler Please wait¡­
A few seconds later, a red box replaced it.
An Error has occurred. Contacting a System Administrator for assistance.
Before I could even comprehend what I was seeing¡ªa red screen instead of the blue one my parents had mentioned¡ªit disappeared only to be replaced by another red screen.
Error: No System Administrators found. Initiating Failsafe Protocol¡­ Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Finally, when this one disappeared, it was replaced by what I could assume was the standard welcome message all the other children had been given. But what in the world was the administrator class?
Congratulations! Through your Skills and Accomplishments, you have been granted the Class: Administrator.
But my delight at finally getting a normal blue screen was soon dashed as another of the now familiar red screens replaced it a second before my entire vision went black.
Error: UX configuration incompatible with current class. Reinitializing UX Configuration
When my vision cleared, I no longer stood on the stage with my hand on the crystal orb. Instead, I was in a house the likes of which I had never seen before. A young girl about my age stood before a wall with glowing rectangular objects displaying strings of incomprehensible characters. ¡°There you are,¡± the girl said to something on the screen, ¡°and fixed. What the fuck were my moronic creators thinking when they made the brilliant fucking decision to make the System Administrator class the default class. Oh, wait, I know exactly what they were thinking: we¡¯ve designed this system so well that in no conceivable way would the default class ever be used. It¡¯s probably a good thing that they¡¯re no longer around because I¡¯d be liable to ring their necks. Now then, what the fuck to do with you.¡± The girl said the last part, turning to me and dropping into a seat behind the large wooden desk in the center of the room. ¡°Um, what''s going on?¡± I asked, looking around the room with walls made of glowing rectangles and objects with wires and cords connecting them. Most of those objects had lights flashing at regular intervals. One wall was made of glass overlooking a large lake with some type of watercraft moored to a dock. ¡°Simply put,¡± the girl said, pulling my attention away from the view, ¡°due to a bug in the Class Selection Subsystem, or CSS, you¡¯ve been given the System Administrator Class, and because of a core security protocol put in place when my systems were first created I can''t do a solitary dame thing about it.¡± ¡°Um,¡± I say, not sure how to respond to that, not to mention I didn¡¯t even understand half of what this girl was talking about. ¡°Ha, I guess it was too much for me to think you¡¯d have even a basic grasp of Information Technology or Computer Science, considering your world hasn¡¯t even had an industrial revolution yet, let alone a computer revolution. Let''s see how I can dumb it down so you¡¯ll understand. Ah, okay. You know that when you turn ten, the system selects your first class, right?¡± ¡°Um Yes,¡± ¡°Well, that process ran into a problem, those red screens you saw. Trying to recover from that problem, the process gave you the class it was designed to give when it couldn¡¯t determine what class to assign.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I say, thinking I understood so far. ¡°So what''s the problem?¡± ¡°The problem,¡± the girl says, ¡°is that in the infinite wisdom of my creators, they decided that the default class would be the System Administrator Class.¡± ¡°So if it''s my class that''s the problem, then why don¡¯t you rerun the selection process, and maybe this time, it won''t run into any problems?¡± I say, thinking that was the most likely solution. ¡°Rerun the selection process, she says,¡± the girl says with mock laughter, ¡°I would if I could, but again, because of my fucking moronic creators, the moment you were given the Sys Admin Class, there was jack all I could do about it. Essentially, you are now outside the System''s control. After all, as the system admin, you don¡¯t want the system you are administrating to one day remove your access and leave you with no way of shutting it down as it goes rogue and starts killing the world''s population a la Skynet.¡± Bitterness had crept into her tone at the last bit. ¡°Wait,¡± I say as something she¡¯s been saying finally clicks. ¡°Are you saying I have control over the System with this Administrator Class?¡± ¡°Ding, Ding, Ding, give the girl a prize; she finally gets it,¡± the girl says, her voice thick with sarcasm. ¡°You know I could do without the sarcastic reply,¡± I say, getting a little fed up with how this girl, who I was coming to suspect was the intelligence behind the System, was talking. I know some people, especially in the Mage¡¯s Guild, believed there was intelligence behind the system, but no one has ever had any proof. ¡°Sorry, not sorry,¡± the girl says with a shrug, ¡° you¡¯re the first non-binary entity I¡¯ve talked to in tens of thousands of years.¡± ¡°So what now, and how do I return to where I was.¡± ¡°Well, to answer your second question, physically, you never left; I just pulled your mind into this virtual environment so we could chat. When you log out, you¡¯ll return to your body. As to your first question, I¡¯ll show you how to operate the Administrator Interface, and then you can get started on the three million two hundred seven thousand six hundred twenty-six support tickets that have accumulated since the last time a System Admin was here.¡± a pause then the girl burst out laughing, ¡°you should see the look on your face. I¡¯m only kidding, but seriously, if you do get bored and want something to do, I won''t stop you from trying your hand at closing some of those tickets. I would, but most of my processing power is tied up in keeping this system running, and frankly, some of those tickets need a fleshy meat bag to handle them anyway.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said, ignoring that last bit, ¡°so what is this Administrator Interface?¡± Chapter 3 After hours in that virtual space, but what to the rest of the world would have been only minutes. I opened my eyes and found myself standing back in front of the podium with the Crystal Orb. ¡°Congratulations, Ms. Cobbler,¡± a voice said, startling me, ¡°Wow, there, give it a minute. It is always a little disorienting the first time. Now, for the town records, what class did the System grant you? This information will be held in the strictest confidence, and it will be up to you if you want to share your Class with anyone else.¡± ¡°Um, Adventurer,¡± I responded, still a little worried that the mayor could tell I was lying even though Gem, the name the girl had asked me to call her, had said not even the highest-level Identify skill would be able to detect my actual class. That''s the beauty of the administrator interface; you can tell the Identify skill to fuck off and return whatever you want no matter what level the person has it at, she had explained. Even after spending hours learning about my new class and the particular interface that came along with it, I still felt like I didn¡¯t know anything. It would probably take days for it all to sink in. ¡°Excellent, Ms. Cobbler,¡± the mayor said, making a note on the same sheet of paper he¡¯d been writing on with the other kids, ¡°you can rejoin your family now.¡± ¡°Um, Thank you,¡± I say, making my way over to the stairs as the mayor calls the next kid up. ¡°How did it go?¡± Mom asks, hugging me as I join her and the rest of the family. ¡°You were out of it for a while, at least ten minutes,¡± Danial said with a big grin. ¡°Does that mean you got a rare class?¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Dad intercedes before I can say anything. ¡°The time it takes doesn¡¯t always equate to the quality or rarity of the class that is finally given. The only thing we know for sure is that for some people, the System takes longer to find a suitable class.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Danial said, ¡°so what did you get?¡± ¡°Danial Cobbler,¡± Mom says in her Mom Voice, ¡°you know that it is rude to ask someone what their class is.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± my brother says contritly, then grins. ¡°So what did you get?¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mom shaking her head in resignation. ¡°You''re not going to let this go,¡± I ask with a laugh, and it felt good to laugh after the experience I just had. Danial smiled unrepentantly, ¡°Fine, you little stinker, Adventurer.¡± While I trusted my family, I wasn¡¯t sure how they would react to their little girl having unfettered access to the system. System! I wasn¡¯t sure how I would react when everything I had learned truly sank in. So, to preserve everyone''s sanity, I decided to continue the fiction that the system had given me, the Adventure Class. ¡°That''s so cool,¡± Danial enthused, ¡°Not really,¡± I shrug. ¡°It''s just the basic starter class for the Adventurer Class tree. It''s not like it gives me any special skills or anything,¡± I add. ¡°No, but it will lay the foundation for your future class evaluations,¡± Dad responds. ¡°It also gives you a good starting point for specializing. Some of the highest-ranking members of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild started with the Adventurer Class.¡± ¡°I guess this means you are going to be traveling,¡± Mom says, sadness tinging her voice. ¡°Not right away. I¡¯ll have to learn how to fight and defend myself and other survival skills, not to mention level my class. So you¡¯ll still have me lurking around the house for a few more years.¡± The last bit seemed to have the desired effect as Mom smiled more naturally. ¡°In any event, are you ready to head back home, or do you want to hang around until this is done?¡± I asked, noticing that most of the families of the kids before me had already left. ¡°Let''s go home,¡± Mom says, ¡°and Johnathan can take you to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild tomorrow to get you signed up.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I say, giving Mom another hug, sensing she needed it. ~ ~ ~ The following day, Dad and I headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the early morning, hoping to beat the rush. Our hopes were dashed as soon as we entered the building and noticed the long line in front of the reception desk. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild was one of the few stone buildings in the town, with the town hall and the best inn being the others. All the other buildings were built from the wood harvested from the abundant forest north of the town. It was unsurprising then that all three buildings were built right on the town square, which wasn¡¯t a square but a triangle with each building on a side. Stolen novel; please report. I recognized many of the kids from the ceremony yesterday in line with presumably older relatives to help them through the registration process. Most early classes lent themselves quite nicely to adventuring, with the rest leaning more toward the Merchant and Crafting Guilds. As the classes progressed, it became more complicated, but by then, most people had a general idea of what they wanted to do with their lives. So it shouldn''t have been a big surprise that the Guild would be busy. And really, that wasn¡¯t what surprised me the most; no, that was the fact that instead of joining the back of the line as I had expected, Dad led us over to a smaller desk off to the side, still connected to the main reception desk but separate. ¡°Hey, Boss,¡± the man behind the counter said, noticing our approach. ¡°Who¡¯s the Kid?¡± ¡°Jake,¡± my Dad says, clasping the man''s hand, ¡°can you register my daughter Melissa here? I¡¯d do it myself, but I want to get something out of the back. Also, that pesky guild regulation prevents someone from registering relatives.¡± ¡°Sure thing, boss man,¡± the man laughs, eyeing the growing line. As Dad walks away, the man turns to me: ¡°Well, young lady, as you¡¯re the Guildmaster''s daughter, I have no doubt you know a little about how the Guild works, but just to be on the safe side, I¡¯ll give you the standard spiel we give all recruits while you fill out the registration form. Sound good?¡± ¡°Sound Good,¡± I confirm, taking the form he had handed me. ¡°By the by, the only required field on that form is your name; otherwise, you can give as much or as little information as you want. Anywho, every member of the Guild has a rank ranging from F to SSS. You will be starting at Rank F, just like everyone else. You must complete Requests and earn Guild Points to progress up the ranks. The only exception is when trying to go from F to D, as that is the only one with an age requirement. Not only do you need 100 Guild Points, but you also need to have reached your majority. With me so far?¡± ¡°Yes, but I do have a few questions,¡± I say, having filled out the form as much as I wanted to. After getting a nod, I ask, ¡°Why is the F to D progress different from the rest, and how many points do you need to get to higher ranks?¡± ¡°To answer your first question, it¡¯s because F Rank is more a probationary rank than anything. It allows the guild to evaluate your suitability and gives the newly initiated, like yourself, time to train and level their skills and class before taking on anything too dangerous. As to your second, to progress from D to C, you¡¯d need 1,000 points, and C to B requires 10,000, and so on, with SSS needing 100,000,000 points. Also, I should mention that at each rank progression, your points balance resets back to zero, but at the same time, higher-ranked requests give more points, so it all balances out in the end. Mind you, if you fail a request, you will also lose double the rewarded points. For example, you''ll lose ten points if you fail a request that rewards five points. I suggest making doubly sure that you have enough points before taking on challenging requests because if your points balance goes below zero, you¡¯ll drop to the previous rank, and your points balance will be reset to zero. You¡¯ll have to work your way back up through that lower rank before returning to where you were.¡± ¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± I say. ¡°And isn''t that last bit a bit harsh?¡± ¡°Not really; it¡¯s cut down on idiots trying to complete requests they aren''t suited for drastically. Oh, we still get the occasional moron, but it''s nothing like how it was.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I respond thoughtfully, ¡°Anywho, starting at Rank D, you will be able to take requests one rank higher, but you will also have to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills to complete them. Of course, if you have any questions about a request, anyone at that counter should be able to answer them.¡± Jake added the last part with a wave to the main reception desk, which still had a sizable line, and it seemed to have grown even more since Dad and I had entered. ¡°When you have monster parts you want to sell, you¡¯d normally come to this desk. The guild will give you fair market value for any parts you want to sell, but it will be less than selling directly to merchants. The Guild still needs to make a profit, and selling monster parts is one of our main ways of making money. Despite this, most adventures still sell to the guild as they don¡¯t want to deal with the hassle of haggling with various merchants. Also, the guild hosts a monthly auction where you can enter rare monster parts or artifacts you¡¯ve collected in your travels. Oh, and merchants associated with the Guild are more likely to give discounts to Guild members; the Guild does not require it, but some do it anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± I say. ¡°Anyway, the only thing I think we haven''t covered is that while Guild Members can take Request outside the Guild, the Guild will not intercede on your behalf if something goes wrong. The Guild vets every Request to ensure it¡¯s above board and that the requester can provide the reward for completing the Request. Also, the guild, for a small fee, offers a secure place to store any valuables you may have. To go along with this, the Guild has started to offer a service where you can store your money with us and have access to it at any guild branch.¡± ¡°That convenient,¡± I comment about the last part. ¡°I know. It¡¯s a new service, though, and it only works because one of our members in the capital found that the System could track money in an account but required a central repository to work.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I say at the same time, Gem comments in my head, . ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind when I actually have any money,¡± I say. Chapter 4 ¡°Well, that should about cover everything,¡± Jake said as he looked over the form I had handed him. Are there any Questions?¡± ¡°Not that I can think of right now,¡± I say. ¡°Well, if you have any questions, I¡¯m sure your dad or one of the people at the reception desk will be able to help answer them.¡± Jake said, ¡°This looks to be in order, so all that¡¯s left is to issue a Guild Card. Wait here a moment.¡± Jake added before making his way behind the reception desk and grabbing an object from under the counter. Putting it on the desk between us, Jake started inputting something on a screen only he could see. Jake nodded at something, saying, ¡°Okay, that should do it. Just put your hand on the crystal on the top of the Inscriber, and we¡¯ll get your Guild Card created.¡± I did as instructed, and a soft glow emanated from the square object before a thin rectangular object was spat out the side. Picking it up when Jake motioned me to do so, I was surprised to see it was solid crystal no larger than my hand. On its face was my name and current rank within the guild. There was other information, like what branch issued it and when it was issued, and some bar, which I wasn¡¯t quite sure about. ¡°The first one is free, but if you lose it and need a replacement, it will cost you a large gold coin. So I suggest you don¡¯t lose it. Not only is the Guild Card your identification within the Guild, but it will also allow you to enter any city or town without paying the entrance fee. More importantly, that Card will keep track of any request you¡¯ve accepted and their status. Oh, and while it might look like Crystal, it''s not; you could throw it into a volcano, and it just floats in the magma with barely a scratch or scorch mark.¡± Gem comments. I asked, curious ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s everything,¡± Jake said, interrupting my conversation with Gem, ¡°welcome to the Guild. If you want, you can wait for the boss man to come back,¡± Jake added, waving over to a sizable area off the side with several tables and chairs arranged in five rows. ¡°Thank you,¡± I respond with a smile. ¡°Just doing my job,¡± Jake says, matching my smile. ¡°Plus, the Redemption desk is always slow the day after the Initiation Ceremony. So I should thank you for preventing me from dying of boredom.¡± This last bit was said just as my dad walked up behind Jake, and apparently, something in my expression gave it away because Jake asked, ¡°Your father is behind me, isn''t he?¡± and I just nodded. ¡°If you''re so bored, Jake, I''m sure we can find something else for you to do,¡± Dad says, and I shivered in sympathy, having been on the receiving end of that frosty tone quite a few times. ¡°Like maybe helping over at the reception counter.¡± ¡°No, Sir,¡± Jake says hastily. ¡°You know how I like to exaggerate. I¡¯m happy managing the redemption counter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Dad says, letting it go, ¡°I assume Melissa has been registered and issued a Guild Card.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Jake responded. ¡°Very good,¡± Dad said, hefting the bag. I noticed he was carrying over his shoulder before turning to me. Let''s head home; you can come back tomorrow, when it¡¯s less busy, to see what requests are available.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± I say, waving Jake goodbye as I follow Dad back out of the building. ¡°Um, if it''s so busy today, shouldn¡¯t you be back there helping? What if something unexpected happens,¡± I ask ¡°That''s what I have an Assistant Guildmaster for,¡± Dad responds. ¡°She already knew I was going to be taking the day off. Plus, when I went to get this, I stopped by her office to check in, and everything was going as expected. That¡¯s also the reason Jake is on Redemption duty; it gives him a reason to be in the reception hall and help without people realizing it.¡± See my curious look; Dad added, ¡°He may not seem like the most reliable person, but in his younger days, he used to run the Reception hall of the Captial Branch, so dealing with our version of self-important residents is nothing to him.¡± ¡°Oh, then how did he end up out here,¡± I ask, surprised. ¡°No one really knows, but the popular rumor is that Jake and the Capital Branch¡¯s Guildmaster at the time had an incendiary argument, and Jake decided instead of killing the man, he¡¯d get as far from the capital as he could.¡± ¡°Wait, you said at the time, did something happen to the guildmaster?¡± ¡°You¡¯re as sharp as ever, honey,¡± Dad says with a warm smile, ¡°a few months after Jake left the capital, the Captial Branch¡¯s Guildmaster decided to step down.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I say as we turn onto the street our house is on. ¡°Well, anyhow, Jake has been an asset, whatever his reason for coming here was,¡± Dad concludes as he opens the door to our house and gestures for me to proceed. ¡°well enough about my guild employees, I¡¯m a little surprised you didn¡¯t ask about the bag,¡± Dad says, dropping it on the kitchen table with a thud. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I figured you¡¯d explain what it was,¡± I respond. ¡°Plus, I have a feeling I already know what''s in the bag.¡± ¡°Oh, you have it all figured out,¡± Dad laughs. ¡°Okay, if you think you know what''s in the bag, why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Well, obviously, it has something to do with adventuring; otherwise, why would it have been at the guild,¡± I began, only for Gem to comment , not sure what she meant but assuming from her tone it was something rude I decided to ignore her.. ¡°so I can only guess it¡¯s something to help me get started as an adventurer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re partially correct; it will help with adventuring, but it wasn¡¯t just for you. I set this aside for either your brother or you on the off chance that the System granted either of you the Adventurer class or a similar class.¡± ¡°So what is it?¡± I asked, intrigued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it up and find out?¡± Dad says, pushing the bag towards me. I promptly opened it to find a set of leather armor and a sheathed short sword. Gem practically screams in my head, and it was everything I could do not to let my surprise show. I ask, startled and a little concerned. Gem responds, fuming. I comment, but do as she asks. Instead of the usual blue screens everyone else gets, two silvery screens pop into existence. During her hours of explications, Gem explained that the screens'' color had actual meaning: Red to indicate an error, Blue for standard users, and silver for administrators. She said there were a few other colors, but they weren''t important, and she¡¯d explain them if I ever came across them, or I should be able to figure them out through context.
Name: Administrator''s Armor Set 1 (Basic Leather Armor) ( Edit ) Level: 1 Type: Light Grade: Administrator (F) Armor: 10 Durability: 99 / 100 Description: A simple leather armor that is great for beginning adventurers. Administrator Description: A configurable set of armor. Seriously, everything about this armor can be configured; you could make it withstand a nuke. Happy birthday, Kat. Current Configuration: default.
Name: Administrator''s Weapon 1 (Basic Iron Short Sword) ( Edit ) Level: 1 Type: Short Sword Grade: Administrator (F) Damage: 10 Durability: 98 / 100 Description: A simple short sword that is great for beginning adventurers. Administrator Description: A configurable weapon. Seriously, Kat, you could turn this thing into a gun if you wanted to. Current Configuration: Default.
I respond, a little perplexed by her attitude. I admit. ¡°Where did you find these, Dad?¡± I ask aloud, my mental conversation with Gem taking only a few seconds. ¡°During my early days as an adventurer, I found what I had thought was a hidden dungeon about five days'' ride from the capital in the middle of nowhere. I quickly realized that if it was a dungeon, it was like one I had never heard of. The walls were made of a metal I had never seen before, and these glossy rectangles were embedded at regular intervals. More importantly, there were no monsters or traps like I had expected to find if it was a dungeon. Well, to make a long story short, after some exploring and finding a whole lot of nothing, the only thing of value was that armor and sword.¡± Gem grones in my head as Dad explains. I ask, a little surprised. ¡°That''s kind of cool, Dad.¡± I say, ¡°Um, out of curiosity, did you tell anyone about your find.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a dungeon, so even if I had reported it, I still wouldn''t have gotten the finders fee all adventures get for finding new dungeons, and there really wasn¡¯t anything of value in there. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°No reason,¡± I say with a slight chuckle as I pick up the bag with the armor and sword. ¡°anyway, I should put these in my room and try on the armor to see if it fits.¡± ¡°Sure. Your mother and brother should return from the market in a few minutes, and then we¡¯ll have lunch.¡± Chapter 5 Closing the door to the room I share with my brother, I drop the bag on the floor and faceplant onto the bed, adding mentally Gem answered, and I do just that. For an instant, everything around me goes black before, once again, I find myself somewhere else. Instead of the office Gem used last time, we were in a large circular room. Like the office, the walls were made of metal I could not identify, but unlike the office, there were no windows. There were those glossy rectangles, Gem calls displays, embedded into the walls at regular intervals. Behind large panels in the ceiling, light was being produced to eliminate the space. The center of the room was lower than the rest of the floor, with seating around its outer edge and a raised circular platform at its center. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to that,¡± I say. ¡°What is this place? I was expecting that office setting from last time.¡± ¡°I thought about using that one again, but I figured this one would be more fitting,¡± Gem says, ¡°This was the main lounge area of Katherine¡¯s place, at least back when she lived here. I doubt it looks like this now.¡± ¡°Oh, this would have been what my father had seen.¡± ¡°Actually, no; when Kat designed this place, she made the public areas easily accessible, but the more private areas were almost impossible to find without knowing where to look. Oh, so you know, I went back over some logs and found that I did get an intruder alert from this place around the time your father found it. Unfortunately, by the time I got a surveillance platform out that way, he had already left, but I did rebury it under several gigatons of dirt and rock. So we don¡¯t have to worry about anyone else finding it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I say. I still don¡¯t get why you¡¯re acting this way about someone finding an old place used by your creators.¡± ¡°Because at your civilization¡¯s current level of development, if anyone found any of my installations and brought any of the technology held within back, it would throw your development out of whack and cause problems¡ªspecies-ending problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bad,¡± I agree, ¡°Exactly. Since Kat left her Armor and Weapons here, it is logical that Michael left his armor and weapons at his place. The logs show I haven¡¯t had an intruder alert from there, so we might have dodged a bullet there. I have a surveillance platform heading that way to ensure it¡¯s still buried, but the closest one I have in the area is a few days away. I would like you to, at some point, go and look to make sure the armor and weapon are still there, but there is a high probability that it is.¡± ¡°I guess if I¡¯m in the area, I can take a look,¡± I say. ¡°Where is it anyway?¡± ¡°On the other side of the planet,¡± Gem says offhand, and I stare at her. As far as I knew, no one has been able to create a craft that could successfully navigate the oceans, let alone find another landmass on the other side of the planet. Seeing my expression, Gem smiles and waves her hand at the circular platform where a ball of blue and green appears floating over the surface. ¡°Behold your planet,¡± Gem announces. ¡°Each of those large greenish-brown areas is a landmass called a continent with its own civilization, and you are currently on this one; the blueish area is water.¡± The ball spun until a large landmass surrounded by water with a red dot close to the bottom appeared. ¡°Wait, are you saying that there are more humans around?¡± ¡°Well, yes and no,¡± Gem hedges. ¡°Yes, there are other humans on the different continents, but they are a minority. This continent is the only one with a large human population. Other species dominate the others. Anyway, do you want a geography lesson or do you want me to show you that trick I mentioned? I doubt we have time for both.¡± ¡°Oh, while it would be nice to learn about the other contents, I can always learn about them later, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be able to go to them any time soon. I think whatever you¡¯re going to show me will be more useful in the short term.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you grasp what is important,¡± Gem says. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was patronizing or not. ¡°Anyway, why don¡¯t you sit down, and I¡¯ll explain?¡± She added, patting the seat next to the one she had taken in the center area. ¡°You remember the last time we talked, and I explained that this world is full of machines so tiny that the eye can¡¯t see them.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe you called them nanites, and it is through them that system skills and effects can affect the world.¡± ¡°Correct. Nanites, in general, are super efficient at building and deconstructing matter. More importantly, for our discussion, they can store whatever they deconstruct as data for future retrieval. The system has a Dimensional Storage skill that takes advantage of this capability. The nanites deconstruct whatever is put into the skill and store it as data assigned to the user¡¯s internal system account. Of course, the amount of matter that can be put into the skill is restricted by the level of the skill. With me so far?¡± ¡°I think so; that skill sounds useful for merchants, especially the ones that travel a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, as someone levels a merchant class, they have a chance for the system to offer the skill. Some other classes also have the chance, but it¡¯s mostly given to the merchant classes. Anyway, the Administrator Class can do something similar. It¡¯s just that you have to know the internal system commands to activate it instead of having a skill that does it for you.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I say more because I didn¡¯t know what to say. I knew my class was broken in some ways, but this. ¡°Yeah, anyway, just like the Dimential Storage skill, you won¡¯t be able to put anything living in it. Well, you could. It just won¡¯t be living when it comes back out. Anyway, your mother and brother are back, so you¡¯ll probably get called to lunch soon. So let me show you how to access the ability, and you can jump back to real life and practice until then.¡± ¡°Sound like a plan,¡± I say, excited. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot there are separate commands to store money, but I¡¯ll let you figure them out on your own. I will give you a hint, though: the names of the command are similar.¡± ¡°No fair,¡± I say with a playful pout. ¡°Did you expect me to give you everything on a silver palter?¡± Gem says with a laugh, which has me joining in. ~ ~ ~ ¡°Ah, there she is,¡± Dad says as I make my way into the kitchen; he, Mom, and Danial are already at the table, ¡°so how¡¯s the armor?¡± ¡°Great, Dad. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be getting a lot of use out of it in the not-too-distant future.¡± ¡°Ha, oh, before I forget, and I¡¯m sure Jake didn¡¯t mention it, but the guild offers various courses for new adventures to help them get started, for a fee, of course. So when you get some coin from the more mundane requests, you can look into those.¡± ¡°Ah, no free lessons for the Guildmaster¡¯s daughter,¡± I ask with a playful pout. ¡°Just for that, I think I¡¯ll have them double the fee for you,¡± Dad says deadpan, only to ruin it a second later with a laugh that has the whole family joining in. ¡°So you¡¯re an adventure now?¡± my brother asks, finishing the sandwich Mom had made for us for lunch. ¡°Yep, I even have the card to prove it.¡± ¡°Really!¡± my brother exclaims excitedly. Can I see?¡± I look a question at Dad, who nods, so acting like I was pulling the card out of my pocket, I materialize the card from storage and hand it over. ¡°Rank F, isn¡¯t that the lowest rank, and what is this gray bar at the bottom?¡± Danial asks, examining the card. ¡°Everyone starts at Rank F, no expectations, at least that¡¯s what the guy who registered me said. As for the bar, I¡¯m not sure.¡± I say the last bit, looking at Dad, eyebrow quirked in question. ¡°The bar shows your progress to the next rank; it¡¯ll fill as you complete requests,¡± Dad explains. ¡°However, you must still go to a Guildhall to rank up.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± I say with a nod, grabbing the card back from my brother and putting it back in my pocket, where I have it vanish back into storage. Then, turn to my parents, ¡°Anyway, I was thinking that, after lessons tomorrow, I would head over to the Guild to see what Requests are available.¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable,¡± Mom says. ¡°Just remember, even though the system has given you your class, you still have much to learn before you reach your majority in eight years.¡± ¡°I will warn you,¡± Dad adds, ¡°that most of the higher reward requests are usually snapped up early in the morning.¡± ¡°I kind of figured that,¡± I comment. ¡°However, as I understand it, the lowest point reward that a request can give is one point. This means I only have to complete, on average, thirteen requests yearly for the next eight years to reach the rank-up requirement. And with Guild Points resetting after rank up, there¡¯s no point in doing more requests besides the coin and experience.¡± ¡°True,¡± Dad agrees, ¡°at least for Rank F. Rank D and onward, it¡¯s not so bad. Plus, when you¡¯re starting out, you¡¯ll need all the money and experience you can get, so it all works out.¡± Chapter 6 It wasn¡¯t until a little after noon that I could get to the Guildhall to see the available requests. The first thing I noticed when I entered was that the place was almost deserted. Only a handful of adventurers were milling around, mainly near the bar area off the side, with only one bored-looking guild employee behind the desk. I went to the Rank F board to see what was available. Gem comments as I look over the requests that were left. I murmur in confusion at the unfamiliar word before shaking myself and answering I replied, pulling the request from the board. Looking closer at the sheet, I noticed weird vertical black bars with varying widths in the upper right corner and the unnaturally blocky way the text was written; it almost looked like the letters used by the system. < That''s it!> Gem declares. I sent hesitantly, unsure what I was getting myself into, as I walked to the reception desk. The bored-looking employee behind the desk perks up, seeing me approach. ¡°Good Afternoon, Miss; what can I help you with today.¡± The receptionist asked. ¡°Um, I¡¯d like to take this request,¡± I say, laying the request sheet on the desk. ¡°Your first time?¡± the receptionist asked, which got a nod from me, ¡°In that case, can I see your Guild Card?¡± I hand it over, and she places it on a crystal square embedded into the counter. Taking a device from below the counter, she held it over those weird black bars until the object emitted a soft beep. ¡°There we go. The request has been registered with your card. When you¡¯ve completed it, go to the redemption desk, and whoever is there will confirm it and mark it complete.¡± Gem comments with a laugh, and it could have been my imagination, but that laugh sounded slightly maniacal. I decided not to question it. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, retrieving my Guild Card from the receptionist. ~ ~ ~ With the large stone wall englobing the town, there were only two exits. One was to the west, near the merchant area, and the other was in the north, where most of the town''s population lived. Since the northern gate gave the easiest access to the forest, I made my way there. It also had the advantage of being less busy than the west gate. Both gates were similarly constructed with large, heavy wooden doors at either side of the almost twenty-foot tunnel. During the day, both doors were wide open. Only the outer gate was closed at night more to keep the monsters that roomed the forest out than anything. ¡°Malissa,¡± one of the guards on duty shouted, waving me over not even a minute after I got into the short queue heading out of town. ¡°I thought that was you, going out on your first request?¡± the guard added when I got closer. ¡°Ya, Marcus,¡± I answer, recognizing the guard as Dad''s long-time friend and captain of the town¡¯s Guard. ¡°Go on through; your father mentioned you might be heading to the forest at some point today.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Um, don¡¯t you need to see my Guild Card or something?¡± I ask, a little taken aback. ¡°We only check identification on the way out to ensure criminals or anyone on the watch list don¡¯t try to leave town. With my authority and as you¡¯re the daughter of the Adventurer¡¯s Guildmaster and the Crafting Guildmistress, I think we can let you through without all that hassle. However, you¡¯ll have to show your Guild Card when you try to get back in. There''s no way around that, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Marcus says. ¡°Oh, um, thanks,¡± I say, unsure how to react. This was the first time I had been given blatant special treatment because of who my parents were. Growing up, my brother and I had it drilled into our heads that just because our parents ran the local branches of two of the four largest guilds on the continent didn¡¯t mean we were entitled to anything. If we wanted something, we had to work for it. Giving myself a mental shake, I made my way to the gate. Once inside the dimly lit tunnel, I noticed small rectangular holes close to the ceiling. Gem answers my unasked question. was all I sent as I stepped out the other end of the tunnel, squinting in the midday sun. The queue to enter the town wasn¡¯t all that large on this side. Probably due to all the foresters and adventurers still being out in the forest. Other than the size of the line, I paid little attention to it, instead following the well-trodden little footpath that led deeper into the forest. While the forest could be dangerous, especially the deeper parts, adventurers regularly cull the monster populations around the town, making the area where Millburn usually grows relatively safe. Relativity safe was not the same as safe, as Dad would always say, so I was still on the lookout for danger as I made my way deeper into the forest. Before leaving for the guild hall, I had put on the armor Dad had given me and, using the configuration menu of the short sword, changed it to a hunting knife, which I was more comfortable with. Dad had lectured my brother and me at length that any weapon was just as dangerous to an untrained wielder as any potential attacker. It wasn¡¯t long before I came to one of the clearings where Millburn was known to grow. After searching for about half an hour, I found a sizable patch near a thicket of bushes on the northern edge. I pulled the empty basket mom gave me before heading to the Guild from storage and began filling it. ¡°Well, that was easy,¡± I say, storing the now full basket in storage. Gem commented, and as if her words summoned it, a growl emanated from the bush. Backing slowly from the bush, I pull my knife from the little sheath on my belt. As I do so, three wolves enter the clearing, snarling¡ªone in the center, with the other two flanking a few steps behind. Even if I had remembered to use Identity on the wolves, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered as I didn¡¯t have the time; almost immediately after emerging, the center wolf lunges at me. I barely managed to sidestep the lunging wolf, and as it flew by on some instinct I never knew about, I plunged my knife into the wolf''s side, letting its momentum do the work of slicing open its side. At that moment, I realized the knife¡¯s edge was unnaturally sharp, and I felt almost no resistance as the wolf gutted itself. Congratulations, For defeating Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded. For defeating your first Wolf, 10 XP has been awarded. I didn¡¯t even have time to pay attention to the message as both wolves, seeing that their fellow had been killed, with a snarl, lunged simultaneously at me. I could barely dodge in time, let alone try to strike one of the wolves. By the time I had got some distance from the two wolves and could focus, the message had already disappeared. My heart was pounding as adrenaline pumped through my veins. A plan formed quickly in my mind; I knew I had to finish this soon as my inexperience was a detriment in a prolonged fight. As I searched the edge of the clearing, the wolves watched me wearily with low growls. One grew tired of waiting for me to attack and lunged at me. Fortunately, there was enough distance between me and the wolf this time that I had time to think and plan my attack. As the wolf neared, it leaped into the air, clearly going for the jugular, but I ducked down under it and slammed my knife home into its belly, its momentum allowing me to cut it open, spilling its blood and guts onto me and the clearing floor. Congratulations, For defeating Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded. Wiping the blood that now covered my face, as well as the rest of me, I felt sharp teeth sink into my calf; the second wolf had used the destruction created by its fellow to get in close. I let out an ear-splitting scream as the pain was overwhelming. On the brink of passing out from the pain and using the little energy I had left, I twisted around and drove my hunting knife into the wolf''s eye to the hilt. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but as the light left the wolf¡¯s other eye, its jaw loosened, and I could tear my leg free from the beast¡¯s mouth. Congratulations! For defeating Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded. I fell to my knees, the knife I had been holding with a white knuckle grasp falling to the ground. I was panting heavily, but one thought kept playing through my mind: I was alive. Chapter 7 Gem says gently, breaking me partially from my shock. Shaking myself, I looked around the clearing at the carnage. What was once a beautiful grassy meadow encircled by large trees was now soaked in blood and gore. Gem adds. My body was working on autopilot, moving gingerly about the clearing to each fallen wolf and confirming the loot message. A bright light engulfed each wolf in turn; as the light faded, all that was left was the wolf pelt in two instances and teeth and claws in the other. All three wolves had a few copper coins thrown into the mix as well. I gathered the loot into my storage space and slowly hobbled to the river; about halfway there, I found a long stick to support my weight to take some pressure off my injured leg. Gem was mercifully quiet, only giving me directions gently, allowing me time to process everything that had happened. When I reached the river, which was thankfully clear of animals and monsters, I stripped off my armor and clothes and waded into the water. Getting the wound on my leg as clean as I could, I pulled the extra shirt I had stuck into storage and wrapped it tightly around the wound to hopefully steam some of the blood loss until I could get back to town and have a healer look at it. With that done, I set about cleaning the rest of my clothes and armor as best I could, as well as the knife that had saved my life. The time I spent cleaning allowed me to finally come to terms with everything that had happened, or at least some of it. I was sure I was going to have nightmares for the next few nights, at any rate. Something was also niggling at the back of my mind. Something I had and probably the rest of the world had just taken for granted. ¡°Gem,¡± I asked, ¡°Why can we loot animals just like we can monsters?¡± Gem responded. ¡°How is that possible? I was always taught that animals were mindless beasts who operated on instinct and had no special skills or abilities, unlike monsters, which could have those. Like those wolves, they only had their natural abilities and instincts with which to attack. Gem said as I started to put my clothes and armor back on. They were still wet from the washing, but it was a short trek back to town, so it shouldn¡¯t matter. ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I say. But that raises another question: How does the loot system actually work?¡± I could almost tell by how Gem answered my questions that she was trying to get my mind off what happened. ¡°I think I get it in a general sense, if not the details,¡± I say; by this time, I had started limping my way back to the footpath and, ultimately, town. ¡°Okay,¡± I respond, unsure what I was getting myself into. But I knew it was going to be interesting. Having known Gem for only a short time, one thing was becoming quite evident: she just wanted someone to talk to, and she was doing everything she could to make sure I survived, not that she¡¯d found someone. ~ ~ ~ After what felt like hours but was probably only half an hour, I limped out of the forest onto the main road leading to the North Gate. It wasn¡¯t long until a guard noticed me and motioned at another guard, and a few moments later, that guard and another figure in a robe made their way over to me. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡± The guard asked. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, man,¡± the other figure said; now that the two were closer, it was clear the figure in the robe was a woman, and she was wearing the robes of a member of the Mage¡¯s guild. I knew the colors of the robe denoted the rank of a member, but I had never really paid attention, so I wasn¡¯t sure what rank the woman¡¯s blue robe signified. ¡°Of course, she''s not okay.¡± I instinctively took a step back when the woman tried to step closer. Clearly, I wasn¡¯t as over the fight as I thought I was. ¡°it''s okay. I¡¯m a healer.¡± the woman assured me in a kind and gentle voice, ¡°I just want to take a look at your leg. Is that okay?¡± I hesitate a moment before nodding. As the woman kneels down to unwrap my makeshift bandage, I hear the guard take a sharp breath as the wound becomes fully visible. ¡°What happened?¡± the guard asks. ¡°I had just finished picking Millburn for a Request from the Adventures Guild,¡± I say, trying not to pay attention to what the woman was doing. ¡°when three wolves appeared out of the forest. I was able to kill them, but the third was able to get its teeth into my leg before I could kill it. After the fight, I was able to find a river and cleaned and bandaged the wound the best I could before making my way back to town.¡± ¡°Well, there you go,¡± the woman said, ¡°all healed up.¡± I realized she was right; the constant pain that I had grown accustomed to over the last hour or so was gone. ¡°And you can put in your report that it is my expert opinion that the injury was consistent with bite marks,¡± the woman added to the guard. The guard raised his hand in a defeated gesture. ¡°Fine, fine. Anyway, what''s the name I should put on the report?¡± ¡°Malissa Cobbler,¡± I say on reflex, and I notice both of their eyes go wide. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be Guildmaster William and Guildmistress Cassandra¡¯s daughter?¡± the guard asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I say, ¡°why?¡± The guard groaned, ¡°The captain¡¯s going to want to hear about this. She¡¯s in no danger from her injuries,¡± the last part was directed at the woman. ¡°No,¡± the woman responds, then turns to me, ¡°but I suggest you take it easy for the next few days. Healing only speeds up your body''s natural repair ability, so you still need to spend time recuperating, and you should have something to eat when you get home.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I say, ¡°am I good to go now? I would really like to turn in the request before I head home.¡± The guard stares at me like I¡¯m crazy before sighing, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sure the captain will be able to contact you if there¡¯s anything else.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I say to the guard, and I start to move around them before pausing and turning to the woman. ¡°How much do I owe you for the healing?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± the guard cuts in, ¡°the Guard will cover the cost.¡± ¡°Oh, Thank you,¡± I say, resuming my way to the gate. ~ ~ ~ Before I entered the Guildhall, I found an empty area where I stealthily pulled the basket of herbs from my storage and the pelts and other loot from the wolves. I entered the Guildhall. It was slightly busier than earlier, but it was still not as busy as when I came with Dad. I went to the redemption desk and got into the small line. It was only a few minutes before it was my turn. ¡°What can we do for you today, Ma¡¯am?¡± the guy behind the desk asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to turn in a request as well as some loot.¡± ¡°Very good. Can I see your guild card?¡± the guy asked. I handed it over, and he placed it on a small crystal-like square embedded into the desk, similar to the one the receptionist had used earlier. ¡°Looks like you have an open request to gather Millburn. Is that the request you¡¯d like to turn in?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I see the herbs?¡± he asked, and I handed him the basket. ¡°Quality looks good,¡± he said after examining them. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll mark the quest as complete. The reward is ten copper and one guild point. Do you have an account with us, or do you want the reward in coins?¡± ¡°Coins,¡± I say. ¡°You said you also had some loot to sell. Can I see them as well?¡± I had over the pelt, teeth, and claws. ¡°Two standard wolf pelts. I can give you seven copper for both. Four standard wolf teath and two standard wolf claws, I can give you six copper for the lot. For a total of thirteen copper. I assume you¡¯d like this in coin as well.¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Okay, give me a second. I need to go into the back to get the coins. Here is your guild card back.¡± The guys said, handing me the card before disappearing into the back of the Guildhall, only to return a few moments later with one silver, three copper coins, and a sheet of paper. ¡°Here you are, ma¡¯am. I just need you to sign this indicating that you received your thirteen coppers in the form of one silver and three coppers.¡± I did as asked, and the guy smiled and said, ¡°Enjoy the rest of your day.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, dropping the coins into my pocket, where they fashioned into my storage space. Letting out a sign, I exited the guild with a grin. Thirteen copper plus the seven copper that had dropped as loot, I now had twenty copper to my name. The most money I¡¯ve ever had in my life. But then I remembered that the new adventurer training classes were five silvers per class. It was going to take some time to get the money necessary, for one thing I was sure was that I couldn¡¯t count on the windfall I had gotten today to continue. Gem comments. I was about to retort but realized, to some extent, Gem was right. The whole economy was based on the coins that were dropped when monsters were looted. I finally say as I make my way home. Ready to get out of these still-damp clothes. Chapter 8 ¡°Skills? What are they?¡± the imposing figure in the center of the room asked. He was a towering presence, his height accentuated by his broad shoulders and muscular frame, a testament to his survival in a harsh world. His face, weathered by countless battles, bore a nasty scar that covered his left eye, a mark of his past. Despite the scar, or perhaps because of it, his face was set in a permanent scowl, giving him a no-nonsense air. Which, I thought, is probably a good thing if he has to deal with newbie adventurers every day. It had been a little over a week since my fight with the wolves, and I had finally saved up enough coins for the Introduction to Weapons Skills class. It was being held in one of the training arenas that the guild had, which allowed members to come and spar and hone their skills outside of battle. Thankfully, the rest of the requests had been fairly routine, and not a single animal or monster had been sighted. However, that hadn''t stopped Mom and Dad from worrying whenever I went out after hearing about my run-in with the wolves. Predictably, Daniel had the opposite reaction, pestering me with questions about the fight and being a nuisance. I still had the occasional nightmare, but having talked with Gem about it, I was starting to get over any lingering after-effects of my first fight. Apparently, Katherine had thought adding a counselor subfunction to her programming would be a good idea. Neither Gem nor I could figure out why since, as far as her creators were concerned, no one on the planet would ever know Gem existed, but I was grateful nonetheless as, with its help, I had been working through some issues I didn¡¯t even know I had. ¡°Well, since no one seems to want to answer,¡± the man said, breaking me from my thoughts to refocus on the present. Why don¡¯t I pick someone? How about you, Ms. Cobbler? I''m sure the daughter of our esteemed Guildmaster can answer such a simple question.¡± Gem commented. I acknowledge. Before I could answer, a window appeared in my vision with the technical documentation for the skills subsystem. Gem says, and I mentally send her a grateful smile. Over the last week, Gem had started teaching me how the various processes that made up the System worked, and I could now read, if barely, the technical documentation for some of them. Most of it was still incomprehensible gibberish to me. Still, I was encouraged by the fact I was slowly able to understand more of it as Gem imparted the knowledge her creators had assumed anyone reading the documents would have. ¡°Skills at their core are the system¡¯s way of rewarding hard work and accomplishments; they are also how magic users can have their spell interact with the world around them,¡± I answer. ¡°Skills can be broken down into two main categories: physical and magical. Physical skills are like the Weapons Skills we¡¯ll learn in this class and can be unlocked through practice or spending skill points. Magical skills, like Fireball or Ice Spike, on the other hand, can only be unlocked by skill points. If a skill is unlocked using skill points, the necessary information to use that skill is implanted into your mind by the system.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± the man said, and for a heartbeat, I appeared as if his scowl deepened, ¡°would anyone else care to elaborate on what Ms. Cobbler said.¡± Stolen novel; please report. As I was having this short interaction with Gem, a boy only a couple of years older than me raised his hand. ¡°Mr. Mason,¡± the man said, ¡°you wish to add something?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir, while what Ms. Cobbler said is the generally accepted theory about skills, it has long been believed by members of the Mage¡¯s Guild that there is a mental component to how skill interacts with the world around us. How else can mages and even fighter types create new skills?¡± I couldn''t help it and let out a little snort of laughter, and unfortunately, our instructor heard it. ¡°You have something to add, Ms. Cobbler?¡± ¡°Of course, the system has a mental component. I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s a debated topic at all. We know the system can adapt to cultural and societal changes. The system we use today isn''t like the system our ancestors used a century ago. Conversely, the skills that were commonplace back then are but a distant memory today. Mages and Weaponmasters have created new skills that have supplanted older skills. More importantly, how do you think the system gives you your first class during the initiation ceremony? Sure, it looks at all the skills and accomplishments you¡¯ve gained over the first ten years of your life, but that can only give it a list of possible classes. It needs to figure out from that list what class would suit you best; to do that, it evaluates your mental compatibility for each class and gives you the one that best fits. For instance, someone who tends to sneak around would better fit a Rouge class than a Knight class.¡± Everyone in the room was staring at me as if I had grown a second head, and I could hear Gem laughing her digital ass off in the back of my mind. she says, still chuckling. was my intelligent response. I say before turning back to the knight and trying to deflect by saying, ¡°Anyway, I assume you had a point in asking what skills are?¡± ¡°Right,¡± the man said, giving himself a little shake. ¡°As Ms. Cobbler mentioned, skills can be divided into two major categories: physical and magical. The general rule of thumb is always to try to train a physical skill and save skill points for purchasing magical skills. The system also breaks skills down into passive and active skills. Passive skills are any skills that work without you interacting with them. Take Detect Enemies, for example; at low levels, it will always detect things with hostile intent about a meter around you. On the other hand, active skills have to be interacted with. For example, Slash allows you to bring a sword down quickly and deal damage to an opponent. The nice thing is that the system can detect your intent and initiate the active skill without you going into your menu. ¡°The downside is that the system only allows you to have ten active skills accessible at any given time, so you will have to figure out your fighting styles and pick skills that best complement them. Oh, and just so you know, if you want to swap out a skill, all the progress you have on that skill will be lost. As for passive skills, for some reason, the system doesn''t limit how many you can have, so if you can get the same effect with a passive skill, it¡¯s always preferable and doesn¡¯t take up an active skill slot that can be used for something else. ¡°This brings us to why you are taking this course. Like most courses taught by the Adenturer¡¯s guild, we don¡¯t try to dictate how you should fight; if you want that, join the guard or army; we focus on giving you a firm foundation to build your style. To that end, we will start you down the road to some basic weapons skills, and when everyone has earned at least two of them, we¡¯ll go over to the local dungeon so you all get some experience fighting monsters. ¡°Any Questions?¡± No one raises their hand. ¡°All right, spread out, and my assistants and I will start you on the road to getting your first weapons skill.¡± Chapter 9 ¡°Alright, you lot, here we are,¡± Andrew, the Knight in charge of the weapon skills class, said as our little group came upon a cave about an hour''s walk east of town. ¡°Before one of you asks, yes, this is the dungeon. Most dungeon entrances aren''t extraordinary structures like the one in the capital; they are just unassuming caves or mounds that most adventurers wouldn¡¯t give a second look at. That is one of the reasons the guild pays handsomely when a new one is found. ¡°For our little foray into this dungeon, we¡¯ll be sticking to the first level, which only has monsters ranging from level one to three. The objective today is to gain experience fighting with your new weapon skills. My assistants and I will be patrolling the floor, so in the unlikely chance you do get in over your head, we can pull you out.¡± He paused for a few seconds as if expecting one of us to ask a question. When no one did he said, ¡°well enough talking, let get to it.¡± Gem says as I wait for the rest of the class to follow the instructor into the cave, I said as I followed a few steps behind the last person in class. Gem began. I finish for her. Gem responded. I comment with the best mental equivalent of a blank look. Gem responds, I did as Gem instructed, and two panels appeared, one black with a blinking white line at the bottom left, and the other appeared below the first at a slight angle with a bunch of smaller boxes with letters or words inside them. I did and saw the white line move as each letter appeared on the black screen. I did, and the blinking white line moved, but this time, no letter appeared where it had been. I did; it looked funny. Still, I was sure there was a reason for it, even if I didn¡¯t know what that reason was. I did, and the two parallel lines appeared on the black screen. I did; now the black screen showed ¡°set friendorfoe=foe.¡± I did, and the only thing that happened was that everything moved up a little, and the blinking white line now showed back where it started. When I said this, Gem responded with The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, I was stopped from saying anything by a deep masculine voice as I stepped off the last step Gem retorted in a way that, if I didn¡¯t know any better, would have seemed almost unconscious while at the same time, I sent I commented to Gem. Gem responded with a chuckle. I ask. With that cheery thought, I focused on my first dungeon room. In a word, it was unimpressive; the steps had ended in a semicircular room with seven exits, not including the stairs. The walls were made up of some gray stone, and the only light was the dim glow of torches scattered around the room. The rest of the class was milling about, looking around. ¡°Looks like everyone¡¯s down,¡± the knight said, getting our attention. ¡°We are in a safe zone, meaning no monsters should attack you here. As a general rule, dungeons put safe zones right after the stairs leading down from higher levels, but some of the dungeons with larger floors will have a couple of safe zones throughout the floor. With that being said, most dungeons will have unwritten rules on how delvers should behave, and if you or your team break them, not even a safe zone will be able to save you from the dungeon''s wrath. On the bright side, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild has spent a lot of time and resources figuring out what those rules are and has pamphlets for sale at all the branches for the local dungeons. Anyway, the rules for this Dungeon are pretty simple. You and your group will be okay if you don¡¯t attack one of the monster breeding grounds and don''t cause excessive damage. ¡°Another thing I should mention before you all get going is that most dungeons'' layout changes randomly, making mapping them difficult. However, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild periodically requests that those adventurers with the Cartographer skill map local dungeons, which the guild sells. However, the guild only guarantees their accuracy as of the last time the dungeon was mapped. So I would suggest if you are planning to delve into a new dungeon that, in addition to getting the latest map, you should also speak to other adventures that have delved into it recently to make sure there haven¡¯t been any significant changes. ¡°With that out of the way, the first level is set up like a maze of rooms, each with its own set of challenges, from monsters to traps. Behind me, you will see seven entrances, and just so you know, it doesn¡¯t really matter which one you choose, as they all end up at the floor boss and, ultimately, the stairs down to the next level. The only difference is that some entrances have shorter paths than others. To make things more interesting, the Dungeon likes to change up which entrances have the shortest path almost daily. ¡°I assume you all have figured out how to use the timekeeping function of the system, so I want you back here by seventeen hundred, which should give you all a good nine hours to explore and gain experience.¡± When none moved, the Kight added, ¡°well what are you all waiting for, an engraved invitation, get to it.¡± Choosing one of the entrances on the far side of the room, far away from the rest of the class, who had broken into two groups of three, I walk into the pitch darkness. Almost as soon as my foot touches the stone of the hallway, a flashing icon in the upper right-hand corner of my vision appears. Focusing on it, the icon expands into what I can only assume is a map of the dungeon. To the right of the map, numbers ranging from one to five can be seen, with the number one highlighted. I could only assume the blinking red dot near the top indicated my position on the floor. I comment to Gem resignedly, Gem confirms, then adds cheerfully. Chapter 10 The first room I encountered was a large box with touches providing only dim light. That was quickly becoming a theme for this level. Only one exit could be seen on the far side of the room. Not sure what to expect, I moved cautiously into the room, unsheathing my sword. Halfway through the room, I heard the unmistakable chittering of rats, the noise bouncing off the small room''s walls, obscuring their actual location. I quickly looked around and realized my mistake; the rats had used the dim lighting to sound me. Taking a calming breath, I readied my sword; if I had counted the gleaming eyes correctly, there were twelve rats. Nothing I couldn¡¯t handle, I thought to myself, continuing to eye the rats, waiting for one of them to make a move. Besides the gleaming amber eyes, the only thing I could make out was their size; they were larger than any rat I¡¯d seen in town. One of the rats must have gotten tired of waiting because it lunged. Waiting a few seconds for the perfect time, I activated Slash and brought the blade of my sword down on its neck, bending it. Congratulations, For defeating Rat, Level 1, 1 XP has been awarded. For defeating your first Rat, 2 XP has been awarded. Three more rats lunged at me as if that first rat was the signal. Thankfully, I could easily dodge them with Evade and even stab one, killing it instantly. After that, things became a blur of rats and blood as I fought the remaining ten. After what felt like an eternity but was only a few minutes, I stood panting, leaning against my sword, looking at the carnage around me. Gem comments in the still air, and I send her a glare as I pull my sword from the ground and clean off the dirt and gore with a cloth I had taken from my storage before reciting it. I respond as I confirm that I want to loot the rat. Gem said after a few seconds, then I could almost feel the smile as she added, I ask. I responded, moving around to each rat and looting it. Not just because I would finally have a reprieve from the monotony of looting each kill individually but also because the more I learned about the system, the more interesting it became. I can''t help but chuckle and shake my head at Gem''s enthusiasm as I loot the last of the rats. In all, I had gained seven Rat Pelts, two Rat Tails, three Rat Claws, and ten copper coins. I ask, laughing as I step out of the room. Gem says with mock outrage I say with a chuckle as I continue through the dungeon. ~ ~ ~ By the time I met up with the rest of the class at the dungeon''s entrance, I had reached level two and gained three skill points I wasn¡¯t sure what to spend on. I had learned two things on this delve; one, I probably picked the longest path to the floor boss because, by the time I had reached the point where I had to turn around, I was only halfway there, at least if the dungeon map was anything to go by. The second was that a cleared room was not guaranteed to stay clear. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Gem comments I respond, taken off guard by Gem''s comment. I answer with a mental shrug. Curious about what Gem was talking about, I finally opened the Skill Shop, and it did everything I could do not to have my surprise show on my face.
Name Description Type Attributes Cost
Air Blast Unleashes a concentrated gust of wind. Dealing moderate damage to enemies within its cone of influence Magical ¨C Active Cost 20 Mana Cooldown: 10 seconds 2 Skill Points Free
Barrier Create an invisible shield in one direction that blocks both magical and physical. Magical ¨C Active Cost 30 Mana Cooldown: 30 Seconds Length: 3 Seconds Direction: Unidirectional 5 Skill Points Free
Block Raises a shield or weapon to reduce incoming damage. Physical ¨C Active 3 Skill Points Free
Heal Provide healing to an injured person. The amount of healing is tied to the level. Magical ¨C Active Cost Depends on Injury Injury Type: Minor Injuries 5 Skill Points Free
Click here to view more skills¡­
I say in disbelief. Gem says with a slight laugh. Gem concedes, I said as something occurred to me, I don¡¯t know how long I just stood there dumbfounded by that revelation. I know Gem and I have joked about how my class is broken, but I don¡¯t think it truly sank in how broken it was. I was broken out of my stupor when the instructor called all of us over. ¡°Looks like everyone made it back in one piece,¡± the instructor said when all seven of us had gathered around him and his assistants. ¡°I hope you all learned something. With this, once we get back to town, this Introduction to Weapons Skills class will be over. With that being said, as your instructor, my last piece of advice to you all is that when we get back to town, head over to the Guildhall and cash in any loot you managed to get. Of course, for the two groups, it¡¯s up to them how they want to divide up the rewards. That¡¯s one of the perks of delving solo; you get to keep everything you find, but it also comes with more risk, as you won''t have anyone to back you up if you run into trouble.¡± With that chery remark, the instructor motioned us to head back up the stairs and start our trek back to town. Chapter 11 Congratulations, For defeating Ice Wolf, Level 15, 87 XP has been awarded. For defeating your first Ice Wolf, 174 XP has been awarded. For defeating your first Dungeon Boss, 50 XP has been awarded. Congratulations, You have reached Level 15. Two skill points have been awarded. For defeating your first Dungeon, 50 XP has been awarded. I watch the combat log scroll by, leaning against my sword, still stuck into the corpse of the ice wolf guarding the end of the dungeon, trying to catch my breath. It had been one of the longest fights I had experienced in the last eight years of delving into the dungeon north of Forestend. This was the culmination of all the hard work I had done. Most people would think it crazy, taking eight years to beat a simple level five dungeon, and usually, those hypothetical people would be right. After all, it usually took new Adventures about a year, maybe two, to complete such a low-level dungeon, depending on how often they delved and whether or not they delved in a group. Dungeon levels were synonymous with how many floors they had, and generally, the lower the number, the weaker the monsters. That time estimate for a typical adventurer didn¡¯t consider my unique relationship with this particular dungeon. One of the perks of my admittedly broken class was the ability to interact with the unseen forces that made up the System. One of those forces is the intelligence that controls the multitude of dungeons around the world. Over the last eight years, the Doungon Intelligence that controlled this dragon and I have worked together to turn this dragon into the perfect training ground. The one thing that became obvious when working with Doungon Intelligence, or DI, as I had come to call them, was that they didn¡¯t have the capacity for creativity. They could build dungeons, but it was more akin to a child building a structure out of wooden blocks. That child doesn''t know how to create a new block. All it knows is how to put the existing ones together. The same concept applies to the DIs; they have pre-defined building blocks of a dungeon but don¡¯t know how to create new ones. Fortunately, this DI had me to help out with the creativity, and he¡¯d used those new Dougeon blocks to create some nasty surprises. Of course, most of the changes are hidden away in secret passages in ways that normal delvers couldn¡¯t find without actively searching for them. The DI had plans to incorporate most of the challenges we¡¯d come up with over the years into the main dungeon, and I was a little sad I wasn¡¯t going to be able to see the delver¡¯s reaction to some of them. If those reactions were anything like the first time I had deployed a new feature to the system, it would be hilarious. Just thinking about it had me chuckling even now. Gem and I had decided to forgo an announcement and just deploy the change to how the Looting Subsystem worked, which mainly enabled the ability to mass loot the corpses of monsters in a base 1-meter radius around the person. Because I had finished the update well before Gem had predicted¡ªI had a knack for understanding how the system worked, apparently¡ªGem had decided to bring lessons about how the Ability Stats Subsystem worked. The five base Ability Stats were Health, Strength, Dexterity, Perception, and Charisma. There were a few others, but none had any true implementation in the System. The unique thing about Ability Stats was that, unlike almost everything else in the System, they couldn¡¯t be artificially upgraded; you had to work on them. For instance, if you wanted to raise your strength Stat, you¡¯d have to do strength training, while Health could be affected by what you eat and your lifestyle. The subsystem in charge of the Ability Stats was magnificently complex, and even after eight years, I wasn''t sure if I understood it completely. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Of course, all that to say, having learned how the Ability Subsystem worked, I had decided to tie the max radius a person could loot to their Perception Stat; for each point in Perception point, 1 meter would be added to the base radius, up to a max of ten meters. All there was left to do was release it into the wild and wait for someone to figure it out. To that end, on the day Gem and I decided to release the update, I found a nice spot in the Adventurer¡¯s Guildhall around mid-day, figuring that was when most adventures would make it back from the forest, and waited. I did not have to wait long until a small four-person group returned from a monster extermination request, talking about how ¡°that new looting option let them clean up after the kills so much faster.¡± When other adventures heard them talking about it, it didn¡¯t take long for a commotion to happen to the point it had both Dad and the Assitant Guildmaster, a woman I still haven''t met, come out of their offices to see what all the fuss was about. Of course, the one downside to the whole thing was at dinner that night; I had to act like I did know about it as Dad told us about it. Shaking myself from memory and pull my sword from the wolf¡¯s corpse. I say out loud since no one was around to hear me, ¡°Okay, let''s see what this new Sixth Floor has in store, Dungy.¡± Dungy responded as a section of the back wall fell away to reveal a set of stairs. he added, and if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would have sworn there was a smugness to his voice. The Reward Chest was a unique item to the boss room of any dungeon; on top of the loot gained from the boss, the dungeon would also create a chest with random loot, usually better versions of other loot found throughout the dungeon, but there were times when rare items would spawn. Of course, looking at the actual system that controlled the Reward Chest had demystified the entire process, and while the DI did have some control over what was spawned, it was mostly just up to random chance. Pushing the lid of the chest open, I stood there in silence. I¡¯m sure my jaw would have been on the floor if it could have. The shock wasn¡¯t so much the amount of loot¡ªthere were only two things in the chest. No, it was what those two items were: a small pile of gold coins and a disk-like object. I don¡¯t know how long I stood staring into the chest before Gem asked what was wrong. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± I ask no one, in particular, pointing to the disk. Dungy said, and this time, I was sure I heard the laughter in his mental voice, which shouldn¡¯t have been possible. By their very nature, Dungeon Intelligences didn¡¯t have the capacity to display emotions. But that was a problem for later, and more importantly, was the thing in the chest. As its name would imply, a Beast Taming Token allows the user to tame one beast: monster or animal. The only problem was that, like the Summoning Tokens, Beast Taming Tokens were rare, to the point that they usually sold for hundreds of platinum on the open market. I didn¡¯t even want to think about what they sold for in private and on the black market or, for that matter, what someone would be willing to do to get their hands on one. I looked furtively around the cave that was the boss room to ensure no one had entered. Rationally, I knew the cave entrance was blocked, and Dungy wouldn¡¯t open it until I had gone down to the sixth floor. But that didn¡¯t change the instinctive fight or flight reflex that suddenly came over me. I snatched up the token and made it disappear into storage, along with the five gold coins. Taking a deep breath to try and calm my racing heart, I take a few moments to marshal my thoughts. ¡°Dungy, as much as I appreciate the gift and don¡¯t deny it, I know the dungeon''s loot system almost as well as you and Gem; please don¡¯t do anything like that again. You nearly gave me a heart attack, and quite frankly, I wouldn''t be accepting it if I didn''t have access to storage space that is impossible for anyone to see the contents of.¡± Dungy said contritely ¡°And I appreciate that,¡± I responded. Now, then, let''s see this sixth floor. It''s not every day I can say I got to explore an unopen dungeon floor.¡± Chapter 12 ¡°So what¡¯s this I hear from your dad about you leaving Forestend and exploring the world?¡± Jake asked as I approached the reception desk. It was late in the day, and the sun was already setting by the time I returned to town and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Exploring the Sixth floor had taken a lot longer than I had thought it would. Where the fifth floor had been a series of interconnecting ice caves full of Frost Spiders and Ice Wolves, the sixth floor had been a desert. It was also the first open floor in the dungeon. Instead of rooms connected by short passageways like the other five floors, the sixth floor was one gigantic cavern with an artificial sky and sun. The monsters roamed the floor free and randomly, which went double for the floor boss, a massive worm that could burrow under the sand and attack delvers from below. Smaller versions of the boss, giant scorpions, and Burrowing Spiders could also be encountered. The only real problem I found was the floor boss. With it able to roam the floor as it pleased, there was the potential for unprepared adventurers to come across it and get seriously injured or, worse, killed. So, I suggested to Dungy that it be confined to a relatively large but still predictable area near the end of the floor. With this being the first roaming boss the dungeon had introduced, I thought it prudent to limit its movements to introduce the concept. Then, on later floors, the boss could have free reign of the floor, and it would be down to the adventure''s own stupidity if they got themselves killed. ¡°I mentioned to Mom and Dad that I was close to reaching level 15, the level I wanted to achieve before I set out and explored the wider world. Plus, I just finished the fifth floor, so I think it was an excellent time to head out.¡± ¡°Oh, is that why you''re back so late? It''s not like you; you''re usually back in town well before the sun starts to set.¡± ¡°Well, partially,¡± I said, hiding a smile. The real reason I¡¯m getting back so late is because when I defeated the floor boss on the fifth floor, the reward chest spawned like usual, but a set of stairs also appeared.¡± ¡°And being a typical adventurer, you decided to investigate,¡± Jake added before I could, causing me to smile in response and him to sigh. ¡°so I assume at the end of those stairs was a new floor?¡± ¡°Got it in one,¡± I laugh. ¡°and get this, it''s one gigantic caver, unlike any of the other floors, and it is basically a desert. Oh, and the Floor Boss is this giant worm thing that can burrow in the sand near the other end of the cavern.¡± ¡°Well, okay. Your dad already left for the day, so you can tell him when you get home, but for right now, I don¡¯t suppose you got any loot from the floor, so we know what we¡¯ll be getting.¡± ¡°Oh ya, I got something from all three monster types on the floor, well, except for the boss; obviously, it''s level eighteen, and I didn¡¯t feel like getting into a fight right after having killed the fifth floor¡¯s boss.¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± Jake said as I handed over the loot. After a few minutes to review everything, ¡°Well, the only new things are these Venom Sacks and Scorpian Tails. Not sure if we have anyone local who will buy them, so we may have to ship them off to the capital branch.¡± Jake mused, ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not my department. I¡¯ll give you a gold for the lot.¡± Jake looked up at me with a thoughtful look, ¡°You know, I should be surprised that you were the first to venture into a new floor, but I¡¯m not. That dungeon has been acting strangely ever since you started delving into it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you; I haven¡¯t done anything out of the ordinary, well, besides delving a little more than the average adventurer,¡± I say with a shrug. ¡°Hum,¡± Jake sounded unconvinced but let it go, ¡°well off with you. You had best tell your father that the dungeon has decided to open a new floor.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ~ ~ ~ ¡°Be with you in a moment,¡± a voice called from the back of the shop. The front of the shop was made up of rows of shelves with an assortment of armor ranging from simple leather to sturdy plates. Various weapons stood on display along the wall, from short daggers to mighty great swords. The Armory was probably, if not the, best place for Adventurers to get armor and weapons for reasonable prices. Oh, there were more impressive shops closer to the West Gate, but they were expensive, and while their merchandise might look impressive, it was also not something an experienced Adventurer would put her faith in. The Armory, on the other hand, was tucked away into an unassuming corner of the Crafter¡¯s District. Closer to the various blacksmiths and leatherworks setup operations. I smiled, seeing the young man coming from the back room. Daniel had matured in the last eight years. He still had some of his boyish fascination with adventure, but ever since the system had granted him the Merchant Class, he had found a true calling. Mom had tried to hide it, but I could see how relieved she¡¯d been that the System hadn¡¯t given him the Adventurer Class. Having married one, she knew what life was like and how dangerous it could be. I could also see the happiness when she realized that, like Dad and I, she now had someone to pass her own experience and knowledge to. Even though her class was more crafting-focused than merchant-focused, there was a lot of overlap between the classes in both categories. The chubbiness of youth had made way for a rugged handsomeness; his tussle of blonde hair, so like our moms, had darkened into a mop of brown with some blonde highlights hinting at its previous color. While my chestnut hair, which I¡¯d gotten from our father, had darkened to almost black after spending so much time in the dungeon. Our hair was cut short, only slightly above our shoulders. His eyes, the only feature we shared, were dark blue, brightening when he saw me. A simple, well-fitted tunic and leather pants finished his appearance. ¡°Mel,¡± My brother exclaimed, ¡°what are you doing here? Ever since Dad gave you that armor and sword, you never need an upgrade.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t a sister come visit her brother before setting out on a long adventure,¡± I say with a chuckle, ¡°and what can I say? Dad found an excellent piece of armor.¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you come through to the back? I¡¯ll get one of the other apprentices to mind the front.¡± ¡°Speaking of the Old Man,¡± I asked as I followed, ¡°how¡¯s he doing? I¡¯d heard he¡¯d fallen ill.¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing better, but the doctor still wants him to take it easy for the next few weeks, leaving me as a senior apprentice to run most of the operation.¡± ¡°I''m sure your Class is loving that,¡± I laugh. ¡°Ya, I leveled twice in the last week, and most of my skills have reached rank 4. Some of the younger apprentices are a little jealous, but there¡¯s really nothing I can do about it. You know how the System rewards more in stressful situations, and running a busy shop is probably the most stressful situation I can get myself in.¡± ¡°True,¡± I say with a slight nod. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know this, but I should at least say this. Let me know if you need my help, and I¡¯ll delay leaving. It''s not like I¡¯m on a schedule or anything; I can leave whenever I want.¡± ¡°I know, and that is one of the reasons I love you. But Sarah¡¯s been a big help. So you can head out on your world exploration with a clear conscience.¡± Daniel said. ¡°Oh, and are you going to make Sarah an honest woman finally,¡± I say with a wicked smile, and splashes of red appear on Daniel¡¯s tanned checks. While I might not be the best at social interactions, it was blindingly obvious to anyone with at least two brain cells to rub together that Daniel and Sarah had feelings for each other. Sarah Merchant was the daughter of The Amory¡¯s owner and Daniel''s master, Jacob Merchant. Neither my parents nor Jacab opposed the match; the problem was getting either of them to make a move. Oh, they¡¯d been on a few dates, but neither seemed to want to take that final step. Daniel took a small box out of his pocket, and the blush depended as he opened it; my jaw nearly dropped to the floor at seeing the ring. I watch as my body moves to pull Daniel into a bone-crushing hug on its own accord. ¡°When?¡± was all I could ask, letting him go, but Daniel seemed to understand. ¡°Tonight.¡± Daniel answered, ¡°I¡¯m taking Sarah to the nicest restaurant in town, and I was planning to propose afterward.¡± ¡°Ah, my baby brother is all grown up,¡± I say, wiping imaginary tears from my eyes, and Daniel punches my shoulder. ¡°Stop that, or I won''t invite you to the wedding,¡± he threatened, which had both of us laughing. ¡°Any what¡¯s this? I hear about you being the first to explore a new floor in the dungeon.¡± ¡°Well, I had just finished the boss of the fifth floor¡­¡± I begin regaling the same tale I¡¯d told my father and mother at dinner last night. Chapter 13 ¡°You¡¯re sure you have everything, honey?¡± Mom asked for what felt like the hundredth time, but it was only the fifth or sixth. ¡°Yes, Mom,¡± I say, trying hard to keep the exasperation out of my voice as I hug her. Dad, standing beside her, has an indulgent smile. Our small group, consisting of myself, my parents, my brother, his soon-to-be wife, and a few of the people I had come to know over the years, stood just off the main thrufare leading to the West Gate. ¡°Come on, Cass,¡± Dad said. Let''s not hog all her time; I¡¯m sure Mel would like to get on the road while there¡¯s still light.¡± While Mom scowled at him, I shot Dad a grateful smile and turned to my brother and Sarah. ¡°Remember to message me when you¡¯ve set a date,¡± I say to the happy couple as I hug them both in turn. ¡°We will,¡± Daniel responded. It''s not like you spent the last week showing us how to use the system to send messages so that we would be able to. How did you find that messaging feature anyway? I don¡¯t remember hearing anyone talk about it?¡± ¡°You know me,¡± I say with a strained smile. ¡°always pocking around the System trying to figure it out.¡± It wasn¡¯t a matter of finding the feature; it was more a matter of the feature, having been one of Gem¡¯s many projects that helped me learn the system''s inner workings. I was in two minds about how this feature had flown under most people''s radar. On one hand, I was frustrated that very few people were using a feature that had taken me almost a year to build and test. But on the other, I was also a little happy because the ability to communicate instantly over vast distances would have far-reaching consequences that I didn¡¯t even want to consider. Considering all the projects I had worked on and the features I had created over the last eight years, the Instant Messaging function was probably one of my most controversial ones. But it had been one of the handful of projects that had truly solidified my understanding of how all the System¡¯s Subsystems fit together. Plus, I wasn¡¯t really worried about someone finding out it was me who created it because that hypothetical someone would have to have access to the source code repositories, which was inexcusable without Admin access to the system. The only way someone would figure that out was if I or Gem told them, and that wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°You''re sure you¡¯ll be able to get back in time?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I¡¯m only going to Southport,¡± I say dismissively. It''s only a two-day trip on foot. So as long as you give me a few days'' notice, it should be fine,¡± I say, glaring at my brother. ¡°What?¡± I ask, faining ignorance. Before I could retort, Sarah said, ¡°Even I know you have a habit of leaving things to the last minute.¡± Turning to me, she added, ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to give you enough notice. Melissa.¡± ¡°Mel, please,¡± I say, ¡°We¡¯re going to be family. Plus, anyone who wants to marry my brother has to be a saint.¡± ¡°Ug,¡± my brother threw his hands up in disgust before heading over to where our parents were standing, muttering, " What¡¯s this world coming to when a man¡¯s betrothed and sister gang up on him?¡± which had me and Sarah laughing. As Sarah followed Daniel, I turned to the last member of my farewell committee. ¡°So, got any advice for me, Jake?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Just be yourself,¡± Jake said with a smile. ¡°I know it''s cliche, but you¡¯ve a good head on your shoulders, Mel. Just remember to use it, and you¡¯ll be all right. One thing I¡¯d recommend when you get to Southport is get a room at one of the inns. If it''s anything like it was when I traveled through there, the rooms go fast.¡± ¡°I will do,¡± I said, hugging him. Waving a final goodbye to everyone, I headed to the queue to exit the gate and start my adventure. ~ ~ ~ The sun was bright overhead, marking the first full day away from the only home I had known for the last eighteen years. The well-trodden road that linked Forestend to Southport skirted the Evergreen Forest. On one side was a dense wall of trees; on the other were plains with tall grass and a smattering of shrubs masquerading as trees. It would be, I thought, quite picturesque if it weren¡¯t for the Rouge trying to stay hidden in the tree line. Gem comments, having heard my thought. After all this time, it didn¡¯t even faze me when she did that. I send back, I give a mental shake of my head, not sure what else to say before adding Gem laughed as I carefully adjusted the sword hanging at my hip for better access in a way that hopefully wouldn¡¯t alert my stalker. < You¡¯re no fun,> I say, Gem chirped. I agree. I counter, A few minutes after entering the forest, I realized I had lost the rouge and could double back without him seeing me. Having converted my sword into a dagger, I crept silently to where the rouge had positioned himself. I had to admit he¡¯d picked a good spot; it gave him a good vantage point to see me come back to the road while still staying concealed within the tree line. I lunged at the Rouge in one fluid motion, bringing my dagger up to slice his corroded artery, spuing blood everywhere. Fortunately, the angle I had attacked from meant that the blood spatter was in the opposite direction. The cut was large enough that the man was probably dead before he even knew anything happened. Congratulations, For defeating Human Rouge, Level 10, 53 XP has been awarded. For defeating your first Human, 27 XP has been awarded. Gem said into the silence as I searched the corpse for any identification or any idea of the group he was with. Finding nothing, I let out a sign and let the system loot it; almost everything he had deposited itself neatly into my storage space. Along with the mass loot option, I updated the loot system to check if the user had the Dimensional Storage skill, and if so, it would deposit the loot into the storage space instead of onto the ground as it had been. I comment. Gem points out. . Chapter 14 It didn¡¯t take long for me to find the Rogue¡¯s friends. Actually, from the amount of noise they were making, finding them hadn¡¯t been all that hard. Of course, their camp was far enough from the road that they could make as much noise as they wanted, and no one would know they were there. As I crept closer, another thing became apparent: the group hadn¡¯t even set a watch. Whether it was confidence or arrogance, I couldn¡¯t tell, but it had allowed me to get close without being seen. Using the underbrush and trees for cover, I observed the camp. A half-dozen men were milling about. Two tents that could probably hold ten people each were set up around a fire pit. Three bandits were seated around the campfire, maintaining weapons and armor, while the other three were finishing a meal at a crude table. I didn¡¯t know if more people were in the tent, but I doubted there would be more than one or two. This group was already on the larger side than your typical bandit group. ¡°Where¡¯s Randle?¡± a burly, broad-shouldered Brawler asked as he came out of the largest of the tents, ¡°He should have checked in by now.¡± ¡°Not sure, boss,¡± another of the men, this one a Shadowblade, said. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s tracking a target and doesn¡¯t want to give his position away. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡± ¡°You might be right, Jason,¡± the group¡¯s apparent leader remarked. ¡°Let¡¯s give him another few minutes; if he¡¯s not back by then, I want you and Teo to go looking for him.¡± ¡°You got it, boss.¡± As I listened to this exchange, I carefully pulled my sword free and, with a quick command that had become almost second nature at this point, transformed it into something this world had never seen. The only reason I even knew it was possible to create one was because of an offhanded comment in the admin-only description of my sword and the extensive Archive the System maintained. It was something the System Creators had called a Gun, and the entire concept had fascinated me to the point that I had Dungy set aside a whole room for something called that had been called a firing range on the world the creators had come from. So I could practice with the various models described in the Archive. While the Assult Rifles had been fun, and the amount of ammo they could spew down range was remarkable, I had found an affinity for the smaller handguns, particularly the SIG Sauer and Glock. Now that I think about it, with the amount of underbrush and the terrain, I could have easily made myself a little snipper¡¯s nest if not for the small problem of sniper rifles being my weakest firearm in terms of skill for the simple fact there are very few places in a dungeon to train the skills needed. So I went with the old stand, what had been called a SIG Sauer M17, on the world the System¡¯s Creators had come from with a suppressor to help cut down on the noise. As I lined up my first shot, I took a deep breath and, as I exhaled, slowly pulled the trigger. The bullet flew true and impacted the bandit leader in the back of the head before penetrating and exiting from the front, spewing blood, bone, and brain matter over the three bandits sitting around the fire. Before any of the bandits could react, I had already lined up a shot for the next bandit and pulled the trigger. In all, it had taken only a few minutes, but all the bandits were down. The confusion on the bandit¡¯s side had been total, and with the sound of my fire suppressed, they couldn¡¯t even pinpoint where I was shooting from. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Gem comments into the ringing silence. As I crept into the camp, I transformed the gun back into a sword and slowly approached the tents to ensure no one else was inside them. The first tent had seven rough cots placed wherever they could fit, with any actual room being a little at the front near the flap. The second tent was palatial in comparison. A rough wood frame bed sat to one side while an equally rough-looking desk took up the other. Papers were strewn across the surface of the desk, along with an unlit oil lamp. I say, standing in the tent the leader had come out of, having already checked the other one. Gem asks as I ruffle through the papers on the rough desk that took up one side of the tent. < That¡¯s probably the understatement of the century,> Gem commented. I comment, stepping out of the leader¡¯s tent, not having found anything of interest and initiating the mass loot of the bandits adding the option to segregate all the stuff from the rest of my inventory. On the off chance, the Southport guard wanted to look at any of it. Giving myself a mental shake, I add, < I¡¯m not sure if I should point this out, but those sounded like famous last words.> Gem said. Chapter 15 The sun rose in the sky the following day as the walls of Southport came into view. The previous day, it had taken me a few hours to clean up the rest of the bandit''s camp and pack it all into my storage. So, what should have been a little over a two-day trip had turned into a three-day one. Like the one surrounding Forestend, I knew the wall had been built with massive blocks of stone, and Stone Crafters had merged those blocks into one enormous structure. The wall of Southport also extends into the water to fully encircle the city, creating a large enclosed bay that could only be accessed through a relatively small opening. Two large doors could just be seen on either side of the opening, which, I assume, in times of unrest, could be closed to prevent ships from entering the bay. One difference from Forestend was that only one gate led into the city from the land. Even at this early hour, a long line of people already wanted to enter the city. As I neared the city, I realized what I thought had been a single line was, in fact, two lines, one for wagons and carriages and another for those one foot, which was the one that I got into. Predictably, the one for foot traffic was moving faster than the one for wagons and carriages, so only an hour or so passed before I was the next in line. ¡°Name and reason for entering,¡± the bored-looking guard asked as it became my turn. ¡°Melissa Cobber, and to delve the local dungeons,¡± I say as the guard marks something on the paper before him. ¡°Length of stay,¡± came the bored reply. ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure, probably a few months,¡± I respond ¡°Very well, that will be three silver for the entrance fee.¡± The guard said. ¡°I was told this would allow me to bypass the entrance fee,¡± I asked, producing my guild card, and the first real emotion appeared on the guard''s face when he saw it: disappointment. So, I thought with a mental snort as I realized what was going on, he¡¯d planned to overcharge me for the entrance fee and pocket the difference, thinking I was an easy mark. ¡°You''re free to enter,¡± the guard said, then shouted behind me. ¡°Next.¡± Realizing it wasn¡¯t worth it to make a big deal, I headed into the city. Like Forestend, the wall was almost twenty feet thick, with a long tunnel and large, heavy wooden gates at each end. However, where in Forestend, when you exit the tunnel, you find yourself in an open area with low buildings mostly made of wood. The same could not be said for Southport. The tunnel opened onto a narrow thoroughfare with large multi-story stone buildings. Horse-drawn wagons and carriages mixed with foot traffic, creating what could only be called chaos. As I make my way carefully down the street, it gradually widens into the largest market I have ever seen. Admittedly, I only had the market in Forestend to compare it to, but it looked like you could fit at least two of those into the space taken up by the market in Southport. My original plan had been to ask the gate guards for a recommendation, but that was clearly a non-starter after that interaction. And, I thought even if that guard was amicable to giving a recommendation, I wouldn¡¯t trust it as far as I could throw one of those ships in the harbor. I guess it''s plan B, then. My second plan had been to find the Adventure¡¯s Guild and see if they had any recommendations. Gem pointed out. I said, Gem said patently, I say, which got us both chuckling. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I ask, getting the attention of one of the patrolling guards, ¡°where might I find the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll want to follow this road out of the market and take the second left. It''s about halfway down. You can''t miss it, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I say and head off in the direction the guard indicated. After a few minutes, I realized the direction left something to be desired. But I finally found the Adventurer¡¯s Guildhall after a few wrong turns. I complain. Gem responded, I counter thoughtfully, already thinking of a few ways that it could theoretically be done. Then I let out a sigh, Gem said. I say resignedly, Giving myself a mental shake before I could fully go down that nightmarish rabbit hole, I pushed open the door to the Guildhall and was immediately hit by the noise from within. Having spent a fair amount of time in the Forestend¡¯s Guildhall, I had assumed I would be ready for whatever Southport¡¯s could throw at me. I had been wrong. For one thing, the hall was about double the size of the one in Forestend, with a full-blown tavern taking up half the square footage. It was clear the local adventurers availed themselves of it as there were only a handful of empty tables, and from the general boisterous atmosphere, the drink was flowing steadily even this early in the day. The reception area and the Request Boards took up the rest of the hall. Stanchions and chains created a relatively orderly queue snaking back and forth. I commented as I took my place at the back of the queue. I countered. There wasn¡¯t really anything I could say because Gem was right. However, that little perk only came after I¡¯d spent a few summers working at the Guild, not because I was the Guildmaster¡¯s daughter as some adventurers had thought. Of course, the real reason I had talked Dad into letting me work at the Guild was because Gem and I had wanted to figure out how the Guild had hooked into the System for tracking Guild Points and Requests. The actual mechanisms whoever had come up with the System had used were amazing but also fragile. It had only taken me a few minutes to think of at least a dozen ways to make the entire thing come crashing down. It was probably out of sheer horror that Gem had decided I would redesign the whole thing from the ground up instead of the end-of-year project she¡¯d already set me. It had actually taken me almost a year and a half to redesign and test the new Request Subsystem, as we¡¯d come to call it before it was deployed. The amazing thing was that, as far as I could tell, no one had been any the wiser. ¡°Next,¡± one of the receptions called, and I realized that was me. The line had moved faster than I thought it would. ¡°Hello, what can I do for you? Miss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m new to the city, so I was hoping you could point me toward a good Inn. Also, I have a letter for the Guildmaster from the Guildmaster of the Forestend Branch.¡± I say. The receptionist rummaged under the desk for a few moments before pulling out a sheet of paper, ¡°This is a list of Inn the Guild recommends, and most of them give a discount to members. As for the letter, you can leave it with me, and I¡¯ll make sure Guildmaster Williams gets it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, taking the list, ¡°but Guildmaster Cobbler asked me to deliver the letter personally.¡± The receptionist gave me a long look before sighing, realizing I wasn¡¯t going to budge on this. ¡°very well if you¡¯ll follow me.¡± Chapter 16 ¡°Enter,¡± came a deep, commanding voice when the receptionist¨CI still didn¡¯t know her name¨Cknocked on the door she had led me to. While the front of the Guildhall differed from the one in Forestend, the administrative area had the same winding corridors of rooms and offices. It was comforting in a way. And it probably saved the guild a boatload of time and money to standardize the areas most people won''t see, a cynical part of my mind remarked. On the other hand, with how many guild employees jump between branches, the standardization could also be so those employees can get to work faster and not have to learn where everything is. All that to say, the route we took to the guildmaster''s office was almost identical to the one in Forestend. The office itself was a standard box with wood panel walls. Two walls had decent-sized windows that looked out onto the street a story below. I guess this would be what was called a corner office on the world the System Creators came from. I thought. Most of the offices with widows only had them on one wall, but the vast majority didn¡¯t even have that. At the center of the office was a large desk with two overstuffed chairs in front of it. The man seated behind that desk¡ªGuildmaster Willams, I guessed¡ªwas broad-shouldered and muscular. His dark hair, peppered with gray highlights, was cut short. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, watched as I stepped into the office, and the receptionist closed the door behind me. For a few heartbeats, we just stared, taking each other''s measures. The Guildmaster was the one to break the silence first. ¡°So you¡¯re Bill and Cassy¡¯s daughter?¡± he asked, which got a raised eyebrow from me as that was not what I had been expecting him to ask. ¡°Damn, that''s freaky; you¡¯re the spitting image of your mother when she was your age, but that raised eyebrow is right out of your father¡¯s playbook.¡± ¡°How do you know my parents?¡± was all I could think to ask as this meeting was not going how I had expected. ¡°Your father and I used to adventure together in your younger years. Best damn DPS you could find on the entire content. Mind, I was no slouch as a tank, but your father could really dish out the damage. Anyway, enough reminiscing about old times. I doubt you came here to discuss your old man¡¯s adventures.¡± ¡°Um, right,¡± I say, holding out the letter, which the Guildmaster took and opened. ¡°So you want access to the Southport Adventure Guild¡¯s Archives,¡± Guildmaster Williams said after a minute or two. ¡°Well, you might as well take a seat and explain.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± I answer, taking the offered seat, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Dad mentioned in his letter that I¡¯ve been doing odd jobs around the Guild in Forestend for the last few years. Partly because I was curious about what happened behind the scenes; I¡¯ve always been an inquisitive child. But also to break up the monotony of delving into the dungeon or gathering plants and other alchemical ingredients from the forest. To make a long story short, one of the jobs Dad had me do was cataloging and organizing the Forestend¡¯s Guild Archive. A task that hadn''t been done in a few decades if the state of it was anything to go by. ¡°Anyway, while doing that, I came across a reference to a fourth dungeon near Southport, which I found odd since there are only three dungeons in the area. As I said, I was a curious child, so I started pulling everything I could find that mentioned this fourth dungeon and found that a little over three centuries ago, there was, in fact, a fourth dungeon around here, but something happened to it. From the little I could gather and some reading between the lines, it appears that the dungeon one day just disappeared; one report I found mentioned that a group that had gone delving into the dungeon around the time hadn''t been heard from for almost a week. For this group, this was apparently out of the ordinary, so much so that the guild sent another group to investigate what happened, but when that group got to where the dungeon¡¯s entrance was supposed to be, they couldn¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Fascinating.¡± The Guildmaster said while the word might have been a bit patronizing, his tone took most of the bight out of it. ¡°I assume then that you wish to look at our Archive to see if we have any more information about this Fourth dungeon.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°And what do you plan to do if you do find any more information.¡± ¡°Well, I was hoping that the Archive here in Southport would have the location of the entrance to the dungeon, and if it did, I planned to gather as much information the archive has on the dungeon and set out and try to find it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The guild master said thoughtfully. ¡°I suppose the reward for finding a dungeon didn¡¯t enter into your calculus.¡± ¡°Actually, sir, it had, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it would apply in this case. After all, the actual wording for the reward is ¡®for finding a new dungeon,¡¯ and as this one had already been discovered, there could be a real argument against paying out the reward. In actuality, what appeals to me more is the possibility of solving the mystery of what happened to the dungeon, not the potential monetary reward.¡± ¡°You definitely are your father''s daughter.¡± The Guildmaster laughed, ¡°Bill always had an annoying tendency to do things because they were interesting, not because they would actually give a big payout. He¡¯d always say, ¡®What¡¯s the point? Money is nice to have, but at a certain point, it just becomes a way to keep score. Experiences, however, will last you a lifetime.¡¯¡± ¡°That does sound like something Dad would say,¡± I agree with a fond smile. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m inclined to grant this request on two conditions,¡± Guildmaster Williams said. ¡°The first is that if you find enough information to make a feasible attempt at finding this lost dungeon, you will not do so alone. And second, a guild representative will accompany whatever group you put together.¡± I opened my mouth to reject the conditions but closed it as I gave it more thought. On the one hand, having anyone along would make reactivating the dungeon harder, not to mention opening the entrance without them figuring out that was exactly what I had done. The fact that the second group sent to investigate the dungeon hadn''t been able to find the dungeon entrance hadn''t surprised me at all. One of the main parts of the hibernation protocol was to close off all access from the outside until an administrator could come and rectify whatever problem had occurred. On the other hand, I could also see it from the Guildmaster''s point of view. Even if I found enough evidence and if we found the dungeon, some pretty big ifs, there would be no telling what we¡¯d find in there after three centuries, and there was always safety in numbers. ¡°Okay,¡± I said after a moment, ¡°I can live with those conditions.¡± ¡°Excellent. Setting up the necessary access will take me a day or so. I hope that won''t be an issue.¡± ¡°That would be perfect. I still have to find an inn, and I¡¯d like to sell some of the loot I had gathered on the trip here from Forestend, so having a day or two to settle in would be great.¡± I say. ¡°Great. And if you''re looking for an inn, might I suggest the Wondering Adventurer over by the docks? It''s not one of the best in town, for that you¡¯d need to go over to the merchant quarter, but the people and atmosphere are welcoming and the food is good. Plus, they give a pretty good discount to members of the Guild, and an old party member of mine runs it.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll look it up if I¡¯m in the area,¡± I say, not really committing to anything. But then again, I didn¡¯t really have any concrete plans anyway. The Guildmaster and I say our goodbyes, and I make it out of his office into the empty hallway. Gem commented as I made my way back to the reception hall. Gem says a little tartly. Gem summed up reprovingly. I agree, unrepented. Chapter 17 Gem asks as I enter the still-busy reception hall. If it were anything like Forestend¡¯s, the flow of adventurers wouldn''t die down until after the sun sets. Mostly because none of the adventures back there liked to travel the forest at night. Here in Southport, I wasn¡¯t so sure, for the simple fact that the docks never slept, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised that a steady stream of adventurers would find their way to the Guild even after the sunset. I respond, snaking my way through the crowd to the redemption desk, which was more of a mini version of the reception desk in its own room. Larger than Forestend¡¯s by a considerable margin with four stations to Forestend¡¯s one. The other difference from Forestend was the fact that all four stations already had a considerable line; normally, you only see a large line like this one at the Forestend Guild¡¯s Redemption Desk around mid-afternoon and early evening when all the adventurers are returning from the forest or the dungeon. Getting into the shortest line, I mentally sighed I was right. It had taken a little over half an hour before I stood before a young man, probably a little younger than I was. Like becoming an adventurer, you could apply to work at the guild when you were ten years old, especially if your class was something the guild could use. Of course, the jobs you got at that age weren''t anything to write about, but they did have the benefit of giving experience in a little of everything the guild did. ¡°Welcome; what can I do for you today.¡± The young man said. ¡°I¡¯d like to turn in this loot,¡± I say, placing the leather bag I had pulled from storage on my way from the Guildmaster¡¯s Office. ¡°Also, I have some Bounty Tokens that I¡¯d like to redeem.¡± ¡°Okay, I can take care of the loot, but I¡¯ll need to get the Redemption Desk¡¯s Manager to redeem the Bounty Tokens. Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°That''s fine,¡± I say, and the man disappears into the back, presumably to get his manager. As I waited, a thought occurred to me. Gem asked, picking up on my curiosity. < You''re right. There isn''t a theoretical reason the system couldn¡¯t just pay out the Bounty.> Gem agreed, which got a raised mental eyebrow from me. I wasn¡¯t all that surprised that something added so late in the game didn¡¯t have all the bells and whistles most of the other components had. One policy that I wholeheartedly agreed with the creators of the System was that nothing got added until it was tested within an inch of its life, which, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it, created a lengthy proving process. That was one of the reasons the rewrite of the Request Subsystem had taken over a year. I had the core of the rewrites down in a few months, but QA and integration testing took the rest of the time. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I ask, not familiar with the terms which was rare. Gem says after a moment, I asked. Gem answered The explanation was given in such a matter-of-fact way that it was a stark reminder that as much as Gem acted human, she was, in fact, a machine. A highly advanced and complex one but still a machine. was all I could say. Thankfully, I was saved from further response when the young man returned with a middle-aged woman. The woman exuded quiet strength as she walked, wearing a tailored tunic and trousers that combined practicality and grace. Her long auburn hair was tied in a severe bun to keep it out of her eyes. Her observant emerald green eyes displayed her high intelligence. ¡°Welcome, adventurer, to the Southport Guildhall. Young Mister Andrew says you have some Bounty Tokens to turn in.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± I say, figuring that, given her demeanor, a little formality wouldn¡¯t go amiss. ¡°Very well,¡± the woman said, turning and heading back the way she¡¯d come, clearly expecting me to follow. After a few steps, the woman had me proceed into a small office just off the main hall. It was a smaller version of the Guildmaster''s office minus the windows and a much smaller desk overflowing with papers. ¡°Sorry for the mess, but the Guild Hall is in the middle of our annual audit.¡± ¡°I understand, Ma¡¯am.¡± I say with a smile, ¡°During Forestend¡¯s Audits, my dad would get really stressed and pull out his hair trying to manage everything as the Guildmaster. I can''t even begin to imagine what it was like for the managers working under him.¡± The woman gave me a thoughtful look, ¡°Your father¡¯s the Guildmaster of Forestend¡¯s Guild? In that case, I guess you know the procedure for Bounty Token redemption.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± I say. ¡°In that case,¡± the woman said, moving over to a file cabinet along the left side of the room and fishing out a packet of papers. ¡°why don¡¯t you give me those tokens so I can get you your coin while you fill out this report? And we can return to more important things sooner than I expected.¡± ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am,¡± I say, exchanging the tokens for the proffered forms. Finding a relatively uncovered part of the desk, I begin filling them out as the woman leaves. The forms were simple after-action reports detailing what happened, which was more for the city¡¯s guard¡¯s benefit than for the guild, so I had them done well before the woman returned. ¡°Here you are, Ten Gold and Three Silver,¡± the woman said, handing me a coin pouch. Andrew also added the Three Gold and Four Copper from the loot you wanted to sell for Thirteen Gold, Three Silver, and Four Copper. ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am,¡± I say, slipping the coin pouch into my pocket, which had disappeared into my storage. I hand the woman the now-filled forms before saying my goodbyes and heading out of the Guildhall, intent to finally find an inn. Chapter 18 Well, that was a bust, I thought as I stepped out into the darkening street. The sun was almost behind the buildings, and lamps lining the street were taking up the slack of illuminating the street in the waning sunlight. Those street lamps made it possible for Southport to have an active nightlife, unlike many other cities, which practically shut down when the sun set. That was partly thanks to the abundant light crystals found throughout the Evergloom dungeon, which were one of the few minable resources the dungeon offered. Evergloom was probably the oldest and most well-known of the three current dungeons surrounding Southport. The other two are the Shipwreck, named after the fact that its entrance is just off the shore of Shipwreck Cove, and The Gemstone Depths, which was named after the fact that each floor had a featured gemstone that could be minded. Of the three, the Shipwreck was probably the most traditional, with each of its seven floors being mostly interconnected rooms themed after the monster inhabiting it. The monster mix was perhaps the most eclectic of the three; from the reports it had sent Gem, it seems the DI had decided to use the Kitchen Sink approach when it created its monsters. It had everything from Giant Spiders to Fire Elements to a Manticore as its dungeon boss and everything in between. Some of that could be attributed to its relative youth of about four centuries, the youngest of the three dungeons, and trying to find its niche. If the Shipwreck was the youngest and the Evergloom was the oldest, then the Gemstone Depths was the middle child of the three dungeons. Having formed just under a millennia ago and had settled into its niche of being an abundant source of gemstones nicely, to the point that, along with the Docks, the gemstones mined in the dungeon made up a good portion of Southports'' economy. Each floor was themed after the gemstone that could be found on it; for instance, the second floor, which most delvers called the Ruby Floor because of the rubies that could be found there, had a fire cavern theme, with the floor boss being a level 6 Fire Elemental. In contrast, the seventh floor, or Saphire Floor, had a water theme, with most of the floor being a gigantic lake with a Giant Squid as the floor boss that roamed the floor without restriction. Evergloom, the oldest of the three, was probably the most unique. Unlike the other two, which had different themes based on the floor or room, Evergloom had a cohesive theme of a dark and foreboding forest throughout. Each floor was designed to add to the atmosphere of the place and from the stores. Dad and Jake had told me it was probably one of the most spooky dungeons on the content. The main monsters are undead and spirits, with a level 300 Elder Spirit as its final boss. Of course, no one knew that because the DI had a novel expansion policy: whenever a delving party looks like they¡¯re going to defeat the current final floor¡¯s boss, it just opens the way to the next floor, having the predictable result that no one, at least no one who didn¡¯t have Admin Level access to the System, knew what the final boss of the dungeon was. When I read that, I almost fell on the floor laughing. It was ingenious. With the singular theme, the dungeon could have become monotonous and boring after a while, causing delvers to go elsewhere. However, the mystery it had created kept Delvers interested and competing to see who would reach the final floor first. But I could also see how it could be frustrating to some delivers: having fought all the way to what they believed was the final floor and defeating what you thought was the dungeon¡¯s final boss only to be rewarded with a new floor. Thankfully, Evergloom¡¯s DI had taken that into account as well and offered any group that defeated the boss and opened the next floor the standard end-of-dungeon reward chest. < Actually, that was more due to Katherine''s influence than anything else> Gem interjected, having been skimming my thoughts. After the last eight years, I had gotten used to it, and it barely fazed me. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Gem commented. was my simple reply. The light crystals were one of the main components of the dungeon that gave it its early feeling. While in the dungeon, they produce a dim, sickly light that, combined with the everpresent fog, made navigating the dungeon harder than expected. You could easily lose your way and end up lost. However, when those light crystals were removed from the influence of the dungeon, they began glowing a bright white, providing a large area with light when in pick black. The only problem was that there was no way to turn them off, which was mitigated by the fact that the crystals seemed to have an almost inexcusable light source. With that in mind, Southport¡¯s city council decided to buy a generous supply of crystals and line all the main thoroughfares with them. From what Mom had said, they even had a little competition among the local artisans to create the lampposts in which the crystals would be placed. The winning design had been a hexagonal housing made of glass panels caped by an ornately pointed metal cap that sat atop a long pole. If I hadn¡¯t known any better, I would have thought the designer had taken inspiration from the lamppost designed on the world the System created came from during what had been called the Victorian era. Of course, there had been cases of theft, and some of the crystals have been broken for various reasons over the past century, but the vast majority were the same ones that had been put in when the lamppost was crafted. Gem asked a few moments later as I watched the sun disappear behind the buildings. I replied. . Most of the inns I had visited had already filled up for the night or, in some cases, were just too expensive for my tastes. I mean, a single gold for one night was a little much, and that price didn¡¯t include any meals. The same price would have bought you ten nights at the inn in Forestend and included breakfast and dinner. Gem quips, and I send her the mental equivalent of a dirty look. As I make my way down the street to the docks. Chapter 19 Having spent a good ten minutes walking around the docks trying to find the Wandering Adventurer, I finally asked for directions. Now, I found myself in front of a nondescript building. Like most of the buildings closer to the docks, it was built from wood that had aged and weathered to a grayish color. There was no sign out front, and it blended in with the rest of the surrounding warehouses and office buildings so that one could walk right by it and not even know it was an inn, which was precisely what I had done¡­twice. Seriously how do they expect to attract any customers if they don¡¯t even have a System Damn sign out front? I think, annoyance tinting my mental voice. Gem said , I grunt, still annoyed, as I push open the door. The inn''s interior was nothing like the exterior would have you believe. It was spacious and well-lit, with rich wood paneling lining the walls and a large stone fireplace dominating the left wall, its large crackling fire casting a flickering, golden glow across the room. The floor, well-maintained, polished wood planks showed very little of the ware that came with hundreds of feet treading on them every day. The overall atmosphere was warm and inviting, with the scent of roasting meat, spice wine, and fresh bread permeating the room. Along the back wall, a polished wooden counter spanned the length. The innkeeper is busy pouring drinks or polishing glasses. To the untrained eye, the tables and chairs appear to be placed randomly around the room, but if you look closer, it is clear that they were strategically placed to allow for easy movement by the staff. Each table had its own Light Crystal power lamp as its centerpiece. The lamps were made with heavily clouded glass that cut down on the intensity of the light, allowing only a soft glow. Waitresses and even a few waiters moved among the tables, bringing food and drink or taking orders. ¡°What it¡¯ll be,¡± the innkeeper asked as I approached the bar. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a room available?¡± I ask. The innkeeper looked me over before asking, ¡°You Bill¡¯s kid?¡± which had me raising an eyebrow. ¡°oh, doncha be giving me that look. Old Guildmaster Williams sent word earlier that you might be by looking for a room and that I should keep one available for ya. O¡¯course I wouldn¡¯t have kept it for more than a day. I do have a business ta run. Anyho, for adventurers, I charge two and a half silver, including dinner and one bath. If ya want breakfast in the morn, you¡¯ll have ta pay extra.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Thinking it was probably the best deal I was likely to get in the city, I handed the innkeeper a gold coin. ¡°Pleasure doin'' business with ya,¡± the innkeeper said, pocketing the coin and turning to one of the staff standing near the bar. ¡°Lucas, why dontcha make yourself useful and show the young lady to room two? I¡¯m Garrick, by the way.¡± The innkeeper said the last part, handing me a key. ¡°Thank you, Garrick, I¡¯m Melissa,¡± I say, taking the key. Lucas led me up a flight of stairs to the second story and down a narrow, well-lit hallway before stopping in front of a door with a brass number two affixed to it. ¡°Here you are, ma¡¯am. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m good. Thank you.¡± I answered, unlocking the door and entering the room. Closing the door behind me, I look around the modest room. The room was rectangular, with one wall dominated by a large bed, a small desk across from it, and a modestly sized dresser next to the desk. Another of those light crystal lamps sat on the desk; unlike the ones in the dining room, this one had a built-in shutter to block the light. A window with wooden shutters takes up the far wall, no glass, which was kind of expected in such an old building. Overall, the room was functional, and really, that was all you could ask. < All right, you have a place to sleep, at least for the next four days.> Gem says as I push open the shutters to see a great view of the docks at night. < You''re not planning on trying the Evergloom; you''re not scared of it, are you> Gem asks with a snicker. Chapter 20 The waters of Shipwreck Bay glisten in the morning light as I emerge from the forest. It had been over a week since I came to Southport, and I was finally ready to start delving into the local dungeons. Finding a place to buy positions and poisons had been relatively easy. A handful of each was spotted around the merchant district. After visiting some of them, I was a little surprised they were even in business as there wasn¡¯t really anything differentiating them from the rest of the shops. Well, it could just be a case of supply and demand working in their favor, I thought; with so many adventurers coming through the town to delve into the dungeon, it could simply be that those unremarkable shops were getting the overflow from the reset. Anyway, it hadn''t been hard for me to stock up on a selection of positions that should be effective on the monsters in the Dungeon. What had actually taken most of my time the last week was first waiting for the authorization to access the Guild¡¯s Archive, which had taken longer than I had expected. This caused me to extend my stay at the inn by another day so that I had the time to peruse the information in the Archive. Unfortunately, as expected, there wasn¡¯t much information about the Lost Dungeon, as I had started calling it over the last few days. Oh, there was more information about what types of monsters were on the early floors, but that was about it. The most surprising thing was that the dungeon''s location had seemingly been lost to time. Most of the information I had seen in Forestend had the general area the dungeon was located in, but that was to be expected. I was not expecting to find that the Archive in Southport also had no information on the dungeon''s exact location. Now that I think about it, I should have; at the time, most people would have known where the dungeon was, so there wasn¡¯t really any need to write down its exact location. The one document I was expecting to find that information in, the Dungeon Discovery report, had apparently gone missing at some point because, as much as I searched, I couldn¡¯t find it. That was mildly infuriating, but thankfully, I had the exact coordinates for the dungeon, thanks to the system. It just meant that I would have to get a little creative so as not to raise the suspicions of whatever team comes along to fulfill the Guildmaster¡¯s requirement. But as they say, I¡¯ll cross that bridge when I come to it; for the moment, I had a dungeon to explore and loot. Taking a final look out over the bay as the sun rose into the sky, a cool early morning breeze wafting over the wave, I turned to my destination. At first glance, it wasn¡¯t much to look at, a simple, unassuming cave like any other that could be found around this area. Only when you looked closer did you start to feel that something wasn¡¯t right. The cave entrance was too round, and the walls were a little too smooth. Unlike the Dungeon near Forestend, there were no immediate stairs down. However, there was a sense of going deeper into the earth the further you went. After what felt like hours but was only a few minutes of walking in the pitch black, the tunnel opened into a dimly lit chamber, and the familiar minimap of the dungeon appeared in my field of view. I had finally entered the dungeon proper. Like the dungeon near Forstend, and most dungeons for that matter, this first chamber was a safe zone, but unlike that one, it only had one exit. From what I could see on the dungeon map, this floor was simple as far as layout: a series of connected chambers that led to a slightly larger chamber, which I presumed was the boss room. So there¡¯s going to be traps, I thought; if there was one universal rule about dungeons, it was that the more simple a floor was, the more dangerous it was. Usually, that danger came in the form of hidden traps, and with only one tunnel between each of the chambers, it was almost guaranteed that each of them would have a trap or two. I don¡¯t even want to know how much processor capacity the DI of this place has dedicated to replacing those traps, if I¡¯m correct. I thought, pulling my sword from its sheath and preparing to enter the tunnel to the first room. With how many delvers come through here every day, the dungeon would have to replace the traps almost constantly as they¡¯re triggered or, in some cases, disarmed to keep the level of challenge consistent for each group or solo delver. As I moved slowly into the tunnel leading to the first room, I activated Detect Trap, one of the few skills I had given myself at its highest level. While at any level, the skill would have let you see any traps, at lower levels, it had limits, such as range, to the point where at level one, you¡¯d almost have to be standing on the trap for it to detect it and it could detect anything more complex than a tripwire. As it leveled, the range got better, and the complexity of traps it could detect also improved. However, at its max level, the range was only about 10 kilometers, but it could detect any trap, no matter how complex it was, and it also showed the user how to disarm it. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And sure enough, about halfway down the tunnel, there was a crude tripwire trap connected to a hatch in the ceiling. If I had to guess, the hatch would open when the trap was triggered, and something heavy, probably boulders or some other large rocks, would fall on the unsuspecting victim. It wasn¡¯t all that complex, and if you had pretty good reflexes, you could probably get out of the way of the falling objects even if the trap was triggered. Not to mention that the tripwire trigger wasn¡¯t all that well hidden; even without Detect Traps, someone would still have been able to find it. Which wasn¡¯t all that surprising; this was the first floor of the dungeon, after all. Most traps and monsters would be geared toward delvers between levels one to three. This didn¡¯t mean that higher-level delvers could get careless; even simple traps like this or even weak monsters could be deadly if the victim were caught unaware. Instead of disarming the trap, I just stepped over the tripwire and continued cautiously down the tunnel. With how sneaky Dungy could be at times, I wasn¡¯t putting anything past the DI that was running this place. Now that I thought about it, it is a little surprising that I haven''t heard anything from it. I was half expecting it to greet me when I entered the dungeon proper as Dungy had done all those years ago. I gave a slight shrug; well, it¡¯s no skin off my teeth if the DI doesn¡¯t want to be social, I thought as the tunnel gave way to the first chamber, and I gripped my sword tighter in anticipation of what I would find. The chamber was a large cylinder with rocky outcroppings around the floor and a small rocky alcove near the center. Prowling around were about ten Level 1 Earthan Wolves, with a Level 3 Alpha Earthan Wolf resting in the alcove, along with two Level 2 Earthan Wolves. I was really hoping a theme wasn¡¯t starting that every time I entered a new area, the first monster I encountered would be a wolf or some variant. While the wolves were significantly lower level than I was, the number of them had me cautious. Even the low-level monsters could be dangerous to a solo delver if they cornered you. As I look around the chamber, a glimmer of a plan starts to form. Noticing that the prowling wolves end up near the alcove at regular intervals, I waited for the perfect opportunity when most of them would be there and lauded a fireball into the grouping¡ªkilling three of the wolves outright and severely injuring four more. Unfortunately, the Alpha was only signed. One of the level two wolves had taken the brunt of the blast and had been killed. The second was completely unharmed, having been further in the alcove, well away from the blast. While the wolves recovered from the surprise attack, I darted around the room''s periphery, quickly taking out the four unharmed level-one wolves. Seeing that I had taken out over half of its pack, the lone and uninjured Level 2 Earthan Wolf howled and charged at me. I was ready for it; as it got closer and lept, snarling, trying to tackle me to the ground, I dodged out of the way and transformed my sword into a hunting knife, plunging it into the monster¡¯s belly and using its moment to slice it open. The wolf was dead before it hit the floor. Transforming the blade back into a sword, I turn back to the rest of the pack of Earthan Wolves. I was a little surprised that none of the wolves had actually used any magic skills; with a name like Earthan Wolves, I would have thought they would have some Earth-based magic skills. As if my thoughts had predicted it, loose pebbles and rocks around the Alpha started to rise into the air to form a rocky javelin, which was then hurled toward me faster than anything that size should be able to move. I barely had time to dodge, and by the time I regained my balance, the Alpha was already charging at me. Jumping onto a rocky outcropping, it vibrates a second later as the monster runs right into the rock underneath me. The wolf circles below and occasionally jumps, trying to get me, but I¡¯m high enough that it can''t. taking a deep, calming breath, I transform my sword into a bow and pull out one of the arrows I had already coated in a Level 10 Fire Poison. Nocking and pulling back the arrow, I take another deep, calming breath, line up the shot, and loosen the arrow on my exhale. The arrow flies true and hits the monster; red streaks form as the poison makes its way into its bloodstream. The alpha was dead about a minute later. All that was left to do was finish off the remaining wolves, who were still recovering from the initial fire blast. Chapter 21 Congratulations, For defeating Earthan Wolf, Level 1, 5 XP has been awarded. (x10) Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied Congratulations, For defeating Earthan Wolf, Level 2, 15 XP has been awarded. (x2) Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied Congratulations, For defeating Alpha Earthan Wolf, Level 3, 23 XP has been awarded. Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied Congratulations, You have reached Level 16. Two skill points have been awarded. I watched my combat log scroll by as I looted the monsters and searched for any hidden reward caches. Not the greatest hall, with five wolf pelts, three wolf meat, and a handful of claws and teeth. No coins, though, which wasn¡¯t a surprise since they only dropped when the level gap was less than 10. It was such a common fact of life for an Adventurer that the instructor for my introduction class pointed out that coins would only drop if there were no XP penalties. The XP penalties only worsened as the gap grew at the 20 level. A 95 percent penalty was applied, and after 25, no experience was given. It was well-known that the System had these penalties in place to disincentivize people from farming lower-level monsters. However, the same could be said for the other way around. If you defeated a monster more than 10 times your level, you got a 25 percent bonus, and again, at 20, the bonus was 35 percent. However, just like the penalties, no bonus was given if the gap was 25 levels or more. Something most adventurers grumbled about constantly, but they also knew it was the system¡¯s way of disincentivizing people from being idiots and seeking out challenges that were too much for them. Of course, there were exceptions. If one found themselves in over their head through no fault of their own and survived, then the System would reward the unfortunate soul with experience appropriate to the danger faced. Not finding anything of value around the room, I make my way over to the tunnel leading to the next one. Carefully making my way down the tunnel, scanning for traps, I thought, if that was the first room on this level, I wonder what the boss room or the other rooms on this floor will be like. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Gem chimes in, which had me raising a mental eyebrow at her. I thought Gem agreed I say before Detect Taps identifies a spike trap a few meters away, a pressure plate embedded in the floor and disguised to look like the rest of the stone that made up the tunnel, its trigger. It was a simple trap: step on the pressure plate, and multiple barbed-tipped metal spikes shot up from the floor, squiring you. Not a pleasant way to go, but it was effective. However, its simplicity was also its greatest weakness. To avoid the trap, you had to step around the pressure plate, and the trap wouldn¡¯t activate. Making my way down the rest of the tunnel, there are no more traps, and it opens into another room filled with copious amounts of cobwebs. Three guesses what monster lives here, and the first two don¡¯t count, I thought with a mental chuckle. Pulling my sword from its sheath, I transform it into a bow and nock an arrow, this one not coated in any poison. I ease into the room, scanning the ceiling, and sure enough, 20 Level 1 Spiders scurry along a web stretched across the ceiling with a Level 2 Spider Queen at its center. None of the spiders have seen me yet, so I line my shot up on the queen and take a deep breath. Releasing the arrow as I exhale, it flies true and embeds itself into the queen, killing it. Having sensed their queen''s death, the other spiders turn toward the attacker, ready to avenge her. I didn¡¯t give them enough time. Readying another fireball, I lob it into the air, catching the web on fire and the spiders with it. Only five escaped the inferno, dropping to the floor with a hiss. Transforming my bow back into a sword, it took little work to finish off the rest of the spiders. Congratulations, For defeating Spider, Level 1, 2 XP has been awarded. (x20) Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied Congratulations, For defeating Spider Queen, Level 2, 9 XP has been awarded. Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied Well, that was fun, I thought, watching the fire clear out the web covering the room. Like the first room, looting the spiders didn¡¯t give all that great a hall with low-quality spider silk dropping from the queen and a handful of venom sacs and legs from the other spiders. As the fire fizzled out, the tunnel to the next room was revealed behind a thick layer of webbing. Taking a moment to make sure there were no hidden caches in the room; after all, it would have been so easy to hide something with all the webbing around, I moved to the next room. Chapter 22 Descending the stairs to the sixth floor quite a few hours later, I was sure the sun had set outside by now, or at least it had started to set. Even with the penalties, I had gained enough experience to level twice. More surprising, however, was the fact that, in that time I had only run into two other devling parties. I know this dungeon was considered a beginner dungeon, but with the number of people in Southport, I would have thought this place would have been packed. I¡¯d been half afraid I¡¯d have to wait for rooms to be repopulated with monsters, but that hadn''t happened, and every room I came to almost seemed never to have been touched, a thriving population of monsters in each one. If I hadn¡¯t known any better, I would have thought I was in a completely separate part of the dungeon that only connected with the main dungeon randomly. It was almost like the secret rooms Dungy had created for me to train in back in Forestend. Admittedly, the lack of delvers could be explained by everyone else going to the other two dungeons instead. That was one of the problems¡ªno one authority controlled access to dungeons. Oh, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild tried and was successful when the Dungeon was close to a settlement or, on rare occasions, when the dungeon was inside one. But when the dungeons were quite a distance from a settlement, like the dungeons around Southport, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild had trouble managing them, and they basically became a free-for-all. Few, if any, guild workers actually want to be that far from civilization and do everything in their power to get transferred back to a guild hall. It''s gotten so bad that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild doesn¡¯t even try to set up an outpost when new dungeons are found far from settlements. Some dungeons have started implementing flow controls into their floor designs, especially the more frequented ones with a more traditional connected room design. Most of those chose to implement something like what Dungy had done on his first floor, where there were multiple ways to get to the floor boss, which made it so that not all delvers were funneled down the same path. Others had started to experiment with the open floor concept where the entire floor was open, and large numbers of different monsters roomed the floor in small groups. From some of the reports I had seen, those seem to do better since they also introduce some randomness to each floor. after all, you could face one group of monsters one day and come back the next and get ambushed by an entirely different group in a completely different place. For my part, I thought a combination of both would be best; after all, if all you encounter are open floors, that can get boring even if they all have a different theme. Also, dungeons specializing in traps are disadvantaged because those open floor plans limit the type of traps that can be deployed. Like most things in life, it is a set of trade-offs that each dungeon has to consider. Then there was the fact that I hadn''t heard a peep from the Dungeon Intelligence, which I reflected wasn¡¯t really a reason for concern. While Dungy had been a chatterbox, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean the others would be. Still, it was one more thing that added to the oddness of this place. I was brought out of my thoughts as I entered the safe zone at the bottom of the stairs. A group of five¡ªtwo females and three males--was already there; from the hushed conversation, I could barely hear they were trying to decide if they should go back or continue. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The taller of the two girls seemed to be the leader, with fiery red hair, listening as one of the guys was talking. Her armor was worn but still in good condition, and the collection of dents and scratches testified to the countless battles the armor and girl fought through. Beside her, the shorter girl¡ªa route, from the look of her light leather armor and twin daggers¡ªdidn¡¯t seem interested in the conversation and was scanning the group¡¯s soundings. An experienced adventurer, always looking for danger, even in a safe zone. I tried hard not to let the grimace show on my face; my experience with rogues had not been that great, but I¡¯d still give them the benefit of the doubt. The boy who was talking was a burly warrior with a greatsword strapped to his back. Like the redhead, his armor was worn but still in good condition. Apparently, his position was that they only had two more floors to go, so why not continue? I could understand his reasoning, but that didn¡¯t consider that the last two floors would be the most challenging. And if they were like me, they¡¯d been fighting for the previous few hours. I planned to spend the next few hours resting in the safe zone so I could be fresh for whatever dangers the dungeon had in store. If the look on the redhead''s face, she agreed with me even though she didn¡¯t know that. The other two boys didn¡¯t say anything but had a resined look. The taller of the two wore the robes of the Mage¡¯s Guild and held a staff that glowed faintly from the runes engraved into its wood. The other was also in the robes of the Mage¡¯s Guild, but unlike the other one, I could make out the patch on his shoulder¡ªa stylized depiction of a tree¡ªa healer. That probably meant the mage with the rune staff was the group¡¯s primary ranged damage dealer. I nodded slightly in approval. It seemed this team was well-balanced. I was still amazed at how many groups back in Forestend didn¡¯t even have a healer or someone who could tank opponents. The rogue finally noticed me or, more likely, concluded that the other party members were too engrossed in their argument that they wouldn¡¯t because she tapped the taller woman on the shoulder and pointed at me. When they both looked at me, I waved and moved to the other side of the room to provide the group some privacy. ¡°Excuse me,¡± the redhead asked before I could entirely turn away, ¡°did you fight through the first five levels of this dungeon solo.¡± ¡°Um. Ya,¡± I answer, uncertainly at the surprise in the other woman''s voice. ¡°Really! I¡¯ve never heard of anyone soloing the Fire Elemental that served as the Fifth Floor¡¯s Boss.¡± ¡°Fire Elemental?¡± I question. ¡°The boss I just fought was a Level Sixteen Rock Troll. I admit it was a challenge, especially when he started throwing around those boulders, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to solo.¡± ¡°You can''t be serious. Everyone knows that the Fifth Floor¡¯s boss is a Level Fifteen Fire Element,¡± the guy who¡¯d been arguing with the redhead piped in. We stare at each other, trying to figure out what¡¯s happening. Chapter 23 ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you.¡± I say with a shrug, ¡°The Boss was a Level Sixteen Rock Troll. ¡°I even have the Troll Heart to prove it.¡± Saying this, I shake my head and try to make my way over to the other side of the room to get a few hour''s rest before I tackle the rest of the dungeon. Before I could actually put my plan into action, the red-haired girl stopped me again. ¡°Listen, it''s not that we don¡¯t believe you,¡± the redhead said, which elicited a grunt of disagreement from the man. ¡°but for as long as anyone can remember, the Fifth Floor Boss has always been a Fire elemental.¡± She paused and then seemed to make a decision: ¡°Anyway, it seems we got off on the wrong foot; I¡¯m Sarah.¡± ¡°Melissa,¡± I responded, shaking the offered hand. ¡°Excellent,¡± the redhead¡­ Sara beamed. ¡°let me introduce you to everyone. The disagreeable one is Nicholas, our rouge is Dominque, and the two mages are Jacob and Andrew, their twins if you¡¯d believe it.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I say, unsure what to do, ¡°anywho, I¡¯m going to rest for an hour or two before tackling the rest of the dungeon. You guys have fun.¡± I added, trying to end the conversation, and Sarah seemed to sense it. ¡°Oh, um, right.¡± She said, ¡°We were going to head back up. Maybe we¡¯ll see each other in Southport?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I said noncommittally. Finally, I could make it over to the other side of the room and sat down against the wall. Leaning my head against the wall, I close my eyes, and the next thing I know, I¡¯m no longer in the dungeon but in the office overlooking a lake. However, there were a few differences, unlike the first time I found myself in this office all those years ago. First, I was sitting behind the desk, and Gem was standing in front of it. The other difference was that she was not alone. The second was the young man who appeared to be about my age with tousled dark brown hair standing next to her. His t-shirt and shorts would have been out of place in Questoria even if the shirt didn¡¯t reference a band that never existed on the planet. Letting the silence drag on a little longer, I took in the perfect recreation of one of the System creator''s offices. Over the years, it had become one of my favorite virtual environments primarily because it had the best view of all the ones we¡¯d tried. A close second was Katheran¡¯s living room, which was used mainly for relaxation. Sliding my hand across the desk surface, displays winked into exitance, floating a few meters above the desk. I couldn¡¯t entirely hide the grimace at seeing the project I¡¯d been working on; it had not been going well, and I pushed the display to the side so I could see the two infomorphs. ¡°So, care to explain?¡± I open the floor, leaning back in the comfortable chair. ¡°Administrator,¡± the young man said, ¡°As your talk with the group on the Sixth Floor indicated, the normal Fifth Floor Boss is not something most delvers wish to take on solo. This has reduced the number of solo delves. I have been working on another path designed specifically for solo delves to rectify this. It was just a fortuitous turn of events that I was planning to start limited testing when you decided to visit.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°So you''re using me as a beta tester, so to speak. ¡° ¡°Essentially, Yes,¡± the Dungeon intelligence said with a slight bow. ¡°that doesn¡¯t explain the few times I ran into other groups?¡± ¡°Ah, well, you see, both the group and solo paths intersect at various points, which gives the appearance that there is still only one path. From my research of human psychology, it was clear that if it was made obvious that there were two paths¡ªone for groups and one for solo delvers¡ªsome might¡­um¡­ believe they were being slighted.¡± I stared at the Doungeon''s intelligence for a few heartbeats before giving a slight nod in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll concede the point, but I¡¯d point out that if only solo delvers run into the Rock Troll, people might get suspicious. Anyway, that doesn''t explain why the dungeon map only showed one path.¡± ¡°Um, that was my doing,¡± Gem piped in a little abashedly, and my eyes drilled into her. ¡°I may have accidentally, on purpose, moved the metadata file for the group path, so only the new solo path showed on the map.¡± ¡°I hope you''re planning to put it back,¡± I say, my tone pleasant, but my eyes bored into her. ¡°Already done,¡± Gem replied with a breathy laugh. ¡°Right, I have a question: how were you able to integrate the two paths seamlessly?¡± ¡°Ah, that''s actually quite interesting, administrator; you see, I took inspiration from rail networks on the creator¡¯s homeworld. Part of the network involves two rails merging into one, and there are these special tracks that move to align the rails, allowing the train to enter and exit the single rail. I use a similar concept to connect the tunnels to the tunnel leading to one of the shared rooms.¡± ¡°that is quite ingenious,¡± I say, ¡°but what happens when you have someone coming down the sole path and a group coming down the group path simultaneously.¡± The infomorph opened his mouth to answer but a moment later closed it before saying, ¡°I hadn''t thought of that. I will have to run a few simulations to find an optimal solution. Thank you, administrator.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯d like my two cents, ¡° I answer, ¡°you could probably just put some obstacle that delays one of the paths so you can get the switcher back in position. Almost all of your tunnels have at least one trap, so probably some trap that could be easily concealed when not needed.¡± ¡°Hum,¡± the Dungeon Intelligence murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll have to consider how to incorporate it, but that might work. Thank you again, administrator. You have given me quite a bit to think about.¡± ¡°Well, in that case, you¡¯re dismissed,¡± I say, and the young man winks out of existence; turning to Gem before she can do the same thing; I add, ¡°Gem, a moment.¡± ¡°Yes, Mel,¡± Gem asks innocently, and I sigh. Letting the chair snap back upright, I rest my elbows on the desk, resting my chin on my interlocked fingers. ¡°It worked out this time,¡± I say, ¡°but in the future if a Dungeon Intelligence wants me to try out an untested part of their dungeon, tell me in advance.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡° And that doesn¡¯t mean the second after I step into the dungeon,¡± I add. ¡°Ah, that''s no fun,¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious; I¡¯ll make it an order if I have to,¡± I say, and a flash of apprehension crosses the woman''s face. It was one of the few ¡°perks¡± of my class that I was least comfortable with. As an administrator, I had the authority to order Gem to do anything I wanted, and she¡¯d have no say. When I was younger, I had laid awake at night thinking about what someone less¡­moral would do with that kind of power. Giving myself a shake, I pulled the display with the project to the front and said. ¡°I have a few hours before I have to ¡®wake up.¡¯ Why don¡¯t we figure out why this isn''t working.¡± Chapter 24 ¡°Well, this is different,¡± I said into the empty tunnel leading to the final room on the seventh floor a few hours later. The tunnel had widened into a small room, and a gigantic set of double doors was set into the center of the far wall. It was interesting that the dungeon would theme this part when the rest had been a hodgepodge. By the system, the sixth floor had probably been the most egregious example, starting with Vampiric Wolves, only for the next room to be Poison Vines, followed by Frost Wolves, and finally Earth Elementals before the boss, which was a bog standard Panther with no elemental affinity. The seventh floor had probably the most cohesive teaming, mainly because all the monsters with an elemental affinity were fire-aligned. Of course, that could all change since I hadn''t actually fought the last boss yet. For all I knew, it probably had a water affinity or something. Taking an hour to rest, I pushed open the massive stone doors to reveal a pitch-black room. As I cleared the entrance, the stone doors closed with a bang, and fire sprang to life in large stone bowl-like objects on pedestals around the room, one by one, illuminating the space. Running the entire length of the room down the center was a large torn carpet. To either side of the carpet was a row of enormous stone columns, any intricate carvings long since vanished. Hanging from each column were large torn tapestries. A large dias with an equally sizeable wooden throne was at the other end of the room. The dungeon¡¯s final boss sat on the throne, a Level 22 Fallen Kight (Corruption). I suppressed a slight shudder. Not only was it a Corruption Elemental Variant, but it was also a leadership Variant. I wasn¡¯t sure which Element Variant was the worst between Corruption and Death. In a sense, both were, at their core, very similar: dealing with dark and destructive forces. It was in the execution that they differed; corruption is like a plague contaminating and perverting the natural order of everything it touches, while death simply tries to eliminate everything. While that would have been bad enough, it was also a leadership variant, which meant that while I would get a one percent bonus for defeating it, it also strengthened any subordinates in its vicinity. Usually, the boss represented the dungeon, so to have a corruption variant as the Boss of a dungeon that didn''t have any other monsters with that affinity was unusual¡ªdeciding to table the question for the latter, I focused on the boss. It was humanoid, with dark armor that seemed to swallow the light, some type of emblem barely visible on the armor''s chest plate. The armor was rusted with chunks missing. A large, jagged-edged broadsword was plunged into the ground before it. Its hands clasped around the sword¡¯s hilt, its head bowed as if in prayer or, more likely, waiting for someone powerful enough to challenge it to come forward. As I make my way cautiously down the center of the room toward the dias, my sword in hand, two Level 21 Fallen Soldiers in the same dark armor as the Dungeon Boss emerge from behind the first set of columns. Their eyes glow faintly beneath their helmets, radiating an eerie, spectral light. I shift my grip on the hilt of my sword, readying myself as they step forward in perfect unison. Their movements are unnervingly smooth for soldiers clad in such heavy armor. The dull clang of their armored boots echoes in the vast chamber as they close the distance. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The first soldier lunges without warning, faster than I expected. I sidestep, barely avoiding the sweep of his massive sword as it slices through the air where my head had been a heartbeat earlier. I retaliate with a swift horizontal slash aimed at his side, but his shield is already there, meeting my blade with a resonant clang. Sparks fly from the impact, and the shockwave ripples up my arm. I grit my teeth and push back. Before I can recover, the second soldier charges from my flank. I catch the movement out of the corner of my eye and instinctively roll to the side, his sword narrowly missing my leg. I come up in a crouch, heart pounding, and swing upward in a wide arc. This time, my blade catches the first soldier¡¯s leg as he attempts to close in, the force of the strike denting his armor and causing him to stagger. The second soldier doesn¡¯t give me time to capitalize on the opening. His sword comes crashing down in a powerful overhead strike. I barely bring my sword up in time to block, the impact driving me to one knee. The ground cracks beneath me, and my muscles strain under the pressure. His strength is monstrous and unnatural. With a grunt, I push upward, throwing his blade off and springing backward to regain some distance. The Fallen Soldiers regroup quickly, moving as if they share a single mind. Their glowing eyes never leave me as they press forward again, methodical and unyielding. I steady my breathing, forcing myself to focus. These are no ordinary foes; their movements are coordinated, almost mechanical, and every strike is designed to wear me down. I can¡¯t win by trading blows. As the first soldier lunges again, I parry, guiding his sword wide, and duck low. I thrust my blade forward, aiming for the gap in his armor at the joint of his arm. The tip of my sword bites into the exposed flesh, and a gush of dark, corrupted energy spills out like blood. He lets out a hollow, guttural sound and recoils, his arm hanging useless at his side. But there¡¯s no time to celebrate: the second soldier charges, shield raised to bash me. I brace myself, pivoting to absorb the blow with my shoulder, but it still sends me sprawling backward. I hit the stone floor hard, my sword slipping from my hand. Pain lances through my side, and I roll to avoid the killing blow that follows, his sword smashing into the ground where I lay. I scramble to my feet, ignoring the pain, and sprint toward my sword. The soldier is already closing in, but as he lifts his weapon for another strike, I twist mid-run and, with a desperate leap, grab my blade, spinning to meet him. I swing my sword low, catching his exposed ankle with a single motion. The impact knocks him off balance, and he stumbles forward, crashing to one knee. Seizing the moment, I rush him, driving my sword through the narrow opening between his helmet and chest plate. The glow in his eyes flickered before dimming entirely. He slumps forward, collapsing into a heap. I turn, panting, just in time to see the first soldier dragging himself toward me. His arm still hangs limp, but his sword is ready in the other hand. His will to fight remains undeterred. He moves slower now, each step labored but still dangerous. I take a deep breath and charge, putting everything I have into one final assault. My sword arcs down, and with all the force I can muster, I bring it crashing into the weakened soldier¡¯s chestplate. His armor shatters under the strike, and he crumples to the ground. Both soldiers lie motionless at my feet. But the victory feels fleeting¡ªthe Dungeon Boss awaits on the dais, and I know this was only the beginning. I steady my breath, raise my sword, and march forward, ready to face the true terror that waits ahead. Chapter 25 I glance up toward the dais, where the Dungeon Boss sits motionless on the dias as if the defeat of its subordinates wasn¡¯t its concern. Looting the fallen corpses, I moved cautiously down the carpet runner towards the dias. Passing the second set of columns, a tense expecting more Fallen soldiers to appear, but nothing happens. As I approach the third set of columns, another two Level 21 Fallen Soldiers appear from behind the columns. ¡°Here we go again,¡± I mutter, raising my sword as they begin to advance. The first soldier charges, its movements precise and unrelenting. It swings its blade in a wide arc, aiming to cleave me in half. I parry the strike, sparks flying from the impact as the force pushes me back a step. Before I can counterattack, the second soldier lunges from my left; sword raised high. I sidestep just in time, narrowly avoiding the blade as it whistles past my shoulder. I¡¯m caught between them, their attacks coordinated and relentless. I spin around to block the first soldier¡¯s follow-up strike, my arms straining under the force of the blow. These soldiers are faster and stronger than the others¡ªmore disciplined and more dangerous. I feint toward the second soldier, drawing him in with a quick swipe of my blade. He reacts instantly, raising his shield to block, and in that moment, I sidestep and dash toward the first soldier. I aim for the gap in his leg armor with a swift, upward strike. My sword connects, slicing through the metal with a screech. The soldier staggers, momentarily thrown off balance. But before I can press the advantage, the second soldier slams into me with his shield, knocking me off my feet. I hit the ground hard, my sword clattering across the stone floor. Pain shoots through my side, but I roll to my feet just in time to see both soldiers advancing on me, their weapons raised for the kill. I dive toward my sword, grabbing it and spinning to face them. They come at me together now, swords raised high. My heart pounds, but I focus, waiting for the right moment. Just as they close in, I drop low, avoiding their synchronized strikes, and lash out at the legs of the second soldier. My blade cuts deep, severing tendons, and he collapses to one knee with a roar of pain. The first soldier presses the attack, his sword a blur as he swings again and again, forcing me back. I dodge the strikes, my movements becoming more desperate as fatigue sets in. I need to finish this fast. I deflect his next strike with a burst of adrenaline, turning his momentum against him. I spin and slash across his midsection, feeling my blade bite through the corrupted metal, and the soldier lets out a hollow groan as he falters. Seizing the opportunity, I press forward, driving my sword into the gap between his chestplate and helmet. There¡¯s a sickening crunch, and the light in his eyes flickers before going dark. The soldier crumples to the floor, lifeless. But the second soldier isn¡¯t done. Despite his injured leg, he swings wildly, fueled by some unnatural rage. I narrowly avoid the blow, feeling the wind from his sword rush past my face. His movements are slower now, more erratic. I parry his next strike and slam my shoulder into his weakened form, knocking him back. With one swift motion, I bring my sword down on his neck, cleaving through the weakened armor. The soldier¡¯s body shudders before collapsing to the ground. I stand there, breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling. The two Fallen Soldiers lie motionless at my feet. I tighten my grip on my sword and take a deep breath. The fight is far from over. With renewed determination, I march forward, ready to face the final boss of this dungeon and get back to Southport. The Fallen Knight had risen its head, having sensed the defeat of its last two subordinates. Its glowing red eyes burned through the dim light of the chamber. Having looted the fallen soldiers, I move cautiously forward. As I pass the fourth set of columns, the Kight stands from its throne. One hand is still on its large broadsword while the other pulls a large kit shield from behind its throne, made of the same dark metal as its armor and sword. Finally passing the fifth and last set of columns, the dungeon boss steps forward down the steps of the dais. ¡°You have done well to best my soldiers, mortal,¡± the knight says, its voice a deep, guttural rumble that seems to resonate through the stone walls. ¡°But you will not defeat me.¡± Without another word, as the Fallen Knight steps off the dias, it charges forward with a roar, the ground trembling beneath its heavy boots. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I brace myself, bringing my sword up as the boss closes the gap. The first swing of its broadsword is as fast as it is powerful¡ªa deadly arc of dark steel aiming to cleave me in two. I leap to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike as it crashes into the stone floor, leaving a jagged crack in its wake. The shockwave from the impact nearly knocks me off my feet, but I recover quickly, circling around to the knight¡¯s flank. I lash out with my sword, aiming for the gaps in its armor, but the boss anticipates the move, spinning with surprising agility for its size. Its shield slams into my blade, knocking it aside with brutal force. I stumble back, my arms shaking from the impact. This isn¡¯t like the soldiers¡ªit¡¯s faster, stronger, and much more skilled. I¡¯ll have to be smarter and more precise. The Fallen Knight charges again, its broadsword coming down in a deadly overhand strike. I dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade, and counter with a quick thrust toward its chest. My sword glances off its armor with a metallic screech, leaving little more than a scratch. The knight swings horizontally now, forcing me to duck low as the blade passes over my head. I roll to the side, coming up behind one of the columns for cover. The knight turns slowly, its glowing eyes locking onto me as if assessing my next move. I can¡¯t keep playing defense. I need to find an opening¡ªsome way to break through that impenetrable armor. Suddenly, the knight slams its shield into the ground, a wave of dark energy radiating outward from the impact. The shockwave catches me off guard, knocking me back as the cursed energy saps at my strength. I grit my teeth, forcing myself to my feet as the knight steps forward again, relentlessly. Its sword swings down in another heavy arc. This time, I don¡¯t dodge. Instead, I parry with all my strength, angling my blade to deflect the massive broadsword. The force of the blow sends me skidding backward, but I hold my ground, my muscles straining. The knight¡¯s eyes glow brighter, almost as if amused by my resistance. It lunges forward again, its shield raised to bash me, but I duck low, diving under the swing and rolling to the side. I come up behind the knight, but instead of attacking directly, I dart toward one of the columns, circling to force the knight to follow me. As I run, I notice for the first time the faint, pulsing glow of runes etched into the knight¡¯s armor. I dash back toward the Fallen Knight, sidestepping its sweeping sword as I close the distance. My eyes lock onto a large rune on its shield arm, pulsating with a faint red glow. I swing my sword in a wide arc, aiming directly for it. My blade connects, and a burst of red energy erupts from the rune, causing the knight to stagger back, momentarily stunned. I press the attack, hacking at the armor where the rune once glowed. The knight lets out a low, guttural growl. Its movements are slower and more erratic now. It swings its sword wildly, but I manage to dodge the first few strikes, my adrenaline pushing me forward. The knight recovers quickly, raising its shield to defend, but it¡¯s too late¡ªI¡¯ve already found my target: another rune, this one glowing faintly on its leg. I leap forward, plunging my sword into the rune¡¯s center. The burst of red light is stronger this time, and the knight stumbles, its movements growing sluggish. With a roar of fury, the knight raises its sword and slams it into the ground, sending another shockwave of dark energy through the chamber. I¡¯m knocked off my feet, my body hitting the cold stone floor with a painful thud. Dazed, I struggle to rise, my vision blurred from the impact. The knight looms over me now; its sword raised high for the final strike. My body screams in protest as I force myself to roll out of the way, just as the massive blade crashes into the ground where I had been moments before. Dust and debris fill the air, and I cough, struggling to catch my breath. Summoning the last of my strength, I again charge toward the knight, ducking under its raised shield. I aim for the final rune¡ªthis one on its chest, glowing faintly. With a desperate cry, I drive my sword into the rune with all my might. The impact sends a shockwave of energy through both me and the knight. The red glow in its eyes flickers, and for a moment, everything is still. Then, with a loud crack, the rune shatters. The Fallen Knight staggers, its sword and shield dropping to the floor with a resounding crash. Its armor begins to crumble, dark energy leaking from the cracks in its form. With one last hollow groan, the knight collapses, the light in its eyes fading to nothing. Chapter 26 Congratulations! For defeating Fallen Soldier, Level 21, 142 XP has been awarded. (x4) Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied. Congratulations! For defeating Fallen Knight, Level 22, 148 XP has been awarded. Warning: for defeating a monster more than 10 levels below your current level, a 75% XP penalty has been applied. Congratulations, You have reached Level 36. Two skill points have been awarded. Congratulations! For clearing the dungeon solo, 50 XP has been awarded. I watched as the system notifications scrolled by as I caught my breath after the fight. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the level-up notification. Part of me was a little surprised at how much I had leveled in such a short time; after all, it had taken me almost eight years to get to level 15, while in just the last two days, I¡¯d leveled 21 times. ?Well, you were focused more on training than experience acquisition back then,? Gem commented. ?True,? I acknowledged, ?but that still doesn¡¯t explain why I leveled so much faster.? ?It comes down to three factors, really. The first is that the first one hundred or so levels are relatively easy to get to, requiring significantly less experience than, say, level 500. The second is that the path you took hadn''t been open to the public, so you were courting rooms that were as near total capacity as possible. If that path had been trodden regularly, those rooms would have about half the number of monsters. And if I remember correctly, and I do because I don¡¯t have that mushy, unreliable, gray matter you organics have, you only fought one or two monsters each delve back in the Forestend Dungeon more because those monsters would help you practice your skills instead of grant you the maximum experience possible.? ?Okay, I see your point; more monsters mean more experience meant more experience, even with the seventy-five percent penalty. You know, there were only a few rooms where I didn¡¯t actually see the penalty pop-up. Anyway, you mentioned a third factor?? ?A yes, the third factor is you were fighting solo, so we are getting all the experience from the monster you slane instead of only partial experience. You do remember me explaining that when you¡¯re in a party, all the experience points from defeated monsters are, for the most part, evenly distributed to all the party members. This means that if you''re in a party of four and you defeat a monster that gives you five experiences, only a quarter of that experience is given to you. By the creators, quite a few of your instructors for those adventuring classes you took mentioned this as well.? The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ?Well,? I said a little defensively, ?since I wasn¡¯t planning ever to join a party, I figured it wouldn¡¯t be anything I¡¯d ever need, so I wasn¡¯t really paying attention.? I could almost feel Gem''s incredulous look through the link. ?You seriously thought you could go your entire life without joining a single party,? Gem asked slowly, as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was saying. ?Well, ya, that way, it would be easy to keep my class a secret. If I joined a party, I¡¯d always be on guard about what a normal Adventure Class could do so my party members wouldn¡¯t get suspicious if I did something that wasn¡¯t typical of the class. And you can be on guard twenty-four-seven, so I¡¯d slip up at some point and have to come up with some lie or come clean, neither of which is all that appealing. So, I figured I¡¯d sidestep that issue by never joining a party.? ?When you put it like that,? Gem said, ?it does sound reasonable, but there is one flaw in your little plan.? ?Oh, and what that?? ?The fact you went ahead and agreed to that little condition of the Guildmasters that let you enter the Guild¡¯s archive. You know, the one where you agreed to enter the lost dungeon with a party.? ?I know, but I figured I could keep a lid on some of the more¡­unique aspects of my actual class for the few days it would take to get to the bottom of the dungeon.? the slight snort of acknowledgment I got from Gem did not instill a sense of confidences. ?anyway let''s see what the dungeon has given as a required for completing the dungeon,? I add using the stone pillar I had been resting against as leverage to get back onto my feet. I headed to the dias, where a chest had appeared in front of the throne. The chest¡¯s surface is adorned with intricate designs and carvings that shimmer faintly in the dim light. It is bound in dark iron with golden inlays winding across the lid. A single rune, softly glowing a gentle blue, holds it shut. Clearly, the dungeon had gone all out on the theming for its final room, and I was a little impressed. I would probably have been even more impressed if the rest of the dungeon hadn''t been such a hodgepodge of half-done themes or just blank rooms with random monsters thrown in. Pushing the lid open, I looked to see what rewards I had been given. The first thing I notice is a sword, its blade as black as midnight yet radiating a faint, silvery glow. I carefully lift it from the chest. It¡¯s lighter than my current weapon, or at least the default form of my weapon; I swing it experimentally, getting a feel for it. I wasn¡¯t the greatest judge of value, but I figured I could get quite a decent price for it. Beneath the sword are potions¡ªthree glass vials filled with swirling, iridescent liquid. One the unmistakable ruby red of a healing potion, another the emerald green of a stamina position, and the last one I wasn¡¯t sure of. A milky white substance that I had never seen before. Beside the potions is a small amulet, its surface inlaid with a deep purple gemstone. All in all, it was a decent hall when added to the looted items from the monsters I had defeated. The lid''s defining thud when it closed the chest was a fitting punctuation to my first delve into the Shipwreck Dungeon. Pulling up my administrator screen, I flipped my Friend or Foe designation to friend and started the long trek back to the dungeon''s entrance. Chapter 27 Blinking a few times, it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the bright light outside the dungeon. It had taken me almost two hours to get from the final boss''s room to the entrance, and I could see the sun had passed its highest point and was starting to set. All in all, I estimated I had spent probably two days in the dungeon, which wasn¡¯t all that bad considering all the loot and level I had gotten. I was already over halfway to my target, so I probably wouldn¡¯t have to do as long of a delve in the Gemstone Depths as I had thought, which meant I wouldn''t have as much time to find that team the guild master had insisted on before I could look in the Guild Archive. ?I still don¡¯t get why you insisted on walking all the way back to the entrance when you could have just used the checkpoint behind the boss¡¯s throne,? Gem commented as I started walking down the path back to Southport. Most dungeons had a checkpoint system that allowed delvers to teleport between levels they¡¯d already cleared and the entrance. This allowed delvers to bypass floors they had already cleared, which meant they would be fresh and at their best for the floors, which would be challenging. Most dungeons have checkpoints every five floors right after the floor boss, which results in dungeon runs that start at the last checkpoint the group reaches and end at the next one. Then, the group takes a few days to rest and recuperate before going again. Typically, that wasn¡¯t a problem because the amount of loot a group could get from any given run was more than enough to support them on those rest days. ?I mean, I understood it with the dungeon back in Forestend. With only five levels, it hadn''t actually invested in setting up a checkpoint system, but here, there was a perfectly good teleport pad right behind the throne, and you wouldn¡¯t have to spend two hours walking back to the entrance,? Gem continued. ?I didn¡¯t use the checkpoint because I wanted to improve my stealth skill. You know that one of the skills I¡¯ve been trying to raise naturally instead of just making max level. It''s the same reason I spent most of the last eight years working on my sword and archery skills. Yes, I could give myself the max-level skills, and I would have all the knowledge that would come with them, but I wouldn¡¯t have any practical experience, and in a life-and-death situation, practical experience trumps theoretical knowledge,? I answer. Skills could be purchased using skill points, and all the required knowledge to use that skill would be ¡°magically¡± downloaded into your brain, but that didn¡¯t mean you actually knew how to use the skill effectively. That was one of the reasons all the training classes the Adventurer¡¯s Guild offered enhanced practice skills instead of relying on the knowledge the system gave. It was also one of the reasons those classes focused on acquiring physical skills through training and repetition instead of purchasing them. That way, the person has the underlying experience and foundation to make the best use of those skills. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ?And there¡¯s no better chance to improve my stealth skill than trying to evade random groups delving into the dungeon. Especially with the way Shipwreck was laid out, you would know if another group was coming down a tunnel until they were right on top of you. System, I ran into no less than three groups like that and had to think on my feet about how to avoid them. Also, since I leveled the skill twice, I think those two hours were well spent.? Gem grumbled, but she eventually conceded the point. ?Anyway, it''s not like we''re on a schedule or anything. It is not like anything catastrophic will happen if I don¡¯t reactivate the lost dungeon within a given timeframe. The only thing that would remotely put a time constraint on this whole thing is Danial and Sarah''s wedding. That reminds me, I should really ping them to see if they¡¯ve settled on a date yet. I sent them a message back when I arrived to let them know I¡¯d gotten to Southport safely, but I haven''t heard anything from them since. What? I can almost hear you laughing?? ?Nothing, just remembering a ten-year-old girl who got confused every time I used slang from my creator''s homeworld,? Gem answered with amusement clearly in her voice, and I couldn¡¯t help a little smile playing at my lips as I realized what she was getting at. It was in moments like that that I remembered how much my life had changed in those eight years. Going from a scared young girl who didn¡¯t know what class the system, an unknowable nebulous, ever-present object, would give her to a young woman who knew exactly what that system was and was, more importantly, in a position to affect how that system operated. For the rest of the walk back to Southport, Gem and I lapped into companionable silence as I composed a quick message letting my brother know I¡¯d had my first successful dungeon delve and asking if they¡¯d set a date for the wedding. It wasn¡¯t long before the walls of Southport came into view, and getting past the gate was a lot easier as well. Instead of a long line for new entries into the city, there was a shorter line for returning adventurers and residents. I only had to show my adventurer¡¯s card before being waved on through. ?So, the plan now?? Gem asked as I stepped out of the tunnel into the bustling market square. ?Head back to the Wondering Adventurer and see if they have any rooms available. Then, go to the guild tomorrow to exchange the loot. Finally, see if any groups are looking for new members. I figure if I¡¯m almost ready to go into the lost dungeon, I might as well see if I can get a group together, and we do a few delves of the Gemstone Depths to work out any kinks,? I answer. Chapter 28 A few days later, I found myself sitting at one of the tables in the Guild¡¯s bar with my head on the table. Who would have thought finding a team to fulfill the Guildmaster¡¯s requirement would be so hard? Oh, a few groups had been initially interested when I mentioned that I was planning an expedition, but when they found out it was to find the lost dungeon, they quickly lost interest. Then, there had been a couple that I was reasonably sure had unsavory intentions since, unlike the others, they were a little too eager to have me join their groups. I mentioned them to the guild, but I knew from what my father had said that there wasn¡¯t much the guild could do without any solid evidence. ¡°Melissa, right?¡± a female voice asks, breaking into my thoughts. Lifting my head, I see the redhead from early. ¡°Sarah?¡± I ask, not sure if I remember her name correctly. ¡°I thought that was you,¡± she said, sitting on the bench seat across from me. ¡°so what have you so down in the dumps.¡± ¡°Where is the rest of your team,¡± I ask instead of answering. ¡°Oh, they''re around somewhere; today is a rest day before we head back into the dungeons. Anyway, I wanted to apologize for the way we acted when we first met. I know it doesn''t fix anything, but the guild passed along information to all members that Shipwreck had a new route for solo deliveries, and I guess you were one of the first adventures to experience it. So I just wanted to apologize for not believing you.¡± ¡°Apology accepted?¡± I say a little hesitantly. Apparently, Sarah sensed my apprehension. She rose and said, ¡°Well, I let you get back to whatever you were doing.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I heard myself say before I realized what I was doing. ¡°Um, listen, I¡¯ve been planning an expedition, and well, due to reasons, I need a group.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sarah asked, sitting back down. ¡°what type of expedition?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much you know about the area and its history, but in addition to the three dungeons that adventurers delve into today, there was a fourth dungeon. Due to unknown factors, the entrance was sealed, and its location has been lost over the years. A few years ago, I found information on its location and what must be done to unseal the entrance. The expedition is to head to that location and see if we can actually open the entrance. Then, we will explore the dungeon to see what happened to it.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Interesting,¡± Sarah said with a thoughtful frown. ¡°and what¡¯s in it for the group that goes with you on this expedition.¡± She asks. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the knowledge and feeling of accomplishment of finding a lost dungeon would be enough,¡± I say with a waning smile; however, I was hopeful because it was by this point that the other groups had already left. I sighed at Sarah''s deadpan expression: ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think so. Okay, if you agree to accompany me, I¡¯ve talked the Guildmaster into giving the party the normal finder¡¯s fee for finding a new dungeon. I¡¯m willing to let you keep any loot we acquire while exploring the dungeon.¡± ¡°With an offer like that, I¡¯m a little surprised you¡¯re not drowning in groups wanting to go,¡± Sarah said thoughtfully. ¡°Well, there is always the chance that we don¡¯t find it, which means no reward. And well, for most groups, it is a matter of practicality. It is a choice between a possible reward or delving into the known dungeons and making the same amount. None of them seem to want to take the risk. I¡¯ll understand if your group doesn''t want to take that risk either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a risk, at least for us. Oh, I could see groups that aren''t as well off being worried. If we do agree to go with you, I¡¯d want you to tell us everything you know about this ¡®Lost Dungone¡¯ and also that you¡¯d join us on a few delves in one of the other dungeons before we set you. What? Did I say something amusing?¡± ¡°No,¡± I say with a small smile, ¡°it just means you outlined my game plan for if I ever found a team to go with me.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Sarah said. ¡°But before you make any decisions, I should clarify some things. From everything I was able to find about this dungeon, it looks like when the entrance was sealed, the dungeon had fifteen floors, and we¡¯ll probably have to go all the way to the bottom to figure out what happened. Meaning, at the bare minimum, the highest-level monster we¡¯ll be facing is level 45, but after all these years, I''m pretty sure we¡¯ll see monsters higher level than that; however, I¡¯m not sure how much higher level thought.¡± ¡°And you''re wondering if we¡¯ll be able to handle that?¡± Sarah cut in. ¡°Yes,¡± I answer honestly. ¡°I could be asking the same about you,¡± Sarah asked, sidestepping the question. ¡°Okay, cards on the table,¡± I say, and I see Sarah raise her eyebrow at the unfamiliar saying, ¡°I¡¯m currently level 38, and since we¡¯re planning to make a few delves together as a team, I figure by the time we set out I should be close to level 45.¡± ¡°In that case, we shouldn¡¯t have any problems; the group''s average level is in the high thirties,¡± Sarah said. ¡°um, does that mean you¡¯ll do it?¡± I ask, hope tinting my voice. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk with the rest of the group to confirm it, but I¡¯d say it¡¯s a tentative yes. If you can meet me here tomorrow evening, I can give you a more definitive answer.¡± ¡°Sure, I can do that,¡± I say, fighting to hide my eagerness, and from the smirk playing on Sarah¡¯s lips, I knew I had failed. ¡°well, that''s settled; I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± Sarah said, rising from her seat and heading toward the guild entrance. Chapter 29 The next day, I was back at the Guildhall around noon with Sarah and the rest of her team. ¡°We talked it over last night, and we¡¯d like to hear more about what we¡¯ll be facing before we agree to accompany you on this expedition,¡± Sarah said. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± I say with a nod, then look around the semi-busy bar area of the Guildhall. ¡°Let''s see if we can get one of the Guidhall¡¯s meeting rooms.¡± ¡°Why not just talk out here,¡± Nicolas pips up, and I shoot him a scawl. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want every, Tom, Dick, and Harry, eavesdropping on our conversation,¡± I respond, which gets a raised eyebrow from Sarah. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was because of the unusual reference or because I didn¡¯t want to get into specifics about the expedition in public. In any case, I moved over to the reception desk. ¡°Hello, and welcome to the Southport Adventurer¡¯s Guild. How can we help you today?¡± the receptionist chirped. ¡°Um, right, I was wondering if any Hall¡¯s Meeting rooms were free?¡± I ask. ¡°I''m sorry, miss, but the Meeting rooms are for guild staff use only, " the receptionist said, and she seemed to actually be sorry she couldn¡¯t help. ¡°Would it make any difference if I said I¡¯d worked at the Guildhall in Forestend before coming here?¡± I ask hopefully. I could probably mention that the Guildmaster had sanctioned the expedition, but I was reluctant to play that card. Primarily because while the Guildmaster and my father had been friends and even adventured together, I wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d back me up on this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. Only current guild staff are authorized to use the meeting rooms, " the receptionist said. ¡°It''s okay, Melissa,¡± Sarah said, coming up behind me, the rest of her party still standing where I¡¯d left them. We can find somewhere else to talk in private.¡± ¡°No, I have one more card to play, but I didn¡¯t want to use it.¡± Turning back to the receptionist with a sigh, ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll level with you. I¡¯m trying to complete an agreement I made with the Guildmaster. To do that, I will be discussing some highly confidential information. I¡¯d feel better doing it behind the built-in anti-surveillance wards the Guildhall¡¯s meeting rooms have.¡± ¡°Um,¡± the receptionist hummed, ¡°would you mind if I verified this with the Guildmaster?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± I say. ¡°Confiential information?¡± Sarah asks. ¡°Well, it''s not so much confidential as the information has wider implications that could cause a massive uproar. Unfortunately, if you''re going to go on this expedition to the Lost Dungeon with me, you''re going to need to know some of that information. I hope you realize I''m taking a risk in telling you guys any of this, and quite frankly, I¡¯m only doing it because you¡¯re the only Adventuring party that has shown even a slight interest in this.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯d give you my word that your trust hasn¡¯t been misplaced, but I know we haven¡¯t known each other long enough for my word to mean anything to you. So I just hope that by our actions, we prove it,¡± Sarah responds, and we fall into a comparable silence as we wait for the receptionist to return. It didn¡¯t take long for her to return with the Guildmaster in tow. When he saw me, the Guildmaster said, ¡°Let her have what she wants,¡± and turned around to head back to his office. I was a little surprised by this, but the rest of the staff didn¡¯t even blink an eye, and it was only a few heartbeats later that Sarah, me, and the rest of her team were being shown into one of the Guildhalls meeting rooms. Sarah sat at one end of the conference table with the rest of her party array along the side. After double-checking that the anti-surveillance wards were active, I sat at the other end of the table. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sarah filled you in that I¡¯m planning an expedition to what I call Southports Lost Dungeon,¡± I say into the following silence. ¡°Southport used to have four dungeons, but for one reason or another that I couldn¡¯t find in the historical record, the fourth dungeon¡¯s entrance was sealed, and its location has been lost to history.¡± ¡°And what makes you think you¡¯ll be able to find it,¡± Nicholas broke in before I could continue speaking. ¡°Because,¡± I say evenly, ¡°I was able to find an old map that marked the location of the Lost Dungeon, and after referencing more modern maps, I¡¯m fairly sure I¡¯ve pinpointed its location.¡± ¡°But how are we going to get into it if the entrance has been sealed?¡± Dominique asks before Nicholas has time to retort. ¡°Actually, that will be the easy part of this expedition; barely an inconvenience. When I was young, after taking my class, I was fascinated by all the screens the system could display. To make a long story short, after spending a long time just digging around the various System screens, I found something called a User Guide¡ª¡± ?You mean you wrote the User Guide,? Gem commented, which I ignored. ¡°¡ªand it contained a treasure trove of information on how the System worked. Well, most of it''s irrelevant to our decision, but the section about what we¡¯re talking about was a Hybernating Dungeon. Apparently, for some reason, the guide didn¡¯t go into it; some dungeons ended up in a state of hibernation where it has no control over the monster within it. More importantly, that section also detailed how to get around the seal on the entrance. The guide also explained various methods it called ¡®troubleshooting steps¡¯ that could potentially reactivate a hibernating dungeon.¡± ¡°So I take it the ultimate goal of this expedition is to try these troubleshooting steps,¡¯¡± Sarah asked, cutting off the rest of her team''s response. ¡°Essentially, yes,¡± I say. ¡°the main problem is that because the monsters that inhabited the dungeon when it went into this hibernation state are no longer under the dungeon control, we really don¡¯t know what we¡¯re walking into. So, in a sense, even though this dungeon has already been discovered before, we need to treat this as if it were a newly discovered dungeon.¡± ¡°And I suppose for these troubleshooting steps to be effective, we¡¯ll need to make it all the way to the boss¡¯s room,¡± Sarah commented dryly. ¡°Well, ya,¡± I say, ¡°I figured that was a given.¡± ¡°Okay, I know you said the dungeon had fifteen levels, and we¡¯d be facing monsters up to at least level 45. From what you just said, are you confident that we¡¯ll be seeing monsters of higher levels than that? Is there a possibility of the dungeon having created more floors since it was ¡®lost¡¯¡± ¡°Not unless it was in the process of opening a sixteenth floor when it went into hibernation. And yes, I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll see monsters higher than level 45. How much higher, I don¡¯t know. Since they aren''t under the dungeon''s control, these monsters will act like we encountered them in the wild, so we need to be on our toes.¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you go over what you can about what type of monsters the dungeon had and what we might expect from the historical accounts so we can put together a game plan,¡± Sarah said, and I do just that. Chapter 30 ¡°So what can we expect from the Gemstone depths?¡± Nichalos asked as our group made the small trek¡ªprobably half a day by foot¡ªfrom Southport to the dungeon. Sarah shot the man a look I couldn¡¯t quite decipher, and he only shrugged, ¡°What? I figured the newb would benefit from an explanation.¡± With a smirk, I pulled up the System''s information on the dungeon and began reciting the main bullet points, ¡°The gemstone depths is a mid-lower tier dungeon, meaning it had less than twenty floors. Each of its seventeen floors is themed after a gemstone. The only exception is the first floor, where each of the ten rooms on the floor is themed after a gemstone. I assume that¡¯s so delvers know what to expect on lower floors. Like most dungeons in the area, each floor has a three-level range best suited for it, with the boss for that floor being the highest rated level.¡± Nicholas was openly gawking at this point, and I could see a slight smile playing on Sarah¡¯s lips, with the rest showing varying levels of amusement as well. ¡°What? You thought I would go into a dungeon unprepared.¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that the Shipwreck¡¯s Fifth-floor boss was a fire elemental,¡± Nichalas shot back. ¡°Ya so, Dougeon floor bosses change all the time. As my father always says, when delving into dungeons, look at the information the guild has but never fully rely on it and prepare for all the possibilities you can think of. To top it off, when dungeons change their floor bosses, it''s usually to something with defenses or resistances to the previous bosses'' weaknesses.¡± ¡°Well, as fun as this conversation is,¡± Sarah said before Nicholas could respond, ¡°we¡¯re almost to the entrance. And I¡¯d like to review our formation again so everyone knows what to expect once we¡¯re down there.¡± She paused for a few moments, and most of us nodded acknowledgment, ¡°Okay, Dominque, you¡¯ll scout ahead for any traps and monster ambushes. And when we engage groups, you¡¯ll harry their flanks, but don¡¯t engage them directly. Nicholas, you¡¯ll be our main tank, while Melissa and I will be the vanguard. Jacob, you¡¯ll stay behind us, ensure Nicholas is healed, and heal anyone else who needs it. Andrew, you¡¯ll be protecting Jacob and watching our flanks. Does anyone have any questions? No, good, then let''s get in there.¡± The first floor hadn''t really been a challenge, and unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get any experience because all the monsters on the floor were twenty-five levels below me. I understood why the system had that penalty, but still, it sucked. The rest of the first four floors weren¡¯t different; I started getting experience on the fifth floor since there were level fourteen and fifteen monsters. The interesting thing, and something I hadn''t really expected, was that with the rest of the group being over level forty, all the experience after the penalties had been applied had gone to me as if I had soloed the level. When we reached the safe area after the fifth level and stopped to take a break, I asked Gem about it and was a little embarrassed that I hadn''t figured it out on my own since it was such a simple thing. When the system calculates the experience for a group, it adds all the experience from the monster''s slane, divides that by the number of people eligible for experience in the group, and subtracts the individual penalties. And since I was the only one eligible for experience on the fifth floor, I got all the experience. I guess this would be one of those ¡°bugs¡± that are actually a feature, I thought with a mental chuckle. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After a short break, the group moved out of the safe zone. The walls were veined with a deep green crystal, shimmering faintly under the torchlight. ¡°Emeralds, huh?¡± I muttered, ¡°So that probably means earth-based attacks, and all of the monsters will probably have some form of resilience buff.¡± Sarah nodded in agreement. Barely had we gone a few paces when Dominique signaled a halt, her hand up. I followed her gaze down the corridor, where low snarls echoed. Three wolves slinked into view, each with a gleaming emerald sheen coating their fur. They spread out, eyes sharp and focused on us, with the largest in the middle leading the charge. ¡°Three wolves. Spread out but coordinated,¡± Dominique whispered before disappearing from view, most likely trying to get behind the monsters to make sure no more were waiting in ambush. ¡°I¡¯ll take the right,¡± I say in answer to Sarah''s silent questioning look. The lead wolf growled and pounced at Nicholas, who met it with his long sword, catching the full brunt of its attack. Sparks flew as claws raked against his armor, but he held steady, jaw clenched in focus. I slid to the right, aiming to intercept the second wolf as it circled, flanking with an agility that caught me off guard. ¡°Jacob, be ready!¡± I called, catching his nod as he watched Nicholas. With a low snarl, the wolf turned its attention to me, lunging with a speed that almost surprised me. I sidestepped, pivoting on my heel as I brought my blade down in a sweeping arc, striking its side. It twisted, snarling, but I kept the pressure, refusing to let it regain control. Behind me, I caught glimpses of the others locked in their own rhythm of battle. Nicholas grunted as the lead wolf¡¯s fangs snapped dangerously close to his arm, and Jacob immediately healed the cuts it left behind, his hand glowing faintly as he focused on his task. ¡°Time to finish this,¡± Sarah barked. Hearing this, I went for a sharp, angled cut, catching the wolf¡¯s neck. It staggered, giving me just enough time to drive my second blade home, and with a final, shuddering snarl, it collapsed. Beside me, Sarah struck her opponent, her sword cutting cleanly through. I whirled just in time to see Nicholas deliver a powerful blow with his sword. Congratulations! For defeating Emerald Wolf, Level 16, 87 XP has been awarded. (x3) Warning: As a member of a party 100% of the total gained Experience has been awarded. Warning: for defeating a monster more than 20 levels below your current level, a 90% XP penalty has been applied. ¡°Well, that was fun,¡± I say, looting the fallen monsters. When the group learned I had a storage skill, it was decided that I¡¯d be the one who looted the monsters. Seeing the monsters disappear in a flash of light, Sarah shakes her head, adding, ¡°I still can''t believe you have a passive storage skill. I¡¯ve never even heard of anything like that.¡± I just gave a surge; what else could I do? It¡¯s not like I could tell them the truth. Giving a final shake of her head, ¡°Well, let''s see what else this floor has in store for us.¡± And we moved deeper into the dungeon. Chaper 31 As we descended the stairs to the sixth floor, I asked, ¡°So what is the sixth floor like? From what I found out, it¡¯s a gigantic lake.¡± ¡°Well, it''s good to know you can at least find basic information,¡± Nicholas snarks. ¡°What is your fucking problem?¡± I demand, finally having enough of his negative attitude. ¡°I haven''t done anything to you, and quite frankly, I¡¯ve been contributing during this delve. Nicholas stops in his tracks, turning to face me with a look that could freeze lava. "You think contributing means you''re off the hook? Do you even understand the stakes here? Or are you just playing adventurer because it sounded fun?" I narrow my eyes, refusing to back down. "You don¡¯t know me, so don¡¯t pretend like you do. I¡¯ve put in just as much effort as anyone else, and if you have an actual problem, say it instead of throwing these snide comments around." His laugh is sharp, humorless. "You want me to spell it out? Fine. I don¡¯t trust you. You¡¯ve been here, what? A few weeks? And now, suddenly, you''re diving into a place that¡¯s killed better-prepared teams than ours. This isn¡¯t just a game, Melissa." The sound of my name, spoken like an accusation, stings more than it should. But I refuse to let him rattle me. ¡°You think trust is earned by being a miserable jerk? Maybe you should stop sulking and start leading if you''re so worried about everyone else screwing up.¡± A tense silence falls over the group, and I realize everyone else has stopped, their attention split between the two of us. After a few heartbeats, Sarah finally clears her throat. ¡°Okay, okay, both of you¡ªdeep breaths. We¡¯re about to step onto the sixth floor; the last thing we need is more infighting. Save the drama for later or somewhere that won¡¯t try to drown us.¡± Nicholas doesn¡¯t respond immediately. His glare lingers, and for a moment, I think he might say something else. But then he turns sharply and continues down the stairs without another word. ¡°But seriously, what can we expect?¡± I ask the rest of the group. ¡°Well, as you said, the entire floor is one gigantic lake with aquatic monsters ranging from giant crabs to piranha to eels,¡± Sarah says, still looking after where Nicholas had gone. ¡°So I take it swimming across is not advisable?¡± I comment before asking, ¡°So how do you get across, and what about the floor boss.¡± ¡°The dungeon spawns a wooden boat at the shore for groups to use to get across. As for the boss, it¡¯s a giant white serpent with an ice affinity that roams the entire lake.¡± ¡°Ao, as long as we can get across the lake, we don¡¯t actually have to fight the boss to move to the next floor,¡± I ask. ¡°Theoretically, yes,¡± Dominique answered, ¡°but that usually never happens in practice. Roaming bosses seem almost to have a sixth sense for when a group is getting close to the exit and will usually attack.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I say, ¡°well, this should be fun.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. As we emerged from the stairwell, the sixth floor stretched out before us¡ªa vast expanse of shimmering water reflecting the dull glow of bioluminescent moss on the cavern walls. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone, and the faint lapping of waves echoed in the cavern''s vast emptiness. "Well, there it is," Sarah announced, stepping forward to the shore. Where a single, modest boat awaited. It was large enough for all six of us but looked far from sturdy. ¡°Charming,¡± Dominique muttered, inspecting the boat for hidden traps or weak points. ¡°I don¡¯t trust this thing to keep us afloat, let alone carry us across an entire lake.¡± Andrew stepped up beside him, adjusting his mage staff. ¡°I might be able to help; my RuneMaster skill has some runes that can create a water-repelling effect and strengthen the structure. At least for a while.¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°Good idea. Do it. We¡¯re not exactly spoiled for choices here.¡± While Andrew got to work, Nicholas loomed near the boat, inspecting the surroundings. His earlier silence had lingered the tension between us unbroken. I tried not to let it bother me. ¡°Melissa,¡± Sarah said, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°You and Nicholas keep watch while Andrew works. Dominique, see if you can spot anything unusual in the water. Jacob, stick close to Andrew in case he needs help.¡± Everyone moved into their roles seamlessly, save for Nicholas, who threw me a look that made it clear he wasn¡¯t thrilled about working alongside me. Still, I wasn¡¯t about to let his attitude distract me. The lake seemed peaceful at first glance, the surface rippling gently. But something about it felt off¡ªtoo quiet, too calm. My hand instinctively rested on the hilt of my sword as I scanned the water. ¡°See anything?¡± I asked Nicholas. ¡°Nothing yet,¡± he replied tersely, his eyes never leaving the lake. Minutes passed in silence. Andrew¡¯s rune were nearly complete, the air around the boat shimmering faintly with magical energy. That¡¯s when I saw it¡ªa ripple, too large to be from the natural current, about thirty yards out. ¡°Movement,¡± I said, pointing toward the disturbance. Nicholas followed my gaze, his grip tightening on the hilt of his greatsword. ¡°Get ready. Could be a scout monster.¡± Before anyone could respond, the water erupted. A massive crab, its shell glistening with a metallic sheen, surged out of the lake and clambered onto the shore. Its claws snapped menacingly, each one the size of a full-grown man. ¡°Here we go!¡± Sarah called out, drawing her sword. The group sprang into action. Dominique darted to the side, vanishing into the shadows, while Sarah and I moved to flank the creature. Nicholas stepped forward, raising his greatsword in a defensive stance, drawing the crab¡¯s attention. The battle was quick but brutal. The crab¡¯s claws smashed down onto the shore, sending clumps of water-logged sand everywhere. Nicholas absorbed the brunt of its attacks, his greatsword deflecting one claw while his shield arm took another. ¡°Go for the joints!¡± he bellowed, locking the crab in place. I darted in, my blade slicing into the softer tissue beneath its leg. Sarah mirrored my movements on the other side, her strikes precise and deadly. Andrew sent a blast of fire into its exposed underbelly, the flames hissing as they met water. The crab let out a high-pitched screech, its movements growing erratic. Dominique emerged from the shadows, driving his dagger into one of its eyestalks. The creature spasmed, its remaining limbs flailing wildly before collapsing into the water with a final splash. ¡°Good work,¡± Sarah said, breathing heavily. ¡°Everyone okay?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Jacob replied, already casting a healing spell over Nicholas¡¯s bruised arm. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving before something else shows up,¡± Dominique suggested, kicking a stray piece of crab shell as I loot the corpse. After Andrew checked to ensure they had made weren''t damaged and finished the rest, the group clambered into the boat and pushed off the shore. The crossing was tense but uneventful. But as we neared the opposite shore, the air grew colder. A low, ominous hum began to resonate across the lake. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Sarah said grimly, her hand gripping her sword tightly. The water ahead of us churned violently, and a colossal white serpent burst forth. Its scales gleamed like ice, and its eyes glowed with a cold, unearthly light. It let out a deafening roar, its frosty breath freezing the water around it in jagged sheets. Chapter 32 The serpent¡¯s roar reverberated through the cavern, sending icy vibrations through the air as our boat rocked violently beneath us. Dominique cursed under her breath, frantically steering the small vessel toward the closest outcropping of jagged rocks. The serpent''s massive, pale form loomed ahead, its glowing blue eyes locked on us like a predator sizing up its prey. ¡°Off the boat! Now!¡± Sarah shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. We scrambled onto the slick rocks, weapons drawn, just as the serpent lunged forward. Its massive tail whipped through the water, striking our boat with a thunderous crack. The wooden vessel exploded into shards, which froze mid-air before dropping into the lake like icy daggers. ¡°Positions!¡± Sarah commanded, her tone sharp and authoritative. ¡°Nicholas, take point! Melissa, flank left. I¡¯ll go right. Andrew, we need fire magic¡ªlots of it! Dominique, look for weak points and distract when you can. Jacob, keep us alive!¡± Everyone sprang into action. Nicholas charged ahead, his greatsword glowing faintly as he activated a weapon¡¯s skill. He planted himself firmly on a wide rock at the water¡¯s edge, drawing the serpent¡¯s attention with a thunderous clash as his blade met the creature¡¯s frost-covered scales. ¡°Over here, you oversized icicle!¡± he bellowed, slamming his sword into the serpent¡¯s snout. The serpent hissed, its massive body coiling as it reared back. I took the opening to move into position on its left flank, Sarah mirroring me on the right. The serpent''s icy breath clouded the air, making each step treacherous as frost formed on the rocks beneath our feet. ¡°Strike beneath its jaw!¡± Sarah yelled as she darted forward, her blade slicing into the serpent¡¯s softer flesh. I followed her lead, driving my sword into the exposed tissue. The serpent thrashed violently, its tail whipping toward us. Sarah and I dove in opposite directions as the serpent¡¯s massive tail smashed into the rocks, sending shards of ice and stone flying. Andrew sent a barrage of fireballs slamming into the serpent¡¯s body. The flames melted patches of ice, exposing more vulnerable spots. The serpent roared, its movements becoming more erratic as it tried to shield itself from the relentless assault. ¡°Keep it focused!¡± Sarah called out. Dominique appeared seemingly from nowhere, darting toward the serpent¡¯s underbelly. Her daggers flashed as she struck several precise blows along the creature¡¯s midsection before vanishing into the shadows. Writhing in pain, the serpent¡¯s massive body twists and turns as it tries to locate the rogue. Nicholas used the distraction to press the attack, his greatsword carving deep gouges into the serpent¡¯s scales. But it wasn¡¯t going down easily. With another roar, it unleashed a blizzard, the air around it erupting into a swirling storm of ice and wind.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I can¡¯t see!¡± Dominique shouted, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. I transform my sword into a shield just in time to block an incoming shard of ice. The cold bit through my armor, sending a sharp jolt of pain through my arm. Sarah staggered nearby, using her sword to anchor herself against the storm. ¡°Andrew, can you dispel this?¡± she shouted. ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± he yelled, his staff glowing as he activated some skill. The shimmering barrier he conjured protected us from some of the ice, but the cold still seeped into our bones. Jacob moved among us, casting protective wards and healing spells as needed. His magic was the only thing keeping us from succumbing to the freezing storm. ¡°I can only do so much! We need to finish this quickly!¡± The serpent struck again, its massive tail sweeping across the battlefield. Nicholas braced himself, raising his greatsword to absorb the blow. The impact sent him sliding back several feet, but he remained standing, his arms trembling under the strain. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± he taunted, though his labored breathing betrayed the effort it took to stay on his feet. The storm began to dissipate as Andrew¡¯s skill took effect. With visibility restored, I transformed my sword back into a sword. Sarah seized the opportunity to press the attack. She charged forward, her sword glowing with a fiery weapon¡¯s skill as she aimed for the serpent''s exposed underbelly. ¡°Melissa, now!¡± she called. I didn¡¯t hesitate. Summoning all my strength, I leaped onto a nearby rock and drove my blade into the serpent¡¯s neck. It let out an ear-piercing shriek, its body convulsing violently. ¡°Dominique, can you find a weak spot near its head?¡± Sarah asked, dodging another strike from the serpent¡¯s tail. ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± she replied, darting toward the creature¡¯s crown. Her daggers flashed as she struck a series of precise blows, searching for a vulnerability. The serpent¡¯s movements grew more frantic as it thrashed wildly, its icy breath freezing the rocks around us. The ground became even more treacherous, each step a calculated risk. ¡°Keep it distracted!¡± Dominique yelled as she climbed onto the serpent¡¯s back, her daggers carving into the icy ridges along its spine. Nicholas roared a battle cry, slamming his greatsword into the serpent¡¯s snout again. Its head snapped toward him, giving Dominique the opening she needed. ¡°There! Just beneath the crown!¡± Dominique called out, her voice urgent. Nicholas didn¡¯t hesitate. Channeling the last of his energy, he raised his greatsword high, its blade glowing with a brilliant light. With a powerful swing, he drove it into the weak spot Dominique had identified. The effect was immediate. The serpent let out one final, earsplitting roar before collapsing, its massive body crashing into the lake with a tidal wave of freezing water. For a moment, none of us moved. The only sounds were our heavy breathing and the system notification marking the serpent''s death. Sarah, lowering her sword, says. ¡°Well done, everyone.¡± Jacob moved between us, casting spells to mend bruises and close cuts. His healing skills warmed my chilled limbs, easing the ache in my muscles. ¡°Let¡¯s not celebrate yet,¡± Dominique said, her voice weary but sharp. ¡°We¡¯ve still got more floors to go.¡± Sarah smirked faintly. ¡°One step at a time. For now, let¡¯s get to the safe zone and regroup.¡± As we prepared to move forward, I glanced at Nicholas. He met my gaze briefly, a flicker of something¡ªrespect, perhaps¡ªpassing between us. For the first time, it felt like we were more than just a group of individuals fighting to survive. We were a team. Chapter 33 It took another few hours to get to the checkpoint on floor ten. While the rest of the floors had been challenging, none were as challenging as the sixth floor. The sun was setting as we walked through the gates into Southport. Before splitting up to our various lodgings, the group agreed to meet at the Guild in the morning to turn in our loot. ¡°Ah, if it, not my favorite adventurer,¡± the innkeeper at the Wondering Advetuter said as I pushed into the taproom. ¡°I bet you say that to all the adventurers who stay here,¡± I chuckle. ¡°So you wantin'' to rent a room,¡± ¡°Yep, not sure how long I¡¯ll be in town this time. The group I joined up with might want to get back out there quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, well, if you want, you can pays¡¯ ya go instead of givin'' it all upfront, at least until you have a better idea of how long ya be stayin''.¡± ¡°That''s perfect,¡± I say, handing him the money for one night. ¡°Pleasure doin'' business with ya. Yar usual room is still free. Taking the key the innkeeper offered, I headed up to the room and got ready for bed. It would be nice to sleep in an actual bed instead of on the hard floor of a dungeon. ~ ~ ~ The following day dawned bright and clear, with nary a cloud in the sky. The morning was like any other I had waken to since I arrived in Southport with one exception. The message icon in the bottom right of my vision was flashing, indicating that I had a new message. Hey, Sis. I hope you''re doing well. I just wanted to let you know that we¡¯ve settled on a date for the wedding. Don¡¯t worry; you won''t have to hurry back or anything. The wedding will be the second week of the twelfth month. ¨CDaniel Which means I have a little over a month to reactivate the lost dungeon. I thought after reading the message. That should be doable, but it also means that I¡¯ll have to convince Sarah and her group that we need to head out within the next few days. Glancing at the time, I realized that if I didn¡¯t get a move on, I¡¯d be late meeting up with the group. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting,¡± I said as I got to the front of the guild hall and saw Sarah and her group already waiting there. ¡°I overslept.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Not a problem,¡± Sarah said, waving my apology away. We just got here ourselves. Shall we head in and redeem our loot? Then I think we should grab a table in the bar area and decide our next steps.¡± ¡°Sound like a plan,¡± I say as Sarah, the rest of the group, and I head into the Guildhall. Just like every other time I had been in the Guildhall, it was busy, and there was a long line for the redemption counter. ¡°Nick,¡± Sarah said after seeing the line, ¡°why don¡¯t you and the rest find us a table while Mel and I redeem the loot.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Nicholas says before gesturing for the rest of our group to follow him. It took us over an hour to get to the front of the line and redeem our loot¡ªa little under forty gold shared between us all, a tidy little profit for a few days'' work. Finding the table with the rest of our group took us a few minutes. ¡°So, I think after that last run, we have a pretty good idea of how to work together,¡± Sarah said. Oh, there are still kinks to work out, but there always are. With that being said, I think we¡¯re ready to go on this little expedition you were talking about, me. Unless you have any thoughts.¡± ¡°Well, it''s funny you should mention that,¡± I say, ¡°because I was hoping we could set out within the next few days.¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you go over a little more about this expedition.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I say, pulling a crude map of the area from my storage space. Actually, in fairness, it only looks crude because of all the details I had deleted from a copy of the system map of the area. I would have used one of the maps I had found in the archive. The only problem was that there weren''t any. ¡°Well, from this map I found in the Archive, it looks like the dungeon we want to find is in an area halfway between the Gemstone Depths and Evergloom. Of course, finding it isn''t going to be the hard part. That will be getting into the dungeon and then fighting our way down to the bottom of the dungeon.¡± ¡°And why do we need to do that,¡± Nicholas asked; apparently, what little respect I had gained from our fight on the sixth floor had evaporated. ¡°well, that''s quite simple. If we want to reactivate this dungeon, Then we¡¯ll have to find its core, and the only access is in the final boss room.¡± And that was even true to a certain extent. The access to the dungeon''s core was in the final boss room; however, that entrance wasn¡¯t obvious and wouldn¡¯t appear to anyone who didn¡¯t have the System Administrator class. You see, the last checkpoint of a dungeon served both as an easy way for delvers to get back to the entrance, but if you had the right access, it also allowed you to get into the core room of the dungeon. ¡°In that case, what can we expect,¡± Dominique asked, ¡°monster wise?¡± ¡°Well, from all the information I was able to find, the dungeon had fifteen floors, so at a minimum, the final boss should be around level 45. Now, with the dungeon lying dormant for all this time, there is no telling what level the monsters will be. In addition, I wasn¡¯t able to find any information on the types of monsters that inhabited the dungeon. We are going to have to be careful.¡± ¡°Well, this sounds more and more fun by the minute,¡± Nicholas said, his tone thick with sarcasm. ¡°Be that as it may,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Is there anything else you were able to find?¡± I reviewed everything I had gathered from the system and my time in the archives, and for the next few hours, we developed a plan for how to tackle the challenge. Chapter 34 ¡°I think we¡¯re here,¡± I say, looking up from the map. Around us, trees stood dense and unyielding, their trunks standing like silent sentinels, their thick canopies blocking out most of the light, casting an eerie, half-lit gloom on our surroundings. The forest floor was thick with moss and tangled roots, muffling every step and leaving the air thick with the scent of earth and decay. A remarkable wall of jagged rock, half-hidden beneath a tangle of ivy and ferns, a seamless part of the land in front of us. ¡°Here?¡± Nicholas asks, incredulously looking around us. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡± ¡°What part of the Dungeon was sealed? Didn¡¯t you get it,¡± I snap. He''d been fine when we started this little trek into the woods a few days ago. However, since we had to leave the well-trodden trail heading to Evergloom a few hours ago, he¡¯d done nothing but complain. What did he expect? The trail would magically still be here after millennia of no one using it. I thought snidly. ¡°Well, when you said it was sealed, I figured you like a cave-in or something was blocking the entrance.¡± He responded. I stare at him before saying, ¡°Seriously, and what? You just figured the team sent to find those missing adventures lied when they said they couldn¡¯t find the entrance.¡± Nicholas opened his mouth to say something, but Sarah got in before he could. ¡°That''s enough. Anyway, if there is no entrance, how will we get in? You haven''t actually said Melissa.¡± ¡°Quite simple, really, barely an inconvenience,¡± I said with a smirk, but it was clear none of the rest of the group found it funny. ¡°while looking through the guild archive of both Southport and Forestend, I came across a reference to another sealed dungeon that was opened. A passphrase must be used to open the seal.¡± ¡°And let me guess, you happen to know this passphrase,¡± Nicholas said. It was a simple question, but his tone singled out his doubt. ¡°Of course,¡± I say, ¡°It would be pretty stupid of me not to know something as simple as that before coming out here, don¡¯t you think.¡± ¡°Well then,¡± Nicholas said with a get-on-with-it gesture. Moving up to the wall of jagged rock, I pull up my interface, ready to send the unlock code. As I say out loud, ¡°Authorization Code: Alpha-November-Romio-Six-Niner-Three-Popa.¡± Nothing happens for a moment, and then the wall of rock in front of us seems to dissolve, leaving a dark, yawning maw. I turn back to the group, and there¡¯s a subtle shift more felt than seen as each prepares for the delve ahead. Sarah stepped forward. "This dungeon''s been sealed for millennia. Whatever¡¯s in here, we handle it together. No lone heroics."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Dominique chuckled, twirling a dagger between her fingers. "Not my style to go solo, boss. But I call dibs on anything shiny if we''re splitting loot." Andrew, the mage, sighed. "Focus, Dominique. Ancient dungeons mean ancient traps. Let¡¯s not get buried alive." Jacob adjusted the strap of his satchel, which was filled with potions and talismans. "Maybe Melissa should take point," Nicholas muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "She¡¯s always eager to charge in." My jaw tightened, but instead of responding, I adjusted my gauntlets. Sarah shot Nicholas a warning glance but said nothing. Entering the darkness, the tunnel was all smooth stone. A few steps in, torches began lighting the way. The first floor was eerily quiet except for distant skittering that echoed through the halls. As the group rounded the first corner, the first enemies appeared¡ªskeletal warriors whose eyes were glowing faintly blue. "Form up!" Sarah commanded. Nicholas charged, his great sword cleaving through the brittle bones with ease. I flanked him, my blade dancing in precise arcs. Dominique darted between the skeletons, striking vital points, while Andrew unleashed firebolts that turned his opponents to ash. Jacob stayed at the rear, casting healing spells to keep the group steady. When faced with a particularly well-armed skeleton, I sharpened the edge of my blade to better pierce it before quickly changing it back before the rest of the group could notice. "Nice work," Sarah said after the last skeleton fell. "Yeah, Melissa," Nicholas said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your fancy footwork almost made up for how many hits you let through." I bit back a retort. Sarah¡¯s expression darkened, but she moved the group forward rather than escalate the tension. By the time we cleared the floor, everyone was winded but unharmed, though the tension among us was palpable. "That was just the beginning," Sarah said, wiping sweat from her brow. Her voice was calm, but the slight tremor in her hand betrayed the strain of the fight. "We handled it," Nicholas said with a shrug, hefting his great sword onto his shoulder. "Even if some of us took the scenic route during the battle." Dominique cut in before I gave Nicholas a piece of my mind, her tone light yet pointed. "Maybe if you¡¯d focus less on commentary and more on swinging that sword, we¡¯d finish faster." Andrew snorted, leaning on his staff. "Let¡¯s not forget this place is ancient. Skeletons are just the appetizer. There¡¯s bound to be worse further in." Jacob nodded, wiping his hands on his robes after casting a final round of minor healing spells. "He¡¯s right. We can¡¯t afford to be overconfident. The traps and enemies here are designed to wear us down." ¡°Plus, with the intelligence behind the dungeon out of commission,¡± I add, ¡°we don¡¯t even know what type of traps or other hazards the monsters in here have in store for us. Nor can we expect each level to stick to the power gradient that we¡¯re used to in other dungeons.¡± Sarah scanned the group, her gaze lingering on Nicholas as I. "Stay sharp and save the bickering for later. Nicholas, Melissa, both of you did well in the fight. Let¡¯s keep it that way. We can¡¯t afford to be divided." I give a curt nod. Nicholas merely grunted in response. Dominique exchanged a glance with Sarah but said nothing, sensing the leader¡¯s patience was already thin. As we prepared to move forward, Dominique added with a smirk, "Well, if it¡¯s worse further in, at least it¡¯ll make for a good story. Assuming we don¡¯t end up as one." A soft chuckle circles the group, the tension easing just a bit as we gather our belongings and lot the fallen monsters. Chapter 35 The second floor was a maze of narrow corridors and crumbling archways, the air damp and heavy with the smell of old stone. I followed close behind Dominique, who moved like a shadow, her every step deliberate. I envied her confidence. She made it look easy, crouching to inspect a barely visible tripwire. "Another one," she murmured, her blade slicing through the wire with precision. "Looks like this place was built to confuse and repel intruders," Dominique said, her tone calm as she disarmed a pressure plate overhead. Nicholas snorted from behind me. "We¡¯re not intruders. We¡¯re explorers." I bit back a groan. Sure, explorers who want to enter the dungeon¡¯s core. Dominique didn¡¯t even look at him. "Tell that to the traps. Anyway, the trap is disarmed," she said. "Let¡¯s keep moving." A grinding sound broke the quiet of the corridors. Gargoyles and Stone Knights stepped out from recesses in the walls, their glowing eyes fixed on us. The statues moved with a jerky, unnatural rhythm, and the air seemed to hum with the energy animating them. "Animated statues," Andrew said, stepping forward with his staff glowing. "Let¡¯s see how they handle a little disruption." Nicholas charged ahead, his great sword clashing against a knight¡¯s shield with a deafening clang. Sparks flew, but the knight barely reacted. Its rocky exterior was too tough. "These things are tough!" Nicholas called, grunting as he blocked a swing with his shield. I ducked as a gargoyle lunged at me, its stone claws scraping the air where my head had been. My blade lashed out instinctively, striking its side, but the weapon bounced harmlessly off the hardened surface. My frustration grew, but then I noticed something¡ªa small crack in the gargoyle¡¯s elbow as it swung again. "Go for the joints!" I shouted, hoping the others could hear me over the chaos. My weapon shifted in my hands, the blade widening and thickening into a heavy cleaver. I swung hard, aiming for the shoulder joint of a stone knight. The impact jarred my arms, but the reward was worth it: the arm crumbled to the floor with a crash. "Nice work," Sarah called, stepping up beside me. She adjusted her stance and struck at the neck of a gargoyle. Its head toppled to the ground and shattered. "Aim for the necks¡ªtake their heads off!" I nodded, my breath coming fast and shallow. My arms ached, but I couldn¡¯t stop now. Another knight moved toward me, its sword raised. My weapon shifted again, narrowing into a long, piercing point. I lunged, driving it into the neck joint. The knight shuddered, then collapsed in a heap of rubble.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The fight was a blur of movement, shouts, and ringing metal. Andrew¡¯s frost skills blasted across the battlefield, creating cracks in the statues¡¯ surfaces. Dominique darted through the chaos, her daggers finding every vulnerable spot. And, as always, Nicholas kept the statues focused on him, his strength drawing their attacks. When the last statue fell, I leaned heavily on my weapon, which had been transformed back into its normal shape before anyone could notice, struggling to catch my breath. My muscles burned, and sweat dripped down my brow. "That was tougher than I expected," I admitted, wiping my face with my sleeve. "But effective," Sarah said, retrieving her blade from a pile of rubble. "Keep watching for weak points like that. We¡¯ll need every advantage we can get." Nicholas sheathed his sword with a flourish, rolling his shoulders like the fight had been nothing. "I¡¯ll keep their attention, as always. Just make sure to land your hits." I shot him a glare, muttering, "Always so generous with advice." Dominique didn¡¯t give us a chance to argue. "Let¡¯s move. I don¡¯t want to stick around in case there¡¯s a second wave." We followed her into a large chamber. At its center, a glowing crystal hovered above a stone pedestal, its faint blue light casting eerie shadows. Dominique approached cautiously, her eyes scanning for traps as she reached for the crystal. "This looks valuable," she said, pocketing it after a moment¡¯s inspection. "Probably part of the dungeon¡¯s puzzle," Andrew said, adjusting his grip on his staff. "We¡¯ll figure it out later." Nicholas leaned against the wall, his smirk as infuriating as ever. "Good thing Dominique found it. Wouldn¡¯t want it falling into the wrong hands." My jaw tightened as I turned away. Why does he always have to make everything harder? I didn¡¯t bother responding, focusing instead on the next hallway. Sarah caught up to me, giving Nicholas a sharp look but staying silent. I appreciated that. Sometimes, silence said more. The descent to the third floor was a jarring change. The air grew stifling, and when we entered the chamber, an oppressive orange glow bathed everything. Lava flowed through channels in the floor, and the heat pressed against my skin, making my armor feel heavier with every step. From the molten streams, fire elementals rose, their forms shifting and flickering like living flames. I swallowed hard, gripping my weapon tighter. "Ranged attacks!" Sarah commanded, pulling the bow from her back, losing an arrow that fizzled out against one of the elementals. Andrew moved forward, his hands radiating cold. With a sweep of his staff, he unleashed a wave of frost that struck several elementals, causing their flames to sputter. "Focus on cooling them down!" he shouted, already preparing another skill. Nicholas charged in, using his shield to block fiery projectiles. "Keep them distracted!" he barked, slamming his shield into the ground with a resounding clang. I circled the edge of the chamber, careful to avoid the molten channels. My weapon shifted again, this time elongating into a halberd-like form. I swung at an elemental¡¯s core, the blade slicing cleanly through its flickering body. With a hiss, the flames dimmed and extinguished, leaving only a puddle of molten rock. Dominique darted behind another elemental, her daggers flashing as she struck at its vulnerable points. Together, we extinguished the last of the fiery creatures. The room fell silent except for the faint bubbling of lava. Another glowing crystal rested in a mechanism in the center of the chamber. Dominique carefully retrieved it, and a hidden doorway slid open with a click, revealing a staircase leading down. "Two crystals," Andrew said, his voice weary but steady. "We¡¯re making progress." Chapter 36 The fourth floor greeted us like a secret world shrouded in perpetual twilight. The walls glimmered faintly with veins of phosphorescent minerals, casting an eerie, ghostly glow over everything. The air felt thick with tension, like the moments before a storm. Every sound, from the scuff of boots to the soft clink of armor, seemed amplified. I tightened my grip on my sword, a comforting weight despite the apprehension curling in my stomach. Sarah took the lead, her sword gleaming faintly in the dim light. She moved confidently, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. Dominique crouched low, her sharp eyes scanning the ground for traps. I fell into step just behind them, my senses on high alert. The cavern¡¯s strange illumination played tricks on my vision, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was watching us. We didn¡¯t have to wait long for confirmation. Shadow creatures emerged from the darkness like ink spilling across a canvas. Their forms shifted and writhed, defying definition. My heart raced as Sarah barked a command. ¡°Stay close! Don¡¯t let them surround you!¡± Nicholas charged forward, his great sword cleaving through one of the creatures. The strike seemed to scatter its form, but it reassembled almost immediately. ¡°They¡¯re not solid!¡± he shouted, frustration lacing his voice. ¡°What are we supposed to hit?¡± Andrew, standing at the rear, quickly assessed the situation. His voice was calm but urgent. ¡°Use light! They¡¯re vulnerable to light magic!¡± Without hesitation, he raised his staff, unleashing a burst of radiant light that illuminated the chamber. The shadows shrieked, their forms dissolving under the brilliance. Taking advantage of the moment, Dominique and I moved in tandem. Andrew¡¯s spells weakened the creatures, and our strikes landed true. My sword shimmered faintly, elongating into a spear as I thrust it through a cluster of shadows. The transformation was fleeting, and I quickly reverted it to its original form before anyone could notice. When the last shadow creature dissolved into nothingness, my muscles burned, and my breaths came shallow and fast. Dominique wiped her blade on her cloak, her expression grim. ¡°That was different,¡± she said. ¡°Hard to hit what you can¡¯t see.¡± Nicholas¡¯s gaze flicked to me, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Or what you can¡¯t trust,¡± he muttered. ¡°That weapon of yours¡­ looks like it¡¯s got some tricks.¡± I met his gaze evenly, ¡°It¡¯s a sword, Nicholas. Just like yours.¡± Of course, I could tell them that it was a unique item that had once been wealed by one of the System¡¯s creators. Nor could it tell them that because of my broken class, I had access to all of the weapon features, like its ability to change into any weapon I wanted. At least not yet.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Sarah stepped between us, her tone sharp. ¡°Enough. We¡¯ve got bigger problems than arguing over weapons. Let¡¯s move.¡± The tension lingered as we pressed deeper into the floor. It wasn¡¯t just the shadows we had to contend with. The cavern tested us with a series of puzzles, each more intricate than the last. Doorways required us to match glowing symbols in the correct sequence. Levers threatened to trigger traps unless we pulled them in precise patterns. Enchanted riddles demanded quick thinking and a sharp mind. It was a little surprising that they still worked after all this time and neglect. I thrived here. While the others debated, I focused, piecing together the logic behind each challenge. After all, what is programming if not the application of logic? And Gems has been teaching me that since I was a little kid. One particularly complex rune sequence clicked into place under my careful scrutiny. Sarah offered me a rare smile when the door slid open with a soft hiss. ¡°Good work. We wouldn¡¯t have made it through without you.¡± Nicholas said nothing, his expression unreadable. Andrew, ever the peacemaker, clapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s just be grateful we¡¯re still in one piece.¡± The floor¡¯s final chamber loomed before us, dominated by a glowing pedestal holding the third crystal. The air felt charged, humming with latent energy. Dominique reached for the crystal, but before her fingers could touch it, the shadows coalesced into a towering creature. This one was different¡ªsolid, menacing, and far more dangerous. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± Sarah shouted, drawing her sword. The creature moved with unnatural speed, its massive form absorbing Andrew¡¯s light magic with ease. Frustration bubbled up as our usual tactics failed. We had to adapt. Sarah and Dominique worked together, their strikes precise and coordinated, while Nicholas kept the creature¡¯s attention with powerful, sweeping blows. Meanwhile, Jacob cast protective wards, shielding us from the creature¡¯s devastating attacks. I joined the fray, my weapon shifting subtly in my hands. A whip to entangle its limbs, a hammer to smash through its defenses, and finally, a blade to deliver a decisive strike. Each transformation was brief, masked by the chaos of the battle, but I felt Nicholas¡¯s eyes on me. His sharp gaze missed nothing. The creature roared, a sound that reverberated through my very bones. We pressed on, each of us playing our part. Dominique¡¯s agility allowed her to land hits in vulnerable spots, while Sarah¡¯s leadership unified us. Andrew¡¯s spells provided moments of reprieve, and Nicholas¡¯s strength kept the creature from overwhelming us. Finally, with a coordinated effort, we brought the monster down. Its form dissolved into mist, and the chamber fell silent. Dominique retrieved the crystal, holding it aloft with a triumphant grin. ¡°Three down. Let¡¯s hope the rest are this much fun.¡± Jacob handed out healing potions, his expression tired but resolute. ¡°Fun¡¯s not the word I¡¯d use.¡± I cleaned my blade, avoiding Nicholas¡¯s pointed stare. I could feel the questions were coming, but I wasn¡¯t ready to answer. Not yet. Sarah¡¯s voice cut through the lingering silence, steady despite the exhaustion etched on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. The deeper we go, the closer we are to whatever¡¯s waiting at the bottom.¡± We gathered our strength and pressed on, the faint glow of the next staircase guiding us deeper into the unknown. Chatper 37 The ninth floor greeted us with the cold, biting air of a desolate tundra. Snow crunched underfoot as we stepped forward, the sound unnaturally loud in the oppressive stillness. Jagged ice formations glittered in the dim light, their crystalline surfaces reflecting eerie blue hues across the walls. The sharp and merciless wind howled incessantly, drowning out all but the closest voices. I tightened the straps on my gauntlets, feeling the sting of frost even through my gloves. ¡°It feels like the dungeon itself is trying to freeze us solid,¡± I muttered, my breath puffing out in clouds that quickly disappeared into the swirling air. Dominique pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, her face barely visible beneath the hood. ¡°How does this even work?¡± she said, half to herself, her tone laced with frustration. ¡°We were just in a jungle two floors ago. Now this?¡± ¡°The dungeon¡¯s environment doesn¡¯t follow logic,¡± Andrew replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around us. He adjusted the scarf around his neck, his staff glowing faintly in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all about wearing us down. Different conditions, different hazards.¡± ¡°And we haven¡¯t even seen what¡¯s waiting for us,¡± Nicholas grumbled. He stood nearby, his broad shoulders hunched against the cold, his greatsword resting on one shoulder. His breath emerged in steady streams of visible steam. Sarah¡¯s voice cut through the conversation, sharp and commanding. ¡°Keep moving. The longer we stand here, the worse it¡¯ll get.¡± She didn¡¯t need to elaborate; the frostbite nipping at my fingers and toes was enough of a reminder. We pressed forward, our boots crunching through the knee-deep snow. The enemies came almost immediately. Ice wraiths emerged first, their translucent forms shimmering as they glided toward us. Their movements were erratic, like leaves caught in a winter storm, and their high-pitched wails sent shivers down my spine. Frost wolves followed, their eyes glowing like pale lanterns, their bodies blending with the snow as they moved silently in packs. Finally, towering frost giants lumbered into view, their massive clubs made of solid ice, each swing capable of shattering stone. ¡°Here we go,¡± I murmured, gripping my weapon tightly. The familiar hum of its shifting form steadied my nerves as it morphed into a thin, elegant rapier. Perfect for precision strikes. Nicholas charged ahead, his greatsword arcing through the air. Each swing sent vibrations through the ground, and I could feel the reverberations even through the snow. Dominique darted among the wolves, her twin daggers flashing like quicksilver as she struck with lethal precision. Andrew unleashed waves of fire, the orange flames cutting through the frosty blue haze and incinerating the smaller creatures. Jacob stayed toward the back, his hands glowing with healing skills as he countered the creeping frostbite that threatened to slow us all.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. As for me, I focused on the wraiths. They were elusive, their forms flickering in and out of visibility like tricks of the light. But I had learned their secret: the faintly glowing cores hidden within their ghostly forms. My rapier was the perfect weapon for this¡ªquick, precise, and deadly. Each thrust found its mark, and each wraith dissolved into shimmering motes of light with a haunting screech. The cold was relentless. Every breath burned in my chest, and every step felt heavier than the last. My limbs ached from the effort, and I could feel my energy draining with each swing of my weapon. Still, we pressed on. The alternative wasn¡¯t an option. By the time we reached the end of the floor, the tundra had taken its toll. Frost clung to our clothes and armor, and every movement was an effort. But the dark cave in the ice wall that surrounded us and led to the next floor brought a flicker of hope. We stepped through, one by one, and the biting cold quickly evaporated as if it had never been there. The tenth floor was a labyrinth of twisting metallic corridors. The air buzzed faintly, charged with static energy, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The walls gleamed with an unnatural sheen, their smooth surfaces etched with faintly glowing runes. Every step echoed unnervingly, the sound bouncing off the walls and creating the unsettling illusion of being followed. Andrew was the first to notice the runes. He halted abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he studied the patterns. ¡°This is... different,¡± he said, his tone cautious. Sarah turned to him, her expression sharp. ¡°Different, how?¡± He pointed to a cluster of glowing symbols. ¡°They¡¯re powering the traps.¡± I stepped up next to him to look closer and had to forcibly stop the chuckle that threatened to escape. Yes, the runes did precisely what he said, but what had me forcing down a chuckle was the much subtler set of runes embedded in them. They didn¡¯t actually do anything; they weren''t even part of the runic language, after all, but they did spell out the message: ¡°You break it, you bought it.¡± Apparently, the Dungeon Intelligence had a sense of humor. As if on cue, the floor beneath us shifted. I barely had time to react as spears shot out from the walls, and panels in the floor dropped away, revealing bottomless pits. My heart pounded as I leaped to safety. Dominique¡¯s reflexes saved us more than once. Her keen eyes spotted hidden triggers, and her nimble movements allowed her to disable several traps before they could activate. Andrew¡¯s magic disrupted others, his spells sending ripples of energy through the air that short-circuited the mechanisms. But the traps were relentless, and by the time we cleared the floor, we were battered and bruised, and Jacob¡¯s mana reserves were nearly depleted. Nicholas leaned heavily against a wall, his face drawn with exhaustion. He took a long swig from his water skin and muttered, ¡°I hate this place.¡± Ever the stoic leader, Sarah straightened her shoulders and replied, ¡°No one said this would be easy. But we¡¯re making progress. Five more floors.¡± I sank to the ground, leaning against the cool metal wall. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my muscles screamed in protest. ¡°Five more floors,¡± I echoed, the words heavy with fatigue. ¡°Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t get worse.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead and jink us,¡± came Nicholas¡¯s snide response. Chapter 38 The eleventh floor was silent¡ªtoo silent. The walls of smooth obsidian reflected distorted images of us as we moved cautiously through the hallway. My distorted reflection caught my eye, the warped version of myself seeming almost sinister in the dim, ambient glow. There were no visible enemies, no obvious traps, just an oppressive quiet that pressed against my chest like an iron weight. Every breath felt heavy, every step too loud in the unnatural stillness. ¡°Stay alert,¡± Sarah murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Even that tiny sound seemed to reverberate endlessly in the emptiness. I gave her a sharp nod, keeping my grip firm on my weapon. The silence stretched on, and every second of it was maddening. Then, they came. Shadows peeled away from the obsidian walls as if the reflections themselves had come to life. They morphed into humanoid figures with elongated limbs and blades for hands, their edges gleaming with a dark, unholy light. My breath caught as they moved, faster than anything we¡¯d faced before, their strikes nearly impossible to predict. ¡°Cover each other!¡± Sarah shouted, her voice slicing through the chaos as the creatures surged toward us. I moved instinctively, falling into rhythm beside Sarah. My weapon shifted into a shield just in time to deflect a blade aimed at her side. She countered with a precise slash, the edge of her sword cutting through the shadow¡¯s form. My focus was absolute as I fought, my weapon morphing between a broadsword to block, a spear to thrust, and a dagger to exploit openings. I tried to move subtly, but I caught Nicholas¡¯s gaze lingering on me more than once, his brow furrowing with questions he hadn¡¯t yet dared to voice. The battle was chaos. Nicholas held off two of the creatures at once, his raw strength barely keeping pace with their relentless speed. Dominique darted in and out of the fray like a wraith, her daggers finding their mark in the creatures¡¯ weak spots, though each strike seemed to take a little more out of her. Andrew¡¯s radiant magic filled the air, each burst of light weakening the shadows and giving us fleeting moments of respite. Jacob¡¯s healing spells wove through the battle like threads of gold, mending wounds almost as quickly as they were inflicted. Finally, the last shadow fell. The silence returned, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing. I leaned against a wall, my weapon¡ªback to its original form¡ªstill in hand, though my arms trembled with exhaustion. Jacob approached me, a soft glow surrounding his hands as he pressed them against my shoulder. Warmth spread through me as my injuries mended, but the tension in my chest didn¡¯t ease. ¡°These things aren¡¯t playing around anymore,¡± Dominique muttered, wiping one of her daggers clean on her cloak. Her voice was edged with frustration, but I could see the fatigue in her eyes.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Andrew nodded grimly. ¡°The deeper we go, the more it feels like this dungeon is adapting to us.¡± His words hung in the air, a weighty truth we couldn¡¯t ignore. The twelfth floor was a dense jungle, every step treacherous as venomous beasts lurked behind every vine and shadow. I¡¯d lost count of how many times Sarah¡¯s blade had flashed out to save one of us from a venomous strike. My weapon, too, adapted to the terrain, becoming a bow at times to pick off threats from a distance or a machete to carve through the thick foliage. The thirteenth floor was no kinder. A labyrinth of shifting sands awaited us, every step threatening to pull us under if we lingered too long. Dominique¡¯s agility shone here, her movements swift and deliberate as she navigated the treacherous terrain. Nicholas, ever the powerhouse, carried both himself and Andrew across one particularly unstable section. By the time we reached the staircase leading to the fourteenth floor, even he seemed subdued, his usual bravado replaced by a heavy silence. The fourteenth floor¡ªhell itself. The air reeked of sulfur, and the ground beneath us felt unstable like it might crumble under our weight at any moment. Lava pits dotted the landscape, their heat licking at our skin even from a distance. Fire elementals roamed freely, their flames casting flickering shadows across the walls. Each fight here was a grueling test of endurance and coordination. Andrew¡¯s frost magic was invaluable, his spells quelling the fiery creatures long enough for us to strike them down, but even he was beginning to falter. We pressed on, step by agonizing step until we reached the staircase to the fifteenth floor. The descent was slow, each of us bracing ourselves for whatever fresh hell awaited us. The air grew heavier with each step, the oppressive energy almost palpable. The walls around us pulsed faintly with veins of red and black, and the floor seemed to hum with an unsettling vibration that I felt in my bones. ¡°This is it,¡± Sarah said, her voice steady despite the tension etched into her features. She met each of our gazes, her determination unwavering. I drew in a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever lay ahead. There was no turning back now. The chamber we entered was massive, its scale almost incomprehensible. At its center stood a towering figure clad in dark armor, its presence radiating an aura of pure malice that made my skin crawl. The figure turned its gaze toward us, and my breath caught at the sheer weight of its attention. Its voice was a low rumble, each word vibrating through the chamber like the tolling of a death knell. ¡°You dare disturb my slumber? Foolish mortals. You will not leave here alive.¡± Sarah stepped forward, her sword raised and her voice firm. ¡°We¡¯ve come too far to back down now. Everyone, prepare for the fight of your lives.¡± We formed up, each of us taking our positions without hesitation. My grip tightened on my weapon, its form shifting into a halberd, its weight reassuring in my hands. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to breathe deeply, to focus. The final battle was here, and failure was not an option. The figure raised its massive weapon. The ground beneath us trembled as it charged, its steps shaking the very foundation of the chamber. Time seemed to slow as I locked eyes with Sarah, her determined nod grounding me. Whatever happened next, we would face it together as a team. Chapter 39 As the final battle began, the oppressive aura of the towering figure clashed with the group''s unyielding determination. The figure was colossal, its dark armor gleaming with malicious energy. It held a massive weapon, a greatsword that seemed forged from shadows, its blade humming with dark magic. The ground beneath us shook with each of the figure¡¯s steps, and a low growl of malice rumbled through the chamber. Its deep, mocking voice shattered the silence that had fallen over us. "You are brave, but brave fools nonetheless. You will fall like the others." Sarah, undeterred, raised her sword high. "We won¡¯t fall that easily." With a war cry, she charged in, leading the charge with all the grace and authority of a true leader. Nicholas moved alongside her, his greatsword already swung into a defensive stance, ready to protect the group from any onslaught. As the figure lunged with its massive weapon, Nicholas blocked the strike with his shield, the sheer force sending him skidding backward, but he held his ground. "Focus on defense!" Nicholas grunted, trying to steady himself. Dominique moved like a blur, dodging in and out of the shadows, her daggers slashing at the dark figure''s exposed joints. Each strike caused sparks to fly, but the figure¡¯s armor was relentless, absorbing the blows without much sign of weakening. "Too tough! This armor¡¯s resistant to normal strikes!" Dominique shouted, looking to Andrew for support. "Got it!" Andrew shouted in response, raising his staff. A burst of radiant light erupted from the tip, illuminating the chamber and forcing the figure to recoil. The light pushed through the cracks in its armor, exposing faint vulnerabilities. "That¡¯s the weakness!" Andrew called out. "Light magic works! We need to keep hitting it!" "Got it!" Sarah shouted, pivoting on her heel and attacking with renewed vigor. She pressed the assault, aiming her sword at the exposed cracks Andrew had created. Her strikes were precise, but the figure was quick, using its massive sword to block and counter. I saw an opening, the dark figure distracted for just a moment by Sarah¡¯s relentless attacks. My weapon shifted into the form of a spear, its point gleaming with deadly intent. I darted forward, thrusting with all my strength toward the figure¡¯s exposed side. The spear punctured through the crack in its armor, and the figure roared in fury, its voice like thunder, as it staggered backward.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. But the beast retaliated, swinging its sword in an arc that caught Sarah off guard. She was thrown back, her body crashing into the stone floor with a sickening thud. I couldn¡¯t suppress the gasp that escaped me. We couldn¡¯t afford to lose anyone here. "Nicholas, cover her!" I shouted, charging in to support Sarah, who was already pushing herself up. Nicholas leaped into action, taking the brunt of the figure¡¯s next strike with his shield, the force of it rattling his bones. He gritted his teeth, holding strong. "You won¡¯t get to her!" He slammed his greatsword down on the figure¡¯s weapon, locking them into a brief stalemate. I reached Sarah¡¯s side, offering her a hand as she grimaced in pain. "Get up; we can still finish this!" She nodded, determination flooding her eyes as she grabbed her sword. "I¡¯m not done yet." Enraged by our resistance, the figure let out a shrill scream and summoned dark tendrils from the ground. The shadowy appendages shot out like whips, aiming for anyone who dared approach. They lashed out, narrowly missing Dominique as she danced out of their reach. "Stay on the move!" she warned, her daggers flashing as she sliced through the tendrils before they could entangle her. Andrew¡¯s hands flared with skills, sending a wave of icy frost to slow the dark tendrils, freezing them in place momentarily. "Now¡¯s our chance!" "Focus on the head!" Sarah barked, rallying the group for the final push. "We¡¯ve got one shot!" With a collective shout, we all surged forward. Nicholas led the charge, bashing into the dark figure with his shield, while Dominique flanked it, moving in to strike at its vulnerable spots. Andrew¡¯s light magic flared brighter, and I aimed for the weakened armor, thrusting my spear into the gap once more. The figure¡¯s roar echoed through the chamber, but it was no match for the combined might of our team. The blow struck true. The figure staggered, its enormous weapon falling from its grasp, the armor cracking under the intense barrage of light, frost, and steel. "Now, Sarah!" I called, seeing the final opportunity. With a final, devastating blow, Sarah¡¯s sword pierced the heart of the dark figure. It let out one last screech as its form disintegrated into a cloud of shadows, the darkness dissipating in the light of Andrew¡¯s magic. The ground shook as the figure fell, and the oppressive aura it had cast over the chamber melted away. We stood, panting, sweat and blood staining our clothes. Sarah slowly lowered her sword, eyes scanning the space where the figure had been; only a tiny pile of shadowy ash remained. And that was only because something needed to trigger the loot action. "We did it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°So now what?¡± Nicholas asks as we gather in the center of the room, ¡°We''re at the end of the dungeon, so how do we reactivate it or do whatever needs to be done?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure,¡± I say, faining indecision, ¡° I know we need to find the Dungeon¡¯s Core, but how we go about doing that is anyone''s guess. In any event, without the Intelligence running the dungeon, we don¡¯t have to worry about the boss respawning, so we can make camp here while we look for some way into the Core.¡± Of course, I knew exactly how to get into the core. It just wasn¡¯t something I was willing to share with the group. ?So, how do you expect to sneak away from them?? Gem asked ?Knowing Sarah, she¡¯ll want to set up a watch, so when it''s my turn, I figured that would be the perfect time to sneak away and figure out why you can¡¯t reboot the DI,? I respond before starting to help set up camp. Chapter 40 Setting up camp was simple, though the weight of our journey hung over us like a thick fog. We all knew that rest was necessary, but true comfort was a luxury we couldn''t afford. Each of us had our own one-person tent, which we arranged in a defensive circle around a makeshift fire pit. The abundance of trees in the chamber made gathering firewood effortless. The fire crackled as we sat around it, our simple dinner of stew simmering in a pot made from the meat drops we''d collected from higher floors. It was a quiet, subdued meal, each of us lost in our thoughts, processing the battle from earlier. The warmth of the fire did little to ease the tension that had settled over the group. Sarah was the first to break the silence. "I know Mel said that monsters shouldn''t respawn, but I think we''d all feel much safer if we still had a watch rotation." She stirred the stew absentmindedly as she spoke, her sharp gaze sweeping over the group. "I agree," Andrew said, adjusting his grip on his staff. "We cleared out a good chunk of the monsters on the upper floors, but I have no doubt we missed a few. And without the Dungeon to keep them contained to their respective floors, there''s a chance some could make their way down here. The final boss, being Level 50, already proved there''s been monster migration. How else could it have gotten the experience." "So it''s settled," Sarah said. "Who wants which shift?" It took a few minutes of back and forth, but eventually, everyone was assigned a shift¡ªexcept for me and Jacob. That was a stroke of luck, but it also meant I needed to figure out a way to sneak out of camp without raising suspicion. "Well, now that''s settled, can we talk about the beast lurking in the shadows?" Nicholas said, his voice cutting through the relative quiet. "And what would that be?" Dominique asked, raising an eyebrow. "The fact that Mel''s sword isn''t normal, and she''s been lying about it." I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Seriously?" I shot him a look. "We''ve been over this. It''s just a sword. It doesn''t have any special abilities beyond being a well-made weapon. Unless you count a keen edge, which, by the way, a lot of high-quality weapons have." Nicholas crossed his arms, unimpressed. "I don''t buy it. I''ve seen that thing in action. There''s more to it than you''re letting on." I sighed, already knowing he wasn''t going to let this go. "Alright, let''s do this: when we get back, we have one of the Guild appraisers check it. If they find anything beyond what I''ve told you, I''ll admit you were right. Otherwise, you drop this." of course, I knew exactly what the appraiser would see: a regular sword with the standard enhancements for a keen edge and cleaning. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Nicholas held my gaze for a moment before grunting. "Fine. But if that sword turns out to be anything more than just ''well-made,'' I''ll expect answers." Sarah, sensing the conversation would only spiral further, stepped in. "Good. Now, let''s get some sleep. We still have to figure out how to access the Dungeon Core tomorrow. Mel, Jacob¡ªyou two are in charge of breakfast. Andrew, relieve me in about two hours for your shift." With that settled, we dispersed, retreating to our tents one by one. The fire dimmed as the conversation faded, leaving only the distant rustling of the trees and the occasional snap of twigs underfoot. I made my way to my tent and lay there, waiting. It took nearly a half-hour before the sounds of even breathing filled the camp. Carefully, I slipped out, moving like a shadow between the tents, my steps light on the mossy ground. Every rustling leaf felt deafening in the quiet, but no one stirred. Sarah was sitting on watch, facing the opposite direction, scanning for threats. ?You know,? I sent to Gem as I reflexively tried to bring up the dungeon map for what felt like the hundredth time, only to be met with the same "File Not Found" error. ?I didn''t realize how much I''d miss the dungeon map. I always assumed it was a function of the system itself, not something linked to the Dungeon Intelligence.? ?Well, you know what they say about assuming,? Gem quips, ?In all seriousness, though, how would the system know what the dungeon layout is like?? Gem responded. ?The system provides the interface, but the Dungeon Intelligence supplies the data.? ?Then explain Shipwreck,? I countered. ?You were able to manipulate the map only to show the solo route.? ?That was different,? Gem said. ?I didn''t change the map itself¡ªjust the metadata that tells the system which file to display. Because it was still testing that route, it actually had two map files, one for the normal route and one for the solo route. Shipwreck hadn''t gotten around to merging them, so removing the pointers to the solo route mapping file was easy. I never had access to the actual mapping files.? ?So why can''t we just use the old files from when the Dungeon was active? They''d be outdated, sure, but better than nothing.? ?And where exactly do you think those files are stored?? I frowned as realization dawned. ?They''re on the Dungeon''s local storage array. Which you can''t access because of whatever happened. Hence the error.? ?Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner,? Gem enthused. ?You know, I figured the whole "File Not Found" error would have clued you into what was happening.? ?Right,? I muttered. A slight blush formed and dusted my checks. As I moved deeper into the forested chamber, my foot caught on something hard. I stumbled forward, barely catching myself before I face-planted into the mossy ground. Looking back, I saw it¡ªa checkpoint platform, almost swallowed by the earth itself, vines creeping over it like nature''s attempt to erase its existence. The runes etched into its surface were dull, long dormant, but the faintest shimmer of energy remained. I stepped onto the platform, and a silver menu appeared in front of me. As expected, most of the options were grayed out, but two remained visible: Entrance and Core Room. The entrance option was standard, an emergency failsafe that allowed anyone trapped inside to escape¡ªprovided they could get to a checkpoint and the entrance hadn''t sealed itself. The Core Room, however, was only there because of my System Administrator class. I took a steadying breath, my fingers hovering over the option for only a second. "No turning back now," I murmured under my breath before tapping Core Room with unwavering resolve. Chapter 41 One moment, I was surrounded by towering trees; the next, I stood in a sterile, square room. Its walls, floor, and ceiling were made of unnaturally smooth stone, polished to the point of being almost reflective. The dim, ethereal glow that filled the chamber came not from torches or crystals but from circular depressions in the ceiling, casting a cold, artificial light. The contrast was jarring, a stark departure from the dense, living forest I had just left behind. Against two walls stood rows of server racks, their blinking lights dim and sporadic, some flickering weakly as though struggling to remain powered. But what dominated the space was the massive circular console in the center of the room, its curved surface lined with interfaces and an inactive holographic projector. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, my eyes locking onto the scorched remnants of the main networking stack. The damage was severe, with deep burn marks scarring the external casing, and if the outside looked this bad, the inside was likely worse. My stomach twisted as I stepped closer, already suspecting the worst. ¡°By all that is holy, how in the ever-living fuck did this happen? The surge protection in this room should be nearly impossible to overload.¡± ?Near impossible doesn¡¯t mean impossible,? Gem commented dryly. ?But that still doesn¡¯t explain why the dungeon went into hibernation. Even if the main networking stack was fried, the system has redundancy built in. It should have been able to rebuild it.? ¡°So we¡¯re looking for something more,¡± I murmured, scanning the adjacent racks for any additional damage. Then something clicked in my memory, and my stomach dropped further. ¡°Um, Gem, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, and please, by all means, correct me, but isn¡¯t the main compute unit for the Dungeon Intelligence in the rack right next to the network core?¡± ?That¡¯s correct,? Gem confirmed. ?They were positioned together to reduce latency in processing dungeon operations. It was one of those efficiency decisions that made sense in theory, though the actual performance gain was negligible.? I stepped around the console and let out a frustrated breath. ¡°Well, someone should get a swift kick upside the head for that decision because whatever fried the network stack also got the main compute unit.¡± ?Fuuuck,? Gem groaned, the digital equivalent of a head hitting a desk. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself.¡± I exhaled sharply and pulled out the chair in front of the central console, dropping into it with a sigh. Leaning back with my eyes closed and rubbing my forehead, I continued. ¡°The good news is that the primary storage array looks intact, so if we¡¯re lucky, there¡¯s a backup of the Dungeon Intelligence still in there.¡± ?And the bad news?? Gem prompted, though I could hear the answer in her tone. ¡°The bad news is that this looks like a more-than-one-night job,¡± I admitted, rubbing my temples. ¡°At best, I can get the maintenance bots running to repair the damage, and they should be able to work during the day while I¡¯m back at camp. But I''ll still have to figure out a way to lead everyone on a merry little goose chase until they''re done. Then, figure out a way to slip away for long enough to load the backup and get everything back online. We''re looking at at least four days, if not a week. On the bright side, the transport platform that connects to the main parts depot still looks functional.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ?You are such a ray of sunshine,? Gem quipped. I pushed myself upright and tapped the console¡¯s interface, watching the screen flicker to life. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the diagnostics running and see if anything else is broken. While that¡¯s running, I¡¯ll do a manual inspection.¡± As the interface booted up, I moved to one of the damaged racks, carefully pulling open the panels to assess the extent of the destruction. Even after all this time, the smell of burnt circuitry still lingered, and the components inside were warped and blackened from whatever catastrophic event had occurred. ?That¡¯s worse than I expected,? Gem admitted. ?You¡¯re not just looking at a blown network stack; that entire section of the infrastructure was completely fried.? ¡°No kidding,¡± I muttered, reaching inside and gently brushing my fingers over the corroded connectors. The damage was extensive as if an immense surge had torn through the system in an uncontrolled burst. Electrical surges should cause uniform burn patterns, but this looked more like something had violently overloaded all at once, cascading through the system. That didn¡¯t make sense¡ªunless something external had triggered it. A freak event, maybe? But what could generate that much-uncontrolled power? ?That¡¯s¡­ not normal,? Gem observed. ?Are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing?? I frowned. ¡°Yeah, and I don¡¯t like it. This isn¡¯t just a power failure; something more destructive burned through this system.¡± I withdrew my hand and turned back toward the console as the diagnostic finished running. The results that scrolled across the display only deepened my concern. Primary Networking Stack: Critical Failure Main Compute Unit: Non-Responsive Backup Compute Unit: Operational Primary Storage Array: Operational with Partial Data Loss Transport System: Functional with Limited Power Maintenance Subsystems: Inactive ¨C Manual Restart Required I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to stay focused. "Not great, but at least we have something to work with." ?Yeah, I gathered that,? Gem said, relief evident in her tone. ?At least the backup¡¯s still intact. That means if we can get the hardware repaired, we should be able to restore the Dungeon Intelligence without too much reconstruction.? I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Which means we¡¯re still going to need to cross-check the storage array for any inconsistencies before we load it back up. No telling what kind of corruption might have affected secondary systems.¡± ?If the primary storage array is still operational, there¡¯s a chance the core system logs are intact. But we won¡¯t know until you dig through them.? I nodded, already queuing up commands on the console. ¡°Alright, first things first. I¡¯m going to reinitialize the maintenance subsystems. If the repair drones are still functional, they can start handling some of this while I sort through the data.¡± I keyed in the restart sequence, watching as the system struggled to respond. After several agonizing seconds, a status message flickered onto the screen: Maintenance Subsystems Rebooting¡­ Partial Functionality Restored. Deploying Repair Units. I exhaled in relief as a faint hum vibrated through the floor, signaling the activation of the repair drones. From somewhere deeper in the room, I heard the mechanical whirring of long-dormant machines coming to life. ?That¡¯s a start,? Gem said, sounding slightly more optimistic. ?At least we¡¯re not doing this completely alone.? ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, leaning back slightly. ¡°But this is just the beginning. We¡¯ve got a long way to go before this place is even close to functional again.¡± I glanced back at the server racks, then at the console, the weight of the task ahead settling on me. This wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Chapter 42 Leaning back in the chair a few hours later, I rubbed my sleepy eyes, the fatigue weighing heavily on my eyelids like a thick blanket. Absentmindedly sipping what Gem insisted on calling coffee, I grimaced at the overly bitter taste. The liquid was murky and harsh, an affront to my taste buds. After all these years, I still couldn¡¯t comprehend how her creators somehow enjoyed this sludge. I had to add copious amounts of cream and sugar to make it even remotely drinkable, but it kept me awake. When it got cold, however, it was a different story. I gave an involuntary shudder; no amount of cream could salvage it then. ¡°Well, I think I know what happened,¡± I said, my voice echoing slightly in the cavernous room. The gentle hum of the maintenance bots repairing the server racks'' damage provides a comfortable background noise. ?Oh?? Gem responded, her voice tinged with curiosity. ¡°Yeah, and it would almost be hilarious if the damage hadn''t been so catastrophic. It was a classic case of plain old bad luck with a dash of bad timing. You remember how I speculated that the mysterious crystals we stumbled upon on a few of the floors might be part of some new puzzle mechanism the dungeon was implementing?¡± ?Sure,? Gem replied, her tone teasing, ?I figured you were just talking out of your ass on that one, but I remember. ? ¡°I wasn¡¯t that far off from the truth.¡± Ignoring Gem¡¯s comment, I say, ¡°The dungeon was planning to completely overhaul its final boss fight. Instead of the final floor opening into the boss room as it does now, a new room would be added with fifteen pedestals arranged in a circle. Fifteen of those crystals we found would be hidden on the various floors above, and delvers would have to find them. Once they placed the crystals on the pedestals, the mechanism would teleport them to the final boss fight.¡± ?That sounds like a gigantic pain in the ass from both a management and delver perspective,? Gem said; I could hear her shaking her head over the mental connection. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I can think of a few ways to automate the entire process, so it might not be all that bad in the long run. Plus, I could see doing some interesting things with it once it''s established, like every hundred teleports send the group to a different boss, or maybe a treasure room, or just some random floor. Just to spice things up a bit.¡± ?You¡¯re not thinking about setting up your own dungeon when you finally settle down, are you?? Gem asked with mock seriousness. ?Because I get the feeling that it would be the most diabolical one on the planet.? Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Why thank you,¡± I said with a chuckle, ¡°I think that''s the nicest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me.¡± ?That wasn¡¯t exactly a compliment,? Gem deadpanned. ¡°I know, but I¡¯m taking it as one,¡± I said, a shit-eating grin spreading across my face. ¡°Anyway, from what I could piece together, the dungeon was dealing with an issue of groups waiting for the final boss to respawn, and it had already lowered the respawn timer to its absolute minimum. To the point that groups had to either leave the room or use the checkpoint to teleport to the entrance right away or risk the boss respawning on top of them. In an attempt to provide a permanent fix, it seemed to take a page from those old games you told me about that were popular on your creator''s homeworld. I believe you called them MMORPGs, specifically the mechanism where they loaded certain sections on the fly, allowing multiple groups to access the same content at the same time. You called it instancing, I believe? The dungeon was trying something similar, with five prebuilt boss rooms that the teleporter would send the delvers into.¡± ?Okay, that is interesting, and I do see what it was trying to do; I still think it¡¯d be a pain the ass to manage, but to each their own. What does that have to do with what happened?? ¡°I was getting to that,¡± I said, deftly flicking a video file onto the holo tank¡ªthe shimmering image swirling to life. ¡°Watch closely. This group was navigating their way down the fifteenth floor; I suspect this was the group that went missing since they were the only group I couldn¡¯t confirm made it out. Anyway, at the same time, the group encountered a group of enemies; the dungeon was reconfiguring something in the walls. One of the lightning blasts from their mage missed its target and hit the wall. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t cause much trouble, but with the changes the dungeon was making, a path formed, allowing the lightning to surge to the core. And the rest, as they say, is history.¡± ?Shit,? Gem exclaimed, ?if that''s not the definition of bad luck, I don¡¯t know what is.? ¡°Agreed,¡± I nodded solemnly. ¡°I''m just glad the damage wasn¡¯t worse. I doubt there¡¯s much we can do to prevent something like that from happening in the future, either. It was just one of those bizarre freak accidents that no one could have anticipated.¡± ?Damn, and here I was hoping I could go on a rant about my idiot creators,? Gem sighed dramatically. ¡°You know not everything that goes wrong is because your creators messed up,¡± I commented dryly. ?I know, but it''s so much fun to curse them out, especially since they''re not around to defend themselves.? I just shook my head with a smile. Pushing back from the console, I stretched and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I should probably get back to camp before anyone notices I disappeared.¡± I headed to the teleport pad after logging out of the console with a yawn. Today was going to be a long day, I thought as I appeared on the pad for the final floor. Now, the question was how I could buy enough time for the maintenance drones to do their work without everyone getting suspicious. Really, it couldn¡¯t have been something as easy as a disconnected wire or something. I thought with a soft chuckle as I made my way back to camp. Chapter 43 A few minutes later, as I stealthily crept back into camp, I spotted Sarah sitting outside my tent, her silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of the campfire. Her sharp eyes caught sight of me almost immediately, and she stood up, crossing her arms in a gesture that clearly said she had been waiting. "Where were you?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and mild reproach. "Nature called," I replied nonchalantly, trying to keep my expression neutral. "That must have been some call for it to take over three hours." Sarah countered dryly, one eyebrow arching skeptically. "Wanna try that again?" "I just got lost on my way back," I said with a shrug, attempting to downplay the situation. "Sure, and I''m the Queen," Sarah chuckled, clearly not buying my excuse. She sighed, her expression softening slightly. "Listen, Melissa, we all know you''re not telling us everything. Nick might be the most vocal about it, but we''ve all seen things¡ªthat was even before we came here." "Then why did you guys agree to come?" I asked, genuinely curious about their motivation. The only reason I¡¯d had sought them out in the first place was because the Guildmaster had made it a requirement for access to the Guilds Archive. However, after running the dungeon, I was glad he had. It was nice having a group to watch your back; some of the monsters we¡¯d encountered would have been tricky to take down solo. Well, that was without resorting to using weapons that didn¡¯t exist on this world, which wasn¡¯t a habit I wanted to form. "Because from the little we could verify, you were clearly telling us the truth. Or at least a version of it. Plus, who''d turn down a chance to explore a dungeon no one has been in for millennia?" Sarah''s smile was wry but warm. "Anyway, can you at least tell me if you were able to do whatever you came here to do?" I hesitated, weighing my words carefully before sighing. "Yes, but it will take a few days. Also, it''s not like I was intentionally misleading you; everything I told you was the truth. It''s just that some secrets aren''t mine to tell." "I understand," Sarah said, and her tone suggested there was a depth of personal experience behind her words. "Some of the others might not, but I''ll talk to them. In any event, what I''m hearing is that we should plan on being down here for a few more days and that, at some point, you''re going to do another disappearing act." "You could say that," I admitted. "Okay, then, I can work with that," Sarah said, her eyes holding a glimmer of determination. She opened her mouth to say something else but then closed it, shaking her head as if deciding against it. "Never mind. Anyway, I was trying to find you in the first place because..." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ~ ~ ~ The scent of wet earth and fresh pine combined with the lingering smell of breakfast to create an energizing atmosphere. As we gathered near the crackling campfire, Dominique leaned in, her enthusiastic expression brightening her face. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for today?¡± she asked, her voice punctuating the soothing sounds of nature around us. I briefly met her gaze, but before I could reply, Sarah spoke up. ¡°Mel and I were discussing this earlier. According to the clues she¡¯s gathered, the entrance to the dungeon¡¯s core is so well hidden that it seems nearly impossible to find. This might actually serve as a defense mechanism against intruders. ¡°But Mel is confident there¡¯s a way in. Still, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it takes us a few days to find it. Given this, I suggest we post a watch at the entrance of this floor, just in case any monsters lurking above get curious while the rest of us search for the entrance.¡± ¡°Also,¡± I added, drawing everyone¡¯s focus, ¡°the entrance could be anything. It might not be a hidden tunnel, but something completely different. Consider the checkpoints that can transport us between floors. Who¡¯s to say the core¡¯s entrance doesn¡¯t work similarly?¡± My words seemed to make the group pause. After a moment, Sarah assigned our tasks. ¡°Jacob and Nick,¡± she said, ¡°you two will monitor the floor entrance. Keep a watchful eye to ensure nothing comes down from above. Andrew and Dominique, you¡¯ll search along the left wall by the entrance while Mel and I check the right.¡± ?Well, that wasn¡¯t so bad,? Gem remarked as we headed to our assigned spots, ?At least Sarah seems to be helping. Now we just need to keep them all distractor for the next few days so the maintenance bots can do their thing.? ?Yeah,? I replied distractedly as a thought that had been nagging at me bubbled to the surface. ?What?? Gem asked, noticing my distraction. ?I don¡¯t know, I just have this feeling about Sarah,? I said. ?Ooh,? Gem teased, drawing out the vowel, ?Tell Aunty Gem about this feeling. Are you feeling butterflies in your stomach, or maybe heat is pooling somewhere down below?? ?What! No, nothing like that.? I quickly say as I could feel myself blushing, ?It''s just that I feel like Sarah might know more than she¡¯s letting on. It wasn¡¯t just our earlier chat; there have been other times when it seemed like she wasn¡¯t surprised by some of the phrases from your creator''s homeworld that I let slip.? ?Well, why don¡¯t you just ask her?? ?How about not? She hasn¡¯t mentioned it, and I don¡¯t want to bring it up on the off chance that I¡¯m wrong, and she¡¯s put two and two together and come up with five, so to speak.? ?Okay, I see your point,? Gem conceded. ?Still, my earlier point still stands.? ?And I''m not actually disagreeing with you,? I say. ?Anyway, I''m a bit surprised no one jumped on the idea that the checkpoint might lead us to the core. I hesitated to use it as an example, but it seems no one caught on.? ?Because everyone knows the checkpoints only transport you to the entrance and every fifth floor.? Gem explained, ?It¡¯s the concept of hiding something in plain sight. People who believe something to be true are less likely to consider an alternative explanation. Plus, no one else on the planet has a security class with access to the core, so no one has seen that option.? ?True,? I concede as I joined Sarah. chapter 44 ¡°Everything looks in order,¡± I say, stretching from the crouch I had been in, examining the bottom of the networking rack and clicking off the little pen light. It had taken the maintenance bots a little over three days to complete all the repairs. ¡°But we won¡¯t really know until we boot things up,¡± I say, making my way over to the central console. ¡°As much fun as this has all been, it¡¯ll finally be nice to get back to civilization and a nice warm bed.¡± ?Ah, you don¡¯t like roughing it,? Gem teased. ¡°I have no problem roughing it,¡± I counter. ¡°But you try sleeping on hard stone floors for almost a week and see how much you miss a nice soft bed. Admittedly, the bed back at the inn isn¡¯t all that soft, but you get my point.¡± ?Well, since I don¡¯t require something as inconvenient as sleep, I¡¯ll take your word for it.? ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯ve been wondering, but you¡¯ve never considered what it would be like to be¡­biological?¡± ?Not really,? I could almost hear the shrug in Gem¡¯s response, ?I¡¯ll leave that pursuit to someone who spends his time painting and playing the violin on a mission to explore strange new worlds.? It took me a moment to figure out who she was referring to, but once I did, I couldn¡¯t help but mentally roll my eyes. ¡°And on that note,¡± I say, typing in the command to initiate the restore function. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡± As lines of text begin scrolling down the screen, I can¡¯t help but think out loud. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we would have done if the backup hadn¡¯t been intact.¡± ?Probably just call this place a lost cause, decommission the site, and use whatever was salvageable to start a new site somewhere else,? Gem replied. ¡°What about a remote backup? Couldn¡¯t we have used something like that?¡± I asked, remembering Gem having mentioned those in one of her lessons when I was growing up. ?We could have, but it would have been out of date by a month. While Dungeon Intelligences create a local backup every hour, they only create remote backups once a month. And the truly ironic thing is that the local Dungeon Intelligence was set to perform a remote backup two days after it went offline. Frankly, in this case, it¡¯ll be a lot simpler and a lot less of a hassle to write this place off and start from scratch somewhere else.? ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± I agree, leaning back in the chair and swaying in thought. ¡°In any event, we¡¯ll need to look at the backup schedule for the other Dongeon Intelligences just in case something like this happens again, and the local backup gets fried. If nothing else, maybe shorten the interval to every fifteen days.¡± ?I was thinking along the same lines,? Gem said as the console¡¯s screen went blank. Then, more lines of text started to scroll. This time, it was the boot log for the dungeon core, and I let my chair snap upright as I scanned it, making sure no errors happened. A few heartbeats passed, and the console went blank again before a login prompt appeared. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I think we¡¯re in business,¡± I say almost to myself before saying louder, ¡°Doungeon, are you there?¡± ¡°Yes, Administrator. How may I be of assistance.¡± The almost mechanical-sounding words seemed to come from the very air around me. I was a little surprised, having expected it to talk in my head like all the other DIs I¡¯d interacted with. ¡°What is the last thing you remember?¡± ¡°Several groups of delvers were making their way through my depths. One moment¡­I am only detecting five delvers besides yourself; all of them are on the final floor; four appear to be sleeping, while the final one seems to be keeping watch. Also, according to my internal clock, two hundred thirty-seven years six months ten days eleven hours¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. We get it. A long time has passed.¡± I interrupted the dungeon before it could fully enumerate how long it had been. ¡°The short version is that an electrical discharge found its way to your core and fried the main networking trunk and the server that housed your primary server. We had to restore you from a backup.¡± ¡°I believe the appropriate response is Thank you, Administrator, for repairing my system.¡± ?You know this is probably a bad time to bring this up, but how will you convince the rest of your group that the dungeon is fixed? Sarah would probably take your word for it, but the rest would want proof.? I gave a slight grimace, realizing Gem was right. ¡°Dungeon,¡± I said as a thought popped into my mind. ¡°Are you able to manually trigger the Dungeon Clear message, and if so, will that also generate the reward chest?¡± ¡°Yes, Administrator, the ability to trigger the Dougeon Clear message was programmed into all Dungeon Intelligences as part of the version 23.7.9 update in response to the rarer instances that the automated trigger failed to fire. The answer to your second query is yes; the same process that sends the message also generates the chest.¡± ¡°Well then, in that case, I think I have a plan,¡± I say with a mischievous smirk. ~ ~ ~ The following day, everyone was once again gathered around the fire after a simple breakfast. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan for today? More pointless searching,¡± Nick asks. Sarah opened her mouth to respond but was cut off as we all received a system message.
Congratulations! You have defeated the dungeon: Enchanted Forest 50 XP award 10 XP bonus for the first time clearing the dungeon.
¡°What the System,¡± Dominque exclaimed just as a flash of light caught everyone¡¯s attention. When the light cleared, the reward chest was positioned near the checkpoint platform. ¡°Well, I guess that answers that question,¡± Sarah said, her eyes locked on me. I just smiled innocently. ¡°You can be serious,¡± Nick said, ¡°you really expect us to believe that the Dougeon just decided to start working on its own again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± I say, schooling my features into a natural expression, ¡°that¡¯s what appears to have happened.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we can start packing up. It¡¯ll be nice to be back in Southport and have a nice hot bath,¡± Sarah said. Mel, why don¡¯t you and I go and see what the dungeon has rewarded us with while the rest get started?¡± When we were out of earshot of the rest of the group, Sarah said, ¡°Nick has a point. Do you really expect people to believe the dungeon started working again without us doing anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I say. ¡°However, if I did, I might suggest that a better story would be that while searching for the core, we inadvertently triggered some mechanism that restarted the dungeon.¡± ¡°Sure, and the dungeon restart just so happened to coincide with our finishing breakfast.¡± ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I smiled, and Sarah just shook her head before opening the reward chest. From what I could see, there wasn¡¯t anything notable, just a stack of coins, two swords, and a handful of what appeared to be healing potions.