《A Will and A Way》
Prologue
The hot July Sun was currently beating down upon a certain young man hiking around a lake. As he paused to catch his breath and wipe the sweat out of his eyes, a welcome breeze sprang up from across the lake. Shane was currently sixteen, enjoying his last summer break before his senior year of high school began in the fall. Or, at least he would like to be enjoying his summer break. An unfortunate lack of interest in exercise had left him chubbier than he would really like to be. This led to his current situation. Instead of filling his summer with his favorite pastime, reading, he was hiking.
"Why did I have to pick the hottest summer on record to get in shape? I swear I''ll probably sweat half this extra weight off by the time I finish the circuit!"
He grumbled to himself as he allowed for a small break.The entire circumference of the lake is 4 miles, so taking a break halfway through should be fine, right? He took a moment to look around, enjoying the peace of nature. The lake he had chosen as his training course was a little ways off the beaten path. That combined with a larger, more recreationally friendly lake nearby made it so that it was usually pretty empty of people.
As much as I complain, I do enjoy the peace out here. No people is definitely a plus. It''s not really that I hate people, they''re just so exhausting to be around.
Sighing to himself, Shane mustered up his determination and moved to set off once more. As soon as he started moving he found himself stopped once more, this time in shock. He suddenly found himself surrounded by grey lights that seemed to spring up from nothing. Leaving aside the oddity of the light not having any discernable source, and the strange color, it didn''t behave like light should. Flowing in ribbons as it circled him, it appeared almost viscous. When he reached out to touch it his hand passed right through it. The only evidence he had the light was in fact there was the oddly energizing feeling that pulsed through him when his hand made contact.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
I''m not tripping, right? I''ve never had drugs in my life, but I''m pretty sure this isn''t normal. Did someone spike my water when I wasn''t looking?
As Shane questioned himself the light began pulsing, with each flash leaving the ribbons brighter. Each ribbon was clearly moving faster as it circled him, undulating around each other in strange ways that left him dizzy. He stared at the lights with growing apprehension as they began weaving around each other, letting only slight glimpses of his surrounding through. As the speed of the ribbons picked up so too did the flashing, becoming brighter and brighter with each pulse. Shane had just enough time to make one last observation before the impossible happened.
Are they getting closer? Wai . . .!
With a final brilliant pulse, the ribbons of light constricted in with Shane at the center, becoming one large ball. This ball of light then collapsed in on itself becoming the size of a baseball before bursting out. Once the flash faded away all that remained to prove Shane had been there were his footprints in the dirt path he had been standing on.
Around the world this same scenario played out eleven more times. With no distinction between race, gender, or country of origin. The only unifying factor seemed to be age. Only those between the ages of 16 and 20 had been taken.
The Dungeon of Potential
Once the light cleared away, Shane found himself somewhere else altogether. Surrounded by grey stone on all sides, he appeared to be in some type of cave.
Looking at the walls, it seems like it''s natural. Not that I''m any kind of expert though.
Two tunnels directly opposite each other snaked off into the distance. There was enough light in the cave to see his surroundings clearly, but once again no discernable source for that light. Shane was trying to keep his mind on that paradox rather than the more obvious observation.
People.
Sharing the room with him were eleven others, all seemingly from the same age group.
It''s not that I hate people you know. They just have a bad habit of freaking out and I''d rather not be anywhere near them when that happens. Why am I not freaking out? Well, the fact that I''m studying the walls of this cave like some kind of cave-ologist, not to mention talking to myself should answer that.
Luckily a flashing blue box chose that moment to interrupt Shane from his musings on his questionable mental health. It also provided an excellent opportunity to put off dealing with the other people in the room.
Congratulations!
You have entered the Dungeon of Potential! All actions taken will be judged and awarded with Character Points accordingly.
Well then. That doesn''t really help, does it? Don''t play dumb Shane, you''ve read enough of those lit-rpg stories to know what this is. You could just let me have my delusions for a little bit, you know. Also, I really need to stop talking to myself, even if it''s just in my head.
Shane sighed heavily. Even he couldn''t tell if it was at his bad habit born from spending far too much time alone, or at the situation in general. Either way, it was time to face the elephant in the room.
Probably shouldn''t refer to other people as elephants. That''s rude. Besides, I''m clearly the biggest one here. You do know you''re just wasting time to put off talking to them, right? Yeah yeah. No peace, even from myself.
Leaving aside the comedy routine in his head, he turned his attention to the others in the room. So far everyone had kept quiet. They were probably trying to make sense of their situation internally just as he had been. It was obvious that no one in room knew each other before coming here. The people had still somehow formed cliques before anyone spoke a word though.
Calling them cliques may be a bit harsh though. It''s natural for people to seek comfort in confusing and difficult situations.
Including Shane himself, there were six boys and six girls in the room. Based on proximity with each other there was five distinct groups. Group A consisted of three of the girls. Group B was mixed, with three of the guys and two girls. Group C was a two-man group, literally. Finally, there came the loners. Shane himself, and the last girl in the room. Both stood slightly away from the other groups.
Shane studied his fellow loner a bit more closely, a bit curious as to why she wasn''t huddling up. She was on the shorter side, maybe 5''5". She was wearing an oversized hoodie with the hood up, so he couldn''t get a good look at her face. Her hands were tucked into the front pocket of the hoodie and she seemed to be hunched over slightly, making her look smaller yet.
While Shane had been observing his fellow loner, the other groups had begun talking amongst themselves. Despite clearly speaking different languages everyone seemed to be able to understand each other. Shane could overhear a few snippets from each conversation, and while he could tell that they weren''t speaking English it somehow translated in his head.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Okay, that''s highly disconcerting. Hearing two languages superimposed on each other like that . . . I''m going to get a headache, aren''t I?
Looking at the others it was clear the same thing was happening to them as well.
So, we can all talk to each other. That''s probably a good thing. This is already confusing enough without a language barrier. Now that we know we can converse I think it''s about time for one of those leader types to step up.
As if on cue one of the guys from the mixed group did just that. He was tall, probably around 6''2". He looked to be one of the older guys, relatively. Maybe around twenty or so? It was hard to tell exactly with everyone so close to the same age. He had black hair, green eyes, and an olive skin tone. Mediterranean through and through, he oozed a sort of smug confidence. Shane disliked him on sight. He moved slightly so he could see everyone, then spoke up.
"If I could have your attention people. Standing around like this isn''t going to get us anywhere, so I think we should start with introducing ourselves. I''ll go first. My name is Nicholas Andino. I''m twenty years old. I was attending college when this happened."
He looked to one of the other guys in his group to pass the torch.
I may not like that smug vibe he''s got, but I can''t deny he''s effective.
The normalcy of self-introductions had a visible calming effect on some of the more freaked out people in the room. As the others introduced themselves Shane found his attention wandering. He had never been very good with remembering people and over time had stopped trying. Instead of paying attention he felt there was a much more pressing question.
That last message said we''re in some kind of dungeon, right? Plus, it said something about Character Points. That should mean there should be some kind of status. Let''s see if I can pull something like that up. Status!
Error!
Status is unavailable until subject has gone through Character Creation
Hmm. That''s unexpected. It proves that there is a status though. So that means . . . What''s that noise?
"Excuse me?! Would you like to introduce yourself?"
When Shane looked up, he noticed everyone staring at him. Nicholas was the one who had been calling out to him, and he looked like he was trying very hard to cover his annoyance. Looking around, Shane saw the expressions among the rest varied from amusement to outright disdain.
That seems a little excessive for just zoning out, don''t you think? You should probably quit stalling; they look like they''re getting angrier. It is a little funny though.
"I''m Shane. Sixteen, high school student. American."
Boom. Nailed it. Who said I was socially awkward?
While he was internally congratulating himself, the group turned to the last person, his fellow loner. She shuffled her feet a bit, hunching even more in on herself then before. After a second she cleared her throat to hype herself up.
"Sadie. Sixteen, high school student. American."
She spoke softly but her voice was melodic, like she was born to sing. She glanced up right at the end of her introduction and her face could briefly be seen in the depths of her hoodie. Soft red hair, cut at about the level of her jawline, framed a pixie like face. Bright emerald eyes darted about in nervousness. Freckles lightly dotted her cheeks. As she lowered her head once more a bright red blush could be seen coloring her cheeks.
Shane was a little taken aback by her apparent crippling shyness. He couldn''t deny it was ridiculously cute though. Before his mind could take him too far down that rabbit hole the self-assigned group leader Nicholas gathered everyone''s attention again.
"Alright! Now that everyone knows each other," he sent a pointed glance at Shane, "we should discuss what we should do with this crazy situation we''ve found ourselves in."
He took a deep breath, drew himself up to his full height and pasted the most politian-like face Shane had ever seen. Clearly preparing to explain what he thought should be done. Shane''s eye twitched a little at the sight, annoyance rising instantly within.
I don''t know what it is with this guy. He hasn''t even done or said anything that bad. Just something about him really rubs me wrong.
Just as Nicholas opened his mouth he was interrupted. A bestial roar tore through the tunnel on the right side of the room. Chocked full of rage and oddly humanoid in nature, the roar silenced Nicholas before he could even speak. Everyone stiffened, some primal instinct warning them. They turned to the tunnel the sound had echoed out of.
A moment later Shane pointed to the opposite tunnel.
"Let''s go that way."
Betrayal
With the echoes of the roar still ringing there was no more time for discussion. Everyone immediately turned for the other tunnel and started running. The tunnel they had entered curved gently back and forth. Luckily there weren''t any sharp turns that would slow them down. Unluckily, that meant the same for whatever creatures were chasing them. Creatures. As in plural. After just a few minutes of running a cacophony of high pitched squeals had joined the bellow that sent them running.
Unfortunately for Shane, even when he had been in shape running had not been his thing. Just a few minutes after entering the tunnel he was already lagging behind the rest of the group. Nicholas, on the other hand, seemed to have plenty of energy to spare. Shane really couldn''t help but envy his athletic abilities. Instead of just running all out like everyone else, he was keeping behind the rest so he could encourage them. Within no time at all he had managed to control the pace of the entire group, making sure that they conserved their energy while still moving as fast as possible. With a pat on the back here and a few kind words there he had everyone calmed as much as the situation allowed.
For some reason throughout all of this Nicholas was ignoring Shane entirely, letting him fall further and further behind. Being ignored didn''t really bother Shane all that much, considering he wasn''t the type to do better with a few encouraging words. Once more however, something about Nicholas just really put him off.
Could it be that he figured out I wouldn''t appreciate it? Or is something else going on here? I know this is paranoid even for me, but something about him feels wrong to me. Ugh, I feel like some tsundere here . . . Leave me alone! Why are you leaving me alone?! Jokes aside, we''ve got bigger issues than this. You know, like the angry what-ever-they-are''s chasing us? Maybe just focus on running.
A particularly loud screech that sounded far too close for comfort interrupted Shane''s internal monologue. The proximity gave him the adrenaline boost he desperately needed to keep going. Picking up the pace Shane managed to match the rest. He wasn''t closing the gap, which was about fifteen feet at this point, but at least he wasn''t falling further behind.
This situation continued for about half an hour, with Shane lagging then getting another boost to keep pace every few minutes. His only saving grace was that the rest of the group was running out of steam as well. If it wasn''t for the continued squeals and the occasional roar that could be heard behind them everyone would have collapsed by this point. After all, even if you''re in excellent shape running for your life is far more exhausting than running for exercise.
Just another couple minutes later the hope they so desperately needed was provided. The tunnel widened slightly, and a gate could be seen at the end of the . . . antechamber? The gate was currently open, with a winch type system set up to lower the door into place. The door was entirely made of metal bars crisscrossing each other, sort of like a portcullis. Upon seeing this everyone''s spirits soared.
"Keep moving everyone! Shane and I will shut the gate once everyone are through! Don''t stop running! We want to be as far from here as possible before whatever''s chasing us catches up, just in case they can get through the gate!"
Nicholas spurred everyone on while explaining the plan. Shane''s eye twitched slightly at the mention of his name.
Remembers me now, huh? Regardless, what he says makes sense. We are the last two bringing up the rear.
Nicholas dropped his speed until he was running level with Shane. Over the course of the run Shane had lost further ground on the group and was now around twenty feet behind them. With the hope of salvation before them everyone put a bit more speed into their run and quickly passed through the gate. Within seconds due to the curve of the tunnels the main group was out of sight.
As soon as the others passed out of sight Nicholas'' demeanor changed. With a sadistic smile on his face he shoved Shane into the wall. Shane had no time to react as he hadn''t been expecting Nicholas to outright attack. As he smashed into the wall a jagged piece of rock cut into his shoulder a bit, drawing blood. By the time he had gotten himself upright again it was too late. Nicholas was already at the winch on the other side of the gate. Shane gave it one last desperate push to make it through the gate on time but fell short. The gate came crashing down right in front of him with a loud bang. A crisp mechanic click could be heard immediately afterwards as the gate locked itself.
For a moment the two young stared at each other through the grates. Finally, Shane had to ask.
"Why?"
Nicholas smirked at him; his eyes filled with nothing but disdain.
"This is a new start for us. The System messages the we received before are proof that in this place we can gain power. I will be the one who rules above all else! To do that I need to make sure that I''m surrounded by competent followers. You clearly don''t fit that bill. You''re fat and lazy, not to mention you lack the basic intelligence to pay attention to your betters."
His words were scathing, filled with a shocking amount of loathing. Shane was shocked for second, speechless at the insanity he just heard.
"Did you seriously just consign me to death because I zoned out during your little ''get to know each other'' powwow?!"
Nicholas just laughed at him.
"Put it however you like. A loser like you that provides no benefits to those superior to you deserves death. I wonder how manyCharacter Points I''ll receive for ridding the world of useless trash like you? Be a good boy and die quietly for me here. You can at least be that useful for me."
Powerless, Shane could do nothing but watch as Nicholas disappeared around the corner. He knew it wouldn''t work, but he had to try lifting the gate. After a moment of strained grunting he gave up. Even if the gate hadn''t been locked it had to weigh several hundred pounds. There was no way he could lift it. There was also no mechanism on his side that would allow him to winch it up.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
After concluding that there really was no way for him to get through the gate, he once more found himself staring through the bars. Safety, as temporary as it may be, was so close yet impossible to grasp. Letting out a heavy sigh he turned back to the small room he was stuck in.
Well then. That was unexpected. A real-life freaking sociopath! And here I was worried about being too paranoid. No point in worrying about that now. Let''s see if there is something else we can do about this situation.
The room was less a room and more just a slightly wider part of the tunnel. It could fit about three people abreast for most of the space, being a little wider right in front of the gate. As with the rest of the tunnel they''d seen so far there wasn''t any loose rock or rubble of any kind on the floor. It seemed to be an odd mix of natural cave and manmade, as the floor was perfectly level. The walls on the other hand were rough, with odd protrusions and the occasional jagged edge, as evidenced by his still bleeding shoulder.
Looking around just confirmed his original assumptions.
There''s nothing here I can use. Plus, whatever was chasing us is going to be here soon if the sound is anything to go off. Will I die here? Just like that? HELL NO! I may die, but it''ll be on my terms. I''ll make sure that Nicholas gets no satisfaction from me. That being said, how will I do it? I have no weapons and it''s not like I''ve ever been trained to fight.
After another moment of consideration, he came up with the only possibility available to him.
"Guess I''ll have to go all out. Full offence. Guess that temper may come in handy after all."
Lowering his head, he summoned all of the anger he felt at his situation. The scathing remarks, the arrogant attitude, the betrayal. He turned all of it into energy that he could use to fight. As the adrenaline flooded through his system it washed away the lingering aches from the run.
While Shane was psyching himself up shadows could be seen lurking around the closet curve in the tunnel. The shadows owners weren''t making any effort to conceal themselves. Conversing amongst each other with a series of high-pitched squeals and surprisingly low grunts, they walked through the tunnels as though they owned them.
What came around the corner were creatures anyone familiar with the fantasy genre would know. Goblins. There was six of the vermin. They were small, with the tallest being around 3''6". Their oily green skin could only be considered clean next to their clothing. Dirty loincloths barely covered the creature''s neather regions. Small, beady eyes shown with malevolence at the prey they''d managed to corner. Jagged teeth peeked out from behind their leering grins. They carried a collection of primitive stone spears and knives. The spears were around four feet in length, while the knives were just jagged pieces of sharp rocks.
The goblins conversation picked up in speed and intensity as they came closer to the lone boy in front of the gate. This turned out to be a massive mistake for the monsters. To Shane, who was still revving up his anger, the increased chatter sounded like they were laughing at him. Instantly his rage boiled over. His vision dyed in red, every muscle in his body clenched as he lifted his head and released a roar of his own.
"Ooouuuggghhh!"
Upon hearing the roar of what they thought to be prey, and seeing the flushed demonic look on his face, the goblins froze. A primal fear similar to that felt by the humans when they had heard the initial bellow that sent them running took over. Shane didn''t let the chance go. While the goblins were still frozen, he rushed them.
The lead goblin only regained its senses when he was already before it. Moving stiffly, the goblin thrust its spear at the human that suddenly turned from prey to predator. The hesitation allowed Shane to grab the spear haft with his left hand before it impaled him. Jerking the spear to his left he pulled the goblin off balance. Shane quickly grabbed the goblins head with his right hand and smashed it into the wall.
Now, while it was true that Shane was out of shape, he had a couple things going for him in this fight. First off, Shanewasn''t weak. Growing up on a farm meant he had been doing manual labor practically his entire life. So, while he was carrying some extra pounds, beneath the layer of fat was a solid core of muscle. Secondly, the goblins were weak. Goblins were some of the weakest monsters that could be found. Even a child could kill a goblin one on one. With all of this added up the goblin in his hands didn''t stand a chance.
The goblins head was crushed immediately upon hitting the wall, painting it with blood and brain matter. As the goblin died it released the spear it had been hold. Pivoting on his right foot Shane spun around. Sweeping low with the spear in his left hand he impaled the second goblin which had jumped at him with a knife. Shane tossed the impaled goblin, spear and all, towards the back of the group. Crashing into two of its brethren they all went down in a tangled mess of limbs and squeals. Before he had thrown the goblin it managed to score a hit on Shane''s upper arm. A long but shallow wound from his shoulder down was left.
Another goblin charged him from his right side immediately after he had thrown the other goblin away. This one carried one of the spears as well. Shane once again managed to catch the spear before it impaled him. However, this time he wasn''t as lucky with his catch. He had no choice but to catch it by the jagged spearhead itself. This time he pushed up and back on the spear, knocking the goblin off balance. Rushing forward, Shane stomped on the creature''s chest smashing it into the floor. The goblin coughed up blood as its ribcage was completely crushed underneath him.
It was at this point that Shane''s good luck ran out. The worst part about fighting goblins had never been their individual strength. They instead overwhelmed their opponents with numbers. A piercing pain cut through the haze his adrenaline-fueled rage had created. While he had been busy with the goblin underfoot one of the others had snuck around him and stabbed him in the back with one of the stone knifes. Shane stiffened up for a second with the pain before he managed to convert it into more rage.
Quickly reaching behind him, he grabbed the goblin by the wrist and yanked. With the size and weight difference the goblin''s feet left the floor. Keeping a firm grip on the goblin''s wrist Shane started swinging it around using both hands. Using the goblin as a weapon he forced the remaining two goblins back while smashing it against the walls and floor. He could feel the goblin''s bones snapping as he flung it around. With one last bash against the wall he flung it at the two goblins attempting to flank him, causing them to once more go down in a tangle.
As the goblins attempted to sort themselves out Shane charged towards them. He didn''t have time to waste. His adrenaline wouldn''t last for much longer and without it all of the pain he had been ignoring would hit like a ton of bricks. When that happened, he would be vulnerable. One on the goblins had just about fully gotten on its feet when Shane got to him. Shane immediately punted the little monster into the wall. The other goblin was still struggling to get out from underneath it''s brethren. Moving as quickly as he could Shane stomped on its head, causing another splatter of blood and gore to color the floor.
Looking back the goblin he had punted was trying to stand, but it seemed to have taken some serious damage with his kick. Limping tiredly over to it Shane grabbed it behind the neck and smashed its face into the floor until it stopped moving.
Kneeling on the floor he desperately tried to catch his breath. The adrenaline and anger started leaving him, and pain took its place. He gasped at the intensity of the stab he''d taken to the back. On the verge of passing out Shane heard something that made his blood run cold. Heavy footsteps echoed through the tunnel. As he looked up, he could make out a massive shadow coming from around the corner. A single revelation filled him with despair.
Wait a minute. If the goblins were making the squealing noises, what was roaring . . .?