《Knives Lead To Levels: Survival LITRPG Apocalypse》


 Chapter 1: System Integration

    Kitchens are hell. Not the poetic kind, where suffering brings revelation¡ªbut the sweaty, stinking kind, where every moment grinds you into a worse version of yourself.


    These types of jobs were the same anywhere. Service industry¡ªkitchen. Working under another person who took their petty position of authority and decided that it made them King? Something about these places attracted people to them. This Hell, this kitchen, was indeed made a hell by the boss. Him. The devil that everyone called Chef.


    As Colt sliced into the fiftieth piece of chicken, his finger cramped against the blade.


    Today was like every day. Except, in some ways, it wasn¡¯t. Colt couldn¡¯t shake the feeling since he awoke this morning¡ªhad the air felt different? It was heavier, maybe, as if a light weight were pressing down. That and he kept feeling like someone was staring at him. Even when he got up in his bedroom alone.


    Paranoia, maybe.


    Colt leaned over his cutting board and glared at the door outside. Chef had left through it fifteen minutes ago. He was just another cook, and his job today was to take the knife and cleave through an endless supply of chicken. Dice, dice, dice¡ªmindlessly repetitive. The sheer quantity of slimy chicken meat was enough to make anyone¡¯s stomach churn. But Colt especially hated it. That¡¯s why Chef kept it for when he was on shift.


    Chef thrived on making people miserable. He didn¡¯t just run a kitchen; he ran a fiefdom, ruling with insults and spite.


    That''s why he added insult to injury and stuck Colt¡¯s chef prep right next to the oven¡ªjust so he could bake in the heat while working with his slimy chicken.


    All this for eight dollars an hour.


    It was an endless, necessary task. He¡¯d quit, but Colt had bills to pay, and food didn¡¯t come free. Not many other places were hiring, especially him, given his spotty work history and an unfinished college degree. So he stayed. It was a risk to find something better, better than desperately looking for jobs that weren¡¯t hiring and hoping his roommates didn¡¯t kick him to the curb.


    Yeah, they wouldn¡¯t put up with that for long.


    Colt set his knife down, peeling off his gloves while he looked around.


    The tyrant Chef wasn¡¯t watching over his shoulder. Jimmy, the dishwasher, was hands-deep in suds, his eyes red and zoned out, and the other line cooks were busied away, toiling hard in the kitchen while the chef went outside for his smoke. His other favorite one in the kitchen to harass¡ªeven right now, wearing the hat with ¡®dumbass¡¯ scribbled on the back of it that Chef made him wear.


    It was a petty thing to do that when you were in leadership. To take out all of your frustrations on the people around you just because you could. Sad, too. Colt ran into this at almost every job, but nobody had been as blatant about it as Chef¡ªit was the way of the world. The people who got to those positions got to them because they craved power and didn¡¯t care what it took to get there. The last kitchen he¡¯d been in, the Chef had been messing around with the owner, then stealing money underneath their noses.


    Everyone wanted power. So did he, if he had his own kitchen? He wouldn¡¯t force someone to do what they hated most out of spite. That, at least, Colt knew. What you put out into the world is what you end up getting, eventually.


    The rest of the kitchen was clean, the smell of onions and oil filling the air. Stainless steel appliances with burning pots, another Saturday night service. Like every other Saturday, just like how would every Saturday be, up until Colt got fed up enough of Chef¡¯s targeting and got himself in trouble.


    Kitchens were like kingdoms. The oven, the pantry, and the kitchen grounds belonged to the King. He who led the kitchen ruled his subjects. You could have a benevolent king, usually someone high on drugs and in that position by luck. Or, sometimes, you could have people like Chef.


    ¡°Donny.¡± Colt corrected himself out loud. The man was a chef, not a king. Saying that in front of Donny was liable to get him cleaning out the freezer and accidentally ¡®locked in¡¯ again. ¡°I need a smoke.¡±


    You didn¡¯t get breaks in the kitchen. Not unless it was a smoke break. So, he learned early on when he started taking these jobs that you should smoke. Often. Even King Donny didn¡¯t get too pissed when his subjects went and smoked, the one saving grace the tyrant allowed his subjects.


    Colt nodded to the other cooks as he pulled a cigarette out and put it in his mouth. Soon after, he was out the door near the trash cans.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Donny screamed; Colt rounded the corner and got a look at the red-faced pudgy man, his eyes blaring out, ¡°You¡¯re gonna get your ass out of the apartment¡ªgo live with your dad, or I¡¯ll toss all your shit in the gutter. You rat-faced bitch. I told you, Mandy, don¡¯t mean anything to me, and if you¡¯re gonna throw a fit, get out.¡±


    Ah. The weekly gossip.


    Colt lit his cigarette and watched his boss scream at his poor, long-suffering girlfriend.


    If justice existed, she would have dumped his cheating ass months ago, but she didn¡¯t. So he kept cheating. She kept forgiving him. Again and again. Life could be like that, a circle of stupid things that kept being stupid.


    At first, Colt felt angry about it. He wished he could talk some sense into the poor girl, help her, and escape the guy. Now, he¡¯d stopped caring. He couldn¡¯t even help himself.


    Donny screamed into the phone for another minute while he watched.


    Then the guy threw his phone at the wall, breaking it.


    Screaming and throwing things was also his M.O. Sometimes, it was a pot or a pan; other times, it was food. This was the first time he¡¯d thrown a phone, and it didn¡¯t warrant more than a normal flinch with everything else Chef had thrown.


    Now, Danny noticed him standing by the door watching the show. ¡°Get your ass back in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Smoke break, Chef.¡± Colt held up his lit cigarette and stared at his boss''s furrowed nose and fuming face.


    Silently, he brought out his pack and pushed another cig out, a peace offering. Well, more like a bribe. For a blessed five minutes of freedom from cutting slimy raw chicken after an hour of it.


    ¡°I said: Get. Your. Ass. In. The. Kitchen.¡± Donny slapped his pack of cigarettes to the ground and stomped on it. His heel ground the tobacco into the wet concrete to make sure that his message was received loud and clear.


    Colt stared down at the ruined cigarettes, his blood going cold.


    Eight dollars.


    Those were eight bucks.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    His last hour of cutting raw chicken¡ªno, last hour and some change if one accounted for taxes¡ªhad just been ground into the alley by King Donny.


    Colt saw red and puffed up. Some fights were worth fighting; if you wanted justice, you had to earn it. Maybe it was time to get a new job; maybe if he begged his roommates, he could float his rent by a month and find anything. This was over with.


    ¡°Listen, you trash-bag,¡° Colt began, ready to empty it all out. It was a long time coming, and if he were going to lose this worthless job, he would get every bit of joy out of it that he could.


    Before he could get the satisfaction, the ground bucked beneath him. Lights rattled, walls cracked, and a deep, thrumming roar swallowed the alley. This wasn¡¯t just an earthquake¡ªit felt¡­ wrong, like the world itself was coming undone.


    Colt went straight to the ground.


    Earthquake? This part of Tennessee shouldn¡¯t be getting them. Shoulds or shouldn¡¯ts didn¡¯t matter when life happened; Donny screamed in fear beside him, and the shaking continued. The bricks nearby cracked.


    Are we going to die? Did a bomb go off?


    The air around him snapped into several bursts of colors: green, blue, red¡ªand then it returned to the way it was before. And a message appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Integration Commencing...


    Planetary ID: Sol


    Reality String: 2220DAX932329C27


    Population Rank: F-


    Systems Loading...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The words flashed quickly in a box in front of Colt; his vision filled with like menus from a videogame, the shaking only increasing as each second brought new information until, at last. It stopped.


    Fear. Immediate fear was the first thing he felt. Was he hallucinating? Did something get into the food from another chef? Has his brain finally short-circuited from heat exhaustion?


    Only for a brief second, and then a more, longer-lasting message appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Welcome to the Commonwealth of Existence!


    Reality String: 2220DAX932329C27


    Integration Successful.


    Core systems active. Additional features such as Classes unlocking in 24 hours.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt sat on the ground. His breath came in heaves as he put a finger to his neck. There was still a pulse there; he was alive. Even though the panic in his chest right now, screaming he was about to die after seeing those hallucinations, begged to differ. It finally vanished as soon as he finished reading the message box.


    Reality had reclaimed its place.


    With it, though, was the last vestiges of fear. He was still alive. Wondering if this was the start of a seizure or stroke. I don¡¯t smell toast.


    ¡°The fuck is a reality string?¡± Donny said from not far away¡ªColt looked at him. The red-faced chef had his head back to the brick wall, staring outward with a glazed expression.


    It was real.


    Those boxes had been real, then.


    Colt got to his feet and looked around the alley. It was¡­ Off. Darker than before, the shadows clung to the buildings like a fog; the air tasted not only of nicotine but of a gross sulfur. The oddest part was the ends of the alley cut off into what looked to be more alley. Not the open, busy streets he was used to seeing when he paced around during his smoking sessions. Looking closer, too, the buildings didn¡¯t match. Taller than what he was used to, the outsides radically changed.


    Their little Italian joint was plucked out of Nashville by the invisible hand of god and plopped somewhere else.


    Colt stepped back and walked right towards the kitchen door. With a jerk, it flew open. The rest of the Kitchen staff was still there, huddled around. Knives and pots littered the floor, which was no wonder with all the shaking. The whispering made sense with the messages. They looked desperate and sounded worse. Work was forgotten entirely, as it should be.


    ¡°Everyone alright?¡± he called, trying to look into the rest of the restaurant through the window at the pass, where they put the food for the servers to grab. To the kitchen, it was their window to the outside world from their kingdom.


    ¡°Yeah, man, only some bruises. But the front of the house is gone.¡± Jimmy called, surprisingly calmer than everyone else. He was always like that¡ªthe red eyes a key insight to why he wasn¡¯t freaking out like the other five in here.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The restaurant is gone, man. There¡¯s a wall at the pass.¡±


    Confused, Colt stepped into the kitchen to get a better look. Before he could go any further, Donny yelled from behind. ¡°The hell is that?¡±


    He felt a shudder run down him; something in Chef¡¯s yell was unnatural.


    Colt dipped his head back from the kitchen into the strange world and saw a shambling man walking down the alley. Initially, he thought it was a homeless person or a drunk. From a distance, and with the dark, it was hard to tell. So, he moved out to the alley right near Donny. And Donny¡¯s question shot into his head like a bullet.


    What is that?


    It wasn¡¯t wearing a fur coat; the light reflected mangy, dirty fur on something shambling on both legs. It was about half the height of a person, and its long oval eyes gleamed in the outside light of the restaurant. In its hand was a Colted pipe¡ªnot that it needed it, considering the wicked claws wrapped around it. Claws? Someone mashed together a person with a mangy dog.


    Without realizing it, Colt wandered out even further to get a look.


    ¡°Shove off, then,¡± Chef said, getting past his bluster. ¡°You aint wanted here.¡±


    The thing tilted its head.


    ¡°Get.¡±


    The creature tilted its head, then bared teeth in what might¡¯ve been a grin. It dropped its pipe, falling to all fours. A guttural howl ripped through the alley as it lunged.


    It had gone from a safe distance away to leaping right for Donny¡¯s throat in two seconds flat.


    For his part, Chef was quick on the uptake, moving backward and narrowly avoiding the sharp jaws of the thing from ripping his throat out. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t fast enough to prevent it from latching on and taking him down to the ground¡ªit bled too quickly into a scuffle filled with perfuse swearing and excited vicious barks.


    Colt blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.


    Then there was blood as it snapped its jaws and got a lock on Donny¡¯s arm. The scream of sharp pain cut in and brought clarity. Whatever was wrong with this person¡ªthing¡ªit was attacking Chef.


    He did what came naturally in such an unnatural position.


    Colt went over and started kicking the pile of Chef and Beast Man, trying to get the thing off Donny. Sure, Donny was a dick, but he didn¡¯t deserve his face bitten off. Well. Not by a stranger.


    A good one or two connected, snapping into the beast-thing. Given the rapid shuffling of the fight, the aim was hard, but this kind of scene wasn¡¯t unfamiliar. Fighting in school hadn¡¯t been dissimilar, minus the weird mutant creature thing.


    After cracking into the thing¡¯s ribs with the second blow, it leaped off and turned towards Colt with a snarl, now between them and the kitchen.


    Ah. Now, it¡¯s trying to turn me into food.


    Donny moaned on the ground, grabbing at his arm. Past the blood, it was hard to tell what damage this thing did. But it wasn¡¯t done.


    There wasn¡¯t time to think. Colt¡¯s eyes went to the only weapon he could see¡ªthe pipe not that far away this thing wandered in with, and Colt bolted. It was there in seconds, snapping at his heels, but he ran for it. Lungs burning as life and death took over. He flew to the ground, grabbing the pipe and swinging as the monster pounced from behind.


    The pipe connected with a sickening crack. The creature¡¯s head snapped sideways, its body crumpling to the ground like a broken puppet. Dead.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 3


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Aside from the message, there wasn¡¯t any physical change to announce his level-up. No pulse of light, vibrant bell¡ªhe did feel a little lighter, as if a weight he didn¡¯t know existed was removed from his chest; the implications of the level-up, though¡­


    Did I just¡­ Get stronger?


    It was a game. His mind started to whirl, and then another message popped into existence.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Status Unlocked!


    Please think, say, or intend to view the STATUS screen to bring up your specific information; this is the hub of what makes you you. Take your time to explore. Additional systems will be expanded upon when relevant. This STATUS screen can be closed by willing it to close, saying ¡®close,¡¯ or gesturing with your hands.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 2: Alleyway

    Donny was bleeding badly. Like, bad, bad. Red flowed over the grimy ground, mingling with the nearby puddles and making bloody mud. Meanwhile, Chef wallowed in his misery, crying out for his mother. As Colt got to his feet and dismissed the message about ¡®status,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but stare in shock at the sight of the Tyrant of the Kitchen, reduced to this.


    The wounds were obvious: deep bites and mangled flesh. Little bits of him hung off, nasty stuff all around. The creature''s body lay crumpled in the corner of the alley, not that far away. Its fur matted with its own dark blood and Colt¡¯s frantic blows. Its grotesque, misshapen features¡ªcanine but wrong¡ªseemed to leer at him even in death, a reminder of just how close he¡¯d come to joining Donny on the ground.


    If it had been anyone else, Colt would have leaped to help them. But since this was Donny, the guy who¡¯d tormented him for half a year¡­


    He wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. The world was molasses to motivate himself to finally do something.


    For the sake of safety and not being sure if another one of those creatures would appear, Colt broke the spell and moved into action. Colt looked down the alley, ensuring no more mangy creatures were lurking. He grabbed the pipe the monster left on the ground, then jogged over to Donny.


    ¡°Calm down. Keep quiet.¡± Colt warned.


    ¡°Goddamnit!¡± Donny wailed.


    A head popped out of the kitchen door. It was one of the line cooks, Bill. The guy had a skull tattoo on his cheek and a rough attitude that made even Chef walk lightly around. The two got along just fine since he gave the guy more respect than anyone else. Supposedly, Bill was an ex-felon if the kitchen rumors were to be believed. Colt never saw him talking to anyone other than Donny and never had the chance to ask him if it was true.


    Bill stared at Donny, glanced at the body down the alley, and disappeared back into the kitchen before anyone could say anything.


    ¡°Alright, guess we¡¯re on our own, then,¡± Colt said, yanking Donny up from the ground, only to be met by a stream of the Chef cussing him out in about ten different ways. Didn¡¯t matter what Chef said. The guy was a major dick, but he¡¯d already paid the price by having some weird dog creature tear his arm up.


    Colt got him through the kitchen door, slammed it behind them, then locked it for good measure.


    Bill was sitting there with a Chef¡¯s knife, pointing it at Colt. The weapon¡¯s tip gleamed, a bead of water running down the blade. A clean blade because he didn¡¯t bother to do any work when Donny was gone.


    The rest of the kitchen was still as they took in the threat. Jimmy clutched his hair, his eyes bulging out¡ªthe other cooks were frozen as if the place had become a tomb of ice. That knife was sharp. Chef made it so since he sharpened their tools every two weeks. No one had doubts that if Bill went for it, the knife could slit through his flesh as easily as a razor through paper.


    ¡°Keep your distance,¡± he said, ¡°Not one step closer. What did you do to Donny?¡±


    ¡°Whoa. Calm down.¡± Colt said¡ªbut didn¡¯t drop his pipe. Not that he was trying to get in a kitchen fight against a knife¡­ But, after what he¡¯d just seen, it didn¡¯t feel right to let the thing go. Not after it¡¯d saved him.


    ¡°You killed someone.¡±


    ¡°Bill¡ªchill out; I don¡¯t know what that thing was, but it was not a person. It attacked Donny. I saved him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Ask Chef,¡± Colt said, tapping Donny with his foot. The red-faced man looked up at him with pure anger.


    ¡°That fucking hurt, did you have to drag me like that? Piece of shit. You¡¯re fired.¡± Donny yelled, his voice shaking the rest of the kitchen staff into action; by now, they could see the blood spilling from his arm. ¡°Someone call an ambulance.¡±


    Really?


    Bill lowered the tip of his knife and looked back at Jimmy. ¡°Grab the first aid kit¡ªsomeone else call the hospital.¡±


    The dishwasher happily complied, rushing over to the kit stashed under the prep table. Bill kept the knife at his side but no longer waved it around. Donny¡¯s outburst had drawn enough attention to the injury that Bill wasn¡¯t about to kill him. Colt caught his breath for the first time since the world ended and stepped back into the shadows, right near the door.


    The rest of the kitchen stood by, no longer working. Confused, afraid. Someone called out that the phone wasn¡¯t working. Another took out their cell phone and tried it¡ªnothing.


    We¡¯re for sure not in Nashville anymore.


    With the chance to breathe and think until Bill came at him with the Knife again, Colt started to sort through the questions in his head. There was a way forward. All he had to do was think of the word, and it would appear.


    Status.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: [Empty] | Class: [Pending]


    Level: 2


    Edicts: [None]


    Skills: [None]


    Stats:


    Strength: 11


    Endurance: 9


    Dexterity: 10


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 8


    Spirit: 1


    Unassigned Stat Points: 2


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Classes, stats¡ªagain, everything reminded him of a game, from how it was laid out to the numbers describing his statistics. At the bottom, he saw unassigned points. He took his time to think as the Kitchen started to move again around him. They¡¯d broken through the ice, but its flow had a general stiffness. A slushy now, not the normal smooth river it normally operated as. He still had time.


    Colt read over the stats. A general look at them explained what each did, for the most part. He tried to focus on the different stats, but nothing happened. As promised, the three other categories with ¡®none, and empty¡¯ listed offered nothing else. Times like these require quick decisions and decisiveness. If Bill was going to threaten him¡­


    A cold dread settled in his chest as he processed the surreal stats on the screen. This wasn¡¯t just an isolated incident¡ªit was the first act of a system rewriting the world. If he was already seeing stats and gaining levels, how long until everyone else did, too? How long until Bill, or worse, Donny, realized the power they could wield? The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    That¡¯s it, then.


    Colt mentally willed one stat point into strength and the other into endurance.


    It was an easy choice. If these alleyways had one thing out here willing to attack him, they would have more. Bill aside. Strength would give him more of an edge in a fight, and endurance would let him run for longer if he needed to. That, and they were the most straightforward to understand.


    Instantly, he felt more alive and stronger, and his breath came easier, even after heaving his overweight former boss back into the kitchen and the whole scuffle with the ¡®Homeless Kobold¡¯ outside.


    I need more levels. Was the next thought that went through Colt¡¯s head.


    Next came the realization that no one in the kitchen could see their ¡®Status¡¯ yet. They had all seen the message, but in the chaos of the front of the house, they disappeared, and now Donny was bleeding and cussing everyone out. The distraction brought them away from the panic of the message and gave them something real and pressing to focus on. It wouldn¡¯t last, though.


    Donny would get his wounds patched up, and then they¡¯d start thinking about the message again, making the connection to video games like he had.


    Very quickly, Colt did a scan of the kitchen. There was still a lot of food out since they¡¯d been in the middle of service. The walk-in fridge and freezer had more. Between eight people, maybe it could last a month? God knew how many more of those things were outside. Was there any food out there?


    This was survival. He had to gain levels quickly. What if someone else got ahead of him, took charge¡­ and took all their food for themselves?


    Bill. Yeah, Bill might be the type to do that. Already, he was barking orders and holding a knife. That gave Colt a bad feeling¡ªhe didn¡¯t know the guy well, but from what he¡¯d seen, Bill was the sort to do anything to make sure he came out on top; with how quick he was to violence, it wasn¡¯t hard to picture things in the Kitchen ending up in a wrong direction.


    To keep himself and other people safe, Colt couldn¡¯t afford to sit back and panic. Every move and second counted. He needed to be in a position to lead the kitchen to safety. Jimmy¡ªa couple of the other guys. They didn¡¯t talk much. But they were good people, and under the thumb of Chef or a guy like Bill at a time like this? Too dangerous.


    Mad.


    Still, the thrill ran through him. Purpose. For the first time in a long time, he felt a goal, a real sense that he might make a difference.


    If he got higher levels and stronger, he could keep them safe.


    Then, after that?


    No more of this.


    He didn¡¯t have to work under Chef anymore for eight-dollars an hour. This was the break he¡¯d dreamed of, a chance to take life into his own hands and shape it like clay. The kitchen was chaos, but he could be the hands that shaped it.


    Twenty-four hours.


    It said something about classes and ¡®full integration'' in twenty-four hours. I bet they¡¯ll all be able to see this, too, even if they don¡¯t level by then.


    While Bill was distracted, Colt slid by¡ªinto the kitchen proper. It was easy; they weren¡¯t used to paying attention to him. No, he was another cook on the line. Another low-paid guy that Chef would bully out of the restaurant sooner or later. In all the chaos of the aftermath of the fight, it seemed Bill didn¡¯t realize that the whole alley was different.


    Perfect. Colt collected his chef knife at the prep table, still slick with chicken slime; his eyes narrowed as he considered it. Would it make a good weapon? The pipe had more reach, but this could do more damage.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Skills Unlocked


    You may now access the Skills portion of your Status sheet to expand on individual skill descriptions. As new Skills are added, this tab may condense on your Status sheet to save space. Please think, say, or intend to view the SKILL screen to bring up your specific skill information.


    Skill Gained: Inspect [Common] (Basic)


    Inspect (Basic) - Level 1


    This skill allows the user to view the meta-data of creatures and objects as provided by the Commonwealth repository. It is a catch-all skill in its most basic form and can offer a description and an estimated level for creatures inspected. Further leveling this skill provides better, more accurate information.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Another pop-up appeared as soon as he finished reading the description of unlocking Skills.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Essential Chef Knife


    Description: A slightly worn Chef knife with quite some use left before becoming dull. Length of eight inches. Made of an unknown metal alloy, likely steel. Nothing extraordinary, but essential for any kitchen. Human make, for human hands.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    That was pretty much everything Colt knew about the knife. Not anything new, really, aside from the weird bit about ¡®human make for human hands.¡¯ He looked at the pipe in his other hand. Weighing the two options. He had a feeling that if he focused while staring at the pipe, it would spit out another similar display, but that would be pointless, so he didn¡¯t bother.


    In the end, it was an easy choice. He took the knife. It was a better weapon, even with less of a range. He was way more used to holding it, and if it came down to another one of those hairy things attacking, his odds felt much better with it.


    And it would. Probably.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Drop that.¡± Bill, his voice cold and right behind him¡ªColt spun, Knife now in hand, to see the man glaring hate at him and having his knife pointed right at Colt again. Wonderful. Without even knowing everything that was going on, Bill was still quick on the trigger of violence. It only reaffirmed Colt¡¯s decision. They¡¯d been a team only ten minutes ago, and now Bill looked one wrong word away from stabbing him.


    ¡°Only you can have a knife?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t walk in after dropping a body. Chef says you¡¯re why he¡¯s hurt. Drop the knife.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to. Look at the restaurant. What message did we get? I know you all saw that, too. Something is going on, and you should know better than to listen to Chef. He¡¯s delirious, as anyone would be, after getting attacked by a monster. I helped him, but the thing that attacked him was what hurt him. Not me. So I¡¯m going to hold on to my knife. I suggest that everyone else hold onto something too¡­  You¡¯re not in charge. We have to work together,¡± Colt said, trying to be careful, appealing to the other cooks standing by.


    He saw it in Bill¡¯s eyes.  The man was searching for weakness, something to exploit and latch onto. Never again.


    Bill glared at him, but everyone else in the kitchen didn¡¯t know which side to pick for now. They seemed to take Colt¡¯s suggestion to heart, though, with at least two of them grabbing their own weapons.


    Good.


    If he could delay things settling under Bill¡¯s leadership for a bit longer, he could figure out what was happening. Gain more levels. Then, when he had undeniable influence, he could keep things civil and equal. One had to work for those things because others with bad intentions always came along and took advantage. All they needed was an open avenue for attack.


    Colt slowly walked by Bill, and the point of the other cook¡¯s knife followed him; there was distrust and growing hate in his eyes. He didn¡¯t like being challenged.


    ¡°We all need to stay calm. I understand; things are tense, and you¡¯re uneasy. We¡¯ve worked together for months¡ªwe¡¯re a team. I promise you, again, Chef was attacked; I took care of the thing attacking him. It was a monster. You can look at it yourself if you don¡¯t trust me. I¡¯m going to take another look outside and figure out what¡¯s going on. Let¡¯s keep level heads and get through this together. I¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in Nashville anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, relax, Jesus, man.¡± Johnny said from Donny¡¯s side, cutting into the conversation, ¡°We got enough going on with all this weird crap and Chef bleeding all over. The last thing we need is you stabbing someone.¡±


    The rest of the cooks started letting out their notes of agreement. They were on his side like any sane, rational person would be.


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do it your way. Now explain. What do you mean we¡¯re not in Nashville anymore?¡± Bill finally conceded, lowering his weapon.


    Colt took in a sharp breath. Lying would buy him more time to go out and get levels¡­ But, well. The fact was that if anyone took a look outside, they would realize the same thing. All of them needed to work together; this was survival. Nobody knew what was going on.


    To earn a little trust, you had to give a little trust.


    Colt explained what he knew, minus the whole part about stats and levels, deciding to hold onto that card for a little longer. If Bill found out¡­ Well, he didn¡¯t know what would happen; god help them if Donny was in a state to go out leveling. This was a hard kitchen to live in, and he didn¡¯t want to give fuel to the demon that made it hell in a situation like this.


    Ten minutes later, he got what he wanted and was back out into the strange new world. Only this time, he had backup from another cook named Nate, who¡¯d volunteered, a level-headed chef who normally handled cooking meat. As far as someone dependable, Colt couldn¡¯t have asked for a better person.


    With things far from settled but at least stable, Colt walked back into the alley, knife held tight.


    The alley stretched ahead, unnaturally quiet. Shadows pooled under the flickering light of the lone bulb above the door, making every corner a potential ambush. Nate moved silently beside him. The air smelled of damp concrete and the coppery tang of blood. Every step felt like it carried them further from the world they¡¯d known and deeper into something alien.

 Chapter 3: The Homeless Problem

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Homeless Kobold Corpse


    Description: These little monsters have nowhere to go here in the Dungeon of Endless Alleys, just like you! Considered thieving vermin by the Commonwealth, they are often found in large groups. While it is rare for them to willingly engage in overt hostile action besides thievery, when driven to the brink of desperation, they, like all creatures, resort to desperate measures.


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt stood up from looking at the crumpled monster¡¯s corpse and ran a hand through his black hair. Dungeon of Endless Alleys? Looking down this alley, it was easy to believe. A dim light radiated outward every few buildings, leaving a mostly dark and sketchy alley that was difficult to see quickly down. Garbage cans, trash, and dumpsters littered it, meaning that if the description was accurate and these things came in groups, any number could be hidden down the way.


    With Nate at his back, he felt more confident, but this place was terrifying. The moon leered at them from above. And the phrase, ¡®when driven to the brink of desperation, they, like all creatures, resort to desperate measures.¡¯ How long would it be until the kitchen hit that point?


    Colt looked down the alley.


    It split in either direction, feeding into more. It could be endless. What if it kept splitting again and again? What if this was all some hellish backroom scenario?


    Colt took a step back from the brink of panic and went through the new information rationally.


    Dungeon: That message said that we were in a dungeon. Are other people in dungeons? Is it just our kitchen? There has to be an outside, then.


    Dungeon was the keyword. Everything else had been like from a game so far, so the word dungeon had to be an intentional hint. If it was a dungeon, it implied a boss or bosses. But in most games, Dungeons were not endless. There was a way out, and usually, that was by killing a boss.


    Colt shook out his hands, rolled his shoulders, and tried to peer into the distant shadow corners of this alley. Were there more of these kobolds watching?


    ¡°Any idea what that thing is?¡± Nate asked. The tips of his hair were bleached, but his face was set aside from a trace of nerves; he kept it together¡ªmore than most people would. You didn¡¯t need a careful eye to tell things were wrong. They¡¯d just been shoved far down the creek without a paddle. But Nate had always had a cautious eye, catching the most mistakes on kitchen dishes and sending them back before the Chef got a look, so he probably understood just how screwed they were even more than Colt.


    ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s called a kobold; I got a message from that weird system saying so. It approached slowly, then got on all fours and rushed Chef. They move like animals. And attack like them, too.¡±


    ¡°Any more of ¡®em?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there might be, but I can¡¯t see any from here.¡± Colt carefully held the knife, eyes constantly checking. It was good he wasn¡¯t alone, and it felt even better to know he had Nate. The chef was in decent shape and had decided to take Colt¡¯s rusty pipe. He¡¯d said he played baseball in high school, and it was the closest thing to a bat. That and the rumor that he¡¯d been in the military. Out of anyone in the kitchen, Colt was happy Nate had come out with him.


    ¡°¡­Aint our alley.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like I said back in there, we¡¯re not in Nashville. I don¡¯t think that they really understood what I meant, with Donny bleeding and Bill wanting to stab me. We don¡¯t have the restaurant anymore, and our phones aren¡¯t working, and we don¡¯t know where this is.¡±


    ¡°Guys like that lash out when scared. I mean, most people get scared, right? Anyone who sees something like this sees their boss torn up¡ªmost people are gonna lose it. They¡¯re gonna lose it even more when they see this alley. It seems downright evil,¡± Nate stood up, too, having had his fill of the kobold corpse.


    ¡°I know. But we should bring back a little more information since we¡¯re here. We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s more food or if there are more people. I need you to do me a favor. Sit right here. I¡¯m going to check things out. If I yell, please come and help.¡± Colt decided to risk it a bit; Nate was always reasonable. The more people on his side in the kitchen, the easier it would be to direct the flow of how things went. The benefit of Nate coming out with him was that he had a backup plan in case things went wrong.


    ¡°You want to go further out there? Now? Why? I¡¯ll tell the rest of the Kitchen you weren¡¯t lying about the monster. We can come out with more people.¡±


    ¡°Information is power, and I¡¯d like more. Everyone¡¯s busy panicking and getting Chef patched up. We should see what we can find out. All you need to do is keep a lookout; tell me if you see something.¡±


    Nate was wavering; that much was obvious. He didn¡¯t think it was a good idea. And it wasn¡¯t, given the information he had. There were probably more kobolds out there. God knows what else. But that was why Colt wanted to go in the first place. All he needed was a push.


    Colt walked away, forcing the other man to play the lookout. With each step he took away from the safety of the light, he dived deeper into this new world. The more the shadows loomed, the more every bit of trash he passed set him on edge; its edges, as they danced with the dim light, looked like creatures.


    Nothing moved.


    The silence, aside from Nate protesting behind him, was eerie¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a sound of cars or distant music or chatter that was normal in a city like this. When he got to the nearest door, Colt tried the handle. Locked. That didn¡¯t mean it was impossible to get in, but he¡¯d need something bigger than a knife if he wanted to.


    I¡¯ll try it later.


    Maybe when he had more strength, which meant more levels.


    He kept his eyes peeled, wandering about fifty feet from the kitchen before finding what he was looking for.


    Black oval eyes met his around as he passed the next set of trash cans. The kobold¡¯s body stiffened, a grin on its face. It thought it had the drop on him, but Colt saw the thing. Saw it as it started to lower to a hunch position, those wispy little hairs on its chin vibrating with joy as it plotted its launch to tear out his throat.


    Colt beat the kobold to the punch, literally. He ran forward and slammed his fist into the monster¡¯s head, twisting it and throwing it off guard. His recent level''s strength boost played a role; the hit was enough to stun it.


    With the distance closed and earning time with his opening move, it left plenty of space for Colt to go in with the knife. Stabbing it once was easy. Then he grabbed it by the shoulder and held it at arm¡¯s length so that when he went to stab it the second time when held in place, it was even easier.


    The knife went in and out, in and out; after about three thrusts, the Kobold went limp and collapsed to the ground as the blood began to spurt. It wasn¡¯t too far from popping a water balloon.


    When he was a teen, he¡¯d seen several prison movies; they always had the ¡®shank¡¯ scene when the drama got intense. Given that it came from Hollywood, he¡¯d always thought it so fake. If someone were getting stabbed, they wouldn¡¯t sit still and take it¡­ But no. It turned out to be surprisingly accurate. Surprise and pain were an effective tool to paralyze an enemy.


    The Kobold slid into death as its bloody body slumped to the ground.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 4


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Skill Gained: Knives/Daggers Proficiency [Common] (Basic)


    You have previous experience with this tool! Due to this, you will start this skill at level 3.


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) - Level 3


    This skill encompasses using Knives and Daggers or other small sharp-handled weapons in combat.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°What was that? You alright?¡± Nate called out from the kitchen, his voice making Colt wince.


    He turned to wave at the guy to get him to quiet down, then stopped.


    Past him on the other side of the alley, kobolds emerged from rubbish piles¡ªfive of them. They reminded him of zombies as they crawled out from the trash cans and black bags. Their hair was mangy, and the outlines shifted in the poor lighting. They all had poor coordination and could barely walk at all, as if they¡¯d just woken from a long slumber.


    They sighted him and Nate and were starting to put things together.


    Trouble.


    Not only was it dangerous to him, but he didn¡¯t intend to get Nate into real danger. There was also the chance Nate would kill one and then level, which he did not want. Not yet. He might tell others. Then¡­ If Nate got hurt¡ªany wound right now, without a hospital, had a chance of being fatal.


    There was too much distance. Colt broke out into a run but wouldn¡¯t get there in time.


    ¡°Run back into the kitchen and lock the door!¡± Colt yelled.


    He could run from these things¡ªhe didn¡¯t like being alone out here, but he¡¯d find a hiding spot and circle back to the kitchen. Maybe pick up a couple of levels before returning. Not a perfect plan, but it would protect Nate and give him more time.


    ¡°Naw, no way in hell am I leaving you with these critters,¡± Nate yelled, then ran to Colt.


    Colt blinked in surprise, watching the bleached-hair man scramble down the alley as the kobold got down on all fours and began to scramble after the man like rabid animals, faster than he¡¯d thought they could, but not fast enough to catch up to the cook.


    He wasn¡¯t used to this. Selflessness? After all the time working dead-end jobs? So few people were willing to help when the stakes weren¡¯t life or death.


    Act.


    In the two seconds before Nate arrived, Colin spent the two new Stat points gained by his level-up. One went into strength, and the other he put into dexterity. A group fight would be tricky. Every little bit of power helped, as he¡¯d seen when he was able to hold the kobold at arm¡¯s length while stabbing it. Strength was a no-brainer. But with a group fight¡­ There would be a lot to be aware of, and if dexterity meant what he¡¯d thought it did, extra control of his body and speed would go a long way.


    As much as two stat points went, at least. He still wasn¡¯t sure how much each little bit added, not having had the time to sit there and test it.


    As the points were assigned, he felt refreshed. His body is easier to move, and his legs are more powerful. Nate reached him and then spun around while holding his pipe like a bat.


    The kobold arrived five seconds later.


    Like a dumb animal, all five went straight for Nate, their prey. Not even thinking about Colt with their tunnel vision. The one in the lead flung itself through the air, right at Nate.


    Perfect.


    Colt moved like flowing water, his senses sharpening like the point of his knife, legs positioned just right to let him crash his shoulder into the leaping monster. It hit with a thud and sent the much lighter monster flying into a trash can, and Colt let out a little grunt. It hurt to body-check it, but it was better than letting it bite off his co-worker''s face.


    A second water scrambled through his legs.


    Colt dropped, putting his weight on the kobold and stopping it. Next, his knife went in, a clean stab right to the creature¡¯s spine. He knew just the right angle of attack to do what he wanted, and with one quick thrust and a jerk, the back legs of the kobold stopped.


    Hot blood wet the ground underneath him. The kobold struggled, but it was out of the fight.


    The last three kobolds were bunched together. Too many to stop; while two scrambled past him on either side, one finally had a lick of sense and threw itself right at Colt. A bundle of yellowed rotting teeth of a homeless kobold tried to bite off his face.


    Colt did what came naturally and dived to the side. A whoosh of air from where it passed by.


    Then, his senses sharpened further. The weight of the knife in his hand¡ªthe angle. It was perfect¡­ Though he¡¯d never flung a knife before, an urge screamed at him, along with a complete sureness that if he threw the weapon, it would land.


    With a split second, he didn¡¯t think and sent the knife flying.


    It soared like a missile, then sliced point-first right into the Kobold¡¯s throat. Crossing the three-foot gap in a blink. It wasn¡¯t a perfect hit¡ªthe knife fell out and didn¡¯t land exactly where he wanted, but it did enough damage. The kobold gurgled as blood bubbled and frothed, its body spasmed as a hand went to the wound to try to close it.


    The monster was already as good as dead.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 5


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª


    Correction: it was dead, according to the system.


    Colt twisted as he heard a sudden noise; the kobold he¡¯d flung into the trash cans was wobbling to its feet, one of its legs twisted. Broken.


    Good. That one was essentially out of the fight.


    But two had gotten past.


    Nate was screaming¡ªone of the Kobolds latched to the man¡¯s arm by its teeth, and blood ran down its throat, catching the dim yellow light of a nearby lamp¡ªthe other was darting by, scrambling as it avoided the wild swings of the rusty pipe, each one a close miss. Were he not distracted by the pain and weight of the kobold on his arm, Colt was sure Nate would¡¯ve already ended this fight.


    There¡¯s still time. Nate hasn¡¯t killed one yet.


    Colt scrambled over to the dead kobold, grabbed his kitchen Knife, and got to his feet.


    CRACK.


    Nate smashed the kobold, scrambling around in front of him with the pipe, sending it tumbling as he broke its bones. With a yell, he flung the other Kobold¡ªit flew off, a chunk of arm meat taken with it as it soared through the air and then smashed into the wall.


    Nate¡¯s face was red with rage¡ªhe raised the pipe overhead to smash it into the broken kobold at his feet.


    No!


    Colt saw the line again¡ªsaw the knife flying through his hand and its trajectory right into the back of the kobold¡¯s head. A part of him calculated the angle and force he would need.


    The knife left his hand, piercing right through the back of the creature¡¯s soft skull before the pipe came down and broke it open like an egg. Brain yolk spilled all on the ground. Another message box appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 3


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat Points to spend!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    You have gained 1 point of Dexterity!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    We can gain points in stats without a level? The information filtered in and out in a blink; the level was good. But more important was the ¡®you¡¯ve defeated¡¯ message he received.


    Colt let out a sigh of relief. He¡¯d been quick enough to steal the kill, and Nate wouldn¡¯t learn about leveling. Not yet.


    That didn¡¯t mean he could take a break yet. The rest of the kobolds were struggling, unable to get back into the fight. These things were dangerous in that they could do some damage, but their durability was very low, their bones were weak. By now, he had a feel for them, and any individual kobold wasn¡¯t much of a risk. It was the idea of fighting a group.


    If it¡¯d been him versus the five of them alone, Colt didn¡¯t know how this would have gone.


    ¡°Wrap your kitchen coat around the wound to stop the blood. I¡¯ll finish these guys off; then we¡¯ll get to the kitchen. If you don¡¯t mind, keep an eye out. I¡¯m not sure if all the noise will bring more out of the woodwork,¡± Colt said as he got up to collect his knife and finish the job.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nate said, sitting down and taking deep breaths as he looked at the missing bit of meat on his arm. It had to hurt, so Colt was going to make it quick.


    Clean-up was straightforward, taking less than a minute. Separated and weak, it took a quick dive in and thrust to a heart or neck to put the struggling kobolds down.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 4


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 6


    You have defeated Homeless Kobold - Level 2


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat Points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As Kobold¡¯s last body cooled, Colt ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. Level five, now. If his count had been on point. It was hard to track in the heat of the moment, but that gave him a nice little lead over everyone else. Enough, hopefully, to make it easier to survive out here without backup. That, in turn, would make it easier to snowball into the levels he wanted.


    Ten? Fifteen? He had to pick an endpoint. At the target level, he would share everything he knew with the rest, leaving enough of a gap to contend with any trouble and take control of the situation. Those seemed as good a milestone as any.


    Fifteen. That would be it. He could reach the level in a few hours if levels kept coming like this. Colt just needed to be careful.


    Plan set in stone, he returned to Nate to help him return to the kitchen.


    ¡°All of¡¯em down?¡± Nate asked, taking Colt¡¯s hand to help him get back up on his feet.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s taken care of. It doesn¡¯t look like anything is coming out anymore. Let''s get you back and patch it up before that changes. Thanks for coming to help.¡± Colt answered.


    The alley¡¯s darkness was creepy, but he felt a little more adjusted to this new reality every second out there. Maybe that was because he had a plan, and plans gave security and purpose. Maybe he was starting to go a little crazy, and this all was a coping mechanism. Either way, he needed it to survive and help everyone else.


    ¡°Aint in me to leave a man behind¡ªArmy didn¡¯t train us like that¡­ Say, Colt. Got a question.¡±


    ¡°Shoot,¡± Colt said as they walked back towards the kitchen, his heart skipping a beat. There was something to that tone. They were still a good thirty feet away from the door.


    ¡°Say, Colt¡­Did those boxes tell you that you gained a level, too?¡± Nate asked, stopping Colt in his tracks.

 Chapter 4: Cobwebs and Cobblestone

    Weaving lies is like weaving a web¡ªdelicate, intricate, and trapping everyone who touches it, even the weaver. Colt had been snared in his mother¡¯s webs for years, untangling them even now. The difference between weaving a web of lies and a real spider web was that you could get caught in a web of lies just as easily as your prey.


    Colt took in the ¡®Endless Alleys Dungeon¡¯ around them.


    A lie could go only so far in a place like this. The monsters they¡¯d just fought. Nate scrunched up his face, fearing that the implications of all this were landing similarly. Sure, Colt felt afraid, too. But there was too much work to be done for him to dwell on it.


    This wasn¡¯t ideal, but as the shadows shifted in the endless twists around them, as he looked at those corners that he knew would spiral out in a maze, he could use a friend just based on the name of this place. Someone like Nate ran in to help people. If he had to trust someone in that kitchen, he could do much worse than a person like that.


    ¡°I did. And I gained a skill called Inspect. It gives you additional information when you focus on things.  Those monsters are called kobolds. And... apparently, we''re in something called the ''Endless Alleys Dungeon.'' That makes sense, right? Leveling up, all that¡ªwe have to beat it to get out. Like a game.¡± Colt laid it out, crossing his arms.


    They¡¯d stopped moving back toward the kitchen. Both of them kept scanning for more Kobolds¡ªand god, Nate¡¯s arm must be hurting bad. Nate''s knuckles turned white on the pipe, and his breaths were short and shallow, though he forced his face into a stoic mask. Colt caught himself glancing into the dark corners, his churned at every shifting shadow.


    ¡°So we¡¯re in a combat zone, in some sorta video game.¡±


    ¡°¡­Combat zone?¡±


    ¡°War zone,¡± Nate clarified, gesturing towards the alleys, his gaze darting between them. ¡°Urban combat¡¯s a nightmare, even in training. If this ¡®dungeon¡¯ is anything like that, we¡¯re in for it.¡±


    After a beat of silence.


    ¡°Kobolds, huh? How¡¯d you get that ¡®inspect¡¯ skill?¡±


    ¡°I got it from focusing on my knife while I was trying to pick out my weapon, wondering if it was a better weapon for me than that pipe you have. Then, it kind of appeared as a box. Like the Status screen.¡± Colt answered.


    Nate paused, holding his pipe out in front of him. His eyes narrowed, and seconds passed. His gaze was intense as he stared at the chunk of metal¡ªalmost like a stern father telling the pipe he was disappointed with it. Suddenly, his expression melted away.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Colt was impressed. Information was power, and Nate had picked up the Inspect skill as quickly as he had. It made sense¡ªbut it also raised a question. If Inspect let him see Nate¡¯s stats, what else could people learn about him? And what if they leveled faster? The thought churned uneasily in his mind.


    He focused on Nate.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Nate | Race: Basic Human


    Class: Pending


    Level: 3


    This is a basic human with a pending class selection; he has yet to begin to walk on any path of enlightenment. He has a past in the Army that he dislikes talking about much. Recently he¡¯s worked as a cook for the last year but has grown increasingly disillusioned with the service industry.


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt blinked as he processed the information, feeling euphoric at the gain in Inspect. It was a powerful tool, and using it on another person seemed to give information that reminded him of the status screen, adding a tiny bit of the information below.


    Paths of enlightenment?


    More hints, he assumed, like the bit of information he pulled from the Kobold¡¯s corpse about this dungeon.  Another thing, too, was it added that Nate was tired of working in the restaurant¡­ Not surprising, given they were in a dead-end job. From everything Colt had seen, the guy had been as affable as ever whenever they worked. Easygoing and steady despite the stressful work environment.


    ¡°We need to warn the others before it¡¯s too late.¡± Nate said, his arms crossed as time ticked by; Colt had gone silent as he thought. That, however, was like Nate had poured cold water on him, sending a shiver down his spine.


    Nate was right; they couldn¡¯t sit out here forever, and his arm had to hurt. It was better to treat it soon. And every second out here was more of a risk of Kobolds coming out and attacking. Still.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Colt said.


    ¡°We¡¯re in deep, in unknown territory, with hostiles everywhere. We need every man we can get; we fought five of those things. What if twenty come next time¡ªa hundred? We don¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s numbers. We don¡¯t know how big this place is. Assuming you¡¯re right about us being in a video game and having to ¡®beat¡¯ this ¡®dungeon,¡¯ the more trained our people are, the better.¡±


    ¡°I agree, and we should tell them. Eventually, we¡¯re at a higher level than everyone else, but not by much. What happens if Bill gets more levels, or Chef? What if there¡¯s no more food? What do you think those two will do if they have more power than everyone else? Do you think they¡¯ll work to make sure we¡¯re all safe and get through this? I don¡¯t. I think they¡¯ll do whatever is best for themselves, even if it means screwing everyone else over. I know we haven¡¯t talked much before now, but you ran into danger to help me. That says everything about the kind of guy you are; we both know what kind of people they are.¡±


    Colt made his argument, wondering if it would work. But damn, he had to try. If it failed, he might have to stay out here and risk gaining more levels on his own, even if it could end with him dying.


    He refused to put his future in the hands of people like Chef and Bill. Never again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like Bill. Donny, too, for that matter¡ªI don¡¯t think you gotta worry about Donny being a danger; when reality hits like the truck it is, the man¡¯s gonna crumble. But Bill? You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t like his eyes; I¡¯ve seen those eyes before. Cindy¡¯s gonna do what he says, too. Don¡¯t wanna be crass, but the two are a¡­ Thing.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Well, that gossip was new. Cindy was a skinny cook with long dark hair that was always pulled back in a ponytail. She loved her dark eyeshadow. She was always the second voice behind Chef hurling insults when critical of other people¡¯s work in the kitchen.


    Nate let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Damn. What a mess. Good point. You¡¯re level five, and I¡¯m three? How much do those stat points change you anyway, assuming it¡¯s real?¡±


    He just used his inspect on me, too. Colt had a tiny jolt; he would have told him had he asked. Did he get any other information than that?


    It was a lesson not to forget. Anyone with inspect could see his level, and as of now, without knowing the limits, what else? Can I counter it?


    Nothing came up, but it was another information point to tuck away. The second anyone else got that skill, they¡¯d see his level.


    ¡°They do have an effect. I hit harder; I feel way less winded. I can tell that much, but as far as I found, it didn¡¯t explain the exact difference anywhere. You can also gain them outside of levels, which was a surprise to me. How far this skill system goes, or what ¡®classes¡¯ will look like, I¡¯ve got no idea.¡± Colt took a deep breath, giving away the information, which was like pulling teeth to some part of him, but he needed a reliable ally. In Nate, he was starting to see that.


    Nate tapped against his jaw, his eyes firmed. ¡°Alrighty then. We keep our mouths shut about levels and get my arm patched up in the kitchen. I¡¯ll put my points into endurance. I tested with one point already, and it helped with the pain. One last thing: we need to bring someone else in; in situations like this, even one more set of hands and eyes is life and death. You pick¡¯em, I¡¯ll worry about getting better. Then, in an hour, we¡¯ll head back out.¡±


    Colt rolled his shoulders and took one last look at the outside alleyway. They needed to test getting through doors and see if the dungeon boss¡¯s prediction was correct. In about a day, they¡¯d see what ¡®Classes¡¯ were and how that changed the situation. Getting as big of a foot forward as possible was the best plan.


    Above all else, they needed to survive. There was a lot to do, and so many unknowns and it was overwhelming as he reviewed the list in his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a plan. Let¡¯s figure out how to deal with this place and get stronger.¡± Colt offered his hand for a shake¡ªNate leaned in and grabbed his wrist, his eyes earnest.


    ¡°As of now, we¡¯re brothers, alright? We¡¯re gonna get through this hell together.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± Colt promised.


    Like that, the Endless Alleys seemed all that less intimidating to conquer.


    In complete silence, they made the rest of the way back to the kitchen; there was tension as they moved. Each step Colt took was on the balls of his heels, his eyes scanning the darkness, wondering if the fight would draw even more of those things out. Even from here, now, he could smell kobold blood.


    When they entered the kitchen, the place had transformed. More than a few pans were now on the ground, spilled red tomato sauce like blood from where someone threw a pan and a couple of broken plates against the wall. Chef was in a chair near the back, his side wrapped in a bandage. Somehow, the man had gotten hold of two kitchen knives and was holding them like any of the cooks filtering by would attack him. Bill stood nearby, his hands tucked behind his back, watching like a hawk.


    ¡°Well?¡± Donny asked, not even waiting for the door to close behind them.


    Nate showed his arm, ¡°It¡¯s little furry monsters like Colt said. They got me, too. We¡¯re gonna head out in an hour to get a better look at the situation. It was hard to tell. Need to get patched up first.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, again? What is going on out there?¡± Jimmy said the man had been putting away the medical kit in the corner. He paused and then got right back to unpacking, waving Nate over.


    ¡°Monsters.¡± Nate said, keeping it terse, ¡°We keep the kitchen shut for now.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Donny asked, leaning forward, eyes darting at the cooks in the kitchen.


    ¡°Me and him, and someone else.¡± Colt cut in.


    ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯re worth less than nothing¡ªI got hurt out there with you, and so did Nate. Why on God¡¯s green earth would we trust you to go out there again? You can¡¯t protect anybody.¡± Donny demanded.


    ¡°I know reality has gone a little sideways, but we all have eyes, right? I saved you from that monster. You do realize that?¡±


    ¡°Saved? If you saved me, would I have all these bite marks?¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t saved you, you¡¯d be dead.¡± Colt said, his voice growing louder. Why won¡¯t he just shut up for once?


    Bill¡¯s jaw worked as he stood by Chef; his nose curled as Colt said he¡¯d saved Chef. But Bill kept silent, letting the big bad tyrant of the kitchen speak for him. Colt took in the scene¡ªat the chubby man with his double knives holding them in a way that was just as likely to stab himself as someone else, all Colt could think was¡­


    Why was I so afraid of him?


    ¡°If it¡¯s so dangerous outside, sending out people who can handle themselves is important. Who here has been in a fight?¡± Bill spoke, eyes scanning the kitchen. ¡°I have. I can handle myself. You were in the army, right, Nate?¡±


    Nate gave a slight nod to that; Jimmy was already working on his arm, pulling out alcohol and cleaning the wound. The guy¡¯s eyes were a little less red now. Crazy what a situation like this can do to sober someone up.


    ¡°Right. So me and Nate. Cindy and Sarah are women, so they¡¯re out; Jimmy¡¯s still high.¡± he said pointedly, looking away from the two female cooks.


    Cindy said nothing, but the frown she gave said it all. Sarah, though, gave him a dark scowl and a loud ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    Sarah had full sleeves of tattoos on both arms and kept her hair cut short, and she always had the kind of look in her eyes that said, ¡®Say something to me, and I¡¯ll break your bones.¡¯ For that reason, Colt had never said anything to her at all.


    Bill stalked forward, looming over Sarah like a thundercloud. ¡°Think you¡¯re strong enough to take a man? Go ahead, prove it.¡± His voice was low, dangerous, his fists clenching at his sides.


    Sarah¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, her stance shifting subtly. Her fists came up, ready. Colt noticed the way her weight shifted onto her back foot, her shoulders square. It wasn¡¯t just bravado¡ªshe knew what she was doing.


    ¡°You beg nice, and I may think about letting you come along as a cheerleader. Colt¡¯s a fuck up, so that leaves Logan.¡±


    Nate¡¯s voice cut through like a knife. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nate said.


    ¡°Is the wound too bad? I understand, I guess we can take Jimmy¡ª¡° Bill stepped away from Sarah, confused, as he turned his attention back to Nate.


    Nate leaned back against the wall, his tone steady despite the twitch in his jaw. "Ten of those things swarmed us," he said and lied as he stared down Bill. "More are coming. You wanna play hero, go right ahead. But I¡¯m going with Colt. And we know what we¡¯re doing. He¡¯s been out there twice. He saved my life and saved Chef¡¯s life. We¡¯ll be heading out in an hour. And he can pick who we go out with.¡±


    Bill went quiet after that, working his jaw, his eyes never leaving Colt as cold anger boiled. Anyone could see the gears turning in his head. Chef started to bitch and moan like always.


    Colt took a deep breath, filled with relief to have Nate on his side. He looked at the people left to choose from.


    Colt scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each face. Cindy, Sarah, Jimmy, Logan¡ªwho could he trust to step into the dungeon? His mind whirred, calculating. But one thing was certain: survival depended on making the right call.


    As he looked around, Bill caught his eyes. Without saying a word, without anyone in the kitchen catching it, Bill brought a finger to his throat and made a ¡®slit¡¯ motion, eyes burning into him. It was as good a declaration of war as any.


    A faint metallic clatter echoed in the alley beyond as he turned toward the door. His gut twisted. The dungeon wasn¡¯t done with them yet.

 Chapter 5: Inspection

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Logan | Race: Basic Human


    Class: Pending


    Level: 1


    This is a basic human with a pending class selection; he has yet to begin to walk on any path of enlightenment. His physical physique has exceeded natural standards as a result of drug use.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Already know all that; nothing new, no new level. Colt sat on the stainless steel prep table, finding he didn¡¯t care much about kitchen hygiene standards at the moment. There wasn¡¯t anywhere else to sit since Chef forbade chairs for anyone but himself, so there were none in the kitchen. He watched the man with careful eyes. This was the second time he¡¯d used Inspect on Logan.


    Logan was busy mopping up the pasta sauce in the middle of the kitchen. It had been him who¡¯d made the mess. Apparently, he¡¯d had another one of his rage episodes while they were gone. Though, it could have been panic.  Either were explainable, given everything.


    Colt turned away. He¡¯d scanned Jimmy and Sarah. Even Cindy¡ªbut picking her was a long shot after what Nate said. Nothing new there, except it said that Sarah was a trained martial artist. That had been useful, but he¡¯d begun to suspect that when she was seconds away from clocking Bill. She¡¯d been way too practiced for that conflict. Confirmation was nice, though.


    Twenty minutes ticked by, and he¡¯d taken the time to watch and think.


    Dad always said that time could be your greatest friend if you let it be. One just had to know how to use it. He guessed time didn¡¯t want to be his friend since even waiting hadn¡¯t gotten him any further in deciding and just wasted the time he¡¯d had.


    Chef was off to the side of the Kitchen, issuing orders. Bill was playing along, enforcing them and only giving a token effort in cooking; Cindy was doing the bulk job of getting a soup together for lunch. A cassoulet, or the fancy-french soup that Chef took off the menu two months ago since he was pissed that no one could get right. They didn¡¯t even have the right ingredients around anymore to make it, so only god knew why he¡¯d put them to task on it right now.


    Jimmy was picking up the shattered plates from Logan¡ªLogan had to clean his mess¡­ Nate was watching the door, ignored by Chef. As for Sarah, she was off in the corner, still staring daggers at Bill. She hadn¡¯t dropped what he¡¯d said.


    Half the kitchen staff was running and functional. They were conducting dinner service for themselves in the middle of a hostile dungeon and not even connected to a restaurant anymore. Everything was fine, right?


    Colt snorted and shook his head.


    Swap gears.


    With forty minutes left, he still had plenty of time to decide. First, though, he had to think about his unspent Stats. Deciding now was the best time to make that decision, he pulled up his status sheet.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: [Empty] | Class: [Pending] |


    Level: 5


    Edicts: [None]


    Skills:


    Inspect (Basic) - Level 3


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) - Level 5


    Stats:


    Strength: 13


    Endurance: 10


    Dexterity: 12


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 8


    Soul: 1


    Unassigned Stat Points: 4


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Now that he knew he could gain stat points naturally¡­ It made it harder to spend the ones available. Surely, they would be more difficult to raise without spending points in the future. That¡¯s just how video games worked. It was hard to shake the feeling that this was all just one big game. A look at the bloody bandage around Nate¡¯s arm helped but didn¡¯t entirely get rid of it.


    No. I need power now.


    One point went to strength, one to endurance, and one to dexterity. Useful stats for now, and an easy choice in survival situation.


    The last¡­ Was an experiment.


    Colt held off and then put the last point into soul.


    For a long second, nothing changed. Then, another shorter second, still, nothing changed. Just as he thought maybe it was an utter waste and a bad decision, a deep, satisfied sensation came from within.


    The world around him seemed more real somehow¡ªinexplicably more real, and he felt more connected to it. He saw a brief flicker of the strings of reality tugging at everything, from the string of fire as it flickered underneath the pot and screamed heat to the string of tension and strength of Logan¡¯s arms as the hulking man barely restrained himself from breaking his broom in half.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Colt blinked, and the sensation vanished.


    He was left confused, feeling that he¡¯d just touched on something deep, ancient, and profound, yet unsure what any of it meant.


    These stats need explanations.


    Colt rolled his shoulders and looked around again, picking out who he¡¯d talk to first¡­


    Jimmy was gone. So was Bill. How long was I out of it?


    BAM.


    The walk-in freezer door burst open; Bill stomped out, holding up Jimmy by his collar. He was a small, skinny guy, but the way that Bill held him up by the scruff of his jacket spoke to a lot more power than Colt thought he¡¯d had¡ªBill was red in the face, and a cloud of smoke left the walk-in their wake.


    Slowly, the reek of weed hit Colt¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re sitting in the fridge smoking fucking weed?¡± Bill screamed¡ªrushing right over to a wall he slammed Jimmy into.


    ¡°I offered you a puff! I figured it was a fine time to take the edge off¡ª¡°


    ¡°Now is not the time for drugs, dip-shit!¡±


    ¡°If now isn¡¯t the best time, when is? Holy shit, man. We¡¯re all gonna die. Chill.¡±


    Bill slammed a fist into Jimmy¡¯s gut; Cindy let out a yelp, and the pot of soup she¡¯d been cooking crashed to the ground with a heavy clank. Chef started to swear as Bill went in for another hit.


    ¡°Yeah? We¡¯re all going to die? Wanna say that again?¡±


    Colt stood up from the table and quickly reached Bill¡ªColt caught his wrist, stopping him before he could land the fourth punch to Jimmy¡¯s gut.


    Bill scowled and tried to push him off¡ªbut Colt managed to stay his ground. Bill¡¯s eyes were wide, his nose flared, and his arm shook. The man was shocked, which he very well should be. Two hours ago, he could¡¯ve shoved Colt around like he was nothing.


    The stats are putting in work.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Colt commanded.


    Bill jerked his wrist, and it barely moved. Colt had to pour a lot of strength into it, but at that moment, they both knew. He was stronger.


    ¡°How?¡± Bill asked.


    ¡°Let Jimmy go, it isn¡¯t worth it. And, Jimmy, no more drugs¡ªwe need to stay sharp right now.¡± Colt ordered, but Bill didn¡¯t drop the dishwasher.


    Colt flexed his fingers, tightening his grip on Bill¡¯s wrist, twisting ever so slightly.


    The cook scowled, his jaw tightened, eyes narrowed, then winced.


    After that, he let Jimmy go. The dishwasher scrambled away, rubbing his neck as he went to the other side of the kitchen, just about as far away from Bill as he could get. Bill glared, but Colt let his wrist go with a slight nod. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I need to do,¡± Bill promised.


    With that, he stalked off right towards Chef¡ªpulling Cindy along with a quick grab, huddling up in a small group to whisper and conspire.


    Planning how to stab me in the back.


    Colt rubbed at his eyes.


    To think of all the things that could go wrong when surrounded by monsters, the things he was worried the most about were the people around him. Colt looked at the clock.


    Half-an-hour left.


    Putting a point into soul had wasted ten minutes, somehow.


    Dangerous.


    Yet, simultaneously, that feeling had brought a sensation of one-ness he¡¯d never fully experienced, a wholeness of being and his place in this world that left him wanting more. To understand more. Maybe, if he was lucky, he¡¯d run across information on what it did.


    Maybe after we get classes. For now, though.


    Colt went right over to Sarah, having made his choice.


    Jimmy was too high, Logan was too unpredictable, and Cindy would snitch all their secrets to Chef and Bill the second she knew¡ªif tensions were high enough that things were already coming to blows, then when that bombshell dropped on the rest of the group, they needed to have a solid grasp on the power offered here.


    ¡°He¡¯s dangerous, good on you to step in and stop him. Jimmy didn¡¯t deserve that.¡± Sarah muttered quietly as Colt got near.


    ¡°Control through violence. It makes him feel big and safe, but it isn¡¯t like that. None of us are safe. You know what Nate and I said is true, right? There are monsters out there.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s monsters in here too.¡±


    Colt ran a hand through his hair; Jimmy was curled up in a corner. Chef was yelling at Cindy for spilling the stew¡ªas if it even mattered. Logan was nearby, face red and a few minutes from another tantrum. The thought of him raging out made Colt nervous.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Me and Nate are headed out again soon. I don¡¯t trust Bill. You looked like you knew what you were doing; are you going to punch him?¡±


    ¡°Seven years of Muay Thai. Yeah. I know what I¡¯m doing, and yes, he had it coming. Not exactly smart to pick a fight when you don¡¯t have to. Sure. But he had it coming, and I could have got a good hit or two in.¡±  Sarah rolled her shoulders. ¡°Just tense. Being in here is like being in a pot coming to a boil; I feel it heating up all around me. It¡¯s going to cook us alive.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to. We could use another set of hands. Practiced hands. It¡¯s dangerous out there, and each bit of help we can get will go a long way.¡±


    As he said this, Logan snapped the mop he was using in half¡ªtossing both halves against the walk-in freezer with an echoing clang. Immediately, he started shouting, and Bill calmed him down. Whispering in his ear and shooting glances at Colt and Sarah.


    Sarah curled her nose, looked at Bill, then sighed. ¡°Why not ask Logan? He¡¯s stronger.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t trust him to keep a level head. We haven¡¯t really got that far outside of the kitchen, and this time we¡¯re going as far as we can to get an idea of what¡¯s going on.¡±


    The whispering between Logan and Bill kept going¡ªnow the two of them were looking over toward Sarah and Colt; it made his skin crawl, knowing that on the other side of the kitchen, Bill was already scheming.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in. This place is already collapsing. You two are as good as it gets in here. Don¡¯t screw me, and I won¡¯t screw you.¡± Sarah promised, stretching out her arms. ¡°When are we headed out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check with Nate. We wanted to go in an hour, it might be a good idea to cut that short. Pick out a weapon. Count on heading out in five.¡± Colt stood up, walking away from Sarah. Both Logan and Bill watched him as he moved. It felt like being a rabbit under the gaze of a coyote; at any minute, it would pounce and eat him whole.


    Five minutes later, he delivered on the promise. There was some complaining from Bill, saying that they should take along another man and that if they died out, he wouldn¡¯t bring their corpses back.


    It was about a nice farewell and good luck he could expect.


    Chef called them dumb as well¡ªsaying they should be cooking, and he wasn¡¯t paying them to screw around in the alley. Colt was starting to suspect something was breaking in the guy¡¯s head, but it was a problem for later.


    With Nate and Sarah in tow, they went back into the dungeon outside their door.


    And right into a raggedy red kobold with a sword.

 Chapter 6: Cannibals

    Lingering in the light outside the kitchen and the start of the Dungeon of Endless Alleys sat a kobold; its eyes were glazed over, its raggedy fur coated in a brownish-red. Blood, if Colt had to guess. Old, dried blood. The thing was staring at their door as they left it¡ªunmoving. In one hand was a decrypt old sword, which fit the nature of the kobold wielding it. In the other hand was the severed arm of a kobold.


    The very same kobold that Colt first killed in this world, if he had to guess, by the mangled corpse next to it.


    The thing shivered as Colt stared at it, its oval eyes taking all three of them in. It dropped the arm.


    ¡°¡­That thing has a sword,¡± Sarah said in disbelief, holding her knife steadily between her and the monster ahead of them. There was a shake to her arm, not that there was any fault in that. The sword was dripping blood.


    The kobold opened its mouth wide to reveal yellow teeth with holes in them.


    Colt inspected it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Cannibal Kobold - Level 10


    Description: A solitary Kobold which has abandoned its pack. Food is scarce in the Endless Alleys, so instead of sharing what meager scraps can be found, it has taken a much more practical approach to the problem.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Consume [Uncommon] - Level 3


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Interesting. Somewhat useful¡ªbut there wasn¡¯t time to consider this more advanced description. No. This was level 10. Colt was at level 5; the other two were below that.


    Danger.


    The kobold lurched forward, its eyes suddenly catching a glint as its wide mouth formed into a mishappen smile; it moved quick¡ªtoo quick¡ªlike a mouse darting for cover. It was on them in a second, sword lashing out as it cut a steel line of death.


    CLANG.


    Colt caught the sword and turned it aside with his knife, pushing upward a split second before it cleaved into Sarah¡¯s side. A dangerous move that almost lost him a finger.


    It wasn¡¯t enough; the Kobold brought the sword around again, this time for a stab. Right at her stomach.


    Nate tackled her, getting them out of the way as the sword punched right through where she¡¯d been.


    The kobold overextended, and Sarah punished, some of her training coming to bear as her foot snapped into the Kobold¡¯s unsteady one, sending the monster to the ground.


    Colt pounced, Knife raised in the air, then sunk it into the Kobold¡¯s chest.


    It struggled beneath him, the power of its little coiled muscles almost like a bull. Way too much for something this size. He stabbed it again, bringing the dagger into its guts and cutting a line, but it didn¡¯t stop. If anything, it was only struggling harder.


    He saw the whirl of a metal blade on his left. The sword headed right for his neck, and Colt tumbled off the kobold.


    The metal flashed by, cutting yet another close line of death.


    Colt retreated¡ªhe¡¯d noticed that Sarah and Nate had done the same. The Kobold got to its feet, body shaking as it cupped the spilling guts from its abdomen¡­ Then it yanked some of it free¡ªthen stuffed its own intestines down its throat.


    Involuntarily, Colt gagged, stunned by the display¡­ And even more stunned afterward as the hole in its stomach began to knit itself up.


    The kobold sat there, its grin wide as it chewed, pleased with the display¡ªup until Nate smacked it in the side of the face from behind with his pipe. It bounced on the ground once, which was enough to snap Colt out of his disgust and back into action.


    Colt was there in a flash, knife working in and out of the monster. Sarah took a little longer, but soon she was there too, stabbing; while it chewed, the wounds healed, so Colt decided to pick his targets while Sarah stabbed for all she was worth.


    Every muscle worked off ligaments, little rubber bands that let the body move. As he went to work, his eyes honed, watching the kobold struggle. He remembered watching an old-school video showing off how the human body worked without skin, doing various tasks, and honing in on all the different parts of the muscular puzzle that let you move.


    Now, he could almost see the muscles beneath the skin. The connections as he severed them. One by one, cutting with as much precision as he could manage on his flailing target. It was sloppy work, but the knife worked easier than ever in his hand.


    Eventually, the healing slowed. The kobold stopped chewing¡ªthanks to a lucky hit from Nate that broke its jaw as he smashed it from the left with his pipe.


    About fifteen seconds after that, the kobold died.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Cannibal Kobold - Level 10


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt sat down, sweat wet on his back and even more blood drenching the rest of him. The three looked like they¡¯d been in a horror film; their kitchen attire was ruined. Level 10¡­ And for that, none of them looked all the worse for wear. Colt had a few bruises from where the Kobold flailed and hit him¡ªSarah a minor cut. Nate was unscathed. It hadn¡¯t died easy, but they¡¯d taken it out without any serious injuries as a team.


    Exactly what he¡¯d hoped for. Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°W-what? Level up?¡± Sarah asked, dumbfounded.


    Ah.


    He had meant to give her a heads-up before they dived into the dungeon. This kobold lurking outside had stolen that chance. Back when they fought the group of Kobolds, Nate hadn¡¯t killed any of them personally. But this confirmed it. There must be a split experience when you get a kill working together.


    ¡°You remember those messages mentioning a class earlier¡ªthose boxes? Well, I think this place works like some kind of videogame. There are levels and stats, and I¡¯ve seen in the descriptions of these kobolds that we¡¯re in a dungeon.¡± Colt began to explain, standing up and bringing them further from the door. He didn¡¯t see any curious heads popping out, which meant they must not have been able to hear the scuffle outside.


    Still, there was a reason he didn¡¯t fill Sarah in on the situation inside the kitchen.


    Now, though, he and Nate took a few minutes to explain what was happening to her; they stayed close to the door and back to their haven, but far enough out into this new world that it was undeniable.


    The mist, the smell of blood and dead kobold¡ªthe way the lights flickered at the ends of the alleys, looming in the distance as they broke into their first turn in a place that promised an endless maze of danger. In this new world, Sarah had no choice but to confront what life had become.


    She handled it¡­ Remarkably well.


    ¡°So I gain levels, then I can kick Bill¡¯s ass. Until then we keep it a secret so he can¡¯t level up quickly and kick our ass.¡± She concluded.


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah,¡± Colt confirmed.


    ¡°The goal isn¡¯t to beat him up but to keep him in line while we figure out how to get out here. Especially if Kobold¡¯s description is true, food being scarce is a big problem, and we¡¯ll need to take stock of how much we have in the kitchen and ration appropriately.¡± Nate said, his brow furrowed as he took in the Cannibal Kobold¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see that line at all.¡± Sarah contested. ¡°How sure are we that this thing is even accurate?¡±


    She¡¯d picked up Inspect quickly once they¡¯d told her how to get the Skill. Her description of it wasn¡¯t too far from theirs; only it didn¡¯t mention anything about food; rather, it stated the monster just ate the closest things it could get its hands on.


    Nate had also examined it through the lens of an Inspect - Level 3. He''d been practicing the entire time they¡¯d been in the kitchen and saw more progress than Colt. Maybe it was due to his background in the army. He said he trained to take careful stock of things since it might be the difference between life and death.


    That just left the matter of loot. The grungy rusty sword. It was a real weapon. Colt supposed his knife was a real weapon, too¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t meant for that. He couldn¡¯t shake how close that blade came to taking off one of his fingers.


    Nate said he¡¯d take it if no one else wanted it. He preferred the pipe until they got a hold of a gun.


    If there were any guns in here.


    Sarah said she already felt useless with the knife and gained an Unarmed Specialist Skill at level three after the fight she was eager to dive into.


    A quick inspection said it was a simple damaged sword. Nothing special. But as Colt looked between it and his knife, that sense of being deepened. There was a connection here between the two weapons and him. A thread that tied them together, the same way that flame tied to heat in the kitchen. Almost a purpose to it and a hint of more that swirled in the air. Colt picked up on it and couldn¡¯t place it. And as fast as it appeared, that sense of connection vanished.


    Once more, leaving him in this dungeon, staring at what looked to be a useless weapon on the ground.


    He hadn¡¯t used a sword before. His skill spoke about proficiency in knives¡ªbut¡­


    In the end, he decided to take it. If nothing else, the extra reach would keep the next dangerous kobold all that much further away until he found an opening to stab it with.


    With the first and most dangerous encounter they¡¯ve come across, now dead on the ground¡­ It came to the next part of the mission: exploration and more leveling. With an unsteady calm, Colt led the trio further away from the kitchen, down the left alleyway. Each step brought him further away from the familiar and closer to the unknown.


    The mist began to gather as they approached the end of the alley, and the dank smell of earth and refuse intensified, along with that of stale puddles of water. As they passed each trash can, Colt kept his eyes sharp for any more kobolds, yet there were none.


    When they hit the intersection, a new notification appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Welcome To The Endless Alleys Dungeon.


    Dungeon Rank: F


    Clear Conditions:


    Eliminate King Kobold


    (Optional) Eliminate The Ripper


    Discover Exit


    Note: Exit cannot be discovered until all mandatory bosses have been eliminated.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°The Ripper, what, like Jack the Ripper?¡± Sarah asked, squinting into the darkness of either side of the alley. ¡°How the heck does it even know about that? Creepy.¡±


    Nate sighed deeply and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know how this place works or if that¡¯s even what ¡®The Ripper¡¯ means, But at least that confirms there¡¯s a way out. Colt was right. Defeat the bosses, then we can leave.¡±


    The buildings lining this alley were different. The modern brickwork and concrete were replaced with what looked to be wood and stucco. It was still crowded, and the gaps between the buildings were not enough to fit a person through but enough to look down. All he saw, though, was an inky black darkness.


    The three of them moved along, noting that it started with a left at the turn; Nate kept repeating it to himself under his breath. The man took on the navigator role while Sarah and Colt concentrated on being the eyes. The road here rapidly transformed from a concrete path to muddy dirt.


    If Colt blinked and forgot where he was, he could almost pretend he¡¯d wandered into the back of some Renaissance festival; the sword in his hand only enhanced the feeling. Last time, he¡¯d been barely seven, and the sword had been a cheap wooden one.


    Not that this rusty thing is much better.


    He took a slow step forward¡ªsomething catching in his vision.


    Red eyes, looking at him through one of those narrow gaps. Taller than any kobold he¡¯d seen. Something else then.


    He felt a shiver run through him, wincing and pulling back from the blood-red gaze. His instinct was to withdraw, to slip the Knife out of sight behind his back, waiting for the owner of those blood-red eyes to come out. It felt like that gaze was taking slices out of him, peeling bits of skin away as it dissected what he was capable of. Evaluated how easy it would be to slice him to ribbons.


    Colt didn¡¯t move. He hunched himself and made himself smaller. Trying to hide from that gaze, but he didn¡¯t turn away.


    An instinct in him screamed that if he made a sound, if he turned his back, he¡¯d find something attacking him.


    The eyes vanished.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Skill Gained: Hide Status [Uncommon] (Basic)


    Hide Status (Basic) - Level 1


    This skill allows the user to modify and conceal their own meta-data from observers. It is a must for any individual wishing to maintain private information. This will not allow the user to hide their overall level. In its most basic form, this can hide Skills, Skill Levels, and Stats. At higher levels of this skill, you can detect when you¡¯ve been Inspected.


    Note: Higher levels of Inspect can overcome this Skill and may display concealed information.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt felt a sweat run down his brow, along with a certainty. That had been death staring at him through that dark, narrow gap. Those red eyes spoke of blood and death, and every bit of his body screamed at him in the same way it screamed when you looked down the edge of a cliff. One wrong step, and he¡¯d be gone.


    ¡°Colt?¡± Nate asked.


    He tried to speak, but his voice died in his throat.


    ¡°Trouble!¡± Nate warned, and that, the quick alert, got Colt to turn away from that dark gap¡ªand turned to look straight at a pack of eight mangy kobolds, their hungry eyes bearing down as they stared at them, seconds away from a fight.

 Chapter 7: Snap-Point

    The harrowing feeling of being an inch from death faded, and he was left staring at Kobolds.


    Colt wrenched his attention back into the moment. There was no choice. The first and most immediate reaction he could do was to spend his stat points.


    One went into strength, the other into dexterity. An even build, for now, flexibility meant survivability, each point was a significant effect, with Bill he¡¯d already seen the difference they made. In the chaos of a fight, every little detail could be the difference between him and his allies making it through or dying.


    His second move was to toss his knife at the enemy.


    It flew in a line as the first Kobold charged. Following the narrow invisible line he saw¡ªfrom the knife in his hand to the kobold¡¯s head. He felt like it would land, so he sent it.


    When it plopped right into his target¡¯s skull, only slightly off target, and a second after its limp body crashed into the muddy ground, he knew he¡¯d made the right call.


    The rest of the kobolds came in a wave; seven were headed at him. They intended to overwhelm and consume them, tearing them limb from limb.


    But now, they were easier to handle. They were sluggish. Molasses in the air; even with his sword feeling like a jerky puppet in his hand, they were worse. Little rats to slice and stab¡ªeven with their numbers, they couldn¡¯t get past the distance between the sword and his hand.


    Three of them faced him, and he drained their blood.


    They started sluggishly, but his sword wickedly chopped them down.


    It was a dance. Pure and simple. A dance of battle where his feet clicked to the rhythm of blood and steel¡ªthe beat was each slice of his sword, the notes were his dagger finishing off kobolds. Using both weapons at the same time was awkward at first, like all new things, but the longer he used the sword, the more it belonged.


    In a matter of twenty seconds, the three kobolds he¡¯d faced died.


    Then he turned to take in the rest of the fight.


    Nate bashed in one of the enemy¡¯s heads like a pumpkin smashed against a wall¡ªit twitched on the ground, already dead; the only bits of life remaining in its body were the twitching spasms of its muscles that didn¡¯t realize it yet.


    He was working on a second kobold while a third harassed him on the side.


    Sarah struggled more and gave up on using a knife. Instead, she punched at her kobold with a curled fist, followed by a second to its jaw.


    She had it well in hand, just not the strength to end it as quickly as he had. Colt flew in to back up, a vision of death as he stabbed the kobold in the back and held it still for her to smash a fist into its neck, shattering its windpipe.


    They moved to help Nate.


    Another ten seconds later, the seven kobolds had drifted to death, and only the three of them were left standing.


    He got messages about the Kobolds and glossed over them, skipping straight to the information at the end of the notification.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have gained 1 point of Dexterity!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    Skill Gained: Swords Proficiency [Common] (Basic)


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) - Level 1


    This skill encompasses using swords and sword-like objects in the art of combat.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After a breather, Colt went and checked the new skill. It was uncommon. Just like that, Cannibal Kobold, the rarity was surprising, which brought a warm rush of gratitude to his gut. Hiding status seemed useful.


    So he tried it.


    Activating the skill was easy. All it took was to focus on willing his status to be hidden¡ªa quick prompt appeared, asking for details and which skills he¡¯d like hidden.


    Colt opted to hide everything.


    Like that, with a mental switch, his Status was more secure than ever. There was more to do with the new level.


    And that was assigning stat points. As ever always, the first went to dexterity¡­ But the other¡­ That one he held onto, Endurance, tempted him, but he held back.


    That one was headed right for Soul.


    Not now, but later. After spending the first point in his soul and that tiny flash of seeing something larger than him, the fascination latched onto his head. It was like standing at the edge of a great river, cutting through the horizon. How far did it go? How deep was it?


    Colt would find out but now wasn¡¯t the time.


    Eventually, these levels would dry up, and they wouldn¡¯t come as easily as they did now. Every game was like that. If he was going to dip his toes into that river, it would be best done at these earlier levels, even if he invested most of his points into the most straightforward physical stats.


    With his points done, he confirmed with Nate and Sarah they¡¯d also leveled up and spent their stats¡ªthen they moved further into the dungeon.


    As they walked down the dirt path of this part of the dungeon, moving through the twisty, narrow street, Colt told them about the red eyes. Sarah seemed scared, and Nate just grunted. To the army man, it must¡¯ve been yet another danger to file away in his mind.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they wandered into another small troop of kobolds. This time, three.


    It wasn¡¯t long until those kobolds died.


    They didn¡¯t give a level after they were killed, but the next group of five they ran into did.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Spending those new stat points was easy. Strength and Endurance. Both Nate and Sarah were also packing on the levels¡ªbut a quick inspect told Colt he was still ahead. Nate reached level six. Sarah had gotten to level four.


    Levels were one thing. Skills were another. Sarah had gotten to an unarmed level of 8¡ªmuch of it transferring from her previous practice in Muay Thai. After the three fights, she moved smoother than ever and became a force that easily kept up with Nate and Colt¡¯s superior stats.


    Things went on like that.


    Their cautious pace led them out of the dirty stucco alley and into an old, old, medieval-style alley. Here, the bags of trash had transformed into barrels of refuse. Crates of crap. On occasion, they came across pits and piles of filth. The lights here, too, had transformed. Now they were torches and braziers, live fire lit by a wood that never seemed to burn out. This alley, too, twisted and curved. Though more. Like it¡¯d grown organically in this dungeon, a living messy vein of life and medieval garbage.


    More kobolds lived here.


    More kobolds died here.


    Between the three of them, the fighting became easier. Skills and levels helped, sure. But so did practice. They found Sarah was good at disabling and locking down a foe, handing chances to kill them on a silver platter. Colt took those chances, delivering lethal blows with the edge of his blades. Nate kept to the middle of the fight, drawing attention and reigning in stragglers into the chaos in the middle.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Colt got another level.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt spent them like the others. One went to strength, the other to dexterity. Building up a good base seemed prudent. He told them after he¡¯d finished spending points and when he¡¯d leveled. But he didn¡¯t tell his teammates how he spent the points. Neither of them did either. That part was still a secret, even between them. Trust only went so far in situations like this.


    After an hour, they hit a split in the alley, and Colt decided to take the left.


    The medieval-style architecture grew from buildings to hedges. This part of the labyrinth thrived with greenery, not a narrow gap to be seen, stretching what exactly Colt thought of as an ¡®alley.¡¯ It became less of an urban sprawl dungeon and more of a hellish, endless maze.


    They made it about a hundred feet into the hedges before calling it and heading back.


    By now, they had a feel for the dungeon. It would keep going like this. Each intersection spawns into different ¡®alleys.¡¯ Whose sole definition seemed to be narrow tunnels that crowded on the sides. Making you feel claustrophobic. Left, right¡ªwhat else would be found here? Could they have found themselves in a dense New York-style alley? Shipping containers in a dockyard?


    It wasn¡¯t much information, and they all still had a lot of questions. For example, why did the moon in the sky above never move, but hours had slid by? It stared at them above, a crescent resembling a mad man smiling down at them with his eyes closed.


    The real reason they decided to head back was hunger. Fighting a lot brought it out, making it all the more obvious about one key detail here. In all the travel and bits of garbage they had dug through, there wasn¡¯t any food to see.


    Unless one counted kobolds as food.


    He didn¡¯t, really. Neither did Sarah nor Nate.


    When they got back, Nate planned to count the kitchen resources. After that, the three would head back out and gain move levels.


    One or two trips more like this, and they¡¯d have a safe lead on everyone else. Enough to keep control of the kitchen. They agreed as they walked back through the dungeon to keep things tight-lipped. Tell everyone some details, such as them being out of Nashville and the danger of the dungeon¡ªenough to scare everyone else and keep them from peeking out of the door.


    After they had their lead and control, they could focus on finding the mandatory boss and getting the hell out.


    As they walked, they made plans and talked about everything under the moon. But what they didn¡¯t talk about was what came after. What happened when they escaped this dungeon?


    Colt, for one, hoped that outside of this place¡­ Wasn¡¯t much different at all. Each level, each kobold was a challenge; this place and all of these skills were like pieces and tools to a puzzle he could just barely grasp¡ªa puzzle he dearly wished to solve.


    This was a different world. A place where he didn¡¯t have to scrape by at the bottom of the barrel to live off meager scrapes of cash working for rude people. No, he could make himself into something here. Be his own person.


    It wasn¡¯t long until the medieval architecture became the stucco alley¡ªand then, not long after, they were back at the brick alleyway of Nashville, at their kitchen door.


    Colt did the honors of opening them back up into the kitchen and returning back to the last remains of their old world.


    Almost everyone was missing.


    Only Cindy and Chef were there; Chef hovered behind her with a knife as she cooked, his eyes honed on her cooking, barely sparing the three of them a glance as they wandered into his kitchen covered in kobold blood. An odd reaction.


    Most concerning, though¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± Colt asked, looking at the freezer, wondering if they were all jammed back there.


    ¡°Out.¡± Chef answered, ¡°Getting our new ingredients. We had a shipment due today.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not getting a shipment ever again¡­ They went outside?¡± Colt asked carefully. Chef had gone off the deep end, then.


    ¡°They¡¯ve never missed a delivery, boy. And you need to get back to cutting chicken. Lazy, incompetent oaf.¡± Chef stopped hovering over Cindy, his stern eyes shooting towards the three of them. There was an edge to those eyes, and Colt noticed how he was holding that knife, ready to cut¡ªeven though it didn¡¯t look like Chef was prepping anything.


    He¡¯s gone.


    Cindy shivered and stopped cutting, looking back at them. Her eyes were puffy and red.


    ¡°They left me here with him. And he¡¯s snapped.¡±


    ¡°SHUT IT!¡± Chef yelled, snapping a hand against the table near her, making all of them jump. He waved the knife in the air and stared at them with wide eyes, ¡°My whole kitchen has gone to shit just because of some unruly customers¡ªyou all think you can walk over me in my kitchen, do whatever you want here. No. I pay your checks. I¡¯m the reason you have this damn job. Get on your ungrateful knees and kiss my damn shoes!¡±


    Nate stepped forward, raising a hand. ¡°Donny. Listen. I know this is hard to understand. I¡¯ve fought the things that attacked you. They aint like nothing we¡¯ve seen, I know. You just need to drop the knife and sit down. We¡¯ll take care of this for you.¡±


    ¡°How about you get back to your fucking job? You run around my kitchen with your head held high, ¡®war hero.¡¯ As if I give two licks of care about you killing some kids in some godforsaken county¡ªDid I tell you to stop cooking!?¡± Chef screeched, lashing out with his hand as if to slap Cindy. Only, the hand wasn¡¯t free. It had a knife in it.


    She let out a shriek, pulling her head back even as the edge of the knife cut through it, drawing a line of red right under her eye.


    Shock and horror to see another person hurt¡ªthis wasn¡¯t Kobolds. Colt threw away the sensation, knowing now was the time to act. The last hour trained him how to move without freezing, and so he did.


    Colt lurched forward as Chef gasped for air, confused and surprised at his own sudden act of violence. He didn¡¯t see Colt coming, barely reacted as he tackled Chef to the ground, and tore the knife out of his hand¡ªthe stats and the surprise were simply too much. Colt moved on a level and reacted in a way only a trained athlete could.


    With a single move, Colt took Chef to the floor and pinned him.


    He grunted as Chef started to kick and resist underneath, ¡°Get me something to tie him up with¡ªand someone else help Cindy!¡±

 Chapter 8: Happy Ideas

    Chef twitched in the corner, hands tied by zip ties right next to a shelf filled with flour and pepper. He swore every once in a while¡ªhe begged every once in a while, too. Said that cutting Cindy¡¯s face was an accident. And that was true. But in the next sentence, he swore at them for bogging down dinner service. Pretending that this dead-end job was somehow still functioning.


    When he said, ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, who cares if I cut that bitch!¡± Sarah had enough and stuffed a dish-rag into Chef¡¯s mouth, then taped it over with good-old electric tape.


    Colt rubbed his eyes, right next to Nate and Cindy, as the military man glued the cut closed.


    ¡°That¡¯ll hold you,¡± Nate said.


    ¡°Will it scar?¡± Cindy asked.


    ¡°Probably. Can¡¯t do better unless you fancy an unneeded stitch with dirty kitchen twine. The alcohol I poured on it should help. You should be more afraid of an infection than scarring. Lucky it didn¡¯t take your eye out. An inch higher, and that¡¯d be it.¡±


    Cindy cried at that. An understandable long sob. When she stopped, Colt felt it was finally time to speak up.


    ¡°When did everyone else leave?¡±


    ¡°About ten minutes after you, Bill said, ¡®We¡¯re going, have dinner ready when we get back,¡¯ Jimmy didn¡¯t want to go, but Bill made Logan drag him out. As soon as they were out the door, Chef grabbed a Knife and started screaming. I think he¡¯s gone.¡± Cindy finished, rubbing away the tears.


    Sarah threw an arm around her and cleaned her face up with a wet cloth¡ªtrying to clear away the blood and tears. Impressive how much a face wound bled. Blood kept coming like an endless tap. He was almost scared she¡¯d bleed out.


    Now, all four of them looked like they came out of a horror movie¡ªGod knew the kitchen did with the bloody marks, pans with half-cooked and burned food, and all the other trash they¡¯d made in the mad scramble to find the zip-ties.


    ¡°They had weapons?¡± Colt asked, continuing the conversation. Details were important. Especially since, more likely than not, if and when they returned, they¡¯d be coming back with levels.


    The secret was out of the bag.


    ¡°Logan and Bill did. They didn¡¯t give Jimmy much chance to grab one given how they¡­¡± She trailed off and sniffled again.


    Colt took in the situation; Chef in the corner tied up. Nate and Sarah broke out in a hushed discussion. Probably about Bill, and maybe a little to do with their new broken prisoner¡­ Then, there was Cindy on the verge of breaking and crying after her injury. She was afraid. Whether or not she¡¯d had something going on with Bill before clearly didn¡¯t matter now. He¡¯d left her alone.


    Now was the chance to add another ally to their side.


    ¡°Cindy, we found out a lot while we looked around outside.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, letting Sarah clean her face.


    ¡°That first message¡ªthis place is like a game. They call the alley outside a dungeon, the Endless Alley. But it¡¯s not just monsters and dungeons outside; there are levels. When you gain one, you can see a sheet called ¡®status.¡¯ Skills, too.¡± Colt bit the bullet, bringing her into the fold. Chef was listening, but it didn¡¯t matter since the man wasn¡¯t connected with reality.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Cindy responded.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true.¡± Sarah cut in, taking one of Cindy¡¯s hands in hers. ¡°Even worse, too. There¡¯s, like, no food out there. It says we gotta kill a ¡®boss¡¯ before we can get out. When you get far enough from the kitchen, a message will pop up, telling you that you¡¯ve entered the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re right; it¡¯s all real,¡± Nate added.


    Like that, Cindy ran through the five stages of grief. Rejecting what they said at first and telling them to cut out the shit for two minutes and shoving Sarah away¡ªthen she threw a pan, almost hitting Chef. She tried to bargain with god. With all that was going on, Colt had no idea what any kind of god who put them here would even want to make a deal. For a sullen five minutes, she sat in silence, her eyes glazed as the occasional tear came free.


    Then, at last, she started asking questions.


    Sarah was happy to answer and to help her heal, sharing what she knew. All the while, Colt stared at the doorway. Waiting for the rest of the kitchen to show up; when they did, he didn¡¯t know what would happen. He looked over his Status sheet, noting that he¡¯d hit level nine¡ªsix levels from where he¡¯d prefer to be when the news broke. But he was stronger than before. Not as easy to push around. It would have to be enough.


    The waiting was killing him.


    So, he chose to move forward instead of waiting, so he pulled back from Cindy and Sarah and found a quiet corner to concentrate.


    Colt eyed his last remaining unspent point and then invested it into soul.


    The world doubled; the blood in the kitchen became more visceral and real. In a second, everything had a weight to it that didn¡¯t exist before. Colt could feel the weight. A tangible thing, pressing against his mind¡ªand he could see the threads. Things were connected, formed together, and bound in the world¡¯s reality¡ªstrings, tugging one another tied, twined, and bound.


    Once, Colt had taken mushrooms accidentally as a child. It¡¯d been a chocolate bar his mother left on the table on one of those days she just up-and-left until one o¡¯clock in the morn. He got home, thinking it was for him since she hadn¡¯t left money for dinner¡ªthe way the world flowed together bled into one another. Colors pulsed, patterns moved. It¡¯d scared the shit out of him. He¡¯d found a corner, hid it, and cried until those colors stopped swirling.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    This wasn¡¯t far from that. Only, instead of the weird sensations that¡¯d come with that accidental drug trip, this felt more real than the actual reality around him.


    He was connected. It all flowed together. All of it one puzzle, with countless strings¡ªas he gazed at them all, taking them in, he noticed some of the strings were more similar than others. The same color, the same feel.


    Blood¡ªit was distinctive, matching the numerous lines that made up the people around him and connected them to the world around them.


    But the strings that caught his attention the most¡­ His sword. The Knives¡ªall the knives in the kitchen. Sharp. The sensation of cutting and what it felt like to cleave, they thrummed as he felt them, rang in his ears in a slicing melody that slid through the air.


    He felt, almost, like if he were a little further, he might understand. What they meant, what they spoke, what that sensation was.


    The door to the kitchen slammed open, and Colt blinked. In an instant, he was torn from that state and spat smack dab in the middle of reality, though it felt different. Even more grounded and real than ever before.


    Jimmy was shoved in first. Bruises and nicks covered him all over, along with two vicious-looking bite marks on his arms. Afterward came Logan¡ªhis muscles red; his face scrunched as he took in everyone else. A large steel fence post clutched in one hand, the end coated with blood and dried slushy bits of flesh. Last came in, Bill, with a rusty hatchet.


    They must have found weapons out there, too.


    ¡°So, levels, then? That was the big secret?¡± Bill sneered as he looked between Colt and the others. ¡°Gonna get a bunch of power so you could steamroll the rest of us?¡±


    Nate folded his arms¡ªhe and Sarah walked over to stand next to Colt. Cindy stayed where she was, too afraid to move.


    ¡°Look at Chef. Was that what you wanted to do to me?!¡± Logan rumbled, his face getting redder, his knuckles tightening on the fencepost in his hand.


    Bill side-glanced at Donny, who was surprisingly calm, given the situation. Chef¡¯d sunken into mumbling to himself, repeatedly mentioning different tickets or things he had to do. After overhearing them, reveal the truths of their situation. ¡°Damn. They moved quick. See Jimmy? Logan has it right. This was their plan for us, tie us all up, then take all the food.¡±


    Jimmy rubbed his wrist and mumbled something Colt hadn¡¯t caught.


    Well, it didn¡¯t matter anyway.


    ¡°This place is a dungeon. If we want to get out and survive, we need to kill the boss. We didn¡¯t tie Donny up because we were trying to hoard food for survival. We tied him up because he¡¯s gone off the deep end and cut Cindy. He¡¯s dangerous.¡± Even while saying that, though, Colt put a hand on his sword. Logan¡¯s face was getting redder by the second. They¡¯d all seen the big guy snap enough times to he was a skip away from smashing shit.


    Colt didn¡¯t fancy being the next thing Logan smashed.


    Then, Bill¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at him. Colt felt the guy¡¯s gaze, a tangible weight to it. Like the red eyes that had stared at him in the dungeon, only, without the certainty of death.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hide Status (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He picked up Inspect. Colt felt a slight shudder go through him; his hide status skill should keep his skills hidden, but Bill knew his level now. Bill puckered his lips like he¡¯d tasted something sour. Yeah, he wasn¡¯t happy.


    Fine. Two could play at that. Colt focused his attention on Bill.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Bill Glass | Race: Basic Human


    Class: Pending


    Level: 9


    This is a basic human with a pending class selection; he has yet to begin to walk on any path of enlightenment. He is a former convict who has been charged twice with possession and once with assault and battery, though they aren¡¯t the only crimes he¡¯s committed, only the ones with enough evidence to convict. He won¡¯t hesitate to cross anyone who he believes has crossed him.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Axes Proficiency - Level 5


    Inspect - Level 2


    Leech [Uncommon] - Level 3


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt took in the information in the blink of an eye, processing what it all meant. Somehow, Bill had gained levels quicker than they had¡ªa quick check of Logan and Jimmy made it even more confusing. Logan had only reached level 3, with Jimmy at level 3. Both had a couple of skills between them¡ªJimmy having a ¡®medicine¡¯ skill was interesting, but that was the only noteworthy aspect on the others. By far, Bill¡¯s growth was the most impressive.


    Yet it made no sense. They¡¯d gone out together and presumably fought together the entire time, they should be roughly the same level.


    The best he could tell was that one¡¯s contribution to a kill influenced how much ¡®experience¡¯ they got, with it splitting between all the people involved in some grand and invisible calculation. It still worked pretty evenly. Nate was sitting at level 7, and Sarah at level 5.


    This disparity, however, was odd unless Bill did almost all of the fighting on his own. Given the blood on Jimmy and Logan, that didn¡¯t seem likely.


    Leech?


    An uncommon skill. Try to focus as he might; nothing extra came up about that skill, no additional information in the inspect. Maybe at a higher level. Does it Leech experience? A guess. But given all he had to go off of, it didn¡¯t seem too far.


    And last, but not least, was the other bit of information Inspect revealed. It hadn¡¯t been there when he¡¯d inspected the man before. As he suspected, Bill was a convict, and those charges seemed nasty; the ominous mention of those being the only ones he¡¯d been caught committing made Colt¡¯s blood run cold.


    ¡°Level 9. Level 7¡ªand Level 5. You¡¯ve all been quite busy, haven¡¯t you?¡± Bill spat on the floor and looked at Logan. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. They would wipe the floor with you. See Jimmy? This is what me and Logan told you. You can¡¯t trust these people; they¡¯re only in it for themselves. You can¡¯t trust snakes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Colt said, nose furling. He felt more in that sentence; Bill was hiding a lie in a lie.


    ¡°Oh, if I¡¯m a liar, why didn¡¯t you tell us about levels? We all gained one after killing our first group of Kobolds. I¡¯m sure you did when saving Chef. No, you decided to keep that to yourself and your friends. Playing us like idiots.¡± Bill continued.


    They would go into circles with this argument, devolving until Logan was pushed to a snapping point. Then they would be fighting.


    Colt looked at their weapons. The bloody fencepost and the axe¡ªCindy was still at level 1, and while he liked their odds, it would be pyloric victory. People would die. Any major injuries right now could kill them, too. Not even two hours into this mess and they were already at one another''s throats.


    It was almost comedic. Even though he was in a dungeon surrounded by monsters, the biggest threat right now was another person in the kitchen.


    A cold anger sat deep in his stomach. Colt¡¯s grip on his sword tightened. So be it. If they wanted to fight, he¡¯d do it.


    Nate raised a hand. ¡°I¡¯ve an idea that will make us all happy. For now.¡±

 Chapter 9: Halves

    They were a kitchen divided in half¡ªliterally. Colt, Sarah, Cindy, and Nate owned half of the kitchen and half of the food and supplies. The other half was Bill and his group. After Nate broke down his proposal, they agreed on one thing: They didn¡¯t have to like each other or work with each other past basic survival needs. This was a simple yet oh-so-complex proposal by Nate.


    Colt waited for Bill to reject it, then try to take what he wanted.


    To his shock, he didn¡¯t.


    Not for a second did Colt trust the guy, but Bill simply agreed. Then they started to make plans¡ªNate and Bill went through the supplies and divided them evenly. Bill''s people took Chef as their responsibility as well, though he noticed they didn¡¯t cut him free from the zip-ties.


    Two factions in one little kitchen. It wouldn¡¯t last for long. Bill was going to strike when he thought he had an undeniable advantage.


    But Nate bought them time. Colt would take advantage of Bill¡¯s hesitation and push for levels¡ªmaybe try to see where the boss was. At best, Nate gave it a couple of weeks before they simmered back to a boil, and things finally erupted as they would. By then, he figured, they would at least have a better grasp of the situation and could take steps to undermine Bill. Paired with strategic and consistent leveling, it would let them make a plan. It all just hinged on letting Bill get too far ahead.


    ¡°Jimmy is his weak link,¡± Colt said as he helped divide out their rations in the walk-in fridge.


    The place was cold, and they¡¯d been there for an hour. They carefully counted which food was theirs and then portioned it out to determine how many meals they had until they starved.


    ¡°Yeah, I thought as much, too,¡± Nate counted up some meat¡ªputting it aside and scribbling a note on his sheet. ¡°We¡¯re looking at around fourteen days before some of the vegetables go bad. The protein will last longer in the freezer at three meals a day. Maybe about a month with some nutrition issues at the tail end. We can stretch longer, too. If we¡¯ll be fighting all those days, it¡¯ll get hard.¡±


    ¡°Then we aim to get out of here in two weeks before a fight with Bill. Talk to Jimmy and get him to our side, too. He¡¯s less likely to attack if it¡¯s only him and Logan against the rest of us.¡± Colt chose not to mention Donny. Although he was sure Bill would cut him free, the man was still walking around pretending they were in dinner service. With more levels, he wasn¡¯t a risk.


    ¡°Draw out the conflict and escape before anyone is hurt. It¡¯s easy in a war zone to forget your humanity. Glad we¡¯re not doing that here. You¡¯re a good man, Colt. It takes a good man to see why I said what I did and agree. Wish I¡¯d taken the time to get to know you before something like this happened, but I¡¯ll take it now, I guess.¡± Nate mumbled as he made another mark on his paper.


    Colt gave a nod and scratched the back of his head.


    The way before something like this happened. Yeah, when Donny had ruled over them all with an iron fist. Now, he was a shell of his former self. That, more than the dungeon, really got under Colt¡¯s skin.


    The dungeon was a place of adaption. Adapt, and you thrive. Failed to adapt, and you would die. Chef was broken and refused to let go of the past that was gone, so he was just as good as dead. And Colt would learn from that example. He¡¯d change and become more than he had been. This would be the catalyst to let him transform into the person he¡¯d always dreamed of.


    After dividing and counting food, Cindy, Sarah, Nate and him sat down to eat. It was a simple meal. Vegetables with meat and some bread on the side. Picked by Nate to maximize nutrition and the lifespan of the ingredients they had on hand. Not fancy, but still tasty. They had seasoning and were cooks, after all.


    Colt patted his belly and laid down¡ªwatching the other half of the kitchen. They huddled together. They had made a meal, too. And their meal was one which came straight from the menu¡ªfull of flavor and fat, throwing out any concept of when things would go bad¡ªprepared by Chef himself. Say what you wanted about Donny, but the man could cook. While Colt liked his meal, theirs smelled better by a mile, and he found himself wishing to steal a bite.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    He turned away. Time passed. Before he knew it, his eyes were fighting to stay open.


    It was hard to sleep despite the exhaustion.


    The fighting. The adrenaline of battle. The new world. All of it weighed heavy.


    Nate asked Cindy to keep watch and said he¡¯d take a second shift. That left Colt¡¯s only job as trying to go to sleep. In his makeshift pile of clothes and towels, and with the heavy thoughts churning through his head, it was a tall order.


    Eventually, his eyes closed, and the darkness seeped in.


    Eventually, he got some much-needed rest.


    Then, eventually, he woke up to the smell of bacon, eggs, carrots, and onions¡ªprepared by Sarah. His eyes shot over to the other side of the kitchen, which was missing Logan and Bill. Jimmy came over while Colt got a plate of food from Sarah, gossiping about how they woke up bright and early and bee-lined in for the dungeon.


    They left him behind to watch Chef.


    The competition had begun. Already, they were running into the danger presented by Bill over-leveling. Hours had passed since the start of this reality shift, and the ¡®class pending¡¯ was quickly looming in the future. If Colt had to guess, he had about eight or so hours and whatever that meant would happen.


    ¡°Listen, we need a plan,¡± Colt said as he finished his food. He looked at his allies, now that Jimmy wandered off: ¡°Bill is leveling too quick for being in a group. I think one of his skills is letting him get the lion''s share of experience when they fight.¡±


    ¡°I noticed his high level, too. Didn¡¯t know what to think. Inspect didn¡¯t show me any skills, though.¡± Sarah answered.


    ¡°It must be my Skill¡¯s higher level. He has this skill called ¡®Leech,¡¯ and it¡¯s the only thing that makes sense. I don¡¯t think we can go out as a group of four. Not if we want to keep a lead. Even if they were leveling equally, any experience split from the kobolds would only be divided between Bill and Logan. We need Cindy to gain levels, too.¡±


    Cindy listened and listlessly poked at her eggs.


    She¡¯d tried talking to Bill last night before bed. He¡¯d brushed her off, calling her ugly, and told her to get out of her face. A traitor and a slut, in his exact words. She ran back over to their side, crying. Since then, she¡¯d fallen back into the same sullen mood as yesterday.


    It sucked.


    But overall, it was better for Bill to further push her away. It kept their advantage with numbers. Maybe Jimmy wasn¡¯t working with them, but given time, Colt felt he could bring him over, too. Then, it would be five versus two. Not counting Donny.


    ¡°What are you proposing? We split into twos, too?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°No. You three go together into the dungeon. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Colt said.


    ¡°Not happening. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there; we¡¯ve barely explored. What would you do if you ran into a group of seven Kobolds? You¡¯re a higher level, but that doesn¡¯t make you invincible.¡± Sarah argued.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. Group fights are unpredictable. Numbers like that are deadly. No matter how trained you are,¡± Nate added.


    Colt understood their argument.


    They were thinking practically. Thinking like two people used to fight in the reality they¡¯d lived in before. He¡¯d had his fair share of scuffs in school, too. But that was far from them. He hadn¡¯t trained in martial arts and hadn¡¯t served in the military.


    But this wasn¡¯t the same world. It wasn¡¯t the same reality they¡¯d grown used to. This place had levels, skills, and experience. Among them, he was the highest level, and if Bill continued to grow at the rate he¡¯d suspected he would, Bill might as well be going into the dungeon alone. To compete, Colt had to take this risk and go alone.


    All Colt had to do was trust himself.


    That had been how he¡¯d lived his entire life. Only trusting in himself. People lied; people had agendas. Things were safer when you were your only friend.


    But with Sarah and Nate¡­ His feelings already started to shift. Dangerous, maybe, but after the handful of battles, he felt something. A small something. But something.


    He shoved it down, knowing that to lead these people out, relying on himself was a no-brainer.


    ¡°I can do it,¡± Colt promised them. ¡°I have to do. And it¡¯s what I will do. I know I could die. We could all die. But if I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯ll do it on my own terms.¡±


    Sarah argued more. Nate tapered off after seeing his resolve, but Colt dismissed them and eventually got them to concede. This was something he was going to do. After committing and letting Sarah argue as much as she wanted, he got prepared and went ahead.


    This time, as he went through the kitchen, he let his gut guide him. The brief pull of what seemed right to take, that invisible thread of intuition informing his decision¡ªhe packed away three chef knives, in addition to his sword, making a makeshift belt to hold them in place.


    Given his skill¡¯s ability to let him throw the knives, they could be useful. If he encountered multiple kobolds taking one or two out before they could get to him would drastically help.


    With a quick goodbye to the others, he made his way out of the kitchen.

 Chapter 10: Homecoming

    Returning to the dungeon felt something like a homecoming to Colt. This place was dangerous, sure. In it, he¡¯d already faced more blood and violence than ever before. But it also came with a thrill. His heart picked up when stepping out into the cold, desolate atmosphere of the dungeon¡ªhis eyes turned upward, and even knowing it should be the day, all that was up there was the same moon. Unmoving. Leering and grinning from on high.


    Colt shook his head¡ªthen looked in either direction.


    The kobold corpses from yesterday were gone. Dried blood was the only evidence the fight happened at all. Whether the dungeon had a way of cleaning itself or other cannibal kobolds came and took advantage of the bodies, it was impossible to tell.


    If I had to, suppose I¡¯d eat them too. Colt thought as he picked the way to the right¡ªthe opposite direction of last time.


    Finding the boss was a priority; even though it would have been safer to tread old grounds, he wanted to see new things.


    He crept through the alley, his feet light and with a knife in his main hand. His eyes kept on a swivel, looking for the shadow of a creeping kobold anywhere along the pathway. He didn¡¯t have to worry much. In the initial alley, it was empty.


    Colt took out a black Sharpie as he got to the end of the alley. Then, he scribbled a mark on either side of the corner of a brickwork building. A trick to find his way.


    With one last look at the faded light behind him that marked the kitchen, he turned the corner.


    The pathway here went from the lazy concrete of a dark Nashville alley to a narrow urban alley lined with graffiti and neon lights. Pipework spread out through this place like veins¡ªalong with shutters like garage doors. As he moved down the alley, he saw a hastily sprayed image of an Oni in black and red. It was dirty. Cardboard, trash, and junk decorating the floor¡ªbut overall, it was less like a rough neighborhood and more like he¡¯d just walked into a Cyberpunk world.


    After passing several garage-like shutters, Colt finally gave in to temptation and tried to open one.


    It resisted, of course¡­ Then he pushed and pushed further. His back muscles screamed in protest as the metal screeched. It gave before he did. The whole shutter lifted with a groan¡ªrevealing a dark interior filled with nothing, simply a cube of brickwork.


    Disappointing. But also not a bad find. It would make a safe place to rest if he needed it.


    Colt tried another with the same result. When he opened the third and got nothing, he gave up.


    It¡¯s all a front.


    This whole dungeon was nothing but an elaborate construction that went on and on, meant to look familiar but in reality were empty shells. Colt guessed every building, every door would probably be the same.


    He went back to the alley.


    And waiting for him was a massive rat about nine feet away. Its sharp canines glittered with the reflected neon pink of the lights, and the hair on its head was done up in the style of a bright red mohawk. Colt¡¯s jaw dropped as he fired off an inspect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Punk Street Rat - Level 12


    Description: Rebel. Eat. Sleep. These rats care little for anything or anyone other than themselves. And they¡¯ll eat just about anything they can get their hands on, including you.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Screech [Uncommon] - Level 2


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    That screech skill sounded nasty. The level was above any kobold¡ªthe mere fact something else existed in here was a surprise, but¡­ Well.


    Monsters were monsters.


    Colt sent a knife flying. The rat had just noticed him, which gave it almost no time to notice the quickly flicking piece of metal flying through space at it. In a desperate bid to survive, the creature scrambled to the side, but the weapon caught it, digging deep.


    He moved in. Follow-up was important. This thing had three levels on him¡ªso it was essential to overwhelm it before it could activate its skill. Colt closed the distance and thrust his sword deep into the monster¡¯s flank.


    Then, the rat screeched, and the whole world shook. Colt''s legs wobbled as his sense of balance went off-kilter. The rat flung itself on him and brought him to the ground.


    Next came the biting.


    Hot searing pain in his chest where the creature snapped and tore. Without a choice and with a yell, Colt dropped his sword and went for a knife, slamming the weapon into the rat.


    Blood spurted, hot and gushing as it ran down his torso. The rat took another slice of him, and he stabbed it again and again. Two jabs for the cost of his flesh.


    It bit again. It got stabbed again. They kept on like this.


    Until it stopped biting.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt let out a deep breath; his abs hurt, the pain of the raw bites harsh and searing. He¡¯d broken his leg once, and sure, that hurt more. But if he had to rate it on a scale, this was a solid seven.


    After throwing his two new points into endurance, that pain dropped to a six. Confirming that endurance also had to do with how many hits one could take. Maybe also healing. Games sometimes used the ¡®constitution¡¯ stat for stuff like that, but here, it seemed endurance was the catch-all.


    Colt pushed the rat off him and put a hand to the wounds. They were slick with blood, and touching them brought up the pain, but they didn¡¯t go deep.


    Despite those long fangs, they couldn¡¯t sink in too far. His muscles felt more solid than ever¡ªalmost like steel beneath his fingers.


    Setting aside that, Colt got up and collected his weapons, then cut his outfit into a strip, wrapping it around him to stop the bleeding. As he moved, the pain began to reduce to a dull thrum, something he could tuck away in the back of his head. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    With a sword in one hand and the knife in the other, Colt continued onward; injury or no, he meant to gain levels. More points in endurance might help him heal faster, too.


    The same cyber-punk-esque alley yielded a few more rats; each, at least, was alone. Ranging from level - 9 to level - 12. Each of them seemed to have the Screech ability, but the trick to it was, as he found out at the cost of a couple of more bites, that it mostly affected balance.


    If he braced against a wall or lowered himself to the ground, he could react quicker and avoid most of the damage.


    The cost was more wounds.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    One point went into endurance, and the other into strength. Healing came quicker, or maybe the pain faded faster. After two hours, the bite marks still stung, but they didn¡¯t have the lasting pain that he would¡¯ve thought.


    The next handfuls of rats he took down were easier, having gotten into the fighting rhythm. It helped that they only came solo or, at most, a pair. Easing the ability to strategize and prevent himself from being overwhelmed. They took a bit more work to kill than a kobold, but after adjusting his fighting style to minimize their special skill, those encounters only left a scratch or two.


    It was¡­ Different, fighting alone. Better in some ways. Worse in others.


    The cyberpunk alleys split off into two directions; the route he took the lead through was narrower than before. All of the buildings were colored a light tan, and suddenly, there was sand under his feet.


    Rats became kobolds, which, since they came in waves and groups, were a bit more difficult to handle. Their levels, though, were lower. His advanced speed, reaction time, and strength made them easier¡ªkilling them often in one or two hits. He used his throwing knives to the best of his abilities.


    The fights bled together, and the notifications suppressed themselves as he slinked through the alleyway, shifting from the sand-colored buildings to a more demure and almost office-like place: cubicles, boring, drab walls, and a carpeted floor. Rats were present here, too, in place of the kobolds. Only, these ones came with little ties and a nasty skill called Drone, which gave him a splitting headache when used.


    After a few of those, he got used to the fight.


    With how surreal the world was, he slipped into what he saw in front of him¡ªKobolds, rats¡ªanything with levels was his to slay. They were the entirety of his existence.


    They were all of a challenge to overcome. Not monsters. Not a threat of death. Just another thing to barrel past and grind for levels.


    As he moved he became one with the dungeon, with this reality, yet another string threading its way through these endless alleys. It began to feel familiar. Never comfortable. Every fight was laced with danger, but when he found the next kobold, he reached the precipice of what he was capable of; he trusted himself, his body, and his skill to carry him through alive.


    Kobold after kobold. Rat after rat.


    It wasn¡¯t until Colt finally went into one of the weird office cubicles in this place and sat down to eat a bit of lunch and drink water that the notification of his gains finally appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    You have leveled up!


    You have gained 1 point of Dexterity!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Three levels.¡± He said, then took another bite out of his Texas toast. The taste of the butter that seared into the outside was a welcome relief from the taste of blood he¡¯d had. As he savored the flavor, he distributed four of the points, intending to hoard two for the Soul stat later on. Two went into strength, and two went into dexterity.


    The instant rush of the change hit him, seeing each point get spent yet another drop of dopamine. He¡¯d earned them, slain monsters for them on his own.


    Good.


    ¡°How much time has it been?¡±


    Impossible to say, really. His phone had died this morning. Quicker than normal. As if the dungeon drained the battery out of it¡ªhe¡¯d even tried conserving it by leaving it off. With all of the stalking around and fighting, it had slipped by.


    He¡¯d come to a startling realization, too.


    This was good. Fighting like this was good. Yes, it¡¯d been nice to have both Nate and Sarah backing him up.


    But alone? Out here on the verge of life and death and seeing how far he could go? Being able to sit in some ethereal and odd cubicle in the middle of a dungeon?


    This felt free. Everything was exciting.


    No minimum wage. No dead-end job. No shitty boss yelling his ear off. Just him, some knives, a sword, and a trail of kobold and rat corpses.


    He moved on to the porkchop he¡¯d taken¡ªcold but seared. A nice charcoal-like flavor from where they¡¯d cooked it on an open flame. Turned out the fire alarm didn¡¯t work in the kitchen anymore, just like their phones. Like this place was leeching away anything electrical, as Colt munched, he pulled up his Status sheet to see how far he¡¯d come.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: [Empty] | Class: [Pending]


    Level: 14


    Edicts: [None]


    Skills:


    Inspect (Basic) - Level 5


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) - Level 7


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) - Level 3


    Hide Status (Basic) - Level 2


    Stats:


    Strength: 20


    Endurance: 16


    Dexterity: 19


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 8


    Soul: 3


    Unassigned Stat Points: 2


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Strength at 20? Double what he¡¯d started with?


    Do I feel twice as strong? Almost twice as fast?


    Honestly, he felt more than that. At fifteen points, he¡¯d felt more athletic than ever¡ªat twenty? There wasn¡¯t a massive chance to test it yet with labeled weights, but hauling things around or pushing kobolds was almost too easy. If he had to guess, it was a bit more than double.


    Colt finished the rest of the pork, then got back up. There was more to explore.


    Eventually, the office-like alley turned into one that reminded him of those old Victorian streets. The carpet morphed into delicate cobble-stone. Windows on either side¡ªsome lit, others closed. Gas lamps dotted every intersection. Oddly, though, he stopped running into groups of kobolds. No, instead, every so often, he found the cold dead body of one; its insides cut open and missing.


    Not a good sign, given that the dungeon identified an optional boss whose name was ¡®the Ripper¡¯


    The fog began to roll in thick, and as Colt looked into the blank windows of these shell-like buildings, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if those set of red eyes would stare back at him. Once, every so often, he felt a chill as if cold eyes were hidden in this alley, peeling back the layers of his flesh to see what was beneath.


    Another dead kobold lay on the ground; this one¡¯s blood was still warm.


    Colt¡¯s steps went quicker, his grip sharper. If this boss would pop out, he needed to be quick enough to get off a hit. Maybe then, things would go easier.


    He took the nearest turn¡ªand found himself not in an alley for the first time since coming to this dungeon. Rather than that, it opened into a wide octagon; the cobblestone path became a much more elaborate decorated set. In the middle was a massive pavilion; black steel fencing ran around the outside, and on the inside was a gothic blackwood stage filled with discarded instruments.


    The wide-open nature of this place utterly conflicted with the rest of the dungeon, and to him, it could only mean one thing.


    Boss arena?


    Colt looked at his stats, then biting the bullet, spent the two remaining points. One to dexterity, one to endurance. Better to spend them now than to regret it later.


    He could head back. He could get his allies, sure.


    But no. As Colt traversed the dungeon, he came to a sense of understanding. To get what he wanted from the world, he had to grasp it with his own hands. He had to take risks. That¡¯s what freedom meant. This felt good; he was here to gain power on his own terms.


    If this were a boss, he¡¯d go in, take a look, and see if it was something he could face. It''s better this way than dodging through that alley, worried that those red eyes would find him again.


    Colt spun the chef knife in his left hand and entered the octagon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Quest Received: Ghastly Concert


    Rank: F+


    Goal: Survive the Ghastly Ball, enjoy the phantom orchestra¡¯s last performance; leaving the area is not an option, but then again, who could leave such an award winning experience. Unfortunately, you are not the only one who has decided to enjoy tonight¡¯s show! Be careful. The crowd at the Ghastly Ball can get quite rowdy.


    Reward: Spirit¡¯s Knife


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The path behind Colt flooded with a thick white mist. More concerning, though, was the music that started as the previously discarded instruments in the middle of the stage rose into the air and began to play themselves.

 Chapter 11: Ghastly

    Music has a way of drawing out emotions; the music from the instruments playing themselves in the middle of this gothic-themed pavillion sure made Colt feel many ways. First, there was a sense of dread. When one entered a wide room inside a dungeon and music started to play, the first thought was ¡®boss.¡¯ But that wouldn¡¯t have been unexpected.


    The pop-up informing him this was a quest with a rank of F+¡ªthat made him pause. He tried to step back to gather himself and found the wall of fog behind him was just as real as any wall. It didn¡¯t matter. It was made of mist; when his back hit it, the thing felt like bricks. He was powerless to go through it.


    With the dread of being trapped came caution.


    Wailing notes from a violin only made the anxiety worse; a song slowly built around the dissonant noise. He was locked in here.


    Colt acknowledged his emotions and then stepped forward.


    I¡¯m here to get stronger. This is how.


    This quest had a reward. It was an opportunity. This dungeon¡ªthis new life¡ªthat¡¯s the way it worked, didn¡¯t it? Work hard and push yourself, and be rewarded. You could earn what you wanted. A lucky break dictated nothing. No, there was no need for fear. Colt didn¡¯t smile, but he felt himself shake yet another remnant of his previous life behind.


    The blade in his left hand spun quicker as he walked in. He headed right towards the pavilion.


    The music picked up pace. The grand opening to this concert responded to his movements, to his liveliness to join this party. As he approached the stage, he saw that the instruments weren¡¯t holding themselves up. Faint shimmering hands played them; they glowed a very light white and transparent to the point that they almost didn¡¯t exist at all.


    Phantom Orchestra.


    Colt fired off a quick inspect on one of the instruments.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Blackwood Double Bass


    Description: Otherwise known as an upright bass or acoustic bass. This is a musical instrument and a standard member of any stringed section in an orchestra. In particular, this Bass is composed of Blackwood, a material renowned for its ethereal and spiritual roots. Some say that Blackwood gives instruments a ghostly resonance.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt rolled his eyes and tried to focus specifically on the hands playing the instrument, but no message popped up.


    ¡°Nice. Thanks, System,¡± he complained and turned.


    The quest mentioned a crowd¡ªand¡ªah.


    Kobolds were gathering on the roofs of the buildings near him. Their mangy fur and snouts sniffed as they climbed. More kobolds than ever before, their heads bobbing as they moved. And they were starting to climb down. A couple failed to scale their way down the sides of the Victorian octagon, falling, slamming heads, and breaking bones as they hit the cobble.


    More kept appearing on the roofs.


    Colt¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he sprang into action, darting towards the ones that had fallen and broken bones¡ªhe slid in and slipped a knife into them, doing his best to kill as quickly as possible¡ªthe band picked up their pace, the music intense and looming in the background.


    How many were there?


    Thirty?


    Fifty?


    Seventy?


    Colt took his easy kills, clearing off about five of the failures, trying to soak up whatever experience he could manage.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The message appeared, though not the notifications for the kills as if the system could sense what he needed to know and provided very little else. The moment he saw the additional level, the points were spent. Both went to dexterity.


    Some of them scrambled down gutters¡ªthe first to reach the ground without falling. These ones darted towards Colt, their eyes wide and with grins on their faces.


    Colt met them head-on¡ªsword slashing where it could before they got too close, taking out tendons in the arm or leg to weaken them and make them susceptible to a quick dart and stab to the jugular or guts. A wound that would end these things.


    As more came down, he pulled backward, retreating into the confines of the dance floor where the ghostly instruments played.


    It made sense. He entered the pavilion and took in the dark steel surrounding him. There was only one entrance into this place. A funnel point for the kobolds¡ªwas this a natural choke point by design?


    As the kobold numbers began to mount, this was the only place to take his stand.


    His body moved smoothly, his reflexes sharp. Every command he wanted to give, his body reacted. A shove to a Kobold sent it flying. They came in, one by one, his dance partner for a brief seconds before he left them bloody and dead as he slid away.


    More kobolds poured down the sides. More of them joined him on the dance floor by the second. His focus sharpened, honing to the fine point of his blades.


    He slit another kobold¡¯s throat, spinning it around and shoving it into the arms of the next approaching kobold, then skewered both with his sword. A kick sent them flying further against the side of the pavilion¡ªkilling both.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Endurance. Strength. Away went the new stats, emboldening him and drawing out his potential further.


    Each point was paying off. The power of the right stroke of his sword cleaved through a kobold-like butter¡ªthe ability to dart in and stab the next one in line after it was blinded by the geyser of neck blood from its ally. Every attack worked like different parts of a puzzle. All Colt had to do was put it together.


    More kobolds joined. Too many to hold off in the entry doorway. Even with a blade in each hand, there were simply too many cuts to make. He could see the lines connecting his weapons to their weak points, and he could execute the perfect slash to slit a throat, or the perfect stab to needle a heart. But after ending one kobold, two more appeared.


    Colt petered back further, now in the center of the dance floor.


    Kobolds came at every angle; the dance floor filled¡ªit stretched his body to the limit to avoid the bites and claws of these things as they snapped at him. At the same time, he took whatever kills he could get, whatever slashes brought their number down by one.


    His focus honed further. The edges of his weapons were sharper. Every kill was another stroke against a whetstone, sharpening the blade that he was.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    You have gained 1 point of Dexterity!


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Endurance. Dexterity.


    Pain. One of the kobolds bit him, a quick knee to its head as it tried to tear his abdomen open-ended the threat, turning its jaw to mush. A backhand from his sword pummel cracked its neck and sent it sprawling to the floor, dead.


    Another kobold died, and he got another wound¡ªtheir thick fur coated the cobblestone floor, painting the dark grey stones with red. It was everything he could do to avoid, attack, and also now be aware of the slipperiness beneath. A misstep was death.


    Sharpen.


    Life became the edge of his weapon. A wrong cut, a failure to cut, and instead of these creatures being dead, it would be him on the ground, dead.


    The music shrieked in the background; Colt fell into a trance, the rhythm of his knife and sword yet another instrument. This band was made of ghosts, yet he was the specter of death, bringing their last audience to the afterlife to join them.


    More wounds. More blood. His focus drifted, the pain growing. His breath was heavy as he came to the limits of what his body could do. Even while juiced up on all of these levels.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Endurance. Endurance. Colt filtered the points away. Each point was now like a little more gasoline. His body moved with precision and all the power he needed, yet he was running out of juice. The pain¡¯s edge was reduced as more was filtered.


    He was getting sloppy. Taking more blows.


    The floor was littered with kobold corpses, yet there was still enough to end him.


    Sharper.


    The music took over and brought him out of his body. His connection to his weapons, to this world, all were strings. Just like the Bass, they played their notes; they tied to one another to come and form all sorts of melodies in life.


    Pluck it.


    Colt felt at the string, the feel of his weapon. His understanding of the way it cut.


    That is what he needed. More cuts. Better cuts.


    All of these kobolds¡ªColt felt his senses sharpen; the edge of the knife and sword in his hand were connected. He was used to cutting. Most of his job in the kitchen was cutting. Cleaving things up, chopping them into little pieces, splitting things that were whole. To cut was to divide.


    It clicked.


    Colt cut.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Edict Gained: Cut (Minor)


    You¡¯ve achieved a minor understanding of this fundamental principle of reality. The first step on a path of weaving and working with Edict. This is a law and thread that weaves into the rich tapestry of reality. You¡¯ve been touched by this understanding and can now access this law. Congratulations!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    His knife flowed out, the edge extending in an invisible line from the blade¡ªslipping through the air like a wave. The blade cut through the throat of a kobold. Yet, he felt the ripple it caused, a strain on his soul, as he plucked the string that connected him to his knife, imparting the understanding of what cutting was.


    The invisible ripple continued from the point of impact, detaching the kobold¡¯s head from its body.


    Then, it split open the head of the next kobold as it flared outward in a line, extending from his cut; brain splattered as that kobold died too.


    An arc of kobolds in front of him died¡ªthe head-level wave chopping their skulls and throats open. None of them were wise enough to see what happened as the Edict infused his attack and spilled outward; Colt could feel it. His connection to the attack as it floated through them and the invisible line that divided them split them into two.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    You have gained 3 points of Soul!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt''s head swam, the music continued, and Kobold bit him, drawing him out of the state of understanding. Colt cut again, twanging that same fundamental Edict as he sliced into a kobold¡ªthis time at a diagonal. It spread out, another invisible wave. The other wave, he felt dimly, sputtered out. Only one invisible blade at a time, then.


    This one cleaved through the kobold in front of him, spreading in an arc from the impact¡ªfive died at once, and three were heavily wounded.


    As it grew, he winced, a deep pain in his his chest¡ªright next to his heart.


    He withdrew the attack, feeling the wave vanish.


    It had a toll, then. Not an unlimited weapon. The further outward it got, the more it cost to maintain.


    One more left.


    Colt ran from the crowd of Kobolds¡ªthrowing himself over the bodies from the previous cut, then spun on his heel. He hit the ground with a knee and faced the rest of the surging wave of kobolds¡ªat least thirty. All of them were in front of him, rushing in their blood frenzy.


    With a manic grin, the music swelled.


    Colt slashed his sword in front of him, horizontally, right at mid-level. And he cut.


    The wave rippled outward; kobolds bodies split in half¡ªtheir torsos falling over as they split right in the middle, an invisible edge spreading outward in a wave cutting them right in half. Guts spilled, shrieks of alarm. The kobolds at the back tried to retreat, but there was no escape inside the dome. As it strained Colt¡¯s soul, it finished off the rest of the audience.


    None of them escaped the invisible death.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 2 Stat points to spend!


    You have gained 1 point of Soul!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has gained a level!


    Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Basic) has reached level 10! This skill has advanced to Knives/Daggers Proficiency (Intermediate)! As this is now at the (Intermediate) level, damage done with this weapon type is increased by 10%


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt collapsed to the ground, eyes bleary as he looked at the bodies; the soft sound of the music continued in the background; by now, it must be close to the end of the set.


    There were no more kobolds scrabbling down the side of the buildings.


    Colt laughed; everything hurt. But he laughed.


    He¡¯d made it.

 Chapter 12: Integration Complete

    There was another ten minutes of music playing before the instruments stopped. Music brought out emotions. And to Colt, now, these last couple of songs were that of glory. The strings of the violins hummed and celebrated his victory; the deep notes of the bass were a line that someone might dance to for his accomplishment.


    Not that he could dance. No. It took a while, but he got back to his feet near the end. He¡¯d taken a good number of wounds¡ªtoo much blood coated him now to tell how much of it was kobold and how much was his own.


    Colt put two of the newest points into endurance and then divided the other two into dexterity and soul, knowing it would be a necessary expense to make it back to the kitchen. He found, though, that this addition to his soul stat no longer tore him out of his body. Things became more real than before, but he could focus, feeling his understanding of the world and his connection to the edge of his weapons as a firm anchor point.


    He waited as the band winded down; the dance floor now painted red. A macabre sight in this gothic place¡ªoddly, he found it fitting. A good tribute to the show the Phantom Orchestra provided for him. If there was a way to go out for a last show, a dance like that you played for was certainly a way to do it.


    The show wound down, and then the instruments lowered, once more littering the floor of the blackwood stage as if there¡¯d been no concert at all. Simply a collection of disused instruments in a graveyard of kobolds.


    Finally, the notification he¡¯d been waiting for appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Quest Complete: Ghastly Concert


    You¡¯ve survived the orchestra¡¯s performance and shown yourself as their last fan standing! You¡¯ve given these giddy ghosts everything they might have hoped for. Step on the stage to receive your well-deserved reward.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt nodded and then moved, doing his best not to stumble over the corpses. Despite all of the increased statistics, it was a near thing¡­ He felt tired. The enhanced endurance was the only thing that kept him going.


    He reached the stage¡ªand one of those ghostly hands appeared; it held in its palm a knife; the weapon was short, and though it looked more solid than the hand holding it, the metal was transparent and glowed a light blue.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Spirit¡¯s Knife


    Description: A ghostly weapon that crosses the border between physical and spectral. This weapon is halfway between the realm of the living and dead and, therefore, can affect beings of either. Due to its unique properties, it can be bound to the soul, stored in the soul, and summoned by the soul at will. Treat it right, and you¡¯ll never be without a knife again!


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It¡¯s soul-bound, in other words. Colt reread the wording twice, having to focus after skipping through it the first time to look at the level gain for Inspect. This place was addictive, but the details mattered.


    Colt to the weapon in his hand and felt a thread reach out toward his core¡ªor what he thought of as a core. A little place in the center of his chest, where the thrum of cut had come from. And he accepted it.


    The knife vanished.


    He still sensed it there¡ªit could appear in his hand should he yank it out, so he did, popping the new weapon into existence out of nothing.


    He threw it¡ªlanding squarely into the body of a dead kobold not far away, then he willed the knife to return to his soul. It vanished, taking a split-second longer this time as if it needed to cross the physical distance back to him, and then he felt it there, unsummoned but willing to appear in an instant.


    ¡°Neat.¡± Colt stretched. He felt better. A combination of the stats or the enthusiasm of getting a new and undoubtedly cool toy was a nice perk-up.


    He sat back down on the stage and then ate more of his packed-away food, letting the healing from his endurance stat do its work. Having advanced it to 24, it was obvious now that it did indeed play a part in healing. The pain in many wounds decreased¡ªthe damage he had been dealt was far less than it would have been had he been swarmed by kobolds at a lower level.


    Colt simply took a moment to relax, to refresh, and gather himself.


    He had no idea how much longer it would be until he leveled. If he ran into anything on the way back, he¡¯d have to deal with it. But he knew he needed a rest.


    It would be easy, though, to get back. All of the levels. The new weapons, his advanced skills, and stats¡ªif he had to face a handful more kobolds and rats to return, he wasn¡¯t worried.


    The mist slowly filled in from the alleyway into the pavilion, the yellow gas-lit lamps making cool shadows. It struck him then as he took a bite of an apple; this place wasn¡¯t too far away from one of those horror games he played as a kid. Silent Hill? However, in that game, a monster with a pyramid head and a giant sword walked around in those mists. Here, he couldn¡¯t say definitively there wasn¡¯t such a thing, but with the kobolds and rats¡­ It didn¡¯t quite live up to the horror aesthetic it should have.


    Oh well. There¡¯s no way Bill can match my progress. With or without Logan, he¡¯d made far more of a gain and pushed himself far further than possible. This quest had turned out to be a hell of a prize with the experience it gave him.


    They would escape this place. And he would be strong enough in the kitchen to hold them together to the finish line.


    The mist deepened as Colt took another bite of his apple, feet hanging off the edge of the stage.


    Red eyes appeared at the entrance to the octagon, and a stab of fear dove deep into Colt¡¯s heart.


    It was hard to see until suddenly it wasn¡¯t. A shadow of a man was there, coat tails on either side of his back; the gas-lit lamps nearby showed a twisted face¡ªhe caught the barest bit of a grin, the smile far too large unless one''s eyes were broken. Those red eyes pierced the mist and tried to peel back every layer of Colt¡¯s flesh for a peek beneath.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hide Status (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He¡¯s inspecting me? It sent a shiver through him, but he felt the skill push back, hiding away details from this stranger. Repelling those creepy eyes from looking through him. At least, all of him.


    A jolt of designation tore Colt from his frozen stance; he realized that he hadn¡¯t even moved for a solid three seconds after this shadow had appeared. No.


    This wasn¡¯t the same low-level Colt creeping into the dungeon for the first time with his two allies. No, he¡¯d weathered a tide of Kobolds and came out victorious; Colt snarled at the grinning man and did two things at the first time.


    First, he pulled one of his chef knives out and threw it at the shadow; aiming and tossing it was even easier. He had the strength, dexterity, and skill necessary to hit a target that far away. It might be a longer shot, but he felt confident in himself¡ªespecially since that menace was in a direct line from him, right through that open doorway.


    Second, he played the evil figure¡¯s own game, firing off an inspect of his own.


    Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re working against.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Jack ¡®The Ripper¡¯ - Level 29 (Boss)


    Description: An iconic manifestation of a notorious figure from your reality. This particular man was an infamous killer who lived in the late 19th century. He roams the Endless Alleys, targeting victims with his red gaze to track down, kill, and then consume. In your reality, he was never caught and evaded any sort of punishment for his numerous inhuman crimes.


    This is an optional boss and is not necessary to clear the Endless Alleys. However, ¡®optional¡¯ is a funny word and should be taken with the correct perspective. Many things in life are ¡®optional¡¯ until they aren¡¯t. And for you, right now, it does not appear that this boss is very ¡®optional,¡¯ is he?


    Best of luck.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Consume [Uncommon] - Level 11: This skill allows the user to consume nearby corpses or meat of the recently deceased in order to regenerate their own physical form.


    Aura Of Fear [Rare] - Level 9: This skill is a manifestation of fear incarnate; this cloak radiates a constant sense of crippling dread and fear outward from the user, slowing and up to paralyzing their movements.


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Ah. Shit.


    Simple thoughts about all he could afford.


    The knife spun through the air, and the black-figured man laughed¡ªthere was a quick movement, and a wicked jagged shadow of a knife leaped out from his hand, clanging against Colts in the middle of them. Then, the shadow was darting forward, right at him.


    Of course, Colt threw a second knife¡ªthis one, Jack blocked by throwing his own knife¡ªhe rolled to the side, avoiding the glinting steel chef knife with an expert''s precision.


    Colt took the couple of seconds that bought to get his ass off the stage and out of the pavilion, leaping over the plethora of kobold corpses within to escape the confines of the dance floor¡ªthen he ran around the outside, trying to put distance between him and Jack.


    His heart pounded in his chest, his brain working in overdrive.


    That skill¡ªConsume?


    Here?


    He had an endless supply of healing. They were in a graveyard of dead kobolds.


    Colt turned his head to look.


    Jack was several feet behind; his grin up close was yellow, the teeth rotting, and those red eyes swirled with a promise of a slow and painful death. Yes. Jack would take him, slice by slice, bit of skin by bit of skin. Oh, how he would scream.


    Colt¡¯s foot tripped up, the fear numbing his muscles.


    The other skill. It was affecting his coordination. This close¡ªtoo much. And Jack was damn fast.


    What do I do?


    Colt tossed his last chef knife. This one Jack cut out of the air¡ªa brief slash from a long jagged knife in his hand sent it flying wide, clanging against the black steel fencing of the pavilion¡ªthen he was there; upon Colt, that wicked knife of his darting in to slash him into bits, to cut him inch by inch and pull out everything¡ª


    Ignore it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Skill Gained: Mental Resistance [Uncommon] (Basic)


    Mental Resistance (Basic) - Level 1


    This skill allows the user to resist or mitigate mental and emotional effects pushed onto it by other skills. Think of it like a steel wall surrounding your mind; this can be actively lowered if needed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Like that, Jack''s overwhelming fear and paralysis trigger slipped down a notch; however, it didn¡¯t stop Jack¡¯s dagger from speeding into Colt like a bullet.


    It wasn¡¯t a surprise when it slid between his ribs and pulled out, nor the gush of blood that came out with it.


    Colt grit his teeth; that was part of the plan. Jack was close, twisting the knife inside of him, cackling as he brought pain.


    One shot. This trick only had one chance. This guy was faster, at a higher level, and stronger. But Colt suspected he had something Jack did not.


    In the blink of an eye, the Spirit¡¯s Knife appeared in his hand¡ªJack was shocked and tried to pull back, but Colt¡¯s free hand caught his, keeping the weapon locked in. In terms of Strength, it wasn¡¯t even the same as Jack. The guy was more powerful. But it was enough to pause and keep him steady for a couple of seconds, and Colt did what he needed to do. If he couldn¡¯t beat Jack in speed, he just needed to hold him in place.


    With the ghostly weapon, he cut. The jagged edge of his weapon tore through the boss¡¯s arm and then kept going. The line was on a charted course to divide the boss in half. It was inevitable. Jack would be split like a piece of chicken chopped in half.


    Jack twisted, his eyes flaring red, trying to escape.


    The arm Colt started with fell off, divided; the invisible line he saw was straight on course to cut through Jack¡¯s chest in an arc, a nice clean slant down the middle. It split into the side of the boss, a burst of blood as it dove. It moved slower than it did through the kobolds as if this boss¡¯s existence were harder to split through. There was resistance.


    It was the difference between slicing through butter and cutting through a piece of meat. Both would be split; one just took more effort than the other. Still, it moved, the wave of death inevitable.


    Jack let go of the weapon inside Colt and yanked his hand back, breaking his fingers under Colt¡¯s grip but using blood as a lubricant; at the same time, the boss flared his aura of fear, making him stumble.


    Like that, the boss slipped death¡¯s noose and rolled away.


    Colt stumbled, one hand still gripping the knife in his gut. Jack stared at him, red eyes open in shock, One of his arms missing, and a deep gash in his side from where cut had begun to dig in.


    ¡°You want more?¡± Colt said, his head feeling faint as more blood poured from the gut wound. ¡°Bring it psycho.¡±


    Jack turned, then ran.


    Colt took a step after, but it was too much¡ªhe stopped moving, knowing that if he showed weakness, Jack would turn around and finish what he¡¯d started. Instead, he watched the shadow flee back into the mist, defeated yet not dead.


    ¡°Coward.¡±


    Colt slowly walked back towards the pavilion and then sat down against one of the stone pillars that formed its foundations.


    It hurt.


    Damn, it hurt.


    Was this it, then? Death¡¯s door? Could he make it back to the kitchen? The wound felt tender, and the blood wasn¡¯t stopping anytime soon. The dagger was starting to disappear, too, leaking into some odd black mist. Once it was gone, the only thing to stop the gushing blood was his hand and the hope that his endurance was high enough to heal it. But he was having serious doubts.


    Colt closed his eyes.


    Then, a message appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Reality String 2220DAX932329C27 has now been fully and completely integrated with the Commonwealth of Existence. Full features are being distributed and unlocked.


    Class Selection Pending¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 13: Class Selection

    Colt gave a small laugh and pressed a hand against his wounds. Blood slowly seeped through his fingers, but it was what it was. He felt he couldn¡¯t get up and walk¡ªeven if he could bring himself to crawl. It was a long ways from the kitchen. In this state, he couldn¡¯t make it. In the grand scheme of things, maybe he¡¯d pushed a little too hard. Gone a little too far. This was the price of that.


    But those moments, dancing on the edge of death, almost killing a boss?


    It was worth tipping over.


    His dad had told him a few times when he was young that life was best lived on the edge. It hadn¡¯t made much sense to him back when he was nine. Until yesterday, he hadn¡¯t even fully understood what that meant. There were too many troubles and things to worry about in the future to ¡®live life on the edge¡¯ since it would probably end with you in a gutter somewhere without a roof over your head.


    But the last twenty-four hours? He¡¯d seen the edge.


    And because of that, he felt more free than ever before. Every choice, every consequence, it was his and his alone.


    Fine. Bring on the classes. Might as well have a last laugh and see what this new reality would offer him before he died.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have Four Class Options!


    These options are presented based on a careful analysis of your past, potential, and recent activities since integration. Different classes offer different bonuses to stats on level-up and depend on different Core skills. Leveling and advancing classes depends on the leveling of core skills in said class. If you wish to progress or evolve in a class, be sure to focus on the core skills in a timely fashion. Progressing a class will result in the addition of further core Skills, additional Stat Points, and other class-specific rewards and insights.  Lower rarity classes are often easier to advance, as they have less of a requirement on core skill leveling to proceed forward.


    Note: You have obtained levels since integration has begun. Upon class selection, additional stat points will be awarded retroactively. As you¡¯ve accumulated quite a few levels already, be sure to be seated when confirming your final selection!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Endurance.


    Whatever he picked needed to offer more endurance. Colt was well aware of that requirement; anything else was death. Fate, it seemed, hadn¡¯t left him stranded here to die.


    With that in mind, he let the next notification hit.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Below are the class options, along with starting core skills. If you do not currently have a core skill, you will be given it when choosing a particular class.


    ¡ª


    Class: Cook [Common]


    Additional Stats Per Level: +1 Dexterity


    Core Skills: Knives/Daggers Proficiency, Cooking


    Description: This class is based on preparing food to feed others. Most skills in this class are utility-based in nature, with a focus on non-combat. That said, kitchen knife skills can help in a pinch. You have been offered this class due to your significant background in the culinary industry.


    ¡ª


    Class: Rogue [Uncommon]


    Additional Stats Per Level: +1 Dexterity, +1 Unassigned Stat Point


    Core Skills: Knives/Daggers Proficiency, Stealth, Hide Status


    Description: This is a combat class specifically tailored for sneaking around and stabbing things with knives. Most skills in this class are geared toward combat and stealth and can be a great asset in disguising oneself and getting in quick and efficient attacks. You¡¯ve earned this class due to your accumulated progress with various skills and through efficient one-person operations.


    ¡ª


    Class: Duelist [Uncommon]


    Additional Stats Per Level: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity


    Core Skills:  Knives/Daggers Proficiency, Swords Proficiency, Speed Spike


    Description: A combat class tailored for versatility between swords and daggers. While not as sneaky as a rogue, they make use of both weapons for different ranges and often bounce between the ability to strike hard and strong and strike deadly at a specific target. One thing is common to all duelists: they must stay on their toes to avoid the brunt of damage. You¡¯ve earned this class through skill progression in knives/daggers and swords.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡ª


    Class: Edict Carver [Rare]


    Additional Stats Per Level: +1 Dexterity, +1 Soul, +1 Unassigned Stat Point


    Core Skills: Knives/Daggers Proficiency, Meditation, Identify, Phantom¡¯s Step


    Description: A class devoted to enforcing Edicts through precise and efficient strikes, using their understanding of the laws of reality to cut and advance control over the threads that tie us all together. This skill focuses on small weapons, quick movement, and the development of Edicts alongside the development of the class. You¡¯ve earned this class through the quick understanding and mastery of the Edict Cut before even having a class. Be warned, though, as this class is devoted to Edicts, which means that your progress and your fate are tied to your ability to understand the world around you, and moving forward is not always linear; if you become stunted in your ability to understand, you will stall with this class.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt threw away the option of being a cook¡ªthe other three were more of a choice. It was interesting to note that ¡®Cook¡¯ was a non-combat class, meaning that not everyone¡¯s classes were equal. It didn¡¯t escape his notice that the rarer a class was, the more additional stats it offered per level¡ªEdict Carver, as the only rare one, gave three additional stat points.


    That said, the warning in the class about edict progress was concerning.


    He barely understood Cut or how it tied into everything else. The levels, the statistics, and the skills clicked with the part of him that understood video games.


    It was easy to see how the skills and statistics of both Rogue and Duelist could lead to a linear and straightforward path through this dungeon. They would provide power and strength, and he felt confident he could get a lot out of them. Duelist, though, lacked any additional endurance points. Which was a problem, given he was damn near bled out. So, that was automatically ruled out.


    He should pick Rogue.


    It made more sense to pick Rogue.


    Rogue had everything he needed, and it made sense. It would get him to the end and offer everything he needed.


    But rare. Like a kid in a candy store, his eyes kept trickling back to the word rare. He didn¡¯t fully grasp what all of the class meant¡ªbut if it was rare, then it was special. He had two uncommon skills and had yet to see a single rare one. This was a rare class.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Colt shook his head, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s keep riding along the edge then, right? So what if it means I have to figure out another part of this system? Life has never been easy.¡±


    He selected Edict Carver.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Congratulations, you have selected Edict Carver.


    Please relax as your Class is branded on your soul.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt rolled his eyes. Relax. Yeah, right.


    And then¡­ His heart quickened, his head jerked back, smashing against the steel fencing behind him, and his body began to convulse as messages flashed in front of his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Skill Gained: Meditation [Uncommon] {Core}


    *Meditation* (Basic) - Level 1


    This skill allows the user to dive deep within themselves and enter a state of relaxation and cultivation. Insight into the nature of being, their state of mind, and their emotions can be readily explored. Advanced levels of this skill allow for outside understanding as well as access to vivid inner worlds.


    Note: Core Skills will be designated by stars next to their skill name in the Status Sheet.


    Skill Gained: Phantom¡¯s Step [Rare] {Core}


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) - Level 1


    This skill allows the user to phase into a spirit for a step, which can increase to more than a couple of steps as the skill progresses, taking them out of physical reality. Be careful, as returning to reality while in the middle of an object will have unintended consequences.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The skills flashed through him¡ªthe knowledge of diving deep into himself and the far more complex process of phasing out of physical being¡ªin almost incomprehensible skill. Were it not for the System literally explaining to him how to do it, using a touch of magic, he would have thought it impossible, but the shaking only increased.


    His core.


    His soul, the little place not too far from his heart that he¡¯d just begun to feel, swelled, his heart pounded, and the blood rushed through his ears, his whole body screaming that he was about to die.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained 20 points of Soul!


    You have gained 20 points of Dexterity!


    You have 20 Stat Points to spend!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Then the pain stopped, and with it came calm coolness. His back felt oddly cold, considering the rest of his blood had rushed and warmed from the tension and danger of the last minute.


    No, wait, that was just blood going down the back of his head from where he¡¯d slammed it against the steel and the blood running down his back.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Colt said, rubbing at his eyes as he took in the life around him. Never, and he repeated to himself, ever, again, did he want to go through a class assignment.


    He closed his eyes and then made his choice with the additional 20 stat points.


    10 went directly to Endurance. Those were easy; he needed to recover to get back to the kitchen and see everyone else. The other ten were more difficult¡ªin the end, he split them. Five to dexterity, given it was a major focus of his class, and it took the stat to a nice even 50. It was pleasant to look at and a core component to using knives, which he supposed he would focus on, making it an easy pick.


    The other five¡­ He decided to sink into willpower, hoping it would help when he encountered Jack again and further reduce that fear skill of his.


    Because he would encounter him again.


    Next time, there would be no more Jack.


    After he spent the points, his body convulsed; for a second or two, he swore he had lost consciousness, but then when he came back, he felt better than ever¡ªa new man.


    With a grunt of effort, Colt got back to his feet. The ten points into endurance made all the difference; he felt more solid, and the knife wound to his gut now felt like a minor injury, somehow. The muscles deeper beneath stitched together, and the bleeding slowed.


    Colt slowly left the octagon, taking one last long look at the path of devastation he¡¯d inflicted on the kobolds.


    It was time to return to the others.

 Chapter 14: Kill Steal x2

    His return was a path filled with blood, pain, and kobold bodies. Despite the injuries, the further he walked back through the dungeon, the better he felt¡ªkilling the spare group of kobolds was even easier. Given his levels and increased stats¡­ Running across a group of kobolds ranging from level 4-9 was almost trivial. His wounds were healing.


    The downside of killing kobolds being trivial was the minimal gain in experience. He could feel how each kill had imparted a little more. After getting to level twenty, though, it felt like the next level was much further than before. It would be a slow climb.


    So, instead of grinding out levels, he took the fighting on the way back to the kitchen as an opportunity to test out his new skill.


    As it turned out, Phantom¡¯s Step was more complicated than what the skill said.


    At this low level, he got a single step where his body phased out of being¡ªa sword would pass through him, or he could dart through a crowd and get behind a creature. Useful. But also dangerous. Several times trying it, he caught a stray claw or ran into something.


    He didn¡¯t want to end the step with a blade inside of him since, given the warning on the skill, he assumed it meant he would be stabbed.


    Consequently, it was very skill-based. He also quickly discovered that if he used the skill and didn¡¯t take a step in the next second to two seconds, it would stop working.


    This meant he could let a kobold fly through him and then return to being in a physical form. But he had to be damn sure that in those next two seconds, the Kobold would be past him.


    In that way, Phantom¡¯s Step was both offensive and defensive, and it would take more time to figure out how to best incorporate it into his skills.


    Still, figuring out its limitations and the practice eventually yielded a skill level.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Next came the two decisions he was still grappling with. The first of which was his sword.


    It was handy. The reach was nice when paired with a dagger, and he appreciated that, but his {Core} Skill was specific towards the smaller blades; it was also starting to bend and chip through use. It hadn¡¯t been a good sword, but it now had more notches and looked on the verge of death.


    As he went through the abandoned office part of the alleys, he found a nice cubicle, set it on the desk, and thanked it for its service.


    The last thing he practiced on whatever stray rat or straggler he could find was the Edict.


    It was harder to cut through higher-level stuff, but it is easier now, with his Soul stat so high. He could sense the invisible wave whenever he cut and could pour more of himself into it, letting it expand or push through more resistant objects.


    With it, he could leave marks in the walls but not quite cut through them entirely without exhausting himself. Or rather, he suspected, his soul. It seemed that was the fuel for an Edict.


    He could only ever have a singular Cut going at a time, too¡ªif he tried to use it again after already having one of those invisible blades going, the first one would vanish. The nuance of why or how rested at the periphery of his understanding, but eventually, he would take the time to think about it more deeply.


    It was hours, but eventually, he found himself back in the alleyway of the kitchen. His clothes were ruined; all of the chef knives he¡¯d taken out of were lost somewhere among a graveyard of kobold corpses¡­ To all appearances, he¡¯d come back bloody, bruised, and weaponless. Little would they know just how much progress he¡¯d made.


    Colt shook his head and gave a rueful smile¡ªwalking to the kitchen door, then tossed it open.


    Cindy, Nate, and Sarah were there. Worse for the wear, too¡ªCindy¡¯s shirt was torn open in the back with a long, deep gash on her. Colt winced. The wound looked nasty and not something he could imagine any kobold being able to make. Nate was busy trying to sew it shut with a bobby pin and twine.


    Sarah gave him a little wave.


    He felt his skin crawl as her eyes honed in on him¡ªa sure sign she¡¯d just fired off an inspect. He let the moment of discomfort pass. It was an instinctual reaction, now that he had a skill that made it painfully obvious that someone had done it.


    No matter how much he changed, there would always be that little voice of his mother whispering in his ear. Sometimes, a little lie is all you need to protect yourself. But there wasn¡¯t any need for those among these people.


    ¡°Holy crap, Colt. Level 20? Edict Carver? What kind of insane class is that?¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Had a good time in the dungeon, if you can¡¯t tell,¡± Colt gave a small laugh, then pointed to himself¡ªthe ruined clothes and blood. Though, mostly, his wounds had all closed on the walk back. They were tender, sure, but no longer a source of worry. The additional endurance had greatly increased his healing, though he had a distinct feeling that he healed even quicker when he wasn¡¯t directly fighting something.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Nate gave him a small nod but then turned back to stitching Cindy up¡ªwho cried in pain as the bobby pin went back into her skin.


    Colt frowned at the brutal sight, then steadied himself. It was time to peek at what his coworkers had accomplished.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Sarah Harrington | Race: Basic Human


    Class: Pugilist (I) [Uncommon]


    Level: 13


    This is a basic human who has chosen the Pugilist class. A class that eschews weapons in favor of using their fists. She has yet to begin to walk any path of enlightenment. Her past as a Muy Thai practitioner has informed her choices in this reality, instilling discipline and drive to work steadily toward any goals put in front of her. Why, though, she chose to practice this discipline is a mystery rooted deeply in a lack of self-safety and a dark history.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Iron Punch [Uncommon] - Level 2


    Unarmed Proficiency - Level 13


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt blinked and wiped at his eyes. That was a hell of a boost for her¡ªthey had been busy too; had they gone out twice¡ªor once? It was easy to lose track in the dungeon; if not for the class selection taking 24 hours, he would¡¯ve had no idea how long he¡¯d been out.


    It was also interesting what the system chose to display a ¡®Noteworthy Skills.¡¯ He knew for a fact that Sarah had an inspect skill that wasn¡¯t shown there.


    Was it too low a level to matter?


    As he looked at the skills section of the message box, he felt he could expand it and see more, yet he chose not to, instead taking a look at Nate and Cindy.


    Nate had taken an uncommon class¡ªSoldier, and gotten to level 15. Cindy had gotten to level 6 and chosen the common class Cook¡ªit didn¡¯t make much sense to Colt, given the circumstances of being trapped in a dungeon, why she would select a non-combat option.


    After she was stitched up, he had the chance to ask.


    ¡°I picked it because I got two classes¡ªCook or Laborer,¡± Cindy answered, rubbing at her eyes. They were puffy and red, tears running through them. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying out there. I don¡¯t want to go out again.¡±


    ¡°We need everyone we can get; think about it. We¡¯ll watch over you.¡± Nate tried to soothe her, giving her a light tap on the shoulder.


    Colt rubbed his chin. ¡°How many class picks did everyone else get?¡±


    Sarah raised a hand, ¡°Three. Disciple, Pugilist, and Student.¡±


    That turned Colt¡¯s head.


    ¡°Disciple and student?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Weird stuff. I heard that Nate also got Cook¡ªI suppose I¡¯ve always hated this job, deep down. It¡¯s not what I wanted to do. Maybe that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t get it? Anyway, student was a common class¡ªimproved skills for learning, but it did say ¡®access to magic,¡¯ which, you know, wow. But I thought about it. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re going to get out of here. Magic is cool and all, but I don¡¯t know a thing about it. So, I picked what I knew best. Disciple was the same thing, only about Edicts. I don¡¯t even know what those are. So. I picked practical. I always liked punching stuff anyway.¡± Sarah rolled her shoulders, then punched one fist into the other, giving a small smile.


    ¡°I had two. Soldier, and Cook.¡± Nate sighed and rubbed his eyes. Colt didn¡¯t get the impression he liked that title much after his experiences. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Four. I got Cook, too. Rogue and Duelist. Edict Carver seemed the best, even as the most confusing. Rare Classes gain an additional stat point per level, I think. Just like Uncommon Classes to Common.¡± Colt answered, mind whirling.


    Magic.


    He supposed that ghost dagger he¡¯d gotten was a form of magic. The abilities revolving around magic made sense, too, in a way. Maybe it relied on intelligence and willpower? Hard to say. He hadn¡¯t been presented with a class that gave ¡®access to magic,¡¯ but¡­ Well.


    It was a fact to file away¡ªa tool not at their disposal but that existed out there nonetheless.


    After reviewing their class selections, they began to share their stories¡ªCindy had been too terrified in the dungeon to be much of any help. When some came face to face with danger, they folded.


    Sarah and Nate played nice with the topic, but in fights, she¡¯d turned more into a liability than an asset and hadn¡¯t even personally killed a single kobold. That explained her saying that she didn¡¯t want to go out there again. Maybe it was best if she stayed inside.


    That wasn¡¯t particularly good. That meant their side only had three people leveled and combat-ready.


    The other side¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s Chef?¡± Colt asked.


    ¡°When we came back, they were all gone,¡± Nate answered.


    Donnny wouldn¡¯t do well in the dungeon. Not with his fractured mind. Go figure. Bill wouldn¡¯t care about any of that¡ªhe might be using the head chef as a meat shield or had decided to go and get him killed out there to preserve their food.


    It hurt Colt just a little. That kind of injustice. Knowing that if someone like Bill was in charge, those would be the exact kinds of things he¡¯d do.


    He hated Chef. But that didn¡¯t mean the man deserved to die.


    This reinforced, more than anything else, the need to stay ahead and clear this dungeon so they could get out.


    After they shared their story, which had been largely retreading the part of the Dungeon they¡¯d previously explored and grinding levels, Colt got into the details of his. As he explained what he¡¯d seen, what he¡¯d learned, and got to the Quest, their attention was rapt.


    As he described the kobolds crawling down the sides of buildings and overwhelming him in a wave of bodies, Cindy gasped.


    When he got to finding his Edict, he had, predictably, a ton of questions, none of which he had an answer to.


    Explaining his brush with death against Jack brought them to silence.


    ¡°Bosses are difficult. At least that one was,¡± Colt explained, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°It could be because he was an ¡®optional boss,¡¯ but I don¡¯t think I would have won. I just injured him and set him back with my edict. I don¡¯t think he had an edict, which made me having it dangerous for him.¡±


    ¡°Then we get stronger and find where this King Kobold is.¡± Nate reiterated.


    ¡°The plan is the same as it was,¡± Colt confirmed.


    Colt got up to attend to his wounds and get some sleep; he felt exhausted after the fighting and knew he would need to get out again. He didn¡¯t tell Nate or Sarah but planned to head out alone once more. If they divided it, they could explore more of the Dungeon and hopefully find the boss. Comparing working with a group to being by himself¡­ He enjoyed the freedom of fighting with just him. There was less to worry about, less to stress over.


    When he found the boss, they could regroup and tackle it together.


    And¡­ Privately, he wanted to track Jack down and claim the boss kill he deserved. He wouldn¡¯t forget how it ambushed him, the fear it put into his heart. Colt was eager to put his new stats and skills to the test and face that bastard when he wasn¡¯t exhausted and drained.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dungeon Alert: Optional Boss The Ripper has been defeated.


    Congratulations!


    All mandatory bosses must be slain before the exit is opened! There are still mandatory bosses remaining.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 15: Preperation

    Shock.


    Ideas raced through Colt¡¯s head¡ªhad Kobolds or rats gotten to the boss? No. It wasn¡¯t possible. He hadn¡¯t seen anything strong enough in the Dungeon to kill Jack. The most obvious answer was that Bill and his group had happened upon the boss and taken him out.


    Two hours later, his fear was confirmed.


    Bill strode in, his face wide with a smile, and with him came Logan and Jimmy. Logan was as stoic as always, his face firm and giving the four of them a dark expression. Jimmy, on the other hand, was demure and looked away, refusing to meet anyone¡¯s eyes; noticeably, Donny was nowhere to be seen. Gone. Vanished.


    Colt fired off an inspect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Bill Glass | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: The Ripper | Class: Corrupter (I) [Rare]


    Level: 23


    This is a basic human who has chosen to tread the path of the Ripper and is currently at the start of the class of a Corrupter. Be wary; this class is known for its ability to leech and corrupt others for their own benefit. This class grants access to magic. This human is a former convict, charged twice with possession and once with assault and battery. He has also been involved in at least two murders before system integration.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    [Hidden]


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It¡­ Was absurd. Bill had managed to gain levels even quicker and, in the process, obviously picked up the Hide Status skill¡ªbut that bit about the Icon.


    That and the smile confirmed all he needed to know.


    Bill had stolen his boss kill.


    After he fired off his Inspect, the smile on Bill¡¯s face vanished. He scowled and looked at Colt, who then felt his skin crawl. A clear mark that Bill had done the same exact thing to him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hide Status (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Until he took in the rest of Bill¡¯s party, Logan was sitting at level 7, assuming that Leech had somehow let Bill steal levels from his allies or something like that¡ªmaybe? It was interesting to see that Logan had taken a common class called Brute. He¡¯d also killed a level 29 boss. Somehow.


    Bill was a monster.


    ¡°Level 20 and a rare class, huh?¡± Bill said and then plastered on a fake smile. ¡°To think out of everyone, you would be the most handy. Way to go, Colt. If I¡¯d known you¡¯d be so useful, I¡¯d have taken you out with me. Want to come next time? We can clear this dungeon together. I already killed one of the bosses.¡±


    Liar.


    It was there in Bill¡¯s smile, the fake happiness. Clear as day to Colt, but even as he said it, Jimmy brightened. ¡°Yeah, man. Bill is super strong. If you¡¯re level 20 too¡ªwell, we could get out of here in days. I also got a useful class too. Healer.¡±


    It was instinct. Colt inspected him as well when those words came out of his mouth.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Jimmy Russo | Race: Basic Human


    Class: Healer (I) [Uncommon]


    Level: 11


    This is a basic human who has not yet chosen a path to tread. They currently have the class of healer. This class allows access to magic, with a specialization in healing others through the use of Holy Magic. This human has a complicated history with their family and has moved several places over their life, struggling to fit in.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Healing [Rare] - Level 4


    Holy Magic [Uncommon] - Level 5


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    That was¡­ Exceptional. Healing¡ªholy shit, that was game-changing here. Higher endurance might boost your recovery rate, but Colt knew if he took a bad enough injury, it would put him out of commission and could potentially end him.


    Having a healer in here¡­ Wow.


    Bill threw an arm over Jimmy¡¯s shoulder, that grin of his still wide, hiding the danger underneath.


    ¡°You, me, and Jimmy? The next boss will be a breeze.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Donny?¡± Colt asked, and he noticed Jimmy¡¯s eyes cloud.


    ¡°Died while fighting The Ripper. He ambushed us in one of those alleys, and we tried our best, but there were causalities.¡± Bill waved it away.


    Logan grunted and looked away.


    There it is. The web is woven, and a lie is being layered over another lie. The offer was tempting, despite that. He was sure that in another reality if Bill weren¡¯t who he was, the two of them working together could have made easy work of this place.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    But he didn¡¯t trust Bill.


    And he knew Donny¡¯s death wasn¡¯t as simple as Bill had explained.


    ¡°No thanks. I think I¡¯ll continue exploring with Nate and Sarah. We¡¯ll let you know if we find the boss,¡± Colt said, which, well. Was his own little web of lies. He had no intention of telling Bill. Something about this whole situation reeked, and he wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°A shame,¡± Bill said and then turned away¡ªgiving orders to Jimmy and Logan to make him food. Both the brute and the healer ran off to do it too quickly, in Colt¡¯s opinion, as Bill sat back and supervised with crossed arms. It seemed they were done talking since Colt wasn¡¯t willing to work with him the way they wanted.


    The groups split back up into their respective halves of the kitchen, talking amongst themselves and making plans for the next day. Though nobody had a phone, and the outside sky was already night, they seemed to acknowledge that it was getting late.


    A meal, some company, and talking about the hopeful future of getting out of the dungeon was what the hour called for. And Colt embraced it, letting himself sink into well-deserved rest.


    Every so often, he could see those eyes of Bill¡¯s wander over to their side of the kitchen. He had a scowl on his face as he stared at Colt when he thought Colt wasn¡¯t looking. His hate was unmasked, and in those flickering eyes, Colt could have sworn he saw the red gaze of death that Jack the Ripper had before. Whenever he caught it, Bill was sure to look away.


    That half of the kitchen was beginning to resemble the Kingdom of the Kitchen they were all familiar with: a king and his subjects, Bill and his minions.


    Colt tried not to let it get to him.


    And when he put his head to that pillow that night, he did it knowing that Nate would keep watch, and then he, later at night, could keep eyes on the opposite side.


    They had started the day with eight people. And ended it with seven, and Colt wasn¡¯t about to let it get to six.


    Breakfast the next day was a lot quieter. Bill, Jimmy, and Logan left early. Shortly afterward, his own group was ready to go. Cindy refused to go back out into the dungeon¡ªwhich was fine. Colt tried to understand her fear. Even if he felt like they didn¡¯t have much of an option, he didn¡¯t do more than try to encourage her.


    She still refused. Alright.


    Not everyone was cut out for this.


    Sarah and Nate wanted him to venture with them¡ªbut he turned them down, opting to go out and explore on his own like before. They weren¡¯t all that happy but understood. Someone had to keep themselves close to Bill¡¯s level, or things would devolve further.


    His drive was worth it as he went into the dungeon and got more kills. But the enemies had¡­ Lessened? Fewer kobolds, for sure. It was eerie since, before, he¡¯d run into them in groups every hour or so. Now, took over an hour to find them, and the rats were fewer and fewer.


    It was also harder to gain a level after 20. Much more than before. As if he¡¯d passed some kind of threshold.


    Still, near the end of a tiring day of exploring, he saw an advancement as a reward for his efforts.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 3 Stat points to spend; you have gained 1 point of Dexterity and 1 point of Soul!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When he returned to the kitchen and inspected Bill and his crew, he saw that Bill himself had not leveled. Logan and Jimmy had advanced a bit, which Colt took to mean that Bill was either trying to even out his team or appease them.


    Or Bill was readying soldiers for a fight.


    During the downtime, as everyone wound down for the night, Colt kept trying to get Jimmy into one-on-one talks. The guy didn¡¯t seem too happy over there, but Bill was right there every time he got Jimmy into a small conversation. Listening. Cutting in. Stopping him from siphoning his healer over to the other side of the kitchen.


    The next day was much of the same, though finding kobolds took even longer.


    A day after that, he saw another level.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 3 Stat points to spend. You have gained 1 point of Dexterity and 1 point of Soul!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt assigned out his stats later, splitting the six points pretty evenly. Two went to willpower, two to dexterity, one to strength, and an additional one to soul.


    Having taken time to think it over, ¡®Corrupter¡¯ had to be contested with willpower. He was more thankful than ever to have ¡®Mental Resistance¡¯ skill, too, if his suspicions were correct. Every so often, he felt Bill looking at him late at night. He felt something nudging against his brain, unable to find a way in.


    The notification that followed the feeling confirmed everything he needed to know.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Mental Resistance (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Bill was doing something. Probably related to his class. The next day, Colt alerted the rest of his side of the Kitchen¡ªbut they had a shadow of a doubt in them. A couple of days later, they began to share food with the other side. Cindy stopped spending the nights with them and instead flipped to the other side of the kitchen, cooking for Logan, Bill, and Jimmy.


    That put them at four and three, with Nate and Sarah starting to talk about ¡®cooperating and working together¡¯ since they were having difficulty finding the Boss.


    Colt doubled down and ranged further as he explored the dungeon. Knowing that Bill was up to some kind of game, the only real solution was to end this experience as fast as he could manage.


    The Endless Alleys had alleyways of every kind under the sun. Not all were traditional, either. Colt began to scribble down a map as he moved¡ªbeing able to mark places with relative ease as he explored. ¡®Gorge Alleys¡¯ was a shorthand for the brief but winding and confusing route of alleyway, which seemed to be cave-like, with homes wrought into the side of cliffs. He¡¯d been in the ¡®Victorian Alleys¡¯ when he first encountered Jack.


    Enchanted Garden Alleys. Ikea Alleys¡­ The definition that this dungeon gave stretched the imagination.


    Some of them were winding and confusing, others straight and forward. And then, some of them connected. Making a circular route.


    The first time he¡¯d encountered this, discovering that the Victorian Alleys connected around to the Hedge Garden Alleys¡ªhe felt relief.


    This place wasn¡¯t unconquerable. A maze, sure. But if he could find these connection points, it would lead to him finally finding wherever the Kobold King hid away.


    Another couple of days passed, and Colt saw little reward as there were even fewer kobolds. On the rare occasion, he managed to find a fight, he drilled his combat skills, trying to level them as well. Days of effort finally paid off.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 3 Stat points to spend. You have gained 1 point of Dexterity and 1 point of Soul!


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As always, he was quick to divide the stat points gained with each level, putting two into soul and one into endurance.


    At the end of the first ten days, he¡¯d gotten quite a ways. He had a comprehensive map¡ªmost of the alleys connected, a bunch of big looping directions that split and span, and he was starting to get a grasp of it¡ªthey weren¡¯t nearly as Endless as the name suggested, but he and none of the others had seen the tail of hide of the so-called-boss.


    On the eleventh day, something odd happened. Cindy finally left the kitchen, sweet-talked into it by Bill. She left with him and Logan, leaving Jimmy on a rest day.


    Later that day, Colt returned to the kitchen, where Sarah was crying and Logan was cooking.


    Cindy had died in a fight with kobolds. Or so that¡¯s what everyone said. That was the story. It felt like the tangly and wispy webs of a lie.


    However, when Colt inspected Bill, the man had jumped two levels. Bill hadn¡¯t leveled at all since the first couple of days, and now suddenly, he was Level 26, and Logan wouldn¡¯t talk to anyone about it all, simply repeating, ¡®Talk to Bill.¡¯


    After day eleven, they were down to six people.