《Knives & 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.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    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? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    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!Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    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 later 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 stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, 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.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    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. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°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.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    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 in it, and cried until those colors stopped swirling.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    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 pyrrhic 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.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    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 tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    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.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡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.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡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.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡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.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    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: Preparation

    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.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    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.

 Chapter 16: Take It Easy

    Colt sat in the ¡®Cyberpunk alley,¡¯ or more specifically, one of the empty storage lockers inside of it. Over the last few days, he¡¯d stashed a few things here¡ªa stolen meal or two, some medical supplies. It was the backup plan if things went bad in the kitchen. He¡¯d even thrown some towels in here, enough for a makeshift pillow if needed.


    Other than that, it was a barren storage locker. That, and the marks on the walls. Countless marks. Tests from his Edict. Which was the main reason Colt had decided to come here today, somewhere safe, somewhere far away from the kitchen and prying eyes.


    Since coming to the dungeon, it had been all exploring and leveling. Now that the kobold tide had dried to a small trickle,


    By the day, it seemed that the backup plan was rapidly becoming the main plan.


    Whatever skill Bill was using had started to affect Nate and Sarah. Both of them were joking and getting along with Bill and Jimmy. More and more morning breakfasts had become full kitchen things¡ªthe spirit of collaboration, Bill called it. They were all in it with one another.


    Colt had counted the days since he¡¯d first become aware Bill was trying to mess with his head.


    On day fifteen, they were planning group outings, which Colt declined, wanting to operate and gain levels independently.


    ¡°You should go back up Bill¡ªif the two of you work together, you¡¯ll find the way out,¡± Sarah said to him just yesterday.


    It was a nice line¡ªthe kitchen coming together to conquer the big evil¡ªbut really, they had fallen under the grip of a new tyrant. One who was slowly tightening his iron hold on them, pulling them closer and closer in his hands. Eventually, Colt suspected, he would wring the life out of them if it meant letting himself survive even a day longer.


    They were well aware of the supplies left. Cindy and Donny''s early death extended their survival time, but it was limited when split six ways.


    With how fruitless the search for the Boss had been so far, Colt was watching closely. Making sure that neither Nate nor Sarah went off alone with Logan and Bill since two others never returned from that particular trip.


    Colt rubbed his eyes, his legs crossed.


    ¡°Focus.¡± He muttered and tried to clear his head.


    Meditation. That was the name of the game, and out here was the ideal place to do it. No distractions, no worrying about the kitchen and the people in it. Just him, tucked away inside a storage unit hidden in the maze.


    Nobody knew where he was.


    There was nothing here to worry about.


    Colt had heard about meditation, as had most people. They said it was good for mental health and somehow made you live longer, yada yada. It was kind of hard to focus on the videos of a man or woman who had their life together telling him to drop everything in his life and focus on his breathing when his life was a garbage fire.


    Truthfully, he never bought into the idea that meditation did anything for you and thought it was a waste of time.


    It was a fitting punishment then that he¡¯d picked the class that forced him to meditate.


    Colt hummed to himself like those monks did in those documentaries.


    Again, nothing.


    He tried focusing on this breath and just got annoyed.


    This was a waste of time.


    If only he could cut through this bullshit the way he¡¯d cleaved through those kobolds; a knife was much easier to handle and progress than this vague conceptual nonsense.


    Cut.


    As his mind wandered over fighting the kobolds and using the edict, he found a latch point. The act of cutting, of his blade severing. Cleaving¡­ There was a connection there. His awareness expanded, stretching to the knife stored in his Soul. The edge to it, the way he knew that if he summoned the weapon, it could bring out that invisible line.


    What was that invisible line?


    What was an Edict?


    Cut.


    He could picture himself. How many times had he done just that in his life, felt a knife slip through an object and split it in half? Dice, chop, mince. All of it was the same motion, the same result. An act which divided.


    As he focused and felt the meaning of it, he felt his connection to that invisible line increase and build. It was in him, twisting in his soul. At his direction, the loose thread slowly wound tighter, with more threads to make a string.


    He focused on the Edict, little by little, and as he did, he fell deeper and deeper into the trance.


    His thoughts were consumed, and he felt the Edict strengthening. It was like winding threads together and weaving them tighter, closer to making a string, or, more accurately, in this case, like sharpening a dull knife, one that he felt might be able to cut through anything.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ªLove what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Colt blinked, his eyes filled with notifications that had appeared out of nowhere¡ªonly interrupted by his stomach rumbling. It felt like a deep, empty pit inside as if a whole day had gone by without any food.


    With a grimace, he dove into the packed-away food and filled the urge. Simple stuff: apples¡ªsome remaining bread, about a few days from going bad. Enough to fill his stomach and make his body stop screaming about starvation.


    The immediate problem settled, and Colt got to his feet and faced one of the walls. Countless marks on it from where he cut. Like tallies on a prison wall saying how many days the inmate had been stuck there.


    With narrowed eyes, Colt focused on that string and his Edict and let loose another cut.


    As it hit the wall, he felt resistance¡ªharder than the Kobolds, harder than Jack. A bead of sweat collected on his brow, but he let it continue, digging into the concrete surface until it eventually stopped.


    When he stepped back, there was an obvious difference.


    This cut went deeper than all the others.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Colt said, folding his arms, letting his soul recharge.


    Then he made another cut, and it matched the first. Just about as deep before he ran out of juice¡ªand the two of them had to be at least twice as deep as the others.


    Meditation, it seemed, was the key to furthering his Edict¡¯s powers. Whether it was gaining levels in it or¡­ No, that didn¡¯t feel right.


    Colt felt his connection to the Edict inside when he focused. Felt those strings of understanding starting to form around one another. It wasn¡¯t so much the skill leveling up as it was his grasp on what it meant to cut deepened. Strengthening his Edict required focus and cultivation of the concept.


    The only concerning part was how hungry it¡¯d made him. It felt like blinking or falling into a sleep.


    Not for the first time, he wished he¡¯d worn a watch when coming into the dungeon.


    Colt took a look around and then shrugged.


    Today, he would keep at this until he needed to sleep, head back to the Kitchen, call it a day, and focus on exploration. The last few times he¡¯d re-tread ground in this labyrinth, he¡¯d noticed kobolds tended to show up in the medieval section more often than the others, if they could be found at all. And after it tickled his brain, he knew maybe, if anywhere, something was missing there he couldn¡¯t piece together.


    Colt closed his eyes and then focused, once more falling into the same trance as before. Letting time slip by.


    Falling into a state of focus this time proved a lot easier now that he knew what to focus his efforts on. The feel of a knife in his hand, the sharpness of its blade¡ªthe images and thoughts swirled, forming another thread to join the others, slowly wrapping around one another.


    Tightening, sharpening.


    Colt fell into a blackness.


    The next thing he knew, he was on the floor, sprawled out, hungry again, with his head on the floor, and another notification was flooding his vision.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°God,¡± Colt muttered, rubbing at his eyes and getting rid of the crust. His head ached, and his whole body was more sore than usual. Sleeping on bare concrete. ¡°I passed out,¡± he shook his head, stunned.


    Meditation was dangerous, it seemed, at least for now. His control over it was so bare minimum. Yet, as before, he felt closer to understanding his edict and what it was. And after eating again, he tested it.


    The cut went another inch deeper into the wall.


    ¡°Edict Carving in the most literal sense,¡± Colt mused, and then let his knife slip back into the space within his soul. Well, it confirmed it, too. His sense of time was completely gone when meditating. He went through some light stretches, opened the shutter to his little hideout, and returned to the dungeon.


    It was a long, quiet trek through the endless alleys back to the kitchen.


    He almost missed the abundance of kobolds and rats. When they had been here in full force, it had been more dangerous, sure. But there was a sense of life. Now, going it alone and without seeing anything¡­ It was unnerving. The shadows. The grinning moon always overlooking from above: the turns, the twists, and the alleys. It was lonely and desolate.


    If they didn¡¯t find the boss, these endless streets would be all that remained.


    That, then later, starvation and death. Going out at the hands of an endless wave of monsters almost seemed preferable to the loneliness and isolation.


    It made him wonder, and that wondering in his head was worse than dealing with the reality in front of him. As he treads down the empty streets past a stairway that led to nowhere in particular, he wondered again, thinking of his half-brother, his mother, and his little sister.


    Where were they in all this? Some other endless alley like he and his kitchen? Some other dungeon?


    He wanted to care, but then, caring was an avenue to feel things he didn¡¯t need to feel.


    Keep it simple.


    Focused.


    After too long on his own, Colt arrived back at the Nashville alley and then, in short order, back to the kitchen door. He threw it open.


    Jimmy was in there, alone,


    ¡°Colt!¡± He yelled out in surprise.


    ¡°Jimmy?¡± Colt asked, striding in and taking a look around. Much the same as when he¡¯d left. Disorganized, with everything now a mess, they gave up the pretense of being an operating restaurant. Though, he noticed that his pile of things had been rifled through. Even the bed of towels that made up his sleeping spot was gone.


    ¡°Oh, thank God you¡¯re alive,¡± Jimmy said, rushing over and looking Colt up and down. I thought you were dead.¡±


    ¡°Well, considering the biggest threat is a couple of kobolds about once a day, that isn¡¯t that likely. We don¡¯t know what might be hiding out there, but I would¡¯ve come for some backup if I found the boss.¡± Colt said, though, at this rate¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure if that would be the brightest idea. He¡¯d probably have tried the boss on his own.


    No need to tell Jimmy that, though.


    ¡°Oh¡ªthe kobolds.¡± Jimmy drew back and looked left and right. ¡°Yeah¡ªno the monsters.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t worried about the monsters getting me.¡± Colt crossed his arms, frowned as he said the obvious, and then let the silence linger.


    He saw it then, the indecision on Jimmy¡¯s face. They were alone now. Bill and everyone else are gone. Everyone else being Nate, Sarah, Logan, and of course¡­ Bill.


    Jimmy wasn¡¯t saying anything. Though, there was clear fear in his eyes. That spoke enough for Colt.


    ¡°Jimmy, where is everyone else?¡± Colt had a sinking feeling in his gut. If Jimmy was worried that he went missing, it was clearly for a reason. And he was starting to suspect that reason was a certain convict and his cancerous plans.


    ¡°Well, Bill said you were gone¡ªand that we had to start working together if the rest of us wanted to live. He talked them into splitting up to try working as a team¡ªhim and Sarah as one team, Nate and Logan as the other¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did he leave you here alone?¡±


    Jimmy backed away, cowering in a corner.


    ¡°Jimmy?¡±


    ¡°¡­D-donny didn¡¯t get killed by a Kobold, Colt.¡±


    Colt felt a chill run down his back. In those dark hours at night sleeping in the kitchen, when he felt the push on his psyche of something trying to worm its way in, he¡¯d had thoughts like this. Nightmares about this. ¡°Then how did he die?¡±


    ¡°B-bill.¡± Jimmy finally said after too long.


    Why is he admitting this now? Colt narrowed his eyes, then ran an inspect on Jimmy. It was all much the same.


    Except, at the bottom of his skills¡­


    Mental Resistance [Uncommon] - Level 1


    Jimmy had gained a new skill.


    ¡°Where did Bill take Sarah?¡±

 Chapter 17: Wicked Hearts

    Colt ran through the labyrinth with Jimmy right behind. It seemed that Bill had honed in on the same conclusion Colt had; kobolds consistently appeared more often in the medieval-esque area. He¡¯d taken Sarah there.


    As Jimmy filled him in, Colt sensed that it was more of an alibi and justification for what Bill was aiming to do.


    That morning they went out into the dungeon and made a plan¡ªtalking about their plans, how food was going to get scarce. About how Chef would be a drain of their resources, and taking care of him early would give them a lot of room in the future. Which is how Logan and Bill came up with their little plan, Jimmy hadn¡¯t been on board, but they told him if he didn¡¯t cooperate, they could just get rid of him too.


    They¡¯d collected Chef. Once they were back in the dungeon, Logan held the man down, and Bill worked him with a knife.


    Colt saw it in his head as he moved through the dungeon, tearing down the alley as his eyes scanned left and right. They should be near here, somewhere hidden in the medieval section¡ªthis was the plan after all, according to Jimmy. He¡¯d given the dishwasher a few minutes to explain before having heard enough before his body knew it needed to move.


    After all, after killing Chef, Bill had gotten his class. Had used whatever skill he had to mess with Jimmy¡¯s mind and get him to feel okay with Donny¡¯s murder.


    But Bill hadn¡¯t finished with Donny.


    Cindy came next. According to Jimmy, Bill had pulled them aside and talked about her class. ¡®Cook¡¯ was useless in a place like this. She was eating up the food everyone else could have used, wasting space and resources.


    Then, at Bill¡¯s insistence, it happened again. Bill planned. They talked Cindy into going out with just him and Logan, and then they took care of her, leaving Jimmy in the kitchen since Bill said he knew the boy found it hard.


    When Jimmy got to it last night¡ªafter Bill announced that Colt was gone- Jimmy thought Bill knew he was gone the same way Bill knew Cindy had gone. Yet it didn¡¯t stop there. Logan and Bill had whispered together that night and devised their plan for Sarah and Nate.


    Jimmy pretended to sleep. But he¡¯d heard. He¡¯d gained a new skill, too. Then those murders from before¡­ They stopped making as much sense. Seemed less necessary.


    Especially if they were ¡®saving food¡¯ like Bill suggested by murdering someone like Sarah. Wasn¡¯t she useful? Didn¡¯t she have enough levels to help them take down a boss?


    Jimmy pretended to be sick this morning. Not hard since he¡¯d felt like throwing up with the guilt. Too scared to say or do anything to warn Sarah or Nate.


    Colt moved faster, the spectral knife appearing in his hand as he moved¡ªeyes flashing through the darkness as he looked. His ears strained. Any noise at all from fighting. That¡¯s all he needed: a little clue where they might be. He would crash their group and cut it off before it could begin. After all, Bill was looking for kobolds.


    When Logan came by later with Nate, they would show him Sarah dead amongst the kobolds¡ªa fallen warrior.


    Colt heard it.


    Screaming.


    His senses honed to an edge as he moved¡ªa group of kobolds, larger than any he¡¯d seen before¡ªswarming out of a doorway. Bill and Sarah were there, fighting back to back against the flood of monsters.


    Out of a doorway?


    Colt didn¡¯t hesitate, leaping into the fray by stabbing one of the Kobolds and then dancing around. His knife sailed through the air, slashing through a throat before reappearing in his hand. None of these little menaces saw him, dying to his knife as he slid out of the shadows. Yet he didn¡¯t stick to the shadows long, quickly throwing himself into Bill¡¯s vision.


    Their eyes locked.


    Bill¡¯s mouth turned into a snarl; his eyes flashed to Sarah.


    That¡¯s right, murderer, you can¡¯t get away with it now.


    Sarah rocked a fist into a nearby Kobold with a happy yell¡ªher digits sinking into the thing¡¯s face like butter as she burst into it.


    Colt slashed another kobold as it drifted by, yet it was unimportant. The gesture was unconscious, and he just kept any from getting near. No, he was focused on the real danger in this battle. Bill. The man¡¯s eyes kept darting to Sarah, then back to him, thinking. Choosing. Now that Colt was here, he¡¯d have to give up and re-evaluate; they both knew that. Murder had to be off the table, it didn¡¯t make any sense otherwise.


    But he¡¯d stopped fighting the kobolds. Colt could see the gears turning in his head as he thought over the current circumstance¡ªthe tide of kobolds. More than they¡¯d seen in the last week, all come out of a doorway. It was a subtle thing, one of the many doors that lined the alley. Of course, they¡¯d tried many of them before, yet they were locked.


    All of this searching, and the kobolds were hiding away here?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Colt killed another, and he watched Bill do the same with a rather vicious kick to its head, snapping the thing''s neck and sending a limp body soaring into the crowd¡ªthey had a common enemy. And found where the Kobolds were hiding, the Colt felt himself at ease and rolled his shoulders. For now, he was sure they could push forward.


    Later, once these Kobolds were done, he could figure out what to do with Bill. It looked like they were on the same page. They were all humans, after all, trapped in a dungeon. Monsters came first. He¡¯d abandon his plan, and maybe they could kill the boss.


    Only¡­


    Bill¡¯s flashed back to Colt, and in them, Colt only saw red.


    ¡°Fuck it, then, I¡¯m done playing games,¡± Bill growled and then smiled wide. Too wide. Just like Jack.


    ¡°Sarah!¡± Colt warned¡ªtoo late.


    Bill turned from the horde of kobolds, wrapped a hand around Sarah¡¯s neck from behind, and then plunged his knife directly into her back.


    She let out a scream, and then he stabbed her again¡ªblood spurted out; the kobolds swarmed around, taking bites out of both her and Bill, yet the latter didn¡¯t seem to care, his grip tightened on her throat, his grin widened. A black pulse ran from his hand, down through his blade, then into Sarah¡¯s back, making her scream worsen to the point where it tore at her throat.


    Her back arched, and Bill twisted his chef¡¯s knife.


    There wasn¡¯t much to think about.


    Colt threw his knife; it sailed in the air and caught Bill in the shoulder¡ªthe guy screamed, and a kobold leaped on him, forcing him to let go of Sarah to smack the pesky monster away. Even just a casual glancing blow from Bill was enough to make it fly, smashing against the floor in a couple of bloody bumps that left it dead.


    No, the Kobolds weren¡¯t even a real threat. Colt¡¯s knife vanished from Bill¡¯s shoulder and was sent to make the short trip back to his soul, but Colt didn¡¯t wait, rushing forward and flinging himself at Bill. He was faster, and with a much higher investment in dexterity, he got there in a snap.


    His fist rocketed into Bill¡ªonly to be met by a black shadow, stopping him right before landing a punch. It hung in the air, incomplete.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Bill growled; Colt, tried to pull his hand back, but it didn¡¯t budge. The shadow was a vise.


    More shadows formed around him. They sharpened into blades and began to spin, one of which scalped a kobold as it ran by. Fodder for the meat grinder; whatever ¡®magic¡¯ this was, he simply didn¡¯t know how to deal with it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you. Killed half the dungeon and took all of my levels, and I¡¯m about to take them back. Then, when I get out of here, I¡¯ll rip the levels from the rest of these good-for-nothings. Say hello to Donny for me when you¡¯re cooking for him in hell!¡±


    The black buzz-saws spiraled in.


    Colt pulled at the knife tucked away in his soul¡ªthe weapon appearing in the hand, not trapped by the black fog. Then he cut, the edge of the spectral knife meeting a blade right before it tore through his arm and shredded him apart. The invisible wave cleaved clean through the magic, not even hesitating.


    Bill¡¯s eyes widened.


    The wave cut through the wall of black smoke holding his hand, dissolving it as it spread forward, and then, it cut into Bill, slicing his arm off at the joint. This one took some effort, spurting blood and sawing through it, but Bill didn¡¯t know how to react; he hadn¡¯t known about the invisible line. The man stumbled back, clutching at his stump of an arm, his red eyes flaring.


    At that moment, he was Jack. The same eyes, the same madness, the same obsession.


    Some might have paused here and taken a step back. May have hesitated before killing another person.


    Not Colt. Not after having seen him stab Sarah in the back and seeing her bleeding out not three steps away, seconds from being swarmed by kobolds. No. Bill was a dead man.


    Colt drew a line through the air, cutting at neck level¡ªBill still didn¡¯t understand the attack, didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d done the first time.


    Yet, those red eyes flashed, and he ducked, narrowly avoiding the line of death Colt sent his way.


    When those red eyes flickered, he had a grin. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were like that, Colt.¡± He said, ¡°Finally, someone else other than Logan with some balls to do what we have to do,¡± He grimaced as more blood poured from his arm, and a kobold scratched at his side; a quick pulse of black shadow repelled the monster it flying,, sending and kept heading in a wave towards Colt.


    Another cut sliced through the curtain of fog and went right towards Bill, who threw himself out of the way.


    Somehow, he saw the lines of death, and while not slow, they were dodge-able for people with their advanced dexterity. A distance attack wouldn¡¯t work, so the next step was simple. Close the distance, and then end the fight. Since Bill was down an arm, it should be easy.


    He moved to close the gap and do just that, only to be met with a kobold, who went down with a quick stab to the neck. When he stepped past the dying kobold, Bill sent out another black shockwave.


    A quick cut saw it taken apart and gave him a view of Bill¡¯s back as he rapidly ran down the hallway, fleeing as best he could.


    No.


    Colt threw his knife. Without looking, Bill swerved to the side, not dodging it entirely but taking the hit to his left shoulder instead of to the spine. It vanished when it cut in, and Colt spat on the ground. He could chase.


    Sarah would die if he did.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Colt said, though it wasn¡¯t. Annoying. But after this, he¡¯d track Bill down in the labyrinth and bring him to his end.


    Colt turned on his heel and focused.


    Inside of three minutes, he stemmed the tide of Kobolds pouring through the door. It was easy. A slice here, a slice there¡ªthe knife worked its magic, and his Edict severed their lives like a scissor cutting through thread. The rapid-fire use of it strained at his soul, but he realized it came down to efficient cuts, just like when preparing food.


    Take a second, find the optimal place, and then slice. That was the difference between killing a handful of kobolds and tens of kobolds.


    All the while, he kept glancing in the direction Bill fled. Half expecting the man to come back and ambush him. But no, he was long gone, vanished away into the dark.


    The end of which was a welcome notification.


    ¡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!


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt looked at the open door left by the kobolds and the tunnel that seemed to lead down it. It was interesting, and he marked the door very quickly with a slash before going over to Sarah to try to stop the blood.


    They needed Jimmy.

 Chapter 18: Knives Lead To Levels

    Getting back to Jimmy and explaining what happened was rather quick. By then, Sarah had gotten quite pale¡ªwith black veins running from the wound. Likely, if Colt had to guess, some other ability related to that Corrupter class.


    Jimmy got to work as soon as he saw her, conjuring a white light between his hands as he bent over and began to apply it to the wound. The black veins lashed back, forming a smokey barrier. Jimmy doubled down, his eyebrows furrowed as the light in his hand brightened.


    Still, nothing.


    A bead of sweat ran down Jimmy¡¯s brow, and he began to puff for breath. The difference between his skill and the sheer levels that Bill had on him was evident. At this rate, Sarah would die from whatever type of poison he¡¯d been inflicted with.


    Colt thought about it. That disease that had been wormed into her. Corrupting, a blow that would promise her death.


    His knife came easy to his hand, the blade semi-transparent as the spirit steel glistened as they reflected from above. It was a sharp blade, but then, what were scalpels? Weren¡¯t they just sharp knives used to incise and cut out disease?


    As the thought latched in his head, he felt himself slip into that same state of awareness. Though his eyes were open and his body was moving, he could picture his edict twisted around in his soul.


    This, too, was a way to use cuts¡ªa surgical precision meant to remove what didn¡¯t belong.


    Colt slid past Jimmy, touching his shoulder and pushing him ever so lightly away. There was protesting from the healer, but the words didn¡¯t register. No, all that Colt saw below was the black veins hidden behind the smoke screen that was receding now. He saw all the tiny cuts he would make, each a delicate, precise twitch of his wrist.


    The knife tip went in; then the smoke tried to stop it.


    A tiny pull of his Edict made a precise line on his blade¡ªand like that, it severed the black fog, dispelling it with a single cut; then he went in, his mind somewhere else as his hand the work it needed to.


    One cut here, around the black vein, another cut there, each lined with a bit of his Edict. His authority. Removing tiny little incisions, and this time, not sending a wave of death to rip through Sarah as he worked. No. Though cutting was division, it could be so much more. A way to heal, to remove things that didn¡¯t belong.


    His understanding of what it meant, that it could be this kind of controlled and directed movement, kept circling, swirling in his head.


    One cut. Another. About ten, then the strain began to get to him.


    Everything had to be so controlled. So precise. With his Edict lining his blade, it was a delicate balance between the surgical cuts to her flesh and stopping it from extending forward and slicing her in half. Each little slice needed focus, reigning it in for the precise movement.


    Twenty.


    Thirty. For each stroke, a careful twist of his wrist cut around the black lines near the wound. Beneath, he saw the lines squirming, trying to flee.


    It knew what was happening. Whatever dark magic was in there didn¡¯t intend to be removed; it would take Sarah to the grave.


    Every cut was limiting its options, the Edict preventing it from moving forward, cornering it as he tore apart small bits of skin. Until¡­ There. It had nowhere to go.


    The final cut had more force to it, angled and controlled.


    Revealing a twisted, gnarled root beneath her skin.


    Colt grabbed it and yanked it out in one swift movement, removing a weed from a garden. After three minutes of work, the black gnarled roots finally came free, torn from Sarah¡¯s wound. It squirmed in his hand, alive, twisting and searching like it was trying to find a new host to borrow into. And it very well might have been. A weird black parasite. Colt threw the roots on the ground and crushed them under his foot. It turned to smoke as he ground it on the kitchen floor, the corruption freed from his friend.


    Colt took in a deep breath; his core expanded.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    Your understanding of the Edict Cut has evolved. Cut (Minor) has become Cut (Lesser)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Jimmy got to work, darting in and pressing his healing light on Sarah, who was pale and gasping. Within seconds of the healing magic taking effect, she looked better. Blood flushed her skin, and she walked back from death¡¯s door.


    Colt ran a hand through his hair.


    He felt the Edict there, deep in his chest. Thinking of these things as strings to be wound and plucked was wrong.


    It was a commandment. It was a fundamental force in this world, and his understanding of it changed the world around him. Much more than a simple string that tied the universe together. He¡¯d gotten a glimpse of it and what it meant. He felt like he¡¯d just seen a fragment of what this Edict truly represented, the tip of an iceberg.


    Colt looked down at his hand and saw it shaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good now,¡± Jimmy said, his voice cutting in. ¡°She¡¯s on the mend.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Colt confirmed and shook out his hand. Everything was fine. For some reason, though, he felt like he¡¯d been wrung out inside, stretched in a way he wasn¡¯t prepared for. Oh well.


    It had worked.


    That left a couple of things; he had to track down Bill. He wanted to explore where the Kobolds came from, and then there was the matter of Logan and Nate wandering in the dungeon. Logan would eventually bring Nate to the ¡®medieval alley. '' Two birds with one stone, then. ¡°I¡¯m going to go back out there. When I do, I want you to lock the door and shove enough kitchen equipment against it that a rhino couldn¡¯t knock it open.¡±


    Colt started walking to the door, ignoring Jimmy¡¯s protests.


    ¡°When you hear a knock like this¡ª¡° Colt gave the door three taps, the third waiting a full second before hitting it again, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s me and Nate. So let us in.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    This wasn¡¯t time for a debate, and he wasn¡¯t interested in it either. Nate was also in danger out there. It might be a while before Bill could present a threat again, but if he got in contact with Logan¡­


    It wouldn¡¯t happen.


    Colt was out the door and back into the dungeon.


    ###


    Jimmy shoved a table against the door. Then he thought about it and shoved another table. Then he remembered Bill and how many levels he had on them... and shoved another table.


    Then he shoved a prep station.


    It still didn¡¯t feel like enough.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Jimmy said loudly to no one since Sarah was still passed out behind him after getting stabbed.


    After stacking up enough stuff to block the door so that he felt reasonably sure nobody would get through, he went over to his stuff and found his vape.


    It still had enough juice in it. Since he¡¯d be stuck here, who knew how long¡­ It¡¯d been a good idea to hit it only when he needed it. And right now, looking at Sarah face down in a puddle of blood was enough to do it. Yeah. Jimmy was gonna get high.


    He hit the pen; the smoke tasted good.


    It took the edge off.


    ¡°Crazy, man, they¡¯re all crazy.¡± From everything he remembered, Colt was a quiet one. Chef¡¯s newest target. It¡¯d happened dozens of times. Chef hired a guy. Chef yelled at the guy and then made them quit. Jimmy¡¯d been working here since he was fifteen¡ªand Chef tried the same shtick with him.


    Only Jimmy pretended not to hear, and when it got too much, he just walked away and smoked.


    Donny didn¡¯t fire people. It was too easy.


    But apparently, Colt was more than the chef reckoned for since he hung on month after month and couldn¡¯t get the guy to quit.


    Somewhere hidden underneath was steel.


    After the world fell apart, more and more of that steel shone through; he¡¯d heard Bill whisper about it. How annoyed he was when Colt looked over. How he thought he was better than them. Jimmy didn¡¯t see that.


    Jimmy took another hit.


    When he looked at Colt, he saw someone willing to do what it took to keep everyone safe. Concerned with himself, sure, but also everyone else.


    A lot better than Bill. That guy was scary.


    ¡°Jimmy? What happened? I think¡­¡± Sarah mumbled.


    Jimmy took another puff, then walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t move. You got stabbed in the back. Here, want a hit?¡±


    Sarah gave him a disgusted look that said, ¡°Really? God, when I threw those points into endurance, I didn¡¯t think¡­¡±


    Jimmy shrugged, then pocketed his pen. More for him. If she was going to turn him down¡­ Although¡­ ¡°What else are we going to do? We¡¯re locked in here until Colt comes back.¡±


    ¡°Until Colt comes back? Where did he go? Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, he left after taking that nasty parasite out of you. Y¡¯know, after saving you from getting stabbed.¡±


    ¡°Nasty parasite?!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, a lot happened. Sure you don¡¯t want a hit?¡±


    ###


    Colt reached the alleyway just in time. Nate and Logan were picking through the corpses, confused. Logan especially had an expression on his face. Those brows scrunched up as they walked by the kobold bodies. It was funny, almost. It looked like the guy was constipated.


    ¡°Looking for something?¡± Colt asked as he walked up.


    Nate cocked his head. But when Logan¡¯s eyes met his, Logan knew he knew.


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Sarah?¡± Nate tried to connect the dots but got a feel for this. The grip on his bat tightened. He was with it.


    ¡°What¡¯d you do with Bill?¡±


    ¡°Took his arm off after he stabbed Sarah. Sorry, your guy¡¯s plan didn¡¯t work out.¡± Colt cracked his neck as he saw Logan¡¯s face settle. Things were simple with this guy. Refreshingly so. Make him angry, and he¡¯d smash.


    No tip-toeing on polite society. No playing with social dynamics and manipulating others in the kitchen.


    Sure enough, Logan¡¯s face turned red, and he resorted to smashing. It was inevitable he would explode. One of those big meaty fists caught Nate on the side of the head¡ªtoo close to the detonation point¡ªbut Nate wasn¡¯t oblivious. He rolled with the punch spinning even as he spat out blood from the hit.


    Colt summoned his knife, then flung it, hitting Logan in the back of the knee. The big guy buckled but then stood, his muscles like steel.


    With a frown, Colt vanished away his knife and started to close the distance, watching as Nate took a swing with his bat; it smacked right into Logan¡¯s head, but the big guy didn¡¯t budge. His veins grew deeper and blacker, and he swung another clumsy fist at Nate.


    This time, when he hit, it sent Nate flying. He crashed into the wall, and all the air went from his lungs, and he slumped to the ground.


    Colt winced but moved in¡ªslicing into one of Logan¡¯s legs, right at the tendon.


    It slid through, and he pulled and cut, but pushing through the dense foot was more than he¡¯d guessed it would be. Logan resisted, and it only got about halfway through the foot before he yanked it away, not even past the bone.


    Still, it was just about useless as Logan stamped down, trying to regain his balance.


    Logan flailed and caught Colt in the shoulder, jerking him back. A second meaty fist rocked into Colt¡¯s jaw, snapping it and making him see stars.


    Colt stumbled back and winced¡ªseeing Nate roll in from behind and smash the baseball bat against Logan¡¯s back. He staggered, but only just. What is he made out of, steel? Despite the level difference and cutting a damn tendon in his foot, Logan was going strong. They would win; it was two-versus one, and Colt had an Edict tucked away as his trump card, but he was worried about taking too many injuries.


    Logan managed to catch Nate¡¯s bat as he took another swing, yanking it out of the man¡¯s hand and tossing it down the hall. His skin was redder, and the black veins squirmed underneath.


    Some kind of buff from Bill?


    Taking him down through a million cuts wouldn¡¯t work. Logan was too big. Too strong.


    No, one precise move. That¡¯s what Colt needed.


    He rolled his shoulders and ducked into the fight¡ªnarrowly avoiding a cross-hook from above. Logan sent a follow-up fist toward his gut; Colt saw it coming and activated Phantom Step¡ªmoving through the fist and to the side, watching the meat hammer pass right through his guts and do no damage at all. His enemy let out a roar like a beast, but Colt was close.


    With one flick of his wrist, he sliced through the air. This time, though, he aimed. Right at Logan¡¯s neck. Even though they only had a few inches, he knew it might not move quickly enough. Instinctively, he grasped the Edict as the invisible line of death left the edge of his knife¡ªand condensed it. Stopped it from spreading outward in a wave.


    It stayed the same size, the exact width of his blade.


    And in the blink of an eye, it hit its target, tearing through half of Logan¡¯s throat.


    The big guy gasped¡ªblood spurted¡ªblack veins raced from his muscle towards his neck, spreading out of the wound as they tried to stitch together his body.


    But as Logan collapsed on the ground, they all knew the fight was over. All it took was the confirmation a second later as the light left Logan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡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


    Colt looked at the cooling body and then at Nate, who was working his jaw and spinning his head.


    Killing another person should have landed harder. And it might have if he¡¯d not known that Logan and Bill had already killed two of them in this dungeon. They¡¯d earned this result. This was the justice that Cindy and Donny deserved. If Colt had to be the hand that delivered it, then so be it. He¡¯d track Bill down, too, and pay him back for the damages he¡¯d wrought on them.


    ¡°It was all a setup for you guys,¡± Colt explained, knowing he owed it to the other man. Yet¡­ That doorway was still there¡ªand he saw it rustle, a kobold¡¯s eye peeking out. ¡°I¡¯ll explain, but first, we need to take a look at that.¡± He raised a finger to point as the door slammed shut.


    He suspected this was the secret to this dungeon they¡¯d all been looking for.

 Chapter 19: At Last

    Nate asked his questions, which Colt was happy to oblige as he went to the door. Yes, Sarah was now safe. No, he wasn¡¯t sure if they planned to kill Nate¡ªbut Sarah had been the target. It was easy to explain, yet Nate seemed to have some reservations about grasping just how far Bill had gone. The disbelief was like a root in his head; one of those dark strings of magic Bill wormed into every one, but he began to accept it.


    Colt inspected the door and tried it.


    Locked, now.


    The kobolds had been keeping this door locked¡­ That was why when he went around trying whatever entrance he could, he had no indication this door was off.


    That, and out of all the ¡®entries¡¯ leading off from the countless alleys, all of them had been locked. The couple he¡¯d broken into led to shells of rooms.


    Why would he suspect this door to be any different?


    Colt jangled the door, and it didn¡¯t budge. He took out his knife and aimed for the hinges. Then, he sliced delicately, letting that edge of his edict wrought tear through the metal. It resisted just as hard as Logan, making it more difficult to bite through. It took time to tear through the metal even condensed down as a smaller slice.


    Some things, he suspected, were just more dense and harder to cut.


    Still, after a few seconds, he tore through.


    All that was left was to do the same to the top hinge¡­


    Then, after a small push, the door collapsed inward, revealing a dark tunnel that went downward. All of the alleys stayed fairly level, now that Colt thought about it; sure, they might wind around and twist. But very rarely did you walk on a slope. This, though, undeniably, went below.


    Colt worked his jaw.


    ¡°Bill knows about this. I fought him here when he ran off. I¡¯m¡­ Going to take a look. You can head back to the kitchen. I¡¯ll show you the code to get in, too. Make sure Sarah and Jimmy are okay.¡±


    Nate shook his head. ¡°Naw, I¡¯m headed with you. If you say Bill can get in our heads, I don¡¯t want to run into him alone. Besides, it never hurts to have backup.¡±


    They shared a look, then Colt gave an appreciative nod.


    He had a lot of levels of Nate, but the man had helped with Logan, and he trusted him to have his back. With one last look at the pile of kobold corpses and Logan¡¯s not far by, he dove into the tunnel.


    It wound down like a little spiral descending under the earth. Parts of it were difficult to walk upright¡ªoften needing the two of them to duck their heads to avoid places where the tunnel narrowed. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the little creatures scurrying through here since it was just the right level to make it easy for them.


    After about five minutes of walking, the pathway split. Colt caught sight of a kobold, and a quick toss of his knife killed it before it could shout and cause more trouble.


    The deeper the dove, the thicker the air felt; it was oppressive, like a massive giant of earth breathing down their necks. Down here, they ran into more and more kobolds, always surprised, though the creatures were almost too easy to kill now. They just didn''t have the strength to compete with a bat to the head, a knife to the throat. That¡¯s all it took.


    Then, they started to come in thicker numbers.


    Colt broke out his Edict, slicing through waves of them. The tunnel funneled them forward, making it child¡¯s play to conquer.


    As they moved forward, cutting down the waves, thicker, bigger kobolds began to spill in¡ªarmed with more equipment than just claws. At this point, though, they weren¡¯t all that much more likely to kill. It took a bit longer for the wave his edict made to slice through them, but if any Kobolds slipped past while he sent out the killing line, Nate was there with his bat to end them. The soldier was just playing a much more bloody game of whack-a-mole.


    They dove deeper, killing through waves of kobolds.


    The more Edict slashes Colt threw around, the more winded he became, the strain on his soul deepening.


    ¡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


    After the latest level-up, Colt brought them to a halt. He¡¯d managed to hold on to nine stat points; now was the time to spend them.


    Five went into the soul, and Colt felt immediate relief; the strain on his core vanished as the points were dispersed.


    Two went into strength, and the last two went into endurance.


    It was enough to give him a second wind when combined with around three minutes of rest. Nate stood quietly by, rubbing at his eyes. The big guy was coated with kobold blood, but he hadn¡¯t had much to say other than warnings and directions.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Part of Colt wasn¡¯t even sure he was still with him¡ªhis mind had gone somewhere else. Only grunting affirmations.


    It was another grunt when Colt told him it was time to go.


    They sunk into a rhythm as they moved deeper. Nate fell into the role of the face, able to tank hit better and respond to a sudden influx of kobolds. Colt darted in and dealt damage when needed.


    It was simple. But effective.


    Soon, they worked their way down the tunnels¡ªjust simple dirt tunnels, as if these kobolds dug them by hand, nearly like an ant colony.


    Until the tunnels opened wide into a deep chamber.


    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be boss room,¡± Colt said, and it was obvious it was. Kobolds milled about, hundreds of them. If he had to guess, that made for the rest of the kobolds in the entire dungeon; that and the fact there was a pile of stolen crap down that there made it look close to a hoarder¡¯s house.


    When he focused and looked¡ªhe could see a kobold, about a foot taller than the rest, with a large round body and a crown of junk on its head.


    They¡¯d finally found it.


    Nate let out a low whistle.


    ¡°We go back for Sarah and Jimmy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. They¡¯re looking out for one another since Bill¡¯s running loose¡ªI don¡¯t think Bill will be in any state to mess with them for a while since I took his arm off. I think¡­ This is the best shot we have at this, even down two people. I think we can handle it.¡± Colt cracked his knuckles and squinted at the king.


    From here, it wasn¡¯t possible to Inspect it. Distance was a factor he hadn¡¯t considered, so for now, the level of the boss was a mystery. It just¡­ It didn¡¯t seem intimidating. Not in the same way Jack did. Appearances could be deceptive, and Colt kept that in mind.


    Jack had been overwhelming, but he¡¯d made the boss retreat. Later, Bill managed to kill it.


    Now, with Nate? They could trust in themselves.


    They pulled back, deeper into the tunnel leading to the cavern, and talked about their approach. Walking out into the large crowd of kobolds was dangerous, and they didn¡¯t want to sustain too many injuries before tackling the main boss. Being in such a large and open environment just left too many risks, so they adapted their tactics.


    Nate would remain the shield. He was slow yet study and could fend off the tunnel at an appropriate distance inside.


    Colt would pull the kobolds into the tunnel, where they could better handle the numbers with his cut.


    He felt that he had about five good ones left. After the second wind and through practice, it was easier to grasp how many he could throw out before needing time to recover.


    Enough to handle this was careful planning and approach.


    After their discussion, Nate saluted him and hunkered down in position, leaving the main risk and pulling the trigger on Colt.


    Colt slowly went back out into the tunnel and took one last look into the cavern.


    The King Kobold was busy slapping another kobold¡ªwhile a crowd of them mocked and jeered. A very civilized society, and oddly, familiar to the kitchen he¡¯d originally come from.


    Seeing all he needed, he stepped forward and threw his knife a good thirty feet into the nearest kobold¡ªthe hit wasn¡¯t precise, and grazed it instead of sinking in for a death blow. But it was enough to catch the monster¡¯s attention and alert it to the fact that their cavern now had an intruder.


    It screamed out bloody murder, pointing at him. The King stopped taunting his victim and met eyes with Colt. He had a viscous grin, banged a fist on its chest, and began to scream, pointing at the human who dared to enter their territory.


    Like that, the war began.


    Colt kept his position as the first couple of kobolds came up; his knife easily outsped them on its return.


    When the first one arrived, he slammed it into their neck and shoved them into the second¡ªwhich he ended by throwing his knife again and landing it directly into their eye. Two dead in two seconds. The third went to a couple of chest stabs; then, the group truly began to hit. Four at a time.


    Now, Colt played defensive, killing a kobold as he retreated further, pulling back quickly and leaving no openings. Whittling down whatever he could.


    Each foot he retreated was another kobold corpse.


    By the time he reached the tunnel and Nate, there was a trail of dead bodies, and they were a bit more hesitant to fight.


    Colt fell into the flow once more, working the kobolds as they came in the same dispassionate way he felt about cutting chicken; whenever the swarm surged, he would lash out with a cut, sending a line of invisible death through their ranks and clearing the tunnel for more to spill in.


    Four waves passed, and the strain on his soul deepened. Two more uses of his Edict, which he could not afford to spare on the chaff.


    Nate was starting to pant, too, but the kobolds kept coming. Crawling over the bodies of their allies to attack, no matter how many hearts he stabbed into, there was always another kobold or two ready to jump into its spot to kill it.


    Without his Edict, it was a matter of physics. He could only move so fast, and that was fast¡ªbeyond what a human should be capable of, killing these things. But he had only one knife. One body.


    They were a tsunami and an overwhelming wall of flesh and blood that kept surging forward, trying to drown them and bring them to the brink of exhaustion.


    Sloppy. Nate started to get sloppy first¡ªreceiving a gash to his head from a kobold that tried to bite into his skull. Then another whacked a little wrench against his shin. Not enough to break the dense bone beneath, but Colt saw how Nate was moving that the injury hurt and slowed him. To his credit, Nate didn¡¯t complain. He was facing the majority of them down, wearing the kobold tide.


    But it was a losing battle.


    Colt swore¡ªthe Kobolds were dense. Their laughter and war cries drown out all reason in the tunnel. This had to be more than he saw in the cavern.


    ¡°I¡¯m going ahead,¡± Colt called as he saw an ebb in the flow. Soon, there would be another tide of kobolds to slay. But he was fast. Could move faster than these monsters could track. Paired with Phantom Step, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. ¡°I¡¯ll see how many are left.¡±


    Nate grunted as he smashed a straggler kobold in the skull.


    Colt took that to mean ¡®understood,¡¯ then dashed forward, spinning past a couple of grasping kobolds as he moved ahead.


    Some of them chased him. But weaving, ducking, and phasing out of existence past the tide of enemies was easy enough with his advanced dexterity and sheer levels he had over these things. They seemed to him to move almost in slow motion when he focused on moving.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Colt poked his head out and saw the cavern again.


    Three seconds after that, as he watched King Kobold bash another kobold in the head and four more kobolds popped out of his scepter, did he realize their plan was fucked¡ªthis boss was spawning more enemies. An endless amount of them.

 Chapter 20: Kobolds Krazy

    Colt closed the distance between him and the boss, rapidly firing off his inspection. Still nothing. The thick kobold swarm around the boss closed¡ªmaking a barrier of small furry flesh that was too many for a single knife to easily slice through. Any time he started to get too close to the boss, the kobolds got in the way, and the big guy, catching his eye, began to spam out as many kobolds as he could in rapid order, bapping them like it was going out of style.


    More and more.


    There could be only one solution. Colt sunk to knee level¡ªand Cut. An arc of death tore forward, splitting the kobolds at the knees. One, two, then five went down in front of him as they suddenly stumbled into the invisible edge of his knife.


    It was almost like a tripwire.


    If the trip wire had an infinitely sharp edge, there were gouts of blood, screaming, as the kobolds in front of him fell to the ground. Not quite dead, but certainly no longer in the fight.


    Colt stepped forward, feeling the slowly expanding ripple of the blade move forward¡ªshoving the kobolds splayed out of the ground out of his way so he could step.


    More.


    It cut through several more as it expanded¡ªstretching to the limits of what his Soul could manage. Each kobold that it slid through, exacting just a bit more out of him. Testing the strength of the invisible edge. He winced as the connection to him pulled, rapidly nearing the limits of his soul.


    If he¡¯d been more rested, hadn¡¯t already spammed out his edict so many times today¡­


    No.


    Colt ignored the feeling, straining even further as he took several more steps¡ªignoring the kobolds rushing him as he got closer to the boss. They were like angry bees, pissed that he was getting so close to the hive. But he could see the big bad boss right now. Hitting an unconscious kobold in the head again and again¡ªblood pouring from the wound.


    He smacked too hard and broke into the skull¡ªthank yanked one of the clones in front of him and began to hit that instead.


    The edge of his invisible blade wavered as another ten kobolds lost their feet. Some of the little menaces started to get wise and tried to leap over the line of death, which made Colt have to multi-task, working with his knife on any of the stragglers that got too close while he rode the wave towards the boss.


    Just as he felt it sputter out, he reached it. About fifty feet away.


    Inspect worked.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Kiltus, ¡®King Kobold.¡¯ The III - Level 32 (Boss)


    Description: An overweight and overgrown Kobold, Kiltus had always been the opposite of the runt in his litter. Over the course of his life, he didn¡¯t follow the typical path. No, Kiltus found out that it was easier to get others to do things for you than to do things for yourself. A revelation that many Kobolds fail to have in their life.


    Using this revelation, Kiltus came across a particular and rare magic¡ªthe ability to duplicate¡ªand then began to cycle of Kobolds. Never again did he have to lift a finger; no, all he had to do was bash more Kobolds out of Kobolds until he got everything he wanted.


    Little did he know that the more mouths you have to feed, the more problems you have. And in a place like the Endless Alleys, more people mean more problems.


    To clear the Endless Alleys, King Kobold must be slain.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Duplicate [Epic] - Level 16: This skill allows the duplication of others. Note that overduplication results in the degradation of intelligence and civility in affected creatures.


    Kings Aura [Rare] - Level 7: This Skill allows the user to impart a feeling of respect to creatures of a similar race and gives them an inherent bonus to leadership and direction.


    Consume [Uncommon] - Level 8: This skill allows the user to consume nearby corpses or meat of the recently deceased to regenerate their own physical form.


    Arcane Magic [Uncommon] - Level 12: This skill allows the user to cast a variety of arcane spells based on knowledge and expertise.


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    King Kiltus garbled something and waved his staff towards Colt; the big guy was quivering, his jowls howling as he no doubt commanded his army to attack and to keep attacking. Not that the orders had stopped Colt¡¯s advance so far.


    But the numbers had thinned. Throwing themselves at him like animals into a line of death without any restraint had left a gap in their numbers.


    Colt locked in.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The next kobold that dived at him, he leaped over, straining his muscles¡ªwhen he landed, another of the monsters was on him, biting at his ankle.


    A quick slash to its face was enough to get it to withdraw. He twisted around the reach claw of another, jabbing it under the armpit before shoving forward. An unavoidable one came right for him, leaping at his face.


    Colt uses the Phantom step, and the monster sailed through him as he phased out of reality.


    Step by step, he moved forward, closing the distance between him and the King.


    A tide of inevitable death. Fifty feet became forty, and forty became thirty. The King¡¯s panic increased; sweat ran down his chubby ruffles as he moved and bashed more kobolds, straining whatever magic it took to duplicate them.


    Yet Colt kept coming, Inevitable.


    Thirty became twenty, and the wave of Kobolds around him were little more than tiny roadblocks. They died, or he simply walked through them.


    He began to understand what this class was about and what an Edict was.


    It was a law. An immutable thing that happened when commanded. As an Edict Carver, he was the same, immutable, etching into reality what he willed. He was no longer someone to kick around, nor did he sit beneath petty tyrants like King Kobold. What he willed would happen. And with this power he earned, he would see justice wrought.


    First, this boss.


    Then Bill.


    And then whatever else this damned reality threw at him,


    Colt broke through the last shell¡ªthe Kobolds were still stumbling around him, but they had kept a respectful distance from their King as he duplicated more and more of them. The result was that there was a good ten feet around him that they failed to enter, and as Colt breached this outer shell, he finally got his first clear angle at the boss.


    Not a second was wasted. As soon as he saw the line, he threw. His knife soared through the air and then slammed into the King¡¯s throat¡ªthe big blob gurgled, slamming a meaty paw on the new wound.


    Then, unexpectedly, he bit down into the nearest new kobold clone, tearing out a meaty chunk with his jagged teeth and slurping it down.


    He removed his hand from the new wound, it healing.


    Consume in action once more. A grotesque skill. He wondered how often this guy made a diet of his followers.


    The knife reappeared in Colt¡¯s hand, and he dove forward, leaping over another kobold to put him face-to-face with the King¡ªhis first course of action was to kill the Kobold around them, slicing the barely-living one the King had been using to spam out clones.


    Next, he began to work the king. Testing him with a knife slash.


    The big guy blubbered, and a magic shell appeared between them, a pale purple membrane made of glistening squares stacked together.


    His knife rebounded, and the boss gurgled and laughed beneath his shield. Then, a spiral of purple energy shattered the shell and slammed into Colt, spinning into his body like the head of a drill. Blood whipped out of him, but the spell broke against his skin, digging in but not spearing through.


    Colt grimaced, hurt but happy not to have a hole through him.


    In trade, he lashed out with his knife again, trying to carve out his pound of flesh for the pound he¡¯d given.


    It slicked through the air and splashed against the arcane shell again, showering him with purple sparks that stung his hand.


    The big guy laughed, safe in his perfect bubble.


    Fine.


    Colt went in harder¡ªfaster¡ªhis knife knicking and darting, a barrage of steel that slammed into the arcane shell, testing its limits. The King backed up a step; a stray kobold died as the rebounded knife cut through it, but Colt didn¡¯t stop, testing, teasing.


    There were no cracks. The boss¡¯s face grew more concentrated under the directed assault, but there were no signs that things were going his way.


    He would deal a lot of damage if he could get through, maybe enough to kill this guy. After the first knife throw, he had the impression that, like all kobolds, the King was vulnerable.


    Colt threw out his last Edict with his next trash¡ªthe invisible edge of the blade crashed into the shield. And it held it at bay; just like all the numerous cuts, it slammed into the barrier with a storm of sparks.


    But this was different.


    The fat kobold stepped back, eyes wide as his dingy crown fell off his head. Colt¡¯s soul strained, like a hand reached into his heart and yanked it in a vice grip. Trying to stop him, screaming that this was the limit. The knife edge ahead held on, a small tether facing against an impenetrable shield.


    One had to give.


    Colt snarled and slashed¡ªhis spectral knife smashing into the barrier where the invisible edge crashed against it.


    It shattered like glass, and the next slash through the shimmering broken barrier took the King in the arm. The blade slid through the fat and meat like butter, and Colt stepped forward, cutting again.


    It was like cutting chicken. Exactly so. Each cut split the King; another bolt of arcane energy spiraled into Colt¡¯s shoulder, but he didn¡¯t even feel it. No, another cut. Another part of the king divided¡ªslicing right through the shoulder muscle so the enemy¡¯s arm was useless; another dice in his ribs, spilling guts.


    Another Arcane bolt came for Colt. This one he phased out of with a Phantom step. It put his knife into the perfect position to stab through the hand that the arcane bolt came from. Desperate, the King tried to lurch towards another kobold, his jaws extended to take a bite, no doubt trying to use his Consume ability. Colt shoved him back and finished his work.


    Once past the shell, the boss was easy; he just had a lot of shell to get past.


    Colt took his knife out of the boss as the King slid to the ground.


    The rest of the kobolds stared at him after the body dropped. Then they ran.


    ¡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!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 3 Stat points to spend. You have gained 1 point of Dexterity and 1 point of Soul!


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) has gained a level!


    Dungeon Alert: King Kobold has been defeated


    Congratulations!


    All mandatory bosses have been slain. The exit has been opened. You have completed the tutorial. Welcome to the real world.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt took a deep breath and collapsed on the ground, happy he didn¡¯t have to clean up. Happy this nightmare was almost over with.

 Chapter 21: Rising Star

    Nate grabbed him after about half an hour. The guy was significantly more bruised and supported some more open wounds¡ªclasping him on the shoulder and helping him back up. ¡°I knew you could do it, you crazy bastard.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, but we¡¯re not done,¡± Colt began, rubbing his temples. His head split and his soul had a mighty ache, but he¡¯d be fine. Better than fine. ¡°Just a couple of things left to do. Let¡¯s get back to the others.¡±


    Most of the dungeon was mapped out. He suspected the door would end up being something much like this. Only now, open. It meant they¡¯d have to try a bunch of different doors. Given the timeline, though, all they had to do was find the needle in a haystack.


    Nate gave a grunt of acknowledgment, and the two of them beat it out of the boss room. Walking past the kobold corpses gave Colt a brief insight into how far he¡¯d come. Right now, the pile of bodies there¡­ Felt right. These monsters had tried to kill him and his friends, and he had turned it right back around on them. They¡¯d earned this fate.


    He¡¯d just been the hand to deliver the justice.


    They went on in silence through the deep, spanning network of dirt tunnels the Kobolds had called home until they finally reached the surface.


    It was a somber trip back to the kitchen, with Nate doing the majority of the playing lookout. Given how tired Colt felt after expending just about everything he had, it was a welcome reprieve. With a quick knock using the code, Jimmy let them in.


    It just took a minute for Jimmy to move the crap load of furniture piled against the door. Once they got in, Colt took a careful look at Sarah. Despite being stabbed, Sarah looked a lot better. Fully recovered.


    Jimmy sat down and applied his healing powers to Colt; the white light felt like a soothing balm. Almost like Aloe Vera on sunburned skin just¡­ All over his body. The ache in his muscles eased, the wounds that hadn¡¯t already closed up on the trip back scabbed over and then healed. While Jimmy did his work, Nate told the story of what happened, at least the bits that happened after Sarah got stabbed and rushed back to the kitchen.


    Healing was incredibly powerful.


    Which just meant that either Jimmy had to tag along for a while, or more preferably, Colt found some skill or magic to work healing on himself.


    Of course, he went to Nate next¡ªand then¡­


    ¡°Holy shit, we did it! You did it, man!¡± Jimmy slammed a hand on his back with a cheer, a little tear coming out of his eye, ¡°I really thought we were going to die in here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not out yet, but nice job, guys,¡± Sarah said, rubbing at her back, right where the knife went in.


    ¡°Bill isn¡¯t getting away with it,¡± Colt promised.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect him to. If I see him, I¡¯m paying him back. I¡¯d expect anyone else to do the same, right? That¡­ Murderer.¡±


    Nate grunted and nodded, and Jimmy looked on quietly, not willing to say much, not that he needed to. One look at his face said everything. He wanted out and couldn¡¯t care less about what Bill did other than staying away. It was¡­. Well, it was Jimmy. He was afraid to go into the dungeon, so it made sense.


    After everyone was healed up and felt confident in the barricade, things began to relax. There were cheers. Nate went and cooked a meal with the best food they had, putting aside the remainder of their rations. There was a general understanding.


    Together, they¡¯d conquered the dungeon. Any kobolds left would be trivial. Bill was somewhere, sure, but the last fight had gotten Nate to level 20¡ªplenty enough for him and Sarah to be fine if they encountered him. A couple of days, and he would get desperate and weak anyway. Without food out there, he wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Colt would search for him tomorrow, trying to finish the job and pay him back for what he did to Cindy. And, to a lesser extent, Donny.


    They agreed with the plan. There wasn¡¯t any police to call, nowhere to file a murder away. No. The reality was that if nobody made Bill pay, he got away with it. And having him out there loose while they prowled around for the exit made them too nervous.


    This was, in a way, the best option. Colt¡¯s simmering rage at seeing him backstab Sarah was all the fuel he needed to carry through with what needed to be done.


    After talking over the plan, the spirit was enthused. Good food, good company. As the night wore on, Jimmy brought out his weed to share. Colt chose not to take any, wanting to keep his mind clear and focused in case Bill decided to try anything that night. Sarah and Nate were more than eager to share, puffing and passing the little pen around. In the absence of alcohol, it made sense. There was a lot to celebrate. With Colt¡¯s investigation, he told them they would definitely be able to find the door out before their food ran low.


    Freedom was within spitting distance.


    As the night wound down, his coworkers hit the hay after making a second batch of food, this time geared more toward deserts.


    Which left Colt alone, staring at the door and assigning out the points he¡¯d accumulated from his levels. Six of them. All of them went right into his Soul.


    The truth was, as he replayed today''s fights in his mind, only a few things had let him survive and win. First was that Skill Phantom Step; it¡¯d allowed him to maneuver and surprise his enemies, but it was only really effective because of the Dexterity he¡¯d gained. Superhuman reflexes and speed did a lot. But they didn¡¯t do everything. They wouldn¡¯t have gotten him past the defenses of the big Kobold.


    But there was an issue with that. Force.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The Edict was his force. His way of pushing through defenses and doing damage.


    Colt closed his eyes and let his mind slip away. His focus centered on his breath, the way his chest rose and fell. Once he was centered, he replayed the fighting in his head.


    In his mind, he was there again. Moving through the kobolds, his body twisting and phasing in and out. A constant source of movement and speed as he flowed through the crowd to get to the King.


    It was like an athlete studying a tape of their game, trying to find any mistakes to put them on that next level. Meditation could be used for that if he let it, replaying every use of Cut; were some unnecessary? Having only one left when he met the boss, had been too close.


    But as he replayed the fight, he saw nothing wrong with his offense. Other than getting stronger with the Edict, there was little else to add.


    Colt circled back on the Edict, but it was like trying to climb a wall with no hand-holds. The difference now, after gaining a Lesser understanding, was night and day; he got what it was to cut. His Soul understood it, but as he tried to climb that wall to hit the next level, he slipped and fell. It was like he couldn¡¯t see what it was or feel what the next true way to advance was.


    Other than to use it. To practice it. To observe it.


    He sighed and circled back around, returning to the center of his breath, the cycle of his meditation.


    At least two hours had passed in silence, and the meditation had gone nowhere.


    He replayed the fight again, this time with the understanding that his cuts were close to being the most efficient they could be. Power-wise, it would rise with time.


    No, the issue was that his body didn¡¯t move right. Awkward pauses and gaps in the fight¡¯s flow had been the biggest loss and caused him the most issues. He needed to react without thought, for his body to move and flow to react with the tides of the battle. If it were a sea, he needed to swim in the movement and chaos of limbs and lead it wherever it needed to be.


    Colt felt something there, tugging at his soul.


    He fished at the memory, prodding it under the scope of his soul.


    And there was something there, an understanding of the battle. A force at play he was aware of yet couldn¡¯t name. It felt¡­ ancient.


    Colt shivered, his Soul lurching as his mind scoured the scene again, trying to break down everything that had happened¡ªtrying to see how it all connected, how the battle flowed.


    Flowed.


    That was the crux of it all, wasn¡¯t it? They were like water; the movement of it all was a rushing river coursing through the battle. Every movement had a reaction. In order to cut, he had to move his arm and slash. It all boiled down to movement. Moving. All of it stemmed from the same fundamental concept. Without movement, there would be no life. Without movement, there would be no fighting. Without movement, there would never be a cut.


    It was there in that understanding, a deep, ancient thing¡ªan Edict that underlined everything he could picture, something with far more weight than Cut. Colt understood then. Not all of these Edicts were equal. Not all of them had the same sphere of influence.


    He felt it. His soul brushed up against the ancient beast and tried to withdraw, to forget it existed; it wanted to turn a blind eye instead of wrestling with it.


    No.


    Colt forced himself to confront it and reached out a hand to the Edict.


    It snapped back; he felt a dreadful tearing in his chest as his soul withered and screamed; the Edict smashed into him with the weight of itself¡ªaccepting him and forcing its might into someone dumb enough to try to welcome it through the door. In a way, it was like trying to shove an elephant into a tiny home. His poor soul had just started to build itself up and was in no way the right size to tackle something of this magnitude.


    Colt¡¯s head hit the side of the floor as his heart slammed into his chest, losing his balance.


    He¡¯d touched the Edict, and it knew him back.


    It wrapped around him, encompassing him. Pressing its understanding into his head. All of life was movement; to be still was to be dead. It was life, it was energy, and it was power¡ªand now¡ªnow¡ª


    Colt screamed, hands going to his eyes.


    But it was too late.


    He and the Edict had bonded together.


    The pain grappled at his chest¡ªdimly, Colt was aware of Jimmy coming up and trying to heal him, but it didn¡¯t help. He felt shattered inside, torn to shreds, the grasp on his physical body falling to land purchase with the aftershocks of what his soul just grappled with.


    Where was he? Who was he?


    A thousand little lies circled, webs to get caught in. About who he was. What he was doing was the endless alley. Ways to grasp onto a self-constructed identity, but they were flimsy little webs. Not anything that could last, and definitely not a place to anchor his soul back down.


    He felt it around him, the void. A place for this destroyed soul to go. The danger with Edicts is that one could stumble onto something to be. You had to be careful about what laws you made part of you¡ªhere in the void, it was easier to understand that concept. That all concepts had a weight to them.


    If there was nothing firm to tender him down¡­


    But wasn¡¯t there?


    He¡¯d seen a man try to murder a coworker. A guy who, if he didn¡¯t step in, would walk away with what he¡¯d done. He couldn¡¯t lie and say she was a friend; despite all the fighting, he still didn¡¯t think of any of them as friends.


    But that sense of needing to pay the dirtbag back. For how he¡¯d treated him, for what he¡¯d done¡ªthat was a force that was powerful enough to center on.


    Colt grasped it. Not a wispy fake thread of lies¡ªno, this was a chain.


    He wouldn¡¯t let people like that get away with whatever they wanted. Not anymore. He¡¯d watched awful people get away with what they wanted his whole life. His mother. His brother¡ªno.


    Colt was going to end it.


    Justice had to be earned, and he would take this Edict and use it.


    Inch by inch, he grasped the chain back to his body. Pulling himself along it, it came with pain. It¡¯d be easier to let go and drift to the void. To let the heavy burden of this ancient edict escape back into the nether where it came. He wouldn¡¯t be the first one to drift away with it. And it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    No.


    The pain was temporary.


    Colt kept dragging, getting closer. The sounds of Jimmy talking to him¡ªNate and Sarah talking in the background came into focus.


    With a burst, Colt yanked one last time and yelled.


    His eyes flashed open, and a notification flooded his vision.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    Edict Gained: Movement (Minor)


    You¡¯ve achieved a minor understanding of this ancient principle to reality. This is¡­ Well, quite frankly, shocking. You should be dead! This is a weighty law that is a major component, in fact, with quite a few realms of influence. You¡¯ve reached an understanding of this principle and can now interact with it. Not all Edicts are equal, and this one is one hell of an Edict.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 22: Bills to Pay

    The stream of notifications swirled in his eyes without meaning as Colt lay on the kitchen floor. The words were there. The ones describing his new edict, sure, were there. In that, they existed. What they meant, or their implications, were long forgotten.


    His head felt like someone had taken an ice cream scoop, jammed it straight through his skull, and then started jiggling it around in his brain jelly.


    He lay there for god knew how long; there was movement around him. Someone put towels under his head to raise it¡ªsomeone gave him water and tried to get him to eat. But his body didn¡¯t cooperate. His Soul was flickering in his chest and trying to find itself again. Not lost, like before, but settling in. There was a new weight to it. The reeling comprehension of his new soul.


    For a long while, he lay there. Too conked out of his head to understand what was happening. Too out of it to feel.


    The first thing Colt began to understand was the smell of french toast. Syrupy sweet, roasted toasted with egg¡ªthe smell and hunger it brought were the first things he¡¯d felt in a long while.


    French toast was his salvation.


    Colt began to feel his fingers again¡ªsomehow brought himself back up.


    Jimmy gasped as he moved.


    ¡°Holy shit, man, we thought you had a stroke.¡±


    Colt stared at him with empty eyes, his nose leading the way; Nate was over at the stove, working a pan. He could see the flickers of the fire.


    There.


    Nate flipped one of them with a spatula.


    ¡°Please,¡± Colt said, his stomach rumbling, the words heavy in his mouth. But with every bit of focus on the damn French Toast, the more he came back to himself. Jimmy looked between Colt and Nate, let out a barking laugh, then ran over¡ªstealing a couple of pieces of the toast from a plate near the cook, pouring some syrup on it, and then rushing back over.


    It was gone in ten seconds.


    Jimmy ran and got him another serving.


    Colt savored this one; every bite of the buttery toast with the sweet, simple syrup was like a bit of fluffy heaven. It wasn¡¯t anything special. The syrup had to have just been sugar, cinnamon, and other spices he couldn¡¯t name. If you served this in a restaurant, the customer would complain. But to him, it was like a meal sent from the gods.


    Each bite brought more of him back and centered him again.


    By the end of the second plate, Colt had regained a sense of place and time. The gravity of what happened sunk in.


    Jimmy looked at him anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, thank you,¡± Colt said, setting his fork down.


    ¡°Dude, you collapsed and were comatose for a whole day. You are not alright.¡±


    Colt rubbed his eyes. And went over the merits of explaining what had even happened. Truth be told, he barely understood it himself. Scrolling his status sheet confirmed the last part of what he remembered.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Level: 28


    Edicts:


    Cut (Lesser)


    Movement (Minor)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He had a new Edict. A weighty one. He felt it lurking there, the desire to test it out. To see what ancient thread of this universe he¡¯d managed to steal away. But he resisted. God help him if it resulted in any kind of damage like Cut did.


    So he decided not to argue.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. No, I¡¯m not alright. But then, are any of us? We¡¯ve been stuck here for weeks. And we have a murderer loose outside. I¡¯ll be fine, not alright, so we can do what needs to be done and see this through.¡± Colt clarified.


    Jimmy stared at him for a long time after saying that, trying to come up with a response to make Colt feel better.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t get a chance to be helpful. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± Nate grunted, walking over with his own plateful of french toast. ¡°Sarah¡¯s been fired up since she¡¯s healed. Wanted to go out and find¡¯em. From the sound of it, you¡¯re ready to, too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Colt confirmed, then cracked his knuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡±


    Nate gave a slow nod and then dug into his food¡ªso did Sarah and, eventually, Jimmy. This time, they ate in silence, the heavy weight of their mission on their heads.


    This wasn¡¯t survival, not anymore. They¡¯d passed that. Before now, when they were heading out into the dungeon to level, the conversations were often lively and fun. It was a way to raise morale when it seemed like they were on the edge of danger. The feel here was different.


    Forks were gripped a little too tight. Eyes kept meeting, and contact breaking. And above all, there were no laughter and jokes. No. Just silence.


    Silence, after all, is often a prelude to an execution.


    ###


    Colt led the way for the group through the tunnels; Nate and Sarah at his back. Jimmy had opted to stay back in the kitchen. Someone had to lock it down from the inside and stop Bill from blowing his way in and robbing them of food.


    Though they had killed the boss, finding the exit would still take time; that time was easily measured in meals.


    There would be no more risks.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    With Colt at the lead, they tracked through the elaborate networks of alleyways¡ªtheir eyes always peeled. Though no one had any kind of extra skill for gathering information, there was very limited space to hide in the alleys; unless Bill ducked into a room and was resting, he had to be out here, desperately trying doors. Racing against the clock of hunger.


    Sarah and Nate tried doors as they explored, deciding to knock out two birds with one stone.


    All the while, Colt felt outward, trying to sense anything, to get a whiff of where Bill might be hiding out in those black shadows¡ªthey walked a long circuitous route, checking back in the kitchen after eight hours of searching, then went back out.


    In the second scan of the dungeon, they happened upon the place Colt had taken his quest, right back to the stage where the mysterious ghostly instruments had played their song.


    And in the next second, Colt stepped back into the octagon of gothic Victorian architecture when a black shadow swooped in from behind¡ªColt dodged forward, twisting. His knife came to his hand as he turned to face the surprise attack, only to see a black wall of shadow twisting there.


    ¡°Colt!¡± Nate yelled from the other side. ¡°We can¡¯t get through! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Colt confirmed, turning, his eyes scanning the octagon. There was a person on the pavilion, red eyes shining down at him. He could see Bill''s shining teeth, catching the bright white light from the moon above and reflecting them downward. A manic grin. ¡°Stay back. Bill is here. It¡¯s some kind of trap.¡±


    Bill only grinned wider.


    He clearly thought he had the upper hand, having separated their strongest fighter from the rest. But that wasn¡¯t true at all. Colt didn¡¯t need Sarah or Nate¡ªif anything, this was better. He¡¯d rather it just be him and Bill. They were too much of a risk of getting hurt in the crossfire. Now, he could let loose.


    ¡°Colt,¡± Bill said. ¡°I¡¯m going to rip you to shreds.¡±


    ¡°With one arm? Please, show me.¡± Colt snorted, twirling his knife in his hand.


    Bill jumped down from the pavilion, a hatchet in his one remaining hand. There was a dark shadow following him, coupled with the red eyes; something had happened to the guy in the day after getting his hand chopped off.


    Colt fired off an inspect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Bill Glass | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: The Ripper | Class: Corrupter (II) [Rare]


    Level: 24


    This is a basic human who has chosen to tread the path of the Ripper and has advanced in the class of a Corrupter. This class is known for its ability to leech and corrupt others for their own benefit and, at higher degrees of skill, leech their own life force to empower themselves.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Leech [Uncommon] - Level 14


    Hide Skill [Uncommon] - Level 3


    Corruptive Influence [Rare] - Level 10


    Shadow Mastery [Rare] - Level 7


    Curse Magic [Rare] - Level 10


    Edicts:


    Shadow (minor)


    Inspect (Basic) has gained a level! This skill has advanced to Inspect (Intermediate)! As this is now at the (Intermediate) level, it can overcome basic obscuration.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The information barely filed away in Colt¡¯s mind before Bill charged¡ªno doubt given a clue he¡¯d just been inspected by the Hide Skill. A hell of a collection of skills, most of which he¡¯d grinded up to a high level; how the man had managed it was a mystery. Maybe there was more to the leech skill than inspected. Maybe it had to do with that Icon of his.


    It confirmed everything Colt needed. Bill was a monster, and it would end here.


    Bill came in a flood of shadow¡ªblack mist whipped around him as if it were a second coat; tendrils of it reached at Colt, grasping at him with little shadowy hands that spelled nothing good if they touched. So Colt didn¡¯t let it touch.


    Colt sliced vertically with his knife, sending out a wave of an invisible blade right at his enemy, testing if he might end the fight in a single cut.


    The second it met the shadowy aura around Bill, the guy ducked aside, dodging it. Interestingly, the little bits of shadow Colt managed to cut through vanished away into the void they came from; Bill let out a laugh.


    ¡°That trick won¡¯t work on me anymore. My shadows let me see your skill before you can land with it. Don¡¯t bother. Just put your knife down and give up easy¡ªIf you give up, I¡¯ll let the others go without hurting a hair on their heads.¡±


    Colt ignored him and whipped another invisible blade at him. This, too, Bill managed to dodge. So Colt threw another, then one more for good measure.


    To his credit, Bill was nimble, darting around and managing to avoid the cuts. When he couldn¡¯t, the shadow would flare for a second, acting as a shield and buying Bill enough time to get out of the way. It made quite the conundrum as more and more of the thick shadow poured off him¡ªessentially hiding everything about Bill aside from the white smile of his grin and the red eyes that flared outward like little searchlights from the darkness beneath.


    ¡°Die!¡± Bill boomed¡ªand the shadows whipped forward, the little tiny black hands reaching outward, trying to grab and corrupt.


    Colt pulled back; the mid-range of the shadows spinning at him prevented him from getting close.


    Those little grasping hands promised to sink their crooked black little fingernails into his skin, to rip his flesh from his muscle and turn him into a pile of walking meat.


    Colt focused¡ªthe invisible edge of his blade extended outward from the knife, coating it, but not pushing forward into a wave of death. With it condensing on the edge, his knife easily cleaved through the shadows; he kept the danger at bay. Every attempt to rend him to shreds was, in turn, cut to ribbons.


    But it was a stalemate; his knife could only work so quickly, and the hands were coming at him left and right, searching for any gaps that they could slide into and touch him. They would eventually. The coating on his knife could only last so long, could only do so much before he ran out of the energy to power it; even though these shadows were tied to a lesser edict, they were numerous.


    The idea of relating a skill to an Edict was new, but as he faced it down, that was undoubtedly what was happening here.


    Combined, the two were taken to another tier.


    One of the hands got through¡ªtearing into his face. Another got his leg. As the black shadow touched him, they dug in, little bits of black in his skin, burning as they burrowed. Like little parasites. The skin and muscles around them began to ache and scream, and Colt slowed. The pain was too much.


    With the scales tipping, Colt began to use his Phantom step¡ªletting an attack or two pass through.


    But more hands were spawning. More shadow swirling as Bill cackled in front of him, in the throes of his power.


    Hopeless. As he was, it was a losing battle.


    But Colt wasn¡¯t going to let it end that way.


    He saw the threads beneath the fight moving around, keenly aware of the momentum and flow of the battle. As his own momentum began to slow, burdened by the heavy weight of the Edict of shadow digging its way through his flesh. The ancient threads that tugged at everything happening around him.


    Colt grit his teeth, and grasped his new Edict for the first time. Movement.


    And then, he tugged the thread.


    The world shifted¡ªslowed; time itself was a crawl. The several spiraling arms of shadow that wanted to end him moved at a snail¡¯s pace. He could feel it; every second, there was a strain on his core, yanking at his body. His soul wielded something much too large. It was like lifting a weight way too big for you¡ªyour arm barely held together, your back screaming, and the shakes of your muscles as they threatened to tear and let go at any second.


    Colt didn¡¯t waste it. He slid forward, cleared the distance between him and Bill, then cut.


    A wave of death slid forward, moving at his pace, wrapped in the Edict of movement as he moved. It slid through the shadow; he felt a flare of panic as Bill tried to condense his shadows. But it was far, far, too slow.


    The wave cleared the shadows, split them like a sea.


    And then, it split right through Bill¡¯s neck.


    Colt let his grip on the Edict go¡ªtime returned to normal, and he collapsed to the ground, breath coming ragged, sweat pouring fast and loose; he groaned, clutching at his chest.


    Bill was dead.


    ¡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* has gained a level!


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* has gained a level!


    Your class has advanced to Edict Carver (II), please check Class Screen in order to evolve.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 23: Edict Carved

    Bill¡¯s death was celebrated with all the food they could cook¡ªhits from whatever was left of Jimmy¡¯s vape and generally talking trash about his behavior as a co-worker. It was not really an elegant way to celebrate what had been essentially an execution.


    But damn, was it fun.


    Colt buzzed with the inebriation, with the joy of his coworkers for their survival. This was it, then, the home stretch, and they would be out of the dungeon. After tonight they would go into the dungeon and spread out like spiders weaving a web¡ªdocumenting and testing doors. Marking on Colt¡¯s map(now taped to the inside of the kitchen doorway) which alleyways they had thoroughly checked. A methodological and inevitable method to find the exit.


    Any danger here was too far below their levels to worry about.


    In a complete and utter sense, they¡¯d won.


    So Colt let himself ride the wave of emotion through the kitchen. He danced with Sarah as Jimmy found a mix tape and shoved it in an old stereo¡ªhe shared a smoke with Nate just outside in the alleyway for old-time sake. He relaxed with Jimmy, who¡¯d had the decency to patch him up after the last stand with Bill.


    They kept going until they were all fat, full, and tired.


    Then, when they settled down for the night, they settled with the promise in their heart that this experience would soon be over.


    As Colt settled his head down on the pile of towels he called a pillow. He couldn¡¯t help but think about the things that had gone unsaid during their little get-together. The after. After they went and opened the exit to the dungeon, what then? Hopefully they¡¯d all end up back on earth¡ªthat¡¯s what most of them wanted. A return to the normalcy that made up how they¡¯d grown and lived before now.


    People were creatures of habit, and they hated change.


    But Colt¡­


    No, he didn¡¯t hope for that, couldn¡¯t hope for that.


    What did he want to be past that doorway?


    His answer, he suspected, was much different from everyone elses. And also, he thought, more likely then everyone else to have his wish granted.


    As everyone slipped off to bed, he finally went to address the last notification he¡¯d gotten. After killing Bill and getting experience¡ªa dark secret he¡¯d kept from everyone else¡ªColt hadn¡¯t taken the time to see what the system meant when it said, ¡®please check class screen to evolve.¡¯ He¡¯d been a little too busy being dragged back to Jimmy and trying to survive.


    Now, though, with everyone else nodded off, it was the perfect time to check his Status and deal with the new evolution.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: [Empty] | Class: Edict Carver (II)


    (PLEASE ENTER CLASS INFORMATION SCREEN FOR EVOLUTION)


    Level: 28


    Edicts:


    Cut (Lesser)


    Movement (Minor)


    Skills:


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) - Level 10


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) - Level 12


    *Meditate* (Basic) - Level 9


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) - Level 7


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) - Level 6


    Hide Status (Basic) - Level 4


    Mental Resistance (Basic) - Level 2


    Stats:


    Strength: 24


    Endurance: 37


    Dexterity: 61


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 15


    Soul: 51


    Unassigned Stat Points: 3


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt took it in. Reveling in the differences he¡¯d seen so far¡ªthen, he assigned out the remaining Stat Points. Tossing all three into endurance. A nice even forty would make a good base. It seemed that there wasn¡¯t a major concern with anything becoming too unbalanced; the dexterity lent itself to some incredible speed, and as he leveled even further, higher Soul would amount to better use of his Edicts.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That was eventual.


    Now, though, came the part he¡¯d most anticipated. Mentally, Colt navigated to the class screen of the menu.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Edict Carver (I) has advanced to Edict Carver (II)


    At this rank of Edict Carver, you¡¯ve taken the first steps on the path to understanding and developing this class. It will be a hard future ahead, yet the rewards are worthwhile. Please see the details below:


    ¡ª


    Class Perk:


    Soul Etched (basic): Your Soul will be etched with basic pathways for Edicts to channel through, granting an increased capacity to wield and withstand the use of higher-level edicts.


    Increased Soul Capacity: 10%


    Additionally, the following three Skills are available to pick between to add to your Core Skills. You may only choose one, and levels added to this skill will advance your Class as with any other additional Core Skills. Pick carefully.


    ¡ª


    Possible Skills:


    Skill: Mental Resistance [Uncommon] -> Soul And Mind Fortitude [Rare]


    Description: This skill would replace Mental Resistance with the superior Skill of Soul and Body Fortitude. Like Mental Resistance, this skill allows the user to resist or mitigate mental and emotional effects pushed onto it by other skills. It also allows the Soul to undergo a similar ability to wall and shield itself against outside influences. Moreover, this Skill additionally provides an increased ability to withstand Soul and Mental strain.


    This option is available due to the possession of the Mental Resistance skill.


    ¡ª


    Skill: Soul Knife Manifestation [Uncommon]


    Description: Never be without a knife. This skill allows the conjuration of a knife from the soul, whose strength and cutting power advance with use of this skill. The knife can be shaped and manipulated with later advancements in this skill. Further advancement can result in the manifestation of multiple Soul Knifes.


    ¡ª


    Skill: Etch [Rare]


    Description: This skill allows the user to ¡®etch¡¯ soul pictures onto surfaces. It allows the storage of memories and visions that can be experienced again through meditation with the object with a soul etch on it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt read through the options three times, weighing the possibilities in his head. At first glance, Soul Knife Manifestation seemed the most useless. With the loot he¡¯d obtained from his quest, it was essentially the same thing. He might be able to use both. Later levels there were key. How much did the ability to customize the knife come into play? And what possibilities would lie in the power of the Knife itself if it got stronger? His gut told him there was a resonance with the Cut edict there. Despite the [Uncommon] tag that skill might be a strong pick.


    Etch was the weirdest of them, and he couldn¡¯t figure out its merits. It felt, in a way, similar to meditation and would pair with that. He had a general feeling it might lead to more Edict advancements.


    But in his heart, he knew the option he¡¯d go with.


    Colt selected Soul And Mind Fortitude.


    Paired with the new Class Perk, this skill would drastically enhance his combat potential¡ªthe Edict Movement was amazing, even in its lesser form. The skill and that perk had a synergy that would make it viable to leverage his biggest and newest weapon more often. And later, when it was stronger, it would help him handle the weight of that Edict.


    For survival and for his future potential, it was the best option.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained Skill: Soul And Mind Fortitude [Rare] (Basic)


    This Skill has replaced Mental Resistance [Uncommon] (Basic), you have started this skill at the same level.


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) - Level 2


    ¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It went on to repeat the same information as above during the skill selection. With that precious work done, Colt could finally exit out of his menus and call it a night. All of his effort paid off, and he sat in about an ideal place as he could be.


    Now, all they had to do was find the door.


    ###


    Compared to everything else, combing the dungeon and testing doors was the easiest task yet. With four people each day, they covered hundreds of doors, taking it at a relaxed pace. It wasn¡¯t long before they found the door¡ªJimmy was the one who found it originally, tucked deep in one of the branched alleyways of the dungeon.


    The doors there were whimsical, with more colors than was appropriate and twisted shapes and sizes. The door, however, was an oval thing with a bright blue wooden exterior and a weird misshapen tear-drop top, which might qualify as a pretty normal door if they were in a Dr. Seus book.


    The inside of the door, however, gave away the fact that this was the exit.


    Colt stared at the swirling mass of blue and silver within. The colors twirled around one another, in a child-like dance. Merging, breaking off, and rippling over the surface that could only be described as a portal.


    Like it came straight from a fantasy novel.


    He ran a hand through his hair as the rest of the kitchen sat nearby, staring at the gateway out of the dungeon like a lava lamp in a stoner¡¯s basement.


    ¡°This is it, then.¡± Nate gruffly said.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to lead back to Nashville, right¡ªlike this was all a dream?¡± Jimmy asked hopefully.


    Colt set a hand on the dishwasher¡¯s shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. He didn¡¯t want to say what he really thought, so he didn¡¯t.


    This dungeon, this endless alley, it was a beginning. Just the tip of an iceberg for whatever happened to their world. That much had sunk in as reality here, grinding away and killing kobolds, leveling and gaining stats¡ªa beginner dungeon, if this were a game.


    But it was more than a game; this was life now; this was a new reality and world.


    That portal could lead anywhere; it could lead to anything. But seeing it in the flesh, Colt felt a pull from his soul towards it. An innate understanding that he suspected the rest of them had. This was the exit from this dungeon. But there was no guarantee of just what it might look like on the other side. There was no promise that everyone else from their planet would come with them, save for the system. And to date, it hadn¡¯t lied.


    Somewhere out there would be his family. If they were still alive at all.


    He knew that when the Colt he was now found them, it would not be the person they remembered.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If it isn¡¯t, we all have each other¡¯s backs, right?¡± Sarah asked a little too sharply. All the betrayal and murder, losing half of their kitchen¡­ It had taken its toll on trust. After Bill died, they began to piece together the mental manipulation he¡¯d inflicted on them. Why none of them developed any kind of resistance to it, Colt didn¡¯t understand. Maybe it had something to do with Soul. Maybe his encounter with Jack.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Colt promised and meant it.


    As the strongest among them, he¡¯d give them that bit of safety.


    They were fine people after all.


    Those fine people all stared at the portal for another five minutes in silence.


    ¡°Who goes first?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°I will,¡± Colt answered, beating Nate to the punch. Then strode forward to do just that.

 Chapter 24: Tutorial Dungeons

    It was a day, like many others, most people living in Order would go about their days dutifully, training, resting¡ªor living their lives. Yet, this day wasn¡¯t quite the same as others for Rio. He¡¯d thrown on his finest black robes. Spent an hour pulling his hair back and ensuring he was presentable in every way down to the last detail. And that was just appearance.


    When he¡¯d double-checked his notes¡ªthose compiled by the Eighth Court Squad¡ªhe¡¯d done so in a meticulous and intense fashion. Which ignored the fact that he¡¯d poured through those notes over the last several days with both the Captain and the First Lieutenant as well.


    Everything had to be perfect.


    One couldn¡¯t present such vital information in front of every single Court Guard Captain and their first Lieutenants without going to such measured steps.


    The data, he was certain, was clean.


    Rio bowed his head as he reached the door to the meeting place¡ªa woman made of gold stared at him for a long moment, then went to the doorway. It was several times larger than himself, made of a thick ancient Spiritwood that had probably more mana running through it than most people would ever achieve in their lifetime.


    She pushed it open with a casual touch.


    Without the massive door, the inside was revealed. Arranged and seated on pillows on the floor were all ten captains. All ten lieutenants. The entirety of The King Above¡¯s court squads; enough firepower here to level several hundreds of world, personified in the most elite of the Force of Order.


    Rio cleared his throat. Waiting for his cue.


    ¡°You may enter.¡± Captain Ash¡ªhis captain, spoke.


    He stepped in, knowing better than to waste a single of their precious seconds if he could help it, and found himself once more in one of the most magnificent rooms of his life. The meeting area was grander than the entirety of the palace, which sat in the center of the prized city of Order.


    Every wall of this room was inlaid with soul jade, the living gem intermingling and meshed in the grain of the wooden engravings on each wall. Yet, there were only three walls. The back wall was taken down, opening straight into a scenic half-mile-wide courtyard¡ªthe Palace Garden, a lush place filled with the rarest plants gathered from across the entirety of reality.


    This place represented the height of two forms of beauty: natural and manufactured, and it¡¯d been made long ago to show that both could coincide.


    Rio almost stumbled as all of the Captains and First Lieutenants stared at him. No matter how many times he¡¯d done this, he¡¯d never get used to that feeling.


    ¡°Rio,¡± Captain Ash prodded him gently, twisting his long silvered hair and tilting his head, ¡°Please step before us and deliver the report.¡± Ash was, of course, the captain of the Eight Court and the head of the research and intelligence community for their prestigious Court Squads.


    Rio moved forward¡ª


    ¡°Fewer survivors than usual?¡± Mumbled a bald man; he had several dots on his head and sat with his hands connected beneath his robe sleeves. Captain Kon, head of the Fifth Court Squad.


    ¡°A continuing trend,¡± chimed in his lieutenant, a woman with short-cropped blond hair.


    ¡°Please. If we could all remain quiet while my Second Lieutenant delivers the data, then we can discuss trend lines further.¡± Captain Ash cut in, shooting the Fifth Court Squad members an unhappy look.


    ¡°Bah. He¡¯s just going to say what we know already. Same thing we¡¯ve heard the last several times. Subjecting the poor kid to keep delivering the same thing again and again every year is ridiculous. Unless we¡¯re gonna finally do something about the data instead of sitting here. With fewer entering the labyrinth and finding their way to us, we¡¯ll stagnant talent. Clearly this is intentional.¡± Kon continued.


    ¡°Quiet.¡± Uttered the massive shadow of a man in the back of the room; his voice shook the foundations. The Captain of Squad One.


    With that, Kon finally and gracelessly decided that it might be in his best interest to shut up. After all, it wasn¡¯t in your best interest to give the Captain of Squad One a reason to quarrel with you. He might just bury you in the ground. There were quite a few dead captains over the last thousand years who got on his wrong side. Rio cleared his throat, giving a respectful bow to both the Captain of Squad One¡ªand his own Captain then stood straighter.


    Just one last look at his paper to steady himself.


    ¡°Reports of the latest integration indicate an effective survival rate of thirty percent from the system¡¯s generated tutorial dungeon; assuming the data continues to trend this way for the current integration, given our models, that seems likely. The reason being, as we¡¯ve determined before based on supplementary divination, the ¡®Tutorial¡¯ dungeons generated by the system continue to range wildly in difficulty. Not all integrated are cut out for the full brunt of reality. Still, to go from seventy-five to thirty¡­¡± Rio paused, catching himself. ¡°¡­As we¡¯re all aware, this is the lowest rate we¡¯ve seen yet. The last five integrations have an effective rate of thirty-five to forty. As the Captain of the Fifth squad pointed out, the percentage of effective survival just keeps lowering. We¡¯ve compiled the trend and can deliver more observations about that.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°The worlds being integrated are getting weaker. That is all that we¡¯re seeing. It is nothing to concern ourselves with. One cannot expect strong crops from weak fields,¡± Captain Jiri said, with a sad shake of her head. The woman always had a way of scaring Rio. It was as if those verdant green eyes of hers could pierce into his soul and dig right through his skin like a knife.


    ¡°Previous integrations with such low survival rates are predicted to do the opposite. Might I remind you our historical data reveals that they tend to have better classes, levels, and skills after exiting these ¡®tutorial¡¯ dungeons.¡± Captain Ash replied.


    ¡°And where are all these promising new recruits with better classes, levels, and skills?¡± Jiri asked.


    At this, Ash turned quiet.


    None of the new integrations had broken through to the realm of Order yet. They hadn¡¯t had a chance to see these new survivors in person. To do so required them to conquer a boss monster of considerable challenge¡­ Normally. This was meant as a final test to the new world, to make sure they had a champion strong enough to connect them to the overall labyrinth and greater community before opening the floodgates. Yet another safety measure put in place by the system.


    The prevailing theory among Squad Eight was that this final monster in these new worlds was too strong.


    These ¡®effective survival rate¡¯ numbers were a beacon of hope but also misleading. Sure, thirty percent of a newly integrated world survived the tutorial dungeons¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean they would make it past the final challenge.


    No, it was an effective rate for the first step. A hopeful number of survivors.


    It might take years to open the door and fully connect the world to the labyrinth¡­ But, as Rio and Captain Ash feared, given the data in the last twenty years and a failure of any reality to take that next step¡­ The true survival rate was likely zero. Until proved otherwise by one of these concerning new worlds opening their final door.


    ¡°We¡¯re strong enough without new recruits. Better to tend towards the crops we have now and see them flourish and strengthen; new worlds have never been a priority of our business as the ten-court squads.¡± Jiri said, causally dismissing the likely deaths of billions of individuals.


    Rio stared at her.


    ¡°New blood is the life of any military organization.¡± Kon countered.


    And like that, the captains devolved into another arguing match. Rio was allowed to deliver the specifics of his report after Captain Ash stopped them once more.


    The data was grim, and as Rio recounted what he knew, he could only sit and wonder¡ªjust what was going wrong.


    Why was the system upping the difficulty, and killing so many? Was it in response to them? Was this Earth to fall into the same fate as the last twenty integrated worlds? Not a soul left alive after they¡¯d been dragged into greater reality?


    Rio went through the data and couldn¡¯t help but feel the sadness sink through him; it felt like a funeral for yet another billion. As he delivered the numbers, it was easy to forget. One life could be all the difference, and here they came, year after year, talking about so many snuffed out of existence.


    ###


    Colt entered the portal and found himself in some twisted version of Nashville. Or at least, a whole block of it¡ªbut yet, it wasn¡¯t only just downtown Nashville. Since there were far too many damn trees, too many plants, and too many rocks, it was like nature waged war on the city and attacked everywhere. It broke through the road, erupting into trees and piles of grass and vines. From where he popped into existence, he could even see a tree that had attacked a car, spearing right through it.


    There was a faint mist to the air, too¡ªcolder than it had been before. He could see frost in his breath, making him remember that one winter, his father took him up to Duluth on a road trip. Back then, there¡¯d been so much snow he could¡¯ve been buried in it; the air here felt like it was ready to run wild with the weather and bring a blizzard down on his head.


    Colt stepped forward, then heard a whoosh sound behind him, but it was just Nate. Appearing in the same exact way he had.


    The former army man took in the scene quietly, weapon in hand.


    Another couple of whooshes. Then Sarah and Jimmy were along for the ride, too. Though what remained of the dungeon they¡¯d been in was gone. No doorway on this side. It seemed the exit was a one-way street.


    ¡°Well. Guess we¡¯re back.¡± Jimmy said, stumbling around with wide eyes. ¡°Shit, you think my apartment is still somewhere? I have a stash there and some food¡ª¡°


    Nate gave the city a once-over. ¡°This isn¡¯t all of Nashville.¡± At least the parts they could see from where they¡¯d spawned.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°My car was parked in front of the restaurant¡ªwe¡¯re about five miles away. You can see the skyline of downtown, too. But if you look at that skyline, you¡¯ll see that some buildings are missing. So, this isn¡¯t all of Nashville. We head south, far enough from here, and we¡¯d find our restaurant. If it still exists.¡±


    Jimmy shook his head. ¡°How can you tell where south is?¡±


    ¡°Buildings, man.¡± Nate sighed.


    Colt saw a shuffle of something moving down the street¡ªhis knife came to his hand; he slipped into a fighting stance¡­ Only to see the shape of deer rushing through the overgrown street and into an alley.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place,¡± Colt said, his eyes running along all the different openings. Buildings, too. All of those tall skyscrapers that way could house any number of monsters. Or none at all.


    Colt checked his Status¡ªjust to be sure. And there it was, a full display of his levels, too. Though they had left the dungeon, the System still stuck around. Just like he¡¯d thought it would. And with that, there was sure to be danger.


    ¡°First order of business is to find a secure location, set up defenses, and gather food and water.¡± Nate pointed out, directing their attention. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk¡­ Be cautious and silent. We might stumble upon other people¡­ But that¡¯s by no means a reason why we should break stealth. There is no government, and we don¡¯t know how bad things are. We don¡¯t know who we can trust.¡±


    With those grim words of warning, Nate began to lead the way down the street, sticking close to the buildings.


    Colt followed, slow yet sure. A shadow to Nate. One whose knife was ready to take out anyone who threatened the kitchen crew.


    Nashville wasn¡¯t the same place they¡¯d left.

 Chapter 25: Guitars & Monsters

    Colt stared at the Hard Rock Cafe¡ªthe giant red electric guitar outside was a massive monument to the place; it made it iconic so that anyone would know what it was, as did most of these kitschy cafes. Even without the big white letters on the guitar spelling out exactly what it was¡­ This should be smack dab in the middle of downtown, right near the river. But here it was. Hardly a mile away from where they¡¯d appeared in the street. Most of the city was mixed and matched. Buildings where they shouldn¡¯t be, trapped in the middle of a forest¡­


    It was much the same but very, very different.


    Colt held up a hand as he stared at the cafe. Something was moving around the outside. ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Nate slipped forward and hunkered down next to him. The man was reliable, and Colt was very grateful to have him at his side.


    The shape came more into view¡ªa big bulbous creature, the size of a man but with a nose as big as a rock and grey-colored skin. It was also plain naked and had a big pot belly.


    At this distance, his Inspect didn¡¯t work.


    He watched the thing scratch its back and yawn.


    ¡°Monster.¡± Nate said, ¡°We¡¯re not out of the nightmare after all.¡±


    ¡°What kind¡ªmore Kobolds?¡± Sarah asked from behind, around the corner of the building. Nate and Colt had the higher levels. With dexterity being his specialty, Colt was the most natural lead to be a scout, but he lacked as many stealth and sneaking skills as Nate, who¡¯d learned in his time in the army.


    The guy had been taking the time to give him pointers, back in the Labrinyth with so much going on, and Colt going his own way for solo training and levels, they hadn¡¯t gotten the time.


    It seemed now that all the sneaking had paid off as they spotted the first thing besides wildlife.


    ¡°No, not a kobold. I need to sneak ahead and get a better look¡ªfigure out what level it is. Everyone duck behind here, and if it notices me, I¡¯ll lead it off in a different direction.¡± He¡¯d gone over the barest details of his edicts with the rest of the group. They needed to know more, and he¡¯d teach them once they had time to settle in somewhere. But they all knew by now he had something that would drastically increase his speed.


    With his class perk and his new skill, he was almost eager to wave that new big Edict around and see it in action.


    Nate put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Be very careful.¡±


    Colt gave a small nod, then stepped forward, keeping in mind Nate¡¯s advice: proper positioning and using the natural cover of the overgrowth nearby to keep himself concealed. Move quiet and smooth¡ªthat part was the easiest with his supernatural level of dexterity¡­ The bits about avoiding a visible silhouette¡­


    Step by step, he slunk closer to the monster.


    He kept firing off his Inspect every so often, aware now that if this thing had any kind of Hide Status skill, it might give him away and turn this into a fight.


    When he got within thirty feet of the thing, he got a much better idea of what it was. He¡¯d seen orcs in all sorts of fantasy stuff¡­ They had greenish skin, big jowls, and oversized teeth. This thing wasn¡¯t all that far from that. Pudgy, muddy-greyish skin instead of green¡ªand he made out the points of some tusks at this distance. It was currently looking around with a casual attitude and confidence that was troublesome.


    Inspect finally worked.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Orc Peon - Level 47


    Description: Just an Orc. A lowly Orc, but these things can cause some devastation in numbers, and they¡¯re quite a bit stronger than you might imagine. A single Orc could wreck a building without much difficulty. With their clan? Yeah, your depiction of this mighty warrior race doesn¡¯t do them justice. If you see one of these things mad? Don¡¯t even think about it. There¡¯s an old adage in the labyrinth: Where you see one Orc, expect several more nearby.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Orc Rage [Common] - Level 15


    Thick Skin [Common] - Level 12


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The Orc glanced in his direction, and Colt lowered himself even further into the bush. Slick and quiet as he did so, working his jaw as he calculated the level difference between him and this thing. Nineteen levels? It was a stretch. Even with a weighty Edict in his arsenal that would make this the biggest level gap of a fight he¡¯d get into.


    On the other hand, he had a healer nearby¡ªand two other teammates.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Colt waited for the monster to look away before turning back and sneaking closer to the building. Despite the high level, the Orc wasn¡¯t perceptive.


    He went over what he¡¯d found out, and the group was just as split as he was.


    ¡°We need levels, and we need to see how strong these things are¡ªif it¡¯s called a ¡®peon,¡¯ there¡¯s gotta be way more powerful things than this stumbling around,¡± Sarah argued as she crossed her arms. Though she didn¡¯t sound happy, she kept her voice down.


    ¡°Not worth the risk. We might find something with a lower level to tackle first. Or have time to make a more elaborate trap in order to give ourselves a greater advantage. But more important than that, right now, fighting an enemy isn¡¯t the priority. Shelter, food, and survival are.¡± Nate countered.


    ¡°Leveling is survival now. This thing is alone, and we can take it and net some levels between us. That will make exploring much safer.¡±


    It¡¯d been this way for the last minute. Colt had let the two of them go back and forth, seeing if either could help him make up his mind.


    The irrational part of him wanted to test out his new power. To see just how far he could punch above his level with all of the new synergistic powers. Just like Nate and Sarah it was at war with the more practical part of his brain.


    ¡°Why are there still monsters,¡± Jimmy shook in the corner, with disbelief and fear. Colt peeled away from Nate and Sarah fighting, patting the poor guy on the shoulder. ¡°I just want life to be normal, man.¡± He said after the gesture.


    ¡°Dunno if it ever will be again,¡± Colt said as Nate and Sarah looped their argument again.


    ¡°I just wonder where my mom is¡­¡±


    ¡°She from here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she lived about an hour away, I just wanna¡­ I dunno know, I wanna call her¡ªsee her again. Instead, we¡¯re sitting here arguing about fighting a damn Orc. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s okay? I got these damn healing powers, what good are they if they can¡¯t help the people I love?¡±


    ¡°You saved Sarah. Saved me. Out of everyone here, I think your ability to heal has the most potential for good in this new world. I don¡¯t know about your mom, but I¡¯ll help you find her once we get the chance.¡± Colt said and shook his head, ¡°But there might be more of these things in the way of that, y¡¯know? Things we don¡¯t even know are out there yet.¡±


    Jimmy didn¡¯t say anything to that; they didn¡¯t have time since Sarah and Nate came over to them and looked at the two with expectant eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking a vote,¡± Sarah announced. ¡°On whether or not to fight the Orc.¡±


    Colt shook his head and rolled his shoulders. What Jimmy said had made up his mind; he would help Jimmy find his mother, and he¡¯d help keep these people safe. He could at least adapt to this orc as the one with the highest level. That description made this creature seem like it might hit hard¡­


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re all okay with it, I¡¯ll be fighting this thing alone. I can run away if I need to, and I¡¯m quick. We don¡¯t know what being hit by something that can ¡®wreck a building¡¯ is like, and I don¡¯t intend to find out what that¡¯s like either.¡± Colt said.


    ¡°You want to fight it alone?¡± Sarah asked, almost insulted.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying we should use me as a test case. I can figure out just how strong this thing is, and there will be more around. After we see if this is possible, we can find a strategy to deal with them. The thing is, this is an enemy we don¡¯t have information on. If I can get it, it will be much safer to take this risk with everyone so everyone will also gain levels.¡±


    He was the scout and main damage dealer in their group. With Sarah and Nate stocking points into endurance and Strength, he was the most lopsided among them. And while a big buffer of endurance would be nice here, the simple fact they were much further below him made it more dangerous. As the one strongest in both raw levels and skills, this was a risk he could take but they likely shouldn¡¯t.


    Besides, Nate was right, too, in a way. They didn¡¯t need to fight this Orc to survive. But he wanted to. He also didn¡¯t want anyone else taking an unnecessary risk.


    He waited for Sarah to insist she come along. If she did, he¡¯d have to let her; anything else would be hypocritical.


    ¡°Fine. But if things get out of hand, I¡¯m jumping in.¡± Sarah said.


    Nate looked relieved but didn¡¯t add to her; simply gave Colt a nod. It was an understanding, as was the nod Colt gave back. If something did go wrong, he didn¡¯t want help. He¡¯d lead the monster away and would expect them to pull back. This was a risk and a test.


    Not only was experience at play for grabs here, but it was also a way for Colt to figure out the full extent of what he¡¯d gained.


    With one last look at them and a promise to stay safe, Colt ducked around the corner¡­


    Only to see that the Orc was no longer in the same place it had been. No. The monster was leering up¡ªeyes locked on a building nearby.


    There was a person there; and as Colt watched, a bow made of pure light manifested in their hands, then an arrow about the size of an arm shot forward, crashing into the Orc¡ªbut it didn¡¯t kill it. The arrow was knocked aside as the Orc roared; then it rushed forward, crashing fist into the side of the building the person was on, sending cracks straight through the wall. One or two more hits, and they¡¯d be down on the ground with the monster.


    ¡°Someone is taking on the monster. Another person. I¡¯m getting involved,¡± Colt said loudly, knowing now was the time to end the subtlety. He¡¯d let the rest of them do what they wanted with that information, but the time for action had come.


    Colt summoned his knife, then rushed forward, the ground passing beneath his feet like a fast-flowing river, arriving right behind the Orc just in time as it smashed a second fist into the building.


    CRACK.


    A scream from whoever was on top of the little store as it started to go down.


    Colt stabbed into the back of the Orc¡¯s neck¡­ And it went nowhere. The skin was thick, hard, less like leather, and like some kind of fleshy metal.


    The Orc half turned and growled at him, taking a lazy swing.


    Avoiding that was easy.


    Colt rolled his shoulders as he took in his new enemy¡ªthe building collapsing behind it. Hopefully, whoever was on top could sort out themselves because he had the distinct feeling that this fight was going to be a handful.


    ¡°YOU DIE!¡± The orc screamed, spit flying as its face went purple. ¡°HUMAN DIE!¡±

 Chapter 26: Orc Around

    The Orc tried to make him die, like it said it would¡ªit charged and then tried to body-check Colt with a shoulder. A simple phantom step brought him right through the monster as it did. The Orc crashed through some rubble. It didn¡¯t trip over the litter of rocks as one would expect, but rather, it tore right into them and broke the small boulders and pieces of the wall into even smaller pieces of wall.


    Colt turned and pulled on his edict, coating his knife with cut as he went in on the Orc¡ªstabbing right into the spine where its most vital spot should be.


    The knife tip sunk in, coated with the ultra-sharpness of an edict.


    But it was like pushing the weapon through heavy-duty steel, about an inch deep, with as much force as he could muster. Then the Orc was turning, making Colt pull back.


    He stared down at the phantom knife and the orange blood coating it.


    Yeah, this guy was going to be tough to take down.


    The Orc slammed a fist against its chest, nostrils flared. Prepared for yet another charge¡ªwhen an arrow made out of light slammed into its chest, making it reel back and fall onto its backside.


    ¡°Get it!¡± Yelled a stranger.


    Colt didn¡¯t waste the chance, diving in and doubling down on his cut edict, focusing on the sharpness of the blade. This close to the spectral steel, he felt the resonant hum of his thread. He wrapped the edict around the weapon, layering it, and then struck at the Orc¡¯s knife.


    It cleaved through the skin, spilling blood, but it stopped there. A war of will between the steel flesh of this monster and his Soul. There wasn¡¯t a doubt in Colt¡¯s mind that he would win and slice this Orc into itty-bitty pieces, but the limiter on that was time. It was too resistant for one clean and decisive strike. And he felt something there, a shadow of some other Edict, pushing against him and resisting his ability to cut. His soul felt it counteracting the influence of his blade, a minor Edict, maybe? Enough when combined with the skill to present a challenge.


    Colt was forced to pull away as the Orc pawed at his arm, almost catching his wrist. If this thing got a hold on him¡­ he¡¯d be gone.


    Another arrow of light slammed into the monster¡¯s hand, yanking it away. The force was enough to knock the appendage but not enough to get through its skin. There wasn¡¯t a hole in the chest from the other arrow, either. Unfortunately, the most those arrows could do was knock it around like a ball.


    ¡°Finish it already!¡± the voice called.


    Colt doubled down on his blade once more¡ªthe whole of his focus on weaving a network of the Cut thread, infusing the weapon¡¯s blade with the essence of cleaving, of division, of slicing¡ªas the strain of his soul wrapped over it, he came to an annoying conclusion.


    Even being able to layer this weapon with a finer edge than ever before wasn¡¯t substantial enough to finish the Orc.


    The edict was just too untrained, and the level difference was too great. He¡¯d get a deeper cut, but it wouldn¡¯t end the fight.


    Colt processed this. It took a single moment; then, he took the next second moment to form a better plan.


    That arrow had the force to knock the Orc back but not the penetrating power to go through the skin. Cutting¡­ Well, there was a component to cutting his edict that didn¡¯t cover it. It sharpened and carried the weight of cleaving things, but it seemed some materials were more sewn together by both the system and other opposing Edicts.


    But there was another part to a cut. A part that his Edict didn¡¯t have domain over.


    A very simple principle to cutting; anything moving fast enough could cut through another thing. There was a connection between Movement and Cut. One that made Cut far more effective.


    Jet-powered water could cut through steel¡ªa piece of straw moving fast enough could split a skull. If his knife moved quick enough, just what might it slice?


    Colt adapted his plan. He¡¯d wanted to test his new abilities, and what better way than this?


    With one half of his will, Colt held onto the layers of cut wrapped around his knife; with the other half of his will, Colt tugged at his other Edict. Movement.


    But it resisted. Touching the thing was like waking a giant, and the split focus didn¡¯t help as the Edict began to wake up and lumber around in his mind. Trying to direct it was easier but more complicated then he¡¯d expected. Colt could grasp at it better than the new Skill, but¡­


    Focus.


    Another arrow streaked forward at the Orc. Time slowed. Colt could see Sarah rushing across the street toward him, Nate at her heels.


    Colt¡¯s attention narrowed on the speed of the arrow. The way it tore through the air like a bullet. That kind of speed, combined with the sharpness on the edge of his blade. Colt felt how the world moved; watched as the arrow inched forward and then beneath it at the laws that allowed its movement.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then, he took that energy, stole the arrow¡¯s momentum, and jacked that same energy straight into his arm and hand.


    The Edict tore at him, the energies ran rampant, his fingers broke, and the skin flayed. Instantly, the law of movement was transferred sloppily into his own limb and weapon.


    In the blink of an eye, his knife and hand tore forward at the same speed as the arrow of light.


    When it stopped, the knife had made a clean hole in the Orc¡¯s head, leaving it twitching and dead below him.


    There was a second of silence, and then the backlash of his soul hit¡ªa soreness that radiated deep within. Colt set a hand to his chest and heaved a deep breath, sweat starting to pour from his forehead. He¡¯d done it. Both Edicts, at the same time, wrapped around and complimented one another. Turning his cut into a weapon that moved at such speeds that nothing he¡¯d seen would¡¯ve been able to stop it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Orc Peon - Level 47


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul!


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt¡¯s hand shook, the pain of it radiating outward. He looked down at the broken thing¡ªthe knife vanished away into his soul once more.


    His fingers were at all sorts of odd angles. The skin broke apart and curled like a hot dog splitting under too much heat.


    That had maybe been a bit too much.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± The voice came from behind; Colt turned as Sarah and Nate arrived. Jimmy must still be behind the building. All of them turned toward the stranger, who was now atop the rubble of the collapsed house they¡¯d been fighting on. ¡°That was¡­ Really damn fast. What is that skill? Bullet Fist¡ªor¡ª¡°


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a Skill,¡± Colt said, his body starting to shake from the pain. He suppressed it, and Sarah leaned closer, giving him a shoulder to lean on.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Nate asked. Thankfully taking charge of the situation so Colt could just focus on reining himself in. Even with the new skill and perk, wielding Movement was a challenge. Easier. Next time, he¡¯d try to use movement if he could get away with it. That part of stealing the momentum of the arrow. It¡¯d come to him in the moment, but he hadn¡¯t thought it possible.


    There was a lot to learn about that Edict, even at a minor level. And there was a synergy between it and Cut.


    Something to meditate on, when he got the chance to.


    ¡°Oh. Yeah. You lot look new; I think I¡¯d remember someone who can stab like that and everything. Crazy, man, to throw yourself at an Orc for a stranger. Appreciate it.¡± The man jumped off the rubble, getting a little closer. He had thick sideburns¡­ And a damn guitar on his back.


    Colt got a grip enough of himself to fire off an Inspect and figure out what they were dealing with.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Nicholas Fox  | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: [None] | Class: Light Archer (II) [Rare]


    Level: 36


    This is a basic human who hasn¡¯t found a distinct path to tread but has taken steps down the route of a Light Archer. This long-ranged class harnesses light as a source of ammunition in order to attack with a magical bow. At higher levels, this class can also provide support. This human has a history as a failed country musician, a dime a dozen in Nashville, but appears to be doing better now that there¡¯s less competition around.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Light Magic [Uncommon] - Level 13


    Bow Manifestation [Uncommon] - Level 15


    Solar Flare [Rare] - Level 8


    Edicts:


    Refract (minor)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Level 36?¡± Colt found himself saying out loud.


    Nicholas gave a wide smile, ¡°Yessir. Though the last level was on account of our fight right here. Thought I¡¯d try me one of those Orcs since this one was a straggler, just maybe they just might be a little out of my league. Least for now. Scouts keep saying there¡¯s somethin¡¯ right over there but never can get close enough. You walk towards the Cafe, and more Orcs start popping out.¡± Nicholas pointed over at the place. ¡°Best we can tell is they¡¯re coming from it. And coming more often.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°Ah. Yeah.¡± Nicholas scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile, ¡°Sorry, y¡¯all. Maybe we take it back from step one, yeah? Name¡¯s Nick. See, I think ya can tell that things went a bit haywire, and our city aint no city anymore y¡¯know? Well, I popped out of my ¡®first dungeon¡¯ after the first couple of days. Others too. Well¡¯n, we got together¡­ And thought, hey, this place is going to the gutter, and we¡¯re gonna need to band together¡ªwell¡­ Anyway, shoot, not too good with the explanations¡­ Y¡¯know, how about you lot just follow me back to New Nashville, and ya can talk to some folk who are a bit better with words? We got a couple of healers who can patch up his hand.¡±


    Nate raised an eyebrow and turned toward the rest of the group. Jimmy had appeared from behind the building and was rushing over to Colt¡­


    Colt raised and lowered his shoulders.


    New Nashville, huh?


    Considering he¡¯d expected a warzone of survivors like one of those zombie movies, people being reasonable and coming together to form a community was the last thing Colt would¡¯ve expected. Jimmy reached him and started to heal him.


    Colt¡¯s instinct was to stop him¡­ But then, Jimmy didn¡¯t have hide status. And even if he did, it wasn¡¯t advanced enough to hide something like his class.


    ¡°Or I guess not.¡± Nick raised an eyebrow as he watched Colt¡¯s hand start to Knit together. ¡°I have a feeling you folk might be popular in our new little town if ya wanna stick with us.¡±


    ¡°We will think about it,¡± Nate said, folding his arms.


    ¡°No pressure. But sticking together has saved a few of our hides. Saved mine. I don¡¯t even wanna go over the nightmare my dungeon was; you¡¯ll find that it¡¯s different for different folk. That thing aint have any consistency¡­ But yeah. You can ask¡¯em. Once you¡¯re done with the hand, should we get on getting on?¡±


    The group was generally in agreement. Colt let Nate take the lead as an interface between them and these new people. Once they got a sense of this ¡®New Nashville,¡¯ they could decide what to do¡ªall of them, he supposed.


    It felt like a spark of hope, one that he didn¡¯t dare keep in his mind.


    Nick went on talking to them as Jimmy worked, going over some of the issues they¡¯d been facing. Food was doable. With the levels and skills people got coming out of their dungeons, hunting down wildlife was easy. The real issue was the monsters. They were appearing more frequently, and the scouts were trying to figure out why. Their community hadn¡¯t been directly attacked by anything yet, but there was the fear there.


    If these things were increasing in frequency, it was a matter of time before the monsters tried to attack their ¡®little¡¯ community.


    Nick didn¡¯t give exact numbers, or rather, he tried but didn¡¯t have them in his head. Just kept repeating, ¡®Well, you¡¯ll see it all soon enough,¡¯ and Colt found himself eager to by the time Jimmy finished his work.


    Colt tightened and closed his fist at the end, marveling at the reformation of the flayed muscles and fingers. Jimmy¡¯s skill with healing had improved.


    God, what would that Skill look like in the future? Being a healer seemed overpowered, all things considered.


    With him patched up, the four of them followed after Nick headed to ¡°New Nashville¡±.

 Chapter 27: Dennys Dimmidale

    New Nashville; it was no longer a city. Not exactly in the conventional way that Colt was used to calling a city. For one, when Nick kept leading them closer and closer to the football stadium, he was quite confused, as were Nate and Sarah.


    If he had to choose a place to set up his base of operations, he¡¯d have chosen a building, maybe with some distance around it, for protection so you could see any kind of trouble coming up.


    The stadium had that. He had to give; if one walled off enough ways in, you could make enough chokepoints and secure places to consider it one big massive wall. It was a familiar place. Colt had been here four months ago for a concert, and as they slowly headed to it, more and more of that memory resurfaced. It¡¯d been a concert he¡¯d saved ages to see Journey, he and his old friend before the crazy dude took a bus to California and never returned. Now, seeing it with someone out near the fence and with a sword in their hand¡­  Weirdly, it looked a bit bigger than he remembered.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he have a gun?¡± Nate said as they approached. The guard waved.


    ¡°Guns? Naw, suppose you folk aint had the chance yet, but they flat out don¡¯t exist anymore. Gone. Finito. I had a couple of folks who found their homes and their gun''s safes just empty, as the things vanished away. Whatever happened, it¡¯s taken things away. Phones, too. Electric things have a damned time working too¡ªbreaking down. Can¡¯t find a single car that works. Trust me, we tried.¡±


    ¡°Strange.¡±


    ¡°Lots of strange things, don¡¯t you think? Just wait a sec, and you¡¯ll see more,¡± Nick gave a bit more of a grin and gestured for them to follow, and so they did¡­ Right past the guard, who gave him a small salute and through the network of the stadium¡¯s interior. There were the old metal detectors that security used to use; now, though, it was just another set of guards. Two guys who would¡¯ve looked more at home sitting at a bar than with a bat and with what looked to be a wizard staff at the front entrance.


    Colt ran an inspect on everyone he saw¡ªNick was at the highest level. The guards sat at 25, 20, and 27¡ªnone quite as strong as him, and if this were their security force, it must mean that in terms of an average level, he was pretty on track.


    He needed to do a little better, but given there were many days inside of the dungeon that he couldn¡¯t find much more than a single kobold, he figured he¡¯d done pretty well.


    As they made their way to the stadium, Colt got a notification.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Entering Claimed Territory!


    Faction: New Nashville


    Owner: Denny Rodgers


    Defenders in this faction will gain a 5% increase in damage and defensive actions while within claimed territory due to territory upgrades.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt blinked as he reread the quick system message. So apparently, territories were a thing¡ªthey conferred some kind of buff while in them?


    ¡°Who¡¯s Denny Rodgers?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°Ah. Denny. Used to be Nashville¡¯s Director of Human Resources, y¡¯know, before the collapse. Since he ran the government, does a pretty good job of running our new lil city. S¡¯okay. Keeps things going, I suppose,¡± Nick gave a small shake of his head.


    ¡°And the heck is a claimed territory?¡±


    ¡°Dunno. Not much known about just how. Couple people from his group say this used to be a dungeon. Not one of the ¡®tutorial¡¯ ones we popped out of. Denny and his boys came out on day one and found this place. Then, somehow, it spat out this, by the way they tell it.¡±


    Of course, there was more information to filter away. Nate, Sarah, and even Jimmy threw in a question or two more as they moved further into the stadium. They were curious about the city and its people. Nick was evasive about the details of the city itself, saying it was a surprise. But he was happy to share its functioning. They were divided into different groups; not everyone who made it out of the tutorial came out with a high level.


    These, he called, ¡®regular folk.¡¯ The kid, the elderly, the sort of people who found it hard to adjust to the reality of killing monsters and levels. They just wanted a semblance of peace and quiet. They¡¯d begun to find jobs already to do, started to open shops¡­ Common theme is that they didn¡¯t leave the city, didn¡¯t necessarily have a class that lent toward any combat skills, and that was fine. The charge of those who could handle the new reality was to take care of them and enjoy the services they could provide.


    The rest were lumped into ¡®scouts, guards, and others,¡¯ people who were adjusting, had higher levels and could handle themselves out there. Orcs were the only kind of monsters they¡¯d found prowling around, and there was an active search of Nashville to find survivors to join the city, as well as places for resources.


    He had only enough time to explain this; they reached the inner stadium.


    Colt¡¯s jaw dropped.


    It wasn¡¯t a football field anymore. The stadium was bigger than the last time he was here; now that he was inside, he was sure. Maybe about one and a half times the size?¡ªand right in the center of the green field was the start of a small town. Full-on buildings were plopped down, constructed differently than the rest of the city outside, but better built than could be reasonably expected in a couple of days.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The whole city had a kind of junk-yard vibe to it, though, since the materials weren¡¯t refined concrete, well-milled lumbar, or modern building materials.


    But it showed what this place was turning into.


    With hundreds of houses, tightly packed since nobody had to care about cars, it was developing into an organic network of hovels and houses. Some were better than others, packed tight in places. One of the buildings almost looked like a nice, well-endowed house, with a painted wooden exterior with some decoration. Near the city¡¯s outskirts, he could see people cooking and running stalls with food and clothes. Hundreds of people must live here based on the size alone, but there was still plenty of room for expansion.


    Near their tunnel exit was a wooden sign saying, ¡°Welcome to New Nashville!¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Colt said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°How¡¯s this possible?¡±


    ¡°Increased physical attributes. Also, now and then, city officials can spawn building resources through the system. Like a lot of stuff, they¡¯re tight-lipped on how, but hey, we take what we can get.¡±


    Nick stopped them on the outskirts of the football field just before they entered and cleared his throat.


    ¡°So folks, we¡¯re here. You¡¯re in about just as safe a place as we could¡ªI don¡¯t got much else for the rest of ya¡ªthe big white building you see, s¡¯called the ¡®white house,¡¯ y¡¯know, like America. We¡¯re a civilized lot¡ªthree big things to cover, real quick. First, if ya¡¯ll wanna stay, I gotta escort you over to the white house and you gotta register as citizens. Not saying you gotta stay, but¡­ I mean. It doesn¡¯t cost you nothing, just some information so the officials can track what¡¯s going on, and you can get a rundown on the laws. Expectations. Second¡ªthis one goes to you,¡± he pointed to Jimmy, ¡°Healers have a mandatory draft if you wanna be a citizen. Lots of work. You got skills the people need, so if you¡¯re gonna stay, you¡¯ve got a lotta responsibility on your shoulders.¡±


    Jimmy gulped. For the most part, the guy seemed overwhelmed with it all, even from the moment they left the tutorial. This news that the only safe place he could stay in Nashville so far had ties with it probably wasn¡¯t welcome.


    Still, the kid seemed a natural for tending to people.


    Colt nudged him and nodded, ¡°If it bugs you, man, we don¡¯t have to stay.¡±


    Nick smiled at that, ¡°that was my third one. If¡¯n any of those two points bug you, y¡¯all are welcome to turn right around with me, and I¡¯ll escort you out. Ya can think about it, come back anytime you like, and tell a guard you¡¯re here to join us. Pretty simple. We aint trying to take away nobody¡¯s freedom, since we¡¯re still the land of the free. So, what do ya¡¯ll say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Sarah confirmed with a fold of her arms.


    Nate waited, thought it over, and then nodded his head, too. Two for four.


    Jimmy wrestled with it and looked at Colt before, at last, giving an ¡°okay.¡±


    ¡°That makes all of us then. Mind leading us in?¡± Colt asked, and Nick did just that.


    As they entered the city, they all got the inevitable looks from people on the street that anyone new would get. He felt the sensation of someone firing off an Inspect on him a dozen times.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hide Status (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Not a surprising course of events, given this was the most he¡¯d ever been inspected at once.


    He didn¡¯t feel the need to use his back; instead, he focused on the small town and its people. Places had a certain feel to them, and that, more than anything, is what he wanted to learn about New Nashville.


    Nashville had a charm, from the music everywhere to the vibe of the culture always surrounding oneself, tied to a sort of artistic and homey feel.


    New Nashville, in contrast, was like a stripped-down, bare-bones version of real Nashville. They didn¡¯t have as much as the city¡¯s ruins outside the stadium. But people had already set up food stalls¡ªhe heard at least two people strumming a guitar as they walked along the street. Despite the harsh nature of the situation, most people here likely didn¡¯t know what had happened to their family yet. Still, people cooperated. He is a man lifting a heavy bag of flour for a grandma¡ªa kid getting lessons on how to swing a stick on the corner from a woman.


    It still had the music and the community, even if they were confined to the walls of this football stadium to keep out the monsters that prowled in the ruins of their old lives.


    New Nashville had a spark to it, a spark of reformation and a certain creativity that, in another light, Colt saw as the ability to adapt.


    These people might make it with the right set of hands in their numbers.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the White House. One could see it from almost anywhere in the city¡ªthe tallest building and one of the few with paint on it.


    Outside were several people strapped up with weapons. Bats, axes, swords, and one guy even had a bat with nails in it. A weird mix of medieval weaponry and things you¡¯d find on the street. All it took was a quick word from Nick and a couple of nods for them to get through the door; the inside of it was all business. A person at the front desk who Nick told his business to, which was enough to get the lady there all she needed to handle them.


    Nick bid his farewells, and then the four of them were made to wait; five minutes later, Jimmy was taken first for ¡®paperwork.¡¯ Due to his priority status as a healer.


    The rest of them weren¡¯t in any particular order. After Jimmy came out, Nate went in. Then Sarah went in. But it took another fifteen minutes from when Sarah came back before someone came down and let Colt know it was his turn to go. Waiting had made him antsy. In fact, the longer he was in this ¡®white house,¡¯ the more he felt the need to head back outside. This kind of stiff administration was far too much like the life he¡¯d left behind.


    For some folks, it would be a comfort. But after the dungeon, he had no intent to settle back into a normal life of working his life away.


    After calling his name, the lady running the front desk brought him up fours level, and let him into a big room with a fat mahogany desk and a good view of the city outside. Behind the pretty impressive desk was a thin man with a well-taken care of mustache and a cowboy hat.


    ¡°Heya Mr. King, I was told a bit about you. So I told¡¯em to bring you right up to my desk. Name¡¯s Denny, and I run this little place. Pleasure to meet ya. Now, I¡¯ll shoot from the hip. I¡¯ve got a special project lining up that, from the sounds of the stories your friends told, you might just be the person for¡­¡±

 Chapter 28: Throneweaver

    What is the first thing a person should do when offered a ¡®special job¡¯ by a complete stranger? Especially if said stranger runs a new government on the backs of a broken and discontinued system that had previously exploited you for labor.


    You inspect them. Inspect them immediately.


    Colt did just that.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Denny Rodgers  | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: Minos | Class: Throneweaver (I) [Epic]


    Level: 41


    This is a basic human on the path of Minos; they are at the start of the route of Throneweaver and Epic Class, whose information is not readily available in this inspection. Additionally, they have reached a lesser grasp of the Edict Lead an Edict, which has the potential to inspire and draw out strengths in others.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    [Hidden]


    Edicts:


    Lead (lesser)


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The information sat there like a lead stone in the room. Denny was stacked; he clearly had a high hide status skill. But given Colt¡¯s contrasting Inspect, he could still see a lot of the information there. An epic class. A level of 41. An Icon¡ªa component to this whole System that Colt still didn¡¯t fully grasp.


    It was a lot, and he realized that this simple ¡®administration¡¯ from the former government was quite formidable, even from the information presented.


    Denny simply smiled pleasantly, even though he could¡¯ve felt Colt looking over his status.


    ¡°Well, you want to hear more about my offer?¡±


    ¡°What are your goals here?¡± Colt asked, folding his hands.


    ¡°With this conversation?¡±


    ¡°With New Nashville.¡±


    Denny paused and gave the same smile. It didn¡¯t change an inch. The wheels of his brain churned behind it, and the overall facade on the outside was that of a pleasant civil servant, a patient man playing nice to a newcomer. But beneath it, Colt felt an instinct. There was something more swirling, an objective he couldn¡¯t place, and a reminder of the former world that should¡¯ve been left behind; Colt wasn¡¯t sure what to feel yet, but it had him on alert.


    Some things were too good to be true.


    ¡°Our world is different. People will appear, some stronger than others; let¡¯s talk this over. I can see this will be quite a conversation. Care for some coffee?¡± Colt nodded, and the guy got up¡ªand headed to a small coffee pot, filter, and grounds behind him; there was already water in a pot. As he watched, a small spout of flame appeared in Denny¡¯s hand¡ªhe held the pot above it, the fire curling and licking the bottom of the glass. ¡°Have you ever thought about what you¡¯d do in a zombie apocalypse, Colt?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has. They make stupid plans thinking that they¡¯d survive; they¡¯d be the ones to make it out and live somehow, but we¡¯d all probably get bit and die.¡±


    ¡°Most of us would,¡± he corrected gently as the bubbles appeared in the glass pot, dotting the surface like a dozen little pebbles of air. ¡°Those that survived would fight among one another. Like little warlords in what was left of society, controlling and pushing around others. Many groups would form, with different sizes, different leadership, and different laws.¡±


    Colt kept quiet, watching as the water came to a boil in seconds. That fire had to be quite hot, yet Denny handled it in such a casual way. It was the type of thing that could melt skin and boil blood in an instant.


    ¡°And eventually, the zombies would die. And what would be left? Thousands of groups, already proven survivors, and now without the limiting factor of zombies. What do they do Colt?¡±


    ¡°War.¡± Colt threw out. War never changed, right?


    ¡°Until someone is better at War than the rest of them. Then, they lead, and their group, their laws, their people, those are the ones in control of society. What they dictate goes.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a scary premonition.¡± Colt knew he had a point, though. Society would form again, but it would be vastly changed and different from what they once knew.


    ¡°Scary in some eyes. A promise for a future in others. I loved our country; I loved this city even more. We lived in a way others didn¡¯t; I traveled a lot and saw a lot of our great country¡ªbut I kept coming back here again and again. I¡¯m not about to let someone else take away our greatness. Take away what our people deserve; in the chaos left behind, the people need a leader and stability. Not all of us can run around fighting monsters or know where we belong. I¡¯ll fit those pieces for us and strengthen us. That¡¯s the vision I have in mind, and that Colt is what New Nashville is.¡±


    The pot was past a boil now¡ªhalf of it turning into a thick white steam as it left the pot. Denny looked Colt in the eyes, distracted by his own words. There was a golden hue to those eyes, a sheen of self-belief that was mesmerizing yet dangerous.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The water roiled in something more violent than a boil; drops of it flew out and hit Denny¡¯s skin, yet it didn¡¯t burn him; the water simply turned into white smoke.


    Another second, and the water was gone.


    Denny finally noticed and let out a small ¡°oh,¡± then set the pot down.


    ¡°Guess I messed up the Coffee¡ªsorry for that. I¡¯ll be sure to send some to where you and your group will be staying to make up for my mistake. We have some buildings near the outskirts for our refugees until they can get settled and earn enough to build their own property. New Nashville has lots of room on the ladder to climb, as you might expect. Like our great country, what you make of yourself here is up to you¡­ Speaking of which, that job offer.¡±


    Denny settled back into his luxurious executive chair and smiled again, splaying out his hands.


    ¡°Believe me, it¡¯s an opportunity I think that someone like you can¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°Alright, name it, I¡¯m interested.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about Dungeons, Colt?¡±


    ###


    New Nashville citizenship was an easy thing. They took down your level, class, name, and previous background and role in society in Nashville. Some basic information, then, through the system, you were extended a nice little invitation that, when Colt finally got a look at it after the job offer, looked like this:


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Would you like to join the Faction: New Nashville?


    Joining a faction confers benefits in designated territory zones and conquering a dungeon on behalf of a faction confers additional rewards to your associated faction.


    (Y/N)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After accepting, he found his Status Sheet now contained a small line indicating his association with New Nashville.


    A couple of things made the choice easy as he listened to Denny.


    First, it was a stable place to settle his head for the night; monsters roamed New Nashville, and from what their little ¡®mayor¡¯ gave up readily, more by the day. Outside of the walls, it would become quite a hostile place. This small yet growing city wasn¡¯t too far off from the feeling of the Kitchen in the Endless Alleys. A shelter to lay your head down and enjoy the people around you. Though, maybe, less tense.


    Denny himself¡­ Colt wasn¡¯t sold on.


    The man was ambitious, as he hedged around his grand plans, Colt knew there was a vision that extended far out of New Nashville. The fire to him and the willingness to push was scary. Denny was strong, too, that much was sure.


    At the end of the day, though, he was of a far different character than Bill, and in this city, Colt was given what he wanted most: a path of freedom that would allow him to grow stronger.


    Denny outlined his ¡®job,¡¯ which tied to his citizenship in New Nashville.


    Dungeon Diver.


    That was the job title.


    See, Dungeons like the ones they¡¯d come from now propagated the world like weeds; important locations especially seemed to attract this new reality into transforming them; they became a ¡®dungeon,¡¯ whose content and monsters within varied greatly in strength. One could find a portal and enter the dungeon, and conquering it had both rewards for the person and their faction. That¡¯s how New Nashville started. After getting out of the tutorial, Denny took on a dungeon at this stadium and, as a result, was able to reform it into what they saw here.


    He also began to suspect that the increased monster density was a result of more and more monsters leaking out of these open dungeons.


    Defense and growth of New Nashville had three distinct requirements. Guards were the least dangerous unless the monsters were amassed and attacked. Scouts to flag the entrances of the dungeons and inform them of dangerous zones outside. And then, Dungeoneers. The latest of which Denny had been amassing over the last week and the most dangerous of all the positions.


    He was right; it was a job he couldn¡¯t refuse. Growth, a stable place, and a role in New Nashville that commanded respect; Colt hesitated before saying yes, but in the end, he was swayed.


    It was exactly what he wanted.


    Colt sipped his coffee as he sat at the small table of their temporary home, recounting his conversation and job offer with Sarah, Nate, and Jimmy. The four of them listened with rapt attention.


    They hadn¡¯t spoken to the mayor, but instead, a woman named Vicky, who normally ran the admission of new citizens, informed them of resources in the city, and gave suggestions for where they could fit in. Jimmy was essentially drafted to the medical team. A group of people who got classes and skills could heal, but he¡¯d known going into it that was a condition for his stay in New Nashville, and he seemed to be happy that he could help people.


    Sarah had gotten an offer as a guard, and so had Nate. Neither had committed to it.


    ¡°I want to go into dungeons too,¡± Sarah said simply.


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Nate gave a small smile, ¡°That seems like the best option. But she didn¡¯t even mention it to me when they were going over the jobs needed. Why did they select you?¡±


    ¡°Level, and whatever you said, probably. I¡¯ll put in a word if you both want to as well. I¡¯d rather have people I can rely on by my side than strangers.¡± Colt took another sip of his coffee. The warmth and familiar taste. A welcome friend. ]He¡¯d long forgotten what it was like to enjoy a nice hot cup o¡¯ joe. The warm and bitter flavor made every problem disappear for a brief time.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re all dungeon divers. That¡¯s what we do here in this new world.¡± Nate simplified and summed up their thoughts.


    The rest of the conversation drifted away like a wind on the breeze. Outside of the kitchen, outside of the endless alleys, they were truly free. If they wanted, all of them could split and go their separate ways, yet instead, they planned to stick together.


    If it was trauma, trust, or trained instincts from their old awful job, Colt couldn¡¯t say, yet he was here for it. Living in the moment and enjoying a bubble of peace.


    They didn¡¯t talk about what it meant to dive back into these mysterious dungeons and what things they might find and see.


    At the end of the night, Colt spent his six stat points from the fight with the Orc. Three to dexterity, three to soul. Strengthening what was already his build¡¯s strengths, he spent another couple of hours in meditation, trying to get a better handle on the Movement Edict.


    Anytime focusing on that particular thread of reality felt as if he were in the room with a hungry animal. Everything, it screamed, was movement. All of life was change and movement, and the consequence of that sphere and dominance of reality was mind-boggling. Colt could only focus on it for two hours before taping out and calling it a night.


    With time, he became confident that it would only increase.


    The next day, he went to the White House and was able to sign both Nate and Sarah up as dungeon divers¡ªwith their consent. Denny seemed happy to have more people throwing themselves at the dungeons since the willingness to dive back into them after everyone¡¯s tutorial was rare.


    The day after that, they were called to the escorts of New Nashville to meet with a scout and two others to join their dungeon diving party.


    It seemed that they had their first mission.

 Chapter 29: Coffee Makes Everything Better

    Colt sat with a hot cup of coffee in his hand, Sarah and Nate at his side. Nick, too, was here. Along with a girl with stark blue hair and an absent look on her face, right at the edge of new Nashville on the west side of the stadium. In the distance, he could see people starting their day in the fledgling city¡ªtaking down clothes that hung overnight, some of them opening their little stalls.


    In his pocket were several bits of metal. Since they couldn¡¯t stay true to the dollar¡ªdollars could still be found everywhere outside¡ªthese little bits of metal were a way to regulate currency and trade, and for now, everyone was seeing how they would do.


    Just as equally, everybody was just trading favors and things.


    Colt¡¯s coffee tasted like roasted hazelnuts, and damn, it felt good to drink.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here, " the scout said, a young athletic girl with a grey cloak. She looked like she came straight out of a college from the medieval era; gear drops, apparently. The system liked to hand out medieval-y stuff, with a rare object that broke the mold every now and again.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Said the girl with blue hair, blinking as if surprised. Despite being the first one here, she¡¯d been zoned out the entire time, barely aware when Colt, Sarah, and Nate arrived.


    Nick was the last to arrive and shot them all a sly grin. About fifteen minutes after everyone else.


    ¡°Sorry¡¯n for keeping ya up. Heard that you three formed a group¡ªwas fix¡¯en to step away from scouting as much, and just talked to Denny to join up. Seem like a good lot and I figured we¡¯d keep on getting on well.¡±


    ¡°Running late is a bad way to make a good impression.¡± The scout responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Rather, we have someone we can get along with running late than someone who we can¡¯t trust our backs to. It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again, Nick.¡± Nate extended his hand for a shake, and the man took it with an even wider smile.


    Colt took another drink of his coffee and soaked in the crisp morning air.


    ¡°And you?¡± Sarah asked the girl with blue hair.


    ¡°And me?¡± she responded.


    ¡°Yeah, you. What¡¯s your name, who are you, and what do you do?¡±


    Colt rolled his eyes. They¡¯d all already inspected one another. The girl was a magic class¡ªWater Mage¡ªcombined with their Nick, which gave them two people with access to that weird magic system. He had to admit he was keen to pick up a skill with access if nothing more than curiosity. Edicts, though, he thought, had a promise of far more payoff. This girl didn¡¯t have an edict. And her skills were hidden. But he knew straight that Sarah knew the girl¡¯s name too from her inspect. Making her say it was¡­


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Julia!¡¯


    Sarah reached out a hand to shake hers, and the blue-haired girl looked down at it, her face scrunched up.


    ¡°You shake it. I¡¯m Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know; I read your status.¡± Julia continued to stare at the hand, still not shaking it.


    Colt cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at the scout, who was scowling at the two women and their awkward moment. That was enough of a cue to recenter the attention on the mission. The scout looked relieved and then took center stage again, of course, after a couple of words to get everyone¡¯s attention on her.


    ¡°You all are a new dungeon group, right?¡± She asked, after having them all in the grasp of her hands once again.


    ¡°Well, four of us, I figure. Unless Miss Julia over there hasn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been in one since, though¡­ That uh dungeon group hasn¡¯t stuck around afterward.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t,¡± Julia confirmed curtly.


    ¡°Right. So, for a summary for everyone who hasn¡¯t been through this process before, a scout¡¯s duty is twofold. We can locate dungeons thanks to our specialized skills. Now, anyone can find a dungeon, but we can hunt them down. Our second duty is that at the entrance, we can determine general information about the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Like an inspect,¡± Colt guessed.


    ¡°Exactly. The system offers information such as the dungeon¡¯s name and a general danger rating. A typical tutorial has a danger rating of F, but this can change from dungeon to dungeon, and certain elements in a dungeon might make it more dangerous than previously thought. We don¡¯t have a lot of data, but we have gathered that this system-generated danger rating is a very loose interpretation. It will also give us a general grasp of size, at least at my level in my skills and class. So. Your dungeon scout has two responsibilities: we brief you on what we know about the dungeon and then lead you there. After that, it¡¯s in your hands.¡±


    It sounded fair. Colt couldn¡¯t ask for more.


    And so he didn¡¯t.


    Their scout gave some brief outline of what she expected out of the walls of New Nashville¡ªnamely, they followed as quietly as they could, listened to everything she said, and didn¡¯t talk much unless she talked first. If she barks, they jump¡ªyada yada, the same kind of ¡®im in charge and you¡¯re all incompetent, so just listen to what I say and don¡¯t mess up¡¯ speech that was a dime a dozen in life. He nodded along, and when they left the city, he didn¡¯t put up much of a fuss.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Once they got to their location, they¡¯d get their brief, and finally, after that, it¡¯d be time for some action.


    ###


    ¡°An F+ ranked dungeon.¡± Colt stared at the Greek art gallery in front of him. Named the Parthenon. In the middle of a famous park, he knew this place existed in Nashville but had never seen it himself. This one was some kind of art gallery the city made almost eighty years back then didn¡¯t have the heart to get rid of. Supposedly, an exact replica of the real place. Only not made out of marble


    Now, it radiated a soft white light, and large marble columns made it¡­ Well.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Julia said with awe, her eyes wide. ¡°It¡¯s all different!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this is F+?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°It says F+. Given your levels, it should be challenging, but possible¡ªbe¡­ Be careful, alright?¡± The scout said as she stared at the place, tapping a hand against her arm. ¡°I¡¯d love to give you information about the monsters, but nothing has come out even after a couple of days. The place is considered ¡®medium¡¯ in size.¡±


    Nate asked her a couple of more questions, getting the nitty-gritty details of the thing. The entrance was in the front. Once you entered a dungeon, you were in it; some dungeons would lock until completed, and others might allow you to retreat.


    Each dungeon was a little special, and nobody had the scouting Skills yet to diagnose every little thing that a dungeon might throw their way.


    Colt listened on and on, staring at the marble-white building in front of him.


    Even though they were in some weird-twisted forest version of Nashville, this place stood as a testament. He could believe the ancient greeks made it, and as he stared at it, he got a deep impression in his gut that it was special. The glow to it. The compelling nature of the stark, beautiful white building among the park and trees.


    Colt felt his need to go in ramp up and up, and Nate talked until he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± He said, his knife appearing from thin air as he started on his way to the building¡ªNate was surprised but followed along. As did the other three. Nick seemed almost just as excited. He respected the military man trying to get out every little advantage and bit of information that he could, but some things in life just had to be experienced for oneself. The scout had done her job and led them here, and now it was time for them to do their job and clear the dungeon.


    When put into perspective like that, things were simple¡ªthe way they ought to be.


    Colt reached the entrance. A radiant golden light shone within the marble pillar entrance; once he pressed his hand against it, it gave way. Welcoming him with a soft chime and a warm embrace.


    Like that, he stepped through the portal.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Welcome To Athena¡¯s Centennial Games


    Dungeon Rank: D-


    Clear Conditions:


    Win the games


    Note: Exit cannot be discovered until the games have been finished.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt blinked¡ªthe sun was bright above; he was in the middle of a colosseum, a grand structure¡ªwhich he knew, given all the pictures he¡¯d seen as a kid. Truth be told, these sort of Greek and Roman stories were an obsession for him as a teenager, a way to imagine he¡¯d been born earlier and in a different time¡ªwhat it would have looked like.


    And it was just as massive¡ªthree times bigger than New Nashville, at the very least. The seats he could see from here were filled with a great many people, their skin light blue.


    Seated at the far end, though, was a massive giant of a woman. Her eyes honed in on him, her skin gold, a massive spear leaned on one shoulder, and an owl on the other.


    One after another, the rest of his group appeared, gasping as they looked at the massive audience around them. A hundred thousand spectators? None of them talked, staring in eerie silence as more people appeared on the sandy ground of this arena. They wore clothes that reminded him of all of the famous paintings of the ancient Greeks. Togas, tunics, himations¡ªeach one of them a person, and in the sea of them, it was too impossible to pick out individual details.


    The last person entered. Sarah.


    ¡°Shit, the scout lied.¡±


    Yeah. It was Rank D-; they were probably in trouble with that rating, but Colt didn¡¯t think the scout had lied. Mainly because she would¡¯ve had no reason to. Whatever happened here was the system screwing them.


    ¡°Just take it easy, one step at a time, alright? Don¡¯t write us off yet. We all got a lot to offer.¡± Nick offered her; a bow of radiant light appeared in the man''s hands; he slung around, his eyes running all over the place. Nate stood next to Colt, a bat in his hand and a frown on his face. It seemed he¡¯d upgraded the wooden one to a steel. The guy needed a better weapon.


    The giant eyes took them in one by one.


    She raised her spear high into the sky¡ªthe tip seeming as if it touched the sun itself.


    ¡°My loyal servants, today we have been graced with new competitors seeking glory within my domain. Should they prevail, they will be rewarded. Should they fall into defeat, they will be honored. As the challenges will be great, so too will the rewards. Our games will begin shortly; my attendant shall instruct our champions of the tourney¡ªthree parts, three challenges, and three goals. On this, our first open tourney in a hundred years. Grace be to my father, Grace be to I. Athena. May we delight in the accomplishment and reflect in the wisdom we will witness of war and battle.¡±


    Her voice shook everything in the place¡ªmore than that, the way it radiated outward and held weight felt as if it were tearing at Colt¡¯s soul itself.


    It was as if every single word she uttered was an Edict of itself¡ªhe saw Sarah, Nate, and Julia go down on their knees, bending under the strain.


    Nick stayed up, and Colt felt it had everything to do with both of them having an Edict to their name.


    She paused as the crowd went wild with cheers. The sound of these ¡®people¡¯ screaming was horrid, piercing his eardrums and making his skull ache. They went wild, and he realized the silence before was anticipation.


    He¡¯d expected an endless alley. He¡¯d expected maybe a dragon. That¡¯s what dungeons were in video games.


    This?


    What the hell was this?


    Athena gave them a golden smile, then the owl on her shoulder took off, flying right at them.


    Colt braced for a fight.

 Chapter 30: Servants & Satyrs

    The world of the stadium around them turned into a golden light¡ªblocking their view of the stadium. It was, for a brief instant, a surreal moment. Colt felt as if he were standing on a patch of endless desert, taken away from reality itself. The owl flew towards them, but past that, it was nothing but a vast expanse of golden abyss.


    Colt braced with his knife, expecting the owl to attack, but it didn¡¯t.


    Twice his size, the thing looked formidable¡ªColt fired off his inspect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Nike - Level ???


    Description: Goddess of Victory and servant to the Goddess Athena.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    No other information was available, and he had to strain for even that much. The owl smiled as it felt his inspect; another surreal oddity as an Owl shouldn¡¯t even be able to smile, and from that smile, it transformed; the feathers morphed into hair, and wings morphed into arms and hands, the talons from where it landed into the desert turned to feet.


    In a second, it had gone from owl to an incredibly athletic woman with hair as dark as midnight.


    ¡°My Mortals. My Gladiators¡ªmy potential champions?¡± Nike said this last bit as she slid in between them; before Colt knew what had happened, the goddess wrapped an arm over his shoulder and whipped him around to face the rest of the group.


    His knife was in her hand, and the air flowed with the law of Movement. Thicker than Colt had ever seen it¡ªjust the wisps of whatever she¡¯d done was enough to make his head whirl and his soul latch out, trying to connect to with whatever happened faster than he could blink an eye.


    ¡°What¡ª¡°


    ¡°Ahhhh¡­¡± Nike paused, scrunching her face as she examined his, inches away. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve hold of that at such a low level? Wow. I¡¯ll admit, I thought you guys might be kind of screwed, but¡­ Well. Fighting chance. I love it!¡± She vanished from Colt¡¯s side and reappeared between them, clapping her hands as her dark hair bounced. ¡°Well, well, well. Maybe you all will be my victors. My name is Nike¡ªI¡¯m in charge of getting you ready between each round of games. I¡¯m allowed to cover what the game will entail, give you the rules, and then set you off to compete. You¡¯re all tracking me so far?¡±


    The rest of the group stood frozen, like statues, scared to even move. They sensed her power, probably. They saw the triple question marks that stood for her level. Even the way she appeared and vanished was enough to drive a stake of fear in their hearts.


    Colt vanished his knife from her hand, feeling it slip into his soul again.


    She gave him a ¡®really?¡¯ look and laughed.


    ¡°I like that spirit. I like that look in your eye. If I attacked, you¡¯d try to win, wouldn¡¯t you? Deep in you, you think you could find a way to victory?¡±


    Colt didn¡¯t answer, already running through the potential scenario even before she mentioned it. Quite frankly, if she attacked, he was screwed. But he wouldn¡¯t go down with trying to win. Whatever resources he had, he¡¯d tap and fight as if he could.


    The only time a person lost was when they stopped trying. He¡¯d been intimately close to that kind of life before and promised himself deep in the black pits of the dungeon, he¡¯d stay far away from that dark place. This system could throw him into hell itself, but even that wouldn¡¯t be as nightmarish as living a life without belief and in resignation. That, more than anything, had been the most powerful lesson learned in this new life.


    ¡°Right. Okay. Athena¡¯s bugging me. Time. The first game is this: Naval Combat. A tactical game, you might think¡ªhey, why bother with this ship, I can just make my way over to those other ships and¡ª¡°


    ¡°Ships?¡± Nate said, his voice was hoarse, and there was fear in his eyes.


    But he stood straighter and stood with purpose. He had to be the strength for everyone else, too frozen to find it.


    Nike stopped, then tapped her chin.


    ¡°I went too quick, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Start with what the game is, what we have to do, and how we win.¡± Colt said, looking at Nate. He, too, could be a pillar for them to rely on.


    ¡°Okay! Thank you,¡± Nike gave them a deep bow and then a wicked smile, ¡°The first game is called Navel Combat. The point of the game is to sink your enemies¡¯ ships; beware, though, if your ship is sunk, it¡¯s game over, and so is your life. You¡¯ll be facing off against five other ships¡ªthe enemy. You may use anything at your disposal to find your way to victory, and I sure hope you do. It would be boring if the first game was where you met your end since this will be the easiest. Does that all make sense to you, mortals?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to sail a ship,¡± Julia said.


    ¡°Well. You¡¯ll just have to figure it out, then,¡± Nike shrugged.


    Colt considered the Goddess before them; took a deeper look. He felt the wisps of Movement around her, swirling as if waiting for her command. The Edict came to her at beck and call, as if it was only natural to obey, whereas, to him, it was like wrestling with a great beast to get it to cooperate. Compared to Cut, there was such a stark difference. Yet¡­ This Goddess manipulated it with little difficulty at all.


    What even was a Goddess?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She turned toward Colt and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You look distracted. Don¡¯t you think you should be concentrating on your upcoming challenge, not staring at my Edict like a confused kid?¡±


    ¡°How do you get it to obey you like that?¡±


    She smiled and tapped the side of her nose. ¡°Movement loves to move. Shocking, right? But maybe you didn¡¯t know this: it loves victory. It is change, challenge, and chaos. I am all of those things, so it loves me. If you stick around, I¡¯ll give you some pointers, speaking of which! I¡¯m allowed one piece of advice to my challengers per round about the round. Here is the key to winning: Holes sink ships.¡±


    With that, she zipped her lips and then walked away¡ªturning into an owl and vanishing into the sky in a flap or two of her wings.


    Sarah shook, and Nate grabbed her, steadying her. Nick let out a long whistle while Julia looked around with wide eyes and her mouth half-open.


    They didn¡¯t have very long to process the change in conditions. The golden light wrapped around them vanished; the crowd was back, their yelling and hollering once more head-splitting. Colt stumbled. Fingers went into his ears to try to get them to shut up; the ground beneath him roiled and moved. He stared at his feet and saw planks and boards beneath.


    His body shot up, and his height rose¡ªa ship came from the sand below, and a sail split his group as everyone fought to keep themselves upright.


    When the world finally stabilized, he was on a small ship, and all of the sand around them had turned into a small lake, filling the center of the arena. Athena beamed at them from her spot on the side, her owl back on her shoulder.


    At the other half were five other sails, five other ships. Populated with what looked to be men with goat legs. Satyrs. If Colt¡¯s mythology was right. And they had swords. And blood. And they looked pissed as they started getting control of their ships and swinging their sails around.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Colt said, taking one last glance at the Owl on Athena¡¯s shoulder, then at his ship.


    Yeah, he was at a complete loss on how to do this. Those five ships were already getting their sails under control and trying to head over and kill them. Given this was a D- ranked dungeon, he could only guess how strong the monsters were on them.


    ¡°Julia!¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    ¡°Can you control the water around the boat?¡± Colt asked, moving to the front of the ship to get a better look at their enemies.


    ¡°Um¡ªa bit?¡±


    ¡°Move us at the other ships, and take that post in the read. Nate, can you try to work the sail like they are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Nate called back, shouting. It was hard to hear one another over the cheer of the crowd, but it at least was no longer an overwhelming wall of volume and head-splitting screeching. This much communication they could now manage. Colt was whirling his head around as he thought¡ªthen he called for Nick.


    A second later, streaks of light were sailing out from their boat, crashing into the waves at the upcoming five enemies who were getting themselves together. The water below was swirling and swelling. Sarah went over with Nate to help with the mast and sail. The wind whipped around as dark clouds formed in the sky above, turning the battlefield into a storm. Another layer of complexity to the challenge.


    One of the arrows of light smashed into the hull of an opposing ship. It didn¡¯t make a hole, but it was starting a small fire¡ªColt didn¡¯t feel drops of rain, so it seemed that was on the table. The enemy ships were under control and headed their way far too fast. These monsters were good at navigating their ships, and Colt and his crew were sitting ducks.


    Then, a swell of water picked up beneath them, and they started moving right as the enemy.


    ¡°Bank left!¡± Colt shouted¡ªhaving to grab hold of the railing not to get flung from the ship. Nick stopped shooting, the sudden rush of momentum as they lurched faster than before. Colt saw they were riding on some kind of a wave.


    Water magic in action. Julia must be good at her skills. Thank God.


    Julia didn¡¯t hear him the first time, so he screamed louder, fighting against the cheering and wind to make his voice cut through the air¡­


    Cut.


    On a whim, he grasped at the Edict and shouted, his voice infused with the Edict, sliding through the noise to reach the crew¡¯s ears. It was weird; unlike wrapping that of a blade, this application stretched at his soul and understanding. He wasn¡¯t even sure if it was possible, yet he visualized the noise sliding through all of the chaos.


    Immediately, the ship banked to the left, avoiding the main thrust of the oncoming enemies and positioning it just right to get closer to one. With one of the enemy ships lagging behind dealing with the fire, this was a target they could try to take. A minute slid by. The enemy was trying to adjust, but they had to fight the wind. Julia¡¯s control of the water below gave them an advantage.


    Within another two minutes, the ship was a stone¡¯s throw away. Nick found a spot to ground himself and fired into it, setting small fires as the arrows of light crashed into them.


    ¡°Closer!¡± Colt screamed, his voice slicing through the wind. Julia yelled something in protest, but he ignored it.


    She brought the ship closer.


    They were about ten feet away¡ªhe could see the goat men on the enemy¡¯s ship, fighting the fires that Nick set. A couple of them were getting their weapons ready, spears attached to ropes they intended to throw over to try to board and bring their ship down.


    Colt focused, his knife in hand, as he got as close as possible to the ship.


    Focus.


    The raging winds, the shouts, the screams, even the faces of the enemy goat men on the other ship roared as they got close, some kind of guttural goat war cry. What levels were they, Colt wondered? Did it matter? The swirling fighting sea below lost its existence as he fell into a state of meditation, preparing the invisible edge along his blade. Cut. His first Edict. It wasn¡¯t as powerful and wasn¡¯t as ancient as the Edict of Movement.


    But it was still a fundamental law of the universe. It was a force of power unrivaled.


    Colt prepared, honing the weapon in his hand, wrapping the Edict along his blade, preparing and pouring his Soul into it.


    Then, his hand snapped forward, slashing the knife downward.


    About a foot of water parted, an invisible sliding wave of the blade crashed forward through the storm, and then into the ship of the goat men¡ªtheir boat groaned as a thin line of black appeared in the side of their hull. It was difficult, Colt strained, sweat beading his brow as the Cut slid through the enemy¡¯s ship. One of the goat men got too close, and his arm came off, the bleeding stump flailing as the creature screamed.


    It reached about a third of the way through the ship, twenty feet from Colt, until he could no longer hold the invisible edge together.


    Colt let it go.


    The waves and crashing water did the rest of the work. Goatmen threw spears and ropes at them. A couple landed, but Sarah was there, cutting them free. The water and the wind tore the ship apart. Goatmen drowned and screamed. Three minutes later, their first ship was conquered.


    It seemed that Nike was right, holes did indeed sink ships.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Satyr Sailor - Level 38


    You have defeated Satyr Sailor - Level 39


    You have defeated Satyr Helmsmen - Level 40


    You have defeated Satyr Sailor - Level 35


    ¡­


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 31: Sea Shanty

    The storm quelled for a second; the wind gave way to the screaming fans at the first sign of victory. There was blood, there was drowning, and Colt was watching the goat-men die in a watery grave below, he shrugged his shoulders and took in a deep breath. The people loved it; they craved violence and conflict. Never mind the toll.


    Well, whatever, there were four more ships to take down. The one Nick hit with an arrow took care of its fire¡ªthe guy was firing off his arrows of light again, but the other ships had gotten wise. They had buckets of water ready to go, tossing them on any bits of flame their archer managed to start when an arrow landed.


    Troublesome, but each attack was a bit of a delay.


    The issue now was that the rest of the ships had seen them sink another, and the two closest were coordinating, keeping themselves tight together. The two past them were coming to a similar tactic, figuring out that Colt¡¯s power could take one down and another could launch a more full-scale assault on their ship.


    Colt rolled his shoulders as the storm started to pick up again. The goat men were baying at one another, and the crowd was swelling to a roar once more.


    Winds picked up, and the next four ships wouldn¡¯t go as easy as the rest. But now, given the notifications, Colt knew what they were dealing with level-wise. These things had an advantage, but it wasn¡¯t crazy.


    But the dark water churning below was an issue¡ªa hazard that was as much of an advantage as it was a danger in these fights.


    ¡°Sail in,¡± Colt called, infusing a bit of cut in his words to slice through the storm of noise as he commanded Julia.


    Then, he spent his six new stat points. All six went straight to Soul this time, putting it at 64. It was his biggest asset, and pretending otherwise would get him nowhere. These Edicts had power. Cut alone was powerful, but coupled with Movement, the two were powerhouses for his abilities. That, more than anything, would give him a competitive edge over any enemies.


    Which led to the last trick they had up their sleeves.


    Colt wobbled over to Nick, his advanced dexterity making it possible for him to traverse across the rolling deck of the ship as they sped to the two closest ships.


    ¡°What does refract do?¡± Colt asked, now close enough to hear Nick if he yelled a response.


    Nick took another potshot at the upcoming ships¡ªone of his arrows slammed into a goat-man and sent it tumbling off balance, right over the edge of their ships. It was a rare connecting shot, to be sure. With all the wind and distance, the Light Archer had been mostly shooting at the ships until now.


    Nick gave him a funny look.


    ¡°My Edict?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Edict.¡±


    He took another shot, this one missing the closest ship by an arms-width and plummeting into the water with a plume of smoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a rebound. It lets my arrow bounce up to two times if I concentrate. Tried it on the water already, but it¡¯s way too crazy for my focus to make it work.¡± Nick replied back, frowning at his latest shot.


    They had about two minutes until they were upon the enemy. And there were a lot of goat men between the ships. From what it looked like, they were preparing ropes and spears to throw and board. Colt didn¡¯t fancy getting overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. While he and Nick had the levels, the rest of the crew would find it much tougher to deal with.


    Someone could easily get thrown overboard or die in the chaos. Colt wished he had Jimmy, but the city of New Nashville had not approved for their healers to go on dangerous missions like this. At least, not yet.


    Colt rolled over the details of refract in his head what he knew about it. What he¡¯d just seen through the use of his Cut¡ªand his intuition said that Nick wasn¡¯t quite right.


    It could bounce the arrow of light, sure.


    But didn¡¯t couldn¡¯t it do more?


    His eyes focused on the upcoming ship, and he settled into a state of meditation, watching as Nick pulled back on his arrows and fired from the magnificent conjured bow.


    ¡°Try your Edict,¡± Colt asked on his next shot.


    Nick did just that, and Colt watched as it hit the ship¡ªNick was getting more hits now that they were closer¡ªthen bounced off the wooden boards before burying into a nearby Satyr Sailor, sending the monster to the floor. It wasn¡¯t dead, based on its limbs flailing about and its clothes starting on fire, but it was impressive.


    But Colt wasn¡¯t concerned over the damage.


    His eyes were narrowed, tapping into a state of meditation, feeling the way that Nick wrapped his will around the threads of reality, infusing his arrow with the power of his Edict. It was a loose wrap; at least, Colt¡¯s instincts told him that. The arrows and the Edict had a synergy, and the best way Colt could put it was that it seemed like Nick was splashing around in the kiddie pool where the real Edict was a vast lake.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    They all were, in a way, so that was to be expected. But even in Nick¡¯s kiddie pool, Colt sensed there was more depth. He could take it deeper, even as he was now.


    What was refraction?


    Then, in the depths of the meditation, a lesson came to mind: early college, before he¡¯d dropped out from knowing he didn¡¯t have enough cash for a degree. Right before getting saddled with a nasty loan for the year that young, optimistic him had tried.


    Physics class. He remembered a teacher holding up a prism and a glass triangle, and then they held up a flashlight to it. On the other side, a rainbow came out, splitting the light.


    It clicked in his head. Though he didn¡¯t have the Edict, he felt it hanging there, loose. But it just didn¡¯t resonate in the same way as his others. An understanding of what it could be, though, that much he began to see as Bill used the Edict again¡ªthe arrow slamming into a goat man and then rebounding into the ship¡¯s floor.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Basic) has reached level 10! This skill has advanced to Meditate (Intermediate)! As this is now at the (Intermediate) level, basic sensory memories may now be recalled during concentration.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Split the arrow,¡± Colt said.


    Nick gave him a funny look.


    ¡°Your arrow is made of a lot of light. Split the light. Refract it.¡± Colt insisted, this time using cut with his words to ensure every single bit went through. He felt sure of it. An intuitive understanding that came from his Soul. For the first time, he began to wonder how. Did his class grant him some objective insight and hadn¡¯t listed it as a skill?


    Were certain classes drawn to stuff like that?


    Nick shrugged and then focused.


    This time, it felt like he was truly grasping the thread of his edict; then, he fired. The arrow soared through the air, right at the upcoming ship. Seconds before it hit, a second arrow split off from it¡ªflaring with a green color, the angle just right to slam into two of the goat men¡ªthen the white arrow bounced, setting another fire.


    One of the goat men went overboard.


    Nick¡¯s eyes widened, and he swore.


    ¡°As many of those as you can fire. Fire as many arrows as possible.¡± Colt commanded.


    Nick went to work doing just that, arrow after arrow flying out, each one doubled. As they neared, they got closer. The green arrows often hit goat men more than the others, refracting in the middle of the air and changing their angle enough to turn a near-miss into a hit. Nick was getting better, and by the time the two ships were upon them, the goats on board had been reduced to about half split between the two vessels.


    Colt concentrated and Cut, sending one of the ships to a watery grave as he split the bottom with a horizontal slice and let in far too much water for them to bail themselves out.


    The second ship reached them, throwing spears onboard and attacking.


    With only about half of their crew left, Colt, Sarah, and Nate were easily able to repel them and take out anyone who dared to get on their ship. Like back in the dungeon, they worked as a team. Nate tanked the hits. Sarah made the openings, and Colt delivered the final blow.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 9 Stat points to spend. You have gained 3 points of Dexterity and 3 points of Soul!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The last two ships came at them shortly after. Julia ran out of mana to maneuver their vessel¡ªand Nick started to have trouble with his Edict, the drain pulling too much out of him. Colt ordered him to focus fire, halving one of the ships as they approached. With a careful, narrowed slice of air, Colt got off a cut on the stern side of the vessel his archer hadn¡¯t targeted. But that was pulling deeply at his reserves; exhaustion from the big swings of his Edict was starting to affect him too, that and cutting through the air to give out commands had amounted to a big expenditure.


    He still needed something left over for the rest of the ¡®games.¡¯


    It was a smaller, more refined cut. But it caused trouble, making the goat man abandon their allies to prevent themselves from sinking under the waves, splitting their focus from boarding and survival to reach them.


    Nick managed to pick off about half the crew of the other ship.


    Armed with new levels, Sarah and Nate were there to pick up the slack, working with Colt again as they were boarded by the lesser ship¡ªhis slice into the stern of the other ship had bought them a minute to deal with these invaders before they were hit again by the rest of the goat men.


    So he and his crew got to work, relying on Nate and Sarah to take on the enemies. They formed a team, coordinating to take on the boarding goats¡ªand then, the second ship got close enough, joining the fray.


    Chaos. War is chaos, and Colt was determined to see their victory within it. Blood flowed on the bow of the vessel, and there were screams and cheers. The audience was getting the show they wanted; they could see everyone mashed together to survive and brawl.


    Nick pulled back to the stern, firing off his light arrows as Julia hid behind him; on the deck, Colt flew around, jumping over barrels, shoving goat men to a water grave, and slicing necks and limbs to weaken and kill their enemies. If danger came to Nate or Sarah he had enough speed to get there and kill anyone who dared to threaten his team.


    Bloody and dirty for the last fight, their strategic tackling had turned an overwhelming wave of goats into a much more manageable enemy.


    Colt was the one to kill the last invader¡ªfiring a very precise cut. He had to be careful, fighting on his own ship with allies around; it was enough of a measured strike to split the goat man at its waist, making the creature¡¯s torso slide off and thunk to the deck with a wet slopping sound as it died.


    In the end, the five of them stood on their ship¡ªexhausted but victors.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 15 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt looked at Athena and that owl, visible above the storm, onto the next game.

 Chapter 32: Victory At All Costs

    The ship and the sea sank, eaten by the sands below, and consumed once more by the grounds of the colosseum. It was a sudden affair. One minute, Colt was staring at the Goddess aboard a rocking ship, and the next, he was knee-deep in the sand of the arena. She simply smiled pleasantly as she took away reality; Colt got a brief glimpse at bloated Satyr corpses before the sand ate those up, too.


    Then, she too faded away, taken by the return of the divine void around them; the glowing, radiant light a veil from all the spectators and the chaos outside.


    Once more, the owl cut through the light, landing right before them.


    Nike manifested once more as a woman with dark hair and a wide smile.


    ¡°You guys did it!¡±


    Colt gave her a weary look, listening with one ear while he invested the newly gained fifteen stat points. This was serious; they¡¯d had a good advantage with Julia in the last round and him with the objective of being able to slice through the enemy¡¯s boats and sink them.


    Next? If it were a straight-up one-on-one or something similar with a far more powerful foe?


    Colt spent all fifteen of his points in one place. Soul.


    For a second, his vision doubled; the sense of the threads weaving around them became crystal clear. The Edicts flowing through the air here were numerous, an infinity in complexity as he felt Athena tug at the laws behind the scenes that made up their present moment. He gawked as he glimpsed a shadow of the forces at play. Edicts that could level a town, Edicts that could level a state, maybe, all bent to the whims of a silly little game.


    The feeling and awareness faded; Nike snapped a finger in front of his face.


    ¡°Sheesh. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t even care what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°No, I do, I just¡­ That was more than I expected. I spent my stats. I¡¯d recommend everyone else does the same.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is prudent. You¡¯re all, simply put, under-leveled. Take any advantage you can get. You know, there¡¯s this quote; ¡®history is written by the victors,¡¯ and in my experience, those victors don¡¯t usually share all of what it takes to win. Seize every opportunity, my little champions, because you will need it for the next two games.¡±


    ¡°Spill then, and quit being all obsessed with Colt. It¡¯s weird,¡± Sarah said.


    Nike held a hand to her mouth and put a shocked expression, ¡°I do not play favorites!¡±


    ¡°Come on, you keep messing with him and staring. I don¡¯t know why; even if he wasn¡¯t paying attention, you could¡¯ve already started telling us the next game. Not waiting politely to harass him.¡±


    What?


    ¡°A goddess does what she wishes. Besides, I think he and the guy who shoots arrows have the best shot of making it out of here. Far be it for the goddess of victory to consort with or care about likely losers¡ª¡° Nike gave her a mean grin, then pulled back; wings sprouted out of her back, jet-black like her hair, only for the Goddess to give them a flap and shoot up, hovering above. ¡°So, the next game.¡±


    ¡°The next game.¡± Sarah prompted.


    ¡°Is¡ªcapture the flag. Only there¡¯s one flag. It¡¯s in a fort. Your job? Get past all of the guards, get the flag, and then return to the goal area with it. That¡¯s it. You do that, and you win. There¡¯s a time limit, though¡ªtwo hours. You take longer than that, and you¡¯ll lose. If you lose, you¡¯ll be smitten by the Goddess herself, so you ought to avoid that at all costs.¡± Nike glanced behind her and then back at them. ¡°Mhmm. We have a few minutes, I think. I¡¯m being given the okay to restore mana to those who need it. Set-up on this one takes a little bit. Not as easy as conjuring some water and ships. Also got to hype the crowd up, get them invested.¡±


    With that, a pulse of black light shot out from her; it slid over Colt like oil over water. For Nick and Julia, though, they seemed to drink it in.


    Both look surprised and a lot more refreshed.


    Nike gave one last flap and then landed again¡ªright next to Colt, who she threw an arm around.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°He has my first Edict. When I was a little owl, it was the first one I got. Sue me for favoritism. Not like it matters. I think you¡¯re liable to die in the next round or two anyway.¡± Nike snorted.


    ¡°She won¡¯t be dying,¡± Colt shook his head, ¡°Besides, weren¡¯t you allowed to offer us one piece of advice to ¡®find the path to victory,¡¯ anyway?¡±


    Nike tapped her chin, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t do that, did I? Ah, well, here¡¯s this; the challenge will take place at night. Meaning you have some options for how to tackle the fort. I¡¯m of the opinion that your best option is what I like to call Sacrifice. Sometimes, someone¡¯s gotta die for you to get the gold. In this case, I think it should be that lady. Set her out in front, have her make some noise, go out like a hero, then you can slip in and steal the flag.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Sarah balled her fists, and Nate arrived at her side, holding her back. It was an absurd idea to try to fight a goddess, but with Nike digging under her skin, Colt felt a cold, sinking fear that it might go that way.


    Redirect.


    ¡°Say, Nike. Victory; is it important how you win, or only that you win.¡±


    ¡°Only that you win.¡± With a shake of her head, Nike said, ¡°Obvious answer.¡±


    ¡°Right. But what is victory; what if we don¡¯t win if one of us dies.¡±


    ¡°I think that maybe you should evaluate who you¡¯re setting out to win. People hate this truth, but sometimes, only one person can win. You must do whatever you can to make sure that person is you. Lose sight of that and let yourself get dragged down by others? That¡¯s just limiting your success. C¡¯mon, Colt. I feel it in you. The spirit is there. Victory at all costs is still a victory.¡±


    The words rang too true to him; it was a lesson his mother kept trying to teach him when he was young. If he sat here and thought over who these people were, if they really should mean anything to him, he¡¯d be doing it through her eyes.


    Colt was his own person. And would do things his own way.


    ¡°Maybe your idea of victory isn¡¯t enough. Maybe you should aim higher.¡±


    Nike shoved him away. The sudden force was instant, an absolute whirlwind of movement that sent him spiraling into the sand. Colt tumbled, relying on every bit of his dexterity to catch himself and come out of it without being hurt. When he came to a stop, now on the ground fifteen feet away, Nike was scowling at him. The rest of his group was on guard, weapons raised, and panicked.


    They couldn¡¯t fight a Goddess. And that had just been a casual shove from her.


    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m not aiming high enough?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I would expect you to be more ambitious as the Goddess of Victory. Is a hollow victory still a victory?¡± Colt prodded.


    ¡°I can achieve anything I wish.¡±


    ¡°Then why shouldn¡¯t I? Why shouldn¡¯t your advice on how to find our path to victory be a complete one?¡±


    At this, she paused, the gears churning in her head. Her scowl deepened. She looked to the radiant white void surrounding them, then back at Colt.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing.¡± She said.


    Colt offered nothing in response, just a leveled stare.


    ¡°Fine. I like the grit.¡±


    She beckoned with her hand; Colt was swept forward, back next to her. Yanked from space itself and physically moved in an instant. He felt it; the air was thick with the workings of the Movement Edict. Powerful enough to radiate in his soul like a gong banged in an empty hallway.


    Before he knew it, Nike had her lips cupped to his ear, a twinkle in her eye as she whispered a question: ¡°Do you know what an Icon is?¡±


    ###


    It was a bit longer than five minutes¡ªmore like twenty¡ªand then, inevitably, the white void vanished once more. Nike took the form of an owl and flew off, returning to her master''s shoulder. She did so in the depths of a black night.


    Above was only a canopy of stars; the stadium that had been ever present in the fight was gone. Hidden and obscured in a deep black shadow that wrapped around the colosseum. What was apparent as the white void was swept away was the existence of a new, massive structure at the far end.


    The first thing that came to view was the firelight and how it cast shadows on the brick wall. Braziers and torches. In those shadows, Colt could see monsters patrolling around the walls. Not goat-men, but they looked close to humans from this distance, nearly indistinguishable.


    ¡°We¡¯re going with her plan?¡± Sarah said, unbelieving.


    ¡°She wants us to win.¡± Colt pointed out, his eyes tracking the shadows on that wall. Just like she said, ten of them. This time, Nike had stretched what giving ¡®one piece of advice¡¯ meant since she¡¯d fed them a whole game plan for, as Colt called it, a complete victory.


    The consequence is they were probably screwed for advice on the next round. Probably.


    He¡¯d rather take the inside horse on this one and stand a chance of them all living to see the next round than for them all to die.


    Sure enough, as he watched the shadows on the wall for a precious minute, it became clear there were too many to take. Even if they were at the same level as the goats on the boats, the sheer number of them up there with that kind of advantage would decimate them. These would be higher levels, more danger, but also more reward.


    Colt looked at the whole group and rolled his shoulders. The plan wasn¡¯t so different from what Nike had said before; instead of ¡®sacrifice,¡¯ the idea was ¡®distract, delay, and dispose.¡¯ The three words which he hoped would carry them to victory. ¡°You all know your parts?¡± Colt asked, looking each of them in the eye.


    This was a lot of trust for him. Nick gave him a thumbs-up, ¡°Yessir, dont¡¯cha worry. I¡¯ll be right here for when they start chasing. We¡¯ll tag-team and run.¡±


    Nate gave him a soft nod. ¡°Stealth team will be successful. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡± Colt stood up and shook out his arms, staring at the fort in front of them. The key difference between plan Sacrifice and plan Distract was whom exactly was going up to the fort and getting their attention. Nike gave Sarah an odds of about ten to survive the situation. Colt and Nick? About fifty-fifty, she said. Basically a coin toss.


    Luck, though, was for things like tossing a coin, not this. And Colt didn¡¯t care for her to put fake odds on him living through the situation. He would make it because that¡¯s what he had to do.


    But¡­


    He glanced at Nick; the man wasn¡¯t smiling, and his hands were shaking. Colt would do what he could to make it through this, but he¡¯d also have to do his best to make sure his allies survived, too. That much was the part that worried him.

 Chapter 33: RPGs

    Colt snuck ahead, doing his best to remember the lessons given to him by Nate. He wasn¡¯t perfect at it, but the darkness of the arena made it easier to sneak ahead. Nick was in place back where he¡¯d started from. The idea was simple. The execution was key.


    Each step was a practice in precision. Move with the lay of the land and roll your foot¡ªthe fort came closer and closer, those big walls teeming with monsters atop. He could see them now; they were essentially humans. Bulky and slightly large humans. Humans had a single eye in their heads, which made them not human at all. A cyclops, but unlike the myths Colt was used to as a kid, these versions didn¡¯t match the towering shape they conjured in his head.


    They also wore armor¡ªGreek armor, with long leather skirts made of tassels, bronze helmets, and bronze greaves. Most of them had spears, too, which was a negative unless Colt caught one by surprise.


    He came within a stone¡¯s throw of the walls. Four of them were bunched up there.


    A heartbeat.


    Another one.


    ¡°Come out and fight!¡± Colt screamed, his heart racing as he threw all he could into his voice.


    The guards above looked startled, their fires making a sweep on the outside of the wall as they leaned down. One of them went further than the others were willing to go.


    He caught a spectral dagger to the eye.


    The cyclops screamed in pain, losing his balance and tumbling over the rest of the wall. Colt was on in him in an instant, his knife vanishing from jutting out of the milky white wound and reappearing in his hand. His enemy screamed on the ground, arms flailing. Each time it hit the earth, it hit with a thud that made the ground shake, so Colt bid his time, coated his knife with a thick Edict, and then went for the opportunity when it next presented itself.


    An open gut.


    Colt struck, tearing with a cut; his blade caught on the thick skin of the monster but ultimately tore through. Easier than when he fought the orc, but only just.


    Amazingly, the creature didn¡¯t die even as its organs started to fall out; it tried to tumble to its feet, and Colt darted in with a knife to the back, right where its lung should be. Once more, it was like shoving his knife through a thick gel, taking a bit more oomph and force than it should. But it did the trick; the monster roared and then gasped as its lungs failed it.


    A torch flew at Colt from above, and he side-stepped it, eyes wide as the cyclops managed to get to its feet. Missing an eye, a hole in its lungs, and guts hanging.


    Another cut and one more did the trick.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Cyclops Hoplite - Level 48


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The monster died, sparking an inferno of outrage from the ones who watched on the wall. They screamed, yelled, and threw stones, and then an alarm rang as the cyclops were alerted to the attack. As a horn blew, Colt withdrew back into the shadows, and the cyclops scrambled off the wall. Out here in the dark, they couldn¡¯t make him out from the ground around him.


    As Nike said, they¡¯d have to mount an expedition to track him. And that might present more chances to deal damage and pull more of them from the fort.


    All Colt had to do was avoid getting caught and get quicker at taking one of these things down. Now, he had a feel for the massive endurance of these things.


    ¡°Believe in yourself,¡± he said, trying to convince him this was possible. Nate, Sarah, and Julia would be somewhere on the other side of the fort. And they needed him to succeed.


    Colt pulled back into the shadows, finding a tree to hide by. The field was different from the sandy nothingness; this battle would be fought with grass, bushes, and vegetation. He took what he remembered from Nate, trying to keep his profile low and hidden, eyes locked on the gate of the fort.


    Ten minutes later, it opened up. A group of forty monsters left their fort to hunt him down and kill him. No idea what amount of the fort that was, but hopefully enough to make it easier for the rest of the group.


    There was a streak of light above, Nick firing off his arrow in the dark, flaring up brightly enough to see anywhere. Both a signal for their infiltration team and¡­


    As planned, the monsters pointed at the light and started rushing in that direction, fanning out with their torches as they took the bait.


    Colt waited.


    The monsters passed.


    Colt followed.


    They tracked the light as it last appeared in the sky, a bright white star that lit up and was pretty much the magic equivalent of a flare. Some rushed ahead, trying to catch Nate from where he fired off the arrow before he could relocate; some of them lagged behind.


    It was the last in this line that Colt picked as a target. A cyclops with a scar on the back of his head and a rather enthusiastic look on his face as he shoved a chunk of goat-man leg in his mouth for a bite. This guy would rather be warm by a fire, not caring at all if his buddies lived or died as long as he could stuff his face.


    Probably.


    That¡¯s what Colt told himself as he snuck up from behind, charged up his knife with layers of cut, and then slashed for the neck.


    The monster didn¡¯t even scream; the wave of death crashed into it from behind and tore the skin. Blood spilled, but the cut was slow. The distance it could cut into that flesh was too little, and the muscles beneath were too thick and dense.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    It managed to duck as the invisible blade tore through its skin, removing a flap from the back of its head and revealing the skull beneath as the Cyclops went down.


    There was a beat, then it turned, face greased up with goat-man leg fat and a snarl, still ready to go even with a flap of skin missing.


    These things are tanks. It lunged, and Colt fired off another cut, tearing through part of its arm; a spear thrust followed the lunge, and Colt simply cut the weapon¡¯s tip-off with little difficulty. Their gear, at least, paled in comparison to their physical attributes.


    Compared to the goat-men, though, they were easy to dance around. This thing lunged at him, arms stretched wide, greasy fingers trying to grab him and squeeze him. Compared to all the points stuffed into his dexterity, Colt made easy work of keeping his distance.


    Next, he popped the thing¡¯s eye with another slice, making it even clumsier. An obvious weak point. At least for him. He suspected no one else in their group would even be able to take one of these things down. The monster cried out, and that set the time limit. A minute, at most, then he¡¯d be fighting two or three. Which meant this had to die, and he had to vanish into the dark as a ghost. Colt doubled down, trying to take out its neck with a ranged cut; instead, he cut about an inch deep, and the monster ducked again, losing another chunk of its face.


    These things are too much. Colt cut for the neck a third time, this time coating his blade thick with the Edict, sliding around the back, and then darting in and landing the strike in the exact same spot as the first. His knife slid through enough to cut through the windpipe and then the rest of the neck, separating its head from the body and killing his second one.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Cyclops Hoplite - Level 49


    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 stared at his bloody knife while catching his breath.


    Coating the weapon with an Edict gave it more cutting power, even if it sacrificed range. But the difference was all the more obvious against a creature like this. There was something there he was missing, though; he could feel it. Wrapping his blade with the Edict like a second skin was almost a brute force method. Like the way that Nick had been using refract earlier. There had to be a better way, one that wasn¡¯t pulling out his movement and using the combination of the two.


    One thing was certain. He¡¯d have to get better at killing them.


    Colt saw the torches nearing in the darkness, spent his three extra stat-points by putting them into soul, then darted away from the corpse. For this fight, he¡¯d do his best to play the part of a ghost to keep these guys out of the fort.


    ###


    Julia stumbled behind the two strangers, her eyes wide as they followed the outside of this fortress. It was like something out of a game. Not a game she played; no, she was more into the farms and relax and build your village type of stuff. Cozy vibes. The type of thing you could drink a hot cocoa and forget you were playing until three-am. Not this craziness.


    An RPG?


    One of those war games people got too into, with¡­ What was it¡­ Map painting?


    God, let her go home and relax, finally. The first thing she¡¯d done after getting out of the ¡®tutorial dungeon¡¯ was track down her apartment and check her PC. It was dead.


    Whoever tossed her into this weird virtual reality just didn¡¯t want her to have good things. Or maybe they were too lazy to find a way to make it work, she guessed. Just like one of those online books she sometimes read. Way to go AI, put in all the effort of this realistic and crazy place, but not bother with letting her just relax and play cozy games.


    She didn¡¯t know who. She didn¡¯t know many people¡­ Any really, so maybe someone online abducted her and then put her in this weird virtual reality game? It was the only theory that made sense, so she accepted it.


    Julia slipped, snapping a branch as they neared the back of the fort. Sarah put a finger to her lips and glared at her. A dark look in her eye. Like she thought that it was intentional. As if. Who would be insane enough to make noise and get a whole fort filled with monsters all riled up?


    Not my fault.


    She tried to roll her eyes at her, but Sarah was back to looking ahead.


    Of course.


    Julia asked herself, for the tenth time in the last hour, why she was here. What had made her commit to that fake mayor NPC that she¡¯d head out and dive back into these awful dungeons! She¡¯d thought it would be fun. Her tutorial dungeon she¡¯d woken up to had been ¡®fun.¡¯ Exactly like a fantasy game. Goblins, swords, even a dragon. That said, it wasn¡¯t her normal type of game, but like everyone, she tried out that stuff now and again whenever she got the itch.


    So she thought more dungeons would be more of that.


    If she couldn¡¯t sit at home and play her cozy games because she¡¯d been abducted and stuffed into a VR reality, why not go back into the dungeons and get levels? It was a game, and she¡¯d rather that than rot and deal with a billion NPCs she didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t want to know. She¡¯d thought it¡¯d be alone, and that was great for her.


    But no. She got stuffed in this group, stuffed in this death trap. And there weren¡¯t any cool dragons to see anymore.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Nate whispered as they reached a pile of discarded boxes and barrels at the back of the fort. He gave a look to Julia and Sarah.


    Julia stared back at him. Waiting.


    Sarah gawked at her, ¡°Watch the wall above, will you? We¡¯re going to move it. Stop staring at him. You know the plan.¡±


    She didn¡¯t, actually. Half the time Nike had been talking, she¡¯d been thinking about her magic and daydreaming about being safe and back in her cozy little apartment. It was the only way to cope with this nightmare. None of these NPCs seemed as phased as she was, which was bad programming, obviously. Sue her if she was a little distracted. This was way more than she volunteered for. No dragons, no goblins, some Greek or Roman monster cosplay? Who the hell wanted to play that kind of game?


    Sarah kept up the mean face, so Julia gave her the finger and then turned her attention upward to the wall.


    Now that she knew the plan, she¡¯d follow along.


    There were a lot fewer lights up there¡ªactually, none at all¡ªcompared to the other side. There was shouting beyond the wall in a language that made no sense, but they were fine. No monsters left to see them sneak in.


    Julia kept watching.


    Until someone tugged at her sleeve.


    Sarah was giving her another pissed look¡ªthen pointed at the hole which that guy Nate¡ªshe thought his name was Nate, but she wasn¡¯t sure, maybe it was Nick?¡ªwas halfway through. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Watching the wall, like you said,¡± Julia said, exasperated. Nothing seemed to make this lady happy; her social batteries were the lowest they¡¯d been in ages. God. Please. Let. This. End.


    Sarah stared at her.


    Julia said sorry, then went for the hole. She remembered this much, at least, that Goddess had mentioned this, mentioned the barracks, and then mentioned that the flag was in the officer''s tent¡­ It would just get complicated around there, and the plan got a bit confusing. It wasn¡¯t until after that which she was supposed to do stuff, unless things went wrong. And Julia was okay with that. That part was clear. She didn¡¯t need to talk to anyone or sneak around to keep people from following them back out through this hole.

 Chapter 34: Phantom Dancing

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Cyclops Hoplite - Level 47


    You have defeated Cyclops Skirmisher - Level 43


    You have defeated Cyclops Hoplite - Level 48


    ¡­


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Step* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt wiped blood from the side of his face; his jaw stung, and the thick smell of death was all around him. The bodies of three cyclops lay at his feet, and his wick was burning low. The last couple of ambushes had been one-on-one, but then they started to pair off in groups. Nick fired off another arrow somewhere in the dark, getting more of their attention and splitting the chaos.


    With Phantom¡¯s Step and the practice on the other cyclops, he¡¯d been able to pull it off.


    There were still around thirty of these things running around, and if he had to face any more than three at a time, it would prove tough.


    Well, that was before these last two levels.


    Colt flicked his knife, the blood coating their corpses. In the distance, another flare shot up. Less time between this one and the last, and not as far away. Nick was buying him more time. Probably worried.


    He rolled his shoulders as more torches headed his way, another group of three, from the shadows. Despite running around in Greek-military gear, these monsters were oddly uncoordinated. Lazy, split, and had fallen into disorganization, not a trained and deadly military force. Maybe they didn¡¯t need to be with the raw power they were running around with.


    Colt worked his jaw, rubbing at the spot where one of those monsters landed a fist.


    He threw the torch on one of their bodies and stepped into the darkness around the fight, waiting.


    The torches and monsters approached, and he had to be ready for another round.


    Colt tossed all the stat points from his newest levels into Soul and then focused on his edict, layering it on  his blade.


    He¡¯d felt it, again and again, like a spark of his understanding rubbing against something as he fought the cyclops with this knife. Bits of intuition, tweaking how he weaved the thread of cutting around his weapon. There was a resonance to the knife; that edge it had let the edict breathe and expand. The law of the universe was meant to obey; when you ran a knife across something, it cut.


    As he fought, he altered how he layered the edict¡ªthinner, finer. He tried to coat the blade in different ways and press forward with the Edict as it worked to gain a different result.


    The results were that the cyclops were easier to cut.


    But not enough; they should be like butter beneath his knife; he should flow through them like nothing. They had a skill resisting him, different than Thick Skin. Something called an ¡®unnatural physique¡¯ was interesting in its own way. That and the levels. Levels, it seemed, firmed a creature¡¯s existence; at least, that¡¯s what Colt had started to arrive at.


    The higher the level you were, the more real you were, and consequently, the less sway his edict had over their flesh. Paired with a highly endurant body, it made them trouble to deal with.


    Colt worked at the Edict, trying to understand just what made it tick. He knew what cutting was. He¡¯d done it thousands of times. He¡¯d done it paired with Movement.


    But taken alone?


    How did one sharpen a blade?


    Another trio of cyclops burst into view¡ªone of them bigger than the others; he had a caged helm and a massive axe in his hands.


    Inspect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Cyclops Officer - Level 51


    Description: A cyclops in charge leads the cyclops of his fort with a ruthless fist; one has to consider their race is prone to laziness and inaction. When talking about military operations, a Cyclops has only one method of getting his charges under heel: Fear. One mean son of a gun. Tough, big, and chock full of protein, it¡¯s better not to cross his path.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Unnatural Physique [Rare] - Level 12


    Incite [Rare] - Level 12


    Bulwark [Rare] - Level 19


    Edicts:


    Dread (minor)


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt began to pull away from their torchlight. The Edict and the skills on this one looked nasty. The point of this mission was to get the flag and win, and he was supposed to play hit and run until the infiltration team delivered the victory. Not face down, something with three rare skills, eleven levels on him, and a damn Edict.


    Three steps away, he stopped and took in the cyclops.


    It was barking orders at the other two in a language he couldn¡¯t understand, tapping the large axe in its hand.


    It was tough.


    The toughest monster Colt had run across so far, in pure levels.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    What sharpened a blade? The thought swirled in their head as he looked at the big blob of flesh in front of him, its gut overhanging and straining its useless armor to the limit. That oversized axe might be deadly, yeah, but if Colt guessed, the big lug couldn¡¯t swing it very fast. That Edict? Dread? How did it hold up to Cut a Lesser Edict or even movement?


    Colt got a feel for it, stretching as he studied the enemy; it didn¡¯t feel insanely powerful. Somewhere around Cut at the same classification.


    So then, what sharpened a blade?


    Whetstone.


    One could look at this situation and call it crazy, and maybe they were a little right. He should walk away and prioritize the hit-and-run. This guy was an officer, right? As disorganized as they were, if anyone were going to pull together the cyclops and get in the way of their plans, it would be this cyclops, right?


    I¡¯m just justifying it.


    Colt shook his head with a smile and twirled his blade in his hand. Yeah. There were both good and bad reasons to avoid this guy.


    But really, what he wanted to do was sharpen his blade. And now, he¡¯d found the perfect whetstone. If they were going to survive the third game, if they made it past this game, they¡¯d need to be stronger. He¡¯d need to be stronger.


    No, he just wanted to be stronger.


    That¡¯s all that really mattered.


    Another arrow of light shot up into the air. The officer was about to call out another order to organize better. Colt could see it.


    But he didn¡¯t let him; Colt slid out of the shadows, his knife ripping through the leg of the closest Cyclops¡ªthe monster spilled onto the ground with a thud, still alive, but now probably less of an issue.  His knife went flying, coated thick with two layers of his Edict, thunking into the knee of the second bodyguard. Experience with the other cyclops taught him it was better to aim to disable. These things were tough bastards, but if they didn¡¯t have an easy way of getting to you because you got rid of their ability to, you could take your time and finish the job.


    This time, though, he needed to concentrate on the biggest threat.


    His knife reappeared in his hand, the damage done in seconds.


    The officer glared at him.


    ¡°Come on, show me what I¡¯m missing,¡± Colt asked him, blood thrumming as the cold shock of adrenaline coursed through him.


    The axe went up¡ªthe air around them weaved, the fires of the torches dimmer. The cries of pain from the wounded cyclops were louder and visceral. The pain was tangible in the air as the weight of the axe above the cyclop''s head started to weave, layering his Edict of dread on the moment.


    Give up, it screamed.


    Die to the blade of this axe, insect, it said.


    You¡¯ll die anyway, why not now, it convinced.


    Colt saw it work through the air and felt his body begin to lag despite all the points put into dexterity. The dread was a weight, a depression that shocked your muscles and tensed them. Giving this guy all the time he needed to get to the point.


    Why fight to survive now when you¡¯ll probably die after this game? If not then, then in a week?


    Because.


    Colt felt it, his own Edict crying out to him; all the arguments of this lesser Edict wrapped around, getting into his head and body. They were useless, unnecessary.


    He began to weave his own Edict¡ªfine, finer than before. It was a thin sheet, not even all the way around the blade, but just the edge, condensing the law of reality on the knife tip.


    Then, as that big lumbering beast reached him, that axe of death far into the sky, Colt did two things simultaneously.


    First, with his free hand, Colt sliced the air¡ªhis finger point sheering through the intangible and weaker Edict trying to influence him; instantly, his body felt lighter. At the same time, he snapped his knife forward, an invisible wave of death spiraling out from it, thin as he could make it, sharp as he could make it.


    The officer¡¯s face changed, and certain victory turned to confusion and shock; its jaw dropped, and that dumb expression was almost priceless.


    Right before the deadly line tore into him, a second coat of golden skin radiated outward, clashing with the Edict. His cut came to a standstill against the barrier, golden sparks from where it met and tore at it, trying to pierce forward. That it was able to block it¡­


    No.


    Colt grit his teeth¡ªhis eyes focused, slipping into a state of meditation as he examined the warring forces.


    CUT.


    Colt stacked his will against the cyclop''s superior skills and superior stats, narrowing the edge of the invisible blade, his body tense. The feeling of dread was sinking back in, a realization that he might not be able to slice into this thing at all if it had a skill and levels like this.


    But that was absurd.


    To cut was to divide. If he couldn¡¯t cut, the blade wasn¡¯t sharp enough.


    Colt thinned the blade even more.


    The sparks increased.


    Sweat ran down from his forehead as he focused on the warring wills; the monster was trying to wrap its Dread around it, trying to dismiss the attack as an inevitable failure, layering his skill with an infusion of his own Edict. The two had a synergy to them.


    ¡­A synergy.


    Colt¡¯s blade thinned finer. And finer. The will to hold it harder, wrestling with his soul. It was like trying to do long division while singing and balancing on a thin pole¡ªor so, mentally, it felt.


    Then, Colt saw it. Felt it. There was something he hadn¡¯t considered: a synergy of his own that hadn¡¯t been considered. This weapon, this invisible blade, was tied to him, an extension of him and his will as he pressed his universal law into a physical being. It was as much him as his body in terms of reality. And so¡­


    He activated Phantom Step.


    The instant he tried it, a pain shot through his head like a bullet went through his skull; the pain radiated throughout his body, screaming that it shouldn¡¯t be possible, that it was too much at once. The focus on the edge of his weapon¡ªthe conjunction of shoving it into a Skill that wasn¡¯t near him. There wasn¡¯t a way to handle it.


    Colt ignored it and pressed forward, past the pain and warnings.


    And the System gave way before he did.


    The invisible blade vanished an inch through the barrier. Then it reappeared in the half-inch space between the Cyclops and its barrier, phasing through the physical barrier as it stepped out of physical space for the barest of a second.


    Then, with a blade finer than any Colt had manifested before, it tore right through the officer, splitting the monster in half; blood poured from the wounds, and Colt went down to a knee¡ªhis head splitting, his heart racing, and sweat pouring from him. He felt it. He¡¯d broken something greater than himself, found a hole somewhere, and his body paid the price like the system beat him with a club as punishment.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Cyclops Officer - Level 51


    You have gained Skill: *Phantoms Gambit* [Epic] (Basic)


    This Skill has replaced *Phantom¡¯s Step* [Rare] (Basic); you have started this skill at a lower level due to rarity difference and mastery.


    *Phantoms Gambit* (Basic) - Level 3


    This skill is an extension of the self and the ability to step into the non-corporeal realm temporarily. Weapons, the self, and some objects separate from the user''s body can phase out of physical reality for a moment and then return to their physical status. It''s a hell of a party trick.


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    Your understanding of the Edict Cut has evolved. Cut (Lesser) has become Cut (Greater)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt sat on the ground, eyes glazed as he felt hollowed out from the inside. Up until one of those wounded cyclops managed to climb to its feet and try to reach him.


    That put enough sense into him to send a wave of death upon it. The Cut was much easier to form, refine, and make an invisible and impossibly thin piece of invisible death. It was as if the Edict now not only responded to him but was eager to obey. It wanted to be weaved into reality by his hands.


    Like its officer, the first cyclops that tried to kill him was split in half. Easier now.


    He took care of the last one a minute after pulling himself together to finish the job. Not a couple of seconds after that, Nick had shot off another flare, then another after that, this one a bright red light. This was the signal that he needed help. So Colt picked up what pieces he had and then got to moving. His whetstone had worked.


    ¡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

 Chapter 35: Beasts Among Us

    Nate had the flag; it was in his hands. Ignore the fact that it was in his hands, and he was running from a level 55 enemy called ¡®Cyclops Captain,¡¯ or that it had an Edict that made every step it took a small earthquake. Or that it was gaining on them.


    Sarah tried to keep her mind on the things that were going right.


    They were right at the hole. Julia was there, waiting.


    They reached the hole. Sarah rushed Nate through and then followed behind. All three of them were on the other side of the wall with the flag. Now, all Nate had to do was run back to the starting area; then, this would be over.


    Julia turned to face the hole after they ran through, doing her part. A thick seal of water covered the hole. It was her job to keep the entrance sealed from the enemy for as long as possible to get Nate to run to the end goal. It was a good plan. If it¡¯d been anyone but a behemoth of a monster trailing behind them, Sarah hesitated as Nate kept going.


    Every second it took him to get to the exit was another second of risk for everyone, so like a good soldier, he was going to fulfill his mission.


    But Julia sat there, her barrier in place. A barrier that would do nothing.


    Sarah stopped.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± She called to the girl.


    Then, Julia turned those dumb, wide eyes to her and looked annoyed, of all things.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± She claimed.


    ¡°No, you do not; the plan was for a regular cyclops¡ªthis is the boss. You cannot stop him. We need to run and fast.¡±


    ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t think you understand how this works. A protagonist overcomes obstacles. Just bring the flag back, it will be fine.¡± Julia waved her off and then returned her attention to the barrier of water sealing the monsters. Any second, the boss would arrive.


    Sarah¡¯s jaw dropped.


    A second layer of water formed, doubling the strength of the barrier. This seemed to get Julia to focus harder. The girl leaned in, her face concentrated. The pounding movement of the earth on the other side of the wall closed it. Then, a fist smashed into the water.


    It held.


    To Sarah¡¯s complete shock, the girl had managed to hold back a boss who was closer to double this girl¡¯s level than not.


    ¡°See?¡±


    Then, the fist slammed down again. This time, it didn¡¯t hit the barrier but the wall. A massive crack appeared a thin black sheet that vined downward as the entire side of the wall shook. Julia¡¯s eyes widened as the fist hammered into the wall again¡ªand again¡ªthe fourth hit and rubble were falling from above, and it was painfully obvious where this would go.


    Julia threw on a third layer of water, sweat running down her face.


    ¡°Run damnit!¡± Sarah tugged at her sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯ve. Got. This.¡±


    The wall came down, the rubble flew, and Sarah threw herself in front of Julia to take any rubble as it came down. She couldn¡¯t say why. Didn¡¯t know. It just felt like the right thing to do. She covered her face, bits of rock and dirt crashing into her and tearing her skin; it stung. Pain stung, of course. But she weathered through it, and all the stat points tossed into endurance played their part in making it a bit more bearable. The dust stung her eyes. That was the worst.


    When it settled, she saw the dark shadow of the boss rising from the rubble.


    Between him and them were three layers of water, still about the size of the hole that had been in the wall. But of course, now there was no wall around it anymore. So¡­ It wasn¡¯t blocking much at all.


    The cyclops snorted.


    The cyclops stepped one step to the right.


    The cyclops went around the barrier.


    ¡°Damn it, Julia, run!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! God, I¡¯m so done with people!¡± She screamed back.


    Then, with the Cyclops still facing them, the three layers of water compressed into one another formed a spear and slammed into the back of the cyclops.


    The big guy toppled to the ground, a shaft of water sticking out of his back; blood traveled through what had been crystal clear water, polluting the manifested weapon into a weird, cloudy-red version. Julia huffed next to Sarah; the attack had taken a toll.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°See? Monster slain. Quest finished.¡±


    The cyclops pushed itself up on its elbows and grinned a bloody smile at them.


    ¡°No, it is not.¡± At this, Julia finally let herself be yanked away; water spiraled after them, probably trying to slow the monster as the girl started yelling hysterically.


    Sarah pulled her along anyway, heart hammering. Say what you will about how dumb this was, but now Nate had a clear lead to get to the exit without this monster chasing. Sarah gave it one last look as it got to its feet, grin wide as it moved to chase. A tendril of water splashed against its cheek, not doing much at all.


    Run fast. She yanked Julia after her and set off to do just that.


    ###


    Colt leaned over, hands on his thighs. Blood coated him, and his left arm was bruised. Near broken, probably. The muscle beneath it had to be damaged. But, among the corpses of eight cyclops, he couldn¡¯t really complain about the injury. A price to be paid.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 1 point of Dexterity and 1 point of Soul


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The level was nice, and his new skill leveled up. Testing it in combat was interesting¡ªthese monsters didn¡¯t exactly have a barrier for his cut to need to phase through, but he found, overall, it was more responsive and easier to weave in and out of combat with. A knife could vanish through one target and reappear on the other side to hit the enemy behind.


    A niche application, and he was sure there was more to it than that.


    Colt rolled his shoulders and looked over to his ally.


    Nick had it worse than Colt got. The guy¡¯s face was broken, bruised, and bloody from the multiple hits the creatures got off on him. Nick limped over as he saw Colt looking and shook his head.


    ¡°How were you able to do that?¡±


    Colt stared at his knife; now, with the improved Edict, he could halve these guys without too much of a problem. Their skin and flesh once more parted with ease.


    ¡°Edicts,¡± Colt explained and worked his jaw. ¡°If you want to get strong, you should focus on your refract. That¡¯s my gut feeling. Out of everything in this system, the skills, the levels¡­ These edicts are what give you the most control.¡±


    ¡°You have two, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The first one¡­¡± Colt rolled his shoulders and then invested the stat points he¡¯d gained from the last two levels. Two went to Soul, which put the stat at an even one hundred. The other four, he added back to the tried and true dexterity. For as much as Soul was his way of having firepower, the dexterity part is what kept him alive in the first place.


    Though, one day¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s what I used against these guys. Cut. The second one is the one you haven¡¯t seen. I¡¯ve been building my Soul to be able to handle it. If we survive this, I¡¯m sure it will be used in the next game. Not all Edicts are equal, and that one is more difficult to use.¡± Where Cut felt attentive and wanted to respond to Colt, using movement was like fighting a wild animal for control.


    Still, even with Cut as it was now, listed as a ¡®greater¡¯ rank, it wasn¡¯t in doubt that the other Edict was still more in raw power.


    Truth be told, he was eager to pull it out.


    Nick rubbed his neck. ¡°Soul then, huh? What about my magic?¡±


    ¡°Find an edict that ties to it, and do both at once. Maybe? I don¡¯t know; my class didn¡¯t give me access to it. I don¡¯t even know what that system does,¡± Colt sighed and looked around. The rest of the monsters were in disarray. Killing their officer ruined what little coordination they had out here¡­ During the fight, though¡­ ¡°Did you hear a bang during that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it came from the fort.¡±


    Colt cracked his neck and moved in that direction; ¡°Hang back here and heal. I¡¯ll make sure things are going alright.¡±


    He got ten feet; then the night sky erupted into a white light; his heart kicked into second gear, thinking they had run out of time. With all of the fighting, it was possible. A cold denial of death ran through him, the grip on his knife tighter, expecting the pain. He weaved cut thick around his blade and readied to pull at the deeper, more ancient second Edict.


    The hammer didn¡¯t drop.


    Instead, he found Nate near him. The ex-soldier was huffing, his face red and slick with sweat. He raised a salute to Colt.


    The man had done it.


    But¡­


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    ¡°Over here!¡± Julia called¡ªhe flipped to see the two girls behind him. Sarah was on the ground, her head lying on the side. She had a massive bump on her head, and her legs were broken and torn at weird angles. Colt winced and hurried over, asking Julia to fill him in¡ªthe girl wasn¡¯t much better, sporting a broken arm. In short, the girl messed up; they waited too long and fought a monster that was at a higher level than the officer. And they lost. Lost bad.


    They would''ve been dead if the game had gone on for another minute.


    Colt ran a hand through his hair and looked at the white void around them. Waiting.


    No owl came.


    ¡°Apologies. It seems my servant has seen fit to stretch the definitions of what I¡¯ve asked of her. Nike will not be here to prepare you for the next round. Nor will you receive any reprieve as punishment for the unintentional advantage you¡¯ve gained. You¡¯ll have to make do. I will grant you this: the final game is simple. A classic of this Colosseum. You must slay the beast.¡± Athena¡¯s voice shook the world as it rang out through the void; Julia cried out in pain, and Nate went to his knee. Nick managed to stay standing, and this time, though it hurt, Colt shrugged off her commands.


    The Edicts she used were refined, thick, and far above his comprehension, but he had enough under his own belt to at least withstand her talking now.


    What a monster.


    With that, they were back to silence. And waiting. An endless wait as his heart hammered, and he watched Nate apply the emergency training he¡¯d learned to try to help Sarah.


    He focused on what he could do, readying himself for the next battle.


    As the highest level, and with the most firepower, this next fight, their hardest fight from what Nike shared¡­ It was on his shoulders and his alone. So Colt waited, keeping his head cool. Trying to stop his heart from hammering. When the white void vanished once more, he had to be ready. There was no choice otherwise.

 Chapter 36: Beast Battles

    When the void cleared, they found themselves back in the Arena in its most natural state. The grass withered away beneath Colt¡¯s feet, going from a vibrant green lawn to a withered mass of dried and dying soil. From there, it broke apart further, turning to dust and joining the sand beneath. What once was trees, brush, and grass was now back to a desert.


    The crowd around them cheered and went wild, the blue faces beaming.


    ¡°My loyal subjects. Today, upon our centennial games, we have victors of two of three. That means they qualify to face the final challenge. Their strife has been great, and upon reaching this round, they are battered and bruised. Nothing comes easy in life. War requires sacrifice, and to find your way to a victory requires pain.¡± Athena spoke, and her voice was everywhere. An overwhelming presence that crushed down on everyone around them.


    The people went wild around them, their voices once more a screaming wall.


    Distracting.


    Colt cut the noise off around him, much the same way as he cut through the noise before. If they were little waves, he could keep up a small barrier around himself to slice those waves. The application of it made sense mentally, and since it was reverse engineering what he did with a lesser rank in the Edict, this much came naturally.


    Blessedly, the cheering of the crowd stopped, and he could keep his mental state intact.


    ¡°They will face a copy of one of the fiercest creatures in existence. Fresh from hell itself. Behold, Cerberus!¡± Athena¡¯s voice, however, had no difficulty penetrating his barrier. His Edicts couldn¡¯t hold up to whatever nature of being that woman was.


    The sand in front of them blackened, then widened, with a pit forming in the middle of it. What rose was a giant of a dog roaring with three fierce heads. Its fur was as black as night; molten lava dripped from its fangs as it let out an ear-piercing roar; this, too, had no difficulty getting through Colt¡¯s barrier. Behind it curled a massive snake, the head waving slowly, its tongue flicking out and tasting the air. The monster was the size of a house. It radiated an overwhelming power.


    It saw them and lurched forward¡ªthen stopped, jerked by a chain that trailed back into the pit from which the beast came.


    ¡°Though this is but a shadow of the real thing, do not be deceived. We¡¯ve pulled forth the most powerful shadow we could, given the state of this world from which our contenders hail. This should be a challenge that may be impossible for beings of their capacity. There will be blood. There will be death. But we must ask, can these gladiators survive a last round that has slain hundreds?¡±


    With Athena¡¯s last proclamation, the pit from which Cerberus came was filled with sand. The chain that held the monster down eroded, then snapped with one last jerk.


    Cerberus howled, and Colt let his control over cut stop, letting the sound of the crowd once more funnel in. Now, with the danger right in front of him, he could simply ignore it. His knife held tight as he started at the lumbering monster in front of him; more lava spit came from its mouth.


    All he had was a tiny knife to face off against this behemoth.


    Bring it.


    The officer had been a whetstone, and this monster would only serve as a bigger one. If it could bleed, it could die. If his knife could cut it, he could kill it. Victory had to be the only thing in his head.


    Nate and Nick walked next to him, while Julia stayed with Sarah. The girl had been crying ever since the trial ended, blathering on about ¡®dumb npc¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®why am I this sad?¡¯ It was a sort of delusional nonsense that didn¡¯t serve a purpose and had no place in a situation like this. No, what they needed was focus¡ªa razor-edge of focus if they stood any chance of surviving.


    Given the state of her arm, she wasn¡¯t in much condition for a fight like this anyway.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Nate asked as Cerberus sniffed the air. The monster was staring at them, and it was only a matter of time before it bounded after them and ate them.


    ¡°I will lead the attack. You support Nick. And Nick can fire off arrows to distract it while I fight. I can¡¯t see the level yet, but I suspect we''re dead if this thing hits any of us. So I¡¯d rather everyone else stay as far away as possible. I¡¯ve got to be fast enough not to get hit. It¡¯s that simple.¡± It was dancing on the knife edge of death, but by now, he¡¯d gotten comfortable there. It brought out his best.


    ¡°And if you die?¡± Nate said after a barest second.


    There wasn¡¯t any doubt in there; he wasn¡¯t trying to discourage Colt. No, the practical man was trying to have a backup plan in case Colt couldn¡¯t handle the big beast. Hard to find fault in that.


    ¡°It appears to have lava power. Have Julia drag Sarah as far away as possible, then regroup with you. Maybe her water will be able to do something. From there, you¡¯ll have to figure it out.¡± Colt gave the orders with a cold voice.


    He wouldn¡¯t die, so it didn¡¯t matter.


    Victory was key.


    Nate put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You have us at your back if the plan changes. I¡¯ll run in and face down this thing as well, by your side, if you say.¡±


    There was a bond of loyalty there, and Colt gave him a nod. Nate was willing to step into it even if it meant more likely than not certain death. He¡¯d been a soldier, he¡¯d had his brothers, and through the trial of the last couple of weeks, the soldier had found that bond in Colt, too. For that reason, he wouldn¡¯t ask him to do this with him. Far too dangerous.


    ¡°Appreciated.¡±


    Cerberus sniffed.


    Cerberus stepped forward.


    Colt ran toward it, his increased dexterity clearing the distance in seconds¡ªhis feet kicking sand as he ran, each push forward calculated as he moved. It had the intended effect: Cerberus focused solely on him, a moving target. The big beast was a dog, just one with three heads. In a way, he was like a ball rolling across the sand, a toy for the dog to chase down and chew up.


    Unlike a dog, he had fangs that could crush a car and paws with claws that could turn a man into a paste.


    Cerberus bounded forward, lava spewing from its mouth as it moved, wind curling around it with a tang. As soon as he was close enough, Colt got his inspect in.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Cerberus - Level 65


    Description: The hound of hell from legends. Spawn of Typhon and Echidna, this is a massive three-headed beast with surprising cunning. It is said that Cerberus guards the entrance to the underworld. His job is to keep the dead from leaving and eat the living who try to enter. However, when away from the gates of hell, Cerberus doesn¡¯t have too much of a compunction with eating any other living mortal he runs across. This is but a shadow of the mighty beast, but don¡¯t let that fool you. It can and will kill you.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    One thing many people get wrong about Cerberus is his size; they tend to think, ¡®Hey, it¡¯s big, it¡¯s just going to eat me.¡¯ Well, let''s get something straight. Cerberus will eat you. But Cerberus doesn¡¯t have to only eat you. He¡¯s a smart pup, and makes good use of those three skulls of his. As such, he has a grasp of shadow magic, fire magic, and a pretty nasty ability to affect souls. This hard-working dog needs to manage the unalive, after all. Best of luck!


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Soul Scathing Howl [Epic] - Level 13


    Three Brains Are Better Then One [Rare] - Level 19


    Shadow Mastery [Rare] - Level 14


    Fire Magic [Uncommon] - Level 18


    Venomous Bite [Uncommon] - Level 9


    Edicts:


    Sear (lesser)


    Shadow (lesser)


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The warning came a second before it was needed; Colt had been under the impression this beast was just going to try to chew him up. But as they closed in together, he saw that spark of intelligence in one of its three heads¡ªa second later, it spewed a burst of law, which then balled up and burst into a fireball.


    Colt dived to the side, twisting as his body kicked up sand. The heat scorched his hair and skin, and the air was harsh to breathe as he narrowly missed the conflagration.


    Then his shadow twisted¡ªa spike of black smoke flew up from it, aimed at his head. This, too, he skidded by, feeling the sharpened blackness tear into his cheek as he barely prevented a spike from going into his head. Then the earth rumbled, and Cerberus was there, its jaws unhinged as it lowered its muzzle, seeing fit to eat him whole.


    Colt threw out his invisible way of death at that open mouth, then wrapped the Edict around his knife again as the first wave rose to meet the jaws coming down to eat him, launching a second invisible blade of death, struggling to maintain both. This one, he aimed slightly lower, at the neck of the middle head.


    The first hit the jaw, the laws contesting one another. Lava coated its mouth, black shadowy smoke rising to defend and contest the contact point. His Greater Edict contested the two lesser ones and came to a halt before it could dig in and take half of Cerberus¡¯ head off; that much was fine. Expected even, considering the level difference.


    Cerberus wasn¡¯t aware of the second line of death until it hit the monster¡¯s throat.


    The monster howled as a waterfall of blood fell from the slit in its middle neck; smoke and lava flared, and the blood that landed on Colt beneath it stung with a fierce heat. The cut stopped going as it fought back against both, but he¡¯d got in his damage and bought a second.


    Colt flew backward, scrambling away from Cerberus as he pulled all of his power into his legs.


    In response, Cerberus howled.


    Colt stopped in his tracks.


    It tore at his insides, and the two invisible cuts the monster was fighting against vanished; the handle on his Edict torn away from him as the howl shriveled his grasp on the Edicts, as his soul instinctively tried to retreat back inside, afraid of a beast who would chew it and tear it to shreds. Even his legs felt like jelly, his head a sudden ache as it split and tore his concentration.


    Move. He tried to command.


    A shadow approached.


    A snake head snapped down, fangs extended, dripping with a lava-like venom, and Colt pulled himself together enough to activate Phantom¡¯s Gambit; he couldn¡¯t move, but the snake snapped through where he was, hitting nothing but sand.


    Move. Colt commanded again and felt the welling resonance inside of him. If he wanted to move, if he needed it, it was there. Cerberus was a mighty beast, a monster a man like him wasn¡¯t meant to kill. Not like he was. Athena had banked on them all dying. She¡¯d chosen her champion and set them in a situation where her battle was all but one. He could see that.


    But Colt had a beast in him, too.


    MOVE!


    The edict flared outward; Movement wrapped around his limbs, and the world slowed. The snakehead that was currently phased through his body still as a statue. His heart hammered away already, his eyes strained. Every muscle was on fire as the Edict ran wild; it bucked, it flared, excitement to be drawn upon.


    At most, he had a handful of seconds. More than before.


    It must be enough.


    Colt wrapped the Edict of Cut around his knife, then stepped away from the snake, his body reforming; he moved like water, a single step taking him back to the snake-tail, and a single slice moving at a speed fast enough to complete take it off; Cerberus started to move behind him, howling, fire building in two of its mouths.


    In a burst of speed, he was there, leaped on top of the back of the beast. Cut expanded, its energy enhanced by movement, feeding from the overwhelming power of the Edict.


    Colt¡¯s heart rate sped; it felt like it wanted to burst out of his chest in a pulse of explosive fleshy gore.


    He snapped the knife forward, expanding the edge outward, stretching the weapon from a small knife to a knife of a giant, a knife big enough to do the damage he needed to this monster. The edge tore through one neck, fire and shadow fought against him, pushing back on instinct, but it fell apart. Sliced too fast.


    One head.


    Two heads.


    Colt struggled on the third neck; Cerberus was aware enough, he was moving beneath Colt, the formidable monster reacting to an attack that must have happened in three seconds to it, outside of the wrapping of the Movement Edict, and its defense was mounting. Movement was fading, bucking Colt¡¯s control even more, fighting against him.


    Colt cut through the skin of the third neck. Got an inch deep. Two inches.


    He grit his teeth, his heart running as if in the last mile of a marathon¡ªthreatening to run straight out of his chest and collapse onto the sand, dead.


    More. Colt pushed.


    Cerberus fought back and fought for its life. There was more shadow and more fire. Flames were licking up its back. Colt could feel them beneath his feet as the entirety of the beast heated; a howl was erupting, too. He could feel the traveling disruption through the air. When it reached him, his Movement would break free, too much to control.


    An arrow of light slammed into its last head, fired before Colt even used his Edict.


    Cerberus lost focus for a tenth of a second. To Colt, it might as well have been five seconds in this state. More than enough to see, think, and react.


    Colt screamed, throwing the rest of his power into the cut, entwining the greater Edict with the force of Movement, and the two slid right through the rest of Cerberus¡¯ defense. The last head came off; time returned to normal as the Colt tumbled to the ground, his back hurt, shoulder broken as the steaming body of the thrice-beheaded dog collapsed next to him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Cerberus - Level 65


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul.


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt blinked; he heard a rush of sound around him; his feet burned. Blackened and wounded, his chest felt like someone had hung him in a boxing gym and let a ton of people use him like a bag. As he sat looking at the sky, too winded to think much past the pain and gratefulness for living, another notification took over.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Cerberus has become aware of you defeating one of his shadows. He is impressed by your strength and has seen fit to offer you a contract. You may now accept Cerberus as an Icon.


    Note: This is your first Icon offer; you may only ever accept one Icon, as once you¡¯ve accepted it, your path will forever be shaped by it. Icons are a connection to a powerful mantle, a legend, a myth, a figure of strength and renown that has become larger than life and has found its life in the Labyrinth. Your connection to this being is a contract, and that contract comes with ideals you must uphold. Icons can be deepened by agreeing to further ideals or accomplishing quests issued by your Icon. Following their path can boost the cultivation of great power, yet straying too far from their path may prove difficult. Choose carefully.


    Icon: Cerberus


    The path of the three-headed beast. An arbiter of the gate between life and death, this path deals with the spheres of both. But wait, there¡¯s more; add in a dash of fire, shadow, and venom, and you end up with quite a complex path to follow. At times, it¡¯s almost like you have to have three minds to juggle it all.


    Luckily, this path begins by offering the following skill to help you with your first steps:


    Skill: Split Mind [Rare]


    Description: This skill allows the user to run co-currently by splitting their concentration and focus. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to explain much more than that. It¡¯ll be like having two minds running at once, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s easy to see the benefits that might be capable of.


    Would you like to accept this Icon?


    (Y/N)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 37: Wings And Things

    Colt stared at the system screen; the cheers of the crowd were still wild, a roar that split his already aching head. Still, the sand was soft beneath him, almost like a pillow. The corpse of the beheaded dog was fading away in black smoke, to return to wherever Athena had pulled it from, probably. Aside from the noise of the situation, he could finally have peace. They¡¯d made it out of a death trap, and for that, he was grateful beyond belief.


    His soul ached, but he cut off the noise of the crowd. Just for a second, though, holding the Edict and processing the information there. It explained the details of an Edict he¡¯d suspected; you only got to pick one, and it came with benefits and obligations. But it also game with power. This Cerberus Icon¡­ It had promise to it.


    The bit about ¡®following their path¡¯ had to do with Edicts.


    Well, that part, he had insider knowledge on, even though it hadn¡¯t been as explicitly laid out as it could have been.


    The ability it straight-up offered was tempting. The description didn¡¯t mess around. Off his bat were several utilities, maybe juggling Edicts. But then, relying too far on a skill like that might affect his mastery maybe if he had some magic to add to the mix too.


    Overall. It looked good.


    Very good.


    But there was better.


    Colt rejected the offer, and the prompt closed.


    ¡°Let us see our champions.¡± Athena¡¯s voice boomed out.


    The sand pushed Colt back up to a standing position; a soft white light wrapped around him, and his pain eased. His soul still ached a deep, dull thrum in the depth of his chest. But the wounds, the bruises, and the pain faded away as Athena healed him. The sand rose beneath his feet, raising him and the rest of his group higher and higher until they stood level with the crowd around them. Beneath him, the ground morphed, the sand turning into a marble podium with elaborate decorations on the sides. If one looked carefully, they could see heroes fighting beasts in the engravings.


    To have such fine control of magic¡­ or Edicts¡­ or maybe some combination?


    How real were these gods, and what did they signify in this new reality?


    The cheering redoubled as they came into the air; Colt¡¯s cut failed him as he ran out of fuel to give commands to that Edict. This time, with less of a headache, it was more bearable.


    Colt looked at the rest of his group. Sarah was opening her eyes; her legs straightened and fixed. Julia¡¯s arm was back to normal, and the bruises were gone from all of them. Part of their reward for finishing the games was healing, then.


    Living, too, was another great reward.


    ¡°It was, of course, a masterful bout. One of the things we love is to see those with fewer resources make do with what they have and face overwhelming odds. Tactical and specific use of talents to overcome such challenges are part of the thrill. I hope they do forgive us for luring them in with the promise of a lesser dungeon. But, well, it would not have been nearly such a wonderful show.¡±


    More cheering. That, at least, explained the disparity between the scout¡¯s report and what they ended up getting. This Goddess had tweaked the system, somehow. Broken and unfair. But that was life, and since none of them had died, it was something to accept without such bitterness.


    Colt stared out at the crowd, at those blue creatures. When this dungeon ended, where would they go? Where was this place, really? He felt the tug of the Edicts in the air here, thick. Far thicker than anything he¡¯d seen in the Endless Alleys. Were all dungeons like this?


    ¡°One last cheer for victory. Then we shall issue our rewards and see these gladiators on their way out.¡±


    Athena raised her hands in the air, a wide beam on her face, as the crowd kept shouting. They hadn¡¯t stopped shouting, really, since the end of the fight. But it kept going, people tearing up their throats at the end of some obscure blood sport.


    Whatever.


    Athena vanished from her place at the end of the Colosseum, and a much smaller human-sized version of her appeared on the podium.


    Athena gave them the same wide smile she¡¯d given the crowd. It didn¡¯t reach her eyes. No, those were different. Up close, he felt them measuring. As if it pulled every single atom of him apart, studied it, stuffed away whatever she¡¯d gleaned. This made Colt almost summon his knife back into his hand, but instead, it vanished back into his soul. He had no idea what would happen if he left it behind in a dungeon and no intent to find out.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Athena said, this time her voice controlled. No longer booming out over the entire crowd. Just the podium. A soft bubble appeared around them, blurring the cheering spectators and muffling the screams and cries outside.


    The five of them looked at one another. Not sure what to say.


    What does one say to a being that could probably wipe you out with a single finger and subject you to a series of live-or-die games for an audience? Yeah, Colt didn¡¯t have the social skills to puzzle that out, and no one else did either.


    Athena walked to Sarah first; Colt made out the now regular-sized black owl on her shoulder. Nike. Shrunken down. He could¡¯ve sworn the owl winked at him when she looked.


    The goddess waved her hand, and a chest appeared in front of Sarah.


    ¡°Your reward for a fight well fought. Bravery is commendable, and strategic sacrifice is sometimes necessary. Willing to lay your life down for a team victory was a good choice for your talents.¡±


    Sarah frowned at her.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I was saving Julia,¡± Sarah said.


    Athena gave her that fake smile, and gestured at the chest. Sarah leaned down¡ªand opened it. There was a dark red ribbon in there, bordering on brown¡­ Colt was close enough for an inspect, so he did.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hydra Blood Dyed Hand-Wrap [Rare]


    Description: A hand-wrap, good for punching. Due to its age, potency has been lost. This is likely a good thing. After being made, if you didn¡¯t have high forms of poison resistance, just wrapping this around your hand was a quick sentence for death. Nowadays, it¡¯s more tame. It inflicts an acidic type of poison on the flesh of the enemies when punched, and the enchantments on the fiber actually keep you safe. Awesome.


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt rubbed his eyes as he reread. This item''s description was different from that of his spirit knife. Had the additional levels in Inspect changed formatting? It also had a rarity, like skills. At some point, he¡¯d have to re-check his knife. Or maybe his understanding of the system had changed the information displayed.


    Still, nice item.


    Sarah picked it up cautiously, and he had to wonder what she¡¯d read. It''s not exactly the most comfortable feeling holding something that used to be able to kill you just holding it¡­ But she did fine.


    Athena gave her a nod, the chest vanished, and she moved over to Nick.


    ¡°A good soldier, Fine aim. A key victor in every single battle. Truly, a valuable unit on the battlefield, though you need to develop.¡± She went on and waved her hand.


    A chest appeared.


    In it was a mirror, and inspect told Colt that it would help develop an Edict dealing with the concept of light when meditated with¡ªthough it only had three uses. It was clear what the intent was. She was giving him a way to break through to the next level of his Edict. The fact such items existed was¡­ Well. Colt wanted it. It wasn¡¯t his prize, but damn, he wished he could talk his way into getting it, but Nick needed it more. This, too, was of rare quality. Each of the rewards was personalized then.


    Next came Julia. She received a staff that enhanced water magic, and Nick got an actual honest-to-goodness medieval hammer, which mentioned enhanced durability and the ability to increase its weight. Both of those were rare. Athena gave them a little speech, too, before she gave them their prize.


    So it wasn¡¯t surprising when Athena took her place before him, and another chest appeared at his feet.


    ¡°The Starategos of the group; I¡¯ve had a keen eye on your progress. What is there to say, young one? You led your team to victory in the naval battle. You trusted the right people for the right jobs in the infiltration. You dealt with the beast with mostly your own powers and yet still tried to offer a backup plan to give your fellows courage. The greatest of the prizes will go to you as is deserved. Well fought, gladiator.¡±


    She waved to the chest.


    Colt folded his arms and kept looking at her. Athena raised an eyebrow and kept that fake smile plastered on her face. She didn¡¯t care one bit about them, he was sure. They were but insects beneath her feet.


    ¡°Is my prize not enough for this gladiator?¡±


    ¡°I wish to claim a different prize.¡±


    At this, the smile disappeared, and her eyes hardened. ¡°It does not befit a mortal to make demands upon a goddess. Take my grace and your rewards, and you will begone from my realm. I advise you to be cautious with your words, for you do not know whom you make demands of.¡±


    Colt tried to keep his heart from beating out of his chest, knowing he was playing with fire. But he had to. It was the plan.


    ¡°I would make demands from another goddess. I do not want this trinket. For my part in the tournament, that which you claimed was the most important and deserved the greatest prize¡­ I seek a contract with the Goddess Nike.¡±


    ¡°Denied,¡± Athena said.


    Yet, at Colt¡¯s words, the chest disappeared, and the owl on Athena¡¯s shoulder hopped off¡ªtransforming in an instant into the same dark-haired goddess who¡¯d gotten them through the second round.


    ¡°Accepted!¡± She yelled.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The Goddess of Victory, Nike, has deemed you worthy of forming a contract through virtue of your drive and ability to find victory in difficult situations. You may now accept Nike as an Icon.


    Icon: Nike


    The path of victory. She is known for her association with victory in all things. Sports, war, competition of any kind. Whether it be writing a book, or trying to beat a casino at cards, Nike watches with eager revelry, rooting for her chosen winners.


    Now, what does the path of victory entail? It¡¯s broader than some other paths, as Victory can be achieved in many ways, so too can this Icon be followed. There are, however, some common themes. Movement, Wind, Competition, and, of course, Victory. But while there¡¯s wiggle room in the exact path to victory, there is an underlying principle to all things here. Difficulty. To be the best and always come out ahead, you must face great odds and even greater hardships. Name a famous athlete who hasn¡¯t. Nothing comes easy to a victor. Understand?


    The following skill is given to begin your path:


    Skill: Olympic Mandate [Rare]


    Description: A skill that, once used, enhances the user¡¯s Dexterity, Strength, and Endurance by 10%. This effect lasts for one minute and has a cool-down of an hour. You¡¯re probably thinking the following: neat, but not enough for a rare skill, right? Well! This one is pretty straightforward. That percentage you see? It¡¯ll increase as this skill evolves. Good, right? Who doesn¡¯t enjoy a nice buff.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt read it as fast as he could¡ªAthena had started to shout, and he could feel the pillar rumble beneath him as it came apart. Nike said this would happen, and had told him just what to do if they, by some grace of God, made it to this point. He¡¯d already decided before this that for an Icon¡­ Well, this was as good as he could get.


    Accepting Cerberus would have been okay.


    But a Goddess¡ªNike said that was a contract with something far superior to a mere legendary monster, and he believed her. She wanted him to win, and his gut knew she was right. That much was clear; besides that, his movement Edict was tied deeply to her, and it was his greatest weapon.


    Choosing Cerberus would have been fine. But choosing Nike was like the difference between earth and heaven.


    He accepted.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained Skill: Olympic Mandate [Rare] (Basic)


    You have gained your Icon: Nike


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Nike gave him a thumbs-up. Athena shouted even louder, shaking the stand, and then black wings sprouted out Nike¡¯s back. She waved, and her wings flapped a single time.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Congratulations!


    The games have been completed. The exit has been opened. You have completed Athena¡¯s Centennial Games.


    Rewards distributed to associated Faction!


    You have been expelled from the dungeon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next moment, Colt was back in sunlight, right outside of the Parthenon, his group by his side; the marble building began to crack, and with a yell, they rushed away from the structure as it collapsed¡ªColt rushed, grabbing Julia who had the worst reaction time out of them. Thanks to his considerable dexterity, getting her away wasn¡¯t too hard.


    From a safe distance, they watched as the pseudo-ancient building collapsed to rubble. They sat in silence, each of them lost in their own heads. Colt felt changed, felt a connection now in his soul. It was odd to describe, but¡­ He felt more complete. Whole. There was a resonance there with who he was and who Nike was, and by the second, the bond was solidifying.


    ¡°Why did the side character get the best reward?¡± Julia asked, after too long a silence.

 Chapter 38: Might & Magic

    Nate led the way back to New Nashville. Most of them were silent, with the occasional order as they snuck through the streets. With monsters still lurking about, it was in their best interest to avoid any more fights. Athena had healed their wounds, but not their exhaustion.


    Colt crept behind, the dense brush and trees now littering the streets made it easy to sneak; his body¡¯s enhanced abilities made it even better. Not a lot of thought had to go into it to follow Nate¡¯s lead; the guy was reliable as always, and it was nice to be under his lead.


    Thankfully, the trip back was quiet. Just some deer, a rogue orc that was a simple matter to avoid, and not much more.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the grand stadium that was made of New Nashville.


    As they approached the door, Colt opened up his status sheet.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: Nike | Class: Edict Carver (II)


    Faction: New Nashville


    Level: 43


    Edicts:


    Cut (Greater)


    Movement (Minor)


    Skills:


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) - Level 15


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) - Level 15


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) - Level 11


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) - Level 5


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) - Level 7


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) - Level 1


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) - Level 6


    Hide Status (Basic) - Level 5


    Stats:


    Strength: 24


    Endurance: 41


    Dexterity: 84


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 15


    Soul: 102


    Unassigned Stat Points: 6


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    They were decent gains. His level had climbed quite high; the Icon presented its own set of challenges. As he stared, he puzzled over his stat points. Levels, he assumed, would slow eventually. While grinding out stats was possible, it didn¡¯t come as freely. The higher stats would be even more difficult to move.


    Colt rubbed the back of his head as Nate hailed the nearest guard¡ªgoing to deliver a summed-up report of their situation.


    He was more than happy to let the man take care of it. Nate was good at this stuff, especially when Colt was tired and ground down.


    Crossroads.


    What to do here. Endurance was lagging behind, Intelligence and Willpower¡ªwell, they seemed to feed more into magic skills than his. Strength was practically gone.


    Dexterity¡­ With Movement now being easier to control, how much dexterity did he need? The Olympic Mandate worked as a stat boost and would increase as he developed the skill¡­


    Whether tired or interested in seeing how far Soul could take him alone, Colt threw all six points into the Stat. Better to specialize, especially since it was his biggest strength. Next, though, came an overall look at his progress. Both levels, the gain of his Icon and his Edicts, were moving along well. But his skills.


    They seemed a bit weak, didn¡¯t they?


    More training. A better grasp of those fundamentals could be a big difference, especially if they led to the further evolution of Edict Carver. His first day in New Nashville had been a day of rest. Happiness at being outside of the Endless Alleys¡­ Now, though, he better understood what dangers lurked in this new world. The monsters, the dungeons, and countless other things.


    Gods.


    To survive here meant to take advantage of everything he could. Had things been different, had he been weaker, he would¡¯ve died. These skills were survival tools, and he needed to sharpen and hone them just like his edicts.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Colt rubbed at his eyes as Nate finished speaking with the guard.


    ¡°We¡¯re to head to the White House straight away and deliver our report,¡± Nate said, giving a good look around at everyone. ¡°If anyone would like to sit it out, that is fine. They don¡¯t need all of us for the debriefing, and I¡¯m willing to go alone if need be.¡±


    The group exchanged looks.


    Colt decided to take him up on it: ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± He gave a small nod. Nick and Julia also took him up. Sarah, it seemed, was happy to go along and help.


    With that settled and Nate taking the full weight of the responsibilities on this, Colt prepared to call it a night.


    They went to the guard, and the guy quickly checked their citizenship. Just to ensure they were permitted into the walls. Not that anyone was aware of an opposition group¡­ Then again, there had to be, right? People would form into groups of bandits and try to take advantage of the chaos. Colt never thought to ask.


    In every depiction of an apocalypse, that kind of lawlessness was inevitable.


    Yet the people here weren¡¯t talking much of it. Or maybe they were. Colt was too tired to think.


    As he passed into the stadium with his group and they reached the playing field, a.k.a. the village in which everyone lived and made to split their ways, Nick pulled him back with a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Mind a quick chat, partner?¡±


    Colt gave him bleary eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick.¡±


    A nod. He didn¡¯t feel like it, but sometimes, when you¡¯re more tired than you can imagine, there are things you just have to do. And he owed Nick this, at least. Especially if they were going to be diving into dungeons together again¡­ Well. Maybe this was Nick saying he was done. After such a near-death experience of getting trapped in a higher-level dungeon, that wouldn¡¯t be too crazy of a conclusion to reach.


    The rest of the group departed, and Nick pulled him closer to the town; eventually settling near some chairs and fire, an old dude with a long gray beard was busy away strumming at his guitar, giving them a nod as they sat.


    ¡°Tim,¡± Nick gave the guy a nod.


    He got a gruff, ¡®yuh,¡¯ back.


    Nick settled in, stapling his fingers as he looked at Colt. For his part, Colt settled back into his spot, letting the warmth of the fire settle into his bones; it was too much after a day like today. This moment was a balm to his wounded soul.


    Nick worked his jaw for a bit, thinking about what he wanted to say.


    Then he said it.


    ¡°Edicts are that powerful, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we all need them. Julia, Sarah, and Nate¡ªI think if we stick together and keep going into dungeons, it¡¯s the safest way for us to keep going. I have this skill: Meditation. It¡¯s uncommon. So maybe with some guidance and time now that I understand it better, everyone else can pick up my skill¡­¡± Colt trailed off, rubbing at his eyes.


    ¡°But how did you know about what my refract could do?¡±


    ¡°My investment in Soul and other skills. I had an idea. Maybe my class, too. I¡¯m not sure. Why do you want to be a dungeoneer, anyway?¡± Colt leaned back in his chair as the old man plucked more notes; he really took a look at Nick, now. The guy was intent on this conversation, his eyes focused, his scruffy face narrowed in a look of study.


    ¡°I was a failure man. Tried making my way as a musician, running gig to gig. Played here and there, but nobody wanted to listen much, nobody paid me much. About five years of that. They say if you love something, you can practice it was much as you want, can give your soul to it. But what do you do when you do that, when you lay down your life for your passion, and it don¡¯t love ya back?¡± Nick gave a rueful smile and looked at the old man playing by their fire. ¡°¡­You keep trying and praying, right?¡±


    ¡°Went through something like that. Though, I didn¡¯t have a thing I loved,¡± Colt paused. Because he never found the thing he loved. Just felt the weight of the world on him, his own unworth. Couldn¡¯t make money. Couldn¡¯t hold down a job for long.


    This place had freed that shackle and let him view his life in a different perspective, and that¡¯s why he pushed now. Some kind of madness in getting caught up in it all.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going at it for power too,¡± Nick confirmed.


    ¡°Freedom. I think,¡± Colt corrected. ¡°Power is freedom.¡±


    ¡°That it is. So you see me, I see you, right?¡± Nick looked at the old man, who¡¯d stopped plucking, his eyebrows raised¡ªNick gestured with a smile, and old Tim handed on over the guitar; Nick drummed a hand on the front and then started to play a tune.


    It was there in a second, you could tell. The way his hands plucked at the string, the smoothness as he began to ring out a melody, his eyes and attention still on Colt. In his hands, the guitar was a well-worn friend, a companion he¡¯d never forget, and the music was pretty enough so that Colt thought it surprising for him to have never taken off in Nashville.


    ¡°Alright. When you get your power, what¡¯ll you use it for.¡±


    ¡°Like you, I wanna live free. I wanna live my way. I don¡¯t wanna go bar to bar, playing my heart out for hours only to go straight back to living out of my car. I¡¯m not new to hard work. If that¡¯s what it takes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll give. Else I might as well be dead like the rest of the folk who didn¡¯t make it out of the tutorial with me.¡±


    Colt paused, and leaned forward. Hearing about someone else¡¯s first dungeon¡­


    ¡°What was it like?¡±


    ¡°Meat grinder. A whole bar of us. I was first set for a gig that night. We got whisked away to this place with water up to our ankles in the middle of some mountains. Thing was, one of those mountains had a light. Another thing was that the water wasn¡¯t always up to our ankles, and there was stuff underneath it ready to grab and drown folks. Get to the mountain. Fight the boss. Get out. Five of us made it. Five of forty.¡±


    Colt settled back in his chair, his heart beating a little quicker. The old man gave a nod, and looked at Nick. ¡°If¡¯n he didn¡¯t get us out, I¡¯d be dead. This guy killed the boss when we got there.¡± Old Tom whispered, his hand shaking.


    Nick didn¡¯t say anything; he let the guitar talk for him, the melody slipping into a sad song as he went. Near the end, he got to the point of why he dragged Colt away from the group. It wasn¡¯t to quit but to get an understanding with another. Then, after a half-hour of going over their lives and getting to know one another better, Nick set up some time to train the next day.


    Training would be key for all of them. He said he¡¯d talk to Julia and get the odd-mage on board, and all give could work on developing their skills. Nick wanted to keep dungeon diving, and so did Colt, so it was decided.


    When he went to bed that night, he had a plan in his head, and when he woke up the next day and headed to the edge of the stadium, bright and early with a cup of coffee for him and Nate, who¡¯d already went with Sarah. By the time Colt got there, Julia was also present in an oversized hoody and a pissed expression, Nick next to her scratching the back of their head.

 Chapter 39: Rats Outside

    Grem stared at the stadium from the window of a building, his eyes keen as he saw different groups rotate in and out of it, a piece of gum in his mouth as he chewed, scratching the stubble beneath. New Nashville. New hell-hole, more like. The people running it had gotten uppity and started with grand proclamations of ownership of the remaining wastes of the city.


    Join or get out.


    Fuck¡¯em.


    Grem scratched his greasy black hair and looked at the two guys behind him. Liam and Ralph. ¡°See¡¯em?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, boss. Cozy.¡± Liam said.


    ¡°How much food they got, ya think?¡±


    ¡°Much as they can get. We¡¯ve seen their scavengers and scouts picking through buildings.¡± Ralph reported, his eyes glowing as he ran through that head-skill of his. Recall? Something like that. ¡°Estimating from the in and out, they probably have somewhere between three and five hundred people in there. Our infiltrator said as much, too.¡±


    Grem whistled.


    ¡°And they got people running dungeons?¡± he asked after watching a new group enter the building. They looked torn up, five of them. More torn up than he was used to seeing with the scouts and scavengers.


    ¡°More by the day.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Grem scratched at his chin again.


    So their boss wanted the reward from the dungeons and to strengthen his army. Some combination of the two¡­ But the people in there didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t think they didn¡¯t know. ¡°They know what ya get when you dungeon clear?¡±


    ¡°Our guy inside says no. Tight-lipped. They can guess a little cuz the system says so, but they can¡¯t guess what.¡±


    Ah, they didn¡¯t know.


    Faction points, and the System Store. That was a weighty secret to keep. Kinda fucked up. ¡°Ah,¡± Grem grunted and kept scratching his beard.


    ¡°Some of them started calling themselves the New Nashville Rangers.¡± Ralph kept going with his report. Then he kept on going after that. Pushing out, clearing dungeons, starting to say this and that was theirs, even with damn monsters roaming around.


    The more he listened, the more it boiled Grem¡¯s blood.


    What right did they have to rule?


    This wasn¡¯t no America no more. This wasn¡¯t a place to get pushed around by a bunch of guys saying they were right. No. If you wanted to take charge, you had to have the firepower to back it.


    Grem kept chewing his gum.


    ¡°More dungeons then. All of the boys. If they¡¯re running¡¯em, we runn¡¯em better. We do it faster. We get stronger. Move up to the D- ranks¡ªbring along the weaker guys.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll lose people,¡± Liam said the fact.


    ¡°Think they aint either? We aint getting pushed outta our home by a bunch of upstart pigs with too greedy to share.¡± Grem narrowed his eyes as the latest beat-up citizens entered their cozy little town. Those people inside lived in their little world, in their little heads. They needed someone to come and tear down those steel walls, force¡¯em to see the outside and live in reality. That¡¯s what they needed. Anyone who couldn¡¯t cope with how it was wasn¡¯t meant for it.


    That¡¯s the way Grem saw it. That¡¯s the way these people should, too.


    Grem clutched his hand and got back from the window, taking a glance at his two boys. Liam, level 58, and Ralph¡ªlevel 54. They went through that dungeon with him that kick-started this whole thing, but they were his boys long before that. Now, they¡¯d keep on moving on.


    Nashville was theirs. New Nashville was just that sad clown Denny¡¯s little too for power. He and his boys would never bend the knee for that prick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Work to get done.¡±


    ###


    Colt sat with the rest of his group¡ªthey¡¯d hopped the wall up and taken to a small bar in the stadium itself. Less than a month ago, there were people here slinging overpriced beer and food while people watched a football game. Now, the place was getting dusty. New Nashville hadn¡¯t extended much up past the stadium grounds itself past security sweeps.


    A perfect place to train and concentrate.


    He did a quick scan of everyone. Julia was still unhappy and confused. Nick was rather reserved, Nate and Sarah were reliable and present. He¡¯d wished Jimmy could be there with them, but the healers were under strict control, and a schedule to be on-call was needed for an emergency to happen. Among the total of New Nashville, only about five or so had any healing capabilities, and Jimmy¡¯s was one of the top and most straightforward of them.


    He also inspected everyone.


    Low thirties. Aside from Nick, who¡¯d hit forty in the fighting, that gave him the edge over everybody. But, the key to focus on in their training were two things, and that wasn¡¯t levels.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Skills and Edicts.¡± Colt began with a sip of his coffee. Nate followed suit, rubbing at his eyes. ¡°The two of these things, I think, have the ability to surpass pure levels. My Edicts are what let me close the gap between me and the enemies we fought. They¡¯re the only reason we could take down Cerberus, and I think if we just barrel ahead taking down dungeons without refining these two things, we¡¯ll get nowhere.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand Edicts. Please explain.¡± Nate asked politely.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s like this,¡± Colt gestured to the space around him, ¡°Everything has something going into it. A universal law, or set of laws, they operate under. At least, I think. When you step back, we¡¯re all just being tugged along by these forces¡ªthese threads. An Edict is a set of those threads. I have two. Cut, and a much stronger Edict movement. Getting an Edict is coming to an understanding of this universal force. And being able to use it like a tool.¡± Colt raised a hand to stop Sarah from digging in with her questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s reliant on the Soul state. I know you probably haven¡¯t invested much, but I¡¯m not sure if all Edicts are completely reliant. I think¡­ I have this Skill called meditate. If you can learn it and practice it, it might help bridge the gap and get you your first Edicts.¡±


    He could see that three of his audience members were lost. Nick was well aware, nodding along.


    Ah well.


    ¡°Fold your legs and focus on your breathing.¡± Colt dove into the practical instructions on the skill, at least the best he could understand it. At its most basic form, it wasn¡¯t as different as expected from any kind of meditation before the system took over.


    After about an hour of going over it¡ªand breaks every fifteen or so minutes¡ªthey hadn¡¯t made much progress.


    Teaching someone a skill, it turned out, was more difficult than anticipated. Colt had thought about doing so with Mental Resistance back in the Endless Alleys, but Bill¡¯s manipulation had kept anyone from taking him seriously at the time. This was just further confirmation of the difficulty.


    Two hours later, they were hitting the point of giving up and moving to individual practice. This wasn¡¯t all to waste, given Colt received the following:


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    A welcome reward. While training to train the others, he managed to advance it; he did so with a particular focus on Cut. But in doing so, he felt he was near an almost cliff in the Edict. Once he¡¯d reached the peak of greater, there was something there like a wall. It was hard to define by sensing it out with his Soul¡ªand something to explore more when he got time to sit down and focus.


    About an hour after that, Nick obtained the skill by focusing on his own Edict, which changed their perspective. It was probably possible for everyone to obtain it.


    After giving it just one more hour, they gave up on specific training for meditation. Colt told everyone to give it focus in their spare time, or at the very least to start throwing points into Soul as they leveled up; Julia seemed the most unconvinced out of anyone, considering she had to contend with magic too. But oh well.


    He tried to make heads or tails of that girl, but she didn¡¯t make much sense.


    So, when they broke up into smaller groups, he picked her to be his partner¡ªshe to train her magic, and he to train his Phantom¡¯s Gambit.


    They broke apart from everyone else, one of the little interior tunnels of the stadium where people sold food and merch. Julia held up her silver staff with a sapphire orb on the top; the gem spun slightly, flaring with a light blue glow as she channeled her water magic through it.


    An orb of water came at him, which faded right through his stomach with a quick activation of Phantoms Gambit.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the rogue in the group,¡± Julia said, watching her ball of water splash against the wall. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more sneaky?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly have stealth military training like Nate. I think¡­ Rogue might be a bit of a stretch.¡±


    ¡°We need someone to steal stuff.¡±


    She fired off two water orbs in rapid succession¡ªthese Colt managed to pass through him with a single use of Phantom¡¯s Gambit¡­ She seemed rather lackluster in the training.


    She fired off another single ball, and Colt got annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to steal stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too definitive. You¡¯re the rogue. You¡¯re the one who gets in trouble for getting their hands caught in someone¡¯s pocket. This game sucks. I¡¯m tired, and I¡¯m sick of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Colt asked as Julia set down her staff. The girl rubbed her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m done. Go talk to your master AI or whatever, and move on to the next part¡ªor if my kidnapper is watching, like¡­ Come up with a better game. Come on. This sucks. This guy isn¡¯t even being a rogue right. They made me waste hours on meditation and a Greek dungeon. Really? Lame.¡±


    Colt paced closer to her, wary. He¡¯d seen Donny snap in a way like this, thinking the kitchen was still functioning. He waved his hand in front of her eyes. She tracked it with a pout on her face. Behind those eyes of hers, there was a part of this girl still functioning.


    ¡°You¡¯ve snapped?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just done playing pretend. I¡¯ve read books just like this. Well. They had more dragons and stuff in them, and that was way more interesting, but come on.¡±


    ¡°¡­Julia, this isn¡¯t a game. The world ended.¡±


    ¡°Just like an NPC would say. Are you going to give me a quest now to save some princess or something? Are we going to go do the water level next?¡±


    Wow. Colt stepped back from her.


    He didn¡¯t know how to address this, but this disconnect from reality here¡­ This was a serious issue.


    ¡°Want me to shoot you with more water?¡± she asked while he thought.


    Colt stared at her. ¡°No¡­ Julia, how about you head home for the day and take a long rest? I¡¯ll chat with everyone else and do some more training. I think you¡¯ve worked hard enough.¡±


    ¡°No thanks. If they aren¡¯t going to end this, I guess I just need to grind out my levels. Then maybe I can build a cozy farm somewhere. Dodge, rogue.¡±


    Then, Julia fired off a flurry of water¡ªto which Colt had no choice but to dodge; she drove him back with ball after ball, and he weaved in and out, activating his Phantom Gambit while trying loudly to talk her down. Each attempt made the girl only lay the pressure on thicker; the orbs of water grew denser. When they hit the wall, they hit it with a clunk.


    Water magic, it seemed, wasn¡¯t something to play around with.


    It took her fifteen minutes to run out of mana.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Not how he pictured training, but when she finally settled down to recover his mana, he went and had a chat with his team. Julia was off the deep end; that much became clear. But nobody knew what to do¡ªthey sent her home, claiming they were done for the day, then Nate vowed to head to the White House and sort it out with the Mayor.

 Chapter 40: Smithy

    ¡°She¡¯s to stay on our team,¡± Nate said, arms crossed as he sat next to Colt; they were in a dingy bar on the outskirts of New Nashville. The small town¡¯s commerce was growing, but go figure that to start with, someone would set up a bar. And, given the state of this being an offspring of Nashville, someone was always playing live music at the little dive place called ¡®Last Stop.¡¯


    In the corner was the guy right now: an older gentleman strumming a guitar, a young teen playing drums, and a woman belting out and using some Skill or Magic to make her voice radiate outward as if it were under the effects of a microphone.


    Colt took a chug of his bear and rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°She¡¯s mentally unstable.¡± He said.


    ¡°I said as much,¡± Nate confirmed.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And the Mayor says that if she¡¯s not in our group, he¡¯ll put her in another. She has talents that are useful for dungeon diving and has no intention of stopping. He was already aware of her ¡®mental condition¡¯ beforehand. Apparently, during her citizenship interview, she kept remarking about how realistic this place was¡­¡±


    ¡°So either we work with someone with a bunch of screws loose, or she joins another group and puts herself in danger there.¡± Colt summed up the situation. This town, it seemed, had an underbelly to it. Mental welfare was not a priority at the moment in comparison to survival.


    There was a pause.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Colt asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s useful. We all saw that. Right now, she is at a higher level than Sarah and me, and she and Nick are the only ones with magic in our group. I don¡¯t know how big of an advantage that gives us, but back in that dungeon, without her, we would¡¯ve been dead. Maybe we can help her. I know we¡¯ll be taking her into danger, but by all appearances, she¡¯ll be headed that way anyway.¡± Nate put his cup to his lips. Whiskey and took a long drink.


    Colt sighed.


    ¡°Alright, man. If you think we should, then I agree. I just hate the idea.¡±


    ¡°The world ended, Colt. We¡¯re going to face a lot of things we hate without all the laws and support systems we¡¯ve had. You already did that firsthand when you executed a murderer. Justice is what we can do with our own hands.¡±


    They sat like that for a while. Drinking. Passing the night away and talking. Out of everyone in their little group, Colt felt more and more familiar with Nate. Though he¡¯d pulled back in the Endless Alleys in order to survive and escape the manipulative influence of Bill on the group, he regretted not putting as much trust into this guy as he deserved.


    Nate went on a bit for his proposed training regime¡ªasking for additional time with Colt to practice the meditation skill. A request he gladly accepted.


    As soon as Nate could get an Edict, the better.


    Past that, they made plans to go on scouting expeditions; dungeon divers weren¡¯t limited solely to diving in a dungeon. In fact, there were no restrictions on New Nashville citizens leaving the town if they desired. Scavenging, scouting, and looting were encouraged as the mayor and his administration began to plot out what the future would look like for their people.


    Eventually, the time drifted. Eleven turned to twelve, twelve to two¡­


    Even after the apocalypse, the bar came to a closing call.


    The two stumbled out of the bar together, having spent the night deep in their cups, letting out a little tension for the first time in a long time.


    They talked about who they were before the collapse. They talked about their family. About all the people they haven¡¯t heard from for a long while¡ªwondering what happened to the rest of the world. When two in the morning came, and the bar shuffled everyone out, they were most definitely not the only two who stayed the whole time drinking.


    ###


    The next couple of days were a period of focused and intentional training. Working as a dungeon diver was more of a gig-based job. While the city constantly had scouts mapping out the surrounding locations and checking for dungeons, there was more than a fair share of places to go and explore; for now, though, Colt and his team put that work on hold.


    If a true issue came up, the Mayor might issue a mandate to close a dungeon, as ¡®dungeons¡¯ leaked and let monsters out. But, given they just faced a D- ranked dungeon that hadn¡¯t been accounted for, nobody wanted to come and ask them to head back out there for some time.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Instead, they focused on training.


    Mornings began with meditation. Colt spent his time now targeting his movement, Edict. Which¡­ Unlike cut, it was not that easy of an Edict to explore in a meditative state. It did not respond well to him sitting still and trying to hone in and focus.


    Rather, after a couple of days of trying and failing to make much progress, he began to work on his skill while running through some exercises Nate and Sarah provided¡ªone from a military standard and the other from martial arts.


    This worked far better. And saw an increase for Colt.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Edicts reacted better when ¡®meditation¡¯ was done in a way that was tangential to them. Meditate near a knife? Cut responded a bit better. Meditate while moving? It was easier to focus on Movement. Though, he found that in the case of movement it made way more of a difference than Cut.


    In the process of this discovery, Nate finally had the breakthrough and got his Meditation Skill. Sarah, too, a day later, while in the midst of her Muy Thai training¡ªa Kata, she called it.


    Julia remained without, but Colt didn¡¯t think she took anything he said seriously.


    Meditation wasn¡¯t the only form of practice they got in. They drilled with weapons, and complimented it with training and honing combat against one another.


    Colt used this ground to advance three skills.


    He focused on how he fought with his Knife¡ªmaking sure not to pull any of his Edicts into the movements, swiftly countering, stabbing, and slipping past the defenses of his blows. Given he didn¡¯t have a desire to cut up his allies, he opted to use a wooden ¡®knife¡¯ picked up in town.


    When training with his knife form and solely drilling down on how to fight with it, the natural conclusion was to incorporate the other two skills he wanted to focus on: Phantom''s Gambit and Olympic Mandate.


    Basically, whenever he got the chance, he popped Olympic Mandate. With an hour-long cooldown, there was no other way to be so effective in training it. And the skill was strong, Like taking pre-workout before lifting weights¡­ Or maybe it was more equivalent to using performance enhancers? His body moved swifter, hit harder, and could take more hits while active.


    It also had the odd effect of making his skin glow slightly gold.


    Four days of targeted training brought results.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The end of their first week in New Nashville was quite extensive. Mayor Denny issued them a payment for conquering their dungeon, and all of their party had made skill gains, leaving them more confident in proceeding forward.


    Nick broke his Edict into a Lesser status with training and used up the item he¡¯d gained in the dungeon.


    For some reason, it seemed a lot harder for him to move forward. Either he didn¡¯t have the same resonance Colt did with cut, or it was a byproduct of more Soul and Class¡­


    Hard to say.


    The day before they began to head outside of New Nashville again for the first time since their dungeon, they finally reached a big breakthrough.


    Colt sipped his coffee, looking out over the stadium seating and into the city inside. This early in the morning, very few people were up and about. But, of course, his favorite coffee seller had begun business. The guy woke up when the sun came up¡­ Same as Colt and Nate, so the two had a ritual before their early training. Get coffee. Head to the stands. Get in meditation practice.


    Behind him, Nate sat on the ground. His eyes closed, his breathing slow and quiet. In his hands was a piece of metal.


    Colt leaned on the railing, watching the people in the town wake up. Men and women were going about their day, many of them lost, confused, and trying to find a light in the darkness.


    Then, he felt a swirl in the air. A change behind him as the winds of reality twisted and worked; a string tugged, and he turned.


    Nate was deep in focus. His mind somewhere else.


    As the intensity of the moment deepened, more air began to condense around them. There was a tang to the air, a metallic taste, as the piece of metal in Nate¡¯s hand began to twist and move. Sweat ran down the soldier¡¯s brow, and his breath quickened.


    An Edict. Something a little more than his Cut first was. The metal melted in Nate¡¯s hand, and drops of it hit the ground with tiny clangs.


    Colt took a deep swig of his coffee, his eyes wide as he witnessed the breakthrough his friend had been working on for a week. The air began to still, and his breathing slowed. Gradually, Nate opened his eyes. They were wide, and he was a bit unsteady. But the work was done. Diligent effort day after day had paid off.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡± Colt offered him with a nod. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Forge. That is my Edict. Forge.¡± Nate said, looking at the remaining bits of metal in his hand. They had solidified once more.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Colt scratched the back of his head, trying to reach out and focus¡ªhe could see that threads wove around his friend more tightly than before. But what the specifics of this Edict meant, or how they would play out in terms of application¡­ He hadn¡¯t the faintest clue.


    Nate gave a small smile.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s wonderful. Just in time for our first trip outside the city since the dungeon¡­ Think maybe it¡¯s time we get Sarah and the rest and get started right? Congratulations again, man. When we get back, I¡¯ll buy you a drink at the bar.¡±


    His friend gave a small nod, grabbing his coffee and giving it a chug. An auspicious start to a new day. Today, Nate gained his first Edict, and they¡¯d be able to test it out while monster hunting. Colt smiled wide. New Nashville¡­ This new reality is to see a man work hard and achieve what he deserves¡ªsay what you will about the system. If you put in the effort, it pays out. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Nate answered, gathering his things.

 Chapter 41: Day Off

    After gathering everyone up¡ªincluding Jimmy, who had an odd day off, they made their way outside the gates. Colt didn¡¯t very much like how the guards noted them going with the healer¡­


    Day after day, he¡¯d gotten more of a sense of how New Nashville worked.


    Colt burrowed in his coat as they walked, the morning chilly.


    Denny was amassing loyalty in his guards, who were also active outside of the wall and sent on expeditions. Out of curiosity, Colt tracked a couple of them and used his inspect every day. They gained a level¡ªabout a level, every day seemed to be the standard. Right now, most of them were in their mid-forties.


    About equal to him but lacking Edicts or too many advanced skills. It was one thing to just go and kill monsters and grind out stats and levels¡­ But he sensed that training fundamentals would be the key to true power.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like it here,¡± Jimmy said once they cleared the gate. Shaking a little bit from the cold. He was wearing a nice coat¡ªsomething scavenged and sold for a lot of money in the market. Dungeon Dives got paid well. Healers got paid better. Denny wanted to keep them happy and plump, or so Jimmy said that the man said; they were the cornerstone of his village.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sarah asked as she trekked nearby.


    ¡°Every day. So many are injured. Usually guards and sometimes the dungeon squads lose people often, too. People who couldn¡¯t make it back in time. They¡¯re pushing people hard. I can see it in their faces.¡±


    ¡°City¡¯s getting bigger, more monsters too,¡± Sarah replied.


    ¡°Yeah, but where does it end?¡±


    ¡°New Civilization?¡± Nick threw it out there. The guy had his hands ready to summon his bow at a second¡¯s notice. But, it would be Nate who made the call on whether they should attack or not. The man led with a sole focus but didn¡¯t quiet them down. So close to the stadium, there wasn¡¯t a big risk of monsters. The guards patrolled here and kept it clean.


    ¡°Do you think Denny is a good leader?¡± Colt asked.


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Nick scratched his head.


    ¡°No,¡± Jimmy answered.


    ¡°Uh¡ªI wouldn¡¯t go that far. I think he¡¯s ambitious. I think it might be a time when we need ambition if we¡¯re gonna pull ourselves together after a collapse. Heard some talk about sending a long-range expedition in the future. Trying to head to Memphis¡ªor Atlanta. Figure out how other people are surviving. Dunno if it was someone else if there¡¯d be that kind of coordination. Y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°The cost is people. And I don¡¯t think he cares much about them besides what they can do for him. They go on about us being the new America, but who here has voted for Denny? When will there be an election? We don¡¯t hear about that at all.¡± Jimmy shot back.


    Nick went quiet at that, either because he didn¡¯t want to argue over it or some part of him agreed. Colt listened with a rapt ear.


    New Nashville was like a base of operations. A stable shelf that let him rest his head and venture out of it to gain the strength he needed. It kept him and his allies safe. If it stopped being that, or if there was talk like this already going around¡­ More likely than not, they¡¯d see some future action to resolve these sentiments.


    Denny was either going to grab power or cede it. One, Colt thought, was far more likely than the other.


    Eventually, Nate killed the conversation, and they focused. Moving quietly through the forest streets of the city, mist was in the air, hanging thick like a blanket. It didn¡¯t help the cold, but it did help the stealth. They used the visibility like a cloak, trailing through the deserted city like ghosts.


    Once, they saw a group of people picking through an apartment but strayed away, uncertain if they were with New Nashville, random stragglers¡ªor some other group. Two days ago, New Nashville declared an increase of bandits and other violent gangs accumulating in the city. Whether or not that information was filtered through a lens wasn¡¯t the point of this journey.


    They kept going until they found a small group of green-skinned monsters camping out in a house. The creatures had a single horn on their heads and a hunched posture. Fires were burning, and smoke was curling out of the broken windows of what had been a small apartment.


    Nate snuck close enough, then returned with their levels.


    ¡°Thirties.¡± He said, keeping his voice low.


    Maybe around ten of them?


    ¡°System calls them Horned-Goblins.¡± Nate went over more of more of the details from his Inspect. Nothing impressive. Colt rolled his shoulders as the military man went over the game plan.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He and Sarah would take the lead. Colt was there to play front-line support, with Jimmy as a main focus, since the healer needed to be in combat to gain levels. Advancing his skills was easy, but to level, you needed to kill or participate in a kill; while they¡¯d been grinding skills for the last week, too much of their party was under-leveled.


    That and Nate did make the point that gains and skills should be tested in live combat in a more controlled circumstance.


    The guy made a lot of great points. Colt was happy to have him. As was everyone else, he functioned as the spearhead and coordinator for their group, giving Colt the space and independence he wanted to concentrate on himself.


    With the plan man, Nate pulled the trigger.


    Colt watched them in action. Nate took the lead, the hammer in hand seeming to twist; spikes forming on the end of it. His muscles stood out, too¡ªthe veins pushed outward like the muscles beneath were metal. One of the horned goblins saw him and sprinted forward, only for Nate to backhand the creature and send it flying.


    Another jumped at him, but Sarah landed a kick as it flew. The monster bounced twice against the ground.


    Then Jimmy started to move.


    Colt followed behind, ducking as a blast of water came from Julia, then an arrow of light that split into three colors¡ªgreen, blue, and the original white. Jimmy tore into the goblin on the ground as Nate punched another into submission. It was¡­ Chaotic.


    He hung back¡ªdispatching one of the horned goblins as it went for Jimmy¡¯s back, but otherwise, he let himself relax and watched his group work. Water flew, arrows flew, goblins bled, and Jimmy screamed while bashing one of their faces in. There was a lot of room for improvement here.


    As he observed, a goblin tried to take him on.


    Colt used the opportunity to practice Phantom¡¯s Gambit¡ªdodging and distracting it as he let the swings, punches, and cuts of the goblin¡¯s little glass knife slide through him. Slowly distracting it while Jimmy finished his enemy off. When Jimmy noticed what was going on, Colt gestured him over. It was a perfect target to take on, so the healer did, smashing a bat into the back of the green creature¡¯s skull.


    When it was all said and done, they dispatched the group and got away with only a few bruises, which Jimmy tended to.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt took in the notification with a still silence. Julia and Sarah roamed the little tribal encampment, picking it apart for any loot.


    These types of monsters tended not to have anything. Dungeons, maybe, sometimes. Though he was curious about how and when quests appeared. After getting his knife¡ªwhich turned out to be an uncommon weapon¡ªhe hadn¡¯t encountered any other quests.


    When they were done looting, Nate gathered them all together.


    ¡°What can we improve?¡± He asked.


    The group shared a look.


    Sarah scoffed as no one answered, her eyes piercing Colt. He gave a shrug. It was apparent what it was, but he didn¡¯t want to be the one who said it. But if she was going to be like that.


    ¡°Coordination. We¡¯re attacking like we¡¯re fighting in a bunch of little groups¡ªour back line is flinging arrows and spells without warning. I had to dodge several balls of water.¡± Colt reported and folded his arms, looking at Julia.


    The girl was ignoring him, staring at three packs of ramen noodles looted from the goblin¡¯s food reserves.


    ¡°Hey I aimed my arrows around you.¡± Nick countered.


    ¡°I had no idea where your arrows were going to be.¡± Sarah said, shaking her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you pick your targets.¡±


    ¡°Whoever is sneaking up on you. Or y¡¯know, is an open target.¡±


    They almost started going into it until Nate gave a small clap to draw everyone¡¯s attention onto himself once more. The soldier cleared his throat.


    ¡°We train together, we fight together. But we¡¯ve got to learn how to do the second one without getting in one another¡¯s way. When we get into our next battle¡ªwatch your allies. See how they fit into the picture, figure out their strengths, and then, from there, find the best way to slot your strengths in. We all have different skills and different powers.¡± Nate went over and then went even further¡ªgiving a breakdown of how he thought things could have been improved.


    After that, they wrapped up the fight and returned to the misty streets.


    Another group of monsters, these one red-furred creatures that resembled apes who had an odd ability to breathe fire. They were tougher to handle; Sarah couldn¡¯t get close, but when Nate¡¯s skin took that hardened form, he could withstand the burns and get in punches. They mostly had to rely on their ranged people to disable and take out the majority of them.


    Colt threw a couple of knives, killing where needed to keep his people safe, but he was working in reserve, flexing his strength only where needed.


    A backup plan as the rest of his group figured out where to work themselves into the fight and how best to work with one another.


    He knew that when push came to shove, he¡¯d find his place with Sarah and Nate. They had already practiced with one another. And his build had the greatest flexibility.


    A couple more fights like that, and he saw another gain in skill.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    By the fifth fight, his companions had gained their levels. He felt closer to his by a bit, but they were becoming harder to get to, especially with picking on targets in their mid-thirties. The sun started to go down, and Nate began to pick their way back to New Nashville.


    On the way, they saw a group of people on a rooftop, their eyes pointed at the stadium as they talked in whispers up above.


    Spies?


    Lost souls in the ruins of the city?


    ¡°What do you think about getting to know the lay of the land,¡± Nate whispered as they observed the strangers. Their body language, the way they hid from any guards in New Nashville¡­ Clearly outsiders. The rest of the group was conflicted¡­ But¡­ ¡°You think we should?¡±


    Colt pondered it, then went with his gut, ¡°Best to understand what we¡¯re working with. They¡¯re around our level. We have you and Nick, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll start trouble. Let¡¯s figure out how people are coping, not filtered through the Mayor and his people.¡± Nate nodded. The answer he probably wanted.

 Chapter 42: American Dream

    Colt approached first, followed shortly by Nate. As for Jimmy¡ªwell, they hid him in a building with Sarah and Julia. The two could keep him safe if a fight broke out. Nick was their eyes above¡ªhe found a nearby rooftop, set up shop with his bow, and then signaled the whole thing to proceed. Operation interrupt and interrogate were on.


    They snuck into the building¡ªthen up the steps.


    Colt moved silently as they went through the deserted apartments, stepping past broken chairs littering the hallway, avoiding touching any rubble. A tree had sprung through one of the floors, with the concrete around it cracking. The damage to the city was frankly such a range. Some places were preserved and untouched; others were like this, crumbling under nature''s wrath and vengeance.


    Still, Colt stopped as they reached the staircase leading to the second level, the fire exit, and the roof.


    They could hear someone above talking.


    Colt looked at Nate.


    ¡°I want to try something.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In half a minute, rush up the steps and join me on the roof.¡±


    Nate gave a simple nod. Enough communication. Colt braced on the ground and looked at the ceiling. There was bound to be someone watching the entrance to the staircase, so the second one of them approached, they would give themselves away. While they weren¡¯t planning to launch an attack just yet, Colt had a different plan in mind.


    Over the last week, they had been testing their physical abilities in training.


    Colt ran faster; dodged quicker, could move his body in ways scarcely imaginable, thanks to all the dexterity and the little bit of additional strength he¡¯d added.


    Interestingly was the discovery of just how high he could jump.


    Colt braced and then sprang upward with all the force he could muster¡ªhis head rapidly approached the ceiling above. Right as the second of impact, he used Phantoms Gambit¡ªpassing clean through the floor. He reactivated it at the apex of his leap.


    Just like that, like a ghost, he¡¯d passed through a floor.


    Colt looked around. A burnt orange sofa with dirt and leaves on it, broken windows. The floor had a couple of trash bags and discarded ramen noodle cups. There was a TV all the trash sat by, loaded up with about five different gaming consoles, despite the fact that there was nothing inside of this room besides the sofa. A barren, desolate tomb to someone¡¯s questionable lifestyle.


    There was a pause, Colt braced himself again¡ªand then tossed himself back upward, phasing through the last floor to the roof. This time, the in-between was longer, pushing the grasp of his skills ability. He felt it slip¡ªan overextension, and if he slipped while in the middle of the floor, he knew it wouldn¡¯t look good for him.


    Colt brace, reigned himself in, and pulled on the tiniest bit of his movement Edict¡ªhis heart hammered, and cold sweat appeared instantly, yet he retained hold of the skill. The two, in fact, fed into one another.


    In a stunning second, it was like he had teleported back into the sunlight¡ªand another fifteen feet above the roof.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Basic) has reached level 10! This skill has advanced to *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Intermediate)! As this is now at the (Intermediate) level, the time allowable to be incorporeal has increased.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt had a problem. There is a natural law in the universe: What comes up must come down.


    He hit the roof with a roll¡ªhis dexterity and endurance shrugging off a fall that would¡¯ve broken bones. Colt came to his feet, sweat rolling off him, as his heart came to a steady beat. It had been an instant of activation of his Edict. Not enough to heavily tax him, but he did feel like he¡¯d used it. Equivalent to tossing out like five or ten of his cuts.


    The people on the roof had definitely noticed him.


    Colt summoned his knife.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suggest you try to attack me,¡± Colt said, calming his voice. Pretending as if all of that had been part of the plan.


    There were about six people, all of them on edge. Weapons plenty, a couple of swords, a bat, one dude had a crossbow¡ªhe¡¯d gotten a glimpse from below, but this about confirmed everything he¡¯d expected. The one who was watching the stairs had rapidly rounded the corner as they stood at an impasse, not sure what to do.


    He felt their eyes as they inspected him.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Hide Status (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Nice.


    Colt spun the knife in his hand and stepped forward. ¡°You see what level I am. I¡¯ve seen you spying on New Nashville¡ªnow, I¡¯m not with their guards. I¡¯m not here to come and send you packing. Frankly, I¡¯m just interested in talking and finding out why you¡¯re spying instead of approaching. Are you bandits?¡±


    There were looks exchanged. A man with long dark hair cleared his throat. The biggest leveled among them¡ªthirty-five. An uncommon class. Not really someone Colt would consider a threat. He was the one with the crossbow.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    Colt rolled his shoulders. ¡°I mean, even if I¡¯m lying and just attacked you, what would you do about it? I have someone on a roof watching. Close-range, I don¡¯t think any of you are my match.¡± He gave a wave towards the surrounding roofs¡ªyou couldn¡¯t see Nick, but it made them pause. Made them strain and look.


    Second later, Nate scrambled up the stairs on the back. Effectively sealing off their exit.


    The guy seemed to make up his mind, feeling outplayed and outmatched. ¡°Lower the weapons.¡±


    Colt watched as the nervous men dropped their tools, crossbow guy now pointing his weapon at the ground.


    ¡°Alright, so if you¡¯re from New Nashville, why aint you icing¡¯ us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are. Like I said, I¡¯m not one of the guards. We dive into dungeons, that¡¯s about it.¡± Colt gave that away, the information didn¡¯t matter much. If it brought the tension down and got answers, it was cheap info.


    ¡°You and everyone else trying to get stronger,¡± the guy grumbled while glancing at the stadium. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for them pushing us all around.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡¯


    ¡°You get two choices when New Nashville finds you, if you got a group. Either you join in the fold, or you get packing out of Nashville. I grew up here. Spent my whole life here. I aint giving up my life to them.¡± The guy spat a nice big glob of yellow onto the ground.


    ¡°Why not join them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wanna be free, don¡¯t I? You think you¡¯re free in those walls? Think you¡¯re really free? Like that life, we had before it all came down. This is a blessing, man. You don¡¯t gotta bow your head to no man any more. But here you are, acting like dogs at the first chance.¡±


    ¡°We found a safe position to grow in safety with other people,¡± Nate shook his head.


    ¡°You submitted to a petty warlord who fancies himself a king.¡± The guy continued. ¡°I met your Denny. He led a group to mine; I said no. You know what he did?¡± The rest of the guys in the group began to get a white face at this, some of them looking away.


    Colt leaned forward and frowned.


    ¡°Killed my two friends. Strung¡¯em up. Told us if we aint going to be under the law, then we could get out of his town. Gave me days before he¡¯d come back and trash our base¡ªour base. We killed a dungeon just to get it. And he came and kicked us out like pests.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing before that?¡± Colt asked.


    ¡°Looting. Surviving. Not trying to harm nobody, but like¡­ Not helping neither. Unless they were useful. Gotta run lean in times like this. And here we are, taking a look and more of his dogs coming up¡ªwe got the message. We¡¯re gonna leave. But we¡¯re gonna do it on our terms.¡±


    Colt and Nate shared a look. The guy with the long hair spat on the ground again, and started pacing, his eyes locked on New Nashville with a burning hate there.


    ¡°I want revenge on the fucker who killed my friends ¡®fore I go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know that you¡¯re going to find that,¡± Colt answered. He believed something happened here; whether or not the guy was being honest about not causing trouble, who was to say? These people didn¡¯t exactly have an innocent look to them. But who did after the system came? That first dungeon had a habit of hardening normal folks.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to find¡ª¡°


    There was a pause.


    The man stumbled.


    There was a hole in his chest; his body shuddered as a sudden explosion of blood and insides came from the middle of the man in front of them; a figure hovered off the edge of the building, they wore a billowing cloak and an oversized hat¡­ Colt knew where he¡¯d seen him, one of the White House guards.


    ¡°Give yourselves up. We¡¯ve found you. It is time to face justice.¡± A voice called from below on the street.


    The voice was familiar.


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s him.¡± One of the guards called, and then Colt knew who the voice was.


    A second when Denny landed on the roof, it was clear that the mayor arrived. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed Colt and Nate; then, he turned to the five remaining members of the brigade. ¡°Really? Spying on us like this? Now, we¡¯ve seen a couple of y¡¯all do it¡ªbut this is the most brazen yet. If I recall properly, I gave y¡¯all the mandate to vacate this city a week ago.¡±


    Nate backed away from the group¡ªmoving next to Colt. Tense.


    Being caught with outsiders by the mayor probably wasn¡¯t a good look, but the guy didn¡¯t appear too concerned¡­


    Colt ran an inspect.


    Level 53?


    Denny had leaped twelve levels in the last week. An incredible amount. Was he running dungeons on the side of governing?


    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯tya leave like I told ya?¡± Denny asked again¡ªthe floating man off the roof hovered behind him, his robes twisting. When inspecting him, he, too, had his skills hidden. Though he sat at an impressive level 56, along with a rare ¡®Wind-Mancer¡¯ class.


    None of the five responded.


    Denny gestured to the Wind-Mancer; the guy raised his hand, and in a second, another one of the spies on the roof had a hole in his guy; dead in seconds.


    ¡°Keep on not answerin¡¯, and I guess we¡¯ll just have to deliver our justice.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Colt said he still had his knife out but made sure to keep the point down. ¡°What kind of justice is this? I don¡¯t think I understand what exact crime was committed here. If you¡¯re trying to run them out of town, then just send them packing. I don¡¯t think any of them stand up to you.¡±


    Denny lifted an eyebrow. ¡°I was gonna get to you last. Saw you come up and surprise these guys. Appreciate y¡¯all running the dungeons, but should leave government matters with us.¡±


    Colt frowned.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a crime.¡±


    ¡°These folks are bandits. Scavengers are stealing what rightfully belongs to us. Now, if¡¯n they keep on doing that, it¡¯s a crime. They kept on doing that. For a week. Not the only little rats like that, now I haven¡¯t gone and troubled you hard-working folk with this kinda work, but the reality is that if we don¡¯t say what is ours and impress upon others what is ours, they¡¯ll get it in their heads that they can take that which don¡¯t belong to them.¡±


    It was over resources. Colt looked back at Nate¡ªthe soldier had steeled his face. It was a stone mask meant to hide any emotions. The kind he¡¯d worn when talking with Bill at the start.


    Danger was here.


    Colt looked at his knife and looked at Denny and the Wind-Mancer. Thoughts crossed his mind, dangerous thoughts. In the end, though, he spoke and kept his knife still. ¡°I think you took at their leader. The rest of you, will you leave Nashville now?¡± Colt asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.


    There was a resounding chorus of agreement.


    Denny looked at them all and adjusted his cowboy hat. ¡°Alright now. We got us an agreement. Last chance. You¡¯ve got yourself an hour to get. If¡¯n we see any of you scurrying around¡­ Well¡­¡±


    He pointed at one of the men.


    A golden sword appeared.


    It beheaded them.


    Colt tensed; everything in him crying out to run and kill the murderer¡ªthe entire time, Denny¡¯s eyes were on him, though. Testing him. Wanting to see what he would do, daring him to come and attack the king near his throne.


    Denny cleared his throat. ¡°Now. I think I made my point clear. Go on, rats. Get.¡± He waved the rest of the bandits off, turned, and jumped off the roof. The Wind-Mancer gave Colt and Nate one last look before following the leader, flying off without a word.


    The three survivors screamed and scrambled for the stairs.


    Colt watched them go, then looked at Nate, running a hand through his hair. ¡°So, New Nashville.¡±


    Nate worked his grip on his hammer.


    ¡°American dream, huh?¡± Colt asked.

 Chapter 43: Towns & Bagels

    The rest of the group was eager to get back within the walls of New Nashville. Questions about Denny and his running of the city aside, the town itself was a welcoming place. The man who made coffee for Colt every morning waved to him as he walked through the streets; a lady selling bagels tried to give him a free one to ¡®try her wares.¡¯


    There was a warmth and kinship here, all of these people day by day, surviving as a group in a world that had few laws outside their new home.


    Jimmy was dragged off pretty much immediately. Work to do healing¡ªthere were injuries from a construction team putting up new homes for the people here. Though they¡¯d only been here a week, New Nashville had found something like sixty new citizens to add to its ranks. Now, Colt understood that those people might not have all come as willing as others.


    Was there something wrong with taking territory and pushing out other people competing to survive in the same location?


    The group made their way to a little restaurant¡ªa diner named Freedom Pancakes, whose painted wooden board on the front of it had red, white, and blue pancakes. It was a pretty kitsch place, but as their logo said, ¡®We have the freedom to fling pancakes all day long.¡¯ They also had the freedom to fling pancakes with alcohol, which made it double as a pancake bar later at night.


    Yeah. Predictably, in a place like it, it was understandably a hit.


    The place was always busy, even now, a little past dinner. Yet they had a table pretty fast, a good way to unwind after all that happened and talk. A waiter¡ªabout fourteen years old, one of the number of kids that had no choice but to stay in New Nashville took their order, along with a round of beer, paid for by Nick, and they were off.


    Colt rested a hand on the table as he looked at everyone. Their faces were tense, well aside from Julia, who looked like she couldn¡¯t care less. This was a talk that needed to happen.


    He was about to start the conversation when a notification filled his vision.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Icon Quest Received: Good Ol¡¯ Rivalry


    Rank: D(?), C(?)


    Goal: Hey Colt.


    It¡¯s Nike.


    Betcha didn¡¯t know I could use the system to do this, right? Ha. Well, get used to it. I¡¯ve been tracking your progress since you took my Icon on. Athena was pissed, by the way, but she¡¯s calmed down some. This is about as good an opportunity as any to reach out.


    Frankly, a good ol¡¯ rivalry is just the thing to push you harder, to make you stronger, and to show the world that you are a victor. Especially this new little city of yours, they¡¯re in need of a strong show of force, and not just anyone can do that.


    My little icon holder. You¡¯re going to be their champion.


    But first, you¡¯ve got to deal with that pesky Mayor. Your rival. Oh, and I don¡¯t think he doesn¡¯t know it either; if the feeling wasn¡¯t mutual, I wouldn¡¯t be able to issue this quest.


    Oh, the system isn¡¯t happy I added that. It¡¯s all complaining about the rank classification.


    Oh well! Defeat Mayor Denny. Win the prize. Train hard and work hard because it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯ll be easy.


    Reward: A nifty little toy to pick up a nifty new Edict.


    <ol>


    <li> Eager to see how you do, gladiator.</li>


    </ol>


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    His eyes just about fell out of his head as he went over the text. So, Nike could abuse the system to send personal messages? Reading through it gave him a headache. This quest was an absolute mess of both formatting and description. But she just flat-out threw information in there that he probably shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Icons are powerful,¡± Colt said, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°You look like you saw a ghost, you okay, man?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Nick, I need to know where you stand with this town.¡± Colt dodged the question and looked away from Nate and Sarah¡¯s curiosity.


    Nick worked his jaw.


    ¡°I spent weeks here, man. The people here are good. What we saw on that rooftop? I don¡¯t know. Do we know all the facts? Even with the fact¡­ I told you before I wanna be free. I want these people to be safe. With that guy¡ªy¡¯know? I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll always look as ¡®free¡¯ as I have in my head.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t approve of Denny.¡± Colt pressed forward, seeing Nate and Sarah about to say something.


    ¡°No. Not anymore. I aint too sure he¡¯s going to do good things for us.¡±


    Colt leaned back in his chair and looked around. People were chatting, drinking, and playing music, like in any bar in New Nashville. They had their space to discuss.


    ¡°Alright then. After what we saw, I don¡¯t quite think Denny is a good man. His idea of justice is crushing anyone who doesn¡¯t fold. I¡¯m not the type to fold under him anymore, and neither are you. So, eventually, we¡¯ll have a problem. New Nashville isn¡¯t free. They just aren¡¯t aware they have someone sitting at the top with aims to control them all.¡± Colt laid it out, his voice low, his eyes meeting Nick¡¯s. The guy was of like-mind, so he said it how he was.


    There was no freedom under a want-to-be tyrant. And the days before they arrived into full-blown dictatorship were limited.


    ¡°He¡¯s working on his military.¡± Nate said, also leaning in and lowering his voice, ¡°They approached me just yesterday for a job. Given my background, they tried to flag me as a soldier¡ªI¡¯ve spoken with some of his guards. Soldiers. Law enforcement. The type of people you might expect to take on that kind of position, when possible. They went over the rule of the law and the necessity to keep things calm in chaotic times¡­ Of course, I said no. This group is my family, and diving into dungeons and closing off the danger seems far more important. Though, I think he¡¯s also trying to convince those with useful classes, from what people have been talking about.¡±


    Colt took in that information.


    ¡°Alright. I got a quest. Nike told me to defeat him.¡± Colt said, not wanting to directly say he was supposed to go and kill Denny.


    Sarah whistled.


    Julia rubbed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m getting jealous. Why does it keep giving the NPC important information? Well, we were always meant to take over this town and fight the big bad boss. Otherwise, what is the point?¡±


    Sarah nudged her with an elbow and frowned. ¡°What did we say about using the word NPC?¡±


    ¡°That they are ¡®real people,¡¯ and saying this is ¡®offensive.¡¯ Computer programs getting their code hurt. Yeah, yeah,¡± Julia waved her off and shook her head, going off into coo-coo land.


    Colt shuffled and rubbed the back of his head as he stared at the girl. It felt bad to drag her along, but well, her magic was powerful and he saw a lot of potential there. She was also loyal. Calling them her ¡®companions,¡¯ lately, and saying she would reward them richly in the future when she killed a bunch of dragons.


    The girl was crazy, but she had a good heart. Maybe they could somehow get her back to reality.


    Nate and Sarah asked about the details of his Icon quest¡ªboth of them were curious about what an Icon was, even. How they could obtain one¡­ Considering this was the first time his Icon had come into play since getting it a week ago, Colt was curious, too.


    The talk was interrupted when the pancakes arrived. Colt got a ¡®tower of blue,¡¯ which was about three generous pancakes stacked with blueberries¡ªin fact, almost all of their pancakes had blueberries. This place had recently sent its employees to raid a supermarket for fresh ingredients and had rapidly begun to make ¡®seasonal menu items¡¯ to keep up with what they had and what was going to go bad. Frozen stuff was king right now.


    Figuring out farmland and fresh food in the future was an immediate concern for this restaurant, but they were stockpiling and doing business. Like anything, people were concerned with the now, and the normalcy of this kept them steady.


    Colt ate his pancakes while the rest of the group talked and planned. Nothing concrete. Nothing actionable. Not here. They all had to think.


    And more than that, they had to grow. Skills. Levels. Edicts¡ªanything that would give them an edge.


    The blueberries tasted sweet and tart; the pancakes were fluffy and balanced. The beer was sour and had an edge to it. As the music played, Colt went through the quest from Nike again and thought.


    Training and information would get him closer to this goal. If Denny was to be his rival, then he needed to know everything about him. Victory was as much in preparation as it was in action.


    Thank you, Nike.


    As ominous as a quest like this was, he also saw it as a warning.


    Things would get worse in New Nashville before it got better, and now he could prepare for that. As dinner finished, they made their plans¡ªtraining in the morning, followed by a dungeon in the afternoon. Nate had been speaking to some of the scouts and had flagged down a dungeon, which, by all appearances, seemed promising. A nice F+ ranked¡ªtrue this time. It didn¡¯t mean many levels for Colt, but maybe it would have rewards, or he could focus on honing skills.


    Whatever strengthened the team strengthened them all.


    With that, they split their ways. Nate and Sarah headed off to another bar since the two wanted to talk¡ªNick was going to escort Julia home, which left Colt alone to deal with his thoughts and enjoy a pleasant walk home.


    The night was crisp, and with a stomach full of pancakes, he reflected on the day. The brutal way in which Denny dispatched three men was¡­ Well.


    It bothered him in that it wasn¡¯t his definition of justice. He himself had executed Bill¡ªand death now was more common than it was before. New Nashville had maybe four hundred or five hundred people. Out of all of Nashville?


    How many people were still stuck in their tutorial dungeon a month afterward?


    Colt walked with his hands tucked away, weaving through the thinning crowd of folk. They tended to center at the bars, this time of night, and he took a wide walk around on the way back to their house, wanting to let his thoughts circle and develop.


    Then, about ten minutes into his walk, he realized he was being followed.


    Colt took some twists and turns, wanting to be sure.


    A trio of figures kept pace behind him.


    Colt ran a hand through his hair and worked his shoulders, his eyes scanning the nearby buildings and picking where he wanted to do this. If others wanted to pick a fight with him, well, then he wasn¡¯t a stranger to fighting. This new life had revealed a lot about himself to himself. Watching someone die wasn¡¯t what bothered Colt about earlier. No. It was the way that Denny decided they would die that is what bothered him. If these people wished him ill-will¡­ Well. So be it.

 Chapter 44: Useful Trick

    What bothered him most wasn¡¯t that three strangers were playing chase with him in the dark¡ªno, what bugged him was that whenever he fired off an Inspect on them, for one of them, all he got for his name was ¡°Unknown,¡± along with his level, and skills.


    He¡¯d inspected a lot of people.


    This was the first time he¡¯d seen that which made him curious. Their levels, on the other hand, weren¡¯t too crazy. The highest was at level 35, the guy who somehow managed to hide all of his information effectively¡ªwhich meant if they were spies from Denny, this certainly wasn¡¯t an attempt on his life.


    So he was left with curiosity. Colt led them deeper into the quiet sections of the small town¡ªthe dingy part of the buildings still under construction¡ªthe sort of place nobody wanted to be at night. And the perfect place for the inevitable confrontation. He picked out a nice dark spot and waited, hands in pockets.


    The three figures circled, wearing dark cloaks and darting about in the night. If not for all the recent training with Nate and the loose sense of movement his Edict commanded, maybe they would¡¯ve stood a shot of¡ª


    No, who was he kidding, they were bad at stealth.


    One of them walked down the street when the others snuck into their hidey position. The guy approached, his head held high, the dark cloak wrapping around his legs. He looked dignified, he looked shifty, he looked somewhere between trying to impress a new boss and trying to shank someone in an alley.


    ¡°How are you hiding your status?¡± Colt said, deciding to cut to the chase.


    The guy almost stumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a useful trick.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ª¡°


    ¡°Come one. Actually, all of you come out. Let¡¯s just do this. Are we trying to fight here? I found us a nice dark alley, I have a long day tomorrow, so if we¡¯re going to go for it, then let¡¯s get there already.¡± Colt said. Not sure if it was the booze, the Edicts, or the complete fear he could see on the guy¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡ª¡°


    Colt looked at one of the people in the shadows and gestured for him to come out. He looked to the leader, who sighed and gave a head bob.


    In short order, all three were in front of him.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen you around New Nashville. You¡¯re the leader of the new dungeon divers, right? The one who cleared the D-?¡± The guy in the lead asked; now that his allies were next to him, he got some of his swagger back. Stood wider, more confident. That¡¯s because he probably didn¡¯t know that a single slash of cut would halve all three of them where they stood.


    ¡°Sure. We did. Why exactly are you following me around in the dark asking about that¡ªand really, how are you hiding your Status?¡±


    The guys looked between one another.


    ¡°We¡­ We weren¡¯t sure how to say this. Didn¡¯t want the people knowing what we were talking about¡­ But we¡¯ve got friends outside of the walls. People that, uh, your Mayor isn¡¯t a fan of.¡± The man said, wringing his hands and looking around. ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t answer to Denny, do you?¡±


    Colt snorted.


    So they were afraid he was a loyalist and wanted a backup in case he was one of Denny¡¯s dogs. This was still a stupid setup for that anyway. He could say whatever he thought they wanted him to hear and then report them afterward¡ªwell. He saw their faces, but that was about it. No name to report. Still, kind of a dumb way to verify his status.


    ¡°How do you know if I am or not?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like it. We¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you¡­ You just train, not on his schedule. You¡¯re new. Your group is strong¡­ So we took our bet. See. Our friends on the outside¡­ They got trapped in a dungeon. A D- dungeon,¡± The man continued.


    Ah.


    ¡°We need help.¡± He summed up, seeing that Colt caught onto what he was laying down.


    Colt rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°Why should I help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped for an act of human kindness¡ªpeople are trapped in there. It has been three days.¡±


    Colt raised an eyebrow. Helping people sounded good, in theory. But he didn¡¯t know these people, and he didn¡¯t have the drive to get them out, especially with something as risky as a D- dungeon. They¡¯d intended to be a whole letter grade less tomorrow for their dungeon.


    ¡°You¡¯re interested in this, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man put a hand on his cloak, the black fabric like night in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s why you can¡¯t see my name, class, or anything else.¡±


    Not true. I can still see your skills and level. But¡­


    Colt focused his eyes, this time looking at the black cloak he wore and nothing else.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Apprentice¡¯s Concealment Cloak [Rare]


    Description: A cloak that hides the user¡¯s name, class, and edicts. It becomes less effective the higher the observer''s level in inspection. After level 75, it will no longer conceal the user¡¯s class and edicts. After level 150, this will no longer work as their presence, in reality, is too strong for an item like this to conceal.


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a limited time frame where this is useful,¡± Colt said.


    ¡°You free my friends, and this is yours.¡± The guy insisted.


    ¡°Your friends could be dead in there. You don¡¯t know that I couldn¡¯t just attack you right now and take it if I wanted it.¡±


    The guy gulped but kept his head up. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend that everyone is good. That everyone is good-hearted. But I don¡¯t think most people will be willing to chop someone down for their cloak¡ªnot when they come up asking for help. Now, I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still alive there. But I have faith. I gotta have faith. And it¡¯s that faith that brought us here, asking for help in the first place. And it¡¯s with that faith that I¡¯m asking for you to do us this favor.¡±


    Colt looked at the three of them.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do this for you, but I have a deal; I want that cloak. Whether your friends are saved or not¡ªit¡¯s my reward for doing going through the dungeon. If they died in there, I will get revenge for your friends.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    Colt held up a finger.


    ¡°Second condition. Once you¡¯ve gotten your friends out¡ªonce this dungeon is cleared; you be fleeing Nashville. Run from this town. If your friends have been warned by Denny before, they will not have much longer before he moves against them. We¡¯re not talking about a sparing man here. So for your best chances of survival, run.¡±


    The man hesitated. The rest of the group looked among each other, before he reluctantly agreed to the price. Colt¡¯s mind was already churning as he they made the deal.


    Next came the details. The location. What this group knew. All the little nitty bits of info that Colt needed to uphold his end of the bargain; they were to watch outside of the dungeon when Colt went in tomorrow. All the fun stuff.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Coffee is life.


    Colt sipped his as they all gathered on the outskirts of the stadium¡ªhis entire dungeon diving group. Then, he laid out what happened last night. Making sure to underline the point that this dungeon would be another D- ranked one.


    And that he didn¡¯t expect anyone else to follow him into it, and told them as much.


    ¡°Help would be appreciated. I made this agreement, and if we don¡¯t think we can handle it, then we can figure something else out.¡± Colt concluded.


    What he didn¡¯t say is that he fully intended to enter, with the group or not. Since leaving Athena¡¯s Games, he¡¯d had an itch in his brain. A need to grow. And to grow fast. Working on skills was the foundation, but he could work harder. At this point, a D- dungeon felt right. And he was fine with that risk.


    With risks came rewards.


    ¡°Well. I¡¯m in.¡± Nate said, raising his own cup. ¡°I¡¯ll hone my edict. Level my skills. Maybe we¡¯ll get something worthwhile.


    Sarah stared at hers. This morning, she¡¯d given into the temptation that was coffee, and Colt knew sooner than later, she too would be full-board on the coffee train. The rest of them would fold too. Nick was an occasional drinker. Julia said she took tea and only tea. But she, too, would crumble the superior might that was the almighty bean juice.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Nick shrugged, ¡°Ambitious. But we cleared another D- dungeon. We were weaker and less coordinated. So why not.¡±


    Julia stared at her staff. ¡°Yep. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Sarah was the last one, staring at her coffee. ¡°How are you all so confident?¡± Her eyes ran over to Julia. ¡°We almost died.¡±


    Colt winced at the memory. Seeing her after the second round was¡­ Awful. After talking to Sarah about it afterward, she didn¡¯t even recall the third round. She¡¯d thought her life was over, only to suddenly find herself thrust in front of Athena. A victor.


    Julia shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re alive. It doesn¡¯t really matter anyway. It¡¯s all a game. The AI will adapt.¡±


    Sarah looked like she was about to attack her¡ªColt got in the way, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a soft smile. ¡°Sarah, you don¡¯t need to go. It¡¯s fine to stay back, especially with what happened. We can go to a weaker dungeon later and grind out more levels.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll always be this way,¡± Sarah said, looking back down at her coffee. ¡°It¡¯ll always be like this. Another dungeon, another problem. It doesn¡¯t end until it¡¯s over, does it?¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going. I just need to adjust. The fear it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯s right here. Right in my chest. That means I¡¯ve got to work it out. I might not have an Edict like you guys, not yet. But I¡­ I have to get strong too. If that¡¯s the way we got to survive here, then that¡¯s what it is.¡± She stared Colt in the eyes.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to hear that. It¡¯ll be dangerous, but we¡¯ll get through it.¡± Colt asserted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an Edict,¡± Julia piped up.


    Sarah scowled at her, ¡°As for this dungeon, I¡¯ve made friends with one of the scouts. They were going to escort us to an F- ranked today. I¡¯ll ask them to take us here instead. They¡¯ll take a look so we can be sure your info is as good as we think it is, and then we go in.¡¯


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Colt raised his coffee¡ªto be met by Sarah¡¯s and Nates, Nick pulled out a flask and clinked it against their cups with a smile.


    Like that, his group had pulled through.


    It was a short wait for the scout to arrive. A new girl Colt didn¡¯t know with fading pink hair was cheerful and happy to divert from the known path, taking the directions Colt gave with ease. There was fog again this morning; actually, it had been that way more often than not in Nashville. Not at all common to the city, and increasing.


    Some product of the changes they¡¯d seen?


    The trek to the destination went into thicker and thicker forests, becoming almost a thick dense wall of vegetation. A veritable jungle in the midst of Nashville, complete with ferns and thick vines. Houses and streets were lost to dirt and forest, until at long last, they broke through into a clearing.


    They arrived at the place.


    Colt stared at the twin pyramids on the structure, the roaming monsters outside of it. Small little velocoraptor-looking creatures¡ªthe Scout stared at them with wide eyes. ¡°Whoa, level forties¡ª¡° she remarked as they roamed. A giant tree shot through the center of the big museum. The front of it spelled out the name in big green letters.


    Adventure Science Center.


    Colt cracked his knuckles as he looked at the tiny roaming dinos blocking them off from the dungeon. ¡°We¡¯ll clean up the dinosaurs. Then you¡¯ll give us a peek at the dungeon.¡± He told their scout and shared a look with the rest of the group. They¡¯d get some free experience before the dungeon.

 Chapter 45: Blowing Out Candles

    Colt took care of the dinosaurs. They were snuffed out like wicks on a candle¡ªa cut or so was enough to handle any of the little rascals that got close. The one thing in their favor was how impressively they scampered around with those tiny legs; compared to his dexterity, though, they fell.


    He didn¡¯t hog the experience.


    Nate, Sarah, Nick, and Julia helped with the extermination. Unlike the comet that crashed into the earth and annihilated these things ages ago, this time, it was a bit more bloody.


    Julia tore them apart with water; a high-pressure stream of water on the monster¡¯s flesh brought ugly results. Nate cracked skulls with his hammer, morphing the metal to have spikes. Sarah snapped a dino-neck. And Nick shot them from a distance, protecting their scout.


    All said and done, they euthanized twenty of them.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 1 point of Dexterity and 1 point of Soul


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    About time.


    Colt gifted the unspent points to Soul. More there meant more room to play with his Edicts and wield the power. Going into a D- ranked dungeon again required strong weapons, and he was this group¡¯s strongest weapon. Might as well polish his knife and prepare for whatever they might face.


    Julia wiped the overabundance of blood off her face; she looked like she¡¯d walked off the set of a horror film. Her high-pressure streams of water required physical closeness. A new use of her water magic that she¡¯d tested out on their recent expeditions. It had the unsightly result in a horror fest of blood from their enemies. Even Nate, who smashed stuff into a paste, didn¡¯t get the same type of gore.


    Colt shook his head.


    ¡°Should be clear, please find us the entrance and do your scan,¡± Colt asked the horrified scout.


    The girl shivered and then got to her work, pacing past the disfigured dinosaur corpses and around the exterior of the Adventure Science Center.


    Sarah sighed as she watched, ¡°Last time I was here was as a kid. Now it¡¯s swarming with these things like a movie. What has the world become?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll, not too sure, are we? At some point, we¡¯ll get info from outta our little town, and then we¡¯ll get a better idea. Til then, all we know is what we got.¡± Nick said.


    ¡°And what we have is Greek-themed hell tournaments, a childhood playground turned into Jurassic Park, and a city with officials bent on tyranny,¡± Sarah replied, her language a bit more brazen since the scout was far enough not to eavesdrop.


    Colt rolled his shoulders, feeling forcing the muscles to relax. This part wasn¡¯t tense, even though the fighting and pulling at his Edicts got his heart running. No. It was coming soon. The scout prowled the outside of the building and settled on the main doors¡ªshe focused and then looked at them. Go figure. The dungeon entrance was the entrance.


    ¡°We do with what we got.¡±


    The pink-haired scout gave an urgent wave, so they made their way the rest of the way over.


    ¡°It¡¯s D- like you said. Name is ¡®Primeval Park,¡¯ and¡­ The scale is confusing. The layout here is beyond the ability of my skill to grasp.¡± She said, concluding her report. Aside from the confirmation of the rank, it wasn''t much, which is about all Colt needed.


    Frankly, it was hard to trust the scouts. The last time they delivered information about a dungeon, they were exceptionally wrong; granted, a goddess using Edict to alter and conceal the real difficulty level in an attempt to lure in lower-level participants for drama in her gladiatorial games was unlikely to happen again¡­ But, her report didn¡¯t inspire confidence.


    In a lot of ways, it was akin to checking on a box on a form. ¡°Will you be able to get back to New Nashville safely?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course. Are you guys really going into another one of these? After the last time?¡±


    Ah, so the word got around with the scouts; well, it was probably their worst fear to mislead dungeon divers. In their eyes, they all worked together to benefit the city, and the last thing one of these arbiters of information wanted was to incorrectly provide information that brought about death to the people relying on them.


    ¡°We cleared one. Which means we¡¯ll deal with this one.¡±


    She gave them a hesitant look¡ªher head turning left and right while she spied their background; no more dinos were coming. For a second, she looked as if she might say more but decided against it. Turning around and scampering off.


    Colt took one last look at the extinction event outside of the dungeon and then moved on from it. He strolled to the Adventure Science Center, grasped the door handle, then moved inside. As tossed the big glass door open, he was once more greeted by a swirling vortex. Lights twinkled inside an inky black pit, their presence shining and encapsulating. Little mote of life and death.


    He stopped as he was mesmerized by the sight.


    The way they shifted, like countless cosmos¡ªout of all the portals he¡¯d witnessed since the end of the world, this one had a particular beauty to it.


    Once he shook himself back awake, he finally entered.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Welcome To Primeval Park


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    Dungeon Rank: D-


    Clear Conditions:


    Defeat Tyrannous X


    Defeat Csaba The Great


    Note: Exit cannot be discovered until all bosses are defeated.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The first thing that was apparent about this dungeon was the darkness¡ªall around was darkness, trees thicker and wider than houses spiraled up nearby, the canopy stretching so high into the sky that the leaves grasped it and blotted it out completely, stealing light for below. Barely any of it got through, providing a near-dark room


    The ground beneath his feet was a scattering of black-ish plants and thin, starved vines that clambered up the trees as they fought for their lives for an ounce of light.


    Next was immediate caution.


    A snake the size of a normal tree was coiled nearby on the tree¡ªand Colt had caught its attention with his appearance.


    Snap decision.


    Colt¡¯s knife appeared in his hand and then left it in the same instant, darting through the air at the snake wrapped around the tree above. The snake didn¡¯t have time to react as the weapon went point first into its black eye, spouting blood as he let out a mighty hiss that reverberated in his chest.


    Nate appeared.


    ¡°Forge your skin, now!¡± Colt said, his knife vanishing from the Snake¡¯s eye and already in his hand again¡ªthe guy did as Colt said, a second before the head of the Snake snapped downward, jaw unhinged as it made to bite Nate whole.


    Colt hastily wrapped a cut around his knife, then sliced¡ªtearing right into the side of the Snake¡¯s neck; the creature¡¯s scales glowed as it fought against the superior Edict, but the blow was too powerful for such a sloppy defense to fight.


    First, the cut went a foot into the fleshy monster. Then another foot. Then, like a tree, it lopped the entirety of the head off; the body on the nearby tree collapsed with a heavy THUMP.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Tree Snake - Level 50


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt ran over to the decapitated skull of the monster, still wrapped around the place Nate had been, coating his knife with his Edict and cutting through the monster¡¯s flesh¡ªSarah appeared, and he ordered her to help. Then Nick, and lastly Julia.


    All of them, he noticed, appeared in slightly different spots. Whatever teleportation mechanism the system used, it had a random chance.


    Colt cut through the thick, meaty jaw¡ªrevealing Nate beneath.


    The guy was panting heavily, the sharp-dagger points of the snake poking into his skin all around, but none of them got very deep. Forging his skin strengthened it, preventing the attack from going through. That and the rapid beheading of the monster prevented it from clamping down and turning Nate into snake food, thank god.


    ¡°I hate this place already,¡± Nate said, wiping off saliva and blood.


    Colt let out a sigh of relief and scouted outward. The scale was wild; vines and trees in every direction as far as one might look, a veritable natural park of gigantic trees. Given the theme, he predicted it would be full of more oversized monsters.


    A lot of stuff to cut through, which would be good practice.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I hate it too. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to find the missing people. It might be better to focus on the objectives since they haven¡¯t cleared either boss. At the very least, if we finish the dungeon and never encounter them, they¡¯ll have a chance to get out. So that leaves us with two jobs: we have to kill Tyrannus X¡­ And Csaba the Great.¡±


    ¡°Is Csaba a type of animal?¡± Nick asked, summoning his light bow; its glow was heaven-sent, making it much easier to look at their immediate surroundings. Eerily, the fauna beneath their feet shuffled and shivered in the light¡¯s radiance. Creepy.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Sarah offered.


    Colt inspected one of the plants and then kicked it. Just to make sure it wasn¡¯t one big monster itself. Thankfully, no. Nothing was more terrifying an idea than an entire dungeon where every single plant was alive and watching them. He inspected the plants again to be sure and got nothing substantial. Primeval Dark-Lead Undergrowth Fauna¡ªhow the system picked its names was too utilitarian sometimes.


    The whole of the forest appeared to be on a slope, with a steep enough angle to tell which direction was ¡®up.¡¯


    ¡°Well. We have two general ways to go.¡± Colt said, eying either direction. It was a grand forest either way. Descend or ascend. Go down to hell, or go up to meet god, if one wanted to be a bit dramatic about it.


    ¡°Uphill?¡± Nate said, still wiping snake spit off him. ¡°If it breaks the canopy and can give us a view of smoke or fire. Worst case, this is a dungeon. The boss is somewhere. The top of wherever this is seems as likely a place for a boss as any.¡±


    Colt twirled the knife in his hand. If Nate thought that best, then he did too.


    With a short agreement by group vote, they set out in that direction.


    They found another giant snake, even larger than the last, by the horrifying grace of this majestic forest, but it, too, was murdered. This time, Nate collected some meat and made a fire. Unlike the Endless Alleys, scarcity of food didn¡¯t initially appear to be an issue¡ªnot when there were giant tree snakes to slaughter.


    After that, they got moving again.


    Another giant tree snake; this time, they found it in the midst of fighting what looked to be a Pterodactyl¡ªthe giant dinosaur under the canopy and in a life-or-death struggle on the forest floor with the snake. They killed both of them, getting engaged in the scuffle on their way through their dungeon. Experience was a must. Given that everything they faced was about level fifty, it added up very nicely for their lower-level members.


    Colt thought it felt a vast sea. Even though these creatures were a higher level, stretching for that next one was taking longer and longer.


    The brief skirmishes didn¡¯t go to waste, though.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He didn¡¯t feel torn up about using the Olympic Mandate on cool-down. Practice with it in live combat was valuable. Leveling it up was even more valuable. Eventually, it would get stronger, but to get there, it had to be used often and as much as possible. It was an odd paradox.


    The nature of it having an hour-long wait tempted him to keep it in his pocket and break it out in fights that demanded an edge. But if you did that, it¡¯d go nowhere.


    Instead, he just viewed it as a button to press at every opportunity, not taking its use into his calculation of him at his strongest. There was no other mental framework he might use for now which would maximize its training. Think too hard about it, and it was wasted. Nike would probably say that ¡®champions must always give one-hundred-and-ten percent,¡¯ or that kind of bullshit.


    Colt kept it practical.


    Mile by mile, they trudged upward, beholden to the almighty slope. Its steepness only continued to grow. At times it was all they could do to climb up roots from the giant trees to make progress.


    Gradually, more and more light broke through the top¡ªit became less a dense wall of green ceiling, to a light green and maybe spots of light above.


    Hours in, Colt offered to climb a tree and see above the canopy¡­ With it not quite as dense, it made seeing any danger above easier.


    ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll set up camp below.¡± Nate agreed.


    ¡°Thank god the rogue is finally scouting. Sheesh.¡± Julia complained while rubbing her stomach.


    ¡°Appreciate wishing me luck, Julia,¡± Colt shook his head and walked over to a massive tree¡ªstaring up. Offering was one thing. Climbing was mostly about dexterity, right? Not that he¡¯d put in much practice but¡­ Near a hundred points of dexterity had to have a point, didn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 46: Tree Climbing

    The forest was massive, and the trees were even more incredible and insurmountable, making it an army of harsh greenery. Even while the rest of his group began setting up camp for the night¡ªand yes, it was becoming night, that much was obvious now that the impenetrable shield of tree canopy above them began to break and crack to reveal the sky beyond¡ªColt was staring at his tree. The tree. The one that he would climb. For a few minutes, he visualized his way up its massive surface.


    Its bark was a living, natural, deep, ruddy brown like old, weathered skin. It had all types of lumps and cracks on its surface. This ancient guardian is waiting for its conquerer to come and scale it.


    Colt took a last look at the group, shook out his hands, and then went to his tree, placing a hand on a little knot on its surface. His foot kicked up¡ªfinding another small hole to dig into. Then he stretched his back and another arm, finding another narrow spot to pinch and pull.


    Climbing was a popular sport that captivated him as a kid.


    Seeing how people moved their bodies to scale insurmountable physical puzzles gave him a visceral thrill. They could leverage their balance, summon their muscles, and chart a path up even the most impossible surfaces. It was insane and motivating to watch, as a kid, it¡¯d been all he¡¯d wanted to do. But his parents yelled at him whenever he tried.


    In person, though? Colt found it almost as much of a mental exercise as it was physical. His body was capable of meeting the demands. Now, with all of this dexterity and endurance, the stats had pumped into him, both swinging his body to the next hold and finding that innate sense of balance was almost a trivial exercise. Holding onto a grip for ten seconds while thinking by his fingertips¡ªstill easy. Not as easy. Still, do not pull your hair out hard.


    But as he climbed, he crossed from the forest floor to three stories high¡­


    The difficulty of the task sank in.


    Climbing was all about solving problems. His superior body allowed him to leverage it in ways that brute-forced many problems. But it happened to be that three stories up, Colt ran across a stretch of bark that was just too flat¡ªtoo smooth to find an easy way past.


    He glanced downward, seeing Nate milling about and setting up a small fire. Julia was talking to Sarah, and his friend appeared frustrated. Nick gave a wave when he noticed Colt looking.


    Colt sighed and turned back to the task at hand.


    Above was a flat stretch of bark without much in the way of hand-holds. He could try to throw himself up, but he didn¡¯t fancy having to work his way back to here without an answer on how to solve this problem, if and probably more like when he fell.


    Climbing was a mental sport for someone with a body like his.


    Only, really, if you let it be.


    He grit his teeth and dug his left hand into the hold he had¡ªjust his fingertips pinching on the surface of the bark, barely three inches. The rough surface of the tree was pain, scratching at his skin and threatening to rip it off and let his body tumble below. Colt freed his right hand and then focused. Wrapping the fingers of his right hand with the Edict of cut.


    It was grueling, concentrating it around his weak and fleshy skin. Cut wanted a nice and narrow metal blade to hone itself on. A representation of the tool that most naturally did what it did.


    But the truth was, with enough force, anything could cut. Colt compelled the Edict to action where force was lacking, wrapping around his digits. Then, once it was efficiently coated, he thrust his fingers into the bare bark above him, tearing a smooth hole into the tree.


    Mental games, willpower, and physical reality were bent by the Edict wielded in his hand.


    This grip was deeper. Easier. Carved into this ancient tree by an Edict and the will of the one who controlled that Edict.


    So when Colt balanced with his right hand and shoved that same Edict around the fingers of his left, it was all the much simpler to conquer the tree wall by brute forcing his solution to the problem. Who needed to know how to climb well when you could just make your own handhold wherever you damn well pleased.


    Shortly, Colt defeated the stretch of near-impossible-to-climb tree.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He went this way for the next hundred feet. Swapping between natural climbing when it was faster to slicing into the tree and making handholds when it was impossible to climb otherwise. Focusing the Edict around his fingers wasn¡¯t easy, and each time he did, it took a toll. Sweat began to roll off him, making his shirt cling to his back. When he reached three hundred feet and the first large, gnarly branch, he paused and took a breather for ten minutes.


    Up here, he got a good view of the forest floor below¡ªin the distance, he could see a large antelope, about triple the size of a regular beast. It was trampling about and grazing on the dark foliage. He thought it odd that they hadn¡¯t run across one on their travel so far. It could be they were skilled at evading hunters.


    Colt shook out his sore fingers and then looked up.


    A long way to go.


    Life is a serious thing. And as a serious thing, life sometimes demands giving it all you¡¯ve got. As Colt approached the tree and began to climb again, the thought went through him that reaching the top would take hours. But, as he did it, he¡¯d learn, grow, and walk away with valuable information. More important than all that was the person he¡¯d become when he reached the top of this tree. When he conquered it. Even as he flexed his sore fingers, he found determination in that thought.


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    Soon, Colt stopped using natural handholds, forcing himself to climb up the tree by carving each and every groove in the process¡ªnot because he had to, but because it was hard.


    He felt the way his edict shivered and bucked, its natural instincts going against being used to sharpen fingers. It cried for a knife. It cried for an edge that would slit, slice, and sever. But Colt made it obey, his soul twisting and reigning it in.


    Grip after grip, wrestling with his Soul and the edict became more difficult.


    Good. When things are harder, that¡¯s when you grow best.


    Colt stopped five hundred feet up¡ªhanging from one hand with the jug he¡¯d made in the tree; the air up here was pleasant, a breeze which brought a nice cooling relief to his sweaty skin. Breath in. Breath out. The limiting factor now was his will and the sheer effort it took to hang from the tree for minutes at a time.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has reached level 10! This skill has advanced to *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate)! As this is now at the (Intermediate) level, the resistance of both Soul and Mind has increased. It is now an Iron Wall. This brings a 10% increase in effectiveness in withstanding the effects of utilizing Edicts, resisting Mental Skills, or resisting Soul Skills.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He drove himself to climb again, the next massive gnarled branch only fifty feet away.


    Then he paused. Something was wrong. The forest''s background shifted, and a movement caught his attention.


    In the distance between the trees, he saw a flickering shape. A grey creature¡¯s black eyes sharpened and locked on him from its perch on another massive tree¡¯s branches. Feathers the size of a man expanded and fluffed, a deep gray that was hard to spot in the shade of the giant leaves above.


    ¡°Really?¡± Colt asked god, as the bird-monster took off its perch and spiraled right at him.


    Colt wrapped the edict of cut around his foot, digging it deeper into the hole it was; this, too, took focus, but if he could use it on his hand, why not a foot?


    The monster smashed through the air, tilting to its side to narrowly avoid crashing into one of the towering trees, like an airplane performing stunts. Colt summoned his dagger¡ªbalanced on one foot and one hand hundreds of feet in the sky. If he fell¡­


    He wasn''t sure he''d survive even with a body this strong. Down below the rest of his party were the size of ants.


    He layered Cut thick on his knife, focusing and sharpening along the blade, narrowing its focus to a sharpness that would cleanly eviscerate solid steel walls. The monster narrowed in¡ªzooming fast, darting, ducking, weaving, bobbing¡ªtoo hard to get a clean hit with all the trees in the way.


    So Colt ignored the trees, following its path.


    Then, he threw, Edict wrapped tight around the knife; it went straight for a tree, and then¡­ The blade, edict, and all vanished through it, reappearing right on the other side as he activated Phantoms Gambit at the precise moment required to travel through the ancient lumber. On the other side, he felt it hit. The weapon connected with the monster; there was a screech of pain and a contest of wills as it tried to employ whatever lesser Edict it had to contest his cut.


    Colt pushed, and there was another shriek.


    Then, he saw the monster as it entered view again¡ªone of its wings sliced off, a stump of blood and feathers. It crashed face-first into a tree hundreds of feet up with a sickening pulp.


    Desperate, the monster tried to grab onto the wood with its talons¡ªcontorting and twisting its broken body.


    It failed and tumbled down hundreds of feet.


    Splat.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Ancient Forest Sparrow - Level 53


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    There was a rush of experience as it died, not enough to tip him over to the next level, but enough to feel the welling power in his chest. It is odd how the more sensitive and in tune with the world around him he became with his Edict, the more he perceived the power that amounted to ¡®levels.¡¯


    Colt hung there, one hand and one foot dug into the tree for a brief minute, staring at where the monster crashed and then cometed to its death.


    Had it hit him, that end could have been his. Oh well.


    Sucks to be a giant bird.


    He scouted the deep forest around¡ªnothing but more trees as far as the eye could see. No birds on branches, though. So¡­ Taking a deep breath, he began to scale upward again. Reaching the branch he¡¯d wanted to take a break on.


    Then, he moved further upward.


    Again and again, branch after branch.


    The light became more frequent up here until it went away, stripped from the land as night claimed its rightful place on the throne. From this vantage, he got a look at the stars above. Violently bright things. Taunting him from the patches in the leafy surroundings above. In their flashy glory, they claimed he would never rise to their level. That scaling this tree was pointless.


    Hand by hand, foot by foot, he made his own path up the tree.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When he finally saw the top of one of the nearby trees for the first time, he knew nothing but elation.


    The forest floor had become a sea of dark green leaves, a veritable landscape of tree leaves¡ªalong the way, he¡¯d spotted some other birds. They¡¯d looked different. None had noticed him, thankfully, mostly because they¡¯d tucked away for the night in their nests.


    Colt kept climbing and saw the tops of more trees. The sky above now dominated by stars instead of choked out by vegetation.


    Then, Colt reached the top of his tree.


    As far as he could see¡ªa perfect circle of an island¡ªthe middle of which rose to a mountaintop. At some point, the trees gave way to barren black rock¡­At the tip of that mountain, though, that¡¯s what boggled his mind. It was as if a trail of stars came from the heaven above, condensing on the top of the mountain and radiating with a holy glory that was terrible to see with your own eyes. It burned to stare at too long, and even squinting, he wasn¡¯t sure what was searing its way into his skull.


    Almost like a river of stars came from the skies above to meet the top of the mountain.


    It was so captivating that for a second, he didn¡¯t realize what was surrounding the trees¡ªat the edge of the ¡®island,¡¯ which was laid about in a perfect circle, was complete blackness. The trees fell off into a black void.


    Go far enough down, it seemed, and you would meet an abyss.


    The scale of the dungeon, though¡­


    ¡°Yeah. This will be a few days,¡± Colt said, shielding his eyes while gawking, transfixed on their destination. Whatever was happening at the top of the mountain, it had to be the crux of this place. One of the bosses¡­ Or¡­ Loot¡­ Or¡­


    Colt shook his head as he finally was forced to look away.


    Right, well, that sealed the deal on their destination. Now¡­ All he had to do was spend hours upon hours climbing back down the tree he¡¯d climbed up to tell everyone what he¡¯d seen. Colt inhaled deeply, set his shoulders, and got to work. Nothing in life came easy. But hardships brought the most growth, so he willed for this trip downward to be just as hard, if not harder, than the trip upward.

 Chapter 47: Lost But Not Forgotten

    Colt climbed down the tree. That is to say, Colt arduously and carefully scaled his way down the gigantic tree nearly the exact way he came up. His work before carving out hand-holds and footholds into the tree¡¯s surface proved fruitful, it made the descent much safer. Considering now his biggest alarm was a monster on an opposite tree that could fly¡ªwell, he was thankful that his journey downward had that blessing, at least.


    It was safer to start.


    The biggest challenge was the darkness. As he descended down the surface of the tree and left the world of starlight above, he once more entered the shade and dark as the greedy trees above claimed most of the sky.


    Every couple of hundred feet down the tree, life got a bit darker.


    Eventually, he had to search for his foot-holds by feel; sometimes, it was impossible to find them. In those cases, he wrapped an Edict around a foot and defaced the tree with yet another hold.


    Time went by like this for a while.


    It got darker. Sweat poured from him as he went¡ªsure that he was missing the big and mighty branches he was able to rest on during his journey upward. Now, though, it was impossible to spot. If he got too lost from the trail of handholds up, he might as well forfeit any right for a break until he found them again. Of course, he could sit there and carve out a better hold to grip onto for a moment to relax, but¡­


    Well, climbing was taxing. And appropriately, he used his Olympic Mandate every chance he got to give his body a minute of reprieve. The enhanced endurance helped with his recovery, and after that minute was up, he felt all the more refreshed.


    Whenever he did find a branch, Colt made the most of it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Most of the trip downward was one of silence and darkness. The only companions were his panting breath and stinging sweat from the effort. Though the trip had the occasional welcome guest in the form of a cold gust of air crashing into the tree¡ªif he was lucky, that guest brought another, its buddy, the creaking massive branch. That noise reminded him that he wasn¡¯t dead. That this all wasn¡¯t some eternal tormented hell of climbing on a piece of tree in the afterlife. That really, he was up on a massive tree in a godforsaken forest in the middle of this new world¡¯s dungeons¡ª


    Maybe the creaking branches and existential dwelling on his current situation weren¡¯t all that helpful.


    Another hour passed. Two, maybe.


    Then, the spell of darkness was broken with the glimmer of a crackling fire far beneath. From up here, it was little more a glittering gem far below. Barely perceptible in the dark void of this forest. But barely was the keyword. He could see it. It meant he was close.


    Colt doubled his efforts to descend, pushing harder, straining his will as he stopped the cautious approach of looking for the route he¡¯d taken down.


    Every foot descended was another foot closer back to the sweet ground, and no longer having to worry about his hand giving out and him cratering to a terrible death.


    The fire came closer.


    Colt pushed even harder. Sweat ran down his body, and every movement of his limbs was wrapped with cut. Up here, he came to really understand what it meant to have a greater understanding of the edict. It was a part of him, a truth to life. Things resisting cut was natural¡ªas it was an oppositional and dividing force. Yet, when the emphasis was put on the force, that¡¯s where the beauty of it shone. Brightly. Like that sweet fire below that got all the bit closer with every foothold and handhold carved on this massive tree.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained 1 point of Endurance!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Each second brought him closer. Every drop of sweat was spent gladly on his goal.


    A step at a time, he worked and toiled.


    Then, it happened. His foot touched solid ground. Colt didn¡¯t trust it at first; sure that it was a branch and this was all some elaborate trick by a monster¡ªyet, he observed Sarah at the fire, her sharp eyes locked in on him. The rest of their group splayed out and asleep nearby.


    She gave a slight wave.


    ¡°I was getting worried. I didn¡¯t say it before, but going up those trees seemed kind of stupid. When we saw that a massive monster crashed and died on the ground with its wing chopped off¡ªwell, I realized it was stupid. What the hell, Colt?¡±


    ¡°You know, about a hundred feet up, I had the same thought. Then, I had another. Who¡¯s to say I couldn¡¯t climb this massive tree? And if I could climb it, then couldn¡¯t I do anything?¡± Colt asked; he worked his fingers. The poor things ached with a deep soreness that set into their very joints. His skin was raw, torn, and wounded by all the harsh bark and wood grips he scaled. But the pain was a sweet kind. The type that came from hard labor and the rewards it brought.


    ¡°Sounds like some self-improvement motivational speaker,¡± she scoffed and waved him near the fire, ¡°Those things never did a thing for me anyway. I listened to them almost every day before the System came, and what did it get me? A year working in the kitchen of some jackass who couldn¡¯t stop cheating on his wife and yelling at everyone.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Colt slinked over, his eyes running across the darkness nearby. No monsters. That he could see, who¡¯s to say a giant snake wouldn¡¯t appear, though? Still¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. There¡¯s something refreshing about this world, y¡¯know? You can put in effort, and there¡¯s an immediate reward. Scaling that tree? I gained a lot of skills and some points in endurance. A direct result of what I did. It was hard. But it rewarded me. Life wasn¡¯t like that before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me.¡± Sarah sighed and poked at the fire with a stick. A trio of embers and a plume of smoke and ash broke off with a crack of the log.


    ¡°So. I saw the top of the mountain. And yeah, that¡¯s what we¡¯re going up. A mountain.¡± Colt confirmed.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Confusing. It¡¯s like the sky is touching the tip. Actually, it was kind of terrifying, and it was hard to look at. But I think that at least one of our objectives is there¡­ If we went the other way, the forest ends in some kind of black void. Which is as equally terrifying, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Colt, all of this is terrifying. Not a single thing that has happened since our kitchen got yanked into our tutorial dungeon has not been terrifying. Also, have you sat there and thought, where did all the people go? If New Nashville were rounding up everyone who got teleported away and survived, where are all they? If only half of them had made it, there¡¯d be hundreds of thousands, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Or there¡¯s just a lot we don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Or they¡¯re all dead.¡± Sarah pointed out.


    ¡°Or that,¡± Colt confirmed.


    ¡°How¡¯s it not cripplingly, awfully terrifying to you? Nate, I get it; the guy was a soldier. He can adapt and survive. Julia has a screw loose¡ªand Nick¡ªwell, I don¡¯t understand him. But you? Man, you were a cook, too. We aren¡¯t that different.¡±


    Colt shrugged and rubbed his eyes; it ached to keep them open. And the warm fire was like a welcoming embrace whispering for him to call it a night.


    ¡°Today, I climbed a massive tree as big as a skyscraper. If you let yourself step back and think, that¡¯s kind of cool. That was something I could control, so that¡¯s the sort of thing you should focus on. Anyway¡­ I have more to say about what I saw, but none of it is important right now. Might as well wait for everyone to be up so I can deliver a report and not repeat myself. Especially since I¡¯, exhausted. You mind if I head to bed while you keep watch? Dunno how much longer before the sun comes up.¡±


    Sarah shook her head in disbelief and returned to her fire, giving it a poke. ¡°Go ahead. You need the rest. I¡¯ll get Nick up in an hour for his watch.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ###


    Next day began with breakfast. Nate cooked on his steel pan¡ªpart of their standard gear for dungeons. They took food, cooking equipment, and sleeping rolls. They¡¯d brought the same to Athena¡¯s dungeon but there¡­ Such gear wasn¡¯t required there. Given that three members of their group came from a tutorial dungeon where they very much ran the risk of running out of food and starving to death and rationed appropriately, that sort of thing left a deep scar on people¡¯s psyche.


    Nate cooked them a giant snake, which had a bit of a rubbery taste and texture to the meat. According to the description, it wasn¡¯t venomous, so they trusted it to function just like regular meat.


    Which it did, more or less. Besides it being not easy to eat.


    While attempting to eat their giant snake steaks in front of the fire, Colt reported on the totality of his trip up the tree¡ªfrom the birds to the antelope creature to the further discoveries on top.


    Then, he went over what he saw when he reached the apex of his tree.


    All five chewed on their thoughts in silence as he tried his best to describe the ethereal sight; they also chewed on the snake. Eating a chunk of meat from that took will and determination.


    ¡°It just confirms our destination,¡± Nate concluded, first to speak. ¡°We investigate that and keep an eye out for this group.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a good way to find them here; even if I was to shoot my light arrows everywhere, they wouldn¡¯t see it. A flare aint gonna find them neither.¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Defeat a boss; maybe they¡¯ll get out of hiding. If we can clear the dungeon, maybe they can escape.¡± Colt answered.


    None of them really went into the fact that these strangers could be dead, and wasting weeks searching for corpses eaten by these oversized monsters might get them precisely nowhere.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably dead,¡± Julia said.


    Ah. Well. Colt thought nobody was going to go there, but then she went and did.


    Sarah scowled at her.


    Julia shrugged and took another big bite of her snake steak¡ªchewing for another five minutes in forced silence from her desire to eat. Nate gave up and then made a second breakfast out of rations for those who gave up on the quest to consume oversized snakes. For some, it was too much of a challenge. For Colt, he took his knife, abused cut, and minced the meat into a fine-super-fine dice. Which¡­ Made chewing a lot easier.


    Soon, they packed all their things back up and returned to their travel, cutting through the dark forest floor with the light of Nick¡¯s bow and abilities to guide them.


    About an hour into their morning trip, they came to a sudden stop.


    There was a screech.


    And then a massive tumble as something gigantic collapsed¡ªeveryone shared a look as there was another wild screech and an earth-shaking roar. Colt¡¯s heart almost jumped to his throat at the sound¡­ He felt it vibrate not only in the physical world but echo in his very soul. Behind that roar was the force of an edict, and it radiated a certain strength that was hard to define.


    There was another crash, slightly closer. Dust rose on the horizon, barely perceptible in the dim light down here on the forest floor, yet one was it like a wall of dirt among the trees.


    Colt pieced together what was happening. Two monsters were fighting, and in the process, trees were getting knocked down. One of the monsters was stronger, based on that roar.


    They all shared a look. Nate furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Colt, with me. We¡¯re going to investigate. Everyone else, stay here.¡±


    ¡°What if you get lost?¡± Sarah asked, eyes wide.


    Nate shook his head, ¡°Then I guess we meet at the top of the mountain. The mission stays the same. I think this might be one of the bosses. We¡¯re going to take a look if we can.¡±


    And, Colt noted, he didn¡¯t say if they were going to fight it. Nick looked like he was about to protest, probably thinking along the same lines, but a sharp glare from Nate put that to bed. There was a real chance this wouldn¡¯t go well. And if it didn¡¯t, then the three of them would have to survive. Nate was putting his trust in Colt¡¯s power, yet¡­


    If they ignored a potential boss, who was to say how long it would take to find again?


    A plan and a backup plan in case he and Nate died.


    Colt stretched out his shoulders, put on a smile for the rest of the team that was going to remain behind, and lifted his head up high.


    There was another earth-shaking roar, another collapsing tree; the sprig of doubt flooded him, along with fear. Whatever was capable of doing that had to be deadly. Colt shoved that thought away. Focus. Here and now, and on what you can control. With a signal to Nate that he was ready, the two crept along right toward the noise¡¯s source.

 Chapter 48: Rage Monster

    The sounds of battle echoed through the forest, leading them like a beacon. There was no mystery to it. There was no confusion. Colt followed Nate¡¯s lead and put the group behind them on their way to a fight with no backup.


    ¡°So, why us alone?¡± Colt asked, thinking he knew most of the answer, but with Nate, there was probably more to it.


    ¡°I want to level. I want to grow stronger. Seeing you scale that tree yesterday lit a fire for me¡ªif you could take down Cerberus, then why shouldn¡¯t I be pushing just as hard, I trained hard in the army, and now that my life is on the line again, I¡¯ll train just as hard now. That¡¯s why. Selfishness. There¡¯s trouble with New Nashville. Anyone can see that. I felt relief when you found another difficult dungeon to go into and gave a fine justification to go with it. I need to make sure I¡¯m in a good position to handle myself is the most efficient way to secure my safety.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t because you¡¯re worried we¡¯ll die?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fight and kill this thing,¡± Nate¡¯s jaw tightened, and the knuckles around his hammer went white.


    Colt saw it then, the way his skin formed tighter around him, his eyes locked in and concentrated. Right now, he was infusing his Edict into his body¡­


    It also felt like it had more weight than before.


    Colt ran an inspect on his friend.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Nate | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: None | Class: Soldier (II) [Uncommon]


    Level: 39


    This is a basic human who hasn¡¯t found a distinct path to tread yet has taken steps down the route of a Soldier. This multifaceted beginner class allows versatility in weapon selection and cultivation. His history with the military has provided a fine foundation on which to reforge himself in this new world.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Steel Skin [Rare] - Level 4


    Hammer Proficiency [Common] - Level 17


    Stealth [Uncommon] - Level 12


    Meditation [Uncommon] - Level 10


    Edicts:


    Forge (Lesser)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Colt admired the skills¡ªbut mostly he admired the fact that Nate had advanced his Edict already. Things certainly hadn¡¯t been this way when they entered the dungeon¡ªthat Stealth skill was there, sure, and it was frustrating that as much as Nate had tried to pass it along, none of them had picked it up yet.


    And that Steel Skin was new. Interesting.


    ¡°Lesser Edict already?¡±


    ¡°Last night, when I saw you climb up the tree, I couldn¡¯t sleep. I kept thinking. There had to be more. I didn¡¯t want to get dragged along through a dungeon again, not growing. So I focused. I meditated. The levels I gained with our fights earlier in the day went straight into Soul. There is no rest in a world like this.¡±


    Nate kept creeping ahead, his steps effortless as he moved, his head low as they traversed the forest to the roaring and screeching of a fight ahead. There was a steel to his face as he worked.


    ¡°Forge is a fine Edict. With it, I¡¯ve been able to enhance my body.¡±


    Colt ran his senses over him¡ªand sure enough, he felt an odd sense to Nate. The remnants of his Edict, alterations to his skin? If he guessed, it would be that. It was the same kind of sensation he felt when he left cuts in a wall. It held a hint of the Edict that forever left its mark.


    ¡°It¡¯s letting you forge your body in a literal way.¡± Colt summarized.


    ¡°Yes. It is. And now that I¡¯m reasonably sure I can take hits from something higher level, I need to see it in live combat.¡±


    It made sense.


    In fact, Nate''s pushing so hard revved Colt up, too; he gripped the knife in his hand, a sudden thrill running through him. The roars drew closer. They entered the wall of kicked-up dust¡ªthe earth shaking as yet another massive tree smashed into the ground not far away. After another two minutes of walking, Colt finally got a look at their enemy.


    The snakes had been massive, about the size of a bus, and three times as long.


    Here, in the middle of a clearing forged by war and light by the sky above like a massive spotlight, was a monster too hard to conceptualize at first. It was, in all rights, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, from the gigantic oversized jaw, colossal reptilian tail, and tiny ineffectual arm by comparison. A creature you¡¯d see in a movie or a history documentary, knowing from the safety of your couch that it was long dead, and you¡¯d never run the risk in your life of ever running across such a terrifying and horrible monster, except for your nightmares.


    Only, this wasn¡¯t just an ordinary Tyrannosaurus Rex.


    No, this thing was at least thrice as big¡ªfive times as deadly¡ªit had teeth the size of a car; its roar could shatter a normal human¡¯s eardrums, and a tail that could collapse a skyscraper. And right now, it was pissed and enraged¡ªfending off four different bird monsters as they flew and pecked at it.


    It must''ve been at least ten when the fight began - their mangled corpses littered the clearing, painting a grim tale of the battle''s start.


    Colt¡¯s mouth opened wide.


    One of the birds swooped in, its feathers glowing as it tried to rake one of the dino¡¯s eyes out; yet the dinosaur snapped its head back, dodging the hit, then, in a movement almost too fast to track, its head had bit down on the bird¡ªkilling it instantly as those mighty teeth crunched the pesky flying toy. A shower of blood rained down on the earth below, watering the dark vegetation with gore.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Another bird flew by¡ªthe dino charged it. The bird¡¯s speed doubled as it rose up, narrowly avoiding being crunched under its teeth. Yet the monster didn¡¯t have time to stop such massive momentum and slammed into a tree. The poor tree cracked, ripped, and, with another world-shattering tumble, crashed into the nearby trees.


    Colt stared, transfixed. The strength here was on a different level. This creature was an apex monster and most definitely a monster deserving the name boss.


    Nate stared, eyes hard.


    ¡°Second doubts? We can return to the others.¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re going to kill this thing together. As long as you think we can do it. You¡¯re the muscle.¡±


    Colt frowned, then inspected it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Tyrannous X  - Level 60


    Description: A gigantic version of what you humans call a Tyrannosaurs Rex. Like all things in the Primeval Park, it was a creation of Csaba to wage war. Only this beautiful guy was meant to be the mount from which he would ride down from heaven and conquer the worlds of chaos. Great concept in theory. Except this particular Dino has an unsatisfiable hankering for meat, and frankly was just too much effort for the prince to maintain and feed. So, after giving it a good spin, he let it retire to his forest, from which it has had the run of the place.


    What¡¯s that saying your planet has? The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Well, more like the bigger they are the more you have to hit them before they die. Ha. Good luck.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Terrifying Roar [Rare] - Level 16


    Primal Savagery [Rare] - Level 20


    Shattering Whip [Uncommon] - Level 12


    Edicts:


    Dread (Lesser)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt took in the information and calculated their chances as he watched it face off against the birds¡ªanother one of the monsters flew in and clipped the boss, leaving a line of blood as its wing tore through the flesh and did its damage.


    It was a massive boss, and it towered over the battlefield. A titan of death and destruction, armed with scales the size of shields and teeth that murdered thousands of monsters.


    But then, it was five levels less than Cerberus. It didn¡¯t have the spells, and it had fewer Edicts. And dread wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar Edict. He¡¯d run across it before with Jack and felt reasonably confident he could cut through its influence on himself with his greater Edict. And it was in the middle of fighting a bunch of other monsters. Winning. But still it¡¯d be taxed.


    ¡°We stand a good shot. Do we have a plan?¡±


    Nate looked around¡ªas it cracked a tail into the nearby tree as it tried to take one of the birds out of the sky. A hail of wooden chips flew from the impact as yet another part of the forest was sacrificed to this battle between creatures.


    ¡°Let them fight as much as they want. When the battle ends, we swoop in and defeat the main threat,¡± Nate said, his eyes honed in. His skin was almost reflective as the light from this clearing hit it¡ªwhatever that Edict was, Colt could feel its impact


    A battle like this wasn¡¯t a war. As the big reptile tore through the birds and ruined the forest around it, there could be no grand strategy to defeat it.


    Sometimes, things in life have to be done hard and straightforwardly. Colt was excited to try his knife on such a massive foe¡ªthe weapon, a little bigger than a hand, would be the thing to take such an incredible primal beast down.


    They bided their time.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that Colt simply stood on the sidelines; no, his eyes were keen. Picking apart the movements of the monster, envisioning how that behemoth would react in battle against himself.


    He paid close attention to the speed of its tail. The way its roar infused with dread. And as they observed, they worked those into the plan, bringing awareness to the threats.


    As the two groups locked into battle, the monsters waged war upon one another, blood, spit, and viscera flew everywhere.


    But the victor was clear from the start. Inevitable like the jaws of death.


    One by one, the dinosaur tore his opponents in half. His teeth, sharper than a sword, would catch them and ruin their bodies with one snap of those powerful jaws. Listening closely, Colt could even hear the bones shatter beneath that mighty bite.


    Soon, there were no birds left polluting the sky.


    The monster let out one massive roar of victory, and the sound shook the ground, sending vibrations through Colt¡¯s chest as leaves rained down from above¡ªits very aura radiating out as it signaled its complete and utter dominance.


    Nate gave the signal, and Colt snuck along the underbrush to the left, the dark vegetation doing a good job of hiding him.


    Ten seconds.


    Twenty seconds.


    Thirty.


    Nate strode onto center stage and pounded a fist on his chest. The tiny, insignificant act clanged loud enough to claim the monster''s attention. And if it didn¡¯t, the soldier followed up his challenge by lobbing a rock right at the dino¡¯s head.


    The massive beast towered over him. Nate had its full attention.


    It roared¡ªNate roared back.


    Then, it twisted, its tail snapping forward in a split-second, catching Nate right in the chest with a hard smack and wave of dust and debris.


    Colt¡¯s breath caught, sure that he¡¯d just witnessed the complete and utter annihilation of his friend. His heart pounded, and an anger started to swell in his chest.


    Dead.


    This beast was dead.


    His grip went white on his knife.


    The dust cleared¡ªand Nate was standing about ten feet back with his chest smashed and blood running from his mouth¡ªyet the guy had the dino by the tail. He¡¯d survived the point-blank shot from a monster about twenty levels over him¡ªand of all things, the guy was smiling.


    The boss looked confused.


    Colt¡¯s jaw dropped. Then he picked it up. And then charged outward, knowing the monster¡¯s attention was fully on his friend¡ªhis knife was coated with as thick of an Edict of cut that he could muster, wrapped tight around the blade, and concentrated on a fine point.


    Each step propelled him forward like a rocket, he felt the momentum and shifting tides in the air as the boss became less confused.


    It let out a wild roar, suffused with the raw and overwhelming power of Dread. It was like a wave, crashing down on the human with all the force in the world as it protested such a pathetic and tiny man being able to withstand its hit.


    The power of the Edict crept into him for the barest of a second, almost drawing him to a stop, commanding him to give in to death.


    Colt extended the Edict wrapped around his blade, slicing through the influence of dread on himself. It gave him awareness even as he moved.


    He saw the killing intent in the monster¡¯s eyes.


    And knew what was going to happen. They¡¯d both observed in the fight with the birds just how fast it could snap its jaws down. With Nate fighting against the Edict, he would be easy prey. One bite. And the fight was over.


    The world slowed as Colt called upon movement. He saw the dino¡¯s jaw go down. Saw it unhinge its massive jowls in slow motion; to an outside eye, the move would only be seconds. To him, it was an inevitable guillotine of Nate¡¯s death.


    Colt reached the leg in those seconds, let out a scream even as his heart raced out of his chest, and then cut; a thick wave of his Edict smashing into the dinosaur leg before him, propelled not only by the will of his Greater Edict but enhanced by the force of his movement.


    Even as the dino¡¯s jaw snapped down, his invisible blade severed its leg out from under it¡ªColt let movement fade as the monster collapsed on the ground.


    Its jaw snapped empty air as it found it could no longer stand and missed the mark completely. Nate was alive. And together, they would decimate this horrid lizard.

 Chapter 49: Ancient Things

    The monster squirmed on the ground like a giant worm; its massive tail flopped and crashed every couple of seconds like a comet hammering into the forest floor from above, throwing up dirt and leaves in a chaotic storm, polluting the air with muddy dirt that coated Colt¡¯s tongue.


    The very feel of it hitting again and again reverberated through Colt¡¯s chest; each thud, while not directly hitting him, still had a physical blow to his bones.


    Nate wobbled away from the monster, its jaw snapping at empty air, trying to catch him and swallow him whole.


    Missing a leg, it struggled uselessly to move its body with any coordination. And now, Colt would take even that away.


    Colt took a deep breath and wrapped his Edict along his knife, pouring himself and every ounce of soul into it. He could hear the way the world folded and sang, its song a rich tapestry of weaving Edicts, the very laws that formed the universe.


    The dino roared with an earsplitting drone, the wave of sound carried notes of dread that launched an assault on his mind. When stripped of its other weapons, the boss threw out whatever it had in its arsenal.


    More leaves fell from above, a shower of shattered greenery as the roar and pounding tail dislodged foliage from miles above.


    Colt honed his will and moved to position, then focused.


    The cut ran in an upward arc¡ªand tore right into the joint of the boss¡¯s only remaining leg where it met thigh. Blood poured from the wound as his will suddenly contested the bosses¡¯. This time, the monster tried to resist, tried to push its dread and inevitability against Colt¡¯s will. Wrestling him on another plane of existence. A cold bead of sweat ran down his forehead, a welcome mark that this took effort to achieve; if it was hard, he would grow.


    Colt took the monster¡¯s will and slammed it aside.


    His second cut ripped the second leg off without much sound until the mighty thump of leg meat crashed into the ground next to Colt.


    The dinosaur roared again; pain and fear played a discordant note in the whine.


    Colt gave a shuddering breath and pulled back, watching as the boss struggled on the floor like a wet noodle, flopping back and forth as it failed to regain a sense of where it was, what was happening to it, or how it could damage its enemies. Blood poured from its many wounds; the two remaining stumps that were its legs a veritable hose of blood to water the forest.


    It screamed and tantrumed and raged.


    Colt wiped the sweat off his head. The noise was annoying and deafening, and just the onslaught of this beast was driving him to have a headache. His back-to-back strong uses of his Edict were starting to wear his will away.


    ¡°This thing has some vitality, huh?¡± Colt considered the noodle of a monster as it wriggled, trying to calculate how many more cuts he needed to make. Optimized for efficiency. The sooner this monster was ended, the better. Even though its coordination was understandably non-existent, the way that tail snapped and tore into nearby trees and the sheer mass of squirming bulk was dangerous and unpredictable.


    Nate had pulled away, too, studying the now-disabled boss.


    He¡¯s waiting for me¡ª


    No. Nate wasn¡¯t.


    The hammer in his hand grew, the steel expanding and forming into a larger weapon. Nate raised it high above his head, light reflecting off the morphing metal surface. It was like he wielded a stick of liquid metal, shaping and reforming. The end increasingly ridden with deathly sharp spikes, growing like icicles off the side of a gutter.


    Nate shuddered as he held the weapon high. The sun above cast him in light like a god of vengeance.


    Then, Nate let out a roar; his Edict raged, pushing back against the waves of Dread cast by the dinosaur, fighting it in a fist-to-fist brawl as the two went at it. Nate took a step forward. The dinosaur squirmed. Nate took another step, then several. He broke out into a full-blown sprint, each and every one of his steps throwing dirt and rocks behind him.


    And then Nate tossed himself into the sky, both hands on the handle of his massive hammer, the dinosaur¡¯s head right there in front of him, jaw snapping.


    Nate smashed into it with force and weight that carried through the monster¡¯s massive skull and into the earth, shaking the trees and Colt enough that he almost stumbled. The spiked hammer dug into the side of the boss¡¯s jaw; the sheer momentum and weight of the hit made the dino¡¯s head crack off the hammer, into the ground, and then back onto the spikes of Nate¡¯s weapon.


    The T-rex tried to let loose another wave of Dread with a roar¡­ But its mouth wouldn¡¯t function.


    Nate has ruined its jaw.


    His friend sat on top of the head, one foot near its eye¡ªthe monster jerked around, trying to throw him off. Nate responded by squishing the heel of his boot into the soft and fleshy white of its pupil, which only brought more useless screaming from the once mighty boss.


    Pride and fear welled in Colt¡¯s chest as he watched his friend: pride to see such strength, fear with the sorry that something could go wrong. The hammer kept Nate grounded on the monster¡¯s skulls as it tried everything it could do to get free. Nate didn¡¯t mind. He waited with the patience of a man about to commit murder.


    When it stopped moving for a second, his hammer pulled out of the dinosaur¡¯s face with a gush of blood and then crashed down again, caving in more of the skull. They went like this for minutes. Nate diligently held onto his weapon as it tried to dislodge him. It squirmed and struggled beneath a man that might as well be the size of a rat compared to it. Yet it could do nothing. Gigantic and powerful, rendered to an ineffectual hitting dummy beneath the heel of Nate.


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    Smash. Crash. Slam.


    Again, and again, the hammer went down, the skull beneath it turning to a paste, the bones that made up the skull splintering to the size of nails, which each further hit of the hammer drove into the dinosaur''s brain, just like hammering a nail into a piece of wood.


    Colt felt his hand itch where he held his knife, but held back and watched, gathering his reserves. If this monster had a trick hidden away, he¡¯d be the one to run in and stop it. That was his job now; that and watching his friend work.


    He remembered the very first moment he understood the type of man Nate was, when he rushed to help him with the Kobolds. Back then, Colt had been in it for himself.


    Watching Nate now, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a radiant warmth of gratefulness in his chest to have such a brutal ally at his side.


    Nate was meticulous¡ªnever straying, never complaining. When he had the opportunity to hammer, he did just that. A man driven and completely engaged in his task. Soon, there was no fight in the monster as its body quit responding to its broken brain.


    From there, the hammer came down in a rhythm. Each crash radiated outward like a giant stomping on the ground, creating a drumbeat of death.


    Inevitably, the notification appeared.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Tyrannous X - Level 60


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul.


    Dungeon Alert: Tyrannous X has been defeated!


    Congratulations!


    Csaba The Great must still be defeated before the dungeon exit is opened.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Nate shuddered atop the mound of pulped flesh and what was left of the skull of the dinosaur. Half of the monster was missing, creating a mess beneath his feet that was nearly too difficult to look at, let alone stand on.


    The difference between the damage wrought through a clean knife stroke and a hammer was¡­ Well, something to behold.


    Colt rushed over to his friend as Nate slipped, trying to get down, giving him a hand up and helping him take those few necessary steps away from the corpse of another life that might be considered a monster too impossible to take down. His bicep strained as he tried to lift the guy, and he grunted with the effort. Nate was heavy; that ¡®Steel Skin¡¯ skill was quite literal.


    ¡°That was brutal,¡± Colt remarked as they got away from the body of their enemy¡ªhe looked around the area. There was no ¡®loot.¡¯ Which one might expect from a boss fight, but this thing wasn¡¯t in a typical boss area¡ªno predefined circle or place, and they¡¯d just happened across this big guy randomly.


    He wondered if there was a treasure buried in that corpse¡­ Colt looked at his knife, took in the giant¡¯s corpse, and then checked on his struggling friend, whose chest was caved in with a nice dent in it. How was he even breathing?


    ¡°Damn. We don¡¯t have a healer here, man.¡±


    ¡°Give me time. Forge¡­ Well, I think¡­ I can use it to fix myself. It feels like¡­ I can fix parts of me if I focus. Make them better than before.¡± Nate collapsed not far away, sitting down with a grimace.


    Holy shit. That¡¯s awesome. I¡¯m jealous. Colt didn¡¯t say that, though; he thought about it, but in the end, came out with a simple, ¡°You did stellar, man.¡±


    ¡°I did what I needed to do. Give me like twenty, and we can return to everyone else.¡± Nate¡¯s jaw was clutched, and his grip tight on the hammer. Not seconds later, the guy gave up on sitting and collapsed, focused on his breath.


    Colt felt the Edict weaving around him, working on his insides. In a way, it was like Nate had gone into a cocoon. A wonderful little caterpillar morphing in a shell of an edict.


    Well, Forge was a good one, then, and Nate was taking it by the reigns and running with it. All they needed to do was get Sarah a nice Edict to call her own. Jimmy, too, if the guy was willing to take up life as an adventurer again.


    Colt spun the knife in his hand and took another searching gaze at the dinosaur corpse.


    Bosses should have loot, and he had twenty minutes to kill. Was he really about to dig through an actual mountain of flesh to test a videogame theory?


    ###


    Of course, he dug through a mountain of flesh for twenty minutes. Like a surgeon, applications of cut let him pull pieces off the monster and take it apart. Thankfully, Nate was too passed out and focused on pulling himself together to judge the fact that he was mindlessly eviscerating the body.


    It paid off, though.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Prehistoric Asteroid Shard [Uncommon]


    Description: An ancient piece of space rock that came from the heavens and ended up inside the stomach of an ancient and gigantic monster. This Asteroid Shard has properties that, when used with meditation, can help refine insights into associated Edicts.


    Up to you to determine whether or not you have one of those Edicts. If you know, you know.


    You only get one use of this as the essence remaining of edicts in it are weak, so hopefully, you use it wisely.


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt tossed the light chunk of purple rock and then caught it again. Its surface was oddly smooth to the touch, and how it caught the light cracking in from above made it gleam.


    More than that, when he ran his senses over it, he felt it whisper to him, tugging at the Movement Edict. Trying to¡­ Direct it. If he sat down and meditated, he was sure it had some resonance with that particular law. Which wasn¡¯t hard to conceptualize why, at least, he thought. It gave the sense of movement; it moved quite a bit, crossing the great celestial space above. Moving was one of the few things it could do up there.


    And when it smashed into the planet, it¡¯d done so with quite a lot of force and movement.


    At least, that¡¯s why Colt thought it did. Either way, he would tuck it away and focus on it later. With the treasure secured, he turned his attention to the stat points from leveling. Two to soul, two to endurance, two to dexterity. Advancing the three cores of what he believed led to survivability and strength.


    With all those minor details sorted, he returned to Nate¡¯s side and checked on his friend.


    ¡°Good to go?¡±


    ¡°No. But I¡¯ll endure. We¡¯ll get to them and hike. A day or two of recovery, and I think I¡¯ll be able to fix most of the damage.¡± Nate¡¯s jaw was still tight, and Colt sensed that there was more than some pain involved in whatever process he was undergoing.


    Colt offered him his hand, and his friend took it. The grip was that of steel¡ªto pull him up took a grunt and Colt digging in his heels to the earth, but they got there.


    Carefully, the two of them made their way back to the group. They would have to figure out the rest of the mission together.


    There was a mountain to scale. Once they reached the mountain, they had a final boss to kill. One could only hope that the people who got here before them were tucked away, hiding somewhere. Colt kept that thought far from his head, focusing on the here and now, and took their journey one exhausted step at a time.


    First step, get back to the rest of their friends.

 Chapter 50: Bloodmoney

    They didn''t cover as much ground as Colt had hoped. The path steepened as they climbed, surrounded by an endless wall of trees and underbrush. The dark foliage of the forest morphed into a flush and varied ecosystem that screamed life. Simple rodents and elk lived freely from the oppression of the overwhelming giant trees.


    But danger still lurked. They encountered even more tree snakes, giant birds, and a black jaguar the size of a truck. Colt split the latter clean in half with Cut.


    Each threat pushed them further, drove them to grow stronger. With the way New Nashville was headed, stockpiling strength was the best insurance.


    ¡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


    The rest of the group had made gains, too. Most of them reached  level forty. Colt tucked away the three extra points to Soul. Putting it at an even 120¡ªboth because it was his best Stat and getting to an even 120 felt satisfying.


    Once more, darkness began to spread through the land like a hidden miasma¡­ Now, Colt wasn¡¯t too sure of how safe it was on the forest floor. With the blanket of shade, monsters could slip by undetected¡ªNate had gotten better, yet still needed safety for recovery.


    So, he did what he had to do and carved handholds up the nearest tree to the first branch, which was only about fifty feet up here


    Every breath Colt took in had an almost replenishing quality, fresh and light with a trace of a restful Edict he couldn¡¯t name.


    At first, there were protests about having to climb up and camp for the night. Julia protesting, specifically. Saying they were fine and he was paranoid. Colt didn¡¯t really care, and the rest of the group ignored her too, which suited him.


    They climbed up, one by one, and he took first watch.


    No fire tonight since sparking a fire on a wooden branch about fifty feet up was a bad idea. There was still plenty of room up here, to safely move about and not be afraid of falling off the tree in the middle of the night. Though Nate had tied them down just in case anyone sleepwalked their way into an eternal slumber.


    Colt sat at the end of the massive branch, the new handy chunk of asteroid in his hand.


    His fingers went over the smooth surface¡ªfeeling the imperfections, the little pockmarks that kept it from being perfect.


    Had this really been in space?


    He pictured it, a small shard of a much larger rock, tumbling through an infinite void; countless planets drifting out there, oh-so-far away¡ªonly for it to land on this world.


    In the context of these dungeons and these systems, what was their significance?


    His mind was pulled into the mystery, and if he let himself sink beneath that mental surface of water, he¡¯d be adrift in a meditation. Deep in there, he knew a monster lurked under the surface. Movement, that nasty Edict, circled in those depths, wanting him to dip his toes in. Then it would bite, its dangerous teeth enough to catch his skin and drag him deep into those black waters where he¡¯d have to fight it or die.


    It was a challenge, one that he needed to prepare for. Every moment of his meditation was spent working on that, building the mental framework and armor to withstand what taking on his most powerful Edict to raise it up another notch would entail.


    This asteroid was the key to getting to that fight, but he wasn¡¯t ready. Not here in the middle of a dungeon. Not here when he still needed to marshal his forces and better grasp what kind of fate he¡¯d be facing when the time called. As much as he dared, as much as he wished, if one wanted to make the progress they were looking for, they needed to be wise with patience and take the next big step when it was the right time to do so.


    For now, he considered the rock in his hand and pictured himself in that fight with his Edict. This tool would be another knife to stab into the heart of that beast, to let him wrestle it into his control.


    Soon.


    Colt sighed, tossing the bit of space rock in the air and catching it¡ªthen paused.


    There were lights in the forest.


    Little flickers of light¡ªat first, just a couple. Colt sat still, watching them, and then hundreds more appeared. Thousands. A radiant blue vast swath of tiny stars in the middle of the forest¡ªsome close enough to reach out and grab.


    So, of course, he did.


    Fireflies. Hundreds of thousands of fireflies blanketed the thick night of the forest, drifting in a sea of light and life; for an hour, Colt sat transfixed as they danced. Their azure light was a reassurance, a natural beauty that had swept him up like a storm. When time came for his shift to end, Colt woke up Sarah, and didn¡¯t head to bed. Simply watching for a little bit longer with his friend. Talking about nothing much but basking in the natural beauty.


    Out here, they were free. With this power they were building, it would give the same kind of freedom as the thousands of fireflies flitting about in the forest, bright lights among the darkness.


    But unlike the fireflies, which began to vanish away to the encroaching dark of the late night, they would not fade away. The fact that these bugs, though, had no choice but to give into the darkness left Colt with a small sense of sadness.


    ###


    Jimmy felt uneasy. The hours were getting longer and longer, and he had less and less time to himself.


    But what could be done? People needed help.


    Jimmy toiled away in the depths of New Nashville. His hands slick with blood as he pressed them onto another soldier¡¯s open wound¡ªat least, that¡¯s what he had begun to think of them. Even if they called themselves guards, these men and women were shoved into their ¡®hospital.¡¯ With dire wounds and even more grim expressions. The days passed by in a blur of red as he worked.


    Intestines hanging out, teeth ripped from mouths; missing fingers¡ªeven an arm that had been bitten off that Jimmy couldn¡¯t fix¡­


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    It sucked.


    God, it sucked.


    Why was there always so much blood?


    Light poured from his hands into the wound, the little bits of flesh knitting back together like strings forming a rug. The soldier grunted as a part of the light shoved a bone back into a better position. It had to hurt, but these people didn¡¯t complain.


    No, they bore the pain, got up, thanked him, then went back out there and bled some more.


    Jimmy hated it. Room was like a bloody cage, and whenever there wasn¡¯t a soldier, he walked the halls of the hospital, trapped by the need to help.


    Even being in the hospital for so long made him taste blood in his mouth¡ªhe could feel the slimy texture in his hands for hours afterward and often found dark brown specks of it everywhere on him every day now.


    He just wanted to find a quiet corner, get high, and forget about everything.


    Drugs were banned in New Nashville. One of the first things he¡¯d found out when he asked one of the guards if they knew a guy¡ªit was the middle of the end of the world, and here this place cared if he rolled up and smoked a joint?


    Soon, the light closed the wound. And like normal, the soldier got up, thanked him, and left his operation room.


    Jimmy ran a bloody hand through his hair. God. Where were his friends?


    There was a knock on his office door, and Jimmy took a solid fifteen seconds to pull himself together, mentally preparing to see another ripped-apart body that would haunt his nightmares for years to come. Just when he thought he¡¯d formed enough of a mental wall to cope, the door opened uninvited.


    It was Denny. The man had a black cowboy hat on and a vest with little black tassels. The mayor took a wide berth around the room. Looking at the puddle of blood on the operation table, he raised an eyebrow, which was a good unspoken question. Why even bother with a table in the first place? He could heal them standing, on the ground, or in a chair; there were no surgeries anymore. And Jimmy had asked, and another one of the healers said quite stupidly, ¡®Tradition.¡¯


    What about any of this was tradition?


    ¡°See that you¡¯ve been working hard and keeping your hands honest, huh, son?¡± Denny asked.


    Jimmy only stared at him.


    ¡°Listen, we appreciate what you¡¯re doing here; you saved a lot of lives. With that comes the appreciation of the town¡ª¡° Denny pulled out a pouch and tugged at one of the strings, showing off the insides. Money. He set the pouch down on the operation table, ignoring the blood. ¡°¡ªand know we always show our appreciation to good, honest, hard-working folk like yourself.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to say to that. What did the money even matter? Jimmy could buy enough food and drinks. But what other luxuries were there even to spend it on? When you stripped away the cozy little atmosphere developing in New Nashville, it was a facade to the harsh reality outside. Going on his trip with Colt and the others reminded him that the people who never left these walls were cultivating a growing delusion. They were getting high on the promise of the city and life being normal.


    And the man right here peddled that drug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± Jimmy decided, with a look at the useless blood money.


    Denny clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Alright. Fine. Suit yourself then, if¡¯n you¡¯re the sort not to want that kind thing, it¡¯s respectable. Had something I wanted to have a little chat about.¡±


    Jimmy raised an eyebrow, and his headache pulsed; his eyes hurt and he just wanted to sleep. The last thing he wanted to hear was this guy droning on. Still, he gave a little gesture for the mayor to continue; if nothing else, it would get him to peace and quiet sooner.


    ¡°Heard you went and left the walls with that group of friends of yours¡ªdungeon divers. Not getting any ideas to plunder into a dungeon, right? Places like that are awful dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know man, I¡¯m just trying to get through the day.¡±


    ¡°Aye, we all are. That¡¯s what New Nashville is about: getting through the day. And you, sir, you¡¯re a vital piece of that. Ain¡¯t no more a respectable profession than people willing to patch up others. Y¡¯know how many people we took in this last week from the ruins of the city?¡±


    Jimmy was at the end of his rope. ¡°No, and I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    ¡°Sixty-five. And we have eyes on some more stranded groups out there¡ªknow how many people could heal in that group?¡±


    Jimmy kept quiet. Denny appeared to be content to answer his own questions, especially since he just flat-out ignored Jimmy¡¯s previous response¡­ And now there was an odd look in the guy¡¯s eyes. An intensity that made Jimmy¡¯s chest tighten. A darkness. It was a cloud in the sky, blotting out the sun and threatening to strike him with lightning.


    Denny adjusted his hat and spoke slowly, ¡°Only one. More like half of one, since the skill ain¡¯t quite as strong. Healers, good, quality healers, are looking to be harder to come across than we figured, which is a problem. Lotta stuff to get hurt by outta here. So I wanted to talk to you. New Nashville has to operate with the facts we got. Gotta take a look at reality and make realistic decisions. You wandering outside those walls ain¡¯t just a danger to you¡ªsay something was to happen? Those hands of yours wouldn¡¯t do work on all the good, fine people who need it.¡±


    Jimmy took a small step to the left to get closer to the door. Denny followed his step, blocking it.


    ¡°Now, this town is built by the blood of fine people. I had hard-working men and women die recently. Every day, in fact. It¡¯s a hell out there, and the people in here don¡¯t know just how bad it can get. I do. That¡¯s why we gotta make realistic decisions with the reality we got.¡± Denny fished out a piece of paper and unfurled it; he cleared his throat.


    ¡°As signed into law on this fine day, the 20th of February; the New American Government of New Nashville has writ into law that all individuals of extraordinary capability and talent to provide exceptional healing services have now been assigned a resource value of invaluable; therefore we the government of New Nashville must take all precautions to protect them. By need of necessity of these times, we are forced to consider said individuals as a strategic and indispensable assets and treat them as such.¡±


    Panic welled in Jimmy¡¯s chest as Denny continued in a droning, southern, matter-of-fact tone. He once more tried to step beyond the man but failed. Then, at the entrance, he saw it. Two more guards. One of them wore that oversized hat and cloak¡ªthe wind guy that he¡¯d seen blow a hole into someone just days before. They were waiting for him.


    ¡°By decree of executive order, to protect New Nashville, all individuals recognized as possessing such extraordinary talent will be temporarily restricted in their rights and conscripted. They will be housed in a government facility, protected at all times by guards, and escorted to and from their work to ensure their protection. And assigned directions and work orders directly from the office of acting Governor.¡±


    Denny gave him a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°¡¯Course it doesn¡¯t mention it here, but in these times of emergency action, you¡¯ll have increased pay to compensate you for this great service you¡¯ll be performing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to heal anymore; I¡¯m done; this is it, let me out.¡± Jimmy said, his voice catching in his throat as the two other men entered the room.


    Denny shook his head sadly.


    ¡°Afraid that ain¡¯t an option. Your services are mandatory. Didn¡¯t read you the rest of the executive order; but I suppose once we get you back to your new home, I¡¯ll pass you a copy to peruse at your leisure. I¡¯m afraid your talents must be put to the good of the people. The will of one man ain¡¯t nothing to the necessity of hundreds¡ªthousands in the future. One day, you¡¯ll look back on this and appreciate us giving you the push you need to do good, and we¡¯ll commend you for your sacrifices to service. And you can retire in some mansion with all the fat cash you¡¯ll be making.¡±


    Jimmy heard enough, trying to dart past and run out¡ªonly to be nabbed by Denny. The grip was tight, digging into his skin. He tried to yank his shoulder free. But that hand was an iron shackle, sealing him away.


    He knew his powers. Worse yet, he knew Denny¡¯s. There was no escape from this¡ªand if he resisted, they wouldn¡¯t kill him. They¡¯d punish him.


    Where was Colt¡ªSarah¡ªNate?


    What if they never came back.


    The grip on his arm was a sentance, and as those iron digits tightened, the freedom that this city promised was becoming nothing but a memory. Jimmy tried to scream, but no words came out¡ªa wind ripping them from his voice, courtesy of the mage Denny brought along.


    There was nothing he could do; he didn¡¯t have the power to resist. And he was alone, in the hands of this man.


    ¡°Righto, let¡¯s get going. Law waits for no man.¡±


    Denny ripped Jimmy down the hall, leading him into the hospital proper; the walls lined with flickering white and blue lights.


    Those lights, Jimmy thought, might be the last time he saw freedom.

 Chapter 51: Mountaintop

    Nate blocked a blow from a giant bird as its razor beak snapped for his throat. Julia''s water bolt crashed through the beast''s chest, exploding it into a spray of blood and feathers. Another fight, one of countless battles as they spent days scaling the mountain under the weight of endless hardship.


    Their goal was to pick their pace up to a respectable speed¡ªFrustratingly that didn¡¯t happen. Climbing the mountain was harsh, the steeper it became. Like before, the density of wildlife only increased. Monsters ate up a significant portion of time¡ªhaving to cut through waves of birds was understandably taxing.


    With combat came wounds. Sarah received a nasty tear to her arm; Nick was nearly tossed off a cliff, and Julia got knocked unconscious. Many small scrapes and dangerous moments. That, without one factor, would have led to someone¡¯s death.


    That factor was their new living shield wall: Nate, the soldier, threw himself between them and anything and everything with the wicked desire to kill them. And thanks to his efforts, more than a few killing blows were redirected and absorbed.


    Where non-lethal blows landed, Endurance picked up the slack.


    But Nate¡¯s forge let him generally restore such injuries with little wear after an hour or two. Absent a healer in their group, being able to take blows that would¡¯ve killed them all before and keep walking and getting up was proving invaluable.


    Healing was, and continued to be, a broken ability. And at the first opportunity, Colt wanted to get himself some of that good regenerative stuff. Alas, until he had it, he had to suffer.


    The thick vegetation of the forest floor grew more diverse as they climbed, morphing from the dark black crops that drank in every ounce of light they got to more varied and natural-looking greens. Their livery and the increased number of animals brought an odd hallucinatory property; if Colt closed his eyes long enough or walked far enough, it was easy to forget they were in a dungeon, entirely"


    Easy to forget they probably weren¡¯t even on earth.


    Colt almost wished that the eggheads of before were holed up somewhere in New Nashville, experimenting and trying to draw conclusions about what happened as he stepped through the thick grass of plants. It was almost like what he was used to¡ªor completely the same as what existed before¡ªbut it only left him with questions.


    Someone needed to pay them to figure them out.


    New Nashville was a long way away from that; with such a fledgling community, they were getting their feet under them and trying to stand back up. In a way, he thought of the growing little town as a new cook, overwhelmed by a crazy dinner service. They¡¯d walked into a kitchen, this new world, and then suddenly they received an order. Then, another order. Then five more.


    Like a new cook, they didn¡¯t know what to do, didn¡¯t know where to go¡ªand right now, we¡¯re just figuring out how to even chop a salad and get the easiest ticket out of the wall before a customer burst in to scream at them.


    But it was filled with good people. The soul of New Nashville was already there, alive with love and music, and walking up this mountain in the middle of a dungeon, he found he had already missed the place.


    Was it too much to ask for a home in this apocalypse?


    They ran across more monsters. And more monsters died. The notifications kept coming, spurring them forward:


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    He spent the points quickly, pushing deeper into dexterity. It was rapidly approaching 100, and given that the system hadn¡¯t blessed him to receive an Edict that stitched his body back together, his primary defense strategy still boiled down to the same principle: don¡¯t get hit.


    It was effective.


    What he didn¡¯t do, though, was be too present in combat. Despite his level was around that of the enemies they were facing, and his Edict and raw firepower could take out most things in a hit or two¡ªhe held back, letting his friends get in practice and level themselves.


    The best they could tell gathered around campfires and in their theory crafting, was that your experience from a slain enemy was proportional to how much of an effect you had in taking down that particular enemy. Given everyone else lagged behind him, Colt played a more defensive role in combat. Getting involved to save a life, or to take out the couple of enemies that would otherwise overwhelm the rest of his group.


    After two days of travel and practice on such stronger enemies, they closed the gap and hit a point where tackling these beasts was coming down to a well-worn dance for them.


    Nick would start the fights by peppering with arrows¡ªsoftening an enemy up, distracting them, or sometimes outright taking down one or two. Julia sat around mid-range and blasted stuff with water, doing damage and ripping through stuff with concentrated streams. Where Nick lacked direct firepower, Julia didn¡¯t, complementing him in taking down stronger foes he weakened.


    Nate ran into the front line while the other two went to work, blocking them from getting to their mage or healer while taking hits and dishing out his own. Sarah weaved in behind him, hitting and disabling, and with that new item of hers, it let her get in a type of disabling effect when she landed a punch. The way their skin would bubble and blister when she connected was downright gross.


    Colt flexed around the battlefield, his high dexterity making it an ease to maneuver, and often, if he sighted a monster down as his, it was as good as dead with a cut as a death sentence before they noticed him. A rogue in plain sight.


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    It was odd to him.


    Julia kept calling him a rogue, and sure, he used a knife. Sure, his dexterity was high.


    Sure, his ability to cause damage to a single target was also incredible¡ª


    Damn, maybe Julia had a point.


    But he didn¡¯t want to be a rogue. It implied that he stole, that he was on the wrong side of the law and looked after himself and only himself¡ªthat was the path his mother had taken.


    That path led nowhere he would follow. He¡¯d come close to it in the first dungeon.


    It was not the person he wanted to be.


    So Colt wouldn¡¯t think of himself as a rogue. And when he used to play games as a kid, he didn¡¯t go for that type of class, finding magic much more interesting. Every time he leveled, he felt a temptation to put a point into intelligence, but when talking with Nick and Julia about it, intelligence didn¡¯t make you smarter.


    It helped you understand complex equations and memory and to work with more metaphysical problems than one might anticipate, rather than raw processing power. Two things that contributed more to wielding magic then anything else.


    So he resisted the urge, knowing that now he was too invested in the direction he was heading to turn around and get sidetracked.


    He wasn¡¯t a rogue. But he didn¡¯t know exactly what he was.


    Taking on too many side missions or spending too much of your precious time and resources on skills that didn¡¯t go with your strengths was a quick pitfall to stagnation. Right now was a time for drastic growth, so he¡¯d embrace¡­ His strengths, and not put a title on it.


    Having teammates that invested in other directions is what made them strong.


    Together, they would make it through this dungeon. All of them. His new growing family.


    After two days of further climbing through the mountain, the atmosphere changed; the air got thinner, the trees more rare, and just a fraction of the forest below. From this position on the mountain, the vegetation faded away, transforming into an empty, vast track of dark stone. Obsidian, maybe? Colt wasn¡¯t a geologist, nor was anyone else here. So, he¡¯d call it obsidian.


    Where the forest grew scarce, so did the monsters that populated it. Now, free of the blanket of green, they could see the vast stretch of trees that made the dungeon; their magnificent grace and trunks thick and all-powerful¡ªa canopy and sea of trees that trailed until they reached a black endless abyss surrounding this place in a perfect circle. If they looked upward, the way was clear enough now to see the top of the mountain. Another day away.


    The path forward was a pure stretch of endless black rock.


    At night, the sky took his and the rest of his group''s breath.


    Once more, like that night he¡¯d scaled the tree, they could see the stars embraced the tip of the mountain, a river of celestial might making a pathway to the tip of the jagged black rock. They weaved in patterns on grace, their celestial beauty radiant in its full glory. An almost endless river of small constellations wrapping around and twisting in the eternal darkness of the night.


    Compared to the fireflies Colt saw days before, this might as well have been a difference between heaven and earth.


    It was difficult to tear your eyes away from the tapestry above and find sleep that night. The only way Colt managed was from his exposure before, knowing that the next day, they would see what awaited them at the place where the earth met heaven.


    What manner of monster would they encounter up there? What sort of Boss could make its home among such an awe-inspiring sight?


    The next day the trip up the mountain was one of more practical difficulty than any true danger. Scaling the rocks was a conquest of will¡ªthey had to be careful, too, as a wrong step wound sent down a cascade of black stones that might injure and maim any one of them.


    The air was also thinner up here, but not enough to cause problems, most likely because human limitations could no longer consider all of their bodies.


    Enough to notice that catching your breath took one or two more puffs.


    Onward, they scaled.


    The sun traversed the sky in its chariot, streaking past as they moved as one, falling into silence as they neared closer and closer to their peak. A promise that soon they would face their last challenge and be brought once more back to their world, or what was left of it.


    For Colt, as he paused during their breaks and saw the vast greenery and trees of the island, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Seeing how far they climbed from where they started was a tangible and real marker of their progress. Inspecting his friends and seeing their levels near his was another great representation of their group¡¯s growing strength¡ªenough together that they represented strength and had a weight to their power.


    From Nate¡¯s growing iron will to march forward and the way such a soldier''s determination carried to the rest¡ªto Sarah meditating every night, still reaching after her Edict alongside Nick, who tried to help guide her.


    Even to Julia, who started to refer to the rest of them no longer as NPCs but rather as ¡®companions.¡¯ Which, if Colt remembered right, meant that they¡¯d just moved a step up in her judgment of their place in her perceived digital reality. It was a gradual thing, happening slowly over the coming days.


    Sarah was the first who got the ¡®companion treatment¡¯ when she handed Julia a warm mug of tea to start the day; Julia referred to her as ¡®her favorite one¡¯ due to her attitude. Then went to sipping her mug without elaboration, until later she said she was a ¡®useful companion¡¯ when Sarah helped her up a particularly troublesome wall.


    A warm sense of wholeness settled in his chest as they worked through the day.


    They would be enough to cling together and pull through this apocalypse as far more than they started.


    The sun sank in the sky, and the tip was only a mile or two more. Stars began to light up one by one, cascading downward in a veritable pathway to the destination in front of them. This close, their brilliant luminance was hard to take in; they burned the retina as if his body was too stunned to grasp such brilliance completely.


    Colt kept his eyes on his feet, the obsidian beneath their feet gleamed like frozen midnight, each step echoing with a crystalline ring. Wind whipped harder here where the trees thinned, carrying an alien chill that spoke of the void beyond their tiny island of reality.


    He felt an intense weave of Edicts¡­ Something on par with his Movement, hanging there, just beyond reach.


    The stars weren''t just lights now - they were physical things, burning motes that seared the eyes and pulled at something deep in Colt''s soul. He kept his gaze down, focused on the treacherous footing, but he could feel them. Feel the weave of Edicts as tangible as silk threads brushing his skin...


    An hour later, they reached the peak of the mountain; it was as if someone chopped the tip of it off at the very peak, leveling the tip into one smooth black rock floor; at least a football stadium width across. Miniature stars hung around it in a celestial curtain, shifting as the five of them arrived; illuminating the space with just as much light as the sun itself.


    In the middle of the smooth black floor was a massive man with golden hair, a giant about thrice the size of them; on his shoulder rested a hammer that could take down a building with a single swing. He rested casually on a black throne made of the same obsidian rock as the rest of the mountain.


    Around that throne, though, the vast track of pure darkness was broken with the stark white bones of skeletons. Countless skeletons. A sea of corpses, some the size of the monsters below¡ªothers the size of humans.


    ¡°So my challengers have at last arrived. To sail among the stars, you must show might worthy of a warrior. So, I wonder, shall you perish like those that have come before?¡± he spoke,

 Chapter 52: Star Prince

    There is a very simple answer to the following question: what should any dungeon diver do when confronted with a new powerful foe who is more likely than not a boss?


    Inspect.


    Right away.


    Colt didn¡¯t even have to think about it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Csaba The Great, Star Fated Prince - Level 68


    Description: A genius prince of great legend and the youngest son of Attila, King of the Huns. When he was born, the very heavens themselves shifted their alignment to broadcast his coming. Like his father, Prince Csaba was born to shake nations, and that he did, winning conquest after conquest and reuniting the broken tribes of the Hun with his father''s disappearance. The prince never lost a battle and soon his victorious lineage brought a great army at his back. Where he went, so went victory. A leader. A king. A soldier.


    Yet Csaba was destined for more then earth. Taking the words of his father, at any time of being lost, Csaba could look to the stars and find guidance. With them at his beck and call on this earth, he never faced an equal. Seeking a greater foe, a better battle to test himself with, Csaba walked the path of the sacred peak itself, and ascended to the stars to do battle in the heavens where he might finally meet someone worthy to call a match.


    Now, marshaling forces of the heavens itself, he still seeks to test his hammer on worthy foes.


    Noteworthy Skills:


    Star¡¯s Grace [Epic] - Level 19


    Celestial Skin [Epic] - Level 13


    Comet Strike [Rare] - Level 18


    Solar Flare [Rare] - Level 13


    Light Magic [Uncommon] - Level 9


    Edicts:


    Skyfall (Greater)


    Celestial Forge (Minor)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt¡¯s jaw worked in silence as he read over the information. The grand prince stayed there, standing near his throne as he regarded the group of them with a bemused expression. To him, they were ants. And taking in the names and composition of this boss¡­


    Well, Cerberus was one grade of boss. This guy was the next level entirely, even with his actual level being only four higher then that massive slobbering dog hid away the truth.


    No, the truth was in the Edicts. Colt felt them swell; the very same quality of Edicts that hung around the arena like a curtain suffused this guy¡¯s entire being. Csaba took one step toward them, crushing multiple skulls beneath his boot with a loud crack. Nate shared a look with Colt¡ªthe soldier had run his scan, too, and come to a similar conclusion.


    This was going to be a dangerous fight.


    Colt got in front of the rest of the group, his body blurring with the speed he moved; Nate charged next to him, getting in place. The prince raised his hammer to the sky¡ªa ball of light formed there, condensing and congealing; within its depths, a red-hot metal about the size of a person. Then the size of a truck. The radiance of the heat grew.


    Shit.


    ¡°Water barrier!¡± Colt screamed at Julia¡ªand the dazed mage threw up a sheaf of water between them, right in time for the Prince to jerk his hammer toward them.


    The comet streaked out¡ªand in three seconds, it crashed right into the barrier; a cloud of steam burst as the membrane bent, and the comet¡¯s fire crashed against their protective membrane; fire boiled water with an explosive burst, and Julia struggled, the top of her staff flaring with a bright blue light. It was too much.


    A ball of metal burst through, still sailing through the air at them, only no longer on fire. Right on course to hit Julia.


    Colt braced, wrapping his Edict around his dagger, figuring he could cut the attack.


    Nate was there¡ªhis hammer stretched, and he smashed it straight into the side of the comet. The giant ball of metal flew a short distance away, bouncing once as it rebounded away from his weapon.


    It didn¡¯t stop there. Colt felt it in the background, a welling of an Edict¡ªthe curtain of stars surrounding the arena moved inward, their radiance growing. The intensity grew even further. The heat burned at his skin.


    ¡°Close! Jullia barrier all around us!¡±


    For a second, they saw the world through the lens of water. Streams of water flowed out of Julia¡¯s staff as it grew a brighter blue. She threw on more and more water, this time prepared and determined to take his warning and run with it. In the distance, Colt felt the wrapping of Prince Csaba¡¯s Edict¡ªthe welling of the greater power working through all of those celestial stars around them.


    And it wrapped tighter.


    The lights grew brighter; their light suffused through the membrane of the puddle. The five of them closed in together, backs to one another as the intensity of the light only flared brighter; the stars were soaring right at them, an overwhelming barrage of celestial power wrapped and layered with a powerful Edict.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nick said¡ªthe light of his bow flaring in response; Colt felt him reach out toward the barrier¡ªtrying to apply his refract to Julia¡¯s ability in a bid of desperation.


    It worked, but it was a clumsy thing like poking an embroidery through an already formed piece of thread versus intricately weaving in a design. Julia couldn¡¯t guide or let him in¡ªsince the water mage had no Edicts of her own or a reference to enhance her own ability with their laws. So he just kinda shoved in the Edict and hoped for the best.


    The light increased, the brightness searing the eyes to look at, yet Colt couldn¡¯t look away, fear boiling him inside as he felt the oncoming storm of fire.


    This was a Greater Edict and a powerful one at that.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Colt kept quiet, wrapping his own Cut firmly on his knife, thickening his own Greater Edict, his breath slowing as he felt the approaching heat.


    He could Cut through it with a combination of both of his Edicts¡ªbut if he did it, it¡¯d be in one direction. Meaning that Colt could penetrate and get on the other side of this attack, especially if he throw in Phantom¡¯s Gambit¡­ The issue was, though, that his allies would be left behind. Nate might weather it¡­ The rest of them, though¡­


    The water began to boil, its smooth surface erupting in bubbles.


    Then, a second later, the light crashed into the barrier, blocking the view of the stars as they converged on them with that of pure steam; Julia cried out, her staff growing brighter as she wobbled in place. Sarah grabbed the girl and helped keep her steady as she waged war against the approaching star storm.


    Colt pushed outward with his Cut edict¡ªtrying to tie it to the barrier, too. However, whereas Refract had a place to interact with such an ability, his Edict could find no purchase. It was like pouring oil on water, so Colt pulled it back, condensing it on his blade. Movement¡­ That Edict had the same exact issue, trying to infuse it just wouldn¡¯t work. Worse, with the way it liked to buck him, any work he weaved onto their defense might backfire and undo the Refract currently pressing back against attack.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Nate strode up to the barrier¡ªscreaming as he dug his hands into the boiling surface. Joining his Forge with Nick¡¯s Refract¡ªtemporarily pushing back the light of the oncoming stars. For a second, Colt thought it to be enough. The water became denser. It surged brighter¡ªless of the star could penetrate their defenses.


    Then Csaba reacted.


    His will pressed in. Warring against the two lesser Edicts.


    They broke before him, a grand prince striding through all contention and winning yet another war; the water broke. Heat seared Colt¡¯s skin; his heart sped, pulling at his body and the Edicts he had. His survival instinct screamed to run. Yet he waited, sensing a change.


    A third Edict joined in with Nate and Nick.


    The stars came to a halt.


    ¡°No!¡± Julia screamed, her voice hoarse. Tears ran down her eyes. The staff in her hand was a star unto itself, like the blue sapphire at its top. She leaned on Sarah, her eyes red and veins bulging on her face. ¡°You will not hurt my friends!¡± she screamed, her voice surging outward with more force than was natural.


    The water reacted. Her Edict erupted in the water barrier. It met the other two stronger Edicts trying to suffuse her barrier and wrapped them up, empowering itself and the ability. Before Nate and Nick had tried to simply force their Edicts onto the skill to defend them in a haphazard, necessary way, Julia redirected them, weaving them into the spell and surging the water back thick. It pushed against the stars in a geyser, cutting the heat off.


    Csaba pressed in again, contesting the three group members, slamming his mighty will down on the bubble shield.


    He got no further.


    Steam hissed and burst like a bomb from their position; the heat outside lessened, and the stars withdrew. Seconds later, when Colt finally got a look at the battlefield, he saw Csaba striding towards them, anger in his eyes.


    The three of them had repelled the assault, but their foe wasn¡¯t done; he raised that hammer in the sky, intending to smash into their bubble if his onslaught of stars couldn¡¯t do the work for him.


    His three friends looked spent. Sarah held onto Julia, keeping the mage, which looked like she could barely stand upright.


    Colt knew his job. There was a lull in the attack, and this was the opening. He ran to the edge of the bubble and activated Phantom''s Gambit, sliding clean through the foot of condensed water. He arrived at the other side. Once there, he popped his last tool, Olympic Mandate, suffusing his body and enhancing everything all the bit more.


    Csaba sighted him, a bold grin appearing on his face as he picked his victim.


    No.


    Colt pulled deep; the Edict wrapped around his blade, a deadly thing. Suffused, sharpened, wrapped as many times as he could manage it. A dense knife that even to a giant the size of the prince should represent a real and tangible threat. There was no concealing such a deadly and Edict-dense weapon. And the grin slipped from Csaba¡¯s face as he sensed it.


    Those stars warped around him¡ªmore of the small-scale celestial weapons popping into existence. This time, flaring and moving to condense and protect him.


    The prince radiated with fear.


    Colt didn¡¯t give him the time; he stripped it away, yanking upon Movement and suffusing his entire body with it. The world slowed around him, going to a crawl slow enough that it might as well not be in motion at all. His heart beat in his chest. Once. Twice.


    Each one a movement that was hammering about ten times the speed it should be; his Edict was a cowl, and in a burst of speed, he used it to fling himself at his target, crossing the hundred feet in what would amount to a real second of their time.


    Colt drank deeply from his cup; his strict Soul power investment finally reached a point where he felt in control of the Edict¡ªhad it in his grasp. Well, as in control of an Edict like this as he could be. The truth was that Movement was like strapping into a rollercoaster and going for a ride; each Edict, he felt, had its own conditions. Its own nature. But to wield an Edict, you had to understand it and accept it for what it was; to embrace it was to move along its path and begin to grasp that power for your own.


    This was simply the nature of Movement¡¯s strength: It could only be wielded for a short time. Movement controlled everything, and when in use, it demanded much.


    Csaba was moving even now¡ªtrying to bring his stars in and sacrificing his hands to defend his neck. For the prince to move at a speed that even registered in this Colt¡¯s state said a lot. Csaba could move fast, should he wish. Unfortunately for him, not fast enough.


    Colt yanked the momentum away from the limbs as he arrived, causing them to hang limply in the air¡ªone jump tossing him at the venerable Prince.


    His blade struck the guy¡¯s neck.


    And Cut did its work, penetrating, slicing deep while super-charged by the wild Edict of Movement. Like any foe facing the potent combination, Colt expected the fight to end here and now.


    Only it didn¡¯t.


    It cut an inch into his neck. Then met resistance. A strong resistance. As if someone had wrapped titanium around and around; infused it with an Edict, then wrapped it again, layering it in thin-atom-like shells. The Edict and Skill at work felt similar.


    Forge and Steel Skin.


    But it wasn¡¯t. Celestial Forge¡ªand what was that skill he had¡ªCelestial Skin?


    Colt grunted, sparks flying from his blade as he contested the ability, the spectral steel of the weapon warping before his eyes as two mighty forces yanked against it. His Edict¡ªCut, sharpened it, layered as thick as it was, the weapon had a sharpness that could cut down anything on Earth. Paired with Movement, it had the speed and sharpness to do so with ease.


    But this skin. It was denser. Thicker than anything in known existence before the System¡ªand it was paired with its own Edict, wrapped diligently around for years upon years; his Edicts clashed against this. And were winning. The blade slid another inch in, cutting vital veins.


    Yet Cut was not a reinforcement Edict. It wasn¡¯t Forge. Beneath the great mights throwing themselves into one another¡­ What could a knife do?


    Colt grunted and shoved more of both Edicts into his attack¡ªleeching away any Movement he felt near him¡ªeven the beating of his own heart as it hammered; his vision blackened. Within the blackness, he still felt his Edicts. And pushed them to their full effects.


    The spectral blade shattered. Hundreds of split shards of spectral exploding.


    Colt spent even more of himself¡ªdirecting the charged pieces of metal, wrapping the momentum, and expelling them even more violently, suffusing each with as much of his cut as he could.


    One supercharged cut became a hundred.


    Colt did the only thing he could do as he detonated essentially the most violent shrapnel bomb to ever exist¡ªusing what remained of his Movement Edict to shove his body as far away from the blast zone as he could.


    Time returned to normal as his body tumbled over the ground; pain radiated, his hand bled from his own sharpened bits of metal, parts of it hitting even him but stopped just short from ruining his limb thanks to his commandment of Movement. His heart skipped beats, lost in its rhythm from the stolen beats he¡¯d sacrificed to his Edict to save himself. Colt coughed blood as his body came to a stop.


    The fight wasn¡¯t over.


    Colt propped himself up, his body screaming in pain as he maneuvered to look at Csaba.


    The Star Prince also laid on the ground, gurgling audibly as he pressed a wound against his ruined throat, and half of his face now being eviscerated. The rest of the damage was impossible to see from where Colt was. But, impossibly, the guy hadn¡¯t died yet. He was trying to forge¡ªor rather Celestial Forge the wound back to closed.


    Colt¡¯s head swam, his body refusing to get back to his feet.


    An arrow of light slammed into Csaba, bursting against him but doing nothing; then charged in Nate and Sarah¡ªthe big guy crashed his spiked hammer into the struggling prince, kicking him around. But there wasn¡¯t a notification; even as Nate crashed his hammer into the guy¡¯s skull, it just didn¡¯t have the raw firepower to get through his defenses.


    Sarah¡¯s fists were next to useless.


    Still, Prince Csaba didn¡¯t have the time to respond, taking their beatings as he tried to breathe, to close the massive missing hole that was the side of his face and his neck.


    Then Sarah pulled back¡ªbarking an order to Nate.


    The big guy yanked at Csaba¡¯s arm, his muscles straining as he pried the guy¡¯s hand from trying to close his throat. The prince tried to scream, but it came out as a liquid gurgle. Colt tried to move again, but his legs were jelly. His heart was just now finding its place; his skin felt cold and clammy. He¡¯d spent too much.


    Sarah went in with the opening that Nate made¡ªand shoved her red hand-wrap into the wound, grinding it into the blood.


    Csaba gurgled as she forced an acidic poison directly into his bloodstream.


    And like that, the Star Prince finally died.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have defeated Csaba The Great - Level 68


    You have leveled up!


    You have leveled up!


    You have 6 Stat points to spend. You have gained 2 points of Dexterity and 2 points of Soul.


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    Dungeon Alert: Csaba The Great has been defeated!


    Your class has advanced to Edict Carver (III), please check Class Screen in order to evolve.


    Congratulations!


    All mandatory bosses have been slain. The exit has been opened. You have completed Primeval Park!


    Rewards distributed to associated Faction!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 53: Suggestions

    There was silence on the mountain peak as their giant foe''s death settled over them like a shroud. The immediate threat had passed, but Colt''s muscles screamed as he pushed himself to sit. Every movement felt like grinding glass in his joints¡ªa reminder of how close they''d all come to joining Csaba in death.


    The aftermath was stark - a gaping hole in the perfectly level obsidian mountaintop where Colt''s knife had blasted apart, and his allies still by the massive corpse, Sarah landing futile blows despite the notification of their victory. His heart ached and his muscles burned with fiery pain, but the simple relief of being alive washed through him like a pleasant summer breeze.


    The radiant sea of stars surrounding the plateau vanished one by one, disappearing into the dark void and leaving nothing in their absence. Above, the very tapestry of the stars that had formed a river to the top of this mountain followed suit, winking out one by one like Christmas lights disappearing. Each one was a closure of a stellar radiance, vanishing until all that was left above in the midnight sky was a carpet of the purest black.


    After all of the lights winked out of existence forever to join an eternity in the dark, another light emerged¡ªright near the obsidian throne. A white doorway. The dungeon exit, without a doubt.


    Colt rubbed at his eyes and then looked at his friends. Everyone seemed alive and fine except for Julia, who was currently collapsed on the ground like him, spent from giving her absolute all to the barrier that protected them.


    Good.


    Safety. They¡¯d safely made it through the dungeon, with everyone still alive and intact.


    The joy that started to sprout in him was like one of the massive trees in the forest below; for a second, he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d all make it through.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Nate called; his hammer rested on his shoulder, his eyes sharp as he glanced at the light archer. There was tension in his words as he called his ally¡¯s name¡ªhis jaw was set, and his eyes were stern as he regarded the other man. ¡°I suggest you forfeit it.¡±


    ¡°Naw, I think you know just as well as I that I gotta good claim on it too. It makes just about as much sense for it to go to me as to go to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± Nate''s voice was steady, but his knuckles whitened on his hammer. ¡°You¡¯ve been a reliable and stalwart ally. Though I¡¯m still getting to know you, we can be friends. But if we do this, I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    Nick''s bow hand trembled slightly, as he strung an arrow of light. ¡°Then how about you give it up, soldier boy? You¡¯ve already got a lot going for you. This belongs to me. I deserve it. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have made it through that first dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I need to get stronger for the people I need to protect.¡±


    Colt¡¯s eyes widened¡ªThe man licked his lips, his narrowed eyes affixed to Nate. Nate hadn¡¯t lowered his hammer either; it was steady on his shoulder, his posture wild as if he were about to go into battle.


    ¡°Someone explain.¡± Sarah beat Colt to the punch¡ªpulling her hand wrapped with its red poisonous hand-wrap from the dead prince¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°The Icon,¡± Nate said. He took a step in Nick¡¯s direction, and the light bow raised, this time flat-out pointing the weapon at an ally. ¡°We both received an offer for the Icon. But it said that there was only one contract to give¡ªthe other worthy contender for the title is Nick. One of us can forfeit, and the Icon is theirs. Or, it said that we can fight over it.¡± Nate tightened his fist around the handle of his hammer as he said the word ¡®fight,¡¯ there was distaste in the words. But also a sad acceptance.


    Colt reached his wobbly legs and took a sharp breath. His muscles were shot, and the pain as he moved was as if he¡¯d just spent the entire night lifting muscles past the point where they tore. But the danger here was growing. He tasted the upcoming violence in the air. Though his body ached, he was going to have to wring out a little more. Push a little harder.


    ¡°What are the conditions for this fight?¡± Colt asked.


    ¡°The other must submit in defeat. Or die. Whichever comes first. Nick, I intend to take this Icon. It suits me best. There will be others in the future, and you can have them.¡± Nate answered and took another step.


    There was silence there as he tested the waters. Moving closer to the archer to talk. Or to hit him with a hammer. Colt couldn¡¯t be too sure; and neither of them were either. Neither Nick nor Nate said another word, their eyes wrestled one another in an invisible match of will. Pairing their odds of facing each other and coming out the victor. How far would they go¡­ For godsake, they were allies?


    Colt tried to summon his knife¡ªonly for the grip of the weapon to appear in his hand. Right. He¡¯d broken his weapon.


    It seemed that Uncommon knife hadn¡¯t been enough to keep up with fights of this caliber, or he¡¯d abused the poor thing past the point of survivability. He dropped the grip and flexed his fingers¡ªeyes darting between the two men. Trying to decide what to do. While Nate¡¯s face looked placid and controlled, Nick¡¯s warred with several emotions. His nostrils flared, his eyes darted, and his frown was deep and severe. Colt didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    Nate took another step, an ask that demanded an answer. The soldier¡¯s expression eased, still hardened, but his eyes had settled. All that remained was how their team member would respond.


    Nick''s answer came in the form of three arrows - green, blue, and white streaks splitting from a single shot. Nate rolled, the arrows whistling past where his chest had been.


    The white arrow ricocheted off the obsidian floor, angling back toward him, but Nate was ready. His hammer flowed like liquid metal, expanding into a shield that caught the arrow with a resounding ping.


    But that was only the first of many, and Nick didn¡¯t spare a second of thought; another arrow flew, split into three.


    Colt moved forward, ignoring the weakness he felt; he would put a stop to the fight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Nate shouted¡ªslamming his shield into another arrow, blocking the white and blue one directly as the green flew over him. ¡°This is between us.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Sarah screamed, ¡°Like hell it is!¡± and rushed in from behind Nate. It was clear where her allegiance lay as she tried to charge Nick¡ªand Colt didn¡¯t blame her. When faced with the prospect of these two fighting¡­ Though they were both allies.


    The archer swore as he saw her move¡ªanger flared behind that fake smile. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Nate screamed as Sarah darted past him.


    Nick picked a shot and sent it at her instead of his opponent, which the woman managed to slip past.


    She did not manage the white arrow that Nick sent next as effectively¡ªit bounced behind her then rebounded straight at her back.


    Colt saw it, knew it would land, and acted.


    Movement sprang to him; he was between Sarah and the rebounded arrow in less than a second to an outside observer.


    In front of him hung the arrow, dead still in the middle of the air. Then, it hit the ground, stripped it of its speed, as Colt robbed it of all momentum with Movement.


    Colt put a hand to his hammering heart, his vision hazy as he looked at Nick.


    The guy¡¯s smile warped to a plain grimace. His teeth grounded, his face red, his hand tight around his bow of light as he took in the fact he was facing down three of his allies.


    ¡°We can work this out another way,¡± Colt called faintly, emptily.


    No, actions spoke louder than his words here. He knew that. Nate stood beside them, his face a steel mask as the three stared down Nick. They were all his friends. But these two, Sarah and Nate¡ªthey¡¯d stood with him when he had nothing. Using his power to protect them¡­ Well, that wasn¡¯t who he was. That didn¡¯t mean he aimed to hurt Nick.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t need to be a fight.¡± Colt tried again.


    ¡°Why? Why does he get it?¡± Nick demanded¡ªfiring off another angry arrow. This time, Nate was there to deflect with his shield. ¡°I aint never had no-one; I thought I had y¡¯all¡ªbut here ya go, supporting him before supporting me. Aren¡¯t I your friend, too?¡±


    The raw pain in Nick''s voice made Colt wince. He''d heard that tone before, in his own voice, back when he had nothing. It didn¡¯t change the reality of the situation, though.


    ¡°You are. So is he. I don¡¯t want any of you to fight¡ªand you fired first.¡± Colt pointed out, flexing his hand. It still bled from his exploding knife earlier, and the pain was immense¡­ His vision was coming back after the rapid use of Movement. But the situation felt hopeless.


    Both men wanted the power badly, he could see it in their eyes. In a world like this, every edge you could get, every ounce of strength might mean the difference between life and death. He didn¡¯t know what exact notification they got, but if it was anything like his Cerberus or Nike offer, he understood.


    Nate already had a compatible Edict with Forge¡ªthere were some similarities between that and Celestial Forge.


    Meanwhile, Nick had strengths in the field of light¡­ It wasn¡¯t a stretch to see how Csaba¡¯s skill set could go a great way for either.


    Nate looked at Sarah and Colt, and a softness entered his expression for the first time since the boss died.


    ¡°Really. I appreciate it, you two. It won¡¯t be like this, though. This is a power we both want. So we must face another for it. The loyalty is appreciated, but we must do this¡ªwarrior to warrior. Watch. If you have any respect for either of us, please, watch. Don¡¯t get involved.¡±


    Colt felt a cold sadness grow in his chest as he took in his friend. That steel acceptance that this was the way things had to be.


    A soldier¡¯s outlook on life.


    Colt looked inside; yes, he had the power to influence this fight. But it wasn¡¯t justice to do so. No. The justice here was to let the two competitors go against one another and give it their all. To the victor would go the spoils.


    ¡°I will keep Sarah on the sidelines with me¡ªas long as you both vow not to take this fight to the death.¡± Colt raised his voice. If there was nothing to be found in using his power on the fight itself, he would be an arbiter to ensure everyone lived. Whether or not they were content with the results of the fight, that he couldn¡¯t control.


    Julia twitched on the other side of the battlefield¡ªhead lolling as she shifted to get a look.


    Nate turned to Nick. The light archer swore and shook his head. ¡°Alright. Yeah. We won¡¯t go that far. I¡¯m fucking pissed and hurt¡ªbut I didn¡¯t mean to kill the guy.¡±


    ¡°Then we have an agreement. But I have one last demand,¡± Colt said¡ªnow that the two of them were at the negotiating table.


    ¡°Name it,¡± Nate said, his fingers stretching out over the grip of his hammer.


    ¡°We take an hour before the fight to recover. If you two will battle it out, let¡¯s do so refreshed. So, you can truly say that the one who claimed victory over the Icon was the most deserving. Any other way is robbing you of a worthy challenge and the true right to earn what you believe is yours.¡± Colt said, though, that reasoning was only a small part of why he wanted them to wait.


    Even using another flash of Movement had another heavy tax. After the battle, he needed to recover, especially if he wanted to use his power to make sure everyone got through the fight¡ªGod only knew if Julia was okay, too. The girl was on the sidelines and hadn¡¯t made a peep.


    Sarah stood quietly next to him, too, fuming.


    He saw it in her eyes. She thought it was dumb to even let there be a competition, regardless of what Nate had said. Her friend was the most deserving, and Colt didn¡¯t think she and Nick had ever gotten particularly close.


    Colt¡­ Well personally, he felt that way too. He wanted it to go to Nate. But it wasn¡¯t right to force the issue.


    Lastly¡­ Colt wanted time to see his new class level up.


    The two combatants eyed each other.


    ¡°Fine. But only if we start from the same position that we are right now.¡± Nick offered. The distance between them was an advantage for him. No wonder why he wanted to maintain it if he was going to concede to a rest.


    Nate shrugged. ¡°It won¡¯t matter anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wanna fucking bet?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a deal or not?¡± Colt said, using his cut to make his voice slice through the air and press firmly on both of their ears.


    ¡°Aye.¡± Nick shook his head.


    ¡°Yeah, it is the most fair way.¡± Nate agreed¡ªand then he let his hammer drop to his side, taking a cross-legged position right where he was. ¡°I won¡¯t move. I can take my rest right here.¡±


    Nick scowled at him¡ªbut did the same. Sitting down and then not so subtly turning around so he didn¡¯t have to face any of them.


    The two combatants settled into their positions, the obsidian stone beneath them still warm from the battle with Csaba. The night air grew heavier with unspoken words as Nick kept his back on them, his shoulders rigid with barely contained emotion.


    Colt sighed.


    Sarah began to swear at Nate¡ªbut Colt got her attention with a shoulder grab and then pointed at Julia. ¡°Will you do me a favor? Check on our Water Mage. I¡¯ll go check the boss for loot while we take our break.¡± Colt asked and got, after a couple of attempts, an agreement from her to do so.


    With the simmering pot taken off the fire for a moment, Colt strode away from what had almost been a dangerous in-fight. No matter how this one ended, things would never be the same between all of them. That much was certain.


    Life was change. He could only help that with the rules they laid down, that both guys could come to some acceptance; however, the results ended up. That wasn¡¯t to say Colt trusted them fully. No. He kept an eye on both of them, worried about the tension boiling over again and sparking into an uncontrolled battle.


    Colt kept his attention split between his former allies while moving to examine the boss''s corpse. He didn''t trust either of them fully at the moment¡ªwith this kind of power up for grabs, it was hard to say what might happen.


    A decent distance away, he finally allowed himself to focus on his true priority: his class evolution. Whatever came next, he needed to be ready.

 Chapter 54: Testament

    The Star Prince''s corpse cast long shadows across the midnight black plateau, its massive form a testament to their hardest battle yet. Colt couldn¡¯t celebrate yet, not with the tension cracking between Nick and Nate. Any moment might see them explode into violence. Although Nick refused to even look at Nate¡ªColt moved on to do the job that needed to be done.


    Colt needed every minute of the hour they had to process the evolution waiting on his status screen.


    Nearby, the exit portal''s soft glow beckoned, promising escape, but first things first.


    Taking a deep breath, Colt opened his status sheet.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human


    Icon: Nike | Class: Edict Carver (III)


    (PLEASE ENTER CLASS INFORMATION SCREEN FOR EVOLUTION)


    Faction: New Nashville


    Level: 51


    Edicts:


    Cut (Greater)


    Movement (Minor)


    Skills:


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) - Level 17


    *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) - Level 17


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) - Level 13


    *Phantom¡¯s Gambit* (Intermediate) - Level 10


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) - Level 13


    Olympic Mandate (Basic) - Level 9


    Swords Proficiency (Basic) - Level 6


    Hide Status (Basic) - Level 6


    Stats:


    Strength: 24


    Endurance: 46


    Dexterity: 100


    Intelligence: 10


    Willpower: 15


    Soul: 124


    Unassigned Stat Points: 6


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The gains from the fight and dungeon were very respectable all around, as Colt reviewed his overall levels and skills¡ªhis Edicts were the shining gems of his build, but the stat distribution looked alright to him. Soul¡­ Dexterity¡­ Endurance. First, he would spend six stat points, and then he''d look at the class screen and determine what happened next.


    Colt spent five of the points on Soul. Then he hesitated. He eyed Intelligence.


    Sure, he''d heard what Julia and Nick had to say about that stat, that it didn''t ''raise intelligence'' in a practical way. But¡­ Well. Fifty-one levels and prioritizing raw power had brought him this far. What was one point in intelligence? Surely he could afford it now.


    Colt chucked a point into the stat and looked around. Despite what Julia and Nick claimed about intelligence not affecting practical thinking, he''d hoped for... something. A sharper mind? Better memory? But there was nothing tangible - just the faintest sense his recall might be clearer. Then again, meditation helped with that too since hitting intermediate.


    His gaze drifted to Nick, who was still opening and closing his fist with barely contained fury. Right. Focus.


    Maybe if he had a magic skill to utilize¡ªhe used his Edict, wrapping a cut around his finger¡­ Then nothing; it didn''t make it easier to wield the law. Not that he expected it to. Supposedly, it also added a bit more to your mana supply, but since he didn''t even have mana unlocked¡­


    Yeah, so maybe Intelligence was most useful for spellcasters. Colt clicked his tongue, happy to at least run the experiment and confirm the results. Nothing to regret. He still wanted to test Willpower¡ªeven Nick and Julia seemed to have a weak grasp on what that stat did other than ''make it easier to use mana.''


    Nick¡­ His eye¡¯s traced over to the man to make sure both he and Nate were still in place. The archer was opening and closing a fist with a scowl.


    Colt let out a soft sigh. He didn¡¯t need either of them to be happy; they just needed to sit put for a moment. Alright then, back to business.


    Ultimately, he had to commit to the build he was already pursuing, barring any sudden revelations. It was far better to specialize and get extremely good at something than to waste too much time on side paths. For now, he was content.


    Colt continued onto the class screen.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Edict Carver (II) has advanced to Edict Carver (III)


    At this rank of Edict Carver, you¡¯ve taken yet another valuable step along the route of this class. You¡¯ve seen the power of Edicts and maintained a mentality that allowed you to best utilize them, carving their laws onto the very fabric of reality itself.


    Please see the details below:


    Class Perks:


    ¡ª


    Advancement:


    Soul Etched (Basic) has advanced to Soul Etched (Intermediate)


    Your Soul has deepened their pathways to allow the conduction of Edicts to channel through, widening your capacity to wield and withstand higher-level Edicts.


    Increased Soul Capacity: 20%


    ¡ª


    Gained Perk:


    Law Breaker (Basic)


    Your experience in wielding Edicts against other Edicts has granted you insight into their weaknesses. Your Edicts are 5% more effective at contesting opposing Edicts of equal or lesser rank.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt let out an involuntary whistle despite the tension, earning a glare from Sarah as he read over the growth to his Perks¡ªthat alone made him feel giddy and warm. It was a two-for-one. Not only was Soul Etched now basically doubled in effectiveness, but he had a shiny new perk to accompany it.


    Law Breaker¡ªfive percent wasn¡¯t¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t a lot, but paired with the fact he just saw Soul Etched advance as well¡­


    Given a few more class levels? Getting up to something like 25% or so? That was game-changing. Every monster with an Edict loved to slow down his knife work by contesting his Edicts with their own. Considering Cut was very naturally effective at slicing through them by its nature, this was like adding oil to a well-working machine.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    A welcome boost.


    Colt appreciated the information and upgrade in silence, then moved on to the next part.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Possible Skills:


    ¡ª


    Skill: Soul Knife Manifestation [Uncommon]


    Description: Never be without a knife. This skill allows the conjuration of a knife from the soul, whose strength and cutting power advance with the use of this skill. The knife can be shaped and manipulated with later advancements in this skill. Further advancement can result in the manifestation of multiple Soul Knifes.


    ¡ª


    Skill: Edict Sight [Rare]


    Have you ever wanted to see your Edicts? This skill allows visual perception of Edicts being actively used in the environment. The basic level provides a general sense of type and power.


    ¡ª


    Skill: Thread Weaver [Rare]


    You¡¯ve been busy mixing and matching Edicts, which is fundamental to any young entrepreneurial Edict Carver. This skill allows the user to weave multiple Edicts simultaneously with reduced strain; of course, this depends on the Strength of the Edicts in question and your overall advancement of them. But you¡¯ll see a noticeable reduction in friction as you¡¯ll be able to weave the laws with more harmony. At basic levels, maintaining two Edicts becomes slightly more manageable.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt reread all the possible skills thrice, tapping his chin with a finger as he considered the possibilities.


    To start with, the knife skill was timely, and its reappearance was interesting. His knife was gone, and while he initially scoffed at the idea of taking a skill that did what a free item had done during his first evolution, now that he''d broken a knife, things were a bit different¡­ Yeah, it sucked not to have a weapon, and he didn''t know when or how he might find just as good of a weapon. This skill would scale, and if it broke, then he wouldn''t run into the same issue he just did.


    Colt shook his head at his former self for being so dismissive of the skill, then his current self ultimately dismissed it too.


    It solved a problem he could resolve without using his valuable potential new skill slot. He needed something which offered new options or enhanced his current build. The best solution to the weapon problem was to find a better one.


    Noticeably, while the knife skill was still present, Carve was no longer there. Not that he would have picked it, but the fact that he might not be offered certain skills ever again, for all he knew, was a concerning thought and required some planning around. So while a skill could reappear, he should make his decisions as if it would never appear again, just in case.


    That left the last two skills. Both of them were good. Too good.


    While he could get a general feel of Edicts with his massive bloated soul and its perception, having a dedicated skill that could level up and probably tell him more and more information about the Edicts at play on a battlefield was incredibly valuable. More information was a tool to win, and this would offer strategic and valuable intel in spades. And that was only if he focused its use on live fights. Out of combat, being able to see Edicts was valuable¡ªit might let him grasp and understand new Edicts much more easily.


    If it weren''t for Thread Weaver, he would pick Edict Sight. And pick it up straightaway.


    The issue was¡­ Thread Weaver was also really awesome. Right now fusing together Cut and Movement was okay, and tackling both at the same time exerted a heavy toll. But it was his greatest weapon by far; the two made a sum greater than their parts.


    What if he added a third Edict to the mix? Or a fourth?


    And yes, he knew there would be a third and a fourth in the future¡ªeven his current Icon quest for Nike was offering one. Trying to add that was an open question, especially since this Thread Weaver skill existed to smooth the friction. What options would a skill like this unlock?


    Colt sat thinking for quite some time. Then he made his choice.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    You have gained Skill: Thread Weaver [Rare] (Basic)


    *Thread Weaver* (Basic) - Level 1


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt sucked in his breath as he felt his new skill¡ªright now, given the state of his body after the fight, he didn''t want to pull out his Edicts willy-nilly, but inherently, he felt the way they reacted under his Soul was a bit easier.


    Before, he felt that he had in a way forced them together. Now, they would talk and work better with less friction. But there was more to it than that. Certain Edicts had synergies with one another; on a fundamental level, they could find common ground.


    Cut and Movement were naturally compatible, like siblings in the way they got along. But this skill promised more¡ªthe ability to weave even opposing forces into harmony. Like a Fire Edict or a Water Edict, or... Colt''s gaze drifted to his companions again. Well. Some forces went beyond this skill¡¯s ability.


    For two more in-sync Edicts? Such harmony would be even more pronounced. The description didn''t do it justice. He had a much better idea now of how to weave the threads into a whole than before. And that was at just a basic level.


    His new class perk, too¡­ All of it meant it was easier to poke at Movement now.


    A bright sensation of joy warmed Colt''s core as he lightly ran over his grasp of the Edict. Soon, he could reach for the next step along its path.


    As for the skill he didn''t get, Colt had some ideas. He already felt Edicts with his oversized soul¡ªmaybe there was a way to hone that? At least, he promised himself he''d try his best to either refine that sense or, if he was lucky, find a way to get it on his own.


    Colt''s fingers ran through his hair, the coarse black strands a welcome sensation and a return to reality as he once more refocused his attention from inward to the outward world.


    Before him was the glowing portal of a dungeon exit; next to him was the corpse of the mighty boss they had just killed¡ªand all around him was the midnight black shining rock that made up this boss arena. Nick and Nate still hadn''t broken out into their fight, and though he''d lost track of time thinking about his options, Colt figured he had about half an hour until the duel.


    So what now?


    Loot.


    Colt went over to the prince''s body and began to poke through it. The hammer was an obvious item, though it was also a rare one called the Starsteel Hammer. It was massive and unwieldy, too big for Nate to carry around or even for any of them to drag out of this dungeon, so it was effectively useless for their group.


    He checked near the throne too, and even amongst the skeletons and corpses, he didn''t spot any other worthwhile loot. There was a basic dagger¡­ He grabbed it, considering his spectral blade was now gone from the world; he felt his Soul''s grip on the weapon fading as whatever magic had worked on that piece of metal began to vanish.


    He was thankful not to find any fresh human corpses. This meant that the people who had come in before them might still be alive somewhere in the massive forest. All he could do was hope they made their way up here now that the dungeon was cleared.


    There, however, was something that called to him¡ªthe barest trace of an Edict, faint in the air yet buried in the Prince''s body¡­


    Yeah, Colt realized he''d have to cut open a human giant to follow that informational thread.


    Carving through the titan of a dinosaur was one thing¡ªa bigger human was¡­


    Ah, who was he kidding? Colt grabbed onto his Edict and began to chop through the body of the Star Prince, defacing the once great and mighty warrior who could''ve probably decimated a small army.


    Power was power.


    Colt weaved his Edict around the borrowed dagger and slid it deep, meeting resistance with every inch of flesh in this titan of a man. With surgical precision, he worked, watching blood clots and tar from the body as he slid through veins.


    He followed the whisper of an Edict in the prince¡¯s chest, letting it guide him through the wetwork of cutting a cadaver.


    Its whisper grew louder as he got closer, snapping ribs to get at the treasure beneath. When he revealed the insides, his knife almost dropped in shock.


    There, nestled in the chest, was a heart bigger than his heart. Beating. Still hammering away inside of this dead body. Colt cut the veins and yanked it free from the chest¡ªfeeling the beats of the heart shake his arm like a living chunk of machinery


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Skysteel Prince¡¯s Heart [Rare]


    Description: Once belonging to a great and dreaded prince, this heart has been reworked countless times with an Edict to form an incredibly dense and Edict-channeling metal. This can be used in multiple ways¡ªperhaps you wish to absorb the knowledge of the Edict, which made it what it is¡­ Or, maybe you want to make use of the metal and a smith and reforge it into a useful tool with its hard-earned properties since it makes for a prime material.


    Either way, until then, you get to keep a creepy beating steel heart on you. Congratulations.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt let it give a couple more creepy beats before heading back over to his backpack and stuffing the item away where he could forget about the weird existential reality of a dead heart beating forever.


    He knew what he wanted from it. A knife. Yeah, a knife for sure. Whatever Edict this thing was made with didn''t feel very compatible with his own arsenal. At least, not something he wanted to go out of his way to obtain yet. The way it felt was that a Soul could command only so many Edicts until it grew. Each one took up space; Edicts too radically different from one another just made a clunky and awkward soul. At least, that''s what he thought.


    Cerberus and the way that dog had chained Edicts together still confused him. And maybe, in that case, it was the idea of an Icon smoothing the path.


    There were still bits Colt didn''t understand, but he went with his gut instinct. He wanted a knife.


    But then, maybe Nate could use this¡­ And who would even be able to make him a knife with it, even if the soldier didn''t try to lay claim to it? They''d let him keep the piece of rock, but this was another piece of loot.


    Oh well. Problems to consider later.


    Colt wiped his hands on the Prince''s clothes, cleaned the blood off, and looked back to Nate and Nick. The two men were standing and facing each other.


    Oh. Shit. It''d been an hour.

 Chapter 55: Deserving & Earning

    Nick stood up, the light wrapping around his hand and extending outward into the arc of a bow, a trusty weapon in a place wrapped in pure darkness like this. He gave the smooth black surface of this place another look, scanning it for any places to hide or take cover. Aside from the giant corpse of the boss they killed, it was as fine a place he could hope to have for his skills since his target would have nowhere to hide. He might as well have a bullseye.


    The midnight black rock all around them was as good a stage as any for this performance.


    He notched an arrow in the bow, expelling a bit of will to force the mana out of his core and convert into its proper form. Intelligence helped pump up mana reserves, and ever since Colt told him how Edicts worked, he¡¯d been balancing about four different stats to keep them all going, evening out his earlier intelligence-focused build.


    Ah well.


    His fingers played across the string of light; it didn¡¯t have a give to it, not like a guitar. It was smooth and still responded to his touch like a regular string. But the weight was non-existent, even though it was supposed to be taut between his light bow. When he plucked it, too, there was no music. His new instrument in this new world left a lot to be desired.


    If he played the one string of his bow across this stage in its song and dance of tragedy and betrayal, it would only make a silent melody.


    Nick sighed and let the arrow evaporate into thin air, looking at the rest of the group.


    Specifically at Nate. The guy who was aiming to take what should be his into his oversized hands had a brick jaw, stern eyes that contracted his bleached hair like some dude straight from the early 2000s, and a no-nonsense gaze that always got under his skin just a bit. He was confident in what he did, never scared¡ªnot like the rest of them.


    Okay, well, minus that Colt. That kid was on another level, and Nick suspected that the apocalypse just broke the way his mind worked. He got excited when there was a fight. Not the same steely acceptance that Nate had¡­ This, in a way, made the bruiser even more intimidating because facing him down now, as he saw that locked-in brow staring at him, he knew there was no excitement. Only acceptance. Nate did precisely what he had to do.


    Terrifying.


    ¡°It¡¯s been an hour,¡± Nick said, sure of it. His sense of timing was always good. And if it hadn¡¯t¡­ Well, they both looked as good of shape as they¡¯d get anyway.


    Colt stared at them, his eyes scanning the battlefield; he nodded and then moved over to Sarah and Julia, the audience for today¡¯s performance.


    Only, Nate wasn¡¯t one to perform a show. One look in his eyes said enough. They said this was a fight; not a performance, those eyes said. Don¡¯t you dare make a mockery of our battle¡ªserious? Deadly serious. They¡¯d vowed not to kill each other¡­ But how did you pull back on arrows that burned skin or hammers that smashed skulls?


    You kinda didn¡¯t. You threw out what you could and hoped the other guy could take the hit.


    Nick¡¯s stomach crawled; it twisted and knotted like a squirming worm drying to death in the daylight. No, this wasn¡¯t a stage, but it might as well have been for the pre-show jitters he felt.


    ¡°Correct. It has been an hour. Are you ready?¡± Nate asked, and his shoulders rolled¡ªthe massive hammer hung at his side, head down as he warmed up. Nick pictured that hammer smashing his bones to bits and shuddered. The phantom pain resonated in his bones as they sorely didn¡¯t want to be crushed.


    This was a fight he had to win.


    That Icon¡ªit would make a path to all the power he wanted. All the fame and safety that came with it was a ticket to his future, and the only thing standing in the way of him and his ride to being better was the big hunk of brainless soldiers in front of him.


    A joke came to mind as he stared at the guy.


    What do you call kids in the military? You call them the infantry.


    Nick smiled to himself. Dispelling the illusion of a big, bad military man made it easier to cope. His chest puffed out, and his light flared as his confidence soared. This guy was just like him, only dumber. Just because he had military training didn¡¯t make him any better¡ªit only made him more prone to making stupid decisions with his life.


    ¡°Bring it soldier boy,¡± Nick said.


    Nate picked up his hammer¡ªthe steel shifting as liquid metal, forming more of a shield than a weapon, a blunt instrument. The brief skirmish before showed him that it would be a good tool to close the distance.


    Good. Nick tried to hide his smile as he notched another arrow.


    He had a trick.


    There was no announcement that the fight started. No ringing bell or someone saying, ¡®You may begin.¡¯ No, they were both ready. It was time to shed blood.


    Nate charged straight forward, his only goal to close the distance and win. This was the condition of victory for the fight. Since if Nate got that, he would win.


    Nick fired a test shot¡ªa pure white arrow¡ªwhich Nate blocked with little problem. So, he notched another and fired again, rebounding. The soldier twisted as he moved, catching the arrow meant for his back and deflecting it again with the metal shield he¡¯d formed.


    Which was well enough. Expected. He fired off a couple of more simple arrows¡ªsplitting them on occasion, getting the fight into a rhythm.


    Nate would charge forward and stop and deflect, taking great care to catch the arrows with his shield as he chipped the distance between them away. The guy probably fancied himself an unstoppable juggernaut. Saw himself as an inevitable steel wall of death. If and when he reached Nick, he figured he¡¯d be able to wreck him with his hammer.


    Stolen story; please report.


    That was a fair assessment; forcing a ranged fighter into melee was a sure recipe for victory.


    Fuck soldier boy and his ideas.


    Nick continued to shoot, letting the distance close as Nate moved but making him work for every yard. The key here was a false sense of security.


    Make him think he had Nick dead to rights. That he could block whatever he threw.


    Twenty yards turned to fifteen, and then, it evaporated into ten.


    Now.


    Nick focused, wrapping his skill, magic, and Edict together; then¡­ tripled the output. Sweat instantly beaded his brow. He groaned with the effort as his mind strained to wrap it all together. The mana veins in his body forced out the magic in a gush.


    In his hand, notched in his bow, were three brilliant white arrows instead of one.


    Before Nate could see what he¡¯d done¡ªNick fired. Ten yards. The perfect distance. As expected, all of the arrows went odd. Not being able to properly aim them a long distance when shooting so many was the downfall of this particular technique.


    It¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t busted it out in a live fight before. He never wanted to get close to an enemy, and if they got too close, that maniac with a knife was there already killing whatever entered range.


    This was his coup de grace, his final curtain song, the highlight of this little performance Nate and he put on on their black deadly stage.


    The three arrows soared¡ªlanding near soldier boy, but not hitting him.


    Part two:


    Nick condensed his will. His soul erupted into instant pain, which he pushed through anyway. The pain was temporary; power would be permanent.


    Each of the three arrows split after hitting the ground¡ªrebounded, their trajectory altered from the wild shot to head directly at the man¡ªthree arrows split into nine, and then they flew right at his target from too many angles to block with a single big shield.


    ¡°Sayonara, dipshit,¡± Nick mocked as the nine beams of light flashed at his enemy.


    It was over. Probably wouldn¡¯t kill him; the guy could tank massive hits now, but it was enough damage that he¡¯d be out of the fight.


    If it did kill him¡­


    Well, Nick would get the Icon, and he¡¯d still come out fine.


    In the end, that power was his.


    There was a flash as the light converged on their target, flaring as six of the arrows connected, and three hit the shield. Nate whipped it around the best he could, but stopping it was plain impossible with all of the angles of attack.


    The light show was blinding, even for Nick, so he looked away, saving his eyes from being scorched out and melting out of his skull.


    A solid chunk of metal smashed into his chest¡ªNick rolled over, the air shoved clean from his lungs as it hit with enough force to shatter a wall. He went to the ground, his head smashing into the stone and bouncing up with impact.


    ¡°What¡ª¡°


    Just as his wits got ahold of him¡ªhe saw right next to him. That metal shield turned from a hammer¡ªthe big guy had thrown it at him, turning the lump of metal into a frisbee projectile. Nate towered in front of him. Chunks of his flesh melted, dripping down, blood and molten skin¡­


    His eyes were hard, and he smashed a boot into Nate¡¯s chest¡ªNick tried to resummon his bow, but Nate was there, suddenly grabbing his wrist and pinning the hand uselessly. Hot blood dripped onto Nick¡¯s chest as the monster on top of him took control.


    Nate took a heavy breath, and his grip tightened on Nick¡¯s wrist¡ªthe bone threatening to snap.


    ¡°That was a good technique. Surprised we hadn¡¯t seen it before. You fought a good fight, but it¡¯s over now. You cannot win.¡±


    ¡°Like hell!¡± Nick shouted, the pain in his wrist all-encompassing. More of that weight was pressed in from above, and it was hard to breathe. Nate must be kneeling on his chest.


    The soldier sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want this fight. But I need the Icon. To protect the people that matter¡ªthose that can¡¯t protect themselves. To protect my friends.¡±


    ¡°I need it!¡± Nick screamed back.


    Nate glanced over to their audience, searching for something. There were no words, empty stares. They didn¡¯t want him to win. No. They were Nate¡¯s friends, not Nick. Fuck them, and fuck him. Of course, Nick tried to turn things around, but there was no escaping it. The weight was too heavy. The man had him right where he wanted him.


    ¡°Concede,¡± Nate warned.


    ¡°Never!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a way of making you, aside from death,¡± Nate said.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to kill me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being absurd. We¡¯ve bled together, fought together. One warrior to another, and I fought on your terms and won here. We both know who deserves this Icon by the agreement we made¡­ I don¡¯t want to kill you. Just, please. Accept your defeat.¡±


    Nick continued trying to squirm and even gave a couple of shots of flashing blinding light at Nate, but the soldier was steadfast. No matter what he tried or what tricks Nick pulled, there was no escaping the inevitable weight of steel in front of him. Like it or not, Nate was the better warrior. And he had won.


    Faced with being able to do nothing, tears welled in Nicks eyes. He screamed, cursed, and kept trying for another fifteen minutes; weak and powerless, useless once again beneath circumstances outside of his control. Hadn¡¯t he trained? Hadn¡¯t he fought?


    I deserve more. Nick screamed in his head, but yet, he got this.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    Life had never been fair. And it was pure bullshit. Who was this guy to come in and steal what was his? When they¡¯d met, Nate had been a weak little level-twenty. Barely surviving their first dungeon. This was bullshit. He¡¯d be dead if not for Nick.


    Nate didn¡¯t punish him more, didn¡¯t punch him. He didn¡¯t inflict anymore pain than necessary to counter Nick¡¯s attempt to snake out from under. The entire time the soldier stared at him with a level, yet inevitable gaze. That of someone who¡¯d decided they were a victor, and nothing could change it.


    At some point, Nick¡¯s tears and snot felt overwhelming¡ªhis eyes burned, his face gross. Blood and fluids congealed together in a grotesque visage; running down his chin, smearing on Nate as he held him, and pooling below on the dark obsidian.


    The soldier didn¡¯t judge, didn¡¯t budge, and kept him locked down. Only occasionally would he say, ¡°I know. It¡¯s fine. Accept defeat, come back stronger.¡±


    But what did it matter? It was bullshit platitudes from a man who had everything. Some dumb soldier who brutally forced his way to victory.


    Eventually, unable to bear it anymore, wanting to get the hell out of this dungeon and away from this asshole, Nick gave in.


    He conceded defeat and let his Icon go.

 Chapter 56: Farewell

    Colt offered to help Nick up off the ground, but the Light Archer was reluctant to take any aid; so he gave him a few minutes as the rest of the group gathered around the exit to the dungeon. The swirling gateway marked the path to freedom; the stark black top of the mountain was getting old to him, so he asked after a few minutes if they were ready to go.


    The arrows wounded Nate, but the Soldier carried on anyway, already cycling his Edict to heal.


    Almost all of them were, aside from Nick.


    After losing his fight, the guy wiped at his eyes, a veritable mess of a human. He glared at Nate¡ªand there were hard feelings there, that much could be seen from the hate swirling¡­ Nate, for his part, gave Nick all distance on the world, not trying to make things better because there wasn¡¯t really anything to make better, was there?


    ¡°Go without me.¡± Nick insisted.


    ¡°You want us to leave you in a dungeon? One with monsters still around,¡± Colt said and glanced out at the gigantic forest that lay like a carpet of green off the mountain. Inside, there were countless more dinosaurs, overgrown vegetation, and deadly animals¡ªhe didn¡¯t kid himself into thinking that they¡¯d even made a significant dent in the population.


    This veritable fortress of life was lush with things that would kill the guy if he made the wrong step, unsupported by the rest of them.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He wants to level, best to leave him to his work,¡± Nate concluded, his voice gruff as he didn¡¯t look at Nick; the soldier¡¯s eyes were honed on the portal of light after his victory.


    What use was looking into the past, Colt supposed?


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± Colt warned, but it was on deaf ears; Nick didn¡¯t bother to respond.


    He gave a tired sigh and ran a hand through his hair¡ªlooking for confirmation with the rest of the group. Sarah met his eyes and gave a firm nod. Nate shrugged. Julia looked blankly, a bit broken since the fight with the boss and the once again near-death experience. It was an agreement then, mostly, to go onward without Nick¡­


    To Colt, this was just a symbol of what was to come to happen. People didn¡¯t tend to get over stuff like this and in the case of Nick¡­ That didn¡¯t make the stab he felt in his heart seeing it any better, though.


    Well. They¡¯d see him in New Nashville and see if things went in a direction Colt didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°Take care, man.¡± Colt offered him, gesturing for the rest of his group to breach the portal.


    Nate was first, striding through the gateway of light like a man on a mission. He¡¯d come, he¡¯d seen, and he¡¯d conquered. Sarah went in after, her scowl still on her face, unhappy with how everything had gone down.


    Julia needed to be prodded to head through, and for a moment, Colt wondered if she¡¯d finally snapped the rest of the way in the same fashion as Donny back in their kitchen. This new reality was heavy, too much so for some to bear. Her skin was pale, and she had a shakiness of someone broken.


    Lastly, Colt hesitated at the gateway, staring at Nick.


    The guy lay on his back on the pitch-black stone, surrounded by darkness. All of the light above winked out; it was like he was in a pitch-black void. Alone. Not willing to take any hand to get him out. Colt ran through things to say in his head; were there words that could still yank him out of this pit? Some way of letting his light shine once more?


    It felt wrong; his insides twisted as he saw the image of a comrade broken and left here¡­ But what could he do? It was Nick¡¯s choice, and he didn¡¯t have the words to save him from his own decisions.


    No. There weren¡¯t any words. None at all, at least, that Colt had the ability to give.


    He gave one last wave and then went through the portal himself, feeling the bright warmth of the liquid-like magic ripple as he walked through. His skin tingled and warmed with their victory over yet another dungeon¡ªtheir deadliest dungeon so far.


    ###


    Rio leaned over on his desk. It was a fine thing, carved of a life tree from a realm of vitality that sprouted out of the carcass of a forgotten Chaos God of Nature.


    None of that mattered much past the memory of what this was made of. The First Captain ordered the carcass split up and made into furniture like a trophy. As with such things, now the name was vanished from the cycle forever.


    It was late, and Rio had a splitting headache from the repetitive work. But his environment was made to counteract that.


    Rio¡¯s office was a bit more barren and less grandiose than such a titled desk would imply. He kept his walls empty. He kept a little hourglass¡ªnothing magical to it¡ªon the desk for when he needed to set time aside for certain tasks. Other than that, there were, as always, a bunch of stacks of folders and his modest metal cabinet to put them in.


    Nothing special, nothing extra, and minimal, with the explicit goal of being purpose-driven. That was the ideal way to work and focus. Today, though, he was looking through the same folder he¡¯d been in for the last month.


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    On his desk were more reports about this year¡¯s integrated world and the new associated documents he¡¯d ordered.


    Dubbed planetary name, Sol of Reality String 2220DAX932329C27¡ªnormally, this type of report never went to his desk past the initial integration report. Archived for tracking purposes since real interest in integrated worlds didn¡¯t happen until they reached the labyrinth.


    This being the twentieth world with a declining population initial survival rate, Captain Ash, his captain, had managed to persuade a majority of the other captains that it was time to take more action than sitting on the sidelines.


    In the grand scheme of things, twenty years was a short time.


    Among the people who could fight on the level of a Chaos God¡ªa couple of their captains probably being able to slay multiple¡ªsure, twenty years wasn¡¯t a lot.


    But data, trendlines, and the steep and exponential decline of newly integrated worlds made it clear that something was influencing the natural cycle of things.


    Order and Chaos.


    Waxing and Waning. One couldn¡¯t exist without the other; though they fought bitterly and to the death, both sides were in acknowledged the other, and as with Icons, they could cross the line and balance the individual, bringing a little chaos to the order and a little order to the chaos to make both stronger.


    Why, then, would Chaos be intentionally ruining the cycle? At this rate, twenty more years would see the tutorial dungeons wipe out the entirety of any new potential beings of Order? On the scale of hundreds or thousands of years, such indiscriminate murder would lead to their own destruction as well.


    Rio rubbed at his eyes; burning a little of his Edict; focus to wipe away any of the remaining sleep. His eyes once more sharply scanned the document; and¡­ They detailed his orders and measurements within the Labyrinth, the barest data they found therein that spoke of these unconnected worlds.


    The numbers swam in his vision, and his Edict ran his brain like a computer as Rio analyzed each bit of data from the different detectors.


    ¡°It is being influenced,¡± he summarized again. Maybe for the hundredth time


    These worlds were being altered, and the tap opened wide to Chaos¡ªbut whatever mechanism was allowing it was outside of the System, outside of the Edicts that governed both Order and Chaos.


    Rio rubbed at his eyes again. The conclusion had been at his desk for the last five days. Yet he hadn¡¯t brought it to the Captain and First Lieutenant.


    ¡°By what?¡±


    In these numbers and raw data, he was seeing ghosts. Things that didn¡¯t exist, that couldn¡¯t exist, and things that he the second lieutenant of the Research and Intelligence Community within the court squads couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of. He, who had pored over tens of thousands of years of data with his focus, failed to draw a conclusion.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Rio whispered and shook his head. When he looked down, he saw his hand trembling.


    ###


    At the other end of the portal of light was Nashville¡ªonce more blanketed in the cool ghostly fog that had become common to this city now. What was causing it was a mystery, but in their world, weird weather was a phenomenon that no one had the time or intention to waste. Yet, it still tangled in the air, a question that hung thick around Nashville, like many Colt still had.


    For now, anyway.


    The four remaining group members looked around; the Scout was gone, which was well enough. No more dinosaurs prowling around outside¡­ The doorway back into the dungeon was now gone on this side, and if they wanted, they could turn around and enter the Adventure Science Center the dungeon had spawned in.


    Not that he wanted to; instead, his eyes ran over the rampant jungle around this place, searching.


    He didn¡¯t have to wait for long. A man with long hair jumped out of a tree and started jogging toward them.


    ¡°You did it!¡± he yelled¡ªFaithful, at least that was what Colt had started to call him in his head. He was the guy who¡¯d approached him like a dumbass in New Nashville with only a hope, a prayer, and a dream Colt wouldn¡¯t turn him into Denny.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Colt folded his arms and Inspected him for the first time.


    His name was Tony.


    ¡°Well, Tony; the dungeon was massive. I¡¯m not going to sugarcoat it; the place was a gigantic forest with way too many trees to search well. Your friends could be literally in there, but it was also swarming with level fifty monsters; we cleared so they could escape if they were still alive. And the exit is easy to find. But I have no proof that they made it.¡± Colt said his friends were moving around him, taking in this guy for the first time. Julia limply followed behind Sarah, her breath in short gasps.


    He was worried about her, but whatever happened would have to wait until after their quick meet.


    Considering they¡¯d gone along with the mission, he was sure they were just as curious as he was to take a look at the guy who issued it.


    Tony¡¯s head hung low¡ªand he looked at the ground.


    ¡°You gave¡¯em a fighting chance, or you honored their death. It¡¯s as much as any of us can ask for now. I¡¯m going to leave a note by the entrance and do what you said after a few days of waiting¡ªwe¡¯ll get out of Nashville.¡±


    Colt gave a nod, then set a hand on Tony¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m sorry if they didn¡¯t make it, for what it¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°They were good people... And they are still alive, so there is no need to be sorry. You must have faith, friend. Your cloak is here,¡± Tony said and then pulled his backpack off¡ªriffling through the contents as he pulled out the Apprentice¡¯s Concealment Cloak; payment was rendered for services provided. Colt gladly accepted the item, still not sure how he planned to use it, but he knew that the concealment property was invaluable. ¡°By the way¡­ Things have gotten a little more active in New Nashville. My people and I have stopped going since the security tightened, and they¡¯ve been better vetting citizens.¡±


    Colt tilted his head.


    ¡°Denny released a slew of orders in the name of freedom and growth¡ªthe city has grown to over a thousand¡ªand now they¡¯re killing any groups which stick around and ¡®compete,¡¯ and absorbing the people they were taking care of as laborers. Some of the groups are gathering forces, planning to push back¡­ I know you warned me to get out, but¡­ I think you should, too. I don¡¯t think Nashville will be safe for much longer.¡± Tony stared into his eyes as he said it and appeared¡­ Downright terrified.


    Colt didn¡¯t know what to make of that. One immediate concern was his friend still in his walls. But the Orders, and everything else¡­


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Colt offered. Tony gave a goodbye and headed back over to his tree where he might scout out the exit to the Dungeon.


    Colt then studied the rest of his allies. Nate¡¯s jaw was tight, and his eyes were stern. Sarah looked confused. Julia was still despondent as if the words didn¡¯t quite register. She wiped tears away from her eyes and gave a little shake.


    ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t a game, is it?¡± Julia said, breaking the silence; her eyes were wide, and her face shocked white like a ghost. She looked like a piece of glass, shattering against the brutal reality.

 Chapter 57: Shattering

    Julia finally broke. The reality of their new world crashed through her carefully maintained denial, bringing her to her knees outside the dungeon''s entrance. This wasn''t a game. This was their reality now¡ªan apocalypse that had claimed countless lives.


    Having a breakdown in the middle of a jungle near a dungeon they¡¯d just exited wasn¡¯t the best place for such existential realizations. If there was a good place for such things.


    Sarah wrapped an arm around the younger girl, holding her close as she shook with sobs. They could have been sisters in that moment, Sarah''s fierce protectiveness showing in her eyes as she guided their water mage through her grief.


    She whispered about all the lost people¡ªabout their families¡ªabout her family, whom she hadn¡¯t seen since moving out for college a year ago.


    Unfortunately, they had no time to sit and process what was happening. Colt stuffed away his cloak and looked at the two women.


    Julia¡¯s eyes were red; the pain was stark on her face. But she understood and had shoved it all down for now; it was time for action.


    ¡°S-sorry for everything,¡± she said, her voice trembling as she spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all dealt with this in our own ways, hush now. Just focus on keeping your mind sharp. We¡¯re going to follow Nate; he¡¯s going to lead us back to the city.¡±


    Julia gave a small head bob¡ªand then looked at her feet, letting Sarah take her hand.


    ¡°We ready?¡± Nate asked, sharp eyes taking in the group, ¡°We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll encounter in New Nashville, and we have intelligence we¡¯re not meant to know. The key is to forget all we learned, and play things by ear.¡± He laid the story out plainly, and made eye contact with Sarah and Julia¡ªSarah agreed for them.


    Colt shrugged his shoulders when their eyes turned his way.


    Yeah, ignorance was the best course of action. What mostly concerned him was how their friend had held up in that place¡ªand, long-term, if their best course of action was to stay in New Nashville to begin with.


    He had loved this city, despite how it felt to love it while broke and barely surviving. The cast-off remains of people in New Nashville had the same spirit and energy. They wanted a community, a safety net to keep them safe, and to let what had remained of the world before the System hit thrive again in their own place.


    He thought of the pancake bar¡ªand the sweet old man who sold him coffee every morning; those were the core of New Nashville, those dedicated to trying to inject a little bit of joy and life into a people scared and terrified by what had happened. He¡¯d loved Nashville, and he thought maybe he could¡¯ve grown to love New Nashville, too. As he looked at Julia, shivering next to Sarah, he couldn¡¯t help but see those same powerless people doing their best to survive. Given they weren¡¯t level-pumped-up water mages¡ªthey still were people trying their best despite the fear.


    With everyone¡¯s confirmation, Nate led them away from the clearing in the jungle where the Adventure Science Zone hid and back into the concealing shroud of the jungle around it.


    Now, outside of the dungeon, Colt saw some resemblance to the interior here in the outside world¡ªthe fronds and plants growing were almost cousins to those on the forest floor; they had a slightly darker hue to them, their green about five shades from the black that he¡¯d grown used to over the last week or so.


    If one looked at the trees¡ªthey appeared almost a little too big, and their bark and texture weren¡¯t far off from the massive behemoths that had dwelled within¡­ About a block from the Science Zone, the vegetation gradually changed once more, becoming the deciduous-type forest that had invaded the rest of the city after the System hit.


    It was as if the dungeon was leaking monsters and itself into the land around it¡ªalmost like an Edict manifesting in the world, spreading its reality around like poison into the world.


    Colt ruminated on the thought as they reached proper Nashville, with broken buildings attacked by wildlife and streets ruined by gnarled roots and uncaring nature.


    With the thick mist in the air, sneaking through the city was easy; they kept to the sides of the streets, running across a couple of monsters that were easy to avoid. Right now, the goal wasn¡¯t confrontation; given the lack of visibility, they could afford to move at a fast clip.


    The mist clung to them as they moved through the broken city, past shattered windows and street strangled by the new nature. Nashville''s familiar landmarks stood in unfamiliar places, like pieces of a child''s playset scattered by a careless hand. A caf¨¦ where an office building should be, residential blocks sprouting from former downtown streets¡ªrecognizable pieces arranged in randomized patterns.  Ending up with generally the same Nashville, but not.


    Colt shook his head as they moved and focused on the task. His mind tried to distract him and solve a problem without enough information.


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    So he didn¡¯t worry.


    They pressed forward through the rest of the city.


    When they arrived in New Nashville, there was a marked change. Three times the usual number of guards were stationed outside of it, and their levels were higher, too. About half of them were in their high thirties, patrolling with new weapons. When they saw Colt and his group appear from the fog, they moved in like a coordinated military, weapons rearing to go. Ten total came up, doing their best to look tough with puffed-up chests and hands on weapons, like they expected trouble.


    Colt snorted. One use of Cut would¡¯ve taken most of them out without much extra effort.


    ¡°Citizenship cards,¡± the highest level among them insisted. Their de facto leader had a no-nonsense attitude in his expression.


    Colt brought his out, first among the group, he made sure to stand between them and these bruisers. Not that he didn¡¯t think any of his party could handle themselves against these guys, but if push came to shove, Colt didn¡¯t want them to have blood on their hands.


    ¡°This document lacks Citizen Class?¡± he said, running over it, ¡°Where were you this week?


    Colt raised an eyebrow. ¡°Citizen Class? We were in a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°New order from the office of governor, all citizens are to be assigned a class grade to determine responsibilities and privileges. Privileges such as leaving the city without an escort. Given your level, though¡­that lines up with your story. Right. You¡¯re one of the last couple of straggler dungeon groups still waiting to come in. Governors¡¯ office told us one would be showing up soon.¡±


    ¡°There are people inside who can¡¯t leave?¡±


    ¡°Monsters and bandits around New Nashville have stepped up their activity. We have to protect those weaker than us. Until the situation is resolved, only those with the correct citizen grade are allowed out. If they wanna leave, they can join the army.¡±


    They were saying the same thing, but this guy was saying it like it was natural and good¡ªthe danger was one thing. But this was control for the sake of control. Colt looked at the American flag flying not too far away, the supposed ideal of freedom that this city strove for. ¡°Right. Well, yeah, we¡¯re a dungeon team. We weren¡¯t aware of any changes such as ¡®citizen class.¡¯¡±


    The guard nodded and gestured to the rest of his squad. All of them, except for him, started to jog back to their posts.


    ¡°A lot of guards now,¡± Colt said.


    ¡°This is an off hour, too. We got a whole bunch more. With the new citizenship grades, pay scales, and other incentives, a lot more people are finding good government jobs.¡± The guard scratched his head. ¡°Though, not all of us make it. Mandatory training every day is dangerous. But we need to raise our levels, so it is what it is. Considering we hear stories about another guy dying every day¡­¡± He trailed off and shook his head.


    He continued, ¡°Anyway, strict orders: as a returning dungeon diving group without a Citizen Grade, your team will make your way directly to the White House. The Governor and his Cabinet have given express orders for all remaining dungeon divers in the field to do so on their return. I¡¯ll make sure you get there and get checked in.¡±


    Colt looked at the stadium beyond the man; within it were tucked all the people who called this place home¡ªpeople who had a few fewer freedoms than they¡¯d had when they left.


    What else had changed?


    Colt took in his allies. Julia was still shaking, and Sarah and Nate returned his stare with a silent agreement: They would do what he thought best.


    Considering Jimmy was still in there¡­ Well, Colt knew what he had to do. ¡°Lead the way,¡± he said, giving the guard a fake smile.


    The man returned it and then turned on his heel, letting them follow. This time, the rest of the guards didn¡¯t give them a second glance. They wound through the tunnels of the outer stadium, which, this Colt noticed, was more fortified than before, effectively and narrowly cutting off the previously open spaces within to lead to a direct path.


    Some rooms were carved aside¡ªlounging with off-duty guards¡ªbut otherwise, fencing was erected to limit and refine movement. It was¡­ Well.


    It would work on some people. With the increased powers in the world, Colt questioned how effective it was. For example, it wouldn¡¯t stop him or Nate from barging around wherever they wanted; on his own, Colt probably could¡¯ve carved a hole straight through the outside of the stadium to the city proper¡­ Oh well, maybe it was a theater of security? Like the airports used to be.


    Or, more maybe these safeguards were meant to discourage the people within the city who had a low level from trying to fight back. They couldn¡¯t do much to stop this.


    When they got through the outside of the stadium, they reached a checkpoint. Guards there maintained the exit. An elderly old man was arguing with them as Colt and his group were waved through. He overheard a snippet of what the guy was angry about. He wanted to scavenge for food, not understanding why he couldn¡¯t now.


    The guard was trying to explain that scavenging was now a government-regulated activity¡ªhe needed a license and an escort. He could apply at the White House.


    Colt didn¡¯t catch much more than that, but the guy and the guard were going back and forth. They¡¯d already looped through this conversation a couple of times, and it was quickly going nowhere. Julia began to shake more as they moved. Sarah gave her a soft promise that things would be fine; after clearing the checkpoint with a word from their escort, they were in New Nashville proper.


    The city had exploded beyond what Tony described. Nearly two thousand people crammed into the stadium grounds, their presence visible in the makeshift apartments that rose into a haphazard skyline. The White House was lost somewhere in what passed for downtown New Nashville, but its influence was everywhere, spread like a plague¡ªin the American flags that now felt more like warnings than promises, in the signs declaring "Reclaim America, Work For New Nashville Today."


    Colt ran a hand through his hair and shared a look with Nate.


    The Guard led them through streets packed with survivors, the energy entirely changed from when they''d left. Less was the hope of becoming whole¡ªnow, Colt saw it in the barest fashion: a people struggling to survive, unsure of their future, crammed together in homes cobbled from scrap metal and whatever raw resources they could cobble together.


    Soon, they arrived at the White House, a gleaming, pristine building amongst all that New Nashville had become. A complete contrast to the dirty buildings around it. Colt rolled his shoulders and set his jaw. Time to talk to Denny.

 Chapter 58: Cant Do That

    When they walked into the White House, it didn¡¯t differ much from the first time Colt had entered. There was a pristine sterileness to the air, one that reminded him of the other government buildings he¡¯d been in his entire life. Oppressive and dull by design, from the rows of seats before the receptionist to the fact that the lady was even now reading a book and barely gave them a glance as they entered.


    Out of everything that might carry over from the world before the System, the humdrum bloated feel of a government building was the last thing Colt would¡¯ve wished for.


    Colt strode up to the desk and reined in his growing concern. The changes in New Nashville he¡¯d seen were getting under his skin; though he didn¡¯t owe loyalty to any particular place, he felt like these people deserved better than they were currently getting.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see Denny. We¡¯ve just returned from clearing a dungeon,¡± Colt said. The guard who¡¯d escorted them in gave a small wave as he heard him issue their business. He then turned around and returned outside, his work done.


    The lady frowned as she looked at Colt and his whole squad.


    ¡°Please take a seat, we¡¯ll call you to his office one by one. I expect it might be a wait, our new governor is quite busy.¡±


    ¡°We missed the election,¡± Colt crossed his arms and didn¡¯t move to the seats at all.


    The lady gave him an annoyed look¡ªand pointed at one of the drab, uncomfortable wooden chairs.


    Colt still didn¡¯t move, and taking his lead, neither did the other three of his party. Though Julia was still wiping at her face and giving the occasional shiver, she lingered with Sarah, drawing on her strength for support as she still wrestled with returning to reality.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t one.¡± She said, and then pointed again at the seats, ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°We just returned from clearing a dungeon to find out a man has elected himself from mayor to governor in a place that has been screaming about being a reborn land of the free since I first got here weeks ago¡ªbut no, please tell me to go sit down and politely wait quietly for my turn.¡± Colt rolled his eyes and then looked at the stairs past the lady.


    At his level, only a few people in this city could rival him. Denny for one, last he¡¯d see the guy he was sitting at level 53. Maybe his wind lieutenant and a couple more.


    So, Colt reached a decision: Fuck bureaucracy.


    If those in power wanted to abuse it to their benefit and obfuscate what they were doing behind the scenes, as they had in the old world, he would simply cut through it. It would no longer shackle him and hide secrets behind those curtains.


    The lady made one more gesture for him to return to his seat; Colt walked right past her and up the stairs. She yelled, and guards began to pull in from behind, asking for him to stop. But he wasn¡¯t alone. Walking in stride behind him were Nick, Sarah, and Julia. Their cumulative power made the guards hesitate to make them stop, and where the only real barrier to entry was polite requests for him to hold up, Colt wouldn¡¯t bend his will and rollover.


    They went up the drab steps¡ªthe first floor was a set of dull, uninspired offices painted with eggshell white walls and decorated with those soul-crushing cubicles that businesses loved to use. The lighting was the type that found a place in all offices: a boring overhead bar-light which gave a headache after spending too long under it.


    The next floor was a little less drab. It consisted of wooden paneling decorated by finer offices. It was the place where the new regime of minor city officials was to be housed. The upper class on the hierarchy¡ªsome of them were in there now, in business suits, talking to one another. Their jaws dropped as Colt stalked by, hounded by a group of guards telling him to turn around. They weren¡¯t too happy with gawkers here, and were even less happy with the angry group of guards following Colt.


    They too, joined the parade up the steps.


    Kind of sad, really. Even here in this new world with Stats and growing powers, these people still found a place to set up and spin red-tape.


    It was on the fourth floor that they finally arrived at their fated land. A big white door sat at the forefront. Within it was the former mayor''s office, now turned governor''s office.


    Colt kicked it open.


    Denny sat at a larger, finer desk than last time. His hands folded neatly on the table, and he had a smile on his face; that big oversized black cowboy hat of his was on said desk¡ªrevealing the balding hairline beneath. Behind him was the Wind Mage Colt had seen before; the first thing he did was fire off an Inspect on both.


    The Wind Mage¡¯s name was Albert¡ªlevel 52, and Denny had gotten to 62. How the guy was stacking levels while working as a governor and taking more and more control of this city was beyond Colt¡­ With an epic class, Denny had a little more than sixty raw stat points over him, but¡­


    Well, Colt didn''t know the skills and Edicts part. All Denny had was his one Edict, Lead, still at Lesser rank.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t feel like waiting in reception? Ya gotta have a bit more patience than that, my boy. Running a city is a hard job.¡± Denny leaned back with a fake smile; he looked past Colt at the gaggle of guards following like baby ducks. ¡°You boys can go and head back to your posts; I¡¯ll take our dungeon diving group in for a chat they sorely want.¡±


    The guards looked confused among each other, and one more hand wave from Denny finally got them to head back on out.


    Colt folded his arms and stared at the two men. Albert leaned against the window, almost looking bored as he took in their invaders.


    ¡°Well, lots changed. Congratulations on taking out another D-; Think by now you¡¯re the only dungeon divers I¡¯d trust with that. Rest of them aint growing as quick. Might say you¡¯ve a natural talent for growing in this new world.¡±


    ¡°You have Citizen Classes¡¯ now?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. And finally, now, we¡¯re issuing our dungeon divers the rank of Special Soldier¡ªA class ¡®A¡¯ Citizen with lots of perks to go with it. House in the stands; just now building them, they¡¯ll have quite the view, based on our architect designs. Private chef. Private everything¡ªas our top soldiers and the ones taking on all the risk to clear the outsides for us, y¡¯all have to be rewarded properly.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Nate stepped forward, his eyes harsh as he looked Denny up and down. ¡°You want us to be your soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Well, now, of course. We need soldiers to face the dungeons. And outside of it¡­ There¡¯s going to be enemies who want what we¡¯re building here¡ªNew Nashville is special. I¡¯ve sent some scouts further, and we¡¯re starting to hear back about other places¡­ Atlanta¡¯s broken down with constant bloody battles between warlords; a religious nut and his cult lead St. Louis¡­ Memphis¡ªanyone I sent over there ain¡¯t come back. It¡¯s a dangerous world now. We have to be primed to deal with it. So, y¡¯all will be rewarded richly, and y¡¯all will be expected to fight for our freedoms. Should you accept my offer.¡±


    Nate ground his teeth; ¡°My days of being a soldier for someone else are over. I¡¯m not fighting anyone else¡¯s wars.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be your wars for your freedom,¡± Denny waved away the argument and sat up straighter, his eyes flickering to Colt.


    ¡°Why are you governor?¡± Colt asked.


    ¡°Necessity. We can have an election once things are settled and when my term ends.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re willing to give up your power.¡±


    Denny smiled pleasantly. ¡°I¡¯m a man looking out for the freedom of my people. Think of me like George Washington. Work with me, Colt. I see you have the drive that¡¯ll getcha far in this world; we can free this great nation together, and at its end, we¡¯ll be reunited again. That¡¯s my vision.¡±


    ¡°And what about our lower class citizens¡ªwhat is the lowest rank?¡±


    ¡°Not worth worrying about. Temporary measure. A controlled populace is an easy populace. We got things hard enough with what we got going on outside our walls¡ªgotta keep it easy inside, to quote, ¡®united we stand, divided we fall.¡¯ I know how to manage people, Colt. I worked in human resources. It¡¯s my thing. We¡¯ll just keep them in line, grow our numbers, and the wrinkles will solve themselves. Truth is most¡¯em won¡¯t amount to anything¡ªbeing a lower class citizen¡ªthat¡¯s just the place they wanna be. If they wanna make something of themselves, they can join our military and show us. Earn their rights.¡± Denny rubbed at his forehead, and for the first time, Colt saw something in that mask slip. Annoyance.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very free,¡± Colt replied.


    ¡°They can make their choices. How ain¡¯t that free? They wanna grovel on the street and chase after pennies instead of dealing with the real world? That¡¯s on them, not me. We have to be intentional with what we got.¡± Denny¡¯s teeth were showing wider, and that fake smile was vanishing more by the second.


    He didn¡¯t like that he was having to play nice.


    ¡°I have two more questions.¡± Colt said, feeling the ¡®warm welcome¡¯ wearing thin. Soon, Denny would turn on them if he saw he wasn¡¯t getting their way. They could fight it out in this office¡ªColt was tempted¡ªbut this was larger than them.


    Denny leaned back and sighed, ¡°Shoot, soldier.¡±


    I am not your soldier.


    ¡°The first thing: when we finish a dungeon, we get the message, ¡®Rewards distributed to associated Faction.¡¯ What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Need to know info. Earn your way into my cabinet through efforts and show you¡¯re a better breed than the rest, and it¡¯ll become clear. Until then, just know that your work is providing safety for the people of New Nashville, and you¡¯ll be rewarded appropriately.¡± Denny¡¯s lips went tight, and he gave a look to the Wind Mage near him.


    Sarah scowled at that.


    ¡°Fuck you and your need-to-know bullshit¡ªwe almost died twice¡ªwhat are you getting?¡±


    Colt felt a heat burn in him, too, but he made sure to hide it away, not giving Denny the satisfaction.


    Denny didn¡¯t respond, his face slipping into a practiced bureaucrat mask. ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Then, you¡¯re welcome to renounce your citizenship and leave our fair city. Go play around with the warring gangs in Atlanta, or maybe you can head up to St. Louis and have fun joining their cult. We¡¯re a fine city, the best city, and only growing better by the day.¡±


    ¡°Sure you are.¡± Sarah snorted; Julia gave a sob, and her expression softened, morphing her anger for the new ¡®governor¡¯ back to making sure their broken party member was fine. Honestly, what the girl needed was a day or two to sit and recover; not that Colt was sure they had that.


    ¡°Second is this, how many people have you killed and forced out of New Nashville.¡±


    ¡°You mean the lawless gangs? It don¡¯t matter and I don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t have a tolerant policy for people unwilling to fall in line under the government. We rescue the people that need it. People that are stealing what belongs to us, well, they need to ship out or die. Not too complicated.¡±


    Denny stood up and stretched his arms, taking in a big puff of breath. Colt felt his Edict begin to boil to the surface, wrapping around him like a bubble. Then it stabbed outward toward the Wind Mage, and instantly, he felt it wrap around Albert, a protective cocoon.


    With another moment, Denny cracked his neck, grabbed his cowboy hat, and put it on his head.


    ¡°Well, are ya joining or not? Afraid for you lot, it¡¯s either your soldiers or you ship out too. A little too much for us to manage stirring up trouble in our town without real direction.¡±


    Fall in line or get smothered. Colt saw it for what it was, and now Denny was getting ready for a fight. A confidence shone off him, along with a vicious smile. He almost smelled the desire running off the man for it to turn into a fight, all the coiled power beneath his skin. For whatever Denny said, he was too eager to let that power loose to hurt others. Colt sensed it.


    That''s why he knew that, with the power of a city or a government beneath him, Denny wouldn¡¯t give that up. No. He¡¯d be just as eager to exercise that kind of might as well. Power over people and personal power were the same thing.


    Colt checked his allies¡ªit was etched into their faces, he didn¡¯t need to ask them what they thought. From the way Nate gripped his hammer and set his jaw to the way that Sarah clutched her fist tied with the red band.


    They wouldn¡¯t fall in line under Denny.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving. Just let us talk to Jimmy first.¡±


    ¡°Afraid I can¡¯t do that,¡± Denny replied.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a busy man, helping a budding city. Aint gonna waste his time with some riff-raff we¡¯ve gotta kick out for the best of all.¡±


    Colt bristled¡ªhis hand going to the dagger tucked away at his side. Denny¡¯s Edict flared, and his grin grew brighter. He wanted to fight them here, right now. Wanted it bad. That, maybe more than anything, was his goal¡ªprovoke a fight and then use whatever card he had tucked away that made him so confident he¡¯d win and justify it to New Nashville.


    In a flash, Colt saw the way the cards were being laid on the table, the trap that Denny had set up for them.


    His eyes scanned the room, trying to detect what the trap was, other than the overconfidence Denny had in his levels. If they fought here, it would be contained in the White House¡­ Probably.


    But the way Denny was smirking, there was a trick hidden, and it was better to choose the right ground for a fight like this.


    Though he was sorely tempted, with Nike¡¯s quest lingering in his head.


    And he refused to play into it.


    ¡°Fine. Then we¡¯ll leave right now. We understand.¡±


    Colt didn¡¯t like it. The thought of leaving Jimmy here for another hour more made him sick to his stomach. But¡­ They would be back for Jimmy.


    Denny frowned.


    ¡°You aint gonna see that boy again, and you won¡¯t be hanging around Nashville either. You got a day, and then if¡¯n my scouts spot you lingering around our fair city, I won¡¯t have no choice but to think of you like the rest of the lawless scum out there stealing what belongs to me.¡±


    Colt didn¡¯t dignify that with a response, instead turning on his heel and heading to the door. Denny barked an order at Albert to see them out¡ªbut Colt wasn¡¯t going to contest that.


    They could be kicked out New Nashville. Denny could give them whatever commands he wanted, but at the end of the day, Colt knew two things. One, Denny wasn¡¯t his governor, and he wasn¡¯t about to listen to a word the wannabe dictator had to say. Two, regardless of whether he chose to stay in Nashville or not¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t be leaving Jimmy behind unless that¡¯s what his friend wanted. Let them escort him out of this city. And he¡¯d let them see just what real freedom was.

 Chapter 59: Rats In A Cage

    Colt was hardly out of the White House door before a new system message popped into existence, filling his vision.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Notice: You have been removed from the Faction: New Nashville.


    Notice: You are currently in the domain of a faction and will receive a 5% penalty in offensive actions within this territory and receive 5% extra damage from defenders.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt didn¡¯t feel a real impact from the notice; but he was sure that in a fight against someone on his level, it might be that little difference that could make or break a battle.


    Also, not having a faction was¡­ Interesting. What did it mean if he completed a dungeon now? What were the rewards?


    Denny was quick on the trigger, which made him think that part of his trap involved this Faction system.


    The moment they exited the White House, a veritable small army of men and women security surrounded them. The guard who let them into the walls awkwardly cleared his throat to get their attention as they took to the New Nashville streets.


    ¡°So, uh. I heard about what happened,¡± he offered and looked at the rest of the guards. ¡°Sorry about all that, man. We got strict orders to escort you out right away.¡±


    Colt took in the situation and thought it through strategically.


    The number of guards wasn¡¯t the problem. Most of them were mid-thirty, with a couple on the lower end of thirty. Mostly uncommon classes. Though he hadn¡¯t had a chance to test himself against another person, save for Bill, he had been diligent about scanning the guards before and getting a grasp of their skills compared to his. Even a few brief Inspects right now spoke all he needed to know.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Inspect* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    While their levels had been steadily increasing, not many had an Edict, and if they did, it didn¡¯t represent a serious threat. Their skills weren¡¯t as honed in either, having divided their time between fighting and security work around the city.


    But the Edict was the real key.


    He was starting to come to the realization that others hadn¡¯t caught on to the power of Edicts¡­ Or it might be that obtaining one and leveling it was harder than he¡¯d thought. It could be an unspoken influence of his class that he was so readily able to dive into that world or the fact he diligently invested in Soul. Either way, stacking them up against him was a recipe for a bloodbath.


    Colt absorbed the wider city around him¡ªhis silence making the guards shuffle uncomfortably. Two even set their hands on their weapons.


    Somewhere, tucked away in this city, was Jimmy. He could force his way through them right now and try to find him.


    Yes, Colt could comfortably take all of these guards. Doing so would be a bloodbath¡ªand he¡¯d riddle these struggling streets with bodies of people trying their best to get along. He saw a young girl nearby with a dirty stuffed rabbit, her eyes wide as she watched the standoff.


    No, if he wanted to have a bloodbath of a conflict, it would''ve been in the White House itself, facing whatever trap Denny had planned. Too many people were at risk here, and though these guards were technically Denny¡¯s soldiers, Colt didn¡¯t think they were loyalists in the same way that Wind Mage was; they worked for him because it was the easiest and safest route for them. He couldn¡¯t begrudge them that. They didn¡¯t know better yet.


    Besides, Colt didn¡¯t want to go on a slaughter spree¡ªthe kind of person that would make him was not a pathway he wanted to explore with the power he¡¯d worked hard for.


    There was another way to win this rivalry; he¡¯d do it his way. Colt took a look at the rest of his group and gave a small smile. They eased at that, going from tense and preparing for a battle for their lives to a more relaxed expression, except for Julia, who hadn¡¯t been getting ready at all. The girl looked just about ready to tip over.


    Colt figured it was time to address that before they left.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this. I didn¡¯t mean to speak for you. I know Nate and Sarah are by my side¡ªeven though we¡¯ve been through a couple of dungeons, it¡¯s scarcely my decision on whether or not you should risk your neck outside of a comfortable city with the way the world is now.¡±


    n response to Colt''s apology, Julia stared at him, her mouth forming a smile.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, can we please get to walking?¡± The guard tried to interrupt, and Colt raised a hand in a ¡®stop signal¡¯ and glared at the guy.


    ¡°No.¡± Julia insisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t split me off; this might not be a game, but I think we¡¯ve been through enough together that I can still call you all my party. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry I treated you like NPCs¡ªI¡ªI didn¡¯t care if you died since you weren¡¯t real¡­ But Sarah¡ªyou¡ªyou looked out for me. Even though I treated you like side characters.¡± Julia sniffled as she spoke.


    ¡°We really gotta get going¡­¡± The guard gave a fake cough. Colt rolled his eyes at the guy.


    ¡°We took you into danger knowing you didn¡¯t have a solid grasp on reality. We¡¯re at fault, too.¡± Colt said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m sticking with you guys. I heard the same conversation up there. This isn¡¯t a place I want to stay.¡± Julia¡¯s eyes firmed, her mouth going straight as she stood up and announced her resolve.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Sarah pulled her in for a side hug, and once more, the insistent guard budded into a conversation he didn¡¯t belong. Colt sighed and told him they were ready to go. Wondering if the guy knew just how hard Colt had considered turning this little street into a fight.


    With an almost palpable yell of relief, their escort started to move, making sure to get them the hell out of New Nashville in the quickest and most orderly way¡­ In that, they forced a lot of people aside because Denny didn¡¯t want Colt inside of his walls for a second longer than needed. For his part, Colt marched in silence, taking in all the people suffering under the might of the lopsided society Denny was cultivating.


    This was freedom, Denny said. Live here. Suffer here. Unless you give me your body and life so I may have more power, there was a better way, a more just way. Colt, though, knew he¡¯d be back. Jimmy was somewhere stashed away in this city. And until he spoke with his friend, Colt couldn¡¯t be done with New Nashville. And even then, he still wanted more for this city, with its living spirit.


    With the guards escorting them out, Colt, Nate, Sarah, and Julia once more found themselves tossed back out without real direction into the ruined streets of Nashville. Sarah gave a quick scowl at the city, and a brief, "Go fuck yourself, Denny," as they walked off into the mist. The stadium lurked behind them, its lit silhouette cutting through the mist, and then gradually fading as they moved deeper into the fog-covered ruins, but Colt knew they''d be back. First order of business was to survive and plan a way to get to Jimmy.


    ###


    Grem leaned in his chair, the white plastic groaning as he leaned back, threatening to snap underneath his fat and muscle, and his eyes were glazed as he chewed bubble gum; in his hand was his trusty sword. A wicked little toy picked up over the last week; he¡¯d bled hard for it, too, as all his guys did. ¡°Level 67, and for what? Ha.¡±


    He¡¯d bled hard with his boys, stepped out for a quick walk through the city, and came back. To what? His boys were gone. All of them.


    No, not from the dungeons, though they lost a good number of them to those hellholes, too. Being alone was a dangerous enough pastime. Nah. The dungeons hadn¡¯t done this. Not directly at least.


    He stared out the door of his room; the broken frame of the building went to the apartments that he and his had called theirs¡ªa nice old Nashville place, one of their boy¡¯s apartments before the System.


    Outside the door was the mess.


    Heads were chopped and pulped, all their furniture except these shitty plastic chairs was wrecked, guts thrown all over the walls, and big holes torn through almost every part of the building. Blood painted everywhere. You might as well have made this place into one of those horror houses they did on Halloween. Hell, it was a miracle that the place even still stood up after all of that endless abuse. A person couldn¡¯t have done this¡ªnot even a person like that bastard Denny; he was still human.


    This had to have been a monster.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Grem chewed, rocking slightly in his chair. He put his head in his hands and gave a forced laugh.


    All that work.


    All that blood.


    Hilarious.


    For this? This was their reward? To think all that work jackass monster to go and kill them before they could even get payback?


    God, it was so funny.


    ¡°Did¡¯ja hear a good joke?¡± A voice called; a man walked into the former living room, his black boots slinking as it collected dried blood; he wore a black cowboy hat and had a wide smile on his face¡ªtipping it as he saw Grem.


    Grem screamed¡ªstanding up and flinging the plastic chair behind him with a clank. Denny, of all¡ªhe came and mocked the dead remains of Grem¡¯s gang? How dare he?!


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on, partner.¡± Denny held a hand up, and Grem didn¡¯t even care. Why should he? The guy was a weakling now after all that power-grinding Grem and his gang did; their sacrifices wouldn¡¯t be for anything. Not if he got his vengeance on the piece of work who started it all, to begin with. Grem sped forward, a ball of hate and malice that wanted nothing more than to rip the still-beating heart out of the man in front of him.


    A golden chain appeared in the door frame; Grem ran through it, sure it would break.


    It didn¡¯t, Grem¡¯s arm did with a sickening crack as he tumbled and crashed into the room.


    Denny leaned down, more golden chains snaking and wrapping around him. There was a wild smile on the guy¡¯s face as he leaned in, ¡°Should¡¯ve left my city, you vermin. All you little rats holding up in your hidey holes, plotting, stealing¡­ These dungeons are mine. These people are mine. They¡¯re gonna work for me, gonna make points for me¡ªthat¡¯s law and order. Old world and new world, scum like you never get it. There are two types of people. Those like me, the elite. And those like you. Weak, pathetic creatures. Might as well not even be human. You¡¯re supposed to bow to me; I would¡¯ve been kind if you had. Given you a spot in my walls.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Grem struggled in the golden chains; they should be easy to break. With a five-level difference between them, he and Denny were far enough apart. Grem''s muscles flexed as he pushed out with all his hard-won Strength points.


    The chains didn¡¯t give.


    Denny shook his head; ¡°Naw, not that easy. My skills are from my other investments, and I think you know how I got the levels; having a lot of dungeon-clearing teams brings in points to spare. Having a training partner can do wonders. Not that it matters much. You¡¯re a pitiful little rare class. If my math is right, I¡¯ve got about forty or so raw points on you.¡±


    Grem struggled and cussed.


    ¡°Now, you probably thought that some monster wandered in and wrecked you and your boys; I coulda let you think that. But where¡¯s the fun? I always fancied myself a bit of an exterminator¡ªy¡¯know, when you get those rats in your home? Most people would be upset. Annoyed. Me? I¡¯d get excited excited. They test your head, and you gotta think like a rat to take care of them, and ain¡¯t nothing sweeter than punishing those little freeloaders and beating them at their own games.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Grem screamed¡ªDenny yanked his face so he¡¯d look him in the eyes, then slapped him, sending Grem reeling and spinning on the floor. A boot stopped him, with a heavy thud on his chest that snapped a rib. With a grunt, Denny shoved Grem and made him face the entrance to their little apartment.


    Sitting in the doorway was a beast¡ªTwice the height of a man, its muscles bulged. Its ears quirked; it was like someone had shoved a head on top of a bull, and then dosed that bull with more performance-enhancing drugs than should exist in this mortal world. Its muscles bulged; its nostrils snorted as its black hair rose up.


    Branded on its chest was a golden crown, which began to brighten and shine in a deep yellow hue.


    ¡°It was a monster that eliminated your boys. My monster. See¡ªwhen you little rats scamper and scurry, and get a little too fat, they get confident. But a fact of life is this: no fat rat aint going to be enough to stand up to the man of the house. No. The man¡¯s just going to use a different kind of weapon to stomp you into the ground.¡±


    Denny hauled Grem up, the golden chains digging deeper into his skin. The pain ran through him as they pressed in, coiling like an anaconda. Grem let out a scream as they dug into his skin, as the breath became harder to come in and out.


    His captor laughed, then shoved him forward, right into the waiting arms of the beast.


    One of those hands grasped his skull, the flesh scarred and dry. The other pressed against his chest, yanking the chains as a means of support; he lifted into the air, feet dangling as the monster sniffed his face. And then it began to yank. Slowly, at first. The hand around his head tightened, long black fingernails digging in and finding resting spots in his skull. A good grip from which they wouldn¡¯t budge. One of which was an eye socket, popping the vital organ with a burst of blinding pain.


    It yanked, ripped, and tore some more until Grem no longer existed.

 Chapter 60: Rocketship

    The night after leaving New Nashville was rather dark; unlike the days before, the mist chose to stick around and clung thickly to their bodies as they huddled in a small house at least a couple of miles away from New Nashville. Colt sat near a window, his eyes honed in on the night around them, seeing the barely perceptible shadows outside.


    There weren¡¯t monsters, and even now, he wondered if Denny had a way of keeping tabs; he¡¯d run his perception for any trace of Edicts. Trying to see if there was some kind of thin way for Denny to keep watch on where they went, but he detected nothing. Julia even ran her perception, too, trying to practice out her new Edict: Surge, but overloading the air around them with a wave of water mana in an attempt to overpower anything¡­


    It was essentially like tossing an EMP with mana; Colt didn¡¯t know if it would even work in normal circumstances, but she also said she didn¡¯t feel mana on them.


    So, basically, Denny had just let them walk out of the city and demanded they leave in twenty-four hours. In his supreme confidence, he was betting he could find and deal with Colt and his group if they failed to comply.


    Colt massaged his eyes as he looked in the dark.


    Whatever tools the guy had for tracking weren¡¯t based on tagging them and following them along. Probably something to do with the scouts. He didn¡¯t think for a moment that Denny was going to just assume they left the city. The guy was going to check somehow.


    Which meant that they needed to put the plan into action tonight.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to stay up?¡± Colt asked Nate. The soldier sat near him by the window, his eyes scanning the dark with a narrowed focus.


    ¡°I got a quest.¡±


    ¡°From your Icon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡®Conquer New Nashville,¡¯ boding, but given I¡¯ve contracted to what amounts to a historical warlord, it makes sense; it¡¯ll change my Edict, or so the reward says.¡± Nate rubbed at his knuckles and sighed, ¡°Here we are, forced into a corner. We could just leave, but none of us want to leave Jimmy behind.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be leaving New Nashville behind. At least, I don¡¯t intend to. The people there don¡¯t deserve to be ruled by a dictator. But this morning isn¡¯t about conquering New Nashville. So I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think your or my quest is going to be fulfilled tomorrow,¡± Colt kicked his feet up and picked up the sack nearby. Within it, he felt the pulsing beat of a metal heart. In his lap, the pulse was an ominous thing, a reminder that the contents had been a very real body part of a giant.


    Nate settled with a small grunt of acknowledgment.


    ¡°We get Jimmy out, and then we deal with New Nashville as a whole once we are all together.¡±


    ¡°You want to overthrow a government.¡± Nate broke it down to the core of it.


    Colt rubbed his chin and gave a small, sad chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Leaving these people under the heels of a man who¡¯s going to tighten the screws and strip more and more of their freedom¡ªpeople will end up dead for him. I¡¯ve been thinking. We¡¯re growing, gaining power and strength¡­ What is that power and strength if we hoard it to ourselves and let others abuse theirs? First, they''re designated as ''low-class citizens'' and given fewer rights¡­ What if they take more and more because they need more soldiers for Denny¡¯s ambitions? Does it sit right with you?¡±


    Nate was silent for a long time, staring into that dark street with Colt. Somewhere out there used to be light poles, which brought a touch of day and brightness to this dim and foreboding atmosphere. New Nashville was out there, somewhere, a beacon of light in the dark. Colt already found that he missed his bed in that city''s safety.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought for worse causes. They said it was for freedom, that we were protecting those who are free. Tell me, what does being in the Middle East do to enhance the freedom of people in America? What does me and my brothers bleeding and dying do? This, I see it as more straightforward. There are people there who need help. You ask me if I think it¡¯s right to overthrow Denny¡¯s government¡ªI don¡¯t think it matters if it¡¯s right or wrong. I think we have to do what the people there deserve, even if they don¡¯t know how to ask for it.¡±


    Nate kept to silence settling further in his chair as he looked out at the darkness, his eyes keen and sharp, jaw set.


    As always, a stalwart ally who, for Colt, was an invaluable sounding board. If they were in agreement about how to exercise their power, then it was a good place to be.


    Colt fished out the metal heart from the backpack, feeling the steel steadily beat in his hand. This could be a tool for a future weapon, but it might also have something in it that could help Nate.


    With it heavy in his hand, he extended the beating heart to his ally. ¡°We didn¡¯t have time to talk about this, given your fight. But I got this from the last boss. I think it belongs with you.¡±


    Nate accepted the morbid piece of metal with a peculiar look; his eyes flashed as they no doubt inspected the information. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With it beating in his hand, he turned his eyes to ask Colt, ¡®Are you sure,¡¯ no doubt, figuring out that the material could¡¯ve been used for a weapon, that instead Colt had given it to him to advance his Edict as well.


    ¡°You¡¯ve earned it,¡± Colt said, trying to put him at ease. And Nate¡¯s eyes turned back down to the heart, trying to make heads or tales of it.


    Colt reached into his bag for the other object. In his hand was the piece of meteorite, the dark purple even present in the darkness of the night. He felt it whispering to him in his hand even now¡ªdeep down and within, his most powerful Edict began to stir.


    Did it sense his intention?


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep watch, I¡¯m going to find a quiet corner and try something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re advancing it? I can feel it now, the way it¡¯s moving.¡± Nate finally tore his attention from the steel heart and looked surprised. His perception of Soul had advanced, whether through the training of his meditation or diligent practice of investing stat points.


    ¡°It is.¡± Colt tossed the meteorite and then caught it again; the rock buzzed in his hand. This would be the gateway for his fight with the Edict; he felt reasonable about his chances, but there would always be uncertainty. Even now, he remembered how close to death his first brush with this Edict had been. Movement wasn¡¯t like Cut. It was more primal, raw, and wild by its very nature. ¡°It¡¯ll be the edge I need for what we¡¯re facing.¡±


    Nate furrowed his brows. ¡°Believe in yourself. You¡¯re capable of things I didn¡¯t even think possible, and you¡¯re why I¡¯ve learned to push just as hard in this new world. Win.¡±


    Colt took those words to the heart and stood, retreating from the window. With Nate as guard, he felt confident in his ability to focus and hone in on what he was doing.


    Now, with his trusty friend keeping watch, he was free to focus on his meditation and concentrate on pushing further than ever before.


    He pulled back from Nate¡ªaway from Sarah and Julia, who slept in the other room. And found a small little space in the back of the apartment that housed a broken washer and dryer, he closed the door behind him and then settled down on the simple tile floor of the room. With the door closed it was dark. A pure black dark that opened the mind to the void around him. No one to focus on, nobody to worry about protecting, no outside city suffering under the heel of a dictator.


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    In here, in this room, was just Colt, alone in a void of his own design. And here, he would face down his Edict, not only for his own personal power but also for the good of New Nashville as a whole.


    The meteorite sat in his hands, its surface shaped by countless years of moving through the cosmos, a constant force of movement as it traveled the stars. He pictured it traveling, the imposition of Movement a part of its life, all it knew, really in the void of everything else out there. And not only that, it had to move fast¡ªincredibly fast¡ªpart of a giant whole.


    The stone in his hand grew hotter as he held it, searing pain like a burning piece of coal until he no longer felt it at all.


    For a second, his vision shifted, less of being in a dark void, but rather, him, sitting on the asteroid that this came from. Also moving rapidly through the void of space.


    His concentration, paired with poking at the ancient Edict had yanked his soul and mind¡­ Somewhere else, somewhere far away from the little laundry space he¡¯d settled down in.


    Darkness all around, dotted by tiny little lights, strapped to an object with a destination it didn¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t matter. The only thing that did was going forward.


    Colt was there; his breath cold, disappearing with every intake as the void sucked all the oxygen away, as they sped through the cosmos¡ªabove was the plethora of stars, all of which moved in their way; it was a universal constant. To live was to change. To change was to move.


    In the back of his mind, he felt the demon stir.


    The comet began to speed; flakes of rock broke off behind them. Colt felt the need to grasp at the rock, knowing not how he got here, but he was no longer aware that true reality was him sitting in a room. He¡¯d been transported, someway, somehow, to where this was, where the root of movement came from, and an object that might¡¯ve been spawned a billion years before his time¡ªand here he was strapped on. Colt¡¯s fingers dug into the surface of the rock, trying to use cut on instinct to make holds.


    The Edict failed here, swept away as the comet sped faster and faster. It was too weak to have any influence in a realm such as this. The demon began to laugh as the comet rocketed even faster; a piece of stone broke off as it spiraled head-first toward a planet. Heat, oxygen, all of it began to disappear as Colt strengthened his grasp as much as he could.


    Everything around him was a blur as they headed straight towards a foreign planet, one that looked like Earth but certainly wasn¡¯t. The continents were all wrong.


    Seconds now, he would be ripped from the asteroid, torn to shreds as the speed at which he moved conflicted with the atmosphere. Resistance from the tiny molecules of air and their friction against his skin would shred him apart, remove him from existence. Movement lingered there, pushing down on the gas pedal that was their speed. His muscles strained, and his fingers screamed as he clung to the piece of rock that even now was coming undone into millions of pieces.


    Logically, a rock shouldn¡¯t increase speed as it approached a planet. But logic gave way to momentum, to the universal Edict that pressed down on the situation. They were ratcheting up, going faster, pushing the bounds of what could be achieved for the sake of doing so.


    He was going to die.


    Movement was too strong an Edict.


    Flashes of the life he¡¯d leave behind ran through his head as they sped to the surface of the planet, as they raced faster and faster to death.


    He saw Jimmy toiling away in New Nashville, Denny laughing at him as he suffered stitching together bodies in the dark. He saw Nate, his broken body torn to shreds by monsters. He saw Sarah, her eyes gouged out and her head on a pike¡ªhe saw Nick crying in the void and Julia, broken and listless, with the last light of life having vanished from her eyes.


    He saw his mother, her disapproving frown as she stared at him for all those years.


    "Worthless," she''d say, looking at another report card with C''s, D''s, and an F. ¡°How did I raise such a useless child?¡±


    He saw himself next to a cutting board. The inferno of an oven blazed hot in their trapped little hell. His hands worked, cutting raw chicken, piece by piece, the slime and dead meat cubbed, then shoved in a plastic container to be cooked. Donny laughed at him as he worked, never letting him finish, shoving more chicken there for him to work away his life with.


    Movement roiled and laughed, pumping the speed up as his fingers gave, as he lost hold of the asteroid¡ªtorn and thrown into the air alone, his body searing with pain as skin flecked off and burned away to the atmosphere. Below the land came into view, a myriad of oceans and rocks he could crash into. He¡¯d never make it. He couldn¡¯t move there. He¡¯d burn up in the stratosphere, never to even hit.


    For someone who¡¯d lived so stagnant for most of his life, trapped in the circumstances of his own making. Who was he to tame such an Edict?


    Movement was change.


    Colt screamed, no air in his lungs; his head was a bloody mess as vessels burst in his eyes, coloring the world below with a shade of crimson.


    No.


    NO!


    Colt''s hands tightened. He felt the swirling Edict around him, the behemoth that was the primordial form of his Edict¡ªHIS Edict. It belonged to him. It worked for him. He was no longer the same man who toiled away in the kitchen, too focused on the present to change and grow¡ªevery day was a step forward. Every day since the system hit, he¡¯d grown, worked, and struggled.


    Pain ran through his body as his Soul clashed against the Edict. It buckled, tore, surged, waved, and twisted and slithered beneath his will. Trying to get his hands free as he pressed the one remaining thing he had, his sheer will. His proof in himself.


    Colt was no longer stagnent. He was just as much alive as the Edict itself.


    Every day. Every step.


    Colt¡¯s fingers clutched as the invisible Edict.


    It screamed and fought.


    He slipped but clutched again.


    There was no such thing as perfection, no such thing as getting it right the first time¡ªthere were always mistakes, always moments where you lost control. But if you tried, if you moved forward just a little bit, it was progress. It was change. It was movement.


    This time, his fingers caught. He yanked the Edict and felt the raw rushing force around him. He felt how his skin tore with the wind, how fast he was spiraling to the planet below, toward his death from the wind and air.


    Movement was his.


    He stripped his body of its momentum, of all the Movement. The pain stopped, and blood dripped from his eyes and nose, yet he hung, his body still hundreds of thousands of feet above the planet, a blessed moment of stillness as he felt the Edict swirl, felt his movement hang in the air like a held breath. Asking what he wanted to do. Was he to stay here, hanging in the sky? Stale?


    Colt laughed.


    Of course not.


    He exhaled and flung himself back at the planet, speeding faster than before. This time, though, he shifted the air around him, discarding those particles that tore at his flesh, slicing through them as he let cut weave into his movement. The truth was that the pain and that pesky resistance only slowed him down. No. They could go faster together, he and movement.


    They spiraled toward the planet, racing towards their crash to the end.


    This, acceptance of change, acceptance of the speed and momentum, this was what this glorious Edict demanded of him. Colt embraced it the way he would with anything he loved, and together, they danced toward the planet, pushing each other to go faster.


    Land spun closer; the jagged rocks below a certain death.


    Colt didn¡¯t let up. Pushing down faster on that gas pedal at the encouragement of his Edict, when they hit rocks, he simply cut through it, fading out into the blackness. Pushing even faster.


    Faster. Faster. FASTER.


    Colt laughed as they sped to the heavens once more, his Edict tumbling around with him, proud that he''d embraced its lesson.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Meditate* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) has gained a level!


    *Threadweaver* (Basic) has gained a level!


    You have gained 1 point of Soul!


    You have gained 1 point of Soul!


    Your understanding of the Edict Movement has evolved. Movement (Minor) has become Movement (Lesser)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 61: Breaking And Entering

    Blood leaked from Colt''s nose, the warmth bringing him back to true reality. Diving too long into the depths of his soul was a recipe for disaster. He wiped at the blood; his eyes glazed as he looked at the notification. It was the only thing he could see in this pitch-black room with the laundry machine with its faint smell of detergent, so he welcomed it.


    In his left hand was a pile of dust; the remains of the purple meteor shattered the force of those Edicts tied to it gone, used as the key to leverage his own advancement. Colt rubbed at his head. Movement swelled around his soul; the universal law was ready to be used. Eager to see the light of day. Where before, it had been like dipping his toes into a sea with a monster, now, he was ankle-deep, and that wild creature could wrap a tentacle around him at any point and pull him under.


    Yet it didn¡¯t, for even though he knew it lurked out there, more powerful than a man like him could fathom, now it had a sense of him. A loose understanding. He wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call it a respect, but perhaps something more like the way a cat likes a red dot moving on the floor.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Congratulations.


    Evolving Edict: Movement has granted an additional reward from your Icon.


    Message From Icon:


    Wow, man. Propelling this thing to the lesser rank already? I¡¯m impressed! My little gladiator is growing up fast. To think you managed this before Level 75, that accomplishment is just enough to let me do what I wanted. Getting you even stronger. And sheesh, do you need it. I¡¯m seeing the thread to Victory here, and it¡¯s a narrow one. And not just with this Denny¡ª


    Oh. I can¡¯t say more.


    This damn system and its limitations.


    Alright¡ªso, the deal is, you¡¯ve made a stride on our path, a direct, tangible, and difficult step in one of our most vital Edicts, I¡¯ve got some leverage here. You know that skill I was able to get you for accepting my Icon? Yeah, now it¡¯s time to pay it off and bump it up to what I¡¯d really wanted to get you right away. Take this and have fun!


    Reward:


    You have gained Skill: Olympic Physique [Epic] (Basic)


    This Skill has replaced Olympic Physique [Rare] (Basic); you have started this skill at a lower level due to rarity difference and mastery.


    Olympic Physique (Basic) - Level 2


    This skill enhances the user¡¯s Dexterity, Strength, and Endurance up to 5%. This effect is similar to the lesser version of said skill, yet the benefit is permanent. Now, you¡¯re probably thinking, ¡®if it¡¯s permanent, is it always being trained?¡¯ No, unfortunately not. Victory, dear disciple of Nike, will advance the level of this skill and, therefore, your power. Prove yourself a victor and overcome challenges, and it will advance. The stronger the skill gets, the more difficult the accomplishments to advance this skill must be.


    And no, this percentage increase will not show up on your Status Screen, please be aware of your Physique¡¯s effect.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Colt¡¯s skin turned maybe a tint more golden as the new skill took hold. It was powerful. Nike delivered as she promised; he could almost see the Goddess giggling to herself as she sent the message, hiding whatever hints she might. Colt smiled in the dark and stood. His soul felt thrashed, but he overall felt more refreshed. A boon to be sure, even though the percentage increase was 5% less¡ªbut having it activate at all times was far better.


    There was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Colt?¡± Sarah asked.


    Colt rolled his shoulders and answered, ¡°Coming.¡±


    He walked out; she, Nate, and Julia were all gathered. The night was still in the sky, but it was nearing its end, meaning the time for their plan had come¡ªright on schedule for him to launch his invasion of New Nashville.


    Nate gave him a searching look.


    ¡°It worked?¡±


    ¡°I did it,¡± Colt said, letting a small splash of his Movement Edict for the soldier to sense. It was like a stone thrown into the vast void of the universe around them, a brief blip to show the difference in his grasp on the law.


    Before, with a minor grasp on Edict, this kind of poking around and flexing of this Edict wouldn¡¯t have been possible; now, he was afforded a more refined control.


    Nate gave an approving look.


    ¡°Jesus, your nose is bleeding, and you look like you just got through a match on the mats¡ªare we really sending him in alone?¡± Sarah asked, her concern betraying the harsh words. She got close and wiped the blood off.


    ¡°She has a point; you look rough.¡±


    Colt laughed and shook his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m going to see a healer then.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He might have looked rough. His body sure was sore, as if it¡¯d been flipping out and actually flying through an atmosphere, but already he was feeling more knit together. Enough, at least, for what amounted to a stealth operation. Out of them all, If anything went wrong, he was the best equipped to handle and deal with the situation.


    With two hours to sunrise and assuring his friends he¡¯d be fine, Colt threw on the black cloak to conceal his identity. Then, he took his escort to the city of New Nashville, slipping through the dark and misty streets like a group of ghosts in the night.


    He took the chance to test the new ability, feeling the way his body reacted. The baremost lighter, almost like he¡¯d gotten a couple off free levels. Easy to adjust to.


    When they reached the outskirts of the stadium and a building to set up, Colt took one long look at New Nashville with its lights cutting through the dark. Within it were thousands of people¡­ Regardless of him saving Jimmy, he knew, looking now, what this power he¡¯d claimed was.


    It was a responsibility. He¡¯d known that since the first dungeon, there wasn¡¯t a point in having this kind of power if you didn¡¯t exercise it to bring justice to those who needed it. And the countless people in there that Denny planned to control and use to his own ends, they needed a person to free them.


    The four of them set up in a nearby house, concealed and in total darkness. Nate kept a lookout as Sarah mumbled to herself about the stupidity of the plan¡ªJulia was a bit more put together, hanging near those two and keeping an eye out. If the guards did a sweep, they would withdraw, but their primary function was to form a sort of backup if Colt came barreling out of the city with a ton of guards on him.


    ¡°Now or never, right?¡± Colt said, more of their night slowly winding away from them, lost to the river of time.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Sarah said, her arms folded as she looked at him. ¡°If you¡¯re gone, we¡¯re fucked, and Jimmy is screwed. So don¡¯t mess this up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all out here,¡± Nate confirmed, his eyes not leaving the window as he kept watch.


    Julia gave him a thumbs up, ¡°You¡¯re the rogue. You got this.¡±


    Colt snorted and pulled the black hood of the cloak onto his head, hiding his face. With one last look at his friends, he snuck out the door of the building and slipped the little ways remaining to the city. Darkness wrapped around him, his new Dexterity and speed making it a bit easier to move¡ªit added around five Dexterity points. As his stats and the new skill grew, that would only widen further.


    For this mission, he needed to be a ghost haunting the night.


    Every lesson Nate taught him came to mind as he moved. Low profile, fitting into the same colored backdrops¡ªit wasn''t hard considering he was wearing black and it was the middle of the night. Within a few hundred feet of the stadium and its superior lighting to eliminate hiding places, he paused, watching the guards milling outside.


    His breath slowed, his heart beating in his chest. Getting discovered here would mean the full weight of New Nashville would bear down¡ªthey could get away, maybe. But not unscathed. And he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d get another chance to free Jimmy.


    There were more. Denny probably suspected they might try something. Guards came and went, but Colt stood steady, waiting. Watching.


    For a normal person, there might not be a gap. They couldn¡¯t easily scamper across the distance. Let alone into the entrance of the stadium. Colt didn¡¯t bother, slinking around the side of the stadium, where the patrols lessened. Even here, there were watchers to be seen, keeping an eye out for anyone who might break in, a smart move considering the world was filled with super-human freaks now as a product of the system.


    Denny had wisely and strategically knocked out any buildings or obstructions within four hundred feet and erected smaller scrap metal watch towers around the perimeter to have eyes on their outside at all times. Even now in the latest hours of the night, a full guard patrolled the outside with careful detection


    His citizen recruit program was working well. Using a carrot and a stick with personal rights and compensation was an effective strategy. Even here, with no entrance, Colt wouldn¡¯t have the time to scamper up to the stadium and cut a hole through the wall¡ªthey would discover it in seconds if they didn¡¯t outright catch him rushing the stadium. Alarms would ring, and he¡¯d have the whole of New Nashville on his head in minutes.


    In the ordinary world, it¡¯d be impossible for a normal person to sneak into. Maybe a top-trained spy.


    Colt wasn¡¯t a spy, but he also wasn¡¯t normal, neither was the world.


    When the tiniest gap appeared, he acted¡ªrushing with his new Movement; the world formed into a crawl as he ran, propelling him straight to the wall in less than a second, but Colt didn¡¯t stop there, he activated Phantom¡¯s Gambit as he propelled straight into the lump of steel plating, then, in a second, popped out the other side, no worse for wear.


    Using the last dregs of his Movement he scampered into a hiding spot, not that he¡¯d needed to. With the way Denny had arranged his defenses, this part of the stadium was an interior section that had been walled off from easy access; so, as he crouched in the darkness, heart hammering away and beads of sweat collecting on his brow, there wasn¡¯t another living person in sight.


    Just him and an old hot dog stand.


    Colt waited another couple of minutes.


    No beat of alarm¡ªhe¡¯d rushed the wall when the guard hadn¡¯t been looking. From the perspective of anyone watching, he would¡¯ve simply been a blur of black if they¡¯d even seen him in the first place.


    ¡°Damn, that was easy,¡± Colt said, catching his breath.


    So, yeah, maybe he was a rogue if sneaking somewhere was this easy¡ªit should be methodological and slow, right? This stealth thing. Then again, maybe there was something to be said about the strategy of getting in as fast as possible and out just as fast. Could you see if a rogue they were there and gone in a second or two?


    Speed equaled stealth.


    Colt snuck forward when he was certain that no one else was there and faced toward the interior wall; if he followed this and phased through a couple of more walls, he¡¯d be back in New Nashville.


    As Colt stared, letting his soul well down and preparing to put Movement back under wraps, he appreciated his growing skill set. This wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d imagined himself as being the best at in the apocalypse, but¡ªwell, if you could sneak through solid walls, move at a super-human rate, and cut through buildings with ease, really, what need did he have for throwing fireballs or lifting skyscrapers.


    With one last breath, he focused and moved on.


    Getting into New Nashville was a breeze, but tracking down Jimmy¡ªthat was going to be the crux of the issue. As Colt rolled his shoulders and gave a smile in the dark, he let the worry roll off him. He was going to be the phantom of New Nashville tonight.