《Dungeon Wreckers》 1: Brand New Day It was September 6th, 2024 in Evermarsh. Time was meaningless, monsters were everywhere, and Belgium had never existed¨Cto everyone''s relief. A four-story-tall high school stood near the waterfront behind thick brick walls. A third-year student looked through the window on the second floor. He was trying to pay attention to Miss Jansen¡¯s lecture when his Doom Sense spell sensed an incoming disaster. His lone black eye glanced at the cargo ships sailing across the North Sea. An invisible pressure spread through the air from the west, followed by a familiar, thrumming noise. It was the first week of Matthew Maruki¡¯s school year, and he already knew that it would be messy. A streak of violet light swiftly overtook the horizon. The blue sky turned purple beyond the window. No one inside the classroom noticed except for Kari Matsumoto, who occupied the desk right in front of Matthew¡¯s. Unlike him, she pretended not to notice. She would rather bear the inevitable change with stoic acceptance rather than stare it down. Miss Jansen continued her lecture on the French Revolution, unaware of the danger ahead. ¡°The revolutionary ideas from France found fertile ground among the Dutch Republic, leading to internal divisions and eventually, the Batavian Revolution in 1795. The Patriots overthrew the Stadtholderate with French support, establishing¨C¡± The purple wave overwhelmed the sea, the port, and the school, and soon swallowed them all.
¡°¨CThe Lowland Union by incorporating the Austrian Netherlands and the Duchy of Luxembourg,¡± Miss Jansen continued. She wore a yellow sweater instead of a white shirt now. ¡°At this point, the Second French Republic has stabilized and seeks to create a buffer state between itself and royalist powers¨C¡± The purple particles disappeared swiftly, alongside the pressure and noise that announced the wave¡¯s arrival. Kari Matsumoto looked over her shoulder and exchanged a knowing glance with Matthew. Both immediately started browsing their history books. The Napoleonic Wars section had been renamed the Republican Wars, the Industrial Revolution had submarines now, dinosaurs went extinct in the twenties, and a picture of Josef Stalin in papal garb headlined the final chapter. At least they had kept the spaceships. Matthew closed the book with a sigh. A timeshift always means extra homework, and not just the school kind. He raised his hand to get Miss Jansen¡¯s attention. He quickly succeeded, since he was a quiet student. ¡°Yes, Matthew?¡± ¡°Is the USA still at war with Canada?¡± he asked with utmost seriousness. Miss Jansen looked at him strangely. ¡°No, Matthew, the United States hasn¡¯t been at war with Canada since the eighties. What does it have to do with the Lowland Union¡¯s founding?¡± Nothing, but since the timeshift came from the west, Matthew figured that historical detail ought to have changed. Apparently not. Kari quickly came to his rescue. ¡°I think Matthew is asking whether the Louisiana Purchase and the following Second Anglo-American war partly motivated the French¡¯s decision to bolster the creation of sister republics like the Lowland Union.¡± ¡°In a way,¡± Miss Jansen said. ¡°Both events show a reorientation of France towards Europe at the expense of their former colonial empire, but there is no causality between them¨C¡± As Miss Jansen lost herself to her lecture and quickly forgot the question, Kari peeked over her shoulder and glared at Matthew. ¡°Don¡¯t bring attention to yourself like that,¡± she scolded him with a quiet whisper. ¡°What?¡± Matthew complained. ¡°We¡¯re at school. I¡¯m here to learn things. It¡¯s not my fault if history changes once a year nowadays.¡± His phone vibrated in his pocket. Matthew wasn¡¯t supposed to check it in class, but he had a pretty good idea of who was calling. He¡¯d been killing monsters for over four years, so he knew the song by heart. Matthew waited for Miss Jansen to look the other way to read his text messages. As he suspected, John sent him a short text.
Trigger: Butthole, Flyswatter, wanna look for a Dungeon after class? Ten bucks one spawned inside the school.
John was probably right too. A surge of new Dungeons always followed a timeshift, which Matthew was more or less fine with. Few things excited him more than bullying monsters. Dungeon chasing would wait until after he fulfilled his basic human needs. Matthew couldn¡¯t afford to fight monsters at less than his one hundred percent, and two hours of a now outdated history class had made him thirsty for a drink. ¡°It¡¯s Misfire,¡± Matthew whispered into Kari¡¯s ear. ¡°He wants to go on a Dungeon hunt." ¡°Misfire?¡± Kari visibly sulked. ¡°John called us names again, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Matthew shrugged as the bell echoed in the classroom. He was used to John¡¯s behavior by now, but he gave back as much as he took. The Dungeon Wrecker Association imposed codenames among its members to avoid getting into trouble with unknowing authorities; Matthew was only guilty of trespassing, breaking and entering, and a bit of occasional property damage, but some of his colleagues dabbled in weapons smuggling, tech theft, and illegal performance enhancers. Anything that helped monsters sleep in the dirt. All members remembered each other¡¯s nickname, except for John J?ger, who relentlessly mocked them instead.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "He''s not wrong, we should patrol the school," Kari said. "Just in case." "Gonna grab a drink first," Matthew replied as grabbed his schoolbag. "After that, I¡¯m all in." Kari squinted at him in disapproval. "Lives could be in danger." "Ours will be if we don''t perform at our best," Matthew replied wisely. The last time he entered a Dungeon while sleepy had cost him an eye. "We must prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the difficult task ahead." "You''re finding excuses for your laziness." Lazy? He was the only one on the team to keep passive spells active at all times! He only goofed off on missions when he had power to spare. "I''ll fall asleep mid-battle without a shot of sugar." Not to mention that the next class after lunch would be math, which Matthew found almost as soporific as history. "I¡¯ll be quick, don¡¯t worry." Kari gave up on the argument and the two of them left class together. A flow of students climbed down the school stairs to enjoy a brief moment of freedom outside. Matthew noticed a few new colors among his classmates¡¯ hair and eyes. Green, blue, red¡­ mankind grew more colorful with each timeshift. All of Europe would transform into an anime convention at this rate. Kari exchanged a few greetings, and politely declined a daring boy¡¯s attempt to invite her out for lunch. Matt couldn¡¯t blame him for trying. Kari ¡°Crit¡± Matsumoto was cute and popular, enough to be named class representative. She wore her shoulder-length raven hair in a ponytail and her fair skin only accentuated her gray eyes¡¯ piercing stare. As the fencing club¡¯s star, she was very much in shape under her white sweatshirt and jogging pants; she also regularly topped grade ranks, even without the use of spells. In short, Kari Matsumoto was a winner. Many wonder why she hung out with Matt and John. Meanwhile, Matt drew the wrong kind of attention, as he always did. Matt was a bit thin and pale for his age, but not gaunt either. He kept his black hair short and liked to stick to yellow shirts and beige pants, with the occasional cap. Some girls used to call him cute once. And he still was¡­ if one ignored the white surgical eyepatch covering his left eye. It was quite off-putting to most, though less so than what the all-consuming black hole secretly hidden underneath. Humans liked normalcy. When they looked at Matt¡¯s face and saw a single blue eye staring back at them, it reminded them of their own fragility. And they didn¡¯t like it. At all. Most students never said it, of course, not to Matt¡¯s face, but they stayed clear of him nonetheless. If only they knew he had lost it fighting a monster. At least Matthew could have boasted about his ¡®war scars.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve found a nifty change,¡± Matthew informed Kari after he finished checking the daily news on his cellphone. ¡°Universal Pictures launched a vampire cinematic universe.¡± ¡°Vampires?¡± Kari¡¯s head perked up in interest. ¡°How do they look?¡± Matthew pulled up a picture of a monstrous, batlike humanoid with a lamprey mouth full of fangs. ¡°They¡¯re not the hot kind,¡± Matthew said. ¡°It¡¯s a horror-comedy franchise.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Kari pouted in disappointment. ¡°Now I¡¯m sad.¡± ¡°I can try to grow fangs if you want,¡± Matthew suggested. ¡°I already do my best to avoid sunlight, so I¡¯m basically halfway there. I just need a quick green spell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re adorable, Matthew, but you should go outside more often,¡± Kari replied with a giggle. ¡°Besides, I''m only a few months away from donating my blood anyway.¡± Most students had left for the cafeteria¡ªFriday was burger and fries¡ªso the path to the vending machines was clear. Nobody would watch. Nobody without powers. ¡°Can you watch my back for a sec?¡± Matthew asked his teammate. Kari gave him a disapproving look. ¡°You¡¯re using your Key to steal again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m short on funds,¡± Matthew reminded her. His parents couldn¡¯t afford to give him much pocket change after covering his tuition, and Dungeon hunts, while profitable, carried a lot of expenses and fence-related cuts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with getting freebies now and then? We''re the ones risking our lives for everybody else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Kari crossed her arms and looked away. ¡°Never mind.¡± With a lookout ensuring no one would interrupt him, Matthew pressed his palm against the vending machine¡¯s glass. A yellow glow immediately surged from his skin. It had been over four years since Matthew gained those fabulous cosmic powers. Four years spent struggling against the weight of Disbelief. Doc O''Connor coined the term after studying it in-depth: the more normal people observed a supernatural phenomenon, the faster it turned into a natural phenomenon. The Doc believed it was reality''s attempt to suppress all Dungeon-related activities. Mundane crowds of observers often caused Matthew''s spells to go haywire. Even when he managed to use them in front of civilians, their minds found perfectly natural rationalizations. He could quote them by heart: that hole was caused by a leak, the crater was always there, the manufacturer ripped us off¡­ They wouldn¡¯t even believe in the existence of Dungeons. Their victims simply joined the missing persons list. Without non-Crawler witnesses, his Key ability manifested without fail nor issues. A perfectly circular hole opened on the glass display. Matthew swiftly grabbed a soda can from the rail conveyor, then watched with satisfaction as the hole closed on its own. He had committed the perfect crime. The Dungeon Wrecker Association didn¡¯t call him Wormhole for nothing. ¡°At least you¡¯re not stealing the money,¡± Kari commented, a hint of displeasure in her voice. Matthew observed the coin dispenser with a fresh new look. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Kari warned him. ¡°I¡¯m willing to share,¡± he replied. ¡°The profits go to the student council treasury, which I preside over. Please don¡¯t try to bribe me on my first week.¡± What was the point of volunteering for an elected office if you couldn¡¯t skim money now and then? Matthew knew his teammate enough not to push the issue and opened his can the old-fashioned way. The delicious liquid sugar flowed down his gullet and into his veins. ¡°I¡¯ve found the timeshift¡¯s source,¡± Kari said as she checked her cellphone. ¡°An earthquake struck the Panama Canal.¡± Matthew peeked at her phone and scowled upon reading a Wikipedia page. An earthquake had indeed damaged the region around Panama City hours ago, sinking boats and leaving hundreds either dead or wounded. ¡°Panama, huh?¡± Matthew muttered to himself. "Wasn''t there a stage-four Dungeon there? Something with goblins and sea monsters?" "There was," Kari confirmed with a grim scowl. "I guess the local teams failed to take it out in time." Dungeons mostly fed in secrecy. Like predators requiring meat to grow stronger, each new victim fueled their growth. If allowed to reach critical size, they reached maturity and attempted to emerge directly on Earth. This always resulted in a timeshift as Disbelief changed history to justify the disaster. Monsters became plagues, quakes, floods, or worse. Dungeons were like weeds; best nipped in the bud. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m good to go now,¡± Matthew declared after stretching a little. His lost strength returned to him. ¡°I¡¯m tanned, I¡¯m rested, I¡¯m pumped. Let¡¯s go Dungeon hunting.¡± A text message notification suddenly popped up on Kari¡¯s phone. She frowned and swiftly showed Matthew its content.
Trigger: Bring your asses (and my money) to the gymnasium ASAP. I¡¯ve found one.
2: Your Dungeon Next Door The gymnasium stood a stone¡¯s throw away from the main building¡¯s southern wing, right next to the sports fields. Matt and Kari quickly found John waiting for them near the entrance, lying back under the shadow of a tree. ¡°You two took your sweet time,¡± John complained. With his shaggy blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and handsome features, he reminded Matt of a teenage Ben Foster minus the beard. He was the only student to wear a coat in September¡ªmostly so he could hide guns¡ªand gloves¡ªso as not to leave any fingerprints. ¡°I was about to smash my way in.¡± ¡°Climb down from your horse, John,¡± Kari replied in annoyance. ¡°Flyswatter? Really? That¡¯s the best name you could come up with?¡± ¡°Got you here quickly, didn¡¯t it?¡± John jerked a thumb at the gymnasium. ¡°Can you feel it?¡± Matthew had more experience than his teammates with Dungeons, so he immediately picked up on the weird feeling coming off from the building. A subtle sensation of wrongness. ¡°Flux Sight,¡± he said. Flux poured into his eye and let them detect the invisible: a pallid cloud of green dust stained with blue blotches coming from the gymnasium. Hardly noticeable. ¡°It¡¯s a stage one, I think. Dual color, green-blue. Nothing to write home about.¡± Stage one Dungeons¡ªthe Association officially called them ¡®Cells¡¯¡ªwere difficult to detect due to their small size, but easy to destroy. They followed the law of the triple ones: one floor, one door, one core. Its monsters were few in number and usually weak. But if left unattended, they would then go through stages two, three, and four, before finally triggering a timeshift. ¡°You both owe me ten bucks each,¡± John declared. He never forgot such details. ¡°Show me the money.¡± ¡°I never officially accepted the challenge,¡± Matthew pointed out. John snorted. ¡°Chicken.¡± ¡°Duckling,¡± Matthew replied. He couldn¡¯t explain why, but it seemed appropriate. Kari ignored them both as she checked her phone. ¡°According to the school schedule, we¡¯ve got an hour before class 3-C comes in for P.E. time after lunch.¡± ¡°One hour?¡± Matthew shrugged. ¡°I say we can clear it in five minutes.¡± ¡°The second-years just finished their own class,¡± John said. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone is missing yet.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Matthew commented. New Dungeons were like newborn babes: grasping, hungry, and insatiable. They picked up every human within range of their entrance with no subtlety whatsoever. ¡°Let¡¯s clean it up.¡± Few things got his blood pumping more than the hunt. The trio entered the gym by the backdoor. As a recently renovated school with a high reputation, the Lyc¨¦e Fran?ais d¡¯Evermarsh was loaded to bear with cameras, metal detectors, and RFID badges. These measures might keep human predators at bay, but the real monsters always found ways to slip through the cracks¡ªand John was living proof you can still smuggle weapons in with the right know-how. Thankfully, Kari¡¯s student council membership granted her access to most areas. Inside the quiet gymnasium, light filtered through the tall windows on the polished wood of the basketball court. A volleyball net stood in its midst and a bouldering wall on its tail end. Matthew followed the aura trail to the entrance most forbidden of all rooms. The girls'' locker room. Kari sighed in despair. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the Dungeon is in there.¡± ¡°Can I go in first?¡± Matthew asked immediately. ¡°No,¡± Kari replied swiftly. ¡°Now shush. I hear someone.¡± As predicted, a second-year student walked out of the locker room; a pretty blonde with whom Matthew crossed paths with a few times at the dorm. Chlo¨¦, he thought her name was.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Kari? Matthew?¡± she asked, slightly surprised to find a group of third-years in the gymnasium. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Oh, Chlo¨¦, good to see you,¡± Kari replied with a smile. Kari Matsumoto knew everybody. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us, we¡¯re just checking the sports equipment ahead of class.¡± ¡°Always the worrywart, huh?¡± Chlo¨¦ said with a chuckle. ¡°Actually, have you seen Marion on your way in?¡± ¡°Marion?¡± Kari¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°No, we haven¡¯t. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Chlo¨¦ scratched her cheek. ¡°She was right behind me when I left the shower, but now I can¡¯t find her anywhere. Maybe she went to lunch early.¡± John and Matthew exchanged a brief glance. The former immediately took a step toward the locker room¡¯s entrance, much to Chlo¨¦¡¯s outrage. ¡°Hey!¡± she complained. ¡°What are you doing, you peep¨C¡± On paper, John J?ger had it all. He was smart, handsome, athletic, and the national champion of the popular Board & Conquest game. By all metrics, he should be the school¡¯s most popular student¡­ were it not for a small detail. ¡°Peep?¡± John sneered at Chlo¨¦. ¡°To peep, I would have to find any of you attractive.¡± John J?ger was a dick. ¡°W-what did you say?!¡± Chlo¨¦ complained, only for John to utterly deny her existence and invade the girls¡¯ locker room anyway. ¡°Hey you bastard, don''t ignore me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drug bust!¡± Kari lied through her teeth, and so poorly it hurt to watch. ¡°Someone smuggled cocaine and we¡¯re here to confiscate it!¡± ¡°If you keep silent, you¡¯ll get some,¡± Matthew joked. That ought to pacify her. ¡°Matthew, shut up!¡± Kari chided him before quickly grabbing the furious Chlo¨¦ and leading her away. ¡°Let me explain¡­¡± Trusting Kari to lie her way out of this mess, Matthew quickly followed John and found himself disappointed. All the boys in his class fantasized about the girls¡¯ locker room, but it turned out to be the same deodorant-smelling coffin of concrete as the boys¡¯ room. Rows of lockers adorned with stickers and magnets surrounded sweat-drenched benches like silent sentinels. A little steam wafted from the showers. The air was still warm and filled with a Dungeon¡¯s unbearable stench. ¡°We¡¯ve found the entrance,¡± John said as he studied the room. ¡°Can you blow the doors open?¡± ¡°Sure I can,¡± Matthew replied, slightly insulted by the question. ¡°You know I can summon black holes, right?¡± ¡°Yes I do, you keep mentioning it whenever we hunt together.¡± ¡°I can solo the Dungeon too, if you do my homework.¡± Matthew showed great diligence when it came to killing monsters, and little to none when it came to student responsibilities. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag you screaming and whining to the Doc again.¡± ¡°In your dreams, Maruki.¡± John¡¯s grin had all the bloodthirst of a wild predator. ¡°I live for this.¡± Matthew raised his left hand at the aura cloud filling the shower room. All Crawlers could infiltrate Dungeons on their own, but those without a deft touch triggered an alarm response. A subtler entrance would help them rescue the victim. He grabbed onto the floating energy, sensing the conflicted resistance of the Dungeon. It wanted to pull Matthew inside its innards¡ªhuman lives fueled its growth after all¡ªand yet instinctively understood the danger. Someone who wished to enter a Dungeon couldn''t be prey. Not that it could keep Matthew out. Whether subtle or loud, he always found his way in. Kari rejoined them a few seconds later, alone and flustered. ¡°I convinced her to vacate the premises,¡± she said while glaring at John. ¡°You¡¯re a brute.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste with chit chat. Not with someone¡¯s life on the line.¡± John might have been a boor, but one who lived up to his responsibilities. ¡°Ready when you are, Maruki.¡± ¡°Buckle up,¡± Matthew replied. He suddenly pulled back his hand and tore the fabric of space in two. A surge of blue and green light swallowed the group whole. The shower room changed around them in subtle and obvious ways. The musky air grew cold, an otherworldly chill seeping into Matthew¡¯s very bones. Dust motes danced under showers dripping black oil instead of water; the sink mirrors cracked into distorted shapes. The shift ended in seconds. John immediately drew an Uzi from under his jacket whereas Kari¡¯s skin started glowing with a blue hue. ¡°Intuimotion,¡± she cast on herself, boosting her reflexes and then her intelligence. ¡°Premium Thoughts.¡± Matthew walked out of the showers first. He didn¡¯t need any weapon and he already kept passive spells active at all times. His Doom Sense perked up immediately, warning him of the danger ahead. The rest of the room had changed greatly. Dungeons usually mirrored normal reality, in a funhouse kind of way. The lockers stood ajar, empty, and dust-laden. The benches were festooned with delicate traces of webs. The source of the latter crawled on a wall, its eight legs climbing on the vertical surface as if it were a floor. The creature vaguely resembled a spider, with its body of coarse black hair and its sharp mandibles, but spiders rarely grew as large as a pony. The monster hadn¡¯t noticed Matthew yet. Hence he politely announced his presence. ¡°Hey,¡± Matthew said glibly. The creature looked up at him with its hundreds of hate-filled eyes. Matthew quickly patted it on the head before it could attack. The monster¡¯s hair was strangely soft and pleasing to the touch. A shame. ¡°Die for me,¡± Matthew whispered. His magic surged from his palm and split the spider¡¯s head open. A perfectly circular hole the size of a fist opened in the middle of its skull, tearing through the brain, the flesh, and the eyes too. The beast¡¯s mandibles gnarled garbled noise as the body collapsed to the floor. The spider twitched a few more seconds before granting Matthew¡¯s wish. ¡°First blood is mine,¡± Matthew boasted to his teammates. ¡°Gonna get more.¡± The hunt had begun. 3: Its Always Loud ¡°Subtle or loud?¡± John as he charged his weapon. A dungeon always began with answering this question. Doc O¡¯Connor likened Dungeons to bodies and monsters to their immune system. Since manifesting traps and monsters consumed energy, most Dungeons only summoned these defenses to pick off the helpless humans they caught in their web. Crawlers who didn¡¯t raise too much of a ruckus could slip under the radar while taking out the occasional critter. However, if the Dungeons started registering intruders as a threat¡ªusually when they started making a mess or reaching for the core¡ªthen the place fully mobilized. They summoned waves of monsters, raised barriers to hamper progression, and generated hazards¡­ in short, they ratcheted the difficulty up a notch. Going loud had its advantages. A Dungeon wasting its resources on intercepting an intruder would eventually run out of power to defend its core, and forcing its defenders to focus on the threats could offer a precious reprieve to harmless victims caught inside. ¡°Loud,¡± Matthias answered immediately. ¡°I blow a path to the core, in and out, five minutes tops.¡± ¡°I vote for a subtle approach,¡± Kari replied. ¡°The dungeon is too young to tell us Crawlers apart from normal humans. It might mistake Marion for one of us and target her aggressively.¡± ¡°Sorry Maruki, I¡¯m with Matsumoto on that one,¡± John said, much to Matthew¡¯s disappointment. ¡°At least until we recover the girl, that is. We can treat ourselves with a little slaughter afterward.¡± Matthew rolled his only eye. Going loud meant he could use his Wormhole to dig holes in the dungeon and make a beeline straight to the core. Their lost classmate¡ªnay, the entire school¡ªwould be safer as soon as the Dungeon was gone. Alas, democracy failed him again. While Kari and John went up ahead to scout, Matthew traced a circle on the wall closest to the dungeon¡¯s exit. His Key granted him control over the concept of hole. Buttholes, bullet holes, memory holes, wormholes, black holes, white holes¡­ Matthew could create all of them at will. However, Yellow Keys and spells followed their own logic. Semantic, conceptual logic. A hole inside something didn¡¯t behave like a hole that led somewhere. To create portal holes, Matthew needed to mark a surface and then a second to open a pathway. This one would let the team quickly evacuate Marion once they found her, or retreat if they faced an unexpected problem. Matthew quickly caught up to his team once he was finished. As it turned out, their reward for exiting the girls¡¯ locker room proved to be¡­ well, more lockers. A crossroad of dull gray narrow corridors stretched before the trio, with rows after rows of rusty lockers neatly standing along the walls. These differed only by the number of cobwebs sticking onto their surface, or the dented scars on their doors. The whole place smelled of oil and stagnant water. Matthew had expected more originality. Then again, newborn Dungeons usually lacked imagination. ¡°Seems the place is bigger than I thought,¡± John commented. ¡°I regret not bringing a bomb to school today. It would have come in handy.¡± Kari squinted at him. ¡°Today?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how much stuff I can smuggle through the metal detectors,¡± John replied with a small shrug. He opened his jacket, unveiling a small armory of blades and handguns. ¡°Want a weapon, Matsumoto?¡± John never offered Matthew weapons. He didn¡¯t need them. ¡°I would like a knife, if you have any,¡± Kari replied. John quickly tossed her a switchblade, which she swiftly caught in midair. ¡°Thank you. I noticed foot-dirt residue on the left side of the hallway, so I think Marion went that way.¡± Matthew looked at the floor but didn¡¯t see anything. He knew better than to doubt his teammate since he saw her snipe a fly with a needle from fifty meters away. Her Key granted her some insane levels of visual perception and accuracy. ¡°She can¡¯t have wandered far,¡± John said as he fearlessly continued down the hallway. Matthew and Kari quickly followed after him, with the former paying more attention to the rows of lockers surrounding them. A few looked slightly ajar, their doors rattling softly. Matthew half-expected a monster to burst out of them anytime, but his Doom Sense had yet to tingle. It didn¡¯t take him long to notice a peculiar oddity: a golden locker standing out from the rest of its trusty neighbors, its pristine door untouched by cobwebs. The word ¡®treasure¡¯ was carved on its frame in plain old English. ¡°Marion isn¡¯t inside it,¡± Kari said almost immediately. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Matthew complained. ¡°You were thinking it¨C¡± A scream echoed further away before Kari could finish. The trio immediately rushed at its source without hesitation, taking a corner at the next crossroad and then another. Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense stirred in the back of his head. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. They found the victim cowering from a giant spider in a dead-end locker alley. The grotesque monster had a huge moist brain for an abdomen, but from the way its mandible gnarled at the skinny girl half its size, it didn¡¯t see much use for it. Kari reacted first and dashed ahead in a blitz of speed. John and Matthew both raised guns behind her; the latter¡¯s weapon had a thumb for a hammer and a finger for a barrel, but it was quick to fire. ¡°Bang,¡± Matthew whispered as John pressed his Uzi¡¯s trigger. A new butthole opened right in the spider¡¯s back-brain, though no projectile ever hit it. It simply ripened as Matthew¡¯s power created a bullet hole from nothing. John¡¯s bullets deviated in midair and shot the joints at the monster¡¯s legs, causing it to collapse to the ground with a screech. Kari jumped on its back in a blink of Matthew¡¯s eye, stabbed it, and then gutted the creature from one head to the other. Blue cerebrospinal fluid¡ªMatthew was proud to remember the term from the biology class¡ªspilled all over her shoes. The monster thrashed around madly for a few seconds before breathing its last. ¡°Kari, which of us shot the spider first?¡± Matthew asked after lowering his finger gun. ¡°John,¡± she replied as she stepped down from the monster¡¯s carcass. Matthew crossed his arms in disappointment while John gave him the smuggest smirk imaginable. ¡°Marion, are you hurt?¡± The girl¡ªa skinny brunette with freckles and shaggy clothes¡ªreacted just how Matthew expected her to: by screaming, crying, and cowering in a corner while begging for her life. It didn''t surprise Matthew. Almost all of a Dungeon''s victims entered a fugue state when caught inside one. ¡°Easy, it¡¯s over,¡± Kari did her best to console her, gently patting Marion¡¯s back with one hand and holding her bloody knife in the other. ¡°You are safe now.¡± ¡°Until the spider¡¯s friends come to avenge its death and eat us all,¡± Matthew replied, which earned him a glare from his teammate. ¡°I¡¯m just saying we should aim for the core now.¡± Kari let out a sigh. ¡°Just open the path to the exit.¡± Matthew quickly traced a wide circle on the ground with his finger. Yellow light swiftly bent space inside its confines. Matthew sensed the metaphysical weight of the Dungeon crashing down on his spell, its vain attempt to close an ulcer developing in the very heart of its bowels. An older, late-stage Dungeon with Flux to spare might have succeeded, but this one was young and weak. Matthew hardly needed to focus to open a portal back to the exit. Kari took the shell-shocked Marion in her arms and gently guided her to the hole of yellow light. ¡°I¡¯ll take her outside and come back,¡± she informed her teammates. ¡°Wait for me to strike the core, alright? Don¡¯t take any risk.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Matthew replied without enthusiasm. He watched as Kari led Marion into the portal, both of them vanishing in a surge of light, and then turned to look at John. The same idea had crossed both of their minds. ¡°Wanna rob the place before she returns?¡± ¡°With haste,¡± John replied. He never turned down an opportunity for profit. The two of them left the portal behind and went back the way they came in search of the treasure locker. Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense triggered as they took a corner, which caused him to look at its source: a rusty, perfectly normal locker in the midst of a row full of them. John looked over his shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Gimme a sec.¡± Matthew punched the locker. A gaping, bloody hole ripened on its surface right as the door grew a set of teeth. The false locker let out a gargle of agony, spit its guts all over the floor, and then fell inert. ¡°Locker mimic.¡± Dungeons were living entities in a way; and like all lifeforms, they were subject to the rules of natural selection. They constantly developed new mutations and adaptations to better protect themselves from Crawlers or to catch more victims. Some said the first Dungeons didn¡¯t have monsters or traps at all. They simply trapped their victims until they died of hunger or thirst. Only when Crawlers appeared did they develop better defenses. Once upon a time, Dungeons realized that most human prey struggled to resist the appeal of a shiny treasure. Even Crawlers wasted time when presented with a good enough catch. Thus Dungeons began to place precious objects as lures to catch more victims. It worked well for Crawlers at first¡­ Until they discovered the concept of mimics. Two years back, you couldn¡¯t open a drawer without a monster jumping out of it. This predictably caused a dramatic loss of interest in treasures by the human population, which defeated the point of a lure. Dungeons thus settled on a comfortable percentage of five percent mimic and ninety-five percent treasures. Small enough to keep humans invested in treasure hunts, high enough to catch them unaware now and then. Exit doors were always traps though. Normal people couldn¡¯t escape a Dungeon without the use of a Key. With the mimic quickly dealt with, the duo quickly made their way back to the treasure locker. Matthew swiftly opened after confirming his Doom Sense didn¡¯t trigger. He prayed for a bounty of gold, maybe a diamond or two. Instead, he found an aluminum sports trophy and a set of women¡¯s swimsuits. Matthew looked at them in pure disappointment. ¡°Did you forget treasures match the Dungeons¡¯ aesthetics?¡± John taunted him. ¡°You thought a gymnasium would drop diamonds?" ¡°I¡¯ll take the trophy,¡± Matthew grumbled. Who knew, their fence might get a few hundred bucks from it. ¡°You can keep the swimsuits.¡± ¡°Trick¡¯s on you, I can sell that shit for twenty euros a piece.¡± John opened Matthew¡¯s bag and quickly crammed it to the brim with their finds. ¡°You¡¯re really that poor, Maruki?¡± ¡°I do what I must to survive,¡± Matthew countered. Third-world paupers would take pity on his monthly scholarship, and it had been months since his last Dungeon hunt. ¡°My art supply budget is on life support right now.¡± John showed him no sympathy whatsoever. "You can only blame yourself for blowing up our last hunt''s earnings on video games." "I have needs, alright? And I''m not the one judging you on your hobbies!" ¡°At least I can keep my finances in the black,¡± John replied after closing the bag. Kari quickly caught up to them soon after, a disapproving frown on her face. ¡°Any issues with the girl, Matsumoto?¡± ¡°I took Marion outside, but I don¡¯t think she has a Key,¡± Kari said. ¡°We should aim for the core before the next P.E. class begins.¡± Matthew thought she would never ask. Shame for the lack of a Key though. The Association needed some fresh blood. The locker rows rattled and shuddered, which Matthew took as a sign of the Dungeon¡¯s displeasure at being denied its meal. A dozen giant spiders quickly stepped out from a corner and into the hallway, crawling on the ceiling and the walls straight at the trio. They gnarled and screeched and hissed, their squirmy legs clanging against the lockers. ¡°Oh look, they think they have a chance,¡± John said, a vicious smirk stretching on his lips. He raised his Uzi for the kill. ¡°How cute!¡± ¡°Whoever kills the least of them pays for dinner,¡± Matthew immediately proposed. For once, Kari smiled at the prospect. She stretched her legs with some footwork, her bloody knife shining under the dim lights of the ceiling¡¯s lamps. ¡°Challenge accepted.¡± The hallway erupted into a shower of blood and lead. 4: Tutorials End They paved the hallway with spider bile and viscera. Being short of an eye never hindered Matthew¡¯s aim. Though his gunslinging hardly compared with John¡¯s, he more than pulled his weight. Eyes, limbs, abdomen, they all bled the same. ¡°Bang,¡± Matthew said as he blew out a spider¡¯s head, then a second. ¡°Bang bang bang!¡± By now the Dungeon had grasped the danger the trio represented and fully mobilized against them. Another wave of monsters sneaked up on the group from the other end of the hallway, trapping them between two tides of screeching critters. John took care of one side, while Matthew and Kari slaughtered their way through the other. His Doom Sense warned Matthew of danger to his left. The nearest locker¡¯s door snapped open and a monstrous pair of mandibles emerged from the shadows within a second later. Matthew simply slapped them back, his power blasting a door-sized hole in his would-be assassin¡¯s head. Matthew could kill almost anything with a touch, but he was neither agile nor durable. Doom Sense only forewarned him of incoming danger; if the attack moved faster than his body could react, then his spell wouldn¡¯t help him evade it. Hence Matthew mostly left the frontlines to Kari. She didn¡¯t possess Flux reserves large enough to keep her passive spells active at all times. In the brief moments when she managed to stack them though, she became a killing machine. Watching her dance among the monsters was quite the mesmerizing spectacle. Bullets harmlessly flew past her. Hungry fangs closed in on empty air. Her knife flashed faster than Matthew¡¯s eye could follow, skewering one spider after another. Not a drop of monster blood managed to stain her clothes. She always managed to step out of the way. Meanwhile, John cried his joy for all to hear. Now that they had rescued the victim, he could afford to enjoy himself. ¡°Man, I''ve missed this!¡± he shouted in between fits of laughter. His bullets surged with red energy when they emerged from his gun¡¯s barrel. These crimson comets carved a bloody path through the arachnids, before bending corners and nailing more of their comrades. ¡°Just letting go and blowing skulls up!¡± Many of his projectiles moved around limbs to target the vitals, leaving scores of headless arachnids bleeding to death on the floor. John¡¯s Key allowed him to control the motion of his bullets, so Matthew knew this was intentional. His comrade never went for the artful and poetic death when he could settle for quick and dirty. Quantity over quality. John J?ger was a practical person. To his credit, his method let him rack up a bigger killcount than his comrades. It didn¡¯t please Matthew. He would lose the bet if he kept lagging behind. For the sake of his bank account, he would have to step up his game. Matthew briefly interrupted his killing spree to check the flow of blue and green particles floating in the air. Most slightly bent to his left, like metal pieces thrown off-course by the presence of a powerful magnet. He knew where to go. ¡°Kari, can you keep them occupied for a minute or two?¡± Matthew asked as he ran his hand along the lockets to his left. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Kari replied absentmindedly, her knife firmly stuck between a giant spider¡¯s head and the rest of its body. Only when she guessed her teammate¡¯s plan did her head snap in his direction. ¡°Wait, Matthew, wait!¡± Her warning came too late. The hallway trembled as Matthew¡¯s power opened a hole through the wall in a bright flash of yellow light. The Dungeon cloaked itself in the trappings of a locker room, but its true nature swiftly revealed itself. Matthew¡¯s power tore open concrete skin to unveil ectoplasmic flesh of writhing white tendrils. These coiling cables scrabbled and wriggled upon being exposed to the outside world, blue and green light coursing through their snakelike-length as they attempted to close the rift. A useless effort. The Dungeon had spent most of its Flux manifesting monsters, so it lacked the power to heal its wound. Matthew kept pressing against the receding flesh, his power digging an ever-expanding tunnel into the Dungeon¡¯s bowels. The concentration of particles increased the deeper he went in. The noise of Kari¡¯s angry reproaches and John¡¯s gunfire slowly grew distant. Matthew¡¯s passage finally reached its other end after a good ten meters of constant progress. The Dungeon¡¯s deepest sanctum stretched before him, its shape reminiscent of a twisted basketball court. Dungeons rarely managed to perfectly mimic a real place, and this one was no exception: the lines that marked the field¡¯s boundaries shone with blue Flux, the bleachers¡¯ benches were cracked or overturned, and the scoreboard hung upside-down. Warped spider web banners hung above a dusty wooden floorboard. Matthew quickly scanned the hall until he found the true prize: the Dungeon¡¯s core, enshrined on a spiderweb hoop, right atop a rusty backboard. A Dungeon¡¯s core was its nucleus, its heart, a monster seed, and a Flux engine packed in one nasty package. This one was a pretty green orb covered in a scintillating pale blue web pattern. An outsider could have mistaken it for a soccer ball, and indeed, it looked no larger than one. Matthew knew better. All Flux inside the pocket dimension converged on that orb. A shroud of blue and green particles floated over its surface, forming spasming clouds of light and ethereal rings of energy. Matt already salivated at the thought of smashing it on the ground and cracking it open. But like all good treasures, the core had its defender. All Dungeons had a trump card, an ultimate weapon or last line of defense, and this one was no exception. An arachnid behemoth fell from the ceiling and landed on the floorboard in a devastating crash, cracking wood and blowing dust in all directions. The previous spiders were as big as ponies, but this one¡¯s size rivaled that of an elephant. Taut, articulated metal limbs carried an abdomen armored in a mesh of knotted football pads. A gaping maw of fangs opened in the middle of a ring of cybernetic eyes glowing with malice as the monster stepped firmly between Matthew and the core. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Matthew was far from afraid. In fact, he overflowed with giddiness. ¡°Neat,¡± he said, his hand moving to his face, ¡°That¡¯s the perfect angle!¡± Matthew swiftly removed his eyepatch and unveiled the black hole underneath. A hungry void awakened inside his eye socket with a deep, haunting growl. The stagnant air suddenly swirled into a whirlpool of darkness as light and dust alike were sucked into a pit of nothingness. The Flux particles floating around the Core escaped its gravity. A stronger pull called them back to a challenger. The web banners snapped, the cracked stands crawled onto the ground, and the mighty spider stumbled. It took all of Matthew¡¯s strength to stand in place. Although he was immune to his own power, he couldn¡¯t say the same for the floor beneath his feet. The wood cracked under him and splinters from the cracked stands bounced off his skin. Since his Doom Sense didn¡¯t activate, he held his ground and continued to apply pressure. When Matthew first lost his eye, his Key ability had undergone a strange mutation. His power automatically took over the hole in his skull¡¯s socket and turned it into a bottomless, ever-hungry cosmic abyss. Energy, matter, light, dust, trash, piles of unfinished tests¡­ black holes weren¡¯t picky eaters, and Matthew¡¯s own consumed everything thrown its way. However, keeping that hole open burned through Matthew¡¯s Flux reserves at high speed and it risked absorbing friends and foes alike, not to mention objects pulled towards him might end up hitting him instead of the hole. Hence why he rarely used it. Matthew would make an exception today. A direct shot at the Boss and the Core was too good of an opportunity to pass. His two targets proved unable to resist the pressure. The Boss failed to crawl away, its mighty limbs dragged closer to death. The Core¡¯s backboard throne snapped like a twig behind it. The monstrous spider stretched into a mass of flesh and particles as the black hole consumed it. The cracking Core managed to keep its spherical shape until the final stretch, but the darkness swallowed it all the same. The Dungeon shook, then screamed. Matthew barely had time to close his black hole and cover it back with his eyepatch before a tremor threw him off his feet. The walls trembled and wriggled around him, tendrils of white flesh unbinding into oblivion. With its heart gone, the Dungeon pumped a wild stream of green and blue Flux particles through its halls and corridors. Matthew shielded his ears from the cacophony of screeching wails and crumbling walls. Being expelled from a dying Dungeon was akin to receiving a zero on a test: rarely lethal, but always unpleasant. The entire pocket dimension collapsed in a sea of particles that hit Matthew like a cold shower. The blowback threw his body across a thin, invisible barrier¡ªthe layer separating the Dungeon from the rest of the universe¡ªwith a final whimper. The lights of the girls'' shower flickered as Matthew, Kari, and John landed on its slippery floor on top of one another; with John at the bottom, Kari in the middle, and Matthew at the top. The Flux aura that led them to the entrance vanished in a final whimper. No traces of the Dungeon remained in the real world. That door was forever shut. ¡°I win,¡± Matthew declared with a smug smirk. His joy lasted until Kari hastily pushed him off her back. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Maruki, you dirty kill thief!¡± John raged at his teammate as the trio rose back to their feet. ¡°I was on a roll! How dare you ruin my fun?¡± ¡°You were running out of bullets, John,¡± Kari scolded him before sweeping dust off her pants. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Matt replied, though it was a lie. Unveiling his eye-hole had left him more winded than a marathon. He would take a nap in math class to recover his lost strength. ¡°And be thankful for that.¡± Kari¡¯s brows arched in a black glare of worry and quiet anger. ¡°Matt, how many times will I have to tell you? Don¡¯t run off to fight on your own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care, I won the bet,¡± Matthew replied mischievously. Kari crossed her arms at him, but dropped the matter when they heard cries coming from outside the shower. She immediately stepped in the noise¡¯s direction when Matthew grabbed her sleeve. ¡°Kari, the knife.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Kari suddenly remembered the weapon in her hands. The alien blood on it had turned red. The universe probably rationalized it into being ketchup, or maybe genuine human blood. Matthew was curious, but not enough to check. ¡°Ugh¡­ what to do¡­¡± John swept the bloody knife off her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up,¡± he said while hiding his guns back under his coat. ¡°The two of you should check on the victim. She must be throwing up by now.¡± John¡¯s prophecy proved accurate enough. Matthew and Kari found Chlo¨¦ and Marion in the nearby washroom, the former tending to the latter as she vomited into the toilet. Matthew had to pinch his nose not to imitate her. A girl¡¯s shit smelled no sweeter than a boy¡¯s one. ¡°Kari, how good to see you!¡± Chlo¨¦ said, her eyes wide with worry for her friend. ¡°Marion is sick!¡± ¡°There was¡­ there was a spider in the shower¡­¡± Marion managed to wheeze out in between gasping breaths. ¡°So big¡­¡± Matthew arched an eyebrow. ¡°How big?¡± Marion fearfully joined her hands into a small circle. ¡°As big as your fist?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked in shock, her hand fearfully covering her mouth when Marion confirmed it with a small nod. ¡°My God¡­ how horrifying¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± Kari let out a sigh of relief, before catching herself. ¡°I mean, it must have been a tarantula from the nearby marshes!¡± ¡°How did it make its way into the school?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked, her jaw tightening so much Matthew feared that she might break her tooth. ¡°I swear to God, if some freak keeps spider pets at the dorms, I¡¯ll kill them myself!¡± ¡°You should take Marion to the infirmary first, to make sure she wasn¡¯t poisoned,¡± Kari hurriedly suggested. ¡°Matthew and I will investigate the¡­ uhm¡­¡± ¡°The drugs,¡± Matthew reminded her. Had she forgotten her own story already? ¡°The drugs, yes.¡± Kari Matsumoto was a terrible liar, but she looked so earnest nobody dared to question her anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Marion, Nurse Lily will patch you up in no time!¡± Matthew watched Chlo¨¦ carry Marion away with slight disappointment. While Kari let out a sigh of relief, he was somewhat saddened that they wouldn¡¯t recruit a new Crawler today. If Marion¡¯s mind already rationalized her ambush as a rational, mundane event, then it meant she lacked a Key. She would return to her life without ever remembering the monsters lurking in the dark. A sharp feeling of unease surged at the back of his skull. Foresight was the secret to longevity. That was why Matthew always had his Doom Sense up at all times. The spell lasted around three hours on him; six when empowered with the Accel spell. These two combined were a constant drain on his Flux reserves, but he wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. You couldn¡¯t put a price on an alarm signal inside your own head. Now, Doom Sense was a picky spell. It only warned its caster of lethal dangers. It didn¡¯t differentiate between a HIV needle or a bullet, and it would ignore minor stuff like a punch in the face. Once boosted by Accel, it became twitchy enough to tell from which direction the threat came. And right now, the signal pointed to the toilet. Matthew checked the bowl for any toxic residue, but Doom Sense¡¯s warning was growing weaker by the second. The waters had flushed away whatever triggered his inner alarm system. Had Marion picked up some alien juice before they rescued her? Dungeons only killed within their confines¨Csince they fed on humans who died there¨Cbut they never all played by the same rules. Kari quickly noticed his unease. ¡°Is something the matter, Matt?¡± ¡°I dunno,¡± Matthew confessed. ¡°The toilet triggered my Doom Sense.¡± ¡°The toilet?¡± Kari frowned at it and pinched her nose. The place still reeked of Marion¡¯s bowels. ¡°She could have vomited poison if the spider bit her before we could reach her.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Matthew conceded. Still, his Doom Sense would have forewarned him earlier if that was the case. ¡°Whatever it was, Disbelief will take care of it. I¡¯ll come back later to check on the area later. Just in case.¡± Kari smiled in relief. ¡°We did good, Matthew.¡± Matthew smiled back, though his eye lingered on the toilet nonetheless. He had a bad feeling about this. 5: Dungeon Patrol The rest of the day happened without incident. Matthew ate his lunch, sleepwalked through math class, and forced himself to listen to Social Sciences because Mr. Franquin was a psychic who could hear a snore from ten leagues away. At long last, the bell rang with the sweet sound of deliverance. The weekend had finally started. Alas, Matthew already knew he wouldn¡¯t get to rest much. The Doc had sent the team a message, saying he would pick them up in a few minutes for their daily patrol. ¡°You were a real slowpoke this afternoon,¡± Matthew told Kari as they exited the class. ¡°You didn¡¯t raise your hand to answer even once.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve noticed?¡± Kari let out a sigh. ¡°I cast Premium Thoughts in the Dungeon.¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡± The spell temporarily improved the user¡¯s cognitive processes, letting them think faster, learn better, and remember more sharply. In short, it made the caster smarter¡­ for a time. After being worked into overdrive, the brain machinery slumped for a while. ¡°I thought you had found a way around that?¡± ¡°I streamlined the spell to mitigate the aftereffects, but I couldn¡¯t erase them entirely.¡± Kari smiled sheepishly. ¡°I wish I had your Flux reserves. Then I could be smart all the time.¡± ¡°As they say, the grass is greener on the other side,¡± Matthew replied with a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s so many spells I want to pick up, but can¡¯t because of my shoddy control.¡± Kari¡¯s Flux reserves were pisspoor, so she had to ration her spells. She only ever used them in dungeons or in emergency situations. What she lacked in firepower, however, she more than made up with in control. But Kari never wasted Flux and had an easy time molding it as she wished. This allowed her to master spells extremely quickly, even those belonging to other colors. Matthew faced the opposite problem. He packed larger Flux reserves than anyone else in the Dungeon Wreckers Association, to the point he could keep his passive spells on at all times, but he struggled with fine-tuning his Flux into powering sorcery outside his core color. He knew the fewest spells among his team and found it easier to invent his own techniques rather than learn those of others. Only John managed to balance both power and control. He didn¡¯t excel at anything, but he could adapt to most situations and tinker with his spells. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re already smart,¡± Matthew reminded Kari. The two of them made their way to the school¡¯s metal gates, a masterwork of Gothic architecture giving way to the nearby street. Hordes of cars carried the happy students away into the hell of city traffic. Matthew pitied the poor drivers. ¡°You don¡¯t need a boost.¡± ¡°Thanks, but you¡¯re giving me too much credit.¡± Kari smiled slyly. ¡°The Doc said he would teach me the Peak spell soon, to keep me in top shape. We could practice together if you want. It¡¯s a Green spell, so we should both share an affinity for it.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Matthew never said no to learning new spells. ¡°I¡¯m working on a new spell of my own too.¡± Since it didn¡¯t exist four years ago, sorcery was a fresh new field where everyone worked hard to figure out what they could or couldn¡¯t do. Even Doom Sense was a spell Matthew invented himself, after¡­ after the Mall. Merely recalling that incident made his hollow eye socket itch. ¡°Oh?¡± Kari joined her hands in interest. ¡°Come on, on tell!¡± Since she asked so nicely¡­ ¡°I call it Lucky Star,¡± Matt explained. ¡°Here¡¯s my theory: luck is like a flow of pluses and minuses. Good fortune, misfortune. If you accumulate bad luck, eventually it¡¯ll swing back to good luck.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how luck works, Matt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it works for my spell,¡± Matthew insisted. One day, Kari would understand that all Yellow spells involved rewriting reality according to their own inner logic. It still amazed him that she struggled to grasp the concept. She was too much of a thinker. ¡°So here¡¯s my plan: filter out the good luck to keep only the bad, store my fortune, and then release it back in a pinch when I need a boost.¡± ¡°Wait, so you¡¯ll suffer only misfortune for a length of time?¡± Kari squinted at Matthew. ¡°And you don¡¯t see any way it could go wrong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the neat part, I intend to practice the spell at the dorm¡¯s football match tomorrow.¡± When his classmate failed to grasp his genius, Matthew helpfully provided more details. ¡°Think it through, Kari. I¡¯m an art student. My species has evolved to survive in comfy studios, not on a sport¡¯s field. Any good luck I receive playing football would be all the more precious while the misfortune remains manageable.¡± She crossed her arms in disapproval. ¡°You¡¯ll risk injuring yourself at the game.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll avoid the worst of it with Doom Sense,¡± Matthew insisted. ¡°And if I break a bone, a trip to Florence should patch me up in no time.¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s a halfway decent plan, I suppose,¡± Kari conceded, albeit with heavy skepticism. ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt yourself, alright?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking too much of him, Matsumoto.¡± Matthew and Kari turned around to find John sneaking up on them with a leather mallet. For an obscure reason, the show-off refused to carry a schoolbag. ¡°I¡¯ve toured the academy¡¯s facilities, and it seems no other Dungeon popped up on the campus. Saddening.¡± ¡°Was it blood or ketchup?¡± Matthew asked. He couldn¡¯t get that question out of his head. ¡°On the knife?¡± ¡°Blood, I suppose,¡± John replied, his gloved hand brushing against his coat¡¯s lapel. He probably hid the knife underneath. ¡°I¡¯ve thoroughly cleaned it, but you can probably find residue on its blade if you want to lick it.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how you can smuggle weapons past the metal detectors,¡± Kari said, her eyebrows creasing with unease. ¡°I feel like I should report this.¡± ¡°The school¡¯s security system functions properly,¡± John replied calmly. ¡°I simply use a Red spell of my design to alter the magnetic permeability of objects until the detectors fail to pick up on them. I doubt a would-be school shooter can do the same.¡± ¡°The detectors never picked up on my finger guns either,¡± Matthew quipped. ¡°Also, you¡¯re paying for dinner.¡± ¡°Must I?¡± John scoffed. ¡°Technically, you¡¯ve only killed the Boss and a few mooks. All the other monsters perished from the Dungeon¡¯s collapse.¡± ¡°Which I destroyed,¡± Matthew pointed out. Of course John would try to weasel his way out of a sacred bet! ¡°Those kills are mine.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t kill them directly yourself,¡± John insisted with a wicked smirk. ¡°If a building collapses due to a structural defect, who can we blame? The architect? It¡¯s quite the gray area, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay, you cheapskates,¡± Kari said with a small giggle. ¡°I¡¯m just happy everything ended without any victims.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± John¡¯s head perked up at the road. ¡°It appears our lift has finally arrived.¡± A Mercedes class E stopped in front of them¡ªafter narrowly missing a boy running out of the school like a hunted animal. The front window lowered to reveal the Doc¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Sorry for the wait kids, the traffic is terrible at this hour,¡± he said with a cigarette burning between his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve got chocolate in the back.¡± One of the two co-founders of the Dungeon Wreckers Association, Doctor ¡°Doc¡± Finn O''Conner was a man straight out of a dandy movie: casually elegant, refined, and with that strange mix of friendliness and cultured charm you couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with. He was tall, thin, with a light stubble adorning his jaw. Though he was hardly thirty years of age, his shorty curly hair had prematurely grayed. Matthew thought it made him look like George Clooney. His attire was a tasteful blend of comfort and classic fashion: a blue sleeveless waistcoat, bone-white shirt, dark whiter trousers, and a pair of black glasses meshing well with his kind black eyes. And best of all, he never came empty-handed. ¡°First,¡± Matthew said as he climbed at the Mercedes¡¯ back. As promised, a bounty of Swiss chocolate candies awaited him there in a tightly packed box. ¡°Free food!¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t eat too much sugar¡­¡± Kari said as she sat next to him, but she lacked the strength to resist for long. Her hand swiftly snatched a handful of snacks off the box before Matthew could devour them all. ¡°I¡¯ll make an exception this time!¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Children,¡± John commented. That bitter, chocolate-hating monster climbed at the front. Matthew didn¡¯t mind; it meant more for him. ¡°Now, now, Matt, there¡¯ll be enough for everyone,¡± the Doc lightly chided him before cramming his cigarette into the car¡¯s ashtray. He always minded his students¡¯ health. ¡°How was your first week of school?¡± ¡°I blew up my first Dungeon of the school year,¡± Matthew boasted with a mouth gorged with sweets. ¡°Oh, and we saved a life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the important thing, Mathew,¡± Kari replied. She looked through the window at the road outside, her chin resting on her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a Dungeon popped up in our gymnasium of all places¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s only the beginning, Kari,¡± the Doc said as he hit the accelerator, broke out of the jam of parents¡¯ cars, and drove away. Whether through magic or talent, their Mercedes swiftly left the school in the dust for asphalt lanes. ¡°Today¡¯s patrol won¡¯t prove easy.¡± Matthew watched through the open window with his Flux Sight. Much like its university, Evermarsh¡¯s Lyc¨¦e Fran?ais was located on the city¡¯s western side. Locals called it Temple Alley, because it housed most of the city¡¯s religious sites with the notable exception of Umar¡¯s mosque. The sprawling Cathedral of Saint George towered over all other buildings in this prestigious neighborhood, from its Art Nouveau mansions to Evermarsh¡¯s only synagogue. To optimize Dungeon hunts, the Association had split the city into nine areas and assigned each one to a team. Since the four of them were tasked to oversee Temple Alley, the Doc took his students on a car tour of it each day. The last few months had been so quiet that they hardly noticed anything. Today though? Today, the district was infested with Dungeons. Stage ones were the hardest to detect, as these newborn seeds barely possessed enough power to sustain a single entrance, but Matthew quickly picked up a whiff of Violet Flux near a crisscross of alleys. The smell of another Dungeon hovered above that creepy Victorian-style manor house on Sax Street. A third lurked near the university. Perhaps Matthew should go pray at the Cathedral someday. Saint George was the patron of monster slayers, or so he remembered. ¡°That¡¯s worrying,¡± Matthew muttered to himself. While he loved killing monsters and blowing up Dungeons, he knew all too well that these hellholes would each rack up a bodycount by the time they could destroy their cores. ¡°I see you sense them too, Matthew,¡± the Doc noted with a sigh as he took a turn towards the waterfront. ¡°Crypto recorded nineteen Cell-stage Dungeon sightings across the city within the first hour following the timeshift, the one you''ve destroyed included. A brand new record.¡± ¡°We faced less than half of that in March.¡± John sulked in his seat. ¡°Each timeshift brings a bigger wave of Dungeons than the last. That¡¯s a worrying pattern.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s our first year with two timeshifts too,¡± Kari pointed out with a frown on her face. ¡°Unfortunately.¡± The Doc scowled as he checked the local seafood restaurants. Thankfully, none of them showed signs of infestation. ¡°Since cell-stage Dungeons are the hardest to spot, I fear we¡¯ve barely scratched the surface of the new infestation. We¡¯ll have to patrol the entire city and check every last corner of it.¡± ¡°Uh, can we?¡± Matthew asked with skepticism. He wanted nothing more than to skip school and clean up Dungeons left and right, but Evermarsh was a big, big city with lots of hiding places. ¡°I know we¡¯re good, but there¡¯s only twenty-two of us for a million-strong metropolis and Kim is too young to join yet.¡± ¡°Twenty-four,¡± John said dryly. Matthew froze in place, his hand still in the chocolate box. He let go of the candy he had seized and sank in his seat while Kari gave him a sharp, worried look. He knew the subject would come up. It always did whenever they discussed their manpower issues. ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± John continued. ¡°We still don¡¯t have the numbers to regularly patrol the marshes, but we know of two Crawlers who just sit on their asses. It kills me.¡± The Doc looked at Matthew¡¯s reflection in the rearview window. ¡°John has a point, Matthew. It might be time to reconnect with your old teammates. See if they¡¯ve changed their minds.¡± ¡°Their answer will be the same,¡± Matt replied. ¡°A big fat no.¡± Maggie still wouldn¡¯t speak to him at school¡ªwhen she bothered attending it at all¡ªand Ulysses hadn¡¯t left his house in years. Not since¡­ not since the Mall. A flash of pain coursed through Matthew¡¯s skull, quick and sharp. His hand moved to his forehead and held it tight, much to Kari¡¯s discomfort. ¡°Matthew, are you alright?¡± ¡°I keep painkillers under the seat, if you need one,¡± the Doc said. He had treated Matthew for his eye and headaches, so he was used to them. ¡°I know,¡± Matthew replied. He didn¡¯t need any. The pain vanished on its own once he stopped remembering that awful place¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The Doc squinted at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Matthew insisted, though he could tell the others didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I guess you can try talking to them if you want, Doc, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll listen. Maggie will clean Dungeons on her own at least.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t push the subject further then,¡± the Doc said. John snorted in his seat, but he did not press either. ¡°We do need new recruits though. The city¡¯s Dungeons will quietly pick up victims and grow in strength at a relatively slow rate. We should be able to contain the infestation so long as we prevent any of them from reaching their third stage, but any new set of hands is welcome.¡± Matthew thought the same. Stage-three¡ªthe ¡®Spread¡¯ stage¡ªwas the moment when Dungeons grew powerful enough to create multiple entrances; an ability that made them exponentially more lethal, especially if they started cannibalizing each other for resources. ¡°Why not contact other Crawler groups from outside Evermarsh for reinforcements?¡± Kari suggested. ¡°They¡¯re about as stretched thin as we are,¡± John replied grimly. ¡°Every large city on Earth must be facing an infestation of their own.¡± The Doc nodded curtly. ¡°I suspect that events will unfold like March¡¯s timeshift. In the short-term, we will be on our own. Once a few weeks have passed and larger teams have cleaned up small Dungeons threatening their blocks, other Crawlers will become free to assist with the most affected areas.¡± Evermarsh¡¯s Dungeon Wreckers Association had a strong alliance with similar organizations across Europe. They traded resources and helpers whenever possible, including spellcasting research. ¡°Dungeons are akin to global warming, and should be treated similarly,¡± the Doc reminded them. ¡°Though the phenomenon threatens us all, we can all contribute to reducing its damage at our level. We¡¯ve prevented the emergence of any large Dungeon around Evermash for over a year, so I¡¯d say we do a pretty good job.¡± ¡°Except that unlike global warming, we still don¡¯t know what¡¯s causing Dungeons to show up at all,¡± John pointed out. ¡°True,¡± the Doc conceded, ¡°but until our investigations answer that question, we can destroy Dungeons as they appear and ensure Evermarsh¡¯s people live long and happy lives.¡± He had a point. Even the Mall had been safely contained so far. The troubles in Panama resulted from the local Crawlers lacking the resources to deal with their largest Dungeon, but Europe¡¯s community was well-organized and better equipped. Sad as it sounded, Matthew saw timeshifts like natural disasters in faraway countries; terrible tragedies that only affected his life indirectly. All he could was help ensure his patch of the world would avoid the same fate. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll likely hold an online meeting to discuss it once Crypto has finished assessing the situation,¡± the Doc said as he parked his car in front of a familiar building. ¡°Another one.¡± Perched on a stone platform near the sea, the city¡¯s old lighthouse stood vigilant against the waves. Its sturdy tower rose like a solitary finger reaching for the sky, with no one to observe its struggle. The Doc¡¯s car was its only company, except for the seagulls happy to shit on its walls. The place had been automated for as far as Matthew remembered. Few people visited it nowadays, and the ships didn¡¯t need its help to find their way to the harbor. So it surprised him to see a cloud of Red and Violet Flux floating above its old beacon. Some Dungeons just picked the worst hunting grounds. The team climbed out of the car to both take a closer look and enjoy the fresh, maritime wind. Matthew basked in the sea¡¯s soft whistle and the smell of fish. Such a shame it was too cold to swim yet. ¡°This one will be easy to contain at least,¡± Kari said upon inspecting the old lighthouse. Its only entrance, a massive iron gate, was tightly shut. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to lock the door.¡± John scoffed. ¡°It might starve on its own and spare us the trouble. The lighthouse is fully automated, so nobody is going to enter it.¡± ¡°A stage-one Dungeon requires at least a victim a month to sustain itself,¡± said the Doc. ¡°We can afford to focus on more dangerous locations.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve counted four Dungeons so far,¡± Matthew noted. ¡°The lighthouse, the old church at the Rubens crossroad, the university, and that creepy mansion near Sax Street.¡± Kari scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized, a slight blush on her face. ¡°I always hear it as sex street.¡± ¡°Do you misunderstand the word saxophone too?¡± Matthew joked. ¡°You¡¯re horrible, Matt.¡± Kari put her hands behind her back and looked at the Doc. ¡°Should we start with the university then? Since that¡¯s where you work?¡± ¡°That seems reasonable,¡± John said. ¡°If you have the keys, we can clear the Dungeon this week-end before the university reopens its gates on Monday.¡± ¡°That would be optimal, but we should check on the church and Sax Street first,¡± the Doc replied. Kari covered her chuckle with her hand. ¡°Depending on the Dungeons¡¯ entrances, they might have already begun to claim victims. We should expect the unexpected.¡± ¡°About that, Doc, since you know everything,¡± Matthew said. ¡°When you flush a school¡¯s toilet, where does the crap go?¡± ¡°Down the sewers and then to the waste treatment plant in Chemtown.¡± The Doc arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Why that question, Matthew?¡± ¡°Something triggered my Doom Sense after we closed the gymnasium Dungeon.¡± Though Matthew tried to shrug it off, his intuition kept nagging at him. ¡°Whatever caused it was flushed down the school¡¯s toilets. ¡°I see¡­¡± The Doc stroked his chin fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Crypto and ask her to keep an ear to the ground.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hunting for a Dungeon in the sewers,¡± Kari warned them. ¡°You would rather explore a haunted mansion?¡± Matthew teased her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the one on Sax Street is full of ghosts.¡± ¡°Ghosts don¡¯t exist, Matt.¡± John couldn¡¯t resist joining in. ¡°With a Dungeon taking residence there, that might change soon enough.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The Doc cleared his throat. ¡°An arson case took place in that mansion a few years ago¡­¡± ¡°Oh come on, Mr. O''Connor, not you too,¡± Kari complained with a sigh. ¡°Can we please avoid the haunted Dungeon house today? I don¡¯t have the Flux reserves left for a new run.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Matthew said. ¡°Because you¡¯re a monster, Maruki,¡± John replied. ¡°The human kind. I need to rest too.¡± ¡°You kids have a match tomorrow, right?¡± the Doc asked. ¡°I could pick you up afterwards. We¡¯ll clean up a Dungeon then.¡± John nodded in agreement. ¡°Sounds like a plan to me.¡± Matthew was fresh enough to challenge another Dungeon today, but he was mindful enough of his team to go along with their wishes. He wouldn¡¯t endanger them in any way. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Tomorrow will be fine,¡± Kari said, smiling. ¡°Plus we¡¯ll get to see how Matt¡¯s new spell fares out in the field." The mention of spells drew a smirk from the Doc. Magic remained his passion. He and Matthew had that in common. ¡°Do you have enough reserves left to practice sorcery for a little while?¡± The Doc asked his students. When they all nodded in agreement, he joined his hands and let white flux glow between his fingers. ¡°In that case¡­ how about I teach you a spell or two?¡± 6: Peak Training As he promised Kari, the Doc decided to teach his students the newly discovered Peak spell. Considering that none of them were Green-aligned Crawlers, their first step would be to align their natural Flux with the color. The four of them thus proceeded to stand along the pier, their hands folded in a prayer position, their bodies facing the waves and the sea wind. In short, they looked like hippies practicing for a yoga class. ¡°Green Flux covers the domain of life, or more accurately, all forms of organic matter,¡± the Doc reminded them. ¡°Hear your body. Focus on your heartbeat and the flow of your blood. Try to align your Flux with their rhythm.¡± ¡°Do I have to do it too?¡± John snorted. ¡°I¡¯m a Red. Casting a Green spell is beyond me.¡± Matthew was starting to question the Doc¡¯s choice too. Flux came in seven colors forming a wheel: Yellow for concepts; Orange for matter; Red for energy; Violet for spacetime; Blue for information; Green for life; and White, the color of metamagic¡ªspells that affected sorcery itself¡ªoccupying the center. Each Crawler¡¯s Key ability was aligned with one of these seven colors. To cast spells outside their core category, they had to transform their natural Flux into a different sort; and the farther the spell on the color spectrum, the more difficult the task. Matthew, as a Yellow, found it easier to learn Orange and Green sorcery over Red and Blue; and he struggled to create Violet Flux at all. White alone enjoyed a neutral relationship with the other colors, with its associated Crawlers having neither an easier nor more difficult time mastering other spells. It was partly why he paired well with John and Kari. Each of them had at least one overlapping friendly color, so they could more easily practice magic together. But Matthew didn¡¯t see how John would benefit from practicing a spell he couldn¡¯t possibly cast. It was like trying to teach a turtle how to fly. ¡°Casting a Green spell shouldn¡¯t be impossible for you, John,¡± the Doc reassured his student. ¡°Simply exceedingly difficult,¡± ¡°What difference does it make?¡± John asked with skepticism. ¡°Perhaps it would be best if I gave you my underlying theory.¡± Ever the born teacher, the Doc immediately adopted a professorial tone. ¡°As you well know, casting a spell requires a certain quantity of Flux of the same color. For simplicity¡¯s sake, let us assume that we can divide the energy required into units.¡± ¡°Magic points,¡± Matthew immediately suggested. ¡°MPs.¡± ¡°I prefer SP,¡± John replied. ¡°Sorcery Points.¡± ¡°I¡¯m unfamiliar with these terms, but they both work,¡± the Doc replied with more enthusiasm. ¡°According to my current models, each step away from your Key¡¯s core color increases the cost of a spell exponentially. In your case, John, creating a unit of Orange Flux will cost you four times the points that you would use for a Red spell of equivalent power. A Blue Flux unit increases that amount to nine times the quantity, as it is two steps removed from your Key; and a Green unit, your opposite color, will require sixteen base units.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you¡¯re so good at sorcery, Mr. O¡¯Connor?¡± Kari asked with a chuckle. ¡°Since you have a White Key, all other colors cost the same to you.¡± ¡°Should we call it a¡­¡± Matthew grinned ear to ear. ¡°White privilege?¡± ¡°Oh, so witty,¡± John replied with the most bored tone imaginable. ¡°Never heard that one before.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use that term so lightly, Matthew.¡± The Doc cleared his throat, suddenly uneasy. ¡°Besides, my Flux color is not without its downsides. White Keys are useless by themselves, since they can only affect other abilities or spells.¡± True. The Doc¡¯s ability let him temporarily ¡®tune¡¯ the Key of others, boosting one attribute at the cost of decreasing proficiency in another; like trading range for firepower. It was completely useless without another Crawler to use it on. ¡°To go back to my original point, none of you make optimal use of your Flux,¡± the Doc said. ¡°Your shortcomings in this area are particularly glaring, Matthew. If spending four Yellow units to create an Orange one is the best possible scenario, then you are spending forty to achieve the same result.¡± ¡°You hear that, Maruki?¡± John chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re a spender.¡± ¡°At least I have MP to burn,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°Unlike the spell-starved, misfiring rogue next to me.¡± ¡°You two, please,¡± the Doc said, forcing his students to focus back on his lecture. ¡°My point is that the better you become at changing your Flux¡¯s color, the less energy you will spend to cast spells.¡± ¡°I think I get it now,¡± Kari said. ¡°If John trains hard for a two-kilometer race, he will build up his endurance and have a much easier time winning a five-hundred meter one.¡± ¡°Very astute, Kari,¡± the Doc congratulated her. ¡°Most Crawlers believe that they can¡¯t cast spells of the opposing color, but according to my model, this is very much within the realm of possibility. By practicing with Green Flux, John will have an easier time casting spells closer on the color spectrum.¡± ¡°Fine, fine,¡± John said with a shrug. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Matthew struggle with Violet Flux.¡± ¡°Black holes warp space and time,¡± Matthew pointed out. ¡°When I create them, am I not already casting a Violet spell?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°No, you are not,¡± Kari replied with a chuckle. ¡°Less talking, more casting.¡± Matthew closed his eye and focused on his Flux. With only fellow Crawlers and no mundanes around to threaten him with Disbelief, his sorcery could fully express itself. A surge of power erupted within himself, pure conceptual energy unburdened by the laws of reality. The Doc had a point. White-color metamagic like Accel, which boosted the power of a base spell, came relatively easy to Matthew because it simply involved tuning his natural magic. Other colors demanded a different approach. Nobody liked sudden changes, let alone the essence of sorcery. Matthew¡¯s Flux wanted to stay Yellow. It fought back to stay that way, like a cat refusing to be thrown off a comfortable sofa. Focusing on his heartbeat as the Doc suggested didn¡¯t help much. Matthew decided to try a different approach. His Wormhole Key was his sorcery¡¯s foundation. Maybe if focused on a life-tied concept¡­ An idea crossed Matthew¡¯s mind. His Flux immediately began to shift. It still provided some resistance, but the yellow slowly began to gain a green hue. ¡°You are doing better, Matthew,¡± the Doc congratulated him. ¡°Buttholes,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°It comes easier when I think of buttholes.¡± He heard Kari stifling her laughter and the Doc coughing in embarrassment. John alone didn¡¯t make a comment, not even a snide remark. This bothered Matthew enough to open his eye and check on him. Whereas Kari perfectly aligned herself with the Green, John struggled to reach that stage. Though he appeared deeply focused on the task, his Flux constantly shifted from orange to yellow without ever reaching its final state. ¡°Maybe you should take a shortcut with White, John?¡± Kari suggested without opening her eyes. It amazed Matthew that she could sense her teammate¡¯s issue without visual confirmation. ¡°Since it is at the center of the color wheel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried, Matsumoto,¡± John replied, his jaw clenching in annoyance. ¡°But when I do, it reverts back to Red.¡± ¡°That is the flaw of White Flux,¡± the Doc conceded. ¡°Since it naturally tries to bond with another color, it usually defaults to the easiest choice available: that of the caster¡¯s Key.¡± Although John struggled to reach a Green Flux state, his success in reaching a color two steps away from his core one¡ªand Yellow to boot¡ªinspired Matthew to do the same. His teammates had been Crawlers for a far shorter time than himself, having awakened their Keys two years ago instead of four, but they showed better Flux control than him. How could Matthew call himself a veteran if he let them best him? Hence he tried to go one step further. Blue came next after green. Information. What kind of hole would fit that theme and let his Key align with it? A memory hole, may¨C A sharp pain erupted inside Matthew¡¯s skull, and his Flux snapped back to Yellow in an instant. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too harshly, Matthew,¡± the Doc reassured him. ¡°The same goes for you, John. Keeping your Flux stable in another color is a victory in itself.¡± Matthew grunted in annoyance and focused back on the Green and buttholes. Blue was a bridge too far for him to reach yet. Upon being satisfied with Matthew and Kari¡¯s aptitude at channeling Green Flux, the Doc proceeded to continue his lesson. ¡°The Peak spell works by cycling Green Flux through your body so that it optimizes its natural processes. This should improve your physical aptitudes.¡± Matthew whistled. ¡°Will we be able to lift cars? Like superheroes?¡± ¡°No,¡± the Doc replied, much to his students¡¯ disappointment. ¡°If I had to explain it simply¡­ in most circumstances, your body would use only thirty percent of its full strength to avoid wasting energy or overstraining itself. The Peak spell lets you work at a hundred percent without suffering from side effects.¡± So in short, Matthew would perform at his best at all times; but an art student¡¯s best was an athlete¡¯s worst. It sucked. At least he should be able to keep the Peak spell up at all times once he got the hang of it. ¡°If it reassures you, Matthew, superhuman strength should be within a Green spell¡¯s reach,¡± the Doc said. ¡°Florence and I developed Peak as a general aptitude boost for would-be Green Crawlers. A basic template, if you will. We hope to create customized variants that focus on one aspect over another, though we need to gather more data first. I¡¯m sure talented sorcerers like the three of you will find new uses for it.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Peak make us smarter too?¡± Kari asked. ¡°Like with Premium Thoughts?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t work that way, Kari,¡± the Doc replied with a small sigh. ¡°The frontier between colors seems rather stark. The Peak spell does not improve reaction time nor the speed at which your neurons transmit information, although it physically should, because that would fall under the domain of Blue Flux. Or at least, this is the best explanation I could come up with for now.¡± ¡°You hear that, Maruki?¡± John chuckled to himself. ¡°You¡¯re never getting any smarter.¡± ¡°Who needs smarts when luck is on your side?¡± Matthew replied. ¡°With my new Lucky Star spell, you can bet half my tests will reach my desk already pre-filled.¡± Always the curious sorcerer, the Doc immediately questioned his student on his new finding. ¡°How would this new spell of yours work, Matthew?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use Yellow Flux to separate my good luck from the bad, then store the former for future use.¡± Matthew raised a thumb up, his heart swelling with pride. ¡°Like a start-up, I¡¯ll take short-term losses and then blow up on Wall Street!¡± ¡°Fascinating¡­ Would a bad event that spares you a worse calamity later count as good or bad fortune? Would spending all of the accumulated luck in a short time provide more benefits than on a longer period?¡± The Doc stroked his chin as more questions rushed through his head. ¡°We should run tests, Matthew. What do you intend to spend your fortune on?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t use it to cheat on tests,¡± Kari pleaded with Matt. ¡°Only if I have luck to waste.¡± Matthew smiled with pride at his own genius plan. ¡°I¡¯ll use most of my fortune to win the lottery and give half of it to the Association. No more budget cuts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very kind of you,¡± Kari replied. She looked both relieved and a little enthusiastic. ¡°What will you do with the other half? Keep it for college?¡± ¡°College?¡± Matthew frowned. ¡°Why would I go to college?¡± Kari looked at him as if he had grown a second head. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because I would be rich? The whole point of going to uni is to earn a degree and then a job, but a future millionaire like me won¡¯t need either.¡± Poor Kari, she couldn¡¯t think outside the box. ¡°No, I¡¯ll spend half of my time hunting Dungeons and dedicate the rest to a life of luxury and indolence!¡± His friends and mentor both fell silent. Unable to stand the lack of reaction, Matthew immediately began to fill the void. ¡°I will use my millions to buy myself a house with plenty of amenities, including a cinema, a jacuzzi, and an art studio,¡± he boasted. ¡°It¡¯ll be a self-sustaining palace of pleasure, so I never have to go outside unless I want to! And it will have a maid caf¨¦ too! With actual maids dressed like French girls! And then one day they will turn at me and say¨C¡± Matthew marked a dramatic pose, then pointed a finger at his team. ¡°Yamete, goshujin-sama,¡± he said with the utmost seriousness. ¡°Yamete kudasai.¡± This finally drew a reaction from each of his teammates. John looked at him with disdain; Kari, with compassion; and the Doc, with embarrassment. ¡°You are the trash of humanity, Maruki,¡± John finally said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Matt, I¡­¡± Kari swallowed a sob. ¡°I wish I could help you, but I think you¡¯re beyond saving.¡± Only the Doc was nice enough to smile at Matthew. ¡°What matters is that you have a dream,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how small or what kind. That you have a goal in life at all is good enough for me.¡± The Doc was too kind for this world. 7: The Spellcrafters After their training and a long-overdue snack, the team checked the entrances to Temple Alley¡¯s dungeons. By a stroke of luck, the old mansion on Sax Street was undergoing renovations, which made it possible to sabotage the entrance. The University Dungeon took refuge somewhere in the Doc¡¯s department, so he could restrict access to it or at least quickly rescue anyone wandering close by. The church at Rubens Crossroads, however¡­ ¡°This sucks,¡± Matthew said from the back of the car, his jaw tightening in anger. ¡°I have to agree,¡± the Doc replied with a sigh. ¡°This is¡­ concerning.¡± The Protestant Church on Rubens Crossroads looked fabulous since the new pastor renovated it over a year and a half ago, with its brick spires and belltower looming over the streets, its stone cherubs watching over the passersby, and its stained glass window overlooking a mighty set of wooden gates. A pity that the yellow and violet hue hovering over the place like an ominous cloud ruined the sight. Many Dungeons picked the worst places to hunt, but a few showed good instincts. This one had wisely selected the spot that would guarantee access to many victims. The front door. ¡°It can snatch any visitor at any time,¡± John noted grimly. ¡°And I believe the pastor¡¯s congregation is quite large.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s Sasha¡¯s father,¡± Kari said. ¡°She¡¯s in our class. Maybe I could ask her for the service hours? See when we can sneak in?¡± ¡°Can we destroy this one first?¡± Matthew asked the Doc. ¡°Pretty please?¡± John snorted. ¡°Someone is getting excited. Is it because of the Dungeon¡¯s color?¡± A fair question. Matthew usually enjoyed the weird aesthetics of Yellow Dungeons, but not this time. ¡°I know someone buried in the church¡¯s graveyard,¡± Matthew replied, his single eye glaring at the front door. He was half tempted to exit the car and clean up the place by himself. ¡°I don¡¯t want a Dungeon near her tomb.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Kari shifted in her seat in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Matt.¡± The Doc gave Matthew a strange look before nodding in assent. ¡°Tackling this Dungeon first seems to be our wisest option. I will pick you up tomorrow after your match and we will go straight to it.¡± That time couldn¡¯t come any sooner.
As befitting of its expensive tuition, the Lyc¨¦e Fran?ais d¡¯Evermarsh¡¯s dorm had individual rooms. They were also hardly big enough to fit a rat family inside. Matthew¡¯s own room barely reached nine square meters, with a desk, bed, a shelf filled with art supplies, and a small TV as the only amenities; though he also managed to squeeze a mini-fridge into a corner. A few video game posters and a set of Major Chicken: Tender Generation plushies helped make it cozy enough for Matthew¡¯s tastes, though he would have traded them all for a toilet. He didn¡¯t see how peeing together with his fellow classmates at one in the morning helped create strong bonds of brotherhood. Matthew spent most of the late afternoon sitting behind his desk with his headphones on and brainstorming new Yellow spell ideas. His current flight of fancy¡ªwhich came to him while working on his new art club project¡ªinvolved animating drawings and photos so that they would move on their own. Matter manipulation usually fell under Orange and information under Blue, but Yellow was intimately linked to art. He only needed to put a conceptual spin on the process. Sound was Red, but music was Yellow. His current attempt involved lacing ink with Yellow Flux and then drawing animals in a Japanese calligraphy style. Mr. Hazelheart asked his students to deliver illustrations of nature for his class, so Matthew could both complete the assignment and train his sorcery at the same time. He would surely find a practical use for the animation spell in time.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Matthew wondered if a painted door spell would work too. Space fell under the Violet color, but Jesse from the Hub team could pull people into her novels with her Yellow Key. Matthew¡¯s wormholes worked just fine as doorways too. I should pursue that dream palace idea too, Matthew thought as he put the finishing touch on a black cat illustration. He already succeeded in taking over lucid dreams in the past, so creating a symbolic dreamspace under his control should be within the realm of possibility. I could practice sorcery in my sleep. Spellwork helped distract him from the church. The idea of a Dungeon setting up shop so close to Perse¡¯s resting place bothered him to his core. She had died in one of these places. If Maggie learned of it too¡­ The repeated interruptions from his ringtone drew Matthew out of his thoughts. Someone¡ªprobably John¡ªkept sending him messages. Matthew opened his phone to check the group conversation.
TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass. TRIGGER: Dumbass.
How cute. Matthew decided to play along.
WORMHOLE: Dumbass.exe.
The answer came quickly.
TRIGGER: D U M B A S S. TRIGGER: Wanna play Mario Kart in my room? WORMHOLE: Can¡¯t sleep without a turtle shell up your arse? TRIGGER: I¡¯m bored, and I need an easy win. CRIT: Seriously, guys? They¡¯ll turn off the lights in half an hour.
Matthew checked the time. The dorm cut the juice at ten in the evening, and they were nearing half past nine.
WORMHOLE: I only need five minutes to kick Misfire¡¯s ass. TRIGGER: Prove it, if you dare. CRIT: Don¡¯t blame me if Mr. King scolds you.
Matthew exited his room, walked up to the hallway¡¯s end, and entered John¡¯s room without knocking. His was more barebone and lacked decoration. It made Matthew wonder where he stashed his weapons. ¡°I thought you had chickened out,¡± John said. His Switch was already set up to his TV. ¡°From an easy fight? Never.¡± Matthew sat on the floor next to his teammate. ¡°Best of three?¡± ¡°If one defeat isn¡¯t enough for you, then sure.¡± Matthew decided to test his Lucky Star spell here. A cloud of gloom immediately fell over him the moment he grabbed the controller. His sorcery intercepted the flow of his luck, storing the good fortune and leaving only the bad. The first race turned into an unmitigated disaster. The computer-controlled racers all targeted Matthew with their items, and he kept getting mediocre drops like coins and Piranha Plants. Matthew almost felt relieved by the time he crossed the finish line second-to-last. ¡°Better luck next time, Maruki,¡± John taunted him. ¡°For sure,¡± Matthew replied as he unleashed his stored fortune. Two minutes and three lightning bolts later, John nearly threw his controller at a wall in annoyance. Matthew smirked from ear to ear as he claimed the top spot and his opponent ended up in the middle of the pack. This test proved interesting. A small burst of fortune increased his odds of getting overpowered items, but didn¡¯t make him invincible either. He still had to actively dodge the shells John sent him instead of trusting his luck to take care of them. My spell greases the wheels but it doesn¡¯t bribe the driver. This bothered Matthew a bit. He¡¯d hoped Lucky Star would make him untouchable. At least it should help me gain a winning lottery ticket. ¡°I wanted to talk to you,¡± John said as the third race began. ¡°About your pal, Maggie.¡± Matthew tensed up. Of course he had an ulterior motive. ¡°Matsumoto didn¡¯t want to tell you, but she hasn¡¯t been at school this whole week,¡± John warned him. ¡°The staff tried calling her home to check on her. Nobody answered.¡± It didn¡¯t surprise Matthew. Maggie¡¯s mother was an alcoholic living on government paychecks since her husband¡¯s death. Matt never saw her rising from her sofa in the many years he spent visiting Maggie¡¯s house; that had been their little secret, since his own parents wouldn¡¯t have let them hang out if they knew. Maggie¡¯s brother used to handle the family¡¯s paperwork back in the day, but he left after the Mall incident too. Matt wondered how Maggie even managed to register at school. ¡°I see,¡± Matthew replied evasively. He didn¡¯t want to discuss the subject, but John kept pushing him. ¡°If this continues, the disciplinary committee will need to examine her case,¡± he warned Matthew. ¡°What the hell happened between the two of you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± Matthew replied dryly. ¡°She¡¯s a Crawler and we¡¯re lacking in manpower. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s my business.¡± John squinted at him. ¡°That person buried at the Church¨C¡± ¡°Died.¡± Matthew glared at him. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business either, John.¡± John took the hint this time. His quick and brutal defeat in the final round solidified his loss. As Paper Mario proved, Bowser could beat Mario in the right circumstances. ¡°Do you know why I always tackle a Dungeon fresh?¡± Matthew asked John as he put the controller aside. ¡°Although I¡¯m the best Crawler in town?¡± John snorted. ¡°Because you¡¯re lazy?¡± ¡°Because when you¡¯re tired, you get slower. You don¡¯t pay attention to every little detail. You¡¯ll write it off at first, telling yourself it won¡¯t make a difference, but it will. I only goof off when I can afford too.¡± Matthew scratched his eyepatch. ¡°One day, a monster will take you by surprise¡­. and if you¡¯re lucky, it¡¯ll only take your eye instead of your head.¡± John didn¡¯t answer him, and Matthew didn¡¯t wait for a response. He closed the door behind him without a word. 8: The Match The dorm teams gathered on the sports field on Saturday morning. Since the Lyc¨¦e Fran?ais d¡¯Evermarsh believed in gender suffering equality, the teams were mixed. Both boys and girls would struggle together to scrap a win. The luck of the draw favored Matthew as he ended up assigned with Kari and John to the same team under King Coach¡¯s supervision. Miss Baum, the biology teacher, led the other team, and student council vice-president Vincent would act as the referee. ¡°Alright warriors, listen up,¡± King Coach addressed his team. The Lyc¨¦e¡¯s P. E. teacher and general supervisor was a musclebound gorilla of a man with unkempt hair, a thick jawline, and the fashion sense of an eighties dropout. His true name was Philip King, but the students started calling him ¡®King Coach¡¯ early on and it stuck. ¡°Miss Baum agreed to go on a date with me if I won this match, so failure isn¡¯t an option.¡± ¡°Never gonna happen, Coach,¡± Matthew replied. He meant the date¡ªKing Coach was an unhinged disaster of a human being that Miss Baum wouldn¡¯t touch without a hazmat suit on¡ªbut the joke completely flew over his teacher¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Matthew,¡± King Coach said with enthusiasm. ¡°Your mind shouldn¡¯t even consider losing this match! Return victorious or not at all!¡± Matthew immediately activated his Lucky Star spell to store good fortune. He would use the match to build up his good karma in time for the Dungeon excursion. He was tanned, rested, and pumped. Nothing could go wrong. King Coach started giving the players their positions. ¡°Kari, John, you¡¯re our star attackers, so you go to the front. The twins are in the middle. Chlo¨¦, Crick, you¡¯re both awful but you¡¯re the best defenders we¡¯ve got. And Matthew¡­¡± Matthew straightened up as King Coach invaded his personal space quicker than Germany did with Poland¡¯s. His teacher had the look of a general sending cannon fodder on a suicide mission. ¡°Matthew, I know that deep, deep, deep¡­¡± King Coach took a deep breath. ¡°Deep within you dwells the soul of a winner.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say deep four times, Coach,¡± Matthew complained. ¡°What I mean to say is that being a winner means taking hits for the team. I¡¯m assigning you as the goalkeeper, because I need everybody else in better places.¡± King Coach put his strong hands on Matthew¡¯s shoulders and peered into his soul. ¡°The people on the other side are your enemies. They¡¯ll try to get past you, to wear you down, break your spirit, and kill you one ball at a time, but you mustn¡¯t let it get to you! Are you willing to die for your team, Matthew?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± His Dungeon Wreckers one, yes; the football one, probably not. ¡°I suppose¡­¡± ¡°Because you will. Sports competitions are crueler than wars because they let you perish more than once. But through your sacrifice, you¡¯ll be reborn in football Valhalla.¡± King Coach gave him a light tap on the cheek. ¡°Do it for me, Matthew. If we win, I¡¯ll name my first child after you.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t, Coach,¡± Matthew replied immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for free, Coach.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re a true warrior.¡± King Coach released his grip. ¡°Take your battle station.¡± The team began to disperse across the field. Matthew moved to the goal with a light heart, much to his teammates¡¯ concern. ¡°Are you sure you want to use your Lucky Star spell during a football match, Matt?¡± Kari asked him while biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pass up on a free good luck farming session.¡± Matthew waved his hand. The goalkeeper gloves fit him so well. ¡°At worst, I¡¯ll slip up in the mud and play dead.¡± ¡°Marlene and Giant are playing on the other team,¡± John warned him. Matthew¡¯s heart came to an abrupt stop. Tatiana, alias ¡®Giant,¡¯ was a sweet girl who just happened to be pushing two meters tall and with enough strength to beat a bear to submission¡ªsomething which actually happened, if school gossip was to be believed. She had tried to push the administration to open a wrestling club, but no one was mad enough to play against her. As for Marlene, she was a capoeira practitioner with the most powerful legs in Class 3-A. She once ball-busted a pushy classmate so hard that his future grandchildren probably felt it. Something told Matthew that these two might prove to be a problem. Nonetheless, he resolved to protect his goal with the determination and nobility befitting his goalkeeper station. King Coach whistled the start of the match soon after. Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense immediately started buzzing. The sudden shock startled him enough to focus on the football field in alarm. A colossus charged at him from across the field, her black mane flowing in the wind. Her icy blue eyes focused on Matthew¡¯s net and the ground shook beneath her mighty heels. Tatiana kicked the ball with all of her strength. It was true what they said. Matthew saw his life flash before his eye: from his first baby steps to the ball-shaped missile aiming straight for him. It flew past half the field too fast for anyone to intercept. Only reflexes sharpened by years of Dungeon wrecking adventures allowed Matthew to raise his hands in time to catch the football. A shockwave rippled through his arms on impact. Matthew felt all of his bones creaking at once under the strain. His heel dug into the ground, his knees struggling to hold strong.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. It took all of Matthew¡¯s strength not to fall back. When at last the ball stopped and fell to the ground, his lungs gasped for air and his face sweat more than an Amazonian swamp. Everyone from both teams stared at him in disbelief. The blow had pushed Matthew one meter back towards the net. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tatiana apologized with a small voice in her heavy Belarussian accent. ¡°I overdid it.¡± She has to be a Crawler in disguise, Matthew told himself. Few monsters hit harder than she did. And since Doom Sense only activated in the presence of potentially lethal danger, then this meant that a shot from Tatiana could kill him. By the time the ball returned to play, Kari immediately moved to tackle it out of Giant¡¯s reach. She cared so much for Matthew¡¯s safety that it brought tears to his eye. When his teammate passed the ball to John, he almost believed himself safe. A pity that a redheaded flash intercepted the ball. Marlene charged across the field and deftly dodged Kari¡¯s attempt to tackle her. She moved like a panther on the hunt and Matthew was very much her prey. The defenders thankfully reacted in time and surrounded her. However, instead of relinquishing the ball, Marlene kicked it with all her strength. She should have been too far away to threaten Matthew, so he briefly allowed himself to relax. Then the ball¡¯s trajectory bent ever so slightly. Matthew barely managed to dodge and avoid a blow to the head. Instead, the ball hit him squarely in the chest, much to his sorrow. This soon became a recurring pattern as the game went on. Matthew blocked two more strikes with his body in spite of his best efforts to avoid them, all in ten minutes¡¯ time. ¡°Fortress Matt is stopping everything!¡± King Coach shouted from the audience. ¡°Take note! He¡¯s sacrificing his flesh and blood for the cause!¡± I¡¯m trying not to! Matthew complained as he massaged the new bruises on his chest. Lady Luck is bullying me. His Lucky Star spell kept bending the ball¡¯s trajectory so it would hit him. He had become a calamity magnet. Matthew¡¯s hunch had been correct. Surviving this match would let him harvest a bounty of good luck¡­ if he survived to the end. No, Matthew, that¡¯s what the Coach warned you about! Don¡¯t let them break your spirit! Matthew gathered his breath and adopted a fighting stance worthy of a Japanese shonen anime hero. You¡¯ve survived monsters, real monsters. You can do this! A good Crawler never played fair. Matthew¡¯s reserves meant that he could sustain his Doom Sense more or less indefinitely. Maintaining it and Lucky Star both at once was easy enough since they both belonged to the same color and their internal logic didn¡¯t conflict with one another. Casting Peak was another matter entirely. Shifting part of his Flux until it turned Green and channeling enough Yellow to fuel his other spells all at once proved a terrible strain on his mind and body. Yet he had to succeed. For the sake of his future luck streak. Matthew focused on his Flux, trying to shift the flow coursing through his body to Green while keeping some of it Yellow to fuel his passive spells. The effort left him sweating. At least Disbelief didn¡¯t weigh on him since none of these spells were visually noticeable. By the time Matthew stabilized his Peak spell enough to no longer feel his bruises, the two teams waged a raging battle over the fate of the ball. A melee of kicks and tackles unfolded before his eye. A single titan emerged victorious. Matthew¡¯s heart sank as Marlene tossed the ball to Tatiana, who swiftly charged at him faster than a bull. The treacherous twins stepped out of her way rather than try and stop her. Crick and Chlo¨¦, the team¡¯s brave and foolish defenders, tried to make a futile last stand. Both were left in the dust. Is this my Thermopylae? Matthew frantically attempted to keep his spells working together in preparation for the incoming strike. His Doom Sense buzzed in alarm. If I can¡¯t dodge, I¡¯m dead. By the time Matthew seriously considered canceling his Lucky Star spell, it was already too late. Tatiana kicked the ball at him with her immense strength. The projectile surged through the air like a blazing comet. Time seemed to slow down as Matthew saw the spherical messenger of death approach him at full speed. His Doom Sense grew so tense that a yellow veil overwhelmed his vision. The Green Flux coursing through his body flared up at once. Matthew¡¯s body moved on its own. A surge of adrenaline coursed through his body, strengthening his muscles and hastening his heartbeat. He raised his left foot, pivoted on himself, and hit the ball with a roundhouse kick. His entire body weight and strength pushed against Giant¡¯s overwhelming power. He managed to deflect the ball to the side, and it hit the referee in the face. Poor Vincent collapsed in the dirt. Someone screamed in fear and almost everyone gathered around today¡¯s casualty. Matthew himself was too busy massaging his foot to join them. Damn, that hurt! ¡°Coach, Coach!¡± Chlo¨¦ shouted. ¡°Matthew and Tatiana murdered Vincent!" Shit, Matthew didn¡¯t know any spell that could raise the dead! ¡°Nobody killed anyone!¡± Miss Baum scolded Chlo¨¦ before checking on their poor referee. ¡°He¡¯s still breathing!¡± ¡°Are you all right, Vincent?¡± Tatiana asked him with a guilty look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m alive¡­¡± Vincent muttered weakly on the ground before raising a yellow card like a white flag. ¡°Please spare me¡­¡± King Coach whistled the half-time break and then gave Matthew some solid sports advice. ¡°I know that I said failure wasn¡¯t an option, but killing the referee isn¡¯t an automatic win condition.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you die more than once at sports?¡± Matthew replied with a deadpan look. He thought his teacher would cut him some slack since he nearly perished on the field of battle. ¡°Yeah, but dying is worth an immediate red card. Don¡¯t get canceled, Matthew.¡± King Coach gave him a light tap on the back. ¡°Now go get a drink. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± Matthew¡¯s foot had recovered enough to let him stand up again, so he decided to go grab a soda. His teammates and some of his competitors took a moment to congratulate him on his awesome defense. ¡°You pulled some serious Spider-Ninja shit, Matt,¡± Marlene complimented him as she moved to grab a water bottle. ¡°You should join the martial arts club.¡± ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Tatiana apologized to Matthew. ¡°I tried not to hit the ball too hard¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Matthew lied through his teeth. She looked so ashamed that he didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her the truth. ¡°I¡¯m pain-proof.¡± Tatiana still apologized two more times before he managed to convince her. John and Kari soon joined Matthew, though only the latter showed concern for his health. ¡°I must say, that was an impressive move,¡± John said. The mere fact that the jackass actually congratulated Matthew spoke volumes. ¡°Could all those years of fighting game competitions actually have taught you a thing or two?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I did it,¡± Matthew confessed. ¡°It¡¯s like my Doom Sense and Peak spells acted together for a second.¡± While John immediately stroked his chin in interest, Kari let out a sigh. ¡°Matthew, you should cancel your Lucky Star spell before you get hurt,¡± she advised him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to explore a Dungeon with a crippled teammate.¡± Matthew wisely decided to take her advice. No good luck was worth so much pain. What happened with Peak and Doom Sense did bother him though. Both acted in concert to strengthen his body in a pinch. Did his spells combine somehow? 9: The Church of Starry Wisdom The match ended in victory for Matthew¡¯s team. Kari scored a point, John another, and Tatiana¡¯s missiles never came close to threatening the goalpost again. Funny how canceling the Lucky Star spell drastically reduced her number of successful passes in the second half. Matthew wondered if he could create an offensive version of it. A spell that cursed a target with calamities and misfortune. ¡°It¡¯s a fine draw-aggro technique,¡± Matthew told his teammates after they left the school¡¯s locker rooms in one piece. Nothing better than a quick, Dungeon-free shower to soothe the bruises. ¡°Anybody interested in learning it? You know, to catch enemy fire?¡± ¡°Why would I want to make it easier for enemies to hit me?¡± John replied with the most deadpan face imaginable. ¡°Matthew, promise me you won¡¯t use that spell in a Dungeon,¡± Kari pleaded. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t. It won¡¯t end well.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stick to farming luck by playing Mario Kart,¡± Matthew conceded. Though Peak¡¯s improvement quickened the body¡¯s healing process, he doubted he would recover from the humiliation of nearly dying from a football match of all things. ¡°Do you think my performance improved my popularity? I mean, Marlene invited me to the martial arts club¡­¡± ¡°Nobody dates the goalkeeper, Maruki,¡± John replied, shattering his teammate¡¯s hopes. Kari simply rolled her eyes in annoyance. ¡°The two of you are impossible,¡± she complained before checking her phone. ¡°And Sasha won¡¯t answer me on the phone.¡± ¡°Oh right, she¡¯s the pastor¡¯s daughter?¡± Matthew asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t recall seeing her at the match.¡± ¡°She lives with her dad at the church,¡± Kari explained with a worried frown. ¡°I hope nothing bad happened to her¡­¡± Matthew thought they would find out soon enough. True to his word, the Doc waited for them right outside the school. ¡°Greetings, kids,¡± he said as they stepped out from inside his car. ¡°How did your match go?¡± ¡°Like World War Two,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°Can we stop at a lottery store on our way to the church? I¡¯ve got a Marshall Plan check and lots of good luck to spend.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you pray at church first?¡± John taunted him. ¡°To stack the deck in your favor?¡± ¡°John has a point, Matthew,¡± the Doc said. ¡°I would suggest keeping your stored fortune until after we complete the Dungeon, in case you need a stroke of luck in a pinch.¡± Matthew shrugged. ¡°Sure, I can wait a few hours to become a lottery millionaire high school dropout.¡± Kari glared at him. ¡°I won¡¯t accept your resignation, Matt. We will all graduate together whether you want it or not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± Matthew crossed his legs and hung back in his seat. He was pumped for today¡¯s Dungeon wrecking. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with before dinner.¡± A grim scowl spread on the Doc¡¯s face. ¡°I hope your enthusiasm isn¡¯t misplaced, Matthew. Crypto reported a disappearance near the church yesterday evening.¡± Kari tensed up. ¡°Was it Sasha?¡± ¡°I think it was a young man,¡± the Doc replied, though it hardly reassured his student. The group reached the Rubens crossroads church a few minutes later. It was nearly noon by then, so the pastor was concluding the morning service. A dozen parishioners had parked their cars to seek his counsel. The church¡¯s doors remained wide open, greedily, hungrily open. Their classmate Sasha Amarie waited near the threshold, unaware of the danger nearby. A pretty girl with smooth brown skin and long black hair, she looked quite like the fashion killer with her gray beret, white scarf, and ample beige mantle. Her amber eyes shifted around the church¡¯s parking lot in worry. She seemed to look for something in particular, only to grow anxious when she failed to find it. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Sasha!¡± Kari said upon noticing her. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look too happy¡­¡± Matthew could guess why the moment he stepped out of the Doc¡¯s car. The Dungeon¡¯s aura had grown stronger since yesterday. An oppressive cloud of Violet and Yellow Flux radiated from the doors. ¡°This place has already killed someone,¡± he muttered under his breath, his fists clenching in anger. Kari bit her lip in crestfallen consternation, while John let out a grunt. ¡°We should have skipped the match,¡± he said harshly. ¡°We wasted too much time.¡± The Doc tried to reassure his students. ¡°Do not blame yourselves. The Dungeon could have taken a victim last night, when we weren¡¯t ready for it.¡± Matthew understood that their mentor wanted to shelter them from the truth and encourage them to enjoy a normal life ¡®off-hours,¡¯ but it did little to console his students. John was right, they should have skipped the match and gone straight for the Dungeon.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Doc opened his car¡¯s trunk and handed each of his students carefully prepared backpacks of supplies. Food, water, first aid kits, lamps¡­ everything to survive an unexpectedly long trek through a Dungeon. A single, lengthy gym bag secretly filled with weapons completed the set. Afterward, Matthew¡¯s group walked up to the church¡¯s entrance, where Kari greeted Sasha with a forced smile. She couldn¡¯t quite suppress her sadness at the fate of the Dungeon¡¯s victims. ¡°Hi girl,¡± she told Sasha. ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°Kari? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Sasha answered her classmate¡¯s grin with a scowl. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Is it about the disappearance?¡± John asked before improvising a lie on the spot. ¡°Matsumoto insisted that we visit you the moment we heard about it.¡± ¡°News travels fast,¡± Sasha replied, her hands disappearing into her mantle¡¯s pockets. ¡°Petro is missing.¡± ¡°Petro?¡± Kari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your b¨C¡± ¡°Shush!¡± Sasha hastily covered Kari¡¯s mouth with her hand. ¡°Dad is inside!¡± ¡°He¡¯s your best friend?¡± Matthew replied with a falsely innocent tone. Sasha¡¯s embarrassment quickly confirmed his suspicions. ¡°He¡¯s a¡­ a good friend staying with us at the church. I can¡¯t find him anywhere since last night and he won¡¯t answer my calls.¡± Sasha glanced at the church with a heavy gaze. ¡°I wanted to ask Dad¡¯s regulars whether or not they had seen him, but only a few of them showed up today, and those who did don¡¯t recall anything.¡± Matthew noticed that the Doc¡¯s jaw noticeably clenched. These regulars most likely showed up at the church only to find themselves abducted the moment they approached the threshold. ¡°Anyway Kari, who is this guy?¡± Sasha asked as she noticed the Doc. ¡°Your dad?¡± ¡°Doctor Finn O¡¯Connor, from the neuroscience and neuropsychiatry department at Evermarsh University,¡± the Doc replied after clumsily shaking Sasha¡¯s hand. Much like Kari, he couldn¡¯t tell a lie to save his life. ¡°You could say that I am her honorary uncle.¡± ¡°We decided to camp near the marshes for the weekend,¡± John easily lied. ¡°Mr. O¡¯Connor agreed to join us and give us a ride.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very nice,¡± Sasha commented. ¡°I¡¯m more of a bookworm than an outdoors gal myself, but Petro likes nature. He would have loved to join you today.¡± ¡°Perhaps we can help you search for him,¡± the Doc replied before glancing at his students. ¡°How about we ask the parishioners for more details? Miss Amarie might have missed something.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t leave a stone unturned,¡± Matthew promised. Sasha thanked the group politely and gave them a rough description of her suspiciously close friend, though she clearly didn¡¯t believe anything would come of it. And unfortunately, she might be right. Few could survive more than a few hours in a Dungeon without a Key ability. Matthew began to force the Dungeon¡¯s entrance open the moment he and his team stepped through the threshold. He didn¡¯t pay too much attention to Sasha or potential onlookers. He knew that Disbelief would rewire her brain to explain his team¡¯s sudden disappearance somehow. This Dungeon fought back against the intrusion attempt with great ferocity, but it yielded quickly; Yellow spoke to Yellow. A flash of golden and violet light soon swallowed his team whole. The dimensions around them shifted, as did the church¡¯s entrance, its doors enveloping the Crawlers like the jaws of a great and hungry beast. Matthew immediately sensed his Doom Sense softly buzzing in the back of his head, warning him of omnipresent danger. This Dungeon would prove many times more lethal than the one at school. When they stepped through the threshold between worlds, the Crawlers soon found themselves in a grand marble hall leading into a vaster chamber beyond. Fanciful symbols of winged squids were etched on the walls, right above carved symbols that Matthew didn¡¯t recognize. A powerful smell of ink and salt filled the air. ¡°Ouf,¡± Kari complained before pinching her nose. ¡°This place stinks like a fishery.¡± ¡°No, Matsumoto.¡± John grabbed two handguns from under his vest, one for each hand. ¡°It smells like a grave.¡± Only then did Matthew notice it among the flavors in the air. That oh-so-familiar metallic tang, like dried rust. Blood. Matthew clenched his fists. ¡°Loud?¡± ¡°Loud,¡± the Doc confirmed with a scowl. ¡°This Dungeon is already transitioning to its second stage.¡± ¡°Which means that this place has claimed more than one victim,¡± Kari concluded with a harsh, determined gaze. She opened the weapon bag and brought out a reinforced fencing rapier. ¡°Can you map a path, Matthew?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll cover you,¡± John said as he charged his guns with his power, the barrels radiating with Red Flux. Matthew focused on the ambient Flux and walked towards the next room, determined to carve a bloody path to the core. He immediately sensed the Dungeon trying to shroud its location by generating false signals in multiple directions. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± the Doc said out loud what Matthew was thinking. ¡°The Dungeon knows what we are and that we want to destroy its core.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t change anything,¡± Matthew replied after quickly finding a clear lead to the north. ¡°It won¡¯t live long enough to attend mass.¡± He stepped into the next room with his team hot on his tail and entered an immense domed hall over a hundred meters wide. The architecture reminded Matthew of an old-school Gothic cathedral, albeit with stained glasses representing winged squids rather than angels. Black stone pillars held the spiral-shaped ceiling high above their heads. As for the floor, its cracked marble surface showcased multiple traces of impact and bloody stains. Four corpses littered the ground, and only one was human. Matthew covered his mouth to suppress a wave of nausea, as did Kari. A pallid adult woman with far too many body parts missing occupied the center of the hall. Her likely killers, a trio of humanoids with priestly garbs and a mass of crimson talon-tipped tentacles for heads, lay dead nearby. One had been beaten to a black bloody pulp, another had its squishy skull squashed, and the last was missing everything below the waist. Though the sight of the slaughter hardly phased John, the sight confused him nonetheless. ¡°What is¡­ Did one of the victims gain a Key?¡± ¡°Could be,¡± the Doc replied as he studied the ¡®crime scene.¡¯ His eyes followed the trail of red blood footprints leading to a stairway deeper into the complex. ¡°Those are shoe prints.¡± John¡¯s guess was half-right. Monsters didn¡¯t fight each other¨Cwith a single aberrant exception¨Cso a human probably did this. However, no newly awakened Crawler should know of a core¡¯s importance; and the fact that the Dungeon immediately attempted to hide it from intruders meant that someone else already tried to reach it. Someone with experience. ¡°We¡¯re not alone,¡± Matthew concluded. ¡°Another Crawler got in there first.¡± 10: The Update ¡°Another Crawler?¡± John turned to look at the Doc. ¡°Did another team tackle the Dungeon first?¡± ¡°Crypto would have informed me if it were the case,¡± the Doc replied with a frown. ¡°What makes you think it was an experienced Crawler, Matthew?¡± ¡°A hunch,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°The Dungeon tried to keep its door locked a bit too tightly for a first-timer, and it hid its core before it even learned that we were looking for it.¡± ¡°Which suggests that they¡¯ve already faced an intruder aiming for the core.¡± The Doc pondered his student¡¯s words, then joined his hands together. A wave of empowered Blue Flux erupted from his body and spread across the hall. ¡°I will try to locate them.¡± ¡°Could it be a new Crawler?¡± Kari pondered. ¡°Someone we don¡¯t know?¡± John looked at Matthew. ¡°Or someone we do.¡± Matthew clenched his jaw. Only Maggie would be willing to tackle a Dungeon solo, and she wasn¡¯t the religious type. Unless¡­ unless she was visiting Perse¡¯s grave today and noticed the aura around the church¡¯s entrance¡­ Aw, shucks. ¡°I¡¯m picking up three different human signals in multiple directions,¡± the Doc said after completing his scan, much to his group¡¯s sudden relief. The Dungeon hadn¡¯t yet killed all of its victims. ¡°I assume one of them is the Crawler intruder, but I cannot tell them apart from other survivors.¡± ¡°We should focus on rescuing them,¡± Kari said immediately. ¡°One of them could be Sasha¡¯s b¨C¡± Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense suddenly flared in the back of his skull. His head snapped at the source of the alarm: the ceiling. The stained glass windows above them had begun to undulate like water pools. Purple Flux spread on their surface and altered the very fabric of space. ¡°Teleporters!¡± Matthew managed to shout a warning. ¡°The wind¨C¡± A hailstorm of flaming javelins surged from the portals before he could complete his sentence. The Doc immediately raised his right hand at the incoming projectiles and swiftly unleashed a White Flux pulse from his palm. A beehive-shaped barrier of immaculate energy suddenly manifested around the group, slimmer than a paper sheet and yet stronger than a castle¡¯s wall. The fiery javelins bounced off the shield like a flurry of fireworks. Their attackers emerged from the stained glass portals in a great flock of dozens. They vaguely resembled angels, except Matthew doubted that the Lord¡¯s soldiers would have squirming tentacles and a single glowing eye lurking under their metal helmets of justice. They descended on wings of shimmering fractal light and spears of golden fire magically materialized in their squirming hands. ¡°What did the Bible say about angels?¡± Matthew mused as he pointed a finger gun at the monsters. ¡°Ah yes. Be not afraid.¡± He shot one of the monsters like a fish in a barrel the moment the Doc dropped his barrier. A hole opened in the creature¡¯s helmet, and it went crashing down onto the floor below. ¡°Beetle Formation!¡± the Doc shouted an order. They originally named their moves after letters, but Matthew successfully lobbied for animal code names instead. ¡°I¡¯ll cover you!¡± The students immediately formed a tight triangle around the Doc, with Kari grabbing a gun from the weapons reserve to go along with her rapier, and then opened fire at the angels. Biblical javelins and lead bullets crossed paths across the hall. Those that met each other exploded in bursts of fire, but most reached their intended targets. True to his word, the Doc focused on defense. Whenever a javelin threatened to touch one of his students, he immediately intercepted it with a short-lived barrier. The White Flux shields each lasted less than a second, stopping attacks and then vanishing to let his allies¡¯ own projectiles through. His students each focused on a different direction to cover all their angles. To Matthew¡¯s annoyance, he once again began to lag behind his teammates; between John¡¯s redirected bullets and Kari¡¯s own supernatural accuracy, they began to rack up quite the angel kill count. These Lovecraftian caricatures were surprisingly agile and swiftly moved out of the way of Matthew¡¯s finger guns whenever he pointed at them. His bullet holes turned the ceiling into swiss cheese without slaying a single new monster.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I should just swallow them all with a black hole. That would be thematically appropriate, but the Doc would tell him not to waste that card on the small fry. Nah, I just need to play this smart. Stop focusing on moving targets. Turning his attention away from the angels to the portals summoning them into the hall, Matthew began firing at them. The monsters couldn¡¯t emerge halfway through the stained glass windows before a headshot brought them down to the ground. ¡°Excellent call, Matthew!¡± the Doc congratulated him on his initiative, while John mumbled ¡®camper¡¯ under his breath. Dozens of angel corpses soon dropped to the ground below. Matthew opened his mouth to boast when he sensed a mighty pulse of Yellow and Violet Flux course through the air. A short tremor shook the hall and the remaining half a dozen angels suddenly halted their assault. Their bodies exploded into bursts of yellow and violet particles which disappeared through the portals. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± John asked. ¡°They¡¯re self-destructing?¡± Matthew didn¡¯t believe it. Monsters were extensions of the Dungeon, cells without a will of their own. They had no sense of self-preservation and usually fought until death. Moreover, their dead kindred vanished into the floor too, their remains disappearing in a flood of energy. ¡°The Dungeon harvested their Flux,¡± Kari guessed, her hands tightly gripping her weapons. ¡°It¡¯s gathering power.¡± The Doc¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. He immediately began to cast the same Blue spell he used to locate the survivors. Matthew swiftly began to imitate him by activating his Flux Sight and focusing on his environment. The core¡¯s Flux signature was growing distant. Not weaker, no. Its decoys all disappeared at once, but the heart of the Dungeon continued to pound energy with more strength than ever. The pulse strengthened, yet the core slowly slipped out of Matthew¡¯s senses. The Doc¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°The Dungeon is creating a new level.¡± When a Dungeon consumed enough lives and gathered enough energy, it began to create new levels to bury its undefended core. That transformation marked their second stage of development, the Growth. Matthew could only see two ways for this church to reach it in a day¡¯s time. Either it had abducted a lot more people than they thought, or it was hastily sacrificing other resources in a last-ditch attempt to protect its core from the first intruder. Flux spent to build rooms couldn¡¯t be used to make monsters or traps. Which meant the current level would undergo a sudden and massive case of downsizing. Realizing the danger first, Matthew immediately grabbed Kari¡¯s shoulder with one hand and reached for the Doc with the other. A violet flash swallowed them all before they could make contact. When the light died out, the floor had vanished. Matthew barely had time to catch a glimpse of spiraling walls of black stone coiling around him before he began to fall into a deep shaft. He and Kari dropped down several meters toward a bed of spikes. Matthew lacked depth perception, but their perspectives looked grim. ¡°Hang on, Matt!¡± Kari dropped her gun, grabbed her teammate by the wrist mid-fall, and tried to reach the nearest wall. Her hands and the tip of her fingers glowed with Green Flux. ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± Kari managed to touch the pit¡¯s wall with her feet while still holding on to her rapier. Their quick fall slowed to a complete crawl in seconds, the sudden stop nearly causing Matthew to throw up. When he looked at his teammate, she was sticking to the black stone like a certain comic book character while carrying him with one hand. ¡°When did you become Spider-Woman?¡± Matthew asked in disbelief. ¡°Wallcrawl spell.¡± Kari let out a huff of exhaustion. Her teeth grinded against each other and a green aura flickered around her. ¡°Can¡¯t keep it and Peak both up for long though.¡± ¡°Ugh, we were supposed to learn Wallcrawl together!¡± Matthew complained before pointing at the wall. ¡°Can you bring me closer?¡± Kari drew upon the power of the Peak spell and lifted him next to the wall. Matthew immediately punched the stone while triggering his Wormhole Key. His power created a circular cavity large enough for two people. Kari dangled Matthew closer to their new refuge until he managed to safely step inside it. She swiftly joined him, though they had to squeeze a bit. ¡°I hate Violet Dungeons,¡± Matthew complained. ¡°They always change their layout midway through.¡± ¡°You''re telling me.¡± Kari glanced into the shaft and what fate awaited them below. The distance between them and the floor dizzied the mind. ¡°This one is vicious too. We were seconds away from being impaled like sausages.¡± ¡°With a bit too much ketchup for my liking,¡± Matthew replied before noticing the way Kari gasped for breath. ¡°Are you wounded?¡± ¡°No, just a little winded,¡± Kari replied with a strained smile. She was clearly trying to hide her exhaustion from managing two Green spells at once. ¡°I¡¯m tougher than I look." ¡°I¡¯ve got food and a medical kit in my bag, should you need either,¡± Matthew reassured her. ¡°Let me cast a quick Pulse first.¡± Pulse was perhaps the easiest White spell to master, since it simply involved unleashing a burst of Flux to signal one¡¯s location. Dungeon Wreckers Association procedure demanded that a team¡¯s members cast it whenever they were forcibly separated to make it easier to regroup. Matthew sensed two Pulses echoing his own in the distance. The first energy signature belonged to the Doc, and the second to John. Both seemed to be next to each other and each sent a single signal. Good. One Pulse meant safe. Two or more per person meant trouble. ¡°The Doc and Misfire are alive and together,¡± Matthew informed Kari before grabbing a water bottle from his bag and tossing it to his teammate. ¡°And safe too. Should have started with that one.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Kari sighed in relief. ¡°How far away are they from us?¡± ¡°I would say¡­¡± Matthew clenched his jaw. ¡°Half a city block away.¡± And now they had to find a way to regroup. 11: Dungeon Dwellers Matthew always wished to try out rock climbing one day, but today convinced him that he really disliked it. Creating holes in the pit¡¯s wall and using them to ascend his way up to the top proved long, tiresome, and just plain exhausting. Even using the Peak spell to stay in shape left him halfway winded after finally reaching the top. Not to mention the vertigo overtaking him whenever he dared to look down at the spiky bottom below. At least Kari appeared happier. ¡°Phew,¡± she said after grabbing Matthew¡¯s arm and pulling him out of the pit. ¡°Nothing better than exercise to get the blood pumping.¡± ¡°Somebody carry me,¡± Matthew complained. His hands trembled from the strain of carrying his beautiful artist body up a mountain. ¡°Look at my noodle arms! It¡¯s like I¡¯ve caught Parkinson¡¯s!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not carrying you, Matthew. You really need more physical activity and to get in better shape.¡± Kari checked the room around them, her expression swiftly twisting into a scowl. ¡°And somehow this place has become even creepier.¡± Matthew kind of agreed. The pit opened up into a large crypt cloaked in shifting shadows and supported by shining seashell columns providing a measure of light. An archway led into a hallway to the north, while a Cthulhu-shaped stone fountain poured a thick dark red liquid into a honeycomb pool. Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense failed to trigger, so it looked safe enough to drink. ¡°Is it¡­¡± Kari gulped. ¡°Blood?¡± ¡°It smells like wine,¡± Matthew replied before taking a sip, much to Kari¡¯s disgust. It tasted surprisingly good, salty with a fruity aroma. ¡°Definitively wine.¡± ¡°Ew, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s worse, your underage drinking or the fact you tasted stuff from a Dungeon.¡± Kari sighed before checking the only exit. ¡°Do you think you could blow open a way to the core? Just checking.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t reach it yet even if I wanted to,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°A Dungeon¡¯s levels act as separate pocket dimensions. Opening holes in walls won¡¯t lead us anywhere close to the next one unless we stumble upon a portal.¡± Multi-level Dungeons rarely took less than a day to clear. Doorways to other floors didn¡¯t produce a strong Flux signature like cores, so finding them was a matter of simple exploration. ¡°I could create a shortcut to reach John and the Doc quicker, but it¡¯ll cost me a lot of Flux,¡± Matthew informed Kari. ¡°Best to pace ourselves for now,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be thrown into another pit while Flux-starved.¡± The two of them walked out of the fountain chamber and into corridors so dark that Matthew couldn¡¯t see any farther than his own hand. Kari, whose Key-enhanced visual perception allowed her to find her way around just fine, grabbed him by the wrist to guide him. He felt like a toddler being led around by his mother. ¡°Is your Doom Sense triggering yet?¡± Kari whispered under her breath. ¡°Nope,¡± Matthew replied. He didn¡¯t sense a whiff of a trap. ¡°The Dungeon spent an ungodly amount of Flux to create a new level so fast. It¡¯s likely short on resources to manifest traps and monsters.¡± ¡°For now,¡± Kari replied, and Matthew didn¡¯t have the heart to complain. ¡°There¡¯s light ahead of us.¡± Though Matthew couldn¡¯t see anything, he trusted his teammate and went along quietly. His Doom Sense began to buzz lightly a few steps afterward. ¡°I sense danger. Nothing too strong though.¡± Kari¡¯s grip on him tightened slightly and he heard the sound of her rapier¡¯s edge sharpened on a wall. Faint yellow candlelight appeared in the distance and eventually led them into a chamber illuminated by four candelabras. The domed ceiling showed a mosaic of the night sky. Four stone coffins lay on the floor, each one located next to a set of archways. A squid-headed priest sat there in front of a strange stone altar, its squamous hands joined together in a parody of prayer. It let out a screech the moment it sensed the Crawlers¡¯ presence and pulled out a bloody dagger from underneath its black garb.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Matthew let go of Kari¡¯s hand and raised his fingers to shoot it dead, but his teammate proved quicker. Kari closed the distance between the priest and them in a flash, then skewered the monster¡¯s neck before it could react. She turned her rapier with such strength that the squid¡¯s head went flying off his shoulders and crashed against the altar. However, Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense didn¡¯t stop in the slightest. Quickly guessing where the danger came from, he swiftly blasted the nearest coffin. The lid immediately grew teeth right as Matthew¡¯s power blew a hole in its center, killing the creature. With the element of surprise lost, two of the other coffins immediately snapped open, revealing jaws filled with gnarly fangs and tentacles. Coffin mimics, huh? Matthew never encountered those before. Both creatures clumsily hopped at Kari in an attempt to flank her from two sides, but she easily dodged them with an elegant backflip. Matthew nailed one of the mimics with two finger guns and riddled it with holes to death. As for Kari, she jumped on a coffin¡¯s head¡ªthe sudden pressure of her weight slamming it shut¡ªand then stabbed it in multiple places with her rapier. Her power let her detect weak spots Matthew¡¯s eye couldn¡¯t see, and each blow caused the monster to leak thick black blood until it finally expired. A single coffin remained amidst the mimic corpses. Since Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense was no longer triggering, he bothered to open it with his Key ability. It contained a handful of bejeweled silver figurines of tentacled angels, much to his delight. ¡°Was that priest praying?¡± Kari wondered upon checking the altar. A creepy statue of an eldritch monstrosity made up of six wings folded around a gigantic central eye overshadowed it. ¡°Can monsters worship a god?¡± ¡°I dunno,¡± Matthew replied after stuffing the figurines into his bag for future sales. Dungeons seemed strangely obsessed with copying and twisting human concepts. ¡°Imagine their theological debates though.¡± He coughed and then did his best to mimic an eldritch fundamentalist. ¡°Hey, infidel squid, you represented Lord Cthulhu with four tentacles instead of six! May someone waterboard this heretic!¡± Even Kari couldn¡¯t resist playing along. ¡°Do you think octopi worship a different god than the squids?¡± ¡°Nobody ever expects the Squid Sklux Sklan.¡± Matthew scoffed. ¡°Do you think they fondle fish children?¡± ¡°And now you¡¯ve made it awkward.¡± Kari continued to stare at the altar with curiosity. She couldn¡¯t get the image of a monster praying out of her head. ¡°I suppose even these abominations need something to believe in. It makes you wonder about the meaning of life.¡± Believe? Matthew wasn¡¯t certain that monsters could believe in anything, since they were an extension of the Dungeon that created them. Then again, he already knew of one that could think¡­ and how that turned out. The very thought made Matthew uncomfortable, so he immediately tried to change the subject. ¡°I already know why I was born.¡± Kari raised an eyebrow in his direction. ¡°And what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Mom and Dad really wanted to have sex.¡± Kari stared at him in disbelief, her mind unable to process the simple answer to life¡¯s greatest mystery. When it finally occurred to her that it probably applied to her own existence, she covered her mouth in horror, tears of despair forming in her eyes. ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± ¡°Sucks, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Matthew asked. ¡°The goal of philosophy is to get laid. Amorem feci, ergo sum.¡± ¡°Ego sum cincta fatuis,¡± Kari replied with a sigh. Matthew had the distinct intuition that she made him the butt of a joke, but he didn¡¯t know enough Latin to understand it. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Google it up,¡± Kari replied. ¡°Can you cast a Pulse to advertise our position?¡± ¡°Sure, princess.¡± Matthew sent a signal and almost immediately received an answer from the Doc. He and John had moved closer to their northwest. He wondered if they took a detour to avoid an obstacle or to rescue a hostage. The Dungeon shuddered in response. Matthew sensed currents of Yellow and Violet Flux coursing through the crypt before the monsters¡¯ corpses vanished in a swirling cloud of particles. Although it cost Flux to reabsorb their remains instead of slowly digesting them, the Dungeon probably extracted a positive surplus in return. ¡°Do you feel that, Matt?¡± Kari asked with a worried frown. ¡°It¡¯s summoning a big one.¡± The Dungeon Wreckers Association classified monsters in four categories: Critters, the most common and no more dangerous than wild animals like bears and tigers; Mooks, who were more powerful than any human but still slightly weaker than the average Crawler; Bosses, large monsters who could match a Crawler¡¯s team in battle; and the Raids, exceptionally dangerous entities who required a large group to defeat. The stronger the monster, the greater its Flux cost for a Dungeon. Hence most stuck to summoning Critters to hunt normal humans trapped within their confines. And when confronted with Crawlers who could mow down lesser creatures by the dozens, a Dungeon usually switched from quantity to quality. Whatever this one was summoning now seemed huge; ¡®putting all its alien eggs into one hungry basket¡¯ kind of huge. The Flux gathered a few rooms ahead, and tremors immediately spread through the crypt and beyond. The sound of heavy impacts echoed across the level. The Dungeon¡¯s new monster was fighting somebody. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Matthew whispered in confusion. ¡°The Doc and John should be too far away. What is it attacking?¡± ¡°The intruder,¡± Kari guessed. Matthew¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He focused on the ambient Flux in the vicinity. The newly summoned monster was like a bright purple star in a sea of light, trying to drown a familiar surge of wild Orange. Maggie. 12: The Throne Matthew rushed towards Maggie¡¯s direction the moment he recognized her Flux signature. He heard Kari call out his name in alarm and her hurried steps as she ran after him, but he didn¡¯t stop. His legs carried him on their own. A single thought occupied his mind, alongside the sharp sting of guilt and panic. Not again! Matthew rushed through barely lit corridors, the walls shaking and the ceiling cracking. His Doom Sense buzzed louder with each step. The pressure grew sharper and stronger than what he experienced fighting the last Dungeon¡¯s boss. He heard the toll of bells, followed by the sound of distant explosions. He soon passed through an archway and entered some kind of enormous belfry, with a ceiling as high as a cathedral¡¯s. Five alcoves surrounded the massive chamber, each of them housing a massive yellow bell dangling from a metal hook and rippling with Flux. Scorch marks covered the marble floor and a pair of towering golden doors lay closed to the north, their outline shimmering with purple particles. The new monster hovered in the center of the room. It was huge and spherical, a giant purple neutron pulsing with Violet Flux that strained the very fabric of space around it. Eldritch sets of golden rings spun around its core like a planet¡¯s outer rings, each of them covered in burning eyes. They were all glaring at Maggie. Matthew had only caught a few glimpses of her at school over the last few years, but they hardly changed his old friend. She was still the same tough, athletic tomboy always ready to pick a fight with whoever dared to give her a funny look, her harsh amber eyes glaring at the monster in defiance. Her orange anorak was shredded and the shirt underneath had been cut in multiple areas by sharp blades. Her left sleeve lay in tatters, and the brown skin underneath had partly turned to steel. She clearly wasn¡¯t doing too good against that monster. ¡°Maggie!¡± Matthew proudly announced his presence to his old teammate, as he always used to once. Her head snapped in his direction, her amber eyes filled first with surprise and then with suspicion. ¡°You again?¡± Not the warmest of greetings, but Matthew didn¡¯t expect anything better. Ignoring her reaction, he decided against taking chances with the monster and began to remove his eyepatch. What better place to hold a neutron star than inside a black hole? The floating wheel monster¡¯s golden rings glowed brighter than the sun in response. A mighty yellow flash overwhelmed Matthew¡¯s vision before he could unleash his black hole, temporarily blinding him. He let neither the pain nor the sudden blindness slow him down. His Flux Sight let him sense the energy radiating from the monster, so he simply looked up and focused on it. Space bent around him as his wormhole hungrily began to feed on the world around itself. The Dungeon¡¯s dust was immediately sucked inside, with the sudden air current causing the bells to toil louder and louder. Matthew was careful to orient himself so his black hole¡¯s pull focused on the monster and kept Maggie¡¯s Flux signature out of range. He detected the monster being pulled towards him and then it pulsed with Violet Flux. The very fabric of space folded around Matthew, creating barriers suddenly confining him inside a much smaller space. His Doom Sense sent such a sharp spike of pain in his head that Matthew immediately pulled his eyepatch back on. When his eye recovered enough from the light flash to distinguish colors again, he found himself trapped inside a violet cube. Paper-thin sheets of translucent, folded space surrounded him from all sides and kept him imprisoned. Good thing Matthew covered his eye. His own technique would have sucked all of the air around him otherwise. Having contained the bigger threat for the time being, the monster turned its gaze back on Maggie. Its many eyes lit up with a bright yellow light and then unleashed shining rays at their target. Maggie stomped the ground with her feet, red lightning crackling from her boots, and then rushed around the room in a blur of crimson speed. The monster¡¯s rings spun at high-speeds, their lasers scorching the belfry in multiple directions. Burned lines of searing golden flames erupted on the marble walls and melted the bells¡¯ surface wherever the rays touched them. One even reached Matthew¡¯s prison, only for its energies to harmlessly slide off the cube¡¯s surface. Maggie zigzagged around the room in an attempt to avoid the beams. Her confusing, disjointed bursts of speed reminded Matthew of a groove dancer somehow trying to avoid a disco ball¡¯s light rays. She made no move to assist Matthew, and though he expected that reaction, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. Kari caught up to them at this instant and immediately assessed the situation with a glance. In stark contrast with Maggie, she moved to assist Matthew by striking the cube at its angles. Its surface rippled and undulated at each strike without shattering.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Matthew said before pointing at Maggie. ¡°Cover for her, she¡¯s wounded!¡± He had no idea if Kari heard him through his prison and over the bells¡¯ toll, but she abided by his wishes nonetheless. His teammate rushed into the belfry with her rapier ready to strike and then quickly ascended to the ceiling with the Wallcrawl spell. Though she was nowhere near as fast as Maggie, her Key allowed her to predict and dodge the beams'' trajectories. Knowing that Maggie would quickly run out of Flux if she kept it up, Matthew punched the cube¡¯s surface in an attempt to break free. He activated his Key and tried to force a hole open. His Yellow Flux collided with his Violet prison, its very opposite. The more Flux he poured into the exercise, the stronger the backslash. He felt like he was trying to open a path through a lake of water with hands made of fire. Matthew hated all things Violet. Nonetheless, the monster¡¯s Flux reserves paled in comparison to his own. The prison slowly yielded to his Key¡¯s power and his isolated pocket of space unfolded. The cube collapsed into purple particles the moment Matthew managed to puncture a hole through it. A rotating beam of light immediately advanced to incinerate him. Warned of the incoming danger by his Doom Sense, Matthew cast the Peak spell to bolster his speed and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. An aura of green and yellow emanated from his body. His limbs moved on their own and forced him to run in between the lasers. Literally. His hands and feet acted, no, reacted to incoming danger without a single thought from his brain to direct them. Peak¡¯s enhancements of his body seemed to act upon the warnings that Doom Sense sent them on their own. That¡¯s new, Matthew thought. His passive spells were reacting to each other like they did at the soccer match, their Flux wavelengths closely matching. He could hardly tell where his Peak started and where Doom Sense ended. That¡¯s definitively new. Kari, who had run along the entire length of the belfry¡¯s wall and ceiling, fell upon the monster from above. Pivoting in a way that let her slip between the light rays and spinning rings, she reached the purple neutron core and struck it with her rapier. Whatever weak point she targeted with her Key caused a shining breach to open in the monster¡¯s pulsating heart. It let out a droning noise and then a pulse of power that threw Kari off its body, though she managed to reorient herself as she landed on the floor with a cat¡¯s grace. ¡°Target the weak point I hit!¡± Kari shouted as loudly as her lungs would allow her. ¡°Widen the crack!¡± Struggling against the influence of his own spells¡ªwhich tried to keep his movements focused on evasion rather than offense¡ªMatthew finger-gunned the core at the spot that Kari marked. Most of his holes manifested on the golden rings when they spun in the way of his attack, but a few opened next to the breach in the neutron core. Violet Flux leaked from it, then poured out in a flow of energy. Matthew quickly guessed Kari¡¯s plan. The Dungeon had hastily generated this monster as a powerful weapon without much consideration for its design. Its core struggled to contain the very power used to create it. The monster let out another droning roar and closed its eyes. Its rings whirled before aligning vertically in the shape of a great blazing wheel. It landed on the ground in a thunderous crash, then attempted to roll over Kari and crush her with murderous focus. The Crawler elegantly leaped out of the way, but the monster swiftly did a U-turn in an attempt to roll over her once again. It never got that far. Maggie abandoned her evasive maneuvers to engage the monster in melee. Brushing the ground with her fingers, she swiftly activated her Orange Key. Her skin shifted to take on the color and texture of the marble floor until she became a living statue. She jumped in front of the monster, then grabbed its blazing wheel with her bare hands. Its mad dash came to an abrupt halt. Maggie did more than hold the monster in place with her superhuman strength; she slowly pushed her catch to her left, causing the rings to slightly lean towards the ground. The yellow flames surging from her foe hardly elicited a groan from her. Kari and Matthew immediately seized the opportunity to finish their enemy off. The former leaped at the core and struck its weak point with her rapier while the latter nailed it with bullet holes. More Flux leaked out of the monster¡¯s neutron heart, until the pressure became too much to bear. The core shattered with a final alien shriek. The golden flames covering the wheel died out the instant the monster¡¯s heart erupted in a sea of purple light. The rings stopped spinning, allowing Maggie to toss them to the side. The corpse collapsed to the floor with a loud crash, and Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense stopped buzzing at last. He allowed himself a moment to catch his breath, only for his Peak spell to suddenly fizzle out on its own and leave him winded. Peak ran out? Impossible! No spell could ever hope to exhaust Matthew. Yet when he looked inside himself to check his immense reserves, he found them depleted by half. Did that spell combo drain me quicker than usual? Maggie glared at the monster for a moment, as if half-expecting it to rise up for another round, then canceled her Key. Her skin returned to normal, though her fists remained tightly clenched. ¡°What are you doing here, Matthew?¡± Maggie asked without looking at him. ¡°My job,¡± Matthew replied. He could already tell that this wouldn¡¯t go well. ¡°Nice to see you too, Maggie.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Maggie glanced at Kari. ¡°And who the hell are you?¡± ¡°My name is Kari Matsumoto. I¡¯m class 3-A¡¯s student council representative at our school.¡± Typical Kari thought it best to start with student credentials instead of her Crawler ones. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Kari politely extended a hand to Maggie. Maggie looked at it for a moment before clumsily shaking it. She let go of Kari immediately after, much to her embarrassment. ¡°She¡¯s your new teammate, Matthew?¡± Maggie''s jaw clenched. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s a Violet.¡± ¡°What are you insinuating?¡± Matthew asked with a scowl. Maggie¡¯s comment made his blood boil. ¡°Kari is a Blue.¡± ¡°Like Sam then. Must have been nice, replacing us like that.¡± Maggie¡¯s gaze shifted from Matthew to Kari, and then back to him. ¡°Does she know?¡± Kari fidgeted in place, suddenly uncomfortable. ¡°Know what?¡± Maggie scowled darkly. ¡°That we let Perse die?" 13: Friends Old & New Her name echoed in his head like a curse. He hadn''t said it in years, though he never forgot it either. It had haunted his steps for the past four years each time he caught a whiff of a Dungeon, and brought itself back to his attention whenever he and his teammates encountered danger. The mere mention of it gave him a skull-splitting headache. ¡°You really want to go there, Maggie?¡± Matthew replied, his voice now frostier than a Russian winter. ¡°Yes, we all failed her. There''s not a day when I don''t think about her.¡± ¡°Do you?¡± Maggie scoffed. ¡°Then why haven''t even visited her since?" Matthew clenched his jaw and looked away in guilt. Truth was, the mere sight of that church left him uneasy, let alone seeing Perse¡¯s tomb. ¡°I was too busy wrecking dungeons.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Kari shifted in place. The conversation made her highly uncomfortable, but she was too polite to say it out loud. ¡°Guys, I don¡¯t think that now is not the time¨C¡± ¡°Yeah right,¡± Maggie ignored her while sneering at Matthew all the while. ¡°Like you managed to wreck the Mall?¡± Matthew saw red, his blood boiling in his veins. She had crossed a line. ¡°At least I tried to!¡± he snapped back in anger. It took a lot to infuriate him, but Maggie had willingly stepped on a landmine. ¡°We would all have died in there without your brother and I! You didn¡¯t even last a minute against the boss!¡± Maggie recoiled as if she had been slapped. ¡°That was then,¡± she replied, albeit with less vehemence than before. ¡°This is now.¡± ¡°True that,¡± Matthew said with a snort. ¡°Back then you had enough sense not to charge in alone against monsters too strong for you.¡± Maggie¡¯s cheeks turned scarlet, her teeth grinding so tightly that Matthew thought that they would crack. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help! I would have done fine on¨C¡± A sharp voice cut through the argument. ¡°Enough!¡± Matthew winced. Kari Matsumoto never shouted in frustration. ¡°I do not know what happened between you two, and I do not care!¡± she snapped at them with a tone that broke no disobedience. ¡°We have four people lost across this Dungeon, two of them civilians in lethal danger! You can kill each other outside after we rescue them!¡± Maggie glared at her. ¡°Who do you think you are, Ms. Student Council President?¡± ¡°The mature one,¡± Kari replied with a cold scowl. She had taken an immediate dislike to Maggie. ¡°Get with the program or leave. If you don¡¯t need our help, others do. We won¡¯t rescue you again.¡± The remark took the wind out of Maggie¡¯s sails. Though she had clearly taken a turn for the worse since Matthew last met her, he knew she wasn¡¯t a bad person at heart. She couldn¡¯t ignore the threat to civilians¡¯ lives. ¡°I nearly reached the core, but it sank underground before I could get close enough to shatter it,¡± she mumbled under her breath. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen anyone since.¡± ¡°The Dungeon must have used nearly all its Flux to manifest that last creature,¡± Matthew suggested. ¡°It¡¯s probably at its safest yet.¡± ¡°We should stick to our first plan: regroup with the Doc and John, then look for the victims,¡± Kari decided. ¡°The Dungeon created the new floor to protect its core, so I don¡¯t think it teleported any other human there. Petro and the other abductee must be somewhere nearby.¡± Matthew sensed a new Pulse from their teammates erupting close to them; they must have sensed the monster¡¯s summoning and worried for their safety. Matthew quickly released some Flux to signal their survival. The group then immediately moved to regroup with their allies. No other monster came to bother them. The Flux-starved Dungeon¡¯s corridors were eerily quiet as they walked through a series of cells with rusty bars and spiky iron maidens for beds. Kari led the way, while Maggie stayed as far from Matthew as the Dungeon¡¯s limited space would allow her to. Nobody spoke, though everyone often sent glances at each other¡ªKari to ensure that Maggie wouldn¡¯t try anything, Matthew to check on his old and new teammates, and Maggie looked away every time he did. He could tell she felt a little guilty about their argument, but not enough to apologize yet.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. To think they used to be thick as thieves once¡­ Perse would probably weep to see them like this. Matthew quickly banished the thought from his mind and focused on the present. Perse was dead and buried, alongside the friendship he¡¯d once shared with his old team. There was nothing to be gained from dwelling on the past other than pain and regret. The air grew thick with the smell of blood the further they went in. It didn¡¯t take them long to find the corpses of faceless angels on the ground. From their gunshot wounds and the neat cuts through their bodies¡ªthe telltale mark of the Doc¡¯s barriers slicing through flesh¡ªtheir teammates weren¡¯t too far away. The trio eventually reached a beehive barrier of light closing off a corridor. The Doc¡¯s handiwork. ¡°Mr. O¡¯Connor,¡± Kari announced their presence while knocking on the barrier. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± The barrier immediately collapsed into a shower of White Flux particles, revealing a small hall backed by nine towering paintings of ghouls, twisted angels, a tentacled Jesus being strung up by fishlike humanoids, and other Dungeon-themed parodies of biblical events. Shining symbols etched on the floor provided a measure of light; Matthew recognized the Doc¡¯s Encode spell, which imbued objects with spells meant to be triggered at a later date in a pinch. He must have warded this place to create a semi-safe hiding spot. Their mentor and teammate were there, tending to two strangers. The first was a young man in a black sweater hardly a year older than John, with black hair prematurely verging on gray. Matthew would peg him as having Slavic origins from the shape of his face, his haunted amber eyes staring at the newcomers with caution and alertness as his hands nervously fidgeted on the handle of a rifle. That boy had seen some tough shit. He still looked better than the other civilian, a teenager whose face felt vaguely familiar to Matt; except for the gashing wound extending across her face through the nose. She was slim and gaunt, with pale skin, platinum hair, and pale blue eyes. She clenched her skull with both hands while the Doc tended to her, her white shirt sprayed with blood. She was clearly in a state of shock. ¡°Am¨¦lia?¡± Kari said in shock, seemingly recognizing the girl. She immediately rushed to examine her. ¡°Are you wounded?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine, Kari,¡± the Doc reassured as he finished putting a bandage on the girl¡¯s facial wound. ¡°Physically at least. She will need a safe place to gather her thoughts and recover.¡± Kari let out a sigh of relief, much to Matthew¡¯s curiosity. ¡°You know her, Kari?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in your class like Miss Amarie outside, and the other is the famous Petro,¡± John replied. "What, really?" Matthew squinted at Am¨¦lia. Now that he thought of it, he did remember seeing her face. He couldn''t recall her ever speaking up in class though. She must have been the shy wallflower type. ¡°Took you long enough to reach us, Maruki," John said. As usual, he didn¡¯t bother with warm greetings. "I thought I¡¯d advertised our position clearly enough.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, Misfire,¡± Matthew replied. Though his teammate was an asshole, he was still relieved to find him alive and unharmed. ¡°We cooked a mini-boss on our way there.¡± ¡°You make it sound like an achievement.¡± John glanced at Maggie next, studying her with a cold, calculating gaze. ¡°Ms. Powells, I presume?¡± Maggie glared back at him without a word. As Matthew suspected, his teammate¡¯s aloofness rubbed her the wrong way. John raised an eyebrow at her, then turned to Matthew. ¡°Is she mute or deaf?¡± ¡°I can hear you, asshole.¡± Maggie crossed her arms and spat on the ground. ¡°I thought the likes of you were too good for teams?¡± ¡°Funny, I¡¯ve heard the same thing about you,¡± John retorted with the same tone. ¡°You charging in without a plan nor backup caused quite the stir.¡± ¡°I can clear this place on my own,¡± Maggie replied. ¡°I don¡¯t need your self-help club¡¯s assistance.¡± John stared at her for a while before glancing at Matthew. ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why you didn¡¯t want to be around her, Maruki.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± Maggie replied, much to Matthew¡¯s sorrow. At this point, he found it wise to keep his mouth shut rather than respond. Now was not the time for a reasonable conversation. She then glanced at the boy with the rifle. ¡°You¡¯re Petro, right? I¡¯ve seen you at the church once or twice before.¡± The boy hesitated a moment, as if still unsure whether or not to trust them, then nodded slowly. He looked tense and clearly expected an attack of some kind. His first encounters with monsters must have been quite traumatizing. ¡°You know how to use that rifle?¡± Maggie asked him brusquely. ¡°More monsters might attack us soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m out of ammo,¡± Petro confessed nervously. He shuddered as his eyes darted across the room. ¡°What is this place anyway?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll explain outside,¡± Kari replied immediately, knowing very well that Disbelief would likely spare them an explanation. ¡°How did you end up here?¡± ¡°Because of her.¡± Petro pointed at Am¨¦lia. ¡°I found her sneaking around the church last night. Thought she was a robber, so I grabbed Reverend Amarie¡¯s gun. Next thing I knew, we were in this¡­ this temple.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you both alive,¡± Kari said with a smile of relief. ¡°We arrived in time.¡± Petro put on a better show than Matthew expected for a civilian. Most people who entered a Dungeon as aggressive as this one hardly lasted more than an hour. Either the young man had the natural instincts to last until morning, or¡­ Matthew activated his Flux Sight spell and took a good look at Petro and Am¨¦lia. He immediately noticed a familiar glow hovering over them. A faint whiff of Orange for the former, and a dash of Green for the latter. He was sure of it now. These two had Keys. 14: The Riddle Matthew briefly wondered if he had become color blind, because these two were all wrong. No one truly understood why some Dungeon victims developed a Key and others didn¡¯t. The Doc and other researchers figured that the process involved prolonged exposure to Flux, and little more than that. A few less than reputable Crawler groups in other countries had tried to artificially create more of them by shoving civilians into carefully cleaned Dungeons. They had tried on hundreds of unwilling test subjects and could count the number of successes on one hand. However, there was one law about Keys that researchers agreed on over the years: a person¡¯s core color was determined by that of the Dungeon in which they first awakened. Matthew himself was a Yellow Crawler because the one he found in his closet all those years ago had been super weird. Hence his confusion about these Petro and Am¨¦lia. They¡¯d both gained a Key in a Dungeon attuned to Yellow and Violet, concepts and spacetime; yet they showed Orange and Green auras respectively, which covered matter and life. They didn¡¯t look like the kind of people who¡¯d visited another Dungeon before either, so it couldn¡¯t be that. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed it too, Matthew?¡± the Doc asked after he finished treating Am¨¦lia. She continued to shiver on the ground in a fetal position in spite of Kari¡¯s best efforts to console her. ¡°Their colors are wrong,¡± Matthew said. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°I have a plausible hypothesis in mind.¡± The Doc stroked his chin. ¡°I¡¯ve been considering just how this Dungeon could manifest a new floor so quickly. Efficient use of its Flux resources and its current victim count shouldn¡¯t have been enough, especially with Miss Powells besieging its core.¡± Maggie scowled at the mention of her last name¡ªshe scowled at everything in general¡ªbut didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Dungeons that grow large enough start connecting with others located near their main entrance, with the stronger Dungeons cannibalizing the smaller ones,¡± the Doc continued. ¡°This usually happens once a Dungeon reaches the second step of their development, but it can take place earlier should cell-stages spawn in close proximity. It is possible that this church originally hosted a set of twins.¡± Matthew raised an eyebrow as he put two and two together. ¡°This Dungeon ate another?¡± ¡°An Orange and Green one, in all likelihood,¡± the Doc confirmed. ¡°The main Dungeon must have repurposed its assimilated sibling into its second floor. We can likely expect a very different experience down there.¡± The Doc¡¯s hypothesis was frighteningly plausible. Though Dungeons acted as pocket dimensions, their influence slowly expanded outward from their origin point once they accumulated enough victims. Large ones eventually opened new doors in adjacent locations; and if they encountered another Dungeon¡¯s entrance in their sphere of influence, one inevitably assimilated the other. Matthew didn¡¯t like that possibility in the slightest. A Dungeon cannibalizing others grew stronger and more complex with each color it added to its own. That was how the Mall came to be. Petro, who had been listening in silence so far, scowled in confusion. ¡°What are you guys talking about? What do colors have to do with this¡­¡± He looked around in distress. ¡°This madness?¡± ¡°We will explain everything once we evacuate you to a safe place,¡± the Doc promised before turning his attention to Maggie. ¡°Do you remember me, Miss Powells?¡± Maggie bristled. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Doc coughed in embarrassment. Ever the people person, he quickly decided to move on with the subject. ¡°May I request your assistance today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joining your organization.¡± ¡°I assumed as much,¡± the Doc replied with a hint of sorrow. Unlike Matthew, he still held onto the hope that Maggie would join the Association one day. ¡°Nonetheless, would you mind evacuating these people outside and bar the door? This place isn¡¯t safe for them, and we must prevent the Dungeon from replenishing its strength by claiming more victims.¡± Maggie tensed up, her jaw clenching in anger. Matthew immediately understood that the Doc had made a mistake. His former friend loathed weakness¡ªespecially her own¡ªand reminding her of it caused her to close off to reason. ¡°How about you evacuate them and I stay there?¡± Maggie said while pointing a finger at the Doc. ¡°I can take care of the core myself.¡± John snorted. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you yet then?¡± ¡°You shut up, asshole,¡± Maggie replied with a venomous glare. ¡°You haven¡¯t reached the core either.¡± ¡°That may be true,¡± the Doc said diplomatically. ¡°However, we need someone on the outside to bar the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. The church staff is unlikely to listen to us, but you are a regular and thus they should lend you an ear. This strategy would save the most lives.¡± Maggie frowned as she pondered the Doc¡¯s offer. She was no fool, nor heartless. She understood that the plan had merits, even if she loathed standing on the sidelines; and though she tried to hide it, Matthew didn¡¯t fail to notice the worried glances she sent to the scared Am¨¦lia now and then. She had been in her situation once. ¡°Come on, Maggie,¡± Matthew pleaded with her. ¡°It¡¯s not about us.¡± Maggie scowled, but conceded. ¡°Fine,¡± she finally said. ¡°But if you¡¯re not out in half an hour, I¡¯ll assume you were all killed and jump in.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± the Doc said while Matthew allowed himself a sigh of relief. ¡°Mister Petro, if you would kindly follow her?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The gunman nodded slowly. Though he had clearly no idea what was going on, he trusted their group¡¯s apparent expertise on the matter. Maggie roughly grabbed the cowering Am¨¦lia in her arms, bridal style, then left with her charges without looking back. ¡°Good call, Doctor O¡¯Connor,¡± John commented once they were all out of earshot. ¡°She would have slowed us down." ¡°If the two of you ever fight, I¡¯ll bet on her,¡± Matthew replied. John raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°All my money,¡± Matthew confirmed. Maggie had her issues and wasn¡¯t much of a team player, but she was tough. She¡¯d faced far stronger creatures than anything John went up against and survived where¡­ where others didn¡¯t. ¡°She¡¯s strong, but not a team player,¡± Kari confirmed. ¡°What do we do now? Any idea how to reach the Dungeon¡¯s lower floor?¡± ¡°My spells can¡¯t detect the door, so it could be anywhere,¡± the Doc said. ¡°Did you encounter any suspicious rooms on your way here?¡± ¡°Suspicious?¡± Kari scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°Every room in this horrible place gives me the creeps¡­¡± Matthew crossed his arms and pondered their situation. Dungeons had a strange obsession with hiding entry points to their lower floors behind either puzzles or powerful monsters. Very few of them hid them in unremarkable areas. This one was clever, but its second floor¡¯s creation had been a rush job. Violet and Yellow, Matthew thought. The Dungeon¡¯s aesthetics combined concepts¡ªin this specific case, religion¡ªand spacetime. That was why its stained windows acted as spawning points and cosmically-challenged priests served as its guards. This place reasoned in terms of symbolism and transportation. What room would associate both? The answer came to him in a flash. ¡°The miniboss¡¯ room!¡± Matthew snapped his fingers. ¡°The bells! They¡¯re hiding the door to the next floor!¡± John squinted at him in skepticism. ¡°Bells?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see, you uncultured bore?¡± Matthew wagged his finger. It was so typical of Red Crawlers to miss the hidden meaning in all things! ¡°What were bells used for in churches? To issue a warning, announce someone¡¯s arrival, and offer sanctuary!¡± ¡°I think Matt is onto something,¡± Kari replied. ¡°It would explain why the Dungeon manifested such a strong monster there besides intercepting Maggie. I would expect something so strong to protect a valuable chokepoint.¡± ¡°We lose nothing but time in checking out that room,¡± the Doc decided. John shrugged his shoulders and went along with the decision. The group quickly retraced their steps back to the belfry area. Returning to the miniboss room caused Matthew to ponder what happened during the fight. The subject had been bothering him, and while he wasn¡¯t sure if now was the best time to broach it, it might give them an edge in the battle to come. ¡°Doc,¡± Matthew said after reaching a decision. ¡°Can spells fuse together?¡± ¡°Interesting question,¡± the Doc replied. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°Well, I used my Doom Sense and Peak passive spells during this morning¡¯s soccer match,¡± Matthew explained. He had mostly brushed it off as a fluke back then, but the fact that it happened again during the miniboss encounter made him believe that it was no coincidence. ¡°I think they began to act in concert at one point.¡± The Doc gave him a look of disappointment. ¡°You used spells to cheat at a soccer game, Matthew?¡± ¡°It was more of a self-imposed handicap in his case,¡± Kari complained. ¡°Which he won¡¯t try ever again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson, Mom,¡± Matthew protested. He should stick to using Lucky Star when playing video games rather than in dangerous ball-hunting death matches. ¡°Anyway, it happened again when we fought the miniboss. My body acted on its own to dodge attacks.¡± ¡°Fascinating¡­¡± The Doc stroked his chin, as he always did when pondering over an interesting subject. ¡°We know for a fact that Dungeons can use multiple Flux colors at once to generate unique effects, so it shouldn¡¯t be impossible for a human to do the same under certain circumstances.¡± John, the killjoy, remained skeptical. ¡°You would think someone more talented would have done it before if such a thing was possible.¡± ¡°Both Peak and Doom Sense are passive spells,¡± Kari pointed out. ¡°Very few sorcerers have the reserves to stack them both at once like Matthew can.¡± ¡°What she said,¡± Matthew taunted John. ¡°You just don¡¯t have the mojo to graduate from pull-ups.¡± ¡°Says the guy who nearly got killed by a soccer ball,¡± John replied. They soon reached the miniboss¡¯ room. Its corpse was long gone and some of the five golden bells showed burn marks, but they were otherwise mostly intact. ¡°This place does seem suspicious.¡± The Doc joined his hands and unleashed a blue-colored pulse of Flux. ¡°Good call, Matthew,¡± he complimented. ¡°The entrance to the second floor is definitively hidden somewhere in this room.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure the bells have nothing to do with revealing it,¡± John deadpanned. ¡°Any insights, Maruki?¡± Matthew scratched his head. Puzzles like this one in video games always had two solutions. ¡°I say we must either strike them in a specific order, or all at once.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try both options,¡± the Doc decided. The group quickly took their positions around the room and struck one of the five bells each, with John¡¯s exception; he shot the last one with his gun at the same time he struck his own with his fist. The bells rang in a commotion loud enough to wake the dead, aaaaand¡­. Nothing happened. ¡°Well that¡¯s a bust,¡± the Doc said in disappointment. ¡°Assuming we must strike each bell once in a specific order, that leaves a minimum of one hundred twenty combinations; and that¡¯s if we exclude more complex options like ringing a specific bell more than once.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not spending a year stuck on a riddle,¡± John replied before glancing in Matthew¡¯s direction. ¡°Can¡¯t you open the door by force, Maruki?¡± Matthew shook his head. A floor¡¯s access was much better protected than the main entrance, since the Dungeon didn¡¯t actually want people to wander in there. ¡°It¡¯s a Christian church,¡± Matthew muttered under his breath as he tried to find a solution and utterly failed. Why did he have to pay now for his complete and utter disinterest in religious matters? ¡°Doesn¡¯t the number five have a specific significance for them?¡± ¡°The five holy wounds of Christ maybe?¡± the Doc pondered. ¡°According to the Bible, Jesus Christ received five wounds during his crucifixion.¡± Kari observed the bells and quickly noticed that one faced the exit, with two more on each side. ¡°The bells form a pentagram shape,¡± she noted. ¡°If that one represents the head, then those on the sides must represent the hands and feet.¡± ¡°I suspect the head bell might be a red herring,¡± the Doc guessed. ¡°Christ¡¯s fifth wound was on the chest where the centurion Longinus struck him with a spear. If this Dungeon works in terms of religious symbolism, then it could liken a wound to a door between a body and the outside world¡­¡± Matthew smiled ear to ear. ¡°So if we open the four wounds, the fifth will show up in response.¡± Since they had nothing to lose by trying, the four of them lined up in front of the appropriate bells and struck them at the same time. The bell toll echoed in the room once more. Their song resonated with a surge of Flux this time, and a small rift surging with golden and purple particles soon opened on the hall¡¯s left side. ¡°Complete success!¡± Kari rejoiced. ¡°We can expect a tough welcome on the other side, so beware,¡± the Doc warned his students. ¡°Matthew, if you would kindly open the door?¡± He didn¡¯t need to ask Matthew twice. He immediately grabbed the rift with his hands and Key ability at once, his power quickly widening the gap. He sensed the Dungeon¡¯s last-ditch resistance against the intrusion and easily disregarded it. The whole place was running on fumes now. Only one obstacle stood between the core and them. ¡°Forgive me, Lord, for I am forcing my way in,¡± Matthew quipped as a violet whirlpool swallowed his team whole. Space bent around them, the cathedral¡¯s marble floor quickly twisting into thick brown wood. The Boss attacked the moment they teleported in. 15: Difficulty Spike A hail of golden spears bounced off the Doc¡¯s barrier. Matthew landed on the ground first, and his teammates followed soon after. A multi-layered defense of woven Flux quickly shielded the team from the onslaught of projectiles thrown at them. A hundred javelins crashed against their defensive perimeter in a futile attempt to pierce it, only to shatter on impact. The Doc¡¯s previous hypothesis turned out to be correct. The second layer was a stillborn realm built over the remains of an assimilated Dungeon; a seemingly endless floor of rotting brown wood engulfed in primal darkness. This level lacked both walls and a ceiling, or any source of light besides its core itself. The Dungeon¡¯s heart floated above its final defender like a halo a hundred meters or so from the closing rift. Both were equally mismatched. The unstable core took the shape of a glowing golden sphere with a violet hole for a center, which slowly ground dots of green and orange Flux to nothing. As for the Boss, it grew from the wooden ground itself. Matthew might have mistaken it for an ancient oak tree at first glance, were it not for its six twisted branch wings of golden leaves and the many writhing eyes growing out of its blackened bark. The latter dripped with viscous sap on the monster¡¯s twisted roots, which sucked the Flux from the floor dry. The Dungeon cannibalized its own resources in a last-ditch attempt to strengthen its final line of defense. And it wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°Rhinoceros formation!¡± the Doc shouted as he altered the shape of his barrier from a protective sphere to a thin sheet floating above the group. He quickly put his hand on John¡¯s back, the student¡¯s body soon radiating with a white glow. ¡°Onward!¡± Matthew grinned ear to ear. The rhinoceros formation followed a very simple strategy: trampling everything ahead until it died. John touched his teammates and charged them with his own Flux. Matthew sensed a surge of energy empowering every inch of his body. It felt like lightning coursing through his veins. The Doc¡¯s Key allowed him to temporarily tune up those of other Crawlers; to boost power, range, duration, control, or precision at the expense of the others. If Keys had stats, it would be akin to reallocating them, or transforming a sniper rifle into a gatling gun. When practicing the rhinoceros formation, he always began by maximizing John¡¯s power at the expense of its precision. This allowed him to affect larger objects more easily. Like other humans, for example. Kari, as the formation¡¯s horn, charged first with her rapier and a combat knife; Matthew and John, as the eyes, followed after to back her up with long-range attacks; and the Doc, as the hide, focused on shielding their sides. Matthew and John opened hostilities by targeting the core; the former with his finger guns, the latter with actual bullets. Unfortunately, the Dungeon had plenty of time to observe their tactics and reacted accordingly. The halo-core hastily hid behind the Boss, with Matthew¡¯s holes manifesting on the monster¡¯s thick bark hide and John¡¯s bullets bursting one of its sapping eyes. The Boss¡¯ roots wriggled and then erupted from the floor in an overwhelming tide of wood. Kari charged at it without fear or doubt. Her blades sang as her steel sliced and pierced through everything. When supercharged by the Doc¡¯s power, John¡¯s Key did more than simply redirect motion; it increased the momentum of objects it affected. Kari¡¯s rapier struck at bullet speeds and her knife slashed ahead faster than untrained eyes could follow. This power boost, combined with her unnatural precision and the Peak spell¡¯s physical enhancements, let her slice through the roots with casual ease. She quickly carved a bloody path for her teammates to follow, and the Doc secured it by raising barriers on each side of the group. The Boss¡¯ roots suddenly retreated back to its trunk as the team closed in on its main body. Its six wings expanded and flapped with such strength that they whipped up a mighty gust of wind. The team would have likely been thrown backward without John¡¯s boost, and even then it slowed down their advance long enough for the Boss to take flight. The monster hovered over the floor, its immense body floating with eldritch grace. Now that it had uprooted itself, Matthew would peg the creature as at least twelve meters tall and half as thick. Its eyes glowed with so much Violet Flux that a flow of purple particles soon enveloped the creature. The core¡¯s malign intelligence knew that it had nowhere left to run or hide, having already spent the resources required to create a new floor or more monsters to protect itself. Its last hope of victory was to overwhelm the Crawlers with brute force and then absorb their Flux before they depleted its remaining reserves. So it threw everything it had behind its attack. Purple sheets of folded space materialized around the team in the form of a wide cube larger than a house. The very fabric of reality twisted within their confines as they enveloped the Crawlers in a shrinking prison.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Matthew immediately recalled the attack. The miniboss tried it against him earlier on a much smaller scale. ¡°It¡¯s folding space to crush us!¡± Kari warned. ¡°Counterspell,¡± the Doc said, his hands slamming together and unleashing a wide pulse of White Flux. Matthew sensed it travel outward through him and then clash against the Boss¡¯ technique. The purple cube rippled, its walls undulating and vibrating like glass put through intense frequencies. Then it shattered into a thousand pieces. Matthew had seen the Doc use that technique often enough to learn its flaws. First of all, Counterspell canceled the user¡¯s other spells too; the Doc¡¯s Key remained active, but his barriers collapsed back into white particles. Second, Counterspell expanded as much energy as the spell it was neutralizing. The Doc was precise enough to target the Boss¡¯ spatiotemporal attack alone, but the experience left him sweating and panting with exhaustion. ¡°Maruki!¡± John shouted. ¡°You score this one!¡± ¡°With pleasure!¡± Matthew replied with a grin. He jumped, and then he flew. Sacrificing his Key¡¯s precision meant that John could only redirect him in simple straight lines: up, down, left, right. However, the power charge he imbued Matthew with propelled him through the air in an instant. The Boss, still reeling from its last-ditch attack, clumsily failed to intercept him with its roots. Matthew floated upward until he hovered above the creature. The core appeared to him, glowing and hiding behind the trunk. The perfect angle. The Doc likely settled on the rhinoceros formation because the rooted Boss would resist the pull of Matthew¡¯s black hole and counterattack. Threatening it with a direct charge forced it to take flight to escape, and thus made it vulnerable. Powering through his vertigo, Matthew began to remove his eyepatch. He would suck out the core in an instant at best, or force the Boss to focus on him and leave itself open to his allies¡¯ attack at worst. ¡°Sss¡­¡± A rustling, droning noise resonated out of the creature¡¯s leaf-wings. One of its roots slashed the very fabric of reality and engulfed itself inside a thin violet rift in spacetime. ¡°Sss¡­¡± the monster growled, though it had no mouth to utter sounds with. ¡°Ssst¡­ oooo¡­ p¡­¡± The Boss was forming a word. Like¡­ like that thing¡­. Matthew froze in midair, the horrible memory of the creature intruding upon his thoughts. He remembered it saying his name, speaking to him when it opened its mouth to¨C ¡°Maruki!¡± John snarled in anger, his gun helplessly firing at the Boss¡¯s roots. ¡°Do it!¡± Matthew shook off the traumatizing memory and began to pull off his eyepatch, but he had wasted too much time. The root pulled up a screaming girl through the rift and then moved her between Matthew and the core. Sasha. It had caught Sasha. Either Maggie hadn¡¯t exited the first floor yet or she had failed to secure the entrance. ¡°Stoooop¡­¡± the Boss droned through its rustling leaves, its root threateningly dangling Sasha at Matthew as if she were a protective talisman. It squeezed the poor girl so hard that her lungs soon lacked air to scream with. ¡°Stooop¡­¡± Matthew ground his teeth in frustration and put his eyepatch back on. He couldn¡¯t open his black hole without endangering Sasha. They had made a terrible mistake. Evacuating the civilians taught the Dungeon that the team prioritized protecting them over destroying its core. It likely didn¡¯t understand why, since its malevolent kind had no concept of altruism, but it didn¡¯t care so long as it worked. The Dungeon had learned the concept of taking a hostage. ¡°Your girlfriend fucked up, Maruki!¡± John snarled in anger on the ground. ¡°Cut the root, Matsumoto! I¡¯ll lift you up!¡± ¡°Not yet!¡± the Doc protested, his body clothed in white light. ¡°At this height, the fall will kill this girl!¡± Unable to use his black hole and with John¡¯s fading power struggling to keep him afloat, Matthew attempted to strike the core with his more precise finger guns. The Boss deftly moved its hostage in his line of fire before he could actually attack. Worst of all, floating golden javelins began to materialize around the creature. The Boss barely managed to create a dozen due to its fading Flux reserves, but they remained sharp and dangerous. Matthew instinctively raised his arms to protect himself, when a loud boom echoed across the room. Only when he glanced at its source did he realize that the rift hadn¡¯t closed. In fact, it had begun to widen once more. The Dungeon had grown so weak that it couldn¡¯t close its main entrance anymore¡­ nor prevent intruders from forcing their way in. Maggie fell through the rift with stone flesh and cement skin. She hit the Boss straight in the middle of its trunk with the weight and strength of an artillery strike. The impact caused the monster¡¯s body to crack and snap, its half-formed javelins collapsing into sorcerous particles. ¡°Now!¡± the Doc ordered while slamming his hands. ¡°Lift me up!¡± Kari ordered John. She surged upward like a missile as her teammate¡¯s power fueled her ascent, her blade cutting the root holding Sasha without harming her. Both girls fell down alongside a rain of sliced wood. Matthew¡¯s path was clear, and he seized his chance. Unwilling to use his black hole with so many people so close to him, he instead bombarded the exposed core with his finger guns. Holes quickly riddled its crystalline surface. Flux of multiple colors leaked through them and the entire Dungeon began to shake. It had wasted too much of its energy to properly stabilize. The Doc chose this moment to act. Calling upon his last remaining reserves, he manifested a half-made barrier in a spiraling shape right under his charges. Kari, Matthew, and Sasha slid down on it with the angle slowing down their fall. The impact at the bottom was rough and left them riddled with bruises, but it beat being splattered on the floor. The core shattered in a searing flash of golden light, and the Dungeon perished with a final shriek. A wave of Flux rippled through reality and hit Matthew in the face. It propelled him back through the Dungeon¡¯s layers of wood, through shifting dimensions, through the very fabric of space and time. He finished his dramatic exit on a dirt floor with his head squarely hitting someone¡¯s butt. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He heard Kari complain not too far away from himself. ¡°I¡¯m never getting used to this¡­¡± Matthew forced himself to sit up and allowed himself to sigh in relief when he realized that they had all landed on the church¡¯s threshold. Parishioners sent them strange glances, but he didn¡¯t care. The Boss was gone, and the nightmarish dimension it protected along with it. Everyone made out of the Dungeon alive. They¡¯d even managed to save Sasha, though she appeared clearly shaken by her experience. Her b-friend Petro was helping her stand up. Maggie lurked nearby, her skin now returned to normal. She gave Matthew a strange look, then turned and walked away without a word. The mission was a success, but Matthew could already tell that the cleanup would be messy. 16: The Promise
The upside of Disbelief was that Matthew¡¯s team never had to explain how a bunch of people teleported out of nowhere right after busting up a Dungeon. The downside was that Disbelief often created some troublesome excuses that then required damage control; in this case, onlookers remembered John pushing into a crowd on the church¡¯s threshold, accidentally throwing Sasha to the ground and causing a large people pileup in his hurry. Matthew had no idea why Disbelief selected Misfire of all people to take the fall, though he found it delightfully funny. The Doc spent the next ten minutes explaining to Sasha¡¯s reverend father that her Dungeon-induced trauma was just a ¡®harmless concussion,¡¯ and it then took another half hour to convince him not to press charges on his daughter¡¯s behalf. Without Petro¡¯s support and the Doc¡¯s neuroscience credentials, the man probably would have called the police. ¡°I hope that this event will teach you patience and wisdom, my poor hasty lamb,¡± Matthew mocked John once the reverend finally left him off the hook. The three of them sat on a wooden bench near the church¡¯s exit; after everything that happened today, Matthew found the place¡¯s silence and peaceful atmosphere pretty refreshing. ¡°The Lord forgives everyone, but the law only spares the rich.¡± ¡°I shall pray that Disbelief puts the blame on you next time, Maruki,¡± John replied with a snort. ¡°I wasn¡¯t too worried. Crypto and Officer Kresnik got us out of worse jams.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy we could save these three,¡± Kari replied, her gaze firmly settled on another trio a few lines ahead from them. Petro, Sasha, and Am¨¦lia were still in a state of shock¡ªthe first less than the others¡ªafter their experience, though they¡¯d recovered enough to listen to the Doc¡¯s explanations. Only Petro paid much attention; his very good friend Sasha clutched her arms and fidgeted in her seat, while Am¨¦lia spent her time staring down at the ground. Their lives had just become a whole lot crazier. Matthew realized that Sasha had a Key the moment she spoke up after they exited the Dungeon. Unlike Marion yesterday, she fully remembered her interdimensional abduction and spent minutes babbling incoherently about it. By the time her b-friend Petro managed to calm her down, she radiated a faint, familiar violet aura. ¡°Three at once,¡± John said with a pleased smile. A potential solution to their manpower issue had fallen into their laps. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of so many people awakening in the same Dungeon.¡± ¡°It happens sometimes,¡± Matthew replied. Perse and Ulysses awakened together, as did Maggie and Jack. ¡°A full color trio is super duper rare though.¡± Kari let out a sad sigh, which caused John to raise an eyebrow at her. ¡°Why the sad face, Matsumoto?¡± he asked her. ¡°This is good news. We¡¯ve three new bodies to throw at the Dungeons.¡± ¡°Hence why I¡¯m sad,¡± Kari replied with a sorrowful scowl. ¡°I just wish that all Dungeon victims could return to a normal life. We shouldn¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t miss my normal life,¡± Matthew replied. Dungeons took a lot from him, true, but he wouldn¡¯t trade his powers away for anything in the world. ¡°They don¡¯t have to fight either. Some of us sit out Dungeon hunts.¡± ¡°And they¡¯re cowards to do so,¡± John countered with a sneer of disgust. ¡°Anyone not cleaning up Dungeons might as well help them kill innocent people. At least your girlfriend is putting in the work.¡± ¡°Maggie¡¯s not¡­¡± Matthew clenched his jaw. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not my friend. Not anymore.¡± Kari gave him a compassionate look. ¡°I think she¡¯s still in the church¡¯s graveyard, Matthew,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe you should go talk to her?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Matthew mustered up his courage. ¡°I should go talk to her.¡± He hadn¡¯t visited her grave in far too long. The Doc concluded his discussion with Petro, Sasha, and Am¨¦lia by giving them each a business card and shaking their hands. He then returned to his students with a concerned expression. ¡°I am sorry to ruin your plans for Sunday, but if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to introduce these three to Crypto and give them a tour of the Association,¡± he informed Matthew¡¯s crew. ¡°Whether they decide to join us or not, they should learn more about the world they now live in.¡± ¡°Is tomorrow the resupply session, Doctor O¡¯Conner?¡± Kari asked, her expression darkening. ¡°Is it wise to invite them then?¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Oh right, they¡¯ll meet Charlie and Lou, maybe Mr. Auguste too,¡± Matthew said while chuckling to himself. ¡°They¡¯ll scare them off.¡± The Association was a disparate group, but the real weirdos only attended the emergency meetings and resupply sessions. Then again, you had to be already somewhat mad to risk your life fighting monsters in the first place. ¡°I understand the risk of introducing these children to our more¡­ problematic members,¡± the Doc replied with a heavy sigh. ¡°Nevertheless, they are old enough to make up their minds by themselves. Withholding information will create distrust and slow down their recovery.¡± John didn¡¯t look concerned. ¡°If they can¡¯t take Charlie, they won¡¯t survive a Dungeon anyway.¡± ¡°It is far too early to speak of recruitment, John,¡± the Doc scolded him. As usual, he favored letting new Crawlers focus on their mental health first and foremost. It was a wise choice in Matthew¡¯s opinion. Few emerged from their first Dungeon unscathed. ¡°In any case, I will drive you back to your dorm shortly and pick you up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Can you give me ten minutes, Doc?¡± Matthew asked. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ got something to do first.¡± His team gave him a long look, none more thoughtful than the Doc¡¯s. ¡°Of course, Matthew,¡± he said, though with some concern in his voice. ¡°Take all the time you need.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be long,¡± Matthew promised. He could never spend too much time around her grave anyway. Matthew walked out of the church and into the graveyard. Tall trees scattered around grass patches provided a measure of shade in the fading sunset. A bronze statue of the Virgin Mary stood amidst weathered gravestones and older, table-like tombs. This place had been built in the city¡¯s first days¡ªat least before the Timeshifts messed everything up¡ªbut most families favored the larger mausoleum further north. Matthew liked it better this way. It made the place feel more serene and intimate. He found Maggie sitting under the shadow of an ancient oak with a cigarette in hand. She faced a white gravestone adorned with a rose bouquet. Perse¡¯s mother likely left them here yesterday. Matthew gathered his breath, coughed from the smoke, and mustered up his courage. ¡°Maggie¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± she interrupted him. "Not... not now." Matthew closed his mouth and then silently sat next to his former friend. Maggie didn¡¯t shout at him, or spare him a glance. She focused all of her attention on a set of phrases carved onto the well-preserved gravestone. Matthew forced himself to do the same.
In loving memory of Persephone Werner April 18th 2007 December 24th 2020 She climbed the Stairway to Heaven.
That epitaph still felt like a gut punch after all these years. ¡°He didn''t visit her either,¡± Maggie said out of the blue. ¡°Not once.¡± ¡°Ulysses?¡± Matthew guessed. He¡¯d tried to knock on his old friend¡¯s door a few times over the past four years. Each time his mother gave him some excuse about Ulysses not feeling well enough to see him. Matthew eventually took the hint and stopped visiting them, though it saddened him. Ulysses had been his best friend once. ¡°Her own brother won¡¯t come,¡± Maggie muttered with deep sorrow. ¡°Sam fled, Jack left, and you¡­¡± She blew out a cloud of smoke. ¡°You forgot.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Matthew protested, though she had a point. He avoided her and the graveyard because he didn¡¯t want to remember. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s tough coming here, Maggie.¡± Staring at the empty gravestone sickened him, knowing that they couldn¡¯t even bury a corpse, knowing that the Dungeon that took Perse¡¯s life still festered in the city, knowing that he couldn¡¯t do a damn thing to avenge her¡­ Maggie finally deigned to look at him. The sorrow in her eyes briefly turned to guilt, then back to frustration. Matthew expected a jab that never came. Instead, Maggie remained silent and stared back at the empty gravestone. It was tough on her too, but she would rather hide it. Matthew gathered his breath. ¡°Maggie¡­¡± ¡°I don''t want to join your association,¡± she replied immediately. "I can''t." ¡°You¡¯ll get killed if you keep diving in alone,¡± Matthew insisted, politely but firmly. They both knew it. ¡°You¡¯ll slip up sooner or later. The Association has many teams¨C¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Maggie cut in sharply. ¡°I can¡¯t replace her. Us.¡± She dropped her cigarette on the ground and extinguished it. It was quite the dirty motion, but Maggie didn¡¯t care about anything much nowadays. ¡°I can¡¯t see anyone else die on me.¡± Matthew flinched. Her words hit him like a slap in the face. Maggie rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll take another crack at the Mall soon,¡± she declared, almost absentmindedly. ¡°On Christmas.¡± Matthew froze in panic. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he pleaded with her. ¡°That place will kill you!¡± ¡°Better that than sitting on my ass,¡± Maggie replied with a sigh. ¡°You guys can¡¯t keep it locked up forever, Matthew. It¡¯ll open up a new entrance sooner or later, and then what? You¡¯ll bar the door again and hope it goes away?¡± Matthew looked away. Truth be told, it had been the Association¡¯s solution to the Mall after their attempts at clearing it by force failed: condemn the entrances, deny it victims, and then wait for it to starve. They¡¯d succeeded with the first two steps well enough, but the Dungeon continued to fester nonetheless. What other alternative did they have? Every Crawler who attempted to clear that Dungeon either died or hit a wall; an invincible monster with teeth and spells and unstoppable strength. ¡°You can¡¯t beat that thing,¡± Matthew warned Maggie. His single eye lingered on Perse¡¯s tomb, his mind fighting off the memory that led them to this place. ¡°No matter how strong you¡¯ve grown or the spells you¡¯ve gathered, it¡¯ll never be enough.¡± ¡°And if I never try, I¡¯ll never win.¡± Maggie shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that place endure another year.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it to either!¡± Matthew snapped back angrily. ¡°Then come, if you dare.¡± Maggie held his gaze, then turned away. ¡°You¡¯ve got until December to chicken out or not. I¡¯m going in either way.¡± She stormed off without another word, leaving Matthew alone with his regrets. 17: Lottery King An anthropomorphic chicken and a giant spinach monster fought on a TV screen. ¡°It¡¯s over, Major Chicken!¡± said the creature, its massive green body towering over its opposition. ¡°Soon, all animal meat will be replaced with tofu! Soy shall flood the world!¡± ¡°You underestimate the power of my animal protein, Spinach Master!¡± Major Chicken let go of his feather limiters, his skin growing a thick layer of crisp crust armor. ¡°Super Fried Mode!¡± ¡°Your cartoon is awful, Maruki,¡± John commented while slouching on the floor, a soda bottle in hand. ¡°This is just sad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not seeing you switch channels,¡± Matthew said while sipping his own Coca-Cola. Kari alone had the willpower to resist the TV¡¯s call; she had taken over Matthew¡¯s bed and was studying on her tablet with her earbuds on. ¡°Go on, try.¡± John grabbed the remote at the very moment Major Chicken lunged forward to the tune of a hype rock song. His crispy fist buried itself in Spinach Master¡¯s chest, causing him to cough out soy sauce. A lengthy beatdown followed, each punch weakening John¡¯s hold on the change channel button. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± John conceded after surrendering the remote. ¡°It¡¯s so bad I can¡¯t look away.¡± Matthew grinned in triumph. ¡°They all say that eventually. You know that this cartoon has survived every single Timeshift so far?¡± ¡°Not even Dungeons can stop the fast-food industry,¡± John grumbled. The Major Chicken: Tender Generation rerun was mostly an excuse to kill time before the Eurobillion Show. Matthew purchased a lottery ticket while spending all of his hard-won Lucky Star mojo on it. Since he had to be eighteen to enter the competition, the Doc would gather the money on his behalf. Matthew was so certain of his victory that he invited his teammates to see the results in real time in his dorm room. Only ten minutes separated him from a well-stocked bank account. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even have good luck left to spend,¡± John commented. ¡°I thought you would waste it all in the Dungeon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°My Peak-Doom Sense combo didn¡¯t trigger in the Boss fight either.¡± ¡°Must be because we were covering your ass,¡± John suggested after finishing his soda. ¡°You weren¡¯t exactly in lethal danger back there." Matthew thought along the same lines. The combo first activated when he nearly took a fatal blow during the soccer match, and then when a tougher-than-usual monster exclusively focused on him. Since his team dominated the Boss from start to finish, the lack of danger likely prevented his spells from synergizing. ¡°Guys!¡± Matthew and John turned to Kari, who had removed her earbuds. She presented them with what appeared to be a J-pop group picture on her tablet. Four pretty girls posed in front of a camera, each of them having dyed their hair a different color. ¡°Which of them looks the most attractive to you?¡± ¡°The redhead,¡± Matthew decided almost immediately. ¡°The blonde one,¡± John replied. ¡°I thought the redhead was cuter too,¡± Kari said, blatantly ignoring John¡¯s input. She smiled at Matthew in a way that felt completely unnatural. ¡°Matt, we¡¯re friends, right?¡± ¡°See that, Maruki?¡± John pointed at Kari¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s her ¡®run-away¡¯ face.¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯re friends, Kari.¡± Matthew rubbed his hands. He smelled an opportunity. ¡°Go on, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°Well¡­ how to say it¡­¡± Kari scratched her cheek and sheepishly avoided Matthew¡¯s gaze. ¡°I would like to dye my hair red, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll look ridiculous if I do it alone...¡± Matthew immediately guessed her devious plot. ¡°So you want to share the shame with me?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Kari set her tablet aside and joined her hands to implore him. ¡°Should the worst come to pass, we¡¯ll be ridiculous together!" John appeared more puzzled than anything. ¡°You, dye your hair? Matsumoto, you¡¯re the dictionary picture of boring and straight-laced.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rub it in.¡± Kari pouted. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to change my image. Show that I can be fun to hang out with too.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, I have an idea!¡± Matthew snapped his fingers. ¡°What if I dye my hair blue? Since John is blond, the monsters will be so confused when we use spells of different colors than our hair!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll never see it coming,¡± John said with the most deadpan look imaginable. Kari beamed with happiness. ¡°So you¡¯ll do it with me, Matthew? Without question?¡± ¡°Oh no, not without question!¡± Did she think Matthew was that desperate for approval? ¡°We¡¯re friends, right? I scratch your back, you scratch mine.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Kari immediately deflated. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡± Matthew grinned ear to ear and went for the throat. ¡°You¡¯ll be my date for the Fall Formal.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What?¡± Kari choked. ¡°Never!¡± Two Timeshifts ago, a dreadful new celebration entered the school calendar: a formal ball for the third years on the eve of the Fall Holidays. Everyone was supposed to come with a date, which, considering Matthew¡¯s looks and personality, made that an unlikely prospect in his case. Most importantly, he didn¡¯t want to look like a dateless loser by coming alone. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit premature?¡± John asked with a snort. ¡°You¡¯ve got a month to find a victim.¡± ¡°Yeah, but this year¡¯s schoolwork and Dungeon wrecking will demand all of my precious mental energy,¡± Matthew replied with a shrug. ¡°I would rather focus on my spellcasting and intellectual development.¡± Kari didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°You¡¯re just too lazy to find a girlfriend.¡± ¡°That too,¡± Matthew replied cheerfully. ¡°No date, no dye. Take it or leave it.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Kari groaned. ¡°What if I find you someone else? Would that work too?¡± John stifled a laugh. ¡°You think you¡¯ll find a girl desperate enough to go out with this guy?¡± ¡°Shut up, John,¡± Kari said with a glare. ¡°I¡¯m fine with any girl you find before the Fall Formal deadline,¡± Matthew replied. He didn¡¯t discriminate or micromanage. ¡°Consider yourself like a Ring movie victim, Kari. You¡¯re cursed until you find someone to pass the tape on along.¡± ¡°Did you really have to use that analogy?¡± Kari sighed. ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°You want to know the secret to attracting girls, Maruki? Besides blackmail?¡± John taunted him. ¡°You have to be rich, smart, and handsome. Unfortunately for you, you only picked one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have two tonight!¡± Matthew countered. ¡°Watch as I ascend to the throne of Lottery King!¡± Once the Major Chicken episode concluded in a victory for the family-friendly fast-food industry, Matthew switched channels until he happened upon the Eurobillion show. A picture of two machines juggling numbered marbles appeared on the screen, while a voiceover greeted the viewers. ¡°Welcome to tonight¡¯s draw, are you ready to get that sweet Eurobillion feeling?! Tonight¡¯s jackpot is a whopping seventeen million! Let¡¯s start the draw!¡± Matthew anxiously waited for the first marble to fall with his precious ticket in hand. Ten, eighteen, thirty-five, sixteen, twenty-two, one, ten. He believed in these numbers picked at random, without sense or reason! ¡°All right, I¡¯ve run the probability calculations,¡± Kari said. Ever the Blue math nerd, she¡¯d drafted a detailed Excel sheet on her tablet. ¡°You have one chance in twenty-two to reach the most basic threshold with two correct numbers, Matthew.¡± ¡°I¡¯m betting he gets three right,¡± John declared. Matthew silenced that pessimistic prick with his own rational assessment. ¡°And I¡¯m betting I win the jackpot! Five numbers and two stars!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tall order, Matthew,¡± Kari said with a small chuckle. ¡°Your odds of hitting the jackpot are one in one-hundred forty million.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe in math,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°I believe in magic.¡± ¡°And our first ball is the ten!¡± said the voice, right before the second marble came out of the machine. ¡°Eighteen!¡± ¡°Two out of seven!¡± Matthew inhaled sharply. His heart pounded harder in his chest once the number thirty-five came up. ¡°Three!¡± John shrugged. ¡°So far so good.¡± ¡°Your odds for four numbers are one in thirteen thousand and eight-hundred eleven,¡± Kari noted, her fingers tensing on her tablet. Now she was invested in the game. ¡°Still doable. Afterwards, it¡¯s one chance in three million.¡± ¡°Fourth out lands on sixteen!¡± Matthew clenched his jaw. He had grown so tense that he couldn¡¯t speak out anymore. His eye watched the last marble come out of the machine with such focus, that he could have missed out on John dropping dead in the background. ¡°And the fifth and final main ball falls on the twenty-two!¡± Matthew¡¯s heart skipped a beat in his chest. He sensed Kari rush off of the bed to sit at his side in excitement and John spitting out his soda. ¡°No way¡­¡± John crawled at Matthew¡¯s left, having finally become a believer. ¡°No fucking way¡­¡± Matthew held on to his ticket like it was his very soul. The screen moved on to a second lotto machine and the twelve marbles it contained. ¡°Now for tonight¡¯s lucky star numbers!¡± the voiceover announced as the marbles began to fly inside their glass cage to a chipper music tune. ¡°How much does he win if he gets one more number right?¡± John asked, utterly dumbfounded. ¡°By my calculations¡­¡± Kari began to bite her nails. ¡°Over half a million euros.¡± This was it. Matthew could feel it in his bones. The cosmic alignment that would bless him with victory. He had named his spell Lucky Star in preparation for this very moment. Only two marbles separated him from a life of leisure and wealth. Once he won millions, he would buy all the properties around the Mall, then have them walled off before Christmas. ¡°The first lucky star is¡­¡± Matthew held his breath. ¡°Two!¡± His blood froze in his veins. Matthew¡¯s eye lingered on the marble in case he had misheard, only for that cruel number to taunt him. The jackpot had eluded him! ¡°No,¡± Matthew complained as fate snatched defeat off the jaws of victory. ¡°No, no, no!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Kari reassured him. ¡°You still have a chance!¡± ¡°And the second lucky star to appear tonight¡­¡± Matthew prayed for his magic not to betray him in his hour of need. The final marble rolled out of the lotto machine too fast for him to see. Half a million. Matthew could live with half a million. Please land on the ten, please land on the ten¡­ Despair had a face, and it was a double one. ¡°Is eleven!¡± Matthew let out a scream of absolute frustration. His millions had slipped through his fingers! A knock echoed on the door, followed by the sound of King Coach¡¯s voice. ¡°Stop jacking off in your room, Matthew! Do it in the bathroom like everyone else!¡± Kari blushed and did her best not to make a sound, since rumors would spread if someone found her in the boys¡¯ dorm at this hour. Meanwhile, Matthew felt too crushed and disappointed to answer King Coach anyway. He stared at his ticket in utter defeat. His spell failed to live up to its namesake. ¡°No jackpot winner tonight!¡± the Eurobillion voice announced as if to put salt on his wounds. ¡°Tune in next week for a twenty-six million prize!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, Matthew,¡± Kari tried to reassure him. She quickly ran calculations on her tablet. ¡°You still won thirty-thousand euros, fifteen after everybody else takes their cut.¡± ¡°Fifteen?¡± Matthew¡¯s head turned at her in outrage. ¡°Where did the other half go?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kari coughed. ¡°Ten percent go to the organizers as profit, operating costs, and retailer commissions; twelve percent go to the government; and twenty-eight to charity.¡± ¡°Charity? But I don¡¯t want to give anything away!¡± Matthew complained. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the poor, I want to become the Monopoly guy!¡± ¡°Are you whining about winning, Maruki?¡± John scolded him. ¡°You¡¯ve just won fifteen thousand euros!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Matthew calmed himself and joined his hands in a supervillain pose. It helped him think of his financial future. ¡°Tonight was merely a test of my power. Kari, what did you say were my odds of winning the jackpot?¡± ¡°Uh, let me check¡­¡± Kari looked at her tablet. ¡°Almost one in one-hundred forty million.¡± Matthew quickly ran the calculations in his head. Surviving a lethal soccer match let him farm enough good luck to win a one-in-three-millions odd. Winning the Eurobillion jackpot should thus require forty-six matches, each deadlier than the last. The dorm wouldn¡¯t organize enough of these events across the school year, which left the nuclear option. ¡°I might have to join a sports club,¡± Matthew said ominously. 18: Art Attack ¡°Join a sports club?¡± King Coach nearly choked on his toothbrush. ¡°Is that a joke?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Coach,¡± Matthew insisted as he finished washing his mouth. He had woken up early¡ªa rarity on a Sunday¡ªto ambush his gym teacher in the dorm¡¯s shared bathroom. ¡°Yesterday''s match opened up my mind. I¡¯ve decided to reinforce my body, improve my health, and become a better version of myself.¡± He heard John and a few other early birds snicker several sinks over to his left. King Coach put down his toothbrush, sighed, and then stared at his reflection in the mirror for half a minute. Matthew wasn¡¯t certain what to make of it. ¡°So what club would you suggest I enroll in, Coach?¡± he asked his teacher. ¡°I was thinking about martial arts so I can learn how to dropkick bullies and punch through walls.¡± ¡°I knew this day would come,¡± King Coach muttered to himself before taking in a deep, deep breath. ¡°Matthew, look at your hands.¡± ¡°Uh, why?¡± ¡°Look at your hands! Look at them!¡± King Coach grabbed Matthew¡¯s wrists and forced him to behave. ¡°These noodles aren¡¯t meant to grab balls¡ªexcept yours¡ªor to fight or sweat.¡± King Coach took Matthew¡¯s hands into his own, then raised them in front of his only eye. ¡°Those,¡± King Coach said, ¡°are nerd hands.¡± ¡°But I¨C¡± ¡°You¡¯re meant to do other things than sports. Your hands are designed to write or draw stuff that¡¯ll sell millions of euros and wipe your ass with bank notes.¡± King Coach almost sounded encouraging. Almost. ¡°Once you¡¯re rich, then you can start golfing, choking your assistants, and dating porn stars.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s why I want to practice sports,¡± Matthew protested. ¡°To become rich!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you join a sports club. It¡¯ll be a disaster for everyone involved.¡± King Coach looked sad as he imparted a few more words of wisdom. ¡°Don¡¯t be like Hitler, Matthew. Stay in art school.¡± King Coach let go of Matthew and then vanished into the shower, never to come out again. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I should take that speech,¡± Matthew told John. ¡°I feel both deeply offended and vaguely empowered.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± John replied while checking his phone. Matthew raised an eyebrow. ¡°Feel offended or empowered?¡± ¡°Matsumoto is waiting for us downstairs,¡± John said, completely ignoring Matthew¡¯s question. ¡°Poor girl, she says she has found a solution to your luck problem.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Matthew grew excited. ¡°Did we receive answers on the Crawlnet post? I haven¡¯t checked yet.¡± Crawlnet was a worldwide website operated by Crypto which served as a discussion forum for Crawlers. Its members used it to share tips, organize Dungeons raids, and disseminate knowledge of new spells. Matthew and Kari posted a report on the Lucky Star experiment yesterday night. ¡°We got plenty,¡± John replied after he finished checking his mail. ¡°The Doc will pick us up after breakfast for the meetup. Don¡¯t forget to bring your loot to Charlie.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Charlie was the Dungeon Wreckers Association¡¯s fence and in charge of reselling Dungeon loot the ¡®clean¡¯ way. ¡°I¡¯m still sad we couldn¡¯t get anything from the last one.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± After a quick shower and filling their bags with Dungeon trophies, the duo made their way to the lunchroom on the first floor. They arrived early for breakfast so they didn¡¯t face too much competition for the pancakes and cereal. Kari was already sitting at a long table with Marlene, Giant, and Cass from Class 3-C. Their giggles filled Matthew with an ominous feeling of dread, though he couldn¡¯t explain why. Kari excused herself, then joined John and Matthew as they sat near the window. ¡°Okay, Matthew, I have double the good news,¡± Kari announced. ¡°I¡¯m ninety percent sure I can arrange for someone to take the fall for you for Fall Formal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mostly good news for you, not for me,¡± Matthew replied while slurping on his honeyed pancakes. He crossed his fingers to land a date with Marlene. ¡°But your help is appreciated.¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll dye our hair tonight so you can¡¯t chicken out of the deal.¡± Kari opened her school bag and presented Matthew with a paper sheet filled with tables. ¡°As for the second bit of good news, I have conferred with other Crawlnet users on your case and came up with an effective luck farming program.¡± Matthew checked the sheet and immediately shivered. She arranged for an entire weekly schedule, which also included study hours in his free time. He noticed strange names written in individual cells. ¡°Isekai Warrior Heroes?¡± Matthew squinted. That sounded vaguely familiar. ¡°Tokyo Grand Chaos?¡± ¡°Those are all free-to-play mobile gacha games,¡± Kari explained. ¡°They all follow the same principle: you earn in-game currency either by completing activities or with real money purchases, which you then use to gain new units.¡± ¡°Wait, wait.¡± Matthew stopped her dead in her tracks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend money!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it: when you¡¯ve exhausted all of one game¡¯s available free activities, you can switch to the next one,¡± Kari replied with a smile. ¡°You will shore up good luck by constantly failing the gacha rolls while I use Premium Thoughts to identify the best investments to spend it on, and then we split the profits.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Split?¡± Matthew grinned ear to ear. ¡°Kari, Kari, did I make a believer out of you?¡± ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± Kari scratched her cheek in embarrassment. ¡°I''d like to buy new clothes¡­¡± John sipped his coffee. ¡°Would that count as good luck if Maruki gets a five-star unit he doesn¡¯t want?¡± ¡°I dunno,¡± Matthew admitted. ¡°Probably not?¡± ¡°Then good luck with your scheme,¡± John said while rolling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll pass this one.¡± ¡°I thought you liked making money?¡± Matthew inquired. ¡°The entrepreneur¡¯s way, not the gambler¡¯s way,¡± he replied. ¡°If you want to cruise through life trusting luck rather than your own skills, Maruki, then that¡¯s your problem.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not luck, it¡¯s probability,¡± Kari countered. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re using spells. Wouldn¡¯t optimizing Lucky Star make us better sorcerers?¡± Her words reminded Matthew of something. ¡°Hey, check this out,¡± he said while checking his school bag and bringing out his drawing notebook. ¡°I¡¯ve finally completed it!¡± ¡°Completed what?¡± Kari asked. ¡°My animation spell, what else?¡± Matthew checked that no other mundane student could take a peek and thus ruin his magic, then opened his book. ¡°See?¡± Kari and John leaned in to better look at the page. A black ink manga-style neko cat ran across a paper landscape, then waved a paw at the viewers. It took Matthew quite a few tries, but he managed to imbue his drawings with his Yellow Flux until they grew autonomous. ¡°I call it Art Attack.¡± The spell¡¯s name sounded so good to Matthew that he had to say it again. ¡°Art Attack.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cute spell,¡± Kari replied with a giggle. John¡¯s response proved far less enthusiastic than expected. ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Mmm? Mmmm?!¡± Matthew pouted. ¡°You don¡¯t sound impressed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± John replied bluntly. ¡°I don¡¯t see any practical applications. What¡¯s the point of having your drawings move around?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a mundane person¡¯s mindset,¡± Matthew argued. ¡°A true sorcerer first asks if it can be done, then finds a use for it!¡± Maybe Matthew would change the spell to summon those ink creatures in the real world, or use them as spies once he found a way to make them leave their pages. The sky was the limit! ¡°I¡¯ve been focusing on improving Premium Thoughts myself,¡± Kari declared with a hint of pride in her voice. ¡°I think I¡¯ve managed to cancel the aftereffects by mitigating the Flux cooldown. No post-genius brain slump.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on an electrical version of the Beam spell,¡± John replied with a shrug. ¡°Beam?¡± Matthew asked. Beam was pretty much the simplest Red spell in existence. The caster simply projected condensed Red Flux from their finger in the shape of a laser ray. It was super easy to use but required quite a hefty amount of energy, so John usually relied on his guns instead. ¡°You¡¯re cheating on your firearms?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± John replied with a snort. ¡°I¡¯m just diversifying my arsenal. Inflicting electrical shocks would help me paralyze monsters and reduce their mobility.¡± ¡°Electricity falls under Red,¡± Kari mused. ¡°Transforming Beam¡¯s Red Flux into an electrical current should be doable.¡± This situation neatly illustrated everybody¡¯s mindset when it came to spellcasting. Matthew was an innovator. He liked to create brand new spells, even if he admitted that they weren¡¯t always practical and usually lost interest after completing them. Kari, like almost all Blues, was an optimizer. She focused on improving and perfecting existing abilities without truly seeking new paths to explore. John, meanwhile, was something of a middle-ground between them; an adaptor. He usually sought to create new ways of using existing spells or variants. Matthew wondered on which part of that spectrum the new recruits would fall.
As promised, the Doc came to pick them up after breakfast. He congratulated Matthew on his Eurobillion win¡ªhaving purchased the ticket on his behalf¡ªand said the prize office already agreed to wire him the winnings. Matthew could expect to receive his money within the next two days. Hopefully, this would be the beginning of an inspiring rags-to-riches story. Traffic was light on a Sunday morning, so it hardly took them fifteen minutes to drive across Evermarsh¡¯s Little Brussels shopping district and park in front of a familiar building. Facing a bustling shopping street and a three-star hotel, the Neverland was a classy Art Deco bar-restaurant with yellow walls and a subdued burgundy roof. Its menu was laid on a panel outside, promising enticing meals and drinks far out of Matthew¡¯s current budget. A staircase led to the basement, which served as a jazz club and dancing space¡­ at least officially. Matthew immediately noticed a gray, unknown Fiat 500L parked near the entrance. The new ¡®recruits¡¯ waited inside it, with Petro behind the driver¡¯s wheel, his very good friend Sasha in the front, and Amelia nervously waiting at the back. They only climbed out of their vehicle once they saw the Doc¡¯s group. ¡°Hi, everyone!¡± Kari waved a friendly hand at them. ¡°So glad you could come!¡± Though Sasha looked cagey, her expression softened considerably upon seeing her friend. ¡°Hey Kari,¡± she replied on her group¡¯s behalf, while Petro mumbled ¡®morning¡¯ under his breath and Am¨¦lia looked down on the ground in meek silence. ¡°Is this really the place? It looks like nothing special.¡± ¡°The bar is only a facade,¡± the Doc said as he shook everyone¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you for joining us today.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that¡­ that thing wasn¡¯t a mass hallucination of some kind,¡± Sasha said, her arms crossing and her fair face scowling in anguish. ¡°Passing through the church¡¯s front door makes my skin crawl now.¡± ¡°You sure that weird place won¡¯t come back?¡± Petro asked the Doc. ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± the Doc replied with a sigh. ¡°Alas, that Dungeon was but one of many. Our manager can tell you more inside.¡± The group walked up to the Neverland¡¯s entrance. While Kari exchanged brief pleasantries with Petro and Sasha, Matthew noticed that Am¨¦lia kept to herself. He had the distinct impression neither of her fellow Dungeon victims knew her well. Maybe he should find a moment to talk to her later. She struck him as too shy by half. The owner and chef, Lou ¡®Gourmande¡¯ Houard¡ªa fearsome, thirty-year old blonde woman with sparkling blue eyes and a frightening collection of knives hidden under her apron¡ªcame to greet the group on the threshold with a smirk. Matthew noticed she had added a new set of dragon tattoos on her arms. ¡°Hey there, fellas,¡± she said, waving a friendly hand at their group. ¡°You¡¯re right on time. What would you like to drink for the meeting? First one is on the house, Sunday offer only.¡± ¡°Hey, tapster,¡± Matthew returned the gesture and immediately seized the opportunity. ¡°Can I try the house¡¯s cocktail?¡± Lou stifled her laughter. ¡°Can¡¯t do that, brat. You¡¯re too young.¡± ¡°But I turn eighteen next year!¡± Matthew complained. He had hoped the latest timeshift would change the local drinking age laws, but apparently not. ¡°I¡¯m old enough to go buy beers at a shop already!¡± John snorted at him. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you, Maruki?¡± ¡°Three euros per liter,¡± he replied mournfully. ¡°On sale.¡± ¡°Dorm parties will run on a budget this year,¡± Kari conceded. ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules, M,¡± Lou said. ¡°Until I see that sweet number eighteen on your ID card, I can¡¯t serve you alcoholic beverages downstairs.¡± Then she smirked at him. ¡°I have milk though.¡± Matthew glared at her. Why could he kill monsters before puberty, but not drink alcohol? This world didn¡¯t make any sense! ¡°I¡¯ll brew you a non-alcoholic cocktail, Matt,¡± the Doc promised. ¡°Are we ready to proceed the meeting, Lou?¡± ¡°The Old Town team is skipping this one out and Auguste is running late. Everyone else is waiting downstairs.¡± Lou glanced at the newcomers. Her intense stare caused Sasha and Am¨¦lia to bristle, while Petro warily returned it. ¡°And who are they?¡± ¡°New Crawlers we encountered yesterday,¡± the Doc replied. ¡°I hoped to introduce them to the team.¡± ¡°New meat for the grinder then?¡± Lou¡¯s smile turned predatory as she invited them to enter her bar. ¡°Welcome to HQ then.¡± 19: The Neverland For the uninitiated, the Neverland wouldn¡¯t stand out much from any other upscale jazz club. A nice, snug venue, it hosted enough seats for roughly a hundred patrons, boasted a well-stocked bar, and provided a stage where dirt-poor musicians could entertain bored clients for a few bucks each night. Its chic beige walls and 20th-century Art Deco flair gave it a slight edge over its competitors, though not by much. However, the Neverland had a secret. A soundproof, underground secret. When the Germans stormed Western Europe¡ªa conflict oddly impervious to historical changes¡ªseveral resistance movements sprang up everywhere like wild grass. The Association never pinpointed which group constructed the hideout beneath the building, yet they readily made use of it. Lou guided Matthew and the others down a ladder concealed behind the bar counter. The Crawlers had refurbished the place into a hybrid of a military bunker and a speakeasy over the two years since its discovery. Comparable in size to the ground level, the basement featured a modest dance floor and piano area. Numerous wooden tables and walls were laden with city maps, color wheel diagrams, and motivation posters meant to cheer up the troops. The mahogany bar was the most peculiar sight: its brass shelves hosting a medley of liquor bottles, radios, firearms, and explosives potent enough to demolish a shopping mall. They knew, they had checked. As for the death pool, it would soon receive an imminent update. The black chalkboard enthroned at the center of a wall and listed the names of all Crawlers¡¯ codenames, past and present, alongside the bets placed on them. Few members had no associated bounties: Crypto hardly went into the field, Mr. Chang was too strong for anyone to bother, and Florence was too nice. Mr. Auguste¡¯s hunting trophies were mounted on the wall around it: the heads of monsters ranging from big-brained dinosaurs to horned wolves and killer robots. The sight spooked the newcomers. Sasha covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide open, while Am¨¦lia shook in fear and horror. ¡°Are those¡­¡± Petro paled as he dared to touch one of the trophies, his hand backing down the moment he touched the monster¡¯s scales. ¡°Real heads?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± the Doc confirmed with a sigh. He had objected to mounting these heads in the basement. ¡°One of us uses a temporal Stasis spell to keep them from decaying from the absence of Flux.¡± It was quite the logistical nightmare to avoid Disbelief too, since a single mundane person¡¯s glance would transform these trophies into lions, goats, or other animals. Worst of all, Auguste and Lou rarely stopped at bringing in a monster¡¯s head alone. Matthew thought it might be a bit too early to inform the new recruits about that team¡¯s peculiar culinary tradition¡­ Mr. Auguste wasn¡¯t yet in attendance. Almost all of the Association¡¯s Crawlers were otherwise present, barring the Old Town team. The scene looked pretty much as Matthew expected it to: Florence helped Julia remove the blood from her overalls while still wearing her own nurse outfit, her eyes blackened by fatigue; Sol and Umar tended to their weapons; Mr. Chang chatted with Orso and his spouse Lola; Jesse was writing another novel in a secluded corner; Charlie played poker with Officer Kresnik and Crypto¡­ and Liv lingered near the bar counter, waiting for the Doc. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she curtly greeted the group, a cigarette smoldering between her fingers. ¡°Hi, Liv,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°Good to see you too.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself, Maruki. I don¡¯t like her,¡± John said with a dismissive snort, while Kari smiled uneasily. ¡°Apologies,¡± the Doc replied, a smile playing on his lips as he drew out a cigarette. ¡°The kids sleep far from my house.¡± "That''s why you should fetch them early, Finn," Liv retorted, lighting the Doc''s cigarette with her own. "A bit of foresight goes a long way." Though both women in their thirties with long blonde hair, Liv and Lou sent two very different vibes. Lou was a wild underground punk, while a mere glimpse into Liv''s piercing gray eyes revealed her steely nature. Her taunt posture reminded Matthew of a gunslinger poised to strike or a photographer waiting for the perfect shot; both roles suited Liv perfectly. She concealed a firearm beneath her bulky brown jacket and never ventured out without a pack of emergency supplies either¡ªa habit she developed after she nearly starved to death in her first Dungeon. She and the Doc had founded the Evermarsh''s Dungeon Wreckers Association together before handing the reins over to Crypto. Oh, and they were dating. Sometimes. But not always. While John went to grab a drink and Kari politely introduced Sasha¡¯s group to a few other Crawlers, Matthew moved to the poker table. The sweet pile of euro bills at the players¡¯ center had caught his eye. Edging closer, he subtly eavesdropped on the ongoing banter. ¡°¡ªthen I found the rat snorting my merchandise,¡± Charlie grumbled, eying the river card. ¡°My own nephew, no less. Can you believe that?¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°If you can¡¯t even trust your own blood nowadays¡­¡± Officer Kresnik replied while glancing over his hand. ¡°So what happened? You broke his knee?¡± ¡°I broke both of them. Haven¡¯t been robbed since I started getting medieval with my discipline.¡± Charlie¡¯s smirk had all the sweetness of rancid butter. ¡°Though I¡¯ve collected a few limpers since then.¡± The cruel joke sent a chill traveling down Matthew¡¯s spine. Officer Kresnik sent Charlie a brief blank stare and then focused back on his cards. As for Crypto, she didn¡¯t even react. The three players made for quite the motley crew. Officer Jo?ko ¡°Werewolf¡± Kresnik, clad in his police uniform, sported a gleaming badge and a holstered sidearm. His unkempt dark hair, rolled-up sleeves, and loosely knotted tie suggested his readiness to get down to business. His black eyes peering keenly through his glasses and a cunning smirk all hinted at a strong hand. In contrast, Charlie reeked of danger. A fifty-something burly rogue plucked straight out of a gangster flick, he sported a grizzled appearance, rugged features, and a menacing stare. His meticulously tailored beige suit set him apart from Officer Kresnik¡¯s laid back posture, and he never traveled anywhere without his faithful gloves. Much like with John, they helped to hide the blood. Only Riley ¡°Crypto¡± Nielle seemed utterly at ease, a lollipop sticking out of her mouth. She was the youngest and most striking of the trio, with her auburn bob and deep brown eyes, her loosely buttoned blouse underscored her carefree disposition as a genius with a master plan. Matthew knew she would win even before the cards were laid out. Charlie unveiled his hand to Kresnik with a taunt. ¡°A king''s pair up your Yugoslavian ass.¡± ¡°Croatian, Charlie,¡± Officer Kresnik said as he lay down two aces on the table. Charlie let out a word that would have gotten him censored on public television, much to his colleague¡¯s amusement. ¡°No timeshift will change that.¡± ¡°The town of Bielefeld disappeared again, by the way,¡± Crypto said. ¡°Congrats to everyone who bet on that outcome.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on with that stupid hick town?¡± Charlie asked. As usual, he had failed to bet correctly on that one. ¡°It ceases to exist after a timeshift, then it comes back, then it disappears again¡­¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Crypto chimed in, her voice laced with mischief as she presented her cards. ¡°I hope you brought towels, gentlemen, because I¡¯ll flush you both away.¡± ¡°Goddamnit, again?¡± Charlie grumbled before he reluctantly surrendered his cash. ¡°How are you doing that?¡± Matthew would bet on ¡®sorcery.¡¯ He activated his Flux Sight spell and immediately noticed a blue glow around Crypto. The Flux suspiciously trailed to a ceiling corner, where Matthew quickly detected a hidden camera with a direct line to Charlie¡¯s hand. He also caught a fleeting glimpse of Officer Kresnik slipping an ace under the table. Crypto shot Matthew a knowing wink. ¡°Do you want to play, Matthew? Entry fee¡¯s fifty euros, and I¡¯ve heard you won big last night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for my cash to arrive,¡± Matthew replied, though he looked forward to it. His Lucky Star spell would let him demolish them. ¡°Unless someone here would like to buy my loot on the spot.¡± ¡°Show me,¡± Charlie said. Matthew brought out the sports trophy he gathered from the school locker room Dungeon out of his bag, which his colleague examined with keen interest. ¡°Is that gold? I could fence that for a few hundred bucks, sure.¡± "Mind if I take a closer look first?¡± Crypto asked. ¡°I presume it came from the Dungeon at your school?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard your team cleared out two of them this week already,¡± Officer Kresnik said with a whistle. ¡°I¡¯m impressed by you guys¡¯ diligence.¡± Crypto''s fingers thoughtfully brushed her chin. ¡°Finn informed me of your Doom Sense warning too, Matthew. I¡¯m keeping an ear to the ground for any incidents coming from the sewers and waste plant.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Charlie shrugged dismissively. ¡°If anything stirs down there, I¡¯ll be the first to know. That¡¯s where we store the goods.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Officer Kresnik asked with a smile. Charlie discreetly slid him a stack of cash in response. "I love a well-behaved taxpayer." Sometimes, Matthew wondered if Officer Kresnik might be just a tiny bit corrupt. ¡°Anyway, lad, you want easy money?¡± Charlie gave Matthew a sly grin. "Say no more. Uncle Charlie has an entry-level position for you." Matthew knew three crucial facts about Charlie: he had a finger in every criminal pie baked in the city¡¯s port; his Red power let him blow up witnesses; and his real name wasn''t Charlie. Only Officer Kresnik, Crypto, and Liv were privy to his true identity because they had all investigated him separately. Whatever they found, it caused Liv to object to Charlie joining the Association and being swiftly outvoted. They had too few candidates to afford to be picky, and while the man was only interested in looting Dungeons for their treasures rather than to save lives, he provided the Association with a welcome source of cheap firearms. John brought all his weapons from him. In short, accepting Charlie¡¯s offer smelled worse than rotten fish. Matthew wasn¡¯t that desperate for cash. Besides, he knew better than to work for a man who busted his nephew¡¯s knees. That was messed up. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want a criminal record,¡± Matthew replied tactfully. ¡°And I like my legs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lookout gig, no risk involved,¡± Charlie insisted. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯ll look one way, sometimes you¡¯ll look the other way¡­ You¡¯ll have to work twice as hard with only one eye, but it¡¯s easy money.¡± Liv, who had overheard their conversation, plucked her cigarette from her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that crook, Matthew,¡± she advised. ¡°You¡¯re too good for him.¡± "That reminds me," Charlie mused, eyeing the dead pool chalkboard. ¡°We can update the bets now." The Doc fidgeted, his unease palpable. "We can, but should we?" ¡°Put me down for three.¡± Charlie flashed three fingers. ¡°Liv Nowak, Liv Nowak, and Liv Nowak.¡± ¡°Three hundred on the gutter trash,¡± Liv countered, her voice sharp. The Doc began to update the board with a heavy sigh. Sasha looked at the dead pool in horror. ¡°Are you betting on each other¡¯s death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fucked up,¡± Petro muttered under his breath. ¡°You get used to it,¡± Matthew replied. He didn¡¯t remember who first put up the death pool, but it quickly became popular and recorded over thirty names at its height. Dungeons, mishaps, and nicotine had lowered that count since. Newcomers usually found the tradition morbid, but they usually learned to play along. You had to be at least a little crazy to volunteer for unpaid work with a nearly twenty-five percent chance of dying within a year¡¯s time, after all. The pool helped soften the blow when one of them left the stage. It was easier to mock death than to mourn the dead. 20: Crypto As always, Crypto proceeded to methodically traumatize their new recruits. She never meant to, of course. It was simply the obvious result of calmly explaining to three teenagers how history as they knew it had changed at least five times in the recent past, how reality was constantly besieged by cancerous pocket dimensions filled with monsters which they knew very little about, and how it was now their duty to either risk their lives on a daily basis stopping them or surviving the guilt that came with inaction. Am¨¦lia was crying halfway through the lecture, and Sasha spent her time staring into the milk glass that her b-friend so kindly gave her. But Matthew had heard those explanations time and time again, so he instead moved to the piano and began to play the zaniest version of Hit The Road Jack he knew. Existential truths hit less hard when softened by jazz music. ¡°You know, Maruki, I keep forgetting you¡¯re actually a pretty good pianist,¡± John said without an ounce of insincerity as he and Kari joined Matthew with a drink in each hand. ¡°I guess even an idiot shines in the spotlight now and then.¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯m the superstar and you¡¯re the hanger-on,¡± Matthew boasted before groaning upon checking his drink. ¡°A non-alcoholic cocktail?¡± ¡°Lou won¡¯t budge on the age issue,¡± Kari replied with a chuckle. She had settled on a glass of cold milk herself. A loud thumping noise interrupted Matthew¡¯s groove. Eyes turned at the entrance, where the time-frozen corpse of what appeared to be a mix of a lion with scales for fur and a scorpion¡¯s tail sat. The sight startled Am¨¦lia, who clearly still needed to get used to seeing dead monsters. Its killer let himself down the ladder and landed with a loud thump. ¡°Heya fellas!¡± Mr. Auguste greeted them all with the thickest British accent possible and the wide grin of a man enjoying life to the fullest. ¡°Look at what I caught near the old mayor''s office!¡± Sir Jonathan Auguste, alias ¡®Outlander,¡¯ was the second-oldest Crawler in the Dungeon Wreckers association and the only one with a peerage. A strongly built man with the mustached face of a balding Bryan Cranston, a pair of glasses, and the body of a bodybuilder, he loved to wear the rounded hat and out-of-fashion clothes of a big game hunter; which he was. He had ¡®collected¡¯ most of the trophies hanging on the walls around them with the trusty English longbow strapped to his back. Matthew hoped to look like him if he ever reached fifty-five. While Julia, Florence, and Mr. Auguste formed a team, they regularly did their own thing instead. Florence¡¯s healing Key made her invaluable as a medic for wounded Association members, while the others were tough enough to challenge lesser Dungeons on their lonesome. Julia did so out of duty, while Mr. Auguste did it out of sport. ¡°Nice catch,¡± Lou congratulated him before pulling the dead monster behind the bar counter. ¡°I¡¯ll put it in cold storage for dinner.¡± She said that loud enough for Sasha to overhear and pale in horror. ¡°Dinner?¡± she asked, almost choking as she said the word. ¡°You¡¯re going to eat that thing?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t cook everything, can you truly cook anything?¡± Matthew teased Sasha. ¡°What he said,¡± Lou replied with a shrug. ¡°Oh, sweet, newcomers!¡± Mr. Auguste winked at Sasha. ¡°Young lady, I do not think you appreciate the logistics involved in securing this meal! I had to carry it all the way from Old Town in the back of my car while avoiding any mundane stares! A single glimpse would have turned this mighty beast into, say, a lion or a fish! Now we can savor a brand new flavor previously unknown to mankind!¡± ¡°That¡¯s disgusting,¡± Sasha said with a hand on her mouth. ¡°Do you¡­ do you do that often?¡± ¡°Only with monsters who give me a challenge,¡± Mr. Auguste replied cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s only respectful that I honor their remains. After all, they would have eaten me had they won!¡± From the look on Sasha¡¯s face, it finally hit her that an organization dedicated to killing monsters without financial compensation might not include too many well-adjusted members. If only she knew the half of it. Mr. Auguste was an Orange Crawler, yet the Stasis spell he used was a pure Violet packaged product. He had wasted months learning a spell far away to his core color just so he and Lou could cook their monsters fresh. Crypto wisely clapped her hands to regain everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°If you would please take your seat,¡± she said. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, the meeting will begin shortly.¡± Matthew reluctantly left the piano and then sat with Kari and John at a table right next to Sasha¡¯s group. Am¨¦lia was directly on his left and trembling like a leaf. She probably felt out of place. Matthew told himself to take a moment to talk to her later and make her feel welcome.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Nobody said he wasn¡¯t a team player. ¡°Thank you all for coming,¡± the Doc said from behind the counter. Liv and Crypto stood next to him, with the latter unveiling a map of Evermarsh over the dead pool board. Two dozen red crosses pinpointed landmarks all over the city. ¡°As you are all well aware by now, a new timeshift was triggered in Panama on Friday morning. This event manifested in a quake striking the canal and history alterations around the globe. This meeting will be both a recap of our operation and the usual supply distribution.¡± ¡°Thank you, Finn,¡± Crypto said before taking the lead. ¡°Since we have a few potential newcomers, I will take a moment to explain our duties and answer their questions.¡± Am¨¦lia and the others shrank in their seats as a few eyes turned their way. Unfortunately, Charlie eyed Sasha with malice upon noticing her dark skin. Matthew could already tell this wouldn¡¯t end well. That jackass couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°As I¡¯ve explained to you earlier, I¡¯m Riley Nielle, but most call me by the nickname Crypto,¡± Crypto explained. ¡°I am the manager of Evermarsh''s Dungeon Wreckers Association and in charge of overseeing our operations.¡± Petro pointed at the Doc and Liv. ¡°I thought they built this joint?¡± ¡°We did,¡± the Doc confirmed. ¡°However, we¡¯ve found that Riley¡¯s Key and managerial skills lend her well to the task.¡± ¡°I also administer our worldwide Crawlnet website, which I invite you to check out,¡± Crypto said with a dramatic wink. ¡°Don¡¯t bother checking those privacy internet boxes. I already know everything.¡± A short, awkward silence followed. ¡°It was a joke,¡± Crypto lied. ¡°More seriously, check the website. Since Dungeons constantly evolve, we regularly update articles on crawling basics, sorcery tips, monster hunting strategies, and in-depth analysis about how to handle forces like Disbelief. You will have access to everything there, even should you refuse to join our organization.¡± ¡°I hope they do,¡± Charlie said with a chuckle. ¡°That way Umar won¡¯t be the only sub-meridional minority on the team anymore.¡± While Umar himself wisely ignored Charlie, Sasha immediately glared at him. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s he¡¯s a racist piece of shit,¡± Liv said bluntly. ¡°On top of being a two-bit criminal.¡± ¡°Hey, I resent this slander!¡± Charlie turned to look at Kari and Matthew, as if looking for reassurance. ¡°You know me, kids. I¡¯ve got nothing but love for Asians and Native Americans, nothing but love!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring us into this!¡± Matthew protested while Kari was clearly biting her own tongue in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m just saying this organization is going to look like an Al-Qaeda cell at this rate,¡± Charlie replied with absolutely no shame at all. ¡°Al-Kaeda with a K,¡± Officer Kresnik said with the most deadpan expression possible. ¡°They use a ¡®K¡¯ in this new timeline.¡± Wait, how could he tell the difference? Matthew knew he had sharp werewolf ears, but still¡­ His Doom Sense triggered sharply. His head immediately snapped at Petro and Am¨¦lia, though he couldn¡¯t identify which of them was the source of the danger. Both of them glared at Charlie; the former with a cold dead stare, and the second with sharp fury. That¡¯s not good. Since only threats to Matthew¡¯s person triggered his Doom Sense, he expected some kind of blast or spell misfire. What do their Keys even do? Matthew subtly prepared to open a hole beneath the floor should the worst come to pass, and he noticed Kari adjusting her seat too. She had noticed the tension in the air too. Sasha, meanwhile, sneered at Charlie with palpable disdain. ¡°My father is a Dutch pastor, you dickhead.¡± Charlie scoffed. ¡°See, she¡¯s already lying about her credenti¨C¡± ¡°Charlie.¡± Crypto¡¯s voice turned icy cold. ¡°Quiet.¡± Charlie clenched his jaw in frustration. He didn¡¯t speak up again. Liv shook her head in disgust. ¡°Do we really have to keep this asshole on the team instead of finding a better supplier, Crypto?¡± Crypto calmly joined her hands and reminded them of their mission statement. ¡°The Dungeon Wreckers Association is entirely apolitical. Our only goal is the eradication of Dungeons across Evermarsh¡¯s agglomeration in the name of protecting the human race. All prejudices, allegiances, or issues you may have with your fellow members stop at the door.¡± She glanced at Liv and Charlie. ¡°Understood?¡± she asked, politely yet firmly. Liv and Charlie snorted in frustration, but both kept their mouths shut. Crypto ran a very tight ship. ¡°Good,¡± she said before smiling at Sasha. ¡°I apologize on behalf of my colleagues. The recent surge in Dungeons is wearing on everyone¡¯s nerves.¡± ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Sasha replied with a snort. She didn¡¯t believe in Crypto¡¯s polite lie, but would go along with it for the sake of decorum. Neither of her friends stopped glaring at Charlie either. ¡°You said it was the fourth time history changed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually the fifth,¡± Crypto replied. ¡°Though Dungeons appeared around 2019, the first of them to reach critical mass did so on January 14th, 2021. We¡¯ve faced one timeshift each year since.¡± ¡°Until this one,¡± Liv pointed out. ¡°Until 2024,¡± Crypto replied with a sigh. She pointed at the map, her finger tracing the marked sites. ¡°Our organization¡¯s task is to eradicate Dungeons around Evermarsh before any of them grows too large. These are all confirmed locations so far." "So nineteen?" John asked after some quick mental math. ¡°A substantial number, but not the worst we''ve faced.¡± "Those are only the Dungeons we''ve found," Kari pointed out. "There''s likely more we haven''t discovered yet." Crypto nodded in agreement. Her Key ability allowed her to telepathically control machinery ranging from cars to computers and cameras. Between her power and her official job as a cybersecurity consultant, she was usually the first to learn of a Dungeon¡¯s spawning. She gathered and wove data the way an artist used a palette. "According to my model, these Dungeons account for ten to twenty percent of the actual count,¡± she said with disturbing calm. "Based on previous data and Evermarsh''s unnatural concentration of Dungeons, I predict that the region now hosts a little over a hundred of them spread across the agglomeration and its surrounding region.¡± The room erupted in shouts and shocked gasps. Kari covered her mouth in horror while John scowled grimly. As for Matthew, he nearly spat out his drink; both because of the sheer number and the cocktail¡¯s sour, acidic taste. I hate math, Matthew thought grimly. I hate it so much. This year would be difficult. 21: Supply Lines ¡°Everyone, please calm down.¡± The Doc clapped in an attempt to silence the crowd. ¡°We will get through this, I promise.¡± ¡°Three dungeons per week,¡± John replied, reminding his teammates once again why he studied in the STEM track. He raised three fingers for emphasis. ¡°We¡¯ll need to destroy three dungeons per week to purge the city in a year¡¯s time.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t, not with our limited numbers,¡± Crypto said. ¡°Some of the Dungeons will probably take days to weeks to safely destroy, depending on their layout and defenders.¡± ¡°What about the Mall?¡± Someone asked at the back of the room. Matthew froze like a deer in a headlight, but Liv swiftly reassured him. ¡°Chang confirmed that the entrances are still locked, but they haven''t collapsed either. That Dungeon shows no sign of starving.¡± This greatly saddened the Doc. ¡°It took us a month to starve a stage one Dungeon, and nearly a year to degrade a stage two into a Cell. I had hoped a stronger Dungeon would burn through its Flux quicker than its smaller counterparts, but I¡¯ve clearly missed the mark.¡± ¡°According to our current models, a Dungeon requires roughly a victim a month to sustain itself and more to grow in strength,¡± Crypto replied. ¡°Skipping a meal means death for a stage one and a slow loss of power for anything upward in the food chain.¡± ¡°If we can close a newborn Dungeon, the problem will go away within a month¡¯s time,¡± Liv added. ¡°If any of you find an entrance that can reasonably be cordoned off, you should report its location and condemn it to the best of your ability. At best, those Dungeons will starve to death. At worst, we¡¯ll deal with them after we¡¯ve purged the more dangerous ones.¡± Matthew crossed his arms. Condemning a Dungeon instead of destroying it felt like kicking a can down the road to him, with no guarantee that someone would pick it up later; but they had to work with what they had. Sasha raised her hand. ¡°What¡¯s the Mall?¡± ¡°An extremely dangerous Dungeon located inside the Little Brussels supermall,¡± Crypto replied while Matthew remained silent as a tomb. ¡°Since our member Mr. Chang owns the place, we¡¯ve successfully condemned its entrances.¡± ¡°But you couldn¡¯t destroy it?¡± Petro guessed. ¡°No,¡± Crypto replied bluntly. ¡°It boasts both an exceptionally lethal defender and multiple floors.¡± ¡°We attempted a large raid a few years back with reinforcements from other cities¡¯ wreckers,¡± Liv said with a grim look. ¡°T¡¯was a disaster through and through.¡± ¡°We suspect that the Mall¡¯s continued existence is why Evermarsh suffers from a much higher rate of Dungeon infestations than any other city in Europe, like rot inviting infection,¡± Crypto added. ¡°Unfortunately, we haven¡¯t been able to do anything about it for four years.¡± And Maggie wanted to change that on her own. Matthew knew she would almost certainly get herself killed trying to clear that cursed place. He should have a word with Mr. Chang about reinforcing the entrances after the meeting. ¡°Moreover¡­¡± Crypto gathered her breath. ¡°We will need to reshuffle most teams into trios assigned to a different district each.¡± That caught Matthew¡¯s full attention, alongside that of his teammates. They all exchanged a knowing glance. ¡°Trios?¡± Kari asked, her eyes turning to the Doc, whose brow had noticeably furrowed. ¡°Does that mean¡­¡± Matthew¡¯s group had operated for a year and a half under the Doc¡¯s stewardship. The school¡¯s Dungeon run had been one of the few instances where they operated without his guidance. If the Association downsized its teams¡­ Crypto nodded as her hand ran across the city¡¯s map. ¡°We have divided the city into nine areas, ten if we count the marshes: Consul¡¯s Hills, the Golden Towers, Temple Alley, Little Brussels, Parc-Magritte, the Dumps, Chemtown, the Hub, and Old Town.¡± She pointed at the shopping district and then the projects. ¡°With our new team compositions, Finn, Liv, and Lou would oversee Little Brussels while Umar and Sol handle the Dumps. Mr. Chang can continue to deal with the Golden Towers on his own, since he doesn¡¯t need a team to back him up.¡± ¡°Is that wise?¡± the Doc asked, a scowl of worry forming on his face as he observed his students. ¡°My students have acquitted themselves well, but they are still teenagers.¡± ¡°For one more year, Doc,¡± Matthew replied. It annoyed him that people would coddle him because of his age in spite of his experience and phenomenal cosmic power. ¡°We can take care of ourselves.¡± ¡°We do have a few victories to our name,¡± Kari conceded. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t mind a little more training.¡± John shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice, Matsumoto. We¡¯re stretched thin as we are.¡± The Doc studied his students carefully, then searched for support elsewhere. ¡°Liv¨C¡± ¡°They¡¯ll have to leave the nest sooner or later, Finn,¡± his on-and-off girlfriend replied with a sigh. ¡°Bodies will rack up in unsupervised districts.¡± ¡°You have a point¡­¡± The Doc thoughtfully scowled at Matthew¡¯s team, his eyes full of worry. ¡°Do you think you will be able to do Dungeon runs without supervision?¡± ¡°We just did it on Friday,¡± John replied confidently. ¡°Your concern is appreciated, Doctor O¡¯Conner, but unwarranted. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I was blowing up Dungeons long before we met, Doc,¡± Matthew reminded them. His first team might have disbanded under terrible circumstances, but they still managed to get by and gained a few years of experience under their belt. Kari smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on these two for you, like always.¡± The Doc didn¡¯t appear convinced, but decided to go along with Crypto''s strategy. ¡°I see. In that case, we¡¯ll continue to meet on weekends for training and check-ups.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Crypto said as she assigned the new teams on the board. Matthew, Kari, and John would patrol all of Temple Alley, but being one member short meant that they would need to pick up the slack with extra effort. ¡°Only Chemtown remains unaccounted for, so we¡¯ll run irregular shifts.¡± ¡°What about the marshes?¡± Officer Kresnik asked, his fingers intertwining. ¡°Mortality rates are low in the area, but we still need to check it out occasionally.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I suggest that we run a large exercise in the area over the Autumn holidays,¡± Crypto replied. ¡°Considering the sheer scale of the area and the relatively low chances of any emerging Dungeon claiming many victims there, we¡¯ll gather all the teams and check every inch of ground across the region in a single sweep.¡± Matthew smiled in anticipation. Large-scale Dungeon raids were always a fun experience, since few monsters could resist the might of two dozen Crawlers ganging up on them. Everyone brought some food, competed over the number of destroyed cores, and then partied after tallying the numbers. Petro politely raised his hand and caught Crypto''s attention. ¡°Yes, Petro?¡± ¡°What about us?¡± he asked, his Eastern accent showing up. ¡°Do we get an assignment?¡± ¡°Sending you into a Dungeon with your current lack of training would be counterproductive,¡± Crypto replied, which was a fancy way of saying they wouldn¡¯t last an hour. ¡°We usually work on a mentorship program with newcomers, so I¡¯ll assign you a teacher based on our scheduling. Since most of you attend the same school as Matthew¡¯s team, I¡¯ll also ask that you take pointers from them.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°Only one of us is a good example to learn from.¡± Kari let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°After you¡¯re trained, yes, I would like you to form a team and help us patrol Chemtown,¡± Crypto said. "Of course, there are some upsides to joining our organization. You''ll receive a stipend from the Association to cover your expenses, albeit a small one, and we''ll take care of fencing and selling whatever Dungeon loot that you may gather. Dungeon delving can be a lucrative activity if you''re lucky. You will also receive spell training and support from other members, both of which will make your lives much easier." "Lives which we''ll risk in those places," Petro replied." "No one will force you to fight and I do not expect an answer now, but I will be blunt: there¡¯s literally no one else who can do that job." Crypto stared at Sasha''s group with a cold gaze. "If you refuse to assist, innocent people will die.¡± The Doc opened his mouth. ¡°Riley¨C¡± ¡°They have to know what they¡¯re signing for, Finn,¡± Crypto cut in with a stern face. ¡°This is a war, not a game.¡± Petro scowled at the word ¡®war¡¯, while Am¨¦lia and Sasha exchanged a few worried glances. While many would have called Crypto too harsh, Matthew wasn¡¯t among them. He knew from experience that Dungeon wrecking was a harsh, dirty task that someone had to complete for the sake of everyone else. ¡°What if we get ambushed by a tougher than usual Dungeon?¡± John asked. ¡°Teams of three are too small for the hard ones.¡± ¡°We have developed a system around this issue,¡± Crypto replied before inviting Julia to take the stand. ¡°If you would show them.¡± ¡°Hi, guys!¡± Julia said, waving a hand at the Association and carrying a black briefcase with the other. ¡°I¡¯ve got a surprise for you all!¡± An aeronautic student at Evermarsh¡¯s local university, Julia ¡°Grinder¡± Vandriel was by far the perkiest member of the Association. Who else bothered to dye their hair dark red and sky silver every day of the week? Her fashion choice looked just as strange, between the red cap fitting snugly over her face, the cheap military dog tag imitation hanging loosely around her neck, and her dirty sleeveless top and overalls. Her dating site-inspired codename was only the cherry on top of the cake. However, it would be a mistake to underestimate Julia for her eccentricity. She was a monster-mowing machine whose kill count nearly rivaled that of Mr. Chang. Her Key¡¯s ability to recombine objects together had also turned her into the Association¡¯s bootleg equipment manufacturer. The only downside was that it often took a while to iron out her creations¡¯ kinks. ¡°Is it a briefcase full of cash?¡± Matthew asked out of curiosity. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that being a university student paid so well.¡± ¡°Did you mistake me for a dinosaur, Matt?¡± Julia replied with a warm laugh. ¡°Everybody uses crypto-wallets for shady deals nowadays.¡± Charlie snickered and put his feet on his table for dramatic effect. ¡°Only priests and nerds like you believe in something they can¡¯t touch,¡± he said before glancing at Umar. ¡°No offense to the Imam among us.¡± Umar ignored the jab, much to Charlie¡¯s disappointment. Julia pretended he didn¡¯t exist either and then opened her briefcase to unveil her new creation: a set of blue, wireless earplugs. ¡°I¡¯ve got one for each of you!¡± John straightened up with interest. ¡°Are those the so-called ¡®Navigators¡¯ you were working on?¡± ¡°Quite astute, John,¡± the Doc confirmed with an affable smile. ¡°Indeed they are.¡± ¡°Dungeons interfere with standard methods of electronic communications, but these devices should let us bypass this limit,¡± Crypto explained. ¡°Not only will it allow for in-Dungeon communication, but a team encountering difficulties can also request reinforcements in a pinch. We will keep a rotating group to stay on standby duties each week to deal with any emergencies.¡± Julia began to distribute the communicators around. Matthew immediately put his own on. It felt a bit heavier than those he was used to, but the sleek hi-tech aesthetics gave him a neat secret agent style. ¡°Pizza Hut calling Kari,¡± he said. ¡°Pizza Hut calling Kari, do you copy? Would you prefer your pizza with cheese or pepperoni tonight?¡± ¡°Copy that,¡± she replied with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll order a vegetarian.¡± Matthew immediately vetoed that loathsome order. ¡°It¡¯s meat or nothing.¡± John snorted. ¡°Children,¡± he said before grabbing his own Navigator. ¡°I will take pasta, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Next item on the agenda is to resupply,¡± Liv declared with a hint of distaste as she invited Charlie to take the lead. ¡°The weapons, please.¡± ¡°Uncle Charlie has brought you your Christmas presents four months early,¡± Charlie boasted with the charm of a shady telemarketer. He opened his mysterious crates with a crowbar and revealed dozens of firearms sleeping inside them. ¡°I¡¯ve got thirty Heckler & Koch HK416 assault rifles, twenty MP7 submachine guns, ten M79 grenade launchers, two RPG-7V2 rocket launchers, a set Smith & Wesson 3000 shotguns, a Gepard M6 sniper rifle¡­¡± Matthew had no idea what any of that meant, but the Association¡¯s gun nuts looked like children on a Black Friday run. John immediately left his seat to sample the merchandise with his teammates following shortly behind. ¡°Is this a USAS-12?¡± John asked upon grabbing an assault rifle. ¡°With depleted uranium pellets,¡± Charlie confirmed with a proud salesman¡¯s smile. ¡°I bought it from a North Korean contact for three bags of rice and a computer.¡± ¡°Very nice,¡± John replied calmly. Most monsters boasted skin as hard as soft armor, so John favored heavier calibers or armor-piercing rounds. ¡°However, I remember ordering a flamethrower and I don¡¯t see it anywhere.¡± Charlie let out a groan. ¡°Again with the flamethrower, kiddo? Don¡¯t you want something more feisty, like an RPG?¡± ¡°Kresnik has a flamethrower,¡± Matthew pointed out. ¡°Because I¡¯m strong enough to wield it one-handed,¡± Officer Kresnik replied with a snicker. ¡°Besides, bullet boy, doesn¡¯t your Key ability only apply to projectiles? It won¡¯t let you redirect flames.¡± John shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Have you forgotten the trolls that took over the old bridge last year? Their bullet wounds closed faster than we could shoot them.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Matthew said. He recalled absorbing a handful inside his black hole eye, and then the Doc killed most of them with fire spells. ¡°You were completely useless back then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Maruki.¡± John snorted. ¡°But I¡¯ll concede that day taught me that you can¡¯t solve all your problems with a gun. Sometimes, you need variety.¡± ¡°I should ask for a new weapon too,¡± Kari muttered under her breath. ¡°Knives and rapiers will only carry me so far.¡± ¡°Perfect timing, I¡¯m taking new orders now that I¡¯m done with the Navs,¡± Julia said. She pulled out a small notebook and pen out of her overalls¡¯ pockets. ¡°How about a retractable sword? A weapon you can carry around and increase your range?¡± Kari¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. ¡°That would be great! Can you make it a sabre fencing sword? I¡¯m mostly used to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯d dig a John Wick Kevlar jacket,¡± Matthew immediately added. He had been looking for one to look cooler at school, and a bulletproof vest would help him deal with enemies in melee. ¡°Kevlar is beyond our budget, Matt, but I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Julia replied. She turned to her next potential customer. ¡°What about you, John? Do you want a sword too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stick to firearms, thanks,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll take the USAS-12.¡± Matthew noticed that Sasha¡¯s group was browsing the weapons too. Unlike his very good friend and Am¨¦lia, who looked more disturbed than anything, Petro handled a rifle in a way that Matthew couldn¡¯t call anything other than professional. That guy had much greater experience with firearms than he should for his age. ¡°Matthew?¡± Matthew froze and peeked over his shoulder to find himself facing a pair of sunglasses. He¡¯d recognized the voice and knew very well it could only mean one thing. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Mr. Chang said. ¡°Would you have a moment to talk about the Mall?¡± 22: Crawlnet David ¡°Overtime¡± Chang only cared about three things: his business, his gym routine, and his daughter Kim, in that exact order. The gym part showed. Mr. Chang was a large mass of muscles tightly bound inside a yellow shirt, tight beige pants, and a black tie. He was ruggedly handsome behind his black glasses, with that Superman jaw and Hiroyuki Sanada¡¯s killer looks. Matthew hoped he would look like him once he grew up, hopefully without losing his soul to a miserable adult life of soulless wage work. David Chang took care of himself because he was a man on a mission, an apostle of the holy grind. He worked ten hours a day and spent two more hitting the gym to stay in shape in-between Dungeon runs. Somehow he also managed to set aside eight hours of his time to spend with his teenage daughter Kim per week, but never any more. Parental attention should be like a pay raise in Mr. Chang¡¯s mind: rare and earned. Or at least, that was what Kim told Matt the last time he visited them. He found her tale deeply upsetting. Matt rarely saw his parents since their divorce, but at least he didn¡¯t skip family calls to work out. This tale had confirmed what Matt always thought: sports destroyed families. Oh, and his Key ability was busted. So much Riley didn¡¯t see fit to assign him teammates. ¡°I¡¯ll cut straight to the chase,¡± Mr. Chang said after inviting Matthew to sit with him at the bar. Mr. Chang did not believe in wasting time, or small talk. ¡°Your friend has been poking near the Mall¡¯s condemned entrances lately, often at night. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Which friend?¡± Matthew asked, as if he had any besides the people in this very room. ¡°The athletic girl,¡± Mr. Chang said, which didn¡¯t ring a bell at first. ¡°The delinquent with an attitude problem.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Maggie.¡± As if it could have been anybody else. ¡°She wants to break into the place on the¡­¡± A knot formed in Matthew¡¯s stomach. ¡°The anniversary.¡± He felt Mr. Chang¡¯s sharp gaze lingering on him from behind his sunglasses. ¡°Does she have a death wish?¡± Matt¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± Matt didn¡¯t blame her for it. He had one too after that disastrous run, and without the Doc and his parents pulling him back from the brink he likely would have become a recluse like Ulysses. Meanwhile, Maggie had no safe space to retreat to. Her only friends had been their Crawler group and her own brother, who had also left. He had to find a way to reason with Maggie before she made a terrible mistake. ¡°Can¡¯t you barricade the doors?¡± he asked Mr. Chang. ¡°I dunno, add another wall of concrete on top of the others? Maybe a blast door or two?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sealed the entrances, but no barrier will keep out a determined Crawler forever,¡± Mr. Chang replied, his jaw clenching. ¡°I often check that Dungeon in case anybody manages to wander inside.¡± Matt shifted on his seat. ¡°And what did you see?¡± ¡°Nothing. The whole place is eerily quiet and devoid of monsters¡­ but I could feel that thing observing me from afar at all times.¡± Mr. Chang took a deep breath. ¡°I think it¡¯s waiting for you.¡± A shiver traveled down Matt¡¯s spine. Just the thought of that¡­ that monster lurking patiently in those hallways to finish the job it couldn¡¯t complete four years ago chilled him to his core. Could it even understand the concept of patience? Did it know that Perse¡¯s teammates would inevitably try to take another shot at it? Those were questions Matthew didn¡¯t want the answer to. ¡°I¡­¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll visit her tomorrow.¡± It was something he had been avoiding for years, ever since their falling out, but he couldn¡¯t delay it forever. Especially since from what John told him, Maggie was also on thin ice when it came to school. Maybe drawing her back into meaningless school drama would distract her from her plan. Who was he kidding? He had never seen Maggie change her mind about anything. She was more stubborn than a mule. ¡°It would be wise,¡± Mr. Chang said after finishing his non-alcoholic drink. ¡°You should pass home someday as well. My offer for a tutoring job for Kim still stands. I don¡¯t want to involve her too much in what we do, but it¡¯s best that she learns self-defense. I¡¯m a manager first and a parent second.¡± ¡°Kim¡¯s a Blue,¡± Matt pointed out. He wasn¡¯t one to spit on free money, and he liked Kim, but he knew he was far from the best person for the job. ¡°She¡¯s as far as she can be from me on the magic wheel without being a Violet. Kari would teach her better.¡± ¡°I have asked Matsumoto first,¡± Mr. Chang said with a shrug. Matt didn¡¯t blame him for asking the most reliable person first. ¡°She politely denied me since she and Kim don¡¯t get along.¡± Well, of course they didn¡¯t, Kim had a wonderful personality. The explosive kind. Matt promised he would think about the proposal and then rejoined the rest of his allies. Everybody had taken their pick of weapons, and John and Kari were now busy showing their new recruits how to use Crawlnet.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°And that¡¯s the application where you can set up patrol routes,¡± Kari explained as she pointed at spots on her laptop. ¡°The system brings up any potential Dungeon¡¯s location or suspect police reports.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite the expansive database,¡± Sasha said as she began to browse the site. Matthew peeked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the wiki page detailing Dungeons. ¡°It¡¯ll take us days to review everything.¡± That was one way to put it. Crawlnet had grown so large over the last year that Crypto had to design an in-house AI to take care of moderator duties. The website included a Dungeon-themed wiki, a GPS-linked alert system for its members to warn them of danger, a spell research archive, a message board with private message functionalities, a chatroom, and tons of other functions. The entire crawler community¡¯s pool of knowledge had metastasized there. ¡°And anybody can participate on the site?¡± Petro asked in disbelief. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit dangerous?¡± ¡°Crypto must confirm a member to be a Crawler before they¡¯re allowed to edit and post pages, but it¡¯s in open access otherwise,¡± Kari confirmed. ¡°Most people write the content off as a collaborative writing project site due to Disbelief, but Dungeon survivors usually search for information on what happened to them on the net before anything else.¡± ¡°So they find their way to the site, recognize the information as legit, and reach out?¡± Sasha guessed while stroking her chin. ¡°That¡¯s smart. What I don¡¯t get is why your pages have so much info on how Dungeons act and how to deal with them, but nothing on their history.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because nobody¡¯s sure what they are,¡± John replied. ¡°The most popular theories are that they¡¯re either a species of interdimensional predators which has found its way to Earth somehow, or a kind of reality cancer. The current consensus is that Disbelief is some sort of collective immune system to keep them out.¡± ¡°Some think the timeshifts slowly weaken Disbelief over time, and that Dungeons will be able to manifest directly into reality if it falls completely,¡± Kari said grimly. ¡°That¡¯s why we cull them quickly before they grow too large.¡± John eyed the newcomers with a steely gaze. ¡°If you have any sense of duty, you¡¯ll join us.¡± ¡°John, stop pressuring them,¡± Kari chided him, while Am¨¦lia, Sasha, and Petro exchanged uneasy glances. ¡°They have a lot on their plate right now.¡± Realizing he should lighten the mood before John managed to sink it further, Matthew tried to look for a good conversation opener and quickly found one. ¡°Are you an orphan, Petro?¡± A short silence followed, which was first broken by the sound of Kari¡¯s hand hitting her forehead and then Petro¡¯s response. ¡°How could you tell?¡± ¡°You look like one of the Robins,¡± Matthew explained. It was a lie, he was just throwing stuff at a wall and hoped it stuck. ¡°You know, from Batman? Broody teenager with a dark, mysterious past?¡± Petro looked at him. ¡°Who¡¯s Batman?¡± The question hung in the air for a while, with Matthew praying it wasn¡¯t as bad as it sounded. ¡°Multibillionaire who lost his parents and became a masked vigilante?¡± he asked, pleading for a miracle. ¡°Bruce Wayne?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Owlman?¡± Petro nodded in recognition, destroying what little hope Matthew had left. ¡°I love those movies, but I don¡¯t think I look like Henry Cavill.¡± Matthew took a deep breath and began to mourn. He knew that day was bound to come sooner or later. Timeshifts had killed Batman. ¡°Good try anyway,¡± Petro replied with a small smile. ¡°You can¡¯t miss with orphan jokes, we were never wanted in the first place.¡± John sent him the strangest of looks. ¡°You¡¯re fine joking about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m over it,¡± Petro replied with a shrug. ¡°I like black comedy.¡± Charlie, who had been listening from afar, leaned in to add his two cents. ¡°Do people get receipts when they adopt orphans? Can parents bring the child back if they¡¯re not happy with the product?¡± ¡°No they don¡¯t,¡± John replied with some coldness. ¡°Oh my god, can we change the subject?¡± Kari complained. Thankfully, she was enough of a smooth talker to find one. ¡°So Petro, where do you come from? Your accent reminds me of Mr. Kresnik.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Yugoslavia,¡± Petro replied, which reminded Matt that the country hadn¡¯t broken up since two or three Timeshifts ago. ¡°I¡¯m a¡­ refugee, you could say.¡± ¡°My dad took him in,¡± Sasha added. ¡°Petro has been with us for over a year since.¡± Matt had the ugly feeling that Petro¡¯s affinity with weapons had something to do with his refugee status, but a quick glance from Kari convinced him to drop the matter. She took the lead from there and offered the newcomers to hang out with them after class, which they accepted. Matt did notice that Am¨¦lia hadn¡¯t spoken a word in a while. She sat in a corner, listening in silence without participating. As a fellow introvert, Matt knew she wouldn¡¯t open up unless spoken to first. Matt figured now was as good a time as any. ¡°Something has been bugging me for a while,¡± Matt whispered into her ear as he sat next to her in an attempt to open the conversation, his gaze turned to Petro and Sasha. ¡°Why were you stalking those two?¡± Am¨¦lia flinched. ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t stalking them,¡± she protested with a hushed tone, which implied that yes, she was. ¡°Petro said you sneaked into the church,¡± Matt whispered back. ¡°And I¡¯ve seen the way you look at them.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± Am¨¦lia gulped. ¡°I, uh¡­ I¡¯d seen them together before, so I thought¡­ I could catch them in the act.¡± Matt squinted. He was starting to see where this was leading. ¡°You wanted to break them up?¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± Am¨¦lia bit her lower lip. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds like it does.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Am¨¦lia blushed. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t mock me.¡± Matthias crossed his fingers. ¡°I pinky-swear.¡± ¡°I hoped to¡­¡± Am¨¦lia gathered her breath, and then confessed her most heinous sin. ¡°To watch.¡± Oh. Oh! Oh, she was one of those! That explained a lot¡­ Am¨¦lia blushed in shame. ¡°You¡¯re not disgusted?¡± ¡°You do you.¡± Matt shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve read erotic manga.¡± Am¨¦lia¡¯s head perked up. ¡°Like Cuckolded in Another World?¡± A guilty silence followed, which Matt broke with a tentative question of his own. ¡°Reincarnated as a bottom?¡± ¡°Read that one too.¡± Am¨¦lia smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Re:Harem?¡± Incredible¡­ Timeshifts erased Batman, but not those quality pieces of literature. Erotica will never die! ¡°No way, I thought I was the only one to¡­¡± Matt looked over his shoulder to ensure nobody else would judge him, then conspired with Am¨¦lia. ¡°I keep telling John that the plot is great, but he looks at me in disgust whenever I recommend it.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Am¨¦lia studied him from head to toe. She finally identified for what he was: a fellow manga degenerate. ¡°You¡¯re our class¡¯ cyclops, right? I think I¡¯ve¡­ that I¡¯ve seen you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just Matt.¡± Were people really calling him that behind his back? So mean. ¡°So, what¡¯s your Key anyway?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not really sure myself. Everything is¡­ everything is so new.¡± She joined her twitching fingers in embarrassment. ¡°I hoped that¡­ that someone could help me figure it out.¡± ¡°Well, say no more,¡± Matt said with a hand on his chest. How could he deny a fellow connoisseur in need of enlightened guidance? ¡°Your new senpai will help you through this new period of your life!¡± ¡°Really?¡± For once, Am¨¦lia¡¯s small smile appeared genuine. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± Matt had the feeling he had made a new friend. 23: The Dreamlands The Neverland meeting ended well into the afternoon, after which the Crawlers returned home to prepare themselves for next week¡¯s Dungeon excursions. Julia gathered a list of new weapons for the next supply run, as did Charlie. John still hadn¡¯t given up on getting a flamethrower, though he settled on borrowing a few incendiary rounds in the meantime, and Kari put an order for ballistic knives. The Doc brought his students back to the dorm with a heavy heart and insisted that they could call him anytime if they needed it. Their poor helicopter teacher struggled to let them fly away. Afterwards, fulfilling the terms of their devil¡¯s bargain, Kari all but dragged Matthew into the dorm¡¯s bathroom to dye their hair. The ¡®ceremony¡¯ went better than Matthew expected. True, Kari was so stressed she almost canceled the whole thing at the last second and almost bit off all of her nails by the time they¡¯d finished, but Matt¡¯s brave and noble capillary sacrifice helped her pull through. ¡°So?¡± Kari asked sheepishly once they looked at each other in the bathroom mirror. Her black hair was now a bright shade of scarlet, and Matt¡¯s own hair had turned navy blue. It worked surprisingly well with his yellow shirt. ¡°What do you think? Cute?¡± ¡°Cute?¡± Matt stated firmly. ¡°Girl, we¡¯re adorable.¡± Kari blushed slightly, which quickly proved his point. ¡°Thank you for going through it with me, Matt.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± It was a small price to pay to get a guaranteed date without having to work for it. ¡°It¡¯s the court of public opinion that you should fear, not me.¡± ¡°I know, don¡¯t stress me out further please¡­¡± Kari gave him a small, ominous smirk. ¡°Soooo, what did you and Am¨¦lia talk about earlier?¡± ¡°Well, I gave her tips, showed her how to read her way through Crawlnet¡¯s wiki, and promised I would show her the ropes tomorrow after school. You can say I became her¡­ senpai.¡± Kari¡¯s smirk only grew more mischievous. Matthew knew that look, and the trouble it would bring. ¡°Are you sure you need my help to find a date, Matt?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t a senpai talk to his kohai without inviting gossip nowadays?¡± Matthew complained with a shrug. ¡°Besides, to nail her I would have to be in another relationship first. So I still need your help.¡± ¡°What does that¡­¡± Kari frowned and then wisely decided not to dig further. ¡°No, nevermind, that¡¯s not my business.¡± How considerate of her. The two of them exited the bathroom to find the dorm¡¯s main hall mostly deserted at this hour. John had taken over the sofa and was busy typing on his laptop. He lifted his eyes from his screen just long enough to laugh at his teammates, which only caused Kari¡¯s cheeks to turn redder than her new hair. ¡°Oh shut up, John!¡± Kari complained. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, he¡¯s just jealous,¡± Matt reassured her. ¡°He just can¡¯t fathom that I look cool, like the sea.¡± ¡°Whatever, Maruki,¡± John replied as he struggled to stifle his laughter. He then turned his computer¡¯s screen at them. ¡°While you were wasting your time on frivolities, I¡¯ve completed our new patrol itinerary through Temple Alley. I¡¯ve included all key locations most likely to have a Dungeon according to Crypto¡¯s analysis.¡± ¡°What about the Major Chicken stop?¡± Matthew asked as he reviewed the path. ¡°They¡¯re doing a promo tomorrow on the family buckets, we can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ve taken it into account for dinner,¡± John reassured him with a snort. ¡°Alongside a pit stop to visit Miss Troublesome Attitude, as you asked.¡± Matthew winced at that. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to visiting Maggie again, but he had promised Mr. Chang that he would at least try. He still hoped to talk things through with her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ll be patrolling without Mr. O¡¯Connor,¡± Kari complained. ¡°You guys think we got this?¡± ¡°It was bound to happen sooner or later,¡± John replied with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯ve hunted on our own before. So long as we go in fresh and coordinate, we¡¯ll pull through.¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯m gonna bid you both goodnight early,¡± Matthew said, much to his teammates¡¯ surprise. ¡°I''m gonna try out a whole new dream-based spell tonight, and I¡¯ll need my beauty sleep.¡± ¡°A new spell?¡± Kari blinked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you focus on improving your Art Attack one first?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Matthew asked. ¡°I proved it works, so now I can move on to new projects.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s useless in its current form!¡± Kari insisted. ¡°All the more reason to try something new and even more exciting!¡± Matthew waved a hand at her. ¡°Look, Kari, if you want to dwell on the ancient past, then that¡¯s your problem. I¡¯ve got a date with the future.¡± ¡°You created your art spell this morning!¡± John gave them a bemused look. ¡°So that¡¯s what untreated ADHD looks like. Good to know.¡± ¡°You Yellow Crawlers can¡¯t make practical stuff to save your life,¡± Kari said with a sigh. ¡°Not to mention that you can¡¯t go to bed immediately, Matt. You still have your luck-farming gacha homework to finish, remember? I won¡¯t let you rest unless you stick to the schedule.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Ugh, but it¡¯s boring,¡± Matthew complained. ¡°You Blues always suck the fun out of spellcasting!¡± Kari let out a heavy breath, then swiftly put her hands on Matthew¡¯s shoulders. Both felt far more heavy than her slim and graceful frame would suggest. A terrible and oppressive sensation of being cornered sank into his stomach¡¯s pit. ¡°I believe,¡± she said, in a tone that wasn¡¯t ominous in the slightest, ¡°in the industrialization of fun.¡± At this point, Matt realized that this whole association had been a big mistake.
Kari¡¯s torture session at least had one silver lining: by the time Matthew returned to his room, he had grown so emotionally drained that he simply collapsed into the bed. Matt never understood just how numbing free-to-play gachas could become without that sweet dopamine gambler rush. Minutes after minutes of pulling three-star trash units without the relief of a good catch turned the experience into a soul-crushing one. Whenever he ran out of free orbs or tokens to spend, Kari switched the game to prolong the torture. And the worst part was that she had been right! Grinding gacha games while starving himself of good luck quickly built up Lucky Star¡¯s fortune reserves far more than doing sports. All he had to do was¡­ work. Was this how office slavery felt like? ¡°The things I do for money¡­¡± Matthew complained with his face buried deep within his pillow. He focused his Yellow Flux around his brain after closing his last eye. ¡°Dreamscape.¡± Most spells targeting the brain fell under the Blue or Green purview, so he mostly took inspiration from Kari¡¯s Premium Thoughts for this one. He would coat his neurons in beautiful gilded sorcery and then let it flare upon fading away into sweet slumber. His many experiments with lucid dreaming had prepared him for this day. Matt had a good feeling about it. Thoughts fell within the Blue purview, but dreams? Dreams were surreal, symbolic, and nonsensical. They were the perfect breeding ground for Yellow spells! Matt didn¡¯t have to wake long to fade away into the darkness¡­ and then into a gaping tunnel of golden light. He ¡®woke up¡¯ on an island under a watercolor sky. He felt a peaceful, paint-smelling breeze gently caress his face and the light of a golden sun warm him up. He rested on his back for a moment, watching rainbow-colored clouds and flying fish with clock-scales floating high above. A smile stretched on his lips. ¡°It worked!¡± So great was his excitement that he bolted to his feet to better observe his surroundings. ¡°It worked!¡± A strange and wonderful universe born of his dreams sprawled all around him, all of it painted in watercolor. Matthew stood alone on a beach of white grains facing a great ink sea stretching as far as he could see under a golden sky. He caught a glimpse of planes and cats flying below the waves, of giant smartphones carried by the currents, of distant inverted castles hovering over the surface, and countless other wonderful sights. He turned around to observe the island on which he stood and saw odd landmarks in the distance: a coral tower, a giant multicolored factory, and even a vertical forest rising into the nothing. A signboard stood nearby next to a piano, each direction adorned with cute feline drawings. ¡°Take that, Kari!¡± Matthew boasted to himself, his heart overflowing with pride. ¡°Who¡¯s the most productive now? I can work in my sleep now!¡± How much control did he have over his environment? Matthew waved his hand and immediately created a giant cat statue from the white manga sand surrounding him. As it turned out, he had plenty! Or so Matthew thought, until he tried to fill the hole in his empty socket with a new eye. He felt a sharp surge of pain and resistance, followed by the sting of failure. How odd. Matt would have expected to control everything inside his own head, but his subconscious probably obeyed its own laws. He guessed his perception of himself affected the spell. Never one to stand idle for long, Matthew immediately checked the signboard for directions.
Imagination Factory ¡ü Museum of Cherished Memories ¡ú Library of Past Jokes ¡û Tower of Pleasant Distractions ¡ý Gallery of Subconscious Artwork ¡û¡ü Musical Theater ¡ý¡û Grave of Half-Assed Ideas ¡ú ¡ü¡ú ? Tomorrow¡¯s Homework ¡û¡û¡ý¡ú¡ü¡ü¡û¡ý ¡ü¡û¡ú¡ý¡û¡ü¡ü¡ú ¡ü¡û¡ý¡ú¡ü¡ü¡ý¡ü ¡û¡ü¡ý¡ý¡ü¡ü¡ü¡ý ¡ü¡û¡ú¡ú¡ü¡ú¡ü¡ú ¡ü¡ü¡ý¡ú¡ü¡ü¡ý¡û ¡ü¡ü¡ý¡ý¡ü¡ý¡ü¡ú
¡°My dreamscape is a lot more organized than I thought it would be,¡± Matthew mused out loud before deciding ¡®dreamscape¡¯ was too clich¨¦ of a name for such a wonderful place. He considered other options and then snapped his fingers upon finding one. ¡°The Sentimental World!¡± Now that sounded a lot more grandiose! After hesitating between the Tower of Pleasant Distractions and the Museum of Cherished Memories, Matt decided to check on the latter. He barely had to take a few steps to his right before the world around him shifted into an open path surrounded by cherry trees, each of them carrying a splendidly detailed landscape photograph within their branches. Matthew smiled upon checking the first, which showed his parents doting on him at the beach back when he was five. Mom and Dad looked so much younger on it, and happier too. Matthew¡¯s mood quickly turned sour. He had an inkling to what caused his parents¡¯ separation and he didn¡¯t wish to be reminded of it. Ignorance was bliss. The next few pictures showed moments with his old gang back in their childhood. Jack, Perse, Sam, Ulysses¡­ even Maggie was there, smiling and giggling at everything. Matt¡¯s lips stretched into a smile when he saw the infamous ¡®band¡¯ memory when they all tried to play an instrument together. His parents had enough money to buy him a small piano back then, and he recalled carrying the group¡¯s lackluster performance alongside Perse¡¯s singing. Those were good times. His gaze lingered on Perse¡¯s face the longest. She hadn¡¯t entered her goth phase yet so she wasn¡¯t dying her golden hair back then. She looked so much like her twin brother during that time, to the point Matthew often struggled to tell them apart. He lost himself in her blue-grey eyes and past happiness. It just filled him with sadness and sorrow. I shouldn¡¯t dwell on this, Matthew thought as he turned his gaze away from her face. His psychiatrist explicitly warned him to avoid reminders of her to overcome the trauma of her loss. If I do, I¡¯ll end up like Magg¨C Something caught his attention. Matthew focused until he saw it in the background of his home¡¯s living room, far behind the crew: a spot blacker than ink covering an entire pan of the wall. A hole. Matthew stared at it in silent disbelief for a moment. What¡­ What was a hole doing here? He was eight in that picture; over three years before he even gained his Key. Unsettled, Matthew turned away from the photograph and moved on to the next. The next one represented the day his father finally relented in buying him Dungeon & Dragons figurines to play with his friends. Nothing unusual¡­ except for a disturbing detail. There was a hole in the background, right next to the bed stand. A dark feeling sank in Matthew¡¯s gut¡ªif he even had one in his current dream state¡ªas he checked the rest of the gallery. He saw black spots almost everywhere he looked, growing bigger with each passing year the more they approached that awful Christmas. Some were so big as to swallow entire pictures. His mind was riddled with holes. 24: Independence Day Dyeing his hair had pretty much the effect Matthew expected: none at all. Whereas a crowd of girls and boys flocked to Kari the moment she showed up with her new look in French class, nobody paid attention to Matt. This suited him just fine. He spent all morning looking through the classroom window in a daze. He usually paid attention during French lessons, but not this time. His dream adventure continued to gnaw at him even in the waking world. It wasn¡¯t just his memories that were riddled with holes as far as he could tell; other paths in his Sentimental World led to gaping black pits that likely used to be imaginary locations. A good chunk of himself was simply inaccessible. Matthew¡¯s Key encompassed the very concept of ¡®hole¡¯, so memory holes should easily fall under its purview. Those came from his power, he was sure of it, but how and why did they appear? Was his subconscious guiding his Key to play tricks on himself? Could he¡­ could he have done it to himself? ¡°Matthew?¡± Kari¡¯s voice pierced through the reverie. ¡°Earth to Matt?¡± ¡°Ugh?¡± Matthew¡¯s head snapped in his friend¡¯s direction only to find the classroom deserted. ¡°W-what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime and you¡¯ve zoned out. Plus, Am¨¦lia looks like she¡¯s waiting for you outside.¡± Kari gave her friend a look of concern. ¡°Is something the matter, Matt? You¡¯ve been looking pale all morning.¡± Did it show that much? ¡°Has your power ever acted on its own, Kari?¡± ¡°My power? You mean my Key?¡± Kari scratched her cheek as she pondered his question. ¡°It¡¯s always active for me, so no, never.¡± Neither did Matthew remember his power opening holes without conscious input, but he had no memories of saddling his own brain with them either¡­ unless he dropped that memory into a hole too. Why would he want to forget about forgetting? The more Matthew pondered that, the more uneasy he grew. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Matt?¡± Kari asked more softly than before. ¡°Did your dream spell go wrong?¡± Dammit, now she really sounded worried for him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet,¡± Matthew replied before reassuring her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll figure something out over lunch.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kari clearly didn¡¯t believe him, but didn¡¯t push the matter. ¡°You know you can tell me anything whenever you need to.¡± ¡°Anything and everything?¡± Matthew teased her. ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous bargain.¡± ¡°Within reasons,¡± Kari said with a light chuckle as they exited the classroom. True to her prediction, they found Am¨¦lia waiting on the threshold outside alongside Sasha. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, girls.¡± ¡°No prob,¡± Sasha replied with a hand on her waist. ¡°I was offering Am¨¦lia to join us for lunch.¡± Am¨¦lia herself looked torn between immediately accepting and remaining silent out of anxiety. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very kind¡­¡± she found the courage to blurt out. ¡°I¡¯d hoped Matthew could help me practice with my power first though.¡± ¡°And I will,¡± Matthew promised. Discussing somebody else¡¯s abilities ought to help him clear his mind. ¡°How about we go have lunch in the park away from others¡¯ gazes? No Disbelief to get in the way!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Kari said after checking her phone. ¡°John said he¡¯ll be busy calling his mom, so we can practice without criticism!¡± Come to think of it, Matthew had never heard John mention his father. He always made calling his mother his top priority whenever he had to¡ªshe was very sick from what little Matt managed to overhear¡ªbut never said anything about his dad. Matthew had the gut feeling something ugly had happened in that family. Walking across a minefield would have been safer than asking John for details though, so he never pushed the subject. In any case, the four of them quickly grabbed food at the cafeteria and then settled in a corner of the school park to practice. Most students were busy eating inside so they could afford to use their Keys without Disbelief getting in the way. As it turned out, Sasha practiced a bit with her b-friend after the Crawler meeting. From what she told them, Petro managed to materialize bullets out of thin air within his palm; gunpowder, primer, and all. He and John would get along wonderfully. As for Sasha, she quickly demonstrated why Violets were all overpowered. She ripped two fist-sized purple tears in reality right above the grass, dropped her lunch in one, and caused it to emerge from the other. ¡°You can create portals?¡± Kari gasped, her face beaming with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°I can do that too!¡± Matthew protested. ¡°Sure, I have to set the first hole ahead of time, but I can totally do the same!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Oh really?¡± Sasha smiled and then opened a second set of rifts, the showoff. ¡°¡®Cause I can make as many as I want.¡± ¡°And they don¡¯t run out?¡± Kari asked while Matthew grumbled under his breath. ¡°If they do, I can¡¯t tell yet,¡± Sasha replied. ¡°The set I opened yesterday is still up, and it¡¯s five meters wide.¡± ¡°Can you open them anywhere?¡± Kari pushed. ¡°Even to places you haven¡¯t visited yet?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Sasha played with her hair. ¡°I haven¡¯t tested it out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it right now then!¡± Kari rubbed her hands. ¡°I have many exercises in mind we can check!¡± Leaving Sash to her soul-crushing homework session, Matthew moved to check on his new kohai. Am¨¦lia had plucked a flower and stared at it with immense intensity. He could see her Flux flow through the plant without taking shape. ¡°No pressure,¡± Matthew said. He could recognize a mental block when he saw one. ¡°Just go with the flow. Give birth to your idea, don¡¯t keep it stuck in your head.¡± Am¨¦lia blushed at his wording. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s going to look weird.¡± ¡°Weird is good, normal is boring,¡± Matthew reassured her. ¡°Your Key is part of yourself. Don¡¯t deny it, embrace it.¡± Am¨¦lia hesitated a moment, then took a deep breath. Her Flux immediately morphed the flower¡¯s petals into fingers. Wriggling human fingers. Am¨¦lia and Matthew exchanged a quick glance, quickly broken by the latter. ¡°Can you give it a mouth?¡± he asked, and then an even better idea crossed his mind. ¡°Can you make it talk?¡± Suddenly inspired, Am¨¦lia transformed the flower¡¯s pistil into a reptilian maw with teeth to match. It began to growl and hiss with the moaning voice of an agonizing animal. Most would have likely been creeped out by the sight, but Matthew himself observed it with fascination. Whereas Florence¡¯s Green Key allowed her to heal people, even to the point of regrowing body parts, Am¨¦lia¡¯s power outright mutated the flower by transforming vegetal parts into animalistic ones. Matthew couldn¡¯t recall any Green spell with that much sway over someone¡¯s anatomy. ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± Matthew snapped his fingers as inspiration struck him. ¡°What if we put it in somebody¡¯s bag! They¡¯ll hear the whispers and get scared, but when they open it, bam! Disbelief transforms it back into a normal flower! It¡¯ll drive them mad!¡± ¡°Like Darby?¡± His suggestion inspired Am¨¦lia to conspire with him. ¡°He¡¯s a dick, I hate him.¡± ¡°Yeah, Darby sucks!¡± It would serve that ass right for calling Matthew a cyclops behind his back. ¡°How about we put new mouths inside the mouth?¡± ¡°That would be so creepy,¡± Am¨¦lia replied with a smirk. She once again channeled her Key through the flower and twisted the stem into a tower of whispering mini-mouths all gargling with slightly different voices. ¡°Is this better?¡± ¡°He¡¯s totally going to freak out,¡± Matthew rejoiced. He sensed the weight of a judgmental gaze upon his back and turned to face Kari and Sasha. Both of them stared at Am¨¦lia¡¯s masterpiece with a mix of horror and shock. The poor flesh artist¡¯s smile immediately faded away. ¡°It¡¯s modern art,¡± Matthew said dismissively. No way he wouldn¡¯t defend his prot¨¦g¨¦e from critics! ¡°You dirty plebeians aren¡¯t aesthetically equipped to understand its brilliance!¡± Kari choked in outrage. ¡°Plebeians?" ¡°I¡¯m an artist too!¡± Sasha protested. ¡°I¡¯ve written stuff!¡± ¡°Like what, romance movie fanfics?¡± Matthew replied, only for Sasha¡¯s face to confirm his suspicions. ¡°Ohoh, you actually did!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be a novelist one day, Maruki,¡± Sasha said with a threatening glare. ¡°And then I¡¯ll kill you off in one of my books.¡± ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be the fan favorite.¡± Matthew blew her off and then turned back to his prot¨¦g¨¦e. ¡°You¡¯ve got an awesome Key.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Am¨¦lia replied shyly. ¡°Oh yes, and you¡¯re just scratching the surface.¡± Matthew rubbed his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s give that flower an ass next.¡±
The flower ended up dying with one ass made of two noses put together, five tongues, ten mouths, and two eyes. As it turned out, stacking so many body parts without functional organs to sustain them might not create a viable organism. Nonetheless, Am¨¦lia had a lot of fun and promised to show Matthew some of her fleshcrafting works tomorrow¡ªand maybe trade a few mangas while at it. The patrol would unfortunately take all his time today. ¡°You¡¯re a bad influence on Am¨¦lia,¡± Kari complained for the tenth time during the trip. ¡°I hope you understand that, Matthew.¡± ¡°A bad influence? For letting her embrace her imagination?¡± Matthew smirked ear to ear. ¡°Sounds like someone will end up with a mutant in their bag one day.¡± ¡°Try that, and I swear to God, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Kari had such a kind heart that it took her a few seconds to come up with a suitable punishment. ¡°I¡¯ll throw you in detention!¡± ¡°See how she abuses her presidential authority?¡± Matthew told John. ¡°We should impeach her!¡± ¡°Are you two done bickering?¡± John grumbled as he checked his GPS. ¡°We¡¯re done with the next stop.¡± ¡°All I hear is bucket time,¡± Matthew rejoiced. He stepped out of the bus first in his excitement. ¡°Onwards, soldiers!¡± Losing the Doc¡¯s car had forced the three of them to take the Blue Bus Line traveling across Temple Alley and check each individual stop. They had checked each one for a Flux signature and found none besides the Dungeons they had already identified earlier. The Doc had taken care to seal off the university one, Crypto said she would arrange for the abandoned mansion to be condemned, and the lighthouse would starve itself out on its own. All in all, Temple Alley appeared relatively safe compared to other districts. Matthew would have loved a little exercise before dinner, but he would live with it. He would need all of his strength to visit Maggie afterwards. Besides, how could he not feel energized at the sight of the Major Chicken restaurant? The proud two-floor fast food eatery stood boldly in front of its Burger Queen rival under the afternoon sun, its walls wrapped in deep crimson paint. The iconic portrait of Major Chicken himself loomed over the entrance with a pair of sunglasses on his beak and a beret on his feathers. Who could not feel awe at its sharp industrial design, at its beautiful drive-thru lane to paradise, at its queue of clients who had never heard of the quinoa safe word? He was about to take a step towards this all-meat heaven when he sensed it; that oh-so-familiar scent of sorcery in the air. He immediately activated his Flux Sight, his blood freezing in his veins when he identified its source. They wouldn¡¯t¡­ Dungeons wouldn¡¯t dare! ¡°Guys,¡± he said with a low, growling voice. ¡°This is an emergency.¡± ¡°An emergency?¡± Kari activated her Flux Sight and gasped in horror. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Is this a joke?¡± John asked upon picking up the Dungeon scent too, his voice heavy with exasperation. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± The Major Chicken restaurant reeked of Flux. The fast food place had turned into a Dungeon! 25: Chicken King Disaster. Disaster! It only took Matthew a look to confirm that the Major Chicken¡¯s entrance had indeed been booby-trapped by a Dungeon reeking of Green and Orange Flux. A dozen patrons crossed the threshold without realizing the danger they were putting themselves in. ¡°This is really bad, guys,¡± Kari echoed his concern. ¡°There must be hundreds, thousands of people frequenting this establishment every day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already informed Crypto,¡± John said after texting on his phone. ¡°She says she can quickly arrange an emergency health inspection and temporary closure, but it¡¯ll only buy us so much time.¡± The situation was even worse than they thought. This was the closest Major Chicken to school, with the second closest being in Little Brussels. If the disappearances piled up enough to lead to a permanent closure, then bucket runs would take hours! ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste,¡± Matthew declared as he seized the gate and ripped it open in a wild display of sorcery. He felt no resistance whatsoever; this Dungeon gladly welcomed visitors. Reality shifted around the trio as they left the restaurant¡¯s doors behind them for a vast expanse of orange dust. A vast, seemingly endless desert covered in clouded orange skies surrounded them from all sides, but that was a mere set piece for the bulk of the Dungeon itself. A massive castle loomed over the wasteland, topped by a capped chicken-themed tower of gold. The sight of the structure gave Matthew pause. He was no stranger to weird Dungeon architecture, but this one put all the others to shame. Crimson brick walls set with chicken gargoyles rose from concrete foundations. Battlements looked down from sleek towers with modern glass windows. A giant Major Chicken logo shone with bright colors atop a massive set of sliding doors while moats of frying oil filled the air with the smell of fries. A single wooden bridge merged with a drive-thru lane linked the building to the desert, complete with a speaker and a window where nonexistent clients could take their orders. However, Matthew cared less for the Dungeon¡¯s appearance than for those slight pressures in the fabric of space he sensed all around him. He had only experienced that feeling a few times in the past, but never forgot it. From the pale look on her face, Kari had noticed it too. ¡°There¡¯s more than one entrance,¡± she said with a wavering voice. ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± John replied in disbelief. ¡°I only sensed one around the building.¡± Matthew used his Key to poke holes in those entrances to peek through them. He immediately received a glimpse of two very familiar restaurant thresholds. ¡°There are two more entrances,¡± he warned his teammates after closing the portals. ¡°One leads to the Little Brussels Major Chicken restaurant, the other to the one in Old Town.¡± ¡°How could you tell?¡± Kari squinted at him. ¡°Did you visit them all?¡± ¡°Of course I did, I had to check which one was the best!¡± Matthew defended himself. ¡°You¡¯re saying all the Major Chicken restaurants in Evermarsh are infected?¡± John stroked his chin with a frown on his face. ¡°How could that be? The entrances should be too far apart for a Dungeon to sustain them all.¡± ¡°Could it be some sort of spatial resonance?¡± Kari theorized. ¡°Maybe the Dungeon perceives all these separate restaurants as part of a single structure to infect.¡± Matthew¡¯s heart skipped a beat in his chest as a terrifying thought crossed his mind. ¡°Do you think it could parasitize the entire Major Chicken restaurant chain given time?¡± John¡¯s nod inspired more dread than any monster. ¡°It¡¯s too early to say yet, but it¡¯s a possibility.¡± This was a national emergency! Not only were many lives on the line, but Matthew¡¯s favorite fast food chain risked closure at this rate! He furiously observed the castle and let out a sigh of relief upon sensing the core deep within the structure. The natural progression of Dungeons was to create more levels, then more entrances, then new cores. However, a few evolved to mess with that order. This specific Dungeon invested more of its power to reach out to other places over the extra security a new level would provide.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. On one hand, it meant it could secure a vast amount of victims over a shorter amount of time; on the other hand, it meant Matthew¡¯s crew would reach the core quickly. Something feels weirder than usual about this place, Matthew thought. His Doom Sense hadn¡¯t triggered at all, not even with a distant background noise. As far as his spell was concerned, he was entirely safe. No welcoming committee either. ¡°Same procedure as usual,¡± John said after grabbing a gun from his bag. Kari imitated him by taking out her rapier. ¡°We evacuate the victims and then aim for the core.¡± His teammates nodded without complaint, and the three of them walked up towards the bridge. Matthew could almost taste the tension in the air alongside the smell of boiling fries. They walked up to the speaker, each of them expecting an attack, yet Matthew didn¡¯t feel so much as a blip on his Doom Sense radar. He stopped in front of the speaker and studied it for a moment. It looked identical to those on a Major Chicken drive thru lane, with a single microphone and a small screen giving a simple command: ¡®Please order.¡¯ He leaned closer to the device and heard a static on the other side of its line. His behavior unsettled Kari. ¡°What are you doing, Matt?¡± ¡°Doing what we set out to do,¡± he replied with utmost seriousness, before gathering his breath. Here comes nothing. ¡°I want a Major Chicken bucket, with a set of Private Tenders and two Sergeant Fries with curry sauce!¡± Silence answered his demand for a second, quickly followed by an inhuman gnarl. The screen¡¯s words shifted into a whole new and very familiar sentence: ¡®Please proceed to takeaway!¡¯ ¡°The hell, Maruki?¡± John growled in exasperation. ¡°We¡¯ve got God who knows how many civilians caught in this place, and you¡¯re ordering food?¡± ¡°I have a plan,¡± Matthew replied sternly. ¡°Just watch.¡± He walked across the bridge without hesitation, with his confused teammates following closely behind. He reached the takeaway spot right next to the castle¡¯s entrance without incident. Its window opened to unveil a monstrous, rooster-like animatronic around Matthew¡¯s size. A Major Chicken employee cap sat atop its head of yellow plastic. It stared at the trio with glass eyes devoid of intelligence and hostility. Matthew heard John clock his gun behind his back and quickly raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve got this.¡± ¡°What possible reason could we have to spare a mon¨C¡± The mechanical chicken monster interrupted John with a parody of an animal cry, then handed a red and black bucket to Matthew. It didn¡¯t wait for payment before snapping the window shut again. Matthew observed his new prize with apprehension, the warmth of its fried meat flowing through the cardboard. ¡°It didn¡¯t attack us?¡± Kari asked in surprise. Monsters always assaulted humans on sight. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Matthew stared at the bucket for a moment, then turned to his teammates. ¡°What are the odds that this is a mimic?¡± ¡°Extremely high,¡± John replied flatly. Matthew would have usually agreed with him, if not for his Doom Sense spell being utterly inactive and the delightful smell of fried chicken coming from it. He slowly opened the cover to unveil its contents. A pile of fried chicken cooked with industrial love; sweetly prepared tenders harvested from young birds who died before their time; crispy golden fries that gleamed like the sun; and sauce so sweet that its ingestion guaranteed diabetes. Matthew slowly grabbed a tender and bit into it. It tasted like any standard Major Chicken offering: exquisite. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± John admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a normal bucket? No poison, no sleeping drug, no hidden parasite?¡± ¡°My Key doesn¡¯t see anything wrong with it,¡± Kari replied with a mix of exasperation and annoyance. ¡°And Matthew, seriously? Are you so hungry you would eat food coming from a Dungeon?¡± Matthew had a theory for these weird happenings, but it took crossing the sliding doors leading into the Dungeon¡¯s ground floor to confirm it. The pervasive smell of fried chicken overwhelmed him as he walked into a fast food restaurant¡¯s hall. The layout and d¨¦cor was everything he had come to expect from Major Chicken, from the red plastic chairs to the white polished table facing posters of the eponymous mascot and his Meat Brigade. The place lacked a counter or obvious waitstaff, but apparently didn¡¯t need those. Dozens of people were sitting there, ravenously eating burgers, fried chicken, fries, sundae and all the unhealthy wonders of the Major Chicken menu. Matthew noticed businessmen in suits greased with food stains, couples, and even families. They shoveled tenders after tenders into their mouths without stopping. Kari gulped and dared approach a table. ¡°Mister?¡± she asked its occupant. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m better than alright!¡± the man replied with an enthusiasm that neatly contrasted with his empty and soulless gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not full yet!¡± John frowned at him. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Since today!¡± the man replied without looking away from his meal. ¡°There¡¯s a promotion today! Free refill, cashless! You should sit down and enjoy it too! It¡¯s not everyday you can eat for free!¡± ¡°It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t even hear us,¡± Kari said with a worried expression. ¡°None of these people have a Key, Matsumoto,¡± John assessed. ¡°The Dungeon is messing with their minds. I don¡¯t think they even realize where they are or how much time they spent in this place.¡± Matthew found an empty table and sat there with his bucket without a word. His teammates followed his lead and swiftly tensed up when another animatronic chicken showed up out of nowhere with a plate full of drinks. It served the trio a set of pepsi cans and then walked away without a single word. ¡°These monsters aren¡¯t attacking anyone,¡± Kari said while shifting on her seat. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not normal at all.¡± John squinted at Matthew. ¡°You have a theory in mind, Maruki.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. Matthew wondered how to put his theory in very simple words, then took a deep breath. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible to become so dedicated to a role,¡± he said, ¡°that you forget you were an actor in the first place?¡± 26: The Visitor A long silence followed Matthew¡¯s declaration, quickly followed by the sound of John¡¯s hands rubbing his temples out of sheer frustration. Kari simply gave Matthew an unblinking stare for a few seconds as her logic-riddled brain struggled to accept the absurdity of their situation. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Kari raised a finger, quickly lowered it in her hesitation out of fear of saying something stupid, and then finally found the courage to ask. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ that this Dungeon is so dedicated to mimicking a real Major Chicken restaurant¡­ that it forgets to kill people?¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s definitely trying to kill us,¡± Matthew replied, waving his chicken tender in front of her as proof of the attempt on his life. ¡°Just with strokes and diabetes rather than monsters.¡± ¡°And if they keep eating like this, it¡¯s only a matter of time before these people choke to death too,¡± John said after calming down. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not a bad hunting strategy, actually. Visitors come in while in a delusional state and eat beyond their fill without resisting until they die.¡± ¡°And with no need to spend resources on creating powerful monsters to hunt down frightened captives, the Dungeon can allocate Flux towards opening new entrances instead,¡± Matthew said before chewing into his tender. It tasted so good. It would be such a shame to blow up the place. ¡°It baits us with chicken, fattens us, then waits for the harvest.¡± ¡°Some people must have already died in here to power up the additional entrances,¡± Kari said. She observed an animatronic serve a bucket¡¯s worth of nuggets to a couple with uneasiness and concern. ¡°So¡­ what? The monsters will ignore us so long as we pretend to be customers?¡± ¡°Or until we try to evacuate their clients,¡± Matthew replied in between tender bites. There was no way he was walking into a Dungeon brawl on an empty stomach. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll take it well.¡± John crossed his arms. ¡°That could work in our favor. If this place won¡¯t attack us until we make a scene or save the hostages, we could simply walk our way to the core without issues, or at least do some recon.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Kari replied. ¡°Matthew, you said one of the entrances led to Old Town?¡± ¡°Yes, and to Little Brussels too,¡± Matthew confirmed, before quickly guessing what bothered Kari. ¡°Oh right, the Old Town team was busy with a Dungeon!¡± John raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you think it could be this one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was wondering,¡± Kari replied. She opened up her bag and grabbed one of their new navigators. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can call Crypto to check.¡± Matthew and John quickly imitated her by taking out their own devices. Matt heard a jingle in his ear as it triggered, followed by the echo of Kari¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello?¡± she called out into the void. ¡°Crypto? Can you hear us?¡± ¡°Roger that, Crit,¡± Crypto answered on the other end of the line. ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s actually working!¡± Matthew rejoiced. The quality of the call was quite poor and carried electronic interference, but merely contacting the outside world was a huge achievement in itself. ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°Julia¡¯s work always exceeds expectations.¡± He could almost hear Riley¡¯s chuckle on the other side of the line. ¡°From the static, I assumed you¡¯re calling from inside a Dungeon? Do you need backup?¡± ¡°No, not yet,¡± Kari apologized. ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± They proceeded to recount everything to Crypto. Much like her fellow Blue, their poor manager remained silent for a while once they finished their explanations. ¡°That¡¯s quite the odd Dungeon you¡¯ve stepped into,¡± Crypto finally said after recovering her bearings. ¡°The Major Chicken fast food restaurant in Old Town is indeed the Dungeon that Blight¡¯s team last reported. I haven¡¯t received any word from them since they entered it and skipped the Sunday meeting. Truthfully, I was about to send the standby team to check on them.¡± Kari¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You think they¡¯re inside?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t check,¡± Crypto replied. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, they skipped the Sunday meeting and thus stepped inside without navigators. They considered this Dungeon too much of a priority to wait for them.¡± ¡°They have to be inside,¡± John said with a scowl before stating the obvious. ¡°Whether they¡¯re still alive is another matter.¡± Matthew¡¯s jaw tightened and he swiftly set his bucket aside. The Old Town team were a bunch of tough cookies. If they hadn¡¯t cleaned up this place within a day, then they had encountered unexpected danger inside the Dungeon. Matthew unleashed a Flux Pulse as he did in the church¡¯s Dungeon on Saturday. His power rippled around him in a wave that briefly startled the animatronic monster waiters. If the Old Town team was on this floor, there was no way they didn¡¯t sense it. No other Pulse answered his own, which was a terrible sign. Kari bit her lower lip. ¡°This is bad. Either this Dungeon has a hidden second level or the Old Town team isn¡¯t in a state to respond.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Let¡¯s go look for them,¡± Matthew replied. Saving fellow Crawlers was always a priority in his mind. ¡°Agreed,¡± John decided upon standing from his seat. ¡°We¡¯ll check if any of the hostages need immediate medical help and then do a recon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use the Navigators to record your movements and map out the Dungeon,¡± Crypto said. ¡°It lacks an affinity with Violet sorcery, so its layout should not change. I¡¯ll also do my best to close down the restaurants and block the entrances, but that¡¯ll take time.¡± With the plan set, the team quickly moved into action. Matthew quickly cast Peak on himself to supplement his existing passive spells, as did Kari. They quickly confirmed that the Dungeon¡¯s ¡®customers¡¯ lacked any obvious medical conditions and could be left to their own device for a time. It wasn¡¯t too hard to find their way into the complex; the team simply followed the animatronic waiters through a door at the back that led them straight into a fully modernized kitchen. Stainless steel grills, fryers, and prep stations stood next to crimson stone walls. Arrow slits provided ventilation for its occupants, a bunch of piggish, goblin-like humanoid chefs grilling chicken and filling buckets for clients to consume. One of them barked unintelligible words at the Crawler crew upon noticing them, with animatronic waiters swiftly surrounding them and pointing at the exit. Kari¡¯s grip tightened on her rapier. ¡°I don¡¯t think they want us here.¡± ¡°Well, this is the kitchen,¡± John pointed out. ¡°Most places don¡¯t like random customers walking into them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Matthew said as he grabbed his leather wallet and brought out a crimson, silver-plated plastic card with Major Chicken¡¯s face on it. ¡°Return to your post, soldiers!¡± The waiters studied the card for a moment, their mechanical body language swiftly changing from threatening to passive. The monsters stepped out of the Crawlers¡¯ way and swiftly stopped paying attention to them. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± John asked upon checking the card himself. ¡°Major Chicken''s Colonel Experience?¡± ¡°This reward is only awarded to the chosen few who have eaten three-hundred and sixty-five times at Major Chicken,¡± Matthew replied with pride. It took a lot of effort to earn it. ¡°It grants me the honorary rank of colonel in the fast food world¡¯s hierarchy, alongside a twenty percent discount.¡± A confused Kari blinked a few times, while John recovered quicker. ¡°You ate a whole year¡¯s worth of food at a Major Chicken restaurant, Maruki?¡± he asked with a hint of judgment in his voice. ¡°Not a continuous year, and I¡¯m still over a hundred meals away from the Army General Experience Card,¡± Matthew protested at the implications. ¡°What kind of person do you take me for? Some no-life Saturday chicken cartoon fanatic?¡± His teammates stared at him in silence. ¡°I don¡¯t judge you for your hobbies,¡± Matthew said. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to court-martial you both. I have power here, Junta power!¡± ¡°We¡¯re lucky that this Dungeon is as stupid as you are,¡± John replied dryly. ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± The kitchen led to many adjacent pantry rooms which the team checked one after another. Cold storage full of frozen beheaded chicken¡ªwhich likely had never been alive in the first place¡ªand fries, shelving units filled with sacks of flour and crates of produce, and larders filled with condiments, trays, and napkins awaited them behind each door. They looked almost normal at first glance, until Matthew picked up a tomato and found it staring back at him with two eyes and smiling with sharp teeth. Pickles barked, potatoes moved on their own, and one beheaded chicken attempted to run when he touched it. At least they hadn¡¯t encountered a mimic yet. Kari¡¯s disgust grew with each new passing discovery. ¡°Is every single kind of condiment a monster in this place?¡± ¡°What did you expect, Matsumoto?¡± John replied after a bag of flour hopped away from him. ¡°Maruki probably ate a few.¡± ¡°I admit it bothers me,¡± Matthew admitted as he checked another pantry room. ¡°Because now I want to try them all.¡± John glanced at him full of disgust. ¡°You¡¯re even worse than Auguste.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that if all monsters are edible, then I¡¯ve missed out on a lot of flavors over the years,¡± Matthew complained. ¡°This pantry is another dead-end.¡± ¡°Guys, over here!¡± Kari called out from another room. Her teammates quickly followed her voice to a family restroom artfully blending medieval decoration with modern plumbing. Kari stood in front of a large hole in the wall leading to the outside, studying its edges. ¡°Look.¡± Matthew studied it and quickly noticed the presence of orange particles in the air. ¡°The Dungeon is trying to repair this spot.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not a natural feature?¡± John stroked his chin. ¡°Did the Old Town team open it?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Kari confirmed with a nod. ¡°It was blown up with a homemade explosive, likely Bomberman¡¯s work.¡± Spencer ¡®Bomberman¡¯ Hobson would always have Matthew¡¯s respect for choosing his call sign after a video game character. He hoped he was alright. Matthew stepped through the hole to find himself in a vast, courtyard-shaped patio space paved with cobblestone. Unoccupied picnic tables and umbrellas occupied much of it under Major Chicken-themed banners and the alien, crimson fake sky above. There was no sign of battle, which meant the Dungeon either failed to stop the intruders here or didn¡¯t attempt to. A set of doors on the far end led into another castle wing, while flights of stairs could allow the crew to reach the upper floors. Kari studied the floor with her Key, trailing dust marks that Matthew¡¯s eyes could hardly see. ¡°They went up,¡± Kari said, her expression darkening. ¡°The trail is at least a day old.¡± A short and heavy silence followed, eventually broken by Crypto¡¯s voice. ¡°I see.¡± Matthew could read between the lines. Their odds of finding the Old Team alive and well continued to lower. A sharp pressure suddenly erupted at the back of his head. Matthew¡¯s head snapped towards the fast-food castle¡¯s rooftops and his hand pointed at the feeling¡¯s source. He fired with a finger-gun and nailed a brick with holes, startling his allies. ¡°My Doom Sense¡¯s picking something up!¡± he warned his teammates. John quickly drew his gun. Kari, more hands-on, used her Wallcrawl spell to run up the vertical wall. She stood at the rooftop¡¯s edge and looked around, her body more tense than bowstring. ¡°Do you see anything?!¡± Matthew shouted to Kari as his Doom Sense grew quiet once again. ¡°Cobwebs!¡± she replied with her sword drawn. ¡°I see cobwebs and traces of Blue Flux!¡± Blue Flux? In an Orange and Green-themed Dungeon? Matthew pondered that mystery until he remembered the spider nest that they found at school¡­ and the fact his Doom Sense continued to trigger after they¡¯d destroyed it. He immediately checked his navigator. ¡°Crypto?¡± ¡°Already checking the city plans,¡± she replied, having guessed what was on his mind. ¡°The sewers connecting your school to the waste plant do pass through the Temple Alley Major Chicken¡¯s area, and the Old Town one too.¡± A shiver ran down Matthew¡¯s spine. Did something from the school Dungeon make its way here? 27: Tarantulas They walked along the narrow parapet in silence. The stairs had led them to a path along the first floor offering a haunting view of the courtyard and the deep fryer moats surrounding the Major Chicken castle. Kari walked ahead of the trio, her sharp gaze noticing tiny hints of the Old Town Team¡¯s journey across the Dungeon. Matthew himself was more worried about the cobwebs. He had noticed a few in various corners and quickly gathered that they were built from magnetic tape rather than silk strands. Their black and silver surfaces contrasted neatly with the crimson cobblestones forming the bulk of the Dungeon¡¯s architecture. They looked utterly out of place. ¡°It can¡¯t be that,¡± John argued with confidence, his hands gripping his gun. ¡°Monsters can¡¯t leave Dungeons, especially a destroyed one.¡± Matthew remained dubious. ¡°Dungeons aren¡¯t supposed to play nice with their victims either. There are anomalies everywhere, Johnny Boy.¡± ¡°Monsters can¡¯t survive long without constant Flux exposure, Maruki,¡± John insisted. ¡°We¡¯ve tried, remember? Every monster we took out of a Dungeon for studies perished almost immediately. Besides, if it came from the spider nest at the school, then you¡¯ve already destroyed its core.¡± That was technically true¡­ Matthew absorbed the school Dungeon¡¯s core into his black hole eye, from which nothing ever escaped. Even he couldn¡¯t recover anything drawn into its singularity. And even if the core survived that experience, it collapsed its Dungeon in short order and slew all its monstrous inhabitants. Why did he have such a bad feeling then? Matthew had come to trust his gut, and right now it told him all that his assumptions were somehow wrong. ¡°We do not know enough yet,¡± Crypto replied through the navigators. ¡°Do you see any trace of the Old Town team?¡± ¡°I¡¯m following their footsteps,¡± Kari replied upon reaching a small side entrance leading inside. The door was closed, yet unlocked. ¡°Is your Doom Sense still picking something up, Matthew?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Matthew replied, though he had the feeling this respite wouldn¡¯t last. Kari nodded in apprehension, and then opened the door. A wide and twisting hallway with several staircases leading elsewhere into the giant restaurant stretched before them. The trio walked past numerous doors on one side and windows on the other. Portraits of the Major Chicken cartoon¡¯s main cast¡ªfrom Major Chicken himself to Private Tenders¡ªadorned the wall. The smell of frying oil was gone, replaced with that of sanitized products. Kari froze in front of one of the doors and stared at the ground suddenly, her face paling in dread. Matthew dared peek over her shoulder to see what bothered her. Dry blood. A thin trace of red, dry human blood leaked beneath a door. The team wordlessly exchanged glances, with Matthew taking the lead. His Doom Sense started picking up again like a needle pressing against the back of his skull. He gave his allies a rudimentary hand sign to warn them of danger. Then he blew the door open. His power turned it and a good chunk of the wall into a hole large enough for the three of them to walk through. Matthew and John both raised their hands, the former with finger-guns and the latter with actual ones ready to shoot. A quiet and ominous hall welcomed them, alongside a most ominous sight. The vast room seemed to have been a mix between a private VIP lounge and a lord¡¯s solar once, with a large inactive fireplace at the center filled with cold ashes and facing a long lord¡¯s table. A landscape window offered a good view of the fake wasteland surrounding the castle. However, the room had been savaged. Many chairs lay overturned; dark stains marred the otherwise pristine floor alongside claw marks; and Matthew noticed traces of explosions next to a partly shattered window. The Dungeon¡¯s orange particles swirled around those spots to clean the damage. ¡°They fought here.¡± Kari bit her lower lip. ¡°The Old Town team.¡± And they¡¯d lost.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. This thought grew into certainty the more Matthew and his teammates studied the room. Kari examined the dark stains¡ªwhich were clearly dry human blood¡ªwith her Key, John checked the windows, and Matthew¡¯s eye lingered on the ceiling. He noticed another magnetic tape web in the upper left corner intertwined with a surveillance camera. The machine had been pulled off from the wall and kept tightly entrapped as if it were a bug caught by a spider, but its black lens gave Matthew goosebumps. He couldn¡¯t shrug off the awful sensation of being watched. His Doom Sense did not relent either. There was a secret danger lurking around, a trap that he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°There¡¯s blood on that window,¡± John warned them. He pointed at cracks in the glass with his gun. ¡°There.¡± Kari¡¯s deep breath echoed across the floor. ¡°Blight was killed first.¡± Her words resonated in the air like a curse; the final nail in a coffin. Kari¡¯s Premium Thought spell combined with supernatural visual acuity let her reconstruct the scene in her mind. ¡°She¡­ she saw something, there.¡± Kari pointed at the broken dais roughly three meters to her left. ¡°Probably a monster, which she tried to attack¡­ I think it struck her chest with enough force to cave it in. She fell where I stand right now, and¡­¡± She exhaled to calm her nerves. ¡°She¡­ she didn¡¯t get back up.¡± A chill traveled down Matthew¡¯s spine. His crew hadn¡¯t noticed the Major Chicken entrance in Temple Alley back when they did their first reconnaissance with the Doc. He thought they¡¯d simply overlooked that area, but now he realized that this entrance had opened up recently¡­ and whose deaths helped the Dungeon fuel its manifestation. ¡°Then Bomberman threw a grenade at their attacker to fend it off,¡± Kari said. ¡°The monster dodged and moved next to the window. Authority tried to use her Key to immobilize it long enough for Bomberman to blow it up. She¡­ she failed.¡± She stared at the cracked window with empty eyes. ¡°The monster grabbed Bomberman and¡­ and smashed his skull against the glass, then against the floor.¡± None of them dared to speak up, and Crypto had gone silent on her end of the line. ¡°Authority¡­¡± Kari turned at the hall¡¯s entrance and the dark stains at the threshold. ¡°She tried to run for the door. She¡¯d opened it halfway when the monster struck her in the back.¡± Crypto emerged from her torpor. ¡°Do you see the bodies?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kari pointed her rapier at dark stains leading up to a doorway across the other end of the hall. ¡°The monster dragged them away one after the other to another room.¡± ¡°The monster,¡± John repeated, his eyes squinting in skepticism. ¡°You said there was only one assailant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kari¡¯s nod felt heavier than stone. ¡°A monster with claw tufts at the end of its legs.¡± Like a spider, Matthew thought. His Doom Sense¡¯s alarm rang louder and louder in his head. He tried to focus on its source and gazed at the magnetic tape web, searching for danger¨C No, Matthew thought upon looking away. Nothing to see there. Nothing important. Nothing¡­ nothing to see¡­ ¡°That¡¯s unusual,¡± Crypto¡¯s voice rang in his ear in the background of a terrible headache. ¡°Monsters always consume corpses on the spot. Why move them?¡± There was¡­ nothing, nothing to see there, a simple web with a mere camera caught in its magnetic strands. Nothing to see. ¡°No, I want to look,¡± Matthew grunted through his teeth as he forced his head not to turn away. He sensed an invisible pressure that struggled back against him, like two hands fighting over a driving wheel. ¡°Maruki?¡± he heard John call him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°There¡­¡± he blurted through the sharp pain in his skull. ¡°The web¡­ messing with my head¡­ something I can¡¯t see.¡± Something was there, something which his mind refused to focus on. He sensed foreign thoughts worm their way into his mind, telling him to look away from the web, that there was nothing worth seeing there, that he shouldn¡¯t pay attention, but he forced himself to stare at it with all of his will until he pushed the thing out¨C The illusion snapped away and Matthew found himself face-to-face with the creature. It looked down upon the Crawlers from above, its spindly metal appendages gripping the magnetic tape web supporting its monstrous biomechanical body. Four of its black mechanical limbs angled outward from its shoulders in a wide, menacing stance. Its central, humanoid body was partly covered in bone plates meshed with purple circuit-flesh and sleek metal, while its arms and legs ended in clawed hands and feet. It was its black, skull-like visage which disturbed Matthew the most, however, from its all-too-human jaw, its lipless teeth, to its two blue camera eyes whirring as they observed him. They flickered with a light he had only seen a handful of times in those mindless creatures. ¡°You,¡± the monster growled in gargled English with a voice more akin to a scratched record than anything a human could produce. ¡°See¡­ I.¡± A flicker of sentience. Matthew raised his finger-gun and shot it in the head. The monster shifted its position at the last moment, a hole forming in its shoulder rather than in the middle of its face. It let out a soul-rending shriek that freed John and Kari from whatever mental effect prevented them from noticing its presence. The former quickly opened fire at the spider, who leaped across the room to another wall while shielding its body from bullets with its metal legs. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Crypto asked through the navigators. ¡°It¡¯s one of those tarantulas from the school!¡± Matthew shouted while aiming for the creature. ¡°It can mess with our brains!¡± The monster¡¯s head snapped in his direction, its eyes whirring like cylinders. ¡°Tarantulas?¡± it asked. A shiver ran down Matthew¡¯s spine. That was a question. Not words parroted by a creature unable to understand them, not an attempt to destabilize, but a genuine inquiry. ¡°It¡­ it is I. Tarantulas is¡­ I?¡± the monster gargled as it quickly gained a grasp on the human language, and through it, the very concept of selfhood. ¡°I am Tarantulas.¡± This thing could think. 28: Survival Instinct The last time Matthew fought a monster capable of true thought and self-awareness, it cost him an eye and a dear friend¡¯s life. So he didn¡¯t take any risks with this one. His hand reached out to pull back his eyepatch and unleash the black hole hidden underneath. He would send the monster to join its home Dungeon into nothingness. The newly christened Tarantulas immediately leaped off the ceiling. Matthew thought the monster would target him, but it instead aimed straight for John while powering through the bullets shot its way. John barely had time to roll out of Tarantulas¡¯ trajectory as it crash-landed onto the floor. Matthew turned to face the monster, only for its spindly limbs to carry it away in a flash of speed. Tarantulas crawled closer to John in a way that placed the gunman between Matthew and itself. ¡°Pull back!¡± Matthew shouted to John as he ran to the side in an attempt to pull Tarantulas into his direct line of sight. The monster hastily remained on the move to keep John in-between them, then opened its skeletal maw to reveal a biomechanical muzzle hidden within. An organic bullet projectile of some kind flew straight at Matthew¡¯s head, which he barely managed to dodge thanks to his Doom Sense and Peak spells combining to move his body out of the way. The shot hit the wall behind him with enough strength to pulverize stone. While Kari followed Matthew¡¯s order and grabbed throwing knives from her bag to harass the monster from afar, John struggled with keeping his distance. His charged bullets not only struggled to break through Tarantulas¡¯ biomechanical armor, but the monster expanded its spider-limbs like telescopic tentacles in an attempt to catch him. John was forced to remain constantly on the move, and most importantly, within Matthew¡¯s line of sight. The bug remembers. Matthew angrily pulled his eyepatch back on for fear of accidentally swallowing John too. Damn it! It remembers how I destroyed its Dungeon the first time around, and it knows I won¡¯t harm my teammates! ¡°Matt, cover me!¡± Kari shouted as she switched tactics and engaged Tarantulas in close combat to relieve John. Matthew switched to targeting the monster¡¯s spider-legs with his finger-guns and successfully opened tiny holes along the joints. Thick green blood poured out of the wounds, and the monster let out a chittering shriek akin to a loud radio static. Seeing Kari¡¯s approach, Tarantulas fired at her with its muzzle, but the Crawler proved quicker and swiftly struck at him in melee. Kari¡¯s rapier struck a cable-vein between the head and the neck before following through with several thrusts in an attempt to find a weak spot. Tarantulas shifted its posture to stand on its two humanoid legs and use its longer, spider-like limbs to sweep Kari away. The Crawler deftly dodged each and every strike in a sword dance which Matthew could only call magnificent. Tarantulas¡¯ artificial eyes whirred and a blue pulse erupted from its biomechanical flesh. A translucent, azure sphere of Flux swallowed Kari, Matthew, John, and most of the room in an instant. Kari¡¯s latest thrust missed as Tarantulas dodged at the last second, her sword hitting only empty air. Matthew attempted to support her with his finger-guns, but Tarantulas shifted its movement pattern in response. The monster twisted its limbs just the right away, tilted its head one side at the last minute, and sidestepped out of Matthew¡¯s firing line. It grew more aggressive too, mixing muzzle-rounds and sweeping limb motions to strike at Kari. She barely had time to dodge one of the former at the last minute with the projectile grazing her cheek close enough to draw blood; a sight which filled Matthew with fear and concern. How could this thing anticipate their attacks so well all of a sudden? Did it have something to do with the field of Blue Flux covering the room? Matthew¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as he connected the dots. Tarantulas¡¯ spell was rough and imprecise, with the creature wasting so much Blue Flux to power it that it became visible to the naked eye, but Matthew had seen Kari cast that spell often enough to recognize it. ¡°Intuimotion¡­¡± Matthew muttered under his breath in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s using Intuimotion!¡± John clenched his jaw as he finished reloading. ¡°This thing can cast spells?!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The Blue spell Intuimotion allowed the user to gain an acute awareness of all motion within a ten-meter radius, de facto sharpening their reflexes and reaction time. Kari used it all the time in combat to enhance her Key¡¯s increased visual accuracy and bolster her defenses. Did Tarantulas manage to learn it simply by observing her? They had to kill this thing now. An independent monster capable of learning and duplicating spells was simply too much of an existential threat. ¡°Kari, back off!¡± Matthew shouted as he pressed his hand against the ground, with his teammate immediately retreating. Tarantulas grabbed a fragment of the broken dais nearby and threw it across the room at Matthew with blinding velocity. His Peak and Doom Sense spells once again combined to let him lower his head just in time to avoid a deadly blow. His hand touched the floor and immediately opened a hole inside it. Matthew quickly directed its expanding oval shape in Tarantulas¡¯ direction. The hole grew to swallow the dais¡¯ remains and expose the pantry rooms below, with Kari barely managing to leap to the edge for safety. Intuimotion gave its user a supernatural awareness of all movements within its radius, but knowing an attack was coming wasn¡¯t the same as being capable of dodging it. Matthew and John practiced often enough with Kari to identify that weakness. Tarantulas¡¯ lack of practice led the monster to leap away towards the ceiling in an attempt to escape the growing hole; a fatal mistake which John exploited by firing a few rounds at it. The monster spun in midair to dodge, and it would have succeeded¡­ had not John used his power to redirect the bullets straight into Tarantulas¡¯ face. The rounds exploded in a surge of fire and light. The blast incinerated Tarantulas¡¯ left eye and propelled the monster back across the room. It hit the hole¡¯s edge right next to a cracked window and barely managed to regain its footing. Half its visage melted away, with thick vein cables and metal bones gleaming beneath the searing burns and his Intuimotion spell collapsing on itself in an instant. ¡°Incendiary bullets,¡± John explained while quickly reloading. ¡°More flashy than effective.¡± ¡°Is that Geneva compatible?¡± Matthew asked with a cruel smirk. ¡°What are you talking about, Maruki?¡± John aimed at Tarantulas¡¯ face. ¡°Geneva never existed.¡± The creature glared at them with its remaining eye, with Matthew expecting it to fire at them with its muzzle. To his surprise, the monster instead chose to address them with a metallic, inhuman voice. ¡°Why?¡± it asked with a flat, emotionless tone. ¡°Why, why, why?¡± ¡°¡®Cause you killed our friends,¡± Matthew replied coldly as he pointed at the monster with a finger-gun. ¡°Friends?¡± The monster¡¯s head tilted to the side like that of a curious bird. ¡°Friends is not¡­ you?¡± Matthew answered by aiming at the monster¡¯s head with a finger-gun. John fired a few rounds at the same time, his bullets leaving a crimson bloody streak in their wake. Tarantulas fired back as it leaped through the cracked window. Matthew¡¯s defensive spells forced his body to move out of the projectile¡¯s way and threw off his aim, his bullet holes opening on glass shards rather than in the monster¡¯s heart. Some of John¡¯s projectiles hit true, though Matthew couldn¡¯t tell how much damage they inflicted. Tarantulas fell onto the courtyard outside beyond his view. ¡°It¡­¡± Kari choked in surprise and rushed along the floor hole¡¯s edge to reach out for the window. ¡°It ran away?!¡± Monsters never retreated, because they had no sense of self-preservation. They were an extension of a Dungeon¡¯s will and were meant to die fighting to the bitter end. When given the choice, they always tried to kill humans to feed their Dungeon. This creature¡¯s actions could only mean one thing. It had a survival instinct. ¡°It¡¯s fleeing into the toilets!¡± Kari shouted after taking a look outside. ¡°It¡¯s going after the hostages!¡± That would be the most logical assumption, if that monster were a native from this Dungeon and eager to feed it... but Tarantulas was an intruder, a transplant from another place entirely. It had no more loyalty to its current Dungeon than a squatter for a cardboard box. Matthew¡¯s heart skipped a beat in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s not going after the hostages,¡± he said as he rushed towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s running for the exit! It¡¯s trying to flee the Dungeon!¡± If it survived the loss of its first home long enough to take refuge in another, then it could do it again. Matthew saw a flash of disbelief in his teammates¡¯ eyes, but they both followed his lead nonetheless. The trio rushed down the stairs leading to the courtyard and then back into the first floor¡¯s storerooms in a desperate attempt to catch the escaping monster. They ran into the kitchen to see damaged animatronic waiters struggling to pick back up their severed limbs or blasted arms. Tarantulas had been no more friendly to the local monsters unlucky enough to stand in its way than to human visitors ¡°The standby team is on its way,¡± Crypto said on the other end of the navigator line. ¡°Priority is capturing or neutralizing that monster. If it can think, it can learn.¡± Like the thing in the Mall. Matthew¡¯s team rushed into the restaurant near the entrance to find its customers unharmed and too absorbed in their own meals to care about anything else. Only once they reached the fry moat did they briefly pause in horror. The gate to the exit stood wide open. A monster now roamed outside a Dungeon. 29: Home Sweet Home They searched until nightfall and found nothing. Nothing. Nothing in the parking lot, nothing lurking in the toilets, nothing hiding in the streets¡­ As far as all spells and Keys could tell, Temple Alley¡¯s Major Chicken restaurant was utterly spotless and unblemished. Visitors passed through the doors heedless of the danger lurking there, paying no mind to the three students watching them from a nearby bench. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Matthew,¡± Kari complained as he finished applying antiseptic spray to her wounded cheek. The cut Tarantulas left was shallow, but still deep enough to draw blood. ¡°I¡¯ve faced worse.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking any risk with a Green/Blue hybrid,¡± Matthew replied with a tone that broke no opposition. ¡°They like to mess with both the flesh and the mind. A scratch could be infected even without Flux.¡± Kari gave him a pointed look. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ surprisingly thoughtful of you, Matt.¡± John touched his navigator with a scowl on his face. They had been waiting for a sign that had yet to come. ¡°Still no trace of the monster on our side.¡± ¡°Nothing to report on ours either,¡± Julia said, who led the standby team securing the Old Town entrance. ¡°Mr. O¡¯Connor?¡± ¡°Liv found traces of Blue Flux near a sewer gate,¡± the Doc said. Crypto had immediately dispatched the new Little Brussels team to secure their Major Chicken restaurant¡¯s entrance. ¡°How the creature managed to reach it undetected remains a mystery.¡± ¡°It used a Blue spell,¡± Crypto replied. ¡°I¡¯m analyzing the street cameras¡¯ footage in your area. I¡¯ve got a visual of the monster walking up to the sewer gate in front of a dozen eyewitnesses without arousing any reaction.¡± ¡°There were eyewitnesses?¡± John asked, his eyes widening in surprise. ¡°And it survived?¡± ¡°Yes, as astonishing as it sounds,¡± Crypto confirmed. ¡°The sheer weight of Disbelief should have annihilated the creature, or forced it into another shape which mundane onlookers could rationalize; yet not only did it keep its monstrous appearance, but none of the civilians acknowledged its presence. The Blue Flux would suggest the use of a mind-altering spell.¡± Matthew immediately guessed what happened. ¡°That monster messed with our brains so we wouldn¡¯t notice it even when it was right in front of us.¡± ¡°Disbelief can¡¯t cancel out something that nobody can perceive,¡± Kari muttered under her breath. ¡°This is¡­ this is bad. This is very bad.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Crypto confirmed on her side, her tone grim and heavy. ¡°A monster capable of surviving outside a Dungeon without triggering Disbelief might start snatching people off the streets and drag them back into its nest.¡± A short and tense silence followed, which the Doc quickly broke. ¡°We will try to pursue it in the sewer. I suspect that this creature cannot survive long on its own on the outside without a Dungeon to take shelter in.¡± ¡°I will keep an eye on all recorded Dungeon entrances across town, including condemned ones,¡± Crypto replied. ¡°Keep me informed at all times, and do not engage without my say-so.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Doc agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll find it sooner or later.¡± ¡°We must,¡± Crypto warned before directly addressing Matthew¡¯s team next. ¡°Wormhole, Crit, Trigger, it¡¯s getting late. You should return to your dorm before your absence earns you a blame or detention.¡± ¡°What about the hostages?¡± John pushed. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them inside.¡± ¡°The standby team will evacuate the Dungeon¡¯s victims, and we¡¯ll ensure a temporary closure for all restaurants through anonymous bomb threats and false police alerts. This should give you plenty of time to clear the place tomorrow without incurring additional casualties. You¡¯ve earned a moment¡¯s rest.¡± Neither Matthew nor his teammates were happy with the order, though they could see Crypto¡¯s logic. They could only violate the dorm¡¯s curfew a few times before they earned special attention that would interfere with their patrol schedule. John removed his navigator, a deep scowl of fury on his face. ¡°It tricked us.¡± ¡°We couldn''t afford to split up, and we had one chance out of three to pick the right exit,¡± Matthew replied. He regretted not thinking of spending some Lucky Star fortune in their haste to catch the thing. ¡°We just chose wrong.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°No, it picked right,¡± John argued with his arms crossed. ¡°The monster chose the one entrance which neither our team nor Bomberman¡¯s used. That¡¯s not a coincidence. It assessed that the Old Town and Temple Alley portals brought Crawlers to its doorstep, and thus rationally inferred that the Little Brussels one was the safest exit.¡± Kari mulled over his point. ¡°This spider monster is worse than sentient: it¡¯s smart.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± John nodded sharply. ¡°And with Bomberman¡¯s team decimated, we¡¯ve nobody left to oversee Old Town.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t say a word. He could already guess that Crypto would approach Sasha¡¯s group and try to convince them to patrol Old Town on the Association¡¯s behalf. It didn¡¯t matter that they were wholly underprepared for the task, because they simply had no one left to take up the responsibility. Almost. Matthew rose from the bench. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to meet with Maggie?¡± Kari guessed. ¡°Yes.¡± Matthew wasn¡¯t looking forward to it, but he had to inform her. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up to you at the dorm.¡± While John simply nodded in agreement, Kari bit her lower lip and swallowed her concern. She was smart enough to read between the lines. He wanted to meet with his old teammate on his own. He couldn¡¯t afford to put this off any longer.
It had been nearly four years since Matthew last visited Julian Street, but he remembered the way by heart. It hadn¡¯t changed much either since; just a line of cookie-cutter houses with the occasional garage or in-ground pool to break up the monotony. Its monotone quietness contrasted neatly with the distant city noises. The place always gave Matthew the feeling of an isle of calm in a stormy urban sea. He would rather have preferred chaos and colors. It would have distracted him and lessened the biting sting of nostalgia. Matthew couldn¡¯t help but stop in front of the Werners¡¯ house on his way to Maggie¡¯s home. Still the same old white fa?ade and red-painted door. Perse always opened the door whenever he knocked, since her brother Ulysses was usually too lazy to get off the sofa. He knew their mother Viviane would open if he tried again. She would smile, ask him what he was doing, maybe give him a cookie or something; but she wouldn¡¯t invite him inside. It would cause Ulysses distress. Matthew saw light coming from his room on the upper floor. He couldn¡¯t see anything behind the yellow curtains, and he didn¡¯t recall them sliding away since the Mall incident. Ulysses hadn¡¯t taken a look outside in years. Matthew had tried so many times to contact him again, only to be met with either silence or excuses each time. Eventually, he simply stopped trying to reach out. Matthew forced himself to walk past the house before he could feel even more morose. Ignoring his old yellow home was easier. He had no idea which family now occupied it since his parents¡¯ divorce, but old stones didn¡¯t carry the same weight as people and memories. Only Maggie¡¯s house had changed, and not for the better. Her home had always been a broken one, but Matthew remembered a time when it at least looked liveable. Those days were long gone; wild grass had overtaken the front lawn like a jungle growing among gardens, and alcohol spots marred the walls. The nauseating stench and flies dancing over empty bottles piled up near the door nearly caused Matthew to vomit on the threshold. Only the light filtering through the windows showed that someone still lived there. Here I am. Matthew gathered his breath and faced the black door. He raised his fist, only for all of his strength to desert him. Come on, it won¡¯t be that bad. He could blast holes through concrete and swallow entire Dungeons, so why did knocking on a door feel so hard? Matthew grit his teeth and pushed himself. He knocked once, twice, thrice¡­ and then the door opened. Maggie stood on the other side of the threshold. Time seemed to come to a standstill as the two of them faced each other. A brief moment of realization followed, with Maggie¡¯s shocked expression swiftly turning into a glare. Matthew opened his mouth. A thousand words and greetings crossed his mind, none satisfactory. Eventually, he simply said the first thing on his mind. ¡°You got weed?¡± he asked. Maggie stared at him for a moment, then closed the door on his face. Matthew cursed himself for opening up with something so stupid. Why did he always mess it up whenever he tried to reach out? Why was it so hard to talk to people? All those self-help courses didn¡¯t change a thing! I can¡¯t abandon hope just yet, he told himself. Come on, you can do it. She has to know. Matthew raised his hand to knock on the door again, only for Maggie to open it first. Her glare was gone, replaced with a deep scowl. ¡°What happened, Matthew?¡± she asked with what could pass for a hint of concern. ¡°That¡¯s not a no,¡± Matthew noted with a forced smile. It helped hide the unease. ¡°You don¡¯t smoke, and your scrawny ass hasn¡¯t visited me in years. You wouldn¡¯t come here without a damn good reason.¡± Maggie¡¯s jaw clenched further. ¡°You look like shit too. Did somebody die on you or somethin¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Matthew replied bluntly. Maggie flinched in response. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve had a shit day, so can you, uh¡­ not close the door again, please?¡± Maggie hesitated. He could tell that she considered leaving him on the threshold, but a flicker of the sweet girl she used to be now and again shone through. She eventually stepped aside and invited him inside. ¡°Let¡¯s climb onto the roof.¡± Matthew almost changed his mind upon smelling the odious odor of alcohol permeating through Maggie¡¯s house, but powered through anyway. He knew he wouldn¡¯t get another chance like this one. Maggie guided them up the same stairs they used to climb back in their childhood. He heard voices coming from the living room; some sort of peasant-related reality TV from what he could tell. ¡°Is your mom¨C¡± Matthew asked, but Maggie silenced him with a glare. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± Maggie replied curtly with a tone that implied: so far. She didn¡¯t elaborate, and Matthew didn¡¯t ask for more details. They eventually reached a window leading onto the roof and stepped through it. It looked much smaller than it did four years ago, but Matthew guessed that growth spurts did that to people. Nonetheless, there was enough space for him and Maggie to sit down beneath the stars like they did in the past; though the gulf between them remained vast. Maggie brought out a tiny weed cancer stick and set it alight with her lighter. She didn¡¯t offer another to Matthew, instead taking a long deep breath and welcoming the poison into her lungs. ¡°Okay.¡± Maggie let out a small cloud of smoke, cleared her throat, and then gazed at the stars. ¡°What happened?¡± 30: Heart to Heart Maggie took it better than he expected. She only cussed thrice within a minute. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡± She choked so hard that she nearly swallowed her joint. ¡°A monster that can exit Dungeons?! And it talks back?!¡± ¡°Brings back memories, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Matthew scowled, his arms crossed over his knees. ¡°And not the good kind.¡± Maggie¡¯s ground her teeth so hard Matthew could hear them creak. She understood the threat a smart monster posed better than most, let alone one capable of changing nests like a cuckoo. She crammed her joint against a brick while trying to get her thoughts in order. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a one-time thing,¡± she guessed. ¡°If it happened once, why not more?¡± Matthew had fought Dungeons long enough to see how these trends usually spread. ¡°The smart ones won¡¯t catch on, ¡®cause most Dungeons won¡¯t stand monsters that can disobey them, but the Disbelief adaptation? It¡¯ll become popular sooner or later.¡± Dungeons currently functioned like flytraps, using bait and deceit to catch unwary civilians. Monsters capable of tricking Disbelief for a time would cause them to evolve into beehives sending drones out to gather food rather than relying on it coming to them. They¡¯d become exponentially more dangerous. The Association¡¯s best bet was to kill Tarantulas and swiftly destroy any Dungeon it came in contact with in the hope that they could eradicate this mutation before it spread; a difficult task on its own even without factoring in the Old Town team¡¯s loss. And Maggie knew that as well as Matthew. He could see it in her thoughtful gaze as she stared at the distant skyline. ¡°My condolences,¡± she finally said, her voice softer than before. ¡°For the dead team.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know them very well.¡± Matthew¡¯s team hunted on turf other than theirs, so they only met during Association meetings and the occasional group raid. Matthew vaguely recalled that Blight had a daughter and that Bomberman still lived with his parents, which sucked. ¡°But there are people who¡¯ll mourn them and never learn the truth.¡± Maggie growled. ¡°Your bosses will claim they died in another car crash?¡± Her remark cut deep. It had been the excuse Disbelief provided when Matthew¡¯s team exited the Mall with heavy injuries and a dead friend. ¡°What do you want us to tell their families?¡± Matthew replied harshly. ¡°That an extra-dimensional spellcasting spider killed them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still better than lying.¡± Maggie tossed her jointover the roof and into the wild grass garden below. ¡°I¡¯m sick of it. Perse deserved better.¡± ¡°They all do,¡± Matthew muttered under his breath. ¡°No, they don¡¯t. Sam left us peasants for the USA and denied everything rather than own up to it, while Jack¡­¡± Merely uttering her brother¡¯s name seemed to cause Maggie physical pain. ¡°I don¡¯t talk to that coward anymore. He only uses his Key for himself now.¡± Matthew scoffed. ¡°So you¡¯re talking to me, but not your brother?¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re still in the fight, and Ulysses¡­¡± Maggie glanced at the Werners¡¯ house. ¡°It was his sister who died. He gets a pass.¡± ¡°Does¡­ does he ever answer your messages?¡± Matthew must have sent hundreds since the incident and all of them were met with silence. Maggie shook her head sadly. She had no more luck than he did. ¡°His mother told me they¡¯re going to move out next year.¡± ¡°What?¡± Matthew¡¯s head perked up in surprise. ¡°Where?!¡± ¡°Canada. His mom¡¯s company wants to transfer her there, and she¡¯ll take up the job so they can start fresh.¡± Maggie¡¯s scowl deepened further. ¡°They¡¯re gonna leave her behind.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t know how respond to that. He couldn¡¯t blame Viviane Werner for trying to move away from the city where her daughter died, but¡­ Ulysses had been his best friend once. Did he know about his mom¡¯s plans? Did he even care? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Soon only Maggie and him would remain in Evermarsh. Everybody else from their old team would be gone, one way or another. ¡°Is¡­¡± Matthew gulped as he tried to put his thoughts in order. ¡°Is that why you want to take another shot at the Mall?" ¡°I just can¡¯t stand the thought that everybody else just gave up. It¡¯s like spitting on Perse¡¯s grave.¡± Maggie turned to look at me. ¡°Is this the moment when you tell me it¡¯s suicide?¡± ¡°Fighting that monster is suicide,¡± Matthew replied darkly. Mr. Chang had sliced the creature for seventy-hours straight down to its atoms, and it just pulled itself back together in three minutes. All attempts at bypassing the creature to reach the Mall¡¯s core had failed too. As far as Matthew could tell, you couldn¡¯t destroy the Dungeon without dealing with its defender too. ¡°It can¡¯t be beaten, unless¡­¡± Maggie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Unless what?¡± Matthew hesitated to tell her. The truth was that he had thought of using his Key in a way that could potentially destroy the Mall a few months after Perse¡¯s death, but the cost¡­ the cost¡­ A sharp pain suddenly erupted in his skull. Matthew massaged his temples as he struggled with a headache. Maggie watched him with a scowl. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Matthew lied. ¡°Just a headache.¡± He shouldn¡¯t dwell on that subject. It was a nuclear option which the Doc struggled hard enough to talk him out of. He didn¡¯t want to consider it, not unless everything else failed. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out a spell to take the Mall,¡± Matthew replied as he tried to focus back on the conversation. He continued to delve deeper and deeper into his color with each passing year. ¡°The Doc and the Association made a lot of progress in the last four years. It¡¯s just a matter of time until we find a permanent solution to Dungeons.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to wait another four years, Matt.¡± Maggie stared at the moon with a grim look on her face. ¡°If that spider-thing learned how to escape its Dungeon, then the monster who murdered Perse will figure out how to do the same sooner or later. You know it¡¯ll kill again, and it will be our fault¡­¡± Her jaw clenched tightly. ¡°Again.¡± Matthew took a long, deep breath. ¡°Maggie, it wasn¡¯t your¨C¡± ¡°It was my fault.¡± Maggie¡¯s hands clenched into fists. ¡°Yours and mine. We picked that fight and we were too weak to win it. Perse died because we couldn¡¯t protect her.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t you join the Association?¡± Matthew asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like our old team. We¡¯ve got people to cover for us, support, knowledge¨C¡± ¡°I know,¡± she all but hissed back. ¡°I know it would be for the best.¡± ¡°Then why?!¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t watch someone dying on me again!¡± Matthew winced back, his body going cold for a moment. Maggie covered her eyes with her hand, and he could immediately tell that she was suppressing tears. ¡°How do you do it, Matt?¡± she asked him, her voice soft and weak. ¡°Going out there with new people and not¡­¡± Maggie exhaled and lowered her hand, her eyes staring at the ground below. ¡°Not remembering Perse every time you look at them?¡± A heavy silence followed. Matthew looked at his old friend with his last remaining eye for a long moment, catching a glimpse of the frightened and sad girl behind her tough exterior. Maggie was mad at him, but more than that, she was mad at herself. She was afraid of opening up again after everybody else either died or left, and she didn¡¯t think she was strong enough to protect anyone else anymore. She pushed people away to avoid being hurt, the same way Ulysses did. Matthew understood because he had been there first. He took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and hesitantly dared to put his hand on Maggie¡¯s shoulder. He expected her to push it away, yet she didn¡¯t. Her bones and muscles felt more fragile than glass to his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve never forgotten,¡± Matthew confessed. It was Perse¡¯s blood that he saw when he treated Kari¡¯s wound. ¡°I didn¡¯t even want to join up with another team at first.¡± It was the Doc that all but forced him to form a group with others. Matthew still recalled that time his mentor brought Kari and John to what he thought would be a normal Dungeon delving mission. He had pouted and complained, but in the end they ended up clearing the place and having lunch together afterwards. ¡°When, uh¡­ when Kari and John started dungeon-delving, they¡­ they were terrible. They had no idea what they were in for, not really, while I¡­ I did. Honestly, they would have been badly injured or killed without me.¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t help but smile upon recalling the first time he dragged John out of a mimic¡¯s jaw. ¡°But because I showed them the ropes¡­ they survived.¡± And Matthew considered that his biggest achievement, greater than any spell. ¡°Now they can handle Dungeons on their own, and they helped save plenty more lives than I could do alone. I, uh¡­¡± Matthew exhaled until his lungs went cold. ¡°I think it¡¯s what Perse would have wanted. I hope.¡± Maggie answered his words with silence, though her thoughtful expression told Matthew that they gave her pause. He had finally managed to reach out to her after all these years. He had to persevere. ¡°Am¨¦lia and the others need people like us,¡± Matthew said after pulling back his hand. ¡°Like you, Maggie. We can shield them from what we went through.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Maggie shook her head and looked away from him. ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± Matthew could read between the lines. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a while. ¡°I better go before King Coach notices I¡¯m gone,¡± Matthew said as he rose to his feet. ¡°I should invent a spell to hide my absence at the dorm.¡± Maggie scoffed and turned to face him. ¡°One last thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dye your hair again.¡± For once, Maggie¡¯s mocking smile had a warmth to it. ¡°You look like a goth, and not the hot kind.¡± Matthew chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t know what kind of price I exacted in exchange.¡± The rift between them remained far and wide, but¡­ it no longer felt quite as large as before. 31: Old Doors Open Matthew finally received his lottery money. True to his word, he wired half of it to the Association, responsibly assigned a good chunk to his art budget, and only then blew a lot of it on his hobbies. ¡°Five hundred euros?¡± Kari choked in shock and outrage when she saw his account balance on her laptop. ¡°You¡¯ve spent five hundred euros on games? In ten minutes?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t possibly understand,¡± Matthew complained as he sipped his morning coffee. ¡°You can¡¯t fathom the pain of drawing nothing but three-star units in Isekai Warrior Heroes for hours on end to farm luck! This is mistreatment! This is torture!¡± ¡°I can understand blowing off steam, but half a grand?!¡± Kari¡¯s expression confirmed that no, she couldn¡¯t possibly understand his agony. ¡°That¡¯s way too much!¡± ¡°I swear the story is super good too!¡± These gacha games were like honey for the artistic types like Matthew. ¡°Every time I try to escape, they pull me back in with a new twist and fanservice! They made goblins attractive!¡± ¡°Give it up, Matsumoto,¡± John said with a scoff while finishing his own breakfast. ¡°His hole Key also covers money holes. His bank account is a bottomless sink leading straight to the red zone.¡± Kari sighed and stared in despair at Matthew for a moment. He didn¡¯t like that look at all. She was clearly considering something drastic. ¡°Okay,¡± she finally said before typing on her computer. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll set up an investment account we¡¯ll share where you can put your money without taking it back until we reach a certain threshold.¡± Matthew choked on his coffee. ¡°What?! You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Yes, I can! You clearly have no impulse control, and our plan requires long-term investments!¡± Kari shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll assume control of our common finances until we reach a sufficient threshold.¡± ¡°Like we¡¯re married?¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t resist teasing Kari. ¡°You¡¯re skipping a lot of steps here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make this weird, Matthew, we¡¯re just married to our passive revenue plan. Our P.R.P.¡± Kari cleared her throat. ¡°Oh, that makes me think, I can arrange a date with Marlene for you.¡± Matthew¡¯s head perked up and he immediately straightened up in his seat. ¡°You know what, Kari? I know you¡¯re distracting me, but it¡¯s working!¡± Marlene was totally his type: an attractive redhead, friendly, and artistic-minded. Sure she almost killed him by accident during the match because of his Lucky Star spell, but many love stories started with worse premises. ¡°Thank you,¡± Kari replied with a gentle smile. ¡°Marlene is open to a friendly date before the Formal itself under one condition.¡± Awww, of course there was a catch. It was too good to be true. ¡°Which is?¡± Matthew asked warily. ¡°She says she can¡¯t respect a boy who can¡¯t beat her in a fight,¡± Kari replied. ¡°So you¡¯ll have to duel her in a martial arts match.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all?!¡± Matthew let out a sigh of relief. He had expected much worse, like a costly dinner date or destroying a rival dojo. ¡°Easy peasy. Between my spells and long fighting game experience, there¡¯s no way I can lose.¡± Kari squinted at him. ¡°You¡¯re going to use your spells on Marlene? ¡°Why not?¡± Both Matthew and John asked at the exact same time. ¡°Because¡­¡± Kari struggled to find a good explanation herself. It was difficult for her to argue against using spells in their personal life when busy exploiting her own magic for money. ¡°Because that would be disrespectful!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What would be disrespectful would be holding back on her,¡± Matthew replied mischievously. ¡°You want me to go easy on Marlene because she¡¯s a girl?¡± ¡°You¡¯re twisting my words.¡± Kari quickly turned the computer in front of Matthew to better distract him from her own embarrassment. Kari Matsumoto looked so cute when flustered. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ve selected a list of good financial investments. All you have to do is use Lucky Star to pick them at random.¡± Matthew promptly did that. He didn¡¯t even look at the titles of the shares, commodities, and other cryptocurrencies which Kari chose from. He simply closed his eyes and let his stored fortune guide his finger as he picked a few. Some of his choices gave Kari pause. ¡°Axionext? Really? I wouldn¡¯t have bet on them.¡± John¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why fortune favors the bold,¡± Matthew countered with a grin. ¡°Besides, Kari is willing to invest in cryptocurrency of all things and she¡¯s blaming me for spending money on gacha games.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault if people keep buying that stuff,¡± Kari retorted. ¡°They¡¯re like gold at this point. Either you buy some or you miss out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go all in then,¡± Matthew suggested. ¡°I¡¯m fine with becoming a bitcoin millionaire.¡± Kari, ever the killjoy, didn¡¯t follow through with his brilliant suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll buy some Axionext stock and allocate the rest on other safer bets you pointed to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun at all,¡± Matthew complained, but washed his hands of the entire matter. He would keep up his strength for the Major Chicken Dungeon which they planned to tackle after school. He was finishing his coffee when he spotted Maggie entering the cafeteria. Matthew froze in shock. He hadn¡¯t seen Maggie at school since the year began, let alone so early in the morning. She moved straight to the group¡¯s table with a steady pace and stopped next to it, much to his teammates¡¯ surprise. ¡°You got a moment, Matsumoto?¡± Maggie asked, cutting straight to the chase. ¡°I was told to meet with you for my missing classes.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Kari cleared her throat and closed her laptop. ¡°Y-yes, of course.¡± John raised an eyebrow. ¡°So you¡¯re finally going to attend school again?¡± ¡°So far,¡± Maggie replied without too much enthusiasm. She exchanged a brief glance with Matthew before focusing back on Kari. ¡°I don¡¯t like wasting time when I could be outside clearing Dungeons, but this is where your new team meets up.¡± ¡°You mean Sasha and the others?¡± Kari asked in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ll join the Association?¡± Maggie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve talked with your Crypto. I¡¯ll help train Miss Priest¡¯s band and patrol the Old Town ¡®till you can afford to send a team there, but that¡¯s all.¡± Matthew frowned in concern. ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Alone.¡± Maggie¡¯s jaw clenched and she swiftly avoided Matthew¡¯s gaze. ¡°I work better that way.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t push the issue further. Part of him wished to argue with her to at least accept a teammate, but he knew that the mere fact that Maggie finally agreed to coordinate with the Association was huge progress in itself. Baby steps. Baby steps. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± John said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can afford to send more Crawlers to help you for now either, and we have our own Dungeon to clear out.¡± Maggie scoffed. ¡°The chicken restaurant?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Matthew confirmed. ¡°Crypto successfully closed off all entrances for now, so we¡¯ll clear it out today.¡± ¡°We should confirm if Tarantulas was the only monster of its kind inside while at it,¡± John said. ¡°Or at least that its Disbelief-immunity didn¡¯t spread to the locals.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope we can recover the Old Town team¡¯s remains too,¡± Kari added with a grim scowl. ¡°We should at least return their bodies to their families.¡± Maggie winced, as did Matthew. That remark hit too close to yesterday¡¯s conversation and what happened to Perse. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Kari cleared her throat and tried to change the uncomfortable subject. ¡°Can we meet after art class, Maggie? I didn¡¯t expect you to show up, so I¡¯m not prepared.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Maggie shrugged and prepared to leave. ¡°See you around.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Matthew rose from his seat and rushed after her. ¡°Maggie, do you remember our old band sessions?¡± ¡°¡®Course I do,¡± she replied dryly. She likely felt insulted he thought she had forgotten Perse and the others. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Did¡­ Do you recall anything strange happening during them?¡± Maggie gave him the strangest look. He could feel his teammates¡¯ gaze on his back too, since they were close enough to overhear. ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Matthew?¡± Matthew scratched the back of his head, his mind furiously trying to find a good way to word his answer. ¡°I¡­ I have the feeling I¡¯ve forgotten something I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± The truth was that Matthew had spent all night exploring his Sentimental World and shifting through its hole-riddled memories. A few included Maggie, so he figured she might recall what he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Well¡­¡± Maggie scowled, and then chuckled. ¡°You did crash into a wall once.¡± Matthew blinked. ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Yeah, you did.¡± Maggie smirked just thinking about it. ¡°You missed the door by a full meter and swore it used to be in front of you. We all laughed at you.¡± Matthew stared at her without a word as he tried to make sense of her words. He recalled his old friends laughing at him many times across the years, but not for something like that. A door that wasn¡¯t there before, and disappeared when everyone paid attention¡­ Could it have been a Dungeon¡¯s entrance? 32: Chicken Run Was there a sadder sight than an empty restaurant? True to her word, Crypto managed to temporarily close all Major Chicken chain restaurants in the Evermarsh agglomeration, and Temple Alley¡¯s one was no exception. A paper sheet behind the door warning visitors of an ¡®exceptional closure¡¯ warded away all hungry visitors and poultry addicts. With the other teams too busy tracking down Tarantulas, it fell on Matthew¡¯s crew to clean up this mess. ¡°What was that, Maruki?¡± John asked out of the blue as the trio finished checking their supplies. ¡°At breakfast?¡± ¡°You waited all day to ask me that?¡± Matthew replied. He could tell the question had been bothering John since then. ¡°Yes, because now you can¡¯t weasel your way out of a conversation,¡± John replied with a smirk. ¡°It was that or cornering you in your room, and too many people at the dorm think we¡¯re screwing already.¡± The sneaky little bastar¡ªwait, wait. ¡°There are people who think you¡¯re gay for me?¡± Matthew scoffed. ¡°As if I wouldn¡¯t aim for anything better!¡± ¡°I admit I feel a bit concerned too,¡± Kari said before blushing a bit. ¡°I mean about the breakfast part, not the private dorm life gossip, obviously¡­¡± Matthew scratched the back of his head. He guessed he couldn¡¯t bullshit his way out of this one. ¡°I want to say it¡¯s nothing, but¡­ I get the feeling it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Is it connected to what you asked me earlier?¡± Kari guessed. ¡°If my Key has ever acted on its own?¡± This gal was too smart for her own good. Matthew pondered whether or not he should tell his teammates the full truth¡ªpart of him simply didn¡¯t wish to dig up painful memories¡ªbefore deciding that they deserved to know. They had stuck with him through thick and thin, and if he had indeed encountered a Dungeon years before the first recorded sighting, then it might change many things going forward with the Association. ¡°I think my Key is messing with my memory,¡± Matthew confessed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember things I should.¡± He quickly gave them a rundown of his adventures inside his Sentimental World, including the hole-riddled memories. Matthew expected Kari to complain about how deep he buried his homework in his subconscious, but his friend simply frowned in concern for his well-being. Even John looked a bit disturbed by his tale. ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Kari said once Matthew finished. ¡°Have you told Mr. O¡¯Connor?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I had really forgotten anything until I asked Maggie. It¡¯s the first time my Key went haywire like this as far as I know. ¡°You forget the obvious possibility,¡± John said. ¡°That you willingly did this to yourself.¡± Matthew scowled at the remark. Truth be told, he had already considered the possibility before excluding it. He could see himself erasing stuff linked to the incident, but not childhood stuff. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have wanted to forget those specific memories.¡± ¡°Maybe not intentionally,¡± John conceded. ¡°But memories work by association, Maruki. Knowing what a disaster of a human being you are at the best of times, I find it likely that you simply took out a lot more than you intended.¡± That¡­ that was mean, but plausible. Matthew had been suffering from PTSD episodes related to the Mall since the incident, which usually triggered headaches. He used to take medicine for them until the Doc and his old psychiatrist helped him process his trauma. A knot formed in Matthew¡¯s stomach the more he considered the implications. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. What if he had a memory hole to thank for his fast recovery instead of introspection? What would that say about him? ¡°Your Key works both ways, no?¡± Kari inquired. ¡°Have you tried closing the holes?¡± Matthew sighed in defeat. ¡°I made an attempt last night, and woke up with a headache for my trouble.¡± Kari crossed her arms, her mind now deep in thought. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a spell that could help you remember¡­¡± ¡°What bothers me is that phantom door part,¡± John said, his hand stroking his chin. ¡°When did you become a Crawler, Maruki?¡± ¡°December 2019,¡± Matthew replied. As far as he knew, he had experienced one of the first Dungeon cases. Monsters didn¡¯t even exist back then. ¡°I got trapped in a room for a full day until my Key manifested.¡± John¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°And how old were you when that invisible door incident happened?¡± ¡°I think I was eight back then,¡± Matthew confirmed. ¡°My parents bought me my piano for my eighth birthday, February 28th, 2015. My old friends and I started playing music together afterwards until half of us got bored and moved on.¡± ¡°So this memory took place over four years before you became a Crawler.¡± The timeline puzzled John somehow. ¡°It could have been the first manifestation of whatever Dungeon that entrapped you.¡± Kari shot the idea down. ¡°A Dungeon requires at least a victim a month to sustain itself. People would have reported over fifty missing people around Matthew¡¯s house.¡± ¡°And the Dungeon that gave me my powers trapped me in my bedroom,¡± Matthew added. ¡°Our band recorded in the living room one floor below. A Dungeon couldn¡¯t have reached me there unless it was already a stage two or three.¡± John nodded to himself. He had clearly reached a grave conclusion of his own. ¡°We need to investigate this more thoroughly in the future.¡± ¡°Aww¡­¡± Matthew smirked. ¡°You¡¯re concerned about me?¡± ¡°This is serious, Maruki,¡± John replied with a frown. His tone took Matthew aback. ¡°You were already one of the world¡¯s first Crawlers when Dungeons appeared in 2019. Don¡¯t you see what this means if you¡¯ve encountered one of them years earlier?¡± Kari¡¯s eyes widened as something clicked in her head. ¡°That would make Matthew¡¯s Dungeon the first case on record!¡± Matthew¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He hadn¡¯t considered that. ¡°Wait, you honestly think I could¡¯ve encountered the first Dungeon ever?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to say,¡± John stated bluntly. ¡°We don¡¯t know if you indeed encountered a Dungeon¡¯s entrance, or simply hit a wall and wiped the associated embarrassment from your memory.¡± Matthew pouted. ¡°I¡¯m not that irresponsible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Matthew is that bad either,¡± Kari replied, supporting him. ¡°We should discuss the subject with Mr. O¡¯Connor when we can.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll have to wait for our respective hunts to conclude first.¡± John rolled his shoulders. ¡°Ready?¡± Matthew and Kari nodded. They kicked open the Dungeon¡¯s door and stepped inside immediately. Reality shifted until Evermarsh transformed into a chicken-themed castle surrounded by moats of oil and a vast illusory expanse. Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense was quickly triggered once they walked across the bridge. ¡°There¡¯s danger ahead,¡± he warned his teammates. ¡°I think the Dungeon realized that we aren¡¯t customers.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Kari said. She quickly grabbed her rapier. ¡°We damaged it last time and the standby team has since evacuated the hostages.¡± John growled in annoyance, a gun finding its way into his hands. ¡°We¡¯ll have to fight our way to the core.¡± They advanced cautiously forwards, with Kari and Matthew going first while John followed closely behind. They quickly found the drive-thru counter empty, with its animatronic waiter nowhere to be found. The restaurant¡¯s entrance turned out to be deserted as well. Matthew knew that the standby team had already evacuated the Dungeon¡¯s earlier victims, but the utter absence of monster waiters wore on his nerves. ¡°Maybe they learned how to chicken out from Tarantulas?¡± Matthew asked in an attempt to lighten the mood, though he knew it was unlikely. Mindless monsters had no sense of preservation. ¡°Or they¡¯re regrouping and picking their weapons,¡± John stated. ¡°Orange Dungeons usually arm their monsters.¡± Kari suddenly paled. ¡°Matthew, I¡­ I have a question about Major Chicken.¡± ¡°Yes dear?¡± Matthew asked, since he knew everything there was to know about the subject. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Stop me if I¡¯m wrong, but¡­¡± Kari cleared her throat, her skin suddenly whiter than chalk. ¡°Isn¡¯t Major Chicken an American fast food chain?¡± Yes, what did that¨C Oh. Oh¡­ Oh no¡­ Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense spell buzzed in the back of his skull, and he quickly heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Its doors snapped open to reveal a slew of poultry-themed animatronic monsters out for blood. They all had guns. ¡°The chickens have guns!¡± Matthew shouted in alarm. His team barely had time to duck into cover before the restaurant erupted in a hail of lead and fire. 33: Revenge of the Nuggets Of course they had guns! Matthew should have seen it coming. The fast-food chain was named Major Chicken for God¡¯s sake, and the cartoon was full of heavily buff army poultry killing veggie monsters with heavy firepower. The good news was that robot chickens made for lousy shots, so Matthew and Kari managed to duck behind one booth while John hid behind another. The monsters fired their weapons like maniacal monkeys on cocaine, blasting out the windows and front door, and tearing apart chair cushions. It didn¡¯t take long for the restaurant to turn into a warzone. ¡°John, gimme something!¡± Kari shouted, with John tossing her a Glock from across the room. The hailstorm of lead slowed down as their enemies eventually ran out of ammo. ¡°One, two, three!¡± Matthew and his allies rose from behind their cover to return fire¡­ or at least he tried until his Doom Sense buzzed like never before. He barely managed to shoot a waiter with his finger gun until he was forced to hide again from another volley. Moreover, the monsters¡¯ rate of fire sharply increased in his direction. Matthew had to crawl on the floor as bullets riddled his booth-cover with holes. His hiding hole had turned into Swiss cheese. The entire monster army was targeting him specifically. ¡°I think they hate you, Matthew,¡± Kari noted in between shots. The monsters barely paid attention to her and John, which let them return fire freely with lethal accuracy. ¡°Why, because I was a colonel in their army and defected to the opposition?!¡± Matthew complained. He tried to peek over his cover, and caught a glimpse of John sending a mechanical duck stumbling into the kitchen doors with a bullet to the head before he was forced to hide again from incoming projectiles. ¡°You can¡¯t betray anybody these days!¡± And he wasn¡¯t even a vegetarian! Why so much hate?! With no way forward, Matthew crawled to the nearest wall and made a small hole in it. He managed to make his way to the kitchen unseen, then observed a flow of shotgun-wielding goblinoid chiefs and armed animatronics running towards the restaurant to reinforce their allies. Matthew slipped behind a prep-station and hit the floor with his hand. A gaping pit materialized across the kitchen floor, swallowing monsters, grills, and equipment alike. The creatures fell into the darkness with snarls and clucks. ¡°Enjoy the climb back up,¡± Matthew taunted them. ¡°Or not!¡± He closed the hole in an instant, crushing all the monsters caught inside. The restaurant firefight calmed down and then ended with John blasting the last animatronic through the kitchen doors. With the battle won, he and Kari quickly regrouped with Matthew. ¡°Okay, Maruki, you go first,¡± John said. ¡°What?¡± Matthew glared at him. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll draw the enemy¡¯s fire away from the rest of us, and it¡¯s nice to focus on offense without worrying about my own safety for once.¡± ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t sign on to become a dodge tank!¡± Matthew complained. He had never played a rogue in his life, and he wasn¡¯t about to start now. ¡°Go find another suicidal lead!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Matthew, but I agree with John on this one,¡± Kari said. ¡°Not because I want to use you as a human shield, but because if the enemy is prioritizing taking you out, then having you in the back will encourage ambushes and pincer maneuvers. Directing monsters to the vanguard increases our overall chances of surviving the Dungeon.¡± Matthew clenched his jaw in frustration, but he couldn¡¯t deny Kari¡¯s point. Using his Colonel VIP privilege and then ¡®betraying¡¯ the Dungeon¡¯s trust had earned him the latter¡¯s ire. Having him stay in the back would cause monsters to either trample his allies or attack from all sides to better strike at him, while moving to the front would draw enemy fire and allow his teammates to focus on covering him. ¡°Okay, fine, but I¡¯m choosing the path we take according to my Doom Sense,¡± Matthew conceded. ¡°I¡¯m not playing a Duck Hunt game where I¡¯m the duck.¡± John shrugged. ¡°Have it your way.¡± ¡°We should check Tarantulas¡¯ room first,¡± Kari suggested. ¡°We should recover the Old Town Team¡¯s remains¡­ if they¡¯re still there.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Matthew gathered his breath, checked his spells, and then created a portal to the entrance for later in case they had to retreat for any reason. ¡°Now follow me, peons. I¡¯m the president, and you¡¯re my bodyguards. Don¡¯t screw up like the USA Secret Service.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too hard,¡± John joked back. ¡°They only lost¡­ four presidents?¡± ¡°Six,¡± Kari corrected him. ¡°Both Bushes got shot two timeshifts ago.¡± Matthew took that as a bad sign, and so did his Doom Sense. His spell buzzed in the back of his head when the trio walked up to the courtyard after locking down the pantry rooms to avoid being cornered by angry living condiments. Matthew nearly took a bullet to the head the moment he stepped outside and had to hastily retreat. ¡°They have snipers in their watchtowers!¡± he warned his allies once back inside. Kari stepped outside, raised her gun, and fired two shots. Matthew saw two animatronics fall into the courtyard with a thump. His friend then dramatically snuffed the steam coming off the barrel. ¡°How did I look?¡± Kari asked her teammates with a big wide smile. ¡°Cool?¡± ¡°Like an NRA ad,¡± John replied bluntly. ¡°And not the inspired ones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to see the appeal of firearms,¡± Matthew admitted. There was something fiercely attractive about a woman gunning down extradimensional monsters without prejudice. ¡°Can you do that again, Kari?¡± She winked back at him. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Unfortunately for her¨Cand fortunately for Matthew¨Cit seemed the Dungeon had sent most monsters on the ground floor to greet them at the entrance, so they encountered little opposition after the courtyard. The trio soon walked up to the room where they confronted Tarantulas yesterday. The group tensed up upon entering the area. They found it in the state in which they left it, though the Dungeon had partly repaired the window which the monster broke on its way out. Matthew searched around for traps and found none. ¡°It dragged the Old Town¡¯s team through this door,¡± Kari guessed upon pointing at the only other exit. ¡°This path must lead to the creature¡¯s nest,¡± John noted. ¡°Is your Doom Sense picking up on anything, Maruki?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± he replied. This area was entirely safe as far as his protection spell was concerned. ¡°I don¡¯t think it left a spawn or trap behind.¡± ¡°Makes sense, since it left in a hurry.¡± John quickly reloaded his weapons, just in case. ¡°But let¡¯s not lower our guard.¡± Matthew nodded and opened the door. An ominous dark corridor lit up with gaslight torches and infested with magnetic tape cobwebs opened up in front of him. He and the others walked its entire length without a word, the sound of their footsteps the only source of noise, until they reached its end. They stepped into the surveillance room. Or at least, Matthew suspected it used to serve this purpose for the Dungeon until Tarantulas turned it into its nest. The chamber was large and devoid of windows, with most of its walls and ceiling covered in a thick tangle of magnetic tape spider strands holding screen monitors up in the air. This infernal contraption linked up with computers and cables which Matthew assumed led to the cameras overseeing the rest of the Dungeon. Three cocoons wrapped up in wires along the left wall caught Matthew¡¯s attention. He already knew what they contained, even before he spotted a pale hand sticking out of one. They had found the Old Town¡¯s team. ¡°Rest in peace,¡± Matthew muttered under his breath. Kari joined her hands and offered a Buddhist prayer for the three. Even John marked a minute of silence before grabbing his navigator. ¡°I¡¯ll call Crypto and see if she can arrange a pick-up for them.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kari agreed, her voice heavy with sorrow. ¡°They deserved better.¡± Matthew nodded without answering. His gaze lingered on the three cocoons for a while. He was afraid of opening them; he knew he would see Perse¡¯s face instead of the Old Town team¡¯s should he try. Why did Tarantulas preserve the corpses? Monsters took no nourishment from flesh¡ªwhatever Dungeons harvested from people to sustain themselves had no physical manifestation¡ªso it wouldn¡¯t have stored them for future consumption. Did it keep them as trophies, or for some other purpose? ¡°They don¡¯t oversee the Dungeon,¡± Kari said behind him. Her words startled Matthew out of his thoughts. He peeked over his shoulder. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look at the monitors.¡± Kari pointed at the screens. All of them showed empty Major Chicken restaurants and their drive-throughs. ¡°They¡¯re recording the outside world.¡± A chill traveled down Matthew¡¯s spine as he checked the screens. Kari was right. The monitors showed video footage from the three Evermarsh restaurants outside the Dungeon; he could even spot the date and hour of recording. ¡°Does this place connect to the cameras outside?¡± Matthew asked in utter disbelief. He doubted that would be the case, since creating navigators capable of interacting with the outside world alone had taken the Association a lot of time, but Dungeons never conformed to the rules of reality. ¡°Not that I can tell,¡± Kari replied. He trusted her opinion as a Blue Crawler, since she had a better intuitive grasp of these devices than he did. ¡°I think¡­ I think Tarantulas probably went outside to steal surveillance camera footage and then review them here.¡± John frowned at the implications. ¡°It was looking for more victims.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Kari checked the computers connecting to the monitors. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can recover the footage for later. It could give us a clue to its whereabouts.¡± Matthew checked the footage¡¯s dates. One of them listed the time as Saturday, so right after Tarantulas escaped the school Dungeon. That monster had been studying humans for days, observing them from afar. Something clicked in Matthew¡¯s mind. He recalled the moment he found himself face to face with Tarantulas and realized he had missed a very important detail. ¡°Kari.¡± Matthew cleared his throat. ¡°When you reconstituted the Old Town team¡¯s death, you said Tarantulas attacked them after being spotted?¡± ¡°Yes, or at least evidence pointed that way.¡± Kari squinted at him. ¡°Why the question?¡± ¡°Because Tarantulas didn¡¯t attack us until after I spotted it,¡± Matthew replied. ¡°I struck it first, and so did Bomberman¡¯s team.¡± Tarantulas only attacked both Crawler teams after they¡¯d noticed it, and otherwise stuck to observation. The monster had a marked preference towards remaining unnoticed over attacking immediately, much like an intelligent predator would act cautiously when faced with an unknown potential prey. It had even spent most of its time during his clash with Matthew¡¯s crew asking them questions, as if to assess them. Tarantulas didn¡¯t gather this footage to help find more victims, but to study humans. To study the enemy. 34: Treasures Ever the excellent manager, Crypto quickly had two men discreetly pick up the Old Town team¡¯s remains after Matthew¡¯s crew left their bodies outside the Dungeon. She of course had to alter the footage of local cameras, since three students seen carrying corpses cocooned inside magnetic tape would likely send the wrong message to lawful authorities. The duo who picked the corpses were two of Charlie¡¯s men; a pair of two meter tall ¡®garbage disposers¡¯ with Cockney accents and bearing expressions about as cheery as prison doors. Matthew had already seen them before, on the few occasions where the Association¡¯s teams failed to save a Dungeon¡¯s victims. He didn¡¯t think he would ever get used to the sight of their delivery van. It always spelled trouble. ¡°So you believe that Tarantulas has collected footage of the outside world since Saturday?¡± Crypto asked Matthew through the navigator after the crew returned to the Dungeon. Having cleared the first floor, they were now on their way to the central tower and the core hidden within. ¡°This would suggest that it left this Dungeon on at least one other occasion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it did,¡± Matthew confirmed. ¡°That thing is probing us for weaknesses.¡± Matthew had the feeling the world would have been much better for it had he managed to shoot Tarantulas dead the moment he saw. A monster capable of intelligent reasoning was dangerous enough; one capable of restraint and premeditation presented a whole new threat. ¡°Yet there¡¯s no missing person reports in the areas near the Dungeon¡¯s entrances, and Tarantulas only attacked after you noticed its presence¡­¡± Crypto mumbled something to herself. She often did that when deep in thought. ¡°Mmmm¡­ would it have struck at all otherwise, I wonder¡­¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t explain why, but something about her tone bothered him. ¡°Crypto?¡± ¡°I need to think about this and review the camera footage. This may be a bigger mess than any of us imagined.¡± Crypto quickly changed the subject. ¡°We¡¯ll continue the search for Tarantulas on our end, so you focus on clearing the Dungeon.¡± Crypto all but hung up on her end of the line. ¡°Crypto¡¯s got a master plan brewing,¡± Matthew told his teammates once they reached a crossroad at a hallway¡¯s end. Three elevator doors remained closed to them right next to a map on the wall, which the group stopped near to read. It showcased nine floors connected with various elevators and their names written in garish neon lights.
F1 Here! F2 Veggie! F3 Bread! F4 Soda! F5 Cheese! F6 Treasure! F7 Chicken! F8 Office! F9 Core!
¡°Is¡­ is the Dungeon advertising its core¡¯s location?¡± Kari asked in bewilderment. ¡°It has to be a trick.¡± John shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the map is accurate. The Dungeon was stupid enough to fall for a plastic toy card.¡± ¡°A VIP card paid with sweat, blood, and tears,¡± Matthew insisted. ¡°Also, we¡¯re stopping by the treasure room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clearly a trap of some kind!¡± Kari argued. ¡°You don¡¯t put that kind of stuff on a map!¡± ¡°The wallet has its reasons which reason knows nothing of,¡± Matthew replied while doing his best impersonation of Lao Tse¡­ It had to be Lao Tse who said that, right? Or did a timeshift change that? ¡°You agreed to follow my lead, and I say: Treasure!¡± ¡°Besides the fact that watching my bank account grow is one of my few pleasures in life, Maruki¡¯s suggestion is sensible,¡± John said, his finger pointing at points on the map. ¡°Each elevator only connects to one different floor, after which we have to take a new elevator leading to a different floor, and so on. The central elevator leads to the Treasure floor, the left to the Soda one, and we¡¯ll reach the Veggie floor if we take the right one.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Kari checked the map more attentively. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the Here floor, the shortest paths are: Veggie, Bread, Office, Core; Treasure, Chicken, Office, Core; Soda, Cheese, Office, Core.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to fight through three intermediate floors at best, so we might as well take one path that goes through the ¡®Treasure¡¯ one,¡± John explained. ¡°If the core is indeed at the top, of course.¡± ¡°Wanna bet the Boss is on the Office floor?¡± Matthew said. ¡°It¡¯s the only one we¡¯ll always have to go through no matter what.¡± ¡°That sounds likely¡­¡± Kari sighed. ¡°Fine, you win. Treasure floor it is.¡± They stepped into the central elevator¡ªa coffin of steel and concrete smelling of sweat and overworked employees¡ªand then ascended upward to the tune of the Major Chicken cartoon¡¯s opening song. Matthew knew it by heart, so he spent the climb whistling it to himself much to his teammates¡¯ silent annoyance. The elevator soon opened into a narrow square-shaped room. Three of its sides led to an elevator required to access another floor, including the one that the team stepped out from. A comically large reinforced blast door blocked the fourth. ¡°Step back, peons,¡± Matthew said as he cracked his knuckles. ¡°It¡¯s time for a hole-up.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to open that door though,¡± Kari pointed out. ¡°We can take the elevator on our left to reach the Chicken floor.¡± ¡°A locked blast door isn¡¯t a decoration, Kari; it¡¯s a challenge.¡± Matthew placed his hand against the door and quickly opened a hole into the structure. The Dungeon virulently fought back with the zeal of a corporate accountant desperate to protect the company¡¯s bank account, but it yielded nonetheless. The hole opened the way into a very large and sparsely decorated room. Only a single dome of glass stood atop a pedestal in the center under a set of spotlights; all under the watchful gaze of dozens of automated turrets stuck in the walls. ¡°Can you see what¡¯s under the glass, Kari?¡± Matthew asked after failing to do so himself. ¡°I can¡¯t see the outline past the reflecting glass,¡± Kari replied. Her Key gave her supernatural visual acuity, but it couldn¡¯t see through obstacles. ¡°The treasure doesn¡¯t have a Flux signature, so it¡¯s not magical at least.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s worth the trouble,¡± John said. He opened his bag, grabbed a can of soda, and then tossed it into the vault chamber. A hundred bullets tore it to shreds before it even hit the ground. ¡°Well, we tried,¡± John said as he immediately turned his back on the trapped vault. ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± Matthew was tempted to taunt him about chickening out, but merely staring at the vault room sent his Doom Sense into overdrive. Taking a single step into that room would kill him, no questions about that. However, it only took Kari a glance at the room to figure out a plan. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s what we can do,¡± she said, pointing a finger at the vault¡¯s ceiling. ¡°We move upstairs to the Chicken floor above, and then Matthew can open a hole right above the treasure. We¡¯ll just have to fish it out with a rope afterward.¡± John didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the rope risk triggering the turrets?¡± Kari shook her head. ¡°My Key lets me see the microwaves used by the motion sensors. There aren¡¯t any too close to the treasure, probably so the turrets can¡¯t accidentally destroy it. I guess this vault is an exact replica of an existing one.¡± ¡°Easy peasy, then,¡± Matthew said as he took a step towards the correct elevator, only for his Doom Sense to buzz up. ¡°Or not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re detecting danger?¡± Kari guessed. ¡°Yup.¡± Matthew opened the elevator to find nothing waiting there, only for the feeling of incoming danger to grow when his finger wandered to the button. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the chickens will ambush us on the next floor.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s only one way in.¡± John scowled and pondered the obvious problem. ¡°They¡¯ll shoot us the moment the elevator¡¯s doors open, and digging a hole from below would only give them a vantage point from which to shoot at us.¡± ¡°I could remove my eyepatch the moment we reach the next floor,¡± Matthew suggested. ¡°Bullets and chicken will both come flying in.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? You want to open a black hole in a narrow space like an elevator?¡± John immediately shot down the idea. ¡°You¡¯ll kill us all!¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Kari snapped her fingers. ¡°Matthew, could you lend us some of your stored luck?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her question took Matthew aback. ¡°Lend you my luck?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works?¡± Kari asked with a frown on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve stockpiled fortune with your Lucky Star spell, no? Then you should be able to lend us some of it. We would have an easy time fighting through the ambush if all their guns jam at once.¡± Her plan would have been incredible, had his Lucky Star actually been using good fortune like a currency which Matthew could trade. The spell instead treated it like karma: by only suffering misfortune for a certain amount of time, he thus invited an overwhelming, focused shot of good fortune later in order to right the scales. The best he could do would be to expand Lucky Star¡¯s effect to his allies, but then they would suffer from mis¡­ misfortune¡­ They would suffer from misfortune! ¡°Ha¡­¡± A bellowing, maniacal laugh arose from Matthew¡¯s throat as a brilliant idea just crossed his mind. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Matthew?¡± Kari squinted at him in concern. ¡°Matthew, are you alright?¡± ¡°I think you finally broke him,¡± John quipped. ¡°You wish!¡± Matthew replied as he grabbed Kari by the shoulders, much to her shock and distress. ¡°Kari, you are a genius! I should listen to you and spend more time thinking about optimizing my spells! I can¡¯t believe I never thought about that!¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯ve found how to share your luck with us?¡± Kari stammered. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not going to share my luck.¡± Matthew¡¯s smile widened into a wide smirk of pure glee. ¡°We¡¯re going to steal the monsters¡¯ own!¡± 35: Calamity Force They held hands in the elevator. Matthew stood at the center, squeezing his teammates¡¯ fingers while each of them carried a small firearm on their free sides; in short, the perfect picture of a good American family. ¡°This is embarrassing,¡± Kari complained, her pale cheeks steadily growing redder with each passing second. Her fingers felt like jelly to Matthew, a stark contrast with the tight grip on her gun. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling this.¡± ¡°Honey, you know how much our son is afraid of going to school alone,¡± John said with a false, dad-like tone. ¡°We have to support him on his first day!¡± Matthew joined in on the joke. ¡°Mom, Dad, can you buy me a new game after we kill all the evil chicken monsters?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no helicopter parent, boy,¡± John replied sternly. ¡°Run a lemonade stand or work at the mine if you want money.¡± ¡°Is hand-holding really necessary?¡± Kari insisted. ¡°I¡¯ve never done this with a boy for so long¡­¡± ¡°My spell will target you too if you let go,¡± Matthew warned her, his Doom Sense buzzing increasingly loudly as the elevator slowed down. ¡°Also, please kill all the monsters quickly. Their good fortune will come back all at once once my spell ends.¡± John scowled in annoyance. ¡°And you¡¯re telling us that now?¡± ¡°Better late than never, neglectful dad,¡± Matthew replied as he unleashed his spell. A yellow pulse of Flux spread across the entire floor to jinx it all. ¡°Here we go.¡± The elevator¡¯s doors opened into a factory to the tune of a dozen rifles jamming all at once. Matthew¡¯s team would have been turned into Swiss cheese that very instant without his spell. A good dozen shotgun-wielding goblinoid chefs awaited them on the other side of the elevator doors, arrayed in a grand hall backed by banks of poultry cages on both sides of the room. Monstrous chickens the size of rottweilers snapped at them from behind bars with beaks filled with sharp teeth. They struck at the locks holding them prisoners in an attempt to escape and swarm the intruders, but the gates refused to budge due to lock malfunctions. Kari and John raised their guns and fired all at once. Two things struck Matthew about his spell as bullets started flying like a ballistic flood. First of all, casting it cost him a lot of Flux. Matthew felt his humongous reserves quickly plummet with each passing second. He doubted a normal Crawler would be capable of maintaining this spell for more than a few seconds, and it would definitively remain something Matthew would only use to deal in the direst of circumstances. Second of all, it was worth the Flux cost and then some! Matthew enjoyed a very pleasant view of flying bullets tearing helpless monsters to shreds in an orgy of lead and comical disasters. He wasn¡¯t technically stealing the monsters¡¯ good luck in the sense that he hoarded their own; he simply suppressed all good fortune in a wide area until only calamities manifested within the spell¡¯s radius, the same way he had to suffer misfortune with Lucky Star before he could reap the benefits. The monsters would recover all their lost luck the moment the spell ran out, which made killing them before it did all the more pressing. Matthew had grown certain that his Lucky Star¡¯s power depended on its user¡¯s perception, since one man¡¯s luck might be another¡¯s misfortune. In this case, the Dungeon¡¯s defenders experienced a non-stop flow of disastrous calamities: one of Kari¡¯s bullets ricocheted off a goblin chief¡¯s head, slipped between a cage¡¯s bars, and then shot a chicken in the throat; another chicken managed to escape its cage only to fly into another projectile¡¯s exact path; a monster¡¯s shotgun exploded in its hand due to some kind of internal malfunction; and so on. It was like watching a gory blooper compilation in real time, which Matthew found pretty relaxing. However, all good times eventually had to come to an end and the effort of maintaining the spell left Matthew a bit winded. ¡°Hurry up!¡± he told his bodyguards. ¡°I can keep it up for one more minute, two tops!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± John snapped once he ran out of bullets to fire with. Unable to reload with only one hand, he tossed his weapon aside and grabbed a sidearm attached to his leg. ¡°Almost done!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Only a scene of carnage remained by the time the bullets stopped flying. A bed of alien black blood and feathers covered the floor amidst a sea of corpses and chickens slain in their cages. Silence ruled amidst the dead. In short, the floor now looked no different than an active poultry slaughterhouse. ¡°Whoa, that was¡­¡± Kari let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Therapeutic.¡± ¡°Glad you¡¯ve enjoyed it, ¡®cause I don¡¯t think I can cast it again today,¡± Matthew replied after letting go of his teammates¡¯ hands and canceling his spell. He felt like a sedentary geek after a surprise and intense gym session, enough to make him stretch his back. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to call it¡­ Calamity Force.¡± ¡°It certainly lives up to its title,¡± John noted after examining the monsters¡¯ corpses, just in case any of them survived the onslaught; none did. ¡°Do you have enough Flux left to dig a hole in the floor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m insulted that you even need to ask, Misfire.¡± Matthew was always careful to keep some Flux in reserve to deal with unforeseen emergencies. ¡°Where¡¯s the spot?¡± Kari pointed at a very specific point on the floor, right between a dead chicken and a bullet-riddled goblin chef. Matthew opened a small hole there, which gave the team the perfect view of the treasure room below. ¡°Perfect angle,¡± Kari muttered to herself as she brought out a rope from her bag, tied it into a lasso, and then lowered it down the hole like a fisherman sending its hook into the sea. ¡°I just need to catch it¡­ a tiny bit left¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking off the dome first?¡± John pondered out loud. ¡°It¡¯s not a dome, it¡¯s a globe,¡± Kari replied. She managed to put her lasso around the glass orb, then slowly pulled it upward with careful dexterity to avoid triggering the turrets below. ¡°And whatever treasure that orb contains is super light.¡± Kari eventually pulled the glass orb all the way to their floor, and Matthew opened a hole in it to avoid spilling out the contents. A small, neatly folded piece of paper slid out with a whistling noise. Matthew checked the paper to find it sealed with a Major Chicken logo. ¡°All this effort for a piece of paper, and it¡¯s not even magical?¡± John complained, his enthusiasm suddenly deflating. ¡°What does it say?¡± Matthew removed the seal and unfolded the paper. The document listed a highly detailed list of ingredients and the associated quantities, from cocaine-laced ¡®extra flavor¡¯ to vanilla spice melded with chicken meat fed on an extremely specific diet. It didn¡¯t take long for Matthew to realize what he held in the palm of his hand. His pulse quickened, and his fingers trembled with near-religious zeal. ¡°It¡¯s the secret recipe,¡± Matthew whispered in awe before exploding with joy and holding up the priceless treasure in awe. ¡°I hold the secret sacred recipe in my hands!¡± ¡°The secret recipe?¡± Kari asked, blinking in confusion as she read the ingredients. ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°The Major Chicken Tender!¡± Matthew boasted. ¡°It¡¯s the company¡¯s secret recipe, kept in a vault at their HQ!¡± ¡°Oh, so that was the vault which the Dungeon was mimicking.¡± Kari scratched the back of her head, her unenlightened eyes unable to see this legendary treasure¡¯s true value. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ neat, I suppose?¡± ¡°Neat? Neat?!¡± Matthew choked in outrage. Was he the only one who studied the company¡¯s lore before venturing into the associated Dungeon? ¡°It¡¯s one of the world¡¯s most guarded trade secrets! Only the company¡¯s CEO and R&D chief are allowed to gaze upon it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a marketing plot, Maruki,¡± John replied with skepticism. ¡°There¡¯s no way they could produce so many nuggets with so few people knowing the recipe. Those tenders are just normal chicken nuggets with better than average publicity.¡± ¡°You know nothing, John.¡± Matthew took it upon himself to enlighten these two deluded souls on Major Chicken¡¯s history. ¡°There are six secret ingredients for the tender seasoning produced in two secure facilities in Kentucky, where each mix half of those, and then send the mixes to a third factory to prepare the chicken. Ingredients vendors don¡¯t even send identifiers besides lines of numbers!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very complex security system,¡± John conceded. ¡°I find it odd that any fast food company would go so far for a nugget.¡± ¡°One of the secret ingredients is a cocaine-based flavoring, so it would cause a scandal should the public learn about it,¡± Kari noted. She then gave Matthew a strange look. ¡°I guess that explains a few things about your chicken addiction¡­¡± ¡°Oh, truly?¡± John¡¯s expression swiftly shifted from a scowl into a fiendish smirk. ¡°That changes everything! Now we can blackmail the company for money, or sell the secret to the competition!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Kari choked in indignation. ¡°What happened to earning money the entrepreneur¡¯s way?¡± ¡°Corporate espionage is a perfectly valid business practice,¡± John replied, his greedy hand reaching for the recipe. ¡°Now gimme that, Maruki.¡± ¡°Nobody shall misuse the sacred recipe on my watch!¡± Matthew replied as he ferociously kept the holy text away from the heathen. John immediately backed off upon sensing his undying resolve. ¡°No, instead we¡¯ll anonymously ask the company for a modest fee for protecting their employees from a man-eating Dungeon and keeping their secret safe!¡± Kari squinted at him. ¡°So blackmail with a few more extra steps?¡± ¡°Payment for services rendered!¡± Matthew insisted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather be paid for risking your life in the great Major Chicken company¡¯s service?! Are you for unpaid labor, Kari?! Won¡¯t you stand up for your rights?!¡± Kari pouted and looked away; a rather eloquent way to say that yes, she would rather be paid for her actions. ¡°When you put it this way¡­¡± ¡°Color me impressed, we might cut a tidy profit on this one,¡± John mused. The thought of earning easy money had put him in a good mood for the inevitable boss fight. ¡°Well, chicken boys and girls, I sense a great amount of Flux upstairs. Are you ready to bring down the house?¡± Matthew cracked his knuckles. He would leave this Dungeon with its core stuffed in a bucket, or not at all. 36: Bucketful Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense buzzed louder and louder with each moment. He could almost cut the tension in the air with a knife by the time the elevator leading to the Office Floor finally slowed down. Both of his teammates held their breaths behind him. Kari had switched out her gun for her rapier and a knife while John carried no weapons at all. Going on a killing spree on the lower floor had exhausted his ammo supply, though his full Flux reserves would help compensate. As for Matthew, all his passive spells were up and ready. He didn¡¯t have enough reserves left to fuel another round of Calamity Force, but his Key should be more than enough to deal with whatever Boss protected the core. ¡°Ready?¡± Matthew asked his teammates as the elevator doors slid open, both of them nodding at once. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± They stepped into a vast and pristine hall adorned with corridors of towering shelves filled with notes, bills, and other documentation lit up by a powerful orange light from above. Matthew barely caught a glimpse of the dizzying number of binders and other books present, but it was enough to give him a headache. They had encountered the final boss of capitalism itself: corporate bureaucracy. However, a single sliver of hope shone through this administrative nightmare: a seven-meters tall brass statue of Major Chicken standing in the middle of the room. Its stern gaze oversaw a large table resting at its feet. A chicken tenders bucket thrice the size of Matthew himself stood there surrounded by a pile of money stacks, chicken wraps, hamburgers, and enough soda to give diabetes to half of Evermarsh. ¡°See that, Maruki?¡± John asked with a scoff. ¡°That¡¯s a trap designed for you alone.¡± ¡°Nah, Misfire,¡± Matthew replied, his finger pointing at a card sitting atop the money pile. The word ¡®Gift For Friends!¡¯ was written in bright bold letters. ¡°It¡¯s a bribe.¡± The Dungeon had truly learned everything about fast-food culture. Since Matthew¡¯s Doom Sense continued to buzz in the back of his skull, he could tell that violence was still on the table should the Crawlers refuse to take the Dungeon up on its not-so-subtle offer to walk away richer than they entered; which they would have to do. Moreover, the light from above bothered him. Matthew looked up to find himself staring up at a spotless glass ceiling showing the floor above: an empty space in which floated an orange and green orb pulsating with Flux. The Dungeon¡¯s core was less than ten meters above their heads. ¡°A glass ceiling? On the office floor?¡± Kari scoffed in amusement. ¡°Subtle much?¡± ¡°Very kind of the Dungeon to give us a direct line of fire,¡± John mused, his hands raised into a finger gun pointing at the ceiling. ¡°Maruki, would you kindly widen a hole through the corporate hierarchy?¡± ¡°I dunno¡­¡± Matthew said, his lone staring at all that sweet money. ¡°It¡¯s tempting, but¡­¡± He cleared his throat and shook his head. ¡°I deserve more.¡± A new pile of dollar stacks materialized on top of the existing one in a swirl of Orange particles, letting it grow until it reached the Major Chicken statue¡¯s waist. ¡°I wonder if violence is truly the solution to our problem,¡± Matthew immediately told his teammates. The Dungeon¡¯s generosity had deeply moved his heart. ¡°When the other party has such powerful and well-reasoned arguments, what can we do besides sue for peace?¡± John smirked cruelly. ¡°Take the Dungeon¡¯s money and destroy it anyway?¡± Matthew loved having teammates who understood him so well. Still, it was nice of the Dungeon to waste Flux on creating money instead of monsters, so he decided to make it quick. He raised a finger gun at the ceiling and blew open a small hole there, leaving a large enough opening for John to exploit; which he did. Red particles surged from John¡¯s own finger gun in the form of a shining crimson laser. It pierced through the hole and scratched the core with searing heat. A screech of pain and outrage resonated across the floor in response. Matthew had half-expected the Major Chicken statue to animate itself and charge at them, yet it didn¡¯t move an inch. The Boss had been closer to the group and hidden in plain sight. The giant bucket¡¯s lid grew teeth and hopped off the table. The thing immediately grew dozens of scaled chicken legs with sharp talons mid-jump and clumsily lurched forward with ferocious snaps of its gaping jaw. The monster had no eyes or nose to direct itself; only a single maw opening into a crispy gullet reeking of delicious fried food. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I knew it was a mimic! It always is!¡± Matthew boasted, only for his Doom Sense to send a sharp surge of pain through the back of his skull. ¡°Incom¨C¡± The Bucket Mimic charged across the hall faster than a bullet train. Matthew¡¯s Peak and Doom Sense spells once again combined at the last minute, forcing his legs to leap sideways to avoid the incoming monster. He felt the thing pass by a mere inch as its momentum sucked in the very air around it, while Kari barely managed to grab John by the collar and drag him out of the Boss¡¯ way at the last second. The monster¡¯s body crashed into the elevator¡¯s doors with enough strength to bend steel, leading to a catastrophic crash echoing across the floor. Matthew had no idea how a creature with that kind of anatomy could move that fast, but it did! He barely had time to regain his footing as the Boss lunged at him once more with its talons, swinging and flailing and snapping with bestial fury. Kari immediately moved to engage it in close combat while John covered her rear with Beam spells. Lasers left searing burns on the Bucket Boss¡¯ back and Kari¡¯s rapier punctured a few of its legs deep enough to draw greenish ooze-like puddles of blood, yet neither managed to divert the monster¡¯s attention away from Matthew. The Boss simply hunted him down across the room, smashing the floor with each pound of its talons and throwing shelves aside as it moved. Matthew would¡¯ve already been killed without his spells letting him reflexively move around with inhuman agility; and even then, the effort left him winded. He had to constantly zigzag between shelves to avoid being torn apart. It won¡¯t let me get away! Matthew cursed in the back of his mind as one of the creature¡¯s talons narrowly missed tearing out his throat. He looked for an opening to fire a bullet-hole at the thing, but neither his spells nor the enemy gave him the opportunity since the former forced his body to focus entirely on avoiding the latter¡¯s lethal flurry of blows. I can¡¯t even catch my breath! The monster seemed to have read his mind, for it finally stopped thrashing around and instead exhaled a putrid stream of fumes at Matthew. Orange smoke flowed forward, rusting the metal shelves and rotting away paper. With little other choice to avoid being turned into a pile of waste where he stood, Matthew partly unveiled his eyepatch. He couldn¡¯t fully remove it lest he accidentally suck in his teammates, but he let his black hole peek out just enough to draw the gas into itself. Even then he fought a surge of pain as little amounts of corroding gas seared the outline of his eye socket. His moment of respite came when John altered his Beam spell a bit. His laser turned into a stream of crimson lightning that zapped the Boss from behind, briefly shocking it into immobilism. Kari followed it up by leaping into the air and landing on top of the Bucket Boss¡¯ lid, sword first. Matthew put his eyepatch completely back on before he could accidentally swallow her in and watched on as she drove her rapier through the thing¡¯s jaw, sealing it shut. The Boss snarled through its bound teeth and spun in place like a top, sending books and documents flying all across the room. Matthew had to duck to the left to avoid taking a shelf straight to the face. Kari played rodeo with the Bucket Boss for a while as it thrashed around in an attempt to throw her off its back; all while the Crawler held on to her sword and stabbed the lid with her knife. The monster eventually threw itself at a wall to crush Kari between its body and stone. She let go of her rapier and leaped off it at the last minute to avoid the catastrophic collision. And then she changed. Matthew¡¯s acute Flux senses caught a brief whiff of green and blue surging through his teammate¡¯s flesh and bones. Her slender legs grew slightly longer in midair, their weight shifting like that of a frog preparing to land. Kari touched the ground with a panther¡¯s grace, her breath perfectly rhythmed with not a single movement wasted. Something happened. ¡°John, keep it immobilized,¡± Kari said with a stronger voice than usual as the Bucket Boss emerged from the pile of rubbles it had left in its wake. Matthew couldn¡¯t quite explain how, but it sounded like her vocal cords shifted to allow her voice¡¯s frequency to cut through any noise no matter what. ¡°Matt, cover me. I¡¯ll finish it off.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for his answer before charging. Most wouldn¡¯t have noticed the changes in the heat of battle, but Matthew had seen Kari in action often enough to spot them right away. Her body lengthened by at least ten centimeters and her legs thickened to power a fast stride that would put Usain Bolt to shame. Her cadence quickened with a flawless sprinting technique and an efficient running form. Matthew couldn¡¯t tell how all the pieces worked together to achieve that burst of speed, but he instinctively knew that they did. It was like watching a cheetah lunging at a gazelle. Still unable to open its lid-maw with a sword stuck through it, the Bucket Boss lifted its talons in an attempt to squash Kari flat. Matthew and John shot it both at the same time, the former with bullet-holes and the latter with an electrical Beam. A combination of a lightning shock and Matthew blowing off one of its legs with a hole caused the monster to lose its balance and stumble. Kari deftly ran around it and then struck it with her knife. Her body once again adapted to the task. Her arms¡¯ muscles thickened and strained. Her torso gained more bulk and her spine slightly shifted in length to maximize her momentum, all while her Key guided her hand. The slash that followed was too quick for Matthew¡¯s eye to follow, but its result was plain for all to see. Kari gutted the monster in a single strike. Her knife hit and sliced through its flesh and tore it apart below the jaw. A fountain of thick green ooze-blood erupted from the wound, the blow so strong that the creature¡¯s body snapped in two from the shock. Its two parts fell onto the ground with a loud noise and a final gargle. Matthew stared at Kari in silent awe, trying to figure out what just happened. The green and blue glow of Flux surrounding her faded away, and with it, her body enhancements. Her limbs and back returned to their normal proportions in an instant. A few torn holes on her shirt remained the only hint that she transformed at all. ¡°What was that, Matsumoto?¡± John inquired. He looked equally shocked by their teammate¡¯s sudden performance. Kari smiled thinly, her hand swinging her knife and flicking away the blood on its blade to the floor like a samurai. Matthew remembered that anime nerds like him called it Chiburi or something. ¡°I think it happened to me too.¡± ¡°What?¡± John inquired. Matthew figured out the answer before Kari gave it away. ¡°Her spells fused like mine,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s gone multicolor.¡± 37: Wrong Door Back when the Doc taught his team about the Peak spell, their teacher insisted that the colors of sorcery followed rigidly defined parameters. Each covered a very specific area of reality: Red was energy; Orange matter; Yellow concepts; Green life; Blue information; Violet spacetime; and White covered metamagic itself. None could cover the other¡¯s domain. The Doc had used the differences between Peak and Premium Thoughts to illustrate his point. The former was a Green spell that reinforced the human body, which should naturally cover its nerves and brain; yet it didn¡¯t improve the user¡¯s reflexes, memory, or thought processes. That was the Blue¡¯s purview, and thus something that required the associated Premium Thoughts spell. And yet, Kari Matsumoto had somehow managed to combine the two spells into a new one. ¡°You fused Premium Thoughts and Peak together?¡± John asked with a frown. His bag was full of cash taken from the Dungeon¡¯s bribe, as was his teammates¡¯. No reason they should leave this place without it, after all. They had earned that loot! ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I have a theory,¡± Kari said in between gulps from her water bottle. She looked more winded than an athlete after the Olympics. ¡°My Key let me briefly observe how Matthew¡¯s Flux acted when that monster hurled itself at him. His Doom Sense and Peak passive spells blurred together when the creature nearly landed a lethal blow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m following so far,¡± Matthew said. While he was paying close attention to his teammates¡¯ explanation, he also worked to widen the hole in the glass ceiling separating them from the core one bullet hole at a time. The Dungeon had run out of monsters and threats to throw at them, so one good hit to its heart should finish it off. ¡°Peak optimizes your body. It works by letting us stay in top shape and exploit all of our human potential, while your Doom Sense is designed to warn you about lethal dangers to your health; harm to your body.¡± Kari smiled ear to ear. ¡°See where that leads?¡± It finally clicked for Matthew. ¡°They¡¯re overlapping,¡± he guessed, his heart pounding faster and faster. ¡°The two spells overlap when I¡¯m faced with a threat to my health, because it concerns them both!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking too,¡± Kari confirmed with a sharp nod. ¡°When we fought the creature, I cast Peak and Premium Thoughts to keep up. I pushed the spells to their limits so that they would let me push beyond my limits¡­ and then they overlapped.¡± ¡°Because their fusion focused on improving you,¡± Matthew said, the pieces falling into place. ¡°That¡¯s why your hips got thicker!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that,¡± Kari replied with a sigh. ¡°But yes, I think the fusion adapted my morphology to the present situation beyond what each individual spell could achieve on its own. Peak alone only lets me use my body to its full potential, but doesn¡¯t change how it works either.¡± ¡°You got Usain Bolt¡¯s legs when you had to run and Schwarzie¡¯s arms when you had to strike,¡± Matthew summed up. ¡°But you won¡¯t grow wings even if you want to fly, because no human on Earth can do that.¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Kari confirmed. ¡°Or at least I think that¡¯s how fusing spells works. I would need to test this out more and gather more data points before I can confirm it.¡± John stroked his chin as he pondered the discovery. ¡°So this is a hack. An exploit in the color system.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Kari replied. ¡°Either way, we should inform Mr. O¡¯Connor after we¡¯re finished here.¡± ¡°Now I want to try combining Lucky Star with a new spell too,¡± Matthew mused. He had finished widening the hole in the ceiling, leaving the core completely exposed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve informed Crypto through the navigator that we¡¯re about to blow up the core,¡± John said. Matthew smiled at Kari. ¡°Since you took out the Boss, would you do us the honors?¡± ¡°How gentlemanly of you, Matt,¡± Kari mused. She opened her bag and pulled out a throwing knife. She looked for a weak point only her Key could notice and then readied her arm. ¡°One, two¨C¡± She threw her projectile through the air with inhuman accuracy and shattered the core on impact. The Dungeon¡¯s death cry rippled across space and time, its wail cracking walls and rippling through the air. Matthew couldn¡¯t shake off a deep sense of satisfaction as reality began to crumble around the Crawlers. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Major Chicken would once again become a place safe for families. We all deserve our own spicy bucket after this, Matthew thought as the Dungeon collapsed into a whirlpool of orange and green Flux. He promised himself to grab one as soon as Crypto allowed the restaurants to reopen. My tummy¡¯s growling just thinking about it. Matthew had wasted too much Flux today. He needed food now. Reality flashed away one last time, with the Major Chicken Dungeon at last disappearing without a trace. And another replaced it. Matthew knew something was wrong the moment the trio didn¡¯t crash land back in Temple Alley like they should have. They didn¡¯t fall to the ground in a silly way like all the times they¡¯d been expelled from a crumbling Dungeon; instead, they all ended up standing on a pearly marble floor more polished than a brand-new kitchen counter. A welcoming smell of artificial plants welcomed them alongside multicolored motes of light. Red, blue, violet, and more Flux particles danced like fireflies among them. All the colors were represented in this place. Matthew¡¯s heart stopped pounding in his chest, the iron grip of fear squeezing it tight. ¡°Where are we?¡± John pondered as he looked away at the landscape windows surrounding them. They had landed in a pristine hall supported by crystal columns with walls adorned with futuristic vending machines. ¡°Did the Dungeon have a secret second level?¡± Matthew didn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t even breathe, couldn¡¯t move, his entire body trembling with dread. A dreadful chill traveled down his spine and a terrible itching sensation spread from the black beneath his eyepatch. His body remembered. His lone eye gazed through the landscape windows in the vain hope that he was wrong, that they hadn¡¯t landed in this place. A single look at the iron world awaiting them beyond that coffin of glass shattered his hope. A maze of steel floors and crystal staircases sprawled as far as he could see, hosting thousands upon thousands of stores with futuristic neon lights jostling for attention. All were empty and devoid of life, with only blue holograms of inhuman silhouettes to provide a false measure of company to doomed visitors. Some of them still had traces of dried human blood on their welcome signs, the crimson fluids glittering in the light of a silicon screen-sky showcasing bizarre images of eyes looking down on the three Crawlers. ¡°This place looks like a sci-fi¡­¡± John¡¯s breath grew shorter. ¡°Mall¡­¡± Impossible. Impossible, they couldn¡¯t¡­ why did they end up¡­ this wasn¡¯t real, it didn¡¯t make sense! ¡°Matt?¡± He barely heard Kari utter his name, nor noticed her hand falling on his shoulder. ¡°Matthew, what¡¯s going on?¡± Matt struggled to focus as his lungs fought to breathe. He held his chest as the invisible pressure on his ribs grew stronger. His old friend, the panic attack, had come to pay him a surprise visit after all those years. How?! How did this happen?! How could this happen?! ¡°Little Brussels¡­¡± Matthew managed to mutter to himself. ¡°The third entrance¡­ too close¡­ was too close!¡± The Major Chicken Dungeon had opened a door in the Little Brussels district a stone¡¯s throw away from one of this place¡¯s entrances. Either the Major Chicken spewed the team out there in a last-ditch effort to screw them over, or the Mall managed to intercept them on their way to the real world somehow. No other Dungeon ever did that before¡­ but this one was unique in so many horrifying ways. ¡°This is it,¡± John muttered as he backed away from the windows, his tone sharper and more focused than ever. ¡°This is the Mall.¡± Kari paled like chalk. She had never been to this place¡ªthankfully¡ªbut she had heard the tales. ¡°We need to go,¡± she said, the panic finally hitting her. ¡°We need to find the exit right now!¡± Doom Sense drove an iron rod into Matthew¡¯s skull. Or at least, it felt that way to him. An agonizing headache worse than anything he had ever experienced set his brain on fire. A buzzing noise rang in his ears, smothering all sound except the distant crashes of a great and ferocious creature crashing through walls on its way to their location. It knew. It knew, it knew, it knew! It knew they were here, and now it was running straight at them! Fear could petrify men or give them wings. In Matthew¡¯s case, sensing the overwhelming aura of Flux making its way to his team forced his body on autopilot mode. He rushed to the hall¡¯s center, following strands of Flux to the door he knew was there. He grabbed them with his bare hands and Key in a desperate attempt to open the gate to the outside world. The blood-starved Dungeon ferociously fought back to keep its jaw closed until its executioner arrived, and Matthew had exhausted a lot of Flux not to long ago. Each second spent trying and failing to kick the door open quickened his pulse. The malign intelligence ruling this place wouldn¡¯t let him escape again. His teammates immediately joined Matthew in the escape effort. Kari had spent so much energy Matthew barely noticed her contribution, but John had paced himself better than either of them. He put all of his Flux reserves into the task and punctured a hole into the Dungeon¡¯s fabric. The rift opened right as walls collapsed behind them and the thing shattered the nearby windows. A flash of Flux swallowed him and his team, and when the light died down they all ended up collapsing on a cold concrete floor smelling of oil and asphalt. A condemned elevator entombed in coiling chains and ¡®Keep Out¡¯ adhesive tape loomed behind them under a flickering lamp. ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡± Kari let out a sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯re out.¡± ¡°This¡­ this is¡­ the old parking lot,¡± Matthew said in between huffs and breaths. His lungs burned like the heart of the sun. ¡°Mr. Chang¡­ Mr. Chang had it condemned¡­ years ago¡­¡± John grunted. ¡°Maruki¡­ your back¡­¡± Matthew peeked over his shoulder and froze in dread. A claw had sliced its way across his bag and reached all the way to his shirt. 38: That Christmas Parc-Magritte looked so peaceful in the twilight. Winter snow hadn¡¯t yet blanketed everything and the trees had only begun to change to their Autumn colors, leaving its lush and green spaces untouched. The city¡¯s administration planted scented flowers in the summer to bathe it all in sweet fragrances, which Matthew appreciated. It helped soothe his mind, put him at ease, and most importantly, it helped hide the smell of dog shit left by half this city¡¯s pets. He and his teammates stared at the sunset reflecting on a small lake from their public bench. None of them spoke. Kari had bought them a sushi box, but nobody ate. John had sent messages to Crypto and the Doc to give a report on what happened, but nobody read the countless replies. Matthew had purchased another shirt to replace his damaged one, but didn¡¯t put it on. They simply stared at the water while trying to put their thoughts in order. Kari sipped from a soda can and then handed it to Matthew. The sugar tasted bland on his tongue, and the dopamine rush came too slowly for his liking. His back itched along the claw trace. The monster hadn¡¯t reached the skin, though Matthew knew that it could have left a wound had it wished to. That cut hadn¡¯t been an attack, but a reminder. John finally found the courage to address the elephant in the room. ¡°That monster¨C¡± ¡°Was death,¡± Matthew cut in. It was a miracle they managed to escape the Mall unscathed. ¡°We were luckier than most.¡± Kari gave Matthew a long hard look. He could tell she struggled to muster up the courage to ask a question that had been bothering her for a while, and eventually succeeded. ¡°What happened that day, Matthew? Between you and¡­¡± Kari cleared her throat. ¡°Maggie?¡± Matthew looked away at a tree. He had caught Kari catching herself at the last moment so she wouldn¡¯t say the ¡®P¡¯ name out loud. He was tempted to tell her that it wasn¡¯t her business, the same way he told John to drop the matter last week, but he was too tired to muster up the anger for it. Moreover, they had seen the Mall; sensed the thing lunging at them with nothing but murder on its mind. They should know what is awaiting them should they find themselves in that place again. Besides, the three of them had been hunting together for a good while now. Maybe¡­ maybe they deserved to know. Matthew hesitated a moment before answering with a question of his own. ¡°Have you watched Stranger Things?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± both of them replied. At least that series had survived the timeshifts thus far. ¡°I had a band of friends like that in middle school,¡± Matthew confessed. ¡°There were six of us, thick as thieves. Maggie, her brother Jack, Sam, Ulysses, and¡­¡± His throat grew dry. Even now her name wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°And Perse?¡± Kari kindly finished for him. ¡°Yes, Ulysses¡¯ sister.¡± And Matthew¡¯s first crush too. ¡°We were all Crawlers with no overlapping colors.¡± John choked in disbelief. ¡°All of you? That¡¯s quite the coincidence.¡± ¡°Yup, we formed a full rainbow, minus white. I was the first to gain a Key and they all gained one when I invited them to visit a Dungeon.¡± Matthew scoffed. In hindsight, that had been pretty stupid of him. ¡°Most didn¡¯t even have monsters back then, and the few that did weren¡¯t super dangerous yet, so we just treated them as secret hideouts or fun treasure hunts.¡± ¡°You went in blind,¡± John guessed, his scowl darkening even further. ¡°I can see where this is leading.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t, so one day¡­¡± Matthew¡¯s breath grew short and his brain hurt in his skull. Merely recalling the incident caused him a headache. ¡°We went shopping for Christmas at Mr. Chang¡¯s mall and noticed an entrance.¡± Matthew hadn¡¯t slept well the night before that horrible day after realizing he had forgotten to buy a gift for his mom, and spent that morning struggling between sleepiness and anxiety. If he hadn¡¯t¡­ the Doc told him he shouldn¡¯t dwell on the past like this, but the question continued to haunt Matthew for years. ¡°We walked in expecting to have a fun side adventure before Christmas Eve,¡± Matthew said, his grip subconsciously tightening on his soda can until it bent. ¡°Instead¡­ instead we found that thing beating another monster to death.¡± ¡°They were¡­ they were fighting each other?¡± Kari asked, her voice so low Matthew could barely hear her. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Monsters are the extension of the same Dungeon,¡± John said with skepticism. ¡°Why would one monster kill another when they¡¯re part of the same hivemind?¡± ¡°Because that one is self-aware.¡± Matthew lowered his can and took a deep breath. ¡°Do you know why Dungeons rarely create smart monsters, John? Even though it¡¯s no harder than creating money out of thin air for them?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. John squinted at him and quickly guessed the answer. ¡°Smart predators don¡¯t get along?¡± ¡°Most monsters are programmed to kill anything that isn¡¯t them from birth,¡± Matthew confirmed. Creatures that faked docility like the Major Chicken¡¯s animatronic waiters were the exception rather than the rule. ¡°So how do you think a hyper violent predator behaves once it becomes smart enough to tell that other monsters are different? That they might be plotting to attack it the same way it¡¯s always thinking about killing intruders?¡± ¡°There were no other monsters in that place besides that one,¡± Kari recalled. ¡°Did that thing kill them all?¡± Matthew nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s a smart monster for you,¡± he said while finishing his soda. ¡°A wolverine with superpowers.¡± Hence why they had to find and kill Tarantulas before it turned out the same way. ¡°We¡­ we¡¯d never encountered a truly dangerous monster before, so¡­¡± Matthew gulped, his throat dry all of a sudden. ¡°We didn¡¯t take precautions, and¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, Matthew,¡± Kari said out of misplaced kindness. ¡°I¡­ I can imagine.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Matthew snapped. He hated empty consolations. ¡°You can¡¯t, and that¡¯s good.¡± His words caused Kari to wince, which Matthew immediately regretted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she immediately apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Matthew shook his head. The attack happened so fast Matthew only remembered a few flashes of crimson terror; horrifying images of Ulysses being thrown against a wall so hard his spine snapped from the blow, of a claw lunging for his eyes, of Perse¡¯s blood hitting his face¨C The memory caused him physical pain and jostled Matthew¡¯s mind back to the present. He heard his can hit the floor, his hands massaging his temples as he struggled against the headache. Why did it always hurt whenever he tried to remember? ¡°You okay, Matthew?¡± John asked, which took Matthew aback. John never called him by his name, let alone with what could pass for concern. ¡°I have ibuprofen in my bag,¡± Kari said. She quickly looked inside it and gave Matthew a pill alongside a bottle of water. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Matthew replied before swallowing the medicine and following through with some water. It helped with the migraine a bit, though not by much. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± Kari asked. ¡°If not, I have more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Matthew lied, mostly for her sake. He knew his friend was a worrywart and he didn¡¯t want her to obsess over his health. He would need to power through the pain. ¡°When we managed to flee¡­ when we managed to flee, I had lost an eye and Perse¡­ Perse was dead.¡± The thing had beaten Ulysses and Maggie into a coma too. They both would have perished without their country¡¯s better-than-average healthcare system, and even then Ulysses still suffered from after-effects to this day. ¡°Mr. Chang eventually awakened as a Crawler after investigating the disappearances in his establishment,¡± Matthew concluded. ¡°We tried to destroy the Mall many times, but the Association eventually decided it was easier to simply seal it away. I haven¡¯t returned to that place since.¡± A short silence hung between the crew, until Matthew felt an arm moving over his shoulders. Kari pulled him into a tight hug before he knew it, squeezing him hard like he were some kind of human teddy bear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, so kindly, so warmly. ¡°What you and the others went through was awful.¡± Matthew wasn¡¯t sure how to react to that. Kari¡¯s touch was clumsy¡ªhe had the feeling that she never hugged a boy her age, period¡ªbut a hug¡­ a hug always felt nice. So he returned it and squeezed back. Kari eventually let go of Matthew with sheepish embarrassment, but she succeeded in her goal. He did feel a little better. John didn¡¯t join in, since he wasn¡¯t the sentimental type. However, neither did he follow through with a jab like Matthew half-expected him to. He simply stared at the fading sun for a while and drank from his own soda can. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you kill that creature?¡± he finally asked. ¡°You, Chang, and the others?¡± ¡°Because it doesn''t stay dead,¡± Matthew retorted. ¡°It adapts to everything we throw at it. Drown it? It stops needing to breathe. Put it in time-stasis? It breaks out, but now it can cast the spell back at you. Burn it? It learns to breathe fire. And if something works once, the Mall revives it within minutes.¡± All their attempts at killing the monster only managed to strengthen it. ¡°Then why not simply bypass it then?¡± John insisted. ¡°Destroy the Mall¡¯s core and collapse the Dungeon?¡± ¡°Because the Mall has multiple levels, and you can¡¯t access them without destroying the thing first. It¡¯s a serpent eating its own tail issue.¡± Some among the Association had considered bringing the monster out of a Dungeon, but the risk of it adapting to Disbelief and then going on a rampage was simply too great. ¡°Nobody has found a way to bypass that defense.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± John pondered his explanations for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°My mother nearly died in a Dungeon.¡± Both his teammates looked at him at once in shared surprise. John never talked about his family. ¡°She took me to the zoo when I was fourteen,¡± John explained. He didn¡¯t raise his tone, but Matthew could almost taste the quiet rage in his voice. ¡°A Dungeon had taken over the gift shop and caught us. I managed to pull us out when I gained my Key, but my mother¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t reconcile what she went through with reality. Disbelief messed with her brain until she developed an acute case of schizophrenia.¡± A pit formed in Matthew¡¯s stomach. ¡°So her illness¨C¡± ¡°Is their fault,¡± John interrupted with a Russian winter¡¯s coldness. He finished his soda and then tossed the empty can into a nearby recycle bin. ¡°I¡¯ve sworn I¡¯d destroy all Dungeons that day, so let me make you a promise of my own, Maruki.¡± John rose from the bench and then looked at his teammates, his back straight, his posture firm and resolute. ¡°We¡¯ll wipe out the Mall from the face of the Earth one day,¡± he said with iron confidence and determination. ¡°No ifs or buts. We¡¯ll wreck that Dungeon until nothing but rubble remains.¡± Kari¡¯s lips curved into a thin smile. ¡°I can get behind that.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you listened to a word of what I just said?¡± Matthew retorted. ¡°It¡¯s invincible.¡± ¡°How can you call yourself this city¡¯s best Crawler with that mindset?¡± John snorted. ¡°There¡¯s no problem without a solution.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, Matthew,¡± Kari added. ¡°Combining spells of a different color was thought to be impossible too, and yet we did it. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a way to destroy that place one day too.¡± ¡°So the real question is, will you keep wallowing in your corner?¡± John asked Matthew, his finger pointed at him. ¡°Or are you going to step up and fight?¡± Matthew had tried to destroy the Mall so often that he had more or less given up on it. Words were cheap, doubly so when they crashed flat against reality¡¯s wall. Nonetheless, John wasn¡¯t the kind of person to offer empty promises. He never sugarcoated anything. This hadn¡¯t earned him many friends, but it gave his promises all the more weight; and when Matthew heard him speak with such confidence, he found himself daring to do something he hadn¡¯t found the strength to do in many years. To hope. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± Matthew replied.