《Joe vs The Inferno [LITRPG APOCALYPSE]》 Chapter 1 - The Shattered Spaghetti "It''s easy to be a devil when you''re in hell."
Something out there had a strange sense of humour, and it acted fast. It decided Joe was one of the tools it needed. Maybe it was his unfortunate closeness to the gates, maybe it was his ability to find humour in the most absurd of circumstances, or maybe it was just his dumb, cosmic luck. Whatever the reason, something beyond the veil had zeroed in on him, as if Joe¡ªof all people¡ªwas the hero it had been waiting for. It was a little after one in the morning, and Joe was slumped against the curb outside the supermarket doors, nursing a dented can of energy drink. The night felt hollow, as if the world had folded itself up and tucked itself into bed and Joe had to watch as it slept peacefully. Why the hell they stayed open that late was anyone¡¯s guess. The only customers were the kind you¡¯d rather not meet. Tweakers on bath salts or the worn-out souls dragging in after a long shift, desperate for a late-night dinner. Joe stared into the silence, letting it swallow him up as he drank. Old habits clung to him like a second skin. After all, when you¡¯re thirty-three, fresh off kicking a pack-a-day habit and reeling from a seven-year career in finance that went up in flames¡ªburnout hotter than the sun¡ªyou take what little solace you can find. Patrick however, didn¡¯t give a damn about his newly minted ex-smoker status. He lingered by the doorway, one foot already in the grave, tearing through a pack of cigarettes like he was in a race to get the other foot in there too. Joe had told the old bastard he¡¯d quit, but he swore he was blowing the smoke right in his direction on purpose. Joe brushed him off. This was nothing compared to his last gig. His old job had given him purpose once, something to throw himself into in his mid-twenties, but after a couple of years, the cracks had begun to show. The bosses didn¡¯t really care about him or anyone else; they only cared about results, making themselves look good to the higher-ups. He had sacrificed a lot for that job¡ªhis time, his energy, even parts of himself¡ªbut it never gave anything meaningful back. He tried to find connection outside of work, a relationship that mattered. A few dates and short-term relationships here and there, but nothing ever stuck. Maybe it was for the best. Looking back now, he realised he had been a first-class nobber during those last few years, bitter and worn out. Anyone worth keeping around would¡¯ve seen right through him and left anyway. He couldn¡¯t shake the thought¡ªif only he¡¯d been the man he was now, back then. Maybe things would¡¯ve played out differently. Maybe his choices wouldn¡¯t have led to the regrets left behind him, maybe he¡¯d have been a better person. ¡°Two minutes, Joe,¡± Patrick muttered before slinking back inside. Joe shook the can, feeling the weight of the last few drops. One final swig. He tossed it into the recycling bin and braced himself for the rest of the shift. There was something oddly satisfying about restocking shelves, aligning each product just so. It wasn¡¯t difficult by any stretch, but there was peace in the simplicity. A quiet kind of order he¡¯d come to appreciate. Still, the end of the shift was always a light at the end of the tunnel. By 4:00 AM, all he could think about was driving his beloved shitbox home. And when he says "shitbox," it''s with the deepest affection. Truth is, he loved that car more than he¡¯d ever admit out loud. A red ''71 Datsun he¡¯d bought for a cool 50k after he quit his old job. The majority of his savings¡ªway more than was sensible¡ªbut he didn¡¯t care then, and he sure didn¡¯t care now. Worth every cent. He called her Betty, after the legend herself, Betty White. Learning to drive a manual after years of automatics was awkward at first, but he got the hang of it. He flew out of the parking lot at a speed only 4:00 AM could excuse, hitting the long stretch of country road toward home. Helicopters hummed above, heading toward what the news kept calling an "environmental incident." Army trucks, news choppers¡ªit was like a warzone ten miles away. But as long as it didn¡¯t interfere with his drive home, he couldn¡¯t be bothered. Not his problem. The dawn crept up as Joe finally pulled into his apartment complex, casting long shadows over the squat, uninspired building he called home. It wasn¡¯t quite the fancy high-rise style apartment he used to have, but it did the job, at least there was a communal pool. He slipped into his ground-floor unit, thinking about whipping up some dinner before maybe gaming for a few hours and then crashing. Over the years, his gaming habit had shrivelled down to a once-a-year affair, usually around Christmas. He¡¯d buy the latest console or game, get all fired up, and then forget about it by New Year¡¯s when work inevitably dragged him back in. But since his resignation, he¡¯d reignited that old flame and found himself enjoying it a hell of a lot more. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Joe poured water into a pan, his mind drifting to a video he¡¯d watched online¡ªan Italian family whipping up a simple spaghetti dish with butter, garlic, basil, and a handful of other basics. It had looked delicious, and considering his fridge was a sad mix of condiments, protein powder, and beer, it was about the best meal he could pull together. Ironic, really, for a guy who worked in a supermarket. Just as he flicked on the gas, as if his stove was connected to the end of the world, it happened. The explosion ripped through the morning, obliterating the quiet like a war horn. The sound didn¡¯t just hit¡ªit hammered, a shockwave of noise that felt like God¡¯s fist slamming into the earth. Instinct took over; Joe clamped his hands over his ears as the apartment lurched and bucked around him. The floor shuddered violently beneath his feet, like a beast struggling to break free, and the entire building seemed to groan under the strain. Windows rattled on the verge of shattering, until they finally gave way, exploding inward in a spray of glass. Car alarms shrieked outside, their cries swallowed by the deafening roar of what sounded like rocks crashing down from the heavens. "Betty!" Joe shouted, scrambling toward the door, crushing glass and shattered spaghetti underfoot as he moved, the floor now a grotesque mosaic of his ruined dinner. Luckily, he still had his shoes on. For some reason, in the midst of all the chaos, his first thought was of that car¡ªhis car. He yanked the door open just in time to see a massive rock slam into Betty¡¯s hood with a sickening crunch. "Nooo!" The word tore from him as he sprinted towards her, but the boulders weren¡¯t finished. Another rock hurtled across his path, missing him by inches. If he¡¯d been a step faster, he¡¯d have been nothing but a smear. The rock crashed into the apartment next door, demolishing the front door. Joe didn¡¯t know his neighbours well, but he was pretty sure that was where the little black cat lived. He hoped it was okay. Outside, chaos took over. Glass littered the pavement, dogs barked frantically, and chunks of earth and rock lay strewn across the street. Joe''s eyes locked on a glowing pulse in the distance¡ªa warm, eerie red, like a beating heart. It pulsed in the direction of the explosion, the same place where the so-called "environmental incident" had been reported. Joe glanced back at poor Betty, her hood now sporting a gaping dent where the rock had slammed into her. Staring at the crater, a panicked, almost hysterical voice echoed from behind him, "IT¡±S HAPPENING YOU DON¡¯T HAVE MUCH TIME!" He jolted, spinning around, only to find no one there. His heart rate spiked. He could''ve sworn the voice had been right next to him. Was it in his head? His attention was yanked back to reality as residents from the complex started pouring out, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. ¡°Holy shit, Joe, your car!¡± Dan, his upstairs neighbour, shouted from the balcony. So much was going on that Joe¡¯s head began to spin. He gritted his teeth, watching Dan shuffle down the stairs at a snail¡¯s pace, dressed in his ridiculous yellow duck pyjamas. Funny how the guy could only find speed when he was stomping around his apartment like a tap-dancing elephant¡ªright above Joe¡¯s bedroom¡ªevery time he was trying to sleep during the day. Dan sauntered up beside him, scanning Betty¡¯s mangled hood. ¡°What the hell just happened? Sounded like the earth decided to blow itself up!¡± No shit, Joe thought, barely restraining the urge to snap. ¡°Yeah, blew out all my windows. Then the rocks started falling,¡± he said, forcing some civility into his voice. His mind was still on Betty, his poor, battered princess. Before Joe could focus any further on the damage, something strange happened. A line of text appeared in his vision, creeping in like a glitch in reality. He blinked hard, rubbed his eyes, assuming it was one of those annoying floaters. But this was different. Bold black letters sharpened and grew larger, overtaking his sight. Get to the glow. ¡°What on earth?¡± he said, waving his hand in front of his face, but the text stayed stubbornly in place. It hovered for a moment, then shrank and shifted to the top left of his vision before vanishing completely. He shook his head, dismissing it as a stress-induced hallucination, maybe just the aftershock playing tricks on him. "You alright, Joe?" asked Dan, now clearly noticing his weird behaviour. "Yeah, I¡¯m fine thanks, Dan. Just... give me a minute." Joe ducked back into his apartment, grabbed Betty¡¯s keys off the counter, and rushed outside. She had to be okay. Please, let that dent be nothing more than a bruise to her pride. Dan was already hovering by the driver¡¯s side, peering in. Joe slid into the seat and turned the key. Betty roared to life, her engine purring just like she always did. "Thank God," he whispered under his breath. "Sounds like she¡¯s running smooth," Dan chimed in, his face far too close for comfort. He had this irritating tendency to invade personal space, but Joe checked himself before he could finish that thought. Dan was harmless enough, and after everything, snapping at him wouldn¡¯t help. The stress of the wrecked apartment, Betty¡¯s dent, and his gnawing hunger had him on edge. "Yeah, doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s much damage," Joe replied, trying to sound more confident than he actually felt. "You think it was a gas leak or something?¡± Dan asked. Joe glanced up, one eyebrow raised. A gas leak? For all this destruction? He could tell Dan was just grasping for any explanation to make sense of the chaos. ¡°Probably not,¡± Joe replied, nodding toward the distant glow. ¡°I think it came from over there.¡± They both stared at the horizon, where the ominous red light flickered. And maybe it was just a trick of the light, but Joe could¡¯ve sworn he saw shapes¡ªmoving, maybe even flying. Dan squinted at the glow. ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t that where that thing on the news was?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Joe said, still trying to piece it all together. Dan looked between Joe and the glowing sky before his curiosity got the best of him. ¡°You wanna go check it out?¡± Under normal circumstances, Joe would¡¯ve laughed it off and said hell no¡ªhe wasn¡¯t about to drive toward whatever just levelled half the town. But tonight felt different. Off-kilter. The weird text in his vision, the voice that felt like it had been inside his head, and the explosion that rattled him to his core. Now, there was this strange pull toward the glow, almost like it was calling him. Maybe it was just morbid curiosity, or maybe something more. Either way, Betty could use a drive, and he could tolerate Dan¡¯s company for a bit longer. ¡°Fine,¡± Joe said, jerking his head toward the passenger seat. Dan¡¯s face lit up as he shuffled around the car and slid in, still in his ridiculous yellow duck pyjamas, giving an appreciative whistle as he ran his hands over the dash. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s even nicer inside,¡± he said, almost reverently. Joe ignored him, buckling his seatbelt as the rumble of his stomach reminded him of the spaghetti scattered across his apartment floor. He shifted Betty into gear, her engine purring in sync with his hunger, and steered around the debris in the parking lot. The glow drummed in the distance, drawing them in, one beat at a time. Chapter 2 - Bulldoze That Bird Betty¡¯s engine roared as they tore down the street, dodging hunks of earth and a few dented vehicles with a skill Joe didn¡¯t know he had. The glow ahead beckoned like a siren, promising something he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to see. Joe navigated through the chaos as if the world had gone mad, which, judging by the wreckage, it had. As they got closer, emergency vehicles¡ªfire trucks, ambulances, and a few military Humvees¡ªraced past them, sirens wailing into a blood-red sky that seemed more fitting for a nightmare than reality. ¡°Damn, Joe, this is worse than I thought,¡± Dan said, his eyes glued to the carnage outside. Joe kept his mouth shut, too focused on the road ahead, trying to wrap his mind around the sheer scale of the disaster. What the hell had happened here? The explosion¡¯s epicentre was supposed to be miles away, but as they got closer, it looked like the destruction spread far beyond that. The glow, which he had pegged as a comfortable ten miles out, now seemed to hover just five or six miles ahead. The air itself felt wrong, heavy and electric, like they were driving into the mouth of a storm. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, to put as much distance between them and this hellhole as possible. Only a fool would drive straight towards whatever caused this mess. But as his foot eased off the gas, ready to swing Betty around and get out of dodge, text flashed in the corner of his vision again. Move towards it. Joe stared at the words, his grip on the wheel going slack as the command washed over him like cold water. Before he could puzzle out what was going on, something loomed in front of Betty. ¡°Shit!¡± Joe shouted as he jerked the wheel to the right. Too late. Something massive smashed into Betty¡¯s hood with a crunch that rattled his bones, sending them skidding across the asphalt. Joe¡¯s stomach flipped as he fought to regain control, the tyres protesting the sudden shift in momentum. Betty finally shuddered to a halt, the sudden silence amplifying the blood pounding in his ears. ¡°Not again Betty!¡± he groaned, staring at another fresh dent in the hood. A wisp of smoke curled up from under it like a taunt. ¡°What in God¡¯s name was that?!¡± Dan bellowed. They both scrambled out of the car, Joe¡¯s hands shaking as he rounded the front. His breath caught in his throat when he saw what they¡¯d hit. Sprawled underneath Betty¡¯s bonnet was something straight out of hell. It was huge, bigger than any man, with leathery crumpled wings bent at angles that made him wince. Its skin, sickly grey and webbed with black veins, gleamed in the morning light. And those eyes¡ªyellow, glowing, and disturbingly lifeless¡ªstared up at the sky like it had seen something truly horrifying before the end. In one clawed hand, it clutched a massive hammer, the metal head engraved with glowing runes that glistened faintly. ¡°What on earth¡­?¡± Joe said, his voice trailing off as he tried to make sense of the impossible sight. It was like a demon you¡¯d see depicted in movies. Achievement: Your vehicle bulldozered a Level 4 Bird. 500XP gained. Joe squinted, staring at the text in disbelief. 500xp? bulldozered? BIRD?? The absurdity of it all hit him all at once. It really started to feel like some sort of depraved video game he thought, letting out a shaky laugh. He was sure as shit that wasn¡¯t a bird either. ¡°Alright,¡± Joe said, trying to keep his composure despite the whirlwind of confusion and fear building inside. He looked at Dan, who was still gaping at the creature. ¡°Dan, are you also seei¡­¡± Before Joe could finish, a shadow passed overhead. They both looked up just in time to see another demon, this one even larger, swoop down with terrifying speed. Its claws latched onto Dan before he could react, yanking him off his feet. ¡°Joe!¡± Dan screamed, his voice filled with terror as the demon lifted him into the air, its wings flapping with a power that sent dust and debris swirling around them. The demon let out a piercing growl towards Joe. ¡°Dan!¡± Joe shouted, reaching out in vain as the demon began to carry him higher and higher towards the glow, his cries growing fainter until the sound as well as his ducky pyjamas were swallowed by the oppressive red sky. Panic surged through Joe. He froze, struggling to process what had just happened. One moment, Dan was standing beside him, and the next, he was gone¡ªsnatched away by some hellish beast. What the fuck. Joe¡¯s attention snapped back to the horizon, where the glow seemed to pulse even brighter, more urgent. Instinct kicked in and he scrambled back into Betty, slamming the door shut behind. His hands trembled as he fumbled with the keys. What the hell was he doing?This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. But even as the questions battered his mind, he found himself gunning the engine, the tyres squealing as he tore down the road, leaving the wreckage of the demon and the spot where Dan was taken behind. The glow in the distance had taken on a sinister hue, and still, Joe couldn¡¯t stop. The same text stood in his vision, driving him forward. Move towards it. Joe tensed up, pushing Betty harder, her engine thundering as he sped down the country road. Joe glanced around, catching glimpses of people fleeing in every direction. Yet here he was, driving straight into the mouth of madness. The thought of turning back felt¡­wrong. Shit, was Dan already dead? What if there are more of those demons ahead? Before he could second-guess himself, the road ahead opened into a wide clearing, and Joe slammed on the brakes again. Betty came to a stop and Joe stared in shock at the scene before him. The source of the explosion was clearer now. It wasn¡¯t just a glow¡ªit was a massive, gaping hole in the earth, sloping sharply down into what looked like the very gates of hell. A fiery red light poured out of the opening. And it wasn¡¯t just Joe. A whole host of people had gathered here, standing in stunned silence at the edge of the abyss. There were cars, motorcycles, even a lone bike and an electric scooter parked haphazardly on the roadside, their owners just as bewildered as Joe was. The sky above was a chaotic swirl of dark clouds, illuminated by the red light, with strange, winged shapes flitting through the air¡ªhovering, but not moving forward. Joe guessed they were more of whatever had just taken Dan. Weirdly, none of the emergency service vehicles he had spotted were there. Joe stepped out of Betty, feeling the makings of a headache forming as he took in the crowd. They looked like normal people¡ªsome still in their work clothes, others dressed for a night out, all of them just as confused as he was. There was a police officer, a man in a high-vis, another man standing near the edge, his hat tipped low, his demeanour weirdly reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in an old spaghetti western. Beside him, a boy no older than fourteen clutched a green sack slung over his shoulder, his wide eyes staring at the abyss. A woman in a waitress uniform also stood nearby, her heels looking completely out of place on the rubble-strewn ground. Her hands trembled as she clutched a small purse to her chest, her eyes darting around as if searching for some explanation. And then, just as Joe thought things couldn¡¯t get any more messed up, the text appeared again. This time, it wasn¡¯t just in front of his eyes¡ªJoe could tell everyone else saw it too. Their gazes fixed forward, staring at the same words that had appeared in front of him. Humans of the Lower Domain, I am sorry. They have done what they should not. The time has come. You have been chosen as the last line of defence for your realm. The Inferno has broken through, seeping into your realm. This is not just an invasion; it is a slow, inevitable consumption. If left unchecked, it will devour everything. You may feel unprepared, and rightfully so, but there is no other choice. The Inferno is not a single place, but a realm of layers, each more dangerous than the last. You must descend into it. Fight. Survive. Rally with others, if fate allows. There is no turning back, and stopping the Inferno is your only hope. Heed this warning. Once this message ends, you have a brief window to enter through the gate. The gate will not stay open long. If you fail to enter before it closes, the Inferno will begin its feast¡ªconsuming a mile of your world every two minutes. Once the feast begins, there will be no escape. Enter. Fight for your home. The moment you step inside, there is no return until the job is done. Beware the Inferno¡¯s pull¡ªit is not just a realm, but a sentient force. I will endeavour to help you as much as I can, but it is up to you to disrupt the balance. Remember: Remain composed. Once you falter, the Inferno will take more than just your life. Good luck. Achievement: You investigated the glow¡­ 100XP gained. Joe could see beyond the text a ramp suddenly forming from the very depth of the hole. It rose quickly and stopped just in front of everyone. It looked steep, but fine enough to get down. The text faded away, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. The crowd shifted, murmurs spreading as people tried to process what they had just read. But before anyone could react, the text flashed again, this time with a countdown. Time until the gateway closes: 05:00 The numbers began ticking down. Panic gripped the crowd as they surged forward, fear and desperation etched across their faces. Yet not everyone was moving toward the hole; some turned and fled, racing back to their cars, desperate to escape whatever horror awaited them. But Joe couldn¡¯t move. His feet felt like they were glued to the ground as his mind spiralled, fixated on the abyss before him. Surely this was just a nightmare, right? Any moment now, he¡¯d wake up in his bed, safe and sound. Just as he was punching himself in the leg in a futile attempt to shake off the surrealness, a tiny chunk of earth crumbled off the ramp and tumbled into the void. Fuck, this was real, wasn¡¯t it? There was no way he could outrun the Inferno, a mile every two minutes through this chaos. What if it never stopped? What if it consumed everything¡ªevery last shred of life? Though Joe didn¡¯t have a partner or children, his thoughts turned to his parents and little brother. What if the Inferno reached them? Panic clawed at him. If he stepped into that hole, there was no guarantee he¡¯d ever return. But if he didn¡¯t¡­ the sheer terror of losing everything was unbearable. He didn¡¯t want to die. He didn¡¯t want his family to die. Could he really help? He took a deep breath, forcing himself to move. His body was on autopilot as he headed towards the edge, the heat from the Inferno below rising to meet him. The ground was cracked and scorched, sulphur and smoke filling the air. He couldn¡¯t just stand here, he had to do something. Just as he reached the edge of the ramp, he stopped. ¡°Betty!¡± He couldn¡¯t leave Betty here. If this was really happening, she¡¯d be lost down in the Inferno in the next five minutes. Could he take her down? Could he drive her down into the hole? Joe turned and saw a few people who he thought were fleeing in their cars begin to drive down the ramp. Screw it. He turned back and got into Betty, put her into gear and began his descent into the Inferno. Chapter 3 - A Meat Cute Betty bounced down the ramp like a drunk in a bar fight, her tires spitting out grit with each turn. The deeper Joe went, the tighter his chest felt. Heat began to slam into his face as he descended. At the bottom, a shimmering wall of energy flickered in front of him, glowing like embers on the verge of catching fire. It looked like flames, but Joe knew instinctively it wouldn¡¯t burn him if he went through. Sweat had begun to sneak into his eyes as the hum of Betty''s engine deepened into a low, irritable grumble, like even she knew this was a bad idea. Before Joe knew it, he was through. No explosion, no flames. Just him, Betty and¡­nothing. The others? Gone. He could¡¯ve sworn he saw people behind him, but now they seemed to be ghosts in the rear-view mirror. Joe turned his attention forward. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting but it wasn¡¯t this. A vast wasteland stretched out ahead, sheltered by a sky that bled crimson and seemed to seep into the ground like an infection. And there, stabbing up in the distance was what looked like a castle, sharp and black, spires scratching at the sky. Before Joe could fully take in the sight of what looked like a shitty Hogwarts, something flickered in his peripheral. To the side, a figure materialised, draped in flowing robes that shimmered in the heat. Joe squinted, wiping the sweat from his face, and without thinking, turned Betty toward the figure. The heat cranked up a few more notches. Christ, it was warm. Then, he saw it. Suspended above the figure''s head, glowing like a neon sign in the desert wasteland: An exclamation mark! Joe shook his head in protest of what his eyes were showing. "What the...?" The words tumbled out before he could process the scene. He stirred his head again trying to shake off the dizziness¡ªor maybe the sheer insanity of this entire situation. But there it was, clearer now: Meet your Resonance guide. Joe couldn¡¯t help but let out an unsteady chuckle. Guide? Is he going to have a guide in this place? He rubbed his eyes and blinked again with the words vanishing. Betty grumbled even more as he rolled her up to the robed figure. Twenty feet out, Joe killed the engine and stepped out into the furnace. The atmosphere hit him hard, but the wasteland around him? Dead quiet. A red-stained desert, stretching out endlessly, nothing visibly alive. It reminded him of Arrakis from Dune. He turned back to look at Betty and almost fell over. Hovering above her, clear as day:
Name: Betty
Level: 2
Class: ?
Race: Bulldozer
¡°Bulldozer? The hell you are. You¡¯re a damn Datsun.¡± Joe fanned his polo top in a futile attempt to cool himself down as he tried to figure out what was happening. More words flashed in front of his eyes, this time over his hand. He blinked, like a reflex, and there it was again:
Name: Joe
Level: 1
Class: ?
Race: Human
What the hell. How is Betty a higher level than me? I¡¯m her bloody driver! Joe blinked hard again, and just like that, the text vanished. He stared at his hand, blinked again, and the words popped back. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, examining his hand. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Joe¡¯s turned back to the robed figure. As he got closer, he saw that the hood was pulled low¡ªso low, it didn¡¯t show a single feature. No eyes, no mouth, not even hands. Just shadow. Great. Clearing his throat, he tried the usual route of social interaction. ¡°Hello?¡± Nothing. Not a twitch. Not a breath. It felt like talking to the customers at the supermarket. This was all happening so fast. He still felt dizzy as he plucked up the courage to try another tactic that usually worked on the drunks asleep in the snack aisle. ¡°HELLO?¡± Still no response. Joe blinked, just once and with intent. And, of course, that¡¯s when the figure stirred, lifting its head like it had only just realised he existed. The hood shifted back just enough to reveal a face beneath. Joe couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of disappointment. It was just a regular guy, not the monster or ancient wizard he had half-expected. The face was younger with stubble clinging to his jaw, hair longer and sweeping across his forehead in a messy, casual sort of way. He looked like a guy who might be hanging out at a coffee shop, not standing in the middle of a wasteland in robes. ¡°Hello.¡± the man said, voice as casual as if they were discussing the weather. ¡°I am your guide, Terrence.¡± Joe now really couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and not a polite laugh either. ¡°Terrence? Are you shitting me?¡± The man nodded, as if this wasn¡¯t the most ridiculous thing in the world. ¡°Yes. I am here to show you the way of The Resonance.¡± Joe looked around, he was sure he was being punk¡¯d. ¡°The Resonance? What is that?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t interrupt.¡± Said Terrence. ¡°Right¡­sorry¡­¡± replied Joe. Although Terrence seemed normal, Joe sensed a strange, robotic vibe from him. His speech and general demeanour didn¡¯t quite match what a normal person would be saying or look like. He ploughed on with his almost scripted dialogue. ¡°The Resonance is the way. Your new way of life.¡± ¡°Okay. And I ask again, what is this, Resonance?¡± Terrence apparently wasn¡¯t one for answering questions. He continued. ¡°You¡¯ll need to stay sharp. Learn and adapt to your new way of living.¡± As if on cue, something whipped past Joe¡¯s torso. Joe instinctively ducked to the side as the ground beside him exploded in a cloud of dirt. His right ear began to ring as if he had just been assaulted by tinnitus itself. ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± he shouted as he moved away from the impact spot and searched for the source of the attack. Terrence didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°That¡¯s why you must stay alert.¡± Before Joe could respond, a massive figure lumbered into view. Fifteen feet away, something between a man and a crab stood, claws snapping in the air. ¡°What the hell is that!¡± Joe groaned. The creature looked panicked, flailing as if it didn¡¯t know where it was. Its whip-like appendage lashed out again, cracking dangerously close to Joe¡¯s feet. He jumped back, trying to gauge the creature¡¯s reach. Adrenaline shot through him as quickly as the creature appeared. The demon that Betty had hit earlier was terrifying but this thing had an almost comical yet freakish demeanour. ¡°Focus,¡± Terrence said, ¡°Look at your right pocket.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joe yelled, dodging another strike. ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± Terrence remained expressionless. ¡°Look. And blink.¡± Joe blinked at his right pocket, and a soft ding echoed in his mind, similar to the one earlier. Inventory unlocked. A glowing grid appeared in front of him. He could still see through it, could still make out Terrence and Mr. Krabs in the background, but his vision was cluttered. He focused on the grid, spotting two items. One looked like a stick, but in the bottom right corner, something else gleamed. A gun? Joe blinked at it, and a box popped up: Level 4 Item: Meat Cannon. Description: Fires chunks of explosive meat at 1000ft per second. Joe didn¡¯t think, he just blinked again. The grid vanished, replaced by a grotesque, fleshy bazooka in his hands. It trembled like something alive. Joe managed to gasp and dry heave at the same time, looking towards Terrence for some guidance. Joe then noticed Terrence¡¯s look. For the first time in their brief interaction, the man showed emotion¡ªsurprise. He glanced from Joe to the crab-man, then back. Before Joe could process the absurdity of the situation, the crab creature lunged, closing the distance. It''s claw whipped up, twisting, before it brought the appendage down in a deadly arc. Joe threw himself to the ground, landing on the Meat Cannon. Its squishy surface cushioned his fall, although it had oozed what Joe assumed was blood down his arm. Desperate, Joe aimed the cannon and pulled the trigger. The weapon recoiled violently, unleashing chunks of raw meat that splattered across the crab creature, drenching it in gore and puncturing its carapace. The creature screeched, thrashing in agony¡ªthen, with a thunderous boom, it exploded, sending meat and crab bits flying in all directions. Debris rained down, splattering Joe¡¯s head and torso in smouldering bits of white meat. ¡°Ow fuck!¡± Joe automatically dropped the cannon as he realised it had burnt both of his hands. It flopped on the floor as he watched the skin from his hands melt slightly. Pain seared through as the shock of it hit him. He looked up from his hands and stared at the gruesome scene in disbelief. Terrence¡¯s expression remained stoic, although his eyes glinted with a tinge of surprise. Achievement Unlocked: You exploded a Level 4 Hellcrust. 500 XP gained. Level 2 Unlocked: Main Menu Now Accessible. Chapter 4 - Spreadsheets and Sticks Joe wasn¡¯t entirely sure why, but after blasting that crab-man creature to pieces with the meat bazooka, he felt¡­ powerful? His burnt hands now tingled with numbness, and an odd surge of energy buzzed through him¡ªa strange mix of anger and satisfaction at the sight of the blood and gore splattered across the scene. His hands had already begun to slightly blister, was that normal? Before he could process it, Terrence interrupted, ¡°That was your inventory. From there, you can access everything¡ªattributes, the map, your core.¡± ¡°Weapons?¡± Joe asked, glancing at the still-smoking meat cannon on the floor. ¡°Weapons too,¡± Terrence replied, eyeing the bazooka with concern. Before Joe could ask more, the cannon vanished from the floor as fast as it had appeared. He hoped that went back into his inventory. Although if he was to use it again, he might need some gloves. His hands had begun to throb as he inspected them again; they were definitely getting worse as time went on. The skin was mottled and cracked, and an array of reds and angry blacks branched up his hands and fingers. Where the burns were worst, the skin was waxy and smooth, as if whatever had been human had boiled away, leaving remnants of that disgusting meat cannon in its wake. ¡°Why the hell did that thing burn my hands?¡± Joe asked. Terrence ignored him again. ¡°Blink at your right pocket,¡± Terrence suggested. ¡°You¡¯re all business, aren¡¯t you?¡± Joe said, blinking his inventory grid open again. Upon closer inspection, what he¡¯d assumed was a stick in his inventory turned out to be just that¡ªa stick. He blinked on it. Level 0 Item: Stick Description: Stick. ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t use that on the crab-man,¡± Joe chuckled nervously, but the humour faded quickly when he noticed the meat cannon now missing from his inventory. ¡°Hey, what the hell, Terrence? Where¡¯s the weapon I just used?¡± Silence. Joe waited a second, then glanced at Terrence through the glowing grid. ¡°Terrence?¡± He blinked the inventory away and found Terrence completely frozen in place¡ªbody stiff, mouth slightly ajar, staring into the distance. ¡°Terrence?¡± Joe called again, moving toward him. No response. Terrence¡¯s vacant gaze was locked on something fifty feet away¡ªa strange shimmering tear in the air. Joe squinted, realising with growing alarm that the tear was expanding. Panicked, he opened his inventory again and grabbed the only thing he had¡ªhis stick. It materialised in his hand, long, smooth, and pitifully unimpressive. If another crab-man appeared, this wasn¡¯t going to cut it. Joe grimaced as he gripped the stick with his festering fingers, cautiously approaching the tear, holding it out like that chick from Kill Bill with her katana. The tear trembled and shimmered, reminding him of the energy barrier he¡¯d passed through earlier. A booming voice erupted from the rift, startling Joe so badly he nearly dropped his makeshift sword. "It¡¯s begun. They shouldn¡¯t have done it. I¡¯m sorry," the voice echoed, deep and unsettlingly familiar. Joe couldn¡¯t place it. He wasn¡¯t sure if the voice was addressing him, but he stepped closer, gripping the stick tighter. ¡°Who shouldn¡¯t have done what? Who are you?¡± The tear pulsed slightly in response but remained silent. It had an almost golden hue, majestic even. Frustration gripped at Joe as he waited for more. Then the voice returned, fainter this time: ¡°The Resonance. It¡¯ll change everything for you¡­¡± Resonance? What the hell did that mean? Joe had no time to dwell on it. ¡°Level up quickly,¡± the voice continued. ¡°Familiarise yourself with your menu, inventory, map, and attributes. And try not to lose control¡ªI can only do so much. I don¡¯t know what influence this place has. The Resonance system may not be normal here. I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t get you the cannon back, but I¡¯ve given you something else to help. Disrupt the balance, stop the merge. I will find you when I can.¡± ¡°So it was you who gave me the cannon! Who are you?¡± Joe shouted back again, but before he could ask more, the tear sealed shut with a crackling hiss. ¡°Shit,¡± Joe said. ¡°I¡¯m really in over my head.¡± Turning back to where Terrence had been, Joe realised he was gone. Completely vanished without a trace. ¡°Shit, shit, shit. This is a total cluster,¡± Joe grumbled. He stood there, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on him as Betty¡¯s engine clicked and ticked in the background. Joe assumed she was trying to cool herself down. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. His red work polo was drenched in sweat and stuck to his skin, blending the bloodstains and crab-meat into the fabric. Taking a deep breath, Joe decided it was time to check his inventory again. He wondered what the random voice had given him. If this whole situation was following video-game logic, as he was beginning to suspect, then the things Terrence and that voice had mentioned¡ªattributes, quests, maps¡ªhad to exist somewhere. He blinked, pulling up the inventory screen again. Joe counted forty slots, most of them empty, save for the stick. Nothing in there from the voice that he could see. Then he noticed a tiny arrow in the upper-left corner of his vision, almost too high to comfortably see. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible spot,¡± he said, blink-clicking on the arrow. A menu opened up:
Joe - Level 2 - Focus 99%
Core
Class: ?
Resonance
Stability: [Stable]
Attributes
Realm Titles
Map
Quests
(Left pocket for shortcut)
Joe sighed. At least he was Level 2 and ¡°Stable¡±, but ¡°Resonance¡±? That was what the voice had just mentioned. He clicked on it.
Resonance Type:
Infernal Resonance:
Wrath: 1% [Stable] [0/2 Echoes] Available Abilities: Fury Burst (Locked), Controlled Rage (Locked)
Despair: 0% [Stable] [0/2 Echoes] Available Abilities: Sapping Will (Locked), Endless Grit (Locked)
Madness: 0% [Stable] [0/2 Echoes] Available Abilities: Distorted Perception (Locked), Choo Choo (Locked)
Infernal Influence Unlocked once Resonance Mastery is Achieved.
Joe¡¯s heart sank as he stared at the screen. ¡°This can¡¯t be good.¡± Although everything was pretty much at 0%, he had an overwhelming feeling that these were warning signs. Taking in everything that had been said so far, these stats were likely going to be his downfall. He wondered what trauma he¡¯d endure to trigger them to increase. He hadn¡¯t the foggiest what ¡®Echoes¡¯ meant and some of those ¡®Abilities¡¯ also looked concerning. ¡®Choo Choo?¡¯ Part of him immediately wanted to ignore them for now. But another part¡ªthe part that found a bit too much satisfaction in the chaos and gore earlier¡ªwas weirdly curious. He knew he¡¯d need to keep an eye on these numbers. If he wanted to make it out of this place, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose his mind. He swiped back, eager to see if there was anything useful in the ¡®Core¡¯ section. His basic stats appeared, much like in an RPG, but they weren¡¯t as detailed as he expected:
Strength: 2
Intelligence: 3
Constitution: 3
Dexterity: 2
Charisma: 4
Intelligence Feats: - Spreadsheets
¡°Charisma: 4? Interesting.¡± Joe said, thinking back to how delightfully dry his dating life had been. He then noticed his feat at the bottom. ¡°Spreadsheets? Really?¡± he groaned. ¡°What am I supposed to do, Excel my way out of hell?¡± Joe went to ask the question on how these change, if they did at all, but then remembered Terrence wasn¡¯t around to give answers. As he blinked back onto what he assumed was the main menu, he heard a familiar ding in his head and noticed a (1) next to his ¡®Attributes¡¯ page. He blinked it open, revealing a single new item. Level 2 Attribute: Infernal Resonance Tap Description: Tap into your Infernal Resonance to temporarily enhance a chosen emotion or state of mind, amplifying its power and effects. Be warned: overuse can destabilise your emotional balance, leading to unintended consequences. Great, Joe thought. A high-risk, high-reward ability tied to his emotional state. He didn¡¯t even want to think about what would happen if his Resonance got too high in any of those categories. What was this game he¡¯d stumbled into? Emotional Mortal Kombat? Joe decided to explore the map next like the guy from the rift said. He was welcomed by a small dot that expanded larger and larger until a grid, not too dissimilar from his inventory was in view. It showed a general outline of the terrain around him. The map wasn¡¯t detailed in terms of landmarks, but it gave him a good sense of his surroundings. Faint gridlines divided it into neat sections, with his position marked by a white arrow. As he zoomed out slightly, he saw a small red dot in the direction of the crab. Dead Crab Man ¨C Level 4 ¡°Nice to know you¡¯re dead for sure,¡± he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He lingered on the stats a moment longer. It was strange seeing something that had tried to kill him reduced to a simple number. There was a certain contentedness in it, but also a reminder¡ªhe only killed that thing because of his access to that meat cannon. If he continued on with just this stick, he was cooked. His eyes drifted back to the wider map. He examined again, and another shape popped up¡ªBetty, sitting off to the side, not far from his position. A tiny, rusted car icon marked her place on the map. At least she¡¯s still there, Joe thought, even if Betty¡¯s engine sounded about as exhausted as he felt. Joe then realised that despite coming off a gruelling 10-hour shift and not eating for what had to be hours by now, he wasn¡¯t hungry. He should have been starving, but the gnawing hunger that had plagued him earlier had completely vanished. He was still tired, of course, but the ravenous emptiness in his stomach was gone. Was it just adrenaline? Or was that another quirk of this place? Joe couldn¡¯t be sure, but it was unsettling. Whatever this nightmare realm was, it didn¡¯t play by normal rules. Joe blinked out of the extended map, which conveniently shrunk down into a smaller version that nestled itself in the upper-right corner of his vision. It stayed there, even when he opened his inventory, quietly hovering as if waiting for the next threat. If more enemies were nearby, their red dots would hopefully appear. For now, the only blips on the grid were the dead crab and Betty. No looming danger¡ªyet. He knew it wouldn¡¯t last. He turned his attention to the final two tabs he hadn¡¯t explored yet. The first was the "Realm Title" tab. He blinked on it, half expecting something useful. Instead, one phrase appeared on the screen: The Crab Whisperer. ¡°For god¡¯s sake, Now I¡¯m just being taunted.¡± Out of all the possible titles he could¡¯ve earned¡ªHell, even Crab Slayer would¡¯ve made more sense¡ªhe was stuck with The Crab Whisperer. He hadn¡¯t whispered to anything. He¡¯d blasted the crab-man into a pile of goo and burned his hands in the process. But apparently, this place had a sense of humour¡ªa really stupid one. He clicked out of the screen, shaking his head. ¡°There better not be more crab stuff,¡± he said to himself, dreading what other humiliations might await him. He was still yet to see what the voice from the rift had given him. Lastly, Joe blinked into the quests tab, hoping for something¡ªanything¡ªto guide him forward. The screen loaded. Completely empty. ¡°That¡¯s just great. My guide has apparently shit the bed and now I have zero guidance or goals.¡± He blink-slammed the page shut with a huff, frustration boiling up. Of course, no quests, no weapons. No direction. No hope. With a heavy sigh, Joe sank down into the dry dirt. He winced as he leaned back, trying to rest his hands behind him. The burns throbbed painfully, but he bit through the discomfort. That was just the tip of the iceberg, and Joe knew it. ¡°This is a disaster,¡± he moaned, staring at the cracked earth beneath him. ¡°I¡¯d have had better odds staying back home.¡± Joe looked up at the sky, the thick, oppressive heat bearing down on him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the dry air filling his lungs. As he let the breath out, dark thoughts began swirling in his mind¡ªthoughts of failure, of his inevitable death, of his family. His spiral into despair had started before his journey had even truly begun. Just as the weight of it all seemed unbearable, Joe heard a noise. It was faint at first, barely noticeable, but it quickly grew louder¡ªa familiar rumbling sound, an engine. Chapter 5 - Betty Joe¡¯s eyes snapped open as the roar of an engine broke his despair. The sound grew louder, vibrating through the cracked, lifeless earth. He blinked, confused, then looked up to see Betty, now somehow facing him. Thick plumes of smoke billowed aggressively from her exhaust, the likes of which he¡¯d never seen before. Her headlights glared at him like accusing eyes. Instinctively, Joe''s hand shot to his pocket, fingers brushing his car keys. How the hell is her engine running? The unease in his chest swelled as he approached cautiously, his eyes scanning the surroundings for anyone who might be hiding¡ªsomeone who could have hijacked his car, or worse. But the wasteland remained as empty and desolate as it had been just moments ago. He took a few more careful steps toward her, but suddenly Betty''s engine let out a violent roar, so loud and sharp that it made him jump back. He expected the car to charge forward and run him down. Joe raised his hands, palms out, like he was trying to calm a wild animal¡ªjust like in those Jurassic Park movies. Slowly, he crept closer again, until his fingers hovered over the hood. He hesitated, knowing it was a bad idea but doing it anyway. As soon as his fingers touched the metal, pain shot through his hand, and he yanked it away, cursing under his breath. The heat was so intense it had managed to burn straight through his already formed blisters. "Idiot," he muttered to himself, shaking off the pain. What was going on? He circled the car, peering inside the windows. No one. The car was as empty as it had been when he left it. Yet here it was, engine running, purring with a low menace. Finally, he reached the driver¡¯s side door, the one he had opened and closed a thousand times before. His fingers brushed the handle¡ªjust as a voice boomed from the car¡¯s speakers. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, Joe.¡± He froze. The voice was familiar¡ªgruff and commanding. His brain scrambled to identify it, and then it hit him. Betty White? ¡°What the¡­¡± Joe¡¯s hand jerked back, and he stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the dashboard like he expected some bastard ¡°influencer¡± to pop out and reveal a hidden camera. ¡°Betty?¡± he whispered. ¡°That¡¯s right, kid,¡± the voice crackled again, softer this time, almost as if the engine itself was smirking. ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised.¡± Joe¡¯s mind sputtered like a rusty motor. Betty¡ªhis car¡ªwas talking. Not just any car. His Betty. He dragged his hand through his hair, grimacing again at his complete lack of awareness of his newly acquired burns. ¡°How is this possible? You can talk? You actually understand me?¡± ¡°Of course I understand you, you idiot. Do. You. Understand. Me?¡± she replied, each word dripping with condescension. This was beyond weird. ¡°My car¡ªa cougar of a car¡ªcan talk now?¡± ¡°Watch it, kid," Betty growled, her engine rumbling. "An animal lover I am, but a cougar? Hardly¡± She revved her engine again, like an offended lion roaring in protest. Joe couldn''t help but smirk, the absurdity of the situation momentarily cutting through the tension. ¡°How can you even love animals? You just became¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ sentient?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Just because I can talk now doesn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t here the whole time,¡± Betty snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve been aware, okay? I felt everything¡ªevery time you shifted me into the wrong gear, every time you drove me like a moron. And let me tell you, there were plenty of those times.¡± Joe cringed. So now my car has a grudge too. Great. He stood there, still trying to process what was happening. His focus drifted behind him, to where tiny remnants of the rift still lingered. Was this somehow connected to what that mysterious figure had said? Had the powers-that-be given Betty her voice? As bizarre as it was, there was a strange comfort in hearing her talk. Maybe it was because, for the first time since this nightmare began, Joe didn¡¯t feel alone. Sure, his only companion was a passive-aggressive, newly sentient machine, but at least he had someone¡ªor something¡ªin this desolate wasteland. Robot Terrence certainly didn¡¯t bring him much comfort during their brief interaction. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. ¡°Betty, do you know anything about what¡¯s happening? Why we¡¯re here? What we¡¯re supposed to do next?¡± The steering wheel twitched, and the headlights focused on him like eyes. ¡°Nope!¡± she yelped, her voice now tinged with a wild, borderline hysterical edge. ¡°I have no idea! Zip! Zilch! Nada!¡± She let out a high-pitched cackle. Joe sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. So not only is my car sentient, cranky, and holding a grudge¡­ she¡¯s also completely unhinged. I am so screwed. He tried again. ¡°Do you have, I don¡¯t know, an inventory? A map? Anything useful?¡± Betty¡¯s response came fast. ¡°Nope, nothing. But hey, I can see you¡¯re Level 2 now! We¡¯re at the same level. Isn¡¯t that cute?¡± Joe groaned. ¡°Yeah¡­ don¡¯t remind me.¡± New Quest: Find the Sullen Abyss. Joe let out an almost excited ¡°ooh!¡± as he opened his main menu and accessed his quests. Ongoing Quest: Find the Sullen Abyss Description: Locate the Sullen Abyss. Be careful of the waves and cover your nose. Mind the statues. Just as Joe was inspecting his new quest, another one cropped up. New Quest: Defeat the Harbinger. Description: Defeat the Harbringer. Don¡¯t get seduced. ¡°Well, that looks ominous,¡± he said, closing the menu again. The quests weren¡¯t nearly as helpful as he had hoped, but Joe noticed a yellow star on the map far in the direction of the gothic Hogwarts he had noticed earlier. He looked off into the distance but couldn¡¯t see any physical sign of it; it only appeared on his map, at least giving him a direction. ¡°Can you see that, Betty?¡± Joe asked, knowing the answer. ¡°See what?¡± she replied. Joe sighed. Maybe only humans or actual people could see their menu. It made sense; she was literally a car. Although she was the same level as him, so that was¡­ something. ¡°I guess we should move toward the star. The guy in the rift said I should level up fast, but God knows how I can do that with just a stick.¡± As Joe finished his sentence, he looked at Betty and remembered the demon from earlier. Crap, how much XP did he get when he hit that thing while in her? 300? 500? Whatever it was, it was probably more than he could get with just himself and a stick. ¡°Betty, I need to get into the driver¡¯s side.¡± ¡°The hell you will,¡± she replied. Joe lowered his hands, trying to figure out how to reason with his own car. ¡°Betty, listen. I know this is weird, but you¡¯ve gotta let me drive you. You know I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Betty¡¯s headlights narrowed. ¡°Careful? You¡¯ve got a funny definition of ¡®careful.¡¯ I remember every pothole you hit. Every late oil change. And that time you stalled on a hill in the rain? Humiliating.¡± Joe sighed. ¡°I know, I know. But hey, I¡¯ve taken good care of you too. Rebuilt part of your engine, polished the rims, replaced that dashboard light when it bugged you. You¡¯re more than just¡­well, you¡¯re more than a car to me. You were the first thing I thought of after that explosion earlier.¡± He glanced away, feeling almost embarrassed at his own honesty. ¡°When I thought you might¡¯ve been... gone, I¡ª¡± Betty cut him off. ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t get all emotional, jeez. You¡¯re gonna get tears on the upholstery. Fine, I¡¯ll let you drive¡ªbut there¡¯s a condition. One wrong move, and I¡¯m taking over. Got it?¡± Joe stared at her, trying to figure out what that even meant. Could she really just take over? Would he be wrestling his own steering wheel in the middle of the wasteland? A rogue car with a grudge was the last thing he needed. ¡°Deal,¡± he said, swallowing these questions. With a hesitant breath, he reached for the door, slipping into the driver¡¯s seat. The familiar creak welcomed him, and the faint scent of engine oil mixed with air freshener made him feel right at home. He pulled his keys from his pocket and moved to put one into the ignition. ¡°Put that away, genius,¡± Betty said dryly. ¡°The engine¡¯s already running. Or have you not noticed?¡± Joe stopped, then shoved the key back into his pocket, muttering, ¡°Right.¡± He gripped the wheel and felt her power thrumming beneath his hands, a sensation far more alive than it had ever felt before. Betty¡¯s engine revved impatiently, and she lurched forward, making Joe grip the wheel tighter. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re heading toward that star thing, right? Let¡¯s go.¡± Without another word, Joe put his foot down and she came to life, her tires spinning against the ground. The wheels kicked up thick, greasy chunks of dead crab carcass from Joe¡¯s earlier battle, spraying them behind in a wake of grit and bone. Betty tore forward with a wild eagerness. For a moment, as they sped off into the unknown, Joe felt that familiar rush he felt earlier. They were together, and, however strange the road ahead looked, he was back behind the wheel of his Betty. Chapter 6 - The Roach Smoothie ¡°Careful!¡± Betty screeched as Joe ran over yet another large rock. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! They¡¯re everywhere!¡± Joe¡¯s hands clamped on the wheel as he navigated the treacherous, rock-littered wasteland. The cracked desert stretched out for miles. The flat, desolate earth fractured into long spiderwebs of fissures as if something giant had crushed it centuries ago. Heat waves rippled across the surface, distorting the view into a surreal haze. ¡°Sure, but maybe you could try avoiding them,¡± Betty said. ¡°You know, that way my tyres don¡¯t feel like they¡¯re doing the cha-cha.¡± Joe huffed. The cha-cha? Are you a 100 years old? He thought as he steered around a particularly jagged boulder. ¡°Noted. By the way, now that we¡¯re moving, I¡¯m pretty sure that guy in the rift said we need to level up fast. Which probably means achieving things¡­ or killing things.¡± ¡°Kill things!¡± Betty repeated with an unsettling amount of enthusiasm. Joe cast her dashboard an uneasy glance. Why do you sound excited about that? Was she at the mercy of this Infernal Resonance thing? One problem at a time. They continued across the wasteland, Betty¡¯s tyres crunching over dried fragments of something that looked like plant roots but had long since shrivelled into dust. The sun, if it could be called that, hung low, as if they were driving through a permanent sunset. The ground began to dip quickly, a steep descent into what appeared to be a canyon Joe was certain hadn¡¯t been there moments before. He eased off the gas, staring ahead in concern. ¡°Well, that¡¯s new,¡± he said. The cracked earth sloped down, funnelling them into a cavernous road that carved into the red rock. Massive stone walls rose on either side, towering above the car and blotting out the fiery sky. The red sandstone shimmered with streaks of black, lines of dark minerals snaking through the rock like fossilised lightning strikes. The deeper they went, the thicker the foul, decaying stench got. Joe swallowed, fighting off the urge to gag. ¡°Lovely neighbourhood,¡± Betty quipped. Joe rolled down his window, immediately regretting it as the smell intensified. ¡°Yeah actually, let¡¯s keep the windows up. This place smells like a rotting dumpster fire.¡± ¡°Thankfully, I can¡¯t smell anything. Just keep your eyes on the road before you roll me into another rock,¡± Betty retorted. Her full beams flicked on automatically as they delved deeper, illuminating the walls with a yellow glow. As they descended, Joe examined the stone walls, only to recoil in horror. Scuttling along the walls were things that looked like oversized cockroaches, each the size of his fist. Their shells glistened in the dim light, slick and shiny, their legs skittering in chaotic patterns as they climbed. Their antennae twitched, detecting the vibrations of Betty¡¯s engine. Joe finally noticed on his mini-map a large wave of red. There must have been hundreds of them. ¡°Ugh, look at the size of those things!¡± Joe grimaced. ¡°They¡¯re huge!¡± ¡°Hey, at least they¡¯re not in here. Besides, maybe you¡¯ll get to ¡®level up¡¯ by squashing a few of them. Just give the word, and I¡¯ll help you get ¡®em with my tyres,¡± Betty offered. ¡°You¡¯re going to drive up the walls are you?¡± Joe replied. ¡°I can give it a go.¡± Joe shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the road as it narrowed further, barely leaving any space for Betty between the jagged red walls. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°This place getting smaller, or am I just feeling extra claustrophobic?¡± Betty said, her headlights catching glimpses of skittering cockroach legs that disappeared into the cracks as they passed. ¡°Just hang on. It has to open up soon.¡± Joe replied. They continued like this for a while, the only sounds were the hum of Betty¡¯s engine and the distant, echoing scuttle of unseen creatures. The rotten, sulfuric air clung to everything until Joe was practically breathing through gritted teeth. At last, after what felt like miles, the canyon began to widen. Joe let out a long, steady breath as the cavern opened up, offering a little more room. He grinned, patting the dashboard. ¡°There we go, Betts. Bit of breathing room.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a dog, Joe.¡± ¡°Yep. Sorry.¡± Joe pulled his hand back. He was still getting used to this whole ordeal and wasn¡¯t quite sure how to act. Their relief was seemingly short-lived as Betty¡¯s brakes slammed on, jerking Joe forward as the car came to an abrupt halt. ¡°Whoa, Betty, what gives?¡± Joe asked, looking at her dashboard as if it might hold some clue. Nothing appeared on his map¡ªno enemies, no obstacles, just the endless stretch of red rock ahead. ¡°What do you see?¡± he asked, straining to peer through the windshield. Betty didn¡¯t answer. Her engine revved, growing louder, almost like she was building up for something. Then, with a startling thud, something landed on her roof. Joe jolted, looking up. ¡°Did¡­ did something just hit us?¡± he asked, but before he could react, another heavy thump echoed from the roof, then another, and then another. The sound grew until it was like a shower of rocks raining down on them. ¡°Oh, hell no,¡± Betty snarled. Before Joe could reach the steering wheel, she sped forward, tyres squealing as she sped off, seemingly on her own. ¡°Betty!¡± Joe shouted, grabbing the wheel but feeling resistance. She wasn¡¯t letting him steer. The car blazed ahead, bumping and jerking as hundreds of slick, dark shapes tumbled down from the cliff walls, rolling off her roof and hitting the ground in a writhing mass. Joe could do nothing but watch as hundreds of enormous cockroaches swarmed down the walls and landed in front of them. Their legs wriggled as they climbed over each other, their bodies glistening with that strange phosphorescent slime from the cavern walls. With a maniacal growl, Betty barrelled forward, ploughing straight through them. Shells crunched as if she was stomping on giant snails, and notifications began popping up in Joe¡¯s field of vision: Achievement Unlocked: Betty the Bulldozer! You squished a roach. 5XP gained. Joe blinked, shaking his head. ¡°No, no, no, not now!¡± he muttered, blinking at the notification, but the achievements kept appearing. Achievement Unlocked: Betty the Bulldozer! You squished a roach. 5XP gained. Achievement Unlocked: Betty the Bulldozer! You squished a roach. 5XP gained. As they raced over the swarm, the notifications flooded his vision, obscuring everything as more roaches rained down on Betty from above. She hit the crawling masses with a bumping rhythm like they were speeding over oversized speed bumps. ¡°Betty, are you seeing this?!¡± Joe yelled, trying to focus on the road despite the virtual text swarming his sight. ¡°See it? I¡¯m feeling it! They¡¯re practically bathing me in bug guts!¡± Betty¡¯s voice vibrated through her speaker system with a strange satisfaction as she pulsed her engine in quick bursts and sped up even more. The achievements continued to pop up relentlessly. Achievement Unlocked: Betty the Bulldozer! You squished a roach. 5XP gained. Achievement Unlocked: Betty the Bulldozer! You squished a roach. 5XP gained. ¡°Betty, slow down! I can¡¯t see!¡± Joe said, frantically blinking at the virtual text as the cockroaches poured down from above, carpeting the car until they felt almost buried. ¡°No way! We¡¯re on a roll!¡± she shouted. Joe could barely keep his eyes on the path. The smell had become unbearable and he was sure what could only be described as ¡°cockroach juice¡± was leaking through her interior air vents. ¡°Betty!¡± he choked out, ¡°This is disgusting!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± she replied, unapologetic as her wheels gripped through the slick mass, leaving a long, roach-coated trail behind them. Betty skidded out of the narrow canyon, lurching into a wide, bowl-shaped clearing in the middle of the cavernous structure. Joe braced himself, blinking the last of the notifications out of his vision and taking in the open space, grateful to finally be out from under the overhangs¡ªand away from the endless rain of cockroaches. For a moment, it was silent, the only sound the faint grind of Betty¡¯s idling engine. Joe saw in the centre of the bowl what appeared to be an enormous, dark boulder, almost blending into the background. Joe tried to compose himself, attempting to slow his heart rate down. A small part of him felt that thrill he felt when he exploded that crab-man, an excitement that he couldn¡¯t quite place. It was only when he looked slightly closer to the boulder, that something seemed¡­off. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t look right,¡± he said. ¡°No kidding. That¡¯s no rock.¡± The ¡°boulder¡± shifted, and a chitinous rustle scraped the cavern floor as it lifted on six massive legs. Two long antennae unfurled from its head, twitching as if sensing the air. Joe could now see on his mini-map the size of it, it took up almost half of his screen. ¡°Oh, no.¡± he whispered, as the creature¡¯s body unfolded to its full height, easily the size of a house, towering over them. Every grotesque detail of its ghastly form was visible in the light¡ªthe ridges of its carapace were rough and cracked, a sickly sheen coating its black, oily shell. Its mandibles dripped with a vicious green slime. ¡°Is that a¡ª?¡± Betty¡¯s said with revulsion. ¡°A giant cockroach?!¡± Joe¡¯s gaze darted above the creature, where a line of glowing text suddenly appeared, hovering in the air: Level 10 Fireroach. No further information. No hint of a weakness or strategy, just its ominous level, which might as well have been a death sentence. ¡°Level ten?! Betty, we are so, so screwed.¡± Chapter 7 - A Roach Too Far As the monstrous fireroach stood taller, a black carpet of smaller roaches surged into the cavern behind Joe and Betty, pooling like living tar across the floor. Their segmented bodies squirmed and jittered, piling over each other, forming a churning, undulating wall of legs and antennae. There was no turning back. The towering creature''s serrated mandibles clicked with a slow, mechanical hunger, as if savouring the prospect of a meal. Betty crawled forward as Joe searched into the distance. The cavern walls were smooth and sheer, like a bowl, but no hint of a path or ledge to sidestep the creature. A single exit loomed across the rocky field on the other side of the giant-ass bug, framed hints of goop gleaming off the slick cavern stone. "This isn¡¯t looking good," Joe said, scrolling through his inventory for the hundredth time. He half-expected to find something new and useful that had magically appeared in his arsenal¡ªperhaps an enchanted blade, a grenade, a meat cannon¡­ But there it was, just the same¡ªsingle, pitiful stick that had plagued him since he entered the Inferno. "Betty, if I get out of this car, I¡¯m dead," he said, eyeing the cavern''s grim landscape, the undulating swarm behind them, and the leviathan bug ahead. "Yeah, no kidding. So, don¡¯t get out." Sweat slicked Joe¡¯s forehead despite the chill underground. The fireroach was massive, a hulking wall of carapace and claws, each leg spiked and segmented like some demonic clockwork. There was no chance of taking it head-on. Joe attempted to recall every bit of TV and film lore he''d devoured¡ªheroes outwitting dragons, protagonists dodging titans, characters finding creative ways to survive. Maybe they didn¡¯t have to fight it. Maybe some sort of strategy could save them. "Alright," he said, "We¡¯ll try to speed past it and out of dodge. If it comes to a fight, we look for weak points. Maybe its legs¡ªcripple one, and it might topple." Betty let out a snort of laughter. "You want me to ram into its legs?" "Got a better idea?" Joe shot back. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in. I just find it funny. I¡¯m gunna break its neck, if it has one, turn that thing whole fucking quad.¡± Joe shot a wary glance at Betty¡¯s dashboard for the umpteenth time. She sounded unhinged, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was the Inferno¡¯s influence or just Betty being herself. He wasn¡¯t sure which one he preferred. "Let¡¯s not bulldozer it just yet," he said, trying to keep his voice calm, as if reasoning with a 1971 Datsun with homicidal tendencies was entirely normal. "Let¡¯s just try and get around it, out of dodge, nice and easy." "Whatever you say." He stole a quick glance back and felt his stomach twist. The carpet of smaller roaches had grown, and they were moving closer in a thick, scuttling tide. They were out of time. "Alright," he said, hands tightening on the wheel. "You ready?" Betty revved. "Born ready." Joe nudged her forward, and the fireroach¡¯s head snapped toward them, mandibles gnashing with an eager screech. Its compound eyes gleamed, reflecting Betty''s headlights as it loomed taller, its skinny legs tensing like coiled springs. Without a second thought, Joe floored the gas, steering Betty toward the cavern¡¯s edge. For a heartbeat, the fireroach hesitated, calculating, and then launched itself forward in a blur of clicking legs. Crap, crap, crap. This thing was fast. Faster than Joe had anticipated. "It¡¯s trying to ram us!" Joe said as he pushed the pedal down harder. Betty roared, her engine climbing to an unfamiliar gear. "Faster!" Betty screamed, her voice high and fierce. They were neck and neck, if they continued on this course, it¡¯d crush Betty like a tin can against the cavern wall. The steering wheel shook violently in Joe¡¯s hands as he held her steady, every bone in his body thrumming with the need to survive. We can make it, we can make it. Joe¡¯s hope was quickly extinguished when he realised, they were not in fact going to make it. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I¡¯ve fucked up we aren¡¯t going to make it!¡± he cried, voice cracking. Just when collision seemed unavoidable, Betty threw herself into a skid, tires shrieking as she locked her brakes. Dirt and gravel sprayed in every direction as the fireroach hurtled in front, its momentum too great to control, slamming headfirst into the stone wall with a wet, splintering crunch. A guttural, ear-splitting wail erupted from the creature, a sound so alien and wrong that Joe felt it in his filings. For a moment, it writhed in place, spindly legs clawing at the wall, trying to pry itself free. God damn it. He felt like an absolute idiot, why was he trying to race that thing? They clearly were not going to make it so why did he commit? If Betty hadn¡¯t slammed on the breaks they were surely dead. Before Joe could apologise to Betty, he glanced back, only to see the swarm closing in. "We gotta go, Betty! Before that swarm reaches us!" he shouted, but before he could act, Betty sped forward on her own, veering a hard left toward the centre of the cavern where the fireroach had been lurking moments ago. Maybe it was for the best she took charge of the situation, he was clearly an idiot. "I can take him," she growled. Okay, maybe not. ¡°Hell no!¡± Joe replied, ¡°This is not a demolition derby. If we get slammed by that thing, it¡¯ll turn us into a cougar-shaped pancake.¡± "I am not a cougar!" Betty snapped, and for a split second, Joe grinned despite the chaos. She was something else, and somehow, in the middle of a nightmare, he found himself enjoying her company. As they reached the centre of the cavern, something glimmered in Joe¡¯s peripheral. Across the spot where the fireroach had been coiled was a scattering of shiny objects¡ªa mess of stuff that glinted cavern light, looking suspiciously like weapons, armour, and other gear. His breath caught. "Betty, look," he said, "a loot pile." Betty slowed just a touch, her lights casting a glow over strange shaped weapons, bottles, and what might even have been another cannon, all lying there, almost waiting for him. Joe¡¯s felt that numbness from earlier, a surge of power and adrenaline as he weighed the risk of stopping against the possibility of being better armed. "Well?" Betty asked. Joe looked over to the giant fireroach, still writhing and pinned against the stone wall, stuck in place and screeching with frustration. He glanced back at the swarm of smaller roaches, a crawling, writhing mass piling over each other in a chaotic frenzy. Despite their numbers, they were surprisingly slow, tangled up in their own mad scramble. "Fuck it," Joe said, making his decision. "Betty, drive off. Try to pull them away from me." "On it," Betty replied. Joe still couldn¡¯t get over her sounding exactly like Betty White. Joe jumped out and she shot forward, darting away from the pile of loot. She sped off toward the cavern''s far wall, weaving erratically to get the swarm''s attention. With Betty pulling the roaches away, Joe turned back to the pile. He took a deep breath and slid down the rough hill on his rear, dirt scraping against his trousers as he descended. When he reached the bottom, he gasped at the trove spread before him¡ªit was far more than he¡¯d anticipated. He stared at the haul, mouth agape as he began blinking on items to get their descriptions. "Level 1 Healing¡­" he said, eyes darting over bottles filled with a faintly glowing liquid¡­ There was a Level 2 Focus Boost as well, and something wickedly sharp labelled a Level 3 Pumpkin Scythe. Further down the pile, a vicious-looking firearm bore the name Level 4 Scorpion Cannon, which he had spotted earlier. There also appeared to be a menacing piece of armour labelled simply, Guard of the Gold Eater Armour, with no level indicator. Joe blinked on everything, realising each item was transferring into his inventory. He started grabbing what he thought were the best items, calculating how much of his 40 item inventory he had left. Betty¡¯s engine swirled from above, her tires squealing as if she were doing donuts, trying to maintain the swarm¡¯s attention. She probably was doing donuts for all Joe knew. Joe stuffed another item into his inventory and stood, glancing around with a sudden realisation. Why do they call it a fireroach, anyway? The thought barely formed before he looked up and froze. The fireroach was there¡ªits head looming above him. Joe noticed, with a sinking stomach, that it had a massive hole in the centre of its head, glowing faintly. The creature¡¯s breath washed over him, filling the air with a warm and foul, sulfuric stench. Then, the fireroach emitted a spine-chilling squeal, and with a horrid sputter, fire shot from the hole. Joe ducked, feeling the flames from above slightly singe the top of his hair. ¡°I am absolutely fucked,¡± he said, as he was forced to the ground to try and escape the searing heat. Chapter 8 - The Last Stand Joe lay curled among the scattered loot, feeling the intense furnace radiating over him. He clutched his head, trying to block out the sound and the heat, pressing himself as low as he could against the cavern floor. The roar of the fireroach filled his ears. His entire body throbbed, and he could barely feel his hands through the haze of pain. Great, even more goddamn hand burns. Slowly, the fireroach¡¯s scream faded, but the intensity of the fire lingered. Joe opened his eyes just a sliver, his vision blurring as he tried to figure out how injured he was. He quickly shooed any pain he thought he might be feeling away as he saw the fireroach still looming over him, its massive body casting a shadow that darkened everything around him. If it wanted him dead, it would have crushed him already or burned him alive with a single burst of fire. Instead, it stood there, watching him, its giant mandibles twitching. It doesn¡¯t want to destroy the loot, he realised. Maybe it¡¯s guarding it, protecting it. The blast of fire felt more like a warning¡ªa territorial show of force telling him to get out. He couldn¡¯t just stay here, frozen, curled in the foetal position. But he knew the moment he made a move, the fireroach might strike. If he tried to slip out of the pile, he¡¯d be squashed or scorched to death. The air down in the hole had become suffocatingly thin, each breath was a struggle to suck in enough oxygen. Joe shifted slightly, testing the waters a little, his body now aching and his hands throbbing even more than they already did. He noticed the same level of burns to the back of his hands now similar to the front, only they looked significantly worse. Joe shifted again, inching forward. The fireroach still loomed above, watching him with unblinking eyes. He rose to one knee, only to be blasted back by another wave of fire. He collapsed, desperate, frantically sweeping whatever loot he could over himself¡ªbits of silver, random trinkets, a few bottles. Anything to shield himself. The roach wasn¡¯t going for a clean kill; it seemed content to cook him, suffocating him under its heat. Just as Joe tried to gather his breath, two bottles clinked together and shattered, spraying glass across his back. For fuck¡¯s sake. Joe had had enough. He blinked open his inventory and grabbed the biggest new weapon he had¡ªthe Scorpion Cannon. Rolling onto his back, ignoring the sting of glass in his skin, he summoned the cannon into his hands. The weapon appeared, with grim metal and brutal edges, fitting heavy in his blistered grip. Smaller than the Meat Cannon, sure, but it looked nasty enough. He aimed up at the fireroach¡¯s belly and pulled the trigger, screaming in sheer defiance. The Scorpion Cannon obeyed, firing razor-sharp shards shaped like tiny scorpions in a rapid, metallic burst. The projectiles pinged off the fireroach¡¯s armour, bouncing off with a useless clang. The creature didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t even shift. A few shots missed entirely. Then, click. Empty. The roach hadn¡¯t moved an inch, hadn¡¯t so much as acknowledged his attack. Joe hurled the cannon aside and laughed¡ªa deep, twisted laugh that bubbled up from a place in him he didn¡¯t recognise. He was cooked, and he knew it. "Come on then! Do it, you fucker! Kill me!¡± he shouted. ¡°Do it!¡± He laughed again, hysterical, as if daring the creature to end it. A manic, reckless energy filled him, pushing him past fear, past any sense of self-preservation. Arms spread wide, he sprawled out on the cavern floor, inviting the inevitable. The fireroach, as if reading his challenge, seemed to accept. Through the cracked hole in its head, he saw a rising, fiery glow. Heat building, pulsing, the creature concentrating all its firepower into a single, deadly shot aimed directly at him.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Joe closed his eyes. This is it. Barely a couple of hours in this place, and it¡¯s already over. He lay there, embracing the absurdity of it all, ready for the final, fiery blast. Reality was on her way to greet him, and he welcomed her like an old friend. As Joe braced himself, as if out of nowhere, a loud honk blared. It sounded comically out of place, like someone blasting an air horn in the middle of Joe¡¯s funeral. Joe opened his eyes. Was he hearing things? Maybe the heat had finally cooked his brain. But there it was again¡ªthe clownish honk of a car horn echoing through the cavern. The fireroach froze, its attack halted mid-charge. Joe lifted his head just in time to see the fireroach¡¯s head jerk back. With a grinding lurch, the massive creature tilted backward. Its enormous frame swayed, body struggling against gravity, before it crashed backwards, shaking the ground and disappearing from his view Stunned, Joe struggled to his feet, coughing through the dust that had kicked up from the impact and down into the little treasure hole he was in. His legs felt so heavy he felt like he was walking in houmous, but he clawed his way up the incline. His body was likely 20% burns, and his back felt like he¡¯d been break-dancing on broken glass, but he had to see what just happened. Reaching the top, Joe saw through the cloud of dust that the fireroach¡¯s hind legs were bent at awkward ankles, the joints buckling as it tried and failed to regain its footing. And there just beyond, circling back around in a wide arc, was Betty. It clicked¡ªBetty must have baited the swarm, leading them away from him, then doubled back to take on the fireroach alone. That crazy old cougar. She¡¯d bulldozed straight into its back legs, knocking it off balance just long enough to save him. The fireroach looked hurt, but not defeated; it was already attempting to pull itself back up with its remaining four legs. Betty circled and swung past the recovering fireroach, coming to a halt right next to Joe. The driver-side door popped open. ¡°You need a ride, honey?¡± she called. Joe let out a breath he didn¡¯t realise he was holding. He couldn¡¯t help but grin as he instead ran around to the passenger side, throwing himself into the seat. It felt¡­strange. She was only a two-seater, after all, but it felt almost sacrilegious to sit as a passenger in his vehicle. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna drive?¡± Joe raised his hands defensively in front of the dashboard, almost on instinct, like she could see him. To his surprise, she did. ¡°Won''t be conducting many orchestras with those crispy nuggets,¡± she quipped. Of course, she could see. How else had she been pulling off everything so far? Joe swallowed a snarky comeback as he again surveyed the battlefield. The fireroach was stirring, clawing its way back up, while the swarm that Betty had initially drawn away was coming back around, a black, churning mass of legs. This was their chance. The cavern¡¯s far side loomed ahead, their only visible exit from this Thunderdome nightmare. Just because it was the only exit didn¡¯t necessarily mean it led to safety. What if more of these things were waiting beyond that passage? He shoved the thought down. They didn¡¯t have any other option¡ªthey had to try. Sure, he¡¯d practically accepted death just a few seconds ago, but that madness had burned off completely now. He sure as hell didn¡¯t want to die. Not today. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here, Betty,¡± Joe said, putting on his seatbelt, ready for Betty to bolt. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve had enough of these bugs now anyway. I¡¯ll come back later to finish them off.¡± Joe let that one slide¡ªshe¡¯d earned the right to be cocky after everything she¡¯d just pulled off. Betty tore back through the cavern, sending both of her windows down. Joe felt the air whoosh past as she wove effortlessly around various obstacles. In the rear-view mirror, Joe caught a glimpse of the fireroach struggling to its feet. It wobbled, its massive body unsteady on four legs, and began a clumsy pursuit. But it was too slow, lagging behind further as its injuries apparently took their toll. Finally, as if admitting defeat, the fireroach slowed and turned back, unwilling to leave whatever hoard it guarded. But before it gave up completely, the creature reared back and let out one last defiant fire blast. Flames erupted from the hole in its head, arching in a blazing line behind them. Its figure began to shrink in the rear-view. The swarm hadn¡¯t been able to get even remotely close either. Thank god. They burst through the cavern exit into another narrow, rocky passage that led¡­somewhere else. Joe felt himself relax slightly, he could finally breathe again, even if his lungs still stung from the dust and the heat. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope there¡¯s no more waiting for us up ahead,¡± Betty said. Joe just nodded, praying they could get even a moment¡¯s rest bite before the next nightmare unfolded. Chapter 9 - Loot Loot Loot Thankfully, Joe and Betty didn¡¯t run into any more damn cockroaches. The cavern stretched on, alternating between wide chambers and narrow, claustrophobic passages. Finally, the path sloped upward, a steep incline leading back toward the surface. Joe slumped against the passenger seat, exhaustion poking him in the chest like the class bully. He¡¯d lost all sense of time down here; it felt like days since he¡¯d clocked out from his shift at the supermarket, yet strangely, hunger still hadn¡¯t caught up with him. As they approached the top, Betty slowed to a crawl, easing forward so they could get a good look at what lay ahead. The coast was clear, but the landscape had transformed. Gone was the wasteland Joe had expected; in its place stood the remains of an old town. Joe cocked his head as part of the terrain looked vaguely familiar as if he had been here in a dream he couldn¡¯t remember. Crumbling buildings lined what appeared to be streets, wide enough to accommodate a vehicle. Most structures barely reached two stories, their walls reduced to frames of brick and stone. The remnants hinted at some lost civilisation¡ªone that had tried, and failed, to survive on the surface of the Inferno. Joe shivered at the thought. Whoever had lived here hadn¡¯t lasted long, but their outline of a town remained. ¡°What kind of life could survive here?¡± Joe said, analysing the ruins. ¡°Beats me, but looks like they didn¡¯t have a good time of it,¡± Betty replied. Joe scanned the area until he spotted a relatively intact building and gestured toward it. ¡°There,¡± he said, hoping for a brief chance to regroup. He felt like he¡¯d been through hell¡ªliterally¡ªand his body was begging for even a moment of rest. Betty eased herself toward the structure, parking out of sight from the main road. They faced the edge of town, ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice, but hidden enough to avoid being easily spotted. Joe let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes. For once, it wasn¡¯t a gesture of surrender, but simply a rare moment of peace. Two minutes¡ªthat¡¯s all he needed. Although apparently, Betty hadn¡¯t gotten the memo. ¡°So what now?¡± she asked, clearly not reading the situation. ¡°Right now? I rest for a moment.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°Until I¡¯m rested.¡± Betty waited five whole seconds before she replied. ¡°Are you rested now?¡± ¡°For Christ sake!¡± Joe sat up and unclipped his seat belt. He obviously wasn¡¯t going to get what he needed. ¡°Have I annoyed you?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I clearly have.¡± ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s like having a maniacal cougar toddler! Just gimme a moment Betty!¡± Betty stopped again, not immediately replying. ¡°I am not a cougar. Now what loot did we get?¡± The loot! Joe was so exhausted that he had completely forgotten about the items he had collected during their confrontation with the fireroach. Joe quickly opened his inventory, surprised to see he had gathered far more than he¡¯d realised. Out of 40 available slots, roughly 12 were filled. At a glance, he had a decent haul, though about 8 of the items were just bottles. Starting from the top left, he began examining each item, working his way down. The first three appeared to be small healing potions, or maybe they were drinks, or some kind of liquid¡ªwhatever they were. Item: Level 2 HealingIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Description: Heals up to 10% of any physical damage. The description emphasised physical damage. Joe paused, bringing his hands into view behind the inventory grid. They looked rough. He blinked, selecting one of the potions, and it appeared in his hand: a small, shiny bottle with a triangular base, a cork and a green liquid to match. What¡¯s the worst that could happen? He popped the cork, guessing it was meant to be drunk rather than poured over himself. He was too tired to think twice. He drank it down in one go. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t bad¡ªfaintly apple-flavoured, like one of those sour apple cocktails. The effects hit almost immediately: the bags under his eyes felt lighter, the pain in his hands dulled a bit, and he even saw some skin beginning to heal. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, ¡°that actually felt pretty good.¡± Good enough, in fact, that he grabbed another and drank it. And for good measure, he downed the third. Thirty per cent better? Oh, yeah. He could feel it. Joe watched as his hands began to heal, new skin forming over the blisters, and the dull ache in his back easing as the wounds healed. He even felt a piece of glass slide down the back of his shirt. How had he not noticed that before, even after pressing against the seat? He reopened his inventory to check the next item, and the sight made him feel like he¡¯d just been kicked in the nuts. Item: Level 15 Healing Description: Heals up to 100% of any physical damage for levels below 15. Up to 10% for levels above 15. What an idiot! He could have just used this and saved the weaker potions. Joe wasn¡¯t sure what percentage of his body was injured, but if this would get him back to 100%, it was worth it. He popped the Level 15 potion, which tasted like cherries, and felt what he could only describe as a full-body orgasm. His hands fully healed, his callouses vanished, and his fingernails immediately trimmed. That was weird. His whole body seemed to realign and strengthen, the aches and pains melting away. A comforting warmth spread through him, like being wrapped in a blanket by a fireside on a cold winter morning, sipping coffee and watching The Office. The euphoria Joe felt was on a level he could only imagine was comparable to heroin. Achievement Unlocked: Restore full health for the first time! +100 XP. "Well, that was incredible," Joe said. "You look a lot better. Not quite Dick Barker, but not bad," Betty commented. "I have no idea who that is," Joe replied. "Ugh. So, what now? Are you done staring at your imaginary screen?" "Two more minutes." Betty huffed, but Joe didn¡¯t mind; he felt like he could run a marathon. Those potions were the real deal, and he felt good. He continued exploring his inventory, noticing one more Level 1 healing potion and a couple of potions that promised to increase his focus¡ªwhatever that meant. Joe hovered over two final bottles. Item: Level 10 Fire Bomb Description: Engulf yourself in flames, damaging nearby enemies. Grants resistance to all fire damage for 60 seconds. Yeah, no thanks. Joe had already had his fill of being burned. Still, he wondered: if it made him resistant to fire, would engulfing himself in flames hurt him? Unlike the healing potions, this wasn¡¯t something he was willing to test out just yet. The last ¡°potion¡± wasn¡¯t a potion at all. It looked like a slim bottle, but on closer inspection, it resembled a rolled-up piece of parchment¡ªor maybe a morning newspaper, the kind that hits your door at 5 a.m. Item: Level 8 Scroll of Freeze Bone Joe chuckled at the name. Item: Level 8 Scroll of Freeze Bone Description: Prevents enemies from regaining health for 120 seconds. Cannot be used while Resonance Abilities are active. Judging by the description, it was possibly something he¡¯d have to read aloud. But was he even able to? He knew from video games that you usually needed a certain skill level or specialisation to use scrolls like this. And at a mere level 2? No clue if he¡¯d meet the requirements, and nothing to test it on. Probably best to save it for later, just in case. Joe cracked his knuckles, ready for the real treasure. He¡¯d purposely saved the last five items for this moment; they looked like weapons and maybe even some armour. The anticipation was killing him. Time to see what he had. Item: Level 3 Pumpkin Scythe Abilities: The scythe had a blade shaped like a sharp crescent moon, glowing with a faint orange hue that reminded him of a pumpkin¡¯s skin. The handle was wrapped in dark vines, with a pumpkin face etched into the base. ¡°Really leaning into the Halloween theme, huh?¡± Joe said. ¡°Who comes up with this stuff?¡± He had to admit, he liked the look¡ªand the abilities. He figured he could get a better feel for it in his hands, but then remembered he was still sitting in Betty. Suddenly summoning a giant scythe inside his two-seater Datsun might not end well. The next item caught his eye for a different reason. That blasted stick! He ignored it for now, moving on to the final three items. First up, the one he¡¯d glimpsed briefly back in the fireroach pit. Item: Level 25 - Guard of the Gold Eater Armour Abilities: ?? Well, that was helpful. The armour appeared to be made of tarnished, golden-hued metal. Surprisingly, it was a full set¡ªbreastplate, shoulder guards with claw-like ridges, and greaves with interlocking scales. The helmet was designed like an open maw, shaped to resemble the jaws of a beast. It looked regal, in a dark, imposing way. Something he¡¯d have to try at some point. The second-to-last item looked like a medieval crossbow. Item: Level 3 Hand Crossbow Abilities: ¡°I hate this place,¡± Joe said under his breath. He wondered if the crossbow came with bolts or if he¡¯d have to scavenge for them. Knowing his luck here, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was bolt-less. He was pretty sure this whole place was just making fun of him constantly. Finally, he got to the last item, the one he¡¯d subconsciously saved because it looked the most promising. A goddamn trident. Item: Level 12 Trident of The Pact Abilities: ¡°My very own Mj?lnir... and lightning too!¡± Joe¡¯s excitement spiked at the thought of wielding a trident. And at Level 12? He could have made quick work of that giant bug from earlier! He checked himself, though. No point in getting too carried away. He was in a place that seemed bent on killing him or driving him insane¡ªprobably both. He wondered if the weapon would even be effective in his hands at such a low level. Who knows. Only one way to find out. Not a bad haul overall. Joe felt a little better about his situation. At least he had weapons now and a way to heal himself, even if he¡¯d learned the hard way to be cautious with those potions. He closed his inventory and navigated back to his main menu. It seemed wise to check his Infernal Resonance levels, remembering his outburst when he¡¯d faced down the fireroach, practically daring it to kill him. He regretted dropping the scorpion cannon at that moment, but there hadn¡¯t exactly been time to think.
Resonance Type:
Infernal Resonance:
Wrath: 1% [Stable] [0/2 Echoes] Available Abilities: Fury Burst (Locked), Controlled Rage (Locked)
Despair: 10% [Stable] [0/2 Echoes] Available Abilities: Sapping Will (Locked), Endless Grit (Locked)
Madness: 15% [Stable] [0/2 Echoes] Available Abilities: Distorted Perception (Locked), Choo Choo (Locked)
Infernal Influence Unlocked once Resonance Mastery is Achieved.
"Ah¡­ that¡¯s not good,¡± he said, staring at the increasing numbers. "Uh, Joe?" Betty''s voice cut in. ¡°Just a second, Betty,¡± he replied, distracted. Just one near-death encounter with the fireroach, and these levels had jumped considerably. If he was going to keep having close calls like that¡ªand he probably would¡ªit could get out of hand fast. "Joe?" she repeated, more urgently. ¡°I said, one second!¡± "JOE, FOR CHRIST¡¯S SAKE, WE HAVE COMPANY." Joe snapped to attention and glanced around, checking each window, then peered out the rear-view mirror. About thirty feet behind them stood a man, just¡­ staring. He looked like he was decked out in full denim and a cowboy hat. Chapter 10 - The Cow(boy) Joe remained locked on the figure in the rear-view mirror. The cowboy was definitely watching them, but he didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°Want me to ram his ass?¡± Betty eagerly offered. ¡°What? No! Well... not yet, anyway. We don¡¯t know if he¡¯s friendly or not.¡± Joe looked at his map, but it didn¡¯t offer much help. The cowboy wasn¡¯t marked as a red dot, nor anything else really¡ªjust a simple, colourless circle. Joe reopened his inventory and hovered over the Pumpkin Scythe. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he could wield the trident yet and now didn¡¯t seem like the time to test it. The Scythe was Level 3, so at least he knew he could probably handle that. Keeping the screen up, he pulled the handle to exit Betty. ¡°If this goes south, you have my permission to ram him¡ªbut don¡¯t jump the gun,¡± Joe cautioned. ¡°Fine, but I don¡¯t like this, Joe,¡± Betty replied. Joe stepped out, clicking on the scythe. It appeared in his hand, but it was longer than he¡¯d expected¡ªan intimidating 8-foot reach. Not ideal for close combat, but he¡¯d manage, not that he had fought another human before. He moved to the back of the car, keeping a cautious distance from the cowboy in case it was some sort of trap. ¡°You there! Who are you?¡± Joe shouted, trying to project authority. The man just stood there, silent. ¡°Have you come from¡­ home? Or, uh, Earth?¡± The man began walking toward him. "Shit, shit, shit.¡± "Stop!" he shouted, failing to capture that authoritative tone he was grasping for. The cowboy kept coming. As he drew closer, Joe suddenly realised why the figure looked familiar. It was the same guy he¡¯d seen earlier¡ªthe one standing at the edge of the Inferno gates when he first arrived. ¡°Hey! I saw you earlier! You were with the group at the gates!¡± Joe called out. At that, the cowboy finally halted, and his features sharpened into focus. He was taller than Joe and built like a brick shit house. His face was toughened and weathered, the kind of face only years in the sun could carve. A prickly layer of stubble covered his jaw, but what stood out most were his piercing blue eyes, holding Joe¡¯s gaze with an intensity that felt animalistic. If Joe had to describe him to someone else, he¡¯d start with, ¡°Imagine the manliest man you can think of.¡± "You came from above?" the cowboy asked, his voice rough as if he''d been chewing gravel and cigarettes since utero. "I did," Joe replied, feeling the need to elaborate before trust could even be a consideration. "After the explosion, I felt... a pull toward the source. That¡¯s when I saw you and a bunch of others standing at the Inferno gates. Got this weird message saying we were all that stood between here and home." The cowboy just grunted. It was clear he wasn¡¯t convinced. Joe braced himself for more questioning, knowing he hadn''t earned this stranger''s trust just yet. "And how did you get here?" the cowboy asked. ¡°We¡ªI drove,¡± Joe said, motioning over his shoulder at Betty, parked just a few feet behind him. He instantly regretted the slip-up. That "we" sounded suspicious, and the cowboy¡¯s gaze sharpened as he scanned the area as if Joe might have hidden reinforcements ready to pounce. "My car, Betty," Joe explained quickly. "She¡­ kind of¡­ became sentient? I don¡¯t fully understand it myself, but she can talk and control herself." "And I make a mean cake!" Betty shouted from behind him. Joe just sighed, rubbing his temple with his freshly healed, non-crispy hand. For a second, the cowboy¡¯s tough exterior cracked in surprise, but he quickly composed himself. Joe blinked, mentally activating his assessment ability on the cowboy. His level appeared in Joe¡¯s field of vision¡ªLevel 5! How the hell did this guy get to Level 5 so fast? "Even if you''re lying, I doubt a Level 2 isn¡¯t going to be much of a problem for us." "You can come out now, kid," the cowboy called out. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Joe heard footsteps, and from behind the building they¡¯d been hiding near, a boy emerged. The kid was a sharp contrast to the grizzled cowboy, but also Joe recognised him¡ªit was the same boy he¡¯d seen earlier with the green sack slung over his shoulder. Another Earthling. "I just snuck right past you without you even seeing me!" the boy declared, strolling confidently past Betty and Joe to stand beside the cowboy. "I could¡¯ve been anything!" he added with a grin. Joe quickly assessed the kid, who showed up as Level 3. Seriously? How is everyone a higher level than him? The boy was no longer carrying the green sack but had managed to pick up some leather armour¡ªworn and stained, covering his torso with a battered leather breastplate. "I had to make sure you weren¡¯t a threat," the cowboy said. "I''m Pete, or Dark Avenger if you prefer," the boy said, thrusting out a hand as he walked up to Joe. Joe smiled and glanced at the cowboy, who looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes. Seemed like he had his version of Betty to deal with. Joe put his Scythe back into his inventory and shook Pete¡¯s hand. "Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Joe, and this is Betty." He nodded back toward his car. ¡°Hey Kid!¡± Betty did a quick three-point turn, positioning herself to face Pete directly. "So I wasn¡¯t hearing things," Pete said, wide-eyed. "You really can talk!" "You bet your ass I can, kid. I can even play music!" Betty chimed, starting up Joe¡¯s old CD player. The Bee Gees¡¯ "Stayin'' Alive" blasted from her speakers until Joe shushed her, worried they¡¯d draw unwanted attention. Pete just laughed harder. "You guys have about as much sense as you do situational awareness," the cowboy said, unimpressed. "At least we¡¯re having fun doing it!" Betty retorted. "And who are you, anyway?" "Just call me Levi," he replied. "I would''ve pegged you for more of a ¡®Butch,¡¯¡± Betty said. Joe didn¡¯t respond, but he secretly agreed. The name Levi didn¡¯t quite fit the cowboy¡¯s rugged vibe. The cowboy¡¯s face remained unresponsive so Joe quickly ushered the conversation. "I saw you up there as well, with that green sack," Joe said, glancing at Pete. "Yeah, I was in the middle of my paper round on the scooter when the big boom knocked me right off," Pete replied, "When I got back up, I saw this message pop up in my vision, telling me to head toward the glowing light. Joe nodded, understanding dawning. "So that explains the green sack." "Yep. Already lost it, though," Pete said, looking sheepish. "Hope Mr. Withers won¡¯t be too mad about that." Joe looked at Pete, noting how serious he seemed, then caught Levi shaking his head slightly out of the corner of his eye. Joe took the hint. ¡°So... I take it you¡¯ve both figured out your menus, inventory, and all that?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s like a real-life video game!¡± Pete replied excitedly. ¡°We¡¯ve even levelled up!¡± ¡°Yeah, I noticed¡­How are you both at such a high level?¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve killed a lot of stuff! There were these weird bats with legs, and tons of little snake things we stomped on. That was when I lost my bag. Levi helped me a lot since we went through the tutorial together,¡± Pete said, sounding proud. ¡°Tutorial?¡± Joe repeated, surprised. ¡°Yeah, you know¡ªtutorial. We met our guide together, and he showed us how things work. We even teamed up to kill an enemy right there! It was just a small Level 1 thing, so it went down easy. Didn¡¯t you have one?¡± Pete asked, looking puzzled. Joe felt justifiably pissed. He¡¯d definitely been handed a rough start. His so-called guide, Terrence, had ditched him right away, and instead of a Level 1 enemy, he¡¯d faced off against a Level 4 crab-man. If not for the Meat Cannon, he¡¯d probably be dead. ¡°I did have one,¡± Joe said, ¡°but he wasn¡¯t very... helpful.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ours was great,¡± Pete said unsympathetically. Levi stayed quiet, letting Pete do most of the talking, though Joe couldn¡¯t help but think the cowboy probably had a better grasp on the situation than the enthusiastic 14-year-old. Joe decided to try and get Levi¡¯s perspective. ¡°Why do you think this is happening?¡± Joe asked, directing the question toward Levi. Levi paused, clearly giving the question serious thought like he hadn¡¯t yet found a clear answer. Levi motioned for Joe to follow him off to the side, and Joe got the hint. "Betty, why don¡¯t you show Pete what you can do? Maybe a few doughnuts? Hop in the passenger side, Pete, and let her rip," Joe called out. ¡°With pleasure!¡± Betty responded immediately. "Awesome!" Pete shouted, running over and hopping in the passenger seat. Once Pete was safely distracted, Joe turned back to Levi. They moved over to stand behind the wall of a cracked, burnt-out building. ¡°Listen,¡± Levi started quietly. ¡°The kid¡¯s either in denial or he doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. He keeps talking about getting back to his parents and if Mr Whatever is going to be angry, but¡­ truth is, they¡¯re probably already gone. I don¡¯t know why any of this is happening. Could be Armageddon, the rapture¡ªwho knows." "But our town and everything around it is already gone.¡± Joe was surprised by Levi¡¯s bluntness, but he could see Levi was watching out for the kid in his own way. ¡°Poor kid,¡± Joe said, even though he was in much the same boat. ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing,¡± Levi continued, glancing around. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this place look¡­ familiar to you?¡± Joe looked around again, squinting at the ruins. There was something strangely recognisable about the layout. Not the scorched buildings or the dust-covered shells, but something deeper, like the arrangement of the streets. ¡°I thought it did, but I couldn¡¯t place it,¡± Joe admitted. ¡°It¡¯s our town,¡± Levi said, ¡°these burned-out shells? They¡¯re what¡¯s left of it.¡± Joe¡¯s eyes widened as realisation struck. He scanned the area and recognised the road shapes and the intersection they were standing by¡ªright on the outskirts of town. Levi was right. This was home. He recognised the road leading in from the west, passing by where the pharmacy and gas station used to be. Even the overhang of the roof and the charred remains of the old gas pumps were still faintly there. ¡°This¡­ this is home?¡± Joe whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Levi replied. ¡°But if this is our town, it¡¯s gone. And somehow, it ended up here.¡± Joe continued looking around, picking out more familiar landmarks in the ruins. There was no mistaking it. This was home. Chapter 11 - The Big Stink Joe couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t noticed it sooner. It was unmistakably his hometown, every corner was now mutilated into this scorched, hollow version of itself. But if the remains of the town were here, did that mean it had actually been destroyed above? He remembered the voice by the Inferno gates, warning him that everything would soon be consumed. But he hadn¡¯t quite believed it¡ªnot until now. The thought dawned on him: Was everything swallowed by the Inferno ending up down here? It made a strange kind of sense. He¡¯d assumed it would all just be levelled, erased from existence. But if entire pieces of the town were showing up here, then maybe everything was being pulled down into this wasteland below. That was it then. His apartment, gone. His comfortable life uprooted and broken into something unrecognisable. Thank God he¡¯d brought Betty along when he did¡ªat least he still had her. Judging by the absence of familiar faces, he figured most people from town hadn¡¯t been so lucky. He still had time before the Inferno swallowed his parents and little brother¡­though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure, given how warped time felt down here. ¡°Do you have any weapons?¡± Levi''s question snapped Joe out of his thoughts. ¡°Weapons? Oh yeah, I¡¯ve got the scythe you saw me with earlier and a trident¡­but I¡¯m not sure if I can actually use it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Levi asked, sounding surprised by Joe¡¯s limited arsenal. ¡°Y-yeah? I thought that was a lot. I have some scrolls and stuff too but¡­You have no idea what I went through to get those.¡± Levi only nodded, pressing his lips together. He blinked, and in a smooth motion, pulled out a small pistol. But it was far from ordinary; the gun looked warped by the Inferno¡¯s influence. The grip was wrapped in cracked, weathered leather, and strange symbols were etched along the barrel, reminiscent of the runes Joe had seen on the demon¡¯s hammer earlier. ¡°This was my old ranch gun,¡± Levi explained. ¡°But when I came down here, it¡­changed. Still works like my gun, but it¡¯s¡­different¡­.¡± Joe tried blinking on the gun to analyse it, hoping to see its level or characteristics, but nothing came up. Maybe he couldn¡¯t assess other people¡¯s items¡ªsomething to remember for later. ¡°It fires differently too,¡± Levi added. ¡°It¡¯s got some odd abilities now, but it¡¯s definitely come in handy. Have you unlocked any other abilities yet?¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m only Level 2, whatever that means.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯ve gotta level up,¡± Levi said, almost in disbelief. ¡°How have you made it this far?¡± ¡°Barely,¡± Joe admitted. ¡°Betty¡¯s done a lot of the heavy lifting.¡± ¡°The car, huh? So, what exactly can it do?¡± Levi asked, glancing around the corner toward Betty. Joe could hear her and Pete chatting, though he couldn¡¯t make out the details. ¡°Still figuring that out,¡± Joe replied. ¡°But she can drive herself, assess situations, spot enemies¡­apparently, she can bake a mean cake, too.¡± He grinned, hoping to coax a smile out of Levi. But Levi¡¯s face remained serious. ¡°Well, you¡¯re lucky to have wheels. The kid tried riding his electric scooter down here, but it died as soon as we crossed over.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Betty had no issues when we entered,¡± Joe said. Levi glanced over at Betty again, his gaze lingering. Joe couldn¡¯t tell if Levi was suspicious of her or just mesmerised. Betty was, admittedly, a strange sight, but down here in the Inferno, where logic had gone up in smoke, nothing seemed too outrageous.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Joe wasn¡¯t sure what Levi had already seen, though Pete¡¯s stories of legged bats and snake swarms hinted that Levi might already be used to the madness. Joe was about to ask if everything was okay when a foul, sinister stench hit him, strong enough to make him gag. ¡°What is that smell?¡± Joe gasped, bending over and dry-heaving. Levi turned to him, apparently unfazed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s bad,¡± Levi said, pulling his checked shirt up over his nose. ¡°Wind¡¯s picking up too.¡± Levi tossed a handful of dirt into the air to check the wind. It blew steadily from east to west. He started back toward Betty and Pete, with Joe following close behind, focusing on not vomiting on the back of Levi¡¯s boots. ¡°What is that smell?¡± Pete said as he climbed out of Betty, covering his nose. ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything,¡± said Betty. ¡°Lucky you,¡± Pete replied. ¡°It¡¯s the wind,¡± Levi said, ¡°coming from over there.¡± He pointed across town, straight into the distance. Joe checked his map; that was the exact direction of the yellow star. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s what our quest thing meant?¡± Pete asked. ¡°Quest thing?¡± Levi looked at him, curious. ¡°Yeah, in the quest description, it says something about covering your nose.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve got the same quests as me?¡± Joe asked, raising an eyebrow. Pete paused, looking off into the distance with a glazed expression. Joe realised this was probably how he looked when he checked his inventory and stats. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve got three active quests: Find the Sullen Abyss, Defeat the Harbinger, and Rescue the Waitress.¡± ¡°Rescue the Waitress?¡± Joe echoed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all it says. No extra details, just the title,¡± Pete replied. ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re aligned on two of them,¡± Joe said, glancing at Levi for his take on the situation. "Either way, it looks like we all have similar goals here," Levi said, nodding. "Makes sense, considering what the text at the gates told us." A spark of hope flickered in Joe¡¯s chest. Joining forces with Levi and Pete could give him a real shot at surviving in this place. He just had to be subtle, and bring it up in a casual way. ¡°So¡­ did you want to team up?¡± Joe asked in a not-so-casual way, eyeing up Levi with an expression that could rival a puppy begging for one more treat. Levi glanced over at Pete, who was giving him the exact same look. He must be attached to Betty already. ¡°Fine,¡± Levi sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll go find this place together. A bigger group might give us a better shot. But there¡¯s one problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Joe asked, his heart sinking. Levi looked over at Betty. ¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°Do I have something in my grill?¡± ¡°Two seats,¡± Levi replied, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Ah¡­¡± They both glanced from Betty to Pete, and then back to Betty. *** Betty cruised along the decayed streets of their old hometown, heading towards the source of the stench. Joe relaxed in the driver¡¯s seat, letting Betty handle the road. Levi sat beside him, window down despite the god-awful smell, his pistol resting on his lap. He was constantly scanning the surroundings, as though expecting an ambush or a fight at any moment. Not exactly the chatty type, which made the last five-minute drive feel a little more intense than it needed to be. ¡°This is way comfier than I thought!¡± came Pete¡¯s muffled voice from the trunk. ¡°Just don¡¯t pee back there!¡± Betty called through her stereo. ¡°No promises!¡± Pete shouted back. ¡°I like him,¡± Betty said as she rounded the last corner and rolled out of town. Joe chuckled and turned to Levi. ¡°Hey, now that I think about it, have you needed to¡­ you know, pee? Or eat? I mean, have you felt hungry at all since we got here?¡± Levi paused, considering it as if the question hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind until now. ¡°No, actually. Haven¡¯t needed to.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Joe replied. ¡°It¡¯s like things work differently down here. I still feel tired¡ªexhausted even¡ªbut none of the other stuff seems to matter as much.¡± Levi shrugged, uninterested. Clearly, he didn¡¯t dwell on these details. He guessed everyone had their way of coping. For Joe, trying to piece together the mechanics of the Inferno helped keep him grounded. He still struggled with understanding just how much of a difference he could make down here, even with Levi and Pete. He¡¯d surely be consumed by this place one way or another, it was only a matter of time. ¡°There. Stop here,¡± Levi suddenly ordered, pointing out the window. Betty came to an abrupt halt, and they felt Pete thud against the seats. ¡°Ow!¡± he complained. ¡°Sorry! Move it or lose it, kid,¡± Betty said as she popped the trunk open. ¡°What is it?¡± Joe leaned over Levi, trying to see what he¡¯d spotted. ¡°You said you needed to level up, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Joe replied, now a little wary. Levi pointed ahead to a dark pit. ¡°That looks like one of the pits Pete fell into earlier. Where we came across the snakes.¡± Joe¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°And?¡± Levi gave him a deadpan look. ¡°Well, take that scythe and go level up. We can¡¯t have you being dead weight.¡± Chapter 12 - Need a Hand? ¡°Even the kid¡¯s a higher level than you,¡± Levi remarked, leaning casually against Betty. They had pulled up right to the edge of the pit, and Joe had gone over to peer down, Scythe in hand. Shadows darted back and forth in the darkness below, moving with unsettling speed. Whatever they were, they were faster than the roaches he¡¯d encountered before, but the shapes were too vague to identify. Rats, maybe? The drop looked to be about ten feet, and while the ever-present crimson sky cast a red glow over everything, it wasn¡¯t quite enough to reveal the creatures¡¯ details. Joe took a deep breath. It was one thing to be thrown into a fight with no choice, but stepping into danger willingly¡ªespecially into a pit filled with who-knew-what¡ªthat was another story. Levi was right; he needed to level up. Still, he almost wished something would jump out and attack him first, forcing his hand, rather than having to make the choice himself. Pete walked up beside him, studying the writhing shapes below. ¡°They don¡¯t move like the snakes did,¡± he observed, squinting down. ¡°But they¡¯re definitely fast.¡± He picked up a rock and lobbed it into the centre of the pit. Instantly, the shapes converged on it, clawing and scratching, before scattering back to their chaotic movements. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re aggressive,¡± Pete said, glancing up at Joe. ¡°But hey, you can handle this! I fell into one of these pits earlier and managed to take on the snakes." "Well¡­ with a little help from Levi.¡± He grinned, trying to encourage him. Joe nodded, taking in Pete¡¯s words and forcing down his nerves. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Levi said. ¡°If things get too rough, we¡¯ll come down and back you up.¡± Just then, Betty gave a sharp jolt, bouncing her wheels left and right to shake Levi off her fender, clearly disapproving of his less-than-reassuring tone. Levi muttered something, casting an annoyed glare at the car, then walked over to Joe. "You ready?" Levi asked, giving Joe a hard pat on the back, almost knocking the air out of him. Joe exhaled heavily, gripping his Pumpkin Scythe higher up on the handle. He closed his eyes, trying to steady himself, taking deep, deliberate breaths. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered his supposed "Resonance" abilities¡ªsomething he hadn¡¯t figured out how to use yet. Could he tap into it now, somehow? He squeezed his eyes shut, searching for any flicker of power. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He force-fed visions into his mind, trying to hype himself up: that near-death encounter with the fireroach; his old job, the sterile boardroom, his bosses droning on over pointless charts; the mental image of himself storming in with a sub-machine gun, letting loose in a chaotic spray of righteous fury; lying atop the meat cannon, showered in scalding bits of crab flesh. He fed on these feelings, trying to draw power from their intensity. His breaths grew deeper and deeper. Then, almost as if picking a lock in his mind, it opened. He opened his eyes, feeling a surge flowing through him, right down to his fingertips. He felt power. A maniacal power that took over every thought, every doubt. It worked. He grinned¡ªand jumped. The ten-foot drop was jarring, but Joe landed with surprising force, bending his knees and gripping his Scythe like some kind of superhero. As he stood, the shadows in the pit finally took form, and he froze for a second. They were hands. Small, pale hands¡ªdisembodied and scuttling around on their fingers like spider legs, resembling Thing from The Addams Family but far less endearing. For a moment, he was taken aback; he¡¯d been expecting rats or something¡­ normal. But here he was, surrounded by an army of scurrying, unsettling hands. No time to think. The hands had spotted him, and they were already converging, scratching and scrambling toward him in a creepy, crawling tide. Joe clenched his jaw and swung his Scythe. He cut through the first wave, fingers scattering in all directions. He stomped on others, slashing left and right, severing knuckles and crushing palms. Achievements flickered at the top of his vision, but he barely registered them. Achievement Unlocked: Hand meets blade! You sliced the hand that feeds. 50XP gained. His focus was absolute; nothing existed in this moment but him and those scuttling hands. It felt good¡ªweirdly, exhilaratingly good. Joe was lost in the frenzy, feeding off the chaos, each slash of his Scythe spraying warm blood from the mangled hands around him. He barely registered the sharp cracks from above, like thunder splitting the crimson sky. Whatever it was, he didn¡¯t care to look up. Levi and Pete were somewhere up there¡ªprobably watching, maybe even rethinking what they thought of him. Surely this display would make Levi see him in a new light. Another crack. He drove his blade through another hand, skin peeling away to reveal bony knuckles beneath. "Joe!" a voice finally broke him away, calling down to him. He glanced up, curious, and saw Pete leaning far over the ledge, pointing upward with a look of alarm. He followed Pete¡¯s eyeline. A massive dark cloud loomed directly above him. And then came another crack, this time accompanied by a flash of lightning. Joe¡¯s initial concern turned to horror as the ¡°rain¡± began to fall. At first, he didn¡¯t quite understand what he was seeing, but soon he realised it was more hands¡ªhundreds of them, cascading down from the dark cloud like a hailstorm, all dropping directly into the pit around him. They landed on his shoulders, his head, even bouncing off his face, and each one hit with a surprising weight. Panic surged as he tried to refocus, trying to find that manic energy again. He swung his Scythe wildly, slicing through the hands as they piled up around him. But this time, it felt different¡ªhis strength was waning, the energy flickering in and out. The feeling that had fuelled him so intensely before now slipped from his grasp. He glanced up for help, but Pete had disappeared from the ledge. There was no sign of Levi either. Were they in trouble too? Or had they left him to fend for himself? Suddenly, he felt cold, damp fingers began pressing against his lips, forcing their way into his mouth. More hands clawed up his legs, digging their sharp nails into his skin. They were relentless, prying, pulling, trying to force their way down his throat. He gagged, desperately swiping them away, but there were too many. They scratched at his face, clawed at his arms, tearing at his clothes, and he felt dozens of tiny fingers digging into his flesh, ripping at his skin. He was losing control, and the pit was filling with hands. His vision blurred, the edges closing in as if he were sinking into a tunnel. Each frantic swing of his Scythe grew weaker, the blade barely grazing the hands that clawed at him. His movements were now sluggish, missing targets that were practically right on top of him. His sight narrowed further until he was barely aware of anything beyond the swarm of pale fingers surrounding him. He didn¡¯t know if he was passing out, slipping into unconsciousness, or worse¡ªdying. His knees buckled, and he felt himself begin to fall, his arms dropping limply to his sides as the Scythe slipped from his grip. Something tightened around his waist, a firm grip that dragged him sideways toward the wall of the pit. He barely registered the sensation¡ªhe was so far gone he couldn¡¯t tell if it was the hands pulling him apart or something else. Then, darkness. Chapter 13 - The Handgover Joe opened his eyes, blinking up at a washed-out sky. The ominous cloud he''d last seen was gone, replaced by the sight of Levi and Pete standing over him. Pete grinned down at him, while Levi¡¯s scowl was even more pronounced. ¡°Am I dead?¡± Joe asked, half-serious, but mostly for effect. ¡°You wish,¡± Levi replied, his voice somehow even gruffer than before, a hint of disapproval woven into his tone. Groaning, Joe propped himself up, every muscle in his body throbbing with the dull ache of overuse. His skin stung as if hundreds of tiny, sharp nails had clawed it. Oh right, it had. He tongued the inside of his cheek, wincing at the scratch there, and spat a bit of blood onto the dust next to him. ¡°Didn¡¯t exactly go according to plan,¡± Joe said. His red polo shirt was now somehow even redder from the blood. ¡°You went wild, man!¡± Pete said, eyes wide, a huge grin splitting his face. ¡°You were all like, swoosh, whoosh!¡± He punctuated each sound effect with exaggerated swings, mimicking Joe¡¯s scythe moves with a hilariously inaccurate flair. ¡°Idiot, you could¡¯ve been killed!¡± a familiar voice chimed in from behind. He turned to find Betty, his car and closest ally, somehow exuding a fierce, maternal scolding energy. She sounded both relieved and irritated, like a mother who¡¯d just rescued her reckless child from a playground mishap. ¡°Yeah, wasn¡¯t counting on a hailstorm of creepy hands,¡± Joe said, still dazed as he got to his feet. ¡°What even was that?¡± He glanced down and noticed a thick rope tied around his waist, rough and frayed like something that had seen better days. They must¡¯ve used it to pull him up. ¡°I need that back,¡± Levi barked, already reaching for it, clearly done with Joe¡¯s theatrics. Joe raised an eyebrow. ¡°Where did you even get a rope?¡± Levi shrugged, unwinding the line with efficient, practised movements. ¡°Had it on me when I got here. I work on a ranch, remember.¡± ¡°He managed to lasso you on the first try!¡± Pete said with awe, looking at Levi like he¡¯d just performed a miracle. ¡°We tied it to Betty and she pulled you up.¡± Joe shot Betty an appreciative look. Even though she was technically a car, she was more than that, more than any machine had the right to be. He could almost sense a protective, worried aura radiating from her like she¡¯d been genuinely afraid he wouldn¡¯t make it out. ¡°Thanks, Betty,¡± he said, giving her a small, respectful nod. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, idiot,¡± she replied. Joe turned back to the group. ¡°So, did those hands give you any trouble while I was down there?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Levi replied, sounding a little smug. ¡°The cloud was centred right over the pit, so they only came after you. You were swarmed.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was super weird,¡± Pete added, shuddering at the memory. Of course, Joe thought, just his luck. ¡°At least the plan worked,¡± Levi said. Joe frowned. ¡°How do you figure that?¡± Levi remained deadpan. ¡°You¡¯re Level 4.¡± Joe¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh, shit! What?¡± He hurriedly blinked open his main menu, the screen coming into view with a satisfying click.
Joe ¨C Level 4 ¨C Focus 74%
Core
Resonance
Stability [Stable]
Attributes (2!)
Realm Titles (1!)
Map
Quests
Joe grinned. Level 4! The reckless plan had paid off. Sure, he was bruised and scratched to shit, but he¡¯d survived¡ªand levelled up in the process. His Focus stat had taken a hit, though he wasn¡¯t entirely clear on what that would mean. Still, his Stability was holding strong, and two new Attributes blinked in his menu, waiting to be checked.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. He tapped on ¡°Attributes,¡± and the descriptions popped up: Level 3 Attribute: Titillating Titles Abilities linked to your realm titles are now unlocked and ready to use. They¡¯re always active, so no need for any extra setup¡ªjust enjoy the perks as they come. Level 4 Attribute: Inventory Recall Automatically restores the last item you dropped back into your inventory, as long as you don¡¯t pick up or hold another item afterwards. Only active when you¡¯re out of combat. ¡°Well, that could come in handy,¡± Joe said, recalling that he¡¯d dropped his scythe in the pit. He blinked, activating Inventory Recall, and a sound like scraping knives dinged in his mind. Sure enough, when he checked his inventory, there was his Pumpkin Scythe, neatly restored and ready for use. He moved to the Realm Titles section, where the strange title he¡¯d earned finally came with proper descriptions. His first title appeared just as he¡¯d remembered it, but now fleshed out in full detail. Title: The Crab Whisperer Gain a 30% damage boost against all crustacean-type enemies. If caught in the claws of any crustacean, your strength increases by 50%. Joe laughed. It sounded absurd, but it might come in handy if he encountered any more crab monsters. He scrolled down, stopping at the new addition: Title: The Hand that Feeds After slaying 30 of ¡°the hand that feeds,¡± you can summon a cloud of hands to fight for you for 60 seconds. Usable once per day. ¡°What the hell?¡± Joe blurted out, staring at the title in disbelief. ¡°I can summon those freaky hands that just tried to choke me out¡­ to fight for me?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Pete said, Joe could feel him practically vibrating with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Joe went to click out from his screen but braced himself for what he almost certainly didn¡¯t want to see.
Resonance Type:
Infernal Resonance:
Wrath: 6% [Stable] [0/4 Echoes] Available Abilities: Fury Burst (Locked), Controlled Rage (Locked)
Despair: 10% [Stable] [0/4 Echoes] Available Abilities: Sapping Will (Locked), Endless Grit (Locked)
Madness: 32% [Stable] [0/4 Echoes] Available Abilities: Distorted Perception (Locked), Choo Choo (Locked)
¡°Ah¡­¡± he said, feeling an unsettling chill. He¡¯d assumed his ability to tap into Infernal Resonance would somehow keep these levels in check, maybe even prevent any wild fluctuations. But evidently, he¡¯d been wrong. He studied the numbers again, chewing over what they meant, and a realisation started to form in his mind: his Focus seemed to be directly linked to how quickly his Infernal Resonance climbed. The lower his Focus got, the more vulnerable he was to losing control, to letting these¡­ dark impulses seep in. The theory clicked, fitting the pieces together with a kind of ominous clarity. Did a drop in Focus make him more susceptible to the lure of Wrath, Despair, and Madness? It was a troubling thought¡ªbut it made a lot of sense. Remembering the Focus boost potions he¡¯d stashed earlier, he quickly accessed his inventory and pulled out a vial of bright orange liquid. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Raising it to his lips, he drank the lot. The taste was sharp and slightly metallic, a jolt to his senses that lingered as he swallowed. Unlike the rapid surge of healing potions, this felt a little slower, gradually seeping through him. He let it flow through him, and slowly, it felt like a fog was lifting from his mind. Thoughts became crisper, his perception sliding back into alignment, grounding him. Curious, he glanced at his stats again. Sure enough, his Focus had crept back up to 89%, and with it, his Madness level had dropped to 15%. The connection was undeniable now. Losing Focus meant opening himself up more to the pull of Infernal Resonance. He¡¯d have to be careful, keeping his Focus high if he wanted to stay in control. ¡°Interesting,¡± he said as a plan starting to form in his mind. The more his Focus slipped, the easier it would be for the Resonance to seep in, to twist his mind. But if he kept it in check¡­ he might just keep his sanity intact. He still had one focus boost left but decided to stash it for when things got worse. For now. He closed his screen, only to find Pete still reeling over his lack of inventory. ¡°How come I didn¡¯t get anything like that?¡± Pete said, glancing at Levi, who merely shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m guessing we all get the attributes, but the realm titles are bizarre,¡± Joe said, shaking his head. ¡°Looks like the longer we¡¯re here, fighting and levelling up, the weirder our abilities and titles get.¡± Levi nodded. ¡°Yep,¡± he murmured absently, his vision now fixed on his screen. He must be checking his own titles and Resonance numbers. Joe wondered what he had but it almost felt rude to ask. Like asking a woman how much they weighed. Joe turned to Pete, who was now staring down into the pit where Joe had fought. ¡°And now you¡¯re a higher level than me,¡± Pete said to himself, a little awestruck. ¡°I¡¯d advise against it, Pete,¡± Joe said, alarmed as Pete took a few steps closer to the edge. ¡°I barely survived down there.¡± After a long, wistful look, Pete finally stepped back, re-joining them with a sigh. Levi had now apparently finished whatever he was doing. They made their way out of the pit area, Joe glancing back toward the remnants of their once-thriving hometown. The stink flowing through the wind was still present but their noses seemed to acclimatise to it fairly quickly. The wasteland they were currently occupying was still barren. Still exactly the same as when Joe had entered the Inferno. It reminded Joe of a wild prairie straight out of early American history. Joe half-expected to see a herd of bison stampeding through his destroyed town. Joe suddenly remembered the cracking of the lightning from the cloud of hands above the pit. ¡°Almost forgot,¡± Joe said, pulling his trident out of his inventory with a proud flourish. Pete¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°How come I haven¡¯t found any of this cool stuff?¡± he said, arms crossed in an exaggerated pout. Joe smirked. ¡°Found it under a Level 10 fireroach¡ªa big nasty one, hoarding treasure like Smaug.¡± ¡°Smaug?¡± Pete repeated, squinting. Joe sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°Jesus Christ, Pete. Never mind.¡± Ignoring Pete¡¯s puzzled look, Joe held the trident aloft. ¡°It comes back to me after I throw it,¡± he said, brimming with confidence as he wound up and hurled it forward. The throw was less than impressive; the trident flew only a few feet, landing with a soft thud in the dust. It didn¡¯t budge. The three of them stood there, watching the trident in silence. ¡°Are you done?¡± said Levi. Joe scratched his head, trying to keep a straight face. ¡°Uh¡­ maybe I haven¡¯t formed a pact with it or whatever.¡± Levi just shook his head. ¡°Right. Can we keep moving now? You may be Level 4 but you still haven¡¯t impressed me yet.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Joe said, retrieving the trident and brushing it off. Pete¡¯s excitement hadn¡¯t faded in the slightest. ¡°So¡­ should we be on the lookout for more fireroaches? Or maybe some other treasure-hoarding monsters?¡± Pete asked, his eyes sparkling. ¡°If we do, I¡¯ll make sure to ram it¡¯s legs again!¡± said Betty. Levi just shook his head. He probably regrets meeting Joe and Betty, he now has three children to look after. Joe just chuckled. Despite only knowing them for a brief moment, it was good to have their company. ¡°You¡¯ll find your own stuff eventually, Pete. And it might even be better than mine. Who knows?¡± Pete brightened at the thought. They piled back into Betty, whose engine rumbled to life, and Joe took one last glance back at the pit, where his levelling-up experiment had somehow succeeded. Pete got back into the boot and Betty closed it herself. ¡°Ready.¡± A muffled little voice said. Chapter 14 - The Sullen Abyss They had been driving for what felt like hours. Along the way, Betty reassured Joe that she no longer required refuelling¡ªa huge relief, given his mounting anxiety about running out of gas in this place. Levi was dozing in the passenger seat, his hat tipped low over his face. From the silence in the back, Joe guessed Pete had also fallen asleep. Joe decided to take another health potion, his last one, to ease the sting of the scratches covering his arms and neck. No more reckless injuries, he thought, though he recognised the irony of making such a vow here. ¡°The wind¡¯s picking up,¡± said Betty. Joe felt her frame start to shudder slightly as the landscape darkened around them. A bruised shape of purple now seeped through the sky, the edges foreboding of an oncoming storm. Threads of winds shook Betty and the dirt beneath them had lost its softness, each turn of Betty¡¯s wheel now clattering against rock. Stones now littered the ground like broken teeth and the road, once a clear line through the wasteland, faded into a mishmash of crumbled stone. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s rain,¡± Betty said with a tone of mild surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t know it could rain down here.¡± ¡°Neither did I,¡± Joe replied. He sighed. He really should have tried to get some rest, but his mind felt like a mess of tangled thoughts. The drive had sobered him up to the reality of the situation. So much had happened, and he was still trying to process it all without feeling completely overwhelmed. Levi stirred, noticing the change outside, and sat up slowly. ¡°Huh, rain,¡± was all he said, almost indifferent. ¡°It¡¯s getting much windier as well,¡± said Joe, feeling another gust rock Betty side to side. Levi frowned as the car bounced and jerked against the uneven terrain. ¡°If we keep this up, we¡¯re gonna pop a tyre.¡± ¡°Oh, my tyres don¡¯t pop,¡± said Betty. ¡°What?¡± asked Joe, ¡°You don¡¯t need fuel, and now your tyres can¡¯t burst? Are you absolutely sure?¡± ¡°Yep. I can feel it.¡± Her voice carried a hint of pride. ¡°You can feel it?¡± Levi¡¯s said, echoing Joe¡¯s disbelief. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Betty confirmed. ¡°Ran out of gas ages ago, but I still feel as strong as ever. My tyres aren¡¯t soft; they¡¯re as hard as the rocks themselves. They won¡¯t burst.¡± Joe and Levi exchanged a look, both clearly thinking the same thing. Whatever ¡°Inferno¡± or strange magic had given Betty her newfound sentience seemed to have done a number on her physical components too. Joe couldn¡¯t help but wonder what other surprises his old Datsun had in store. The rain hammered down harder, drumming against Betty¡¯s roof with relentless force. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t bring an umbrella!¡± came a muffled voice from the trunk¡ªPete, sounding half-awake, clearly roused by the pounding rain. Joe peered through the downpour, struggling to see past the wall of water slapping Betty¡¯s windshield. Something loomed up ahead, dark and massive, barely visible. ¡°Is that¡­ a wall?¡± ¡°Stop the car!¡± said Levi. ¡°My name is Betty,¡± she snapped. ¡°Remember that, or I¡¯ll eject you.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Joe¡¯s locked onto the expanding shape ahead¡ªit was a wall, towering and pitch black, like a barrier or¡­ something else. Maybe a portal? Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t look friendly. ¡°Betty, stop! Now!¡± Joe shouted. Betty skidded to a halt, tyres grinding against the wet gravel, her brakes shrieking. A second later, her windshield wipers flicked on, clearing away the rain in rhythmic sweeps. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done that sooner?¡± Levi said. Betty sniffed¡ªwell, as much as a car could sniff. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask. And I don¡¯t need them,¡± she replied. Joe left them to squabble and surveyed ahead. The wall loomed before them, a pitch-black monolith stretching across the horizon. It was impossible to tell how far it went or where it ended. At first, it looked solid, like the cliff face of some ancient, unyielding mountain¡ªbut as Joe squinted through the rain-streaked windshield, he realised it was moving in the howling wind. The surface wasn¡¯t stone or metal; it rippled. Slow, subtle waves undulated across it, like ink dropped in water, dark tentacles shifting and curling. The wall looked alive, pulsing with an unfeeling presence. Joe¡¯s mind flashed to the people who wandered into the supermarket at three in the morning, hollow-eyed and silent. Present, yet so far away. "Move a little closer, Betty," Joe said quietly, not taking his eyes off the shadowed expanse. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on up there? Why are we stopping?¡± Pete¡¯s voice crackled from the backseat. Joe and Levi ignored him. Betty inched forward, her headlights illuminating nothing but a bottomless void. The map¡¯s marker glowed directly over the wall in front of them. This had to be it. The Sullen Abyss. ¡°We can drive through it,¡± Levi said. Joe looked at him, then back at the wall. Hell, Levi was probably right. This was their path forward. But something deep in Joe¡¯s instincts urged him to stall, to wait¡ªto stay on this side a few seconds longer. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a wall,¡± Joe finally shouted over his shoulder, ¡°Or a portal, maybe. Looks like we can drive through it.¡± ¡°You¡­ you think we¡¯re supposed to go through it?¡± said Pete. Joe exhaled. No use waiting around. If this was their way forward, then they¡¯d face it, no matter how bizarre or dangerous it looked. ¡°Ready, Betty?¡± he said. "Always," she replied with a hint of mischief. She revved and surged forward, faster than was probably wise. ¡°Steady!¡± Levi¡¯s hand gripped the dashboard, ¡°This car is insane.¡± ¡°Oh, Betty will hunt!¡± she yelled, as they plunged into the dark, liquid wall, the world blurring and bending around them. They exited the darkness. The ground beneath them was unchanged, yet Joe wasn¡¯t looking at the road. Immediately above them, high in the sky hung something that defied every natural law he knew. Waves¡ªvast, twisting, erratic waves¡ªsurged and crashed, somehow suspended in mid-air. They rolled and folded over themselves. And within those impossible waves, he could see people. Joe¡¯s mind refused to accept what he was seeing. Bodies drifted in the sky, thrown against strange barriers that appeared and disappeared in time with the surges. Their faces were pallid, eyes hollow and unfocused, their limbs limp. They were entirely unclothed. Even inside Betty, with the windows closed, Joe could hear them¡ªa chorus of wails, moans, desperate pleas that rose and fell with each swell of the waves. Shouts for help, agonised screams, whispers of names lost to the wind. Their voices wove together in a haunting symphony. Joe felt his grip tighten around the seat. He glanced at Levi, who was staring up at the sight. ¡°What in the ever-loving fuck.¡± ¡°What is it? What is it!¡± Pete shouted. Levi grabbed the handle and flung the door open. Joe wasn¡¯t ready for it and gasped. ¡°Levi, wait! We should stay inside!¡± But Levi was already out of the car. Joe quickly followed, hoping to pull him back. Betty seemed to take this as a cue¡ªshe popped the trunk, and Pete hopped out too. He circled Betty and moved up next to Levi, staring at the crashing wave of people ahead. ¡°What is that?¡± Pete asked from behind. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ people,¡± Levi said. ¡°No, not those people¡ªthose!¡± Pete pointed. Joe followed Pete¡¯s finger and saw them: statues scattered across the jagged rocks ahead. Dozens, maybe more. Each one was a person frozen in stone, rendered with precision. Some stood tall, while others lay half-collapsed, caught in unnatural positions as if they¡¯d frozen mid-fall. Their faces contorted in terror¡ªmouths open in silent screams, eyes wide and pleading. The details were so vivid that Joe half-expected them to start wailing any second. Betty¡¯s headlights swept over the statues, one by one, revealing each figure. A man with his hands raised to shield his face; a woman on her knees, arms outstretched. The lights cast deep, shifting shadows, and for a split second, it looked as if the statues were moving. Just a trick of the light, but Joe couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that their hollow eyes were following him. ¡°I don¡¯t like this place,¡± Pete murmured. Joe leaned closer, lowering his voice. Speaking loudly felt wrong here as if he might wake something. ¡°I think we should try to go arou¡ª¡± A massive wave from above crashed down, engulfing the statues. It happened in an instant, covering them all before pulling back just as fast. When the water receded, more statues appeared. Joe opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, music blared out of nowhere. Staying Alive by the Bee Gees? They all spun around, horrified, to see Betty blasting Joe¡¯s CD at full volume. Joe¡¯s jaw dropped. What the fuck was she doing? With a thunderous roar, she revved her engine and tore past the three of them, barrelling through the statues ahead. Chapter 15 - The Harbringer All three of their jaws were still on the floor as Betty smashed through each of the statues. Hunks of rock flew over her bonnet. She was even doing 180-degree turns and coming back to smash more. The waves above had slowed, although the wails from the people grew louder. ¡°Betty what the fuck are you doing!¡± shouted Joe, not being able to take it anymore. ''Staying Alive'' was still blasting and Betty now began to honk her horn. ¡°I told you that car was insane.¡± Said Levi. ¡°She¡¯s made a gap!¡± shouted Pete as he ran through the middle of Joe and Levi towards her. Joe and Levi looked at each other and ran after him through the wreckage of the shattered statues. Betty had cleared a rough path, but it was littered with broken stone, limbs and whatever other body parts you could think of. Joe stumbled over a fallen statue¡¯s head, nearly twisting his ankle and letting out a curse as pain shot up his toe. "Come on!" Pete shouted from up ahead. They sprinted to catch up to Betty, but before they got far, her taillights flared red in an abrupt stop. As Joe drew closer, he saw why: Betty had reached the edge of a cliff. Joe was so engrossed by what was happening above that he hadn''t noticed that they were perched precariously on a cliff''s edge. Betty''s back right wheel dangled over the precipice, inches from a deadly drop. Thank god she¡¯d stopped in time. The music faded as the three of them gathered around her. "That was awesome, Betty!" Pete whooped. "No, it was not!" Joe shot back. "What if those statues are people? People trapped? They could have been innocents!" Pete let out a small, "Oh." Betty stayed silent. "Exactly! You didn¡¯t think this through, did you?" Joe scolded, eyeing both of them. No one replied. The wails from above lingered in the air. Betty eased the car forward, pulling her tyre off the edge. She seemed apologetic¡ªuntil, suddenly, she didn¡¯t. "Bullshit, Joe! They were red markers on my map! I killed them and got tons of XP!" Joe hadn¡¯t even glanced at his map when they entered this area. He was too focused on the unsettling tide of floating figures above them. When he looked, it was true, the statues did have red markers on them, but they didn¡¯t feel like a threat. Some even looked... "Wait¡ªhold up. You can see a map now? Notifications? XP?" Joe asked. Betty paused. "Oh... yeah, didn¡¯t I mention¡ª?" "No, you did not." Joe blinked at her and saw she was now Level 6. The highest level in the group! What the hell was going on? ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem,¡± Levi interrupted. ¡°Yeah, no kidding we have a problem,¡± Joe said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier, Betty? Can you access everything? Quests, abilities? Talk to us, for God¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°Not that¡ªthat!¡± Levi said, spinning Joe¡¯s head toward the statues. Joe¡¯s blood ran cold. The statues weren¡¯t scattered anymore; they had reassembled, seamlessly, with no cracks or signs of having been smashed. And they were moving toward them. Not individual limbs, but the whole form sliding forward like chess pieces on a board. The statues'' faces remained contorted in horror, each one frozen in the last moment before a grim end¡ªand now, all advancing.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Pete said, inching backwards and grabbing Joe¡¯s arm like a child clutching a stuffed bear for comfort. ¡°I think we should get back in the car. Now,¡± Levi said. Joe didn¡¯t argue. He edged back, never taking his eyes off the statues. They moved one at a time as if also taking turns in response. ¡°Betty, pop the trunk for Pete,¡± he whispered, not sure if the statues could hear them¡ªor if they somehow could. The trunk clicked open just as the wails from above deepened, growing louder. Joe looked up. The swirling shadows they¡¯d stirred earlier now converged into a massive form, descending straight toward the statues again. It then shifted, turning towards them, the tide now coming at them in full force. Before they could react, the wave of bodies swallowed them whole, plunging Joe¡¯s world into utter darkness. He felt himself twist and writhe, pressed between the clammy, shifting bodies. Fingers brushed against his skin; desperate voices murmured in his ears, pleading and sobbing as he was jostled left and right. He was shoved forward¡ªsqueezed through what felt like a narrow tunnel, like he was being spat from the jaws of some monstrous creature. He hit the ground with a painful thud, cold and wet seeping through his clothes as he lay face down, dazed on the hard surface. His nose was squished against the damp floor. ¡°Ow,¡± he said, groaning as he braced his hands against the ground and pushed himself up. The air felt cold. Riddled with the stench of wet stone and mildew. He knew the smell was at its worst down here, but he had gotten used to it fairly quickly since entering the Sullen Abyss. He shivered as he blinked, trying to get his bearings in the dim, shadowy space around him. The cave stretched out in murky shades of grey and green, jagged walls gleaming with moisture. Pools of stagnant water littered the floor. Just a few feet away behind him, he spotted Betty. She was plonked next to a rock by the cave wall, headlights dimmed and her frame motionless, almost like she was... unconscious? That seemed to unnerve Joe. Beside him, another groan broke the silence. He turned and saw Pete sprawled awkwardly across Levi, who looked less than pleased about it. "Hey!" Pete protested as Levi shoved him off. ¡°Get off me, kid,¡± Levi snapped, pushing himself up and dusting off his denim. Joe cracked a weak grin. "Looks like you broke Pete¡¯s fall there." Levi just grunted. His hand shot up instinctively to his head, then froze. He patted the top of his head again, slower this time. His hat was gone. A fresh wave of annoyance crossed Levi¡¯s face, and he began scanning the cave floor. Each glance around the cavern only deepened his scowl. Joe edged forward, surveying the shadowed expanse of the cave. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a few feet ahead a vast pool of water. It stretched across the cave floor like a dark, unmoving lake. The water was inky black, its surface perfectly still, broken only by the occasional ripple that pulsed outward in lazy rings. It looked deep¡ªbottomless, almost inviting. The sight reminded him of that phenomenon he¡¯d once heard about, of one standing on a cliff¡¯s edge¡ªthe call to the void. Except here, there was no urge to jump. Just a quiet, hypnotic pull to stare into the depths, to let the darkness swallow him, drawing him deeper and deeper until he forgot himself entirely. ¡°I take it you see that too?¡± Pete said, suddenly appearing next to Joe. ¡°The call to the void?¡± Joe replied. ¡°No. The giant monster thing in the middle of the lake.¡± Joe¡¯s gaze drifted to the centre of the pool, where a jagged slab of rock jutted out from the dark water. Perched on top was a hulking shape, barely discernible in the dim light. Was it an animal? A person? A wet, burbling voice rose from the mass, low and muffled at first, then louder, each word like a gurgling gasp. The voice sounded like a pig being drowned, or at least what Joe imagined that might sound like. ¡°You dare to tempt the Harbinger,¡± it said, its body now shifting with a pulpy squirm. Joe could see it writhe and shiver but still couldn¡¯t quite make out its features. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Pete whispered, already stepping back. Joe felt his own feet move as if by instinct, retreating until his back touched the cold metal of Betty¡¯s front bumper. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the Harbinger,¡± Levi said, as he drew his gun from his inventory. Joe blinked at the creature¡¯s stats. Level 8. Damn. This thing was nearly as strong as that fireroach he¡¯d barely survived earlier. The only one close to this level was Betty. Joe tapped on her hood behind his back, glancing anxiously at her dark, unresponsive form. ¡°Betty¡­?¡± He knocked again. No reply. Shit. A sadness washed over Joe, he hoped she wasn¡¯t dead. Whatever they had just gone through had done something to her. Please be okay. He realised the last thing he did was yell at her. She was a lunatic, sure, but she was his lunatic. ¡°Looks like the car bit the dust.¡± Said Levi. Joe bit his lip, now wasn¡¯t the time for infighting. The Harbinger shifted again, rising to its full height, and light flared up from beneath it as if finally released from its prison. The glow blazed through the cave, forcing Joe to shield his eyes against the sudden brightness. When he finally saw past the light, the Harbinger came into full detail¡ªand it was monstrous. The creature towered over the water, its bulk massive and round, at least twelve, maybe fifteen feet tall. Leathery skin stretched across its bloated form, mottled with boils and scabs that glistened in the light. It wore no clothing¡ªnot that Joe thought any retailer in the Inferno would stock something in its size. It was also completely hairless. It had some real Jabba the Hut vibes. The cave was even larger than it had seemed at first. The pool of dark water sat at the centre, ringed by a wide stretch of rocky ground, forming a rough circle around the Harbinger. Across the cavern, a jagged rock shelf jutted out, half-hanging above the creature like a ceiling. With the water separating them and no visible path across, Joe doubted they could reach each other¡ªeven if the Harbinger could somehow move, it seemed trapped in place, stranded like a beached whale. Unfortunately, this whale had a few tricks up its sleeve. A bolt of something dark shot from the Harbinger¡¯s mouth, a flash too fast for Joe to track, and narrowly missed Levi, instead hitting Pete¡ªwho dropped like a stone at Joe''s side. ¡°Pete!¡± Joe knelt down beside him, shaking him hard, his hands trembling. No blood. No wounds. Just a heavy, terrifying stillness. Joe slapped Pete¡¯s face once, twice, and then pressed two fingers to Pete¡¯s neck. He felt a faint heartbeat. But it did nothing to steady his fear. Fuck, not the poor kid. First Betty, and now Pete. Things were spiralling fast. Chapter 16 - An Eel Shower The Harbinger¡¯s attack on Pete came out of nowhere. Even Levi seemed caught off guard. Levi looked down at the kid and Joe saw something new in Levi''s face¡ªanger. Without a word, Levi spun his revolver¡¯s chamber, then charged forward, sprinting toward the Harbinger. With every step, he fired, bullets slicing through the air. Joe watched each shot arc high, glowing red, before plunging like a comet to strike the Harbinger dead-on. So that¡¯s what he meant by special abilities, Joe thought. But the bullets barely fazed the creature. They hit, sure, but with nowhere near the impact Joe expected. Instead, they seemed to enrage the monster, who now turned its focus to Levi, lobbing something at him. Joe couldn¡¯t quite make it out¡ªwhatever the Harbinger threw splattered against the cave walls as Levi dodged. For a big man, Levi moved fast, weaving around the attacks with surprising agility. Joe stayed put, not wanting to end up in the crossfire. Joe gently rested Pete¡¯s head on the cave floor. Pete¡¯s eyes twitched under closed lids like he was trapped in some frantic dream. Joe knew he had to act¡ªbut how? The scythe he carried was only good at close range, and the thought of tapping into his Infernal Resonance again made his stomach turn. Risking madness or worse in a dark cave didn¡¯t exactly fill him with confidence. He scrambled through his inventory. Stick? Useless. Trident? Definitely not¡ªnot after that whack-ass throw he did earlier. His eyes landed on the crossbow, but he dismissed it just as quickly. If Levi¡¯s bullets¡ªmagical or not¡ªbarely left a scratch, a standard crossbow bolt wouldn¡¯t make a dent. He hovered over the Gold Eater Armour. Could he put that on? It would possibly protect him from whatever the Harbringer was throwing at them but surely something that was Level 25 with unknown abilities wouldn¡¯t work on him? He had to try something. He looked over to Levi, who had circled all around the Harbringer, still firing off bullets, he hoped he had enough bullets in that gun. Screw it. He blinked on the armour, feeling a surge of anticipation at the prospect of wearing some cool armour, which quickly vanished the second the weight hit him. He plummeted to the ground, landing face-first, his head bouncing off the stone floor. The armour swallowed him head to toe, each piece like a personal anchor. His neck strained, but he couldn¡¯t lift his head; his arms wouldn¡¯t budge, and his legs might as well have been chained to the floor. It felt as though he¡¯d been welded to the ground. Yep, this was officially the worst-case scenario: trapped, immobile, stuck to the goddamn floor. A few feet away, Pete¡ªstill unconscious, eyes shut¡ªrose slowly to his feet and, zombie-like, began walking straight toward the water. ¡°Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± Joe hissed, trying to shift even an inch. No dice. He strained to turn his head just enough to glance down at his pocket, desperate for any way to access his inventory. There had to be a way. ¡°Pete!¡± he called, voice muffled by the helmet. But Pete kept moving, unhearing or unheeding. ¡°Pete, stop!¡± Joe¡¯s shouted. He had to get out of this armour, fast. His mind raced, frantically imagining the inventory screen, willing it into existence. He focused harder, picturing the familiar feel of it, mentally clicking on the empty slot. Come on, come on¡­ A faint light sparked in his mind, the inventory screen flickering. With a last push of focus, he accessed it and blinked the armour back into an empty slot. He felt the weight evaporate instantly, leaving him sprawled free on the ground. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Joe scrambled to his feet just in time. Pete was inches from the water when Joe lunged, grabbing him by the shoulder and yanking him back. Pete stumbled, falling half on top of Joe, then rolling off to the side. ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Joe gasped, now covered in sweat. Pete sat up, blinking and rubbing his eyes, his expression dazed. ¡°What¡­ what just happened?¡± Pete asked, voice groggy. Joe took a beat. ¡°You almost walked into that god damn water!¡± Pete¡¯s looked around, finally taking in the chaos around them. Levi was still darting between rocks, staying out of the Harbinger¡¯s reach. He wasn¡¯t firing anymore, just watching the creature, planning something. ¡°I saw my parents,¡± Pete said, turning back to Joe, eyes distant as if he was reliving it again. ¡°We were at the dinner table. I didn¡¯t want to eat my peas, but my dad promised to take me to the store afterwards if I did. I was¡­ younger. It felt¡­ warm.¡± Joe frowned, quickly opening his menu, accessing it with a thought now, and skimming over his quest log. Defeat the Harbinger. Don¡¯t get seduced. ¡°Damn,¡± Joe said. Whatever the Harbinger had done, it had messed with Pete¡¯s mind, luring him in with visions. ¡°Pete,¡± he said firmly, gripping his friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°that was just the Harbinger playing with you. None of it was real, alright? You¡¯re safe now.¡± The irony of that statement didn¡¯t escape him; with the Harbinger looming nearby, ¡°safe¡± was a stretch. But it was the best reassurance he could offer. Pete nodded, though his eyes still held a glassy, far-off look. The Harbinger¡¯s influence seemed to linger. Joe turned his attention back to Levi, who had circled all the way around and returned to them. The Harbinger had stopped lobbing its strange projectiles, seeming to study them now, considering its next move. They couldn¡¯t let this thing do to anyone else what it had done to Pete. ¡°Good to see you back on your feet, kid,¡± Levi said to Pete, panting slightly. ¡°You had us worried there.¡± Pete looked up at Levi, still a bit dazed, but managed a small smile. Levi shifted his gaze to Joe. ¡°My bullets aren¡¯t doing jack. I circled and looked for any kind of weak spot¡ªnothing. It looks like it¡¯s got something wrapped up behind it, I couldn¡¯t get a good look. And you know what it¡¯s throwing at me?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Goddamn hearts.¡± Joe blinked. ¡°Hearts? Like¡­ human hearts?¡± ¡°Yep. Exploding human hearts. They¡¯re splattering against the walls,¡± Levi said. Joe glanced back at the Harbinger. What the hell was this thing? Levi pointed to an overhanging ledge above the creature. ¡°There¡¯s that ledge up there. We might be able to get to it and try attacking from above.¡± Joe scanned the uneven ground leading up toward the ledge. They could probably climb up, but would it even help? If Levi¡¯s bullets couldn¡¯t break through, what would attacking from above do? And Joe didn¡¯t exactly relish the idea of jumping down with just his scythe and hacking away. Was he seriously considering that? Then a wild idea hit Joe. "Could we try to drop that ledge on it?" he asked, eyeing the overhanging rock and its thickness. Levi raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you suggest we do that?" Joe thought for a moment, then remembered one of his scrolls¡ªthe one that supposedly set him on fire. Did it create an explosion, too? He hadn¡¯t tested it yet. Although, if his recent armour experiment was any indication, this could be a spectacularly bad idea. But it might be their only shot. ¡°I¡¯ve got bombs,¡± Pete said suddenly. Both Joe and Levi looked down at him, surprised. ¡°Bombs?¡± they both said in unison. Pete nodded. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve been sitting in my inventory. Thought they might come in handy¡­ eventually.¡± ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you mention this earlier, kid?¡± Levi demanded, glaring at Pete. Pete shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t think they were cool enough. You guys have magic guns and tridents. Mine are called Paper Bombs¡ªprobably from my paper route or something.¡± Joe and Levi exchanged an exasperated look. Typical. But that got Joe thinking. Each of them had brought something unique into the Inferno. Levi had his gun. Pete had his green satchel full of newspapers (and his electric scooter, which had died almost instantly). But what had Joe brought? He looked back to Betty. Of course. It was Betty. Everything they¡¯d carried into the Inferno had transformed, had turned into weapons of some kind. And for him, it was her¡ªBetty. A gurgled laugh echoed through the cave. The Harbinger¡¯s voice slithered over them like oil. ¡°You¡¯ll join us soon enough,¡± it sneered. ¡°We welcome you. You know you want to.¡± Its fat crooked finger pointed at them, and the black water at its feet started to bubble. Without warning, three bodies launched from the water ahead, flopping onto the ground like beached eels. They had no arms, and a gaping hole stretched through their chests. Jesus Christ. The creatures lay still for a split second, then sprang to life, writhing forward with a grotesque snap of heads and feet. They flailed toward the group, using their mouths to drag themselves across the ground, jaws snapping open as if ready to bite. Joe jumped left. Levi rolled right. Pete tumbled back doing a backwards rolly polly, a hand reached for Betty. ¡°What on earth!¡± Joe shouted. Levi didn¡¯t seem to want to waste words. He fired quickly from his revolver, and this time, his bullets did the job. One of the creature¡¯s heads exploded in a wet, messy spray, showering blood and brains across the cave floor. Joe finally felt the surge of purpose he¡¯d been waiting for. He whipped out his scythe and slashed at one of the eel-like creatures, scoring a line across its back. It kept writhing along the ground, unfazed. Frustrated, he aimed a swipe at its face, slicing across one of its eyes. It screeched¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t enough for Joe. He lifted his shoe and stomped down on its head with all his might, feeling the skull crush beneath him, moulding itself grotesquely around his foot. Achievement Unlocked: Free the seduced. 500XP gained. The last creature slithered toward Pete, who scrambled back, frantically climbing onto Betty¡¯s hood. He rolled across her top, sliding down the trunk and pressing himself against the cave wall. Just then, Betty¡¯s headlights flared to life. She jolted forward, her wheels turning slightly toward Joe as she bore down on the eel, running it over with a grinding crunch. Her front tyre settled over the creature¡¯s head, and she pressed down hard, flooring both the gas and brakes. Pete, who still had his back against the cave wall, watched in horror as Betty¡¯s tyres ground the creature into a bloody pulp, spraying chunks of flesh, hair and muscle right at him. Betty didn¡¯t stop immediately¡ªshe kept at it as if she wanted to make absolutely sure nothing remained of the thing. Finally, when the cave fell silent, she swivelled her headlights back toward Pete, as if she¡¯d just noticed him standing there. ¡°Whoops.¡± Chapter 17 - You Absolute Ledge "Awesome! I look like a monster!" Pete grinned, dripping in gore from head to toe, finally looking like himself again. The Harbinger looked pissed. Its bloated, pocked face contorted into something that looked like surprise. It clearly hadn¡¯t expected them to take out the human eels so quickly. ¡°That was¡­ a weird dream,¡± Betty said, now sitting right in the middle of the group. Joe glanced at her, wondering what she¡¯d been doing all this time, but he could guess. The Harbinger must¡¯ve struck her with that weird psychic blast thing as soon as they entered¡ªshe was the highest level among them after all. Although, he couldn¡¯t imagine the Harbinger had expected to waste time trying to seduce a car. Let alone one as maniacal as Betty. The creature let out a grating shriek as it dragged the sound up from its bile-filled guts. Then, with another gesture, it summoned more human eels, bursting from the dark water around the cave. ¡°Alright, new plan,¡± Joe said. ¡°Me, Betty, and Levi will clear a path for you, Pete. You get in close and plant one of your paper bombs¡ªheck, plant all of them¡ªright up on that ledge so we can bring it down on this thing.¡± Joe turned to Levi, who gave a small shrug. ¡°Better than nothing. Let¡¯s give it a go.¡± ¡°Oh, and try to dodge whatever hit Pete and Betty. Otherwise, you¡¯ll probably end up unconscious,¡± Joe added as he moved to help Levi clear the way. Ahead of them, four more human eels crawled out of the water, dragging their bodies forward. Joe could see the viscous slime covering them, almost like brine rather than water. Another group writhed toward them from the opposite side, clearly trying to cut off both paths. Levi spun his revolver, while Joe tightened his grip on his scythe. Betty let out a defiant honk, rolling past them with a burst of confidence. The four eels in front of her didn¡¯t stand a chance. If she could build up enough speed¡ªthey¡¯d be roadkill in seconds. She revved her engine and prepared to speed up, like a bowling ball about to take out the pins. But before she could launch, something struck her side. Joe saw it this time, another blast from the Harbinger, this one even stronger than before. The force tipped her sideways, slamming her against the cavern wall, where she wobbled precariously, stuck on two wheels. Her headlights flickered out, and her driver¡¯s side window lay shattered, the mirror hanging by a thread. ¡°Betty! No!¡± Joe shouted as the Harbinger¡¯s laughter echoed through the cave. It must not care that she¡¯s a car, it must just be going for the highest level. If Betty could come around before, she could do it again, so Joe swallowed his concern and continued ahead. "We have to clear a path and distract it," Joe said. "Let''s move." Levi stepped forward and fired, his shots exploding two of the eels¡¯ heads in quick succession. That gun of his packed a punch, but as it let out a puff of steam, it seemed to need a moment to cool down. Joe ran ahead, hacking at another eel. His slashes were rough, his form clumsy, but these creatures weren¡¯t exactly hard to hit. He started to catch onto their movements, anticipating their lurches. One of them darted in and snapped at his feet, nicking the tip of his shoe. Damn, those teeth were sharp! Clenching his jaw, Joe finished it off with a stomp. Achievement Unlocked: Free the seduced. 500XP gained. Behind him, Pete crouched, trying to keep out of sight, as if hoping the eels¡ªand the Harbinger¡ªmight overlook him. The Harbinger just watched, seemingly amused by its minions¡¯ assault. If it could unleash more of those psychic blasts, it probably would have done so already, Joe figured. Maybe it needed time to recharge like Levi¡¯s gun. This was their chance, the best window they¡¯d get before another blast hit. Joe left the last eel to Levi and jumped past it, sprinting around to the far side, aiming to draw the Harbinger''s focus. He smashed his scythe against the cave wall, sparks flaring as he shouted taunts. The creature finally turned toward him. Gods, it was fat. Joe could see the thing wrapped up on the floor as well, it looked as if it was a mummified human, like the one¡¯s you¡¯d find in ancient Egypt. It pointed a stubby, grotesque hand in Joe¡¯s direction, and another eel leapt from the water to intercept him. But something unexpected happened. An eel, seemingly confused, flopped onto the Harbinger''s ledge instead. The Harbinger, caught off guard, tried to swat it away, but its short arms flailed uselessly. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The eel lunged, sinking its teeth into the Harbinger¡¯s flesh. The monster let out a bellowing, primal scream, its voice so intense it pushed Joe back. It managed to scare off the eel but took a minor wound. Joe steadied himself, blinking. The eels don¡¯t like the Harbinger. That was something they could use. Joe slashed at the eel in front of him, then kicked it hard, sending it splashing back into the water. The Harbinger still staggered, reeling from the bite it had taken from one of its minions. Up ahead, Joe spotted Levi finishing off his eel and moving toward the others on the opposite side. Meanwhile, Pete managed to sneak his way around, inching up the ledge undetected. Deciding to press their advantage, Joe circled to the other eels, aiming to trap them between himself and Levi, creating a pincer that might keep the Harbinger distracted even longer. With a swift motion, Joe ran up and brought his scythe down, driving it into the back of an eel¡¯s neck. The creature shrieked, whipping around and nearly wrenching the scythe from Joe¡¯s grip. He managed to hold on, ripping the blade free. The eel lashed back, this time sinking its teeth into his calf. Pain shot through his leg as he staggered, the sharp bite tearing flesh. ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± Joe yelled, stumbling away from the eel as it lunged, hungry for more. Blood streamed down his leg, soaking through his torn trousers, drenching his sock, and pooling inside his shoe. He tried to retreat, but each step faltered, his swings losing their strength as his balance slipped. The eel edged closer, relentless, as he struggled to ward it off. Ahead, Levi had adopted Joe¡¯s stomping technique, smashing down on another eel with wild, determined strikes. Joe swung again, this time slashing across both of the eel¡¯s eyes. It let out a shriek and rolled back into the water. Thank God. He glanced at the Harbinger¡ªonly to realise, with a jolt of panic, that it was staring straight at Pete. And Pete, oblivious amidst the chaos, seemed focused on rummaging through his inventory up on the rocks, just before the ledge. Joe¡¯s eyes flicked back to the Harbinger¡¯s leathery back, where a faint red glow pulsed beneath the skin, throbbing brighter with each second. From the back, it was obvious¡ªwhatever energy it was gathering, it was about to unleash it straight at Pete. ¡°Shit,¡± Joe said. ¡°Pete! Look out!¡± he shouted, but his voice barely registered in the cacophony. Desperation flared through him. He yelled again, louder this time, ¡°Hey! Over here, you fat bastard!¡± But the Harbinger didn¡¯t budge, its focus locked on Pete, the glow intensifying. With no other options, Joe acted on pure instinct. He lifted his scythe above his head, gripping it tight as he drew in a deep, wrath-fuelled breath. He tapped into every ounce of anger, every bit of energy thrumming through his veins, and felt it coil. Its intensity was now burning, making him feel hot. His muscles trembled as he aimed, feeling the surge of power. Then he hurled the scythe with all he had. The blade sailed through the air, a perfect arc across fifteen, maybe twenty feet, driven by raw force. It struck true, burying itself deep in the Harbinger¡¯s back. Joe brought his head back in surprise, half-disbelieving. Holy shit it worked! He remembered that embarrassing team-building event a few years ago when he couldn¡¯t hit the target with an axe to save his life. But here, in this moment of chaos and desperation, he¡¯d made the throw of a lifetime. The Harbinger didn¡¯t scream as Joe expected. Instead, it let out a gargled gasp, as if every ounce of air had been ripped from its lungs in one savage instant. It clawed at its back with stubby arms, desperately trying to reach the scythe lodged between its shoulders, but its bulk made that impossible. It turned, fixing its glowing red eyes directly on Joe. The snarl that followed wasn¡¯t human. The red glow in its eyes pulsed faster, brighter as if charging for one final, devastating strike. Joe stood firm, staring straight into its eyes. He didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t flinch. Not even when he saw the moment the energy built to its peak. Then the ledge above the Harbinger detonated. The explosion wasn¡¯t just sound and light¡ªit was precision. Bits of jagged, paper-shaped metal burst outward, only to whip back in, carving into the ledge with surgical accuracy. The rock gave way, tumbling down in a crushing cascade. Joe dove to his left as the falling mass slammed into the Harbinger¡¯s head. The impact knocked the creature into the water, sending waves crashing toward where Joe had just been standing. He hit the cavern floor, rolled, and scrambled to his feet. The jagged tip embedded deep into the rock mound where the creature once sat in vile authority. The Harbinger began flailing in the water, its movements jerky and desperate. Joe watched, stunned, as the human eels swarmed toward their fallen master. They leapt from the water, their needle-sharp teeth latching onto its flesh. The Harbinger¡¯s thrashing grew wild and frantic, but the eels tore into it with the frenzy of starving piranhas. The murky water churned with red as the eels stripped its leathery skin in chunks. Joe just stared, willing the eels on, as the Harbinger let out one last gurgled cry, its voice drowned in the chaos of gnashing teeth and splashing water. Then it went still. The massive form sank beneath the surface, the water clearing just enough for Joe to glimpse the last few eels darting away with scraps of flesh. Bubbles rose lazily to the surface, popping one by one until there was nothing but silence. The Harbinger was dead. Joe burst into laughter. Achievement Unlocked: Defeat the Harbringer. 2500XP Level 6 Unlocked Chapter 18 - The Waitress Joe rounded the corner back toward Betty, still tipped on her side. Her headlights and indicators were now flashing. Joe couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Watching the Harbinger drown had been deeply satisfying, almost too much so. And, if he was being honest, seeing Betty toppled over on her side stirred a flicker of warmth in him as well. Good. She¡¯d been reckless earlier. She needed to learn a lesson¡ª Joe stopped dead in his tracks. What the hell was he thinking? This was Betty. His Betty. He didn¡¯t want her hurt. The thought twisted within him, and shame followed close behind. What was wrong with him? He knew the answer but refused to admit it. He¡¯d tapped into his Resonance when he threw the scythe. It had worked¡ªmaybe too well. The power coursing through him felt intoxicating, even now, but he could sense how far he¡¯d gone. He didn¡¯t even want to check how high it had surged. Was this what it did? Resonance? Did it make him revel in the suffering of others? The idea sent a cold shiver down his spine. This wasn¡¯t him. It couldn¡¯t be him. Joe forced the thoughts aside as he neared Betty. Her distressed calls brought him back to the present, and his instincts took over. He¡¯d check on his stats later. ¡°A little help, please," she said, her wheels spinning uselessly. "You''re alive!" Pete exclaimed, still covered head to toe in guts. "I thought that thing got you for sure this time." "Nah," Betty shot back with a laugh. "That fat pig couldn''t seduce me!" Joe and Levi moved into position, Joe taking the front and Levi the back. Together, they shoved Betty upright, her wheels finally meeting the ground with a metallic thud. The sound of shattered glass scattered across the cave walls. "Thanks for being gentle," Betty muttered dryly. "Don''t mention it," Levi said, brushing dirt off his denim. Joe turned to Pete. "Good job with those bombs. You set them off just in time." Pete grinned. "Thanks! I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d explode like that. It was like knives cutting through the rock." Joe glanced toward the ledge where the explosion had done its work. The blast had carved through the rock with surgical precision, leaving a clean, smooth edge. The ledge had collapsed and now pointed downward like a slide, its tip jammed into the rock where the Harbinger had perched. Following its path, Joe¡¯s eyes landed on the mummified figure again. "Oh, shit!" he blurted. He scrambled over the rocks toward the ledge, slipping and sliding but managing to stay upright. The ledge¡¯s slope felt like a natural slide, and Joe skidded down on his rear, landing hard on the Harbinger¡¯s rock. The mummified figure lay close to where the ledge had fallen. Too close. Thank God it hadn¡¯t been crushed. Up close, it looked even more like an ancient mummy¡ªstraight out of an Egyptian sarcophagus. Curiosity got the better of him. He bent down and extended a tentative finger. Could this really be a person? If so, they had to be dead, right? Maybe it was just another one of those freakish eel creatures. Joe gave its head a cautious poke. The thing jolted violently. A muffled scream tore through the wraps. Joe yelped and fell back, landing on his ass. It was alive. Alive! Scrambling to his feet, his eyes darted around. "Levi!" he shouted. "Got a knife?" "Yeah?" Levi called back. "Bring it here! Quick!" Levi navigated the same route, sliding down the rock with practised ease¡ªlike the action hero he was born to be. Damn, what a man. "What¡¯s going on?" Levi asked, flicking the knife open as he approached. Joe pointed. "There¡¯s a person in there." Levi frowned, sceptical. "In there?" Another muffled scream and frantic squirming came from the figure as if to confirm Joe¡¯s claim. Levi¡¯s eyes widened. "Holy shit," he said. Kneeling beside the mummy, he carefully slipped the knife beneath the edge of a bandage and began sawing through. The figure immediately started thrashing. "Stop!" Joe shouted, placing a steadying hand on what he hoped was their shoulder. "We¡¯re trying to help you!" The figure stilled, though its breathing remained frantic. Levi resumed cutting, exposing bits of bare skin beneath the tattered wrappings. "Wait," Levi said, pausing mid-slice. "This isn¡¯t another one of those human-fish things, is it?" Joe shrugged helplessly. "I don¡¯t know. Maybe? We¡¯ve gotta check." "It¡¯s probably the waitress!" Pete hollered from across the cave.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Joe and Levi exchanged a glance. Levi didn¡¯t waste time questioning further. His movements quickened, unwrapping the bandages around the head. Strands of hair peeked through as the layers unravelled. Finally, he cleared the bandage from her mouth. "Get me the fuck outta here!" the woman screamed, wriggling furiously. "Lady, we are getting you out! Just hold still!" Levi shot back. Joe could see the exhaustion etched on her face. She was shivering, barely able to stay still despite her efforts. Levi had cut away most of the wrappings from her torso, and she tore off the rest herself, kicking them off her legs. The discarded bandages splashed into the water beside them. Now fully visible, Joe recognised her immediately¡ªit was the waitress he¡¯d seen before he first entered the Inferno. He remembered her vividly: those uncomfortable heels, her terrified expression. She still wore her waitress uniform, though now she was barefoot and visibly worse for wear. A nasty gash cut across her cheek, and her brown hair was a tangled mess in dire need of a comb. Not that Joe would judge her. She¡¯d been through hell. Hell, his hair probably looked like a bird¡¯s nest right about now. The three of them stood there, awkwardly silent, as if waiting for someone else to break the tension. Joe opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, the waitress darted between him and Levi, heading straight for the ledge. "Hey! Lady, what are you doing?" Levi called after her, sliding his knife back into its sheath. "I''m not staying here for one second longer," she snapped, clawing at the rocky ledge to climb. Getting down had been easy enough, but climbing back up proved far more challenging. There were no clear footholds, and every movement seemed more painful to watch than the last. "Come on," Joe said, stepping forward. "Just come back down and let¡¯s talk this through. I know it¡¯s been rough, but we¡¯re all in the same boat here." "You have no idea what I¡¯ve been through!" she shot back, her voice cracking with anger and frustration as she continued her slow, unsteady climb. Her bare foot slipped, losing its grip on a jagged rock. She gasped as she slid back down, scraping her knees and legs along the way. Joe tried to catch her, but his effort was as graceful as a dropped sack of potatoes. She hit the ground with a thud, turning to sit against the ledge, her back pressed against the stone. Joe moved closer, extending a hand. "Here, let me help¡ª" "Don¡¯t touch me!" she barked, cutting him off. She hugged her knees, glaring at him. "I''m fine. Just leave me alone," she said as she buried her face into her knees. Joe might have honoured her request if she wasn¡¯t blocking the only way off the rock. He sighed, quickly pulling up her stats.
Name: Jane
Level: 2
Class: ?
Race: Human
The information didn¡¯t surprise him. She looked like someone who¡¯d been through the wringer down here. Still crouching, Joe lowered himself to her level, trying to catch her gaze. "How long have you been here?" he asked. Her eyes stayed fixed on the ground as she whispered, "I don¡¯t know. Days? Weeks? It feels like an eternity." Joe frowned. Time already felt distorted down here, but weeks? That didn¡¯t seem possible. Or maybe it was. He couldn¡¯t be sure anymore. "How did you even get here?" Levi cut in, his voice less comforting than Joe¡¯s. She lifted her head and locked eyes with Levi, tears carving trails down her dirt-streaked face. ¡°I came in from above here," she said, her voice trembling. "I walked down the ramp into this awful place. I wandered for a while before I found a hole nearby that led down somewhere. I thought I could hide from those monstrous things up there, but all I found were more monsters down here." "A hole?" Joe repeated. "Where?" The realisation hit him. During their entire fight, he hadn¡¯t noticed any way in or out of this place. They¡¯d been dragged here by that wave of eel creatures, but any trace of an entry¡ªor an exit¡ªhad completely escaped him. She motioned over her shoulder toward the back of the cave. At first, Joe couldn¡¯t make out what she was pointing at¡ªno light came from that direction. But as his eyes adjusted, he spotted it: a small hole near the very bottom of the cave wall. Damn. She had crawled straight into the Harbinger¡¯s grasp. Now that¡¯s just bad luck. Still, at least it represented a possible way out of this nightmare. ¡°Do you think we can climb back up and out of here?¡± Joe asked. ¡°Yeah, but trust me, you don¡¯t want to,¡± Jane replied flatly. ¡°It¡¯s got to be better than being stuck in this cave,¡± Levi countered. ¡°At least there are more of us now,¡± Joe added, glancing toward Betty and Pete. ¡°We can fight whatever¡¯s up there waiting for us.¡± Joe was still mulling over his now glaring lack of weapons, the image of the pumpkin scythe sinking alongside the Harbinger replaying in his mind, when a thought hit him. Betty. How the hell was Betty going to get out of here? Joe froze, staring into the inky darkness of the water, his mind spinning. How the hell could they get her out of this cave? ¡°You¡¯re thinking about the car, aren¡¯t you?¡± Levi said. He must have noticed the gears turning in Joe¡¯s head, the barely concealed panic. Joe didn¡¯t answer, just gave a slow, reluctant nod. ¡°There has to be another way out of here,¡± Joe said. ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Jane interjected, shaking her head. ¡°When I first came down here, I wasn¡¯t captured right away. That thing¡ªit was asleep when I found it. I crept around as quietly as I could, looking for any way out of here. But there¡¯s nothing. I think I woke it up, because the next thing I remember, everything went dark, and I woke up wrapped in those disgusting bandages.¡± Damn it. Maybe they could head back up there and search for another way in. Worst-case scenario, they could try blowing a hole through the rock. But Joe wasn¡¯t sure how explosives would work on an incline, and even if they managed to blast a hole big enough for Betty, she¡¯d still have to fly¡ªor they¡¯d have to pull her up somehow. Neither option sounded remotely feasible. Joe sighed, steeling himself for what was shaping up to be a difficult conversation. He had to figure out a way to get her out of here, no matter what it took. Even if it meant leaving her behind temporarily to search for a solution on the surface. The thought didn¡¯t weigh him down with as much sadness as he expected. Then again, that was probably the lingering effect of his Infernal Resonance stats still running high. One problem at a time. Chapter 19 - Thats a Late Ass Prologue An undisclosed amount of time ago¡­ Ralei, servant to Disciple Arolo, scowled as he watched them drink. The Disciples had gathered for their ritual before the purge¡ªa tradition Ralei found revolting. He sat on the edge of the palace dining hall, letting the warmth from rows of crackling hearths distract him from how cold he felt inside. Laughter and crude jokes filled the hall as the Disciples revelled in the suffering they were about to inflict. Their faces lit up with glee, each toast brimming with eagerness for the impending devastation. Kitchen staff brought out whole roasts of falix, a rare delicacy for the Highest Domain, a luxury those in the Lower parts could only dream of¡ªa dream that would soon be abruptly shattered. The Disciples hadn¡¯t always been like this. Once, they were noble. But as with any unchecked power, it twisted and corrupted them over time. With the introduction of The Resonance across all three domains, these once-proud souls had morphed into something unrecognisable, warped beyond any resemblance of the figures they once symbolised. Right on cue, Disciple Arolo snapped his fingers, summoning Ralei with urgency. Ralei slid off his stool out of habit and approached, expecting yet another command to ¡°fetch more drink.¡± To his surprise, Arolo had something different in mind. ¡°Ralei, my dear boy, would you be so kind as to go to my chambers and bring me the papers from my desk?¡± ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Ralei replied. It was customary not to ask questions; even if the request was vague, servants were expected to figure it out, driven by fear of becoming a nuisance or wasting a Disciple¡¯s time. He moved quickly through the crowd, attempting to avoid being sucked into any other requests. Serving Arolo was, in his view, the best option in a grim situation. Most of the other Disciples were as merciless as they were mad. Arolo was different. Sure, he was mad, but not in a malicious way like the others. And he certainly had plenty to say about the others when he had had a few drinks. He hurried out of the dining hall and, just beyond its doors, passed the entrance to the dungeons. Ralei wondered if King Danil was asleep. An Honour Guard stood at attention nearby, his posture rigid, though his gaze tracked Ralei¡¯s every step. Nope, nope, nope¡­ Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ralei continued past a line of paintings depicting the Disciples, each crowned by an image of the Grandmaster seated above them. The portraits were crude, self-indulgent displays, with the Disciples posing in the most pompous ways. He¡¯d love to see them burn one day. The final painting, however, offered him a small comfort¡ªnot because he felt any warmth toward Disciple Yvonne, but simply because it was the last one he had to look at. The corridor curved to the left, leading him toward Arolo¡¯s chambers. Thankfully, Arolo¡¯s quarters were the closest to the dining hall, sparing Ralei a longer walk. Disciple Arolo''s chambers exuded an imposing spectacle. The ceilings soared high above, supported by thick, rugged wooden beams. Each one was taken meticulously from the Lower Realms, as Arolo preferred the rawness of their materials. As of midnight, these beams would become extinct. He did note one of the support beams splintering though, something which he was sure Arolo hadn¡¯t noticed otherwise he certainly would have heard about it. The walls and floors were mostly covered in Sangur, a lustrous, bronze-like material mined from the depths of Pangar, a realm in the Middle Domain and one of Arolo¡¯s favourite places to visit. Arolo¡¯s furnishings, though sparse, were carefully chosen to match his tastes: dark, richly stained wood, intricate carvings, and heavy fabrics. Ralei approached Arolo¡¯s oversized desk, a piece of furniture that, in his opinion, was compensating for something. Just as Arolo had said, the papers lay waiting. Typically, documents of this nature would be rolled up and sealed to keep prying eyes away. But for some reason, these lay open, for anyone bold enough to look. In large letters, the title read: The Convergence of the Last Two Remaining Lower Realms¡ªthose poor souls. He knew little about the people of the Lowest Realm, except that they lived beneath the Resonance, outside its reach. Their existence was so overlooked that the Disciples had never even bothered to govern them or draw them into the fold. And in the Disciples¡¯ view, a realm left uncontrolled was one with no purpose¡ªno need to exist at all. The papers outlined the plan to merge the two realms: a place called ¡°Earth¡± and another known as the ¡°Inferno.¡± Though the Inferno was technically governed by the Resonance, it was now set to occupy the lowest tier on the hierarchy. No Disciple had ever visited it¡ªa realm where they exiled anything that didn¡¯t fit their ideals, anything too unruly or too unsightly to exist within their polished domains. It was, in essence, a dumping ground for their problems, a place left to fester at the farthest edge. Its Resonance was also ill-defined, warped, and did not conform to the system put in place. Those poor souls. The people of Earth were about to receive a brutal awakening. Ralei skimmed over the plans, glancing through the rationale, the risks, and the so-called benefits. These people deserved a chance¡ªdeserved something. As he turned the page, his focus was caught on the section detailing the risks. ¡°During the merge, both realms become susceptible to tears. Any tears can and will greatly slow or stop the merge. This risk is accepted due to the distinct lack of investment in the lower realm from other domains.¡± He frowned, his gaze shifting to another listed ¡°risk.¡± ¡°Anything that disrupts the Inferno¡¯s balance or ¡°status-quo¡± will either slow or stop the merge. Again, this risk is accepted due to the incredible unlikeliness of this occurring.¡± The cold indifference in the words struck him. In the Disciples'' eyes, these realms and their inhabitants were nothing more than expendable¡ªmere sacrifices to the convenience of those in power. He felt nauseous. He wanted to vomit. Years spent serving those who only seemed to serve their interests pulled him down like an anvil. These so-called "risks" were abhorrent, and something inside Ralei finally snapped. He drifted back over the document, ensuring he hadn''t overlooked anything important. Amid the risks, he saw an opportunity¡ªan opportunity to do something meaningful, to give the innocent a fighting chance. Chapter 20 - The Meeting ¡°So, you¡¯re just leaving me,¡± said Betty. ¡°No! Of course not!¡± Joe replied. Joe, Levi, and Jane had climbed back up the rocky ledge, checked the small hole in the wall to ensure it was still passable, and regrouped with Pete and Betty on the rocks where they had first landed after being dragged into the Harbinger¡¯s cave. ¡°You¡¯re abandoning your cougar,¡± Betty said. Joe sighed, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t a cougar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she snapped. ¡°But you sure act like I¡¯m some stray you¡¯re ready to leave behind.¡± Joe glanced at the others for support, but they all avoided his gaze. No one was stepping in to help. Great. This one was all on him. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving you,¡± he said firmly. ¡°We¡¯re just going up to look for a way out for you. We¡¯ll come back. I promise.¡± Betty didn¡¯t respond. Instead, her speakers blared to life, blasting ¡°Staying Alive¡± at full volume again. Pete jumped back, nearly losing his balance. Levi shot Joe a look, mouthing, ¡°She¡¯s a child.¡± ¡°Betty! Turn it off!¡± Joe yelled over the music. She didn¡¯t. The Bee Gees kept belting out their disco anthem. Joe gritted his teeth. Fine. If she wanted to act like a child, she could be treated like one. ¡°Alright, timeout for you!¡± he said, waving for the others to follow him. They¡¯d barely started toward the hole in the cave wall when a deafening crack tore through the air. The cave shook. Dust and tiny rocks rained down as a shockwave rippled through the cavern. Joe spun back, shielding his face from the blast. Hovering just above the edge of inky water was a tear in the air. Its jagged edges shimmered, and the energy pouring out of it whipped the surrounding air into chaos. It looked exactly like the one Joe had seen earlier. Betty stopped the music. At least there was that. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Levi¡¯s weapon was already in his hand. Joe took a hesitant step closer, ignoring the heat radiating from the tear. ¡°It¡¯s like the thing from before,¡± he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. ¡°Something¡ªor someone¡ªspoke to me through it.¡± ¡°Joe, be careful!¡± Pete¡¯s voice cracked behind him, but Joe didn¡¯t stop. The tear pulsed with a rhythm Joe recognised all too well. It¡¯s strange, otherworldly light throbbed in time. Joe edged closer, his steps growing bolder with each stride. His fingers were inches away when the tear collapsed on itself. It didn¡¯t simply close¡ªit snapped shut, as though an invisible, industrial-sized vacuum had swallowed it whole. A blinding flash of light erupted, forcing Joe to shield his eyes.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. When the brilliance faded, Joe lowered his arm and blinked against the spots dancing in his vision. Someone stood where the tear had been moments ago. Joe squinted, his mind struggling to reconcile the figure in front of him. At first glance, he¡¯d half-mistaken him for a child. The man was short¡ªslightly shorter than fourteen-year-old Pete¡ªbut his posture and presence were far from juvenile. He was painfully thin, his frail frame barely filling the intricate golden suit he wore. The suit was unlike anything Joe had ever seen before. It looked like a three-piece, but the material shimmered with an almost regal glow. Intricate carvings adorned the fabric, giving it the appearance of something ceremonial rather than functional. His head was sparsely covered with wisps of hair, thin enough that Joe could see the pale, wrinkled scalp beneath. Round glasses perched on the tip of his nose, magnifying tired, sunken eyes framed by dark, heavy bags that betrayed his age despite his otherwise smooth, clean-shaven face. Joe¡¯s attention dropped to the man¡¯s feet. His shoes¡ªor slippers, as they seemed to be¡ªwere just as unusual as the rest of him. They were slip-ons, clearly devoid of laces or buckles, and their soft sheen matched the luxurious oddity of the suit. It was as though the man had stepped out of another time, another world. And yet, something about him felt fragile, almost breakable, despite the grandeur of his appearance. ¡°We must forgo the formalities; there isn¡¯t much time,¡± the man said, his tone brisk but oddly familiar, as if addressing old friends. His focus shifted to Levi, who Joe only now noticed had his revolver trained directly on the newcomer. ¡°You won¡¯t be needing that,¡± the man said, raising a hand slightly in Levi¡¯s direction. The revolver yanked itself from Levi¡¯s grip and hit the ground with a deafening clang, the impact almost mirroring the way Joe had crumpled under the weight of the Gold Eater¡¯s armour earlier. Levi¡¯s eyes went wide as he bent down to retrieve it, but his hands struggled against an impossible weight, the gun refusing to budge. It reminded Joe of that scene in Avengers where everyone tried to lift Mjolnir. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Levi shouted as he straightened up, abandoning the futile effort. ¡°I am the reason you are here. I am Ralei,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯re the reason we¡¯re here?¡± Pete spoke up from behind. Joe turned to glance at him, noting the weight behind Pete¡¯s words. It was as if the full scope of their predicament had finally settled on him. ¡°Yes,¡± Ralei replied with a solemn nod. ¡°And I am sorry. But if you were not here, your realm¡ªEarth, I believe it¡¯s called¡ªwould already be gone.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± Levi growled, his fists clenching so tightly that Joe thought he might take a swing. ¡°Levi, stop. Hear him out,¡± Joe interjected. His eyes flicked to Betty, who sat unusually quiet. ¡°Thank you, Joe,¡± Ralei said, locking eyes with him. He carried a weight of sincerity that Joe wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to process. He nodded back, unsure of what else to do. ¡°You¡¯ve done well to slow the merge so far,¡± Ralei continued. ¡°But you must move faster. I thought I had equipped you properly to make haste, but it seems I miscalculated.¡± Joe glanced around at the group, trying to read their expressions, before it dawned on him that Ralei wasn¡¯t addressing them¡ªhe was talking directly to him. ¡°Me?¡± Joe asked, pointing at himself. ¡°Yes, you,¡± Ralei confirmed. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think you gave me anything,¡± Joe replied, bewildered. ¡°I had that... meat cannon thing or whatever it was, but that disappeared after I killed the crab. And my guide¡ªTerrence, or whatever he was¡ªkind of glitched out and vanished. I figured you meant Betty when you said I had some kind of tool to help.¡± Ralei shifted his weight, looking over Joe¡¯s shoulder at Betty. She hadn¡¯t moved, hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot explain that,¡± Ralei said after a pause. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your Manifold Staff.¡± ¡°My mani-what-what?¡± said Joe. Ralei stared off into the distance, giving the same look as Levi and Pete when they looked through their inventory. ¡°Your stick.¡± He finally said.