《Earth Conqueror Green [LitRPG] [Dungeon Survival]》 Ch. 0001 - The Return There is perhaps no event more scarring to the psyche of a world than an Induction. Such is the trauma it leaves in its wake that certain groups have outright banned the mention of its name on pain of death. An extreme example, but this author does not blame these groups for their vitriol. For masked behind an entirely unassuming label lies an act of butchery unmatched in scale across the galaxy. Butchery made worse for it is done in the name of ¡®upliftment¡¯. Of unity. There is no greater lie in this universe. Because the price of unity cannot be the hundreds of worlds that have broken from the strain of Induction. It cannot be the multitude of races and cultures lost to the chaos of violent integration as levels, mana and magic make mayhem of established laws and customs. It cannot be the countless peoples made slaves to the cold calculations of The System and its patrons. It cannot. How much more sacrifice is necessary before we all refuse to entertain this lie anymore? How much longer must our galaxy bleed worlds until someone finally puts an end to this madness. An end to The System. This author does not know. This author can only ask into the endless abyss of space a question that has not yet been answered: who dares fight The System itself? --- Stricken Records of Tuluth the Southern Sage --- o.o.o.o.o.o Rek crested the hill and sucked in a deep lungful of dewy morning air, a content smile on his face as he surveyed the landscape ahead. Songsmiths had sung of the Fields of Colour as being a sigh apart from Heaven itself for centuries on end, and now, as he stood before the majesty of it all, he finally understood why. Long-grass painted in iridescent colours stretched to the horizon, their willowy stalks dancing to the rhythm of the sweeping breeze like a ritual celebration of the coming dawn. The air itself seemed alive with the song of the world, the wind carrying with it little whispers that caressed his ears as they swept past, speaking of the great and momentous things they were audience to. He read those whispers well and thanked the spirits as they went. They had offered him nothing he wasn¡¯t already aware of, but civility mattered where the spirits were concerned. They were an easily offended and fickle lot. ¡®Not as fickle as some mortals can be.¡¯ added a voice amongst his thoughts. He smiled. ¡®Yes. Not as fickle indeed, Illna.¡¯ His companion was soothed by the admission and returned to his inner self, quietly observing as was her norm. Though outwardly calm, he knew that she was worried by the coming change. It was no easy thing for an earth spirit to part with the world of their birth. The fact that she agreed to do so was a great sign of how much she valued their bond. He mentally pressed on their connection, sending outward feelings of gratitude and trust, which she returned readily. He smiled. His gaze then turned towards the distance where he spied the very edges of a gathering of the ages. Hundreds and thousands of tents and yurts laid sprinkled across the grass in three massive concentric rings, all centred around a singular circle of polished white stone. A circle large and wide enough to host an army. An army of the adventurous, the brave and the decidedly mad. The famed portal to another world. One of dozens of its kind mustered by The System across the length of the continent. He could not make much of it from here. Magic would¡¯ve helped, but he decided that his first proper look of it should be up close and in the flesh. ¡°No small assortment, master.¡± remarked Ashyne as she strode up to his side. He glanced at her. Even after so many days, it still struck him as strange to see her without her ceremonial war-mask. A casualty of The System¡¯s demands that they leave behind their valued equipment. He would be leaving behind much in this world as well. His fingers tightened around his new stave, smaller and much lesser than his Stave of the World¡¯s End. It was a sacrifice well worth the reward, but still... ¡°Aye. Quite the showing. More than we expected.¡± he said after a moment. ¡°Far more. No names as big as ours, though. Most of them are middling at best. I spy Roadrin¡¯s banners there. The Culler too. Milnon. Ikbar. Still, there¡¯ll be a lot of fighting to fill the gaps they leave behind.¡± ¡°Chuffed that we¡¯re to miss it, ay? Odal¡¯s leavin¡¯ too, master!¡± bellowed Orenthan as he hobbled up towards them, the goblin¡¯s maw opened in a toothy grin. ¡°Saw the bastard¡¯s banner down there! He''s got guts to show ¡®imself! Might be I¡¯ll send ¡®im to the dirt ¡®fore he has a chance to taste the new world!¡± Rek frowned. ¡°There will be none of that. We come under a banner of peace. All old grudges will be forgotten here. Understood?¡± There was some grumbling, but Orenthan nodded, as he should. Rek was a tolerant leader, but no chief worth their steel brooked outright disobedience. Rebellions had started for less. ¡°Saddle up. We continue on.¡± His generals jumped to obey. Word spread across his clan and they were on the move once more within minutes. Rek rode at the front of the bustling army, as was his right, mounted on his trusted dohrino steed, the hulking ruminant¡¯s polished armour glistening in the morning light. Orenthan and Ashyne rode by his side, his banners held high on their backs. ¡°Are you excited to return home, master?¡± asked Orenthan as he inched closer. He paid the goblin a nod. ¡°It has been five years. I wonder how much of it has changed.¡± ¡°A lot, likely. What with an Induction takin¡¯ place an¡¯ all that.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He didn¡¯t doubt it, and it was that very fact he feared most. ¡°Your family will likely be dearly awaiting your return.¡± remarked Ashyne with a smile. ¡°Aye, if they still live!¡± bellowed Orenthan. The ashanti glowered and the goblin quickly snapped his mouth shut, his eyes wide. Rek sighed. ¡°Crude, but it is true. Much can happen in five years.¡± ¡°Fear not, master. Your family lives. I am sure of it. Do not abandon hope.¡± Ashyne reached over to place a hand on his shoulder to show comfort. He smiled and thanked her. Hope. He supposed that after so long, it was all he had left. ¡°I want to try this chicken wings food that you spoke of once we arrive there, master!¡± declared Orenthan, spittle flying from his lips. Rek laughed; his fears lost in the wake of the goblin¡¯s spontaneity. ¡°Aye, you would, wouldn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°All others worry about the dangers to come and this one¡¯s greatest concern is still stuffing his mouth.¡± remarked Ashyne with a roll of her eyes. ¡°A warrior needs his meat! How else can I serve the master at my bestest!¡± ¡°With your brain as well. Do you know what that is?¡± ¡°¡¯Course I know, venomous woman! Do you know of the end of my axe?¡± Ashyne snapped back a retort at that, and the two fell back onto familiar routines. Rek listened to their bickering with amusement, taking comfort in the distraction they offered from the worries that plagued him. It was appreciated, even if it was only for a moment. o.o.o.o.o.o It was near an hour later that they arrived before the settlement. The scent of roasted meat and the cacophony of a bustling camp greeted them long before any singular soul did, though he didn¡¯t doubt that the scattered scouts of a great many of the gathering¡¯s factions had taken notice of his arrival long before. Rek dismounted a few meters away from the edge, as did the rest of his troupe. ¡°Go with the wind, loyal one. Be free.¡± he whispered, his head pressed against his steed¡¯s snout. The regal creature paid him a long look of bestial understanding before it roared and galloped away. Dozens of others did the same, a small herd of dohrino coming to life as they gathered together and charged into the open plains. Rek watched them go with a smile on his face before he steeled himself and turned back to the gathering. His steps calm and focused, he marched towards the outer ring of tents, his warriors at his heels. Not a single individual dared to come out to test them as they approached, as so often happened when the orc-blooded met. It came as no surprise. The outer edges of a settlement like this were the place of the weakest of the assembled. Small tribes and rogue warriors of little repute. Not the sort that would dare test themselves against his clan. But they would stare. They would whisper. The bravest of their lot would even show themselves from their tents, daring to meet his gaze. He applauded their spine. They would need at least that much mettle to survive an Induction. It was half-way into the camp-city that he spied the first individuals worth a mention. Aldras, a slinger famed for singularly slaying a beast ten levels higher than him. The Red Tribe, that his own clan had fought many times over the years. The Red leader, a mighty ogre twice Rek¡¯s size, lowered his head respectfully as their eyes met, a gesture of peace and a sign of submission in one. Rek nodded in acceptance before walking away. Others took heed of the interaction to do the same. Former foes, some. Others fresher in memory. Orenthan bristled as they spied Odal¡¯s clan in the distance. The goblins were a minor force, but subordinate to one of their chief rivals. Fortunately, a look was enough to ensure that the warrior did nothing foolish, and so they continued without issue. Eventually, they breached upon the inner ring. It was far less congested here compared to the previous two rings, each group giving the other a wide berth. It was to be expected. Few here were friends, and none wanted to contend with unnecessary violence just before the world-jump. Especially against someone like him. Even the smallest wound could affect their chance at glory on the other side, and against his clan, they knew well that they would only be seeking death. So, a fragile peace held the air. Rek led his group to a sizable clearing near the stone circle. Here, so close, he could see the intricate patterns that lined the platform¡¯s surface, no doubt the work of the great magics that The System called its own. He understood none of it, but his magic had never been the thing of patterns and logic, but whispers and understanding. ¡°Make camp. Do not allow anyone to leave and do not engage in idiocy. Peace is to be maintained, understood?¡± Ashyne and Orenthan nodded. Tensions were high. He¡¯d only brought three dozen of his best to this, which was far smaller than some others had. He noted entire clans having come out in their fullness, old and young and all, willing to throw their everything into this gamble in a new world. It was a mighty risk, even for him with his homefield knowledge, a secret only privy to Ashyne, Orenthan and Illna. But his five years had led up to this, and risk or not, it was one he could not afford to not take. Rek glanced up at the sky. The time to cross would come at high noon. They still had a few hours, then. He could spend some time rubbing shoulders. Parting from his troops, Rek strode towards a familiar face he¡¯d spied in the distance. A face that had noted him back. Breaking from his own group, the warlord strode towards him. The air went quiet as all eyes turned towards them. Lesser clans watched with bated breath. It wasn¡¯t often that individuals of their level met. ¡°Rek the Earthsong, Commune of the Spirits and Chiefseer of the Heavensons Clan.¡± he announced himself, as was good decorum. ¡°Oleg Spearbird of Thrice Found Purpose, Warlord of the Seeking Fortunes Ilk.¡± declared the troll in return. Rek smiled. ¡®I remember this one. He smells like fresh soil.¡¯ purred Illna amongst his thoughts. ¡®Yes. He is a good friend. We fought together against the Ildhari.¡¯ ¡®Wretched rot-things.¡¯ spat the spirit, her good mood lost at the mention of the foul creatures. A sentiment he shared. He placated her with assurances of calm before returning his attention to the troll who had closed the gap between them. ¡°Brother. It has been long.¡± The two embraced with a laugh. ¡°Long indeed. I did not expect to see you here, Oleg. A warrior of your fame has as much to lose in an Induction as he stands to gain.¡± ¡°Truth. Same can be said of you, Earthsong.¡± ¡°It is a great risk. But a greater reward. An Induction is where true legends are made.¡± The troll nodded at that. ¡°Mhm. Many centuries passed, but still we sing of the legends of our world¡¯s Induction. It is a glorious thing. I too will become a song in this new world, brother.¡± Rek grinned. ¡°So, shall I. Let us meet together at the top then.¡± ¡°So swear it.¡± ¡°So it shall be.¡± The two clasped hands and laughed. A few more words were shared, fond memories reminisced about, and promises for the future made before they parted again. Rek returned to where his troops sat in quiet preparation. He joined his two trusted generals, their focus as much on their neighbours as it was on him. And then, it was just a matter of waiting. The hours ticked by and other groups trickled in from every corner of the land. The mad, the desperate and the ambitious. Goblins, orcs, trolls and a half dozen other peoples of every colour and faith. All gathered here, awaiting their chance. A destiny upon another world¡¯s shores. But not for him. Rek sought no opportunity here. No glory. For him, this was a return to his home. To his friends and family and a life long lost. This was a chance to save his world from the cataclysm to come. Maybe his only one. And it was on him sooner than expected. The sun was high in the sky and magic filled the air. The assembled slowly started to gather on the platform. Rek and his clan claimed a good position at the very centre. Above them, a countdown had begun, numerals painted in stark white lettering carved into the very air itself. Twenty seconds, it read in every language and time-keeping system known to the world. Nineteen. Eighteen. Rek steeled himself and glanced at his people. There were no promises with an Induction. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d awaken near his clan, or if they¡¯d be scattered a thousand miles apart. It was among the many dangers of partaking. But it was one they¡¯d all prepared for. He shot them all a fortifying look, his magic brushing against each of their spirits, gifting them with courage and resolve. It was all he could do. The time for words and action had long since passed. Their lives were in fate¡¯s palm now. Five seconds. His fingers tightened against his stave. Distantly, he spied Oleg glance his way. They nodded at each other, comrades wishing each other well. Two seconds. The light of the numerals had become blazing, like fragments torn from the sun. The platform beneath them started to quake, and he could feel the spirits begin to muster. Their voices were a chorus of cries, spirits of earth wishing well their departing sons, and spirits of air blessing them with good winds. Illna joined them in their song, her magic reaching out to intertwine with the others. The world itself was rising to tide their way forwards. The mana in the air had risen to a crescendo by then. One second. The stone beneath his feet was a rumble of power and tension. Rek braced himself for the shock he knew would come. Zero. There was a mighty pull, as if the ground had been torn away from under him, and then he was falling through thick darkness, and that was all he knew. Ch. 0002 - First Day at School When Rek woke again, it was to a different kind of darkness. One of substance and feeling. He could feel cool air licking against his skin, and the touch of restraints against his body. Magical restraints. It was subtle, but he could feel it leech his mana to power itself. He was trapped somewhere, he figured, and judging by the occasional brush of warm skin against his arms, he was not alone. Panic was an expected reaction, bubbling up from his gut like a sudden sickness. It was easily swallowed back and contained, years of combat experience rising to settle his mind and order his thoughts. First things first, he called on Illna to respond, but received only silence in turn. He tried thrice more before admitting defeat. Her disappearance was no great surprise. He¡¯d only earned her partway through his class journey, and now that he¡¯d come through the portal, his powers had all been set back to what they were at the very start. He was once again a level one nobody. No matter. He would earn her companionship again in time. Rek touched upon his mana, feeling for that well of power that simmered beneath the surface of his being. It had been an ocean once, a surging, chaotic swell of mana as discordant as the elements he¡¯d commanded. Now? It was a quiet pond, still and lifeless. Another casualty to his desires. Swatting away the whispers of regret that blossomed amongst his thoughts, Rek tried to summon a screen to confirm the changes but found The System unresponsive to his will. Odd. Also, difficult. There were not many places that could outright stop The System from reacting like this. It narrowed down the possibilities quite a bit. Still, bound as he was, Rek knew that he had no choice but to adopt a wait and watch policy. To that end he touched upon his mana. It was weak and sluggish, but it still moved to his will. It refused to be moulded into any kind of magic, but for now, he was satisfied. Training it back up to his standards would be an effort of ages, and it was all he could do to start right then. It was maybe thirty minutes later before he felt a change take to the air. The cold grew a twinge more biting, but his restraints felt looser. There was a twitch and then the darkness fell away to reveal the inside of an impossibly large auditorium. Rek studied his surroundings. He was magically bound to a seat, alongside thousands of others. He spied some familiar races amongst the mix, but a great many were creatures foreign to him. Invaders summoned by the Induction¡¯s call, just like he was, but drawn from other worlds. Right next to him was a strange ephemeral creature, its many eyes wide with what he could only assume was alarm. It looked to him, its mouth-like flap opening and closing without sound. He tried to speak in turn and found his voice lost, as if his throat refused to form a word. The point was obvious. They were spectators here, and only spectators. ¡°Welcome, transfer-students!¡± boomed a deafening voice. There was a blaze of light from ahead as every spotlight in the space focused onto a single figure stood upon the stage. It was a man, but then not a man. The suit it wore was decidedly human-like, but its proportions were distorted. Twisting. Impossibly-long spindly spider-like arms held a mic up to a nightmarish face. Too few eyes plastered upon a face with too many noses and mouths studied them all. The creature looked like an alien¡¯s idea of what a human might look like. Above its head, in bright yellow text hovered its name. [ The Principal Lvl. ??? ] ¡°Now, I know that you must all have so many questions!¡± exclaimed the creature. It spoke a multitude of languages all at once, The System¡¯s influence translating the words into his preferred tongue. To Rek, its speech arrived in perfect English, and though the sound of his mother-tongue was like warm memories dribbling into his ears, something about the way the monster spoke unsettled him. It felt too fake. Too forced. Like a puppet miming humanity. ¡°However, the time for answers will come later! For now, let me be the first to welcome you all to my oh-so illustrious dungeon!¡± There was sudden applause, and Rek found himself clapping alongside everyone else. He swallowed back his distaste at the control the creature had stolen over his own body even as his mind processed the revelation it¡¯d so casually dropped upon them. A dungeon? He grit his teeth. He hated dungeons, and he certainly hadn''t expected to start in one. None of the assembled had, likely, though he saw the same thoughts start to trickle through their minds as it did his. Dungeons could be hell-holes, dangerous enough that even the old him, at his very prime, could be made hesitant to enter certain dungeons unprepared. But they could also be a font of power and opportunity unmatched by anything else, and especially so in a world undergoing Induction. Legends could earn their first steps in a dungeon, with some luck and guile. He¡¯d never lacked for either. ¡°Now, the school year has already started and the student body drawn from this locality has earned a several hour head start over you all! Worry not though, my transfer-students, as I¡¯m sure your breadth of experience in your schools of origin will no doubt allow you to claw back your own leads!¡± ¡°There are some rules to follow here, as I¡¯m sure you all know. But what kind of learning experience would we have to offer if I were to just spell them out here and now? No! I leave it to you students to invoke the spirit of learning that we strive to cultivate in order to puzzle out those rules for yourselves! Of course, if you find yourselves at a dead-end despite your best efforts, my many members of faculty will always be here, willing to lend a helping hand. Though many of you may balk at the assignments they offer in turn.¡± The creature smiled at that, as if at some joke only it was privy to. ¡°We have some fun extracurricular events planned for this school year, but that is a matter for later. You will all be informed when it is due time. For now, I ask you to prepare yourselves to be allocated to a classroom. Keep your wits about you, your eyes open and your minds keen! And remember, go Chargers!¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The last word had barely left the creature¡¯s mouth before that familiar darkness returned, drowning him in its embrace. Rek did not struggle against its pull. It might have been hours or an eternity later before he opened his eyes again. It was still dark, but as his mind churned towards alertness, he immediately noted that the restraints binding him had been removed. Flexing his limbs, Rek pressed against the suffocatingly small walls of the space he was in. It was just barely enough for him to sit upright. A crack to his side leaked light, enough that he could make out his figure in the dark. Scrawny arms. Thin legs. He sighed. He was reduced to a baseline goblin once more. It was expected, but still grating. No matter. He''d clawed his way up once, and with the benefit of experience leading him forward, he¡¯d do it again in half as much time. It was a promise. He noted that he was missing the stave he¡¯d carried into the portal. Had even that been determined to be too much for him to bring along? At least he still had the clothes off his back. Starting naked would¡¯ve been truly irritating, even for him. Rek swallowed back his displeasure and summoned his character sheet. [ Rek At¡¯Terra Lvl. 1 - Goblin - Shaman --- STR: 7 ¨C AGI: 9 ¨C END: 6 ¨C PERC: 12 ¨C INT: 11 ¨C DEX: 10 ¨C CHA: 9 ¨C M.CAP: 11 ¨C M.CTRL: 13 --- Dancing Lights - Earth Bolt - Sense Spirits ] It was a simple thing. No titles. No voluminous list of spells and skills. No affiliations. Just a goblin shaman with his baseline stats and the starter three spells. For now, it would be plenty. Rek reached towards his magic. The System¡¯s guiding hand intruded upon his control almost immediately, though it was easily swatted away by Rek¡¯s far more refined control. Gripping his mana with practiced ease, Rek moulded it into the familiar forms and shapes needed to cast his magic. Dancing Lights came first, and most easily. Five spectral wisps came to life on his palm, lighting his space with its gentle green glow. An application of will saw the colours shift, turning from green to red to blue and back again. He tried to summon a sixth, but his control slipped and the spell failed. Unsurprising. Satisfied, he dismissed the spell to call upon his spirit sense. It came to him weakly, as if it were muted behind something. The sense was made lesser, here. Limited and refined to a small area around him where once he could¡¯ve surveyed entire leagues of grassland with but a thought. The difference would take some getting used to. Still, even reduced, the core of the magic was the same, touching upon the small traces of spirits around him. Weak echoes where forces both malignant and benign had passed, but little more. Dismissing the power, he turned to his last spell. He did not directly call upon it. Merely brush his mana against its familiar spell-form. That alone was enough to earn a slight shift in the surface beneath him. It had been slow, and sluggish, but the power was there. Smiling, Rek let the spell flutter away. His basic checks done; he decided that the time had come to leave the small space. His back was starting to ache from the cramped position. His magic at the ready, Rek pushed against the wall, revealing it to be a small door. Creaking it open, he surveyed the area ahead. It looked like a classroom, which was unsurprising given the contents of the ¡®Principal¡¯s¡¯ speech. Themed dungeons could be annoying, but they also made for more predictable fare. The more surprising revelation was the fact that the classroom looked like it had been designed by an alien that¡¯d only ever seen a blurry image of a classroom before. Dull fluorescent lights lit a strange mess of tables and chairs, but arranged with no order and all impossibly twisted. Some of the chairs stood on legs longer than ladders, and some of the tables were massive things, with smaller tables protruding from their surface at odd angles like tumorous growths. The entire room was bizarrely structured, with jutting walls and unwarranted dips in the tiled floor. Massive tangles of paperclips sprouted from the ground like metal bushes, and backpacks with unreasonably long straps and bulging innards hung from the ceiling like the fruit of some leathery tree. Scattered bits of paper and other stationary littered the floor, and long rows of notices and posters beyond counting lined parts of the wall. It was like a mad funhouse jungle, and just like any jungle, it had its beasts. [ Bully Lvl. 1 ] The creature was a caricature of the stereotypical schoolyard thug, with long, thick muscled arms bound to a sloping, semi-humanoid face. Its torso was far larger than its bottom half and it was thusly forced to lumber along with a strange, hop-step gait. Long shaggy brown fur drooped down its head and neck before disappearing underneath an all too tight outfit of a branded shirt and gym shorts. A simple backwards facing baseball cap rested on its head, taming its mane of hair somewhat. The creature ambled along the classroom, its knuckles dragging behind it as it went. Its slack-jawed face beheld its predatory focus, its small beady red eyes alert as it studied the area for prey. It was clearly a physical attacker. Unlikely to have any kind of ranged abilities, or anything more esoteric. Such things were rarer at these lower levels anyway. It possibly had a movement-based skill. He¡¯d have to watch out for the distancing. Rek studied the rest of the classroom, seeking any other presences. Seeing none, he waited until the creature had its attention stolen by an overly large upturned desk, and chose that moment to slip out into the classroom proper. A glance back revealed that he¡¯d awoken inside a storage locker, one of hundreds that lined the wall. Studying the area closest to him, he found a pencil on the ground and quickly plucked it up before hiding behind a desk. Killing the thing at range was preferable, but that was no reason to go unarmed, even if his weapon of choice was just a pencil. Sneaking a look at the monster, Rek saw that it was mumbling something, its voice a deep, rumbling baritone that carried easily across the cavernous room. It words were meaningless, just the caricature of a sound like the creature itself. But its focus was still on the desk. Rek steadied his grip on the pencil and then slowly inched towards the creature. At level one, it would be an easy kill, but so was he, and the underestimation of a monster¡¯s ability had been the death of a great many talents over the years. Rek crept patiently towards the creature; his magic quietly mustered. Once close enough, he would unleash his Earth Bolt to the nape of its neck. A single shot would likely put it down, and if it didn¡¯t, the attack would concuss it long enough for him to finish the job. Unfortunately, not all things ever went to plan in life, and less so in a dungeon. The [Bully] swerved on its heels the second he stepped into range, its red eyes wide with hate and hunger mingling in a cocktail of malevolence. ¡°Weaklin¡¯!¡± it bellowed, before bodily leaping onto Rek. Ch. 0003 - Laws Rek dove out of the manic creature¡¯s way, just narrowly avoiding the crushing impact of its fists. Rolling back onto his feet, he unleashed a swarm of Dancing Lights onto the [Bully]¡¯s face. The monster roared and swatted at the bright assault. The spell wouldn¡¯t do it any real harm, but it would provide him with the distraction he needed to prepare his real blow. Nary had the last light been swatted away that Rek managed to unleash his Earth Bolt. The linoleum floor underneath the monster erupted into motion, a jagged shard rising to slam into its gut with enough strength to force the air from its lungs. The monster heaved, breathless, before stumbling back onto a knee. Rek was quick to capitalize on the opportunity presented. His new body was slower, less agile than what he was used to, but a goblin was always nimble on their feet. He crossed the distance between them with light, feather-quiet steps and leapt onto the creature¡¯s face using the shard of the floor as a stepping stone. The pencil held out, he thrust it into its eye socket with merciless precision. The impromptu weapon found easy purchase in soft flesh, digging deep until Rek heard a loud, wet squelch. The [Bully] froze then, its one good eye wide with confusion, before its body shuddered and collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Rek leapt away from the corpse, his breath heavy and his eyes keen. He waited a moment before he approached it again. A test of its breath proved that the monster was dead, and only then did he dare lower his guard a smidgen. He¡¯d won, he thought once the fugue of combat had cleared. It was a mere level one, but it was his first victory in the new world. His first victory at home, and he savoured it for what it represented. The culmination of a five-year long adventure, all of which had led to this moment. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m home, Earth.¡± he whispered. And now, there was work to be done. Rek bent low and prepared a quiet ritual for the creature. Monster or not, it was his duty as a shaman to ensure that its spirit enjoyed peaceful passage to whatever afterlife The System had planned for it. It was a simple thing, lacking his usual detail and depth. Simple patterns for safe crossing drawn with the creature¡¯s blood, along with a sacrifice of a part of his being. For expediency¡¯s sake, he chose spit. It took him hardly five minutes before he was done. He sensed no spiritual presence from the corpse, but spirits followed no schedule. It could be minutes or hours before it finally freed itself of its mortal shackles, if at all. Some simply ascended directly without any need for assistance. Either way, it was time he didn¡¯t have. Rek paid it a final prayer before he turned away. [ Level Earned! 1 >> 2 ] He smiled. If nothing else, he would enjoy how easily levels were earned at these lower rungs in the power hierarchy. [ Rek At¡¯Terra Lvl. 2 - Goblin - Shaman --- STR: 8 ¨C AGI: 10 ¨C END: 7 ¨C PERC: 14 ¨C INT: 12 ¨C DEX: 11 ¨C CHA: 9 ¨C M.CAP: 13 ¨C M.CTRL: 14 --- Dancing Lights - Earth Bolt - Sense Spirits ] His basic stats had all gone up by one as expected, as had his mana control. His charm remained untouched, which was also expected. The stat could only grow through actual experience, or if one was blessed with a class that allowed it the growth. Or items. Or powers. He supposed that there were a lot of ways to grow it, most of which Rek lacked. Not that he minded. Charm would be useful in the outside, dealing with people, but in a dungeon infested with monsters? He''d much rather maintain his special growth stats: perception, which had grown by two, and mana capacity, which had also grown by two. It wasn''t much now, but it was a foundation for greatness, and greatness was all he''d allow himself. Anything else would be failing everything he''d achieved to this day. Dismissing the screen, Rek scanned the classroom again for any unwanted surprises attracted by the noise of their battle. He found none. For now. Rek wasn¡¯t quite so optimistic as to believe that things would stay that way for long. He¡¯d need to forage up some supplies and settle his bearings fast. Fortunately, the classroom was a bounty of veritable options to those able to find them. Searching the alien desks revealed all manner of goodies hidden within them, from paper-cutters to chalk, rubber bands and even the odd phone or two. Rek couldn¡¯t help but grin at the sight of the electronic devices, recalling the many early days he¡¯d spent in the other world hoping for his phone if only to look at pictures of his family. The phones he¡¯d found had no such memorabilia. Most of them were locked, and five years in a fantasy world did not teach one tech-savvy hacker skills. He still took them along, piling them into a backpack he¡¯d salvaged from the ground along with everything else he deemed of value. The backpack trees scattered about too proved to be a fount of good materials. With plenty of tape and books on hand, Rek decided to make himself a set of improvised armour by taping the thickest tomes around his chest and back, and thinner volumes around his arms. It was enough to provide some protection whilst not being too cumbersome. He didn¡¯t expect it to stop an enchanted sword, but it might prove enough to deflect a monster¡¯s maw for long enough to save a limb. He also improvised a longer blade by breaking off part of a wooden ruler and sharpening the tip until it could be used as a make-shift sword. A few experimental swings left him dissatisfied with its heft, but for now, it would do. Afterwards, Rek spent the rest of his time scavenging for food and water. Those perishables he found like a few sandwiches and other packed lunches, he tried a bit of before storing at the top of his pile. The non-perishables he buried deeper into his pack. They would be his lifeline, at least until he found a permanent source of food in the dungeon. With everything else achieved, there was only one final task for him to complete. Rek strode up to the enormous wall of posters. His eyes danced over its surface, taking in the monumental number of designs and words and sickeningly bright images plastered over its surface. Most of it was strangeness personified. Words that meant nothing coupled with images that went nowhere. Like clutter, born to occupy space and little else.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But within the overload of garbage, there would be gems. He was sure of it. Of all the places in a school, a notice board felt like the kind of place the dungeon would hide the information he sought. It took some doing. The minutes ticked by unceasingly. At one point, Rek had been forced to drag over a chair to better access the more highly placed posters. Eventually, he managed to find what he¡¯d been looking for. A School Rules flyer for Kodak High School Dungeon. Rek swallowed thickly. He knew that name. It¡¯d been more high school and less dungeon during his time on Earth, though the Induction had clearly changed things. More importantly, it was confirmation that he¡¯d arrived back in his hometown. Back to his life, and his family. The upwelling of glee was nearly overwhelming, and it was only years of experience and an iron will that allowed him to contain himself to a wide, bright smile. Home. Rek preened at the news, and it hadn¡¯t even been what he¡¯d been seeking. The rules on the flyer were of far greater importance, at least as far his survival was concerned. Rek steadied himself, taking comfort in the unexpected revelation, before he glanced over the flyer. It was a simple thing, only three rules printed in thick bold font over a tacky word-art plastered page. Do not run in the halls. Raise your hand before addressing a teacher. Always be on time with your assignments. Fairly simple as far as Dungeon Laws went, but he wasn¡¯t complaining. He much preferred this compared to reams of minor, hard-to-keep-track-of laws. He''d dealt with those sorts of dungeons a few times, and they were always more headache than they were worth. It¡¯d have been unlikely for a low-level dungeon like the school to be made that difficult, but one could never underestimate The System¡¯s sadism. He memorized the three rules before stuffing the flyer into the backpack. He¡¯d need to test that these three were indeed the laws at some point. It would have to be his first priority. With everything he needed in hand, Rek made for the edge of the classroom. The room had four doors within view that could serve as an exit, each shaped more oddly than the last. He chose the nearest one. It looked like a bendy straw. The door creaked open with a soft groan, revealing the hallway beyond. It was as strange and nonsensical as the classroom, twisting and bending in erratic ways, ensuring that he had no real sight-line to the end. A dozen corridors branched out from just the portion of hallway he could see, and twice as many doors dotted the walls in no particular pattern. There were no [Bullies] that he could see, though he did spy some level ones scavenging along the hallway. [ Wimps ] The scrawny creatures boasted of six long limbs on their either side with a build that suggested speed. They were bedecked in a strange assortment of clothes far too large for their size, and their overly large eyes and ears made obvious that they were better equipped to sense danger than pick a fight. Their names in peaceable green instead of the [Bully]¡¯s malevolent red only further cemented that theory. He could ignore them without worry. The [Bully] he spied emerging from a room further afield was a different story. The monster spotted the [Wimps], roared and immediately gave chase. Slowly. Rek raised a brow. The monster did not charge, strangely enough, as the one he¡¯d killed had. Instead, it very calmly ambled towards its prey, an eager hunger blazing in its gaze that conflicted with its restrained pace. The terrified creatures it was after did not run either. They scattered very calmly, each [Wimp] walking away in a different direction. The [Bully] followed after the closest one as it crept towards a room. Once inside, the [Wimp] erupted into a blaze of motion, disappearing into the classroom¡¯s tangled interior. The [Bully] too gained speed once inside, its roars echoing in its wake. Rek blinked before he thanked the stars for his good fortune. He couldn¡¯t have asked for clearer confirmation that the rules he¡¯d found were indeed the dungeon¡¯s laws. No running in the hallways indeed. He wondered whether the dungeon made it so that they were incapable of running, or instead whether it was the fear of punishment that kept them in line. It could go either way, and he had no desire to risk testing it himself. Stepping out once the coast was clear, Rek walked carefully towards the nearest room. He felt no force restricting his movements, so he could only assume that some sort of punishment laid for those that broke the commandment of the hallways. An empty classroom greeted him, and after shutting the door behind him, he set to work clearing it of its offerings. There was much of the same as in the other room, though he did find a working portable music player. Listening to modern rock for a few blissful moments brought back many fond memories. The other world had many wonders to offer, but tribal music had never scratched his needs the same way the songs of home could. Tucking away the treasure into the backpack, Rek dug through the rest of the room for everything of value before emerging back into the hallway. Moving onto the next room, he found it occupied by two [Bullies] beating each other to near death in some kind of bestial struggle. Rek wasn¡¯t sure what had caused the violence to erupt, though given what he presumed of their nature, it might¡¯ve been anything and everything. Eventually, a victor emerged, and it stood shakily triumphant over its fallen foe for all of a few seconds, until Rek¡¯s Earth Bolt broke its neck. The creature slumped to the ground, a corpse before it landed. Rek conducted a quick ritual for the two monsters before continuing with his hunt. The room had little of interest to offer him, and neither did the next. The classroom after that, however, was where he struck gold. A map of the dungeon tacked onto the poster wall. A very terribly, horribly drawn map, with bits and pieces missing, but one regardless. And it made evident just how much of a labyrinthine, confounding mess the dungeon truly was. Even just the portion the map covered was enough to give him a headache trying to navigate its twisting corridors. But he would do so. Because it showed the location of the cafeteria, and a cafeteria meant food and water. Trapped as he was in a dungeon, there was no place more important. Getting there would be troubling, and Rek spent the better part of the next twenty minutes trying to chart a course towards the room, ten of which had been wasted on trying to just figure out where he was in the first place. With that headache conquered, Rek retreated towards the exit. He had a fair amount of distance to cover, and an indeterminate amount of time to do it in. No sooner had he left the room that he heard a screech that tore away his attention. A distance away, right in the middle of the hallway, were three creatures battling each other. Two of them were insectoid things that vaguely resembled a roach. [ Driss Lvl. 1 ] The other was a short, stocky pink thing with thin arms and a thick torso. [ Orayi Lvl. 1 ] Both were blue-named, which meant that they were no dungeon monsters. These were invaders, the same as him. The insectoid things were struggling against the orayi despite the numbers advantage, their individual attacks failing to score any real damage against the orayi¡¯s thick hide. Victory seemed close at hand for the pink thing, but Rek was unbothered. He was far more interested to see what would come after. Because the three were moving around. A lot. Jumping. Dashing. Running. They weren¡¯t aware of the rules yet, clearly. Their loss. His gain. It didn¡¯t take long for the dungeon to answer their violation. The only warning he received was a sudden chill that crawled up his spine. After years of experience, he knew well what that feeling meant. Rek turned on his heels, ready to dive into the nearest cubby hole and wait out whatever ill omen the dungeon had summoned upon the poor fools. He was too late. Stood right next to him was a thing. He hadn¡¯t sensed its approach. He couldn¡¯t even feel it even as it stood right next to him. But it was there, and it stared down on him, an eerie grin on its lips. [ Hall Monitor Lvl. ??? ] Rek blinked. A question-marked. His better sense immediately took control. He was calm. He did not run. He didn¡¯t even twitch. His fingers tightened around the handle of his improvised sword, though he had no intention to use it. The three rules echoed in his mind like alarm bells. He knew what to do, and far more importantly, knew what not to do. So, he met its gaze and remained absolutely still. The creature was a lithe monstrosity in the vague shape of a man. A dark, slender figure bound underneath a pale face. Its skin was stretched taut around its mouth, as if it was just a mask, and two hollow eyes studied him keenly. A plain white, plastic lanyard hung from its neck; the words Hall Monitor printed in bright red across its surface. It said nothing. Just stared for what felt like an eternity before it nodded. Then it disappeared, and the hallway went quiet. Glancing to where the three invaders had been, he saw nothing but a few blood stains dotting the ground. Ch. 0004 - First Meetings It took Rek a few minutes to gather his bearings after that display. It¡¯d been a long, long while since he¡¯d been so helpless in the face of absolute power. He¡¯d gotten too used to being at the top of the totem pole, and in time, he¡¯d forgotten what it meant to be a small fish in a very large pond. Rek swallowed thickly. The reminder had been a splash of ice-cold water, but a much needed one. He sucked in a breath, settled himself before turning back towards the door. He now knew what he was placed against, or rather, what he would do everything in his power to not face. Not yet. Mayhaps one day, when the power differential was more agreeable. Stepping out into the corridor, Rek saw that it was all clear. Likely, every monster in the local area had scattered as soon as they¡¯d felt that thing arrive. The next nearest room proved to be a classroom like all the rest. The second was much the same, save that it had two level one [Nerds] surrounding a table scattered with books. Rek scoffed amusedly at the image. The creatures were built to represent their stereotype to the tee, with large bulging heads bound to a thinner frame. What looked like naturally-formed glasses ensconced their eyes, and their dark fur was neatly combed back down their heads. They had no obvious weapons at hand, but he couldn¡¯t discount the presence of skills and spells. The creatures were yellow-named, which meant that weren¡¯t overtly hostile but the risk was always there. He was fine with that. Rek flexed his fingers. The encounter with the [Hall Monitor] had awakened something in him. He needed to test himself, he knew. He needed to grow. Caution was wise in a dungeon, but that was no excuse to avoid conflict. Only a slower death laid down that path. The two creatures were busy chattering to each other, their words spoken so quickly that they blended together into a singular soup of incomprehensible noise. Approaching them was easy given how distracted they were. Dipping from behind the cover of desk to desk, Rek closed in on them until he was just a few meters away before he mustered his magic, bringing an Earth Bolt to the ready in one hand even as he conjured a few Dancing Lights in the other. Dual wielding spells was tough on his diminished self, and he needed to weaken the Earth Bolt to make sure it worked, but experience carried where power failed, and he managed to hold onto both the spells with some effort. Waiting until he was close enough, Rek took careful aim and then unleashed the lights. A barrage of five wisp like balls fluttered into the face of one of the [Nerds]. The creature shrieked shrilly, its arms flailing about as if it was being burnt in acid. The other was a step slower, its massive eyes wide with confusion for a bare second before it turned towards him. Just in time to greet an Earth Bolt to the face. The shard of stone sent the creature flying back. Rek was quick to divert to the other, his ruler-sword striking out with practiced ease into the creature¡¯s mouth. Blinded as it was, the creature was defenceless. The wood pierced through the soft flesh of its mouth with grisly ease, bright red blood spurting out the back of its head like a macabre fountain. The monster gurgled with shock, its hands impotently grabbing at the sword hoping to save itself. They grew still a second later. Rek withdrew the sword and turned to finish off the last one when he was struck by something with the force of a punch to the cheek. He grimaced as a spear of sound pierced into his ears, funneling mind-numbing chatter into his brain like a conveyor-belt of incoherent madness. He stumbled back, his teeth grit and his fists clenched as the assault rattled his thoughts. Ahead, the second [Nerd] was on its feet, blood trickling down its mouth even as it babbled in his direction. A sound-based attack skill. Rek steadied himself. At this low level, those were easy enough to deal with it. He threw his sword like a javelin straight at the monster¡¯s head. The [Nerd] screeched, desperately diving out of the way of the flying projectile. Its attack sputtered out, and Rek was immediately on the move. No sooner had the creature landed on the ground and turned to face him again did he descend on it with the fury of a warrior possessed. His fist slammed against its cheek; spittle flecked with blood spraying off to the side. It fell back, and Rek followed up with a stab with his trusty pocket pencil. The creature shrieked as the make-do weapon dug deep into its chest. The monster attempted to fight back, but he would give it no time to arm its sound against him. As it was, it was all the creature could do to fold its arms against its face and defend against the onslaught. Eventually, Rek managed to land a debilitating strike against its head, knocking it unconscious. After that, killing it was just a matter of picking up his sword and spearing it through the head. Rek stood panting over the corpse, a trail of sweat snaking down his side. After a moment spent clearing the rest of the room of any danger, he returned to the two corpses. They¡¯d fought hard, he would admit. Simple dungeon monsters though they were, they¡¯d made him earn his victory. More so, they¡¯d punished him for his carelessness, which was a lesson he¡¯d carved into his heart. Falling to his knees, he conducted a more thorough ritual than his usual for the two creatures. They deserved that much, at least. It was part-way through the process that he sensed one of their spirits depart. The wispy figure of the monster rose from its fleshy shell, ephemeral and wide-eyed. It looked to him, eyes wide. He smiled and nodded.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It stared for a long moment before it nodded back. The ritual took care of the rest, and within seconds, the soul was gone to a better place. [ Level Earned! 2 >> 3 ] With his class work done, Rek turned towards the rest of the room with a mind to scavenge for more goodies. Unfortunately, he found nothing of particular interest and after double-checking the map, Rek made towards the exit. He was almost out the door when he heard a commotion from the other side of the room. Pressing up against a nearby desk, Rek watched with narrowed eyes as a door was thrown open and a figure dove into the room. It was a human. A young woman. [ Human Lvl. 1 ] He judged her as being in her early twenties, maybe, and clearly in a great deal of trouble. His eyes wide, he studied the mythical creature as she scrambled away from the door. Two creatures erupted into the space close behind her. Another tried, but a long, billowy arm grabbed it by the face a mere step from the safety of the classroom. Rek swallowed thickly, that familiar chill crawling up his spine as he laid eyes on the [Hall Monitor]. The monster maintained its eerie, unmoving smile as it dragged the writhing, pitiable creature towards its embrace. There was a soft crack, and then the creature fell still. The [Hall Monitor] studied the trio before it, a single finger raised towards its mouth in a simple demand for silence. The door then shut, and the terrifying monster was gone. The three remained still, either from exhaustion or shock, he wasn¡¯t sure. What Rek did know was that the woman looked weak. Tired from no small amount of running. Her chest heaved with her every breath, and her eyes were half-lidded with fatigue. She stared at the two creatures around her. The two were both invaders, a level two [Enthiran] and a level one [Diminitun]. Both were creatures foreign to him, though the looks of bristling hostility they bore were familiar enough. Slowly, they rose, their gazes dancing over each other before refocusing onto the woman. The weakest link amongst the three. Even alien, their thought pattern was obvious. Rek was on the move before they cemented their choice. The invaders erupted with violence; their weapons brought to bear against the woman. One cast a spell, something of a sensory nature given the way the woman immediately started to stumble about, as if drunk. The other took the opportunity to rush in, a vicious snarl on its lips as it tackled her to the ground. The woman did a valiant job of resisting, her war cry echoing around the room as she tried to fend off the monster¡¯s bites and snaps. It was a losing war, however, and he was sure that she only had seconds left before it managed to get at her throat. Seconds was all he needed. Rek had neared the caster by then, an Earth Bolt readied in case it sensed his approach. It did not, not even as he struck his sword through its neck and wrenched the blade out in a shower of viscera. The other invader heard the squelch of its death-throes and turned to eye Rek. The opportunity was all the woman needed to unleash a wicked jab at its head. The creature cried as it was sent reeling away. Its cries were quickly silenced by an Earth Bolt to the face. It was a sturdy thing though, and the spell hadn¡¯t been enough to outright knock it out. His sword did the job better, sending it on its way to the spirit world with his prayers echoing in its wake. Rek dropped the corpse and turned to the woman. She was slowly trying to rise. Trying being the operative word. It was obvious that she was running on fumes. Three attempts later and she still hadn¡¯t managed to climb back to her feet. Eventually she sagged back, face flush and her breath haggard. Still, she was a spirited one. Her eyes never left him, her stare daring him to try something. Until they rolled back into her head and she collapsed, unconscious. Rek snorted. He studied the woman. This wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d imagined his first interaction with a human would go down after so many years. Frankly, it hadn¡¯t been as bad as it could¡¯ve been, all things considered. Rek smiled as he grabbed the woman and dragged her to a more covered part of the room. Grabbing some supplies from his backpack, he did his best to tend to her wounds. Fortunately, aside from a few bruises, her most crippling ailment seemed to be fatigue. He dribbled some water into her mouth from a bottle before setting her back down. It would be the best he could do for her until she awoke again. Hopefully, she¡¯d be in a less murderous mood by then. o.o.o.o.o.o Rek put his unexpected reprieve from exploration to good use in training his mana and practicing his rituals. His magical skill was still a pathetic shadow of what he¡¯d once wielded, but every moment of practice was another brick plastered back into the wall. Once he tired of that, he turned to basking in the tunes from his music player. He¡¯d need to find a charger for it eventually, though for now, it had the juice to keep running for a while yet. It was three hours before the woman stirred again. Rek was immediately on his feet, his sword put away and his posture as diplomatic as he could manage. He put some distance between them and then waited for her to rise. Her eyes fluttered open and for a moment, she did nothing. Her gaze was fixed onto the roof above them, her focus lost to something beyond his understanding. Was she confused, he wondered, or maybe still not fully awake. It was a minute before she finally shifted up to a seated position. Her gaze immediately found him stood a short distance away. To his relief, she did not jump up in fright. She didn¡¯t even flinch. Her silver-eyed stare was far keener, almost clinical, as it ranged up and down his body. Rek was impressed. He recognized the fear in her posture. It was evident in the tenseness in her limbs, or how tightly her fists were clenched. The way the slightest of tremors crawled down her spine. But the fear was controlled, an animal caged by her admirable will. It was the kind of spine not often seen in those unbaptized by the way of violence. He hadn¡¯t expected it in what looked like a common suburban woman. He was intrigued. Rek raised his palms to show that he meant no harm. ¡°My name... is Rek.¡± he said. The words came out slow. Sluggish. Time had left his English rusty despite his best attempts at practice over the years. Still, it was tenable, and the woman seemed to understand. Her eyes went wide for a scarce moment before she regained control. ¡°You speak English?¡± ¡°No. I speak my tongue. Translated into yours by my magic." It was a lie. The System allowed for seamless communication between its minions and them, but not between invaders and locals, barring spells or skills that they might''ve naturally possessed. All the better to ensure conflict, he supposed. Still, he''d rather she believe that then try to figure out why an other-worldly goblin knew her language. The woman seemed to take a moment to digest the revelation before she spoke again. ¡°Alissa. That¡¯s my name.¡± He smiled and nodded. ¡°Good name. You and me, allies?¡± She stared at him. She said nothing for a second, thoughts aflutter across her eyes. Then she spoke. ¡°Why?¡± Not a rejection. Not even suspicion, but a desire for understanding? Very interesting. This woman was something different. ¡°Because I... love humans.¡± She blinked. ¡°Oh.¡± Ch. 0005 - Good Allies ¡°You¡¯re helping me because... you love humans?¡± ¡°Yes. Lots of love.¡± Alissa stared at him blankly before she laughed, seemingly despite herself, her red locks bouncing with the motion. It was a hoarse, tired sound, but a genuine laugh nonetheless. It took her a second to calm down, and another to regain her bearings. ¡°Now that¡¯s something.¡± She sighed and swept away a tendril of hair from her eyes. ¡°Okay, Mr. Rek that loves humans.¡± She grunted as she rose to her feet. ¡°Do you mind answering some questions then? In the spirit of love, of course.¡± ¡°I love questions.¡± ¡°You love a lot of things.¡± He nodded cheekily. Her smile grew a bit before reality reminded her of the circumstances and it all slipped from her face. She sucked in a breath. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°Goblin.¡± She blinked. ¡°Like, from mythology? Lord of the Rings? That kind of goblin?¡± ¡°Don''t know about rings. I come from a different land.¡± ¡°Land?¡± ¡°World.¡± There was a hoarse sound of disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re an... alien goblin?¡± ¡°Hard to believe?¡± ¡°Er, kind of. What brought you here?¡± ¡°The System.¡± She frowned. ¡°Right. The screens mentioned something about a System, and an Induction. This System is responsible for it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who runs The System?¡± ¡°The System.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The System runs The System. Has since the start of all days.¡± He stopped and shrugged. ¡°Or that¡¯s the story. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m only five years old.¡± She gave him a long look at that revelation. ¡°Well, you¡¯re the greenest, meanest, most vicious five-year-old I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Rek bared all his teeth in a wide grin. That was perhaps the nicest compliment he could¡¯ve expected from her. He accepted it gratefully. ¡°What¡¯s your goal here?¡± ¡°Invaders goal? Kill locals and settle land. Colonize. Glory. Fame.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound a lot like human love.¡± remarked Alissa dryly. He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s invader goal. I am... different. My goal is to help.¡± ¡°Why? And not just because you love humans. There has to be a reason. A reason for all of this. Why was Earth chosen for this Induction? Why was the school turned into a fucking dungeon, of all things? Why is any of this happening?¡± He blinked. Those were a lot of questions. Heavy questions too. Questions that he couldn¡¯t answer. It was all that Rek could do to sigh and gesture that he didn¡¯t know. ¡°I am a tool. Small tool in big machine. Don¡¯t know why Earth was chosen. Don¡¯t know why school was chosen. Just happens. Lots of worlds are chosen. My world was chosen, centuries ago. Same thing happened there. Same thing will happen in others worlds too. That is The System.¡± Alissa opened her mouth, a defiant tirade on the edge of her lips, only to be silenced by Rek¡¯s raised palm. ¡°Questions good. But wrong questions. All these ¡®why¡¯s¡¯ won¡¯t help you. Only question that matters now is ¡®how¡¯. How to survive. How to make use of me to survive. Ask that question. That, I can answer.¡± The woman swallowed. Her brow furrowed and she gave him a good, long look. Rek didn¡¯t doubt that there was a mighty internal debate raging amongst her thoughts. He didn¡¯t know what the sides were, but one eventually won judging by the way Alissa¡¯s shoulders slackened. The redhead sucked in a deep breath before she addressed him again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your angle is. I don¡¯t fully trust your whole ¡®I love humans so I¡¯m helping you¡¯ deal. But, you did save my life. And you didn¡¯t kill or eat me while I was unconscious. So... I trust... that you¡¯re going the same direction as I am, so I¡¯m willing to work with you.¡± Rek grinned and strode towards her. The woman did not flinch away to her credit. She met his approach evenly, and stared him down even as he raised his palm towards her. ¡°You don¡¯t look tasty. Allies?¡± It took her a second, but she eventually met his hand. They shook. ¡°I¡¯m plenty tasty.¡± she said softly before she gave him a small smile. ¡°Allies.¡± He matched her tooth for tooth. His first human friend after returning. It was a milestone he would savour more deeply than the woman would ever know. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re official allies now, right? That means we need to share information, don¡¯t we?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. Class and spells. Very important. I¡¯ll start. Shaman. Three spells. Dancing Lights. Earth Bolt. Sense Spirits.¡± Rek even provided a performance of each of his spells, save for Sense Spirits which had no visible effect he could show off. The woman seemed impressed, especially by his Earth Bolt. It was a lot of trust to place in her hands. A lot of damage could be done by someone knowing the full extent of his powers, but Rek was confident in his judge of character. Besides, he¡¯d gain more spells as he levelled so her knowing his starting kit was hardly crippling. And... worst comes to worst, if she betrayed him... Well, he knew how that fight would turn out, and he would pray that her spirit find peace afterward. He hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that. Not with a human friend, at least. ¡°Your turn.¡± he said, gesturing her way. The woman nodded. ¡°Right. My class is Counsellor. Er, I have three... spells? Powers? I don¡¯t know what they¡¯d be categorized as. They¡¯re all kind of... weird. The first is called Mood Sense. It basically does what it says on the tin. Like, I can tell that you¡¯re pretty happy right now. The good kind of happy. Not murder-happy, like those other things were.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Rek raised a brow. Interesting. It explained why she¡¯d be more willing to be diplomatic with him if she could sense some part of his intention. ¡°The next one is called Mood Adjustment. It, er, makes me... manipulative when I use it.¡± ¡°Manipulative?¡± ¡°Yeah. It basically lets me change someone¡¯s mood. Like, if I wanted to make you sad or angry right now, I would say some stuff, and then the power would make you feel like how I want you to feel.¡± Emotional manipulation? Colour him even more interested. ¡°Try. Make me angry.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alissa seemed hesitant. Rek urged her on. No better way to understand her capabilities than to experience it first-hand. Though it was a good sign that she was unwilling to so easily use it on him. It spoke well of her character, even more so than her granted class did. She eventually relented and stepped closer towards him. Her gaze affixed onto his, and Rek mildly felt her mana start to stir. ¡°You¡¯re short! You¡¯re fat. Your nose is too big! You¡¯re too green! What are you, a monster or a MnM? Your mother is a radish and your father is an elderberry! You smell!¡± The tirade was quick, and clumsy, and all so very adorable. And yet, effective despite itself. Not the words she spoke. None of it was anything that would usually earn anything more than a chuckle from Rek, or a punishment if a subordinate dared to speak to him so freely. But from her? He could feel his anger start to bubble inside, cold at first but increasingly caustic. Hot. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His expression kept even, Rek flushed his body with his own mana, combating and overpowering her influence with his own. It wasn¡¯t as effective as having a proper mental defence, but it did the trick of easing away the anger. Eventually, he realized that Alissa had stopped speaking and was just staring at him with unease. He swallowed back the last of his artificial anger and flashed her a smile. She blinked, surprised. ¡°It didn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°No. It worked. I am just good at control.¡± She seemed stunned by the admission. ¡°Wow. I used that power on myself, you know. To help keep up my mood through... all this. So, I know how effective it is.¡± The woman paused, as if seeing him in a new light. ¡°You should work as a teacher with a temperament like that.¡± He laughed. ¡°Maybe when no monsters are trying to kill us. Third power?¡± ¡°Right. The third one¡¯s called Understanding. It lets me make a connection with whoever I use it on. Like, I can understand a little something about them. Maybe their motives. Their feelings? I haven¡¯t used it all that much so... yeah.¡± ¡°Okay. Use it on me.¡± There was no hesitation this time around. Alissa gave him a nod of acknowledgement, and then it was all action. He felt her power bubble up and then connect with him. It was more subtle compared to the Mood Adjustment. More creeping, than barging its way through. The power prodded at his mind, seeking gaps as it tried to worm its way through. He could feel what it was doing. Looking at the woman, he could already feel a link come into being between them. Nothing so concrete as outright trust, or a definite bond. But a rapport. A foundation, through which more could be built. Looking at her, Rek felt that she got significantly more from their connection. ¡°You really do like us, huh.¡± she said after a while. ¡°Yep. Love humans.¡± ¡°You sure do.¡± ¡°What else does it say?¡± ¡°Not a lot. It just tells me that you mean well. That¡¯s it.¡± He hmm¡¯d. A flush of mana severed the connection, and then the two were just stood quietly facing each other, a new light shed over their strange, unexpected acquaintanceship. ¡°You work as a counsellor here?¡± he asked after a while. Alissa nodded before she reached into her jacket, pulling out a lanyard with her name, post and photo printed in neat lettering. ¡°I¡¯m the assistant school counsellor, though everyone usually just calls me the counsellor.¡± she said, gesturing at her title printed in bold. ¡°Or, I guess I did, before all this happened. Is that why my class is also Counsellor? Kinda annoying that I wasn¡¯t given a choice by the way. It just gave me a class, which is weird, if you think about it. I¡¯ve played a few games and I¡¯ve heard of stuff like warrior and archer, or shaman! Like you! But counsellor? Not really what you¡¯d think of when you think of a class. Also, it¡¯s weird that they¡¯re called classes. I even have an actual character sheet. Why is it all so gamey?¡± ¡°Because System. It knows you well, so it chooses. Class is not your job. Class is... passion. Class is...¡± ¡°What you want to be?¡± she filled in. Rek nodded. ¡°More. It is what you are. What you love. System knows, so it gives.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s no chance of me getting a mage class instead, then?¡± He chuckled and shook his head. ¡°No. Is fine. Mages are overrated.¡± ¡°Says the shaman.¡± Her harrumphed at the comparison. ¡°Better than a mage. We listen. Stupid, arrogant mages never listen. Why they die so often.¡± The woman said nothing at that, though her smile spoke of her amusement. Rek matched her cheek for cheek. He liked her smile. He thought that he¡¯d like to see her wear it more often. It reminded him of... his smile fell at the thought of her. Better not to delve into those waters yet. Survive the dungeon first. Everything else could come after. ¡°So, what now? You know my class. I know yours. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Next? I teach you everything else. Everything about the System. Then, we train.¡± ¡°Train?¡± ¡°Mmh. Need to level up. Very important.¡± ¡°Right. The game thing. We do that by killing monsters?¡± ¡°Many ways. Depends on class. Can level up by killing monsters. Can also do class things. Me? I need to pray. Conduct rituals. Do things shamans do. You? Do counsellor things. Counsel emotions. Hunters need to hunt. Dancers dance. Crafters craft. More efficient to do class things. Level up more quickly.¡± ¡°Oh. So, I can just sit here and talk to you about emotions and level up.¡± ¡°Yes. But also kill monsters.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not a class thing for me. Counsellors counsel, and all that.¡± ¡°Yes, but do non-class things enough and System will start changing your class to be more efficient in that.¡± Rek raised his palms and intertwined his fingers. ¡°Join combat with your class. Do counselling and fighting together. Very important thing. Level fifteen is your first class evolution. You want a more combat-focused evolution. Safer in an Induction.¡± ¡°There¡¯s evolutions now?¡± ¡°Yes. Keep in mind.¡± ¡°Damn. Okay. You know, that kinda sounded like something my little brother would tell me whenever I used to ask him for game tips.¡± She paused at that, her gaze going distant. Seeing but not really seeing. Rek didn¡¯t need to be a Counsellor to tell what she was thinking of in that moment. Or who. It only lasted a second before she refocused herself. Clearly, she understood the dangers of lingering on pains you couldn¡¯t control in a situation like theirs. Sucking in a breath, the woman continued. ¡°So, I learn more stuff and we train, right? Feels like I¡¯m getting a lot out of this. Er, do you want something from me?¡± ¡°Mhm. Earth knowledge. No questions now, but you will teach me when I need it. Also, be my envoy to other humans. Tell them that I won¡¯t eat them.¡± ¡°Right. I can do that. ¡®Don¡¯t worry folks. This is Rek. He looks small and scary, but he won¡¯t eat you.¡¯ Like that?¡± He smiled. ¡°Like that.¡± ¡°Sweet. Um, speaking of other humans, what exactly do you plan to do when you meet them? The students and faculty, I mean.¡± ¡°Do?¡± ¡°Yeah. Will you help them, like you helped me? I mean, I haven¡¯t exactly explored a lot. Just hid for a few hours until those things found me. But the school had a few thousand students and several dozen teachers and I didn¡¯t see any on the way here. They... they couldn¡¯t all be dead, right?¡± He shook his head. ¡°School is bigger now. Much bigger. Space distorted. Most are still alive, probably, but are spread far apart. We¡¯ll find some eventually.¡± ¡°Okay. Um. Can we help those we find? It doesn¡¯t need to be much. Just... just keep them safe. Please. The students, if not the teachers. They¡¯re just kids and with your knowledge, they¡¯d have a real fighting chance. And also, there¡¯s that whole thing about power in numbers, right?¡± He didn¡¯t disagree with the sentiment. Building up his own group was a part of the plan, eventually. Saving students would make for a good foundation for that, and it¡¯d certainly help his future human relations if he put in the work to earn a reputation as a saviour. Still, he didn¡¯t want her to think that he was some hero in spandex willing to throw away everything to the benefit of the next random stranger. An Induction was a cold place, and she would need to adapt. He made that apparent in his expression. ¡°Plan to try, but only try.¡± he said with a frown. ¡°New world isn¡¯t a kind place. We¡¯re alone here. No one will come to our aid if we get in trouble. Can¡¯t help anyone if I¡¯m dead. I¡¯ll try if possible.¡± The woman seemed troubled by that, but she seemed like the practical sort, even if there was a little bleeding heart in her. She accepted his reasoning with a small smile and a quiet thank you. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It''s at least something, you know.¡± ¡°Something.¡± he agreed. Alissa perked up a little after that. Her silvery gaze glistened with some emotion as she flashed him a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I met you, Rek. You¡¯re a good... uh, ally. Alissa and Rek, partners in the apocalypse.¡± "Yeah, good allies. Rek and Alissa.¡± She snorted and rolled her eyes. He grinned. Something told him that this would be the start of a long and fruitful friendship. Ch. 0006 - Coping With Loss Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! [ Goth Mask Uncommon Shadow +2 AGI --- Shadow Whip ] [ Level Earned! 3 >> 4 ] Ch. 0007 - Art Lessons [ Level Earned! 4 >> 5 ] [Spell Acquired: Blood Ink: Sabremaw] [ Nerd Glasses Mundane +2 PER ] The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. [ Art Teacher Lvl. 15 ] [ Assignment Available: Finish painting the unfinished portion of the Art Room. Time Limit: 2 hours Reward: Power Paint Bucket ] Ch. 0008 - Happy Little Trees [ Assignment Received: Finish painting the unfinished portion of the Art Room. Time Limit: 2 hours Reward: Power Paint Bucket ] [ Assignment Updated: Finish painting the unfinished portion of the Art Room. Time Limit: 1 hour Reward: Power Paint Buckets ] The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. [ Assignment Complete Finish painting the unfinished portion of the Art Room. Earned Grade: B ] [ Level Earned! 6 >> 7 ] Ch. 0009 - Test Rek was a blur of movement. His eyes wild, a feral grin on his lips, he danced around his foe. The [Junkie] was a shivering, fumbling mess, its attacks falling consistently wide of the mark. The monster roared, foam spraying from its lips. Its purple-lined eyes glared at Rek, hate and hunger melded into a single look of pure malevolence. Rek grinned. He charged forth. The [Junkie] released a noxious spray his way. He deftly leapt out of the radius of the attack, before closing in. The creature was slow to react, and his sword found easy purchase in its chest. It heaved, vile black blood spilling from its lips. Rek stepped away from the foul fluid, his nose crinkled as he watched the monster die. With a shift of his mana, he withdrew his Blood Ink, letting the power and aggression flow out of him like water down a drain until he was calm and contained once again. Staring at the corpse, Rek sucked in a breath and uttered a quick prayer before he turned to watch as Alissa contended with her own foe. The second [Junkie] had been the weaker one of the two: only level two. Barely worth a second thought, but useful for experimentation. Which was exactly what the woman was doing. The creature was covered in streaks of red paint that lined it like a tiger¡¯s stripes. Alissa was deftly avoiding its hail-Mary assault, a focused calm affixed on her face. It didn¡¯t come from her power, for once. She¡¯d gotten good at not depending on it as much anymore. He was almost proud, though he¡¯d never admit it out loud. Alissa glanced his way and noticed that he was done with his fight. Smiling, she easily swept past the monster until she was by his side. ¡°Ready?¡± she asked, her voice muffled by her improvised mask. He nodded. She reached out, her brush held like a wand in her hand and her brow creased with focus. Rek felt her mana surge forth in response, and he could imagine the tangles it was tying itself in as the woman tried to formulate the trigger mechanism. The System had imprinted the basic knowledge of its use into them the moment they¡¯d taken ownership of their rewards, but basic knowledge did not equate to mastery. With Alissa, it hadn¡¯t even equated to usability for a while. The woman struggled, but eventually, the paint slathered over the creature started to glow, an inner light flaring in a charging blaze across the substance until the creature was covered in a cloak of flames. Its agonized screams filled the air for all too long until it finally drew its last breath. Rek whistled appreciatively. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it down now, right?¡± she asked, nervousness warring with pride in her gaze. Rek gave her a critical look. ¡°Too slow.¡± Alissa sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a fan of positive reinforcement. Heard of it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Fine. You¡¯re right. It was too slow, but I¡¯m getting better. You have to admit that much, at least.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Rek-speak for yes. I¡¯ll take it.¡± The goblin hid his smile as he walked away. Approaching the charred corpse of the [Junkie], Rek spared a moment to study the damage the paint had dealt. He¡¯d expected something good from a quest reward, but what the paint had proven to be capable of had far exceeded his expectations. With the application of a little mana, the Radiant Red could be transformed from a pretty, glittery, decorative goop to an explosively fiery weapon. One that could easily take down a monster their own level, or higher, if applied properly. And that was just the Radiant Red. The Generous Green that he¡¯d chosen? "Still think that your paint is better than my paint?¡± asked Alissa as she sidled up to him. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Even after that? Did you see how that thing burned? It was a briquette in like ten seconds.¡± Rek rolled his eyes. ¡°Killing is easy. Healing, harder. Talk when you¡¯re bleeding out, or your arm is broken. Tell me then which paint is better.¡± The woman crinkled her nose. ¡°You¡¯re just being stubborn. It¡¯s a sign of serious personality issues.¡± She folded her arms and stalked away. Rek rolled his eyes. He glanced back at the bulge of the bucket in its holding place strapped to the back of his backpack. The bucket itself had proven to be a fairly sturdy material, resistant to a good deal of wear and tear, which it would have to be to safely contain his treasure. He didn¡¯t want to imagine losing it all to a spill. ¡°What next?¡± asked Alissa as she stretched her arms. ¡°We still experimenting?¡± ¡°No. Limited supply. Save it for emergencies.¡± The woman nodded. Gathering their bags, the two continued through the bathroom. At a certain point as they neared the cafeteria, the endless deluge of cookie-cutter classrooms had started to break with sprinklings of different, more interesting venues. The Art Room had only been the first, and the bathroom had come quickly after. The room was as big as all the rooms thus far had been, though that was where the similarities ended. For this room was ... dank, and it carried with it a certain aroma that almost made him miss the fetid chemical stench of the Art Room. Large, rumbling pipes ran zig-zag lines at random locations, crawling from the floor to ceiling at points, and free-standing wash-basins sprinkled water from leaky faucets onto the cracked, tiled floor. Stalls littered the space in no certain pattern, along with large, treacherous holes in the ground filled with bubbling soups of... viscous... unmentionable liquid. It wasn¡¯t the worst sight he¡¯d seen over the years, but maybe that was the only reason why he was able to calmly tolerate the wretchedness of everything around him. Even so, he certainly had no desire to linger for any longer than absolutely necessary, a sentiment that Alissa shared. The woman had gagged thrice in the first two minutes inside, and nearly wretched within the first five minutes. It took removing her glasses and their perception buff combined with a mask made out of several layers of pilfered cloth sprinkled with perfumes that they¡¯d found along the way wrapped around her face to make the space barely navigable for her. Still, she didn¡¯t complain, and that he could appreciate. After they both spared a moment to wrap up some business involving a functional toilet stall, the two continued their exploration of the maze-like space, revealing a half dozen yellow-named [Junkies] and a handful of [Wimps] that had ambled aimlessly about the room, their levels ranging between two and five. Rek and Alissa had made quick work of the [Junkies], with the [Wimps] fleeing out of the room at lightning-speed. The gains had been enough to push Alissa into her fifth level, and earn her a shiny new power. ¡°It¡¯s called Suggestibility. It makes me more convincing when I speak.¡± The counsellor had explained after digesting the System imparted knowledge of the spell, seemingly none too bothered by what had sounded to him like mind-control. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The opposite, in fact. She¡¯d even seemed excited by the prospect. ¡°How much more convincing?¡± he asked. Alissa smiled. "Time for a test?¡± Rek gave her his assent without much fuss. He knew that a lower-level spell couldn¡¯t have been anything too crazy, and testing the power proved just that. It revealed that whilst Suggestibility was more difficult to detect and even harder to block than her other powers were, it was conversely weaker in its influence. Alissa managed to suggest that he smile more, which the power convinced him to do, but it couldn¡¯t manage to make him slap himself. She almost looked disappointed by that. ¡°Sad that you can¡¯t mind-control me?¡± he asked irately. ¡°Yes.¡± she admitted readily, before chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. But seriously, this power is insane even if I can¡¯t convince anyone to do anything major. The amount of good I could have done with some of my students if I¡¯d had this power, if I could¡¯ve just talked them out of their terrible, self-destructive habits? This is... it''s a game-changer.¡± ¡°It is a responsibility.¡± reminded Rek, his tone brooking no argument. ¡°Mind-control is dangerous. Even limited mind-control. It makes you a threat, and people don¡¯t like threats. I know. Had some foes with similar powers in my world. There, they were only tolerated one of three ways. By being too strong to risk fighting, or being attached to someone too strong to risk fighting.¡± Alissa furrowed her brow. ¡°What¡¯s the third?¡± He gave her a look. ¡°By being dead.¡± She blinked. ¡°Okay. Message received. I promise to not go all evil villain and mind control everyone into smiling more. It¡¯s just... this could really do some good.¡± ¡°Mhm. Do bad, too.¡± Especially when combined with her suite of other powers, and whatever else she was likely to develop in the future. Alissa was already showing the potential to become someone truly powerful in the future. Rek knew that he¡¯d have to teach her how to wield that power wisely. He didn¡¯t expect it to be a difficult task. The woman was snappy, but she was no egomaniac. He hoped. It was a difficult thing to judge the future threat of someone he¡¯d only known for a little over a day. Alissa said nothing for a while after that. She remained lost in thought as they explored the bathroom, and all the way up until they fought their next lot of monsters. The poor wretches. They were little more than training dummies for the counsellor. Experimenting on the unfortunate [Wimps], they quickly learnt that the ability to resist her suggestions varied with an individual¡¯s willpower, which explained why Rek had proven hard to influence. The [Wimps]? She had them slapping themselves on end for a half minute before she finally allowed the poor creatures to run free. ¡°Okay.¡± she said as she watched them flee. ¡°Maybe this could be bad.¡± ¡°Mmh. Use it on monsters for now. Too useful not to. But when we find people...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise. Not unless I absolutely have to.¡± The woman looked uncertain before she laid a hand on his shoulder. ¡°If nothing else, I have my sensei here to keep an eye on me, right? You¡¯ll stop me before I fall to the dark side, won¡¯t you?¡± He nodded and then pinched her. ¡°Ow! What was that for?!¡± ¡°Pinch of discipline. Pinch if you cross the line.¡± She glared at him. ¡°I am not a fan of physical discipline.¡± ¡°Fan of being evil?¡± he asked, an even look on his face. Her glare tightened, and a moment passed as neither dared to look away from the other, before she finally swore and broke contact. ¡°Fine. Whatever. Not like it¡¯ll matter anyway because I¡¯ll never give you cause to pinch me.¡± ¡°Oh? Good. But threat exists to motivate.¡± ¡°Okay, listen here Yoda. There¡¯s been like a million studies carried out over the years that prove that physical punishment, or the threat of physical punishment, never lead-¡± Rek cupped a palm against her face, pushing her scarf into her mouth. Alissa went wide-eyed with surprise, which quickly became indignation, and then confusion. Because Rek was no longer looking at her. She quietly followed the goblin¡¯s gaze. There, stood veiled within an open toilet stall, was a small thing. A very, dangerous, small thing. [ Student Advisor Lvl. ??? ] Alissa swallowed thickly. Rek gently drew his hand away from her mouth. The creature was almost comically spherical, with small-button eyes and a smaller mouth. Its skin was coloured the same shade of yellow as a sunflower, save for its tiny, pinkish ears. A bite-sized set of formal office-wear wrapped around its rotund frame; the look completed by the thick glasses that sat snugly on its face. The creature was seated on the stall, a calm expression on its face as it stared upwards towards the large pipe that leaked water directly beside it. It looked like it hadn¡¯t noticed them yet, though Rek knew that that was just wishful thinking. At its level, there was no way it hadn¡¯t sensed them. It¡¯d simply chosen to ignore them. That was fine. Rek had no desire to contend with a question-marked. ¡°Walk away quietly.¡± he whispered in Alissa¡¯s general direction. The woman needed no convincing. Together, they inched away from the monster and towards where the exit laid. Their pace was calm and collected until the stall disappeared from their sight, after which they turned, their pace set to a mad rush. They made it all of three steps before they found a little thing blocking their way. The two froze in place. Alissa was tense, her every muscle screaming that they run. Rek was more focused. The [Student Advisor] had followed them at impossibly fast speeds, and now, it was looking at them. Nothing about its mien indicated any hostility at all. Its name was still yellow. They were still safe, which meant that there was something about this encounter that they had to play out. Steeling his back, Rek stepped towards the creature. It was only as tall as his chest, which was saying something considering that he was only as tall as Alissa¡¯s neck, and she hadn¡¯t struck him as a particularly tall woman. It was unimposing in just about every way, but he knew better than to judge on appearances alone. Its question marks spoke for itself. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked. The creature¡¯s eyes trawled up and down his figure before they levelled on his face. ¡°You are being watched, Rek the Earthsong.¡± it said, its tone entirely without emotion. ¡°Not surprising in a dungeon.¡± ¡°Indeed. Our esteemed [Principal] keeps a close eye on all the students enrolled in these hallowed halls, but you have earned a closer eye than most.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Rek as calmly as he could manage. His face betrayed none of the feelings bubbling within him and given the protections in place, he didn¡¯t think that the being could tell the truth of his nature, even with its level advantage. The veil on his true information was powerful. Even the likes of the [Principal] itself couldn¡¯t manage that. This must¡¯ve been something else, he was sure. ¡°Your background.¡± it answered evenly. ¡°Even if your former level did not amount to much in the grand scale of things, you were still a person of great influence in your world. I wouldn¡¯t claim to know the statistics of The System¡¯s workings, but I daresay that it isn¡¯t too often that someone of your standing in a world involves themselves in an Induction.¡± That much was true enough, though few could claim a reasoning like his. ¡°Greatness often leads to greatness, says our great [Principal]. Your levelling speed indicates as much, even if you have been slowed down by your... distraction.¡± It glanced at Alissa, who responded with a calm, unperturbed look. ¡°Well, strength of numbers is a power all its own, no doubt. The [Principal] believes that since you are a former person of greatness, you must be destined to achieve such heights once more. As such, he wishes to offer you the title of Advanced Placement Student.¡± [ Title Available: Advanced Placement Student +10% to 2 stats of your choice 1 advanced class spell/ skill Access to AP Assignments ] Rek studied the screen, his pulse quickening as he eyed the glorious reward on offer. A raw percentage boost to two of his stats? At ten percent? Such a thing was rarely heard of, and even more rarely earned. He¡¯d only possessed a singular three percent boost to a single stat in the other world, and that had been a victory much lauded across his clan. This? There was no reason to decline, even if he knew all too well that such a fine reward couldn¡¯t possibly come without strings attached. ¡°What must I do?¡± ¡°You will have to immediately participate in a test to prove your worthiness, of course.¡± it said matter-of-factly. ¡°A simple test, but very dangerous test nonetheless. Perhaps your experience will allow you to minimize that danger to a degree, but you nevertheless run the risk of a most gruesome death. And even if you were to pass and earn the title, you will still need to defend it. Earn anything less than a B on an assignment and you will be stripped of the title immediately.¡± Harsh, but hardly unfair, or unexpected. Rek agreed immediately. A threat of death was nothing in a dungeon. Every moment that he drew breath implicitly carried that threat. The gains were more than worth the risk. ¡°I agree.¡± he declared without hesitation. The [Student Advisor] nodded as if his agreement had been a foregone conclusion. ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Alissa, her concern obvious. ¡°Well, I know by now that you¡¯re always sure. But... Rek. Are you really sure? This feels more dangerous than anything we¡¯ve seen so far.¡± It was. Without a shadow of a doubt, but danger wasn¡¯t enough to keep him from accepting. ¡°Definitely.¡± he replied with an easy confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Go to the last classroom we passed. Barricade it until I return. I¡¯ll finish the test and be back quick.¡± The woman swallowed thickly; hesitation evident in her mien. Still, she steeled herself and nodded. ¡°Are you ready?¡± asked the being. ¡°Mhm. Allowed to bring items?¡± ¡°If you care to. We do not mind. You have earned everything you¡¯ve collected thus far.¡± Rek quickly donned his mask as well as his backpack. Something told him that his Generous Green in particular would prove very necessary in the situation to come. He gave the creature his assent afterwards. The last thing he felt was a sudden sinking feeling, the same as he¡¯d felt after the portal to Earth had activated, and then all he knew was darkness. Ch. 0010 - Sacrifice Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! [ Assignment Received: Calm the elemental spirits 0 / 39 Time Limit: 30 minutes Reward: Title: Advanced Placement Student ]