by Konrad Ryan
“Unlike the rebirth orb which unlocks your potential, this orb can measure your current power score. Would you mind humoring this old man and allow me to double check your result?”
Tad’s power hadn’t changed overnight, even though he had access to his stats. He was still level one. Nothing should have changed. His hands rested on the two silver knobs. During his rebirth, Tad had closed his eyes. Missed his own rebirth ceremony. Tad watched intently. The black orb didn’t even swirl to other colors before it seemed to deepen. The orb darkened further, like mixing black ink with charcoal. Eerily, a white zero, appeared like a ghost from black paint. With that, Gerald seemed content.
“Thank you for relieving an old man of his curiosity. Here is my card, in case anything remarkable happens.”
Tad took the card and slid it into his pocket.
“Oh, and if you could keep the substance of this discussion to yourself, I would be in your debt. Few have seen the entrance to Titan.”
Tad fled the small dungeon to his house. He had seen Titan. It matched the color of his orb. Was he destined to defeat it? Impossible. No one who entered Titan ever left alive.
He scrambled up his walkway, away from the car dungeon. He could feel Gerald’s stare on his back the entire time.
* * *
Tad awoke the next day. They had celebrated his birthday the day before, but his mom announced she had to leave for a long-haul job. She’d be gone for a week. Tad was in charge in her absence. But that didn’t mean much. His fourteen-year-old brother, Liam, was fiercely independent and Tad doubted he’d have to do much. He never did. His mom left just in time for his first dungeon foray. It was too perfect.
He practiced casting spells for hours that night, but nothing he did worked. He had mana, but how was he supposed to use it? He explored every facet of his level-up program, but the only hint he had already found.
*Kill monsters in dungeons to gain experience and level up!*
Tad grabbed his school backpack. But what would he need for his first dungeon? He rummaged through the pantry and found some food and bandages. Probably would need weapons, but he didn’t have any money and legitimate dungeon weapons were expensive. He stowed two sturdy kitchen knives, just in case.
He could die.
Tad shook the thought from his head. He needed to stay strong. If he walked, the dungeon was two hours away. Tad didn’t have a bike, his mom did though, and she probably wouldn’t mind if he borrowed it. He pumped the tires, opened a navigation app on his phone, then followed the automated voice that gave directions.
The sky was black and despite it being mid-May, his breath came out in a cloud. Why couldn’t Hyde be more like the previous skyscrubber? Emergency lights and turrets illuminated roads and sidewalks so business could continue as usual. But it would get bad if Hyde didn’t come for a couple of days. Temperatures dropped, along with heavy snowfall. Entire cities hunkered down to wait it out. A fire force made of a few powerful slayers would clear the snow and roads to keep trucks and trains running. Only emergency personnel could leave their houses when it got that bad.
Hopefully, Brad could take over skyscrubbing. It would be nice to feel the summer sun.
Tad kicked himself at the thought. He was doing exactly what everyone else was doing. Glorifying Brad because of what he could do for him, despite his character. He’d made Tad’s life a living hell these last two years. But because he could clear the sky regularly, Tad should just forgive him? Put his trust and hope in him? Never.
He would die.
A streak of golden light exploded from the horizon, interrupting the thought. It was Hyde, the skyscrubber! For a moment the individual paused, right in the center of the sky above Tad.
Tad dropped his bike and ran for cover. He grabbed a slim tree and waited for the storm. The black sky parted like a drop of soap in oily water as a pulse of golden power shot from the skyscrubber. In less than a second, a chain reaction destroyed all the titanspawn in the stratosphere. The sight never got old. Warmth flooded the earth as the sun kissed his skin. Then the burst of icy wind hit, trees shook violently. Tad’s bike flew into the air and smashed into the side of a building in a deafening burst. His backpack that had been hanging on his handlebars flew out of sight. Tad hung on for dear life as the wind picked up further. His fingers went numb from the cold bite of the wind. He strained to hold on. Then, as fast as it had started, it was over.
Creators destroyed titanspawn completely. Utterly. They weren’t matter like rocks or trees, but something else. It would be hours before the skies closed once more. Before titanspawn crawled from the south to stain the skies. It took thirty hours for the entire globe to be smothered, twelve for Nebraska.
Only death awaited.
He didn’t belong in a dungeon.
He was less than a civilian.
But how else could he get stronger? The frame of his mom’s bike was slightly bent, but his backpack was nowhere to be found. His mom wouldn’t like that. But the unexpected burst made him late. He had to hurry to make up for the lost time. He hadn’t ridden a bike in almost eight years, so he felt oddly proud that he had only fallen twice at his brisk pace by the time he made it to the dungeon.
To his ultimate resting place.
“Shut up!” Tad shouted at the thoughts in his head.
The red cobblestone dungeon was out of place in the middle of the large cornfield. The telltale thread of titanspawn that pooled above the dungeon, high in the sky, let him know he was getting close. Three people waited before the dungeon. Their faces darkened as he approached.
“Hey Kid, beat it. This isn’t a place to be playing around.”
“Um. No… Actually, I’m here for the dungeon.”
Four pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief. They looked him up and down, taking in every detail.
A woman, maybe twenty years old with light blonde hair, came close and inspected his knee. “Are you all right? You’re bleeding.”
Tad looked down at his sweatpants. There was a hole in the knee and she was right, he was bleeding. “Oh. Yeah, I’m okay, I just crashed a few times on the way here.”
“Nice bike. Is it your mom’s?” A heavily armored man with a large scar across the bridge of his nose sneered. The scar extended to both of his cheeks, the entire length of his face. It must have been a gruesome wound. A dozen different weapons were attached to his arms, sides, and legs. But the weapon on his back was the biggest sword Tad had ever seen. It extended four feet above the man and almost reached the ground. It had to be ten feet tall! How could anyone even swing a sword that big? Tad had thought weapons that big were silly, even in video games. Could you even use a weapon that big inside a dungeon?
Tad looked down at the hot pink handles of his bike as he put up the kickstand.
“Thanks. Yeah, it’s my mom’s bike.”
Why were they staring at him like that?
“Well Kid, can we see your slayer license?” A barrel-chested man extended a calloused hand, a doubtful look on his neatly bearded face.
Tad turned out the pockets of his sweatpants and pulled out the crumpled license he’d folded several times. Good thing he hadn’t kept it in his backpack!
“Well, look at that. He was reborn just the day before yesterday. Only a civilian.”
Everyone chuckled.
Tad laughed too, nodding enthusiastically. It was tough to fit in, but he tried his best.
The man with the scar on his nose approached the gruff man, speaking in a quiet voice. Tad could barely hear them.
“What are we going to do? The dungeon has five gems on the front. We can’t fight the boss without a fifth.”
“We take him. We got no choice. It needs to be closed today or we miss out on the bounty.” The gruff man looked at Tad. The scarred man walked away to where the blonde girl stood. The gruff man spoke a little louder. “We got some ground rules. I’m the dungeon leader. You know what that means?”
Tad nodded, but the man conti
nued without looking at him.
“It means if you slow us down or endanger us, it is my responsibility to kill you. Inside the dungeon, I own everyone’s lives, including yours. Got that? So far, I haven’t had to kill anyone myself, but we have left men behind. They’re just as dead as if I’d killed them myself. I won’t hesitate if the need arises.”
Tad gulped. He had to watch his own back.
“This isn’t a game. Soldier dungeons like this one have a fifty percent mortality rate. And that’s for soldier rank slayers. Civilians don’t enter dungeons. You know why? They die. Quickly. Three of us are coming out alive. If we are lucky. But we are lucky. We have Bunta. Bunta has gotten us through the last three dungeons without casualties.”
The scarred man nodded his head emphatically. Tad was unsure what a Bunta was, but their confidence in it seemed unwavering.
“Money talk. Bunta gets eighty percent. Between the rest of us, it’s an even split. Everyone contributes, everyone gets rewarded. The four of us keep any magic items found. If you’re fine with these terms, we’ll take you.”
It was a lot to ask. Tad was prepared to enter the dungeon, but could he trust the man? The man who could kill him for any reason? What about the other three? Legally, Tad knew they were right. Once in the dungeon, the dungeon leader was king. His responsibility was to ensure the safety of his party and close the dungeon at all costs. Tad’s life would be forfeit should the dungeon leader deem it necessary.
“How do I know you won’t kill me for a bigger share of the rewards?” Tad’s heart pounded in his chest. He usually just stayed quiet and tried to avoid notice, but that wasn’t an option here. His life was on the line.
“I’m not a snake. I wouldn’t kill a man who put his life on the line for money. There’s enough death in this job already.” The gruff man almost spat the words.
The man sounded truthful, and Tad believed him. “Okay. I’m in.”
“Good, what talents you got? You heal? You a blade? A tank? Mage maybe?”
“I’m not sure. This is my first dungeon.”
“Not a problem Kid. I got a back up healer’s crook. If you can use it, you can keep it.” The gruff man tossed him a large stick. Tad fumbled but caught it.
An electronic chime played in his head as a small pop-up window appeared.
*You have discovered the skill ‘Heal!’*
*You have discovered the skill ‘Heal Other!’*
Nice! Tad reached out a finger and pressed on the spells for more information.
*Heal: Recover 5 health. Costs 1 mana.*
*Heal Other: Touch a creature to heal 4 health. Consumes 1 health.*
Tad had only two mana, so he could heal himself fully once. His health pool was larger, ten health. He could heal someone else forty, but then his health would drop to zero. ‘Heal other’ seemed dangerous. What would happen if he drained his entire health pool? Would he pass out? Die? Tad didn’t want to find out. He’d have to be careful with that spell.
Without even checking to see if Tad could do anything with the weapon, the gruff man continued. “All right. Bunta we ready?” None of his group members responded to his question, but the man nodded as if he got his answer.
Tad wrinkled his brow in confusion. Bunta again. Just what was this Bunta? Tad looked at each of the party members. Scar, Gruff, Blondegirl… There were only three. Four, including Tad. Where was the fifth? Was Bunta invisible? Was that even possible?
“Slayers. Be ruthless. Be quick. Stay alive.”
Gruff grasped the glowing red wrought-iron handle. The door swung smoothly open. Tad expected the ancient-looking door to protest more, maybe groan on its hinges. Gruff was the first to disappear into the black mist. Tad’s jaw dropped open as black mist swirled from the entryway. It felt different from Gerald’s car dungeon. Icy sweat dripped down his spine. Tad could feel the sinister danger that lurked within. It beckoned to him, thirsted to consume him. The red tendrils of the dungeon reached out and licked at his chin. They seemed hungry, and it was feeding time.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
No. The worst part was that it felt like home.
Chapter 4
Each party member disappeared through the giant red-gleaming doors. One second they were there, the next, they vanished into the mist. Black mist obscured the dungeon within. Anything could be inside.
Tad stepped backward to look at the dungeon. It stood at least thirty feet high. Smokey red tendrils whipped out across its surface. The tendrils wriggled outward, then retracted, coiled tightly as if they had caught their prey. Dull red cobblestones burned bright before fading back to mediocrity.
Red meant soldier difficulty. It was way above his power score. The hairs on his arms stood erect. Everything about the dungeon screamed danger. Threat of violence. Threat of death. Tad vowed to do everything he could not to hold back his teammates. He didn’t want to die.
Eyes burned into Tad’s back as he watched the dungeon. He was being watched again. Was it his level-up program? Tad turned and searched the surrounding landscape.
Off in the distance, a man stood facing the dungeon. It wasn’t odd to stare at dungeons. The danger and the mystique were something that mesmerized everyone, especially civilians. The forbidden fascinated people and drew them in. But the man wasn’t watching the dungeon.
He was watching Tad.
Had Gerald sent someone to monitor him? Tad’s blood grew hot. Whatever, once Tad was inside, the man wouldn’t be able to follow.
Tad resumed his inspection of the dungeon. Directly above the dungeon door, a large symbol was etched into the red cobblestone. A serpent, thick and muscled as it coiled around its prey. The serpent’s powerful body squeezed the life out of its captive. Symbols reflected unique conditions inside the dungeon, but the meaning of the constricted snake was beyond him. Tad just hoped that the slayers were the snake.
He had studied the dungeon long enough. His party would wonder where he’d gone. Tad gathered his courage and strode through the dungeon door. The black mist was cool on his face and for a moment he floated in the darkness. The feeling hit him once more. It was home. In the darkness, the void, Tad belonged.
The blackness evaporated as Tad landed on his feet inside the dungeon. The air, warm and humid. A kaleidoscope of colors assaulted his eyes. Transparent gel walls and ceiling had brilliant color trails made from some slimy substance. Great colorful blobs dripped from the ceiling, hissing as the colors touched.
The three party members stood in a half-circle. Wasn’t Tad supposed to be the fifth? Where was the fifth? Scar waved his arms, visibly incensed. Something was wrong. Scar turned toward Tad with a scowl on his face. “What took you so long? We thought you must have run away on your mom’s bike”
“Oh. Sorry, I was just looking at the dungeon for a second. I haven’t ever seen one before in real-”
“Whatever. You wouldn’t be able to cast magic by any chance would you?” Scar sounded doubtful.
“Huh? Umm, I’m not sure… Why?”
The scar-nosed man exasperatedly flailed his arms in every direction. “Do you not see the slime! It’s everywhere! This is a slime dungeon and we don’t have any offensive spell casters.”
Tad felt like he was missing some vital information, but didn’t want to embarrass himself further. The man already seemed like he was close to losing it. He didn’t want to push him over the edge. Tad hoped he could cast spells.
“What weapon does a magic caster use? You know, like a healer uses a staff like this one.”
The blonde tossed a small object at Tad. He tried to catch it, but it sailed past him. The wooden twig stuck deep into a small trail of blue slime. It looked worn and had a slight crack running from the top of the fabric-wrapped handle to the tip, but Tad recognized the weapon. It was a wand! A series of victorious dings and beeps rang inside his head as he pulled the wand from the slime.
*You discovered the skill Firebolt.*
*Firebolt: A bolt
of fire shoots toward your target. Costs 1 mana.*
*You discovered the skill Icebolt*
*Icebolt: A bolt of ice shoots toward your target. Costs 1 mana*
*You discovered the skill Thunderbolt*
*Thunderbolt: A bolt of electricity shoots toward your target. Costs 1 mana*
Tad only had two mana. He could only cast a spell twice.
Tad handed back the healer’s crook to Gruff. “I think I can cast some magic. Not sure if it will be strong or not.” Gruff shoved the long healer’s weapon into a small bag on his waist. Tad did a double take. A weapon of that size shouldn’t fit in such a small bag.
“Well, we can’t leave the dungeon until we clear it and since slimes are immune to physical damage, you are our only damage dealer. Creator’s piss! We weren’t expecting a slime dungeon.”
Oh! Finally, it all made sense. Tad looked at his party members. They bristled from head to toe with various weapons. War axes, hammers, daggers, longswords and bows, but none of them looked like they had any magical talent. Scar’s words sunk in. They couldn’t leave? A bolt of panic shot through Tad’s body.
“What do you mean we can’t leave the dungeon until we clear it? I thought you could leave through the entrance whenever you wanted!”
Scar squeezed his eyes shut and repeatedly smacked his head with his gauntlet covered hand. A sound like a wounded animal escaped his throat. Tad’s question pushed him over the edge.
Gruff put an arm around Tad’s shoulders and walked him a meager distance away from Scar.
“I know you’re new at this, but try not to ask Terrance any more questions. Above the dungeon, you saw the symbol of the constricting serpent? That means slayers can’t leave unless the boss is dead. And since it’s a five-person dungeon, no one else can enter unless one of us dies.”
A sinking feeling took root in Tad’s chest. He had to clear the dungeon alone! Not to mention they could get reinforcements if one of them died. If push came to shove, Scar would be happy to kill Tad if it meant a chance at the rest of their survival. Tad expected he could hang back and heal people occasionally. In his mind he always had the option to run away if it got too hairy, but that was no longer an option. It was bad. It was already a life and death situation.
