Working his way through the claustrophobic caverns had completely changed for Buck. The introduction of a mini-map opened up multiple opportunities; he was no longer backtracking, and he discovered an intriguing quirk in the system. Crawling just a few feet into any tunnel would load its entire layout. While at first this didn’t really provide him with much information, after a few more hours he noticed that he could tell which tunnels would lead to larger caverns. Eventually, he realized a significant change: by following these bigger tunnels, he could walk instead of crawl.
The game had changed, and Buck could feel his attitude change. The single point he invested in Endurance made a noticeable difference in his Durability, and with [Spelunking] that was now level 6 he had reduced that amount of wounds he received by nearly 80%. He felt like a new man, no longer pinned between the endless tunnels of this godforsaken cave. Because of this, his speed increased, allowing him to map the Sinks Canyon Cave System much more efficiently.
With [48:00] left on the clock, he noticed a change. A soft blue glow emanated from one of the tunnels, surprisingly bright after nearly 24 hours of darkness. The sight nearly brought Buck to tears. He looked down at himself, covered in blood and mud, resembling some nightmarish cave creature feasting on lost hikers. Hopefully, he'd get a chance to clean up before reuniting with Emily, though, considering it had been 24 hours, there was no way she hadn’t returned to the graveyard. She was probably scouring the area for him at that moment.
But wait. . . was this clock even right? How was he not exhausted after nearly a full day of torture?
Before he could think further, the light suddenly intensified. It was moving toward him. Buck stood, gathering the strength to call out for help, but hesitated. Regardless of whether the Cracked Kingdoms were Earth or if Earth had become the Cracked Kingdoms, he was certain of one thing: an omniscient being claimed he was part of some twisted game show with a creepy motto.
What did "Strive for Greatness" really imply? Did this AI intend to throw progressively harder challenges at him to make him stronger? If so, what could this moving blue light be? It wasn’t the typical white light of a headlamp or the flickering glow of a torch—why was it blue?
Deciding to play it safe, Buck waited until the light passed and cautiously continued down the tunnel. Thanks to his level 6 [Spelunking] skill and the bit of light, he was able to move silently. It was like he didn’t even need to look at where he placed his hands or feet anymore, allowing him to focus on keeping a good distance on the light in front of him.
“Well, this can’t be a bad idea,” he muttered to himself, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “What could possibly go wrong following a freaky blue light in a creepy cave?”
As Buck cautiously made his way through the labyrinthine caverns, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being lured by something otherworldly. For almost an hour he worked his way through the expansive tunnels, until he had followed the light to a truly massive cavern. He paused for a moment, letting the glow drift deeper into the cavern before peeking out—and his breath caught in wonder.
The air was thick and damp, carrying the faint metallic tang of minerals and the earthy scent of ancient stone. The walls glistened with moisture, reflecting the eerie blue glow that seemed to pulse faintly, as if the cave itself were alive. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like jagged teeth, their sharp points dripping water that echoed through the cavern like a slow, rhythmic heartbeat. Below them, stalagmites rose from the floor, their rough surfaces glistening with a faint, otherworldly sheen. Some of the formations had grown so large that they nearly touched, creating natural columns that looked like the ribs of some long-dead leviathan.
Scattered about the cavern, shallow pools of water reflected the light, their surface rippling faintly as if disturbed by something beneath. The water was unnaturally clear, revealing beds of smooth, polished stones that glowed faintly with the same blue hue.
The ceiling was so high that Buck couldn’t see the top, lost in a haze of darkness that seemed to stretch endless upward. This wasn’t just a cave—it was a cathedral of stone, ancient and foreboding, as if it had been carved by forces far older and more malevolent than nature itself. Stepping forward, his footsteps echoed unnaturally loud in the cavern, each sound bouncing off the walls and returning to him as if the cave were mocking his presence. He couldn’t help it, he yelped as the AI delivered another message.
[Congratulations! You Have Discovered the Sneak Skill]
Buck couldn't help but laugh. Clearly, he wasn't doing a very good job of sneaking any longer.
-
The first thing he noticed was the dim, flickering light that bathed the massive theater in an eerie, golden glow. William Wight was utterly bewildered, the air was thick with the scent of old wood, and dust, but the last thing he remembered was peacefully drifting off to sleep, surrounded by his family. He had died, truly lived to the fullest, carving out a life along the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad before settling down in a small town just off the Pony Express, eventually becoming the mayor. They had even given him a badge and everything, well he was the one to implement the badge system, but still.
A part of him had always hoped his family would continue their journey to California after his passing, but he knew deep down that was a fleeting dream. The trails of the West had been grueling for his little boy; he truly hated the dust and sand. William more than anyone knew that life always got in the way, all he could hope for is that his family was happy.
Which came to today, today had been the strangest day of his life, or I guess you could say death. Just over 24 hours ago he had been dead, like dead dead, when suddenly his vision was flooded with a confounding message.
Stolen story; please report.
[Hello Peasant, Congratulations. You Have Been Saved. Please Select a Name] [02:00]
Confusion washed over him. Saved? Had a divine figure finally come to claim his immortal soul? How could he refuse? Before he even grasped the situation, he selected his name: William Wight. He was ready to move on to Heaven, but to his surprise he found himself surrounded by creatures of all shapes and sizes. His mind truly could not comprehend the sights that he saw–some were humanoid but grotesquely distorted, with elongated limbs, too many eyes, or skin that shimmered like oil. Others were beasts straight out of nightmares—hulking,furred things with glowing eyes, serpentine creatures coiled in the aisles, and winged monstrosities perched on the balconies
As he stared in disbelief, a small spritely boy, appearing no older than eight but radiating an aura of charismatic authority, stepped onto the empty stage, a single spotlight illuminating him. He was adorned in a simple tan robe, his golden hair flowing as if caught in an invisible wind.
"Hello, Peasants! Welcome to The Cracked Kingdoms! Congratulations on being saved from your ever so boring existence! Today marks a new era of trials and tribulations that will determine who secures a spot among the very Gods!" The boy introduced himself flamboyantly.
“I am Ash’rati Mortanre, Eldest Great-Grandson and Citizen of the Mortanre House, but you all may call me Ash. I will be overseeing your Sector during this integration of The Cracked Kingdoms!”
William struggled to understand this boy's proclamation. Yet, as the boy continued, adorned in bands of gold that rattled with every movement, it began to click—William Wight had been granted a second chance.
William Wight blinked, his spectral form shimmering against the dim light of the full moon that hung low in the sky. The air cool and crisp as thick fog rolled lazily over the desolate graveyard where he had been buried, the headstones standing like sentinels guarding memories long forgotten. Looking down over himself he realized what the boy had said was true. The Root Source, whatever that was, had transformed him. Granting him a new lease on life. It connected him to the very essence of the land he once called home, but now it filled him with an inexplicable urge, a deep-seated compulsion to venture beyond the familiar confines of the graveyard.
“Darn it,” he muttered. “Not really the afterlife I had imagined”
A faint rustle caught his attention; the barely distinguishable whispers of the wind echoed through the ancient trees, beckoning him. With an unintended flick of his ghostly wrist, he found himself gliding, almost against his will, towards the entrance to a cave.
“Okay, okay, I get it,” he said aloud, half to himself and half to the AI that boy had introduced him to. “I can’t just hang around mourning my own grave forever, right?”
[No Peasant William Wight. You have a role to play]
With a final glance at the grave marker that bore his name, he steeled himself to embrace the unknown. As he drifted toward the yawning mouth of the cavern, he felt an energy deep within the ground beneath him, resonating with the powerful energies of the Root Source. And it dawned on him—this was no mere adventure; it was a calling. So with not a speck of fear in his ghostly heart, William Wight crossed the threshold into the Sinks Canyon caverns, embracing what lay ahead.
For half a day, William navigated these desolate halls, the soft blue glow emanating from his own spectral form became his only guide through the twisting darkness. Bev the AI had given him a wealth of information about the afterlife, the fundamentals of being a ghost. Yet, in a glaring oversight, she neglected to mention that he wouldn't be able to learn any skills related to [Exploration].
So he wandered aimlessly, seeking an escape.He finally stumbled upon a large central cavern, a vast space that opened up like a grand hall. The towering stalagmites and stalactites within it loomed like ancient sentinels. Time passed, and began tracing shapes and patterns in the dust covering the cavern floor, mapping out his surroundings with strands of ghostly light—only to realize it was largely fruitless; everything looked the same in the endless expanse of rock and shadow.
Yet as the hours ticked by, William slowly resigned himself to his fate everything changed when Bev provided him with a new message. A [Quest] she called it. A purpose. Just then, a chilling noise echoed through the cavern, breaking the unsettling silence—a guttural sound that sent a wave of dread through William's incorporeal being. A creature stumbled into the glow of his bioluminescent skin, revealing its horrid visage: a dirty humanoid with festering wounds, matted hair that hung in greasy clumps, and eyes that shone with a wild, hungry gleam
—
Just as he thought he might finally catch a good glimpse of where the light was going, he noticed a slight shimmer in the corner of his eye—a flicker of movement that could only be described as the faint silhouette of a figure. Buck froze, realizing his mistake. A flickering, ethereal blue light hovered in the air before him. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat, casting a glow that illuminated the jagged walls of the cavern. For a moment, it seemed almost beautiful, a fragile thing of light and energy.
But then it began to change.
He felt a stirring in the air, a charged anticipation that sent chills down his spine, as the wisp shuddered violently. The air thickened, and a low, almost strained noise echoed through the cavern, like the creaking of ancient wood under immense pressure. Buck watched in awe and horror as the soft, delicate light began to distort.
A low, guttural sound filled the air, like the groan of twisting metal, and the light began to warp and stretch. Sinewy strands of light morphed into arms and legs, while the wisp’s essence seemed to scream in a silent cacophony as it took on a grotesque shape. The figure of a cowboy emerged, but not the heroic, rugged image one might expect—this was a silhouette of death and decay, twisted and warped.
The limbs were too long, the joints bending in ways that made Buck’s stomach churn. The skin was pale and translucent, veins visible beneath the surface like dark rivers on a map. With a snap, a humanoid figure had emerged draped in tattered remnants of his former attire—a dirty brown stetson perched atop a half-poncho draped over one shoulder, with the unmistakable clinking of spurs on his muddy boots.
Buck met the ghost's gaze, and fear gripped his stomach as he saw the stranger approach, it was as if those hollow eyes glared into Buck’s very soul. He had just watched a man be born from light and pain, and he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to forget it. Buck stumbled back, his instincts screaming at him to run—after everything he had endured, was he really about to be stopped by a spectral cowboy?
Deep within, a strange resolve ignited in Buck's chest, pushing through the fear. No. This is not where he would be stopped. Buck rose to his feet, standing at his full height for the first time in over a day, he could feel the bones in his back pop and groan as he readied himself for whatever this fiend would bring. With nothing else around him he raised his fists in an attempt to block whatever the ghost threw at him.
Here goes nothing.