The horde of Skeletons were relentless with their hallowed sockets lit by an evil force. The evil force reanimating them as soon as they sense the living appear atop the raised pedestal, surrounded by four unlit braziers. Marius Kent and Grunt worked valiantly to repel the unending forces of the Undead, as Ulman Tennerus and Svenja Whistleshot scanned the room.
The sharp eyes of Svenja Whistleshot spotted a large door sealed by four arcane symbols on the far end of the room. The quick mind of Ulman Tennerus put it together in less than a moment, that they needed to light all four braziers to unlock the door. The party moved swiftly to the first brazier, the sound of weapons creating a symphony of violence sending the Undead to their final rest.
As they approached, each Skeleton struck down released a burst of red light that swirled around the brazier. As each weapon struck, more light would build until the swirling vortex of power reached its crescendo, and the brazier would light with a crack of thunder that would cause the room to shake. Over at the door, the first of the arcane seals lit up before crumbling away, leaving only three remaining.
Marius Kent struck a pose, pointing his longsword at the oncoming tide of Skeletons.
“Putting you to rest will grant us egress from this tomb.” he declared having not broken a swea-
The quills all stopped writing before Marius had even finished the sentence, as he turned to be greeted with raised eyebrows from everyone.
Ava put her head in her hands “You didn’t actually say that did you?”
“He did not. He was extremely sweaty, and he complained that we had to do three more braziers.”
“That’s not fair Svenja, I said words to those effects and I did point the sword at them!”
“You point the sword at things when you stab them. It is not the same.”
Ava interjected “Please, please. As I said before, I need you to tell me exactly what happened. I’m not a two-bit [Bard] hoping to level from half-truths. Give me the truth, and I guarantee I’ll portray it as best I can.”
Marius grumbled and crossed his arms.
“Now, let us continue…”
Skeletons fell, the endless wave of Undead became a sea of decrepit bones as the party moved from brazier to brazier. The evil Undead as if infuriated by the progress increased the intensity of the attacks. This however became their undoing, as our heroic party used the enemy density to their advantage. The Skeletons became nothing more than chaffs of wheat in a field, unable to push forward, being felled by spell, blade, or bow. The forces of undeath had been introduced to our valiant heroes, and their final resting place was night.
The fourth brazier lit, causing the room to shake. The wave of red energy swept over the room, scattering the remaining horde of Skeletons. The force knocking them off their feet, as it appeared to suck the necrotic energy from their bones causing them to collapse on the ground. The red energy swelled, scouring the room as if looking for something before it stilled, and with the accuracy of one of Svenja’s arrows flew across the room into the final arcane seal. Silence took over the room…
“What are the odds something big comes out of that door that we have to fight?” quipped Marius.
Grunt wholeheartedly agreed, as he cracked his neck.
The door shook.
“I fear you are correct, something big is trying to open it.”
“Svenja, let’s try ‘Regret The Entry’.”
Svenja took out arrows from her quiver and shot them into the walls creating an arch around the door.
The door trembled again.
Again.
Again.
Svenja furrowed her brows. Her unrivalled [Ranger] senses warning her.
“That’s not something trying to open it. That’s something walking towards it.”
The door blew off its frame, as the Undead Giant who dwarfed even Grunt, roared its challenge across the room.
Patrick was thoroughly engrossed in the story. It was the first time the group had discussed in detail with him what the early parts of the Dungeon were like. Apart from Marius trying to provide some memorable quotes, the information flowed naturally as Ava began creating the tale. Patrick leaned forward in anticipation, eager to hear how this fight turned out. He saw that even Ava was biting her lip. Not only was she getting the first full account of the Dungeon, but it was evident she was seeing the gold coins she would be able to pull in from a story like this.
“Go on… please tell me how you took down an Undead Giant?” as even the quills quivered in anticipation.
“It was not very exciting. I detonated the 14 explosive arrows around the door as soon as it burst through, and the arch of the door conveniently collapsed on it pinning it to the door. Grunt took offense to being smaller than it, and chopped at its neck until he beheaded it.”
Patrick and Ava both deflated at the matter-of-fact summary from Svenja, but Ava just waved her hand for them to continue.
After the swift defeat of the Undead Giant, the party moved through the door with haste, entering the labyrinth itself. A hellscape of twists and turns, dead ends, and traps that would consume the very essence of an adventurer should they be triggered, yet they pushed on in the absence of their own [Rogue]. Svenja covered that role as a [Ranger], with her keen eyes and ears alerting the party to the traps that lay ahead. Svenja would use her broad expertise to identify, and disarm the deadly traps.
Yet, the foul evil that lurked in the centre of this labyrinth was wise, and closer to the centre left Undead that would aim to trigger the traps themselves should they be alerted to intruders. What was once a stealthy navigation of this labyrinth turned into a dash for survival as the Skeletons themselves sought to bring the roof crumbling down. It was only for the experience of the party themselves that allowed them to continually move forward dodging Soul traps, jets of Necroflame, and pits seemingly to the Hells themselves.
The Undead grew unnerved at the rapid pace of the party and increased their efforts to fulfil the evil whims of their Lord. Corpse after corpse threw themselves to their ends either by the hands of the party, or traps of the Dungeon, but it would appear nothing would delay them. Not only were they on track for Worlds First, but a high-end time clear of the Dungeon.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Yet, this Dungeon seemingly had a will of its own. As they turned a corner, they found themselves at where they started, passing the corpse of the Undead Giant, and entering the labyrinth once more. Knowing they must have taken a wrong turn, they pushed forward again, keeping a keen eye out for the wrong turn they had taken.
The fodder of the Dungeon apparently replenished, once again facing the same twists and turns, with the traps in seemingly different locations. Cautious yet determined, they pushed on, the Undead seemingly growing even more unnerved at the progress being made. Whispers and moans began permeating the hallway as if to distract them, yet the iron wills of the party were not to be broken. Section, after section was cleared.
As they turned a corner, they found themselves at where they started, passing the cor-
“How many loops did you have to do? I’ll take the notes for completeness sake but let’s not go through the same details unless there are differences that have to be noted.”
Ulman pulled out a notebook and parsed through it.
“Six different loops. Different traps in different locations each time. Apart from the lamentations of the Undead starting in the second loop, nothing else noted.”
“Noted.”
The party looked at each other, and then looked at Patrick, before Marius spoke up.
“That’s when we found the new section. A wooden door in front, that we wanted to have a look in for possible treasure, and that’s when we found Patrick.”
For the first time since the story had started, Patrick felt Ava’s gaze fully rest on him. He hadn’t contributed a word to the story so far, but felt his mouth suddenly go dry. Slowly drinking from a glass of water to gather his thoughts, he went to volunteer his first contribution to the story.
“So there I was, stuck in a coffin, kicking and scream-“
“No, Patrick. Before we get to finish the story I need to know some more about you. I know these four extremely well, so I can describe their deeds. I don’t know anything about you. Tell me who the soon to be famous Wanderer is.”
Patrick gulped some more water.
“I’m Patrick Kavanagh, I’m not sure what else to say. I’m a ‘Wanderer’ who was thrown so far out of my depth it’s not even funny.”
“This isn’t meant to be a comedic story I’m writing Patrick. Who are you? What are you? Were you a [Soldier]? [Merchant]?”
“No!” Patrick couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m none of those. I was a forensic auditor who would spend their week identifying discrepancies in reports.”
“Like an [Inquisitor]?”
“No, not like a- well maybe it could be like that. I don’t know” as he flapped his hands. “I worked at least 50 hours a week. Every week was the same. I would meet the same friends in the same pub every Friday night, and then go to my moms for dinner on the weekend. That was my life.”
“A wife? Kids?”
“No, nothing serious for a while.”
“Did you like your life, Patrick?”
He was stunned by the question, but before he could bite back with a response, he paused.
“Of course I liked my life. It was fine.”
“Only fine?” as Ava’s eyes bore into him.
“It was a good life. I had a steady job, good income, some good friends, and loving parents.”
“But it was only fine?”
Patrick sat back on the couch and sighed. He knew full well what Ava was getting at, and it needled him that she was able to get to the point so quickly, considering it took Patrick years to come to the same realisation. A long silence followed, as Patrick realised everyone was staring at him waiting for him to answer.
He leant forward and put his head in his hands, before releasing a big breath.
“It was fine, but I always felt like I was doing the minimum. I was always the ‘reliable guy’. I never stood out, but I did my job, and no one had complaints. I was never the popular guy but was good in a group setting. I would shy away from relationships because they might have been a distraction, but a distraction from what? The monotony of life?. I would ‘work, eat, drink, sleep, and repeat’, and it was fine.”
At some point tears had begun to form in his eyes as he hastily wiped them away.
“But you wanted more?”
“I wanted the idea of more, but I didn’t want to risk the only thing I had going which was being ‘Mister Reliable, and two thoughts that had sprung to mind when I saw the car about to hit me was both relief, and regret. Relief that I wouldn’t have to go to work on Monday, and regret that the eulogy at my funeral would be that he was an ‘alright guy’.”
Ava sat back and put a finger to her lips before she asked her next question.
“But now here you are, with a Worlds First title within your first few hours in this world Patrick. How does that make you feel?”
“Like a fraud. I got dropped into a Dungeon just as the party found me. I was useless in there. I couldn’t even swing a sword properly. I only survived due to the items the party provided me.”
Grunt grunted.
“Grunt is correct, Patrick. You were the one that saved us from the Lord of Rot and Decay. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” murmured Marius
“If it wasn’t for the Whistle you mean? I got lucky. That’s it.”
“I fear you are leaving out quite an important part, Patrick.”
“What Ulman?”
“You unlocked an Aspect in the Dungeon.”
The shock to Ava was so great that she fell out of her chair, breaking concentration on whatever Skill was animating the quills as they all dropped to the table. She quickly tried to compose herself, but for the first time since Patrick had met her, she had appeared to lose whatever professional polish she had.
“An Aspect? Within hours of entering this world? At your level? Please you must tell me everything.”
“I don’t have it anymore. I can’t access it since the Whistle expired.”
“That just means it has a level requirement, but if you have already satisfied the requirements of it, you’ll be able to access it by level 30 at the latest. Incredible, please continue.”
Patrick recapped what had happened in the Dungeon, how he had felt a pressure forming in his mind as he watched the party operate, and how he began to understand how they moved an operated. He explained how once he saw the Dungeon Boss moving in and out of shadows in a pattern, the pressure reached its climax, which was only released once he got the boost from the Whistle.
“Remarkable” Ava breathed out. “I know exactly how to write you in this story. Patrick please, your tale may become one of its own. I do not recall an instance of a Wanderer having such success so early on in their time here. Your name will be coveted by many groups.”
Finally having regained her full composure, she brought the group back to the task at hand, as they finished recapping the Dungeon, with Ava placing a heavy spotlight on Patrick as he tried to recall specifics of the fight with the Dungeon Boss. What felt like hours later, Ava drew them to a close, as the piles of paper rose and sorted themselves in the air and returned to her bag.
“I believe that is all I need for today. I will review these overnight, and I may have some final questions in the morning, but this should be enough to compose enough stories and ballads for the celebration. Now, shall we have some drinks and converse a little more casually?”
----------------------------------------
This night of drinking was a lot tamer than the previous one. They had moved up to the top deck of the airship, where a distant glow on the horizon was pointed out to Patrick. He stood on the deck of the airship with Svenja, Grunt, and Ulman, while Marius and Ava were in deep conversation on the other side.
“That’s Tyril there. We’re moored a few hours out, and should arrive there first thing in the morning.” Ulman advised.
“Is it a big city?”
“About four million citizens.”
Patrick whistled impressed, almost the population of Ireland.
He glanced over his shoulder at Marius and Ava, and lowered his voice.
“They seem to be getting on quite well. What happened with Ava? I thought she was quite nice earlier.”
“Wretched woman.” grumbled Svenja.
“She is quite, I believe the term is, ‘bitch’” agreed Ulman.
A grunt from Grunt.
Ulman gasped “Grunt! That is quite a step too far even considering our dislike for the woman” as Grunt held up his hands apologetically.
Patrick glanced back over, and only saw Marius and Ava laughing and smiling. He saw her hand resting on the knee of Marius as she threw her head back and laughed at something he had said. A moment later he saw her excuse herself and go downstairs. Marius took a moment to watch her walk away, before he came over and rejoined the group.
“What a wonderful evening. I fear I won’t be able to sleep tomorrow due to the excitement of our arrival.”
Svenja placed her arm on Marius’ shoulder in a rare case of compassion. “Marius, you must be careful. We don’t want you hurt again.”
Marius grimaced, before nodding. “I have learned from the last time. I could sleep with her tonight, but I won’t. I think she has changed, she is here only as a friend.”
Everyone looked at each other, not believing a word of what Marius had said.
Patrick stifled a yawn.
“Patrick my fine chap, it has been a long few days for you, and you still have both conditions. You did not get a fine night sleep last night, so I recommend we all call it early this evening so we are fresh for tomorrow.
Everyone nodded in agreement with Ulman.
“I’ll finish this last drink with Ava, and then I’ll go to bed.” Marius promised.
More uncertain looks but no one raised their thoughts on the matter. As the party descended down the stairs, the only thing spoken was Svenja grumbling “I think my bet is on track. We’re headed towards another tavern incident.
Individuals went to their rooms, and as Patrick got into bed, he waited for sleep to overcome him, but his mind ran. He was tired, but every time he closed his eyes, he thought back to the questions Ava had been asking him, and the answers he had given. Did he truly want to be ‘Mister Reliable’ forever? Or did he want something more?
His thoughts ran. Was he truly happy back at home? Or was he just content? His employer would be concerned at the fact he didn’t turn up to work, but they would just consider he abandoned his employment. They would replace him after a number of weeks, and while there might be some concern at a personal level, they would just treat it as a personnel issue.
Patrick could almost hear his mom chatting away to him as if he was sitting at the kitchen counter at her home. Grief overtook him for a moment at the thought of how scared she must be that he didn’t turn up for dinner on the weekend, or the fact he might have disappeared completely. She would be beside herself.
Sighing, he got out of bed to retrieve the copy of Amelia Earhart’s book. The one sentence stood out to him from the introduction.
It is rumoured to be possible to get home, yet it requires achieving a level only known as Ascendance, which is the highest possible level one can achieve. Once this is reached, it is allegedly possible to navigate the Nexus itself and successfully return home.
He felt the resolve settle over him. He would get home. He would level until he reached the level known only as Ascendance.
Feeling a sense of calm with the resolution, he went to go upstairs to get some water before getting back into bed before trying to sleep. Just before he reached the door at the top of the stairs to the living space, he overheard two voices talking.
“… where you will need to tell him Marius. He is too low level to travel with you.”
“Ava, I know. It isn’t the time to tell him. We need to get him acclimatised and settled first before having that conversation.”
“I’ll watch out for him in Tyril for you, however you’ll need to tell him soon. One of the first questions you’ll be asked is when you will be departing to travel to your next Dungeon, and he needs to know he won’t be going with you. Let him know that I’ll take care of him”
The voices dropped to murmurs that Patrick couldn’t make out, but at that point he didn’t care to listen anymore. He knew that he wouldn’t have been going into Dungeons with them until he was a similar level to them, but it stung knowing they were planning on leaving him in Tyril in the immediate future.
His desire for water forgotten, he crept back down the stairs to get into bed, where he lay looking at the ceiling until Ulman knocked on his door announcing that they were coming in to land at Tyril.