"That's... really unfair," I murmured. "How exactly are we even supposed to reach the 100th level if the dungeon break is that difficult?"

[If I'm being honest, I don't know. At some point, even grinding on the same floor over and over merits no benefit. That includes your Risk playstyle. You'd get far too strong to receive any rewards or experience. Well, there is one thing I can think of, but I’m not sure how you’d even go about doing it.]

"So we're supposed to just... hope for the best?" I asked, feeling a mixture of frustration and despair welling up inside me. "Just keep climbing, even though we know there's a chance we could all die in a dungeon break?"

"Luke? Everything good, bro?" Tommy spoke up, concern in his eyes.

"Er, yeah, just discussing some things with my Admin," I said, glancing away.

"Well, I think we should all focus on getting stronger, you know?" Tessa interjected. "All we can do is prepare ourselves as best we can."

[It's up to you on whether or not you want to explain it. How you want to explain, too. I won't stop you, but just know that that's the risk you might have to take.]

I smiled bitterly. My entire life so far had been nothing but risks.

"Hey, guys..." I began with a deep breath. "There's something I gotta tell you."

I told the four of them what I had just discussed with Sephera. The news was... shocking, to say the least. There was silence for a few moments as they all processed the information.

"What the fuck?" Tommy finally said, his voice small and shaky. "There's a good chance the Earth will get destroyed? And we won't be able to return?"

"It's not a guarantee, Tommy," Tessa said, trying to sound reassuring. "There's still a chance we can beat it. And even if we can't, at least we'll have gone as far as we possibly could."

"Toms, I'm scared," Sarah whispered, clutching his arm. "I didn't think things would eventually go this way."

"Well, at least we've got each other," he managed to say with a shaky smile. "And Luke, you know... you're pretty fucking strong. I'm sure we can all count on you to get us through this, right?"

I scratched the back of my neck. "Don't... put too much hope on me."

"Why not, man?" Tommy pressed. "You're the strongest one of us!"

"Yeah, but if I start pushing the global tower level, that means everyone else has to catch up," I said, looking down at my hands. "And even then... there's no guarantee that we'll be able to take down a dungeon break. I'm not that strong that I can solo, you know? I could die, permanently, and then we'd all be screwed."

"What if there was a way for you to grow stronger without having to clear tower floors?" Celine quietly said in a while.

I looked up at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

Tessa inhaled sharply. "Wait, Celine, you're not suggesting–"

"No, no," Celine interrupted. "Not in the real world. But what if... there was another world, another place we could go? A place where we could keep growing stronger, even if we can't push the tower level?"

[Wait.] Wait. Was she talking about the towers?

"There's no way to return to Last Stand, Celine," Tessa said, shaking her head. "The only way we can progress now is by clearing floors in the global tower alongside the dungeon breaks."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Tempered Disaster," Celine continued with a wry smile. "The place I have in mind is a little different. I believe you're familiar with dungeon resonance?"

[!!! That’s what I was talking about earlier!]

Everyone except me stiffened. What? What was this woman talking about?

"H-hey, Celine, dungeon resonance might be difficult, even for Luquier," Tessa stammered, her expression a mix of shock and fear. "I mean, it's supposed to be the hardest thing anyone could ever do, right?"

"Time out," I said, raising a hand. "What's this dungeon resonance thing?"

Celine smiled softly. "Dungeon resonance is something only the top Players in the world are able to clear. Think of it in terms of a game: a dungeon resonance is basically just another way of 'replaying' an already cleared dungeon break. The only difference is, the dungeon level is... adjusted depending on the level and amount of Players."

"Interesting..." I murmured, feeling a slight sense of excitement. "How would one be able to enter this dungeon resonance?"

"That's the tricky part," Celine replied with a grim smile. "See, normally, dungeon resonances are accessible to those who've cleared dungeon breaks. You can only enter a different one via a party invite from Players who've cleared that respective dungeon."

"Ah," I nodded. Celine's words made sense to me. "So like a taxi or shuttle?"

"I don't... what?"

"He means a Player who's unlocked a certain place can invite other Players to that place they haven't yet," Tommy winced. "Luke, some of us aren't gamers."

[:o I'm adding no-life to your masochist title LOL.]

"S-sorry. Yeah, that's what I meant," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I've been treating all of this as an actual game."

"Well, however you want to think of it, dungeon resonances are gatekept by the top Players," Celine continued, giving me a weird look. "If you're not in an established guild, preferably one of the top 10, or an esteemed Player, the members of Enigma won't give you access to them."

"That's... actually kind of messed up," I muttered. "Why are there requirements just to replay dungeon breaks? Shouldn't it be more than enough that we've already cleared them before? Even if the dungeon's level is dependent on the Players, it shouldn't be that hard with the knowledge gained from it."

"Why do you think the restriction came to be? We lost multiple Players because they thought the same thing," Tessa sighed. "While I do understand your point, Luquier, it's not as simple as that. Dungeon resonances are supposed to be the pinnacle of dungeon clearing, and only the best of the best are allowed to participate. The risk of losing a Player is just too high to take lightly."

"At any rate, I still think Luquier stands a good chance of being able to join Enigma to clear dungeon resonances," Celine continued, a determined gleam in her eye. "He just needs to either join one of the top 10 guilds, or demonstrate his prowess."

"Aren't my stats enough?" I asked, a little confused. "I mean, I highly doubt there are a lot of other Players with numbers like mine."

"The highest level Player currently sits at level 5000," Tessa gave a strained smile. "Can you do the math on Stat Points?"

"Oh... about 25000..." I muttered quietly after a few seconds. "Without any extra Risk points."

[Like I said, numbers don't mean everything, Player...]

"Okay, fine. I'll do whichever one is easiest," I made a face. "But I just cleared a dungeon, so couldn't I technically just enter that resonance and clear it solo?"

"Yeah, but that knowledge... is also gatekept by the Enigmas," Celine sounded slightly exasperated. "Of course, it's to prevent Players from doing what you just asked and getting themselves killed."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"These Enigma guys sound like real assholes," I muttered under my breath.

"My sister's in Enigma," Celine replied as a matter of factly.

[._.;; Yikes.]

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean- I wasn't-"

"It's fine," Celine shook her head to stop me. "I do agree with your statement somewhat. She's part of the reason why I myself was denied access to Enigma. Apparently I wasn't strong enough for her to accept that I'd be able to handle dungeon resonances."

"Then let me help you prove it," I grinned, offering my hand to her. "I wanna get into Enigma, too."

Celine looked at me for a long moment before shaking her head again and taking my hand. "It's not a team effort; Enigma only considers the talents of Players individually. A bit ironic considering dungeon resonances require teamwork, but I guess they want to make sure the Player is able to handle it."

"I really hate this idea, but it seems like we've no other choice," Tessa sat back in her chair and rubbed her temples. "God, I hope you two just stay alive. I don't want to deal with any more paperwork."

"Rest easy, Tempered Disaster," Celine nodded at Tessa. "The Reckless Immortal and I can just revive once a day should we ever die."

"That's not what I– never mind. I forget that you're also stranger than most Players, Celine. And now Luquier as well." Tessa stared at her mini-fridge wistfully. I got the sense she was itching for a drink.

"Alright, before we go our separate ways," Celine started quietly, standing up. "Luquier, give me your phone."

"Why?" I asked, but I handed it over anyway.

"So I can put my number in," she replied nonchalantly. "How else are you going to get to Enigma if you don't know the first thing about them?"

[OMG. You got a girl's number for the first time!!! :DDDD]

Technically, Tessa already had her number saved in my phone for emergencies, but I held my tongue.

"Thanks," Celine took the phone and tapped in her number before handing it back to me. "We can meet at the GPA tomorrow afternoon."

"Cool."

"I'll be taking my leave, then." Celine left without so much as another word. I glanced at Tommy and Sarah.

"Would you mind driving me back to my apartment?"

----------------------------------------

Tommy and Sarah dropped me off at my apartment, and I thanked them for the ride. I could tell Tommy wanted to talk to me about stuff during the drive, but I guess he didn’t want to in front of Sarah. That was fine by me. As he drove off, my phone buzzed with a text from him, asking for us to meet up again later this week.

Once inside, I flopped down on my bed and let out a long, weary sigh. Today had been quite the eventful day, to say the least. I scanned over the detailed message Celine had sent. She was very insistent that I get rest, since I would have to wow the Enigma members in order to join their cult. At least, that’s how I saw it. I hadn’t had time to even look at potential guilds.

A few blue system messages suddenly popped up in front of me.

[System alert: 'Even Death Can't Stop Me!' Achievement has been triggered.]

[You have obtained 'Skill Box'.]

Oh nice. I was wondering when that 'good thing' would come to me. I sat up in my bed, a small smile playing on my lips, and opened up the 'Skill Box' that had just appeared.

[Generating Skill based on performance...]

[You have obtained the 'Grim Mantle' Skill.]

Hell yeah, that sounded great. I tapped on the skill name.

[Grim Mantle (Passive)]

[Duration: 5000 seconds]

[Description: Resembling the wings of a reaper, allows user to levitate. Flight duration affected by user's Speed. Increases mental fortitude by 10% & grants resistance to mental attacks.]

[What the... you have a flight skill now? What kinda theme is your Title supposed to be?]

"While that's cool and all, I'm more psyched about the added mental bonuses," I grinned, clearing my screens. "With such a huge number of Risk, I'm going to need it."

[Can't you just put some of that into Soultaker?]

"Ah, Sephera. That's not a very good strategy in games," I laid back down on my bed, closing my eyes. "Investing in a one-trick would render me optionless should the Soultaker ever fail me. Still, I'll see about investing the Risk points after tomorrow."

[Oh, come on, it's not like you're going to be fighting anything that'll be able to take points away from it.] I heard Sephera's voice emit in the dark. Are you serious? She can send voice messages?

"Don't say another word!" My eyes shot open so fast. "Stuff like that is a guaranteed trigger for bad luck. Are you trying to jinx me?"

[Uh... I was just making a point .–. You literally died and that wasn't enough to keep you down. I'm sure your other Skills will also keep you around while Death Match is on cooldown.]

"Again, stop talking. I'm trying to sleep."

[Technically, I'm not talking, I'm sending you messages :D]

"You just sent a voice message earlier- That's not the point! Let me rest, goddammit." I grumbled, turning over in my bed.

"Hey, how come you never told me about dungeon resonances before?" I asked, against my better judgment. "I know you don’t know how I can clear one, but it’d still be helpful to know of its existence."

[That’s… well, dungeon resonances have always been a thing. But the thing is, it was never really utilized until after the 9000th reset. I guess some Admins started letting their Players know about it. Of course, you’re my first and only Player, so I have very limited knowledge on this subject. Not that the other Admins felt that it was important to also tell me about it.]

"Do Admins just gatekeep knowledge as well? Why are you so… lacking?"

[ >:\ ]

My eyes slowly drifted shut despite Sephera’s spamming, and I found myself thinking about all the stuff I'd potentially be able to do tomorrow. The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. It was like a drug, and I couldn't help but crave it.

Sure, it was still a bit jarring to have the real world turn into a death game, but it was still a game nonetheless. If there was one thing I loved the most, it was playing video games.

----------------------------------------

The next morning, my phone rang, waking me up from my slumber. Groggily, I reached over and answered it. "Hello?"

"Are you awake, Immortal?" It was Celine.

[I don't get why that's ever a question. If you pick up the phone, doesn't that mean you're already awake? What's the point of–]

"Yeah, what's up?" I replied, ignoring Sephera's screens. Does she never sleep? "I thought we agreed to meet up later? It's like 10 right now."

"Right, but I thought we should meet up early and head over so that we make a good impression."

What? What the hell was this woman on?

"Is wherever the Enigmas are that far away?" I asked, laying back down. "Cause if not, I'm wanting to sleep more."

"Not really. The Enigmas don't have a central base. Rather, they are associated with the GPA. And besides," I heard a knock at my door. "I'm already here."

I sighed and rolled out of bed, opening the door to reveal Celine. She was dressed in sleek, black athletic wear, as if she were about to run a marathon. "What's the rush?" I asked, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "The GPA ain't that far from my place. At least, I'm assuming that's where we're gonna meet members of Enigma?"

Celine nodded, her face expressionless. "Since you haven't joined a guild yet, I thought it would be better for you to demonstrate your combat prowess instead. There's a couple of training rooms we can use to prepare."

"Are you saying we're going to spar?" I asked skeptically. "You and me?"

"No, I want to see how you fight," Celine shrugged. "I've seen you in action back at the dungeon, and to be honest... you lack finesse. Even with your overwhelming power, the Enigma members already have enough hard hitters to overlook that. You need to bring in something different."

[Hey, this would be a good time to show how much of a masochist you are. You're a walking tank now with that Soultaker.]

I clicked my tongue. "Isn't being semi-immortal enough for them?"

"My Title is also somewhat of an answer to death," Celine replied with a disapproving frown. "And even that wasn't enough to guarantee my membership."

"I thought it was also because of your sister–"

"Regardless, I have set up a duo demonstration interview with two members of Enigma," Celine continued, though she seemed a little uncomfortable now. "Er, I hope you don't mind them."

"Mind them? Why?" I asked, curious. "And duo demonstration? Are we taking this interview together?"

"You'll see. Come on, I have a taxi waiting for us to go to the GPA." Celine started to walk out, but I grabbed her arm.

"Wait, tell your taxi to go ahead." I smiled reassuringly at her.

"Why, Immortal?"

I licked my lips eagerly. "Have you ever dreamed of flying?"

****

[Name: Luquier Vaunt | Level: 1128]

[Title: Reckless Immortal (A)]

[Health: 17000 | Strength: 5500]

[Speed: 5000 | Magic: 5000]

[Risk: 10000 | Stat Points: 0]

[Experience: 6%]

[Skills]

[Divinity (Passive)]

[Holy Element 1128/1128]

[Death’s Shadow 1128/1128]

[Reap 1128/1128]

[Final Gambit 1128/1128]

[Death Match 629/1128]

[Grim Mantle (Passive)]

[Achievements]

[Even Death Can't Stop Me!]

[Pick On Someone Your Own Strength.]

[Untouchable.]

[New Beginnings.]

[Bullying the Weak!]

[Overwhelming Strength!]

[Items]

[Silver Serpent]

[Soultaker (1250620)]

[Warp Cube (x1)]

[Grudge of the Fallen core (x1)]