“These are kind of silly.” Alissa paused, took a large bite from the sandwich, crinkled her nose and did her best to swallow before she continued. Bless her heart, it was obvious that the contents of the sandwich didn’t agree with her palate, but the woman was sensible enough to not complain. Rek would’ve had second thoughts about their alliance if she’d proven to be that shallow.

“I mean: ‘Raise your arm before addressing a teacher? Really?”

He shrugged. “Mhm. Dungeon Laws are important. Stupid, but important. Always follow them.”

“Hey, do I not count as a teacher? I’m a member of staff too.”

“No. Only dungeon-appointed teachers. Monsters. Not humans. Also, counsellor, not teacher.”

“I mean, I teach mental well-being. I’m pretty good at it too. Well, whatever. It would’ve been a pretty cool loop-hole. Imagine all the monsters having to raise their hands to address me.”

It would’ve been, he agreed. Rek blinked; his lips frozen over the sandwich. Actually, it really would’ve been a good loop-hole. He hadn’t even considered the possibility, to be honest. The System was a harsh, fair mistress, but it always provided for those who could think outside-the-box to find short-cuts and loopholes.

Maybe this teacher thing had some merit worth checking up on. Rek shelved the thought for later. He didn’t think any investigation into the matter worth its salt was possible before both of them were more reasonably levelled, and had an actual teacher to experiment with.

The rest of their meal was completed in quiet, amiable conversation before they returned to Rek’s impromptu classes. He hadn’t much else left to teach the woman, and what he did she absorbed easily enough.

“Right. So yellow names can be hostile, but also not. Greens are safe unless you provoke them. Reds are baddies and blues are other people, or invaders.”

He nodded before he swallowed down the last of the sandwich. Dusting off his palms, Rek rose to a stand and stretched his legs. “Okay. Not tired now? Full of energy?”

Alissa nodded; the last bits of her own meal munched down in two large bites. “Imph dunf.” she said, mouth full. Rek snorted.

“Okay. Fun times begin now.”

“Training, right? We gonna go out and start... killing monsters?”

"No. Train your fighting ability first. Need to see what you can do in combat. Can’t trust my back to you otherwise.”

The woman puffed up her chest, a faux prideful woven across her face. “I think I’ve shown very well that I can hold my own.”

He blinked. “Yes. Expert at fainting and letting me save you.”

Alissa deflated like a popped balloon. There’d been no real air in her bluster though, and an amused smile crossed her lips with ease. “Jeez, no need to be so hurtful. Fine then. Train me up, sensei.”

Rek nodded.

“Do not hate me after this.” he said as he strode to the clearing, he’d carved out in the middle of the classroom.

“Why would I hate you?”

He smiled. “You will see.”

Alissa’s expression made clear that she did not like the sound of that.

o.o.o.o.o.o

Something Rek had learnt after becoming the leader of his clan, and master of its warriors, was that training a fighter was an art form. It required a keen eye to find mistakes, the patience to let his charges work things out on their own, and the ruthlessness to make them suffer for their slip-ups.

To make them ashamed of every failure. Every stumble.

It required the skill to teach them to want to be better.

A master needed to be able to cultivate a fire in his charges, else he wasn’t worth the respect he was given. With Alissa, he thought that cultivating a fire would be the least of his worries.

“Fuck your green ass! You’re a worm! I’ll stomp you into nothing!”

That would be a sight, he thought. Rek nodded as he dodged a stab, the back of his sword slapping against her knee as she swept past, sending Alissa tumbling down even as he flared his mana, clearing his mind of her influence.

The woman collapsed to the floor, a sweat-stained mess of hair and frustration. Rek stood over her, a critical glimmer to his eye. She was a quick study, he would admit.

There was a natural athleticism in her, albeit one buried underneath years of living a sedentary, civilized life. Teasing it out was easy enough. Carving the instincts for battle into her mind was the harder task at hand.

Still, she was showing good progress.

“Getting good at mixing your powers with your fighting. Might be threat to an unarmed baby, now.”

The woman scowled and climbed back to her feet. Silvery-eyes raked up and down his figure, wishing death on him until the influence of her power wore off. She stumbled back then, the expression melting off her face like a summer snow. “Fighting while angry isn’t easy.” she said with a tired sigh.

“Better than fighting while scared, mhm.”

She couldn’t disagree with that. “Better than fighting whilst happy too.”

He smirked, amused by the memory. She could’ve given the imp warriors of the lowlands he’d so often clashed with a good run for their money, and those buggers had been high off their minds on their maddening drugs. He’d thought that he’d never see someone smile so widely again as they fought.

“Haven’t tried sad yet.” she remarked as stretched her arms. “Should I? Wait. I probably shouldn’t.”

He nodded. Probably not. “Good work maintaining power on both me and yourself. Helps build control.”

“Yeah. It feels easier now and hey, I earned a level out of it. Didn’t think training would count towards that.”

“Not as much as a proper battle, but still counts. Using and understanding powers is what matters.”

She nodded before she took a seat on an extremely curved chair.

“How long’ve we been at it?”

He glanced at the phone he’d fished from his backpack. “Three hours. Get some rest. We head out after.”

“Really? I’m ready?”

“Good enough. Can’t waste too much time. Induction is a marathon. Maintaining lead is important.”

She nodded. They didn’t speak much after that, both of them focused on their preparations. Alissa drank some water and tried to rest her limbs whilst Rek did a few minor rituals of good fortune and protection against malevolence. It wouldn’t have any real physical impact, he was sure. Not without any proper materials and mediums, but it helped him inch towards his next level. He wasn’t too far away. Just a bit more.

With those done, he plucked out his pilfered music player and allowed the tunes of home to whisk him away to days long since gone.

The hours passed peacefully and eventually the time to leave crept up on them both. Rek spared a moment to double-check their preparations as they readied themselves. Alissa was nervous, but he’d equipped her with a backpack stuffed with supplies as well as the same kind of improvised armour that he’d made for himself. That and a ruler-sword of her own gave her some confidence that she could hold her own.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

After double-checking his map, Rek cleared the barricade he’d made before all the entrances to the room and the two stepped out into the hallway. The area was quiet, but that meant little in the contained chaos of a dungeon.

Cautiously, they strode towards the nearest room, a classroom like all the rest. Their goal was clear. Scavenging second, conflict first. Rek needed to make up for lost time, and Alissa needed to be blooded. Something that was beatable, but could test them both. They found nothing in the first room. Nor the next four. Supplies abounded aplenty, and they refilled what water and food they’d used up before they moved on.

It was in the fifth room that they finally struck gold. A level three [Goth] huddled in the corner.

Interestingly, the area around it was unnaturally darker than the surroundings, as if it was sucking in the light. The dark, however, was nowhere near enough to conceal the pale, withered corpse lying still near the creature.

The human corpse.

Alissa noticed the corpse as soon as he did. To her credit, she said nothing. Her fists clenched, but she immediately refocused onto the monster.

“That's a strong monster.” whispered Alissa, her tone clipped.

“Mhm. Dungeon isn’t stagnant. Monsters grow. We have to grow faster.”

She swallowed thickly, but nodded. He could feel her mana bubbling up, moulding itself in the shape of her powers. His own did the same. Together, they crept towards their unsuspecting foe. The grey-skinned creature was cloaked in a veil of shadow. All he could see was a drooping expression, a deep frown and sunken eyes.

They managed to sneak up to a few meters from the creature before he gestured at Alissa to strike. The woman did so. She jumped out and her magic surged forth, and though he saw nothing, he could imagine its influence creep into the monster, shifting its mood.

“Bright lights! Loud noises! Sunlight! The outdoors!”

The creature flinched, its sunken eyes glistening with a sudden fear as its gaze snapped towards her. It screeched, its voice a low, guttural sound. The cloak of shadow around it shifted, tendrils lashing out like whips towards her. Alissa was slow to act, but she managed to dodge out of the way in time. Rek was already on the move by then.

Dancing Lights fluttered onto its face, a tug-of-war erupting between the glow of his spell versus the suffocating darkness of its nature. The creature screeched again, its lithe arms sweeping in a wide arc to swat away the lights. His Earth Bolt shot out in that moment, aimed for its chest. The projectile surged forth, and struck nothing.

Rek narrowed his gaze. Its body was formless. Annoying, but no great surprise given its shadowy nature. And if it was shadow-aligned, then...

The creature screeched; its face dotted with small, sizzling burns as the last of the lights died out. Rek grinned. Let there be light. The creature’s tendrils moved, but Alissa was quick to respond.

“Your room was repainted pink! The local graveyard closed! You’re the most popular kid!”

The monster stumbled, a moan escaping its lips as inky black tears crept down its pale face. Rek raised both arms to grasp the opportunity presented. Twin armies of Dancing Lights shot forth from his either palm towards the creature’s face.

It screeched as the lights literally burned away at its form.

“Light! Find light!” he commanded.

Alissa needed no convincing. She plucked out a phone from her pocket and switched on the torch. The beam of light struck out like a cannon shot, burns erupting all across the darkness it touched. The [Goth] flailed, its darkness writhing like lashing tentacles. It turned, obviously to escape.

Rek was not so merciful. He withdrew his Dancing Lights, joined them together into one singular arrow before he loosed it at the monster’s head.

Its arms came up to defend, but the light burnt through its meagre flesh like a flame through paper, and dug deep into its skull afterward. The [Goth] shuddered, a gaping hole left in what had been its face, before it collapsed to the ground.

Rek was on it immediately, another barrage of lights readied just in case. It proved unnecessary. The creature was dead. Rek exhaled. He turned and sought Alissa. The woman had paid their victory no mind. She was near the human corpse, as he’d expected. Her eyes were set tightly, her expression even.

She knelt down slowly and gently shut its eyes.

Rek made to approach when he felt something roll up towards him.

It was a pale mask in the same style as the [Goth’s] face. His brow furrowed; he picked it up.

[ Goth Mask

Uncommon

Shadow

+2 AGI

---

Shadow Whip ]

He hadn’t expected an item drop so soon, and an uncommon one to boot. The attached spell it came with wasn’t too shabby either. Rek plucked up the item and strode over to the woman. Alissa glanced at him as he approached.

“What’s that?” she asked softly.

“Item drop. System item. I’m keeping it.” He figured that he’d make far better use of it than she would.

Her jaw tightened and she shook her head. “Good. I don’t want anything to do with that thing.” she said quietly, though the ice in her voice was evident. He nodded.

He said nothing for a moment after. The silence was uncomfortable, but that was nothing new. Even after five years of exposure, there was no adjusting to loss, and he hoped there never would be.

A leader who got used to death was an unworthy leader. Death should be painful, he knew. It should claw at one’s soul. Conducting the last rites for his fallen comrades had been a grating pain on his mind every time he’d needed to do it, and the last words he could uniquely share with their spirits was cold comfort to the knowledge that he’d not been good enough to save them.

It was a pain that she, and all of humanity, would come to know intimately as the Induction rolled forth.

“You know her?” he asked after a while.

"Did, and yes. I knew her.” said the woman, her tone strained. “She used to come to me to talk. She was... she was a good kid.”

Rek stepped past Alissa. “Wasn’t talking to you. Talking to her.”

Alissa looked up, confused. She stared into the empty space that he was focused on, baffled for a moment, before she finally recalled what Rek’s third power was. Her eyes widened as realization dawned, and her breath hitched.

“Is... is she here?” she asked shakily.

Rek nodded, his eyes piercing through the veil to study the shimmering figure curled up in the corner. The girl’s spirit looked to him, tears streaking her cheeks. She was young. Likely only fourteen or fifteen at the most. Probably younger. Too young to be here, before him like this.

But that was the nature of the Induction. It was a cruel, merciless thing, and he didn’t doubt that she’d be far from the last spirit he saw taken before their time.

“Please... d-don't hurt me.” she whispered.

Rek raised his palms in a placating gesture as he stepped closer. “Don’t mean harm. The opposite. Can send you to a better place. What’s your name?”

“Samantha.”

It was Alissa that answered. The woman rose, a broken smile on her face. “Are you really there, Sam? It’s me. Ms. Ratchford. The coolest adult in Kodak, remember?”

A small smile crossed the girl’s lips at that. Slowly, unsteadily, she rose to a stand, and nodded. “I remember. C-Can she... can Ms. Ratchford see me too?”

“No. Only me.”

“'Cuz she’s still alive. And I’m... dead, aren’t I?”

“Yes.”

The girl smiled at that, her eyes glistening. “Figures. That’s my kind of luck.” she said with a broken laugh. “What... what was that thing that killed me?”

“A monster. Don’t worry. We killed it.”

“A monster... are you a monster too?”

“Mhm, good monster. Friendly monster.”

She looked like she believed him.

“I wish that I'd run into you, then.” The girl grit her teeth at that, more tears flooding down her face with the motion. “I-I don’t know how it happened. I was in the middle of class. It was all just... normal. And then everything changed. There was a weird screen, and then I was here alone. I was so scared. Everything was so different. I just hid for a long time and then... then that thing...”

She stopped; her breath heavy.

"What’s going to happen now?”

“I’ll help you pass on.”

“How?”

“Magic. I’m a shaman.”

“A shaman. I always thought it’d be an angel that’d take me away.” she said with a weak laugh.

“Pretend I’m an angel.”

Her laugh was brighter this time. Louder. “You’d be the greenest, shortest angel anyone’s ever seen.”

“Better. Unique.”

Samantha giggled, shed tears coming loose off her cheeks with the motion. “Will it hurt?” she asked after a moment.

“No. It will be quick.”

“Will I go... will I go to a good place?”

“Yes.” he said immediately.

“Good. I don’t wanna deal with more pain. I-I just wanna sleep.”

“That’s fine. You can sleep until it’s time.”

“Thank you. And can you tell Ms. Ratchford that I really loved our talks. She’s the only reason I even bothered to keep coming back to school after a while, y’know. Tell her... tell her to never stop being her. She’s awesome.”

He said he would, and the girl thanked him again. She said nothing more after that. She likely had nothing left to say. It was no easy thing to accept one’s own death, and the girl had certainly handled it with greater aplomb than some warriors he’d seen in his time.

Rek turned to Alissa. The woman’s eyes were wide, searching, as they bored into his own. He repeated Samatha’s words to the woman.

Alissa had no outwardly emotional reaction to the speech at first. No tears. No sadness. Her fists clenched, and she nodded before she turned away quietly. Rek watched as she walked to a distant chair and slumped down onto the seat, and then a wide smile swept across her lips.

He frowned but said nothing. Everyone had their own ways to cope with loss. He would need to talk to her later about over-dependency on one’s powers.

But for now, he had a spirit to ease into the end.

[ Level Earned! 3 >> 4 ]