Loop 03
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“You have died: All items have been lost. You may [Respawn] in 21 hours and 10 minutes.”
Brian, now disembodied, stared at the words. He was horrified, disgusted, and tired. It felt like had been in the dungeon for hours, days even, yet he had lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes.
“Not even three hours and I was already devoured by some kind of living chest? What the fuck is this world?” Brian said to himself, trying to distract himself from the remnant memories of the horrifying teeth that had moments ago been tearing his body apart.
In the peripherals of his Vision, Brian saw several pulsing lights. With a thought, Brian opened the first, which appeared to be his Inventory, empty, save for the currency counter.
“Credits: 5”
Brian opened his next flashing alert.
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“Character Sheet:
Subject: 00237
Level: 01
Core XP: 32/100
Dungeon Level: Tutorial
Class: Locked (LVL 2 Required)
Race: Locked (LVL 2 Required)
Title: Smasher of Ferrets
Base health: 10
Strength: LVL 01
Dexterity: LVL 01
Constitution: LVL 01
Intelligence: LVL 01
Wisdom: LVL: 01
Charisma: LVL: -08”
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“What?” Brian said, “That can't be right.”
Shaking his currently nonexistent head, Brain went to the next screen.
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“Shop:
You have discovered new items, you now have access to
- Wooden Club (04 Credits)
- Leather Helmet (02 Credits)”
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“Thank God” Brian said, glad to learn that items he picked up would be available in the shop. Most Items in the shop remained obscured, so Brian reasoned all items could be unlocked one way or another.
Purchasing the Underwear and Club items again, Brian moved on to the next screen.
“Guide:
Welcome to the dungeon, you are in tutorial mode. Complete the Tutorial to proceed to level 1. You must complete the tutorial within 5 attempts or you will lose.”
So what if I lose? brian thought to himself. This world is literally hell.
“Any player that loses will be subjected to reconditioning. Reconditioning is a method of torture and punishment. After 168 Hours of reconditioning, the reconditioned player will be reset of all XP, credits, and any permanent gear.”
Brian did not like what he was reading at all.
After reading everything that looked important in the guide, he learned that, essentially, he needed to complete the tutorial within the next 3 attempts, pick a class, and proceed to the second level of the dungeon.
Brian did not learn anything about why he was here, how he got there, or how to leave.
Fuming, Brian formulated a plan, or a mindset really. He would complete this bullshit tutorial this next attempt. He would beat the one after that. He would beat them all. He’d find whoever forced him here and stole his memories. He would kill him. He would kill anyone that got in his way.
- break -
“Dungeon reset. [Respawn] process will now begin.”
“Fucking finally.”
Brian had eventually done all that he could with the interface screens, and had elected to respawn. While he could manually respawn before the time limit reached 0, it meant that he would only be provided a new body, but would still restrained by chains until the time limit had reached it full countdown, and he was released from the cell.
“I’m fucking ready.”
Rage. Determination. Adrenaline. Resolve. These were the thoughts that flooded Brian’s mind. They felt alien, like thoughts he wasn’t used to feeling, but what even was familiar at this point?
Wooden Club in hand, Brian walked outside. He walked with a purpose while maintaining as much stealth as possible.
The first creature he ran into was the Ferret. It looked cute and friendly, and approached him.
“Oh no you don’t.” Brian said with a malevolent smirk. “I remember you, you little shit.”
Brian waited until the ferret was close enough to punt into the wall, and then kicked with all his might.
The Ferret flew, crying out in a startled plea, as if to say “Why?”
Brian didn’t hesitate, bashing the brains out of the small ferret, laughing at the pitiful crying of the Ferret.
“Karma you foul rodent.” He said proudly.
You have defeated: Friendly Ferret
You have earned: 02 XP
You have earned a title: Smasher of Friends.
Achievement unlocked: Needless Violence: Kill an innocent creature. [10XP]
“What? Innocent? It was going to attack me!”
Friendly Ferret: A creature that can become your friend. Will lead you to loot.
Note: Killing a friendly creature has placed a bounty on your head.
Alert: You have been put on a bounty contract. Enemy players will now have access to your location. You must survive the bounty.
Bounty: Subject 00237 LVL 01, Reward: 25XP, 25 Credits, Ferret Horn.
Description: This player has been murdering innocent creatures, take them out to complete the bounty.
“What the fuck is this shit?”
Attention: Subject 00237: -
“Oh, great, now what?!” Brian said, still trying to process everything.
You have been placed on a bounty, you have been rewarded Boots of Speed Your location will now be marked on all players' maps.
Equip Boots of Speed? [New item discovered: 05 XP]
[YES / NO]
“Oh. Yes. Sorry system” Brian said.
Brian was getting a strange feeling that the system was alive or possibly some type of artificial intelligence, and decided the best path forward was to not piss it off.
Brian’s rage and adrenaline had been slightly forestalled by the strange encounter with the Ferret, but he began picking up the pace.
First he encountered a set of lizard folk, who snarled at him.
“G’day…” Brian ventured, afraid to be placed on another bounty. Instead, the lizard folk charged at him with their spears, and Brian’s face turned into a snarl.
Brian easily side stepped their attacks with the assistance of the boots, and counterattacked by crashing the club into the back of the closest lizardfolk’s head.
The crash vibrated through Brian’s hand but he was ready this time, and didn’t react. Before the other lizardfolk had enough time to avenge its fallen, Brian brought down the club on its head with brutal force.
Brian had no skill and basic strength, but using a club required very little skill, all he had to do was hit his target. Brian stared down at the lizardfolk without pity or shame. His thoughts turned to the two times he had been brutally killed in this hell.
He didn’t even notice the screen in front of his face as he continued bashing in the head of the second lizardfolk. Bits of brain, chunks of skull, and a large puddle of blood was gathered and splattered everywhere, much of it on Brian.
You have defeated: Lizardfolk (2)
You have earned: 04 XP
Finally moving on, Brian continued. He tested his abilities to maneuver in the boots as he explored. He could use a running boost to add a lot of momentum to make fast and heavy attacks.
When Brian encountered a set of 3 cute frog-like creatures, he hesitated. He didn’t need anymore bounties, but he knew there couldn't be that many friendly creatures here.
“Fuck it. Who gives a shit, I already have a bounty.”
Brian rushed, a flash of movement as the boots easily propelled him forward, and Brian obliterated the first frog creature easily. Green goo mixed with blood splattered the ground a Brian laughed with glee.
“Like mashed potatoes!” He sang.
Enraged, the two other frogs lunged, but Brian stepped back. However, he slipped on the blood of the first frog, and the two frogs toppled him, getting savage stabs in with their daggers.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
It hurt.
“That hurts. It hurts…it hurts it hurts it hurts…”
Brian grabbed the heads of the frog creatures and began bashing their heads into each other with all his strength. The whole time they continued getting savage stabs in, even as Brian continued singing to himself.
“It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts!”
They weren’t panicked words, or angry, they were just words of a mad man. Brian stopped as he realized the frogs had died some time ago. He had been the man singing.
You have defeated: Grung(3)
You have earned: 06 XP
“I don’t remember singing-” Brian coughed up blood.
Brian looked down to see at least 7 holes in his unprotected torso. His head swam.
“No.” He said, determined. “I am not dying to a frog.”
Brian trudged on. Mind and vision swimming with every step.
Brian was on the verge of collapse when he saw the outline of an item near him. Could it be what he thought it was? Or was it a hallucination?
“You have acquired ‘Healing Potion'. Would you like to use: ‘Basic Healing Potion’[New item discovered: 05 XP]
[YES / NO?]”
“YES.”
The potion disappeared and Brian felt immediately better as his wounds healed over. Brian noticed at the top left of his vision a red bar filled back up to 10/10 and he sighed with relief.
Brian ventured on, picking up items here and there.
“You have acquired ‘Simple Pants'. Would you like to equip: ‘Simple Pants’[New item discovered: 05 XP]
[YES / NO?]”
“You have acquired ‘Mysterious Potion'. Would you like to use: ‘Mysterious Potion’[New item discovered: 05 XP]
[YES / NO?]”
“You have acquired ‘Rope'. Rope added to inventory [New item discovered: 05 XP]
Brian was feeling better and better. However, he didn’t know how to complete the tutorial yet. The guide hadn’t actually been much of a guide, but more of an introduction.
“Uh, system? How do I complete the tutorial?” Brian asked, unsure if the system even worked like that.
Main Objective: Complete the tutorial:
You must complete the tutorial, lest you be tortured and reset. Complete the tutorial by defeating the main boss, hidden somewhere within the dungeon.
Current Objective: Locate the Boss.
“Oh, wow, thank you system, that’s actually really helpful.”
Brian now knew what he had to do, but was worried the bounty on his head would get him killed. What if he needed to work with others to defeat the boss and they killed him instead?
“Curse that damned ferret.”
Brian eventually ran into his next set of monsters, down a similar corridor to one that held the living chest that had previously killed him.
He counted at least 7 monsters. He had a crazy idea.
“AHHHHHHH” He warcried as he sprinted at breakneck speed, kicking down the first two monsters before they knew what was happening.
Brian pushed through, weaving in and out like a car through traffic, luring the monsters toward the chest. As he had hoped, Brian watched with a massive grin as the chest came to life, and began devouring the nearest monsters.
You have defeated: Flameskull (2), Skeleton (3), Grung (2)
You have earned: 7 XP
Achievement unlocked: Master Baiter: Defeat a monster by luring it into another monster’s territory.
“That was sexy…” said a smooth and beautiful female voice from behind, and Brian spun around. To see one of the most beautiful women Brian had ever seen.
She looked him up and down, seductively, and Brian blushed despite himself. He was covered in blood, guts, and brains. His underwear had been ripped apart somewhere along the way, leaving him naked and exposed.
The woman smirked on noticing this, and Brian covered his bits. Like Brian, this woman was also naked, likely making her part of this fucked up game. Unlike Brian however, she was spotless, not a drop of blood to be seen.
Before Brian could put and thought towards this, the woman was within inches, and she seductively kissed Brian, making his mind melt.
If he had been thinking clearly, he may have wondered how she had managed to remain spotless. Or perhaps he would have wondered why she was kissing men when they were locked in a dungeon forced to die over and over.
Instead Brian was lost in the moment as the stunning woman began breathing heavily, as she dropped to her knees.
Is she going to…
Brian, despite himself, felt his rage wash away as it was replaced with hormonal excitement as she began to wrap her lips around…
Something was wrong. But it was too late. With one quick slash, the woman had severed it clean off.
She cackled with sinister laughter, and Brian was snapped out of his daze.
“What the FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK?” Pain. Horrible pain once again rushed through his body as massive amounts of blood began gushing from what had once been Brian’s special parts.
Brian’s screaming only made the woman cackle even louder. Instead of responding, she cleanly swept her foot under Brian’s legs, and he fell on his head.
The woman was fast. As Brian was still recovering from the fall, she flashed into action, tying his hands together. Brian couldn't even fight back, the blood loss making his vision go dark.
“Ope! Wouldn’t want you despawning on me just yet!” She said gleefully.
She took what Brian recognized as a healing potion and forced half of it down his throat.
HP: 05/10
“Perfect,” she said.
“What the fuck do yo want from me lady? My items? I’ll give you everything I have just let me go, alright?”
“Aw honey, I’m going to get everything you have once I kill you anyway. I’m interested in something else entirely.”
Brian gulped deeply at the deprived look on her face.
She’s getting off on this…
Brian squirmed away but it was no use. He quickly regretted the attempt when she brought down a heavy foot on his exposed parts, now returned by the magic potion. He really wished they hadn’t returned.
Brian screamed in outraged pain, making her laugh all the harder.
“You’re…sick” He couched out, tears filling his eyes.
“You have no idea, honey.” She said.
“Just fuckin kill me already.” He said, almost desperately.
Brian immediately regretted letting that emotion out because she only got more sick joy out of it.
“Oh, don’t worry. I am gonna fuck n’ kill ya”
“What the fuck is wrong with you lady? We need to beat the boss and get out of here, why are you doing this? Come on, we can team up, or split loot, or anything, don't do this.”
“Don’t you get it? My class is Torturer. I get XP out of this. Doing this makes my XP skyrocket.”
Brian was dumbfounded at the revelation that she was level 2, but more so at the fact that one of the classes you could unlock is torturer. Worse than that though, was the realization that there was no way out of what was about to happen.
When she saw the look on his face, she grinned.
Then, she began.
Brian tried to resist, but couldn’t. He tried to forcefully bash his head into the stone ground to take the respawn penalty, but she put a stop to that too. Brian had thought that his first death had been horrible. The worst death anyone could experience, but now was begging for a death that easy.
The woman had more horrible tools than he could count. She would scoop out his eyeballs, and regrow them with more healing potion. She would crush his private parts into an unrecognizable pile of flesh, heal, and repeat. Small incisions filled every inch of his body, heal, repeat.
Whoever made this world, had no sympathy for the people playing. If they had, they wouldn’t have made torture possible, let alone incentivize it. Brian found himself grateful when the woman seemed to be satisfied, meaning he could finally die.
She laughed. “HA, look at you. Given up already? Weak.”
With that, Brian’s lifeless head slid clean off, as the woman sheathed her katana in a flash of light.
“Oh, and the name’s Bell. But you can call me 22. I’ll see you around.”
“You have died: All items have been lost. You may [Respawn] in 12 hours and 01 minutes.”