It was finally here. The Connection Codex. It summarized all my stats and would be my guiding point to surviving the Fallen States. I was hoping that it would unlock when I was around my father but looking back at the scene slowly descending away from me, it was too late. The Quarters was my past and the surface world would have to be my future. I considered taking time to analyze the new display that had engaged my sight but I found myself at the top of the escalator before I knew it.

Theo and the girl named Tala had already run off down a long corridor with desecrated storefronts on either side of an overgrown atrium. It was the most plant life I had ever seen in my life yet there was something wrong about it. Not only were the trees spread across the ceiling and swarming the tiled flooring but they seemed to have a strange glow about them. A soft violet light that emanated from deep within their leaves and vines. It seemed to flow like a pulse and I could swear there was a humming sound too.

I heard another sound echo from behind me. The escalator’s power had been switched off and the colony was locking the gate. This was it. There was no turning back now. Another sudden flash of red light jumped into the center of my vision. A bold notification that caused a hot lump to roll down my throat.

[Quest Accepted: (Trial) A World of Madness]

I pressed my consciousness against the display and it unfurled onto a new screen.

A World of Madness

Reach the top of the Crumbling Tower to complete your connection to the Trinity. First [Starter] to reach the top will receive a bonus quest reward.

Description

The Trial has begun and you must prove yourself to the Trinity in order to finalize your connection. Use your stats, knowledge, and the supplies laid out for you to reach the top. Fight your way through unknown dangers, make agonizing choices, and do everything in your power to survive your foray into the Fallen States.

Rewards

300 Experience Points

Choice of Uncommon Weapon/Armor

Bonus Reward for First Completionist

My Trial was not what I expected. To be honest I wasn’t sure what I was going to receive for my Trial. No one in the colony had ever shared their experiences, only vague advice. The closest I ever got to learning what happened in someone else’s Trial was a quick comment from Dr. Matthias about a mysterious shadow. Whatever that meant.

I shook my head and let the Quest display fade away. What was I doing? I shouldn’t be standing there. I needed to be running like the others. They understood the assignment and now we were all competing against each other. A bonus reward would be given to the first [Starter] to reach the top. That was definitely something I didn’t expect. I’ve never heard of Trials forcing people to compete against one another. Maybe it was a special condition only for the three of us. Whatever it meant I was going to be the one that reached the top.

I started running. The sound of my footsteps echoed hard against the glass panels and dirt covered tiles of the old mall. An eerie sound that followed behind me, reminding me that what was happening now would follow me forever. I jumped over a series of vines that stretched from the central garden and looked to have broken through an old sports store. I considered stopping and picking up anything to use as a weapon but I had fallen behind the others. I thought it best to wait till I got to the Crumbling Towers. Then it hit me. I had no idea where the Crumbling Towers were or what they were. Was it like the stone towers found in the fantasy books my father read to me as a kid? Or was it a nearby tall building? More questions I didn’t have the time to think about. Instead of trying to guess where to go I followed the path I saw the others run down.

After about a hundred feet of long forgotten stores and restaurants I came to an intersection of dark creeping hallways. I hadn’t seen where the others went and I started biting my lower lip, feeling the new scar while trying to decide where to go from here. Directly in front of me was a series of glass doors with rotting cardboard that tried desperately to block out the sharp light being cast from outside. To my left was a short, dark hall that led to another series of intersections and was being lit by a broken light that gently swung in an unfelt breeze. To my right was a longer hallway that ended at another set of glass doors similar to the ones in front of me.

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I couldn’t hear any more footsteps and I couldn’t see anything moving down any direction. I bit my lip again in frustration at my complete lack of awareness. I shouldn’t have worried about my Codex and looking back down at The Quarters. It was a stupid mistake and it was costing me time. As I turned in step, trying to figure out what to do next, I heard something patter across the floor. I jumped in my skin at the sound and almost fell over trying to position myself for danger.

I waited and watched the shadows around me. Surrounded on all sides by darkness with the only light available to me was a shaft of light cutting through a broken skylight. It was unnerving standing so exposed. It was against everything my father taught me. Stay hidden. Stay in the shadows. Forgive me dad.

I spotted a marble column to my left and decided it would be best to hide there and wait but before I could move I heard the sound again. It wasn’t coming from any single direction but rather all around me. A scuttling of light steps on the tile flooring that sounded like dripping of water somewhere far away and getting closer.

I had no way to defend myself and whatever it was was getting dangerously close. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and an unnatural chill fill the air. I quickly searched the ground around me. There were a few empty boxes, a single sneaker, and even a dried patch of what looked like blood. Then something reflected light in my eyes. Just under a nearby bench I saw a knife. It was several steps away but if I hurried maybe I could grab it before whatever was stalking me found out I was defenseless.

No more thinking, I needed to act. I ran straight for the knife. My heart ached as panic struck me. Then I felt another pain seize my leg stopping me short of my goal. I looked down and saw a twitching, vile creature gnawing at my leg. It looked like a giant spider the size of a dinner plate, but it was covered in black spikes and its mouth was filled with long blade-like fangs. It sank its teeth deep into my leg causing me to let out a scream. I started to wildly kick my leg out trying to get the thing off of me but it held firm with its fangs. I could feel blood starting to seep down my leg followed by a burning pain crawling up to my knees.

I swung down with my fist and hit the creature on its side. It finally let go and fell over landing hard on the floor. I shuttered against the crunchy sensation my fist felt when I hit it. It was like punching a rusted tin can filled with oil. I received another notification.

Duskweaver - Level 0

Condition: Bruised

Weaknesses: ???

Resistances: ???

I had damaged the creature but not by much. Looking at my own Codex I saw that my Condition had updated and now said [Bleeding]. I could feel the pain in my leg throbbing and my jeans grew dark with blood. I needed to get a weapon before it attacked me again. I didn’t know how much more damage I could take or if the [Bleeding] effect would last forever till I got some healing.

I looked back at the knife on the ground and saw two more Duskweavers crawl out from the shadows on either side of the bench. I was surrounded, in pain and I had just started my Trial. If I couldn’t beat these Level 0 monsters what chance did I have to make it to the top of Crumbling Tower. Barely started and I was going to die. No! I made a promise. I would keep that promise.

Landing hard on my side and nearly knocking the air out of me, I reached out and grabbed the knife. Then I finally saw the notification I was hoping for.

Rusty Knife (Common)

🗡 2-3 Damage

◈ +2.4% Critical Hit Chance

Attack Speed: Fast

Combat Power: 25

My first weapon. It was a common weapon and I don’t think the stats were all that great but it was something. Now it was my turn to fight back. I slashed at the nearest Duskweaver to me and connected with the side of its head. My knife cut deep and the creature let out a blood curdling screech. It was deafening and caused me to wince against the sound. Luckily the creature scuttled back giving me enough room to turn and slash out at the other one. My swing missed as the Duskweaver ducked down. Then it jumped at me. I held the knife out and it caught it directly in the spider’s abdomen. Another howl, high and piercing, flowed from the monsters spitting fangs. I felt its body shuttered and its legs stretch out wide. In one more violent twitch the creature went limp.

I tossed the spider away, throwing it at the one that had cut up my leg. The two collided together making them tumble backwards and back into the shadows. At that moment I heard the patter of thin legs rush me. The Duskweaver I had cut across the face was rushing towards me. It’s beady black eyes flashing with violence. Without thinking I cut the air trying to scare the thing back so that I could stand up. My actions didn’t work as it ran directly into my attack. The knife hit one of its legs but left only a simple scratch.

With a crackling screech the creature leaped at my face. I felt its needle-like legs sink in my back as it tried to bite down on my neck. Luckily I reacted quick enough to block it with my other arm. I grabbed at the base of the creature's neck and tried to lift it off me. Its legs held me tight. I couldn’t get it off of me. My arm moved without me thinking as I stabbed it repeatedly in the side. Over and over again I sank the Rusty Knife into the Duskweavers body. I heard it's hard shell crack and a warm liquid cover my hand. Before I knew it it was dead. In a huff I threw it off me and sat trying to catch my breath.

As I let everything sink in I kept my eyes out for the third spider but it never returned. I must have scared it off. Looking down at the thing I killed filled me with a weird sensation of accomplishment and disgust. These things were only Level 0 and I really struggled to keep them back. I don’t know what waited for me but I was sure it was going to get much worse.