The group gathered in a communal area I had purchased, specifically for the occasion. There weren’t many I’s left to dot or T’s left to cross but I hesitated all the same. I had yet to see the world and its changes. Nearly a month had passed. My hopes weren’t high, and the only thing separating me from finding out was the prompt waiting to be read. I did a quick run of my screens, but it was just procrastination.

Inventory

Gold Coins (Xaverion Minted) - 5442

Gold Coins (Standard Mint) - 15,423

Storm Arrows

Assorted Earth foods

Aspect of Gluttony

Guidance Stone Of Breaching

Alternating Armament (Epic)

Item - Alternating Armament

Surprisingly created by a wandering powerhouse, the original form of this weapon is unknown. The madman or genius that created this weapon somehow fused the slime to the original form, creating a weapon which might fit every situation.

Effect: By infusing mana into the weapon, the shape and form may be changed into any other equipment the wielder is familiar with.

A supreme feeling of comfort sat within my grasp. I looked at the fine, crimson wood with adoration. At either end was a weight with a surprising amount of mass, steel grey and reflective while all along its length, a pattern of gold and silver metal shifted slowly. I was very fond of my new weapon and grateful to Naea for collecting it for me. The guidance stone had come from earlier, and I thought to use it with my new Aspect of the Tempest, but now I wasn’t sure.

Dao

Fortitude - None

Speed - None

Mental - Dragon (2/4)

Will - Tempest (0/2)

The previously-named Aspects page, now Dao, told me the limits of my Aspects. I had found out after asking that none of the others had more than two slots on their Aspects, so it was the Dao of the Dragon which was the outlier. I didn’t see how useful Breaching could be. Wasn’t it just something I could do regardless? I planned to wait for Guidance Stone which seemed like they would allow me to do things I absolutely couldn’t.

Naea nudged my head and tugged on a tuft of hair. “Are you waiting for us to all turn to dust or what?” Of course, Naea could feel my hesitation through the familiar bond but that was entirely the reason she pushed me. I gave her a thankful smile, took a big sigh and opened the prompt which would free me from this dungeon.

I clapped my hands together. “Alright everyone, can’t tell you what’s going to happen but it’s probably going to be weird! Without further ado…” I opened the System prompt. Immediately, I could tell there was a huge influx of mana moving into the area. Dao of various types also filled the air, but none of it held intent. It wasn’t a pressure, but a delight, and the others all gasped in wonder. I gave the quest a final look before joining everyone else in their amazement.

Dungeon Quest received! - Main Event

As the initial challenger to this dungeon, you (and your party) must defeat the dungeon bosses to leave.

Bosses defeated 3/3.

Reward: Claim on local area, creation of valuable (Grade 2) resource.

Our meeting place was a lovely gazebo. The System’s faction menu had let me build it once there were more than two people, so I threw a few hundred gold into the pot and the result was more than acceptable. Comfortable benches, a wide swing and a veritable parkland to surround it all, it was a gorgeous space. I was all the more thankful for the open views as the world around us was rewritten.

I tried for a short while to unravel the mysteries unfolding, but I soon gave up and just enjoyed the show. The dungeon was collapsing in on itself, starting with the furthest points. I squinted, and fixed my gaze upon a far off landmark. Easily the most important place in the dungeon. A plain spire of white stone in the distance which made my heart flutter.

The trial tower of the Storm Dragon.

I watched as it began to shimmer like a heat mirage. In no uncertain terms, the tower was where my path began. Clive’s was where power was given to me, forced upon me by a crazy dragon, but the tower was where I made choices for my future. It was the location I began to make choices in the System-changed world. Where I stood against the first true challenges the System could throw at me.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It faded away along with the desert which surrounded it. There was a strange motion at the edge of the dungeon, looking like the furthest spots were being sucked up into the air. Sand, rock, the towers themselves, all disintegrated and disappeared. Naea’s hand found mine and I smiled. I squeezed her tiny, shaking palm and she squeezed back. It might be all I know of the System, but the dungeon was all Naea knew full stop.

“We got this, girlie,” I whispered. The words were all but silent, mostly sent through our connection. She slipped my grip and wrapped her arms around my right one instead. Together we quietly watched the small mystical prison in which we met melt away, slowly yet somehow far too quickly all at once. I realised I had never considered something fairly important, turning to the others. “Oh, that reminds me. What does the dungeon look like from the outside?”

Harry was the one to tear his eyes away from the kaleidoscopic sights and give me an answer. “It was a weird bubble, about five hundred metres wide. I guess you never saw one from the outside, did you?”

“Nope. The dungeon basically landed right on top of me. So it’s bigger on the inside. That’s what I guessed, I think. Not sure it matters now. Who knows?” I would find out soon. No doubt there was about to be a whole slew of complications and new balls to juggle. The “reward” from the dungeon quest held ominous wording about claiming the local area, after all. It was the valuable resource I was most excited for.

The dungeon finished receding until it came to the edge of the area housing the buildings of my faction. I turned to see what happened to Home Base in the near distance, and was surprised to see it stay just as it was. I don’t know what I expected, but picturing a few buildings arriving in the middle of a british park was quite funny. Once the imploding world’s edge had removed everything but the faction neighbourhood, the process started moving in reverse.

“We can leave,” Tom said, not moving. He was clearly going through a powerful experience and didn’t want to miss a thing. However, he was correct. I felt it, as well. A release upon my soul of a binding I hadn’t known was there. I could walk right out of the gazebo and into the chaos. I decided Tom’s choice was the right one, and stayed with the others.

The outside could wait.

Especially as I apparently had things to do here. All around us was a strange void, flickering with various high concept Dao. The dungeon had well and truly disappeared. However, an area of around two kilometres in a circle was highlighted to my eyes. Kind of a white on white situation, but the System made the boundary distances clear. It also popped up with a new prompt, one I quickly accepted without overthinking it.

Dungeon Cleared! Claim local area and resource?

Achievement Unlocked - Dungeon Demolisher (World First)

Special Dungeons have their own rules, challenges and dangers not shared by others. One thing Special Dungeons have in common is their difficulty. Defeating one is a feat all on its own. Being the first is even more impressive.

Effect: +5 free points per level, Attributes +10%

From the gasps and whoops around me, the others apparently got this achievement, too. It arrived as I claimed the area. Good for them, I thought, smiling. While they had obviously not done as much as I had to clear the dungeon, I was glad they could share in the reward. At least that part.

The ground rumbled, and the infinite void started to flake away. Or was the real world loading in, piece by piece? Either way, the ground started to change in the zone which was highlighted as my claimed area. Perspective was impossible to understand at the edges as existence peeled away, especially as it left a park in daytime showing behind the tears.

There was a clear partition of open land around Home Base and the guildhall of The Ascent. After the two kilometre mark, the parkland which had existed in the area beforehand was still standing. Another three or four minutes later, and the dungeon had finally vanished. Like that, I was free.

It was over.

The desire to run and hide in Home Base until I was forced to leave was high, but I ignored it in favour of the other feelings inside. Excitement. Everything was different, and while that inspired some dread, how many things would be more changed than myself? Anticipation. My strength was real, and I knew it was higher than this world was ready for. Even a little avarice was mixed in. Surely, there were more treasures to be found in this new, changed world.

I stood, using the Alternating Armament in staff-mode to pull myself to my feet. I missed the weight-changing enchantment from the Yo Staff, but the new weapon had its advantages too. It was just one more thing I would have to study and practise with as I made my way from now on. Tempest Form, Dragon’s Tempest, new skills from the Aspect of the Tempest and its effect on me. The Dao Avatar of the Dragon and its untapped potential.

Naea was looking around with wide, half-fearful eyes. Her emotions were confused. How could they not be? “Welcome to the outside world, Naea. I’ve got lots I want to show you. Let’s go see what trouble we can get into, shall we?” The fairy looked up into my eyes and gave her bravest smile.

“Mmm,” she nodded, raising her right hand, “let’s go cause an uproar.” I beamed at my partner-in-crime and gave her a solid high five. With nothing left to do, we walked out of the gazebo.

“Wait,” Aaron’s voice called from behind, “where are you going? What about us?” I turned around, blinking. Five sets of eyes looked at me expectantly, as though I had work to hand out for all of them. Put on the spot, I shrugged and said the first thing which came to mind.

“Do whatever you want. Protect Home Base, or don’t. Recruit more people to the guild, maybe. It’s yours as far as I’m concerned. I need to find my family and make sure they’re okay, but I’ve decided not to rush. There’s a resource nearby I need to check out, but after that, I don’t know what I’ll do.” I gave no more explanation or direction than that, spinning on my heels and walking off. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my muscles. I would come back to check on The Ascent soon but for now, I needed to go. I needed to run. In a straight line. For as long as possible. Everything else could wait.

My legs started pounding the floor, with Naea shouting after me but soon catching up. Finally, I had broken out of my prison. I had won. I tore across the English countryside like a ground-level jet fighter, laughing and whooping as I went. I passed buildings which I recognised, landmarks I remembered and as far as I could see, there wasn’t a speck of goddamned sand. It was beautiful. With tears in my eyes, I ran until the sun fell in the sky and finally fell onto my back, looking up at the stars. Naea landed next to me and nestled into the crook of my neck, quickly falling asleep.

I breathed in the scent of the natural world, listening to Naea’s ridiculously sweet snoring which had started almost immediately. We had run for hours, and I was finally starting to believe there were no walls about to jump up around me. At some point, I had stopped being able to imagine a world beyond the dungeon. Yet, here I was. Outside. I had done it.

I was free.

End of Book 1