I wanted to panic but had no nerves to calm.
I wanted to cry but had no tears to shed.
That said, accepting my circumstances wasn’t easy either.
Starting from the bottom of what I felt as my present body was my core or the Genesis Pool, as it was referred to in both my game and the book.
I don’t know how or why but I felt as if it’s every drop encapsulated my entire existence.
As if it housed my consciousness but also connected me to the dungeon above.
According to the history of the Pool, it held the very same waters that birthed life all those aeons ago on Earth but I still didn’t understand how that led to me still being alive.
Or maybe this was all a figment of my imagination.
Maybe I was still dying in my home and this was a cruel hallucination of the one thing I loved.
Fighting it, this twisted reality, was most likely going to be harder than accepting it so I nodded to myself internally and shifted my focus towards the rest of myself.
As I suspected, I had somehow taken the form of the very dungeon I designed.
According to how the game was supposed to play out, once all four players were signed in and ready, the screen would transition from the main menu and straight into gameplay as they entered the dungeon so I shifted my perspective to the entrance.
I gasped internally upon seeing that not only had the ancient stone doors that were at the foot of the mountain open, but I could hear four voices just up ahead.
I followed the single, stone path that led to the chamber which marked the official entrance to the dungeon and saw four of the special forces agents who were my game’s protagonists.
They wore their black tactical gear and had their weapons but something was different.
They had removed their masks which, while possible, wasn’t supposed to happen until after they entered the dungeon’s first true level and were talking! Saying lines that I hadn’t written!
“I swear to fucking God, when this is over, I’m gonna open his casket and break his arms!” The character that had the codename “Bulldozer” barked. He was a tall, muscular man who had a heavy brow, short dark hair and heavily tanned skin that highlighted his piercing grey eyes.
He wore the most armour out of everyone, carried a belt-fed light machine gun and a backpack made specifically to carry a lot of ammo.
“Calm down, Baby. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for what’s going on. For now, let’s just do what he would have wanted and play his game. Remember, we’re the ones who organized this in the first place.” Codename “Captain Condor” assured but she wasn’t talking like the way she had been programmed.
She was supposed to be a no-nonsense, stuck-up officer but she sounded gentle now.
Her dark eyes seemingly lulled any negative feelings and her pale skin stood out against her pitch-black gear.
She was the lightest of the four, carrying only a submachine gun and a pair of combat knives.
“I’m trying my hardest not to freak out as well but your wife is right, sir. The best thing we can do now is see this bizarre situation through to the end.” Codename White Eagle sighed. He was a lanky man with a shiny bald head and dark skin.
He had a high-calibre sniper rifle and was covered in plain grey plastic meshing which could be fitted to blend into whatever environment he was in.
“I-I think that would be for the best as well.” Codename Calisto stuttered.
He was the second heaviest of the four and carried the team's medical supplies and other axillary gear.
He had dark hair and a solid moustache that highlighted his cheeks.
Bulldozer let out an infuriated sigh before turning to White Eagle.
“Alright. I’ll… calm down a bit. And I apologize for snapping at you.”
“Don’t mention it, Mr. Rick. This is a bizarre situation we’ve found ourselves in but we should be able to pull through if we keep a level head.”
I felt my whole being tremble upon hearing that name.
This was reflected in a series of tremors that subtly shook the whole dungeon.
“Whoa! What’s happening? Is this a part of the game?” Rick asked.
“No! From this point on we should operate under the assumption that everything will be different from how it is in the game!” White Eagle explained as the tremors subsided.
“I see. So, could you please explain just what this game is about again?” Rick breathed.
“Alright. First off, let’s do a quick role call.”
“Rick here, although I’m twenty years younger and half as handsome for some reason!” He scoffed.
“Beretta here! But way taller. Not that I mind.” She giggled.
“A-Alice here! A-and I’m… in the body of a man.” She… or he whimpered.
“Mmm… it seems as though we are simply piloting the characters but this makes me wonder what’s happening to our real bodies. We should all be in our respective houses and seated by our desks but… I don’t remember what happened after pressing start. Oh- my real name is Jinjihan, not Ebonycrutch, by the way.”
“I don’t remember what happened either but I wonder how the passage of time works in here,” Beretta said as she walked around the chamber, inspecting the ancient carvings as she did.
“A-also, doesn’t this game have permadeath?” It was awkward watching a muscular commando whimper.
“Oh- you’re right.”
“What does that mean?” Rick asked, darting his gaze back and forth between Jinjihan and Alice.
“It means that, unless your teammates manage to revive you, once you’re dead… you’re dead.”
Silence befell the chamber.
“I… but… I’m not gonna act like I completely understand what that means but I have a feeling that we should be careful.” Rick swallowed.
“Agreed. Now back to the game. I explained the basics during our call but just to summarize, this dungeon is the last refuge for a group of ancient Vampires, Werewolves and all sorts of other monsters in the world. It’s located somewhere in Spain and, after a team of archaeologists who were investigating this place went missing, the government sent a unit of expendable mercenaries to investigate the dungeon and find the missing scientists. The goal of the game is to clear all one hundred levels and, although there are multiple endings, the best ending involves sparing all four faction leaders, helping them forge a unified alliance, making it to the end of the game with every team member alive and destroying the Genesis Pool.” Jinjihan explained.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Oh, I remember that one! That’s the thing at the bottom of the game!” Rick said unnecessarily loudly, making everyone wince.
“I don’t like that ending though,” Alice whispered so softly that no one heard her.
Well, no one other than me.
“That’s the one. So, let’s move forward with that ending as our main objective.”
“You can count on us!” Beretta grinned as she stood by Rick’s side.
“I-I’ll do what I can to help!” Alice said while awkwardly clutching her assault rifle.
“Alright. Move out!” Jinjihan ordered before leading his unit through a hole in the wall the aforementioned archaeologists had made.
It led into the dungeon proper but it’s here that I temporarily shifted my perspective back to give myself time to think.
Too bizarre!
This situation was too bizarre!
Not only was I here in this strange reality but Rick, Beretta, Ebonycrutch and a woman named Alice too!
How… why…
I didn’t even know when to begin.
I tried calling out to the team as they descended a Spiral staircase but I had no mouth and could not talk.
That said, I could see little white dot-like icons above their heads.
These, when interacted with, displayed their stats.
[Codename: Bulldozer
Level: 1
Remaining Upgrade Points: 0
HP (Health Points): 100/100
EN (Energy): 50/50
Primary Weapon: Light Machine Gun (6.5×50mm)
DPH (Damage Per Hit): 2000
Ammo: 300 Standard Projectiles
Secondary Weapon: Standard Projectile Handgun (9mm)
DPH: 400
Ammo: 50 Standard Projectiles
Armor Rating: 85%
Tactical: None]
[Codename: Captain Condor
Level: 1
Remaining Upgrade Points: 0
HP: 100/100
EN: 50/50
Primary Weapon: Sub Machine Gun (9mm)
DPH: 400
Ammo: 30 Standard Projectiles
Secondary Weapon: Steel Combat Knives
DPH: 50
Ammo: 2
Armor Rating: 65%
Tactical: Binoculars]
[Codename: White Eagle
Level: 1
Remaining Upgrade Points: 0
HP: 100/100
EN: 50/50
Primary Weapon: Sniper Rifle (50 BMG)
DPH: 14 000
Ammo: 40 Standard Projectiles
Secondary Weapon: Standard Projectile Handgun (9mm)
DPH: 400
Ammo: 50 Standard Projectiles
Armor Rating: 70%
Tactical: Camo Mesh]
[Codename: Calisto
Level: 1
Remaining Upgrade Points: 0
HP: 100/100
EN: 50/50
Primary Weapon: Assault Rifle (5.56×45mm)
DPH: 1400
Ammo: 150 Standard Projectiles
Secondary Weapon: Standard Projectile Handgun (9mm)
DPH: 400
Ammo: 50 Standard Projectiles
Armor Rating: 75%
Tactical: Scanner]
“Huh… why does Little Miss Shrimp only have 65% Armor?” Rick squinted while looking above Beretta’s head.
“It means that her Armor reduces the damage she receives by that much,” Jinjihan explained while leading the way down the Dark staircase using the flashlight at the end of his gun to illuminate the way.
“Oh. Got it.” Rick nodded as the group stepped onto a stone platform that stood on the edge of the first zone of the dungeon.
It consisted of countless gargantuan trees that stretched out for hundreds of square Kilometers.
This massive forest was illuminated by a ceiling of light although its radiance didn’t reach the bottom floor.
Connecting the trees were countless bridges which acted as a webbed network of paths that connected what appeared to be settlements that were built along the trunks of the trees.
This was all a part of the first twenty five levels of the dungeon and was collectively called the “Everreach Forest”.
“I take it this is Level 1?” Beretta guessed as she walked up to the edge of the platform which was connected to several bridges.
“Yep. The first few levels act as a kind of tutorial so we should be fairly safe.” Jinjihan explained and it’s here that I got a sickening feeling.
They were coming for my core.
Coming for me.
In order to beat them game and the most probable way for the to escape was for them… to kill me.
What even was this?
I didn’t know.
But I also couldn’t allow myself to die again.
I had no qualms with Rick, Beretta, Jinjihan and Alice but if it was a choice between myself or them, I’d choose me every time.
The Everreach Forest was home to a few low-level enemies (from levels 1 to 25), namely Goblins, Zombies, Dark Elves and low-ranking Werewolves who belonged to the Thalasson Clan.
The Dark Elves lived in the treetops and were a non-hostile faction for the most part but I wondered if I could change that.
The Dark Elves were a singular tribe that lived in relative harmony although they were having trouble with the local monsters.
I wondered how much sway I had over my inhabitants and so I shifted my perspective to one of the many Dark Elf Archers perched on an outpost that was to the far left of the platform where Rick and crew were.
The Dark Elf scout hadn’t noticed the unit yet and was lazing about on his chair.
He had dark brown skin, and golden eyes and was clad in thin leather armour.
[Name: Dark Elf Scout
Level: 15
HP: 1500/1500
EN: 750/750
Primary Weapon: Composite Bow
DPH: 80
Ammo: 40 Standard Projectiles
Secondary Weapon: None.
Armor Rating: 15%
Tactical: Signal Whistle]
I wondered if I could control this Elf and as soon as that thought crossed my mind, my perspective shifted.
It felt as if I was looking at the world through his eyes.
I was also now in charge of his every moment and so I stood up and raised his bow.
I drew an arrow and aimed at Rick who could be seen saying various loud things in the distance.
The Elf could only deal 80 points of damage which would be reduced to 12 by Rick’s 85% Armor Rating.
That said, critical hits did 1.5x damage which would bring the damage up to 120 and then back down to 18 which was still incredibly disappointing but I didn’t need to kill him. Not yet, at least.
I took a deep breath and loosed the arrow which shot through the air before lodging itself in Rick's eye.
I watched as he reeled back in pain and released the Elven Scout from my control.
This would be enough to pit Rick's group against the locals.
I realized just what it was I was doing and was fully prepared to deal with the weight of my decisions.