Mal’s voice crackled through the headset as he explained the dungeon mechanics to Momo, who was still getting familiar with the game.

“Alright, listen up, this one’s a bit tricky. We’ve gotta find five keys hidden down different corridors. None of the monsters are elite, so they’re easy to kill—most are lower-level trash mobs—but the key drop rate is awful. Momo since you're lower level, stick with me. It'll be faster that way, and you can help me loot the bodies.”

The group stayed silent, taking it all in as they followed Mal through the digital landscape. The dungeon was tucked away inside an old mining facility. Most players referred to these as ‘trash dungeons’—common, simple, and often overlooked.

“This place used to be a mine shaft, so there are different patterns throughout, but nothing fancy. It's perfect if you're leveling up or playing a warrior class, like you guys. Close-quarters combat, hand-to-hand weapons everywhere—mostly goblin fighters and troll warriors. They’ll be swinging wooden stakes at you, but every now and then, if you're lucky, you might find something rare. Most of the time, though, it's just junk.”

Momo chimed in, “So, why bother coming here?”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Mal continued. “These trash dungeons are about more than just fighting. They give out cosmetic-based achievements. You unlock stuff like outfit materials, food recipes, and most importantly… it has the highest chance for these Iron Threads which is the only way you can make the bottomless bag. Nothing else is game-changing, but cool enough if you like collecting stuff.

Leanne adding to the conversation says over the microphone.

“You know how your character's backpack has 25 slots for items, but some stuff takes up more room. The better bags, like the ones Mal can craft as a tailor, can increase your capacity. That’s actually the main reason we’re here.”

“People pay top dollar for the larger bags, and I play pretty consistently and can never afford one.” Kevin said.

Momo sounded impressed. “Bigger bags, huh?”

“Exactly,” Mal replied. “Think of them like D&D’s bag of holding. These babies can hold up to a thousand items, split into different pages so you can organize your gear. It’s insanely useful. But the tricky part is finding those five keys. Every time you go through one corridor, the layout of the others changes. It’s like the dungeon is alive.”

“So, it’s always random?” Momo asked.

“Yeah,” Mal confirmed. “You walk down one corridor, clear it, and the next one is completely different. One minute you’re fighting goblins with sticks and spears, the next you’re facing off against gigantic trolls wielding battle axes. The fun is, you never know what you’re going to get.”

“But it’s still manageable, right?” Enrique replied sounding a little nervous.

“For us, it’s a walk in the park,” Mal reassured them. “WindSpirit—he’s a solid player in our guild, but he doesn’t have one of the larger bags yet either so he’s coming to help us too.”

“Do you think we could invite our friend Franco?” Kevin asked.

“Fine by me, the threads that drop out of the locked chests are enough to make about 10 bags…I have all the rest of the materials in mass. As long as the rest of you are cool with it.”

“Franco from our class?” Mika asked.

“Ya the same, he plays a little too. Kevin and I have known him forever.” Enrique said.

“Awesome thanks Mal, send an invite to ”

Franco, aka Somi, settled in quickly, navigating the game like a pro and bantering with the group as if he’d been a member of their friend circle all along.

As they moved forward, the flickering light from the lanterns and torches illuminated the way, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The dungeon, though basic, felt alive with potential, and Mal led the group with confidence, explaining the next steps in their quest.

“So Franco, what is your area of focus at PCU?” Leanne asked.

“I major in Film and Video productions, and serve as the VP of the Art Committee.”

“Oh, isn’t that the same committee Nezami’s on?” Momo asked.

Franco with, a hint of pride in his voice. "Yeah, we’ve been scouting her since junior high. Her art is incredible."

“Ya and she’s pretty easy on the eyes too,” Enrique said.

“True dat,” Momo and Mal said in unison followed by the group laughing.

“Take it easy boys,” Mika said.

“Ok so game plan," Mal said, glancing at the map on his screen. "Alright, since a few of you've never been here before we are going to split up and

In the dimly lit room, the group gathered around their screens, each person intently focused on the game. Mal, seated at the center, leaned forward as he began explaining the mechanics of the dungeon.

“Alright, listen up,” Mal said, his voice calm but commanding as he pulled up the map of the dungeon on his screen. “This dungeon has multiple tunnels, right? But here’s the trick—if we kill the boss too soon, the layout of the tunnels resets and the monsters respawn. The problem is, that changes the percentage drop rate for the keys we need for the Iron Cofer at the end.”

“So, we don’t want to kill the boss until we’ve cleared out the tunnels?”

“Exactly,” Mal said. “We’re all over-leveled for this dungeon, so we can split up and take on different tunnels simultaneously. That way, we maximize our chances of getting the keys before the reset happens.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“So if we clear each tunnel fast enough, we’ve got a better chance of getting more keys?” Enrique asked.

“Yeah, and the more keys we get, the higher the drop rate when we hit the final boss. We’ll need at least five keys between us.

“Wait, so if the boss resets the tunnels, do we have to fight all the monsters again too?” Leanne asked.

“Yep,” Mal confirmed. “Everything resets, but the monsters get harder. So ideally, we want to clear all the tunnels in one go.”

“Sounds like a plan, but what if we miss a key?”

“If we all split up, the odds are better. Each tunnel has a different drop rate based on how many monsters we kill inside it. Since we’re stronger, we can handle the higher-level mobs.”

“So... how do we know when we’ve got all the keys?” Kevin asked

“Well if you get a key give it to me and I will track them. So just call it, and I will come run toward your tunnel.”

Everyone nodded, readying their characters for the split. The screen flickered with the game's ambiance as they prepared to dive into the tunnels, each determined to outsmart the dungeon and claim their victory.

He paused, issuing more instructions. “Leanne, you take the second tunnel on the right. Stop halfway down, okay?"

“Roger”

“Ok, so who do you want to be the runner?” Mika asked

“Yeah, that would be great. Come down the main tunnel with me first. Once we find the key, you’ll run it back while I split off with Momo and Kevin to keep searching. We’re aiming to find these keys as quickly as possible."

"Got it. Doesn’t sound too bad," Enrique replied.

Mal continued giving directions to separate the group down each of the corridors in the dungeon to make the best chances for the keys to drop.

Mal smirked. "It’s not too hard, but the drop rate for these keys is ridiculous. The corridors are long, and that’s why not a lot of players have these bags. We might need a few runs to get them."

PG.06A

Several hours later, the intensity of the fifth run was starting to weigh on Mal, the hours that had passed made his eyes feel heavy from staring at the screen. Even though the house was silent, with everyone else sleeping, he wouldn’t have noticed if anyone came in. His noise-canceling headphones blocked out everything around him.

Harper knew her way around his room well enough not to knock anything over. She walked up quietly, muttering to herself,

"This idiot’s probably deaf already from how loud this is," as she slowly approached him from behind.

Harper moved carefully, not even wanting her shadow to betray her presence. She was determined to catch him off guard. Mal had been squinting and rubbing his tired eyes, completely absorbed in his game. The hours of staring at the screen had dulled his senses, and he didn’t notice the sudden movement behind him.

In one swift motion, Harper pushed Mal’s chair away from the desk and straddled his lap. He was wearing shorts that had naturally ridden up after sitting for so long, and the warmth of her bare legs against his skin jolted him. All his senses went into overdrive.

"Harper!" Mal stammered, completely caught off guard.

"Yes, Mally,” she teased in that sultry tone. She sat confidently on top of him, wearing a lavender silk, two-button shirt that barely concealed anything. The soft purple fabric shimmered under the computer’s light.

"What... what are you doing?" Mal sputtered, his voice cracking as he tried to regain his composure.

Harper leaned in closer, her grin widening. "Well, I knew you didn’t wear my underwear, but I figured you might want to know what they feel like against your skin.”

Mal flushed.

Mal couldn’t mutter anything coherent, only stammering, "I... I... I..." as Harper reached between his legs, her hand brushing the inside of his thigh before moving upward. Making eye contact with him he could smell just a touch of alcohol on her breath.

was this a liquid courage moment? No way this can be that…is she more intoxicated and it just doesn’t smell that way He thought trying to contain himself.

She grabbed the bottom of her silk shirt and slowly lifted it. "Are these the panties you saw?"

Mal turned away in panic, but Harper caught his chin, turning his face back.

"No, no. You wanted to see them, so why not see them in their natural habitat?"

The horror he felt was palpable.

Utter horror.

He wasn’t exactly experienced in situations like this, and his embarrassment only deepened.

"You shouldn’t be here," he said quickly, "If one of my sisters sees you, they’ll freak the hell out."

"They’re all asleep," Harper replied, dismissively. "And I knew you’d be up late gaming—the perfect time to strike."

"What do you mean by 'time to strike'?"

Harper leaned closer, her forearms resting on his shoulders, fingers clasped behind his head. "A little payback," she said, her voice dripping like honey. As she spoke, she began to slowly gyrate her hips on his lap. She pulled his headset off completely and tossed it onto the keyboard. Kim

"I think we’re done gaming for now."

Pulling Mal out of his chair, Harper led him by the hand over to his bed, pushing him down onto it.

Oh my God, this is not happening, Mal's mind raced.

What do I do? What do I do? He thought

"You know exactly what to do," Harper whispered, smirking knowing exactly what he was asking that right at that moment.

Conflicting thoughts raced through Mal's head.

What is going on? What am I supposed to do? His heart pounded as she laid down next to him, her thigh brushing up and down his leg.

Bro this is Harper, is this going to happen…shit…Mal’s inner voice roared.

"Wha…wha…whattt are you doing here?" he asked, desperate for an answer.

"You already asked me that," Harper said with a teasing smile.

"But you never really answered it," Mal replied, gulping hard.

"Well, you said you weren’t a virgin, so maybe you can tell me what you want to do with me," Harper teased, her voice low and provocative.

"Are you crazy?" Mal blurted out in a whisper.

"Maybe," Harper whispered, "But maybe you're about to find out how crazy I can be."

Mal felt utterly conflicted—confusion, physical tension, and paranoia all rolled into one. Harper seemed to understand all of this, toying with his emotions expertly.

"I think you should leave now before something bad happens," Mal said, trying to sound firm.

"Oh, something bad is going to happen...and it’s going to be real bad," Harper said softly.

"Stop it. This isn’t funny," Mal insisted, his nerves fraying.

"Come on, tell me what you’re going to do with me," Harper continued to tease, leaning in closer.

"Are you going to pin me down? Hold my hands? Tie me up?"

"Okay, this is enough!" Mal said, his voice cracking with tension.

Harper grinned and rolled on top of him again, her hips pressing just below his waistline. She looked up at him, then slowly and deliberately licked the bottom of his chin, barely grazing it with her teeth.

"Just lay still," she whispered, as she slid down his body, dragging herself sensually across his chest and waist.

Then, she stood up, crossing her blouse over her chest to cover her cleavage. "Good night, Mal," she said, smirking as she walked toward the door. "Consider that a little payback. You peek at my underwear, I will make you beg for mercy."

"You’re so freaking sick and twisted," Mal muttered.

"I know…”ta-ta witches” Harper replied with a laugh as she left his room, closing the door behind her. She paused outside, leaning against the door for a moment, and took a deep breath. "That was so hot," she whispered to herself, before heading down the hall.

Mal lay there, completely dazed, his mind spinning. He knew he needed to change his clothes, but he couldn’t move.

"She’s so evil," rubbing his forehead with his hand.

"You can’t just do that to a guy."

The whole experience had left him overwhelmed—conflicting emotions, physical tension, and the vivid images of what had just happened all weighing heavily on his mind. As he lay there, he thought of how he could possibly get her back, but with the lingering sensations and the physical intestacy he was feeling, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to forget it.

"At least I’ll have that forever," he thought to himself as he closed his eyes, finally dozing off. He didn’t even hear his companions calling out to him through his headset, asking what the hell was happening.