Apparently, this world used to be in a constant state of war. Towns fought towns, cities fought cities, countries fought countries—all for the sake of the previous divine. After many centuries, someone finally conquered everything and became the next divinity. That person disappeared from this world, but not before promising the survivors a world without war. His promise was fulfilled in the form of dungeons. Ever since the new divine was crowned, massive otherworldly structures were discovered one after another. These places held treasures that propelled humanity to new heights, but they were fraught with danger. Cities quickly realized that raiding dungeons was more profitable than fighting amongst each other. In fact, with the new technologies that dungeons brought, the two couldn’t even be compared. And so, the science, culture and manpower that had been developed for wars shifted focus towards dungeons.           

Of course, around the same number of people still die every year.           

Dungeons are living things, at least, in the same way that cities are. They grow and adapt with their population. No one has ever seen the bottom of a dungeon. The stronger the challenger, the further they go—and the more they return with. However, a dungeon’s novelty isn’t only in its depths. Even floors that have been explored for years will sometimes change. New treasures will be hidden, and new monster species will be discovered. Dungeons are endless treasure chests, fueled by an endless stream of human lives.            

I’ve been thinking about these things a lot during the past few days. As a slimy tentacle wraps itself around my arms and waist, I finally understand why. Another tentacle rushes forward to cover my mouth before I scream. It’s just a reflex. I know that no one will come to save me. The owner of these appendages falls from the ceiling with a splat. My eyes struggle to track it in the darkness. The creature’s form flows upwards until it congeals into a humanoid shape. Its slender body is hidden behind a dark green cloak and its face is covered by a white mask. If it wasn’t for the blue mass of hair-like tentacles peeking out from behind its mask, I could have mistaken this creature for a human.           

For the past few days, I’ve been wandering this area in a daze. All the while wondering when something like this would happen. It’s not like I have a death wish. However, after reflecting on things, I’ve realized that I haven’t been dreading death either. Dungeons are a place of loud successes and silent failures. I won’t ask to be famous, but I’m terrified of being forgotten. To be left behind and never heard from again. It might sound stupid, but I’m afraid of dying in the same way that every raider dies.             

Therefore, if the divine that gave us these dungeons is listening, I would like to make a request. It isn’t much. I won’t ask for a way out of my shitty situation, or even to remove the brand on my forehead. If this dungeon really is an endless treasure chest, then please show me some novelty before I’m killed off. At the very least, I don’t want to die to a slime.

- - -

            Three Days Ago           

A loud clang rang out as an iron birdcage reached the floor. The lift shook for a moment and then one of its passengers unfastened the lock. Four men and one woman stepped out of the cramped space with relieved sighs. They stretched, but the group remained tense as the lift slowly ascended.           

“Once again, thank you for letting me join your party.” The thinnest member of the group broke the silence.           

“It’s no big deal, Thomas.” The woman replied.           

“-Theo.”           

“Right, Theo. Everyone travels through the first layer in large teams. The treasure here isn’t worth fighting over, and more people will only increase our chance of survival.”           

“Wow, that’s convenient. I thought I was going to be alone from day one.”           

The other four looked back at him with narrowed eyes. The woman coughed.           

“Um…Have you been raiding before?”           

“Of course.” Theo waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve been raiding for over a year now. This is my first time in Naraka, though.”           

“Hmm, are the other dungeons different in that regard?”           

“In Jigou, people fight over treasure on every floor. I wouldn’t know about the rest.”           

“Sounds like a rough place.”

The woman, Kaiya, stopped and reexamined the thin man. He wore brown leather pants and a simple tunic that was barely visible beneath his black cloak. His thick red-brown hair was pushed back by a ragged bandana that covered his forehead. With a small sling bag on his back and no weapon in sight, he cut a sorry sight as a raider. Kaiya snorted in distain.

The party travelled quickly, yet carefully. The first layer was made up of small caverns that created an ever-changing maze. Kaiya begrudgingly explained that the maze was constructed from two different systems. Most of the tunnels were ‘naturally occurring’—meaning they were created by the dungeon. Old routes would sometimes disappear and new ones would appear elsewhere. Other tunnels were smaller and harder to spot. They were created by the various lifeforms living within Naraka.

“Some of the small ones lead to monster dens, so be careful.” Tarq, a broad-shouldered man with a battle-axe, spoke up.

“Others have rare treasures. Rare for the first layer anyway…” Ollie, the group’s only mage, added.

A few hours passed in relative silence. Visibility in the first layer was extremely poor. Tarq and the party’s armored vanguard, Nasser, carried torches at the front and rear but the light only traveled so far. Glowing blue crystals grew out of the walls and floor. These sources of natural light were few and far between. Kaiya would periodically check a small compass whenever the light improved and they felt safe.           

The mood was tense, and Theo was feeling particularly nervous. They hadn’t run into a single monster so far. Kaiya had mentioned that this area was sparsely populated, but Theo couldn’t believe it was this desolate.           

“There’s five of us, and we have fire.” Tarq chuckled as he noticed Theo’s wariness. “Nothing around here is territorial and most of them hate bright lights. If any monsters see us coming, they’ll be gone before we notice.”           

“Huh. This place is really lax compared to Jigou.”           

“It would be a different story if you were alone.” Kaiya replied. “Monsters slowly stalk their prey until it lowers its guard. Some paths change daily, so it’s difficult to retrace your steps. The first layer killed a lot of people when this dungeon was still new.”           

“Stay sharp, but there’s no need to be nervous.” Ollie explained, pointing his finger in the air. “The only monster that will attack us here is-”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

*Shlorp*           

Theo quickly turned back and saw that the Ollie’s silhouette had suddenly become…bulbous.           

“Slime!” Kaiya shouted. “Tarq, bring your light over here! Nasser, keep a lookout! Theo, help me find the core!”           

Kaiya rushed over to Ollie and jammed her hands into the mass of blue slime covering his body. Ollie fought his instincts and stayed surprisingly still while she searched. Kaiya grimaced. Searching for a core in this light was like trying to fish a coin out of murky water.           

Kaiya froze as she saw the cold glint of enchanted steel flash across Theo’s palm. The thin raider thrust a dagger towards Ollie’s head without hesitation.           

“What are you-!”

*Pshhhhhu*           

The slime covering Ollie’s body began to evaporate. Soon, all that was left was a grey knuckle-sized orb on the end of Theo’s dagger. Theo pinched the core with his fingers and slid it off his blade while Ollie coughed up the rest of the slime. Then, he glanced at Kaiya who looked ready to gut him at any moment.           

“Slimes are predators that hunt on pure instinct.” Theo explained in an even tone. “The species that live in caves will drop down on people from above. Because they’re so mechanical, it’s easy to guess where their core is. It’s the only part of their body that isn’t liquid, so it will rest on the victim’s head.”           

Kaiya watched carefully as Theo sheathed his dagger in a belt above his waist. It had been hidden by his cloak.           

“The core would have been very difficult to find if Ollie had panicked. You guys are well-trained.”           

“As are you.”

Theo frowned. Kaiya’s eyes were still cold.           

“T-Thanks, Theo.” Ollie sputtered. “That is the only thing dumb enough to attack us on this layer. Those divine-cursed brainless slimes.”           

“Don’t be so mean.” Tarq snickered. “She was the first girl to reach second base with you.”           

“Slimes are genderless you fuck.”           

“Ollie, if you can move, then we should get going.” Nasser chided. “We’ve made too much noise.”           

“I know, I know.”           

The party continued onwards. Tarq and Ollie bickered quietly while Nasser cast a nervous glance at every odd shape and shadow. To Theo’s displeasure, Kaiya continued to watch him like a hawk. They eventually found a wide opening and made camp for the night.                      

“Nasser…” Theo spoke up as they ate around a fire. “You seemed a little jumpy after that slime. Is there anything else we should be worrying about?”           

“Nope.” Kaiya cut in. “He’s just a superstitious oaf.”            

“There’s nothing wrong with being careful.” Nasser shot back. “We don’t always know what’s out there in the darkness.”           

Theo blinked slowly. “Are you talking about ghosts or something?”           

“No, an outlaw.”           

Theo stiffened.           

“I’ve heard stories recently about an outlaw stalking around the first layer. He wears a cloak and a white mask. This guy appears and disappears almost like magic. Some people say he might actually be a monster that the dungeon created.”           

“That’s bull.” Kaiya snorted in a very unladylike manner. “If there is some maniac running around here, then he’s no monster. This dungeon has created some pretty cunning beasts, but none of them could pass for human.”           

“I don’t see the problem.” Tarq replied. “Plenty of criminals have snuck into dungeons, but they don’t have rights here. What does it matter if they’re human or monster? We’ll treat them the same either way.”           

“W-Well, as long as we keep our guard up, we should be fine.” Theo nodded hastily.           

“I agree.” Kaia nodded much more slowly.           

After chatting a bit longer, Theo and the others eventually went to sleep. Despite Ollie’s brush with death and Nasser’s worries, Theo was by far the most tired. None of the others knew, but he hadn’t slept for over thirty-six hours. Theo slunk under his blanket and slept like a rock.           

“Theo, wake up.”           

Theo groaned and turned over. He tried to scratch an itch on his nose, but his arms wouldn’t move. Theo’s eyes shot open as he realized that something was very wrong. His arms were bound and his weapons had been removed. The thin man’s heart pounded as he realized that wasn’t the worst of it. Theo bit his lip and looked up to see Kaiya standing over him. She was holding the bandanna that had been protecting his forehead.           

Kaiya glared at him and then turned to Tarq who was rooting through his bag.           

“Did you find a mask?”           

Tarq shook his head.           

“You…You think I’m that outlaw?”           

Kaiya sauntered over to Theo and knelt over him. She placed one finger on his forehead.           

“Well, you might not be the outlaw, but you are an outlaw. Isn’t that right?”           

Theo’s brow creased and the large black ‘X’ on his forehead became warped.           

“Anyone who’s been branded like that has committed a serious crime. I’ll bet you were told to come back with a precious treasure or never leave the dungeon again. Am. I. Right?”           

“Yes.” Theo spoke through gritted teeth.           

“It’s obvious that you didn’t stop in town before entering Naraka. I thought you were just a novice who didn’t know what to buy, but you clearly have raiding experience. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to buy anything. You couldn’t. But why did you run off to a new dungeon?”          

“This brand is imbued with magic. I’ll be arrested if I go anywhere near a town. The only places people like me can live are in dungeons or the wilderness. Until I bring back something valuable enough to set myself free, that is.”           

Theo glared up at Kaiya.           

“Plenty of raiders in Jigou know me. I thought Naraka would be safer.”           

“Ah, that’s right. Raiding has always been a dog-eat-dog world, but criminals don’t have any rights at all. Someone could kill you and steal your possessions without any repercussions.”           

Theo grimaced.           

“And? Are you going to kill me?”           

“Kaiya…” Ollie muttered. “We…”           

“We won’t kill you.” Kaiya announced. “But that’s where I’ll draw the line. We’re taking everything you have.”           

“Why?”           

“Don’t act like you’re the victim here. This mark proves that you’re dangerous. I’m not going to let some psycho carry weapons that could kill members of my team or other unsuspecting raiders.”           

Theo continued to glare hatefully at Kaiya, but she shook her head.           

“This entire system puts raiders at risk. All because some criminal might get lucky and return with a valuable artifact. If it were up to me, you people wouldn’t be here at all. The very least I can do is make it difficult for you to reach the second layer.”           

“So, you’re going to leave me to die?”           

“It’s better than risking anyone innocent.”           

At that moment, all Theo could see was red. He struggled furiously against his restraints, but they wouldn’t budge. After Kaiya and the others broke camp, Theo felt a stinging pain in the back of his head and passed out.

When Theo woke up, he was alone. His bindings had been loosened and they were easily removed. Theo noticed that a small campfire was burning beside him. Without it, he might have been attacked in his sleep. He patted himself down and confirmed that everything of value, along with his bandanna, had been stolen. Theo ripped a part of his cloak and tied it around his forehead.

“What now?” He sighed. “Actually, that’s a stupid question…”

Theo picked himself up and randomly chose one of many passages connected to the campsite.

“I can only go down from here.”