True Pact

A young girl dressed in primitive leathers, looking no older than twelve, panted as she scrambled through a dark forest, small cuts covering her arms and legs from pushing through the dense foliage. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she slipped and stumbled against the rough bark of one of the gnarled trees, too exhausted to even cry out in pain. The girl lay there for a moment, a tear dripping down her cheek as the weight of everything that had happened today pressed down on her. The terror of the raiders’ attack, the frantic escape with her parents, the horror of the ambush, and the guilt as she fled into the depths of the forest alone, her parents doing everything they could to delay their attackers. A part of her simply wanted to stay there and wait for some beast to come along and end it all for her, but the memory of her parents' sacrifice forced her to her feet, as it had many times over her long flight, urging her to continue on, to not let their sacrifice be in vain.

The girl didn't notice the faint shimmer that appeared in her path, but she did notice when the forest around her seemed to change in an instant, the old giants of the deep forest replaced by trees barely wider than an adult man. She stumbled as her path was suddenly clear of the dense foliage that had made every step a trial, whirling around in a panic only to trip and fall over her own feet, collapsing in a heap. The last thing she saw was a faint glint of light through a fading shimmer as exhaustion finally took her.

*

Ben checked his phone for the time. “Shit, I gotta stop staying up so late.” He groaned, rubbing his eyes as he saved the game and turned off his computer. “I'm going to turn nocturnal at this rate.” At least it was summer, so it wasn't like he had anything waking him up early tomorrow, but with college on the horizon, he was going to have to get better at self-regulating, or get used to sleeping through classes. He began to make his way towards his room, only to pause and scowl as he heard the familiar whine and scratch of a dog with an empty food bowl. “Damn it, Alex!” He groaned. He was supposed to have filled the dogs’ food hours ago! Now Ben had to go grab a new bag from the shed in the middle of the fucking night! Ben eyed the four mutts, wondering if he could get away with putting it off until morning, until his inherent resistance to do anything that could even vaguely be defined as ‘work’ finally broke under their plaintive whines. “You're lucky the other three are here, Roscoe.” Ben sighed as he gave the fat Mastiff mix a head rub. “You could afford to skip a meal or two.”

Ben flicked on the backyard lights and made his way to the shed, followed by the small pack of dogs. He carefully watched the ground, doing his best to avoid stepping in any piles as he walked, the dim illumination of the string lights not doing as much as he would have liked to make the path clear. His family had a large backyard, with plenty of room for the dogs to run around, yet they still insisted on crapping right by the damn house! Thankfully, through skill or luck, Ben's shoes remained mercifully clean as he made it to the shed, quickly slipping inside and throwing the fifty pound bag of dog food over his shoulder before heading back to the house. He dumped the whole bag in the giant bucket his family used to feed the dogs, Roscoe immediately digging in, only to frown as he noticed the other three were missing and a chorus of barking was echoing outside. He debated just ignoring it, but after living the vast majority of his life next to the woods with dogs, he'd learned not to ignore it when they went wild like this, particularly not when they were ignoring food for it. It usually meant he had to save some small animal or something, but every now and then it meant someone had to run and grab a gun to scare off a bear or a moose before it tore through the fence to get at the yapping canines.

“It better not be a skunk again.” He grumbled as he stomped back outside, making his way to where the dogs were barking… and whining, he noticed now that he was closer. “Shit.” Ben cursed as he picked up the pace. Whining was a bad sign. However, when he finally got there, it looked like the dogs were barking at nothing as they jumped against the fence, seeming almost desperate to get through it. Ben frowned as he examined the forest, looking for whatever was driving the dogs crazy, when out of the corner of his eye he caught a faint movement, just a small shift as something seemed to slightly reposition itself. He narrowed his eyes at the source of the movement, pulling the flashlight he'd learned to always keep on hand for situations just like this, only for his eyes to snap wide as he saw the crumpled form of a little girl lying in the middle of the woods.

“Shit!” Ben cursed again, rushing for the back gate, not even bothering to shut it behind him as the dogs ran out after him, shooting ahead to get to the girl. Ben arrived to find all three dogs crowding the girl, licking her face and arms as she made uncomfortable groaning sounds. “Back!” Ben quickly snapped, the dogs quickly retreating as he slid to the girl's side, examining her for wounds or broken bones, breathing a sigh of relief as he only found what looked like light scrapes from running through a pricker bush. He was just about to pick her up, jostling her a little as he got his arms under her, when the girl's eyes blinked open and she screamed, scrambling away from him. “Wait, no, you're safe!” He quickly assured her, grabbing her wrist before she could bolt. “It's safe! I promise!”

The girl froze, staring at him wide-eyed for a moment. [Wh-what?]

Ben blinked. “What?” That- hadn't sounded like English. Or Spanish. Or French. It might be some kind of Native American language? She was wearing what looked like ancient leather clothes… And her skin was a bit darker? Maybe? It was hard to tell without a good light and his flashlight tended to wash everything out. Was she from some nearby tribe? “Uh, do you know English? Habla Inglés?” He asked tentatively, not entirely comfortable ruling out Spanish either. Or French, but he didn't know how to ask about English in French. Why his school had insisted on teaching them Spanish over French when Quebec was practically right over the border, he had no idea, but he wasn't exactly a part of those decisions. Besides, it wasn't like he'd actually learned Spanish… he'd just gotten enough to pass the tests, and then immediately forgotten most of it. Ah, the wonders of the American educational system.

The girl stared at him blankly for a moment. [Why- why are you speaking gibberish?] She asked, as if she couldn't even fathom the idea of someone speaking a language she couldn't understand.

Ben sighed. “I'm going to take that as a no then. Shit…” How the hell was he supposed to help someone who was clearly terrified and couldn't even understand him?!? Well, she seemed more confused than terrified at the moment, but he had a feeling that wouldn't last very long. “Okay, uh… food? Water? Inside.” Ben mimed eating and drinking for her, before pointing back at the house. “Good?” He asked, giving her a tentative thumbs up.

The entire process just left the girl feeling even more confused. She got that he was trying to tell her that there was food and water in the structure he pointed at, but why were the words coming out of his mouth still unintelligible?!? It didn't make any sense! Unless… the girl's eyes widened as she remembered a story she'd heard from one of her tribe's mercenaries. It seemed ridiculous, but… she remembered how the forest had changed. It was- possible? She eyed Ben cautiously. If he wasn't… her eyes drifted to the hand still holding her wrist, considering something abhorrent. She tensed, her lips parting slightly… and then she slumped, tears filling her eyes. She couldn't! Even if it cost her her life, she couldn't disgrace her parents memory by resorting to that! Maybe if Ben was willing, but they couldn't even communicate!

Ben frowned as he watched the various emotions play across the girl's face before she slumped and started crying. “Uh… not good then?” He asked tentatively, turning his thumb upside-down, before letting out a sigh. “Look, I can't just leave you out here. You need- something, alright? So can you just-” He gave her hand a little tug, and she flinched slightly, before blinking up at him. Then, seeming to come to a decision, she carefully climbed to her feet and took a step towards the house, before stumbling again. Ben quickly caught her, picking her up. “I got you, don't worry.” He assured her with a smile, carrying her back to the house, the dogs following excitedly, not noticing as she eyed his neck almost regretfully.

Once Ben got her inside, he got her set up with a microwave meal and some water at the kitchen table, sitting down next to her and watching her eat as he wondered just what the hell he was going to do about her. Honestly, he should probably just call the cops, because a little girl lost in the woods definitely meant something had gone wrong, but… it was late, and if the cops showed up he definitely wasn't getting to bed any time soon. And it wasn't like it needed to happen right away, right? The girl was safe and fed now. He could just let her sleep in the guest room and call the cops in the morning, right? That was reasonable, wasn't it?

Ben was still debating with himself when the girl tapped on his arm and pointed at the fridge. “Hm? You want more food? Water?” He asked, doing the appropriate pantomimes. The girl shook her head and pointed more insistently. Ben looked between the fridge and the girl, not getting what she was trying to say. “I don't-” He began, shaking his head, only to cut off as the girl got up and tried to walk over to the fridge, swaying unsteadily. “Whoa!” Ben protested, jumping up to stabilize her. “What are you-” She pushed forward another few steps to jab her finger at the white board his family kept on the fridge, which currently sported a cute drawing of a family of frogs, probably done by his sister Erica, with a few crudely drawn arrows and swords sticking out of them, almost definitely courtesy of his brother Dominic. “You want the white board?” Ben asked, giving her a weird look as he pulled it off the fridge and waved it at her. She nodded excitedly, grabbing it out of his hands and starting to swipe at it with her finger, only to frown and look up at him in frustration, demanding… something. Ben sighed, shaking his head. “I'm sorry, I don't know what you want here. You want the picture? You want to- draw! You want to draw!” He exclaimed, smacking his forehead. She was trying to break the communication barrier! Why hadn't he thought of that? He quickly grabbed the markers off the top of the fridge, taking the white board and helping her back to the table before setting it down in front of her. He wiped the board clean then handed her a marker. “Okay, go.” He insisted eagerly, looking at her expectantly.

The girl looked between him and marker skeptically, before letting out a weary sigh and getting to work. First she drew a small picture of a girl, pointing at it then herself before enunciating clearly. “Vivian.”

“Vivian, got it.” Ben nodded in understanding. The girl, Vivian, smiled, then drew a picture of a man and pointed at him. “Ben.” He provided.

“Ben.” Vivian nodded, before getting back to her drawing as Ben watched curiously, wondering what she was so desperate to say. Her next drawing was of a… mouth? Ben cocked his head in confusion as she pointed at the mouth and chomped at the air, before staring at him expectantly.

“Uh… eat?” Ben asked tentatively, doing his own bite and pointing at the food. Vivian shook her head and chomped at the air again, then at her arm, and then at the marker. “Bite?” Ben asked, even more confused as he gave his finger a slight nibble to confirm.

Vivian nodded excitedly. “Bite!” She then pointed back at the whiteboard. “Vivian. Bite. Ben!” She explained, pointing at each picture as she did.

Ben stared at her incredulously for a moment. “You want to bite me? That can't be right…” He muttered, convinced he'd misunderstood, but Vivian was already back to drawing, this time creating what looked like a line of people walking in a row, before pointing insistently at the first one, looking up at him expectantly once again. “Uh… first?” Ben asked, holding up a finger.

Vivian frowned. “Vivian first Ben?” She asked tentatively, as if wondering if that made sense.

“No?” Ben shook his head, staring down at the picture, wondering what she could be saying. It was a line of people, and she was pointing at… “The leader? Lead?” Ben offered, not having a good pantomime for that one.

“Vivian lead Ben?” Vivian asked again to clarify.

Ben nodded hesitantly. “I guess that could work?” Vivian eyed him cautiously, before tapping at the people behind the first one. “If that one is lead… then follow?” Ben muttered. “Follow.” He repeated when she still looked confused.

“Ben follow Vivian?” Vivian asked.

“Sure.” Ben sighed, giving her a nod as he sat back in his chair, still not sure what she was trying to say. Did she want him to go somewhere with her? After biting him?

“Vivian bite Ben. Vivian lead Ben. Ben follow Vivian.” Vivian repeated the three sentences she'd worked out as she stared at the whiteboard, considering her next drawing before settling at a drawing of an arm flexing, tapping at it as she flexed her own arm and looked at Ben.

“Strong?” Ben offered, flexing his own arm and then lifting a salt shaker, first acting like he was struggling, then lifting it easily and flexing again. “Strong?”

Vivian giggled. “Strong! Vivian bite Ben. Ben-” She hesitated for a moment before making an arcing gesture. “-strong.” She frowned for a moment then pointed at Ben and shook her head. “Strong. Vivian bite Ben.” She nodded her head as she pointed at him again. “Strong.”

Ben raised an eyebrow as he grabbed the salt shaker again. “I'm not strong.” He began, acting like he was struggling. “But Vivian bite Ben, I'll become strong?” He asked hesitantly, lifting the salt shaker easily and flexing.

Vivian nodded excitedly, then paused. “Ben follow Vivian.” She stated seriously.

Ben rubbed his temple, trying to put it all together. “Okay, you bite me, you lead, I follow, and… I get strong?” He looked up at her as she watched him nervously, and maybe a little expectantly. “I'm not getting why the bite is there.” He sighed. “Do you want to take me somewhere where I need to be strong? To… the people who hurt you?” He asked, more talking to himself than her since she obviously wouldn't understand any of it. “That's not going to happen.” He shook his head. “That's a job for the police, not some eighteen year old kid.”

Vivian bit her lip. “Vivian bite Ben.” She nodded, pointing down. “Vivian bite Ben.” She repeated, this time shaking her head and pointing toward the door.

Ben blinked. “If you don't get to bite me you're going to leave? That doesn't make any sense!” He exclaimed, frustrated.

“Vivian bite Ben!” Vivian insisted.

“Ben bite Vivian!” Ben snapped back with an instinct bred from growing up with bratty younger siblings, only to freeze as a horrified look came over Vivian and she scrambled out of her chair, hitting the ground and trying to crawl away, babbling in an incoherent panic. “Whoa, hey, okay, no bite, no bite!” Ben quickly assured her. “Damn, what the hell is up with you and biting?” He grumbled as she calmed down, helping her back into the chair as she eyed him cautiously, then guiltily.

Vivian hesitated for a moment, before tapping the whiteboard again. “Ben- Ben bite Vivian. Vivian follow Ben.” She explained, giving him a nervous look.

Ben paused as something clicked. She didn't mean follow physically, she meant it more like… serve? She thought that if someone bit another person, they'd have to follow them? But in exchange, it'd make them strong? Ben chuckled. Of course! The girl was just scared and she'd made up some way she could actually trust him! If he had to follow her after she bit him, then of course she'd be safe! And it'd also make him stronger so he could protect her! He almost agreed on the spot, but… well, he didn't really know what she'd been through, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know if this was the kind of stuff she was making up, but it didn't exactly seem smart to feed into this kind of thing. It wasn't exactly healthy to only feel comfortable around people you controlled, after all. Of course, it didn't really matter and agreeing would let him just get to bed, but… he had an idea to try first.

Ben leaned over the table, tapping the whiteboard. “Vivian bite Ben.” Vivian perked up. “Ben bite Vivian.” He continued and Vivian frowned. “Vivian lead. Ben lead. Vivian follow. Ben follow. Vivian strong. Ben strong.” Ben went on, hoping he was getting his message across. He held up his hands. “Ben.” He waved his right hand. “Vivian.” He waved his left hand. “Vivian bite.” He put his left hand over his right. “Ben bite.” He put his right hand over his left. “Ben Vivian bite.” He intertwined his fingers, giving Vivian a smile. “Equal. Good?”

Vivian stared at him in shock. Was that possible? How would he even know? Did he know? Or was he just guessing? Vivian hesitated. Should she risk it? Could she afford not to? She'd said she'd leave if she couldn't bite him, but she knew that doing so would mean her death more likely than not. And this… this at least gave her a chance. She firmed her resolve and nodded at Ben. “Ben Vivian bite.” She stated firmly, holding out her arm for him.

Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes, then frowned. Did this mean he was actually going to have to bite a little girl? And be bitten by a little girl? Maybe this wasn't that good an idea… especially if he had to explain it to the cops in the morning. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed, deciding that the most important thing was that Vivian felt comfortable for now. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to bite her hard. The two grabbed each other's arms and got their teeth around each other's wrists, Vivian waiting nervously while Ben was starting to regret not asking her to wash her hands first, mostly to distract himself from how awkward this all felt. Damn, he really should have just called the cops, shouldn't he? He suppressed another sigh as he raised three fingers and began tapping them down on Vivian’s arm. Three. Two. One. Ben tightened his jaw slightly for a light bite, then clenched it in pain as Vivian's teeth dug into his arm, piercing the skin and definitely drawing blood, causing his own to do the same!

“Fuck!” Ben cursed, as he released Vivian's arm, pulling his own away from her to clutch at the bloody wound, only to freeze as it began to heal before his eyes and words flowed across his vision.

Pact initiated.

Subversion initiated.

Contesting… no contest found.

Dissolving Pact.

Initiating True Pact.

And that's the last thing Ben saw before he passed out, his body burning.

The Reaper's Cards

Aaron watched in satisfaction as the authorities dragged Leo Hobbs out of his house and shoved him into the back of a heavily reinforced vehicle, turning to Trixie as she ran up to him with a panicked look in her eyes. “Aaron, they're taking my dad!” She exclaimed.

“I know, you're welcome.” Aaron replied with a satisfied, almost smug grin. “Don't worry, I made sure they had enough evidence to put him away for a long time. They might even execute him, if we're lucky.”

Trixie froze, a horrified look coming over her. “You- you did this?!?”

Aaron nodded. “Of course. He was hurting you, Trixie. I couldn't just ignore that. He was a monster.”

Pain erupted from Aaron’s face as Trixie punched him! “He was my dad!” She roared, hitting him again. “My dad!” She repeated, kicking him as he curled up on the ground. “My DAD!”

Aaron jolted awake, phantom pains still ravaging his body as he let out a groan, rolling over to bury his face in his pillow, eight years clearly not enough to ease the complicated ball of emotions he still felt whenever he remembered what had happened that day. It took him a few moments to pull himself back together, taking a quick look at Trixie's card to make sure that yes, she was happy, healthy, and most importantly, safe, even if she did hate him for it. She was too far away for him to get much more than that out of it, but it was enough.

“I'm a fucking mess.” Aaron grumbled to himself as he rolled out of bed to get ready for the day. It was still a bit early, but he knew from experience that any attempt at sleep would just see him replaying the scene of Trixie punching him in the face over and over again, and he was sick of perseverating on that moment. There was no way to convince Trixie that losing her dad was actually good for her. He should have just said nothing, let her think the authorities had figured it out on their own. But no, he just had to want credit. “Complete and utter dumpster fire.”

Aaron performed his morning ablutions in a mechanical daze, absently flipping through his cards. No obvious signs of emotional distress, no one lying in a ditch, no signs of abuse… Aaron let out a relieved sigh and brought up his phone's card, playing some music while he finished his morning routine. He could have just used his actual phone, but the card's music only played in his mind and it was early enough that his siblings would still be sleeping, so why risk it? He was just listening to downloaded music anyway, so it wasn't like there was a difference.

He exited the bathroom to find his sister Isabella waiting for her turn. “Another nightmare?” She asked, a hint of concern in her tone.

Aaron shook his head. This was the problem with living in a house full of analysts. They always found a way to dig into the things you'd rather not talk about. Not that he was one to talk. “I'm fine, just the usual.”

Isabella sighed. “You really need to talk to her, Aaron. Send her a message on Commune or something. Try to actually resolve the issue instead of just ignoring it.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure, let me go and dredge up what had to be the absolute worst experience of her life just because I have a nightmare every now and then.”

“Hey, maybe she's dealing with her own issues around it.” Isabella retorted. “It could help both of you!”

“She's fine, and I'm not going to risk ruining that over a bad night's sleep!” Aaron snapped.

Isabella glared at him for a moment. “If it affects your combat exam-” She growled.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Then I'll just retake it later. It isn't like it's an exam you can actually fail. Besides, I may not have a combat ability, but-” He flexed a well muscled arm for her. “-I do have my own advantages.”

“I don't know… you did get your ass kicked by a little girl.” Isabella retorted with a smirk.

Aaron scowled. “Are you trying to help me or hurt me? Pick a side!”

“¿Por qué no los dos?” Isabella snickered, ducking into the bathroom before Aaron could retort.

Aaron huffed, a grin tugging at his lips as he headed back to his room. It was nice having a little sister who cared about him, even if she was a brat about it. He finished getting dressed then headed downstairs. “Hey Mom, hey Dad.” He greeted his parents as he grabbed himself some cereal.

They both shot him concerned looks, knowing what it meant for him to be up this early just as well as Isabella. Thankfully they didn't see the need to repeat old arguments. “Are you excited for your advancement?” His mother asked as he sat down with his bowl.

Aaron sighed. “Yeah, mostly.”

His dad raised an eyebrow. “Mostly?”

Aaron hesitated. “It's just- you guys know what my ability is like. Will the advancement really make things better?”

“Aaron, your ability is what you make of it.” His dad replied. “It's a tool, not a compulsion. And advancing to soldier tier will only refine that tool, I promise.”

Aaron grunted noncommittally. It wasn't like he hadn't heard it before, but no matter what his dad said, he still felt like he was controlled by his ability. Who could know about all the problems the people around them were going through and not do something about it? Aaron didn't think he was a saint, but the idea of leaving someone in a bad situation just rubbed him wrong. His issue with Trixie wasn't that he'd helped her, it was that he'd made sure she knew about it. But at least it taught him that the best way to help someone is to do it in a way that they never suspected you knew they were in trouble in the first place. After all, you can't punch a coincidence in the face. Aaron’s hope was that his ability advancement would help him be even more circumspect when helping people, but what if it went in the other direction? What if it just made him aware of even more people who needed help? He wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it, and if he had a choice, he'd probably avoid it all together. Unfortunately, the combat exam was mandatory for graduation, so he either advanced or he'd spend the rest of his life unable to get a job, at least not a legal one.

Isabella and Aaron’s other two younger siblings, Hector and Maria, trickled down over the next half hour to get their own breakfast, and once they were finished the four of them left for school, Isabella and Aaron dropping the other two off at the bus stop before walking the quarter mile or so to their high school. “So, do you have any last minute missions for me?” Isabella asked as they walked, giving him an expectant look.

Aaron shook his head. “No, it looks like everything is fine. Probably because everyone is too focused on the combat exam to get in trouble.”

Isabella clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Boring.”

Aaron glanced at her. “You know we do this to help people, not because it's fun or exciting.”

Isabella waved her hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I know, but that doesn't change the fact that it is fun and exciting. We're like secret agents! Sneaking around leaving hidden messages, resolving conflicts, starting conflicts, making sure people end up in the right place at the right time…” She let out a wistful sigh as Aaron just shook his head, knowing it wasn't something she'd ever be able to do without Aaron. Her ability picked up information actively, when she could physically lay eyes on someone, but Aaron… he picked up information passively, just by being around people! And the more time he spent around a person, the longer his range would get, to the point where he could still pick up minor bits of information on a girl who lived halfway across the city! Of course, her idiot of a brother saw his ability as a burden that forced him to run around helping people, despite the fact that he could absolutely just ignore it if he didn't want to deal with it, but then he wouldn't be her stupidly responsible older brother if he did, now would he? The least she could do was try to help him see the fun in it all, not that he ever did… He really needed to talk to Trixie and get over his stupid trauma.

The two of them split up once they hit the campus, Isabella waving goodbye as she headed towards her first class while Aaron headed towards a line of buses where the seniors were gathering, getting ready to make the trip to the local arena for the combat exam, the last hurdle they had to pass before graduation. Aaron curved his path slightly, moving a bit erratically until he ended up behind a certain classmate. “Reggie.”

“F-!” Reggie bit back a curse as he jumped, turning to scowl at Aaron. “Why do you have to do that every time!?!”

“Because you have this reaction, every time.” Aaron replied with a smirk. “How can the school's top combatant be scared of little old me?”

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Reggie rolled his eyes. “Dude, you're six four. It's like being snuck up on by a bear!”

“You could fight a bear!” Aaron retorted.

“I would prefer to fight the bear!” Reggie countered. “Instead I have to deal with my dumbass friend taking advantage of my finely tuned combat reflexes!”

Aaron snorted. “They can't be that finely tuned if I can sneak up on you.”

“Fuck you, and your stupid ability.” Reggie grumbled.

Aaron chuckled at the sentiment, and the reminder that his ability wasn't all bad. Sure, his overactive sense of responsibility forced him to use it to run around helping people, but it also let him pull some amazing pranks over the years. As a location he attended regularly, the school was basically an open book to him, allowing him to sneak in and pull any amount of shenanigans he liked. His favorite was the time he'd snuck into Coach Roark's office hidden forty-four small origami cranes, labeled one through fifty. It wasn't exactly his most original prank, but the man had gotten so angry, practically starting an inquisition to look for the culprit and bothering the entire school enough that other people started finding ways to sneak into his office and hide little origami cranes with random numbers on them. There were even other teachers that participated! Then people started “craning” other people, until it was practically a school tradition to fill a room or locker with oddly numbered origami cranes at some point.

Aaron shook his head, refocusing on the present. “So, any plans for the summer?”

“Just the usual.” Reggie shrugged. “Studying, training, and hanging out with friends whenever I can find the time. Speaking of, me and a few of the guys are putting together a party tonight. You down?”

“Depends. Is this a games and hang party, or a drinking and dancing party?” Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Eh, little column B, little column A?” Reggie wiggled his hand. “Look, you know I wouldn't invite you if I didn't think you'd have a good time.”

“I know, but you're notoriously bad at judging whether or not I'll enjoy something.” Aaron rolled his eyes.

“I'm getting better!” Reggie retorted.

Aaron sighed. “I'll think about it.”

Reggie chuckled. “It's at Oliver's house. Starts at five, but you should be a little late.”

Aaron grunted noncommittally before changing the subject. “So you're still aiming for the Army?”

Reggie snorted. “Duh. What else would I do?”

“You could join the Guild.” Aaron suggested. “You'd make more money that way.”

Reggie rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and end up spending half of it on shit the Army will give me for free. Guildies are just glory hogs that strut around like they're hot shit while the Army does all the real work.”

“The Guild performs an important function by taking care of the lower threat monsters and dungeons that the Army doesn't have the manpower to handle.” Aaron retorted.

“Well maybe they'd have the manpower to handle it if the Guild wasn't stealing all their members.” Reggie countered.

Aaron shook his head. “Not everyone is cut out for military life. The Guild provides a good middle ground for the people who can fight, but don't want to deal with strict military discipline.”

Reggie snorted. “In other words, cowards and criminals.”

Aaron shrugged. “Sure, but at least the Guild directs them towards something useful. Would you rather they used their abilities to cause problems in the city?”

“No. But that doesn't mean I have to like them.” Reggie grumbled. “But enough about me, what are your plans? Still undecided?”

“There's not much point in deciding until I've gotten my advancement.” Aaron replied. “I'd like to get into making ability gear, but to do that my ability would need an advancement that lets me scan things faster, or it'd take me months to get anything done. But if all else fails, I can probably get a good job as a business manager or something.”

Reggie shuddered. “I fear for your future employees. I still have nightmares from our last group project.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Well maybe if you'd actually been doing your part of the assignment, I wouldn't have had to take such drastic measures.”

“I was getting to it!” Reggie protested.

“No, you were procrastinating. I wasn't about to let your last minute half-assery drag down my GPA with valedictorian on the line!” Aaron retorted.

Reggie threw up his hands in frustration. “Why do you even care?!? Valedictorian doesn't mean shit and I know you know that!”

“How dare you besmirch our school's highest academic honor!” Aaron gasped in mock offense, before breaking out into a grin. “Besides, can you imagine the looks on everyone's faces when I claim credit for every prank I've done over the past four years in my speech? It's going to be glorious.”

Reggie’s eyes widened. “Even the crane one?”

Aaron’s grin widened. “Especially the crane one.”

*

The trip to the arena was quick and uneventful. Once they arrived they were cycled through the changing rooms to get their armor and equipment ready before being seated in the stands to wait for the exam to start. “So, what monster are you facing today?” Reggie asked once they got settled. They were given an information packet before the exam so they could prepare appropriately.

“A gremlin.” Aaron replied. “Its ability is some sort of psychic tech control, so it should be an easy fight.”

Reggie raised an eyebrow. “A gremlin. And you're fighting it with a hammer?” He scoffed, nudging the large warhammer sitting by Aaron's feet.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “We can't all be combat geniuses who've mastered a thousand different weapons. I actually know how to use a hammer, so even if it isn't ideal against something as small and agile as a gremlin, it's better than going in with a weapon I can barely wield. Besides, the thing is going to be half loopy with drugs, so I doubt it's going to even matter.”

“Oh, right, you non-combatants get your hands held for this shit.” Reggie snorted. “Meanwhile I have to face a freaking orc at practically full power.”

“Which won’t even be able to scratch you through your defenses.” Aaron pointed out. “Besides, it's good practice. I'm not getting past the soldier tier, but you're going to need this experience to hit elite.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Reggie waved dismissively. Everyone knew the government did more to help non-combatants than combatants in the combat exam, since without a combat ability it wasn't likely they'd be able to do it on their own. Unfortunately the soldier tier was the last one where that kind of hand holding actually worked, since the requirements to advance became more and more stringent the further you rose. Getting your civilian tier ability only required a finishing blow, advancing to soldier tier required you to actually fight the monster, though it could be weakened beforehand, and getting to the elite tier forced you to beat the monster almost entirely on your own. Aaron wasn't sure what the requirements were for master or grand master tier, but they were definitely worse than elite tier, which meant it wasn't something he'd be getting anywhere near.

Aaron’s name was announced about half an hour in. “Good luck!” Reggie yelled after him as he made his way down to the arena floor.

“You too!” Aaron yelled back, giving him a thumbs up.

Once he made it down, one of the coordinators waved him down and led him to the combat area where a groggy looking gremlin was waiting in a cage. “Is this the correct monster?” The coordinator asked to confirm.

Aaron nodded as he hefted his warhammer. “Yeah, gremlin, psychic tech control, right?”

“Excellent. Let me know when you're ready.” The coordinator replied.

Aaron gave his hammer a few test swings before giving the coordinator another nod. “I'm ready.”

“Please step into the circle.” They ordered, a barrier snapping into place as he did, the cage popping open a moment later. The gremlin immediately leapt out of the cage, hissing angrily as it scrambled clumsily towards him. Aaron waited cautiously for the gremlin to lunge at him, dodging to the side as he sent a quick swipe at the gremlin’s shoulder, sending it stumbling before bringing his hammer back around for a heavier blow, the gremlin scrambling out of the way but Aaron still clipping its heel with a sickening crunch that had the gremlin screeching in pain. Aaron pushed forward with a few more light swings to keep the gremlin off balance as he got into position for another heavy blow, bringing it down on the gremlin’s head and finishing the fight.

Aaron let out a relieved sigh as the tension left his body. Weakened or not, monsters were dangerous opponents. He eyed the gremlin’s long, razor sharp claws, then sighed again. There was a reason only those with combat abilities ventured out into the wilds to face the monsters. It was a lot easier to fight one when you had steel skin or could throw fireballs.

“You're going to have to finish it off.” The coordinator commented, pulling Aaron from his thoughts.

Aaron blinked, looking down at the gremlin and noticing that it was still breathing weakly despite the blow he'd delivered to its skull. “Shit, sorry.” Aaron cursed, quickly raising his hammer and bringing it down again as hard as he could, crushing through the gremlin's skull. Aaron froze as the moment the gremlin died a surge of energy flowed into him and formed into a golden card with the image of the gremlin on it in his mental space.

“It's fine, monsters can be deceptively hard to kill, particularly the little one's like these.” The coordinator chuckled, then paused, frowning slightly as he looked between Aaron and the gremlin. “Ah, shoot. I'm sorry, this happens sometimes. Some mistake with the drug dose, a mistake matching up your power levels, or any number of other factors.” The coordinator sighed. “Don’t worry, you'll still get your advancement, you just need to see the lead examiner for a fresh assessment so we can get you a new monster.”

“Wait, I- didn't advance?” Aaron asked numbly, mentally eyeing the new golden card and nudging it slightly to create a perfect simulation of the gremlin, wondering why it was golden and how he'd even gotten it. Did he get cards from killing things? What was the point of that? Why would he want to simulate something that no longer exists?

The coordinator raised an eyebrow. “Do you feel like you advanced?” Aaron hesitated and the coordinator chuckled. “That's a no then. Trust me, when your advancement happens, it's obvious. It isn't something you'd miss.” They waved for Aaron to follow. “Come on, let's get you reevaluated and on your way.”

The coordinator led him away from the combat area, waving down a man Aaron assumed was the lead examiner. “Sorry, sir, we got a botched advancement here.”

The lead examiner clicked their tongue in disappointment. “Unfortunate. Well, come on then, let's get you a fresh assessment so we don't mess this up again.” They led Aaron to one of the arena's assessment rooms, running him through a series of tests for strength, speed, agility, reaction time, durability, stamina, energy level and so on. “Hm… I'm not seeing anything that far off from your previous assessment.” The lead examiner commented. “You aren't hiding any secret combat capabilities, are you?”

“I don't think so?” Aaron replied, frowning slightly. “Unless the fact that if I spend a few months studying an opponent in order to predict what they'll do counts? Once my ability gets a good understanding of someone it can be scarily accurate.”

The lead examiner shook their head. “No, that shouldn't be a factor. If your ability isn't currently acting on the monster it won't affect your assessment.” They studied Aaron thoughtfully for a moment. “Alright then, I have one more test to do before we try again. This way.” They led him downstairs to what appeared to be the monster storage area, taking him to a sectioned off part full of cages with unconscious monsters. They grabbed a spear from a nearby stand and handed it to him before pointing at one of the monsters, some sort of ape-like monster that Aaron wasn't familiar with. “Kill this one.”

Aaron blinked. “While it's in the cage?” He asked skeptically.

The lead examiner nodded. “Yes. Don't worry, these monsters are prepared specifically for this purpose.”

“But- don't you have to actually fight for your advancement?” Aaron replied tentatively.

The lead examiner chuckled. “Yes, but that isn't what we're testing here. Now please, kill the monster.”

Aaron eyed them cautiously for a moment, but they seemed completely sincere. “Okay then…” He muttered, stepping up to the cage and sticking the spear through the bars, lining it up with where the ape's heart should be, and then giving it a firm thrust. The monster didn't even twitch. Aaron pulled the spear back out, then turned to the lead examiner. “Now what?”

“Now we wait for it to actually die.” The lead examiner commented blandly. “Heart wounds can take a few minutes to actually kill something.”

Aaron paused, glancing back at the monster. “Should I try to get the brain then?”

The lead examiner shook their head. “No, it doesn't need to be fully dead for the kill to take effect. Just-” Aaron tensed as a family surge of energy flowed into him, the lead examiner grinning as they noticed. “-there. Now, please accept the new one. It will be more useful for you.”

“What-” Aaron began, giving them a baffled look, cutting off as it suddenly became clear. After the new energy formed into a card, it immediately began to deteriorate, slowly losing its golden luster. “How- how do I choose it?”

“Just focus on keeping it.” The lead examiner explained. “It should be simple.”

Aaron nodded, focusing on the new card with the intent that he wanted to keep this one. The moment he did the gremlin card began to lose its luster while the ape card stabilized. It only took maybe a dozen seconds for the gremlin’s gold color to fade completely, and then… “Gah!” Aaron gasped as a flash of pain sent him stumbling! Muscles twisted, organs throbbed, and bones itched as he felt subtle changes begin to take place throughout his entire body! “What- What is happening to me!?!” Aaron growled through gritted teeth.

“You're just experiencing a body refinement.” The lead examiner assured him. “Don't worry, it will pass soon, and I've heard the first is always the worst. Something about priming you for future refinements.” They smiled as the tension left his body, the refinement having run its course. “Congratulations, Aaron. You're a Reaper.”

The Achievement Dungeon

[Achievement unlocked: Awaken the Dungeon!]

[Goblinoid blueprint added to profile!]

[Assigning starting weapon… You have gained a Sturdy Spear! Auto equipped to primary weapon slot.]

[Enter Dungeon?]

Evan blinked at the notifications as they appeared, ignoring them for a moment as he looked around the misty non-space he'd found himself in. Which made sense, since he was supposed to be asleep. “Holy shit, is this a lucid dream?!?” He muttered, an edge of excitement filling his voice. He'd always wanted to lucid dream! He hopped slightly, trying to fly, but… nothing. “No?” He frowned, scratching his head. He looked around again. This had to be a dream… Right? “Am I doing it wrong?” He refocused on the notifications. Maybe they had something to do with it? He read through them real quick, his frown deepening as he did. “I awakened a dungeon? And got a spear?” He looked down at his empty hands and at the ground around him, noting the complete absence of spears. “Where's my- whoa!” He cut off as a spear appeared in his hands. “Huh… yeah, this has got to be a dream.” He nodded firmly, before pausing. “But why can't I fly?”

Evan considered the problem for a moment, did a few more hops, swung his spear around a few times, and paced a circle around the notification window before shrugging. “Guess I'll-” He cut off as an arch appeared in front of him. “-see what this dungeon is about…” He finished hesitantly, eyeing the arch cautiously. As much as he was pretty certain this was a dream, now that he was actually looking at the arch, he was… hesitant. What if this wasn't a dream? What if he got hurt? He glanced at the spear. Maybe he should test? He lifted the spear up, placing the edge of the blade against the fleshy side of his arm and lightly sliding it across, creating a small… blue line? Some kind of smokey, misty substance beaded out of the small wound, just like blood would, before dissipating. It continued to do this for a few seconds until the wound closed, and about a minute later, it was completely gone. Evan let out a relieved sigh. “Alright, definitely a dream. Definitely, definitely a dream.” He reassured himself.

Evan eyed the arch once more, before setting his shoulders and stepping through, ready for whatever he might find. The moment he passed through, he found himself in a small, square room with three hallways leading deeper and in the middle… a goblin. Evan froze for a moment as he stared at the creature, only to flinch as it screeched, charging at him! Evan instinctively pushed his spear towards the goblin and- it ran right into it, the spear sliding smoothly through its chest. Almost too smoothly… Evan blinked incredulously as the goblin dissipated into blue smoke, leaving a small glowing orb floating there. Evan looked around, making sure there were no other goblins around, before reaching out tentatively towards the orb. The moment his fingers brushed it, it popped.

[You have gained a crude shiv! Automatically equipped to core slot.]

[Achievement gained: First Kill!]

[You have unlocked the Equipment tab!]

[You have unlocked the Inventory tab!]

“Huh…” Evan grunted as two blue icons appeared in the corner of his vision. “This is a weirdly complex dream…” He muttered, clicking on the icons. The one with a suit of armor on it opened up what looked like a classic video game equipment tab and the one with a chest on it opened up a window with five empty boxes. “Weirdly complex…” He glanced around the room. “Hallway number one, I guess?” He shrugged, heading down the hallway on the right. “This dream better get a lot less confusing and a bunch more interesting soon, or- shit!” Evan cursed as the floor opened up beneath him, sending him tumbling into a pit full of spikes! He felt a sharp spike of pain and then everything went dark.

*

Evan groaned as he rolled over, hand slapping for his phone to turn off the blaring alarm. He relaxed as the alarm was silenced, snuggling back under the covers, only to grimace as something slimy rubbed against his cheek. “God damn it.” He grumbled as he wiped at the drool that had accumulated at the corner of his lips, wondering why he'd suddenly started drooling so much. He'd barely ever had to deal with it before, but now he was doing it practically every night! For like a week!

Evan continued to lie in bed for a few more minutes, savoring a few more moments of rest before letting out a sigh and rolling out of bed, making his way to the bathroom to take care of his daily hygiene before heading into work, autopiloting through most of it, barely even opening his eyes through the entire process. Evan was decidedly not a morning person. He was already a few bites into his cereal before full consciousness finally broke through the morning haze, and Evan froze, finally noticing two small, unobtrusive, blue icons hidden in the upper right corner of his vision, practically in a blind spot unless he actually looked at them. Evan just stared at them for a moment before letting out a groan. “It's too damn early for this.” He grumbled, ignoring the icons for now as he refocused on his cereal.

Evan quickly finished eating before exiting his apartment, locking it behind him and descending a small flight of stairs to get out of the building. He merged with the rest of the morning work crowd as he made his way to the subway, his destination only a few stops away. He was currently working for a small financial firm in a middle management position, which for a twenty-six year old only four years past graduation wasn't half bad, at least in his opinion. He was definitely financially secure, particularly considering some of his smarter investments over the past few years. If he played his cards right, he might even be able to secure himself an early retirement sometime in his late forties! Not that he'd actually do it… sitting around the house doing nothing just sounded boring, but it'd be nice to not need a job, freeing him to pursue projects he actually enjoyed, instead of just what made him money. Unless, of course, something came along to derail all his plans… something like two little icons floating in the corner of his eye.

Evan sighed, shaking his head as he sat down at his desk, hitting the power button on his computer and leaning back in his chair to wait for it to boot up, his attention drifting to the icons. He hesitated for a moment, before focusing on opening the equipment tab. It had a head slot, a torso slot, a legs slot, a boots slot, a gloves slot, primary and secondary weapons slots which were both occupied by his spear, two ring slots, a necklace slot, and finally a core slot which was occupied by the shiv. “What the hell is a core slot?” Evan muttered as he studied the page. The rest were pretty self explanatory, nothing he hadn't seen before, but the core slot was new, and obviously significant in some way. Where the rest of the slots were off to the side of the avatar, five on each side, the core slot was in the center of it, in the middle of the avatar's chest, glowing slightly. Then, as he focused on it, a small window popped up.

[Crude shiv (Common - 1)

Core ability: Stealth]

Evan stared at the window for a moment, before dismissing it and focusing on the spear.

[Sturdy spear (Common - 1)

Core ability: Lunge]

“Huh…” Evan grunted. He then turned back to the core slot, attempting to focus on the slot itself, to see if it gave him any more information.

[Core slot: Equipment placed in this slot grants the user an ability and an overall performance boost based on the equipment, level, and rarity.

Current ability: Stealth

Current performance boost: 10%]

Again, Evan couldn't help but stare at the window. It wasn't that any of it was confusing. If anything, it was quite clear. He just wasn't sure if he could believe it. Evan certainly didn't feel like he had a ten percent boost going for him, but how would he even notice something like that? Did he walk slightly faster than normal? Was he thinking faster? Were things slightly easier to see? The only answer he had for any of his questions was maybe. He honestly just couldn't tell, particularly not in his small office that barely fit his desk and a few shelves. Maybe if he went to a gym or something? Or he could just- Evan summoned the spear to his hand, just as easily as he'd done it in the dream. “Well… what the hell am I going to do with all this?”

*

“Evan!” Hank waved him down as he headed out of the office for lunch. Hank was another one of the middle managers with the firm. He was more on the people side while Evan was more on the technical side, but they'd bonded since they were two of the younger managers, Hank only a few years older than Evan. “Where you heading? Lunch?”

“Yeah, forgot to grab the bag from the fridge this morning.” Evan explained. “Wanna join?”

“Fuck yeah.” Hank agreed. “I was looking for an excuse to avoid the eggplant bullshit my wife made for me. This freaking vegan health kick she's on…” He shook his head, sighing heavily.

Evan chuckled. “That's what you get for marrying a freaking fitness model, dude. Did you really think she was going to let you keep eating garbage every day?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hank grumbled. “Speaking of, how'd your date go?”

Evan grimaced. “She was nice but… I don't know, I just couldn't find anything to get excited about, you know? It was so close to something amazing, but it never quite got there, and I'm just not sure what to do with it. It's like… I don't know, I get the feeling that if we kept going, we'd end up being one of those couples that dates for years but never goes any further.”

“Oof, so no second date?” Hank asked.

Evan hesitated. “I think I at least owe her a second date, just to see if the first one was a fluke or something. I mean, it isn't like there was anything wrong with her. Honestly, she seems pretty great. Just… no spark, I guess.”

“Hm.” Hank grunted. “Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Anything else going on with you?”

Evan paused as they got into the elevator. No one else was around, and their building didn't put cameras in the elevators, so… “Well, either I'm going crazy or I triggered last night.”

Hank blinked. “Eh?”

“I had a dream about killing a goblin and now I have blue boxes in the corner of my vision.” Evan explained. “I am supposedly equipped with a spear, which I can summon like so.” Evan held out his hand as the spear appeared in it.

Hank gaped at the spear. “You- you-”

“Oh good, you can see it.” Evan let out a relieved sigh. Part of the reason he was showing Hank any of this was to confirm if it was just in his head or not. “Huh… guess I'm an enhanced. Who would have thought?” He shrugged, dismissing the spear.

“What the fuck!?!” Hank hissed. “How- where- why would you show me that?!?”

“Because I wasn't sure if I was crazy or not, and I trust you not to bullshit me?” Evan replied tentatively. “Why wouldn't I show you?”

“Because you have superpowers!” Hank exclaimed. “I'm pretty sure the first rule of having superpowers is don't talk about having superpowers!”

Evan rolled his eyes. “Dude, that's fight club.”

Hank frowned. “Why can't it be both? Either way your goal is to avoid drawing attention to yourself.”

Evan raised an eyebrow. “What, are you going to tell anyone?”

“No, but…” Hank trailed off, before letting out a sigh. “Okay, you got me. But what the hell man?!? How did you trigger?!?”

“I have no idea.” Evan shrugged as the elevator reached the ground floor and the two made their way out of the building. “Literally, I had what I thought was a lucid dream last night where I got a spear, entered a dungeon, killed one freaking goblin, and then immediately fell into a pit trap. Oh, and I also got a shiv, but that's in my core slot, so I don't think… yeah, I can't summon it. Anyway, I woke up this morning and the two icons from the dream were still there. So now I have equipment and an inventory, and I'm not sure what to do with any of it.”

Hank paused. “Inventory?”

“Only works on dungeon items. I checked.” Evan replied. He'd tried putting a pencil in it back in his office, and it hadn't done a thing, but he'd easily moved his equipment in and out of it.

Hank clicked his tongue. “Damn. Can you re-enter the dungeon?”

“No idea. I haven't tried yet, but I assume I'll be able to… doesn't make a lot of sense if I can't.” Evan commented. He wasn't sure how he'd enter the dungeon though… maybe it'd be a dream again?

Hank nodded. “Sure, right… Damn, not a lot to go on, huh?”

“Not yet, at least.” Evan agreed. “But you know, it did just happen.”

Hank grunted. “Are you going to do anything with it?”

Evan snorted. “Like what, fight crime? Hell no. I mean, if I see someone in trouble I'll do something about it, but I'd do that with or without powers. I'll leave all the running around and trying to get yourself killed to the people who are freaking bulletproof. At least they don't need to worry about some random crook getting a lucky shot.”

Hank chuckled. “Fair enough. But you have to do something with your enhancement. Otherwise what's the point in having it?”

Evan rolled his eyes. “There is no point. It isn't like I asked for this shit, you know? There are certain things I want out of life, and if this enhancement doesn't help me get those things, then what's the point of it? So yeah, if my enhancement is helpful for my job or something, sure, I'll use it, but otherwise I don't need it, so why should I do anything with it?”

“That's- fair, I guess.” Hank muttered. “Though it does make you one of the most boring enhanced I've ever heard of.”

“That's because you only hear about the ones out there doing shit.” Evan pointed out. “The boring ones don't become famous.”

“I guess.” Hank sighed. “Damn it, dude, you had me thinking you were letting me in on some huge secret back there! Letting me into your secret life as a crime fighter! This is barely even gossip!”

“Hey, that's on you man.” Evan protested. “I made it very clear I didn't think this was a big deal.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hank waved dismissively. “Worst. Enhanced. Ever.”

Evan snorted. “Fuck you. I'm telling Amber you hate her cooking.”

Hank shuddered. “Dude, don't even joke about that.”

Evan grinned. “Who says I'm joking?”

*

After convincing Hank to pay for his lunch in exchange for his silence as if they didn't always take turns paying when they went out, Evan got back to work, putting his enhancement out of his mind and falling into a familiar routine, pretty much ignoring it for the rest of the day. Once he got back home he took the spear out and twirled it a few times for fun, but that was it. He truly had no plans to ever use his enhancement. Why would he? His life was good! Why would he fuck that up just because he randomly acquired some weird superpower? And Evan was fully confident in that assertion until he went to sleep and woke up in the same misty non-space from the previous night.

[Enter Dungeon?]

Evan hesitated as he stared at the prompt. A part of him figured he should just leave and get back to sleep, but… Well, there was no reason not to explore the dungeon, right? He'd already proved dying in the dungeon wouldn't affect him in reality, and it wasn't like he was doing anything else while he slept, so why not? Maybe if it started affecting the quality of his sleep he'd stop, but until then… Why not fight some goblins?

Evan summoned the arch and stepped into the dungeon, finding himself in the same room as last time, and just like last time the goblin screeched and rushed at him. Evan summoned his spear, thrusting it towards the goblin, and… it dodged! “Shit- gah!” Evan cried, raising his arm to block as the goblin leapt at him, crying out in pain as it dug its teeth into his arm! He swung his arm, bashing the goblin into a wall then bringing his spear back around to stab it through the chest. “Fucking-” Evan began to growl as the goblin dissolved into blue smoke, pausing as he saw the wound on his arm slowly healing. “Oh, right… dream.” He muttered, having forgotten in the heat of combat. He shook his head as he grabbed the orb from the goblin and a notification informed him he'd received a leather chestplate, which was automatically equipped to his torso slot. He summoned the armor, briefly examining its plain leather before shrugging and continuing deeper, heading down the right path again. “Alright, now, where was that pit trap?” He muttered, cautiously examining the hall as he carefully walked down it, pausing as he caught sight of what looked like a loose tile and giving it a poke with his spear, causing a large section of the floor to collapse. Evan navigated around the pit, watching out for any more traps as he continued down the hallway, pausing once he got to the end and peeking into the room, finding a group of three goblins waiting for him. Evan considered it for a moment, then shrugged. “Fuck it.”

He rushed into the room, stabbing at the nearest goblin, catching it in the shoulder then leaping back as the other two whirled on him with angry shrieks. He waved his spear wildly as they charged, keeping the goblins at bay, until they started to circle him, each one moving in a different direction. Evan cursed under his breath, lunging at one of them before the other could get behind him, but the goblin managed to scramble out of the way, Evan only managing to clip its side, and before he could recover the other goblin leapt on his back, chomping down on his neck! Evan cried out in pain, whirling around in a panic as he tried to throw the goblin off, only for the first goblin to jump in and bite his arm, causing him to drop his spear! In the meantime the third goblin recovered from his initial attack, just in time to rush in and grab the spear, turning it on him and stabbing him in the gut! Finally the goblin on his back managed to tear a chunk out of his throat and Evan collapsed, everything going black.

The next morning Evan blinked awake, staring at the ceiling blankly for a moment, before reaching for his alarm and turning it off. “Well…” He sighed as he rolled out of bed. “That could have gone better.” He paused. “Should I take some fighting lessons?” He wondered, then shook his head. That'd be taking all this too seriously. If he wasn't going to use his enhancement, then the dungeon wasn't important, it was just something to have fun with while he slept. He'd just have to figure out how to beat those goblins on his own.