Once the dizzying hues of the dungeon portal dissipated, Charlie and an unexpected kobold found themselves free-falling through the air. They crash-landed onto the cavern floor in a clumsy jumble of limbs. Upon noticing the kobold's movement, Charlie's bewilderment at its presence swiftly evaporated. His hand found the hilt of his sword instinctively, climbing to his feet to confront the creature. But instead of an imminent battle, he was met with the sight of the kobold convulsing and howling on the cold stone floor, its features twisted in unmistakable agony.
He barely had a moment to process this before the thudding rumble of approaching footsteps filled the air behind him. With no chance to face whateverwas approaching, Charlie was suddenly tackled from behind with a heavy thud. A pained grunt echoed in his ears before he was sent sprawling back onto the floor, the impact softened by his armour. As he managed to twist around during the fall, he readied a punch, only to halt mid-motion at the sight of his assailant - his brother, sobbing uncontrollably and clutching him with a desperate intensity. The frantic words about his supposed death barely registered amidst the chaos.
Soon, more footsteps drew his attention to Ellie, who followed suit, pouncing on him with a mix of tears and anxious check-ups for injuries. The last time he had emerged from a dungeon, he'd been worse for wear with a missing eye and finger. This time, he sported nothing more than minor cuts, a smattering of bruises, and a painfully sore left shoulder from the quick dislocation and relocation ordeal.
Suddenly, the kobold's screams escalated to an ear-piercing pitch, its body thrashing violently from side to side. Carter stood nearby, a grim spectator, as the creature's flesh began to sizzle and disintegrate like it was doused in pure Hydrofluoric acid. Its skin bubbled, flesh melted, and blood vaporized in a gruesome display that had Carter doubling over, losing his breakfast to the cavern floor. In a matter of moments, all that remained of the creature were charred bones, which swiftly crumbled into ash, leaving nothing but a horrifying memory behind. As the grim spectacle of the kobold's grotesque demise concluded, Charlie directed his attention towards his brother and friends. A grin crept across his face, a lighthearted attempt to dissipate the grim mood. "Man," he began, his tone laced with a semblance of levity, "that dude really crumbled under pressure. Talk about a bloody meltdown, right?"
At his poor pun, Carter groaned in response, an exaggerated eye roll and a playful shake of his head effectively hiding the relief that eased some of the tension from his brows. Charlie could always count on Carter's pretence of annoyance to lighten the mood.
Ryan, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of mixed emotions. A cacophony of laughter and tears, his tight grip on Charlie was as crushing as it was comforting - a tangible testament to the fear and relief warring within him. Ellie was harder to read. She merely stared, her normally expressive eyes filled with a startling mix of shock, relief and a lingering trace of fear. It was as if the reality of the scene in front of her - a joking, unfazed Charlie - was at odds with the hellish situation they'd just experienced.
"Bellend," she muttered, more out of concern than annoyance. Despite the name-calling, Charlie knew she was worried about him. Her voice was low, barely a whisper, when she asked, "Charlie, are you okay?" Before he could assure them of his relative wellness, Ryan interjected, "We thought we'd lost you, Charlie." His voice wavered, and the words hung heavily in the air. "We've been...we've been avoiding Mom, Dad, and Tyler...all bloody weekend, Charlie." His face mirrored his internal struggle, the sheer terror of the thought of losing his brother. "Every time they called, we pretended everything was fine or didn't answer. We couldn't...we couldn't face telling them you were missing." His voice broke, the cracks revealing his emotional turmoil. "The thought of...of making it real, of admitting that you might be..." He couldn't finish the sentence, the implication hanging in the air like a ghost.
"This morning," Ellie picked up where Ryan left off, her voice stronger but laced with the same fear, "we decided we had to. We were about to leave, bring your parents here...tell them everything." She glanced around the cave, her eyes haunted. "About the Precursor Protocol, the dungeon portals, you being stuck inside...and probably..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the unspeakable unspoken. Ryan swallowed hard, his eyes meeting Charlie's. "Five more minutes, Charlie. Five more minutes, and we would've left...we were on the edge of making your disappearance a reality...when you tumbled out of that bloody portal."
The gravity of their shared near-miss reality settled heavily on them. They had been inches away from facing a nightmare that would have turned their world upside down. And just when they were ready to confront the bleak truth, Charlie had reappeared, puns and all. Heaving a sigh, Charlie broke the silence. "I'm sorry, guys. It was... well, it was just so damn different from the first dungeon." The words slipped from his lips, raw and tinged with weariness. He saw his friends exchange glances. Their faces, illuminated by the ambient cave light, were etched with worry and curiosity. They wanted, needed, to hear his story.
He told them of the utter darkness that swallowed all sense of time and direction, how the tunnel walls seemed to shift and twist like some crazy labyrinth. He described the traps — 'bastard contraptions,' he called them. And then, there were the kobolds... that seemed to take some sadistic pleasure in his torment, a shudder swept through him at the memory of their vicious faces, but he carried on. He spoke of his terror, his desperation, his sheer will to survive, noting the widening of their eyes, the nervous shifts, the rapt attention.
As he narrated his frenzied battle with the monstrous Kraken-like creature and the death of the kobold leader, he could almost feel the adrenaline surge through his veins again, just like it had during that mad race through the dungeon. When his story ended, he could practically hear the stunned silence. Their faces were hard to read, shock, disbelief, maybe even a hint of awe. Carter was the first to break the silence, his face all scrunched up like he'd swallowed a bug, but his eyes... His eyes looked at Charlie differently, like he was seeing him anew. "You're a fucking badass, Charlie," Carter's words were soft but resonated within the cavernous space. It was more than a statement, it was an acknowledgement, a newfound respect. The strain of the last three days was etched deep in Charlie's every movement. His eyelids were heavy, his body ached in places he didn't know could ache, and he was absolutely knackered. His voice, raw and hoarse, echoed off the cave walls as he recounted the horrors of his dungeon nights, every pause punctuated by the quiet echo of dripping cave water.
"The first night, I nearly became kobold takeout. Bloody bastard tried to tie me up while I was sleeping. Can you believe that?" His attempt at levity was a bit forced, but he needed the release. He saw Ellie wince and Ryan clench his fist, but it was Carter who stepped up, his face grim. "Since then, I've barely managed more than a few moments of shut-eye at a time." Charlie continued, his words accompanied by a quiet sigh. The thought of uninterrupted rest was like a tantalizing mirage, too good to be true. "I could really use some rest, guys. And food... God, I'm starving."
Carter was already in motion, rifling through their packed gear for a bedroll and sleeping bag. Charlie saw the understanding in his friend's eyes, no words needed to be exchanged. "We've got your back, Charlie," Carter said, spreading out the bedroll. Despite their bravado, Charlie could see the unease on his friends' faces. They were scared for him, he realized, just as he was scared for himself. But they weren't running away. They were sticking by his side, and that meant more than he could express.
As he lay down to sleep, Charlie tuned out the sounds of his friends whispering around him. Exhaustion settled in deeper with every passing moment, but Charlie was determined to wade through the storm of notifications clouding his vision. There were hundreds of them, perhaps even thousands. Kill confirmations, XP gains, it was all just noise right now. He swiped through them with weary impatience, looking for the gems hidden in the rough.
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In the early days, each tiny XP gain had seemed significant, something to celebrate. But now, after three harrowing days, his perspective had changed. He realized now that obsessing over each minute gain was like chasing shadows in the dark - it led him to take foolish risks, unnecessary gambles. Levels would come when they did, he couldn't force it. With this in mind, Charlie discarded the notifications he deemed irrelevant, keeping an eye out only for those which mentioned significant XP increases or level-ups. His tired eyes skimmed through the screen, occasionally stopping at a particularly intriguing notification before resuming their rapid pace. The last three days had taught him to be pragmatic, to focus on what mattered most. As he once again looked at his remaining notifications, a smirk spread across his face, the first hint of triumph glowing in his eyes as he finally found what he was looking for - a level-up notification.
Congratulations, Precursor!
You have successfully achieved enough experience to reach Level 3.
Due to your [Rank C] potential, you have been awarded 2 free attribute points.
Remember, these attribute points are valuable resources, so choose wisely when allocating them. Your choices will shape your path through the dungeon and determine your effectiveness in overcoming future challenges.
Strive, Survive and Thrive
As Charlie eagerly confirmed his level up, the heavy shroud of fatigue momentarily lifted. Allocating the two hard-earned points straight into his strength, a surge of satisfaction coursed through him. For too long, his cerebral palsy had rendered him physically weaker than his peers; it was about time to rectify that. The sight of his stats, now aligning with the average human or even exceeding that, was a moment of triumph. A physical milestone that felt like a thunderbolt of joy, smashing through years of frustration and limitation.
Charlie's mind began to wander. A recent memory surfaced, casting a ghost of a painful throb across his cheek - the punch from Max, Ellie's twin brother. It felt almost unreal that such an intense confrontation had happened only two weeks ago. He had taken a stand that day, refusing to back down despite the circumstances. At that moment, he realised he had already begun to change - to stop shrinking away from challenges.
And challenges, he decided, were exactly what he craved now. An idea flickered to life, stoking his newfound confidence. Not far from here was a Ninja Warrior circuit. A perfect chance to test his enhanced strength and dexterity against his friends. It would be a test of his progress, a measure of how far he'd really come. Once he caught up on his much-needed rest, he decided, he'd propose this plan to the others.
With a plan of action and a newfound sense of determination, Charlie moved to open the next "important" notification. As he took in its contents, his eagerness melted into shock. Eyes wide, heart pounding in his chest, he found himself staring in utter disbelief at the screen.
Congratulations, Precursor!
You have successfully vanquished "Razorfang" the leader of the Kobolds
and completed level 2 of the dungeon.
Your courageous victory has earned you the following rewards:
250XP
50 gold
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Congratulations
As the first Precursor to complete their level 2 dungeon, you have been awarded:
5 free attribute points
Remember, these attribute points are valuable resources, so choose wisely when allocating them. Your choices will shape your path through the dungeon and determine your effectiveness in overcoming future challenges.
"Jesus Christ!" Charlie couldn't believe what he was seeing. His place... first? His mind reeled, struggling to understand how he, of all people, had achieved such a feat. He'd plunged into the level two dungeon as soon as he could, hoping against hope to maintain his place in the top five. But to actually top the leaderboard? That was beyond his wildest dreams.
He had always believed that the more adventurous and well-prepared contenders would swiftly overtake him as they mastered the first stage. Surely they would be quick to brave the second stage's mysteries and dangers. But against all odds, here he was, holding the top spot.
The realisation that he had taken first place was a shock, but the reward waiting for him was an even bigger one. Attribute points worth two and a half levels! It was a total game-changer, and he wouldn't waste a second exploiting it. "Holy shit," he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief and excitement. His thoughts danced across the screen, bringing up his stat sheet. Charlie's heart pounded in his chest. This unexpected windfall had the power to change everything. A rush of anticipation surged through him as he contemplated the best way to invest this new bounty of points.
Name: Charlie Finn Race: Human [Rank G] Class: Precursor Level: 3 Potential: [T] Rank C EXP: 150/1000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Free Points: 5 Strength: 11 [-4] Dexterity: 10 [-4] Constitution: 10 [-4] Intelligence: 12 [-2] Wisdom: 11 Charisma: 14
There was no hesitation for Charlie this time around. For him, the choice was simple: he'd throw one point into Strength, two into Constitution, and two more into Dexterity. This decision would finally balance out his physical stats, bringing each of them up to twelve. It was a decision he made with an unshakeable conviction, quickly locking the points into place.
His eyes scanned over his stat sheet again, not with a sense of regret or dissatisfaction like before, but with a certain kind of satisfaction. Even with the damnable cerebral palsy debuffs shadowing his attributes, he was above average now. Hell, if he didn't have those debuffs, he'd be at the top of his game. A top-tier human. A few weeks ago, this realization might have stirred resentment, a bitter taste of life's unfairness. But now? Now it fuelled him, igniting a spark of determination, a desire to take the path laid before him and forge his own destiny.
Drained to the bone, Charlie barely managed to bring up the last notification. But what he saw there quickly pushed fatigue to the background. He'd been granted a title, his first, a huff of laughter escaped him as he read the explanation. He had a title for the sheer bull-headed, madcap method he'd used to release the Kraken and clear the dungeon. But then the humour fizzled out, replaced by a shock that ran through him like an electric current. Titles weren't just honorifics. They came with benefits. Significant, game-changing benefits. He felt as if he'd been handed a golden ticket. Only, this wasn't some fantasy tale, this was his life and everything had just levelled up.
Title Awarded:
"Leviathor"
Your audacity to release the Leviathan from its aquatic prison and your subsequent survival of the ensuing chaos exemplifies a level of bravery, cunning and sheer complete utter stupidity that is seldom seen. Although the recklessness of your actions is in question, there's no denying the courage and ingenuity it took to face such a monstrous creature and live to tell the tale.
Bonuses:
You have stared into the eyes of the Leviathan and lived to tell the tale. Its bone-chilling gaze now holds no fear for you.
This grants immunity to the paralyzing stare of any Leviathan
Increase of 10% to all stats
An abrupt 10% surge in all of Charlie's attributes left him dazed. Just moments before, he had been skirting the edges of average, but this leap had catapulted him into the realm of the extraordinary. The bonus had gifted him an extra point in each attribute, an absolute windfall when paired with his triumph in the level two dungeon. In mere seconds, it was as though he'd earned the rewards of over six full levels. This was a seismic shift, a turn of the tide that promised instant and tangible results.
But as the initial exhilaration ebbed, a nagging worry tugged at Charlie. The transformation was bound to be swift and noticeable, wouldn't it draw the unwanted attention of those around him? Such thoughts swirled around in his mind, each one more troubling than the last. "Shit, how the hell am I supposed to handle this?" Charlie muttered to himself, his gaze flitting over the new, elevated figures on his stat sheet.
As fatigue began to weigh him down, though, these thoughts seemed too overwhelming to grapple with. Charlie decided to put off these concerns until he'd caught some sleep and refuelled with a decent meal. Charlie's world began to shrink, his consciousness teetering on the precipice. All he could do now was succumb to the exhaustion clawing at his senses. He allowed his eyes to flutter shut, his world fading to black as the welcoming tendrils of sleep wrapped around him.
Yet, even as the cloak of slumber drew him in, the quiet murmur of voices filtered into his dimming consciousness. His friends and his brother – their words hushed and laden with worry – formed an ambient soundtrack as he slid into the depths of unconsciousness. "'Mm alright, just bloody knackered," he mumbled halfheartedly, a feeble attempt to ease their concerns. But his voice was a mere whisper, lost in the hush that enshrouded him.
In the end, the exhaustion won. As the worried whispers of his companions continued to echo around him, Charlie surrendered himself to the engulfing darkness, leaving the reality of his newly boosted attributes and their potential consequences for a less weary version of himself to confront.