It had only been six years since the World Break. As near as people could tell, monsters had been attracted to dense populations of humans. Larger cities and metropolises saw multiple Breaks with hundreds if not thousands of monsters. While further out, smaller towns saw few if any monsters in the initial months.

But the danger only spread as more and more creatures flooded through and spread like a plague across the land.

It took years, but players were able to secure safe zones outside the major cities where people could live in peace. And then, they struck back. Mile by mile, they took back what they could and drove the monsters further back into their breaks and into dungeons.

By defeating more monsters, players unlocked new skills and classes but they also brought back spoils of their adventures. Scales harder than steel, metals from other worlds that could be crafted into weapons… the groundwork for a thriving economy built on taking back the Earth.

Artisans, engineers, and blacksmiths crafted jewelry, devices, and equipment so that players couldn’t just survive, but thrive in the most dangerous environments.

Soon it became obvious what resources could be bought and what couldn’t. Gold could buy new armors, enchanted rings, and powerful weapons, but there was no way to return a stat point that had been spent. Or a skill point for that matter.

Balanced on the knife’s edge, players’ lives depended on every decision they made. The right choice could lead to fame and glory. The wrong one could result in ridicule or death.

***

Johann and Hana scouted the platform. It wasn’t likely that two groups of undead would be this close to each other, but no one was taking any chances. Seah kept an eye out while Jinyoung and Cyrus looked over the map together.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She already knew what they knew. There certainly were other paths that would lead back up to the surface, but the dungeon scouts had only given them one path in. That meant they’d have to take an alternate route out. There could be other cave-ins, more corruption, or monsters. Or, there could be worse.

Seah hated being here. She shuddered at the memory of the last time she was in a station.

“We’re clear.” Hana’s voice interrupted Seah’s thoughts.

And it was probably for the best. There’s no use in dwelling on worst-case scenarios.

“Good. Then, we need to find those flags.”

The scouts would have placed the flags in a safe place somewhere on the platform. Out of reach from monsters, but not so well hidden that they couldn’t be found.

Cyrus moved along the platform, looking for any hidden alcoves while the others checked safety cabinets between gas masks and thermal blankets.

“I think I have something here.” Johann’s eyes had picked out a small cabinet sized door underneath the stairs. Inside was a small room, probably used as a break room by those who worked in the station. And, held together by a length of cloth, four green flags.

Johann passed the flags around to three pairs of hands. Someone was missing.

“Where’s Jinyoung?”

A shiver ran down Hana’s spine. Her ears quickened and she tried to scan the platform all at once.

“No need for all that,” Seah whispered softly. “We all know where he went.”

There were few to no signs of corruption in the platform which didn’t jibe with what the team had seen earlier. If it was bad enough to cause a cave-in, then it stood to reason there was a source.

Eventually, they found it. The platform ran north to south. They’d found the flags in a small room by the southside. And when they reached the northside, they could see the rot on the ceilings and floors. The platform itself was designed with more columns and stronger struts than the upper levels of the platform.

Jinyoung was standing on the tracks looking forward. Staring into the abyss.

The subway tunnel on the northside yawned open. Seah could just make out the first 30 or so meters before the black shadows clouded her vision. Johann could probably see a but further, but it was impossible to know exactly what lay beyond the tunnel.

“The mid-boss,” Jinyoung said.