All actions have their consequences. The outcome could be either beneficial or detrimental, and sometimes it depends on your point of view. Leo's point of view was that he was royally screwed.

'Why did I even decide to do this?'

He was still unsure how exactly did he end up here. He didn't plan to. Initially, his plans for this summer break were very different. Instead of being lost in a cave, he was supposed to be doing some medieval battle recreation, but since he finished his first university year with excellent grades, his father rewarded him with an all-inclusive trip to a resort area where he had some property. A small, but finely equipped lodge that lay on a plot of land neighboring a rather upscale resort in a mountainous area. There weren't many people around there at the time, so Leo thought it would be great if he went hiking during those two weeks he was going to spend here. Life had a bit different idea in store.

Just as he arrived at his father's lodge, the epidemic struck. All travel aside from emergencies was restricted. Leo was supposed to relax for a couple of days while he waited for a guide since it was a winter resort that had basically zero activity in the summer. Now though, the guide wasn't coming. Even worse was the fact that the internet connection was pretty much nonexistent here, and reception wasn't much better.

However, this was the least of Leo's problems. Since he had maps and GPS available to him he decided to scout the resort area himself. Who was going to stop him anyway? After skimming through the guide he found a part that was talking about a cave located in the mountain range. Apparently, within that cave was a special kind of bioluminescent algae that made underground pools of water and stalagmites shine. Pretty cool right? Several days of boredom times an energetic young man equals impulsive decisions.

This is how Leo found himself in his current predicament, lost in a cave network with no idea where to go.

'What a fucking idiot. You couldn't just chill and sunbathe, no, you HAD to go watch some stupid shiny rocks.'

Leo sighed deeply, trying hard not to think about what could happen if he couldn't find a way out. His phone was dead; he hadn't been able to charge it because power outlets do not occur naturally in caves. In case something happened he needed to keep his wits about him. This meant keeping calm and thinking rationally. So far, everything he had seen suggested that the cave system consisted only of one large cavern, which was connected by several smaller tunnels leading deeper into the mountains. The problem was, he had no idea which one led to the surface.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Still, he kept walking, dragging his weary body further, hoping that he would find some sign that would tell him where to go after the next turn. It felt like hours passed before finally he saw light ahead of him. That must be it! He pushed on only to find that he was back at the central cavern. The last tunnel he took looped back here. Frustrated, Leo sat down against a wall, taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself. The flashlight in his hands was already very warm from how long it was on.

So far he tried three out of eight tunnels connected to this cavern. One might think that it should be easy to just go back through the tunnel he arrived here originally. The problem was that they all looked the same. When he initially descended he did not expect that the tunnels were actually interconnected and formed a bona fide natural labyrinth.

Leo sighed and looked around. While currently, he was quite dispirited, he had to admit that the cavern was truly breathtaking. He almost didn't believe it was real when he first saw it. Even now, when the "Wow!" factor wore off he was still amazed. Glowing stalagmites sounds great, but seeing it in real life is different. Almost as if you suddenly entered some magical realm hidden away from everyone's eyes.

His gaze fell onto the pool right beside him. The water was crystal clear and reflected the ceiling above it perfectly. Smaller stalactite formations hung from its edges, creating a surreal scene. They seemed to move slightly as if they were waving at him.

"Hey, buddy. You fucked up."

Leo felt silly talking with his own reflection. He knew it wouldn't answer. He opened his mouth, but before he could talk he heard a voice.

[Congratulations to the inhabitants of Earth.]

[Your world was chosen to be integrated.]

"Wait what?"

At first, he thought he was going insane and his reflection began to talk to him. But then he realized that he really had heard someone speaking aloud. But the voice was in his head instead.

[Initiating System.]

"Who-"

A sudden feeling of vertigo swept over Leo, causing him to stumble backward until he bumped into a rock face. Before he could recover his balance, a wave of energy surged across his entire body, making him feel like his body was being squeezed from all directions. He felt like the cavern was spinning wildly around him. Then blackness enveloped his mind and consciousness faded away…

[Congratulations on the Integration]