The floor is lava. You got this. Think, damn it.

The roof of the library, partially consumed by the redwood tree, was the closest. It was slightly lower than the building I was on, but the gap was obviously insurmountable. And even if I could make such a jump, the landing zone looked precarious. The roof was covered in loose tiles, and a misstep could send me tumbling down. It’s much worse than the roof I’m currently on.

Beyond the library, the rooftops of the student dorms became even more fragmented, separated by wider gaps and varying heights. It would be a treacherous route, requiring multiple climbs. Both up and down. And even if I managed to navigate it, I would eventually have to come down.

My gaze drifted down to the ground. Two of the three reptilian creatures were still down there, circling the base of the building and hissing, their eyes fixed on the roof. They hadn’t given up. They were patient hunters, willing to wait for their prey to make a mistake.

There was no easy way down. No fire escapes, no accessible ladders. I would have to jump, or find another way. Neither option was appealing.

A thought struck me. The fire hose. Every building had them, stored in red metal cabinets, one on each floor, one near the entrance and… one near the roof access. And next to them, a fire axe.

The axe might come in handy, but it was the hose I was really after. Those things were incredibly resilient, designed to withstand high pressure. It would be strong enough to support my weight, and long enough to reach the ground. A way those creatures couldn’t follow or guard.

The decision was made. I would have to go back inside. And I was perfectly aware there were only two of the scaly things visible down there.

I took one last look at the floors down below from the edge of the roof, trying to memorize the layout while identifying dead ends and potential escape routes. But there wasn’t really much I could tell, not from here. So, I turned back to the roof access door.

I got a plan. A simple one.

The bolt was still in place. I slid it back, the metal scraping against metal. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, cautiously peering into the narrow corridor.

It was dark and dusty, the air thick with the smell of stale air and mold. The corridor was cramped, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Those creatures, with their bulky bodies and thick tails, would have a hard time navigating this space.

This brought my plan back to my mind for a moment. It was sort of a gamble, but it was the best option I had. To bet those creatures wouldn't be able to follow me. To be that the structures that could grant me protection against them wouldn’t be partially destroyed, letting them come after me.

I slipped into the corridor, moving quickly and silently, my footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust on the floor. Days worth of dust, a couple of months at least, I noticed. Just like the system said.

78 days ago, this mess started. And I was trapped in crystal this whole time.

The system surely didn't hold back punches. It had no qualms about telling me I was encased in crystal for two and a half months with the same tone as someone reciting a grocery shop list.

But at least I seemed fine. Not really weakened or anything. Or at least not more than my usual self after climbing improvised vertical stairs and now searching for firefighting supplies within a building with a potential five-meter-long man eating lizard waiting to bite my head off. Delightful.

The corridor led to a small storage room, cluttered with old furniture and discarded equipment. I carefully navigated through the clutter, avoiding anything that might make noise.

The fire hose cabinet was on the far side of the room, painted a bright, almost garish red. I approached it cautiously, my heart pounding in my chest.

The cabinet was locked, but the glass was cracked. I reached out and carefully pried away the broken shards. Inside the cabinet, the fire hose was neatly coiled, its brass nozzle gleaming in the dim light. Next to it, mounted on the wall, was the fire axe. Its head was heavy and slightly duller than I expected, but it seemed quite sturdy.

I grabbed the axe, hefting it in my hand. It felt surprisingly balanced, even with its weight. It wasn’t a weapon I was trained to use, because I wasn’t trained to use any, but it was better than nothing.

I turned my attention to the hose. It was thick and heavy, made of a durable canvas material. I uncoiled it carefully, checking for any damage. It seemed to be in good condition.

I detached it and carried the hose to the roof access door. It was heavier than I thought. I opened the door slightly and peered out onto the roof. It’s still peaceful. No sign of gator number three so far.

I quickly secured one end of the hose to a sturdy metal beam near the edge of the roof, wrapping it around several times and tying it off with a tight knot. I checked the knot twice, making sure it was secure.

Then, I pushed the other end of the hose over the edge of the roof and carefully let it descend in a controlled and smooth manner. It unspooled without problem, reaching all the way to the ground. So far, so good.

I tested the hose, putting my weight on it cautiously. It held firm. It was my escape route. I just need to make sure if it was still a feasible one.

I went back to check on the two gators that were circling the building. Turns out that they somehow draw the attention of more stinking lizards. There were seven of them now.

If I get caught by them I go back to become a crystal. Apparently we, as in humans, were the only species that cleared the system`s benchmark when it came to some usefulness rank among all the creatures from nine different worlds that got thrown into this mix.

Fortunately and unfortunately, this means we are suitable to be turned into vessels that can draw and circulate spirit energy, fancy system batteries if you will, encased in crystal and sustaining the system, its inner workings and this place.

This is not as bad as I first believed. This allows the system to sustain this instance. To let people in and out by using spirit shards. Death is not the end, or so it seems. And this means there's really a chance for a rescue party to make it here, deal with the lizards and free everyone.

But I won’t count on that. Not when over two months went by while I was trapped in a crystal coffin and the only person that came back to the rescue was a half dead Mark. He probably set me free because I was the one standing closer to what used to be the door. Yeah, right.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I made a quick mental summary of everything I got from the system after spending all the ten spirit shards that Mark gave me. And which I assume were intended for me to cross the border. Sigh.

The pitiful amount of information I had was barely enough to get me going.

Keep away from crocs. Bitches can’t climb. Find dungeons. Get shards. Play safe. Don’t play fair.

I took a deep breath. Alright, it was a little more information than that, but these were the key points and the rest was still sort of a mess. I will need many more shards, and probably a notepad, to make sense of it all and plan accordingly. For now, let’s be optimistic and assume those velocicrocs are my only problem. Because they are quite enough as it is.

Then I began to climb down the hose, my hands gripping tightly, my feet finding purchase on the rough canvas. The descent was slow and arduous, but I was making progress.

I took one last look at the office window, the place where I had woken up to this shit. One of the creatures was still there, oblivious to my escape plan. As if waiting for my return.

As I neared the ground, I could hear the creatures to the side of the building stirring, sensing movement perhaps. I quickened my pace, my heart pounding in my chest.

I reached the ground, landing softly on my feet. And releasing the breath I had been holding. I look behind me, both up and down. No velocicrocs ready to pounce on me from a window. All clear.

Then the creatures appeared from the side of the building and turned towards me, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger. But I was already prepared, taking a stance to sprint away from the building, towards the shattered remains of the campus.

The creatures responded accordingly. Spreading without advancing towards me as if to block all possible paths and pounce on me before sharing a meal. They weren’t as stupid as I wished. But it didn’t really matter.

I smirked.

“Not happening, you big dumb fucks.”

I took one step back and slid down the sewers through the water drainage system.

The landing had been rough, but thankfully, the ground was soft enough to cushion the impact. It was only concrete, very soft. Shit.

The creatures, now closer, hissed and snapped. I didn't give them a second glance. I backed away from the concrete drainage aperture. It was a narrow, rectangular opening, barely wide enough for me to squeeze through. Far too small for those oversized lizards. It was my best bet.

I was inside. They were outside. And I will do my best to keep it that way.

Sliding in was a somewhat tight fit, but I managed to squeeze quite easily through the opening, barely scraping my shoulders against the rough concrete. I could only hope that when the worlds got mashed up as one that the sewer network was somewhat preserved due to the fact that it was underground.

If somehow the sewers were open to the surface somewhere, with openings big enough for those nasty gators to come after me, I would most likely be screwed. So, there was no time to lose.

I dropped to my knees and peered into the darkness. The air inside was damp and stale, smelling of stagnant water, but thankfully nothing worse. And the fact that it smelled like that was good, it means the chance of an opening that allowed fresh air inside has gone down significantly.

The drainage system was a network of narrow tunnels, unfortunately not high enough for me to stand upright, but it would do fine. It was dark, claustrophobic, and utterly silent, save for the occasional drip of water. But it was safe. Or at least it seemed so.

I turned back to the entrance, just in time to see one of the creatures thrust its snout into the opening, its jaws snapping. Its reptilian eyes, cold and menacing, met mine. It couldn't reach me, though. The aperture was too small.

I raised the fire axe, gripping the handle tightly. It wasn't a proper weapon, not really. But it was the only thing I had. And since it couldn’t reach me and I could reach it, well, why not?

With a grunt, I swung the axe with all the force I could muster, bringing it down on the creature's snout. The impact sent a jolt of pain up my arms.

The axe connected with a sickening thud. It wasn't the clean cut I had hoped for. It was more like hitting a thick tree trunk. The axe head bit into the creature's snout, creating a deep gash, but it didn't sever anything. The creature recoiled with a snarl, a thin trickle of dark blood oozing from the wound.

It was underwhelming, to say the least. It was more like a deep scratch than an actual cut. Barely any blood came out of it. No wonder everyone seems to have turned into crystal statues.

And the way the axe got stuck in the creature's jaw was also worrying, it was the only tool I had, a very necessary tool to remove the grates that would block his path in the sewers.

No hitting the crocs. The axe is essential. Got it.

Spitting on the ground as if to make a point of having my manly act of violent retribution as a statement that I won’t be taken down easily, I turned away from the entrance, deeper into the darkness of the drainage system. The creature’s frustrated hisses echoed behind me, but they couldn't follow. I smirked. Childish? Yes. Did it feel good? Also yes.

I took tentative steps forward, the concrete floor cold and damp beneath my feet. The darkness was broken by faint patches of light filtering in from the occasional grate above. Roughly a light shaft every couple dozen meters or so, lot’s of grates and possible entrances. Hopefully, they are all small.

But for most of the time visibility was very poor. So, I held the axe out in front of me, using it to feel my way forward, tapping it slowly and quietly on the walls and the floor.

The air was thick. It was a damp, oppressive smell that clung to the back of my throat. I could hear the constant drip, drip, drip of water, each drop echoing in the confined space. I kept telling myself this was a good sign. No fresh air means no sudden chambers filled with crocs from outside.

I moved slowly, cautiously, my senses on high alert. I was safe from the large creatures, but who knew what else lurked in these dark tunnels? Giant snakes? Tiny, agile chicken sized crocs? I shuddered at the thought. And had no spirit shards to ask the greedy system out about it.

The drainage system should run beneath the entire campus. If I have enough time, I can access any building from here. Maybe even make it out of here eventually, reaching the border. But time was a precious commodity. And I had no idea how much of it I had. I need water. And food.

I continued my slow, methodical progress, using the axe to clear away any debris that blocked my path in case I needed to run back. Trying to be as silent as possible. Not easy when you are hitting concrete to take out rusty grates out of the way.

Occasionally, I would come across a larger chamber or a junction where multiple tunnels converged. I would pause, listening intently for any sounds, before choosing a direction and continuing on. No idea if one of the crocs could reach there, but they could certainly fit in.

Squeezing through two narrow apertures in a roll, I stopped. Eyebrows raised.

The tunnel opened into a much wider space, a chamber with an area of at least fifty square meters and a bunch of metal grates set high in the ceiling. Way too high for me to reach them.

The near encounter with the creature’s jaws was still fresh in my mind. The way it tried to catch me even while knowing that I was out of reach. The irrational drive of the hunt. I needed a moment to catch my breath anyway, no harm in properly assessing the situation.

So, I sat down and took a couple deep breaths while looking around.

I examined the grates carefully. They were made of thick metal bars, set into the concrete ceiling. A much heavier set than the small grates I have found so far. But that didn’t mean it was safe. Those creatures were strong. They could probably bite onto the bars and pull the grates down, or up in this case, creating a new entrance. An entrance that was big enough for them.

Also, the grates were roughly four meters above me, completely out of reach for now. No way to reinforce them or anything. A big croc decides to go berserk up there, and it might just bring the whole thing down. And then he, as his scaly friends, will come after me.

And then I look around the chamber again. And then I looked up again. Then at the floor. Then up one more time. Then I got up and took a leisurely walk around the chamber while touching the walls.

I didn’t even realize I was smirking until I stopped in the center of the chamber while looking up as the afternoon sun hit my eyes, making me frown.

This will do just fine. And it will be fun.