The air inside was warmer and damper than the sewer tunnels, and the fungal glow cast long, distorted shadows across the walls. The chamber was larger than I had anticipated, with several narrow tunnels leading deeper into the Warrens.

Then I heard it. A high-pitched squeaking, followed by the sound of scuttling claws on stone.

Two giant rats emerged from one of the tunnels. They were easily the size of small dogs, with thick, matted fur, beady red eyes, and long, naked tails. They snarled, their sharp teeth bared, and advanced towards me, their movements surprisingly agile.

My heart pounded in my chest. This was it. My first real fight.

I gripped the axe tightly, my knuckles white. I had no training, no experience, but I had to fight.

The axe raised towards one rat, the shield ready to bash the other. One hand for each rat.

The rats attacked, lunging at me with surprising speed. I swung the axe, aiming for the head of the closest rat. The axe connected with a sickening thud, and the rat collapsed to the ground, its skull crushed.

The other rat shrieked and leaped at me, its claws trying to scratch my arm. I swung the makeshift shield at him. It worked.

I swung the axe again, this time connecting with the rat’s flank. It squealed in pain and fell to the ground, twitching.

Victory.

The fight was over quickly, but it had been brutal. I was breathing heavily, my heart still racing. I looked at the two dead rats, their lifeless eyes staring up at me.

I had never taken a life before. But this new world has forced me to change. I was expecting some sort of emotional moment, a catharsis or at least a system prompt. I got nothing.

I took a deep breath. Settle my breathing and checked my body, my shield, my weapon. Then, I moved. I moved deeper into the dungeon, cautiously exploring the tunnels.

The fungal glow illuminated the way, but it also cast long, distorted shadows that made it difficult to see clearly. It was challenging. It was thrilling.

But my mind was filled with certainty.

I can do this.

Then, less than one minute later, my thoughts were filled with certainty yet again.

Who the fuck said I could do this? Shit! Damn it! Fuck!

As I reached another chamber, three giant rats emerged from the darkness. They were larger than the first two, and they moved faster and in a weirdly coordinated fashion. Do rats hunt in packs?

It was at this moment I knew, I fucked up.

This fight was much, much harder. The rats attacked from multiple angles, their sharp claws and teeth tearing at my clothes. I swung the axe wildly while trying to keep them at bay with the shield.

I killed two of them just like before, but that created an opening that allowed the third rat to bite me on the leg. The pain was sharp and intense, and I stumbled back, falling to the ground.

The rat saw its chance and leaped on top of me, its teeth bared, ready to finish me off. Aggressive, but not that smart. So, I raised the axe, bringing it down with all my remaining strength. The axe connected with the rat’s head, and it collapsed beside me.

I hit the already dead rat once again, for good measure, wincing in pain. The bite on my leg was deep, and the wound was bleeding. It wasn’t just a scratch. This was bad.

I sacrificed a portion of my shirt, which now was sort of looking like a cropped tank top, to make a bandage of sorts so I can at least stop the bleeding. Next stop? Home. Wash the whole thing, and the bandage and myself. And I hope it will be enough.

I checked the bodies of the rats, finding the spirit shards embedded in their fur, near the base of their skulls. I carefully collected them, placing them in my pocket.

I counted them. Two more. Combined with the ones I already had, I now had twelve. I got two more shards in less than ten minutes. But screwed myself in the process.

The wound on my leg was a serious problem with the distinct possibility of turning into a deadly one if I didn’t act fast. It was deep, and still bleeding. If I had a campfire I would most certainly know how to solve the bleeding and stave away infection in a single painful move. But I didn’t.

Either way, I couldn’t continue fighting in this condition. And if my hearing wasn’t messed up I would have company soon. For all that I knew that was a rat wave incoming.

I looked around the chamber, while limping towards the way I came, but I noticed a narrow tunnel that I hadn’t seen before. It was hidden behind a pile of rubble, but it looked like it led upwards.

I knew the surface wasn’t ideal, but how was I supposed to deal with a bunch of rats while limping through narrow sewer corridors? Better to find a smaller exit and sacrifice my shield to block their way while I did my best to escape.

I approached the tunnel cautiously, pushing the rubble aside. The tunnel was narrow, which was perfect, my shield would be a fine blockade. But it was also steep, which wasn’t ideal when your left leg is down for the count. I swear I was feeling my leg go numb.

Still, it was much, much better than going down or trying my luck in the sewers. And it still seemed like an exit. No sounds and too much light for it to be anything else. Or so I told myself.

As the scurrying noise became a little louder I squeezed through the tunnel, climbing upwards. After a couple of meters of climbing in a rather awkward position I slide my shield down and use my right leg to turn it within the narrow tunnel. It protested, but two kicks later and it was back to its former function as a grate. I sighed and kept making my way up using the axe as a climbing tool.

The air became fresher as I got closer to the surface. Finally, I reached the end of the tunnel and found myself facing yet another metal grate.

Very weird. This wasn’t part of the sewers. Was it?

I gently pushed the grate open, doing my best to be silent, and climbed out, emerging into the dim light of the outside world. It was late afternoon. And a dozen steps away was a wall of haze. Huh?

I sighed. I was near what seemed to be the border of the instance. The air shimmered slightly, as if heat was rising from the ground. And I just knew what I had to do.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

[Instance borders are mild spatial distortions that keep the instances completely independent from the overworld. They usually present themselves as a wall of atmospheric pressure that might be shown as a wall of haze if it’s warmer outside, of mild fog if it’s colder outside, of dense fog if it’s freezing cold outside, of gently falling water if it’s raining outside, and so on. But it might also appear in various different configurations according to the differences between the conditions inside and outside the barrier. A barrier might present itself in different configurations over border points due to different external conditions.]

And there goes one shard. Eleven left. But at least I pretty much confirmed. This is a border.

I looked back at the grate, then at the wound on my leg. It had stopped bleeding, but my leg was now shaking a little. Not a good sign. I checked my back pockets. One meal worth of food with me.

Sigh.

I wasn’t feeling particularly confident in acquiring spirit shards within this instance fast enough. Not when three big rats were more than enough to fuck me up like this. That’s it. It was time to get out of this place and find another way to get shards, and then return.

I only got eleven spirit shards after eight days. And now I needed to rest and recover.

Ten will be gone after I cross the border. If I survive after stepping out I would need… at least three weeks to get the twenty five shards, if I find them like I did it in here, before coming back to rescue Mark and take him out with me.

Well, a little over one month of waiting inside the crystal is not that bad. I spent over two months there and I am still fine. And Mark did need some recovery time, I guess. Plus, he did give me clear instructions: hide, leave, come back. So, I’m not really leaving him behind, right?

It was time to leave. I wish I had time to fetch my food, but for now, I need to find a way to tend my leg and crawling in sewers will definitely screw me.

Maybe, just maybe, I might come across people who can help me find out how to get things done without getting fucked up by what seem to be “level 1” enemies. Whatever that means.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the barrier.

And I felt it before the system added insult to injury.

*Leaving instance. Ten spirit shards were absorbed by the barrier.*

The shards I was holding were gone.

Stepping out of the shimmering distortion that marked the edge of the instance felt like stepping into a different world, even though it was technically the same… merged world. The air here was clearer, less heavy and missing the metallic tang and damp earth scent. The swirling sky, while still chaotic, seemed almost peaceful.

And there were other people. Holy shit that was fast.

A small group had set up a makeshift camp just a couple dozen meters from the instance’s edge. A small fire crackled merrily, casting flickering shadows across their faces. Several skewers, laden with what looked like chunks of meat and vegetables, were roasting over the flames. A wooden keg rested nearby, its spigot dripping occasionally.

They looked… out of place. Like they had stepped straight out of a LARP event. One of them, a tall, muscular man with a braided beard and leather armor, carried a large, two-handed sword. Another, a woman with long, flowing red hair and a tunic, held a wooden staff. Others wore a mix of scavenged clothing and makeshift armor, creating a bizarre ensemble that somehow fit perfectly within this bizarre new reality. Make no mistake, I was clearly the odd looking one.

My black hair was filled with dust and grime, my shirt was pretty much gone, same for my pants that were no more than rags at this point and my shoes were caked in mud. There wasn’t a single patch of skin in my body that was clean. I didn’t have time to clean up after the clusterfuck that was my first delving session. I was definitely not expecting to meet people this fast.

Sure, I could have cleaned up within the instance before coming out, but I don’t think a roaming gator would just ignore me while I did that. Also, the whole mud and grime must help hiding my scent from those damned things. It was a strategic choice, ok? Shit.

I could see the group was somewhat tense while trying to appear calm. Was I looking the same? Or I was just looking like a deer in headlights? Because that’s how I was feeling. Still, I stretched and fainted normalcy, whatever that meant now, before lifting my hand in a small gesture of greeting.

I took in the atmosphere around the campfire. Their gear and posture. It made a strange kind of sense. Who was I to question anything anymore? The world had instances, dungeons, and a System to make sure it all worked. Why not people dressed like fantasy characters?

They turned to me as I emerged from the instance, their faces a mixture of curiosity and caution, watching as I stretched and greeted them. Certainly doing the same thing as I was, evaluating the other party, judging. I did feel a little lacking.

Finally, the man with the sword suddenly stopped frowning and stepped forward, smiling, his hand resting on the hilt. Did he somehow conclude I pose no threat at all?

“Well met,” he said, his voice deep and resonant. “You’ve come out of that instance. That is quite a feat if I may say. Escaped in one piece?”

I nodded slowly, my eyes scanning the group. They seemed… friendly enough.

“I did,” I replied, my voice hoarse from disuse.

“Welcome, then,” the man said, gesturing towards the fire. “Rest, warm yourself. You look like you’ve seen better days. Or weeks.”

I hesitated for a moment, then cautiously approached the fire. The warmth was welcome, chasing away the chill that had settled in my bones during my time in the sewers. I barely noticed it then.

I sat down on a nearby log, keeping my distance from the others. I kept my eyes moving, observing their movements, their expressions. It was a habit ingrained from years of navigating the cutthroat world of social interactions. And in this new world, that felt even more justified.

“I am Gareth,” the man with the sword said, extending his hand. “And these are my companions: Elara, Finn, Bronwyn, and Rhys.”

I shook his hand briefly, my grip firm but not aggressive. “Vincent,” I replied.

“So, Vincent,” Gareth said, his eyes twinkling. “What did you face within the instance?”

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But at this moment there was no point in sounding mysterious and even less of a point in sugarcoating it. “Big ass lizards,” I said finally. “Velociraptors on steroids with alligator jaws.”

“Raptors?” Elara, the woman with the staff, asked, her eyes widening. “Did we meet those?”

“Truth be told, they look more like small spinos,” Finn said. “With thick tails.”

Gareth nodded slowly. “Ah, yes. We’ve come across them before. Nasty swamp creatures.”

I noticed the way he said “come across”. It was a subtle detail, but it reinforced my notion that these people were much more experienced in this new world than I was.

“I managed to keep away from them,” I said, not wanting to go into detail.

“I believe you,” Gareth said, smiling. “You seem unscathed enough.”

I glanced down at my leg, at the torn trousers now covering my wound. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, thankfully, but I still didn’t want to draw attention to it.

“It was a close call,” I said simply.

“Well, you’re safe now,” Gareth said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Rest, eat, and drink. You’ve earned it.”

He gestured towards the fire and the keg. “We have some roasted rabbit and some… well, it’s not exactly fine ale, but it works.”

I nodded gratefully and took a piece of the roasted rabbit. It was tough and slightly charred, but it was hot and filling. I also took a sip from the keg. It was water, thankfully, slightly stale but still refreshing.

As I ate, I continued to observe the group. And they seem to not really care about my presence, except for the archer, Finn, who never looked away. Smart.

They were all armed, some with swords and bows, others with daggers and clubs. They moved with a confidence that I lacked, a sense of familiarity with this dangerous world.

They started talking among themselves about some of their experiences, encounters with different creatures, brief explorations of some instances. They spoke of spirit shards as if they were common currency, casually mentioning the acquisition of “gifts” from the System.

I listened intently, trying to glean as much information as possible. They mentioned different types of challenges, difficulties, resources and kept on discussing as if planning to go after them. They even mentioned rumors of powerful artifacts and hidden locations.

They were survivors, adapted to this new reality, experienced in its dangers and its rewards.

I finished my meal and took another sip of water. I needed to find a way to get more spirit shards, to become stronger, to be able to protect myself. And these people… they might be the key.

Despite how stupid it might sound, I got a new strategy. Time to make some friends.