Alex appeared in an enormous cave. Its mystery and gloom resembled the vestibule of a church, but it was too gigantic to be the work of human hands. Smooth stone walls stretched into the distance, disappearing in the darkness. Around him stood towering columns of carved and chipped stone — statues. Some resembled humans, some didn’t. Alex could make out an outline of a star, another looked like the sun. There was also one that looked like a crescent moon, and another depicted the stone figures of a man and a woman in an embrace.

Alex looked down at the statues from a height. He was standing on one of them. Below him, a dark stone tower loomed. They were the Major Arcana, Alex realized, counting twenty-two of them. The huge representations of tarot cards surrounded him.

A shadow swayed at the top of each statue. It was an unusual and lifelike shadow, not just a silhouette. Well, no, these weren’t shadows, these were people, darkened to the point of pure black. There was depth, and Alex could make out the outlines of their clothing, such as a belt jutting out to the side, or pants tapering to the ankles, or a billowing cloak behind them. But there were no colors, no distinguishing features; their faces were obscured, as if the figures had been cut out of black cardboard.

Alex lowered his eyes to his own hands. They were completely black.

Here I’m a shadow too, he realized. So they’re all humans.

Loud voices rang out all around. The shadows screamed and ran around on the statues. It was impossible to come down from such a height, unless they fell to their death.

“What’s going on? Where are we?”

“Who are you? Why am I in a new world again?”

“Mom! Get me out of here!” A small shadow the size of a child cried. Her statue in the shape of a huge wheel stood very far from Alex, and the darkness of the cave obscured the strange runes on its stone. “I want to go back to the previous world! I liked it there! I want to be with my new mother with the pointy ears! And my new father...”

The little shadow disappeared. Just vanished into thin air.

“What’s going on?” Another shadow panicked, running around on a stone angel. “What’s going on here? Let me out! Let me out!”

This shadow also disappeared. And after it, several more panicking figures did as well. Alex shivered and forced himself to calm down. Fear and panic obviously didn’t bode well for the shadows. Finally, a tense silence fell. Only those shades who hadn’t lost their composure and hadn’t begged to be taken out of the cave remained.

“I suggest everyone calm down,” said a shadow with a deep, raspy voice, sitting atop a trumpeting angel. “It seems we can return... at least to the previous world. We just have to ask for it,” he glanced at the empty statue nearby, “just like our unfortunate comrades did.”

“Or they all died,” squeaked a voice from the far end of the circle of statues. Alex didn’t notice to whom exactly it belonged.

Suddenly, the shadow to Alex’s left — a tall, massive figure with an axe — snarled, as if a dragon sighed. It stood tall in its immense stature and said in a booming voice:

“You fools! It’s disgusting to look at you! On Earth, I tore dozens of you apart. Cross my path and I’ll cut you down like cattle. Hey!” He lifted his head to the high ceilings. “Send me back! I’m tired of wasting time here. And I haven’t even managed to put all the peasants on stakes yet. Hurry up!”

The huge shadow disappeared, instantly relieving Alex. He wouldn’t dare turn his back on such a neighbor.

“Some kind of maniac,” muttered one of the remaining people.

Alex looked at the statue of the vanished figure — it was a horned man with hooves. The Major Arcanum of the Devil.

“He’s a real maniac,” Alex thought.

“I repeat: let’s all calm down,” the man on the trumpeting angel said. “Yes, the situation is unusual, to say the least. But we have almost no information. I suggest changing that. First, let’s get to know each other, then we can decide together what to do.” Everyone listened in silence. The man’s calm voice was reassuring. Alex couldn’t imagine how hard it was for the man was to control his emotions. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go first. Hmm, it’s probably best to start at the beginning. I’m from the planet Earth, America, the state of Nevada. I was working as a lawyer in my own firm, had a wife, two children. One day I went to sleep in my room and woke up in another world.”

“Oh, I’m from Earth too!” A cheerful, youthful voice rang out. A wide shadow stood on the statue of a lion. “Australia, Sydney. Did you get some Major Arcanum, too? What is that, anyway? And do you have that RPG interface flashing before your eyes like in ‘War Mages’?”

“What?” The lawyer on the trumpeting angel inquired.

“Come on, man! It’s a computer game!”

“Sir, did you also land in the World of Cataclysms?” Asked a sharp, raspy voice that belonged to the curvy shadow of a girl. She was topping the statue of an old man with a lantern.

“No!” The man on the lion cried. “I’m in the Demonic Adobe! There are no humans there, only huge fire-breathing demons and three-headed hyenas. They keep trying to eat me... Oh, and there are red clouds and three moons. Very beautiful.”

“Humans live in the World of Cataclysms. The sky is cloudless,” the girl said. “And there’s only one moon.”

“You’re unlucky,” the man who lived with the human-eating demons said.

“And I’m in the Heavenly Land,” said a chubby man who had been silent until now. “Everyone there flies in steam airships. It’s like steampunk.”

“I’m in the Heavenly Land too!” Another shadow exclaimed.

The people started talking to each other, and the sound of their voices filled the huge cave. Alex looked at the girl standing to his right and said:

“Hello. You seem calm.”

This girl looked mysterious and enigmatic: she stood on the five-pointed star statue and remained silent, as if she had no interest in talking to her fellow sufferers. That was why Alex was curious about her. People only behaved like that when they already had information.

“Lucky me,” she replied melodiously. “I’ve heard legends about the Arcana. I’ve also heard about this place.”

“From whom?” Alex asked, intrigued.

“When I arrived in this new world, I met a wise master. He took me as his follower.”

“Did you end up in a good place?”

“That depends on what you consider a good place,” she remarked.

“Anywhere they don’t want to eat you,” Alex mused. His concept of a ‘comfortable life’ had changed considerably in recent days.

“Yes, like the university library,” the girl replied with a smile at the memory. “I landed on the lap of my future master.”

“Lucky you,” Alex sighed. “I was thrown into a cave with rats and slimes.”

He suddenly turned toward the circle of statues. He seemed to hear a familiar voice. Alex looked around in confusion. The people’s darkened faces were inscrutable. It was unclear where the voice came from. Or was it just his imagination?

“Have you become an Adept?” The girl on the star asked.

“What’s that?” Alex turned to her again.

“The next step after Neophyte. If you learn one more F-rank technique, you’ll become an Adept...”

The girl kept talking. Some of the information was really useful, but most of the details only concerned her. Alex tried to steer the conversation to more general topics. He wanted to learn more about the Arcana, the System and this cave, but Astrid, as the girl was called, always came back to describing her specific abilities.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“I have the Star Arcanum. The F-level allows a mage to make a mental connection with a star in space. Energy comes to me from that star. My master said I needed a technique to create a fire veil around my body,” Astrid sighed. “But I ended up in the place called the Ice World! There are no fire techniques here!”

“Can you learn techniques?” Alex wondered.

“Of course,” Astrid looked at him as if he was ignorant. At least that was how Alex interpreted it, since her eyes weren’t visible. “Without techniques you’re just an ordinary person, but with them you’re a mage. You buy a tablet and absorb a new technique. If you’re at the F-rank and only have the Major Arcanum at your disposal, you can absorb only one more technique. Then you’ll become an Adept. Right now, you’re still a Neophyte.”

“So, a Neophyte is someone with only one F-rank technique, and an Adept has two?” Alex asked. “When all my techniques reach E-rank, can I increase their number?”

But Astrid didn’t listen to him, “Oh, where can I get the Fire Veil technique?” She lamented. “I would sell my soul for it. My master said that with the Fire Veil, my potential will soar to the heavens!”

Suddenly she fell silent, as did everyone around them, since they all saw the system window:

The scheduled meeting time for the Major Arcana has expired. The Council Hall will now close.

The vast cave filled with shimmering mist, and all its endless voids sparkled as if studded with gems. The next moment, Alex found himself standing at the edge of the snowy forest, next to the tree with exposed roots. The cold pierced him instantly, and the icy wind rustled the frayed edges of his torn pants. Blub was nowhere to be found — the familiar’s time had expired and he had returned to the Tower.

Alex stared into the dense darkness of the snow-covered forest. It seemed as if something was moving between the tree trunks, swaying the tall pine limbs.

He didn’t rush to explore the new surroundings, though the tree trunks might have offered some protection from the wind. Before venturing into more danger, it was wise to gather information. Luckily, he had the local familiar, even if she was stubborn.

But perhaps the Queen of Frost had already been pacified in the company of Marshmallow and Blub. Maybe they had already taught her some manners.

Alex opened the list of familiars and was astonished.

1. Slime-Stingray — an F-rank monster, the second level of Pedigree.

2. Common Rat — an F-rank monster, the zero level of Pedigree.

3. Queen of Frost — a C-rank monster. Potential limited to the second level of F-rank monsters.

C-Rank! During the previous summoning, he didn’t even notice how powerful a monster he had bound himself to. The ice was collapsing, the walls were cracking, and the rocks were falling all around. It wasn’t the time to focus on such trifles.

“Wow, the chains are definitely necessary,” Alex realized. “Thanks for them, great System!”

Obviously, the Queen of Frost had lured Alex to her with her call, like a snake did a mouse, except that she had hypnotized him not with her looks but with her voice. What did she want with Alex? Who knew? Maybe the monster in the form of a beautiful girl just wanted to eat him or drain him like an energy vampire. But Blub didn’t fit in the Queen of Frost’s plans, and now she was sulking in the tower.

Alex summoned the Queen. She appeared before him, clad in crimson chains again. When she saw Alex, she jerked as if slapped and was unable to hide her astonishment.

“You’re alive?” She exclaimed, her eyes scanning the mountains and valleys. “How did you manage to escape? The monsters should’ve devoured you!”

“Those weaklings? Pfff, don’t make me laugh,” Alex scoffed. “Well, Slime-Boeing made me run. After him,” he clarified. “But all in all, it was pretty easy.”

The Queen’s legs nearly gave in beneath her.

“There were a lot of beasts there,” she muttered. “Even for me, a high-ranked... Wait, are you mocking me?” Her blue eyes flashed. “Such an insignificant creature couldn’t have escaped from Lezard’s Dungeon!”

Alex shrugged, “I can tell you how I got out,” he said, looking at his fingernails and wrinkling his nose. “That information is worthless to me.”

“Tell me!” The Queen of Frost demanded.

“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, Frostie,” Alex replied firmly.

“What did you call me? I’m the Queen of Frost, mortal!” The icy girl’s face contorted into an angry grimace. She stomped her foot on the snow.

“Not in my Tower,” he answered calmly. “You’re an F-rank now, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Argh!” The girl snarled, baring her sharp fangs, which had been hidden beneath her plump, parted lips. Now looking more closely, Alex noticed other inhuman features in the Queen’s appearance: sharper nails, dilated pupils, and skin paler than snow.

“Go to the abyss!” The Queen tried to escape into the Tower, her slender body shrouded in a transparent mist.

Alex clenched his fists. He couldn’t afford to show any weakness now.

“Stay where you are, familiar!” He barked loudly. “I didn’t release you!”

The Queen of Frost looked at him scornfully, like a biologist studying a microbe. But in the next moment, the crimson chains flared, and the girl ceased to be transparent.

“How?” Her cheeks even turned slightly pink. “How did you do that?”

Alex understood that answering her questions would show weakness. He had to stand his ground, no matter what.

“From now on we’re in the same boat,” he said coldly.

The Queen looked at him with a hint of respect in her icy eyes.

From the forest came the sound of cawing, roaring, and shouting.

“Humans are coming to you,” the Queen of Frost said suddenly. “You’d better let me go back. Having a high-level monster next to you will make them suspicious.”

“You’re F-ranked now,” Alex observed mechanically.

“No, the chains limit my power, but I’m still immortal,” the Queen of Frost said with irritation. “Think faster. Lezard’s seal is broken, and soon hordes of monsters will pour out of the dungeon. Then the humans will wonder why you’re messing with the strongest of them.”

Alex hesitated, listening to the sounds. The cries of frightened birds were coming closer, and with them unknown people. They might be armed and have their own techniques.

“Listen, I’m not much help to you in my state right now,” the Queen of Frost rolled her eyes. “These people have reached E-rank. They are all masters and grandmasters. Your best bet is to hide me, then you might have a chance to survive.”

Alex sighed. He had no choice but to listen. After all, that was why he had summoned the girl — for advice. He could always do that again later.

Two rats appeared from behind a low ridge. Clicking their teeth, the creatures charged at Alex. Before he could react, a strong, narrow gust of wind scorched their faces. Yelping, they retreated, leaving drops of blood in the white snow. Alex turned to the Queen. She had raised her hands, clenching them into fists, and rings of swirling whirlpools enveloped her delicate, aristocratic fingers.

“Filthy creatures,” the girl said in disgust.

“Why did you help me?” Alex asked.

“We’re in the same boat now,” she replied reluctantly, turning her haughty face away.

Alex thought for a moment.

“Return to the tower,” he nodded.

The icy girl vanished in an instant.

Shortly after, a group of three people emerged from the thicket of gnarled trees. They were dressed in leather armor decorated with various patterns. Short swords hung from their belts, and sturdy cloaks fluttered on their backs. Alex, frozen by the cold, would have liked to wrap himself in one of those cloaks.

“Ogner! Look!” The tallest of the men shouted when he saw Alex.

“Hello,” Alex waved, holding out his hands to show that he was unarmed.

Immediately, the men drew their swords. The strangers quickly surrounded Alex in a semicircle, their eyes scrutinizing the young man in strange clothing.

Ogner, the leader of the scouts, was astonished: he had never seen such a strange man — his unconventional shirt, though torn and dirty, seemed to be made of expensive cloth, with a golden chevron, surely a symbol of foreign nobility, if not royalty. His hands were smooth, without calluses, and the blond hair and gray eyes only complemented the unusual picture.

A happy thought flashed through Ogner’s mind — if he returned this blond young man to the wealthy northern aristocrat-parents, perhaps they would reward him generously for saving their son.

Meanwhile, Alex stood there, feeling like a fish out of water. He watched as the granite-faced man with the healthiest build lit up, his eyes glittering with an eerie joy that sent shivers down Alex’s spine.

“You’ve come quite far,” Ogner took a step closer, not lowering his sword.

“Far?” Alex repeated, trying to convey peaceful intentions.

“Yes. Where are you from? The northern continent, perhaps?”

“Seems like it,” Alex nodded, then sighed and gestured to his torn pants. “As you can see, I’ve been fighting for days. My head is spinning.”

“We saw it,” another man nodded. “We saw someone, like a comet, streak across the sky after emerging from the dungeon. Then we felt a powerful surge of energy. Was that you?”

“It was,” Alex didn’t deny it.

The men exchanged glances. One of them had to turn his whole body to face his comrades, for it seemed as if his head sat almost directly on his shoulders, without a neck. Actually, he had such a bulky neck that it flowed seamlessly into the strong back and broad shoulders.

Ogner took another glance at the yellow chevron on the man’s shirt. It was an intricate emblem, very intricate. The perfectly formed letters vaguely resembled the crest of one of the Imperial families of the Northern Empire. At first glance, the youth appeared weak, even frail, but he was tall and his shoulders weren’t narrow, which meant he had been well fed as a child, as befitted a wealthy nobleman’s son or a prince.

Alex absentmindedly adjusted the ‘SECURITY’ label on his shirt. Under Ogner’s scrutinizing gaze, he felt like he was in an army camp.

“I want to warn you,” Alex still tried his best to demonstrate peaceful intentions. Nevertheless, the sight of the drawn blades made him nervous. “Recently, thousands of monsters have poured out from the underground caves. I’ve already encountered a couple of rats on the surface. I’m afraid this is just the beginning. Soon others will appear as well.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Ogner nodded sadly. “We, too, have felt the signs of the invasion. Besides, we’ve already had encounters with packs from the dungeon.”

“I see,” Alex replied.

“My name is Ogner,” the leader of the group said. “We serve the Lord of Golden Hill, his camp is nearby. I think you should come with us and have a talk with the Lord.”

Ogner’s men were in no hurry to sheathe their swords, which greatly influenced Alex’s decision.

“I would be most grateful for your invitation,” Alex remembered his manners. “My name is Alex.”

“Excellent, Sir Alex,” Ogner pointed his blade in the direction of the coniferous thicket. “Please, this way. The camp is just beyond the grove and underbrush.”

Alex walked in the indicated direction, the snow crunching under the boots of the Lord’s men following close behind. He tensed up. It felt as if Ogner’s sword might cut through the air with a sharp whistle and strike his back at any moment. But instead of the sound of the blade, he heard something else:

“Ogner, do you really think the Lord will be frightened by the invasion of the beasts and decide to leave?” One of the men asked. “What about the Holy Slime? We came all this way for that!”

Alex immediately understood which slime they were talking about.