I descended into the depths of the tree-building. The first room was a dirt chamber - the walls were lined with simple weapons of all kinds. Swords, spears, shields, standard fantasy fare. Notably, there was no sign of any weapon more advanced than a crossbow.
I went for a dagger. The moment I picked it up, the door shut behind me, and a two-headed beast crawled from the dirt beneath my feet. It snarled and chomped ten-inch long fangs. The fidelity was incredible - I felt like I was really in danger.
You’re entering combat for the first time, the voice in my head hummed. Would you like a brief tutorial?
“Yes,” I stated, scrambling backward to avoid a swipe from the beast’s claws.
Combat in the Simulation is similar to combat in the real world, said the voice in my head. During combat, your stat menus will be hidden, and the information will be available subconsciously. You can also enable these subconscious menus as an option out of combat. Additionally, for those who are not trained in martial combat, macros and automatic skills are available. Activate one now by swiping your weapon like so.
A memory flooded into my head, though it wasn’t my own. Suddenly, I knew how to a basic swipe with the dagger should look. I tried once, clumsily, then twice.
Then the beast pounced on my leg and tore into my flesh. The pain was agonizing, and the world dissolved into white-hot agony. I collapsed in a wordless howl.
“FUCK!” I shouted, clawing at the dirt.
High levels of stress detected, said the voice in my head. Temporarily limiting pain response. This option will not be available past level five. Player health at 75%.
The pain dulled. I scrambled wildly - Heart pounding, I kicked at the beast once, then twice, then slashed at it with my dagger. The first swipe missed, then the second.
The beast kept mauling my leg. Its second head grasped onto my other foot and started shaking me around, like some sort of man-sized chew toy.
Player health at 50%. Player health at 25%.
On the third attempt, the system registered my deranged swinging as an attempt to activate an automatic skill, and my whole body suddenly shifted effortlessly. I executed a perfect swipe and cut the beast’s throats.
It fell, gurgling.
Excellent. The rest of the dungeon is now available. Should you die, you will wake with no memory of the past half hour. Death is not recommended.
I collapsed onto the dirt.
What the HELL was this game? There was no way this level of pain response was allowed - or even possible. I wasn’t even wearing a haptic suit. And there was no way a game could realistically wipe my memory, or add new memories.
“What the fuck is this place?!” I shouted.
You are, as stated, in the Simulation, a galaxy-spanning network built by the Ancients to facilitate peaceful communication between species.
“I don’t care about your game’s lore. Get me out of here.”
This is not an MMO. This is a galaxy-spanning simulation network.
The wound in my leg slowly began to close, and the pain began to fade as time went on. I felt my health tick back up to 100%.
Was it possible? Could there really be life on other planets? Would I really be able to communicate with them through this game?
The pressure suddenly seemed overwhelming. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a beta tester or some guy playing a promotional demo.
Exit game, I said again.
This option is not available inside of a dungeon. You must continue.
I went for the entrance - it was sealed off. I’d never been particularly claustrophobic, but I could feel my blood pressure rising.
“What do you mean? Let me out! Emergency exit,” I called. “Exit game! EXIT!”
This option is not available inside of a dungeon. You must continue.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
“…Is anyone else here?” I called.
You are the first user from Sol-3 to enter this dungeon. User One and Three have yet to find this location, though they likely will within minutes.
“So you’re saying I’m the first human to ever get this far?”
Correct.
I wasn’t sure how much I liked the sound of that. I’d never been one for fame or glory, even in the speedrunning community. I kept my records to myself, or uploaded them under different anonymous pseudonyms.
“Will my identity be revealed if I beat this dungeon?”
No.
I swallowed. If this really was untreaded ground, it was a greater challenge than any speedrunner had ever faced. And if this really was an alien simulation, which seemed more and more likely - could I really ignore that just to go back to Striking Distance II?
No. I couldn’t.
“I’m ready for the next room,” I stated.
The door before me slid open, and I stepped through it.
The room before me was a long chamber of darkened stone and mossy brick. The door at the other end was open, and on one side of the chamber walls was a set of little openings.
I almost laughed. Anyone who’d played Striking Distance - or any human game, really - would have recognized an arrow trap when they saw one. I picked up a nearby rock and tossed it, underhand, down the hallway. A few moments after it passed the first opening, an arrow shot out of the wall. Had the stone been moving any slower, it would’ve been hit.
I threw a second stone, then a third. Arrows kept coming out of the same opening - it didn’t seem as though there was any shortage of ammunition, and I didn’t intend to stay there all day throwing rocks to test that theory. Was I fast enough to run through the corridor without being hit? There wasn’t any way to be sure - and with my laughably low health, a single hit would likely kill me. Then again…
I spent some time psyching myself up to run through the corridor. Just as I was about to try and sprint through, I paused - and laughed. The solution wasn’t in this room at all. I stepped back into the previous room and grabbed a shield. I held it facing toward the wall. Then, I sprinted down the hallway.
Dear God, I was fast. Faster than I had any right to be. Putting everything in Dexterity had given me incredible speed.
Arrows clanged off the shield, but none made it through, and I made it into the next room without too much hassle.
I dropped the damaged shield and stepped forward.
One down, an unknown number of hazards to go. I could handle this.
The next room consisted of a central pit and a raised platform. The door to the next room sat atop that platform. The floor was littered with giant puzzle pieces.
Solve the puzzle to lower the platform, the voice in my head said.
I tried putting the puzzle pieces together one way, then another. They stubbornly refused to fit into the slots in the floor. As I sat there, staring up - I had a flash of inspiration.
I stacked the puzzle pieces together to form a tower - it shook and wobbled unsteadily, but I was able to climb atop it and reach the platform directly. Then, I simply stepped through the door.
The next was a plain-looking room. It was filled with consumable items - health potions and currency. I loaded up on everything I could carry, then paused. There was always a room like this before a boss fight-
Aalimor awaits, the voice in my head said. The guardian of this dungeon is in the next room.
I poked my head into the next room and cursed. There was a towering behemoth in metal armor waiting in the next room. He was an easy seven feet tall, and wore boots with spiked soles. The purpose of those boots soon became clear - the floor of the room was made entirely of ice, making it near-impossible to fight effectively.
“Come, adventurer,” he boomed. “Come face your doom.”
This was more than I could handle, even if my dagger hadn’t been damaged.
…Did I really have to handle him, though?
I already knew I was faster than any level one player should have been. And with a little trick from speedrunning -
I stepped back and pulled a puzzle piece from the previous room free. I backed up, held it in place like a shield, and waited. Aalimor pounded his sword against his shield and snarled. “Your doom awaits,” he snarled.
I sprinted forward at him. He stepped forward to meet me - and paused in confusion as I ran past him.
I threw the metal plate down like a sled, then hopped onto it. I zipped past the boss at blinding speed, towards the door at the other end of the room. It was closing, but not fast enough, and I blew past it and into another chamber.
I’d skipped the fight entirely.
Panting, I clambered to my feet, then whooped. I couldn’t help myself. The fading dregs of adrenaline left me dizzy as I cheered and laughed at the closed door behind me.
Eventually, I got it together.
“Please tell me there’s something worthwhile at the end of this.”
For every new planet to join the Simulation, an Artifact is formed, said the voice in my head. There is only ever one Artifact created per planet. As the first user to beat the Sol-3 dungeon, it is yours if you wish it.
When I entered the final room, there was a glowing orb sitting on a pedestal. It should’ve belonged to User One. Charles. But Charles had been busy wasting time on a virtual beach.
You traded everything in exchange for speed, the voice said. You have ignored defensive stats, and given up caution in order to beat Sol-3 One to the Artifact.
I was about to say that it wasn’t an informed decision, but wisely - I kept my mouth shut.
You will be granted an Artifact based on your decisions up to this point.
And when I looked at the orb again, I suddenly knew that it had a name.
Velocitas.
> Gain a permanent 500% boost to all Dexterity increases.
>
> Suffer a permanent 80% reduction to all Vitality and Toughness increases.
>
> Permanently lose the ability to use macros or automatic skills.
>
> Active skill: Velocitas Eradico - Your mental clock speed scales with your Dexterity statistic. Temporarily double speed. Temporarily double physical damage.
>
> > Duration: 30 seconds Cooldown: 5 minutes
>
> Do you wish to consume this Artifact now?
The bonus was hefty, but so were the drawbacks. What was this about a ‘mental clock speed,’ though? Whatever this Artifact was - it seemed like a speedrunner’s wet dream.
I knew I didn’t have time to think it over. Charles and User Three were already making their way through the dungeon - towards me.
So of course, I said yes.