"Why a game system?"

I asked as I wrapped my arms around my legs. My world was falling apart, and I honestly had no clue what to do.

Upon passing the meridot line, we analyzed your world and found that this type of system was the most widespread. Therefore, we introduced a system that was made in reflection of it.

The words blinked once more, and the sheer overwhelming white almost blinded me, and I suppressed the urge to wipe it away. It made sense, I guess, with the widespread use of video games and whatnot. It was something that I could say I never really got into since most of my life was dedicated to school. Not that I didn't want to get into them because I did, but my parents demanded that I excel in my studies, no matter what. "What is the vital information that I need to know?" The words that left my mouth felt as hollow as I did.

Experience will grant you levels, further granting points to distribute to your' stats.' Completing a unique task will grant you variable paths to bolster your overall strength and further your class.

Once more, my eyes took in words, but they didn't really mean all that much to me. "What is a class?"

A class reflects personal attributes, skills, and abilities.

It was short and to the point, and really, there wasn't much to not understand there, but it did lead to more questions. "How do I get a class?"

Classes are granted at level 10 and reflect personal attributes, skills, and abilities. They can be evolved at random intervals based on hidden prerequisites.

Once more, the baleful white words flickered in my eyes, and I nodded. I understood what it was telling me. "Stats," I whispered, and the help screen faded away and was replaced with a faint gray screen that hovered mere inches away.

Name: Ariadne

Main Stats:

Health: 7 Stamina: 6

Arcana: 7

Auxiliary stats:

Vigor: 4 (+1) Constitution: 4 (+1)

Dexterity: 4 Agility:3

Perception: 6

Insight: 7 Attunement: 7

Strength: 4 (+1) Vitality: 4 (+1)

Carefully, I glanced through the stats to make sense of what I was reading. Really, for the most part, everything was self-explanatory. But some questions needed to be answered. I hugged my knees tighter to my chest before I spoke once more. "What is Arcana?"

Arcana is the stat related to the amount of magic that can be stored within your body.

"How do I increase my stats?" I released a breath I held in my chest, yet I still felt hollow. If this was my life now, I might as well try to figure out how everything works. The sooner I could, the sooner I could get out of here and find my parents.

Stats are increased through constant use; however, the amount of stats that you can gain get exponentially more challenging.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Ah, so I wasn't going to be limited at first by having to level up. At least there was a bit of good news. "How do I get magic?" I turned my eyes away from the screen and glanced around the hallway again. There was still no trace of anyone, or anything, here, really, and it was gnawing at my mind.

Mana can be gathered by slaying aether infested monsters and collecting mana cores. However, most humans are capped at how many distinct elements they can use.

"How do I gather magic?"

There are many ways. However, the most common way would be to consume a mana core and then gather the relevant mana.

The screen flickered again, and I couldn't help but feel even more dejected. I had no idea how any of this worked, not to mention I was still struggling with the concept of mana. To me, magic never existed. "Where am I?"

You are currently in the Hawksthorne Scholar's dungeon.

The white text flickered like static from a television screen as I read it. "How do I get out?"

You must clear the dungeon to exit.

The second the words became apparent, I felt like crying. I needed to get out and make sure that my family was okay. I wrapped my arms around my legs tighter as I felt tears build up in the corner of my eyes. What if they were killed? What if they were in the same situation I was in? What about my friends? This wasn't fair. What cruel god ordained this fate?

I sniffled and dismissed the screen. I hated this so much; the worst part was that I didn't know what to do. Hell, I didn't have any food or water, so what was I supposed to do? I felt tears wash down my face in a torrent as I sat on the carpeted ground. Some of me wanted to give up, but I knew I couldn't. While I drew breath, I would keep going, no matter what. I had to get out of here and find everyone.

Well, my mother and father, for starters. They may be hard asses, but I loved them regardless. The only other people I cared about were Thomas and Rachel. Mostly since we have all been friends since we were born. I couldn't imagine them not in my life, and the thought of them being dead was enough to almost tear me apart.

Now, what was I supposed to do? I still didn't know honestly. The system said the only way out would be to clear that dungeon. But I didn't want to fight that monster again. It nearly killed me the first time, and I wasn't ready for a second time. Not yet.

I brought my stat screen back up and glanced at the numbers again, taking them in this time. From what I could tell, some numbers seemed tiny, but those were on the physical side. While the stats that I guess were on the mental side were higher. "What kind of questions are you allowed to answer?" I wiped away some tears running down my face and took a deep breath to calm myself down a little.

I am only allowed to answer basic questions.

"Can you tell me about my stats, then?" I cleared my throat and shifted around. The pain in my arms had faded into a dull throb that beat in tandem with my heart, and thankfully my bleeding debuff had worn off.

Your stats are low on the physical side, however, all of your stats regarding mental and mana use are above average.

Ah, well, then it's what I thought. I dismissed the help screen and stared at the white wall. I had, well, only two real options. The first was that I needed to hunt down a monster with a mana core, or whatever that was, and consume it for magic. The second choice is to work on my physical stats and bring them up to par. However, that leads to another problem. What about my food supply?

I sighed once more and pushed myself off the ground. If I was going to be trapped here, I might as well make the best out of it. "Can you tell me anything about this dungeon?"

I do not have the relevant information.

Fuck, of course, it wouldn't be that easy. A girl could hope, though. I wiped away a few more tears rushing down my face and turned my attention to the hallway. I should explore them and see what I can find.

These hallways sprawled on and on for what felt like an eternity until finally, I came to a large room filled with bookshelves packed to the brim with countless books and scrolls. Large candles sat on metal totems, and wax leaked down the sides and dripped toward the floor in perverted stalactites.

The yellow light from the candles flickered as a draft danced through the room. The stench of musk mingled with the comforting smell of old books. I stepped into the room and carefully glanced around just in case another one of those mimics was here.

I was fully on edge as I stepped further into the room. Books were stacked haphazardly on the floor, in stacks that reached up to my hips, and the titles were in an obscure language made entirely of runes and shapes. Some of me was curious and wanted to reach out and read one, but the paranoia from the last encounter sent shivers down my spine.

The lights that flickered and caused the shadows to sway didn't help me either. The entire room gave me the creeps, which was a rude awakening considering that I loved libraries. If I lived through this, perhaps I should reconsider visiting them.

I pressed onwards, each step carefully measured, and my breath as quiet as possible, so I could listen for anything out of the ordinary. Yet, all I could hear was the faint crackle of the candle as it burned and the repetitive drip of wax. Honestly, at this point, I would take anything happening if it meant chasing away this permeating silence.