The silence was all-consuming as I crept through the library. Each step I took was carefully measured, as my senses all ran on high alert. Every bookcase I neared had my heart on high alert, and sweat clung to my flesh. The constant anxiety quickly wore me out, but I had to keep going.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Sneak I Passive!

The words in front of my face almost caused me to scream. This god damned menu would be the death of me, I swear. I took a breath, steadied my nerves, and pressed onward. The bookshelves seemed to press inwards as the gap between them shrank. Just how long did this room stretch out for? I walked for another five minutes, at least until I finally heard a nose that broke the terrible silence that assailed me. It sounded like something akin to a gargle and a breath, and it caused me to freeze in my tracks.

I held my breath and quickly glanced around, but all I saw were books upon books. The same noise resounded once more, and an orange light appeared a few meters ahead of me from a joint intersection. I took a step back as fear coursed through me like wildfire. A head coated in wax appeared. Its face was wholly consumed by waves of wax that cascaded down its head and onto its clothing. It wore a red velvet robe covered in golden trim and specks of wax that had fallen from its face. In a gnarled white hand was a single candle that cast a brilliant orange light onto the countless cover of books. It turned the corner, and I felt a pair of eyes fall on top of me, even though I knew that they couldn't have possibly seen me.

Thrall of the Scholar Level 3

It was two whole levels higher than me! I took another step back, and the creature glanced down the aisle I was standing in. Its gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before it shifted its head and glanced down the opposite side. I stood there, frozen, with my breath hitched in my throat as the creature paused. Another strange garbled breath filled the air before it turned and walked in the direction I was heading.

Just what the hell was that thing? A thrall? That word alone meant it was akin to a slave, to something stronger. Which I would assume to be the Scholar. I stood as still as possible, careful not to move a single inch, watching the monster slowly shamble away. Its brilliant red robe scrapped the ground with each step and filled the air with a quiet scrape.

There was no way that I could fight that thing. Once again, I felt tears well up near the corner of my eyes. At this moment, I wanted to do nothing more than crawl into a ball and give up. But I knew I couldn't.

I waited until the orange light faded into the distance and took off a little faster this time, but I was careful to measure my steps. I slipped down the path that led to my right, all the while trying to keep an eye out for any more of those creatures. If there was one, then there would be more. I just knew it.

Congratulations! Your passive Sneak has upgraded! It's now sneak II.

The words quickly appeared before my vision, almost causing me to shit my pants. Christ, can't I get a little warning beforehand? I dismissed the notification and pushed down the ever-sprawling pathways. It was feeling more and more like a maze, and it was freaking me out a bit. What if I bumped into another thrall? What if I got lost? I could feel my thoughts spiraling as I kept turning corner after corner. My feet ached, my arms throbbed, and exhaustion was on my heels nonstop.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

But just when I was about to lose hope, I found a doorway enshrouded with a shimmering turquoise haze. At this point, I realized I was probably rolling the dice on if that was a safe place, but I didn't care. I just needed to get out of here. I pushed myself forward towards the door, carefully measuring my pace and stopping myself from rushing towards it. But just as I was nearing the door, a strange garbled noise came from behind me. The garbled noise rose to a shrieking crescendo just as a wave of heat caressed my backside. My blood went cold, and I broke out into a full sprint.

Hundreds of shrieks around me rose in unison, and orange lights roared into existence. I kept my eyes focused on the turquoise door, hoping and praying to whoever would hear me that this was a safe spot. The sound of hundreds of feet slamming into the ground in full sprint hammered into my ears as I pushed myself as hard as possible. Another wave of heat washed over me, and the smell of burnt hair filled my nose. I threw myself through the door, and the sounds of all the monsters behind me faded away.

You are now in the safe zone. Your base regeneration has now been increased.

I sucked in the air with greed as my chest ached from the physical exertion. I hated doing any more physical activity than I needed to. It was indeed the bane of my existence. Though in this situation, I suppose it wasn't so bad. I gulped another breath of air and glanced around the room I was standing in. It was small, no larger than my apartment, just off campus. The entire room was lit by a single chandelier that hung from the center of the room, casting a faint blue light that filled every crevice and chased away every shadow.

Tucked away in the corner was a set of four cots, complete with blanket and pillows, and sat at most maybe a third of a meter above the ground. They didn't look like the coziest thing I have ever seen, but I would take it now. Opposite of that was a small fountain that ebbed out small trickles of water dripping down into a basin that rested underneath. Upon seeing it, I rushed forward, cupped some water with my hands, brought it to my lips, and drank it. The cool water quelled the dryness in my mouth and washed away a lot of the grit I felt in my throat. It soothed the pain in my chest and brought me a sense of comfort that I had been missing since this whole mess began.

I gulped down another few large mouthfuls of water before I pulled away and glanced around once more to see if there was anything that I had missed. But sadly, there wasn't. It was just the cot and this water. What was I supposed to do about food? I pondered the thought before realizing I still have the system's help, so why don't I ask it? "Is there food here?"

With in the safe zone, the liquid that flows from the fountain contains all vital nutrients and calories for bodily functions. There are also zones within the dungeon that grow and contain solid food.

I pulled my eyes away from the screen and back towards the fountain. That's going to be horrible to sustain myself on. While it would be okay at first, it would eventually grate on me. Once I get strong enough to fight those things out there, perhaps it would be best that I venture out and try to collect some actual food. Otherwise, it would be likely that I would lose my mind. I sighed, and I wandered over to the cot and sat down. The bed itself was uncomfortable, but I suppose it would do for now. I took my bag off, placed it on the ground, sat there, and stared at the door. A part of me was scared to sleep. What if those things broke through the door while I was sleeping?

The other part of me was still reeling from what happened today. My mind struggled to make sense of it all, but above all else, a part of me felt like I've been lied to my entire life, and it wasn't a great feeling. But above that, I didn't know what to do with myself or even how to escape. I've never felt so lost before and didn't know what to do. This shit sucked.

I was still too scared to sleep, so instead, I grabbed a blanket, wrapped myself up, sat there, and stared at the door. The vestiges of adrenaline coursing through my veins kept me awake, even though I felt the first traces of exhaustion press into my mind. But I kept on staring, until I couldn't do it any longer.