Chapter Two

I sat there, my back against the wall, staring at the screen floating in my vision. It looked like a window from an MMO. I love MMOs. I certainly didn’t want to be inside one.

The screen flickered, and more text began populating it.

Congratulations, as a citizen who struck the first blow against the invaders, you have been invited to the Champions Tutorial Dungeon, where you will learn to become one of your world’s Champions.

Struck the first blow?

What first blow?

You will be given the opportunity to enter the Arena for your world’s survival. If you fail, your world will be enslaved, and all of its resources will be stripped from it.

I stared at that line, my stomach tightening. Why me? I hadn’t enlisted. I hadn’t signed anything. I didn’t even know there were invaders. What exactly had I done that counted as a first strike?

And who decided I was Champion material?

“Um… I think you have the wrong guy,” I said as I stood up. “I haven’t done anything, let alone strike a first blow!”

The screen closed, and a new one popped up.

Status

Name: David Long

Classification: Champion

Class: None

Level: 0 – 0/100 (Pending experience: 520)

Health: 56/56

Mana: 0/0

Strength: 3

Constitution: 4

Dexterity: 6

Agility: 8

Wisdom: 2

Intelligence: 8

Charisma: 9

Luck: 12

Will Power: 7

Skills:

Acrobatics: 5

Breathing: 1

Cooking: 1

Defense: 1

Evasion: 2

Fire Starting: 1

Running: 1

Tumbling: 2

Achievements: 4 (pending)

I scanned the status screen, and a few things caught my attention.

Wait, why does it show I have 520 experience pending? Why? Also, I am pretty sure my wisdom has to be better than a two. And achievements? I haven’t done anything. Am I missing something?

A female voice broke my concentration. “Hello Champion, I am your guide…”

I shrieked and jumped sideways, not expecting anyone to be standing beside me all of a sudden. I landed on my ass, not for the first time today. I seemed to be down more than up today.

I looked up. The woman was staring down at me, translucent and tall, her arms crossed over her chest, one eyebrow raised.

She was the most generic person I had ever seen. Not beautiful. Not plain. Just… default. Like a base-model human with black hair and black eyes.

She wore white robes embroidered with intricate white filigree, the kind of detail that looked expensive but somehow still sterile.

She cleared her throat and continued. “As I was saying, I am your guide. I am here to help you navigate the system and give you advice about your progression and this dungeon.”

I got to my feet, trying to recover what little dignity I had left. “So… I have an important question for you. Why the hell am I here? I haven’t struck against any invaders.”

Her head tilted to the left. “You don’t know what you did to get here?”

She paused for a moment and appeared to be looking at something unseen. A screen popped open, hovering between us, angled so she could watch it too.

The image began playing.

It was me, staring at the spot where the Mercedes had been parked.

Then came the screams. Children. The earth began to shake. I saw myself looking around, confusion written all over my face. I remembered what I was thinking at the time.

As I turned, a truck hauling tanks of compressed gas slammed into a car not far from me. One of the tanks ruptured and exploded.

I watched myself get blasted backward toward what looked like a hole tearing open in the street.

Something ran out.

Small. Green. Fast.

If I had to guess, I’d say it was a goblin. Maybe a hobgoblin, based on my many hours of playing MMORPGs.

I saw myself strike it.

The goblin stopped dead.

Then it flew backward.

The video paused.

The perspective shifted.

Now it was viewing the scene from the other side of the portal.

I saw some kind of Mayan-looking pyramid, complete with wide stairs and square pillars rising slightly higher than the portal itself. A goblin mage stood near the base, waving his arms and chanting.

Then a hobgoblin with a spear burst through the portal, a line of others charging behind him.

He was ripped backward.

The spear tore from his grasp as he was dragged through the portal again. It struck the mage, slicing clean through its neck.

Green blood sprayed.

The mage toppled.

The hobgoblin crashed down the pyramid steps, bowling into the ranks behind him.

And then the screen vanished.

We both stood there, staring at the empty space where the screen had been.

I blinked a few times.

Then I laughed.

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t panicked. It was sharp and dry, the kind of laugh you give when something is so absurd it stops being surprising.

The guide clicked her tongue and looked at me, studying me in a way that felt uncomfortably clinical. “Well, huh.”

“See,” I said, gesturing to where the screen had been, “I didn’t launch an attack. I body-checked a goblin by mistake.”

She smoothed her robe and clasped her hands like she was about to begin a lecture.

“Accidental or not, you’re here. Which means I am responsible for you. And I have an excellent record. I do not lose Champions.”

“This is a dungeon,” I said, shaking my head. “That means monsters. That means combat. I’m not built for that. I gag when I see roadkill.”

My voice cracked and jumped an octave. “I’m going to die.”

“You will be fine,” she said. “You are far more durable than you realize.”

“Now,” she said, glancing at something unseen, “let’s unlock your experience and your achievements.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a window popped up.

You have gained two levels!

Level 2 – 520/900

You have 6 stat points to distribute!

Achievement Unlocked: First Strike

You have struck your first blow against an invader as an unintegrated citizen. Congratulations. This achievement nominates you as a Champion of your world.

Achievement Unlocked: First Portal Closed

You are the first to close an invader’s portal while being a level zero unintegrated citizen.

Reward:

+2 Strength

+2 Constitution

+2 Dexterity

Achievement Unlocked: Punching Up

You have defeated an invader or monster significantly higher level than yourself.

You must be stronger than you appear.

Reward:

×10 experience from this invader or monster

Achievement Unlocked: Domino Effect

Through extraordinary circumstances, your strike against an invader or monster resulted in multiple deaths.

You must be a pool shark.

Reward:

×10 experience for each additional death caused by this effect (×5 applied)

Tier 2 Loot Box

I saw the words Tier 2 Loot Box and immediately looked around for it.

Nothing.

No glowing chest.

No sparkling crate.

No suspiciously placed treasure box humming ominously in the corner.

Just stone walls. Dust. The Guide.

I squinted at the air.

“Okay… where is it?”

The Guide blinked. “Where is what?”

“The loot box,” I said slowly, like she might be hard of hearing. “It says I got a Tier 2 Loot Box.”

She stared at me for a moment. Then she looked upward, as if reading something only she could see.

“…You are serious.”

“Yes,” I said. “Very.”

She made a small gesture, and a new window appeared.

Inventory Unlocked.

A faint translucent grid shimmered into view in front of me.

There, in one of the squares, was a small chest.

I reached for it.

A pop-up appeared.

Open Tier 2 Loot Box?

Yes / No

“Yes,” I said.

The chest popped open with a faint metallic crack.

In its place rested a dagger.

I focused on it, and another window appeared.

Goblin Short Sword of Decay

Damage: 2–5

On Hit: Applies Decay for 60 seconds.

Decay inflicts 1–3 damage per second.

Decay duration is reduced by target Constitution.

Targets with Constitution greater than 60 negate this effect.

I reached for the blade, and it appeared in my hand.

For a short sword, it was really closer to a large dagger. The blade carried a sickly green sheen, dull rather than bright, like something that had no business reflecting light at all.

The guard had two forward-facing points, angled slightly inward. My guess was that it was meant to inflict more damage if driven all the way to the hilt.

Comforting.

I gave it a few tentative practice swings.

It moved easily. Light. Balanced.

I smiled despite myself.

It felt good in my hand.

“Okay,” the Guide said. “Your goal here is simple. Gain levels. Reach the next floor.”

She gestured vaguely, and the stone walls around us seemed to stretch outward.

“This floor is a maze. Not a complicated one, but a maze nonetheless. There are safe rooms scattered throughout. Use them.”

She paused, her expression cooling slightly.

“You will not encounter other Champions on this floor. Each instance is private.”

She let that sit.

“That will not be true beyond this level.”

I felt my stomach tighten.

“Be wary of fellow Champions,” she continued. “They are not required to be trustworthy. Many are not.”

She looked directly at me now.

“They can, and likely will, kill you if they believe you possess something worth taking.”

“Wait,” I interrupted her. “Shouldn’t Champions be protectors, not murder hobos?”

She paused.

Then she smiled.

“‘Murder hobos.’ What a unique colloquialism. I like it.”

Her smile lingered a moment too long.

“Anyway, no. Champions are not required to be locally protective. Their purpose is to protect your world.”

She tilted her head slightly.

“If a Champion determines that burning part of it down is the optimal method of preservation…”

Her eyes flicked back to me.

“…then so be it.”

“Now,” she began again, “safe rooms are designated areas for rest. You may remain within one for up to eight hours before it ejects you and seals.”

She continued as if reading from policy.

“A safe room adjacent to a boss chamber remains accessible for eight hours both before and after the encounter. This prevents immediate termination following such engagements.”

Her eyes shifted slightly, scanning something unseen.

“These safe rooms are modified. In addition to standard food and healing provisions, they contain a crafting table. Preparation is strongly advised prior to boss encounters.”

She folded her hands.

“Now, this is where I release you to explore.”

A faint, almost amused glint touched her expression.

“And, as a courtesy, your first battle awaits directly ahead.”

She gestured down the hall.

“There is a beetle at the end of this corridor.”

A beat.

“This is the only time I will ever disclose the location of a monster.”

I swallowed.

It’s just a beetle, right? How scary can that be?

“Why tell me about this monster?” I asked.

She gestured down the hall again and smiled.

“Because the only way around it… is through it, of course.”

I sighed and started down the long hall.

When the corridor opened into a T-junction ahead, I saw it.

From this distance, it looked almost like a Volkswagen Beetle.

I actually chuckled.

As I got closer, I noticed a spear lying on the ground. The tip was rusted, the shaft splintered.

I left it.

My eyes drifted back to the beetle.

I heard it before I fully processed what I was seeing.

Chittering.

Wet slurping.

Its body bounced and twisted as it fed, unaware of me.

Which was good.

Because this beetle was massive.

The size of a large dog.

Its carapace was mostly black, marked with blood-red wavy stripes—one down the center, another near its rear. Hairy antennae bobbed as it worked at something beneath it.

Something I couldn’t quite make out.

And then I saw it.

A corpse.

The goddamn thing was gnawing on a corpse.

I edged closer, trying not to make a sound.

It was a goblin.

Its head lolled at an unnatural angle as the beetle chewed. One eyeball had slipped free of its socket and swung loosely with each bite.

I immediately started to gag.

“Ugh—”

I covered my mouth.

The beetle froze.

Then it spun toward me.

Oh shit.

I’m going to die.

The beetle rushed forward.

I screamed.

I tried to stab it, but when the blade hit its carapace, it bounced off. The dagger flew from my hand and skidded across the stone, ringing as it struck the floor behind the beetle.

A notification flashed.

The message didn’t feel like something I read. It simply entered my mind.

Carrion Beetle has been afflicted with Decay.

Time Remaining: 54 seconds.

It hissed and chittered, antennae whipping wildly.

I began backing away.

Please let the DoT kill it.

My heel caught on something and I fell hard.

My hand landed on the rusted, splintered spear.

I grabbed it just as the beetle lunged.

I shoved the spear up between us.

The beetle crashed into it and began pushing, its weight driving me backward as I scrambled, heels scraping against stone.

I hit the wall.

The impact rattled my teeth.

I braced the spear defensively.

“I’m going to die, this is it!” I shouted, waving the shaft wildly. “I’m going to get eaten by a fucking beetle!”

The beetle reared back.

Then it lunged.

The butt of the spear jammed against the wall behind me.

The beetle drove itself forward—

—and impaled itself.

You have defeated a Carrion Beetle Level 2

Experience earned: 10

The splintered spearhead slid into the seam between its head and thorax.

It spasmed violently.

White gore burst outward, splattering across my face.

The smell hit me a second later.

Rotting meat.

Dead insect.

I gagged.

Hard.

The beetle twitched once more and went still.

I shoved it away and scrambled to my feet, stumbling toward my dagger.

As I ran, I glanced at the goblin corpse.

Its entrails were spread across the floor.

I stepped directly into them.

My foot slipped.

I hit the ground again.

And I began to puke.

I crawled backward, grabbing my dagger as I went.

I finally slumped against the wall, still dry heaving.

My Guide appeared in front of me and glanced toward the beetle.

“That… was one way to fight, I suppose,” she said mildly. “Now all you need to do is loot the bodies and continue exploring.”

I looked up at her and gagged again.

I tried wiping the guts off my face, but they only smeared and spread.

“How—” I swallowed hard. “Ugh. How do I loot? Please tell me I can do it from here.”

She shook her head.

Then, for the first time, she actually looked at me with something close to pity.

“No. Physical contact is required. Any items will be cleaned and immediately transferred to your inventory.”

I looked back toward the corpses.

The beetle’s carapace was still decaying. Thin green, pus-like streaks crawled across the black shell, mixing with the white viscera that had spilled from the wound.

I gagged again.

“Wonderful.”

I pushed myself to my feet, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and looked at the corpses.

This was my new life.