《World Apocalypse – Calamity Dungeon “Rise of the Black Seraph”》


 1 Chapter 1: Emergence Day

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Hey, dad." Said Luca, his voice tired and bored after his morning at school. "How much longer is this going to be? We''ve been stuck on the road forever, and I still have to do my homework. Mr. Spicer will kill me if I don''t turn in that history report. He''s already extended the deadline twice."


    Paul chuckled. "Don''t be dramatic kiddo; he''s not going to kill you. He might call me up and give me a stern talking to about my duty as a parent to make sure you''re doing the homework he assigns you, but that''s about the extent of it. Besides, I know how good you are with computers; I''m sure you won''t have any trouble knocking out that report as soon as we get home."


    Crossing his arms from the backseat, Luca sulked down into the chair. He was ready to get out of the car. "Well, dad, what about my physical therapy appointment? You know Doctor Murphy says I might be able to walk again if I''m doing everything I''m supposed to. "


    Paul looked back at Luca through the rearview mirror was a sad smile on his face. "That''s right, kiddo. With a lot of grit, determination, and a little elbow grease, you''ll be ready by Morp to take one of those girls you''re interested as a date to the dance."


    Luca didn''t say anything in response, choosing to glare at Paul instead. Thinking to himself, Dad should know better. I hate it when he teases me about the girls. "Whatever you say, dad. How much longer is it going to be? I don''t want to miss another appointment."


    With an excessive amount of showmanship and a silent wish to whoever might be listening for patience, Paul unlocked his phone and turned on the GPS application, wanting to show Luca what Paul could judge for himself just by looking out the window. On the screen of the phone, the GPS showed every route displayed in red. Instead of the 10 minutes, it should have taken them to reach their home; the GPS was showing estimates in the hours. The road had become a parking lot, and they were stuck on it.


    "Here, kiddo," Paul said, turning toward Luca and tossing him the phone with the GPS navigation screen still loaded. "When your done looking at traffic, feel free to go ahead and stream a movie; I''m not worried about you eating through all my data. It looks like we''re not going anywhere for a while. Maybe you should go ahead and pull up something up on the web for your report. That might help, right?"


    "Alright. Thanks, dad. Yeah, I''ll do that. I''m sure I can pull up a lot about the historical significances of crows during the early formation of the Kingdoms of Ancient Britannia." Luca sarcastically responded as he started to flip through the streaming service for something to watch, completely ignoring his dad''s idea.


    Confused, Paul turned in his seat, the belt across his chest straining, and asked, "Wait a second kiddo. What exactly is your history report on again?"


    Luca shook his head. "It''s a joke, dad. I have to do a report on George Washington Carver. You might know him as the guy who invented peanut butter, but what he should be known for was his work to prevent hundreds of thousands from starving during the reconstruction."


    That''s not really any better thought Paul. His face held a grimace. A grimace he tried not to let his son see. "Alright kiddo, I''m sure you''ve got that down. Just let me know if you need any help."


    They sat in silence without talking to each other for at least an hour as Lucas stared, entrapped by the glowing screen as his eyes remained peeled to the movie he was watching. The boy was completely unaware of the world around him. Paul frowned as he heard the sounds of screaming and gunfire. I really need to put some child safeguards on my stuff.


    Taking his eyes off the unmoving traffic all around them, Paul turned around again. "Hey, kiddo, what exactly are you watching back there," Paul asked, concerned thinking maybe he needed to implement some child content locks on the phone in the future.


    "I''m watching the History Channel, dad; it''s a video on the Reconstruction of the South. I''ve got closed captioning turned on. That way, the noise won''t bother you." Luca responded, his voice edged with a little bit of attitude, something which immensely infuriated Paul.


    "Hey Luca, you need to watch your tone with me. I don''t need any of that attitude you''re trying to test me with right now. I was kind enough to let you use my phone, so you can go ahead and turn it down or turn it off." Paul replied forcibly. Patience, be patient with him.


    Paul made an executive decision to ignore his son''s continued disrespect as Luca, with an exaggerated sigh, make a shown of being unable to turn down the phone. Muttering as he did in a bitter low tone, quietly but still intentionally loud enough for Paul to hear, "I wish you had died instead of mom."


    Memories of Marie flashed in his head. Images of the woman he had loved and lost. Black hair with an easy crooked smile, the smell of lavender, and chamomile. Infectionious perfect laughter, a memory of a woman known for her kindness. With a sad expression, Paul turned back around to focus on the road and his thoughts. Me too, kiddo, me too.


    The sound of gunfire and screaming started back up again, this time only louder. Why is he testing me today? Paul turned around angrily, raising his voice and shouted. "Didn''t I tell you to turn that down. Just what the hell are you watching anyway??"


    "It''s not me, dad. See?" Responded Luca, the tone of his voice matching Paul''s as he held up the phone in frustration, the mute icon highlighted as the video of a speaker at a museum outside of Atlanta played.


    Nearby, the sound of glass breaking tore Paul''s attention away from the argument with his son. "Did you hear that? What''s that sound? Luca, you need to stay here and keep the doors locked unless I tell you otherwise. Don''t move, don''t speak, and turn that video off and stay off the phone. Just be ready to call emergency services if anything happens."


    Paul opened up the door of the car and looked around his nerves, steadied by his concern for his son as parental instincts kicked in. That desire, that innate need, to make sure his child wasn''t in danger. After he had gotten out of the car, he looked down the road but couldn''t see anything. There were simply too many cars and trucks making up a wall in front of him, obscuring his vision. Paul walked, trying to maneuver himself a bit to try and investigate the source of the disturbance.


    As he moved, Paul saw he wasn''t the only one that had gotten out of his car to investigate the noise. He walked straight past many other men and women who were doing the exact same thing that he was. All of them had the same expression of unease that Paul imagined he had. Anxiety and worry reflected on his face.


    All around him, more and more people began to leave their cars as the noise began to grow closer. Every trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Too late did Paul realize something terrible must have happened, that something must have gone horribly wrong in the world. That feeling in his gut magnified a thousandfold when he was finally able to make out moving silhouettes down the road. Those are people. He corrected him as he saw panicked men and women running in a dead sprint, headed their direction. They were running as if Hell followed behind them.


    "What the hell is that," Paul muttered to himself as he saw the hunched black figures of large dogs with eyes glowing red. A red that he could see clear as day even from this distance. The hellish canines were bounding down the highway, effortlessly out running and out-pacing the terrified sprinters. "Oh, shit."


    Paul watched as one of the black dogs caught up to one of the sprinters and bit into the calf of the man''s leg. The man collapsed into a terrified, sobbing heap as the beast dragged him away from view behind a truck. Nothing good is happening over there. A blood-curling scream followed that was quickly silenced as the animal or whatever it was mauled and murdered the fallen figure.


    I don''t know how or why, but these things are monsters. Paul was surprised when he saw it didn''t take long for the beast to finish what it was doing and get back on the road, mere seconds. With bloody jaws, it ran back into view and started to run down the highway with the rest of its pack. Each of the monstrous canines were quickly bringing down more of the running people. Paul noticed that each time a sprinter was taken or fell, none of the others stopped to try and assist those who fell behind. Their frantic and desperate fear letting Paul know everything he needed to know about the situation. I need to get Luca out of here now, even then, we might not make it, but we need to try.


    Running as fast as he could back to the car, Paul began pounding on the locked door. Groaning in frustration as he looked through the window and saw the boy had returned to watching videos on the cellphone. Paul beat against the window harder, needing to get his son''s attention. Startled, Luca looked up as Paul started screaming. "We need to get out of here; we have to go now. Start unbuckling yourself. It is not safe here" Even as he screamed the orders, Paul was moving around to the back of the car to pull out Luca''s wheelchair. He knew they couldn''t stay where they were, but without the wheelchair, they wouldn''t be able to move fast enough, and they needed to move now.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Paul struggled to pull the bulky wheelchair out of the back of the car. When he finally got it free, he looked through the rearview window at Luca, who wasn''t doing any of the things Paul had asked of him. Screaming, Paul demanded an answer. "What are you waiting for? We need to move now. Hurry up and unstrap yourself. We have to go. Do you not see those things?."


    But from Luca, all Paul could see as he came around to the rear passenger door were eyes wide with terror, fixated entirely on the approaching pack of monsters. The boy registered them as monsters and the things of his nightmares. With tears in his eyes, Luca responded, "I''m not going anywhere, dad. I just can''t; I''m scared. Please, just get back in the car; we will be ok if you just get back in the car. Don''t make me go out there. I can''t go out there; don''t make me. Just get in. We can lock the doors. We will be ok."


    Paul recognized what was going on, the boy was nearly hysterical from terror, and while Paul understood that, they didn''t have time for it. He opened Luca''s door and started trying to undo his son''s straps so he could muscle him into the wheelchair and be on their way. However, the entire time Paul struggled with the straps, Luca was resisted, pushing Paul away. Luca''s resistance was making it that much more challenging to get out of there. Both of them burning through precious time that they didn''t have. Eventually, Paul was able to get Luca out of the car seat, but by then, they were out of time.


    During their struggle, the pack of the monstrous dogs had come closer. Moving faster then Paul had predicted, close enough that Paul was able to get a much better look at the animal. It had black fur that seemed slick with oil. As they struggled, the monsters came closer. Anyone could see it had a long set jaw with razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes were gleaming with an evil energy, something straight out of a horror movie.


    From an almost impossible distance, Paul watched as the lead of the black horrors jumped at him, landing on its haunches, drool running down its fangs. Paul knew for him and his son, there would be no escape. Quickly he picked Luca up out of the wheelchair and threw him back in the car on the floorboards. Lacking space and time, Paul was unable to slam the door shut, choosing instead the only option he had. To cover his son Luca with his body and shield him from the monster. Gritting his teeth and trying as he could to resist screaming as the thing bit into him and tore into his flesh.


    When Paul finally died, the last drop of his life''s blood spilling on the floor, the monsters walked away. Showing no interest in eating him only in death and raw aggression. Beneath his lifeless form, Luca remained alive, protected by sacrifice, and horrified, staring into those eyes affixed directly at him in death.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Check out Arcane Engineer: The Awakened Dungeon on Kindle Unlimited at tiny.cc/GetArcaneEngineer


    If you don''t have KU and want it, try http://tiny.cc/GetKindleUnlimitedFree


    If you''re willing to do reviews/beta read and want a free copy join my discord server http://tiny.cc/OKelleysDiscord


    Other Books By The Author -The Genesis Game Volume I http://tiny.cc/AmazonTGG, and The Genesis Game Volume II http://tiny.cc/TGGVolumeII


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 2 Chapter 2: To Help The Helpless

    Luca''s mind snapped from trauma, forcing the boy to disconnect from reality. He was stuck in place; staring into the unblinking eyes of his dead father was more than Luca could bear. Bile rose in his stomach as Luca turned his head and vomited. His terror kept him immobilized, even as blood and vomit pooled around him. That fear was helping to keep him alive, forcing him to choke back his sobs and tears, lest he to his ultimate detriment draw attention to himself. Eventually, after an unknown amount of hours, Luca stopped noticing the smell; Luca''s senses had become deadened to it.


    Silent tears rolled down Luca''s cheeks as he silently screamed and raged in his mind. Unable and unwilling to use his voice, fearing the monsters would return. Luca feared the dark and whatever other dread secrets it hid. Even the phone he carried was no longer working, the battery since dead, and the service having disconnected long before.


    Luca was spinning out of control as his thoughts raced. Desperation settled into Luca as he tried to wake himself from the nightmare he was in. Each time he opened his eyes, the terrible reminder of his fate remained as did his internal screaming. No, no, no. You can''t be dead, dad. I need you. Please, dad, wake up.


    As his body began to shake from fear and nerves, Luca tried unsuccessfully to escape into the recesses of his mind. Compartmentalizing himself, picturing he was anywhere else but inside the car. But even in his imagination, Luca could not find an escape. All he could see was his father''s dead and lifeless eyes staring at him.


    Luca snapped his eyes open, reality, unfortunately, grounding him, even as he mentally pleaded. Dad, please, you have to be ok. Luca willed and wished for his dad to say something. Still, no matter how badly he wanted and needed his father to be with him, guiding him, helping him, and protecting him, nothing change. Paul''s eyes remained unmoving.


    In his heart, Luca knew that no amount of wishing would bring his father back to life. Guilt weighed heavily on his conscience. On some level, Luca knew he bore part of the responsibility for his dad having been killed. If he had not been afraid if he had just gone with his father and tried to escape without fighting him over it, his father would still be alive. If Luca had not had a disability, they would have both been able to get away to safety.


    Hours passed as the day became night. All the while, Luca remained trapped where he was, unwilling to try and move out from his beneath his grim hiding place. Throughout the dead of night, Luca would fall asleep periodically in short but miserable bursts. His arms cold, freezing as his body shivered from the chill of the night. The only mercy granted him was the relative heat of summer prevented him from dying of exposure. Or that the storm Luca had seen early on the horizon never hit him.


    For Luca, the worst were the brief periods of intense awareness as long shadows plagued his mind, flooding him with fear as hits of adrenaline ravaged his body. His mind assuming that every sound he heard in the night belonged to one monster or another. Judging from the sounds of nails against stone, Luca knew the assumption wasn''t entirely wrong. The car was moving a little as things better left unseen passed by.


    The truth, though, was that even staring out into the night at the moving shadows was preferred to the alternative. Having to stare into his father''s dead eyes. Luca wasn''t sure if he could free himself, and he was too scared to try, and until he was ready, few other options existed.


    Sheer panic flooded Luca''s body as the windows of the car went completely dark. The car''s suspension groaning as shadowy figures stepped onto the hood and the trunk. Luca heard the sound of bestial grows and sniffing of a predator.


    Luca knew what they were, more monsters. Actual monsters, not just the nightmares that plagued his thoughts. He held his breath, trying to silence the sounds of his body. He heard talking in a language he had never heard before. His mind almost stretched to its breaking point as the figures jumped off the car and began milling about, sniffing the air. Luca closed his eyes, completely paralyzed by fear an absolute fear. Dad, save me, please. I don''t wanna die.


    When Luca heard the monster''s move away, passing by the car and down the road, the flood gates opened of his emotions, and he cried. Tears flowed freely down his face as he sobbed. It was then that Luca knew he wasn''t getting out of here alive. Even if somehow he got free from the car, he was still crippled. He wouldn''t be able to outrun any of those things from a wheelchair, and that''s assuming the road would be clear enough for him to pass over it in his wheelchair.


    For the rest of the night and into part of the next day, Luca remained in place, unable to gather the courage to try and free himself to escape. When the sun came up, Luca caught his reflection in the rearview mirror. He was covered in blood, and it clung to him in coagulated lumps. Even his father''s body was starting to change, appearing bruised and stiff as decay set in.


    Eventually, as time passed, Luca would soil himself when he was unable to move from the spot. By midday the next day, Luca was ready to try and get out. His body ached all over from being cramped in the back of the car. The weight of his father''s body shifting more on to Luca, making it difficult to breathe with the increased pressure against his lungs. Flies began to swarm, landing all over him, crawling over his face and his eyes. From outside the car, Luca could see a group of crows waiting patiently to feast. Their otherworldly gaze was never leaving him. He liked so many bodies on the road was marked for death.


    As he grew weaker, Luca knew he needed to escape. Though he had no idea how to make that happen. Luca had no idea where it would be safe to go if somehow he managed to escape. Whenever Luca tried to think of what would happen once he was free, he couldn''t imagine any ending that didn''t result in a terrible death.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "I''m all alone now." Luca realized as he talked to himself, his voice low. The noise was somewhat startling to him. It was the first time he had heard a voice in days. "First mom, now dad. It''s just me. I have no idea what to do." Luca looked towards his dad, saying, "Dad, I need you, please; I''m sorry. Help me," But Luca received no response from the man, only the steady rot of his father''s body and the smell of his filth as the flies crawled. The bugs and the maggots keeping him company.


    Before nightfall, Luca finally found the courage to try and get free, not wanting another to spend another night in the car, fearing what night would bring. But when he tried to move his father''s body off of him, Luca found his arms lacked even the little strength they had had before. No matter how hard he pushed the body, no matter how hard he tried to pull himself out from under it, neither budged. His little bit of strength was exhausted.


    The more he struggled, the more Luca noticed the disgusting smell of fetid decay. His hands slick with blood made it difficult to gain any traction to grab onto anything. Luca lost more time as he broke down and cried at the helplessness of his situation. He was cold, his stomach hurting from hunger, his head pounding from dehydration. Luca knew his body was likely fighting all types of infections. He wasn''t going to survive this. He felt himself slipping in and out of consciousness.


    In the middle of the night, Luca summoned the last reserves of his energy. With one last effort, he grabbed his father by the arms and found them too stiff to maneuver or bend. Not wanting to give up, Luca tried to roll the body on its sides, but blisters that had formed on the skin burst. The skin itself ripping as noxious fluid spilled out, causing Luca to throw up again and pass out from the effort.


    Completely exhausted, Luca let himself given into hopelessness. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it. Too weak to even escape from under the body that pinned him in place. The only option he had left was to wait for the release of death to take him.


    With dawn on the horizon, Luca lay delirious and barely clinging to life. Nearby Luca thought he heard the sounds of people calling out searching for survivors. In a haze, Luca watched in fear before ultimately decided his desire to live was stronger than his fear of dying. Monsters or not, delirious or not, Luca decided to answer the call.


    "Here. Help me." Luca croaked with a raspy voice near-mute from dryness. "Please, save me; I''m trapped. I don''t want to die. I need help."


    But the voices didn''t turn toward him. Luca heard the footsteps walking away, and their voices became harder to make out. Luca broke down into his last cry, an anguished wail of hopelessness."


    "Hey, do you hear that, Dale? It sounds like somebody is crying over there. They might be trapped; let''s check it out." Said a masculine voice.


    Somewhat strengthened by the realization he might be saved, Luca shouted as loud as he could, a rattle more than a shout that came out as little more than a whisper. The effort was doing damage to his vocal cords, but he hoped it would do. "I''m over here; please help me."


    "Hey Pat, it''s coming from that car over there." Said Dale, his voice raised with concern as he moved toward the car. "Sounds like a kid. Let''s do this. He probably needs our help. You know if it was one of our kids, we would want someone to help them."


    For the first time in days, Luca felt hope that he would live after all. He was saved.

 3 Chapter 3: The Enemy Within

    The two men approached the car cautiously, suspicious of the open door and the stains of blood. Eyeing with caution, the claw marks that marred the roof of the vehicle with deep gouges. "Oh damn Pat, it reeks like somebody died over there. I don''t think this is a good idea. Let''s leave it alone and just piss off." Said Dale, his eyes fixated on the car as Pat nodded his agreement.


    Hearing the two men so close to him, Luca tried to move, even as his body groaned and protested in pain. He wanted to make noise and draw their attention towards him. But the process only exhausted him further. The sounds of movement startled the two skittish would-be rescuers. Before they ran away out of earshot, Luca screamed as loud as he could muster. "Please, it''s my dad; he''s been killed. I''m trapped in here with him."


    Luca heard a sharp intake of breath as the two men drew in close. "Jesus Christ, there''s a kid under all that? Fuck man. That''s all you, Pat, this one is on you. If this goes south, it''s your ass. Fuck it. Just get the kid out of there." Responded Dale, his voice a combination of pity and disgust.


    Within seconds, Luca heard the sound of a hand pressing against the car''s frame as the man named Pat looked into the car. Upon seeing Lucas, Pat gave him a weak and pitying smile. "I''m here, kid; I got you." Large male hands grabbed onto the shredded hem of his father''s pants, dragging the decomposing body off of Luca. Pat tossed the body to the side, and it landed unceremoniously on the ground splitting open. The sudden movement scaring the buzzing flies dispersing them before settling back on Paul''s body. From behind Pat, Luca could hear Dale suddenly hurl.


    The body out of the way, Pat was able to get a good look at Luca. Frowning when he saw the kid''s clothes were ruined, stained from blood and filth. "Sorry, you went through all that kid. What''s your name anyway? I''m Pat, and my companion over there is Dale." Pat said, his voice sympathetic as he tried to comfort Luca.


    With Luca''s voice cracked and damaged as it was from thirst, disuse, and sudden screaming. The boy croaked out a barely audible "Luca."


    "Alright, Luca, I''m going to pull you out nice and easy. Don''t be scared, ok?" Said Pat trying to reassure the boy as he reached into the car and began pulling Luca out. Picking him up as soon as he was able.


    As soon as Luca was finally free, the emaciated crippled boy leaned into the chest of his rescuer, hugging him tightly and sobbed. The two men looked at each other in embarrassment, and Pat was unsure how to respond, doing the only thing he could think of and hugged back. "It''s ok kid. Your safe."


    Dale looked on in disapproval, trying to make eyes as if to say, Leave him. Both men knew the boy was a liability having realized it as soon they figured out the overturned wheelchair on the road belonged to the boy. Seeing the disapproving looks, Pat spoke up. "I''m going to take him with us. He''ll die if we leave him here. Besides, he''s light, barely anything more than the skin his bones. I''ll carry him if I have to, you know those things lay low when they''ve fed, and with his blessing, we should be fine."


    Hearing the two men talking about him, Luca stirred. "Where are you taking me?" He asked with a hoarse voice, barely more than murmuring. Feeling desperate, Luca struggled in Pat''s arms, trying to point to his wheelchair.


    Pat responded to Luca''s flailing about by tightening his hold on the kid, trying to avoid either of them getting hurt. Pat was completely prepared to put the kid to sleep if needed. As Pat felt kid settle down, he lessened his grip on the boy. Looking down at the load he was carrying, the dying body of a boy who didn''t need to die alone. Pat had an expression of regret and sadness on his face. "Don''t worry about it, kid. It''s easier if I carry you. We''re heading to the only place that''s really safe even more. Ground Zero, the entrance to what they are calling the World Dungeon."


    Luca nodded in confused understanding, knowing at least the destination was safety. An escape for the nightmares of the last few nights. Before taking off, Dale walked over and whipped out his canteen, helping Luca to have a drink. Luca tried to not seem disappointed when food didn''t follow the water. However, Dale still saw the look of disappointment, responding with an explanation, "I don''t carry food on me, kid, sorry about that. Those animals can smell it."


    . The road was eerily quiet except for the buzzing of flies and the caws of the carrion birds. Dale walked ahead, scouting for survivors and salvageable gear, making sure the path was clear as Pat walked behind, carrying Luca cradled in his arms. Dale raised his hand, giving the single to halt in place. A trail of fresh blood leading away from a broken windshield.


    Pat placed Luca on the ground and raised a finger to his mouth in a command to be quiet as both of the men pulled out long bowie knives they were carrying on their person. With a nod to each other, they followed the bloody trail, each coming in from a different direction. Returning seconds later, after finding some manner grisly discovery that neither disclosed. Without a word, Pat put the knife away and picked Luca back up. Noting that the boy had passed out in the short time of his absence, ignoring Dale''s pleas to abandon the kid.


    Both of the men seemed unnerved as they began walking the road again. Wincing each time broken glass crunched beneath their boots. Each of them trying to ignore the murder of crows feasting on the dead that littered the roadside in a gruesome parody of slaughter. Most had been victims of the monsters unleashed by the dungeon to rampage, while others had been killed through the negligence and malice of other people.


    The contrast was unnerving. Just a few days earlier, it would have been an oddity to see what had been one of the busiest of highways in the world shut down. The streets choked full of abandoned and damaged cars on both sides of the road, utterly dead across all 8 lanes.


    As Pat carried the unconscious boy in his arms, he noticed that the kid began tossing and turning, struggling against whatever nightmare was plaguing him. His skin appeared pale and blotched from fever. As Pat surveyed the nightmarish hellscape around him and the blood that dyed the road in red blotches, he couldn''t help but draw the conclusion in his thoughts. Why wouldn''t the kid have nightmares? Even more so, Pat was reminded of the state that he had found the boy in. Remembering the shredded body of the man the boy had been trapped under, the boy''s father. "What a damn pity. I''m glad my kids didn''t have to see me go out like that," He thought. Pat had a pretty good idea of what the kid''s nightmares entailed.


    Dale circled back to check on Pat and make sure he wasn''t lagging too far behind. Shaking his head in disapproval as he saw Pat still carrying the cradled form of the unconscious boy. But Pat ignored it. A little compassion was the least that he could do, considering what awaited the boy where they were going. It was still a more compassionate fate than to be left on the streets to starve or wait for death.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The two men and the dying boy pressed forward, being careful as the roads grew more congested. Even with his blessing, neither of the men felt confident in their safety. They weaved methodologically in and out of the abandoned vehicles. Trying as they could to avoid getting too close to the cars or parts of the road that showed signs of damage. Avoiding also dead bodies and pools of blood. The two men learned what many among their numbers had learned the hard way. Monsters didn''t just roam these roads; they nested here.


    They had a rule. A rule that the two of them had developed for out of necessity for survival. To generally avoid drawing close to signs of damage, dead bodies, or blood. Though like with the boy, exceptions happened. The pair was anxiously avoiding bringing attention to themselves. Though they saw no immediate signs of the monsters nearby, that didn''t mean they were safe, and both of the two men acted accordingly. With utmost caution.


    The duo had come across many firsts since becoming stranded on the highway, as so many others had. Following the emergence of the giant stone gateway, that was the entrance of the World Dungeon. The portal to the other world rising up into the air amidst the outlet ruins. With the appearance of the entrance to the World Dungeon, so too had the monsters appeared. A calamity on the race of men.


    But another mystery existed. They had been introduced to the humanlike yet alien beings that called themselves elves. Neither Pat or Dale had known each other before but had quickly taken to each other. They shared a common value. Both had tried to fight off the monsters attacking their families rather than cry and deny what was happening. Near-death, the elves had interceded and offered their protection in exchange for service and sacrifice. Neither Pal nor Dale liked the arrangement but knew they had no other choice but to carry their water. Each of them knew they had no other options. Both had families who had been trapped on the road and saved by the arrangement.


    Pat shuddered at the memory of the previous few days, pushing the memories from his thoughts. At least he tried to. Images flashing across his vision as the memories forced themselves up, superimposing on his consciousness as the worst moment of his life replayed itself. The memory of fear as the black-furred monsters, the Hellhounds as they were called by the elves, tore into the metal of his vehicle with long yellowed claws, tearing through it like paper. The feeling of hopelessness as he kicked and hit and stabbed the monster to no effect. The memory of his youngest daughter crying in fear. Her frantic, desperate begging that he do something, begging because she didn''t want to die, and the memory of his wife holding their son as she prayed.


    That was the lowest point of my life. Pat thought, even as he carried the unconscious boy in his arms to his doom. Of course, I was going to say yes when I was asked. Even a slave knows life is better than the alternative. Resentment and anger welled up inside of him towards the elves. He thought of the fair-skinned elf who had tapped on the window during the attack. A gloating and demeaning smile on his face. Offering to save them all, Pat''s whole family, but only if Pat agreed to serve him. No questions were to be asked, no refusals, only assistance, and deliverance. Pat knew Dale was in the same position even if they never spoke about it; why would they? It didn''t help their situation at all to talk about it. It only made the guilt worse.


    For a short while, there had been a third man among them. A third who had balked when the elf had revealed what the debt owed would entail. A third who had tried to go back on the deal once the terms were known and payment was expected on what was owed. What Pat remembered the most was the way the elf smiled with genuine joy when the man explained why he just couldn''t go through with it.


    The man''s screams had lasted for hours, what became of him, Pat had no idea. But as for the man''s family, their entrails and lifeless heads decorated the stone ledges of the World Dungeon entrance. The gruesome trophies served as a dire reminder of the capricious nature of the ones Pat and Dale now served. While the guilt sat heavy with him, he consoled himself that at least his family was alive.


    Lost in his thoughts, Pat almost didn''t see when Dale raised his fist to stop and be quiet. He could only hope the boy didn''t start crying or screaming in his sleep. The blessing the elf had bestowed on them was powerful but not perfect. They both watched with wide eyes as a new monster walked past them. The beast stood up on his hind legs. It''s a body covered in grey and mangy fur with eyes full of malice and insanity. Its head was that of a wolf, a Lycan. It glanced at them in hunger, baring its fangs. Neither man moved as its attention abruptly shifted, landing on all four paws and sniffed the ground before running off into the distance. When they could no longer see or hear it, the two shaking and anxious men began walking again, almost to their destination.

 4 Chapter 4: Things Promised

    Long before they reached the dungeon encampment, Pat could smell it. The collected human waste and hopelessness that emanated from the long foul trenches dug around the camp that doubled as cesspools. Noxious and repulsive, the stench was Pat''s least favorite part about returning to his new home. Well, that''s not entirely true. It''s just one of many things I despise about this place.


    The smell was not the only thing that bothered him. The closer Pat, Dale, and Luca got to the base camp near the entrance to the World Dungeon, the heavier Pat''s sense of guilt became. But what could he do about it? Pat knew he had no choice in the matter. To resist orders would mean death, not just for him, but for his family as well. No matter what happened, no matter the amount of pity he felt towards the boy, nothing would change that. Neither of the two men could endanger themselves. Too many people depended on them. Pat''s own sense of helplessness in the matter was cemented as they tried to pass through the checkpoint to enter the camp.


    A bestial horned minotaur stepped towards them, it''s hooves shaking the ground with each step, as they tried to pass through the gate marking the camp''s entrance. The brute raising a heavily muscled arm matted with black fur as it lifted and levied a gigantic poleax at them. The monster ordered in a low guttural tone for the three of them to stop. Pat and Dale both stopped where they were, and Pat set Luca down.


    "He''s just a boy, unconscious, and sick at that. We have reason to bring him.," Dale explained, taking the lead as Pat struggled to find an answer. The man distracted, casting a nervous and worried glance at the kid, hoping the minotaur would understand what the message they were trying to convey as they each pulled the hem and collar of their shirts aside to show off the brand the bore, his brand. The brand embedded into the very skin and bone of their shoulders. After having seen the mark, the minotaur balked, quickly waving them through, not wanting to upset their master. The Bullman was already moving on to the next group, stopping a small family from seeking entry. Without a word, Pat picked Luca back up, slinging the boy over his shoulder and moved on.


    The camp was a bustle of activity of moving bodies. Desperate looking humans bearing all the mark of refugees huddled about in fear as demihumans roamed the camp freely. Pat pitied them even as they passed judgment upon him with their eyes full of hate. Blaming him and his yoke for all the suffering they had endured, and how could they not? They knew what he was doing with the boy and what was going to happen to the boy. They knew the monster that Pat had become and no good deed would absolve him of that. A few elves could be seen from positions of overwatch directing monsters as they emerged from the dungeon to seek out and rampage across the human world.


    The two of them walked straight past the huddled refugees without saying a single word or sparing a look. If any of the refugees noticed the unconscious boy, they didn''t say anything. Nobody had a moment of pity to save anymore for someone else, not even a child. Pat hated that. I guess its just the way of things.


    Pat and Dale didn''t keep quarters with the rest of the humans; their families were afforded a level of safety and comfort that none of the other humans were allotted. With remorse, Pat looked away from the clustered people. Casting his gaze instead down the road towards the entrance to the World Dungeon and the homes that had been built into the ruined shops of the mall. His home.


    Breathing deep, Pat walked down the street, steeling himself for what was to come. His wife saw him first thankfully before his children did, greeting him with a wave and a smile, but Pat shook his head and motioned for his wife to usher the children away. They didn''t need to know any of this, didn''t need to see any of it, any of the number of things he did to keep them safe. Maybe one day, he wouldn''t be able to protect them from the truth, but not yet.


    Dale patted him on the shoulder. "Hey Pat, I''m going to head off, this one''s on you, remember? If you know everything goes ok, you should bring the kids over later, and I know Sally would love the company. Fuck it. If the kid ends up being ok, bring him too." Pat knew the lie when he heard it but fully planned on linking up with Dale later. After this ordeal, he was going to need a drink when the kids go down.


    "Yeah, I''m sure he''ll be fine. They can always find a use for people," Pat responded unconvincingly, more to himself than anything as Dale walked away. Pat shifted his vision to look up ahead near the entrance to the World Dungeon, hoping against hope that he wouldn''t see the one who had branded him. His hopes failed him. Pat closed his eyes for a second in resignation, his heart heavy as his stomach sank. One glance at the grisly trophies set about on the entrance of the dungeon was all Pat needed to see to motivate himself to do what he needed to be doing. A price had to be paid. No good deed goes unpunished.


    Exhaling rapidly in nervous habit, Pat tried to steady his resolve. He checked on the kid, sensing that the boy''s pulse was weak and his skin cold, clammy to the touch, but still very much alive for the moment and starting walked towards the elf. Pat was already committed to his obligations. There was nothing he could do but finish what he had started. Something he had started when he decided to save the boy from the back of the car rather than lead healthy survivors back to camp. "Maybe the elf will give the kid a chance."


    Pat knew it was unlikely but realized enough about himself to know he at least needed to hope for a decent outcome. In his aching arms, the kid began to stir the closer Pat came to the elf. "I found a survivor Master Oeviss," Pat told the elf who had branded him. The elf was a monster in civilized clothing who dressed like an aristocrat of old. A monster for whom the very air surrounding him was tinged with malice and emanated dread power. In his presence, Pat''s voice betrayed his fear of the elf. His arms were shaking as he presented the boy. Holding the boy in a way for the elf to easily inspect the boy.


    The elf moved about in examination, grabbing the boy''s head, moving it from side to side as if grading the stock. With all the elf''s probing and physical manipulations, the boy woke up before he could finish. Screaming in panic, extremely disorientated from sickness, but knowing on an intuitive level that something was wrong.


    Master Oeviss, with a look of disgust, touched a finger to the boy''s head, and the thrashing about ended as a spell of paralysis took hold in Luca''s body. "Inferior, inferior stock, you''ve brought me a subpar offering human. I''ll continue to expect him, but I will not forget how you''ve managed to waste my time."


    Giving the boy a second look-over, Oeviss flashed Pat a look of fury, the look causing Pat to recoil in fear, expecting the elf to lash out at him. "A cripple on death''s door. That''s what you''ve brought me? I''ve no use for a cripple. He''s not even fit for the feeding pits. Just toss him into the dungeon." Said the elf dispassionately before looking Pat directly in the eye. "Human, if you ever bring me trash like this again, it will be you and yours whose souls I consume."


    With a nod in acknowledgment of his mistake and promises to not repeat the mistake, Pat grabbed the paralyzed boy as the child begged with eyes full of terror. Pat knew what those eyes said. Please, save me. Don''t do this. Please don''t. You''re better than this. Pat had heard most of those words before. By the time they had reached the front of the stone columns that made up the gateway, the paralysis had worn off. Pat was positive the elf had undone the spell, probably for amusement to add a degree of cruelty to the spectacle. The boy sobbed and pleaded for life, tearing at Pat''s clothing in dire abandon. But Pat had passed the point of caring, being forced to harden his heart. He wasn''t a monster, he didn''t want to do this, but his family would die otherwise. Pat touched his hand to the shimming portal of the gate, ignoring the boy''s pleas for mercy, even as he gripped the boy tighter.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "I''m so sorry," Pat said as quietly as he could, hoping the crying child could hear him, and the elf wouldn''t. Pat was trying to be as gentle as he could while still remaining firm in his resolve. Pat didn''t want this to cause any more suffering then it needed to. Nothing about this was enjoyable. He tried to pull the boy off of him and cast him into the gate, but the boy began to wrap himself around him in the unshakable embrace of someone who knew they were doomed.


    Pat finally lost his patience as Master Oeviss grinned, watching the scene unfold with ominous mirth from afar. A single blow from Pat''s fist to the child''s sides released the boy''s death-like grip, and without reservation, Pat tore the child away from him, throwing him into the gateway to disappear to the wherever and whatever the portal led. The place Pat guessed to be the hellish inner world of the dungeon.


    Turning around, Pat saw his daughter peeking her head out of the shelter. Whether she had seen what he did or not, Pat decided he didn''t care. She was still alive, and that was enough to let him know he had made the right call, even as his conscience condemned him as a monster, and his mind agreed in hi

 5 Chapter 5: The Blessing of the Shadow

    Head over heels, Luca tumbled through the gateway of the World Dungeon. Passing through the empty dark space between worlds and the infinity chasm that lay between them. Aimlessly, he fell and continued falling, a fall that knew neither sense of direction or the passage of time.


    Eventually, after time incomprehensible, the sensation of falling lessened, replaced by the progressive feel of the world and gravity around him. Luca landed impossibly without harm on his back. Striking the cold stone of a dark cave with a loud boom. Disturbing in the process, a thin layer of dirt on the ground of the dark cavern. The earth previously long undisturbed deep within the caverns of the hole he had been cast into. As Luca lay lost in the that deepest dark, his very soul was slowly edging away from the cusp of death. He felt the strength gradually return to his body as the lingering sense of lethargy and malaise he had long felt since the accident that took the use of his legs fell away from him. His very soul was slowly edging away from the cusp of death.


    As Luca returned from the very edge of death, the sensations of bodily need began to return to him with a vengeance. Strangely absent was any feeling of pain. His stomach rumbling in unabated terrible hunger, even as his own trembling weakness from hunger seemed to have passed, no longer a concern. Unmoving, Luca remained in place, uncertain of where to go or what do if he ever found his way to whatever or the wherever he was heading towards.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Due to the limited illumination that was being cast by the lavender quartz embedded in the stone of the cavern, Luca''s eyes were able to adjust to the dark of the cave, allowing him a bit of limited vision. From within the darkness, something stirred. Luca could see a pale gleam of stained white and yellow. "What big fangs you have," Luca said out loud, barely croaking out the words through his torn vocal cords, towards what he thought was an illusion, cackling with an edge of madness that surprised him


    The white gleam was replaced by a darker shimmer from a pair of hyper dilated eyes blinking in gluttonous anticipation from deep within the dark. Luca heard the sound of feet slapping against the stone as whatever it was moved closer. I''m not dreaming. I need to defend myself. With his legs useless as they were, Luca had no option to run instead. Instead, Luca felt for something to use, his hands clasping around a fist sized stone. Even as he grasped the stone in his hands, the heavy breathing drew closing.


    Luca smelled it before he saw the thing''s body. Vaguely human, though clearly not with pale green skin loose skin, full of blotches as if diseased with pointed ears and large hands with sharpened yellowed nails. The smell radiating off the thing was fetid, the breath it expelled smelling heavily of rot. I think this is what? A goblin? Have I gone mad?


    Whether he had lost his mind or not, Luca knew the truth of the situation. The way the monster eagerly looked at him let Luca knew without a doubt if he didn''t do something, the goblin would eat him. Luca would only get one chance to survive this. Terrified as he was, Luca tried to calm himself, waiting for his one chance to live as the Goblin approached. Those dark eyes peering down at him as it bent over. Luca thought he heard the thing hiss as it spoke to itself, "Freshest meat."


    Those two words galvanized Luca''s fear into action, and as hard as he could, he swung the rock up, aiming for the Goblins temple. The rock hit with a wet thud as dark liquid splattered against Luca''s face. The monster fell backward into the dark and disappeared. What began of it, Luca could only guess as the very air around him seemed to change as subtle laughter could be heard from within the dark.


    Luca was able to vaguely see amorphis shadows swirling around in circular patterns around him. Long tendrils and twisting shapes of smoke, reaching for him from further out in the dark. Helpless Luca tried to scream but found he had no voice with which to scream. The damage to his vocal cords had not healed. Unlike with the goblin, Luca felt pure fear as he recoiled in terror at the eldrich shadow. He wanted to scream and cry and found he could do neither. Not that it mattered. Neither would have saved him.


    The shadows curled around him. His skin burning with cold at the touch. The tendrils grasping at his body, encircling around his chest, beginning to pull him further into the dark. Though Luca tried to resist, it was futile. The nails of his fingers breaking off as they left white scratches on the rock from trying tried to brace himself to avoid being taken. The force of whatever dark entity was behind those shadows hungered for him, and Luca knew fear as he involuntarily shivered but could not move otherwise, suspended as he was above the ground in the air.


    With a surge of unexpected force, Luca was pulled forward by the shadows and tossed upwards before beginning to fall again. This time, the fall did not last an eternity. Luca felt the force of gravity re-exert itself on him as he was met with the feeling of air rushing through his hair. It lasted only a few seconds before he landed. A searing pain spread throughout his body as Luca felt his back smash into a small boulder with blunted noise. The sounds of his bones breaking echoing throughout the cavern he was trapped in. The pain was immense. Whatever magic had dulled, his sense of pain before was no longer in effect.


    The sounds of screaming filled the cave, and Luca looked around frantically scanning the dark for its source, disorientated from the fall, and only seeing retreating shadows. Panicking, his breathing quickened as he started to hyperventilate. It would be some time before Luca was able to recognize the screaming voice he feverishly searched for was his own.


    Eventually, the pain faded to a dull roar, and though Luca wasn''t sure what had happened, he had the distinct feeling that whatever had been broken in his back had already begun to mend back together. The thoughts of the creeping shadow banished momentarily as his mind cleared, and he began to notice a stabbing, searing sensation radiate up from his legs.


    My legs? Thought Luca, the residual pain and fear temporarily banished by the thought that he could feel something from his legs. He couldn''t see anything below his waist, but he could feel, and as he trailed his hands down his body, Luca realized he could feel the sensation of the pressure exerted by his fingers on his legs.


    Alone in the dark, Luca smiled at himself at the thought and its implications. But the celebration was short-lived as he felt warm liquid sticky on his fingertips. For a moment, Luca believed he had managed to urinate on himself. An accident caused by the fall but dismissed it once he recognized the smell of iron. His pants were warm with blood, not piss. He was bleeding.


    The burning sensation Luca had felt had originated from a jagged rock that had punctured his leg and was protruded out the other side like a rock spike. The magic that was working to restore feeling to his legs had become a curse as the nerves awoke. Progressively increasing the intensity of the pain, he felt.


    Impaled upon the rock, Luca screamed and cried in pain. Alternating between screaming for help and sobbing in self-pity. Hours passed, maybe days, the desire for food and water he had felt before was all but replaced only by the constant pain he was in. Even as the consistent fear of the shadows that haunted the dark of the cave surrounding him lingered.


    In all of his suffering, Luca begged for death. Asking for a release from the pain he was in and the suffering that his life had become. This was a reminder of his worst nightmare, the worst day of his life. Just like with the car, Luca was once again found himself trapped. Trapped, unable to remove himself from the rock his leg was impaled on.


    Physically Luca was too weak to pull his body from it, and mentally he could not bring himself to try and force it. "Why me?" He cried to the dark, but nothing answered as the dark shadows from before started to form around him, their presence disturbing the air and filling it with the pulse of malice.


    Ultimately Luca stopped begging for someone to help him and starting to vow revenge. Revenge against the men who had taken him from the car and thrown him down into this hole. Revenge against the strange man, the elf known as Master Oeviss, who had condemned him to this Hell. Revenge against everyone who looked the other way instead of helping him. Luca vowed that if he should ever leave this place, he would never again be so weak. Never again would he be a victim.


    Luca''s thoughts filled with madness. An inner darkness had awoken within him that dulled the pain. His hate feeding on his suffering, numbing him to everything in a way that no anesthetic ever could. Eventually, he passed out in exhaustion. His cheeks caked with dust mixed with the tears he had shed. As he lay sleeping, the swirling shadows emerged again, collapsing on Luca''s sleeping form. Whispering into his ear as he slept, feeding his mind thoughts of dark ambition and darker futures.


    The dark entity in its hunger whispered, hunched over Luca''s unconscious body as it spoke to him. "If you seek this power, and should you find it? What will you do with it?"


    From deep within his sleep, Luca responded, looking out into the void past the darkness into the future. His expression hardening into something sinister as he gazed upon that elsewhere, reflective of the dream that had been whispered to him. A vision of the flock of crows he had seen on the road. His eyes slowly opened in a trance, showing only furrows of crimson red and responded in a voice deeper than the boy should have been capable of producing. "Power."


    The shadows laughed in contentment. A shadowy arm reaching out to the boy and stroked his face. "Well, then little one. I, Amarath, the Immortal accept you. You have passed my trial. On my behalf, you will bring calamity upon the race of men and be the iron upon which they sharpen themselves. Then and only then may they come to escape Aeon''s Blight."

 6 Chapter 6: The Black Emblem

    Hey Guys,


    I don''t try to promote my patron or anything like that, and I don''t lock chapters behind a paywall. When I finish a Volume, I put it on Amazon. I feel like this is fair for everyone. I''d rather a $3 charge for a whole book, then a $5 charge for extra chapters written over the course of a couple of months.


    That said, I do need your help.


    Once again, I am asking for reviews on other stories. If you want a copy, please DM me and I''ll send you the ebook file for review on Amazon.


    Review The Genesis Game: Volume II at http://tiny.cc/ReviewVolumeII


    Review Arcane Engineer: The Awakened Dungeon at http://tiny.cc/ReviewArcaneEngineer


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The shadow that was the immortal Amarath materialized something resembling a hand as an incorporeal arm reached forward and tore the jagged rock out of Luca''s leg. It would not suit its designs for a permanent physical flaw to develop in the one it had chosen to be its vassal. A vassal to use as it manipulated the outcome of the Genesis Game. With no further need for a body, Amarath dematerialized into black mists.


    In the trance-like state, the boy had fallen into Luca noticed nothing. A moan of brief agony escaped his lips as the stone spike was removed from where it had been embedded in his leg. But even this pain was not enough to awaken him from his deep slumber. The sound of ripping and tearing of Luca''s flesh was replaced by the sound of kneading skin and muscle fiber as the wound rapidly healed, completely unhindered by the presence of the foreign object. In this, Luca had been lucky. The healing magic of the World Dungeon was not absolute. Permanent flaws could occur if the healing was interfered with. When the restoration was complete, the boy collapsed on the ground asleep.


    Luca slept a deep and dark sleep. The sleep that comes to those who have teetered on the very edge of death. The sleep for those who have stood on the precipice between life and abyss that follows and somehow survived. A sleep that creeps like a thief in the night, visiting the sickly and infirm, the young and the old. The sleep of the lost, broken things set loose to wander in the world in suffering. The sleep of the damned.


    Amarath''s presence was thick around the boy examining him. The immortal could tell Luca''s psyche had been heavily damaged. Probing through the boy''s chaotic memories, Amarath could see Luca''s mind had begun to warp. Traumatized from the ordeal of losing his father. Tormented from being trapped with the rotting body in his helpless, crippled state for days and nights. The very edges of Luca''s mind had begun to fray, partially shattered by being cast by those who had saved him into the endless void that was the entrance of the World Dungeon.


    "No young one, this will not do." Whispered Amarth, seeing the one who was to be his thrall was already nearly a breaking point. Swirling and condensing around Luca''s ear, the otherworldly shadow whispered dark desires directly into the heart and soul of the boy. Manipulating and twisting the lines between good and evil. Replacing the very core of the boy''s being until all that remained was the drive for survival at any cost and an insatiable need for power. With that drive, the survival of the boy''s mind was assured. If Amarath could smile, he would have. The shadow stopped and resumed observing content with his meddling, the visions of Luca''s dreams readily revealed to him.


    A low thrum of energy began to reverberate throughout the ground as the very essence of the otherworldly being that was Amarath was set into the core of the boy and began corrupting him. A glow of a profane crimson circle appearing under Luca, channeling him with the energy of the dark shadow.


    "And now for my blessing, young one." Whispered Amarath as all but one of the shadows that comprised his current form retreating rapidly from the boy, removing themselves from Luca''s unconscious body and the places within his consciousness they had embedded themselves. The sole remaining shadow drew the energy of the cave into itself, amplified through the power of the crimson circle as the dark shadow began to slowly solidify. The sole remaining portion of Amarath shifting, changing, taking on the hue of glossed black obsidian, and formed into a black emblem with Angel Wings.


    As it laid across Luca''s chest, the obsidian emblem of Angel wings began oscillating with dark energy as the boy''s skin surrounding the emblem started to burn, the skin smoldering clear to the bone. His blood boiling in his veins. The black obsidian carving its way through the hole it had created in Luca''s skin and embedded itself deep in the boy''s chest, partially merging with his heart. The horrible wound started to rapidly heal as the skin grew back, obscuring what had transpassed and what the boy had been through.


    As for Luca, all of the dark dreams Amarath had set into motion came to a halt. In pure agony, he woke up screaming. Unknowing what was going on, all Luca could do was beg for mercy, not for the first time that day, and though he asked, none came. For him, there would be no relief or respite. Only the corrupted whispers of the tainted dark offered any comfort, though Luca did not recognize it.


    Anger coursed through his veins as Luca screamed in accusation, an accusation against everyone who had left him behind, and everyone who had failed him. "Why me!? What did I do to deserve this?" Answer me. Oh my god. Please somebody help me? What did I do to deserve this?" Though Luca screamed, he would never get an answer, an answer he had no expectation of receiving. Realizing as he did that he was truly alone. Help would never come for him. As Luca''s screaming echoed throughout the cave system, he found it did nothing to quell his anger. Slumping over, Luca slammed his fists into the ground. Luca didn''t consciously notice in his flirtation with insanity that the rocks cracked beneath the force of the blow.


    From deeper inside the cavern, the dark entity Amarath lurked. Away from the ability of the boy to notice its presence. Watching and waiting to see what the boy''s reaction would be to his new reality. The Shadow''s attention was drawn by the boy''s presumptuous posturing. Let me introduce myself then. Amarath appeared as swirling shadows collapsing in on each other, building bonds of sinew and muscle from the bonded void. Forming a gigantic arm that reached out at an incredible speed and clutched the boy by the neck, lifting the boy off the ground. The pressure threatening to burst Luca''s organs and grind his bones to dust, but even then, Luca did not respond with tears. Instead, the boy starred back in a furious rage. The shadow knew the change had been successful. The child bore his mark and was already beginning to change.


    The shadow spoke in a domineering voice that demanded silence and instant attention, lest further interruption invite annihilation. "Hush child, for I am Calamity and the Ruin. I am the immortal Amarath. I am the judgment of all men. Both trial and tribulation. I have chosen you to be an instrument by which I test them. On my behalf, you will be their ordeal. A disaster to break upon them, yours is a dark destiny. It is you who will be the iron they sharpen themselves against so that there may finally be an end to this."


    In confusion, Luca did not know how to respond, and for a moment, he thought he was going to be overwhelmed by fear but somehow was able to maintain his composure and asked of the entity that held him as calmly as he could. "Am I going to die?"


    "No, child." Answered Amarath. "You are to live. You are to survive. The Genesis Game has already started, and the many players line the board. It is time for you to join it if you but say yes and accept the power that has already been granted you."


    "What do I have to do?" Asked Luca, his fear abating as he considered the offer extended by Amarath, the offer tempted him.


    "Accept what your eyes see, and choose what is in front of you." Replied the Darkness as it set the boy down on the ground, knowing that things were fundamentally about to change for the boy forever.


    Blinking in recovery, Luca saw the visage of a screen over his eyes, obscuring his vision as words and numbers appeared. Is this screen what the shadow meant by accepting and saying yes?


    Notification: Quest Unlocked �C The Chosen of Amarath


    Details: The Dark Deity known as Amarath has chosen you to be his vassal, a type of pledged servant during The Genesis Game.


    Conditions: Willingly Select Yes


    Reward: Legendary Class - Unlocked


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Reward: Racial Change


    Notification: Acceptance Status


    Do you accept? Yes/No


    Luca did as he had been instructed and led to do by Amarath. He didn''t question the reality of the prompt he saw before his eyes, choosing to accept what he saw as real. It hardly would make sense for me to draw the line here at what I can believe in, not after everything I''ve seen and been through. Reading over the text, Luca frowned at the wording. On an instinctual level, Luca knew that whether he liked the terms or not, whether he really understood the implications or not, saying no was not an option. Luca knew if he said no, the immortal monster in the dark would kill him without hestitation, if not thrust upon him some ghastlier fate. In his heart, something else had appeared. It was not quite courage, but something else altogether. Luca possessed an overwhelming desire to live and a desire to accept the power this deal would bring him. He mentally selected yes, and the screens quickly disappeared, replaced by another.


    Notification: Affirmation of Choice


    Details: Have you been coerced into acceptance?


    Yes/No


    The way this screen was worded made Luca second guess his choice a bit, but he had already made up his mind and quickly selected No to the question of coercion. The answer was clearly yes, but the semantics didn''t matter. He wanted this deal to happen.


    Notification: Quest Updated �C The Chosen of Amarath


    Reward: Legendary Class Granted: Angel of Death


    Racial Change: Nephilim


    The last notification lingered for just a few moments. As soon as it vanished, Luca doubled over in pain as more energy pulsed from within the obsidian colored emblem that was embedded beneath his flesh. The force exerted by the emblem tore the skin from Luca''s body as Luca clenched his fists in refusal to acknowledge the pain. Luca''s limbs stretching as his body was remade into something else altogether.


    All around Luca, the darkness and its shadows began to disappear as Luca felt the sensation of being transported to somewhere else, though still within the same plane of existence, the inner realm of the World Dungeon. Yet, before Amarath faded completely, it spoke one last thing. "Upon thee child, I give a new name. You are to be Seraph, and I charge you to complete this dungeon and seize for yourself the Altar of the End. Then and only then will you find the insatiable hunger that for the power that gnaws at you even now satisfied. Survive, you are to become the sum of all men."


    Even as his body was wracked with pain, he still understood the words more as a mental instruction than as a sound. With nothing further said, Luca, collapsed on the ground as his body changed. Writhing around on his belly, unable to respond. He passed out as the tip of black wings erupted through the skin near his shoulder blades and began to grow.

 7 Chapter 7: The Arrival

    Notification: Arrival �C Ground Floor - The Elven City of Hometown


    Details: The Elven City of Hometown resides within the inner realm of the World Dungeon. The city is all that remains of their once-great civilization. Their homeworld of Titania was purged by a phenomenon referred to as the Green Madness, an extinction-level event. Hometown is the last bastion of the fallen race of the Elves; as such, they are profoundly possessive and guard it carefully. A sprawling city, all players may find whatever they need and more to prepare themselves to enter the varying dungeon floors on their quest.


    The air smelled of burnt ozone as Luca materialized into existence in the very heart of the Elven City of Hometown. His arrival marring the steel of the reception platform with black scorch marks. The memory of the recent trauma he had suffered was distant and unfamiliar as if it had happened to another person. The glare of a strange sun began beating down on him as people moved around on their errands and business. He was partially stunned by the sounds of a city bustling with life. Awestruck, Luca did nothing for a moment as he looked around in wonder at the magical city taking in the sights. Ignoring the strange sensations between his shoulder blades.


    The platform Luca stood on appeared to be in the middle of a glossed and polished cobblestone plaza. A sort of train platform looking building suspended above the square. He looked around and saw eight shimmering portals arranged in an octagon while stores and service shops ringed the area. Each of the shops drawing small crowds of what Luca could only assume to be groups of medieval warrior or adventurers based on observations of the armors they wore and weapons they wielded.


    Everywhere Luca looked, the impossible seemed to exist. Minotaurs walked freely alongside Elves, while dwarves haggled with street vendors, and other races Luca could not recognize seemed to scurry between one thing and the next. Each seemingly to be taken directly out of a fantasy book or the mythology of old. Yet, something about what Luca saw bothered him, though he was not able to put his finger on it.


    A dirty hand reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt, breaking Luca from the immersive illusion of majestic beauty he felt towards the city. "Hey, don''t touch me!" Luca yelled angrily as he swatting away the hand that was grabbing on to him. With a look of irritation, Luca looked down at who had touched him. He found himself looking into the eyes of a girl younger than he was, looking directly at him. She asked with a tone Luca found uncomfortably familiar, "Please, can you help me? I''ve been praying. I''ve lost my parents. We got separated on the road, and I don''t know where I am."


    Luca struggled to stammer out a reply, looking into her eyes and seeing only that desperate need. He couldn''t give her the answer she wanted, and he couldn''t give her the help she needed. "I''m sorry, I don''t know. I can''t help you," Luca watched as the light seemed to fade in her eyes as she processed the disappointing answer. Why did she think I could help her? I''m just as lost as she is.


    With a soft pop, Luca''s attention was called elsewhere. Watching as other humans materialized on the platform in the same way he did, though none left scorch marks. Each person that joined him on the platform was a sobbing and wretched ruin of humanity. What happened to these people? A vague memory clung to him about a cave and a road, but the memory was hazy as if it belonged to someone else.


    More and more hands reached out to grab him and beg for help. Grim filled fingers and unwashed bodies pressing against him, crying out for his aid. A realization hit him. When he had previously been looking around at the people moving about on their business, enjoying the city, none had been human. The only humans he saw were those crowing around him, marred by unhealing wounds. Though Luca could surmise the cause of their apparent misery, he found himself unable to extend any sense of sympathy towards them. Unable to identify with any of them, Luca chose to ignore them entirely as a whole. Luca''s response was typical. Within the inner realm of the World Dungeon, this was business as usual. Just another group of traumatized humans stuck between life and death.


    The sensation between his shoulder blades increased with an unforgiving intensity as pain wracked Luca''s upper body. With a harsh cough, he doubled over onto bracing himself with his hands on his knees. Gaining as he did an increased uncomfortable awareness of a weight pressing against his back. The spot itching as if something lurked, crawling beneath his skin. The internal pressure mounting as Luca struggled with the unfamiliar bodily sensations. Something has changed.


    A wave of nausea hit him, and Luca had to suppress the urge to vomit, further bracing himself as he fought back the bile that was rising from within his stomach. He failed in the endeavor, wiping the pale yellow froth from his mouth as a delicate hand touched him on the back, asking with a feminine voice, "Hey, are you ok? You don''t belong here with them." Luca recognized the hand didn''t belong to one of the many filthy lingering people that seemed so intent on getting close to him but still felt hostility towards the voice. He didn''t want to be pitied.


    Luca responded poorly, angrily batting the hand away, lashing out in pain at the voice who had reached out in kindness. He didn''t respond to the question as the cause of the irritation revealed itself. The newly emergent growth of wings he had failed to notice protruding from his back accelerated their growth. Spreading out in a wingspan wider than his outreached arms. The development didn''t surprise him, not after everything he had seen and experienced over the last few days. The people all around him on the platform backed away in reverence, and Luca shied his eyes away from them in self-revulsion, not wanting to see the way they looked at him longingly. Do they think I''m some kind of angel is why they thought I could help them? I can''t save anyone.


    In the same way that Luca was embarrassed by the reverent looks of those around him, he was equally embarrassed by his reaction to the woman''s touch. He turned his head, trying to get a good look at the woman who had attempted to show him a bit of kindness. Slipping through the gathered crowd, Luca got a good look at her. She had long blonde hair that curled at the tips and fair olive skin. Her piercing, hazel eyes that caught him looking were impossible not to notice. Lastly, Luca noticed that her ears were tipped. So she''s an elf. Is that even a thing here? Why wouldn''t it? I saw plenty of them walking around. She flashed him a look of anger and turned to walk away. Luca could only watch as she starting moving through the crowded reception platform heading down the road towards a group of shops heading away from the plaza into the city. Luca tried to follow her with his eyes but quickly lost sight of her on the street.


    Disgusted with himself, Luca steadied himself and stood up. He struggled to maintain his balance, not from inability but from unfamiliarity. Luca''s legs buckled from strain and partial loss of mobility from the newfound burden of the wings. Preventing him from running after her until he could control over his body. The newfound weight on his back, making it more difficult. Hunched over with his legs shaking, Luca smiled, realizing he was walking again, and for the briefest of moments, he laughed until the good mood was ruined with the reminder left by soft feathers brushing against his face.


    I need to work through this. What am I working with? Luca turned his head slightly, not wanting to fall over as he examined the newfound weight on his back. Wings had sprouted sporting black feathers, and as Luca looked, an intense urge within his shoulder blades caused him to flex a muscle he didn''t know existed. The effort forcing the black wings on his back to flap as his body rippled with muscles he had never had before. Even without the wings, Luca knew he looked radically different than the withered and crippled kid he had been.


    Judging the extent of the changes was difficult for Luca in the absence of his reflection. The only thing he noticed aside from the wings he now bore and the sharp increase in muscle tone was the smoothness of his skin. Fair and unblemished, not a sign of marring on the surface. His skin no longer a pale white but more of a golden tan.


    For the second time that day, a look of wonder lit up his face. Standing tall, he flexed the phantom sensation that moved his wings. Working to familiarize himself with the changes in his body. Absolutely amazing. Moving one wing and then the other moving as he worked to familiarize himself with the modifications to his body and build up muscle memory.


    Above the platform, a lamplight turned on, the halogen burning green, and a loud series of pings were broadcasted from it as another blue screen appeared before his eyes.


    Notification: Quest Discovered "The Genesis Game"


    Details: The Genesis Game is the last opportunity for a world to prove themselves worthy of survival. All denizens of the world may become players and attempt to complete all 7 floors of the dungeon and ascend to the Locum Malificar to seize the Altar of the End.


    Conditions: Seize the Altar of the End on the final floor.


    Reward: *Conditional �C One Wish


    *Continued Existence


    Note: For information, simply state "Notification Request" followed by the topic. Each player may use this information method (3) times during their adventure.


    Note: Notifications disappear after the block of text has been read or if mentally dismissed by the reader.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    As soon as Luca was finished reading the entirety of the text block, it disappeared. Only to be replaced by another.


    Notification: Racial Change - Race Change from "Human" to "Nephilim"


    Details: The Nephilim are heroes of old, men of renown. Known for feats of great heroism, but also for efforts of great cruelty. Power is often corrupting, and for the sons of angels, the draw of the power of demi-gods is often filled with corruption:


    Effects: Physique +2, All Stats +10,


    Racial Ability Gained: Summon Nightmare


    Notification: Racial Ability Gained - Summon Nightmare


    Details: As creatures of both light and of humanity, Nephilim hold to fears and beliefs alien to their celestial kin, and unlike humans, hold power to birth from their mind the very things that they fear. The Nightmare is one such thing, deeply personal; the Nightmare is the personification of the worst fears of the Nephilim.


    Effects: Summon 1 Nightmare (Personal)


    Note: The Nightmare can only be summoned for 10 minutes, once daily and its stats are equal to .75 of the summoners stats.


    Notification: Class Change - Class Change from "Nothing" to "Angel of Death"


    Details: The Angel of Death is responsible for the essence of the soul after death. Holding all manner of knowledge, divine, arcane, and forbidden in the facilitation of their duties.


    Effects: Gain .01 Stat Points per player kill


    Innate Class Knowledge Gained: Consume Soul, Rend Soul, Soul Persistence


    Name


    Luca Fernandez Race


    Nephilim


    Aliases None Class


    Angel of Death


    Passives None


    Abilities Summon Nightmare (1-1000)


    Level


    Current Unassigned Stat Points


    0


    1 of 999


    Current Experience 0 of 35


    STR 10 INT 10 AGI 10


    WIS 10 LCK 10 PHY 1*


    END 10 PER 10 SOL *$0000

 8 Chapter 8: Gate Keeper

    Luca''s head started to throb from the immense strain caused by the bombardment of incoming information. The pressure forcing him to stand still and process the notification screens. Luca closed his eyes and steadied himself with deep breathing. Waiting only a few moments for the pain to pass before moving on.


    The first thing Luca wanted to do was quell his rumbling hunger and get some food into his stomach. Ambition and desire to grow stronger would have to wait until after he ate. Luca looked around to see if there was any place that might have food. Ultimately, he decided to head towards the shops he had seen earlier when the elven woman had turned away from him after he had acted so unnecessarily brazenly hostile towards her.


    Pushing through the crowd of humans that thronged around him, Luca walked down the sloped path that led away from the platform towards the shops. As he walked, Luca struggled with his gait. His steps were awkward and sluggish; walking had become unfamiliar for him since the accident had taken from him the use of his legs, and the newly acquired wings only complicated the problem, though he was no longer struggling with balance like before.


    As Luca walked down the path, he was surprised to see that all the humans, elves, and demi-humans he walked passed quickly moved out of his way with differing amounts of reference and fear. His dark wings and wide wingspan now fully grown drew attention to him. Moving smoothly through the crowds, children of all races watched the arrival platform as they made a show of playing at tag. It was not overtly obvious, but Luca could that the children only ran around in mock play. Their presence served another purpose. Using the autonomy of age, they secretly passed reports between each other with quick whispers as runners were sent on higher to interested parties about promising newcomers.


    Once he reached the bottom of the slope, Luca walked along the stone path leading away from the platform and headed straight towards the storied buildings of red brick and mortar near where he had last seen the elven woman. Trails of poisonous looking ivy with faded orange petals hung off of the building adorning the trim. Hunger distracted Luca as he walked, guiding him towards the smell of food coming from the sidewalk vendors and wafting from inside the shops. Forcing him to avoid as he moved the press of desperate bodies unwilling to accept the radical changes their lives had just undergone that reached out to him in hopelessness. Is this what humans become in this place? Refugees and beggars?


    Before Luca was even able to approach the food cart at the base of the ivy-covered building, a tall, lanky looking male elf with black short-cropped military-styled hair stepped forward. The elf had an aura of extreme arrogance about him as he lazily approached. Just like the elven woman Luca was chasing after, this elf also had piercing hazel eyes that looked directly at him. I need to watch myself with this guy. Something is off about him, and he''s clearly got an issue with me. Maybe a brother? The elf held up a slender hand that had been hidden in the ripped bomber jacket he was wearing, ordering with a voice of harsh authority for Luca to stop. "Hold up, human. Regardless of whatever way you''ve managed to disguise yourself, I can always tell one of you by the smell. A cross between piss and shit, trespassing where it doesn''t belong, newly escaped from whatever cesspool it belongs in."


    Before Luca could even reply and tell the elf what he thought of him, the elf sprang forward with an incredible quickness that Luca couldn''t keep up with. The elf''s lanky arms curled into a fist as he brought his arm up in a punch straight to Luca''s gut. The force of the blow sent Luca sprawling through the air backward. Causing him to land on his back in the center of the pathway. Literally knocking the wind out of him as his lungs began to spasm.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Not dead yet human? Good. You might be able to survive yet if you learn your place." Said the elf as he peered down, looking over Luca''s body as the boy struggled to find his breath, gasping for air from the shock of the attack. " I''m Garen, and you can refer to me as your welcoming committee. This is my city, the only place you have here is the one you carve for yourself. Soon you''ll be able to, I''m sure, can smell the scent of power on you. You reek of it. I can see why she was interested, but this is Hometown, the city of the Elves, and as the leader of the elves, this is the only warning you''re going to get as a courtesy for surviving. Hometown belongs to us. Watch where you step."


    The elf named Garen bent down and extended a hand to Luca to help him up. A move that shocked the boy as Luca looked at Garen incredulously, furious with the elf for striking him. He grabbed the elf''s extended hand and pulled up, swinging as he did a haymaker with his right arm that was born more from anger than anything. Luca''s fist landed squarely against the elf''s jaw, and the bones in Luca''s hand fractured as a result, but as for the elf, no effect was discernable.


    "Don''t be rude, human, and I''ll let that one slide," Said Garen with a grin, putting his hands back in his pockets. "I''m only gatekeeping. A messenger if you will. We all have our parts to play in this. Welcome to the Game."


    Luca looked at his fist in shock, seeing the flesh of his hand wriggle and pulse as the bones shifted, repairing the fractures. He felt fear crawl up his spine. Even though Luca felt a strength flowing through his body that he had never known, the aura Garen was putting off completely eclipsed it. He''s on an entirely different level than me. If he wanted to kill me, there is nothing I could do to stop him.


    Being completely outclassed was frightening. The difference between how strong Luca had already become and the power of this elf was enormous. Garen''s lanky appearance might have implied weakness, but a sixth sense and common sense both warned Luca that Garen was anything but weak. I need to make peace with him. This isn''t a fight I can win.


    "I''m Luca," he told the elf with some reservation mixed with resentment. What did he mean by welcome to the Game? The Genesis Game? Or something else? Luca tried to remain cordial. "I''m new here and a little disorientated. I''m trying to find someplace to get some food."


    "And nothing else?" Asked Garen with an upraised eyebrow, his voice tinged with the edge of a threat. Luca thought the implied answer was obvious. Whoever the elven woman was, he would have to put off trying to find her to apologize.


    "Just food Garen," replied Luca. I mean, it''s not a lie. I can''t remember the last time I ate. "I''m fairly hungry, and I just couldn''t resist the smells coming off the food stands."


    "Well now, Luca, you certainly are in luck!." Garen laughed, leering as his smile spread wider across his face. He doesn''t actually enjoy this, does he? But I can tell he doesn''t care either. A sociopath maybe? Luca knew the smile on Garen''s face was just a mask, the way the elf''s eyes move were reminiscent of a stalking predator. "Yep, definitely in luck. The actual welcoming committee is on its way. The heads of your Human Guilds making their rounds to pick up survivors and stragglers that come through the Gate of the World Dungeon, I''m sure they''d be more than happy to feed you a meal on your side of town."


    "What do you mean, welcoming committee? What is the World Dungeon? ?" Asked Luca, looking around to see if anyone was coming. All I remember is being thrown through that strange gateway. "I didn''t come here with the rest of them."


    Garen laughed at him, a scornful unforgivable laugh. "That''s dead obvious Luca. Those wings are a dead give away. No one else living has a pair. Look, you seem nice enough, but I''m not here for exposition. Just do us both a favor, turn around and walk back to where you came from. Or I''ll finish what I started. You understand?


    Cowed and dejected, Luca nodded, turning around and walked back to rejoin the rest of humanity that lingered on the platform.


    "One more thing." Called out Garen, his voice taking an edge of serious to it. "Wherever you came from, however, you got those wings. That''s your secret to keep. Just be careful with it. I''m not your friend, but I''m not your enemy either. Somebody has plans for you. Don''t mess it up doing human things."

 9 Chapter 9: Legends and Chaos

    At Garen''s prompting and at the behest of his thinly veiled threat, Luca turned around and walked back towards the arrival platform, slouching up the sloped path back to where he had come from. Cowed as he was and humbled, Luca walked without the gait of brazen confidence he had adopted before, granted to him as a result of the newfound strength that coursed through his body. Well, not enough power, I''ll need more to make sure the past doesn''t repeat itself. Even the demi-humans that had previously shown him difference cast him leering looks instead. The few humans that saw him no longer looked towards him in reverence but instead scrambled out of his way as if afraid they would draw the ire of the elves. Guess they realized I''m not the savior they''re looking for.


    Looking towards the platform, rather than out towards the city where he had encountered Garen, Luca noticed a few things he had glossed over when he first arrived. Distracted as he had been by the magic of Hometown and his initial impression of the ground floor of the inner underworld of the World Dungeon.


    The first thing that he noticed was that in his short absence, fewer humans could be seen crowding the reception platform. What had happened to them, Luca could only guess. That''s not entirely true, though. If my own experience here is any indicator, nothing good happened to them.


    The second thing Luca noticed was the location of the arrival platform itself. The platform was situated towards the southern outskirts of the centralized plaza, which had side streets that lead away into the city, and towards the outskirts of the city. From Luca''s current vantage point at the midway point of the slope, Luca could see more of the street he had been turned away from as elves walked about with ease, but of Garen, there was no sight. That''s a problem I''ll save for another day.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The plaza was separated from the platform and the side streets that fed into it by the glossed and heavily red cobblestone tile that decorated the plaza grounds. Within the inner square of the plaza, Luca could see a ring of seven large gates in the form of a heptagram. Each gate was a stone half-circle that extended high into the sky. Each of the stone archways could easily accommodate large groups of people and property passing through. Judging by all the elves and humans moving through the gates with carts, that''s exactly what the gates are used for.


    A thin blue film covered each of the gateways. As Luca looked, gazing directly at the gate nearest to him, he could vaguely see through the film a glimpse into another world beyond the one he was in. What else is this place capable of?


    He couldn''t help but be amazed as he watched a sauntering barbaric looking man that towered over the rest of the adventurers he saw. The barbarian carried an oversized sword that looked to easily weigh a hundred pounds and casually, without any effort, walked straight through the gate alongside his two robed and less impressive companions. Casting grim glances at each other, they pressed into the portal and disappeared with a soft popping noise. The transportation was not completely instantaneous, though it was quick. Luca saw the trio appear vaguely through the film and begin their adventure. With that, he decided it was time for him as well to get on with things and stop sightseeing.


    As he reached the top of the arrival platform, Luca saw that the remaining humans who had not been herded were huddled together in the shadows, shaking with fear. Is that because of me? Luca looked around and saw that up ahead, a small group of heavily armored demi-humans was walking straight towards him. Nevermind, I''m guessing its because of them


    Everyone person in the group had their eyes set on Luca. Narrowed and furloughed brows that were hyper-focused directly on him. Completely ignoring the rest of the humans who were there. That''s probably not good. The group was comprised of two female elves with long flowing red hair who wore light leather armor colored in a military fashion, with undershirts of blue like the color of the forest in the heart of the first spring rain.


    Alongside the pair of elves marched a paunchy looking dwarf with a burly beard that seemed to cover a childlike face. While his physique was not as impressive as the two females, his armor more than made up for it. He wore spiked ebony plate mail that covered his entire body except for his head and carried with him a glowing two-handed Warhammer. Each step the dwarf took seemed to send out short bursts of seismic shakes that traveled a few feet.


    Next to the dwarf was a bookish looking man who wore a tweed suit in stark contrast to his companions. The book he carried in his hands revealing his profession. An obvious accountant. What is a guy like that even doing here?


    The last companion surprised Luca the most. Keeping up a clear rearguard that was suggestive that he was the most powerful among the group. Luca saw an older looking man with an ivy-league type hairstyle that was more salt than pepper. The man''s body seemed to emanate with power as red lines of crimson energy flashed from within his veins. But most notable where the twin horns curving downwards from around the man''s temples. He''s a demon then? Or something like that. That makes him the first I''ve seen.


    Before the group reached the platform, Luca heard the sounds of quick footsteps and panicked people running away in fear. Their desperate cries of misery only interrupted by their equally despairing pleas for mercy. But surprising Luca the most was that these people all ran towards the incoming group as if fleeing from something else. With a quick glance behind him, Luca saw the cause of the disturbance, expecting to see some manner of enemy or monster.


    It was Garen, and seeing Luca''s gaze fall upon him, he smiled and spot up. Luca was surprised that something about Garen''s voice raised his sense of tension and flooded his body with awareness as if his body knew on some instinctive level that the elf was an enemy. "Hold still, Luca. I''m not here for you, at least not in a sense you might be thinking. Those five are the actual welcoming committee. The one with the books will look after the new arrivals and make sure they are comfortable enough. I wouldn''t ask questions about it until your ready. still made him jump in exaggerated reflex. "That would be the welcoming committee. The one with the books will look after these people," As he explained, the elf''s voice twisted with derision as he pronounced the word "people." What''s this guy''s deal anyway?"


    "So what? Do they work for you? Why are you following me, anyway? I did as you asked?" Commented Luca in confusion, unsure of what was happening, uncertain of why Garen had followed him.


    "No, they don''t. They answer to a different master. We all have our bosses. I''m not theirs." Replied Garen his voice heavy with anger and hostility, speaking low to not be overheard. "I''ve got a special place in my heart full of hate towards them. Those two you see over there aren''t really elves. No matter how much they want to be. They were originally human and chose to masquerade as members of my people, and the World Dungeon accepted it. Same with the dwarf and the demon-kin. Pretenders all of them, and one day I''ll make sure they suffer for it."


    "So, like me? I was human, I think I still am, just you know, with an upgrade" Asked Luca thinking of the wings he had grown that covered his back. Wings that even now fluttered in response to the breeze against his skin. I wonder if I''ll be able to fly with these?


    The elf leader shook his head in disagreement, responding with a real laugh, "Not even close, kid. You''re the real deal. Whatever you are, whatever you''ve become, its anything but human. It''s not a costume, not some cosmetic selection to wear. Call it intuition, but it''s in my interest to help you out."


    Garen gave Luca a quick glance over as if mulling over whether to interfere or not. "Listen to me like your life depends on it. Whatever happened to you before. Don''t talk about it. No one here is your friend, and everyone is going to want that power you have once it blooms.. If anyone asks where you got those wings, just tell them it was part of a costume you were wearing when you came into the World Dungeon. No more and no less. Leave it like that, and don''t pad in any details. Anyways, I''m out kid, I said my peace, good luck to you."


    "Why should I trust you?" Asked Luca, thinking of the way the elf had attacked him when they first met and then threatened him after. "Were not exactly friends. I don''t know you."


    Garen sighed, irritated, "You don''t know them either kid, but use your brain and use your eyes. Don''t trust a single human here in Hometown that looks like their not having a rough time. Think of this, what''s in it for me? What''s in it for them? I''m maxed level. I can''t gain anything from you."


    With that warning, Garen walked away, leaving Luca even more confused than he had been before. It was an odd sensation receiving friendly advice from the elf, considering the undercurrents of hostility he had felt radiating off of him earlier. Man, why do things need to be complicated? What would you do, dad? I''ve got enemies all around me and not a single friend to be had.


    With that thought lingering in his mind, the group approached. Their hands raised up by their sides in a sign of peace. Intentionally showing, they had no weapons drawn and had towards him no hostility. I guess I''ll need to play this one by ear.


    From the back of the group, the demonic-looking man spoke up, yelling as he called out to Luca. Cupping his hands together to make sure his voice carried. "We''re here to talk, so nothing crazy ok?"


    "Hey stranger, I see you''re new here. I''m Dominic, I''m what you might call a devil-man," Dominic explained as he reached out with his taloned hands to shake Luca''s hand as he closed the space between them. Luca tried to ignore the feeling of revulsion he felt holding the cold and lifeless hand in his own. It must be a racial thing. Since this guy isn''t human anymore either. "I''m the leader of the Guild Chaos and welcome to Home Town. I hope we can work together in conquering this dungeon."


    Following Dominic, the two elves introduced themselves next. Each waving and smiling at Luca, seeming to want to make sure he felt relaxed in their presence. "I''m Layla, and this is my sister Keira. We''re known as the Gemini Twins. We run the Legends Guild with our cousin, the fat dwarf over there. His name is Kevin. Kevin, don''t be rude. Say hello."


    The grumpy and surly-looking dwarf gave Luca a head nod and mumbled a quick "Hi. Welcome." Luca internally smiled, relaxing and congratulated himself inwardly for guessing correctly the dwarf was young. Maybe even his own age, something about that made him feel a lot better and more comfortable in general with the group.


    The elf Keira spoke up. "Were doing the daily round-up of new arrivals, and you''ve managed to make a bit of a stir around here. We''d like to talk to you personally about joining one of our guilds. We share a common area and are basically one guild family with two branches. We''d like you to head back with us to talk where it''s safer down in the Human Quarter. We couldn''t help but see Garen had been bothering you. We can help with him too. He''s one of our big problems too and part of the reason we travel in groups. He can''t take on all of us, and with our protection, he''ll leave you alone too."


    The thought of avoiding the aggressive elf or at least having protection from him was enticing, but Luca was hesitant. He had listened to enough stranger danger talks that his parents had given him when they were still alive to know better than accept gifts from a stranger. Still, by the way, they held themselves and the interest they showed in him, Luca guessed he didn''t have much of a choice in the matter.


    Luca''s gut was screaming at him that this meeting to talk wasn''t optional. He decided to not fight it and just go along with the four of them. A hungry rumble sounded from his stomach, and the two elves looked at each other in embarrassment while the remaining members of the group laughed. It was Kevin who spoke up, "When we get back, we have food, you know? Going hungry around here sucks, you know?"


    Honestly, a meal is enticement enough. "Sure. Let''s go." Luca responded in resignation, slumping his shoulders as his wings snapped, folding up against the flat of his back and causing the elfs twins to jump. "Oh, that''s how I do that. Sorry, new to this."

 10 Chapter 10: The Human Quarter

    The Gemini twins led the way, and the dwarf Kevin followed directly behind them without saying another word. Luca wasn''t sure where his spot was until Dominic dipped his hand, ushering him into formation. "My responsibility is to keep up the rear guard. You can walk in front of me."


    He did as he was instructed to do and followed directly behind the three co-leaders of the Legends Guild. Luca watched as the bookish looking man split off from the group heading straight towards the arrival portal and stepped through it.


    Where does the gateway lead? Back to the surface, I guess. I had thought it was a one-way trip. That seems odd. What''s he even doing? Luca thought to himself, suspicious of the man''s actions. "What about him? Shouldn''t we wait for him to be finished or to come back?" Luca asked as he turned to look over his shoulder and ask Dominic.


    Dominic reached forward and grabbed Luca on the shoulder with his alien-like hands and pulled him close, whispering the answer. "It is said there is no such thing as a dumb question, and I''m usually prone to believe it, but there are questions with dangerous answers. Leave this one be and stay in your lane. For all our sakes. Let''s just say he''s off to go look for prospects on the surface."


    Luca discreetly nodded and thought to himself, That seems more like a warning than a threat. I''ll go with that bit of advice for now, before responding. "I understand, thanks for clearing that up, Dominic." That seemed to be the correct answer as the devil-man released his grip on Luca''s shoulder, letting him go.


    The five of them walked away from the arrival platform, heading in the opposite direction that Luca had tried to go earlier when following the female elf he saw. Heading down a different sloped path that led to a poorly paved road. The road leading clearly away from the highrises and stone buildings towards the more mundane and rough looking. I''m heading to the wrong part of town, I''m guessing. Luca mused to himself as he mentally prepared to enter what he assumed would be a ghetto.


    One of the twins, Keira, looked behind to make sure that Luca was keeping up and must have seen the disapproving and disappointment look on his face. She spoke up, her tone filled with anger towards him. "None of these are ours. Our destination is a two-story compound our guilds share with each other. It''s in the southern quarter, but still within the walls of the Hometown, so it is not as bad as it could be."


    Layla turned around and joined her sister in the explanation, almost as if in apology. "We''ve only been able to seize one of the minor guildhalls so far, so the perks are limited. Its part of our expansion plan to work our way into one of the four prime guild halls near the dungeon portals. You wouldn''t know where they were unless somebody pointed it out to you. Those belong to the elves. At least for now."


    Kevin interjected, trying to be helpful and pointed a gloved pointed hand. "If you look over at those four Greek styled looking pillars, you might be able to see a sort of downward-looking staircase. Those lead to the Halls of Justice. But as my cousins said, those belong to the elves. If you value your life, stay away from them."


    "He means they delight in taking any opportunity to kill us," Dominic interjected from behind, his voice low and deep, commanding all of their attention. "Understand young Luca, even as strong as the four of us are, it is beyond our ability currently to take over any of the prime guilds. The elves have no interest in giving them up, and such an endeavor will be paid for in lives and blood. When the time comes, make no mistake, we will take one. The prime guild halls offer unique advantages that help make this hellish life in the dungeon a little more bearable."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Bearable? Just how bad are things down here? Luca thought as he made mental comparisons of the sprawling city life he had seen to the imagined medieval hovel he guessed they were heading towards. "What kind of perks? Is it really worth it? Asked Luca, his stomach uneasy at the thought of fighting like that, while also strangely thrilled at the prospect of it.


    "Not really sure to be honest." Replied Dominic. "I''ve been here since the beginning, and it was never revealed in a notification. I do know, though, that the Halls of Justice are just that. They help to keep law and order within Hometown. You''ll see what I mean, I''m sure. If that''s any indicator, the rest will have similar uses. It''s not just enough to survive. We all want to thrive."


    "I think that''s all of us," Luca muttered under his breath. A question lingered in his mind, something that had been nagging at the back of his thoughts. "Just how long have you guys been here?"


    Kevin, the dwarf, titled his head sideways, thinking of the answer, trying to gauge the time accurately. "Not really sure, man. It''s been months, at least, maybe a year. Time moves a little differently here, but not always. The last couple of prospects we picked up couldn''t agree on how long it had been since emergence day, but both agreed it had been months. It''s not impossible to go back to the surface if that''s what your wondering, but��" His voice trailed off.


    "But why would you want to." Layla finished. "Up there from what I hear has turned into literal Hell on Earth. Hometown has its issues, but at least the monsters only attack us when we''re on a dive."


    With all the talking, Luca didn''t notice that they seemed to have changed their route a bit as they took a b-line back towards a city block more civilized than the one they had been heading towards. "Get tight everyone. Let''s get out into the middle of the street. Try to not get mobbed. Were passing through their territory. Luca, I know your new, but don''t do anything stupid here. Don''t do anything except follow us unless Dominic or I tell you to. " Commanded Keira with a stern voice that demanded complete obedience. .


    The group of five collapsed in on each other. Making sure to push Luca into the middle as Dominic brought up the rear. The devil-man''s head constantly on a swivel. I imagine if we didn''t look so nervous, we might seem to be pretty intimidating, Luca thought as he noticed the concerned glances that were thrown their way. In front of them, the scores and scores of demi-humans that cluttered the streets moved out of the way as the humans begged for help, and the elves glared in opened hospitality as they passed.


    Luca knew then that the relationship between the two races or at least between the guild leaders and the elves was worse then he guessed when the elven shop keepers who were advertising their wares began to shout out progressively higher price points, and individually tailored promotional deals aimed at anyone who wasn''t originally human. Every single elf keenly watching the group with eyes that showed more than just hostility but also greed and opportunism.


    The sensation of so many eyes watching his every movement was new to Luca. I don''t like this at all. This is absolutely crazy. He shuddered at the thought as his thoughts mixed with a dread forbidding sensation, as if somebody had walked over his grave, a wave of unease spreading through his body. Luca tried to figure out what was causing the feeling and looked around.


    Notification: Spell Resisted �C Scan


    Details: Due to your higher perception status, you have resisted the spell Scan. Details about your status page have been hidden.


    "Runners. Collecting information on you. You''re the only one you know. The only one with wings, change makes them nervous," Explained Dominic tapping Luca on the back as he motioned with his eyes towards the small elven children weaving in and out of the crowds. "They relay information and orders to the many of the elven leaders, especially the ones unfriendly towards us, but not much to be done about that. They all do it. The shop keepers, the kids, all of them coming and going on everyday errands, they all keep tabs on us. Wouldn''t want the humans to step out of line.


    "Why would they need to keep track of us? Actually, why are they even here to begin with? Where do they come from?" Asked Luca in confusion, uncomfortably noticing the intensity of the stares of some of the elves around him."


    "I''m not really sure." Admitted Dominic, "But I think it''s far more complicated then it seems. I know at the least they act as what you might refer to as NPCs, but make no mistake their real, their blades kill, and they hold grudges.. They generally resent our presence here."


    To emphasize the point, one of the youths around them, an elven boy appearing to be the age of thirteen or fourteen, picked up a piece of the cobblestone road that had broken off and threw it. The rock hit Luca in the face, splitting his check open as the rock-cut into his skin.


    "Ouch, that hurt." Complained Luca as he riped away the blood. "Why didn''t I resist or dodge that one?"


    Kevin snickered. "Because it''s a rock dumbass. You''re supposed to dodge it. Or wear something or use something to protect yourself from getting dommed." The rest of the group nodded mockingly in agreement. Great, Luca complained to himself. I really do look every bit the part of a new guy.


    As if to empathize with the point, another rock went sailing through the air and struck Luca. His response was immediate and unconscious as his black wings unfolded by themselves. A portal opening and a creature of shadow began to pull itself out from the nightmare plane. With an angry snarl, Luca turned to the boy who had disappeared into the crowd, walking away.


    Luca had to fight back the desire to lash out at the humans who were running away in fear. His blood puled with rage, feeling an impulse to harm them as they ran away, a desire that was hard to resist. Similar to the unconscious bite of an animal, the hackles of a dog, or gooseflesh on a man. The impulse was harder to resist when another rock hit him, splitting open his forehead as blood gushed freely.


    He lost control, and the ground beneath him started to pulse with crimson energy, and the pavement turned dark black. Around the group, the crowd gasped and turned to look towards the portal. Every elf stopped moving, giving the group their undivided attention. The air had become rife with tension. The few humans mixed in with the crowd as well as the demi-humans quickly scattered, running away to safety.


    "Aw Christ, now you''ve done it." Complained Kevin, as he hit his gloved fist to the shield he was carrying, causing a sort of metallic hue to come over his skin adding layers of protection as the angry crowd directed the rocks his way, each of the stones hitting him solidly across his body without doing any damage. Kevin gave a quick look at Luca and explained. "I''m using a tank skill if your wondering." Luca felt immediate relief, and the magic that opened the portal to the nightmare realm dissipated.


    Unlike the rest of the party, the twins had some measure of protection granted to them due to their elven appearance, but they didn''t want to linger. Calmly they sped up their pace, anxious to leave this area behind them.


    Dominic put a steadying hand on Luca''s shoulder, the devil-man trying to settle him down as he leaned in and whispered. "Don''t do anything rash." He explained. "They''re trying to provoke you. You do anything rash here, they''ll have all the reasons by whatever covenant binds them, to strike out and kill you, and none of us is strong enough to fight them off or get you out of here alive if you do." With a quick motion of his hands, Dominic cast a spell that spread a shield over the group, explaining as he did, "The dwarf might be able to incite them to attack him, but the ability doesn''t prevent them from missing and hitting the rest of us."


    Luca nodded in understanding, not liking it a bit, but understanding what Dominic meant. Looking at the crowd, Luca scanned every single face that gloated and mocked him, remembering every single person who threw the rocks. I''ll remember all you, and your time will come. Luca promised this was a debt he would remember to repay.


    Eventually, the rocks stopped coming as the crowd began to thin and eventually disperse. Happening long before the cobblestone road, they had been walking on transitioned into broken tiles, and those tiles giving way to dirt pathways. The stone buildings of superior masonry replaced by the wood boards of a makeshift shantytown. I haven''t seen anything this bad since doing night strikes Luca told himself, remembering the homeless cities he used to drop off supplies with during the holidays.


    "What''s all of this" Asked Luca scanning his surroundings, seeing people mired in filth, much like the situation at the arrival platform, but worse. The sheer sprawl of the misery he saw made him uncomfortable, and it was everywhere. Even more so, it made him self-conscious, watching all the miserable people leaving their shacks and their hovels to come and take a look at him and the Guild leaders. "I thought we were heading towards your compound."


    "This is where the magic happens," Replied the Gemini twins, finally speaking. Clearly comfortable enough to let their guard down now that they were back among humans. "This is the human quarter, and our guild headquarters is in the middle of it."


    "Oh, I was afraid you''d say that this is just about what I had imagined," Luca admitted, his voice trailing in embarrassment. "I had imagined it would be you know��" had assumed it would be well." His voice trailed off, embarrassed.


    "A shit hole?" Asked Kevin a knowing grin on his very bruised face. That''s good to know. He can still get hurt in that from, thought Luca as he examined Kevin''s face for a second before answering, deciding to be blunt.


    "Yeah, a shit hole." Replied Luca, "I haven''t seen anything like this outside of pictures my mom used to show me from her time with the Peace Corps. She made a big deal of wanting to be thankful for what we had. "


    "Cool story," replied Kevin as he pointed out the to story compound in the middle of the quarter surrounded by wooden fencing. "That''s us other there."


    "Kevin, don''t be a jerk." Yelled Layla, hissing at the dwarf before looking towards Luca. "Where is your mom anyways? Just how old are you? Did you come here alone?" Asked the twins, their voices comforting. Warning bells were going off in Luca''s head, but he didn''t know why.


    "I don''t really like to talk about it. My parents passed away recently." His voice heavy with emotion faked emotion. It surprised him. He had never had to pretend his feelings before and certainly not sadness.


    "Hey, no problem; we''ve all lost somebody. Let''s go inside and get comfortable; I''d like you to meet everyone, and maybe when we''re done, you might want to check out the memorial we''ve set up. It helps to mourn and remember the people;le we''ve lost." Interjected Dominic sensing Luca''s mood souring.

 11 Chapter 11: Lengths and Bounds

    As they approached the towering palisade that was the joint Guild Hall, the Gemini Twins went in first as Kevin held the door open for Luca and Dominic. Luca hesitated just outside of the building. His attention caught by a pair of children who cautiously begged from the bottom of the steps leading into the Guild Hall, asking for assistance in the dungeon, a chance to leach a bit of experience, and borrow some Sol for gear. "Leave it alone Luca, nothing good can come of it." Commented Dominic from behind him, trying to coax him indoors.


    "Can''t we help them somehow? Are most people like that?" Asked Luca, horrified at the sight of it. It was hard for him to see the relative squalor the rest of the humans were living in, hard to see people brought so low. Every single human he had seen as they walked, these children included looked hungry and partially emaciated. If not for the magic of the World Dungeon, they would be starving.


    Luca looked at Dominic, whose horned head shook in a no. "Things are complicated here, and I know you mean well, I do, but you have to see it from our perspective, we can''t waste the resources on anyone that can''t pull their weight on a dive. A dungeon is a ruthless place. You''ll need to learn to be equally ruthless if you want to survive. I''m not a monster, though. If you want to give these people the shirt off your back, feel free to do so. Just understand no one will extend you the same compassion, and if you die, so does these people only real shot at surviving. You want to help. Get stronger."


    Shifting his feet uncomforting, Luca had nothing to say. He couldn''t find the words to fit the emotions he was experiencing. Maybe he''s right, but why does the thought of not doing anything right now to help these people make me feel so guilty. Luca looked around, seeing that few of the humans had anything that could pass as armor and fewer than that had weapons. The guild heads he had traveled with seemed to be the exception.


    "I know that look, Luca, I''ve had the same one many times. Though not as much recently. That sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, like being covered in dirt and you just need a shower. I know that feeling it comes with being a leader. None of us get to be heroes. We get stuck, making the hard decisions no one else wants to make. It''s our job to weigh the needs of the many, verse the needs of the few. One day when you''re in my shoes, you''ll understand." Comforted Dominic with a world-weary but empathic expression on his face.


    "How can any of them survive living like this?" Asked Luca, both concerned and disgust lacing his voice. "How can they hope to survive? I''ve seen first hand what some of those monsters can do. This can''t be right."Dominic ignored the question, walking into the building with his head low. Either unwilling to answer or not knowing how to.


    It was Kevin who begrudgingly responded, still holding the door open, "They''ve seen the monsters up close too, I''m sure. I''m sure of it. We all have. No one here gets a pass to sit. You''ve got to be tough and get tough in this world. Things aren''t fair. Not everyone starts with the same level of power or abilities and gear. For those who have nothing, they can either lay in the streets like these guys have been or go out and to cling whatever chance at the power they can get close to. That''s what you have to do if you want to advance. All of us are just poor bastards trying to survive with the hand we''ve been dealt."


    "But," said Kevin as he let go of the door and walked down the stairs, staring directly at the children who had been begging. "Not everything is as it seems either. Sometimes you need to look for the truth and not blindly accept what you see." Without saying anything more, Kevin jumped up into the air and slammed his fist downwards into the ground, sending shocks of seismic waves outwards. Luca tried to interfere but was stopped by both of the twins who had come back out to investigate what was taking so long.


    "Just watch." Commanded Keira, though her voice was more sympathetic than Luca expected, and though he wanted to rip himself free from her, he knew it was a mistake he couldn''t afford to make.


    The air around the children seemed to ripple as they begged Luca to save them, and as if they were made of glass, cracks began to appear. With a shrill shattering sound, the image of beggar children was dispelled. Underneath the illusion, a panicked middle-aged man appeared. Sloppy looking but well-nourished, this man briefly tried to explain himself before running away as fast as his legs could take him. No one bothered to chase after him.


    "Is that why you told me not to bother?" Asked Luca bashfully, seeing that the group had come back for him. "Because it was a trick? A con?"


    "Honestly, no." Admitted Layla. "Kevin just assumes everyone begging is a con man. But it wouldn''t be the first time that attitude has failed him and got somebody hurt. Like Dominic said, it''s complicated. Just try not to be so na?ve."


    The Gemini twins and Dominic gave each other knowing glances. They had all been similar to him once, idealistic in the absence of harsh realism. This was something Luca would need to learn. No matter how powerful he might grow to be, if he died before he reached his peak, it wouldn''t matter. Even if Kevin was right, or at least right some of the time, his speech didn''t sit well with Luca, and Luca bristled uncomfortably, irritated by it. He could recognize a lecture when he heard one, and he hated being lectured.


    Some things needed to be experienced personally. The dungeon, in that sense, was a great equalizer. Those who dared did. All who resided within the dungeon had learned first hand what Luca still had yet to learn. Chase strength or die, no one within the World Dungeon could thrive by being weak. No one gets ahead by being content with where they are.


    That Luca didn''t respond wasn''t lost on Kevin, who followed up on what he had been saying. ""I''m not trying to be harsh, but you need to prepare yourself for how things are. We''ve been here since the beginning, and I''ve already seen hundreds of people die. I''ve seen just as many people I thought were solid burn out say fuck it. Imagine seeing that, the light just sort of die in a friend''s eye and have to watch them quit to lay down and die in the street like these guys. We''ve been grinding for months doing what we can just to keep each other and our guildmates alive. Once you start going with us on dungeon dives, you''ll see what I mean. The dungeon doesn''t care who you are, who you were, or how shitty your life might be. The weak die, that''s it."


    "Alright, I get it, Kevin, thanks," Luca responded rudely, trying to cut off the conversation. That''s not the kind of person he was. That''s not how he was raised. Luca thought of his father and how the man had died saving him. The last thing he thought of was that his father was weak. His father had been one of the strongest people he had ever known.


    Layla spoke up. "That''s enough, Kevin. No need to give away all the details before he joins. We don''t want to scare him away now, do we? He can find out, as you like to say, just how shitty things are once he joins us.


    Kevin rolled his eyes. "No, I guess we don''t. I wasn''t trying to scare him. Just, well, you know how things are"." He looked at Luca with a harshness that said what words didn''t, "You and me are done." Whether Luca realized it or not, it was a look that implied he had gained an enemy.


    "Yes, we do know how things are." Replied Keira in irritation as she pushed open the Guild Hall doors and ushered the rest of the group in. "Now, be quiet and behave Kevin. Don''t talk out of turn on matters that aren''t your place to discuss."


    Luca was thankful for an end to the conservation and followed behind Dominic as the Gemini twins entered first, followed by Kevin in the rear as they entered the rough-looking wooden palisade. The wood of the building appeared grey, warping slightly due to the sun, and from inside now that he was closer, he could hear loud, boisterous laughing and aggressive yelling. I guess this is it then, can''t back out now." He thought to himself as he entered the building.


    From the entrance, Luca saw that the main floor doubled as the recreational center of both the Legends and Chaos guilds. Long tables divided the room as seated patrons, drank deeply from frothing mugs of beer imported from the surface, or in an apparent parody of well-known brands. Trails of smoke wafted up from glowing embers around the billiards tables in the back.


    Yet, for all the evidence of a lively social gathering, Luca was only met with silence. Every person in the room had stopped doing what they were doing. Whatever partying, camaraderie, and revelry had been going on instantly stopped. Replaced by openly hostile looks directed his way as the entire room filled with guild members from each of the guilds edged their hands towards weapons, ready to attack him at a moment''s notice. Luca''s blackened wings stirring all of them into action before being waved off by the guild leaders.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "As you can see." Commented Dominic dryly as he passed through the doorway onto the guild floor, "Our guilds take security seriously and the presence of strangers."


    Luca tried to pass through the same doorway but found his wings didn''t quite fit. Eventually having to duck under the doorway to keep up with the group. Awkwardly trying to maneuver his wings, that even when folded up against his back had proved to be somewhat of a problem. His struggle elicited a round of ill-meaning laughs from everyone. His embarrassment breaking the tension aimed at him, even as undercurrents of hostility could be felt, and suspicion of him clearly remained.


    "Easy there, Luca." Said Dominic with a laugh as he turned to help Luca get through the doorway before looking towards the joint membership of the guilds with the look of authority, signaling the lot of them to quiet down. "Everyone, this here is Luca. He''s going to be joining our little family. If you get the chance to make sure to go ahead and introduce yourselves sooner rather than later. We want him to feel at home in our guild family. He''s a prospect, and we are very interested in him."


    Towards the back of the room by the stairs leading up to the guild offices, a big man with a bushy trimmed bear wearing riot gear sat his beer down and shouted through his hands. "Hey, newbie. Chaos blows. Go big with Legends. I''ll take you out and power level you to ten if you join us in Legends. You can even be in my squad. I''m John the Younger."


    A series of "Ooooohs." and "Boos" were shouted across the room. Dominic and the other guild heads rolled their eyes as all manner of formality broke down. To Luca, the whole affair seemed surreal but had normalcy to it that he craved. They''ve already convinced me. Admitted Luca to himself. I want this.


    A thin-looking woman in a plain-looking black jumpsuit that was tight on her body, hiding her features beneath protective armor, raised her head up from the table and spoke. "If you think you can keep up with Chaos, you can join my team. I''ll do more than power level you to ten; I''ll teach you how to use weapons, not just one of them, but most of them."


    With a big grin on his face, John challenged the offer. "That''s not a bad deal, kid, but I''ll sweeten the deal if you join my team. I don''t care about which guild you belong to. I''ll teach you a class. I''ll teach you all the ways I know to be a tank and how to keep your teammates alive. Usually, I charge big money for that. Its how I pay my drinking tab, and I''m offering it to you for free."


    As Luca considered the choices, Dominic held up his hands to silence the group. "He''ll have plenty of time to make up his mind. But for now, our leaders need to have a private chat with him, so make sure you brush up on your pitches in the meantime. I''m 100% positive. He''s gonna be one of our heavy hitters. We''ve landed a Marlin."


    I think I already know what my answer is going to be team-wise, thought Luca. "Can either of you teach me how to use a spear to fight?" Asked Luca as he humored a fantasy of himself in dragon armor, the long spear in hand facing off against a horde of monsters, preparing to split the very earth in combat. Luca looked at each of the two team leaders longingly. The entire room erupted in laughter.


    "Typical rookie power fantasy. We''re Americans, well most of us, and none of us know how to use a spear. This ain''t a video game kid. Besides, all those types died in the first wave." Laughed John in good humor.


    "Are you done?" Interrupted the Gemini twins in unison as they walked through the room, pushing passed Dominic and Luca. Both of them heading towards the stairway n the back that led up to the guild officers quarters. The room quieted before them as guild members whispered amongst themselves, something seemed off.


    Shaking his head, Dominic replied, "Yeah. We''re done. Let''s go." As he grabbed on to Luca''s hand and dragged him along up the stairs before disappearing behind the door as Kevin followed behind. In their wake, the members of the two guilds who had seen the abrupt change began to theorize and gossip about the newest prospect. l

 13 Chapter 12: Officers Lounge

    The five of them went up the stairs into the sequestered Officer''s Quarters. Leaving behind the chaotic comradery that the members of both guilds seemed to share in. As he went up the stairs, Luca felt a sensation of dread, a six sense of danger approaching. Stay alert. Stay alive. Listen to your gut. Right, that''s something dad would say, Luca thought to himself, knowing that some part of him was noticing something, some detail that he wasn''t consciously aware of.


    Luca was on guard as he stepped through the door into the Officer''s Quarters, unwilling to dismiss the feeling of unease that had crept upon him. The first thing Luca noticed about the room was that it was sparingly furnished and reminded him a lot of the apartment he and his dad had after his mom had passed away.


    Handmade posters were hung one almost every wall, filled with necessary observations about the World Dungeon and how to survive within it. Luca didn''t take much time to look. The information seemed to be mostly conjecture, though it was good to learn that most people gained two stat points per level and started out with 1 stat point in each category. If true, he was already many times more powerful than most people.


    The rest of the room was somewhat plain. The room had a long table made of warped plywood that sat off to the right side of the room, bordering a small kitchenette that Luca guessed comprised the guild officer''s break or common area. In the middle of the room was a round table filled up with maps, drawings, site sketches, reports, and notes scattered across it. One thing stood out to him about it. I''m guessing most of these maps are for this place, but it looks like they have got a few current maps of the surface, Luca thought to himself.


    "Are those maps from home?" Luca asked, pointing towards a map with familiar roads and city names with long red lines drawn all over entire regions, while larger sections of the map were etched in black.


    Keira responded walked over to the map to make sure she was referencing the correct one. "Yeah, this one''s from home. It''s localized, heading from Perimeter down into Newnan. You see these red lines? That''s as far as we''ve been able to scout when we''ve sent teams back to the surface. Honestly, it''s rougher up there than down here. At least the first floor seems to be leveled. Upon the surface, we''ve heard rumors of monsters everywhere, monsters entirely beyond what we''re currently capable of handling."


    "Word on the street is Atlanta is completely overrun with the undead while the National Guard and the Army hold strong down towards Columbus. We''d like to help more, even help to evacuate and relocate people here, but so far, every time we''ve offered to help, the offer has been shot down. They don''t want to believe theirs an entire inner world on the other side of the gate. It''s just too much for them to believe." Explained Layla, shaking her head at the thought.


    "You can''t fault them for thinking that." Interjected Dominic, his voice tired. Luca surmised this was a conversation the four of them frequently had. "The gateway continually spews out the very monsters that are ravaging the world above and like it or not, admit it or not. The four of us know whats going on. It''s like the Dungeon is trying to herd all of humanity into it by making the rest of the Earth inhabitable. Its hell up there."


    They all turned to look at Kevin, expecting him to chime in with his opinion, but he shook it off, looking directly at Luca and shrugged. Ah, he wants to be a dick because he thought I blew him off. Whatever. Thought Luca irritated before looking back at everyone else.


    But nobody else spoke up. In the awkward absence of anyone saying anything, Luca distracted himself by reading some of the poster infographics he had seen. Starting with the one regarding personal stats and their effect.


    The first poster explained that each stat point was a multiple of their own individual base and that every 10 points represented a 100% increase in that base stat. Notable was the importance of physique as it directly boosted physical stats. If Luca understood the relationship between stats and physique correctly, it meant he was 300% stronger then he had been before the accident. As for luck stat, it was circled, bolded to call attention to it. Explaining that luck affected two things, drop rates, and a base modifier on ability price found in the shop but didn''t give additional details.


    The second poster he looked at entirely filled with scribbles of rambling thoughts about ability shops. Judging by the ugly scrawl, Luca guessed the handwriting belonged to Kevin. It was still useful information to know though. Apparently, these Ability Shops were found near the entrance of any dungeon floor. Abilities were purchased with Sol, a sort of currently applied directly to a person when they completed quests or killed monsters. Abilities started out rather cheap to buy, but every time somebody purchased an ability, the price of that specific ability would double. A crossed-out note at the bottom hinted at how abilities could be passed between people, but the body of the text was too damaged by black markings for Luca to decipher the details.


    "Are you done?" Asked Layla impatiently. "It''s not often people think they can just zone out and ignore any of us." I''m guessing I won''t be reading the rest of the posers right now, Luca told himself. Noticing a sharp change in the body language and demeanor of the Gemini twins and their dwarven cousin. Before he could read some of the other posters, Luca noticed a sharp change in the body language and disposition of the Legends guild leaders. The two elves looked toward the door, and Kevin walked toward it, blocking the exit as Dominic looked on with concern that things were about to escalate.


    The three of them adopted aggressive postures as if preparing for a fight and seeing it excited Luca rather than making intimating him. Dominic seemed to notice that the thought of a fight was energizing Luca, and all he could do was shake his head. "This is completely unacceptable."


    Kevin quickly shut the door leading out of the Officer''s Quarters, and with a loud clicking noise, he turned the deadbolt. Locking the door so they would not be disturbed by anyone. Luca was unsure of the reason for the sudden change, but his heart fluttered nervously with the unfamiliar excitement at the prospect of violence.


    "Alright, kid, we need to have a chat." Said Keira, her voice gruff and blunt, dropping any pretense of subtlety. "You''re strong, too strong for just a beginning, and before today I''ve never seen much less heard of you. How did you get the wings? Who did you kill? Which one of my friends have you killed? I''ve been here for a long time, then you show up out of the blue, and I''m supposed to believe your new? No, I call bullshit. Who the fuck are you."


    Luca was reminded of Garen''s warning and silently thanked the elf in his mind before replying. "I was wearing the wings as part of a costume before entering the World Dungeon; I thought they looked cool. I didn''t expect it to be permanent."


    "Heh." Dominic faked laughed, trying to manipulate the mood in the room, even as the twins bristled in anger. The dwarf Kevin shifted anxiously, uncomfortable with the whole thing. "He''s not wrong. I would have picked those if they had been a choice instead of my horns."


    The twins glared at him, shutting the man up as he retreated away from the group in embarrassment at their behavior and sat down on the couch, watching them. "Don''t hurt him." Dominic cautioned. "He should be one of us."


    Ignoring what Dominic said, Layla turned to Luca. "So tell me, kid, did you pick up the costume in the tutorial?" Her tone was leading, though more positive and engaging than that of her sister offering a way out for Luca.


    Faintly, Seraph could sense a trap and knew there was a wrong answer here but couldn''t figure out what else to say besides to go along with it. "Yeah, during the tutorial." While his intelligence was boosted by the World Dungeon, Luca was still na?ve and lacking in experience.


    Layla''s fake smile dropped. "That''s impossible, kid. The tutorial was completely abandoned, its powers discarded and given back to the Dungeon, and kid, I don''t remember you from the tutorial. This is the first lie I''ve caught you in, and you know what they say about liars."


    Luca panicked, no longer quite enjoying this. Panic flushed his face red. It was true that he had lied, but he protested, "No, I didn''t lie to you. I just misunderstood your question."


    Keira flicked her hand, and a glowing green circle appeared under Luca, causing thick tree roots to spring up from the floor and bind themselves in spirals holding his legs and body in place. While with her other hand she motioned for Kevin to step forward, saying only, "I don''t believe you."


    Understanding what was expected of him and obviously not the first time this had been done, Kevin left his position next to the door and walked over to Luca. Kevin looked Luca in the eye, a look of shame and embarrassment on his face. "Sorry, man, it''s just business. Nothing personal. Our personal business, you and I will settle another time."


    Without warning, Kevin slammed his a metal dwarven fist into Luca''s stomach. Luca doubled over in pain as he struggled to suck in air, not quite stunned by the blow but still suffering. Though Luca refused to fall down and refused to pass out. Even when Luca had to spit up bile that was pocked with freckles of red blood, he refused to show a sign of weakness. He would not be weak.


    Notification: Resisted Ability "Stagger"


    Details: The on-hit effect of "Stagger" did not apply due to the player known as "Luca" possessing a higher endurance stat than the strength stat of the player known as "Kevin."


    "Hmm? Barely moved and still conscious?" Mused Layla curious vindictiveness, as if her suspicions had suddenly been proven correct. "That was a straight endurance check. What''s your strength at Kevin?"


    Kevin looked at Luca in grudging respect. "My strength is at 18, that should have knocked him off his feet into the wall, rooted or not. So his endurance is at least 19. That''s crazy. There is literally no way he''s new."


    "Hmm�� that is odd." Said Dominic standing up as he tried to carefully appraised Luca before using a scan ability on him.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Notification: Resisted Ability "Advance Scan"


    Details: The ability "Advance Scan" has been resisted. The player known as "Luca" possesses a higher perception than the intelligence stat of the player known as "Dominic."


    "That certainly is something." Admitted Dominic, joining the rest of them in looking at Luca with suspicion. "He has at least two stats that are on our level. That''s impossible for a new player, and it''s impossible for most who have been here for a while."


    Keira snarled. "See? I told you he wasn''t normal. We all started with our stats at 1, and he''s already been boosted that far. You don''t see the problem here? It''s not possible without being a player killer. He''s probably been picking people off either here in the Dungeon or on the surface. We need to get rid of him now before he gets away and kills more of our people."


    Pulling out a knife, Keira stepped forward menacingly, her desire to kill him broadcasted.


    "You don''t need to do this, I haven''t killed anyone, I just got here today" Luca yelled as he struggled against magical restraints, steadily feeling the tension ease, but knowing it was insufficient, the spell wouldn''t break anytime soon. Luca looked around at the other three, "Please, help me. I''m not a killer." But it didn''t seem like any of them would help him. Fine, so be it. I''ll save myself. Luca thought, he was not ready to die. Luca grasped at the only tools he had available, the memory of the ability he had subconsciously cast in the street of the unfinished summoning of a nightmare and the wings on his back.

 14 Chapter 13: A House Divided

    Darkness began to permeate through the very air around Luca as he grasped at the innate power that resided in him, coaxing it to bloom just as his dark wings had done. Luca was hoping for a miracle so he could survive. At the edge of his senses, he felt at the nightmare he sought to summon, but before he could finish, Keira was abruptly stopped.


    Dominic had decided to interfere, and with his interference, the spell that Luca was trying to cast, the summoning of the monster failed. I won''t look a gift horse in the mouth, but he really could have stepped up a lot sooner, thought Luca as he dropped to the ground, suffering from painful spell feedback.


    Staring down Keira, Dominic stomped one of his hooves and pulse of magic spread out from him. The pulse dismissing the residual effects of the immobilization spell. His face showing no emotion but anger; Dominic reached down with a clawed three-fingered hand helping Luca get off the ground.


    Luca was struggling, making painful sounding shallow breathes as he fought for air as a result of the feedback. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He shouted in anger as he fought the familiar frustration of helplessness that threatened to overtake his senses.


    "Hey, kid, don''t lose yourself now," Dominic said, trying to get Luca to steel his nerves. "Let this be a lesson you never forget. Don''t ever let any of your enemies see you suffer. Never let them see how they hurt you."


    Keira glared at the two of them as her hands began to glow, getting ready to charge up an ability to attack as Layla and Kevin looked on timidly. "Get out of the way, Dominic, we need to know what he knows. Nobody, not even you are going to get in the way of that. Too many people are relying on us."


    Dominic gave Luca a reassuring nod. Letting Luca at least known that he was on his side. "Keira, you don''t want to do this, you know how I feel about being threatened. You can''t take me, even if your sister and cousin support you. You need to back off. That''s more than enough, Keira."


    Keira responded by launching the ball of lighting energy towards them she had been challenging. Dominic quickly put himself in front of Luca and effortlessly absorbed the magic attack before yelling at her one more time, "This boy didn''t kill Dane. You and I both know it. You''re acting crazy and making assumptions that could hurt everything we''ve tried to do here. Snap out of it." His voice laced with as the power of chilled ice emerged from his fingertips. The magic spell encircling Kiera in a layer of frost, freezing her in place. "This ends now."


    Luca could see Keira struggling to try and turn her lips upwards in a snarl, but no matter how hard she fought against the magical binding, she couldn''t move. Keira was wholly immobilized by the devil-man''s spell. Dominic is a lot stronger than I gave him credit for, admitted Luca grudgingly. He was surprised and grateful for the reprieve from the elf''s craziness. Luca hadn''t expected Dominic to interfere and was further surprised by the hard edge to the devil-man''s voice, Luca had assumed the man was cowed and intimated by the twins, but here he was, with a dominating presence that hinted at hidden power as the room shook from the vibrations of energy that emanated from Dominic.


    "I had thought we were all in agreement that we would take time to talk to Luca first before making any assumptions and figure out if he''s a potential ally or enemy. Yes, he''s different than the rest of the newcomers, and we need to know why. If the dungeon is changing, we need to know why, and none of that happens if you can''t control yourself and lash out like an animal." Chastised Dominic as he looked directly at Keira, and through her by extension, chastised her sister and cousin. "And we certainly don''t kill without good reason."


    Disgusted, Dominic released the spell that was holding Keira in place as Kevin and Layla inched away with expressions of fear on their face. I guess they''re just as surprised as I am by Dominic''s power, reasoned Luca, as he realized both Layla and Kevin were intimated by Dominic, even Keira as brazenly belligerent as she was showed an inkling of fear towards him.


    But fear didn''t translate into in this case into common sense and a bit of respect as Keira jeered. "Not a killer Dominic? Why? Don''t have the stomach for it? You never did like getting your hands dirty. It''s not too late for you. We can still walk away from this as friends." Kevin backed away, an expression of fear on his face, but the twins only jeered, their faces a twisted contortion of hate. "Why? Don''t have the stomach for it, Dominic? You never did like getting your hands dirty. You can still walk away from this," Keira mocked scornfully.


    Leveling a hard look at Keira, the air in the room shifted, shimmering with malevolent energy as Dominic began to change, talking with a voice more monster than man "You seem to have confused patience for weakness, a desire for peace with cowardice. For your sister, your cousin, and those who depend on you, I am sorry."


    The horns on Dominic''s head began to grow, glowing as they did with magical power that lit up his body in an outline of dark red and cold fire danced along his talons. Dominic''s head rapidly morphed, contorting as it expanded outward. His features transforming into something far more bestial.


    Dominic''s horns grown out of his head, ribbed and similarly textured to that of a ram. He arched his back with a grunt as bones popped, shifted, or disappeared. horns growing and expanding out of his head ribbed like a ram''s horns. Dominic arched his back and grunted as bones popped and shifted. His torso stretching as muscles and fur rapidly grew. The clothes and armor Dominic had been wearing disappearing into himself, rather than being ripped apart. His legs twisting in on themselves, the flesh changing as hocks appeared where knees had been.


    The entire shift was rapid, taking only a few seconds at most for Dominic to finish. Ok, I''m intimidated by that, he''s a scary dude, Luca told himself, making a mental note to avoid fights with Dominic in the future. Standing on two cloven hooves, Dominic towered over all of them. Previously the man had given the impression that he was some sagelike sorcerer, but Luca knew the initial impression to be wrong, this man was entirely a monster.


    "You misunderstand Keira, I''ve never regretted getting my hands dirty. I just don''t dirty my hands without good reason. We don''t abuse people, we help them as we can, even when the only way we have is ugly or hard. but I''m not going to beat up a kid. That''s not what I''m about, and that''s not what my guild is about. We don''t abuse people. We help them." Growled Dominic as the pressure he was exerting forced Keira to the ground. "Kevin, Layla, you need to get her under control before she does something she can''t take back."


    Layla and Kevin both ran over and helped Keira off the ground as Keira just glared in open hostility. Keira just glared as she lifted herself off of the ground, "Fine. Maybe your right Dominic, maybe he didn''t kill Dane and maybe I am overreacting, but whatever he is, whatever he does from here on out, that''s on you."


    She turned to walk away, and Dominic was ok with her leaving as Luca noticed he breathed a sigh of relief that they had been able to get through the altercation without any real bloodshed. That is until Keira did an almost instant about-face, her feet humming, vibrating faster than the eye could see as a green glow appeared about them. Faster than Dominic could move, she dived forward in a quickstep move and with a hail of movement drove the knife into Luca''s side.


    Dominic moved on his haunches, backhanding Keira away as she slammed into the wall of the Officer''s Lounge, causing some of the posters to fall on the ground. "Hey, Luca." Shouted Dominic as he followed up, grabbing Keira''s collapsed form by the head, and picking her up.


    "Don''t kill her Dominic, please." Begged Layla as she stared uselessly at the devil-man and her sister. "This isn''t like her; something must be wrong. Kevin, help me, tell him this isn''t like her." But Kevin only stared, shocked at the turn of events and unsure how to react, frozen in the moment.


    As for Luca, if Luca had still been a normal boy or even a normal player in the Genesis Game, the move would have killed him, but instead, all he felt was a faint burning sensation where Keira had tried to drive the knife into him. Tried? No, she definitely got me. Realized Luca as he looked down, seeing drops of blood on his shirt, but if he had been wounded, the signs of damage to his body were already gone.


    Luca stood up, knowing that he needed to step in, his institution telling him that something was off about the situation. "Dominic, I''m ok. She barely nicked me, but if what Layla and Kevin are saying is true, can you try using that Scan Spell on her to see if something is going on?"


    Keira hissed at the suggestion, but judging from the affirmative nod that Luca received from Dominic, it was the right answer. "It can''t hurt to try," admitted Dominic as he lifted her up and looked directly into her eyes as he began to use a boosted form of his scan spell that his bestial form granted him to cast.


    "She has the mark of Oeviss on her." Yelled Dominic as he grabbed hold of the elf with both of his arms to keep her still and unable to move as she twisted about and tried to attack. "Layla, it''s on her shoulder, I need you to cut it off. Kevin, tear off the shoulder piece so Layla can get it."


    Kevin just stared, terrified at the mere mention of Oeviss, but for Luca, the name was a name he recognized, igniting within him a fit of primal anger. "I''ll do it. Don''t worry about it, Kevin." Said Luca as he stepped forward, anger igniting his arms with strength as grabbed onto the green leather pauldron of Keira''s gear and easily ripped it off. Beneath the armor, all of them gasped as they saw the mark, a double circle with an inner circle. It did not glow so much as bend the air around. Though Luca did not recognize the mark, he could still feel the otherworldly sensation of evil radiating off of it.


    Layla, seeing the mark ran towards her sister, her own knife in her hand and slide it beneath the flesh with expert precision, cutting into the branding mark and slapped the bleeding piece of skin away. Dominic summoned infernal fire with both of his hands and burned away the brand, destroying in the process whatever dark enchantment was upon it.


    Silence fell over the room, as all eyes turned to Keira, hoping the brand''s destruction had returned her to her senses. "I''m so sorry, I don''t know what came over me." She said as the tension in the room began to lessen, all of them wondering just what exactly had happened.


    "Thank you, Dominic, you won''t regret this," said Layla as she collected the sobbing form of her sister and gently picked her up, carrying her to her quarters to sleep it off.


    "Kevin, go with them, make sure Layla is ok, and be watching that spot, if it resurfaces, send for me immediately." Commanded Dominic tiredly as his form began to gradually revert to normal.


    "Where are you going to be if I need to send for you?" Asked Kevin, looking over his shoulder as he followed alongside his cousins .


    "Getting a drink obviously, I need to introduce the new guy to the better part of being in a guild, the bar. If you hadn''t seized up when I needed you to do something, you''d be having drinks with us too instead of playing baby sitter." Responded Dominic as he motioned for Luca to follow him.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Listen kid." Dominic said pulling him close, "Things are a bit different down here, and you and I are about to get absolutely shit housed. I need it, and you probably do too."

 15 Chapter 14: Peace Between Us

    Kevin ran ahead of them, holding open the door for the two of them as he offered up what seemed a half-apology, but was too cowed by his own inaction to say anything. That was insane, this is just crazy. This is what my life is like now, and has been since the highway. With a grimace, Luca turned his thoughts away from what just happened. He would make it a point to avoid the trio as best as he could, and if nothing else, this disaster had given him an answer about which guild he would be joining.


    First Luca then Dominic passed through the door as Kevin gently shut it behind them to go tend to his duties helping to tend to his cousin. As soon as the door shut, Dominic breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Luca admitting, "That could have gone south pretty quick. I was 100% positive I was going to be in for the fight of my life for a minute. They don''t call themselves the Gemini twins for nothing you know?"


    Luca nodded in appreciation, knowing the devil-man had put himself into danger for to keep him safe, and regardless if Keira was being controlled or not, the relationship between them all would likely never be the same. "Thank you. I''m guessing the four of you were close, I know this is going to make things hard between you."


    "Heh. Don''t worry about it, I''m sure in the morning things will be fine. I''m just as sorry. I had no idea that leach Oeviss had managed to brand one of the twins." Said Dominic, his voice bitter with regret. "I won''t try to defend our failure, just try to give us an honest shot. We are usually so much better than what we just showed you. I promise you, we''ve tried to do a lot of good here. But it''s hard, and the Elves tend to come down on us heavy-handed. That''s part of my job. I keep the worst impulses in check. That''s what my guild does. We keep everyone in check. to keep their worst impulses in check, that''s what our guild does; we keep everyone in check. Do you want to join? I think you''d like being one of us and you''d be a great fit."


    After having been almost murdered by Keira and having watched Layla and Kevin seize up uselessly, Luca knew he never wanted to be in their guild. Legends? Yeah not so much, Dominic is the real power here. Thought Luca to himself as he thought back to what had happened. The name Oeviss had triggered one of Luca''s worst memories, and it seemed that they all shared a common enemy. Even with the changes in his body, Luca knew he couldn''t go it alone, it was clear he needed protection, deep within his heart, he was still just a kid who wanted to live. "Without hesitating, Luca answered. "I''ve been through hell ever since this dungeon appeared, Yes, my answer is yes. I''d like to join Chaos. No tricks, no bells, and whistles, no pitches. Help me grow stronger, help me to survive and I''m in, just be honest with me, what do you want in return?


    "That''s more a discussion over drinks," Dominic said as he motioned for Luca to follow him down the stairs , heading straight threw the center of the guildhall, ignoring all of the questioning looks and low hushed voices of the assembled guild members who had no idea why they had heard sounds of a battle just a few minutes previously


    Ignoring all questions, Dominic hung a left through a wooden door that led into what Luca thought was the bar Dominic had talked about. Though it looks more like a restaurant than anything else, though Luca as he glanced around at the stools that ringed the bar, and the scattered tables through the room.


    Luca starting heading over to the bar to sit down, but was grabbed by Dominic who shook his head and pointed to a corner booth before heading over and sitting down, motioning for Luca to join him. Before Luca had even reached the table, Dominic was signaling the staff for food and drink to be delivered as he pulled a white cylinder-shaped crystal from his pocket and put it on the table, giving it a quick charge of mana.


    "Just a little spell, this helps to keep our conversation private. No one can hear us unless they are here at the table. "Dominic nodded in understanding. "So, you asked me what exactly it is I want, and like most things, it''s complicated. I want to get rid of the Elves. Oeviss is a problem, but he''s just one of the many problems, you may not know this but the Elves don''t gain levels like we do. They can''t just kill monsters in the dungeons, what they can do though is kill players, kill us and when they do, they get the lion''s share of whatever power we had."


    The implications of what Dominic was saying hit Luca and his gut turned in disgust and anger towards the Elves. Reminded of a brief half-fevered memory of Oeviss talking about something like "Feed Lots" but Luca wasn''t quite sure if he remembered correctly. "Their farming us for power, aren''t they?" Asked Luca, horrified as his fist curled in rage.


    Dominic nodded grimly. "I think so. Oeviss had an encampment at the front of the dungeon and was taking the best prospects and power leveling them. Word trickled in that he was killing them himself. The warning like due to the World Dungeon itself intervening, I''m not sure of the details, only that it seemed to violate the inner rules of this little game we''ve been conscripted into. I had thought me and the other Legendary Classes had managed to put an end to him, but Elves aren''t players like you and me, they respawn. I learned that the hard way" Dominic looked away in a pensive reflection of his own desire for revenge.


    "Is it just Oeviss, or is it more? If he can''t be killed, how do you plan on getting rid of him? I''ve at least met one Elf that seemed kind enough." Questioned Luca as he thought of the woman, he encountered at the arrival portal.


    "Of course, it''s more than just Oeviss." Dominic hissed in anger, temporarily losing his temper before holding up the front of his hand in apology. "All of them are like that, at least most of them. They control everything here. Prices of weapons, armor, items, repairs. It''s all set up so that humans can never get ahead, and why is that? Because their afraid if we ever outgrew them, we''d take Hometown for ourselves. And yes, I''ve figured out a way to get rid of him. It''s called a Gehenna Pit, you can find them all throughout Hometown, though their more numerous in the underworld beneath Hometown. You don''t need to know the details, but I''ve tested it. You toss one of these immortals in there and their dead for good."


    Luca thought about it for a minute before answering, looking directly at Dominic, deciding that regardless of Garen''s advice, Dominic was somebody he could trust, or rather trust well enough. "I''ve my own score to settle with Oeviss, it wasn''t that long ago I ran into him. I was sick at the time and he ordered the men who had found me to toss me directly into the dungeon gate."


    Dominic''s look towards Luca changed as if relaxing. "I figured as much Luca. Gods, that''s been awhile. That camp that Oeviss had up and running was destroyed within the first month after Emergence Day, and you look like you''ve had a rough go of things. Where have you been? What happened to you, I hope you understand why it is I need to know. I need to know if I can trust you. Do you have anyone looking out for you."


    Luca looked away, uncomfortable with the scrutiny he was getting from Dominic. Honestly, I may as well come clean and tell him what I know, Luca reasoned, not wanting to alienate the devil-man who was currently his only ally, and a powerful ally at that. As if helping to make up his mind, the server finally arrived, carrying in hand a lavish feast of Cornish Hen, mashed potatoes with gravy, cornbread, hot hard cider and buttered biscuits. He motioned for Luca to sit down at the long table and pushed a chair out for him to sit in. Once Luca was sitting, Dominic waved a hand over the table, and a lavish feast appeared of Cornish Hen, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and hot cider. "I know what this is Dominic, a bribe for answers? Food for answers?"


    Dominic shrugged with a smile. "Not so much, the food is for me, I''m just sharing it with you. Having your back and saving your life seems like a fair payment for answers."


    That''s actually a pretty good reason, admitted Luca as he thought about the past. "My concept of time isn''t what it should be Dominic. A day ago, a week ago, a lifetime ago. I couldn''t really tell you. I was on the road when this nightmare started. It was me and my dad at the time. He was killed by these black dogs that were roaming the street."


    "Hellhounds." Interrupted Dominic, his face serious as he took in every detail. "All of these monsters have names. You''ll need to learn them, their strengths, and their weakness. Sorry, please continue."


    Luca was too engrossed by the memory to be bothered as he thought of the way his father''s lifeless eyes had just stared at him. Just talking about the memory seemed to almost trigger the flood gates of the painful past. "He protected me with his body, we couldn''t get away, that was my fault. I was scared and I fought with him. I didn''t think my wheelchair would be fast enough."


    "Wheelchair?" Asked Dominic, his eyebrows raised in question, wondering if Luca was being honest with him, asking between bites. "Did you just have surgery?"


    Luca shook his head and took a sip of the cider. "No, I was a cripple. I''d been in an accident the year before for my twelfth birthday. My mom was killed on impact when our car swerved on the ice and hit a try. I lived, though I lost the use of my legs. It seems strange now to even talk about it."


    Dominic placed his elbows on the table, leaning forward as he clasped his hands together. "What happened then.?"


    "I almost died." Admitted Luca bluntly. "I wasn''t strong enough to get free, and the way my dad''s body fell, it trapped me. I was stuck for days before being rescued by two men, a Pat and Dale I think, but I''m not sure. I was mostly delirious and near death when they found me. I thought I was safe and was going to make it up until we arrived at that dungeon camp, and that bastard elf told them to throw me through the gate, and they complied."


    Dominic perked up, taking the time to have some of his food and encouraging Luca to do the same before continuing. "I imagine this is the most important part of your story isn''t it?" Asked Dominic with a look of sympathy. "What happened after that?"


    "I fell through infinity and when I finally landed, it was in the middle of a dark cave. A goblin tried to attack me, and I think I killed it, I''m not sure. I discovered my legs could work, I started to get better, and eventually some spirit awarded me with the class, race-change and power I have now. I think for me since that day on the road, it''s been less than I week."


    Dominic shook his head in disbelief, though he had no reason to doubt what Luca was saying was true. " I won''t call it quite a lie, but I know bits of omission when I hear it Luca, with what you''ve shared, I''ll choose to believe you" chastised Dominic playfully. "But you don''t need to share. I think I''ve heard just about enough. "So what are you, a Hawkman with the Skywarrior Class?"


    Luca stared at Dominic, irritated by the perceived slight and the edge of mockery that he heard. "Nephilim, my class is Angel of Death."


    "Perfect." Said Dominic with a groan as he drank down the rest of his drink and motioned for more to follow, pushing aside all of his food. "A teenager has the power of life and death. All he needs to do is learn how to use it. It could be worse."


    "We could be enemies." Responded Luca, drawing a competitive laugh from Dominic.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself." Cautioned Dominic, even as a smile lit his face. ''This really is perfect. Since you shared yours, I''ll share mine. I''m a devil-man, that you could already guess I''m sure, and my class is Harbinger. I think this is going to be the start of a very good partnership Luca."


    "

 16 Chapter 15: One of Us

    It may have had to do with the drinks, but Luca found he was able to talk plainly and bluntly with Dominic without any problems. The devil-man wasn''t quite a friend, but for Luca, it had been the most human interaction he had experienced in days. No one needed to pry under the surface for secondary motivations. Anyone could tell that at the heart of things, Luca had been craving socialization. Dominic seemed very understanding of what Luca had been comfortable telling him, and Luca recognized that Dominic, like himself, had a darker hidden aspect.


    The rapport was real easy between the two of them. Probably because he stuck up for me and kept Keira from slitting my throat, Luca told himself with a slight laugh. Dominic raised an eyebrow, wondering what was so funny, but Luca waved it off simply, stating, "You carry yourself well. You''re somebody I know I can count on."


    "Well, thanks, Luca," Dominic responded, his words slurring a bit. Luca meant what he said. He needed somebody he could count on and trust. It was a desperate need he hadn''t realized he had following the death of his father.


    The two of them talked for hours. All the while, Dominic kept the drinks coming, never seeming concerned with whether Luca should be drinking or could keep up. Considering the state of the world, it was a bit of a moot point. As the night progressed, Luca grew more and more comfortable with the devil-man who had become his benefactor. The conversation between them were relaxed, and the laughs came easy . To Luca, it seemed that the horns on Dominic''s head seeming more of a gimmick than any indicator of the man''s character.


    More than once, Dominic waved away servants who came to collect plates and mugs. Not wanting to be disturbed at all. Instead, every single time, Dominic directed them to come back with yet more of the burning liquor. He even dismissed his Lieutenants when they tried to come by and give him essential briefings and tasking updates. The man''s attention was focused firmly on Luca and just as intently focused on trying to drink away the harness of the past day. Luca didn''t mind, he needed a friend, and just as importantly, he too needed a reprieve from the disaster that was his life


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    They revisited earlier talking points as Dominic''s face grew pensive and encouraging as Luca went into details, describing the accident that took the life of his mother a year before and took the use of his legs. Describing how his body had become emaciated and crippled after the accident, losing all of the strength he had. Even describing the past, Luca still noted the deep-seated bitterness towards what had happened to him, a bitterness he struggled to contain and move past.


    Sometime during the telling of his past, the levy broke. For the first time, Luca told anew the story of the constant fighting with his father. Fighting as both of them struggled to accommodate their new life after his mom had passed away and how hard the change had been on both of them. Luca told the story about how terrifying the road had been when they were attacked by the Hell Hounds. Describing how his father had shielded him with his body even as one of the Hell Hounds attacked and tore him to shreds, and even in all that pain, not once did his father give up on him. Protecting him to his final breath. As drops of water landed on his hand, Luca realized he had started to cry.


    When Luca grew quiet and somber in reflection, with eyes full of tears. Dominic reached out a sympathetic hand. "We''ve all lost people down here, kid. It may not be much, but we''ve made a point to put up little memorials for those who have died. It might help a bit to put your dad to rest. You''re among friends and family if you want us to be." Said Dominic as he tried to soothe the boy as he cried, and when the crying began to lessen, he gently prodded Luca to continue telling his story. "It''s good to get this stuff out, and you don''t need any of that living in your head weighing you down."


    Luca transitioned into the final part of his story, the part he felt he needed to tell the most, and the part he had dreaded sharing the most. How for days he had been trapped beneath his father''s rotting body, completely unable to move, unable to free himself. Stuck in his own filth in a pool of piss and shit, thinking the entire time he was seconds away from death. "You know, I had been happy when those men found me. I thought I was going to live. They seemed so normal, helpful. I hadn''t expected any act of kindness like that. I mean, one of them carried me the whole way, and then just like that." Luca snapped his fingers. "They threw me away as some kind of sacrifice,"


    Dominic took the lull in the story to point at Luca''s black wings, asking, "But then you were given those, weren''t you? You didn''t go threw some tutorial like the rest of us did. It seems like you came out pretty well ahead. You''ve got a pretty well-rounded amount of knowledge that is fairly inconsistent with what your experience has been so far. It seems to me you were given more than just those wings and the class that goes with it."


    Luca''s heart began to pound as Dominic pointed out the inconsistencies. Inconsistencies that Luca had no answer for. His mood starting to sour as he realized Dominic had been probing him for more information. He groaned. I really am an idiot.


    Despite Luca''s change in body demeanor, Dominic only laughed. "It''s fine. I wouldn''t worry about it. This wouldn''t be the first time a youngster like yourself has let their mouth get them into trouble. Don''t worry, really, I meant what I said before about treating you like family. You and I are the only ones I''ve found so far that have had such a noticeable change. Part of it is the intelligence boost. Your mind is making connections with tidbits of information and preexisting knowledge that wasn''t there before."


    Luca nodded, feeling relieved that Dominic had gone ahead and diffused the situation. "That could be it. It would make sense to me.


    Dominic nodded in appreciation, changing the topic. "Thanks for sharing your story, kid. I know that can be hard, you''ve been through a lot, and I won''t pretend to know how hard the things you''ve been through have been, but I want you to know you''ve got a friend in me."


    The conversation transitioned away from the heavy and the tragic. Instead, shifting to thoughts about this new world they had found themselves in. Laughing as they critiqued the guild name and the Gemini twins. Sharing between themselves their most outlandish dreams and delusions of grandeur.


    Eventually, in the darkest hours of the night, Luca''s head began to droop. Both of them had grown weary, badly needing sleep as each of their words had turned to long drawn out slurs. The conversation finally turned to business. Dominic seeming every bit as inebriated as Luca, once again asked if he would join him in guild Chaos. Luca, without any hesitation, responded with yes.


    Both of them gave each other tired but elated smiles as they sealed the deal and a newfound friendship with a handshake. Each saying their goodnights to each other as Dominic finally summoned a servant to take Luca to the guest quarters before finding a place for him a more permanent residence in the member''s barracks.


    "In processing can wait until the morning. He''s one of us now, so treat him well and make sure he gets into her team," Dominic told the servant a male servant, a short and portly man with a pock mocked face, with an infectious smile and an unfortunate case of premature balding.


    Knowing that Luca was taken care of, Dominic decided it was time for them to part ways, and with an affirmative nod of his head, Dominic dismissed them both. Telling Luca as the servant led him away. "I expect big things from you, kid. Don''t let me down."


    Luca turned around, his eyes shining with an eagerness to get started. "I won''t, thanks for having me. This is a good fit."


    "I''ll see you tomorrow when you start training with the teams." Replied Dominic as he watched the servant led Luca away. "You''ve got a big day tomorrow."

 17 Chapter 16: Human Again

    Luca lay sprawled out on the bed in the Guild''s Guest quarters. Loudly snoring in dreamless sleep. Even nightmares couldn''t penetrate the alcoholic induced slumber.


    For a few hours, at least, everything was fine as Luca rested until finally, the door to the room opened wide and loud. Letting in the light of the morning sun to shine upon his face and wake him. As the air rushed into the otherwise musty room, a commanding female voice shouted out, "Alright. Luca, you''ve had more than enough sleep. You need to wake up, get washed up, get geared up, and move out to meet up with the rest of the team.


    At the sound of the female voice, Luca grudgingly stirred as he felt the initial onset of what would be his first hangover, struggling as he did to open his eyes, his entire body betraying him and not wanting to move. What''s wrong with me? Luca thought groggily in confusion, not really sure about what was going on. His vision was still heavy with sleep and stilted from the hangover. All Luca could really remember was staying up most of the night talking with Dominic over drinks and then being escorted to the guest room before passing out.


    Ignoring the voice, Luca closed his eyes, embracing the pillow. This was the first time in days, weeks, months, he wasn''t really sure that he had slept in a bed. Luca planned on enjoying every moment of it.


    "Maybe you didn''t hear me the first time." Said the woman much louder than before and full of fury as Lucas shifted his head to check the disturbance, still laying on his belly. It was the only way he''d managed to fall asleep with his wings.


    With quick and even strides, she walked over with heavy footsteps to the front of the bed and grabbed on to the base of the mattress. She looked directly at him as Luca started to freak out as she lifted it into the air without any effort. With a look of disgust, she flipped the mattress, and with it him, out on to the floor. "You need to get up, get showered, and get downstairs. I''ll give you an extra five minutes so you can make sure you wash up. Consider this your protip. Shower, you stink."


    Completely pissed off, Luca tried to rapidly roll over and pick himself up to lash out at the woman but was stopped, recoiling in pain. The wings on his back were sending shooting signals of pain everywhere in his body. Luca tried to roll over on to his back but stopped, recoiling in pain. The wings on his back, sending signals of pain everywhere. His body from aggravated and sensitive nerve endings.


    A shadow passed over him, and Luca realized the woman was bent over standing almost on top of him, her hand clutching the base of one of his wings. Gods, I never thought those would be some kind of stupid pressure point. "Could you let go?" Luca asked, trying to be polite now that he knew he was dealing with someone who could harm him. "That really hurts. Who are you anyway?"


    Luca couldn''t see her expression, but he could imagine the angry scowl on her face. "You''re new here and don''t know how things work. So this will be your one freebie. I''m Tatiana, they call me the Spark Sword. I''m your new team leader. You may remember me as the one who offered to teach you how to fight. As your team leader, when I say do something, you do it. That''s how the chain works. I don''t care who thinks your hot shit. You answer to me."


    "Uh, ok. If that''s how it needs to be, I don''t actually want trouble. I did choose to be on your team," Muttered Luca as he slowly picked himself up from the floor. Standing up, expecting a rush of pain to his head and not feeling it, Luca said a silent thanks for the magic of the place already erasing the hangover he had woken up with.


    In a sudden moment of embarrassment, Luca realized to his horror that he was almost naked except for the pair of tattered boxers he was wearing. In a panic, he reached down and covered himself with a blanket


    "Jesus Christ, grow up. What are you? A kid? How old are you?" Reprimanded Tatiana as she tossed some clothes at Luca. "You don''t need to worry. You haven''t got anything I haven''t seen before. I don''t have time to worry about your delicate sensibilities. This is your new uniform. I''ve made a few modifications so you can wear them. You''ll be wearing the same thing that everyone else does on the team when we roll out. You''ve got ten minutes and don''t even think about skipping that shower. I could smell you from the hall."


    Luca looked around, unsure of where the shower was or how to proceed. In irritation, Tatiana grabbed him by the arm and shoved him towards the door near the back of the room where the shower was. "It''s right there. I''ll see you downstairs in ten. If I have to come and get you, you''ll have hell to pay. You''ve already pissed me off" Without saying another word, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Luca more confused than anything.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Knowing better than to waste time, Luca started the shower, enjoying the hot water rolling over his face as he took a bar of soap and vigorously scrubbed at his skin. It made his stomach cringe when he saw a steady stream of black, brown, and red roll off of him, the collected filth and grime from the last few days. Filth he hadn''t even been aware of. I needed this badly. But I didn''t notice the dirt on me. Do I have some kind of glamour on? It was a question he pushed aside for another time. For now, he was just thankful for the hot water and soap.


    Luca leaned forward, bracing himself against the wall of the shower as he let himself enjoy the water and zoned out. For how long, he wasn''t sure, and in a moment of panic, Luca realized he had lost track of time. Losing track of time. Luca had a moment of panic, not knowing how much time had elapsed. Now is not the time to make a bad impression. I need these people. Why do I do this to myself? He thought as he turned off the water and rushed out of the shower, not bothering to dry himself as he put on the uniform Tatiana had left for him.


    He was pleasantly surprised by how well it fit him and how comfortable it felt. Black cargo pants with leather reinforcement on the bony prominences, a grey Henley, and a crimson overcoat with inlaid metal fibers for protection. The end of the overcoat had a hood he could pull down towards his eyes to obscure his identity and offer additional protection by acting as a helmet.


    Both the henley and the crimson overcoat had two measured elastic slits that easily let him slip his wings through. A minor enchantment seemed to on them because Luca felt the material comfortable cinch down tight once the wings were through. When the entire set was on, he felt a brief surge of power as it inlaid an additional effect on his body, a slight arcane glow.


    Notification: Complete Item Set "Crow Uniform"


    Details: The uniform of the Crows is comprised of three parts. If all three all worn together, they will create a persistent shield that will block one offensive spell against the wearer once daily. Additionally, when the hood of the uniform is worn, the user cannot be differentiated by looks from other members also using the hood.


    Maybe I should take a second look, Luca thought as he approached the mirror. For a brief moment, he had almost panicked, wondering how somebody else got into the room. When he realized it was just his own reflection, it didn''t help him to breathe any easier. What he saw in his reflection was worse than he thought. He couldn''t do anything but doubt that he was even himself anymore.


    The unfamiliarity of his own image made him uncomfortable, scared even. It made everything he was going through and had been through already seem less real. He wasn''t a kid anymore, not even a little bit. Rough stubble grew on his chin. He looked every bit the part a 17-year-old man. He wondered as his thoughts grew dark, just who am I?


    Knowing he was short on time, Luca turned away from his reflection and went to leave the guest quarters. He took one last look around the room to make sure he wasn''t missing anything, not wanting to leave anything behind. Luca was grateful he took the extra time to give it a second look as he saw the rough leather string of a medallion his mother had given him partially sticking out from under the pile of disgusting clothes he would never wear again.


    Luca grabbed the medallion and shoved it into his pocket before running out the door downstairs toward the rec area where the rest of the team was waiting. "Yeah, I''m definitely late." He muttered to himself with a bit of worry, thinking about the angry woman who had charged into his room.


    Luca ran as fast as he could, hustled as some might have called it down the stairs. The entire time he was in the view of most of his new guildmates and his new team. Dominic''s new heavy hitter, awkwardly rushing on his first day, late to his first hit time. Luca saw a monstrous-looking man with a wide grin on his face staring right at him, doing a slow clap. The man''s face was severely scarred. Half of the man''s face was a mess of scar tissue. A permanent hue of angry red and purple, appearing as if half of it had been torn off, thrown in a fire, and then reattached.


    "Well, there he is. Told you all he''d be late." Said Tatiana, standing up from her seat as she put out the palm of her hands upwards just like an usher would as she beckoned him over. "The man of the hour himself. I hope you slept well, sweetheart because that''s the last time you sleep so good for months."


    Next to her, the scarred man laughed, and a pale looking man with long, thin grey hair who wore glasses shifted nervously. Even as a girl with red short-cropped hair like a boy who looked roughly the same age as he now appeared to be snickered. Luca noticed they wore the same uniform he was wearing, the same uniform Tatiana was wearing. Luca didn''t see anyone else at the table. This might be the whole team. Luca groaned, recognizing this was going to not go well for him.


    "Newbie, your gonna need to work on making all your complaints via inner monologue. That''s the last time any of us want to hear you groan. Everybody is having a shit time down here, but nobody wants to be around a downer. This life is hard enough as it is." Said the girl, gritting her teeth, already irritated with the newest member of their team.


    "Well said, Steele." Agreed the scarred man, sizing up Luca with a look of disinterested. Though the man saw Luca''s wings, he considered them more of a commodity than anything else. His assessment of Luca found nothing but shortcomings and fault in the kid.


    "Enough of that. The kid is going to have to pay his dues later. I''m running behind as it is." Barked Tatiana, holding up her hands to silence the group. "Normally we''d train you up with us, let you leach a bit of our experience to get stronger, but only after making sure you know how to fight and wield a weapon, but Dominic wants you out in the field with us today, and he''s the boss, so that''s what we''re doing."


    "So, quick introductions, everybody, this is Luca, but when were in the field and outside of this Guild Hall, it''s going to be Seraph. You know, ''cause of the wings." Explained Tatiana pointing at each one of the members of the team, commanding them with just a pointed finger to identify themselves.


    "I''ll go first." Said the scarred man with a grunt. "I''m 2Face, the team''s primary damage dealer. Take note, this face of mine is why you don''t min-max your stats. I tried to go all speed and tore off part of my face from whiplash. The dungeon heals most damage, but only enough so you can fight again, and to my left is Mother"


    "I can introduce myself. Thank you." Interjected the man with the glasses, trying to appear as if he was equal on the team to 2Face. "I''m Santiago, but everyone around here calls me Mother."


    "It''s not because of his nurturing nature if you were wondering." Interjected 2Face with a grin.


    "And I''m Steele." Said the girl, holding out her hand to shake his. Luca wasn''t sure what to make of her with a name like that. "And yes, I''m a girl. I just liked how it sounded. I''m the team''s tank. I draw attention from the monsters and whatever else we might go up against so the rest of you can kill whatever wants to try and kill us."


    "Great. That was mostly painless," Chimed in Tatiana as she clapped her hands together, ending the introductions. "Now that everyone has introduced themselves let me lay down the ground rules before we head out to the Phoenix Refuge. I don''t care what Dominic says about you being a heavy hitter. Mother is the only healer in the guild and one of the only healers in all of Hometown. He''s more important to all of us than you are. If we need to abandon you to keep him alive, I will gladly do that. Aside from that, stay near me, and you should be fine."

 18 Chapter 17: Rendezvous at the Gate

    "So, what now?" Luca asked, looking towards his new teammates for guidance. The last thing Luca wanted to do was a repeat of the march through town to reach the gateways that lead to the other dungeon floors. Yesterday''s memory of the hostile elves pelting him and the group with rocks was fresh in his mind. He didn''t want a repeat.


    Tatiana looked at Luca without saying anything before she turned and looked at 2Face. With a slight nod of her head, 2Face stood up and reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a heavy-looking, though basic steel maul. Cradling the weapon gently, almost reverently, 2Face walked over to Luca and handed it to the newest member of their party.


    Holding the maul in his hand, Luca could only look with shock on his face wondering how the impossible had happened. He really just pulled this massive thing out of his pocket. Where did he even keep it? Luca examined the maul, wondering what the trick behind the magic was.


    Seeing the look of shock on his face, the entire team starting to laugh at Luca''s expense. The healer known as Mother took a little pity on Luca, turning to him when the laughing stopped in explanation. "It''s part of the magic of this place. Every pocket is a spacial pocket. Any pocket you have basically connects to as far as we can tell, an infinitely large personal inventory. All you have to do is think about what you want and reach in and grab it. The magic does the rest. Its one of the few things I like about this place."


    "That makes sense to me, but what am I supposed to do with this?" Asked Luca, holding the heavy maul with both his hands. He was surprised that even though it felt like solid steel, it was noticeably lighter then he had expected, carrying it would be easy.


    "You swing it obviously. What else would you do with it? It''s close enough to a bat or a club that you should be able to use it without hurting any of us seriously until we get a chance to train you up. This breaks our stand operating procedures, but its not my call." Replied Mother to Luca as 2Face and Steel looked at each other, sharing a knowing smirk at the rookie''s expense.


    "That''s enough, you guys. Leave the noobie alone." Interrupted Tatiana, slamming her hands down on the table. "Listen, Luca, can you swing that? If you can, show me."


    Luca grabbed the maul with his hands, holding it like they had heavily hinted, holding it like a baseball bat. His dominant right hand positioned about a quarter of the way up the handle and his off-hand just above the base. Luca easily hefted it through the air, swinging it in a forward motion, sliding his dominant hand downwards to further propel the force. Too late, he realized he couldn''t stop it and smashed the maul into the floor.


    The maul''s head hit the floor with a loud noise. Breaking through the wooden planks that held it together, leaving a small jagged hole of splintered wood on the floor and a small crater underneath that. Every single person in the room turned to look at him with varying degrees of annoyance, irritation, and malicious joy. 2Face began to do another slow clap, a mocking grin on his face as one by one every single other person in the room joined in. Embarrassed by the attention, Luca didn''t know how to respond, his fair skin turning a bright shade of red in embarrassment.


    "Jesus, kid, you sure love making trouble." Said Tatiana shaking her head in disbelief as she examined the hole. as she turned to the crowd and motioned for them to settle down. "Just what exactly is your strength at anyways? That was almost impressive."


    Luca hesitated, wanting to check to make sure before answering. "Status," He said as the prompt flashed before his eyes.


    Name


    Luca Fernandez


    Race


    Nephilim


    Aliases


    None


    Class


    Angel


    of Death


    Passives


    None


    Abilities


    Summon Nightmare (1-1000)


    Level


    Current Unassigned Stat Points


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    0


    1 of 999


    Current Experience


    0 of 35


    STR


    10


    INT


    10


    AGI


    10


    WIS


    10


    LCK


    10


    PHY


    2*


    END


    10


    PER


    10


    SOL


    *$0000


    With a motion of his hand, Luca dismissed the prompt and answered. "My strengths at 10."


    Steel looked at him in disbelief as she narrowed her eyes in jealously. "There''s no way your strength is at 10 if you''re new. What''s your level say? What about your PHY score, you know, physique?"


    Luca responded bashfully, uncomfortable with the sudden attention on him, not wanting to be examined or treated differently by those around him, but knowing there was no use fighting it. It was something he was used to. "It says my level is 1 of 999, and my PHY is at 2."


    "Jesus, man." Said Mother, "Maybe you should be our tank then and replace Steel. That puts you at an effective strength of 20. That''s amazing. With your strength being boosted like it is, that makes you about as strong right now as a level ten. Might not seem like much, but not many here in the Dungeon live long enough to hit 10."


    His face heavy with envy and pettiness, 2Face interrupted them to ask, "What''s your total stats at noobie? I''m level 31, and my total stats are at 62."


    Luca realized that he had made a mistake in sharing his states so freely. Whether he wanted to or not, he was going to be treated differently and like an anomaly. If his PHY score basically doubled his physical stats, then Luca realized he was about as strong as 2Face already was at level 31 and then had more after that. There would be repercussions. He needed to expect that. People didn''t like being challenged, and if they didn''t think they could fight him, the repercussions would come in different, harder to detect forms.


    There were times when Luca struggled to know what to do. This wasn''t the time for doubt. The response to the question was easy enough. With only one real answer, Luca lied. "Only my strength is at 10. Everything else is set to 1." Most of the team relaxed visibly when they heard this, the budding resentment already fading, though 2Face remained agitated. Something about the situation not sitting well with him.


    "That''s enough chit chat. Somebody will be by soon enough to fix this floor, but let me tell you, rookie, the cost of the repairs is coming out of your shares today and that''s if you get any. They''re not exactly free with the money around here and the Dungeon doesn''t pay well." Chastised Tatiana as she made hand movements for the group to finish up. "At the least, it looks like you can swing the hammer well enough to kill something.


    "Mother, go ahead and head on downstairs and open the portal or save a spot if there is a weight." Ordered Tatiana as she grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and directed him towards the stairs. "As for the rest of you, once we get to the other side of the portal, be prepared for a fight as soon as we land."


    "Um�� is mother going to link back up with us?" Asked Luca, bewildered, wondering why the man wasn''t headed out the door towards the central plaza. "


    "Of course he is, don''t be stupid." Replied Steel. "He''s just going downstairs to the guild gate. Belonging to a guild has its perks. One of those is having a gate right here in the building for us to use.


    Tatiana cleared her throat, impatient, and getting irritated that her team hadn''t started moving already. "We are heading out. The order will be Steel, Luca, 2Face, Me, and then Mother."


    With no further fanfare and without delay, they went down the flight of stairs, leading directly towards a sealed room where Mother was waiting, haggling with however the gatekeeper was. "We can go through at any time." He announced.

 19 Chapter 18: Into the Phoenix Refuge

    The entire team formed up in the order that Tatiana had established. The closer they got to the gate, the more hesitantly Luca followed as memories triggered by the suffering he had experienced the last time he went through one of the portals. The memory of the pain he had endured made his stomach churn in unease and residual fear. Still, Luca was different now than he had been then. He had no intention of running away or balking at moving forward. He had his own goals to reach, and judging by the sideways glances, Tatiana kept throwing at him to make sure he didn''t run. Luca knew he had no real choice in the matter. His fate was sealed.


    Rather than one at a time, everyone in the team steed through the gate at the same time. Pushing through the portal, Mother had activated in the basement of the shared Guild Hall of the Legends and Chaos guilds. Much of Luca''s anxiety passed away when sunlight hit his face rather than finding himself stumbling out of the other side of the portal into a dark cave.


    Luca was surprised to see the portal had led them to a floating island, suspended in the air above a vast abyss on the outskirts of a lush forest that extended in front of him for as far as the eye could see. It was an impressive sight, further complemented by the sounds of life he heard coming from the forest, the cawing of birds, and nestling of leaves.


    Steel interrupted his musings as she took the lead, grasping at the railing of the narrow bridge that led downwards to the forest floor. "Pretty impressive, isn''t it? Every time we come here, I''m always awestruck by it. It reminds me of a lot of the Redwoods full of Sequoias back home. Just don''t get too distracted once we get off the island. Things aren''t safe here."


    A barrage of notifications hit Luca, causing him to lose his balance as a sense of vertigo struck him. Falling to the ground, 2Face was able to catch him before Luca completely collapsed. all the prompts before dismissing them and continuing on his journey.


    Notification: Now Entering "The Phoenix Refuge"


    Details: The Legendary Phoenix, the symbol of rebirth, is said to reside deep within these forests ruled by the Avian God Garuda.


    Notification: Quest Discovery - Clear Phoenix Refuge


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Details: The God of All Birds stands between those who would dare to ascend to higher planes. He is but the first of many gatekeepers.


    Condition: Defeat the Avaian God GarudaQuest Reward: Gain 10,000 Sol and 3,000 experience.Conditional Reward: To whoever strikes the killing blow on Garuda will be granted (1) legendary accessory.


    Note: This only applies on the first clear per team.


    Notification: Quest Discovery - Phoenix Feather


    Details: It is said that the power inherent in the feather of a phoenix can revive the dead and restore to them their vitality.


    Condition: Recover (1) Phoenix FeatherReward: To whoever finds a Phoenix Feather, they shall be granted the ability to completely resurrect, without penalty, one person within the dungeon, regardless of time elapsed since death, so long as the target of the resurrection died within the dungeon.


    Each member of the group looked away from Luca, stopping in place where they were. Wanting to give their newest member some space. Each having experienced the same thing before, information overload.


    The group looked away from Luca, wanting to give their newest member space, having all experienced the same thing before.


    "Hey, Luca, what your feeling right now is a totally normal thing. It''s all right. If you need to vomit, just vomit. We''ve all been there before. That unsteady wobbly feeling like you''ve been out on a bender? It happens to all of us when those notifications pop up, made much worse when it''s a bunch at a time on top of a floating island. " Explained Mother, trying to comfort Luca, making sure that he was ok and trying to talk him through it.


    "He''s fine. Don''t baby him." Interjected 2Face, annoyed that the party was already showing this much difference towards Luca. "He''s not a pet that you can keep. You heard him before. His strength stat is higher than mine. A big strong lad like him should be able to carry this whole team on his back."


    "That''s enough." Ordered Tatiana, silencing the group while Steel shifted nervously on her right foot, not saying anything, waiting to finish descending on the bridge. "Never forget where we are. Complacency kills. If any of you can''t handle it, turn around now. You can handle grudges later in the Guild Arena if that''s what you really want."


    "Alright, Tatiana, you''re right. I''m being way out of line. This isn''t the place for it." Admitted 2Face, in embarrassment as he held out his arm and an outstretched hand towards Luca, helping him up. "When we''re done here, the arena it is. You and me are going to settle things there."


    "Ok, fine. Whatever you say 2Face, and thanks for helping me up." Luca said, reluctantly tolerant of the man''s attitude. Luca agreed to go fight in the arena at a later time. He didn''t want the trouble but knew when guys like 2Face and their position threatened, they always responded poorly. It was a case where the only way out was through.


    "Guys, its time to move out." Shouted Tatiana as she followed behind Steel, walking along the bridge leading off the island. Luca followed, concerned that the bridge wouldn''t be able to support their combined weight before dismissing the idea, This bridge is attached to a floating island, and I''m worried about the bridge collapsing under our weight? Stupid.


    Once they reached the bottom of the bridge and had settled onto solid ground, the starting walking alongside the beaten paved that led through the treeline. Luca looked around at the high treetops all around him as they walked, and though it was light outside, the forest was dark and forbidding. The thick canopy of the leaves in the trees was woven so tightly that he couldn''t even see the sky and cast a permanent shade of dark.


    "I''m wondering you guys if you don''t mind me asking. Just how far do these trees go. How long is it going to take for us to get to where we are going, and do we need to be worried about stuff up in the trees?" Luca asked, pointing upwards at the green canopy.


    Steel responded, speaking to him in a far more friendly tone then she had since first meeting him. "No one has ever attempted it and come back, but pretty sure it goes on for hundreds if not thousands of miles. It might even just loop in on itself. No one knows, there''s not a lot of point to try and find out. The thing you do need to know, though, is that it never gets dark here. Just stays in this perpetual state of dusk when you''re in the forest. Completely turning your idea of night and day upside down."


    "I seem to be repeating myself. This talk is over. We need to move out before the next team arrives." Said Tatiana. "The five of us will be traveling in a wedge formation. I''ll be upfront, while 2Face will be in the rear. Mother and Luca will be in the middle, and Steel, you''ll be a roaming guard between the front and back, peeling and tanking if needed. Luca, keep your eyes peeled on the treetops. Make sure you call out if you see anything, anything at all. We don''t need any surprises dropping on us."


    Tatiana stopped talking for a second, making sure everyone was paying attention. "So long as it''s safe enough, if we come across any monsters, I''ll do what I can to injure it and pass it along to Luca. This way, we can go ahead and try to power level him to 10. It shouldn''t take us that long to get him to reach the level 10 threshold. Does everyone understand?" Tatiana asked, looking around the whole group, making sure she got an affirmative nod from everyone. "Any feedback, comments, concerns, or throats? What about you 2Face? You''ve had a lot to say today."


    "Yeah, actually, I''ve got a few ideas," 2Face commented, clearing his throat nervously as he looked at Tatiana and the group. "I think we all should head over to the Accessory shop. I doubt Luca has any Sol to spend at it, but we never know. He might be lucky enough to pull a useful ability, and I''m willing to lend him at least 500 Sol if everyone else will match it to get him outfitted."


    Luca looked at 2Face in dubious surprise, not trusting the man or his motivations. As far as Luca was concerned, he thought 2Face hated him, or at the very least, couldn''t stand him and actively disliked him. "Why are you helping me? What do you get out of this? I know your not exactly my biggest fan," Luca challenged 2Face, pressing him for an answer, genuinely curiously, wanting to know.


    "Alright, Luca, since you''re wondering, I still dislike you. Actually, I hate you and everything about you. You''re not one of us, not really. But that''s not my decision to challenge. If you''re going to be part of this team, I need you to be able to watch my back and perform to standard whatever tasks you get assigned. If my life is going to be dependent on yours, I want you to have the tools to do that. I''m not doing this to help you. I''m doing this to help myself." 2Face explained in unapologetic hostility.


    Luca wasn''t sure how to take it, but he figured he would just accept it as is. "Alright, thanks, I guess. Is that how everyone else feels?


    The rest of the group took no time at all to agree with 2Face''s position. Mother tried to put it in as nice of terms as possible under the circumstances. "It''s nothing against you, Luca, but you''ve been added to our team, a well oiled, high functioning team, because our bosses boss thinks you have merit and carry potential, but so far, none of us see it. You''ve got high stats, but so far, that''s all you bring to the table."


    Tatiana chose that moment to interrupt, trying to ease the tension a bit. "You need to understand it from our perspective Luca, you wouldn''t be the first new guy to get attached to our team, and new guys have problems. Your dangerous, you don''t know what you''re doing, and you tend to make mistakes that get yourselves killed or get members of the team killed. I''m telling you from experience. That''s just the way it is. Let''s go."


    Luca understood and shook it off. They''re going to need to get over that. I''m not some liability.

 20 Chapter 19: First Blood

    With nothing else to do but get to, they set off down the beaten bath leading through the trees. Luca took his position next to Mother in the formation and Steel took her place next to him. 2Face went to the back, his face hard and unreadable as Tatiana set the pace and made sure the group moved faster than she had initially intended. She was already irritated that it had taken so long. She looked back just once to make sure her team was following her.


    Luca had to change his original thoughts regarding the maul he was carrying. It was large and cumbersome, and at the first chance he got, Luca planned on ditching the weapon for something better. He wasn''t going to be some brute or some beater smashing things with a hammer. If his dad had taught him anything, it was that you can''t brute force your way out of all of your problems, sometimes you have to finesse, and sometimes you have to just endure.


    The five of them walked along in silence, setting down that winding path towards the ability shop. Though the road doubled as a game trail, not once did Luca see a single animal that was using it. That''s a bad sign. I''m pretty sure, Luca thought to himself with a sigh of boredom as he scanned the horizon.


    The path they were on led them down a steep incline. Deeper into a dark forest that seemed to extend far off into infinity. It did not take long for the dungeon gateway suspended on the island behind them to completely disappear, hidden by the trees, and eventually lost beyond the horizon.


    Everything looked the same, and that made Luca extremely anxious. As far as he could tell, there was no way for him to figure out the cardinal direction, and he couldn''t see any sort of discernable landmarks by which to navigate. Helpless, that''s what he was. Luca had no idea where they were headed, and was glad for the moment to have somebody else guiding the group.


    The facts though, didn''t sit well with him. Luca knew if the group left him behind, or if he was separated from them somehow, he would never find his way back to the gate. Luca knew he would wander aimlessly out here until dying. The thought was sobering. Once again, Luca was in a position where he depended on other people for his survival, and he hated every second of it.


    Regardless of his tumultuous feelings, they all walked along in silence, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention on themselves. Each of the members of their group keeping their heads on a swivel, looking for hidden enemies, traps, and the occasional opportunity for loot that presented itself. When Luca saw Tatiana start to ease up, he knew they were making good progress to their destination. She had been strongly driven to get them there quickly.


    It took a while for Luca to catch on that Mother was the one keeping the pace count. Luca watched as Mother kept shifting rocks from one hand to another in the center of the formation, holding up a finger every time they had walked another mile. It was one of the many things Luca was steadily starting to notice. Above their heads, a grating noise could be heard. The loud shuffling of tree limbs and the falling of leaves made Luca wince each time he heard it, but whatever it was causing the sound never appeared, and the others didn''t seem too worried about it, and in this, Luca knew he was the rookie, if they weren''t worried, he wouldn''t be either.


    At least that''s what he told himself, but even then, Luca couldn''t get his heart to stop frantically beating in fear every time he heard the noise. A noise that followed them and never stopped. The first time that Luca tried to mention it, Mother politely but firmed rebuked him, "It''s just first-time jitters Luca. We all get those. Plenty of things crawl around here, but nothing we need to worry about yet not until we''re a lot deeper into these woods."


    The second time he tried to bring it up, Luca dropped back a little, trying to catch 2Faces attention. "Hey, I think I hear something above us. Its been following us since we got here and started walking through the woods. I think you should tell Tatiana and find out what she should do."


    2Face glared at him, dismissing Luca''s warning outright. "This is what? Your first time here and suddenly you think you know the sounds of monsters better than the rest of us? We''ve all made this trip hundreds of times. If you start freaking out, it won''t matter how much potential they think you have. You''ll get left behind if you become a problem, so shut your mouth, get back in formation, and just hope they have some good abilities when we get to the shop to make this whole trip worth it."


    Sullenly, Luca got back into formation, but not once did he avert his eyes, and not once did he stop hearing the sounds from above.


    After they had been walking for a few miles, the group finally encountered their first monster. Tatiana raised her hand, making a fist telling the group to stop. Pointing outwards with her index finger at the rustling of underbrush up ahead of them, just a bit off the path. Luca could see a cloven paw reach through the underbrush as a pig snout followed behind it. Sniffing on the ground as it used its razor-like tusks to shift through the dirt looking for roots and grubs. After it had found what it was looking for, the pig-like thing grasped the roots in its mouth, tearing the roots upwards out of the ground and shoved them down into its gullet, making loud disgusting sounds of contentment after.


    It was then that Luca knew he had been mistaken. This was no pig. The closest thing he could think of was an orc or something like it. The monster stood up on two legs, upright like a man. "What do we do now?" Luca whispered to Mother, recoiling in disgust at what he was seeing. It was not as terrifying as the hell hound or the shadow had been, but it was still quite alien to him and more revolting than anything.


    Steel walked over and put a hand over Luca''s mouth, putting a finger over her mouth telling him to be quiet. Whispering faintly, "Obviously, we''re going to kill it stupid.," as Tatiana stepped forward in a low crouch. Brandishing a short sword with its edges blackened to prevent any sort of reflection off the blade. Stalking like a predator coming after prey, she crept forward, keeping her profile low as she approached the monster for a stealthy execution.


    Steel nudged him to get his attention, holding her nose and pointing at the orc. Whispering again. "It knows she''s there, but she''s trying to not draw the attention of anything else that might be nearby." Luca''s eyes narrowed at the admission, worried as he cast his eyes towards the canopy over head for signs of monsters besides what he had been hearing. Luca couldn''t tell, but both Steel, Mother, and 2Face all were grinning at each other, having a little joke at the expense of Luca''s newness and naivety.


    Sensing the woman behind it, the orc roared up on its legs to lunge forward and attack her, but she was far too agile as one of the most powerful humans in the World Dungeon. She easily sidestepped the monster, sinking her sword deep into its side, cutting through the leathery skin covering the abdominal wall.


    She did not want the orc to cry out or roar in its death throes. Tatiana pulled a separate dagger from the belt around her hips and slid it across the throat of the monster. Cutting straight through to its vocal cords, rendering it mute as it rapidly began to bleed to death. Luca was surprised when she reached around, embracing the dying orc, holding the neck wound to stem the bleeding.


    "Get over here Luca, now, run. You need to finish it off before it dies from blood loss. Don''t be loud though, there should be a whole tribe of these nearby for us to farm." From behind him, 2Face pushed Luca forward, the force causing him to trip over himself, but Luca was able to recovery easy enough and avoid the fall, even as he glanced backward at 2Face and made a promise. When we face off in this guild arena. If I''m not allowed to kill you outright, I''m going to go as far as I can to hurt you and make sure you never recover. Revenge was a new concept for him, and in this new world where Luca had the power to settle scores, he planned on it.


    As soon as Luca came close, Tatiana let the orc fall forward towards him. Luca could see it was close to death, mere seconds left on its life. Luca knew what to do. He''d practiced it once already. Luca lifted the maul in his hands and swung it in a two-handed forward arc, crushing the orc''s skull and killing it instantly as brain matter and gore went flying in all directions. The gore landing on both Luca and Tatiana.


    A feeling of ease and comfort came over Luca as his body was given experience for the kill. Tatiana seeing the way that Luca was starting to relax, put a congratulatory gore covered hand on his shoulder, saying, "No time is quite as good as the first time, but it does stay a pretty consistent high." The moment was interrupted as Luca realized to his horror that he had just killed something and was covered in its brains.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Luca looked down at his gore covered body in self-disgust as the entire team came up to congratulate him, all except for Steel who kept overwatch for danger. 2Face noticed it, and rather than chew him out or make him feel guilty about it said, "We''ve all been there. Killing doesn''t come naturally for most of us, but you need to get used to it, and get used to it quickly or you won''t make it here. Killing, violence, all of it, I was an accountant for god''s sake and the first time I killed a monster, I threw up all over myself. Both from the sight of all the blood and from the stink of my own fear, but it goes away after a while. You get used to it. You have to."


    Luca looked at his hands again, wiping them off on the dirt below. He wasn''t sure he would ever be as cavalier about it, but he did appreciate the pep talk. It was Mother who gave him gave him the browbeating. "The dungeon is full of monsters, some look like men, but most don''t. Never forget that if you give them a chance, they will kill you. Never underestimate the capacity for violence you''re going to see here. And most of all" Mother paused in recollection of a harsh memory. "Never forget that not all monsters are monsters. People can be monsters, elves too. Never forget this isn''t a fairy tale, and none of us are heroes."


    Above them, a dark shadow began to fall. "Get back!" Steel screamed as a giant shadow descended on them from above. Quickly she activated an ability that made her skin harden like iron, pairing it with another ability to forcefully throw the rest of the group in all directions, pushing them away from the rapidly descending monster.


    Knew it. Thought Luca as he flew through the air.

 21 Chapter 20: The Shield Wall

    Luca and the rest of the team were tossed through the air, roughly propelled by the force of the ability Steel had activated. I really should have listened to my gut and forced the issue, thought Luca, as he looked forward. Luca almost wished that he hadn''t looked as he saw his body was flying straight towards one of the more giant nearby trees. Luca was on a collision course, and though he tried to manipulate his wings and alter the flight path, it made no difference. In resignation, Luca folded his arms over his head and braced for what he thought was going to be a rather painful impact.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The sound of his body colliding, crashing into the tree, was loud, and Luca fell to the ground with a pitiful gasp, stunned from the impact. That really hurt, he thought. When he had impacted on the tree, Luca was positive he had broken something. He had felt a sharp stabbing pain that followed the sound of ribs breaking, which followed the sound of bones fracturing with a sickening snap after the crash.


    Falling to the ground, Luca heard another snap as he landed on the grass below. Thankful in part for the minimal cousin the green carpet provided. From within his chest, Luca could feel loose bone rubbing against raw nerves. The site creating for him another source of sharp and lingering pain. A warning from his body that damage had been received, and that for the time being at least, he wouldn''t be healing


    As Luca groaned in pain on the ground, he looked to see how the rest of the party was doing, only to find the others were similarly struggling to collect themselves, each in the same sort of state that he was. Steel stood alone against the monster that had descended on them. Undaunted, she stared the monster straight into its many many eyes as she held both of her hands up, her entire body straining as she did. As if she was holding up the very weight of the world. Her body glistened with a metallic hue, having activated her defensive abilities.


    The monster lingered above Steel, its jaws salivating as it continued to try and bite at her. Luca judged by the outstretched appendages it was a giant huntsman spider. A real monster, significantly larger than any man or animal Luca had ever seen. At that moment, Luca knew pure unadulterated fear. This was a killing machine, and it had been stalking them for miles. Waiting for gods only know what reason before attacking them, finding them an easy enough meal to be worth the trouble. The thought made Luca cringe.


    The Spider was quickly the size small yacht or plane, and seeing how hungrily it looked at them jolted Luca with a fear he had never known before, completely eclipsing the fear he felt on the road when his father was killed. This was a primal fear that touched on nerves and instinct deeply ingrained in his primal brain. It took every ounce of courage Luca had to not run away screaming.


    The Spider had thick, coarse brown hairs covering its appendages. Each of the hairs was standing stiff. Luca knew on an instictive level each of those hairs would be sharp as needles. Venom dripped freely from its mandibles. The Huntsman Spider backed away from Steel, and for a moment, Luca could the strain on her body relax, only for the Spider to redouble its efforts as it tried to pounce on her again, eager to consume her hoping to catch her off guard during an involuntary recoil.


    But still, Steel did not recoil, she was a tank, and she was not defenseless. The Huntsman Spider''s jaws bit deep into a now translucent blue shield of magic that Steel had erected between her and the Spider. The shield was a power unto itself, enforced by Steel''s protective factor and fueled by both her vitality and mana. It was a formidable power, but still, no power could hold forever. The sheer strength of the force behind the Huntsmen Spider''s attacks was pushing Steel backward and forcing her feet through the grass and into the dirt as the magical shield sparked under the constant strain. Luca could see as he struggled to get up that the Huntsman Spider''s mandibles had gotten caught within the shield. It struggled to remove the fangs it had got trapped. Long appendages trying to pull them free.


    "Move it now. Everyone or she''s going to die" Screamed Tatiana as blood dripped into her eyes from a minor cut above the eyebrow. "Throw everything you''ve got at it while Steel has the monster immobilized." Hearing the words commanded seemed to work on everyone as the scattered team got moving, motivated to engage the Spider in combat. The commands worked to get the scattered team moving. Though Luca didn''t really know what he was supposed to do to help. The maul he had been carrying had been knocked out of his hands when he was sent flying by Steel''s force ability. Though Luca didn''t know what he was supposed to do.


    Doesn''t matter if I don''t know what to do. Doing something is better than sitting around and doing nothing, hoping to live through this. I promised myself never again after the Highway with dad and never again includes now, with that thought motivating him, Luca shakily got up off the ground.


    When Luca stood up, the pain he felt in his chest only increased exponentially, but he pushed it aside out of necessity. This was a time he just needed to do, and not hold anything in reserve. To survive meant he needed to dig deep and do something now, and with that, Luca started moving towards the Spider. Even as his teammates pulled ahead of him, already to engage the Huntsman Spider. None too soon either as cracks and faults began to show on Steel''s metallic form, adding another degree of urgency to the battle. The girl really was in danger of dying.


    In front of him, Luca saw that 2Face was running at full speed, and then some as his silhouette became a red blur that trailed behind him lingering like an after image. Luca realized the man had used an ability to buffed himself, an ability that at the least increased his speed, and likely a lot more. 2Face darted under the hind legs of the Huntsman Spider, swinging the broad-sword that he carried. The blade biting into the legs of the Spider. But though the blade met its target, it did not cut deep enough to harm the Spider, causing it to hiss in a fury, becoming thoroughly enraged.


    The wounds on Steel''s body began to heal as the cracks in her form began to seal themselves. From off to the side of the battle Mother stood within a white floating double triangle. His lips moving as he pulled the life directly from the trees and vegetation around them. Their colors rapidly changing from green to brown as he challenged their life force directly into Steel.


    But it was not enough. Though Mother was successful in healing Steel, his spell was not able to restore her vitality or the magic she had used up in the creation and maintenance of the shield that was keeping her alive. In its frenzied, furious state, the Huntsman Spider was able to roughly jerk its head, causing the shield to shatter like glass. Steel in an exhausted state was unable to use another ability to impede the Spider''s movements.


    With a quick and terrible scream, the Spider''s mandibles bit into the metallic flesh of her neck, decapitating her and silencing the sounds coming from her mouth into a muted gurgle. For Luca and the rest of the party, time seemed to stop for a moment as they all saw Steel fall before reaching her. With one sweep of its unhindered legs, the Spider swatched the body aside, knowing it would have plenty of time to consume her later at its leisure.

 22 Chapter 21: The Dark Ability

    Steel''s severed head dropped out of the Huntsman Spider''s mouth. An expression of terrified surprise twisted on her partially destroyed face. What am I supposed to do against that monster if it killed her so easily? Thought Luca as his courage wavered, demoralized as he looked at the twisted grimace on the dead woman''s face.


    "Save it for later." Screamed 2Face in a desperate warning at Luca, trying to get Luca to back him up. "We can''t let up just because we lost a teammate. 2Face was frustrated, tired, and trembling after he had expended most of his energy on his previous attack, and it hardly phased the monster, and despite his best effects, Steel had still been killed. Luca watched as 2Face''s expression hardened into a mask of grim resolution and set off to attack the monster again. Repeating the same series of moves again and again, as he weaved through the monster''s legs, attacking at the joints, doing whatever he could to damage the spider in small incremental bits.


    "It''s a sub-boss." 2Face yelled at Tatiana from the other side of the field. Luca watched as Tatiana rushed forward to back up 2Face, though she seemed to be injured as her left arm hung uselessly by her side. Apparently broken in places and needing to be healed. Her injury didn''t stop her from attacking the spider as the steel shortsword in her hand began to glow as she spoke low words to herself. A white mist trailing out of her mouth and covering the blade as it began to store up a charge of energy she was able to collect from the environment around her.


    With an impossible burst of athleticism, Tatiana jumped forward and upward through the air, easily clearing with the jump the wide gap that had been between her and the Huntsman Spider. With an angry snarl, Tatiana stabbed into one of the eyes of the monster. "Die!" She screamed as she unleashed the energy she had stored within the blade as a bolt of chain lightning that burned through the spider''s eye and spread out in a web of blazing white electricity to the rest. Almost instantly, each of the eyes burst outwards in black core as the ruined retinas began to smoke


    Seeing his teammates struggling against the spider and fighting it motivated Luca to start moving again. Shamed into action after he had seized up seeing Steel die. He had frozen up and was ashamed of it. Luca knew he needed to join in if they were going to survive, and his wings starting twitching from the adrenaline rush that was just starting to flood his body.


    As the chemicals moved through his body, Luca stopped needing to hold his ribs. All thoughts about his own pain were banished, and he started to run. For a brief second, his wings starting flapping behind him without conscious thought, lifting him off the ground for a second. Even with the specter of the Huntsman Spider looming in front of him, Luca couldn''t help but smile. He couldn''t fly yet but knew he would soon be able.


    As he ran, Luca was lucky to see the steel maul he had been given by 2Face, the one he had dropped when Steel had flung him aside with her ability, was laying on its side in the grass. Seeing a means to harm the monster, Luca felt another surge of energy and quickly closed the distance between him and the weapon. Even in his rush, the pain from his broken bones did not reappear.


    Picking up the maul in both of his hands, Luca rushed forward, screaming in what he thought was a warrior yell as he swung the maul in a diagonal motion, aiming for the joint of the spider''s front legs where he had seen 2Face shallowly cut it. 2Face and Tatiana both called out to him, "About time, you decided to pull your weight." Luca nodded and kept swinging.


    With his massive strength advantage, Luca felt the chitin armor of the Huntsman Spider give way as it broke beneath the damage inflicted by his blows. After Luca destroyed the second leg, the spider began to buckle, and his teammates began to cheer him on, urging him to keep going. Buckling beneath his blow. Hearing the sound of his teammates cheering as the leg buckled.


    As the Huntsman Spider began to fall, tiny dog-sized spiders began to pour out of a hole that opened it in its underside. There were too many of the spiders, and all three of them had to retreat from fear of being overwhelmed. The worry ended up being minor, though, as the spiders seemed to be unable to move far away from the shadow of the Huntsman''s influence, some of them disappear in a puff of smoke as they got too far away. The monster roared furiously, unable to pursue them on its broken legs. But that did not mean they were safe. Far too late did Luca see the dark brown appendage striking out at him.


    A horrible pain erupted through his back as Luca was jolted forward with whiplash. Looking down, Luca saw that one of the spider''s legs was protruding through his chest. Is this how it ends for me? Luca thought as the Huntsmen Spider lifted him up and threw him across the field in the same direction it had thrown Steel''s body. Thinking it had another meal stored for later.


    A strange calmness fell over Luca as he landed near Steel. Lingering between life and death as he slowly started to bleed to death, most of his bones broken by the impact, causing many of his organs to burst. As the blood pooled underneath him, the last thing Luca thought he was going to see was a lingering shadow over Steel''s headless body.


    In subconscious desperation, Luca reached out with a mangled arm towards that shadow, willing to towards him, and the closer it came, the faster it approached. However, Luca wasn''t afraid, even as the shadow seemed to want to resist coming closer. Time seemed to stop as the shadow approached, and Luca vaguely thought he saw Steel''s panicked face reflected in that shadow. No, it can''t be, your dead. I''m sorry. Luca reached out, seeing her in her panic and wanted to confront her shade before he passed.


    As his hands passed through the shadow, it seemed to attach to the shade. Steel''s lifeless lips turned in a scream of unheard terror as Luca''s hand turned, grasping the shadow and pulling it close. Luca was unsure of what was going on, instinct seeming to take over. Without knowing or thinking, he shoved the shadow into his mouth and consumed it.


    Notification: Soul Consumption �C Steel


    Details: You have successfully consumed the soul of the lingering dead woman named Steel. In doing so, you have gained a portion of the power she held in life. In the process of her soul being consumed, the person known as Steel has been completely destroyed. The resurrection of this individual is completely impossible


    This power is quantified as X7 points to Strength, X2 points to Agility, X0 points to Intelligence, X0 points to Luck, X4 points to Endurance, X1 points to Wisdom and X1 points to Perception.


    No experience is gained.


    You have gained $7185 Sol


    Notification: Passive Ability Gained �C Body of Steel


    Details: You have gained the passive ability, Body of Steel. The ability may be upgraded through combat and through other methods to force the ability to evolve. This ability coats the skin in a permanent layer of armor that prevents most basic attacks from having any harm on the possessor.


    Name


    Luca Fernandez Race


    Nephilim


    Aliases None Class


    Angel


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    of Death


    Passives Body of Steel


    Abilities Summon Nightmare (1-1000)


    Level


    Current Unassigned Stat Points


    0


    1 of 999


    Current Experience 0 of 35


    STR 17 INT 10 AGI 12


    WIS 11 LCK 10 PHY 2*


    END 14 PER 11 SOL *$7185


    After unintentionally consuming Steel''s soul, Luca felt a brief hint of guilt that lasted all of the time it took for his body to start healing from the massive damage he had taken. The sense of calm he had possessed was replaced by a wave of red hot anger and desire for vengeance against the monster that had almost taken his life, and an anger at himself for almost letting himself be killed.


    He had never been powerless, and he had certainly never needed to get close enough to the Huntsman Spider for him to suffer a catastrophic injury. Luca admonished himself for trying to hard for the approval of these team mates of his, when he should have been far more focused on staying alive. It''s not like his survival had been a concern of theirs. Otherwise, they would have taken the time to train him up on their team before heading out.


    Things are going to change from now on. Luca promised himself as he coughed up blood on to the grass. At least they would once he woke up as he tettered on the edge of unconsciousness, his body needing to use the energy he had absorbed from Steel in order to heal.


    Before Luca collapsed on the ground, he thrust his palm into the bloodsoaked earth and used the ability he had always had at his disposal. He barely spoke the words out loud before passing out. "Summon Nightmare."

 23 Chapter 22: Soul Eater

    Blood still dripped out of Luca''s wounds, and even more of it pooled beneath his unconscious body, dying the green grass red. Bits of red droplets staining his wings a dark crimson where Luca had landed on them. Bits of blood falling freely to the ground off the end of his feathers and off the ends of his fingertips. In any other turn of events, Luca would have been long dead.


    At the behest of the words he had uttered before passing out and being rent unconscious by blood loss, an arcane circle appeared beneath him. The circle opened up into a dark void sprawling across the grounds as Luca lay suspended in the middle of it. A portal connecting this reality to another, a darker nether dimension, and from that dimension, something was to come forth.


    A symbol appeared within the portal to that nether world, the symbol of the school of conjuration flashing in purple light and forming an inscribed pentagon with the blood that had pooled, his blood, and Steels. Smoke began to rise from the dark world on the other side of the portal as Luca''s mana was fed into the spell. His very lifeforce calling to the Nightmare that was to bound to him.


    A cloud of bubbled up from the circle, tainting all the untouched grass around Luca''s body as more of his life''s bleed feel freely into the portal, further powering the ability and also taxing his unconscious body. Though Luca was no longer at risk for death, simply a prolonged period of rest as he healed, even as the spell pulled energy from his body.


    An oppressive dense aura of malevolent darkness descended on the entire area. Calling 2Face''s and Tatiana''s attention to it and even drawing that of the Huntsmen Spider. Whatever malignant being was coming, they all knew to fear it, and though it was a terrible fear, 2Face and Tatiana both ran towards the source, wanting and needing to know what was happening.


    When they saw the source of the creeping aura of malice was coming from Luca''s body, they both shuddered. Afraid of what was coming next. Whether they had admitted it or not, the kid had freaked them out. Neither had ever wanted him on the team, not really. It was only at Dominic''s urging that Tatiana had even initially propositioned the kid to join their team when he had arrived.


    From within the circle, a slender, though well-muscled arm reached out with long clawed fingers and grabbed the edges of the portal and began pulling itself up out of the nether realm from which it had come. The Nightmare revealing itself. Showing a heavily marred body of matted purple and red scar tissue, barely covered in places by the shredded black leather armor it wore from head to toe. Rusted iron chains were bound around its wrists and its torso.


    The Nightmare''s head was not readily apparent underneath its armor, but as it lifted its body out of the pit it had emerged from, Tatiana and 2Face could see it wore a triangle-shaped hat, and beneath the hat, the Nightmares features were entirely obscured by an unnatural darkness, all that could be seen were two yellow orbs where its eyes were.


    The thing that Luca had summoned grasped at the other side of the summoning pit within the arcane circle with its off-hand. With an otherworld effort, it hefted itself up, launching itself out of the pit. It landed perfectly upright on two spindly, unsteady looking legs. Where the Nightmare had landed, the grass began to rapidly turn to grey ash, and the earth beneath it blackened with blight. A trail of rot spread out from the Nightmare as the disease it spawned promptly killing the nearby vegetation.


    2Face recognized the monster for it was it, seeing that Luca was still alive by noticing the heaving of his chest as he continued to draw breath. Just as 2Face recognized that Luca had summoned the monster, Tatiana also recognized it was a danger to them. "We need to get back away from that thing right now. Whatever you do, don''t let that blight touch you."


    Even as she yelled it out, 2Face was taken back in surprise by the suddenness of her outburst and quickly obeyed, pulling back in suspicion from the battlefield as he lacked in suspicion at both the Nightmare and the Huntsman spirt who was now eyeing the newest participant on the field with thinly veiled fear.


    The Huntsmen Spider was not like the group of humans that had milled around trying to harm it before running away. It had sensed the sensation of danger long before it had recognized were the sensation of danger was coming from, and unlike the humans, the Huntsmen Spider turned as it could on its damaged legs to meet this new threat head-on. Planning on killing it and consuming it later, just like it had done with the other two humans.


    The Nightmare grinned, showed a row of razorsharp triangle shaped teeth as it saw the spider it''s master had summoned it to kill.


    Splitting its attention between both the Huntsman Spider, the running humans, and a third party that waited and watched in the distance, the Nightmare announced itself. "I am Ars Goethe, a Nightmare Duke of the Nether Realm. Bound on this day to serve the Black Seraph forevermore. On behalf of my master, I will take your lives as a gift on this glorious day of his dark ascension."


    The Nightmare stood upright like a man. As it moved, its limbs and bones cracked and popped. Though if it held any weakness, it did not show otherwise. The Huntsman Spider glared and hissed as the Nightmare approached it, knowing the fear of the many prey it had killed and consumed over the millennia.


    As the Nightmare came closer, the Huntsmen Spider opened up its under the belly and let loose every spider it held within, seeking to completely overwhelm this new threat with numbers. But when the swarm of arachnids approached, it was to no avail. As soon as spiders got close to the Nightmare, their legs began to turn rapidly decay and turn to dust. In a matter of seconds, every spider that had been used to attack the Nightmare was reduced in ash.


    As the humans watched from a distance, all they could do was stare in fear. Wondering what evil, the newest member of their team had awoken and unleashed. The sheer in the air was stifling, making it difficult to breathe and started to cloud their reason. Every single set of eyes were transfixed on the impossible scene before them, the Nightmare from another world, and the giant spider it was going to kill.


    Tatiana let out an audible gasp of fear as they all watched the Nightmare thrust its hands into the blighted earth, causing the blight to rapidly expand its area of influence to include where the Huntsman Spider was. Though the monster was unaffected by the newly expanded blight, it seemed the intention wasn''t to try and use the decaying ability. Skeletal arms emerged all around the gigantic spider, spawning out of the blackened and blighted earth as the Nightmare that summoned them looked on in glee.


    White ivory fingers of bone embedding themselves into the chitin carapace of the arachnid. Tearing off the outer layer of armor and further tearing into the soft flesh underneath. The Huntsmen Spider screamed an ungodly shriek of pain as those skeletal hands dug into its body and seized hold, systematically beginning to butcher the monster. Though the spider tried to shake the skeletal hand''s loose, fighting for its life to free itself from their clutches, it was to no avail. The monsters doom was sealed.


    Without a sound, the Nightmare pulled its hands out of the blighted dirt. The arms of the Nightmare seemingly more shadow than flesh as everyone struggled to watch and keep up with its rapid movements. It reached down a dark hand and grabbed at the pale flesh of its own leg and began to pull. Tearing at the skin until both the flesh and bone ripped off. its arms seemingly more shadow than flesh as everyone struggled to watch its movements. A dark hand grabbed at the pale flesh of its leg, pulling and tearing at the skin until the leg ripped off. The Nightmare smiled as it lapped at the leaking marrow of the jaded bone it now held in its hand.


    What remained was completely over wordly. An oily darkness began to materialize in the shape of the leg the Nightmare had lost. A shadow leg upon which the Nightmare easily walked upon as it approached the entrapped and terrified arachnid. In its hands, it wielded the severed leg like an executioner blade. As the Nightmare moved, it began to shuck the pale flesh from the bone, using its clawed hands to sharped the edge of the bone in even powerful strokes. The sound and sight of which put the fear of death and the knowledge of true fear into all who heard it.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The Huntsmen Spider realizing its death was approaching tried to resist up until the very end. Snapping with its jaws and trying to bite at the Nightmare, hoping to disembowel or behind it like it had the humans. But it never mattered. The difference in their strengths was simply overwhelming. Ar Goethe, a Nightmare Duke had no reason to fear such a pathetic creature. With a simple forward thrust, the spear of bone stabbed through the lower mandible of the Huntsman Spider. The Nightmare not content with just that bit of damage, continuing to cut and stab, completely unstoppable until it had cut its way all the way through the spider''s underbelly, splitting it cleanly in two as blue spilled out from the massive wound.


    The spider stopped struggling to get free as its lifeforce and blood disappeared, lapped up by the blighted ground that had spread all around the battlefield, feeding upon the death of both the land and the spider. The Nightmare was not content in simply letting the spider die, not after it had harmed its master. The Nightmare carefully examined the spider before walking around to the spiders back and thrust a hand through the abdominal wound it had created. Destroying all the useless organs inside until it, at last, the Nightmare found what it was looking for and grasped at the still-beating heart of the spider and tore it out. The white organ was continuing to beat, even as the spider collapsed in death. The bone arms that had been holding it in place, releasing their hold on the Huntsman Spider''s body and retreated back into the blight.


    Boss monsters, unlike regular minions, were not instantly reabsorbed by the dungeon after a battle. They decompensated at a rapid rate. The skin first turning to dust as the muscles and organs turned to paste. But even then, within minutes, the dungeon would have reabsorbed the rapidly decayed body of the arachnid if not for the presence of the blight that absorbed it instead.


    The entire time, Luca remained unconscious as the remaining members of his team looked around at each other uncertain of how to proceed or what to do. Not one of them wanted to die, and the monster this Nightmare was, spoke towards a primal fear within them of fates worse than death. Instead, they all held their breath from where they watched, hoping the Nightmare wouldn''t turn its attention to them.


    Walking over to the unconscious boy, the Nightmare looked at the heart in its hand, imbuing it with the same dark energy that made up parts of its own body. The nether energy swirling around the heart corrupting it until, at last, only a bit of dust remained. The Nightmare grabbed Luca and shoved the dust down his throat, causing the unconscious boy to began to cough himself awake, even as the dust worked on healing the few remaining wounds he had and adding a dark glisten to the metallic hue of his body.


    As soon as Luca opened his eyes, the Nightmare disappeared. It''s mission completed for now until its master called for him again. All around, the blighted area around Luca disappeared. Leaving a dead spot where nothing would ever grow there again. Proof of what had happened in this spot, proof of the blight. But in the very middle of where the portal had been remained a single obsidian jewel that held all the energy the blight had taken from the land. A parting gift from the Nightmare to its master.


    Elsewhere, the remaining members of the team were reeling, wondering just who Luca really was, and what he really was. Wondering if they had made a mistake with him or if he might just be their salvation.

 24 Chapter 25: What Remains

    Tatiana''s body turned to ash and blew away on the wind, as soon as Luca put her down. 2Face''s body was nowhere to be seen, likely already absorbed by the dungeon. I didn''t want to kill her, but I don''t need another enemy running around right now. The boost to my speed her death gave me, and the sword could be the difference between life and death, if not today, then eventually. As he turned and walked towards the ability shop, his steps making the same ones she had just taken, Luca couldn''t help but shake his head in disappointment.


    He knew that Tatiana and 2Face wouldn''t be the only people he would kill, only the first and that many many more would follow. Luca made a vow to himself there and then that so long as he had a choice if it logically made sense, he wouldn''t kill. He had no qualms about it, and was otherwise unaffected.


    Strangely enough, the forest felt welcoming rather than forbidding as it walked through it alone. Though the canopy above head still rustled with the sounds of monsters milling about, they knew well enough know to leave the strange human with the dark aura alone. It felt.. right to Luca to be rightfully feared and left alone. Power itself was a good deterrent, and he would gather enough of it to himself that nothing again would ever threaten him.


    Passing through a nearby clearing, Luca saw signs of the Orc Hoard Tatiana had spoken of, but judging by the look of the rampaging footprints in the dirt, they had cleared out quickly in a panic. Probably when my Nightmare was set loose. Maybe when I''m done here, I''ll chase them down. He admitted, smiling to himself, hoping that next time he could see it in action, rather than watch the memory of it through the Obsidian Orb.


    The ability shop was less than a half-mile away, and with his boosted speed and high endurance, Luca was easily able to cut into his travel time and arrived within minutes at the base of a large white oak tree. The tree itself wasn''t tall by any means, maybe 20 feet at a max, but what separated it from the other trees of the forest was that it was almost as wide as it was tall.


    Though the white tree wasn''t dead, it was apparent to Luca it was at the end of its lifespan as only a few leaves could be seen sprouting from withered branches. As Luca approached, he saw a black electrical cord plugged into the base of the tree, leading to what appeared to be a vending machine. The closer Luca got, the easier it became to read the letters on the machine, letters that reading "Ability Kiosk." He had arrived at the shop, though it was not quite what he expected.


    Notification: "Welcome to the Ability Shop" �C Current Location �C The Phoenix Refuge, The White Oak''s Haunt


    Current Spending Balance �C Sol: 12265


    Please Note - Each ability after it has been purchased doubles in price. This effect is cumulative and does not reset.


    Current Ability List


    * V �C Lesser Fireball (8000 Sol)


    * IV �C Ice Bolt (6000 Sol)


    * III �C Corpse Golem (24000)


    * VI �C Healing Light (8600)


    * X �C Defend (10000)


    * III - Burning Fist (10200)


    * II �C Lesser Purge (2000)


    * XII �C Summon Skeletons (30000)


    * III �C Redundant Organs (10000)


    * VII �C Lightning Curtain (28000)


    After he scanned the list, Luca was disappointed to see that what was offered was, for the most part, outside the range of what he could purchase. I guess being one of the first people to hit up an ability shop can make all the difference, though I''m surprised that more abilities haven''t been bought. It makes sense, though, hard to get those kinds of points if most things can kill you so easily.


    Luca had made a decision to prioritize his own survival, and judging by the fact that only two other people had bought the ability, it seemed the decision was not a popular one, but he didn''t care, it was his life, and he had no intention of squandering it. Luca quickly selected Redundant Organs from the list and double-clicked the screen with his finger.


    Instantly, Luca felt a pain in his chest as veins split and redirected as alternate hearts and other internal organs grew, spreading themselves out across his body, making it that much more difficult for anyone to land a critical hit on him. The last thing Luca wanted to be a lucky shot to his heart to end his journey to power.


    Notification: Upgrade Purchased "Redundant Organs"


    Details: With this upgrade purchased, all of the player''s organs have doubled and been hidden randomly throughout the body. These organs are not in, but in the event of a catastrophic injury will replace the harmed primary organ. This may only be used once. To replace redundant organs, the player must again purchase the upgrade.


    The upgrade cost is frozen for the player at the price of their opt-in.


    Luca frowned, reading the prompt, but overall it was still the right decision for what he would have purchased. With his ability to consume souls, abilities would come sooner or later. All he needed to do was stay alive in the meantime.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    He quickly selected the second ability he would purchase for himself, Lesser Purge, and with that all of his Sol was spent. Thinking of all the money he had just spent made him inwardly cringe, but there was nothing he could do about it. Saving resources for later when they needed to be used now didn''t help anymore, and it certainly wouldn''t help him if he wound up dead on top of a pile of Sol for someone else to plunder.


    Notification: Ability Purchased �C Lesser Purge


    Details: This ability is an endurance stat check. The check is equal to 50% of the caster''s endurance stat. If the target of the ability has an endurance of less than 50% of the user, they are killed instantly.


    With his preparations done. Luca did the unthinkable. He sat down and rested, waiting for whoever was coming to kill him. Be it Oeviss, Dominic, the Gemini Twins, Garen. It didn''t matter. Luca would kill them all.

 25 Chapter 26: Carrion Crow Complete

    The wait didn''t take long as soon Luca could hear the sound of Mother''s voice echoing from deep within the treeline. Luca stood up and tried to see who he was talking to, but with the trees in the way, he had no way of knowing. It was interesting to know though that Mother hadn''t listened to Tatiana''s orders, or rather had another set of orders superseding hers because Luca had fully expected to run into the man and kill him at the ability shop.


    As the sounds of Mother''s voice drew closer, Luca thought he could make out the sounds of the Gemini Twins and Kevin. Though when they turned the corner and started heading down the dirt path straight towards him, Luca had a moment of shock as he saw Dominic traveling alongside them, and he had a moment of indecision and doubt in the path he had taken. Luca had truly respected and admired Dominic, seeing the devil-man as both a father and brother figure.


    With nothing to do, but to do it, and no way out but through, Luca decided brazen was the way to go. Looking directly ahead, he stared at Mother, identifying him as the target of his new ability. With an endurance stat of 23, Luca had doubts the man would be able to beat the stat check and escape death. It was basically a cheat, but at this point, Luca had no intention in fighting far.


    "Lesser Purge," He muttered to himself, keeping his eyes fixated on Mother the whole time. Watching with grim satisfaction as the man clutched out his chest and collapsed dead on the ground.


    Notification: Player Killed �C Mother


    Details: You have killed the player known as Mother. A healer serving the duel leadership of the Chaos and Legends Guild. By killing this player with a status check, you gain a very minuscule portion of his current stats and no sol.


    This player cannot be resurrected.


    The stat gain is as follows, X0 points to Strength, X0 points to Agility, X2 points to Intelligence, X0 points to Luck, X0 points to Endurance, X3 points to Wisdom and X1 points to Perception.


    You have gained the ability "Jailer"


    No experience is gained.


    You have gained $0175 Sol


    Luca was not so ignorant to the satisfaction he felt watching the four remaining members of the group disburse, looking for what they thought was a hidden ambush. Luca called out to them, waving them over, "Hey guys, its good to see you. Sorry about all the bother with Mother, just testing out one of my new abilities." He had a good laugh seeing the four of them get enraged as they came out him.


    "You don''t know what your doing!" Screamed Dominic as he rapidly shifted into his demonic form. The waves of power Luca had once felt radiating off the man felt far more subdued and less impressive. The real power here was him.


    "Tell me, Dominic," Laughed Luca as he brandished his new Spark Sword, watching as the Gemini Twins eyes narrowed in hate recognizing the blade. "True or false, all of you work for Oeviss and have been using the power of your guilds to farm food for that leach."


    Dominic''s eyes dropped shamefully for a second, and though Luca believed the shame he saw, it was not enough to get him to drop his guard as Keira lunged in at him with her knives. With his superior movement speed whoever, Luca had no trouble dodging the blows, that is until Layla started to fire arrows in his direction, and though the first narrowly missed, Luca knew they would not continue to do so.


    Before Luca could respond, Kevin pressed the attack against him in a bullrush hoping to overwhelm Luca and let the other members of the party kill once they were able to impede his movements. A green circle appeared under Luca as Layla tried to summon roots to bind him in place, but his strength had increased far too much for something like that to stop him.


    Wanting to trim down the battlefield, Luca looked at Kevin and activated "Lesser Purge" with a low mutter. When nothing happened, Luca wasn''t surprised. He had fully expected the dwarf to have a high endurance, but as for the elves, Luca was not as sure. He turned first to Layla, annoyed at her continued spells that were trying to trip up his feet and repeated the words, "Lesser Purge". He was happily surprised when he saw her fall over dead. He repeated the spell one last time and was just as shocked when Keira remained untouched by the attack. He had actually assumed both of the twins would have similar stat outlooks.


    "Its just going to be the three of us now, I hope you don''t mind," Luca yelled as he laughed, dodging the onslaught of Keira''s knives and the swinging war-hammer of the dwarf. In the distance, Luca saw Dominic challenging a spell of iron daggers appeared in the air like a hail of rain, all ready and primed to descend on him.


    "Hail of Blades." Dominic shouted as the blades came for Luca, but Luca was not one to let a good crisis go to waste and lunged forward to Kevin, and grabbed ahold of the retreating dwarf. His strength eclipsing that of the dwarf, and as the blades descended, Luca felt a faint sensation of pain and unpleasantness as most of the iron weapons bounced harmlessly off of his skin, but as for Kevin, though the dwarf activated his own ability, it was too late.


    If there was one thing Luca had learned from watching the dwarf when they went through the streets it was that the ability Kevin had was not without shortcomings, one of which was that the skin underneath could still be damaged. Luca took advantage of that fact to slam the base of his pommel into the side of the dwarfs head in a savage bash attack, stunning the dwarf long enough for Luca to follow up with a forward thrust as the blade cleaved clean through the dwarf''s open mouth, slicing his skull into two parts.


    Howling with rage, Keira came out him, her daggers a whirlwind, but for Luca and the monster he had become, he was too far beyond her to worry and was able to effortlessly continue to evade her daggers while half-heartildly countering attacking with the Spark Blade


    "Why did you come here Dominic," Luca asked the devil-man, right before he blocked on Keira''s daggers with the Spark Blade, unleashing the stored charges in the Spark Blade as a torrent of electrical energy poured into the woman, causing her to collapse on the ground in a convulsing heap. Luca advanced, ready to finish her off, but Dominic sprang into action, seeking to intervene.


    "Not today, Dominic, your not fast enough," Luca commented as he looked at the devil-man before casting the spell he had gained from Mother, unnecessary at this point, but it was as good a time as any to test it out. "Jailer."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel��faster updates, better experience��Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    All around Dominic rocks jutted up through the air, and though he howled in rage and began attacking at the rocks, he would not make it in time, and Luca, knowing his time was short running to Keira''s side and with an ungraceful moment of malevolent force, brought his book down on her skull, killing her instantly.


    "I''ll ask again Dominic," Said Luca as he waved the rock formation aside, dismissing the ability. "Why are you here? I had thought better of you than that. A servant of Oeviss, how could you betray everyone like that?"


    The devil-man growled in feral response as he jumped forward, tearing at Luca''s body, and unlike the blows of the other guild leaders, the devil-man''s claws hurt, leaving bloody grooves of twisted metal where they had torn into Luca''s flesh.


    "I came for your life, kid." The devil-man growled as he attacked in frenzied swipes one after another. I knew you where a marlin as soon as I heard about you, as soon as the kids brought me a report about you. Another shadow blessed, I knew it would be my chance at gaining another dark ability that would set me up as a god in this place. All you had to do was your part and die at my hands."


    Luca laughed at the man''s anger. "Sorry to disappoint, it seems I''ve gotten quite a bit stronger since the last time you and I talked. How does Oeviss feel about you trying to poach from him? Luca mocked, hoping to further enrage the man and get him off balance.


    Dominic started to laugh. "Oeviss is dead many times over. Dead and gone, killed by my hand and my true guild brothers who took him down with me from the Prime Halls. They also died in my hands. All those lives living inside of me, fuel for my ascension, just as you will fuel my ascension further."


    With a sigh, Luca started out Dominic struggling to find the words to voice his disappointment. When none came, Luca rushed forward, carrying in his hand one of Keira''s daggers and used to cut open like a spear through Dominic''s chest wall before following up with a punch that pulverized the devil man''s heart.


    But Luca was not stupid either, and he had never thought Dominic was as well, and not wanting to be caught by surprises, Luca followed up the devasting attacked with multiple stabbings of the Spark Sword until finally, it gained a charge he could release, and when he did, Luca watched as Dominic''s body seemed to boil and explode from the internal pressure. It might have been overkill, but Luca had no intention of waiting around to find if Dominic also had Redudent Organs.


    Luca sat down, exhausted as he waited for the barrage of notifications that was going to hit, thinking to himself that this was it. Its going to be a long way back trying to find the non-guild gateway. The first thing I''m doing is starting my own guild. We''ll call ourselves Carrion Crow and at least admit what we''ve become. Bottom feeders fighting each other for scraps. But if that''s what we are, then I''ll be the best at it.