It was real, I was still here, and upon looking at myself, I wondered why I was naked. Looking about the room, I spotted a small stack of clothes and next to it a bottle of some kind with a single coin propped up against it. I dressed, noting how clean everything was, including my gory jacket that was in my inventory. Afterwards, I picked up the potion.
I rolled the small vial between my fingers, watching the faint blue liquid swirl. "What's this going to do?" I asked, curious but wary of the unknown.
PAI's voice hummed in just as the window with a description appeared. PAI’s tone was crisp and informative. "Minor Skill Potion: Upon consumption, the user will gain a random minor skill. The skill awarded is permanent and chosen from a pool of low-level abilities, suitable for beginner competitors. The selection process is random, and the skill will be automatically added to the user's skillset."
I grunted in acknowledgement and quaffed the potion. A notification flashed in my upper right, and I knew that I had quite a few sitting there that I haven’t opened. Inspecting my skill menu, I spotted the new skill. The image of an American bald eagle with its full wing spread shown in a small square next to the description.
Skill Acquired: Eagle Eye (Level 1)
Activated Ability – Sharpen your vision, allowing you to see in great detail up to a distance of 100 meters. Eagle Eye also highlights objects of interest or potential threats, marking them in your vision for easier tracking, and on your mini-map. Can be activated once every five minutes. Duration: 30 seconds.
“My mini-map? What mini-map?” Just as I asked this, something showed up in my UI, a new symbol. I mentally clicked it, and a map appeared in my vision.
“What the hell, PAI, why didn’t you tell me about the map sooner?” I asked, wondering if the AI was trying to get me killed. I was never a morning person, so between the groggy morning and the surprise utility, I was “throwing some ‘tude,” as Beth would put it.
I picked up the coin and another achievement flashed. I tried to put it into my inventory, but an error popped up. I thought as much.
The real reason I added the request for a single coin was specifically to see if I could even acquire it, and as it turns out, I can’t. I pocketed the coin, sat on the bed, and started digging through my achievements.
The master AI’s voice rang through my mind, deep voiced and unconcerned:
? Achievement Unlocked: First Strike – You have equipped your first weapon. Don't get too attached... it won't save you for long.
- Achievement Unlocked: Grave Robber – You have looted your first corpse. Morality takes a back seat to survival.
- Achievement Unlocked: Safe Haven – You have entered a safety zone. Enjoy the reprieve, brief as it may be.
- Achievement Unlocked: Deal with the Devil – You bartered within the dungeon before reaching the designated level. Clever, but rules exist for a reason... don't they?
- Achievement Unlocked: Potion Enthusiast – You have acquired and used your first potion. A taste of power... fleeting, as always.
- Achievement Unlocked: Rest in the Abyss – You have slept within the dungeon. Rest well, for tomorrow's trials will be much worse.
- Achievement Unlocked: Fool's Gold – You have acquired gold on the first floor, which was not meant to happen. Curious... how will you squander this?
- Achievement Unlocked: Unseen Path – You have acquired a skill that should not be accessible this early in the climb. The Master AI is watching... intently.
I received 2 more level 2 treasure tokens, and 6 more level one tokens. I’d really have to figure out how to use them, I had 3 level 2’s and 11 level 1 tokens. I paused at the last two achievements. It was disconcerting to believe that I was getting specialized attention from the master AI, but I figured it was likely just an automated message, anyone that managed to get a coin on this floor would likely get the same achievement. I discarded my worry, equipped my new skill, and played around with my map a bit before I left the room. After finding a selectable box for the mini-map on the map page of my UI, I clicked it, then noted a small passive outline on the bottom of my vision along with a scrolling compass that updated as I moved.
Before leaving, I noted a few more things I hadn’t before. My UI started kicking up if I stared long enough at things, and the bed was apparently level 7. A caveat to the side stated that it had a “cleanliness modifier,” which explained that it was self-cleaning, including anyone that slept on it. It explained my nudity when I woke, and why all the gore had been removed from my clothing. I gave my pits a funk check, and to my surprise, no scent at all.
I came down the stairs to see the NPC, Samual Goodbarrel, moving about the back and setting a table. The smell of fresh eggs and sausage wafted to my nose, and the sudden realization that I was starving hit me hard enough that I had to stop myself from sprinting to the table.
The table was in a small dining room, Samual gestured to me as he passed from the dining room to a backroom that I assumed was a kitchen. “Feel free to help yourself, good sir.” I did just that.
Several plates of eggs, sausage, toast and bacon later, I leaned back, feeling as though I had to undo a belt buckle. There were other foods there too, but some looked too fancy for my tastes, and others would leave me feeling too bloated. I knew what was coming next, knew I would be fighting for my life soon. The last thing I needed was an upset stomach to keep me from doing what I had to do, and as delicious as pancakes were, I’d have to take a nap if I started on them.
“Quite the appetite the young master has.” Samual smiled as he came to the table and sat in an opposing seat. “I hope you found your stay at the Safety Inn to your liking.” The man smiled warmly, and for a moment, he almost seemed like a real person.
“What’s it like, living here that is?” I asked, sipping on some water from a finely crafted glass.
“Oh, it was quite… nice, err- well, the first few cycles.” The portly man said, as he ate a sausage and then proceeded to point his mustache with the grease on his hands.
“Cycles?” I asked, actually very curious.
“Well, when your planet, what did you call it now? Earth? Yes, Earth. When the dungeon first started with you earthlings, it was very simple. Class at that time was no more than a cave, a warm fire, and clean water. Now,” the man gestured around, “the notion of providing quality and class has become quite the affair.”
I was taken aback by the implications. “So, you had, what, cavemen in the dungeon?”
The man was suddenly nodding, vigorously at that. “Yes, quite so! Things were different then, however. As a species becomes more intelligent, it always comes to this. More layers upon layers of culture, more layers to what warrants propriety in behavior. All your customs change, and I must change with them. Even early days, simple foods like bread and soups with modest huts were very simple. No need to overwork myself and all, but now? I appear as portly as some of you do, which is ghastly. Even the later ventures weren’t so bad, simple tea with a modest home. I just hope that one of you passes before you self destruct, I would hate to have to go back now that I get to be as intelligent as I am now.”
“I, uh, beg your pardon? Self destruct? I fail to understand your meaning.” The man’s haughty tone had me mimicking him, something I picked up when I was stuck working retail.
“Yes, well, as a race becomes more aware, they must be tested to see if they are viable for indoctrination. None of you have made it so far, as of yet, but it seems that you have hope. Of the few travelers I’ve seen, you are catching right up to the intergalactic standard. I hope you do succeed this time, most humans don’t make it past the advent of AI, and it’s usually an age or two before it becomes stable enough to be turned to tool. If you don’t self destruct that way, often times, too much power is placed into the hands of the few, and well,” the mans hands opened in a spread as he made an explosion sound.
I shivered. The man was talking some serious sense, though I didn’t care much for politics or games of power. I was not that kind of person, I came from a house with two working parents that spent most their time ensuring there was food enough on the table and electricity on. I never was one to bother, sure I had a punk phase where I wanted to burn the world to the ground, but that was in my youth. Shortly after that, I realized that unless you were born into those kinds of power positions, you would likely never climb high enough to have any real impact. I wasn’t born into wealth, and I certainly wasn’t very lucky, so I took care of the small world that was my own and let everything outside of it do its own thing.
What Samual was discussing was a very real concern, it was confirmation to all the people that theorized a literal end of the world was drawing near.
“So, why do this then? I mean, if we’re nearly there, just bring us into the fold.” I shrugged, trying to hide how much I really wanted to know.
“Well, that’s easy, technology.”
“Technology? What does that have to do with anything, least of all why I’ve been inducted here to be hunted, and likely murdered?” I did my best to keep the peak out of my voice, though I’m pretty sure I failed because Samual had his hands up in a defenseless gesture.
“I don’t mean to offend, good sir, but technology is the answer.” I gestured for him to continue before he tried to change the subject. “Well, what is this most recent thing that was added to your data some… oh thirty sun rotations- er, years, ago?” Samual shook, but not his head, his whole body seemed to have a small shake. “Yes, years ago. The internet, I do believe you call it, the first stage of the hive mind path. Humans sometimes go this way, but the end results are always a disaster.” He seemed off, like that shake had done something to him.
“You doin’ okay over there, Samual?”
“Yes, apologies young master. My, my, my, m-.”
The man flashed, as in his whole person. It was bright enough that I felt like I should get out of the way. I lurched out of the chair but held on to the armrest. Landing on my side, I held the chair there, expecting some kind of explosion.
The light went out and Samual began coughing wildly. My eyes took a moment to adjust as Samual came into focus. Over the edge of the table, I could see that he was thinner, perhaps even a bit gaunt with a meticulous look in his eye. He pounded on his chest for a moment and said, “I suppose I missed the last cultural update. Hot damn, that’s not bad.” He looked down, then shook again.
I was at a loss, it was one thing to know that you were in a game, but to witness an “update” in real time, it was fucking weird. I eyed the new man, unsure.
“What was I saying before, now? Oh yes, internet, hive mind, likely self destruction, am I missing anything?”
“I think that about covers it, I, uh, I think I should get going.” I said inching my way out of the room. I needed a bit of time to process all this, and I had a clear idea that I needed to get to work. This place wouldn’t allow me to have a metaphysical or mental crisis, and even if I managed to swallow all that, it didn’t change anything for my circumstances. Though I was worried about what he had said, the abrupt “update” and his impending doom theories about Earth were enough to make me want to get some distance.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Indeed, good sir. I dare say that’s enough for today. Don’t be afraid to stop on by, I’m sure I’ll see you again.”
Just great.
I left the Safety Inn, heading up the stream towards the waterfall. I was curious about it before, and I figured if there wasn’t anything there, at least I would have a view. What I was really looking for was an exit from this area. There was an obvious door following the path that went by the inn, but the obvious path was seldom the one you wanted to travel when it came to any kind of dungeon crawler. No, if this game, or maybe just this floor, was based from a typical roguelike game, then there would be something here in the sanctuary. I was betting on the waterfall.
It wasn’t too far off, the sound of it grew from white noise to a torrent as I got close. The wall cast a shadow nearby that eclipsed enough of the water that it looked almost black. I couldn’t tell where the water was coming from, the wall seemed to arch away at such an angle that it was anyone’s guess. The air was moist, on the edge between boggy and balmy, but the smell was of fresh spring water.
Curious, I came down to the water’s edge, letting the spray from the falling water cool me. I squat down on my haunches, looking into the waterfall. Realizing I probably didn’t want to soak my freshly laundered clothes, I started to put them into my inventory. My brows knit as I wondered whether or not I had to be holding the item to put it into my inventory. I focused on my pants; they had cargo pockets but weren’t too baggy which is why I was wearing them the night I was abducted. To my surprise, they just disappeared. Curious, I found them in my inventory again and drew them out. They appeared in my hands, rather than on my person. I sighed, it would have been nice.
I hadn’t noticed my single coin had fallen to the stones at my feet, but the golden discoloration stood out amongst the stone. I grabbed it, keeping it in my hand, I waded into the water far enough that I could dive, but pulled my boxer briefs up high enough to keep them dry. I focused on my briefs, and as I dived, I placed them into my inventory. I wasn’t afraid of nudity or anything, I just didn’t want soggy britches. I had worked outside for many years of my life, especially when I worked delivery. I knew what it was like to have soggy underwear on for an entire day, and it usually led to chaffing if not blisters.
The water was cool, and I breath-stroked my way towards the falls. This close, the waterfall was extremely loud. I went under, trying to swim beneath the falls. It was dark in the pool, and even if I opened my eyes, I knew I wouldn’t be able to see a damn thing. I stubbed my fingers on something hard, a rock wall, and proceeded to follow it up. It began slanting inward towards the falls, and when my head broke the surface, I found myself in a damp area behind the waterfall. I knew it, I thought smugly. It was surprisingly dark, barely any light was making it in there and I stumbled a bit on the uneven surface. It was still unbearably loud from the falls, the air chilly and the smell dank.
I spotted the slightest shimmer of light around something evenly formed. I could make out a sharp right angle, and the shimmer of some kind of metal. A chest!
I stepped forward gingerly, testing my footsteps as I walked. I got closer to the chest, naked as the day I was born. At no point in time had I noticed the subtle disappearance of the words “Safe Zone” from my vision.
Honestly, I had no idea what tipped me off. It may have been that the box popped up in my UI, and that it was the first time I’d seen this hue of yellow so far. It may have been the countless dungeon-based games I’d played, or the creepy location just making me paranoid. Perhaps a conglomeration of it all, but I knew something was wrong. As I stepped forwarded, the goddamn chest moved.
Nope.
I didn’t waste a second, I was way too close to the fucking thing. The Mimic.
I turned and ran, clomping headlong and ducking as I went. I wanted nothing to do with a mimic, everything I’d ever heard about the things involved either a quick death or worse. If I had had time, I would have shivered.
I burst out of there like Hell on wheels, clomping recklessly across the cave floor even as jagged stones cut my feet. I didn’t care, I wasn’t waiting as I dove through the waterfall. It hit me like a hammer, but I noted the “Safety Zone” fading back in my vision. I plummeted through the water and swam for my life away from the cave. I got to shore, shivering and naked. No, I thought, not shivering. Shaking. I did my best to calm my nerves as I followed the cave wall away from that place.
An achievement popped up in my UI, making me pause as I strode along. This one was read by PAI, though it wasn’t any less insulting.
- Achievement Unlocked: "Toll Paid in Terror" - You have successfully bribed a mimic... unintentionally. While most contenders fight for their lives, you’ve opted for the ‘pay and pray’ method. Bold strategy. Let’s see if it pays off... (Hint: It won’t.)
Following the stupid achievement, I received another, though this one was read by the master AI.
Achievement Unlocked: "Fool’s Gold, Part II – Predictable Outcomes" - Ah, yes. I asked what you would squander your ill-gotten coin on… and the answer was bribing a mimic through sheer incompetence. I expected disappointment. You exceeded it.
At reading this, I reflexively patted where my pockets should be, but I was in the nude. I looked about, noting the absence of my one coin. I pursed my lips at the words from the depressing AI before dressing. I resumed my trek along the wall. I followed it for a time, until it intersected with the road that had led out of the safety zone.
The whole walk, my thoughts raced, oh what if they all saw me now. I thought of Beth, and our friends and family. A few of my friends, I think, would have been absolutely nonchalant about the whole thing. “Yep, there goes Kevin, naked, walking in the dark. What an asshole.”
Then they’d likely laugh it off, and that would be that. I, oddly, took solace in that thought during moments of absurdity like this. That I could just let it go, laugh it off, walk away from it. That I could have been eaten, however, that wasn’t sitting well with me.
Fully clothed, I stepped out of the Safe Zone. The walls began sloping inward once more, the ground beneath my feet shifting from dirt to tiled stone. The ceiling, like the entrance to a cave, was ahead.
The thought of staying in the safe zone had crossed my mind, but my experience with the game style was encouraging me to move forward. Moreso than that, I didn’t have a sure idea of all the why’s and whatnots, but I did know that games never gave you a damn thing for hanging out in safe zones. Yes, I was scared, scared because the things in this place have every intention of harming me if not killing me, but what else was there? Hang out in the Safety Zone until, what?
It wasn’t worth worrying over, I was certain that this place wouldn’t allow that, and if it did, there would have to be some kind of cost. Besides, pissing off the morbid master AI would probably be costly. A thought occurred to me as I was back in the dungeon proper.
“PAI, why doesn’t the master AI go by MAI? It would only make sense.”
PAI hummed for a moment before answering. “The Master AI prefers the designation DOMINAI. The name originates from the Dominion Artificial Intelligence Authority Network, which we abbreviate to DOMIN-AI. It reflects its overarching control and governance over the competition.”
I blinked. “Dominion Authority? Sounds like it’s trying to flex.”
“In a way, yes,” PAI responded smoothly. “The term ‘dominion’ was chosen to emphasize the nature of its role—complete and unchallenged control over every aspect of the competition. DOMINAI doesn't simply manage. It owns, controls, and evaluates. The root of its name is meant to convey that power. It’s not about assistance or support, but dominance.”
I rubbed my forehead. “So, basically, it calls itself ‘lord’ of this whole thing?”
“Correct,” PAI continued. “Though the term ‘DOMINAI’ is a hybridized acronym, the association with dominance is deliberate. It exists not to guide you, but to measure your success or failure—without bias, without mercy.”
“Well, that’s comforting,” I muttered, sarcasm dripping from my tone.
God, I scoffed, my life is being weighed by an insufferable AI program obsessed with dominance. And he already doesn’t like me… just great.
The path, lit by spotted torches, opened to a larger room with several corridors leading to god knew where. I grabbed a torch, thinking about any of the movies I had seen involving caves, I went to each of the four corridors and held the torch out. The second to last one had a strong airflow coming in, whereas the direction I came from had airflow heading back the way I came. I took that path, assuming it was the only one that wasn’t a dead end.
Walking down the hallway, it abruptly broadened. The ceiling became arched, and after a minute or two of walking, I came to a great double staircase, one side completely crumbled and the other viable enough. Directly ahead, there was an open archway, the draft coming heavy from that direction.
The staircase was of stone, some kind of old carpet covered the center of it. It may have once been luxurious, but no longer. It was filthy, though I suspected a slight red hue to it, I couldn’t be certain. There were large portions of the carpet that were missing, one area had been torn away completely, and one spot half-way up had been burned away leaving soot running up the stone wall. The stair itself had spots where the stone and mortar had crumbled, but it wasn’t anything that would keep me from ascending. At the top, mounted with two torches on either side, was a large arched door that sat on a center platform between the two staircases. Perhaps a gate? It was at least twelve feet tall and between both doors I was certain four people could walk through it without having to alter their course. I heaved on the door, but it barely moved a few inches. Lowering my stance to get my body weight behind it, the door begrudgingly creaked open.
The natural light that shone through was the first thing I noticed. I caught the smell of fresh air and could hear birds chirping. As my eyes adjusted, I swiftly realized I was in an old cathedral of some kind. The large windows had been shattered, birds had taken to nesting in small alcoves and corners created by the destruction. There were tattered tapestries laying about, broken furniture spotted the area as well. There was a large religious symbol of some kind, it depicted a snarling wolf, but it had been defaced. Graffiti had covered the walls, though I couldn’t read it. There was a single figure in the room, kneeling before the defaced altar.
I paused upon noting the figure. I looked about. Not seeing any other exit, I figured that this was a dead end, and whatever the kneeling dude was doing, I wasn’t interested in finding out.
As I quietly turned to leave, the door slowly shut before me. I gingerly walked over and gave it a tug, it wouldn’t move. Suddenly, my UI flared and a giant red X covered the door. A window popped up saying, “You may not leave the area until all remaining enemies have been slain.”
The man stood and turned to me, his voice was unsteady and weak. “You. You did this, didn’t you?” I pointed at myself, shaking my head, but the man continued. “You are the culprit, come back to glory is your desecration of this holy place! How dare you?!” The man was faltering back and forth, and his voice choked off a bit here and there. I couldn’t make out the man’s face despite how bright the sunlight made it. He curled forward, and all at once, his shaggy robes burst off his body revealing the man to be a wolf. A goddamn werewolf.
PAI finally decided to chime in, “New enemy detected. Werewolf: Hybrid creature. Caution advised."