Somewhere in the darkness of the old mall, I heard metal creaking and chains rattling. To me, it sounded like a door opening. Perhaps one of the exits leading out to the streets. Either it was Tala or Theo leaving the building or something coming in. All I knew is I no longer wanted to be here. The shadows filling the halls grew deeper and seemed to reach out to me like clawed hands.

  I stood up and almost immediately fell back to my knees. My leg was killing me. The fangs of the Duskweaver did a number on my leg. Looking down all I saw was dark stains of blood against my jeans. I lifted the cloth to the side and a large gash across my shin appeared in the limited light I had. It was bad and according to my Condition status, I was still [Bleeding]. I didn’t know if the Condition would last and what kind of side effects came from it. From what the First Unlocked taught us growing up, if we received any kind of negative Condition we needed to find a way to heal it and fast.

  I took my time, using the bench beside me, and finally got to my feet. I gritted my teeth against the pain and scanned my surroundings for anything useful. Our basic survival training taught us to stop [Bleeding] by creating a tourniquet and strapping it above the affected area. Nearby I saw an old clothing store with several shirts hanging on a rack. They looked a bit dusty but should be sufficient for my needs. Before I started walking I received another ping to my display.

  [2 Minor Corrupted Insects Defeated]

  [Experience Points Earned: 30]

  I felt a surge of energy flow into me as if a warm breeze brightened my spirits. I opened my Codex to see if I had gained a level. Unfortunately, it still said Level 0, but it noted I had 30XP out of 100XP next to it.

  Level: 0 (30/100) XP

  I needed seventy more experience points to level up. I wondered what would happen since I still hadn’t chosen my Class Pathway. Would I level up a few more times before I reached the top of the Crumbling Tower? Did leveling up without a Class Pathway still give me Skill Points and Stat Points like my father said it would? There were a lot of questions I realized were never brought up during our preparation training. Something I would change if I ever made it back… When I make it back.

  It was strange being able to open and close my Codex with just a thought. It was incredible to finally be able to see what all the adults were seeing and to feel how it functioned. There would be time to think about it later but right now I needed to take care of my leg and get to the Crumbling Towers. As if the Trinity itself had come down to distract me I saw something new floating above the body of the Duskweaver. A simple glow of gray light. It was about as wide as a quarter and hovered in the air about six inches from the ground.

  I looked in the direction of the other Duskweaver to see if there were more glowing lights, but I couldn’t see any. Either there wasn’t more or the glow was so faint in the shadows I couldn’t see it. I reached down and attempted to grab at the light. I didn’t feel anything when I wrapped my hand around it, at least not physically. It was more like a spark of inspiration. A touch of knowledge crept into my mind and waited for my acknowledgment.

  [Obtained: 1 Duskweaver Fang]

  First loot drop! Neat! Maybe I could share it with my father when I get back and craft something with it. I knew Dr. Matthias used odd things to make his medicine, perhaps this fang could be useful. Bringing my Codex back up, I could see the Fang in my inventory. With another thought I tried to retrieve it and, in another odd sense of knowledge transition, the fang was sitting in the palm of my hand. It was dark, smooth, and about as long as my hand. Then in a quick flash, the fang disappeared, and its name showed up in my inventory again. How does this work? Did it materialize out of nothing? Could I only hold a certain amount?

  My lessons flooded my mind and I only remembered a few of the answers to my questions. If I obtained a bag and equipped it I could carry more. The items didn’t physically appear inside the back but rather occupied it in more of an energy sort of way. It allowed me to claim them fast without having to take the bag off. A little blessing in a world of nightmares. I was going to have to test a few more things out, and maybe find some more useful items to help me in the Trials.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I limped my way over to the nearest rack of shirts and took a blue one off its clothing hook. Using my new knife, I cut it into long strips and wrapped it around my leg just below the kneecap. My Condition changed almost immediately to [Staunched]. The bleeding had stopped, and it still hurt to put weight on it. I’d have to not rush myself to cause any further issues.

  With my leg bandaged, and my weapon brandished before me, I walked slowly toward the nearest set of doors. This led me out from under the beam of light shining down from the skylight above and deep into the shadows. I kept my wits about me and focused on anything out of the ordinary. I specifically focused on the sounds of the dark halls. All I could hear was my heavy breathing and stumbling footsteps. There were no creeping feet upon the tiled floor and no creaking metal. I was sure I was now alone in the mall, or at least if there was anything around me, they were too wary to attack.

  I made it to the glass doors covered in cardboard and checked to see if they were locked. The first two I tried were but the third gave way to my push and a rush of sunlight invaded my eyes. I held my arm up to block the harsh light and stepped out into the real world.

  Besides the warmth of the sun on my face, the first thing I noticed was the overwhelming sense I was being watched. I slowly moved my arm out of the way and took in my surroundings. I was standing in the center of a half-circle stone patio which dropped off into a series of stairs. In the center, between the stairs, was a dried-out fountain. The elaborate stonework ran off towards the black pavement of the nearby street. There were scattered papers, plastic bags, and other various junk all over the place. Including a few skeletons all laid out as if they were crawling towards the mall entrance. Crawling towards me.

  Across the road was the biggest thing I had ever seen. A looming skyscraper. It blotted out half of the violet sky and cut through the indigo clouds. A stone giant with glass scales standing, waiting just for me. The Crumbling Tower. It had to be. It was calling to me. Taunting me to enter and find out what dangers lay within. However, the Tower wasn’t what was watching me. No, there was something greater. Something far more unnatural, menacing, and ungodly.

  Far beyond the peak of the Crumbling Tower peering from between a deep wash of blue clouds there was an eye. Horrible, uncanny and full of malice. This… thing… stared down at the world unblinking and unloving. It was the Great Fallen God. The new master of the Fallen States and the vile deity which led the world to its new destruction. I had heard tales of the Great Fallen but none of it prepared me for what I was looking at now.

  I had so many questions rushing through my mind. What was it? What did it want? Was it looking for me? I felt a cold hand clasping my throat as a ball of molten iron dropped in my chest. The eye had moved. The iris itself had shifted from behind the clouds scanning the world below it. It was looking for something or someone. *Please don’t be me.

  I rushed under a nearby canopy and waited. It would be another few minutes before I felt comfortable looking out again. The clouds had drifted on, and I could no longer see the Great Fallen God looming in the sky. The threat was gone or at least the overwhelming sense of death crawling its way through me had subsided for the moment. Now I knew why we lived deep underground. It wasn’t just to stay away from the monsters roaming the world but from the god now ruling it.

  I kept to the shadows as best I could. I no longer felt safe stepping out into the light of the sun. If it was indeed the sun shining down on me or another great eye. Either way, I didn’t want to find out. It was slow progress but eventually, I got down the stairs and to the edge of the road. Looking back and forth I didn’t see any sign of movement or Tala and Theo. If they made it out here alive and well, they were certainly doing better than I was.

  I hobbled as quickly as I could across the road hoping I wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention and crouched down by a thicket of trees. There was a tall metal fence surrounding the outside of the tower and the only entrance I could see was through a main gate under a large sign broken in half. I crept closer, then paused to look through the gate and scan the open yard before the base of the tower. Everything seemed quiet and the only motion I saw was the shifting of the red-leafed trees being blown in the wind. The front door, a set of large wooden panels, was slightly open.

  There was my entrance, or at least I hoped it was. Anything could be waiting for me inside and a simple opening could easily be a trap. I couldn’t see any other way in.

  With what speed I could muster I raced across the lawn, continuing to stay hidden in what shadows I could find until I stopped at the doors. There was enough room for me to squeeze in sideways without having to touch the door. Old doors tended to creak loudly, and I didn’t want anything knowing I was there. I slipped inside and a string of red letters appeared above me in the dark.

  [New Location Discovered: The Crumbling Towers]

  [Experience Points Earned: 25]