***Velgo the Shadowborn***

Velgo threw a ball made of his own grey, almost black fur. The Chief of the Shadowbark Tribe showed a content smile as a tiny dog, that reminded him of himself in looks, chased the improvised toy across half of the Core Hall.

Just like Velgo, the sacred beast had dainty, glossy, and extremely long fur that fell from its head like a waterfall. The coat of blue and gold covered its small body—the little cutie was smaller than a pup of other breeds.

"Such a fascinating beast." The Shaman watched it with affection. "Such a noble soul. . ."

When the dog came back to the Chief and offered him the ball, he took the little thing in his hands and petted it gently. The four remaining Elite Guards observed the rare sight from the other side of the Hall. Their boss never showered any of his brothers with such kindness, but they could understand his feelings after dealing with the sacred animals themselves. They were the beings that should be protected at all costs.

Suddenly, Velgo's happy expression flinched. Controlling himself carefully, he tenderly put the dog on the ground. Sensing the kobold's agitation, the little guy ran away from the Hall and back towards the Dog Sanctuary—the fourth basement floor where the tribe kept their favorite pets in luxury. The Guards opened the gate leading out of the Hall slightly to allow it to squeeze itself into the corridor.

"This is ridiculous. . ." Velgo whispered under his breath heavily. He tightly squeezed the staff in his hands, holding it as if it was the last thing that kept him from losing control completely.

"Lekta, oh Lekta. . ." the Shaman murmured eerily.

"Didn’t you promise me to complete the mission? Didn’t you assure me of your loyalty? So why the fuck are you dead?!"

The last words thundered through the Hall as Velgo's usually yellow eyes turned dark. His glare pierced the hearts of the four Guards, who couldn't help but tremble.

The Shaman whispered the words of a spell, and in ten seconds, a melon-sized ball of grey darkness formed before him. He waved the staff at his subordinates, and the sphere followed its direction, flying towards the four kobolds who were guarding the exit.

The Elite Guards scattered in all directions as they dodged the attack. The Shadowball struck the gate that separated the Hall from the rest of the Dungeon. Instead of exploding, the orb engulfed everything within twenty feet around it in darkness. Two of the kobolds were unfortunate enough to be caught up.

"Ahhhhhh!" The screams of pain resounded as brightness returned to the room. The two Guards didn't have any obvious injuries, but if one was attentive enough, it wasn't hard to notice the shadows under their feet had turned a shade darker and wiggled unnaturally.

Velgo ignored their suffering and didn't pay any attention to either the two Guards squirming on the floor or to the two who had escaped the fate of their comrades. His anger slightly vented, he approached the Core and, with eyes closed, guided his Mana towards it.

Velgo had relaxed his guard just because he had been sure that no one could hinder his plans for the time being. He was wrong, and it meant that he would accelerate things.

Sending anyone else would be useless, as his strongest subordinate had been killed. What he could do, though, was enhance the defenses of the five underground floors—making them into a proper part of a Dungeon.

He slightly regretted that the five kobolds who had been assigned the Zone above the ground to maintain the Cat Farm were destined to be lost, but it didn't matter. Losing either snacks or useless subordinates was the least of his worries.

If something could kill a proper Elite monster like Lekta, it posed a real danger to the Shadowbark Tribe as a whole. And as the Chief and the Dungeon Keeper, it was his responsibility to protect what belonged to him.

Velgo couldn't leave the Hall to deal with the intruder on his own. But what he could do was show the foe what a real Dungeon was—a deadly trap that buried the overconfident before they knew it.

The Shaman only prayed that the one who opposed him was foolish enough to challenge the underground floors instead of escaping the place altogether. It would be no fun otherwise. . .

***Lex Lurker***

"I feel great," I commented with a smile as I sat down on the couch in the reception hall on the tenth floor and relaxed. I checked my body and discovered that it was completely healed. Even the surgery scars on my abdomen were gone.

I checked my Status again to make sure of the full changes.

Basic Information

Name: Lex Lurker

Origin: Outer Universe Zeta, Mirror Earth Type Y, Progeny Type S-93

Race: Lesser Human (Natural Sentient)

Connection Type: Player

Contribution Points: 22

Class: Novice

Rank: Bronze, Level 7

Titles: Pioneer Of The New World

The basic information remained the same, other than the increase in the Contribution Points—apparently killing Elites and other strengthened monsters added CP—and my new Level.

Condition

Essence Field: 120/120

Vita: 35/35

Mana:35/35

Health: 100%

Physical Fatigue: 1%

Mental Fatigue: 1%

Status Effects: Healthy, ???

I had gotten rid of the malnutrition effect, but the real change was in the three whole new bars that had appeared in the corner of my eye.

The bronze-colored one signified my Essence Field—an invisible force that protected me from damage, the same one that had saved the kobolds from the instant death that should have been brought about by my bullets.

The orange-colored bar represented Vita, the supposed energy of Life transmuted from my Inner Essence. If I concentrated, I could vaguely feel something warm flowing through my veins alongside my blood, but that was only possible thanks to senses sharpened by my superior Nerve.

Last but not least was my Mana-Bar, which reflected the Transformed Essence bound to my soul. I assumed that the barely noticeable, slightly cool sensation at the back of my head was somehow related to it.

Ciesta jumped on the couch only a couple of feet away from me and announced in a festive tone, "Welcome to the ranks of the Truthwalkers, Lex Lurker!"

I couldn't be sure if the cat was really glad for me or if there was a cleverly concealed irony in her words. It didn't matter, though—she could shower me in insults, and I would still give her a kind smile. I stood up and gave her a full bow.

"Thank you so much, Ciesta!" My words were as sincere and clear as they could be. It would have been too awkward had I started stammering at this moment.

I continued as I gave her a look full of genuine appreciation, "If not for you, I don't think that I would have survived. You literally saved my life, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I woke up in this changed world, helpless and alone, but you were the one who had helped me to find the path forward. Ever since we met, you were nothing but helpful, and now I also owe my life to you. If there's anything, and I mean, anything, I can do for you, just tell me. I promise to fulfill your wish."

As Ciesta listened to my declaration, her feline eyes opened up wide in shock. For a moment, she just blankly stared at me, at a loss of words.

Have I said something strange? I wondered. I think it's only natural to thank your savior.

Genesis System just couldn't help but involve itself in this touching moment.

Your sincere words have touched another person's heart! You are one step closer to learning the true power of Communication!

Communication reaches lvl 6. Your FATE is increased by 2.

Communication reaches lvl 7. Your FATE is increased by 2.

Communication reaches lvl 8. Your FATE is increased by 2.

I dismissed the notifications and awkwardly watched the pure white kitty, who had already started to recover from her bewilderment.

Ciesta's mouth opened and closed a few times as if she wanted to say something. But then, with a Cheshire smile plastered on her muzzle, she burst into loud laughter.

"Aha-ha-ha-hah!" Her mouth opened wide, revealing the row of short but sharp teeth. "You? Thanking me? And promising to help? Ignorance truly is bliss! Ha-ha-haaaaah-haah-aaah. . ."

As she continued after saying something unusual, her laugh became more and more distorted and odd, to the point that her eyes got teary. She didn't stop laughing for a good few minutes, her body rolling on the couch, and at the end, this sounded more like a wail full of undetermined emotions than laughter.

What the hell is it? I silently watched her, confused by the situation.

Abruptly, she stopped. She took a typical sitting cat pose and looked at me emotionlessly.

"Very well," she said calmly, as if the crazy expression of emotions she had shown me just before was an illusion, "I'll remember your promise, Lex Lurker. I'm sure that you'll regret it then, though."

"I doubt it." I shrugged my shoulders. "Also, it's not like I would do anything too crazy. If you ask me to kill a baby or myself, of course, I'll refuse."

She maintained eye contact with me. "What if I ask you to kill a person you've never met, but they are a bad guy? Would you believe me if I just say so?"

I frowned. "I trust that you won't ask me something unreasonable or want to hurt an innocent."

"You don't know me, Lexy," she rebutted. "But I know you. If it served your purpose, you'd be ready to stain your hands in blood, wouldn't you?"

My frown got deeper. "Why do you think so?"

"You smiled," she blurted. "When you beheaded the Elite kobold, you did it with a grin as if you were enjoying yourself. Do you think it's something a normal person does?"

I really didn't like where this conversation was going. Weren’t we supposed to be celebrating my promotion instead of speaking of something so gloomy? For some reason, I didn't want to think too deeply about this topic. Nor did I want to pry into the reason behind her peculiar behavior after receiving my gratitude. Something uncomfortable scratched at the back of my mind, and I didn't want to confront it. Not now.

"Tee-hee," Ciesta giggled after not receiving an answer from me for ten seconds. "Sorry, I just wanted to tease you a bit. Of course, I'm not going to ask you anything serious, and you don't really owe me anything. I just did what I was supposed to do. I feel responsible for your life, you know? If I didn’t, I wouldn't have revealed myself in the first place."

Relieved that she didn't push the disturbing topic further, I smiled. "W-what would I have done without you? You are like my g-guardian angel. Or, rather, guardian cat!"

My stammering had come back in spite of the increase to my Charisma. I hoped that it would be gone soon.

"Anyway," Ciesta said curtly, "I think you need to read the notifications you've skipped so far. Also, choose your Concepts wisely. Don't forget that you've lost the ability to use the modern weapons on which you've been relying so far."

I nodded in acknowledgment. I couldn't wait to see what the System had to offer me in exchange for all the struggles I had experienced to reach this point.

First, I checked the messages I'd gotten when fighting with the Elite.

You've followed your intuition to execute a Lucky Strike! Your Affinity with Wheel of Fortune Concept is slightly improved. Your Fate is increased by 3.

You have contributed (54%) in slaying a [Shadowbark Kobold Elite Guard - Bronze, Elite, Level 11]. You receive a 60% Bonus EXP for killing a being above your Level. You receive 88 Lesser Essence Coins (LEC). You receive 22 Contribution Points (CP).

Quest notice: Shadowbark Kobolds slain: 8/10

Level up! You are now Level 6! You receive 4 Free Attribute Points (FAP).

Level up! You are now Level 7! You receive 4 Free Attribute Points (FAP).

You've managed to do what was necessary even while being on the brink of death and suffering from pain. Your Spirit is increased by 2.

You've Unequipped a 2 EM item. The Equip command is unavailable for the next 20 seconds.

Lucky Strike, almost certainly, was what I'd used to finish off Lekta. It had been something I'd done in a moment of inspiration, and I wasn't sure if I could repeat it a second time. I wondered what the Wheel of Fortune Concept was, and I would figure this out soon enough. Also, apparently, I had gained some Spirit for taking control of myself in the face of doom, and Unequipping an item started a cooldown period. Next were the notifications that I hadn't really expected.

Congratulations! You are the first sentient native of your planet to Contribute to Genesis System! You've become the number one person in the Hall of Fame of Mirror Earth Type Y! You are awarded the Title [The Early Bird]! You have a new Personal Perk available!

As one in the top ten of the Hall of Fame, your existence will be announced to all native sentients of Earth. Do you want to register under your real name, do you want to replace it with a Title, or do you want to display both of them? The displayed Title can be changed in the future.

A pleasant surprise had turned into a hard choice with this simple question. I sat down on the couch, joining Ciesta, as I contemplated. Perhaps, this was my chance to be noticed. Even if it was just my name, everyone would learn it if the System was to be believed. Even if for a moment, I could shine brighter than anyone else. Brighter than even Lisa.

But do I even deserve this? I thought. Have I earned it? Sure, I've killed the Elite, but so what? I'm not being rewarded for that, but for being the first to come back to Earth. The rest of the people are probably locked in the Tutorial, which hasn't given them the chance to prove themselves. Heck, I could have earned my first CP just by completing a simple Quest to kill kobolds. I'm not the most special person in the world, nor I'm the most talented, nor I'm the most hardworking. Maybe I have a little bit of everything, but I'm not at the level that would justify shoving my superiority in everyone's faces.

As I gave a questioning look to Ciesta, she said, "It's your choice to make. Remember, after you take the Shadow of Humanity Perk, you'll be removed from the Hall. Forever. You won't have another opportunity like this."

Becoming the Shadow of Humanity. . . I closed my eyes in silence. Yes, isn't this the path I have already chosen? Then the answer is obvious.

I selected the Title that represented who I had become after the Fusion. On this changed Earth, I was no longer just Lex Lurker.

Global Announcement!

The Pioneer of The New World had entered the Hall of Fame of Earth!

Current Rankings:

The Pioneer of The New World—22 CP, Bronze Level 7 Not Taken Not Taken

. . .

Not taken.

I read the message that was supposedly transmitted to all humans in the Tutorial.

"How d-does it work, anyway?" I asked the cat, who was unperturbed by my choice as if she completely expected it. "I think that the rankings will change rapidly as soon as others start to complete Quests. Wouldn't it make this Hall pretty much useless until obvious leaders appear?"

Ciesta lazily waved her tail as she curled up on the soft couch. "You are quite right. At the beginning of a Tutorial, the Hall is just there to help those who rush into the Trials without preparation. The rewards are pretty lackluster as your Player Tier is extremely low. The real treasures are handed out only when you maintain your place in the Hall for at least a few months or years. For the current you, though, even the garbage should be quite useful—check for yourself."

She didn't need to tell me twice.

For being the first of your Progeny Type in the Hall of Fame, you are rewarded according to your Player Tier. Maintain your position for the following thirty day-cycles to receive your next reward! The higher your Player Tier and CP, and the longer you keep your position in the Hall of Fame, the better the prizes you will recive.

You receive 220 LEC.

You receive a Free Shop Ticket (F).

You receive a Free Shop Ticket (F+).

You receive a Common Training Potion.

I expected much worse from what she had called just rubbish. "D-do the Shop Tickets work in the way their name implies?"

"Well yeah," the cat confirmed, "you can exchange them for anything at the corresponding Shop Tier. But think about it—as the number one Player among your whole race of almost eight billion, you just received some free items that you could've bought anyway and a meager—compared to your achievements—amount of money. The Training Potion is your main reward for the first place, as it's something you can buy only starting from the F Tier. But from an objective point of view, it's still junk."

"Y-yes, but," I hesitated for a moment, "wouldn't I need to earn money for all of my equipment and consumables on my own after I choose the Shadow of Humanity? I'm sure that the benefits of being high in the rankings would be a great help. I really start to feel less excited about this Perk."

"Believe me," Ciesta said with confidence, "with some rare exceptions, those rewards would just save you some money, and you can always earn more as long as you're strong enough. This Perk is going to get more and more useful as it grows alongside your Rank and Level."

"Okay, then." I nodded. "I'll trust your judgment, Ciesta."

I decided to leave the choice of the Perks for my first and second Titles as well as the Hall's rewards for later. I still had some unwatched notifications left, after all.

You've met the Attribute requirements to enter the Path of Harmony. Becoming a Truthwalker is a huge responsibility. You'll be one of those who lead your people in this vast Omniverse. The pillar of humanity, they'll call you. Are you ready?

This text was something I'd skipped when I'd been in a hurry to save myself. The next part came already after I'd awoken from the ax being thrown at me.

Congratulations! You've become a Truthwalker, the one walking the Path of the Harmony. Wielding the power of Life and Soul, with both Vita and Mana flowing through you, you can use any Concept in both of its Basic Disciplines. More than that, you can Link two or more Concepts to learn how to produce Authorities and Miracles. Use your newly gained power to Contribute to Genesis System on your Path to Transcendence!

This wasn't the end, though, as a new Quest waited for me. . .

You've received a new Quest! [Novice: The New Beginning Part 2] (Common)

. . .but apparently, I didn't need to worry about it.

Congratulations! You've completed a Common Rarity Quest—[Novice: The New Beginning Part 2]! Distributing the rewards. . .