They found two more gremlins skulking down side routes, but nothing more.

As they walked, Levi tried to decide how best to handle his upcoming quest. He could move slowly, as there were three more dungeons roughly in the line between him and the treasure map’s destination. Or, he could make the most of still having a working phone, hire an uber, and make the multi-day trek in an hour and a half.

By the time they reached the entrance, he still hadn’t reached a decision - though he had slipped on one of those infernal hopping-sinking hillocks and gotten the bottom half of his new leg protection worn away completely. It had been fragile enough after wading in earlier on purpose, this last accidental dunking was the last straw.

Confident he’d found everything there was to find, Levi exited the dungeon.

“There he is!”

Before he had time to recover from the disorienting transition between realities, someone grabbed him by the straps of his backpack and dragged him roughly out from behind the dumpster.

“Where are they? What did you do to them?”

Levi reacted with long-trained instincts, dropping to throw his assailant off balance, then slamming an elbow backwards while his other hand drew his dagger to ram it up into the arm holding him.

His assailant yelped and released him.

“He’s got a blade!”

Levi took advantage of the moment to get his back to a wall. He didn’t like the idea of being surrounded, and he’d heard at least three different voices. He stood with the dagger ready, trying to catch a glimpse of his attackers.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the alley. A bunch of teens? One had a knife out, but it wasn’t going to hold up to his manablade for even a moment. The one who’d grabbed him was shaking, clutching his bleeding arm.

“What did you do with them?” demanded the knife-wielder. “Where are they?”

“You friends of those two down in the dungeon?” Levi asked, as the obviously on-edge teen took a step closer. “They’ll be out soon enough.”

Gremlin Two peeked out from behind the dumpster, waiting on Levi for instructions.

Why couldn’t he seem to get in and out of a dungeon without someone accosting him? Were people just waiting around on the lookout for strangers to bother?

“You went climbing back there and disappeared, and when Vay and Art went to check it out, they never came back.”

“Go look for yourself if you’re so eager for answers. It’s not my problem. Oh, but they sank the swamp stones, so be careful. That stuff's corrosive. It'd really be better to wait for them to come out on their own.”

“You did something to them!”

“I did nothing but give them some valuable advice. They’ll be fine if they’re smart enough not to fall into an obvious trap, and I have places to go.” Levi motioned for Gremlin Two to join him and started walking toward the alley exit, confident the scared kids were no threat to him. He did heft his knife and glare pointedly at the one standing between him and the alley entrance, just to make the point.

The teen glanced between the blade and the gremlin’s sharp teeth and inhuman form, then skittered out of the way and hurried over to stand by his friends. “What is that thing?” Levi heard him muttering, sounding nervous.

“You can’t just kidnap our friends and walk away!” protested another.

Levi didn’t stop moving. He waved a hand dismissively. “They’ll be fine. The dungeon is cleared, they can stroll right through as long as they don’t run into the traps.”

“Please, you have to help them!”

Levi paused and looked back, incredulous. "Help them do what? Walk through an empty dungeon? They'll be fine. I killed absolutely everything in there. The boss can't respawn for another 18 hours at least. Worst case scenario, a couple of gremlins pop up. But they're level 1, and you can stomp their skulls in easily enough even without levels or equipment."

They stared at him.

Levi sighed. "Alright. Here's the deal. This," he gestured to the barely-visible shimmer behind the dumpster, "is a dungeon. There are thousands of dungeons all across the world. Dungeons are here to kill humans. But, fortunately, humans who defeat dungeons can get levels and grow stronger."

"Like a video game?" ventured one of the teens.

"Yes. Exactly like that. You fight monsters, level up, assign stat points..." he raised his manablade dagger and forced power into it, flaring its activation. Without a power stone to focus the energy it burned through his entire mana pool in less than a second, but the brilliant white glow was enough to clearly illuminate the shock on their faces. "And collect magic items," Levi finished.

The kids exchanged glances.

"This dungeon is level 1, but once you all go through it a time or two it'll get stronger. Do not underestimate dungeons. They are here to kill humans. The early rooms will be simple at first to lull you into a sense of false security. If you take my advice, you'll avoid the boss room entirely until you're at least level 2. All seven of you at level 2 should be enough to take on the goblin shaman. Once you beat him two or three times, the dungeon will level up and you'll have to play it by ear from there."

They stared at him in disbelief.

"Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but there's worse coming." He'd come this far, why stop now? At least they were listening.

Perhaps once their friends came out, they'd all get together and realize that he was right. He could hope. Every human who managed to level themselves before the coming invasion would be a boon.

"On October 24th," he continued, "portals will open from... some other plane of existence. I don't know if it's really hell, or just something that resembles it closely enough, but the creatures that'll come pouring out of them will make the dungeons look tame and gentle. Every year, another Demon Lord will join the fight, and more and more of their legions will swarm the planet. Unless we're prepared to fight back, Earth will be lost."

They laughed, the tension broken completely. "You actually believe that?"

"What, you're the prophet of the apocalypse?"

Levi scowled. "Believe it or don't," he said stiffly. "If you prepare, you have a better chance of surviving."

He turned and kept walking away.

They didn’t try to stop him. Whether because he'd scared them, or they just thought he was crazy, he didn't care.

Once he emerged from the alley and got well away from the crowd of angry teens, he pulled out his phone. He needed Control tokens, and the mysterious treasure waiting for him, more than he needed to clear every dungeon on the way.

Though it took a bit of fiddling, his old instincts were coming through strong. He found the uber app and put in his request, then waited for a notification.

The phone buzzed almost immediately.

Irene:

What’s going on? I just got a call from Gordon? You missed every session? Please please please tell me you’re okay

Levi froze, staring at the tiny photo of his smiling wife, then scrolling back up through the messages.

Irene:

Was your credit card stolen? XD

I see we have a large order of sporting goods.

Finally plan on getting in shape?

Irene:

Was your phone stolen too?

Haha

Irene:

Please tell me you didn’t actually get mugged.

You’re okay, right?

Are you there?

Irene:

OMG are you even alive?? Please answer.

Irene:

If you’re a thief, I’ll have you know that’s my husband’s phone and I am not going to let you keep it without a fight.

Irene:

Levi if you’re alive call me

What's wrong

You haven’t texted in two days

His thumb hovered over the text field, but he couldn’t bring himself to press it. Guilt immediately flooded him. He’d tried to keep his family out of this mess as long as possible so they’d be safe and happy until absolutely necessary, but now they were worrying anyway.

What could he say? How could he tell her what he had to tell her?

If he tried to describe their new reality, she’d probably think he’d lost his mind. Or joined a cult. Or both. She'd laugh at him, or try to have him medicated, or at least be endlessly worried for his sanity. She'd certainly not accept it quietly.

But he had to do something.

Levi:

I’m fine.

Sorry to worry you.

Some of the places I’m visiting are underground and don’t get reception.

I didn’t mean to worry you.

I love you.

I’ll be safe, I promise. Please don’t worry. I’m fine.

I love you.

Tell Peter I love him too.

He stopped himself as his vision blurred with tears. Some dam inside him broke, all the grief and relief and uncertainty pouring out in an uncontrollable flood. Gremlin Two hugged his leg in an attempt to comfort him, and he crouched to pat the little guy’s head, hiccuping a laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

His phone plinked at him again. He wiped his eyes, taking a long shaky breath to steady himself, then shoved down any remnants of his minor meltdown and dried his face before looking down.

Irene:

Are you drunk? Where are you?

Almost immediately the phone rang out its nostalgic, familiar musical tones.

Levi’s heart jumped and sped up, panic threatening to overwhelm him.

He wasn’t ready.

What could he say? How could he say it?

If he actually spoke to her, actually heard her voice, then all his planning would be thrown aside. Would he have the strength to turn away again, to continue racing for levels when faced with her very real disappointment?

The demonic threat was coming, but he knew in that moment that if he let down his guard and lost focus, he’d drop everything and run home no matter how bad a long-term plan that would be.

The phone rang again, insistent.

His hand trembled.

Even now, only the worry over how to break the truth to them gave him the strength to hold to his current course.

He'd get there on time, well before the invasion started, in plenty of time to get them somewhere safe. If he let his resolve shatter now, what use would he be to anyone?

The ringing stopped, blessedly, sparing him from making a decision. He switched back to messages.

Levi:

How long until Peter gets back?

Irene:

Don’t think you can dodge the issue. Where are you?

Levi:

Once you pick up Peter, do not come home!!!

It isn’t safe. I’ll meet you at your parents’ place and tell you everything

His uber arrived then, and he quickly hit send, then set the phone to silent.

He’d deal with Irene later, figure out how to explain everything in a way that didn’t sound insane.

He just wasn’t ready yet.