On the outskirts of Roothaven, where the meager illusion of civilization faded and the swamp seeped, I perched above in a canopy meant for birds larger than human. Moss every branch such that any wrong step could be fatal.

Fatal for the regular climber, that was.

My clone was one of many, scouting the area, and eyeing the wildlife. By now, all my clones save for the unreachable were renewed. First was still with the group from the library, vying for the end of the swamp. I ‘checked’ in on him, on occasion, watching through my own eyes a journey I might make myself in truth.

In the meantime, I did my best to catalog the wildlife and, more importantly, the dangers of this apocalyptic swamp. As Gary had said before, the most dangerous thing to roam the place was probably burnt to a crisp, but that didn’t mean the swamp was any less hazardous. One of those not-quite-wolves could kill just as easily as rootmother mind control.

I ducked as a large insect buzzed around my head, swatting it away. Somehow, the bugs were the worst annoyance. My increased CON came with an improved ability to regulate temperature. Normally, I’d be sweating right now, but with the influx of stats, along with the symbiote, the humidity and heat were only a small nuisance. The bugs, however…

My clone was among three others in this particular scouting party, crouched low in the branches above, observing a group of goblins from three different vantages. A wooden bow with string made of spider silk in each of their hands, a dozen arrows to each quiver.

The breeze shifted, arrows pulled against bowstring. I sighted and—

“—can’t have them do this!” A man, one who had just recently returned from the [Sleepywood], albeit for only a day, was complaining among a gathering of people who’d actually delved the Dungeon.

“It’s a huge natural resource.” Gary nodded. “Blitz won’t be able to hold control of it, not with too many of us complaining about it.”

“We’ve managed to gather a number of useful Items from it.” Said a person wearing what looked like a leather cuirass. “If Blitz controls it… his power will cement.”

“Then we overthrow him, easy.” Another person.

“And risk bloodshed?”

“And why the hell not? I’ve already seen people die! That Dungeon, I swear it spawned as a result of the Field Boss dying, it has to be our key to survival!” His voice elicited a chorus of agreement.

“I’ve got a new Skill too!”

“Shove off, man. They’re higher level, which means they have more stats. They’re stronger, faster. We can’t just fight them without risk! We already have the swamp creatures to worry about!”

I sat towards the back, higher up on the roots. The meeting took place between two of the larger ones, gnarled and branching enough that they formed a likeness to tiered seating.

It was true, Blitz and his gang acting now was a little inconvenient. The death of the Field Boss, the [Rootmother Hivemind], freed up this entire clearing. The clever creatures of the swamp had been avoiding the place at first. Now they were creeping back in, the swamp reclaiming the parts of itself lost to the boss. Even the ruins of the skyscraper were already covered with vines, lichen, and moss, the few campfires of those unbothered by the charred remains of the hivemind around it.

The arguments droned on and, weirdly, I found myself unfocused. Or rather, focused entirely on another perspective. The feeling of freedom, exploration, and roaming. I’d never felt so unchained in my life, despite what these thugs were doing.

Was it really my problem?

The answer was easy enough. I had already planned to leave the swamp. The Dungeon had been a detour, and it still is, considering the rewards it could give me. But the end goal? What else was out there?

In my sanctuary, I lounged comfortably. Rays of sunlight shining through the windows, lying on my couch. The moonlight flowers bloomed silver, almost perking up at the sun. I’d gathered they liked the shade though, which made sense given their origins, so they were sheltered from direct sunlight.

But those small trophies weren’t my focus though. I was paging through the book. The only thing I’d pilfered from those ruins the [Twilight Elemental] was protecting. The one thing the aspect of [Solo’s Instinct] having to do with opportunity had reacted to so far.

Not an Item at all, just a mundane book. ‘Mundane’ as far as the system was concerned, that was. To my senses, it was like a beacon if I focused. To the naked eye, it seemed unobtrusive and unassuming, but the longer I stared the more I could almost imagine the symbols moving.

Speaking without sound, dancing in my senses as if to spell out—

I blinked, gently shutting the book and looking around. My inner, paranoid self darted to the description of my Title.

Title: [Trailblazing Vanquisher of the Hivemind]

Few possess the capacity to challenge insurmountable odds as you do. You are the first in the world to defeat any Field Boss and the first in the world to do so alone. In defeating the [Rootmother Hivemind] under these circumstances, you are forever distinguished by your feat.

- All attributes increased by 10.

- You gain the [Telepathy] Skill.

- You are immune to external influences upon your will.

I confirmed the last effect and glanced back down to the book. “What exactly are you?” I said slowly, trying to remember the room I had found it in.

The memory came easy, likely an effect of my enhanced mental attributes. It had been some kind of study. A storeroom of academic objects, oddities, and peculiarities. Literature, mostly. But this book, among all the scrolls, containers, diagrams, and all else stood out the most to me.

And the moment we had left the ruins, the [Twilight Elemental] had killed my clones. Just a flash of moonlight, that was all I could remember before we were being chased.

“Did me leaving the ruins with something trigger the Area Boss?” I asked myself, the timing fitting. “I doubt it was this book in particular.”

I sighed, opening it once more. This time I welcomed the dancing symbols. Symbols that seemed to dance in my mind’s eyes, crawl across the pages, and wrap around the iris. Symbols that curled around the ears, flooded the nose and caressed the skin.

Symbols that spoke to each sense and told me of…

My eyes widened as I was suddenly reading. The symbols no longer danced, they took shape instead, formed images, sounds, scents, and touch, flittering at the speed of my own thought and comprehension. They fluttered fast, moving on between concepts, taking full use of my mental capacity.

And then three things happened.

First, there was… a feeling. A new one beyond even [Solo’s Instinct], like a spark of electricity, a rush of energy from my very being. Then it faded before I could even grasp it. My attention whisked away to more important matters.

The second came from the perspective of my clones. I stood upon the branches, familiar perches by now, and spotted what was perhaps the largest gathering of goblins I’d yet seen. The noise, the din of their being, was enough to drown out the buzz of insects, replacing it with chatter and gibberish. There were easily hundreds of them, crawling across the roots, hooting at each other, brandishing weapons, and stripping the swamp.

I stared, recalling the increased patrols. “That’s why I was seeing more of them. Forward scouts. It’s a whole tribe.” Were they reclaiming the area lost to the Field Boss?

And lastly, an ember of hope. That humanity wasn’t yet lost.

[World Notice]: Gerard Malou has achieved a feat worthy of global recognition! He is the first to establish a Settlement, [Skyeward], and the first to settle the Floating Islands of Allow!

I blinked as the meeting quieted. Murmurs all around, the arguments stilled. I cocked my head and the question I had was in everyone else's thoughts. It took only a few moments for someone to voice it.

“What’s a Settlement?” And when he asked it, the word had the ring of the system about it.