I raided a few of the rooms, watching carefully at the ceiling for any more waiting Virus Piles. I did not want to experience what of those falling on would be like. The ceiling had a fair bit of rust stains which made me nervous. Pushing on, I raided the drawers and cupboards but found nothing but drifting motes of darkness. It was the area had the surface of a hospital but forgot to actually fill it with more than surface details.

The hope of raiding morphine and medical supplies was becoming a little dashed. I tried not to veer to near the still damp bed. Not wanting to see if it was Virus mush or something else. I ventured into the room where the Viruses had been gathered. The slightly larger room held a single bed but this room felt more...

Focused on.

Dead flowers, cards, a popped balloon, and a bed that had an impression of a human body but no such person was visible. The trails of slime seemed to be surrounding the bed and as I approached, the hair on my skin stood up. The cloying smell of cheap disinfectant was struggling to fight off the Viruses’ putrid scent.

Something crawled out of sight and I turned in a panic but saw nothing. I realised I was breathing heavy as my own puffs of breath came out in a mist. The room was rapidly dropping in temperature.

I decided to take another step towards the bed and whispering seemed to echo from the walls.

“-Not enough.”

“-Tried every-”

“Hopeless, wast-

They came all at once like a dozen insect calls, making each voice lost in the storm of sudden noise before it all cut off at once. I used my Observe on the bed and it returned nothing out of the ordinary but I knew there was something here.

Just out of... sight. I focused, trying to spot something I knew was watching me. I ignored the cold, the slight whispers, and my own panic to finally begin to feel something. A bleak sort of... nimbus on the bed. It felt like it had always been there and I just been blind but without focus, I lost sight of it.

Spiritual has increased by 1!

Skill Created: Spiritual Sense: Feel the immediate energy of nearby unhidden spirits and other ghostly creatures.

Instantly the slight cold blur of energy flickered in my eyes but subtle enough if I wasn’t looking for it, I’d skip right past it. My slightly higher Spiritual stat even let me see things I hadn’t before in the room. How room was seeped in a pale blue energy.

I moved right up to the bed. If whatever was here wanted to attack me, it could have done it when I was blind and unable to really sense it. So I had a feeling it was a little safe to approach. The increased closeness let me new senses pick up more details, the flickering of the blue that moved and danced like a dying candle flame.

“Hello?” I tried and the room just felt colder.

I touched the pillow and it was so cold it was stiff. The being didn’t even seem to care or notice. I felt a lump as I pushed the pillow and fished out a small red rock from inside the pillow.

I stared as I observed it. The System ended up giving me more information than I would have gained on my own theories.

Budding Red Skill Gem: Creates a random offensive ability based on user that consumes it.

I turned it over and the being laying in the bed flickered.

Spiritual Sense has gone up!

The aura was moving in a way that I thought was a tilt but I didn’t get any more feedback than that. I turned the gem over and frowned.

“These would... be my skill books?” I guessed. The System was really quiet in the Dungeon and I wondered if it was limited here or wanted to keep helping to a minimal. I thought about the ability to turn paper and words into direct knowledge and ability.

Maybe my System was weaker without Gaia and couldn’t do that? Maybe these gems would be the best it could offer which meant...

I would need to find Dungeons to get gems. But the interesting thing was that the gem wasn’t restricted to being used by me. I could give this to a random person and they would get something. I wondered if these things were limited?

The random aspect made it feel a little interesting as well.

I had no idea how to use it so I tried squeezing it and the stone cracked and turned to dust as my eyes went blank. My brain felt like it was being flipped like a pancake and then mashed into gooey potatoes before I snapped back to reality with a wince.

Budding Red Gem used!

One-Handed Blunt weapons skill gained! Auto levelled to 3 due to overabundant common of gained skill.

I wasn’t sure having a decent idea of how to blackjack monsters and crush noses with a nightstick was worth my current headache. As I used the gem, the being in the room seemed to relax slightly. It breathed and I heard it!

The bed impression faded and the echo of whatever person had left behind the skill gem in this realm was gone from the bed. I stared and backed out of the room, only turning at the last moment before I reminded myself the real danger was outside the room.

I flexed my hand, the pain fading fast now that the information settled. I looked around at the broken pipes and easy to make single-handed weapons that worked with my new skill.

It wasn’t just improving my use of the skill but I was now seeing the sheer potential of the objects I was ignoring before. I prefer the distance my pole had but I was a little happy to know I was not going to be weaponless anytime soon.

I moved down the dark broken hall, keeping my eyes open for more of those crystals and gems. I was suddenly very eager to find more.

---

The second floor was one giant rust puddle. The roofs, the walls, the doors... all covered in Virus remains. It was as if reality itself had rusted before my eyes. That wouldn’t be enough to stop me but the form ahead did.

It was a step up from a virus in the fact it had legs.

One Observe later and...

Cannibal Sick White Cell: Monster. G-2

A slightly evolved being that grew firm limbs to tear viruses apart for food. It has decided anything tastes good at this point.

It was like a tadpole with two legs that ended in hands and not feet. It turned, slapping the ground and the ‘head’ of the being was a singular black mouth with serrated teeth. It had no eyes but I knew it saw me.

Note to self, work on stealth...

The thing charged, walking on those terribly balanced handlegs. I was about to think I had time before it leapt, pressing off the ground and gaining a burst of speed. I pretended it was an ugly pebble and smashed it with my steel pole. It was sent off-course and into the wall where a bulletin board crashed down on top of it.

A lot of its odd teeth and one handleg was broken. The limb bend in disgusting directions as it leaked silver ichor. It tried to stand but I rammed a flaming pipe into it and it burned just as well as anything in this place.

Cannibal Sick White Cell defeated! 2 EXP gained! Defeat 9 more to gain more information on this foe!

I was about to relax when another notification appeared.

Well done! Flamebrand has levelled up! More damage caused by fire contact! 3 levels left until skill evolves.

Oh... yes.

If there were two things I greatly enjoyed in a game was a decent bestiary and skill evolution... along with some monster taming.

I heard shuffling down the hall and saw two more Can-

Screw it new name. The Tadcells slapped their way down towards me and I was confident I could handle them. One fell to an accurate pebble Discard, the rock rupturing its body which fell down with a thump. The focus let the other one close the distance and I was unprepared for the Tadcell’s mouth launching out like a slimy spear and latching on to my leg.

I gave a scream of pain as the muscles felt like it was shriveling upon itself. The thing was draining my blood like a damn leech!

My HP cheerfully told me I was losing 2 HP a second before I stabbed the thing with a fiery stab. I backed down the stairs and watched my injured leg knit up slowly.

I dragged my status up.

True name: Russel Rivers

Given name:

Nickname:

Title: The Gamer

HP: 18/24(Physical x3) (regen HP is Phy /2 rounded up a min)

EXP:29/100

ENE: 25 (5X ENE Stat) (regen ene stat itself rounded up a min)

Physical: 8

Spiritual: 7

Energy: 5

Mental: 5

Points: 0

Skills:

Danger sense 2: You can sense the danger of a truck traveling into your face within inches! Gamer Body Max: Allows the body to be adaptable and attain growth. Gamer Mind Max: Allows visualization of menus and pop-ups! Allows user to see unique Gamer elements in the world! Climbing: 2 Acting lv 2 Acting allows you to be seen as doing something believable. Do not cover lies you try to convey unless you act in character. Mental Skill. Stealing lv 3. Allows you to take items with increasing ease if the item does not belong to you. The effects are subtle at first. Physical skill. Physical Exercise Lv 6 A series of movements and training to enhance the body. Every 5 levels increases the Physical stat by 1! Has various effects on health and recovery. Salvage Lv 1: Increase the odds that you can find a usable item from destroyed equipment, foes, and environment in better condition. Physical skill. Combat Rod Proficiency Lv 5: Rods offer the ability to crack skulls. Use this ability with great relish. Increases skill with this weapon and every 10 levels grants 2 Physical stat. Fire Affinity Lv 2: Increase control and mastery over fire based magic and energy skills. Every 5 levels increase Energy by 1! Small Projectile Throwing Lv 4: Throw small projectiles with increasing damage and accuracy. Physical skill. Spiritual Sense Lv 2: Feel the immediate energy of nearby unhidden spirits and other ghostly creatures. Spiritual One-Handed Blunt Weapons Lv 3: One-handed blunt weapons have increased damage and skill.

----

Power Swing Lv 1: Use a blunt weapon with your energy to create a strong attack! Cost 2 Energy! Energy skill. Flamebrand Lv 2: Coat handheld weapon in a weak burst of fire, doing extra elemental damage on impact! Cost 3 Energy and sustain costs 1 Energy every 10 seconds. Energy skill. Inferior Pebble Discard Lv 2: Throw these worthless rocks at foes to show your love for only the purest of pebbles! Cost 1 Energy. Energy-based. Observe lv 3: See information about targets. Right now, only information the user knows already can be summed up

---

Quest: Clear the Malice zone!

I found my HP had decided to show up. A solid 24 and my regen was 4 a minute. It could be way worse but that damn Tadcell had sucked 4 HP in a few seconds. If three or so ganged up on me... I was one dead Russ.

I saw an awaiting notification now the battle was over. It seemed they remained out of sight until I felt safe. I had a feeling if I needed, I could pull them up in battle but that seemed risky.

Well done! Inferior Pebble Discard has levelled up! Increased Damage and range. Skill will evolve in 3 levels!

It seemed only my current useable skills were able to evolve, which seemed very weird. Why wasn’t my passive skills evolving? I peered over the top step and saw another three Tadcells devouring their now dead brethren.

Well, they were cannibals, I supposed they wouldn’t miss a meal for anything like mourning. I wasn’t eager to get suckered again so I retreated down to the first floor to let my HP heal. I had a feeling I didn’t want to leave floors uncleared.

Skill gems or an ambush could be missed and while I would be upset at the first, I would be dead to the second. It was an old habit.

I was one of those people who found the right path in Dungeons then had to go find the wrong ways for the treasure and secrets. I just hoped that the Dungeon was kind enough to put the stronger monsters on the top floors and left the weak ones at the bottom.

I paused as I thought of something.

I moved quietly back to the first intersection and looked to the stairs where a set went down. The sign another odd one.

Intensive Morgue.

I stared at the obvious death trap path for a long time before I chucked a flaming pebble down the dark steps and watched it bounce for a distance before the fire faded. No monsters but it was really dark down there.

I had to make a choice now. Up and into the Tadcells... or down into the place that was creepy by real-world standards?

Choices.

Would the boss be at the top or in the dark basement? I had a feeling that there would be a boss. Something about the whole idea of this place would make it bizarre not to have one.

A queer wind mourned up from the deep darkness and I turned on my foot and marched back towards the Tadcells on the second floor. I couldn’t only take so much horror death flags before I was beginning to get nervous.

Besides, I could set Tadcells on fire. The Dark had left an odd unease in me since I stared in the abyss of this realm.

I wondered if I had a mental psychotic problem of the dark now? I decided to think about that later. For now, I went to set walking cannibal white cells with hand legs on fire. It was good for the soul!

Not so much for the nose.