I read through the update carefully, ignoring the pancakes my mother had just set in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Rose also distracted by the sudden influx of information. Blake looks at the both of us questioningly.

“Elly honey, is everything alright?” My mom asks, looking at me worriedly.

“Yeah mom. I just got distracted by my thoughts.” I say, reading the update from the corner of my eye as I take a bite from my pancakes.

I almost spit out my food when another screen surprises me.

Quest: Protect The Treasures of Tut.

Quest Giver: Isis

An exhibit of Egyptian artifacts from the tomb of king Tutankhamun will be opened in two days time. I have gained word that one of my adversaries is planning to steal these magical artifacts while they are there.

Become the superhero that the people on TV are calling you and stop these people from stealing the artifacts thereby harming the balance amongst the Beta Testers.

Rewards: Hero’s Mask upon acceptance of quest.

Experience and God Statue (Artifact) granted upon completion of the quest.

I manage to not spit out my food, but mom is still looking at me funny. Isis gave me that quest so soon after the update, I’m honestly a little surprised at her speed.

“-Elena.” Blake says something.

I click accept on the quest, giving my attention to my old friend. I idly notice a strange feeling as something enters my inventory.

“What did you say Blake? I’m sorry, I got distracted.” I say, grabbing some water to wash down my pancake.

Blake glances over at my mother and sister who are busy doing something in the other room. He lowers his voice as he asks me, “I get that something stops you from telling me everything that is going on. But I would appreciate… something- anything more about why the world is changing like this.”

I look up to the ceiling, seriously considering my friend’s question. “Do you believe in god Blake?” I ask, looking at him from the corner of my eye.

Blake looks a little surprised at the question, after a moment he responds. “Yeah. I do.”

“What if I told you that I met beings that call themselves gods?” I grab some syrup and pour it on the side of my pancake.

Blake shrugs, “With everything else that has been going on, it sounds possible.”

“What if these gods were-” I stop speaking, coughing as my whole soul screams at me to stop from telling him what I was about to.

My coughing fit subsides after a second, and I grab some water to soothe my throat. “Okay.” I say after a second. “I guess telling you that is a big no-no.”

“Are you alright?” Rose asks, worry leaking into her voice.

“Yeah.” I smile at her, showing that nothing is wrong.

“So these gods have something to do with the changes that are happening to the world?” Blake asks.

I nod, unwilling to even say the word “yes”.

We grow quiet as my mom walks into the room. “Do you have everything you need dears?” She asks us all.

“Yes mom.” I answer, motioning with my eyes that we need some space.

“Alright.” She turns to my two friends. “Don’t be afraid to call me if you need anything, I know that my daughter can be a bit of a handful.”

I lean forward to enter her vision. “Mom. Not nice.”

She just smiles at me before walking off.

Blake waits for my mom to be out of earshot before continuing with his questioning. “Can you tell me why you and Rose have these powers and I don’t?”

“I got my powers by chance. Rose has hers because she killed someone with powers.” I answer seriously.

Blake stares into his food for a few minutes, before looking up at me with an intense expression. “Elena, don’t ever tell anyone what you just told me.”

“Blake-” I start, but he interrupts me.

“If people realized that they could gain powers just by killing someone, there is no telling what they might do. Even someone like me, who is your friend, might be tempted by an opportunity like that. You of all people know I’m not a saint.” Blake searches my expression intently, making sure that he got his point across, before grabbing a pancake from my plate and putting it on his plate.

I look at his actions with a smile. “I’m rubbing off on you.”

“Shut up.”

“Now that we’ve dealt with that. There is something I need to talk to you about.” I say, grabbing the attention of Rose who had been lost in her own thoughts. “Are you guys ready to be real superheroes?”

I explain to them the details of the quest I had gotten. Blake looks a little unhappy for some reason, but he agrees to help me out in any way he can. Rose orders us four tickets to the exhibit, after Blake insisted on letting Damien join us.

“I don’t know what help we can be to you guys. They certainly won’t let us take guns into an exhibit. But at least we’ll be there if you need backup.” Blake explains.

“Rose and I might be able to help with that. Just give the guns to us beforehand and we’ll be able to smuggle them in. The most important thing to have however, is your costumes.” I pull out the mask that had been placed in my inventory.

Similar to a masquerade mask, the mask only covers the top part of my face. It is colored a beautiful silver, with gold sparkles cover around the edges and in intricate designs throughout the mask. Purple and gold colored metal feathers sprout out of the top of the right side of the mask.

“[Identify Mask]” I say.

Masquerade Mask Owner: Elena S Trudeau

Abilities:

Indestructible

Removable only by owner

Description:

All attention is centered on this mask. No one will remember the looks of the one wearing this mask, distracted by its beauty.

Equipment, Mask (rare)

“So you guys just need to find a cool looking mask like this. Then you’ll fit right in.” I say, twirling the mask around in my figures.

“I’m not wearing a mask like that.” Blake says, looking at my very feminine mask.

I share a conspiratorial look with Rose.

“Don’t worry Blake, we’ll find you a perfect mask.” Rose says, smiling.

Blake shifts in his seat, looking rather uncomfortable. “Really, there is no need…” He looks back and forth between us, reading our expressions. Finally his shoulders slump in resignation. “Alright, but you have to buy the same mask for both me and Damien.”

Rose loses some of her levity as she stares at the mask in my hands, “So we’ll be playing as superheroes huh? I guess childhood dreams really do come true.” She says the last bit in a whisper.

When she notices the both of us staring at her, she regains her playful smile. “Are you ready to go shopping?” She asks me.

*********

Kai’lenar sits across from me in my basement as I study the Dungeon Core I had earned from being on the number one team in the event. Dee flutters next to him, seemingly enjoying his company. The dungeon core is a see-through cube with strange purple mist flowing inside it.

“My sister won’t be able to walk through the door this thing creates right?” I ask, turning around the cube that represents my prize for being on the number one team.

I’d asked Rose earlier, who’d said that her team was number three in her region earlier. She’d gotten a Humble Abode as her reward. Maybe dungeon cores were only rewarded to the number one position? Or maybe it goes in order for rewards. First, a Humble Abode, then a Dungeon Core?

“Only players, or people that they appoint can go into dungeons. Don’t worry, Elizabeth will be perfectly fine.” Dee flutters around the dungeon core as she speaks, seemingly studying it from every angle. Kai’lenar stays quiet, happy to let Dee lead the conversation;

“That’s good. So how do I activate it?” I ask.

“Why just tell it to activate of course! It is your dungeon after all.” Dee says, putting her little hands on her hips.

I look down at the dungeon core and open my mouth to do what Dee suggested.

“Oh! Remember to invite me into the dungeon once you’re inside.” Dee says before I speak.

I give her a sidelong glance, then roll my eyes. “[Activate Dungeon Core]” I command.

The world shifts around me as Dee, Kai’lenar and the walls of my basement disappear. In their place is white nothingness and a blue screen.

Choose the starting race for your dungeon:

Goblins

Imps

Zombies

Twiglings

Slimes

Bunnies & Wolves

Kobolds

I glance over the window before minimizing it “[Invite Dee to this dungeon]” I immediately say.

A moment later Dee pops into existence next to me. She looks around at the white nothingness before turning her attention to me. “So you haven’t chosen a starting race?”

“I know this is sounding strangely logical coming from me, but shouldn’t I know what a starting race is before I choose one?” I say

Dee stares at me with a strange expression, then smiles. “A starting race is exactly what it sounds like! It is the first race to inhabit your dungeon, the race will evolve as members of its race become smarter or adapt to certain circumstances.”

“Evolve?” I ask, bringing my list back up.

“Yep. Goblins into Orcs, or Zombies into Skeletons, Slimes into… well different slimes.” She lists each race off on her fingers as she speaks “The races change and adapt to the conditions of the dungeons.”

I look over the creatures listed, “what race do you reccomend?”

Dee holds her hand up to me. “Before I can answer that, you need to know that there is more than one use to a dungeon. You can of course raise the monsters inside for a Dungeon that other players throughout the universe to go through. But that is a waste of resources. There are two other options for dungeons.” She holds two tiny fingers up in front of my eye. “You see, a dungeon is like a closed ecosystem. There will be other things besides the race you choose depending on your other choices. There is a way to harvest valuable materials from the dungeon. Depending on the materials you want, you will want to use a different a starting race.” She puts one finger down, leaving one finger up in my face. “The second option is an army. In the future, you will have the option to buy an upgrade to your dungeon allowing you to pull certain boss monsters outside of the dungeon to assist you, or even an army of monsters!” Dee smiles at me triumphantly.

I frown, trying to take in everything she is telling me.

“Furthermore-” Dee starts.

“I choose [Twiglings]” I say, interrupting her.

Dee’s mouth hangs open in the air at my interruption before snapping shut.