To future Dungeon delvers The Prairie would come to be known as the spawning grounds of The Dungeon. No matter which portal was used to enter the strange world, one would start right where Saul had. Unlike in every other level, the Prairie was what gamers would refer to as ‘instanced.’ Despite the connection between the Prairie and the rest of the Dungeon, each person who spawned there was the only human in their iteration of the level. This allowed for people to acclimate to the new environment and rules of the dungeon without having to watch out for Delver Killers.

The prairie was known to be a soft entry point to the Dungeon, and future dungeon delvers who would do in-depth research would note three significant things about the level. 1.) Almost every monster there was level 1, with the only exceptions being the few boss monsters. 2.) There were a few rare spawn monsters in the level. Given that there was only one person in each instance of Level I at a time the only thing a person had to do was wait in the right place for the right amount of time to find them. Of course none of the drops were particularly impressive. 3.) There was an exceptional type of animal that could be befriended or killed.

There were several categories of animals, each one with more potential than the last. The levels went from Basic, Intermediate, Rare, Exceptional, Mythical, and finally Legendary. Most everything in The Dungeon; including summons, monsters, pets, and even equipment are ranked accordingly in this way. Basic monsters tended to drop basic items, and so on, with some exceptions. There were Elite and Boss monsters as well, but they were subject to the same categories.

Saul finished off a surprisingly large amount of the capybara looking creature before considered moving from his spot. I'm still here. I guess I didn't dream this up. If this is real, I need water. He grabbed his spear and used it to knock dirt into his fire. Leave no trace. He looked at the massive corpse of the beast he'd killed. Well, almost no trace.

"How do I find water?" He wondered aloud.

Water can be found through encounters with enemies.

He'd need to find some enemies then. The beast he'd killed earlier hadn't dropped anything, but it was delicious beyond belief so he wouldn't complain. He looked around the Prairie. No matter where he looked, vast mountain peaks dominated the horizon.

His fingers fished his hair tie free from his pocket, and he pulled his long mane through it, tying it into a bun that was secure enough that it wouldn't move in combat. He picked one mountain out of the hundreds that seemed particularly memorable. You're my frame of reference... He set off in that direction.

He hadn't been moving for long when he heard rustling in the grass beside him. Something lunged at him. Whatever it was, it was small compared to the capybara, but still the size of a medium dog. Maybe bigger. He jumped to the side and the beast soared past him.

As he laid his eyes on it, he noticed its striking deep red scales as well as the sharp teeth now viciously bared at him. A large forked tongue flickered out. It was squat and heavy, and extremely long, perhaps 3 meters. It looked close to a meter tall. It looks like a Komodo dragon.

The lizard hissed at him. He gripped his makeshift spear tighter and tried to intimidate the beast. He raised his arms high again and yelled as loud as he could. That just seemed to infuriate it as it charged at him without warning. Why can't I bluff any of these things out of a fight? That works on a freaking bear. Since he couldn't bluff it, he'd have to fight. He prepared to deal with the second thing that wanted to eat him since he'd arrived in the Dungeon.

He gripped his weapon tightly and swung his spear at the beast. It's too low for me to stab it well. Let's try the hockey method. He managed to connect solidly with the its side. The blow knocked it backwards and seemed to stun the lizard temporarily. Above its head, a health bar not dissimilar to his own appeared. It read:

Crimson Lizard, Lvl 1. 80% Health.

Okay, it didn't say the health part. I'm just guessing. But that looks like a fifth is missing. Soon, it was charging him again, all teeth and no manners. Saul prepared to strike again, Stamkos, with the one-timer! He brought the stick crashing down, placing yet another solid thud against the lizard. Another fifth of health gone.

He jumped back, putting some distance between him and the lizard, looking down his weap- Is that a crack forming in the stick? That's not good. What else can I do? He thought about his options as the thing began to charge again. Don't I have a befriend animal skill? Aren't lizards animals?

He held his stick in both hands and pressed it sideways towards the lizard. "Activate skill: Befriend Animal!" A light gathered around his feet and a matching glow surrounded the lizard's body. It seemed to build in intensity, then suddenly, it flickered out. The beast hissed louder. Of course it would fail. Stupid skill. Let's try this again. He planted his feet shoulder-width apart and held the stick like a baseball bat.

The monster charged. When it was close enough this time, it leaped at him, teeth bared. He planted his feet and rotated his hips, force transferring through his body into the stick, then into the massive lizard. It landed with an exceptionally loud crash. The lizard hissed in pain. I definitely heard a crack that time. This stick won't last much longer. It was heavy, but Saul's strength overpowered its momentum, and it was knocked back several feet.

Health is down to about 20%. My stick's useless now. It looks like it'll break if I hit this thing again. Let's try it.

"Befriend animal!" That light flashed again. Around him. Around the lizard. It grew. Bright. Blinding.

Congratulations! You have successfully befriended: Crimson Lizard, Lvl I.

Please name your new animal companion.

Saul thought about it for a moment. Well, he's like something out of a book. A mythical creature. Maybe... Like a basilisk? Let's go with that. The lizard crawled over to him as if submitting to his strength. Suddenly, above his health bar was one that read: 'Lizard'. He saw his health was almost empty. "I'll call you Basi."

The nameplate changed.

'Basi'.

"How do we get more health, Basi?" The lizard hissed softly and looked up at his new master, as if suggesting he wouldn't be answering any of Saul's questions. The Guide spoke up to answer:

Health is regenerated through potions, healing skills, healing pills, food, or rest.

Saul set off with his new companion to explore. That mountain is still probably my best reference point. He kept it in his view as he and Basi took off exploring.

The first time they came across another monster Saul didn’t even realize they were under attack. He was hit by an acorn flying through the sky. Suddenly, his health bar showed a small decrease with no more than a tenth of the bar vanishing from the initial hit.

What the...? He saw the pieces of an acorn as they fell in fragmented pieces. He began scanning for the source of the projectile. His eyes landed on a slight rustling to his right, where within the parted wheat he could see the silhouetted form of what he assumed was the attacker.

Saul started to yell the word, “Attack!” but as soon as the thought crossed his mind Basi was already moving to engage, ‘I guess he can sense my commands through our bond. Looking at the monster he saw it was a brown-furred beast standing close to a meter tall with a large bushy tail that seemed to be about as long as it was tall.

Large teeth protruded from its mouth, and it had amber eyes that shined angrily. In its paws, it held a large acorn even though there weren’t any trees that seemed as though they could yield such a massive nut. It was a squirrel of monstrous proportions, and it seemed to be angry with them for some reason, chittering in an angrily high pitch before it began to rush forward at Saul on all four legs.

Saul attacked. He stepped forward and planted his foot firmly. He brought his sharpened stick to bear and made to stab at the beast. The spear pierced through the squirrel's hide easily, but when it hit bone it gave out with a loud 'CRACK!', breaking in half. A '10' appeared over the squirrel's head that merged with the ‘10’ from Basi’s bite. This must have been enough to kill the squirrel, as a health bar appeared over its head and drained to 0. Words floated across his sight that seemed to display the fruits of his combat.

Exp Gained: 13!

The squirrel’s body remained. A small bag appeared next to its furry corpse. Saul leaned down to examine the bag. His curious fingers found the drawstring to the bag and worked it open for his gaze to fall inside. Inside he saw: Leather shoes, a dagger, and most importantly a canteen full of water. He put on the shoes and tucked the dagger into his belt. It's a real weapon. Probably better than my stick was.

Dagger equipped

Leather shoes equipped

The words flashed before his eyes. As soon as those words entered his vision, the dagger vanished from his belt as if by magic.

"Where is the dagger?" He wondered aloud and as usual he got a quick response.

"All weapons and unequipped items are automatically stored in your inventory. When combat is initiated, you can pull your weapon out with a thought."

Saul smiled. He felt the shoes conforming to his feet, and before long the pair felt as if designed specifically for him by a talented cobbler. A soft, pleasured sigh escaped his lips as he took his first steps in the shoes. He drank nearly half the canteen before he was ready to move on, gulping down the water like a man dying of thirst in the desert. He drank so quickly that his stomach ached. That was a bad idea... But more pain. More evidence that this is real.

He and Basi spent their next few hours in working their way closer to the mountain range as a point of reference. From time to time they encountered a beast and through their growing teamwork they were able to dispatch them without much trouble. After one such encounter, a blue screen suddenly flashed before his eyes:

Congratulations! You have reached level 2! +3 to Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance! +2 to Intelligence and Willpower!

Your animal companion has also reached level 2 and has learned the special ability Bite!

He pulled up Basi’s status screen and looked at his move list. Sure enough, there was a Bite ability listed. Selecting it gave a short description:

Bite enhances attack power.

That seemed useful. He’d have to test it out the next time they encountered an enemy. He’d begun to notice something about the screens, their timing related to combat somehow. It seems like these screens only pop up when I’m safe. That’s convenient.

There were no pathways in the Prairie, but that didn’t mean that there were no obvious paths. There were sections where the grass was worn down, whether through footsteps or monsters Saul couldn’t be sure, but they were more convenient to travel on, so that’s what Saul and Basi did. The Prairie itself reminded Saul a lot of the Great Plains. The land was relatively flat with gentle curves and tall golden plants growing as far as the eye could see. The beauty of the environment helped him to calm himself.

They spent their first day exploring. The Prairie didn’t seem overly large, but periodically, he would stumble across something interesting. At one point he heard a crunch underfoot, and when he stopped to look, he saw some sort of worked clay.

When he bent down to take a look, he realized the piece looked a lot like an ancient Native American vase with its tan color and pseudo-hieroglyphic art. The art seemed to depict a drop of water with eyes holding a knife that was pointed towards some form of boar.

He came across a few more potential cultural sites, usually finding them beneath his feet. In a few places, he found pieces of armor or weapons that were long rusted over and seemed useless. He left things as he found them, but each discovery made him wonder about the culture that might exist here, about the types of creatures he’d find. None of the pieces of armor were humanoid in shape.

He spent his second night on the Prairie in a small clearing that he eventually stumbled across, laying on the ground next to Basi. The night wasn't as cool as the first night, and the lizard's body was radiating warmth. Saul had his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the night sky, "I haven’t seen so many stars since I went to the Grand Canyon…" He said to the lizard. He got a vague sense of understanding from the beast.

"This place is beautiful, but it isn’t home. I’m going to get back to my family someday..." That, he could tell, wasn't something the animal could understand. "What kind of secrets does this place hold, Basi? What will tomorrow bring?" Exciting thoughts. As he shifted to find a more comfortable position, he turned and folded his arm up beneath his head, facing the lizard, "Let's get some sleep. We've got to figure something out tomorrow."

I'm still not really sure what's going on. I feel things. Pain. Cold. So I have to assume it's real... That I'm still alive. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall asleep. His mind was racing. Half of him found the place strange and exciting. The other half of him was terrified. I have a way out. Level 5. He focused on that thought and found it relaxing. I can get home. Finally, blessedly, sleep came.

When they awoke, he and Basi set off once more, this time in the direction of the mountains he'd been using as a reference for his sense of direction. They had been traveling for a few hours when he became aware of a slight burning smell. Looking far out into the distance, he could see that the mountains seemed ever so slightly distorted. Smoke? Where there's smoke, there's fire. Better take a look.

He set off at a quick pace. The wheat seemed to fly past him in comparison to his speed yesterday. It seems like I'm moving faster. Is it because I leveled up? I guess that makes sense. As he got closer to the smoke, he saw a signpost hammered into the ground with an arrow pointing ahead. It read: Prairie's edge.

Before long, he found himself in a clearing of sorts. He looked around the clearing and noted that there were almost permanent buildings. The village was dotted with teepees, and smoke rose off of a fire in the middle of everything. It was a fire that crackled with life as several sizable pieces of wood burned and gave off the faintest hints of pine sap.

As he moved further into the village, he realized he was as tall as most of them. Behind the fire, he could see a few permanent structures. One of them was a house that consisted of two stories, practically a mansion in comparison with the teepees but modest at best in Saul's eyes.

He approached the largest building and introduced his knuckles to the door in three quick knocks. He heard movement inside, unlike anything he'd quite heard before. "A visitor?" The voice called through the doorway. "How can I help you?" It was a distinct voice that hinted at wisdom and advanced age. "Hello, I've found myself in this strange place, and apparently, I need to get to Level 5 to get home. I was wondering if you might be able to help me somehow. I could use some supplies."

A few moments passed before Saul heard more noise behind the door. "Sure, I can give you some assistance. I'm going to open the door. You may be surprised by what you see, but I assure you I'm quite friendly, and I mean you no harm." The voice gave the impression of trustworthiness. It opened. Standing there 'or perhaps sitting there?' was a large blob. Atop his head was a small crown that was bright red and seemed to contrast with his blue form.

His body was translucent, and through his form, Saul could see a vague impression of the inside of his home. Basi hissed at the slime as a wave of aggression projected to Saul via their bond. He issued a simple command, 'Down, boy,' and the lizard calmed instantly.

Saul's first thought wasn't to attack. He didn't really know what he was thinking at the sight of the creature. He'd have to pick his jaw up off the floor first. It's… A slime? What in the…? Is this Dragon Quest? His whole body shook for a moment as he tried to gather himself, drawing in a deep breath before offering his hand. "Hello, I'm Saul. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The slime's body seemed to extend toward him as some of it separated from the rest in a general impression of an arm. Slimy fingers grasped his own, but they didn't leave a wet sensation on his fingers. The feeling was nice. 'He's like a massive stress ball.' The slime spoke then, "Elder. Welcome to the village of Prairie's Edge. I'd be happy to offer you some help, but I'm afraid I have a favor to ask in return."

It sounds like a quest. Saul was beginning to view this world like some complex VR RPG. "Sure, that seems fair. You help me, I help you. I just need to get home eventually. What can I do for you?" The Elder looked towards the west. On his face, there was an expression of trepidation. Do slimes have faces? He has eyes. He has a space below his eyes that he talks from. I guess that's his mouth. Do slimes eat? Do they just absorb nutrients, or do they like... chew on stuff? Just then, Saul noticed that Elder was looking at him with… Bemusement. 'Wait, how can I tell what he's thinking? Is this an ability of theirs to convey emotions without many features?

Elder spoke up to interrupt him, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions as a new arrival to the Dungeon. I know many who come here are from worlds where Slimes don't exist. I'm happy to answer your questions, but I must ask a favor of you. We've been having trouble with a neighboring tribe. We have long been allies, but recently something seems to have changed. Peaceful blue slimes have been replaced by aggressive crimson slimes who have been threatening our village and raiding our supplies. Please, go to Wheaton and figure out what's happening. If you can help, please do. If there is no other option… Then please help the people of Wheaton find peace."

Heavy. Saul nodded solemnly. 'I can't imagine what it's like to have such concern for your brothers. There must not be many slimes around if all the artifacts I found are any indication.' "I can help you. First, I must ask for food and water. Once I've had my fill, please point me in the direction of Wheaton, and I'll see what I can do."

They provided Saul with a simple meal that consisted of bread and some type of cheese that he found surprisingly delicious, and all he could drink of crisp, cool water. They fed Basi similar fare, though the lizard got some meat as well. When they finished eating and resting, they began to travel towards Wheaton.

His trip was surprisingly easy. If there aren't many monsters along the way, that must mean these things are pretty strong compared to the other monsters. That was disconcerting. If the slimes were powerful, it would be harder for him to help them. He moved a little faster, hopeful that he would be able to help the slimes of Wheaton.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the outskirts of Wheaton. There were several of the red slimes hopping about, with one large tent towards the back of the camp and a few smaller ones close to where Saul arrived.

He crouched low as he approached the town. He saw one red slime that seemed to hop aimlessly along the outskirts of the village. He slunk over to it with his hands held high in a gesture of peace. "Hello." He called out to it. Its back was turned to him as he tried to engage it, and he got no response. "Hello?" He tried again.

When the slime turned to see him, its demeanor seemed to change. It hopped at him aggressively. "I just want to talk." He said. It didn't seem to be having any thoughts of negotiation. He stepped back a few paces, and the monster continued to follow him. Hm... Maybe I can lead it to Prairie's Edge.

The slime continued to hop forward aggressively, and he continued to walk backward, keeping it close enough to maintain its interest. He made the mistake of getting too far away once, and the slime had turned as if to return to Wheaton, but Basi had rushed forward to get its attention.

It seemed to take hours, especially since he walked backward the whole time. He and Basi moved carefully, kiting the monster. After what felt like an eternity, they made it to Prairie's Edge with the hostile red slime close behind.

Most of the blue slimes cleared out when they saw he had a red slime in tow. Elder was by his house, massive in comparison to the smaller slime. He had some sort of cage by his side. Saul saw Elder gesture towards the cage and nodded. When the red slime was close enough to the cage, Elder lifted the cage and placed it over the red slime's body with ease. Despite the holes in the grating, the slime didn't seem to be able to escape.

"Thank you, Saul. I will try to see if anything can be done for our friends."

Saul sat and waited patiently. He watched with interest as Elder tried a wide variety of different things. First, Elder tried to speak to the slime. It didn't seem to respond positively at all as its posture and eyes remained aggressive. Next, he tried herbs. "These are healing herbs." He'd explained. "There are some conditions that can cause aggression and confusion over allies. We have herbs to treat these things."

The slime hesitated for just a moment when those herbs were introduced to its system, but it remained red and aggressive. "That's a good sign!" Elder spoke. He seemed enthusiastic. A smile crossed his expression. "Maybe our healing magic could make a difference." He closed his eyes for several moments. Saul felt a strange energy gathering in the air. Different from when he cultivated. Suddenly, a blue light flashed around Elder, and a similar light flashed around the red slime.

Elder immediately gave the slime more herbs. It seemed to have an effect. Blue flashed through the slime's red body. It shook vigorously as more blue flashed through its body. Suddenly, clarity seemed to come to its eyes. It spoke. The words seemed to take every ounce of strength and concentration for the slime to get them out. "K...Ki...Kill... Me... C-can't... Fi....Fight... R...a..ge..."

Elder wore a solemn expression as he turned to Saul. "I'm afraid we can't do anything more... Please help them find peace." Saul could hear the pain in the Elder's voice. He rose and reached out to rest a hand on the top of the Elder's body in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "I will."