Spoiler :

AN: So… time for me to rant on. Like about the fact that google drive kept offlining itself, preventing me from writing ANYTHING. Sure, I could have written offline, but not being able to access my drive was kinda… bad, since I had almost all information on there now. I wrote offline anyways. So my PC, desperate to stop me, committed suicide yet again. But this time he was serious. The only solution I could afford: full reset. Byebye, offline data. Those days dealt quite the heavy blow to my motivation… because really, if your PC crashes after you write 2 sentences, you don’t feel like writing anymore.

Then, my internet provider went “nope”, so I had no internet. Still have no internet. Using my phone to write ALL OF THIS.

Also, coming up with characters is HARD. At least for me.

Rant over.

Also, some changes to dialogue:

If there are more than two people taking:

Name the one talking: “spoken” / “spoken,” Name of the one talking said, “spoken” /etc.

If no name is given: Random person.

If specific person, but unknown name: ??? or description of the one assumed to be talking. (Ex. : hooded man: “Long time no see.”)

“Deus” is Mana using the male voice.

This is a test. I’m expecting feedback. If you don’t like it, I’ll try another structure. Don’t hold yourself back if you don’t like it, I NEED feedback (even thought I probably could learn writing dialogue without feedback... feedback is the fuel my engine runs on. Without it I won't improve much. You could give me a sample novel(s) which I could imitate, for example.

Within a room in the living quarters filled with the chattering of various people, one topic had attracted the attention of many. Someone had overheard a certain conversation, and the information spread quickly. The Den was attempting to recruit someone.

“Hey, you heard? Archibald himself was the one who scouted him!”

“The new guy, right? Lucky bastard. Hasn’t even been here a day, got that elf on his side and now the Den is inviting him… ts, some people just have it all.”

“Yeah… but if the Den is going after him, obviously he has to be someone special.”

“But it hasn’t even been a day! Even if they have connections within the staff, how do they have any information on him? I mean… this is the Den we’re talking about, how comes they know that he matches their criteria?”

“Actually, why hasn’t Blaze gone after him if the Den is so aggressive about it?”

“They probably think that being too aggressive would make him think he is important for them, and you know how Blaze works…”

“The leader above everything! -right? Honestly, if not for that, I would have joined them.”

“Eh? You were invited by Blaze?”

“What, you think I don’t have what it takes? Who was it that got us fifth place last time?”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways, what do you think his ability is? Anyone else here with information about him?”

“I’m the only one here who even heard him talk, and I already told you everything.”

“So he’s got a girl, and since the den is after him, some blessing. Other than that, he hides his face behind a cowl that makes you wonder how he himself is seeing anything. And that’s all we got? That’s not enough! He’s stirring up the attention of the bigger groups, so we should try to get more information on him as well! I feel like this guy is going to be important!”

“You and your intuition… hey guys, remember the last time he was like this? That about that “motor”? If it’s like that this time too, than the new guy might just really create quite… an impact!”

“Hey! Don’t laugh! It would have worked if not for SOMEONE messing up the calculations!”

“Yeah, but it went “kaboom” and almost killed the dwarf working on it. And now we’ve been banned from continuing the experiments anyways, no use crying about spilled milk.”

(Ah… I guess, since we’ll be here for a while… home sweet home? That doesn’t really fit a place like this now does it…)

The room of “Deus” was big. Incredibly big. And overwhelmingly empty.

Mana: “Hey, since we’ll be living here for a while, what about doing some remodelling? Don’t know about you, but this just feels way too empty.”

Quintus: “There would be enough space for a training ground…”

Mana: “Yeah, that’s possible. Actually…”

Help: Again? Well, do what you want. Just give me a sec to set up the program.

Carmela: “What is it?”

Help: Adding it to the interfaces… aaand done. Btw, mind taking a look at the structure of the walls? It’s rather interesting. Like they were made to be customizable. I’m sure this is part of another system that we are supposed to not be aware of, so even if using this existing structure to remodel the interior may be tempting, I don’t recommend doing it as it would give away information about our abilities.

(Hmm? What about… ah, true, this is strange. I wonder if that’s why they said that changing the size of the room was no problem? Anyways, we won’t need to use that. The VR space is looking good.)

In the eyes of both Carmela and Quintus, the appearance of the room had undergone various drastic changes.

Quintus: “This… is not reality, correct?”

Mana: “Yep. You are currently seeing stuff that doesn’t actually exist. This way we can freely change what we see in the room without actually having to do anything. Also, try hitting that training dummy.”

Without questioning Mana’s intentions, Quintus drew his blade and slashed at the wooden figure he saw. The figure moved, drew its blade and blocked his strike. Of course, none of this actually happened. Mana just used her conversion ability to counteract the force of Quintus’ sword.

Mana: “As long as I have the mana to do it, you can use those as if they were real. They’ll get better at fighting as you do. This should be perfect, right? And for Carmela, I also have an idea… those books contain all the information that you should be interested about. Those are the foundation everything else is build on. Before going into the really complicated things, you should learn what’s in there. And if you have trouble with something, I’m sure I can help you visualize it, just tell me.”

(So… this way, the dwarwes won’t be able to tell what I’m doing at all. The room will stay empty… except for that one experiment. Now all I have to do is wait for the goods to arrive.)

Quintus kept slashing, dodging and countering blows that were not real, while Carmela, delighted about the countless pages of information in front of her, kept reading books that didn’t exist. For someone not knowing about the virtual reality, their actions would seem weird, at the very least.

Help: Looks like someone is coming here. Not a dwarf, and doesn’t seem to be carrying the goods we want either.

The black alliance was a small group. Most of them were blacksmiths, hence their name. Their leader could still remember the days they were the greatest group, or so he said. But Blaze, the Den, and even some other smaller groups had long overthrown them. Especially since Blaze was also mainly a blacksmith group, their numbers dwindled, with all potential new members joining Blaze instead. So when their leader heard that the “new guy” was someone seemingly very special, he intended to use all means at his disposition to get him to join.

(Hmpf. Let’s just hope he’s not one of those borderline madmen. If he’s like that, might as well let the Den take him. Let’s just act nice… I’ll have to get to know him before trying to lure him in.)

Knocking against the heavy metal door, he was trying to be prepared to face whoever might open it. It didn't take long for it to slowly swing open.

Deus: “Someone is visiting me already? Pleased to meet you, I’m Deus. Who might you be?”

(Well, at least he seems to be sane…)

“I’m Brian. I heard you just came here today, so I thought I should welcome you to this place, show you the ropes. You will stay here for a while after all. So your name is Deus? Well Deus, you already know about how this place works, do you?”

“Some of it. Ah please, come in, no need to keep standing in the door. As you said, I just came here today, so sorry if it looks somewhat empty.”

(He seems sociable… but I can’t see to who I’m talking to at all… hard to judge him like this.)

“I’m sorry if this is a topic I shouldn’t ask about but… why the hood?”

“It’s a habit. You know, up there people looking like me will get into quite a bit of trouble… while I don’t need it anymore, honestly, I’d like to keep it on if it doesn’t disturb you too much.”

“Ah, it’s alright, I was just being curious.”

“Now… let’s stop beating around the bush. What brings you here?”

“I was just-”

“No honestly, what brings you here? You want to invite me to your guild?”

(This guy…)

“Yes.”

“Good. I don’t like it when people talk just so they can talk some more. So, it looks like you were trying to find out more about me. How much do you already know?”

(What’s with this personality… all of this up to now was an act?)

“Ah, don’t misunderstand… I want to know what you already know about me so I can tell you the rest. It’s annoying to have people sniffing around, so I might as well tell you everything now and be done with it.”

(What?)

“Are… you serious?”

“No, of course not. I want you and others to keep pestering me with hidden intentions making normal conversations and exchange of information impossible.”

…

“You’re interesting, I’ll leave you that. Well, you want to know what I already know about you? It’s not much, really. You probably guessed that my group is rather small. So we don’t get as much information as the others. All I know is that you are already attracting the interest of the Den on your first day here, so you have to be someone special. That aside? Nothing much.”

“The Den?”

“They are the second biggest group down here. And all of its members have one thing in common, they didn’t get here because of their wits or craftsmanship, but because they have some divine blessing. It’s actually even harder to join them than it is to join Blaze. For their leader himself to invite you… there’s no way you are not someone special.”

“...you sure about that? Hey, Carmela, could you come over here? … You don’t think that this might be the actual reason?”

(A… an elven girl down here? Slave no less?)

“Well... “

“See? But don’t even think about it. This girl is here because she’s smart. Get it? Anyways, I guess it’s my turn now. I already told you that my name is Deus. I’m here because I invented too many things too fast. I probably can create more inventions in a day than others in two lifetimes. That’s just how it is. Don’t know if this could be this divine blessing you were talking about. I don’t really specialize in anything, because I can do everything to some extend.”

“You sure can talk big for someone who claims to dislikes lies.”

“You might want to reconsider what you just said… well, you’re down here for a reason too right? what did you invent?”

“I created a new type of weapon! With a power like which never existed before! One shot of it could destroy castle walls!”

“And… how did it work?”

Convinced that this “Deus” was nothing but a bigmouth, Brian went on.

“See? You can’t even comprehend something like this, you-”

“No, I can think of about two-hundred weapons able to achieve what you just said, relying on dozens of different mechanics. Which way did your weapon do it?”

…

“Ts, you don’t know when to stop, do you?”

“Since you don’t believe me… I’m just going to list a few. First, create an oversized bow shooting sharpened logs. Quite bulky, but usable. Next, create an oversized wooden spoon, bend it and force it to remain in the position, put a big stone on the spoon, then activate the release mechanism. The spoon will regain its former position, propulsing the stone, which will be able to damage castle walls. Next, a bit smaller this time, use an explosion to propulse a projectile of sufficient weight to sufficient speed through a tube directed towards the castle walls-”

“You know about it!”

“Ah, so it’s that. Let me guess, a metal tube closed at one end, filled with an explosive, a metal projectile on top of it, then ignite the explosive. All of this setup in a way that it can handle the explosion and recoil.”

“You… how…”

“Why did you try to build something like that?”

“I… just thought that this much power would be great… and we would be able to fight against the other races… when I saw the pulver explode on catching fire, I thought I had discovered something special...”

“It was a black powder, right? Intense smell after combusting. Results in black smoke?”

“Yes...”

“Well, so someone else actually had this idea… I was wondering if I was smart or everyone else was stupid, but it seems that all the somewhat smart people have been gathered down here… resulting in a nightmarish lack of new ideas on the surface.”

…

“You’ve gotten silent. Is something the matter?”

“You… are special alright.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, there’s something I’d like to know from you- what’s that annual contest all about? I’ve been told to just wait till it happens and watch it to understand, but I don’t like waiting.”

“Hmpf, if it was anyone else, that’s what I’d tell him to do too. But you seem to be someone that might just be able to understand it just by hearing about it. The contest is quite simple. We are to design mechanisms to be used in a dungeon. Traps, things to confuse intruders, everything.”

“Sounds easy enough. Why bother making this much of a mystery around it?”

“Hey, that’s exactly where most people go wrong. It’s not simple at all! This isn’t a cave with a pitfall trap we’re talking about! Creating the best dungeon while sticking to the rules, it’s a task that requires considering countless details! Coming up with the best solution for each and every potential problem! Well… that would be the perfect dungeon. You may have guessed that my group currently can’t keep up with what’s asked from us…”

“Just to be sure… the groups are to create a dungeon each, and then that dungeon is tested against intruders, and the one performing best is the winner, and the worst is the looser?”

“Yes.”

…

“Now it’s you that’s gotten quiet. Lost your confidence already?”

“No… it’s just… I was expecting something slightly… more challenging. I thought I would be participating in an interesting game, but it looks like the winner is already decided…”

“You’re smart, and you really surprised me back then, I’ll admit that… but now you really are being overconfident.”

“Ah… you don’t understand. I told you that I don’t really specialize in anything right? However, creating something like a dungeon… happens to be one of the things I’m especially good at. But I guess I really should watch it once before making any hasty conclusions. You’ve come here because you wanted me to join your group right? I’ll give you an answer after the next contest.”

“You… would consider joining us?”

“Yeah, the group I join will become the most important and influential one anyways, no matter which one I choose. Now, it would be nice if you could leave, there are some ideas that crossed my mind while we were talking and I really want to try them out. Ah, before you leave, what’s your groups name?”

“The black alliance”

(Go, go and spread the word… one of the best ways to get information is to be at the center of attention. If everyone is interested in you, you can get many people to talk… but a dungeoneering contest? Really? This is going to be fun...)

Help: You intend to recreate “The unbreakable sphere”? That’s not “fun”, that’s being a sadist.

(I spent months of my previous life designing that thing, no way I’m just going to let all those hours of playing Lords and Heroes go to waste.)

Help: Your dungeon had to be triplechecked by the developers themselves because everyone thought you had found a way to trick the system into believing it was clearable, and even when they understood you followed the rules, they tried to convince you that a dungeon this difficult was the same as cheating, and asked you to please remove it. Your answer to that was to make it even more difficult. If that’s not sadist, I don’t know.

(Pff, it’s just that they sucked at the game. Not my fault.)

In the underground prison, the only thing more valuable than one's life was information. So obviously, no matter how much one tried to keep a secret… it was impossible to prevent information from leaking through even the thickest of walls and doors. Not even a week after Brian talked to “Deus”, there was no one that did not know about this “overwhelmingly overconfident greenhorn”.

But even if most thought that Deus claims were nothing but smoke and mirrors, some took the information more serious…

Archibald: “So guys, what should we do? That guy found out about us a bit faster than I hoped he would. By the wrong people no less. Now he’s gone and gotten all high and mighty.”

A tall, well dressed man was the first to respond. Even if everyone in the Den was an oddball, his elegant appearance made him stick out from the rest.

“Looks like this is one of those times were the vial just blows up in your face, right Archi? Your luck was always quite haphazard.”

“Ah, shut up Zarmon. It went boom, no changing that, but now we should try to find out how to clean up the mess. That guy is a goldmine, and the problem is he knows it.”

Almost the perfect opposite to Zarmon, small, with a rather… broad build, Travis seemed to pay more attention to his drink than to the rest of his surroundings, but still took the opportunity to side with Archibald.

Zarmon: “Why do you care so much about a single person? It’s not like we are in desperate need for new members.”

Archibald: “Because that guy is the real deal! With him working for us, we could overthrow Blaze! Just imagine, being the number one! Getting to talk to the real big shots! GETTING OUT OF HERE! I’ve spend more time down here than I can even REMEMBER, and I’m NOT just going to let myself die in this damned place!”

With their official “leader” acting like that, the remaining members started to get distracted in their own conversations...

“Ah, and I thought I’d never see that side of Archi again… it’s fascinating, isn’t it? See that red vein on his forhead? And that-”

“Jack, no one cares. I don’t care, and I don’t care about the others, so no one cares. So shut up. Actually, all of you, shut up. We should all know what’s going to happen if we try to talk about this. It’s going to be a huge mess, and we’ll forget the initial topic. So I propose we just get this over with. People who want the greenhorn to join, raise your hands.”

Four members raised their hands, including Archibald, Jack and Travis.

“Now everyone that’s against it.”

This time, Zarmon demonstratively raised both arms, alongside three more people.

“And the others don’t care. Since those who don’t care are in the majority, as always, I propose we just see what happens while everyone does whatever they feel like doing? I say yes, that’s what we will do. And since no one will actually listen to others from now on anyways, even those complaining about this solution will have no choice to accept it. Jeez, it always ends up like this, when will you ever learn...”

Those words let the what little discipline the Den had managed to establish for this meeting collapse entirely. And thus, even with the “leader” trying to get the others to listen, it returned to its usual state. An absolute chaos.