Jay sipped rum as he looked over the party loot.

Your party has looted 32 Attribute Crystals, 26 Basic Health Crystals, 23 Basic Stamina Crystals, 19 Basic Mana Crystals, 15 Basic Monster Construct Cores, 12 Smart Polymer Chunks, 3 Militia Insignias of Stalwart Boldness, 1 Basic Feline Monster Core, 1 Construct Designer Skill Book (Crafter), 99 Iron Multiverse Coins, 1 Good Knife of Murderous Malice, 1 Good Cloak of Stalking Delight.

“Are you sure you should be drinking?” Dennis asked warily. He had his rucksack stuffed with most of their new loot with Kleo riding shotgun. His bright blue eyes stood out in the white expanse of the second floor, so his concern was harder to deny.

“Keeps me loose and in a good mood,” Jay answered.

“That mood could change fast with alcohol,” Dennis pushed. “You’re carrying the knife, Jay, and I know what alcohol can do to a man. That will be your last sip for the rest of the crawl.”

All movement in preparation to head out came to a standstill. The defiance in Jay swelled, ready to unleash itself as a smile crossed his face. It wouldn’t be hard to shut Dennis up, either.

Jay only needed a quick flick of his arm with the blade. That would open a bloody smile on the Superjock’s throat. Then he’d concern himself elsewhere rather than hover over Jay about his drinking habits. Or die in the snow far from home like a dummy.

“Ah, shit, the knife’s hellbent on me being an asshole,” Jay said, grimacing.

Calling it out helped diminish the influence of the knife, the last remnant of Murderous Mary. With a sigh, Jay handed over the rum bottle.

“Sorry,” Jay said.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Dennis replied.

“I do. I was thinking some nasty thoughts.”

“Then perhaps you should absorb those Attribute Crystals before we head off,” Mike interjected.

Jay nodded.

He’d taken responsibility for the knife. The weapon meshed well with his skill set. He also had the highest [Conviction] among the group.

Most importantly, it kept the knife out of Frank’s hands. The superagent was still sore about the party’s consensus that the knife shouldn’t be in his hands.

Regardless of hurt feelings, Frank insisted that Jay get most of the Attribute Crystals. That left seven crystals to Frank and Mike and the remaining four crystals to Dennis. Since the big guy had been gifted a surplus of those crystals prior, he was okay with getting the least.

Jay absorbed the crystals and spent them where they were needed. Most of them ended up in [Conviction]. The rest he put in [Discovery]. That helped him a lot.

The nagging, forceful tide of murderous intent died down to a soft but constant stream of suggestions. Jay looked behind him where the large knife and its sheath were attached to his belt’s back. Easy to draw when needed.

“You look like the kid that’ll run with scissors,” Kleo said from atop Dennis’s rucksack. “And now you’re the one carrying the murder knife. Tsk, tsk. You’ve grown up to be a menace.”

“Kek.” Jay grinned. “It’s either Frank or me.”

“That’s not even worth a conversation. It’s gonna be you,” Kleo said.

“Seriously?” Frank shouted. “We’ve gone over this. I’ve conceded. Why do we have to reiterate?”

“Be a dear, Frank-o-boy, and endure the last dying breath of a dungeon monster,” Kleo said, talking past a moment when her chest split into cubes before recombining. “I can’t go out without making someone’s last moments spent with me miserable.”

“It’s okay,” Jay said. “That’s Kleo’s way of showing she cares.”

“It’s not. I enjoy these little evil jeers here and there. It makes staying alive worth it even when knowing my existential doom is on the horizon.”

“Let’s go,” Frank muttered, shrugging his rucksack onto his back.

Jay fell in step beside Mike. The [Fighters] led the way. Behind them remained the smoking ruins of the Action Figure Militia’s backend. The Contested Zone would go on without them since the crawlers didn’t have the time. Besides, Jay knew they’d made notable strides from this battle.

Both Dennis and Frank had reached Level 7. Jay and Dennis were now peers regarding [Applied AP], although they diverged quite a bit in approach to their Attribute spread.

It was apparent looking at Dennis how much of a powerhouse he was becoming. He wasn’t physically changed, but the way he comfortably carried the colossal sword was notably better. He was still slightly inaccurate, but his straight-to-the-point brawn and striking power were noticeable.

The changes to Frank and Mike were a bit more subtle. Frank was already deadly, now even more.

Paying attention to Mike and noticing the differences was an easier prospect for Jay. The small addition to Mike’s Strength made trekking with his rucksack easier for the [Mage]. He powered through the snow with more gusto. He still wasn’t as physical as the rest of the party, but where Mike lacked in body, he made up for in Intellect. Jay could see it in Mike’s eyes. He observed the world with a more curious obsession reigned in by a faster and more disciplined mind.

It wouldn’t be farfetched to say they’d breached the limits on humanity now. Jay felt sure of that. More certain than he’d ever felt. Like his beliefs had solidified into something made of sterner stuff. He also felt like he could trust his whims more, letting Discovery guide him toward opportunity, whatever that could be. Maybe this was why the [Crafter] Class was his second interest behind [Freak]. Lilith and Macy had Discovery as one of their primary Attributes, and who knew how far they’d take it with their Class Skills.

The gravity of their situation was super dense, but thinking about all the positives put Jay in a good mood. His mood elevated even further when he looked at his profile changes.

Name: Jay Luckrun, Rank 1

Class: [Lesser Freak, Level 6]

Race: Inhuman

Allegiance: [Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon].

Affinity: [Gravity]

Attributes:

[150 Applied AP];

13 Resilience, 13 Poise,

12 Strength, 23 Agility,

31 Perception, 12 Intellect,

25 Conviction, 21 Discovery;

[0 Free AP].

Skills: [Moonwalker, Level 7], [Dance Floor Relativity, Level 8], [Grav Kick, Level 5], [One Heavy Step, Level 2].

…

Wow, his Attributes were getting closer to double what he’d started with. Though, they were a bit skewed toward the Chance pair of Attributes.

Even so, Jay refused to discount them. Having a significant impact didn’t always need to be direct. He trusted those Attributes even if they weren’t as needed as [Perception] since that applied to his magic powers, Skills, and strange sixth sense.

He should find the time to study his gravity sense further. Especially with Mike’s help later.

Jay got out of his head and threw a look around him. Nothing much changed. They were a group of four people and a monster crossing the snowy wastes.

There were no trees. No interesting landscapes. Nothing but giant handrails to one side and an impenetrable wall to the other. Dark gray clouds crawled above their heads, following the icy currents blown from the vents even farther above.

Sometimes snow would fall. Sometimes an icy wind would cut through, forcing them to huddle for warmth. The only constant was the sound of their breathing and the crunch of powdered snow under them. This was the type of march that turned boys into young men. They were set on reaching their goal no matter if they were sleepy, exhausted, or sore.

Times like these made Jay want to sing a good oldie. Maybe invite Mike to sing even though he was shy about his singing voice.

A sudden, unexpected notification interrupted the notion.

The Toyreveler has made unapproved alterations to your dungeon crawl. This fouls the experience, which is heavily frowned upon, and will result in heavy reprimands for the dungeon.

Due to the dungeon master’s actions, this crawl’s success is yours by right. You need not crawl further if your most recognized party leader–Franklin Stronghold–decides to end the crawl now.

You will be rewarded as if you’ve defeated the dungeon. The Toyreveler dungeon will be cast away from your dimension, its corruption and potential for invasion mitigated to a nonissue. Your Patron will gain favor from your actions as her representatives, as Pre-Release System Users, and as four of your dimension’s first twelve crawlers. All of which are vastly considerable achievements.

In a sense, this is your victory. Congrats, crawlers. You may choose to leave the dungeon now or at any point.

“Can we take Kleo with us?” Jay shouted at the notification.

You cannot take the dungeon monster from the dungeon. While it was an interesting and amusing part of your crawl, the creature Creepy Kleo is beholden to the dungeon master and core. It is best to separate yourself from the creature and move on.

In victory, we trust, dungeon crawlers.

-A Pre-Release System Senior Admin

Jay’s mouth was half open when a shiver ran down his spine. For a rare moment, he reconsidered what to say to Frank. Then Jay decided not to say anything at all.

Kleo’s fate was another weight added to Frank’s heavily burdened shoulders.

“Welp, I’m dead,” Kleo said as half her face split into cubes and recombined multiple times.