I feel a fresh burst of vitality run through me as I walk outside, and realize that I no longer need to be weary every time I step out the door. “Let’s go,” I say aloud, as I take a deep breath of relatively fresh air, and start striding forwards.

A Few Minutes Later

I slowly come to a halt as I come close to where I was repelled by the barrier. While slowly walking forwards, I raise my shield in preparation to be sent flying from my feet one again. As I cautiously pass through the main door a line of text assaults my vision.

Congratulations! For being the leader of the party to have conquered the Lesser Dungeon “Enid High West Wing” you are being rewarded!

Title: “Dungeon Explorer (Lesser)”- This title is awarded to those who have participated in the clearing of dungeons. +10% Exp. when clearing all lesser ranked dungeons.

+3,000Exp. Level up x2

Rare Grade Item “God’s Tears (Fake)”- An imitation of the Legendary Grade Item “God’s Tears”, This restorative is still a powerful elixir when used in large doses. +500Hp., +200Sta., Cure All, x2 Health Regeneration and +100 max hp. for two minutes.

Your Familiar “Lucy the Wise” as levelled up!

Level up x2

Your Familiar “Olivia the Beautiful” has levelled up!

Level up x1

I barely manage to catch myself, as I nearly trip over my own feet, in surprise. Jumping back, I notice a small bundle of light brown leather and string lying at my feet. Stooping down, I pick up the bundle and, unwrapping it, it reveals a large, crystal vial, of amber liquid.

Rare Grade Item “God’s Tears (Fake)”

An imitation of the Legendary Grade Item “God’s Tears”, This restorative is still a powerful elixir when used in large doses.

+500Hp.

+200Sta.

Cure All

x2 Health Regeneration for two minutes.

+100 max Hp. For two minutes.

Interrupting me from my thoughts, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to Grace who speaks out quietly, “It says that we cleared a dungeon and, that I levelled up and received a title;” before readjusting the grip on her spear and stepping up beside me with her shield at the ready.

Taking care, I set the vial back on the cloth, re-wrap it, and toss it into my inventory, before continuing my cautious movements down the hall. While striding forwards with my blade and shield in front of me, I hear shuffling footsteps, and an adrenaline-fueled war cry of “Ahh,” coming from off to my left. Turning in step, I raise my shield and bash out with it towards the source of the noise. With a *crunch*, a body goes flying away from me, blood flying from its face. Identify I cry out mentally, as I shove my knee into the figure’s throat, effectively pinning it to the ground.

Name: ???

Level: 3 (30/40

Race: Human

Str. 16

Age: 16

Con.14

Sex: Male

Dex.8

Health: 63/70

Cun.4

Mana: 40/40

Wis.8

Stamina: 40/40

Int.9

Skill Points: 0

Atk.10

Status Points: 0

Def.7

Title(s): N/A

Luk.13

“Gah, get the fuck off me you monster” he cries out as I pin him down and bring down a blow across his face to shut him up. “Shut up asshole” I cry out covering up his mouth with my now empty hand, having dropped my blade on the ground with a dull *thud*. “Be quiet or I will kill you. Do you understand?” I ask him menacingly and receive a frantic head-nodding in return. “Are you alone?” I ask as I keep him pinned to the ground with my hand at the ready to silence him again if I need too. “You should damn well kno-, “ he starts to curse at me angrily, before I bring my palm down across his face, keeping him from drawing in monsters. “Quiet and simple,” I say while unclasping my hand from his mouth. “I’m with the group of survivors living in the cafeteria,” he spits out at me in a quiet voice. Seeing the confusion cross my face, a look of shock appears on his. “You mean you’re not with them?” he asks dubiously. “Who is them,” I ask, feeling more nervous by the second. “It would be better for James to tell you. He’s our leader.” He replies with a trace of fear and regret showing in his voice. Opening my inventory and pulling out one of several items that I made earlier in case of emergencies, I clasp it around his neck.

Common Grade Item “Temporary Slave Collar”

This flimsy collar is made of scraps of mis-matched leather and can hold the creature wearing it captive for two weeks. The passcode for unlocking this collar is ‘peaches’.

Can’t restrain creatures more powerful than the owner of this collar

Current durability left: 1 week 5 days 8 hours 32 minutes 47 seconds

“Take me to whoever ‘he’ is, and I will let you go,” I order, in a cold voice.

5 Minutes later

“-r the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” Cries out a boy, standing off to the side of the cafeteria door. “That’s Matthew, the preacher’s son.” Replies Michael (the temporary slave), in response to my questioning glance. “Can’t you see, this is it, the end of days portrayed upon us. The four horsemen have come, and our time is near, we need to repent for our sins, and rejoice in the glow of our make-there” he exclaims interrupting his sentence whilst pointing at me, “Him! He’s one of the devil’s fallen angels sent to sow fear in our midst,” A nervous crowd starts to grow around us, as the mad-man cries out his fearful words. As the crowd grows, a fair sum of people wielding shields made up of desktops and other scraps of furniture as well as short horns of a kind similar to the one that Michael had in his possession when he attacked me, come to the front of the group while looking rather fearful. “I want to speak to your leaders,” my voice rings out clearly, through the nervous silence of the people.

The crowd slowly parts, to allow a small group of people through. “Hronmir(hur-on-mere) has a lot of nerve sending one of his creatures here, no matter how closely they resemble humans”, a familiar looking boy cries out from the middle of the group, while holding a lance made of an unusually large horn out in front of him angrily.

“Hush Jacob,” speaks out a more mature, female voice, from the middle of the small group. Looking over the shoulder of the boy, which I recall having the name of Jacob Williams, and seeing the form of the band teacher, Mrs. Jenkins. “What is it that you want here Mr?” She asks in a cautious tone. “Hawke, I came here for information on the ‘war’,” hushed voices murmur fearfully, as some members of the crowd shy away from me, and others inch closer, holding their strange horns at the ready. At the same time, Mrs. Jenkins’s brows scrunch, and Jacob steps forwards, his lance held out angrily before him. Resting my hand cautiously on the pommel of my sword and edging it out ever so slightly, I slide my foot backwards in preparation to lunge forwards.

“Well?” I ask, on edge. “You really don’t know?!” she asks incredulously. “Those bastards are plotting something , they’re being too quiet.” Spits out Jacob, anger clouding his face.

“Hush Jacob; they stay to themselves and we do the same.” Mrs. Jenkins shouts, a bout of anger clouding her face, “Tensions are high enough without you riling them up.”

“Well maybe they need to be riled! After all, better us strike at them first, then to be stuck when our guards are lowered!” Jacob shouts, his face clouding red with anger, as a group of students, seeming to share his sentiments, edge closer around my group, and raise their guards. “This is not a game, Jacob! Can’t you see that there are lives at stake?!” Mrs. Jenkins legitimately appears to be angry, now, enough so, that it seems that she might actually hit him, herself.

“Calm,” she cries out, a soft light radiating from her hands, and covering several of the tenser students. The affected students appear to be much more relaxed, and are noticeably less hostile than they were, before. “Phew,” Mrs. Jenkins sighs, as several beads of sweat seem to roll from her brow, falling to the ground.

Jacob seems even angrier than he was before, and an angry glare intensifies on his face, his teeth clenched, and his mouth shut. Although he seems unwilling to give the matter up, without the support of the other survivors, he seems to have lost the confidence to continue speaking out against Mrs. Jenkins.

“Perhaps… we should speak about this elsewhere,”

Mrs. Jenkins pulls shut the kitchen door, as the last of their group files in; minus Jake. Making sure that the window seal is locked tightly, so that prying eyes couldn’t sneak their way into the space in which we were conversating.

Turning towards me, she begins her story, “It all started with the system update; a group of our people were out on the prowl, and we had slain the boss of the horned rabbits the day before, and they were mopping up some of the last of her spawn. With the addition of the tribes of non-hostile creatures being introduced to our world, one of such tribes was introduced into our school. When the students saw the orcs….. they panicked. One of the students attacked, and they were decimated by the superior fighting power of the orcs, and only one of the students sur-”

“Rooar,” A bestial Roar echoes throughout the surroundings, interrupting Mrs. Jenkins’s story. Her face goes pale, as the implications of this roar make all blood drain from her face. Rushing to the door, she shoves it open and rushes out; myself only a step behind.

What I see triggers a rage inside me; an orc, restrained by several of the earlier-angry students, forced down onto a table, Jacob poised to strike over it. Not wasting any time to try at stopping him, I draw out my bow, an arrow already fitted to the string. Releasing the arrow, it flies out, a path towards Jake being carved out of the air, the arrow seemingly floating forwards….

To be continued